Wednesday's Euro Qualifying Matches: The Round-up
2007-09-11 14:23:00
Group APortugal tries to redeem itself, Serbia fights for it's qualifying life, Poland travels to Finland to battle for the top, & that other matchGroup BLes Bleus attempt to ruin the Scots' qualifying dreams, the Ukraine hosts the Azzurri with both sides in desperate need of points, & Lithuania look to beat up on the Faroe IslandsGroup CThe Greeks travel to Norway with group supremacy and who has the better mythological gods on the line, Who's Hungary for some Turkey?, and Bosnia welcomes Moldova into it's House of PainGroup DThe Irish travel to the Czech Republic in what could end up being the match of the day, the Slovaks welcome the Welsh in a seemingly futile battle for their qualifying lives, & Rhode Island has more people and Dunkin' Donuts than Cyprus and San Marino combinedGroup ERussia looks to spoil England's qualifying party and send McClaren packing, Dudu and Croatia travel to Andorra to do stat-padding, & Macedonia welcomes EstoniaGroup FThe Norn Iron look to keep t
Read more: Wednesday
Wednesday's Euro Qualifying Matches: Group G
2007-09-11 14:05:00
Slovenia vs. Belarus, Arena Petrol - CeljeBulgaria vs. Luxembourg, Vasil Levski National Stadium - SofiaAlbania vs. Netherlands, Qemal Stafa - TiranaWow, what a crappy way to end my previews. I would personally rather slip n' slide on a gravel driveway naked than watch Belarus take on Slovenia. If Hleb is playing, the visitors should win, 1-0.I would rather listen to my ex-girlfriend talk about all her problems with work and how selfish her little sister is than watch Bulgaria take on Luxembourg. If Berbatov and Petrov play at least they might get fancy, Bulgaria, 3-1.Finally, I would probably watch the Dutch take on Albania, mainly because Holland is a fun side, but probably won't since I'm sure there will be a better match on. By the way, the Netherlands are my early favorites to win next summer. They should get one step closer to getting there by winning here and tying Romania at the top the group, 3-1. Cheers.
Read more: Wednesday
, Group
Wednesday's Euro Qualifying Matches: Group F
2007-09-11 13:34:00
Iceland vs. Northern Ireland, Laugardalsvöllur - ReykjavikWell, finally we have a group that doesn't have a guaranteed intense match, but that doesn't mean there isn't any drama. In fact, if you look down the road, the top three teams in this group: Sweden, Northern Ireland, and Spain, could all be tied with 19 points at the end of the day, and all meet each other in future fixtures.Northern Ireland owes Iceland a debt of gratitude for drawing with the Spaniards on Saturday. They should also send a thank you card to Xabi Alonso for getting sent off in that match as well. David Healy is expected to play for the Green and White Army, and they'll probably need his knack to find the back of the net, as I'm sure Iceland gained a little confidence from their last match.Stick a fork in the Strákarnir okkar, because they're pretty much done. They will need more miracles than Moses to advance out of this group, but it doesn't mean they'll just roll over and die. Expect them to us
Read more: Wednesday
, Group
Wednesday's Euro Qualifying Matches: Group E
2007-09-11 13:03:00
England vs. Russia, New Wembley - LondonThe Russians go to England in what is easily the match of the day for Group
E. I originally thought that this wasn't a must-win for the English, but now I'm beginning to have second thoughts. Neither Russia nor Croatia have a very difficult schedule ahead of them, though the Croatians have to go to London on the last day of qualifying. A win here and England can go for the draw when they travel to Russia on October 17th.The Russians know that a loss here will be devastating and a draw won't do much better. They still have the Three Lions coming to their house and a trip to Israel in the works. Putting ten men behind the ball and going for the draw mgiht be what Gus Hiddink is thinking, but that would be playing Russian Roulette with their qualifying hopes.No matter what Russia does, the dynamic tandem of Barry and Gerrard should be back, with Cole on the left and Owen and Crouch up front. If their defense doesn't get complacent, I can se
Read more: Wednesday
Wednesday's Euro Qualifying Matches: Group D
2007-09-11 12:04:00
