Owner: Part-time Pundit URL:http://part-timepundit.blogspot.com/ Join Date: Mon, 31 Mar 2008 20:57:51 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: The ultimate football gossip and half assed punditry blog this side of the Equator, featuring the latest soccer scandals, results and opinions from Australia, Europe, Asia and the Americas. Site statistics:Click here
flickr™ Football Photo of the Week 2008-03-31 19:41:27 Thanks to the good people at flickr™ and my travels through the infinite realm of the internet, each week PTP will be posting unique and inspiring images that capture the diversity of cultures and raw emotions expressed through the love of this beautiful game. Think grass roots, think passion, think fanaticism, think of it as a look behind the scenes, behind the bright flood lights of the big stadiums and all the gloss that has transformed the game into such a globalised business. More importantly though, enjoy the images and don’t forget to post a comment on the artists page if you like what you see.Close Encounters of the Third Kindby mcvalecThe contents of this post are for linking purposes only.All individual trademarks and copyrights belong to their respective owners. Read more:Football
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Portugal's Greek hoodoo continues! 2008-03-27 22:38:08 Georgios Karagounis scored two free-kicks for European champions Greece to ensure Otto Rehhagel's side overcame Portugal
for the third time in as many meetings.I’m allowed to take the free-kicks with the national team. I don't get to take them at Panathinaikos."I think it's hilarious that in his international career, Karagounis has only scored 6 goals, while 3 of them have been against Portugal. His first came way back in the Euro 2004 tournament opener, which Greece ultimately won, beating Portugal (again) in the final.Match highlights:I love the commentators going nuts in this video! Read more:Greek
David Beckham: The Centurion! 2008-03-27 20:58:32 David Beckham
remains determined to go on beyond his century after winning his 100th England cap in the 1-0 defeat to France in Paris. Beckham started the match on the right side of midfield and put in some trademark crosses before he was replaced by David Bentley in the second half and came off to a standing ovation. Franck Ribery scored the only goal of the game from the penalty spot in the first half after Nicolas Anelka had been felled by David James."I'm very honoured," said Beckham. "Straight from when I started playing for England I never dreamed I'd get 100 caps, and hopefully beyond. Before the game, ardent football boot watchers may have felt deflated, Beckham was warming up at the Stade de France in white PowerSwerve football boots with gold trim - his run of the mill football b Read more:David
, David Beckham
WCQ Review: China vs Australia 2008-03-27 19:05:04 Super Schwarzer saves Socceroos! Try saying that 5 times fast! The Socceroos put in a gallantry effort to hold off a somewhat withdrawn Chinese team and there were times where either team could have pinched it. Most notably Bresciano’s lunging effort from 6 yards out, China
’s penalty attempt and David Carney’s 90th min blunder. Never the less, the Aussies showed they have what it takes to compete, even with a depleted squad and will be raring to go in June when they come up against Iraq (home), Qatar (away), Iraq (away) and China (home). Exciting times await. Read more:Australia
WCQ - China vs Australia 2008-03-25 20:16:33 Pim Verbeek insists his injury-ravaged Socceroos will still chase victory against China
in Kunming despite the most troublesome of preparations.We're still going for the win. We've lost some strikers - and I'm not pleased by that but we still have players who can do a top job. Afterwards we'll see if a draw is the best we can get - but the boys are ready to win."Mr. Wong from the milk bar down the street reckon's the Aussies have no chance in pulling off a win, especially in China. The poor guy can barely hear, let alone make a call like that, but I didn't want to be rude, so I kindly agreed and then helped myself to a bag of mixed lollies while he yelled something at me... probably a thank you but I don't have time for glory and congratulations. The World Cup awaits, and Australia
’s wor
Champions League - Matchday 8 2008-03-13 19:08:26 Rhythmic cheers of 'Ole!' rang out as Fernando Torres scored an unstoppable half volley while turning on a dime on the edge of Inter's penalty box! Sound complicated?... just watch the replay below, it'll do a better job of describing it:The win put Liverpool through to the next phase of the ChampionsLeague
along with 3 other English clubs: Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United, while Barcelona, Roma, Schalke and Fenerbahçe make up the teams left in the competition. The draw will take place this Friday to determine who plays who in the quarter finals. The competition sure is heating up!In other news, pictures recently taken by the Mars Rover confirmed what we'd suspected months ago. The ball that Zlatan Ibrahimovic launched against CSKA Moscow finally came to its resting place on the Read more:Matchday