Czech Republic vs. Republic of Ireland, Sparta Stadium - PragueContinuing with the 'every group's got a cracker of a match' theme, we have the Irish traveling to Prague with basically their Euro hopes on the line. A devastating Marek Cech equalizer in the 91st minute of their Saturday tie with Slovakia could end up costing the Boys in Green their spot. A loss here puts them six points behind the Czechs with three matches left each and neither really have the advantage opponent-wise. The Czechs will be looking for blood and all but assure their Euro attendance next summer. Considering that when they met in Dublin last October and all Ireland could manage was a draw, you figure the Czech side should be at least a goal better at home, despite their uninspiring performance at San Marino on Saturday.Ireland tend to be a streaky side and from the looks of it, they appear to be in the midst of a downer. The Czechs know how important it would be to wrap up a qualifying spot as early as p
Read more: Wednesday
, Group
Wednesday's Euro Qualifying Matches: Group C
2007-09-11 11:06:00
Norway vs. Greece, Ullevål - OsloEvery group so far seems to have an incredible match and this one is no different. First place is at stake and because Norway has a game in hand, it means much more to them. Leapfrogging the Greeks means that the Turks home tie with Greece on October 17th will cost one or both of their opponents points, essentially rendering the game-in-hand of their closest competitors useless.For Greece, their schedule after this tie, save the Turkey fixture, is only as hard as they make it for themselves. Bosnia at home, Malta at home, and at Hungary are very winnable fixtures, so a draw here doesn't exactly hurt them. They will still be sitting atop the group and even if Turkey wins, they'll be two points better than their most-hated rival.Both teams suffered minor injuries in their matches on Saturday with Greece losing striker Ioannis Amanatidis to a rib injury and Defender Kjetil Wæhler is out while Alexander Tettey is doubtful for the Norwegians. Even t
Read more: Wednesday
, Group
The Daily Madness: Beckham, Brent, or Rooney?, The Gay World Cup kicks off, The Office's Rainn Wilson has an offer for US Women's Soccer, & more
2007-09-11 10:54:00
- While apparently 44% of men prefer Scarlett Johansson's figure, 13% also think they have a body that resembles David Beckham
's. The other 87% are stuck between Wayne Rooney and David Brent
? I wonder if Rooney knows his form is closer to Andy Reid than Becks?- The 2007 Lesbian-Gay World
Soccer
Championship is set to kick off in Buenos Aires on September 23rd, just in case you were wondering. I'll be curious to see if Graeme Le Saux made the England squad. Sorry, couldn't resist.- Apparently the Office's Rainn Wilson
is a fan of the US Women
's Soccer team. His motives might be a little questionable though:- Apparently shirt sales are down for JJB Sports Plc in the UK. Looks like the down wave of the Beckham effect is taking place in the England market. Don't worry the Beckham Arsenal training kit will be available soon enough. If that doesn't work, they can always try fourth and fifth option shirts for clubs.
Read more: Daily
, Madness
Wednesday's Euro Qualifying Matches: Group B
2007-09-11 10:03:00
France vs. Scotland, Parc des Princes - ParisLes Bleus can put a little distance between themselves and the second place Scots here with a win in Paris. In fact, it'd probably be a good idea if the did so, since even if Italy win, a French win at the Faroe Islands in October would all but assure themselves advancement. Just don't expect the Scots to make it too easy for them.Scotland needs any points they can garner from this match and in fact, a draw would put them at the top of the group since they beat France 1-0 back in October of 2006. Looking at the remainder of their schedule though, home against Ukraine, away at Georgia, and home against Italy, they have no easy points coming their way, so they'll have little choice but to go for the win.Les Bleus probably hasn't forgotten their 1-0 loss at Hampden Park in Glasgow and will probably have revenge on their mind, while Scotland is a relatively poor side on the road. The French appear to be somewhat fit as does their opponen
Read more: Wednesday
, Group
Wednesday's Euro Qualifying Matches: Group A
2007-09-11 09:01:00
Portugal vs. Serbia, José Alvalade - LisbonPortugal did themselves no favors when they gifted Poland the 2-2 draw on Saturday. Though that doesn't make this game a must-win since the remaining of their schedule is quite easy, they could save themselves a lot of unwanted pressure by going ahead and getting the home win here. They suffered no major injuries, but will be without defender Marco Caneira and striker Hélder Postiga for this tie.Serbia could give themselves a monumental boost if they could somehow pull off the upset. They currently sit in fourth, a point behind Portugal, and three and five behind Finland and leaders Poland respectively, though they have a game-in-hand on both of them. Their remaining schedule is also quite unchallenging so any points from this fixture puts them in a decent position to qualify.I don't think Portugal will take Serbia as lightly as they did Poland and will be going for the kill here. If they do approach it lethargically, they don't dese
Read more: Wednesday
, Group
Some late day Madness: Terrorists love Zidane, Is Ronaldo cheating?, Slide-tackled not stabbed, & lots more
2007-09-10 17:58:00
- In a video entitled "Knights of Iraq: 6" by the Islamic Front of the Iraqi Resistance's (JAMI), a participant in the video is seen firing off rounds from a handgun wearing a Zidane
shirt. So I guess these means terrorists also like soccer. Someone needs to find a video of a terrorist wearing an American football jersey or a baseball jersey quick, before the mindless masses actually begin to think that.- Ettore Torri, the Italian Olympic Committee's anti-doping prosecutor, is keen on questioning AC Milan's Ronaldo
about him possibly using a therapy called growth factor to help in the healing of his muscle tear. The practice which uses a natural protein to stimulate cell proliferation is banned in Italy.- An 18-year-old California man insists that his punctured lung was caused by a slide tackle and not a knife despite doctors telling police that it was wholly consistent with a classic knife wound. Since he didn't want any further investigation into the matter the police have lit
Read more: Slide
, Madness
, Terrorists
A match worth watching tomorrow: Australia vs Argentina
2007-09-10 16:16:00
The Asociación del Fútbol Argentino didn't think this one through much, did they? Scheduling a midweek fixture with mostly European players half-way across the world, I'm sure they got an earful from Sir Alex Ferguson, Frank Riikjard, and Rafa Benitez among others. Anyhow, the Albicelestes have already traveled to Oz, so there's little to be done at this point.Taking a quick gander at the squads, the Argentinians are loaded per usual. Some of the big names included are Javier Mascherano, Carlos Tevez, Lionel Messi, Javier Saviola, Javier Zanetti, and Roberto Abbondanzieri. Meanwhile, the Aussies will be without Harry Kewell, Tim Cahill, Mark Viduka, and Scott Chipperfield. They will have West Ham defender Lucas Neill, Middlesborough goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer and Palermo's Mark Bresciano though.The discrepancy in talent alone would make one think that the Argentinians will roll to victory, but the match still has to be played. A number of factors somewhat even the playing fie
Read more: Australia
, tomorrow
, Argentina
The US-Catalonia friendly would have been potentially embarassing anyhow
2007-09-10 14:33:00
Originally the US Men's National Team was scheduled to play a friendly with Catalonia on October 14th at Camp Nou, but that has since been vetoed by the Spanish Football Federation. They made several reasons for this decision, one being that Spain plays a Euro-qualifying match the day before and two days later, and another is that the Catalonia side usually only plays around Christmas and occasionally once in May. As a USMNT fan, I have to say, I'm a bit relieved.By no means would this have been an easy match. I wonder if US Soccer even took the time to do research on the Catalans. First of all, they are primarily made up of La Liga players, and not just Reserves. Víctor Valdés, Curro Torres, Oleguer Presas, Roger Garcia, and Albert Luque were all part of the squad that squared off against a Basque County side around the same time last year. Potentially though, the Catalans could offer spots to players that probably won't be representing Spain in next month's qualifiers incl
Read more: embarassing
The USMNT is only as good as it's defense
2007-09-10 11:55:00
At the 2002 World Cup held in Korea and Japan, the US lost in the quarter-finals to eventual finalist Germany. It was their best finish since 1930, when the tournament featured only thirteen teams and the US won their group only to lose in the semis. Was it an amazing run of luck or were the US squad really that good?Well, first they were placed in the 'Group of Death' with hosts South Korea, a loaded Portugal side that featured Luis Figo and Rui Costa, and Poland which had players from nine different European leagues. The US were considered the 'easy points', and it certainly helped that in their opening match with the Portuguese, that their opponents underestimated them. Because of this, Portugal found themselves down 3-0 by the 38th minute of play, a deficit that proved to large to overcome. In their next match against the host nation, a Clint Mathis goal in the 24th minute put our boys up 1-0 and even though South Korea equalized with about ten minutes to go in the match, t
The Daily Madness: U20 World Cup stadium was dangerous, Booing Bentley is pathetic, Worst Beckham article ever, & more
2007-09-10 08:55:00
- The South stand at Frank Clair Stadium in Ottawa is now closed due to cracks in its concrete structure that make it unsafe. These same stands were filled with soccer fans just this past July when U20 World
Cup matches were held there. That's what we need, another stand-collapsing tragedy. It doesn't surprise me that FIFA officials didn't bother to do legitimate inspections of the facilities. They were probably too busy trying to figure out how to launder a few dollars into their personal accounts to think about the safety of the fans.- During the first half of Saturday's Euro-qualifying group match with Israel, England fans really impressed me with their singing and overall energy. Considering how empty Wembley appeared to be, they were quite loud and sounded as if they were actually enjoying themselves. It's good to see them get behind the boys like that and I hope they do the same on Wednesday against Russia, except this time I hope they do it the entire match. I knew i
Read more: Daily
, Beckham
, Madness
, World Cup
, dangerous
, Bentley
, pathetic
Five reasons why the US could beat Brazil today
2007-09-09 10:07:00
Clint DempseyThe 24-year-old, yes, he's still only 24, has really come into his own at Fulham this season. Unfortunately at the expense of fellow American, Brian McBride, 'Deuce' has found himself with a ton of pitch time and is making the most of it. So far he has two goals, including one in his side's last match, an impressive 3-3 draw with Tottenham in which Dempsey played a part in all three goals. As for his international performances, though not much of a factor in the recent friendly at Sweden, he seemed to be the only player on the pitch who looked like he was having fun in the US' Gold Cup triumph earlier this summer.The US care a whole lot moreTalent-wise, it's not even a contest, everyone knows that, but being played in Chicago, the US will look to impress the 'home' crowd and the world in trying to upset the Brazil
ians. Speaking of which, the Copa America champs, if down late might lose what I think will be a lethargic approach, but it really depends on how youn
The Daily Madness: Chelsea and Man U have worst fans, A Liverpool FC NASCAR racing side?, 26 soccer players will stall an elevator & more
2007-09-09 09:34:00
- A survey published in Jane's Police Review has named Chelsea
, Manchester United, and Leeds fans as the worst. According to the linked article, "the three clubs were most likely to attack officers or be racially or sexually abusive." The whole article, though brief, is pretty interesting in itself and I recommend all to read it.- One of the Liverpool
owners, Tom Hicks, has been prodding around the NASCAR
market supposedly looking for a team in which to invest. One of the people he's been speaking to is Richard Childress, a former car owner of the late Dale Earnhardt. Oh please, please, please put a LFC logo on a race car, I need a good laugh.- In the 'no shit sherlock' award nomination category today we have 26 soccer players and two adults, who for some reason didn't think their combined weight would stall an elevator
. They were wrong. On a further note, what the heck are kids doing taking an elevator at a mall? Their laziness cost them more time than the stairs would have
Read more: Daily
, Madness
2008 Euro Qualifying: Winners & Losers
2007-09-08 18:35:00
Winner: Gareth BarryIn the shadow of a hobble-footed Steven Gerrard, the Aston Villa stepped up to set-up to goals and insure that England live to fight another day.Loser: PortugalWith Christiano Ronaldo putting them up 2-1 in the 73rd minute, it looked as if the Portuguese were going to move into second in the group and cruise to qualification, but a 87th minute equalizer ruined their party.Winner: FinlandThe Finns gave themselves a great opportunity to qualify by pulling off the draw at Serbia. With two home fixtures and a trip to Belgium left, they could be one of the suprise guests at next year's Euro.Loser: Chris BairdHis own goal against Latvia, cost Ireland the match and quite possibly their shot at playing in the Euro next summer.Winner: Real Madrid starsWesley Sneijder and Ruud Van Nistelrooy each scored in Holland's 2-0 win over Bulgaria and move into second place of their group while Sergio Ramos was instrumental in helping ten man Spain salvage a point against Iceland.Lo
Read more: Winners
, Losers
2008 Euro Qualifying: The Luck of the Irish?
2007-09-08 17:52:00
Earlier today it looked as if it would be up to the Ireland Rugby Union Team at the World Cup tomorrow to salvage the weekend for the Irish
, but in the end they could have gotten off much worse. First, Northern Ireland lost on the road at Latvia 1-0, thanks to an own goal by Chris Baird. Then just as it seemed Ireland was going to get the three points on the road against Slovakia, a goal by Marek Čech in injury time equalized the sides at two apiece.For Northern Ireland, the result seemed devastating as Spain was set to take on Iceland and sitting just a point behind the Green and White Army, it appeared the Spaniards would leapfrog them. About 20 minutes into the Spain vs Iceland match though, Xabi Alonso was sent off for a stamping incident. Spain was down to ten players and the Strákarnir okkar took advantage, going up a goal with five minutes left in the half. Despite Spain equalizing late in the second, the draw kept Northern Ireland second in the group, still with a decent
England 3, Israel 0
2007-09-08 13:51:00
The Three Lions led by their inspirational leader, Steven Gerrard, easily brushed aside Israel
and garnered three crucial points to better their position to advance to the 2008 European Championship.The first half was thoroughly dominated by Gerrard, Gareth Barry, and Joe Cole, who had little problems controlling and keeping the ball in the Israel half though their efforts were nearly undermined by lackluster performances from Emile Heskey, Michael Owen, and Shaun Wright-Phillips. Heskey clearly showed he has no right to wear the shirt as he threw away opportunity after opportunity gifted to him from his teammates. Michael Owen wasn't much better and Shaun Wright-Phillips somehow figured out how to lose possession nearly every time he got a touch.Gerrard was clearly the catalyst and the heart of the England
squad and nothing showed that more than a brilliant long ball pass down the right that found Ashley Cole and began the sequence of events that resulted in his sides first goal.
The Daily Madness: Beckham a homophobe?, Mourinho backs Platini?, Fires smoke out matches, & more
2007-09-08 07:58:00
- Former Chelsea left-back, Graeme Le Saux, has revealed that David Beckham
once called him a 'f**king poof' on the pitch. The 38-year-old former England international is not gay though, he's just 'different', so why is he coming out with this now? Oh, it's because he has a serialized autobiography set to be released soon. Well, that's one way to get some attention.- According to this Reuters India article, Jose Mourinho was quoted by a Canadian Italian language daily as coming out in support of Platini
's Domestic Cup Champions League proposal. Let's see that's India via Canada by Italian from English or is it Portuguese? Ever play telephone as a kid? Anyhow, even if he does support it, you'd figure they'd get a more direct source.- Raging wilderness fires are beginning to take it's toll on soccer matches
across California. Fixtures from Merced County to Visalia have been canceled due to poor air quality. Now that's got to suck. The only time a match was ever cancel
Read more: Daily
, Madness
The Week in Review
2007-09-07 18:37:00
Just in case you missed it. Cheers.One idiot's view of David Beckham and the Superliga FinalMore proof that Steve McClaren is a plonkerFour reasons why a women's professional soccer league will fail, againWhy 'Teflon' Jack Warner hates EnglandFormer US Soccer Legends: Eddy HammelOne for the future: Dax McCartyHeiling Hitler in the Czech Republic will cost you $10320A match worth watching on Friday: Switzerland vs Chile What score did I predict?2008 Euro Qualifying Group match previews:Group AGroup BGroup CGroup DGroup EGroup FGroup GEveryone have a safe weekend.
2008 Euro qualifying Group G match previews: Netherlands vs Bulgaria, Belarus vs Romania, & Luxembourg vs. Slovenia
2007-09-07 17:56:00
Netherlands vs. Bulgaria
, 1430 ESTAmsterdam Arena - AmsterdamA win here for the Dutch puts them in a decent position to advance. Playing at home and having one of the best squads in the world, you've got to think they'll pull it off, but with the Oranje, you never know. They were unimpressive in their recent loss to Switzerland, but it was only a meaningless friendly. Before that they were unbeaten in their previous 11 including three straight wins on the road. Last but not least, they are relatively healthy and boost an attack that could probably score if you gave the opposition 13 players.Bulgaria is not without their stars either as Dimitar Berbatov and Martin Petrov can at times carry a squad, but even against the sometimes lackadaisical Dutch defense, I don't think they'll have enough here. Maybe if Valerie Bujinov wasn't hurt I'd give them a chance, but he is, and they'll lose, 0-2.Belarus
vs. Romania, 1200 ESTDinamo - MinskAs long as Romania is healthy, they should at
Read more: Group
, qualifying
, Netherlands
, Luxembourg
, Slovenia
2008 Euro qualifying Group F match previews: Sweden vs Denmark, Latvia vs N. Ireland, & Iceland vs Spain
2007-09-07 16:44:00
Sweden vs Denmark
, 1430 ESTRåsunda - SolnaDespite a game-in-hand, the Danes are desperate for a win as they travel to Solna to take on the group-leading Swedes. This is of course a rematch of the June 2nd fixture, when a fan came on the field and attacked the ref, costing Denmark the match and potentially three points. Even a draw for Denmark would keep their hopes alive as they play four of their remaining five matches at home.Meanwhile, a win for Sweden would all but assure them advancement. Lead by the enigmatic one, Zlatan Ibrahimović, they have a relative healthy side and we could even see the return of captain Fredrik Ljungberg. Also after suffering through a six game winless streak they've rebounded with three straight wins.It's pretty clear what Denmark has to do here, come out with all guns blazing, though it's hard to say whether they have the arsenal to penetrate the Swedish side. We also don't know which side will show up, the one that beat Germany 1-0 in a frien
Read more: Group
, Spain
, qualifying
, Sweden
, Ireland
, Iceland
2008 Euro qualifying Group E match previews: England vs Israel and two picnics
2007-09-07 13:07:00
England vs Israel
, 1200 ESTNew Wembley - LondonIt's no secret that England are in a world of trouble. That draw at home versus Macedonia last October is really coming back to haunt them. If they had 16 points instead of 14, they would be one point behind Saturday's opponent Israel with a game-in-hand. Unfortunately they haven't invented time machines yet so tomorrow they have to win or virtually kiss their Euro qualifying
hopes good-bye.The good news is that they'll have their best player back from injury, Steven Gerrard, though it's unclear how effective he'll be. The bad news is they won't have David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Wayne Rooney, Gary Neville, and probably Owen Hargreaves due to injury. They also won't have Jamie Carragher because he was tired of being McClaren's boy-toy and Peter Crouch due to suspension. Though that is a long absentee list, they still have a decent squad to compliment Gerrard headed by captain John Terry, Michael Owen, Joe Cole, and Micah Ric
Read more: Group
, England
2008 Euro qualifying Group D match previews: Not much different than Group C
2007-09-07 12:25:00
San Marino vs. Czech Republic, 1315 ESTOlimpico - SerravalleSan Marino has a grand total of zero points and a goal difference of -36 in the group. In other words, it's 'pad the stats' time for Jan Koller, Milan Baroš, Tomáš Rosický, and Stanislav Vlček. I'm surprised Pavel Nedvěd didn't come out of retirement for this one. With Petr Čech or even Martin Vaniak in goal and Marek Jankulovski, Tomáš Ujfaluši, and David Rozehnal among others in front of one of them, San Marino has absolutely no chance of scoring here. This one could get really ugly, but I'll go conservative and say 6-0.Wales vs. Germany, 1430 ESTMillennium - CardiffThe only reason this could end up being a competitive match is that it's being held in Wales. Other than that, Germany has been given a massive boost, not only with the confidence they got by recently beating England at Wembley with what was essentially a B side, but a lot of the key players they were missing on that squad due to injury will
Read more: different
, Group
, qualifying
Week 7 EPL Fantasy Picks
2007-09-28 12:25:00
Taking a few risks this week, but I should be fine. Hopefully. Same old Yahoo!UK only rules apply, it's your responsibility if you so choose to follow my picks to make sure the players don't do a Leroy Lita and pull up with a leg injury while in bed.ForwardsKanu, Por 12.41Didn't play at all in Portsmouth's mid-week Carling Cup tie with Burnley. Also, Reading's style of play should suit him well.Kenny Miller, Der 8.80At home against Bolton is a lot different than at Arsenal. The Rams have also had a week in between matches.I'm thinking long and hard about Dean Ashton. The thing is, it's looking more and more likely that Bellamy will be out and with Arsenal coming to Upton Park, it should be the kind of controlled chaos that Ashton usually thrives on.MidfieldersFlorent Malouda, Che 6.00Pretty risky since I'm not sure Grant sees him as a regular. Since he didn't play mid-week, I have to think he'll at least come off the bench for 20-30 minutes and at 6 points, that's no
MLS Expansion: watering down a puddle
2007-09-28 10:48:00
The MLS will expand to 14 teams next year when San Jose returns to the league and in 2009, Seattle will join up to make it 15. What I'm wondering is, why? If anything, the league should restructure itself to less teams and bottleneck the already watered-down talent in the league. I mean, are they looking to make a better product or more money? It would seem the former would be better for the fans and US Soccer as a whole since the spaces for players would become more scarce, forcing players to 'up' their game if they want a coveted spot. Also, the level of play in the MLS would increase with better players squaring off against one another night in and night out. In the end, the winners would be the fans and the National Team, which is why I don't see the point of expansion.Putting out a more watered down product than they already do is only going to drive fans like me away. I barely watch any MLS as it is, but maybe they aren't looking for the long-term fan. Just looking a
Read more: Expansion
Get ready to say good-bye to the beautiful game, Arsenal fans
2007-09-28 10:25:00
With Alisher Usmanov increasing his stake in Arsenal
to 23%, Arsene Wenger has warned that English football is losing it's soul. The Frenchman backs his statement by speaking of stadiums emptying, media coverage becoming dominant, and the clubs becoming less about the supporters and more about the investors. Not only Arsenal fans, but all football fans should listen to the man. He knows more about what goes on in English football than you or I or most of the world. He's been in the circle for some time and his success is unprecedented.It's not hard to figure out what he's saying. He gives plenty of signs in the very quotes of that linked article. If you follow the money trail, it all leads back to one industry. The industry that makes a ridiculous profit from football, one without risk. Men in business only take risks when they have to, but when they can curb the likelihood of a loss in profit, they waste no time in taking advantage of that opportunity.Don't fool yourselves
Read more: ready
The Daily Madness: Arsenal in peril, Spain star wants 'fans' to stay home, Rushmore star injured playing shoeless soccer, & more
2007-09-28 09:19:00
- According to Arsene Wenger, Arsenal
is at a breaking point concerning it's ownership. The French manager is vehemently against foreigners buying controlling stake in the club and singles out the Glazer model at Manchester United as what is wrong with football. His reaction come as Russian billionaire Alisher Usmanov has increased is stake to 23% in the London club.- Sergio González has told the unhappy Deportivo La Coruña supporters not to come to the club's matches if all they are going to do is bring the team down. The Catalan believes the home fans are adding unneeded pressure and being overly reactive to him and his teammates. He goes on to compare football to theatre, which is quite interesting, and also does a Chris Crocker by telling the fans to come after him when things go wrong and not his teammates.- Rushmore
star Jason Schwartzman has broken his toe playing shoeless soccer. The irony of it is, after filming a movie for four months in India and being shoeless for
Read more: Daily
, Madness
, Spain
, wants
, injured
Paul Allen to purchase Seattle Sounders
2007-09-28 07:18:00
With the Seattle
Sounders set to be 'promoted' to the MLS, a number of persons and investment groups have offered to pay the $30 million franchise fee required for the jump. Apparently, one of those groups has won out. A group led by movie producer Joe Roth and Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen
beat out several others in a deal that should be announced by next week.I'm not sure if this is a good thing or not, considering Allen's sports franchise ownership record. One good thing may be that, with MLS' salary restrictions, he won't be able to do the free spending like he has done with the Portland Trailblazers in the past. He'll have to be more frugal in his ways as he does with the Seattle Seahawks, which have been moderately successful during his reign.Another negative is that it looks if the team will continue to play at Allen's Qwest Field, where the Seahawks play. One of the other groups, Atletico Seattle Management, had offered to build a new $135 million soccer-specific
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