, Champions League
Ramos dining with the good silverware 2008-02-25 23:36:09 Everyone was really excited when Ramos
transferred to the Spurs, George Lucas included, because they all knew that finally an articulate tactician would be at the helm of a talented group of footballers and his Jedi mind tricks would help the team overcome their obstacles. Since his arrival, Tottenham have had a resurgence in form and have found their attacking prowess through a range of players... Berba, Keane, Lennon, Malbranque, Jenas etc… plus they’ve been playing some exciting football too. It is believed amongst the Tottenham faithful that the match winning goal, scored by Woodgate, was actually part of Ramos’ use of ‘the Force’ to position the ball in front of him when Cech punched it... how else do you explain it?Match highlights:
The silly season is upon us 2008-02-25 22:38:07 What a way to kick off the Festive Season than with 4 matches in 11 days!? And to headline the act, a London rivalry of the highest caliber; Arsenal v Tottenham at the Emirates. Both teams played mid week in their respective FA Cup ties and both impressed in very different ways. Arsenal fielded an even younger squad, if that’s even possible, and dominated large parts of the match against Blackburn, while over in Manchester, it was business as usual for Ramos and the Spurs as they fielded an almost full strength squad to fight off City.Both teams have really been playing football lately and under new coach and revelation Juande Ramos, the Spurs have lost only 1 of their last 11 matches. So even though the ods are against them, (only beaten Arsenal once in since Wenger took the reigns in 1
I'm a genius and Vukovic is an idiot 2008-02-25 20:17:42 The Newcastle Jets have been crowned as A-League champions for the 2007/08 season and I predicted it before the finals series even started... this makes me a genius
and Vukovic an idiot! Not only did he think that Central Coast would win, but he tried to convince Mark Shield of it too!“Danny trains and plays with his heart on his sleeve, he’s an emotional boy. He’s been fantastic for us for two and a half seasons."Look Danny, all the A-League refs are on the PTP payroll so do and say what you want, at best you'll be missing the Olyroos trip to Beijing mid year or being couped up with Ben Cousins in some remote boxing facility learning how to turn an arm grab into a wicked right hook!The Jets celebrating their raid on Central Coast... in Sydney.
Champions League - Matchday 7 Review 2008-02-24 21:30:18 A brilliant Arsenal display couldn't break down the stubborn Itie defence. The Gunners pressured high and didn't allow world player of the year, Kaka, much time on the ball... which almost completely closed down Milan's attacking options. The return leg will be interesting.A kick in the face is better than a punch in the undies... well thats what I'd prefer anyway! Fenerbahce just scrapped through with the win and Sevilla go into their match at home knowing a single goal will get them through.Benzema was really in the mood to play against United and peppered the goal all day... and even though he missed a load of opportunities, he did manage to squeeze the ball past three defenders and beat one of the best keepers in the world at full horizontal stretch! Kudos to you Karim! Although I stil Read more:Champions
, League
, Matchday
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Watch: Houston Dynamo v Sydney FC - Live! 2008-02-21 00:41:38 For those who couldn't make it to Hawaii... and lets face it, it's not the most prestigious tourney in the world, never fear, you'll still be able to watch the tournament from the comfort of your desk chair. The match starts at 5:30pm(AEST) and can be seen here.Related links:Watch TV sports onlineHouston
v Sydney
preview
Big guns prepare to blaze 2008-02-17 21:16:18 So we're down to the business end of the UCL competition and there are some stunning match-ups to look forward to. This is how the draw panned out:Celtic v BarcelonaLyon v Manchester UnitedSchalke v FC PortoLiverpool v Inter MilanAS Roma v Real MadridArsenal v AC MilanOlympiacos v ChelseaFenerbahce v SevillaMatches to note:Lyon v Manchester United: Both teams are currently in fine form so regardless of the outcome you know this will be be an intense home and away battle... and so does Sir Ferg.I think Lyon were one of the stronger options for us. They are a good team but we like playing good teams."The second leg will be played at Old Trafford and I just don't think that Lyon will have what it takes to beat Man Utd there, so this match will most likely be decided in France.Liverpool v Inte
Sydney: Going to Hawaii 2008-02-15 10:32:56 Sydney FC finished fourth in this years A-league and now have a trip to Hawaii
to look forward to... thats pretty sweet considering they played like crap for most of last year.An all-expenses-paid sojourn at a luxury hotel close to Waikiki Beach in Honolulu, two matches at the all-seater, 50,000-capacity Aloha Stadium and no pressure to deliver: it does not get much better than this for any football team... Sydney will take on Major League Soccer champions Houston Dynamo, David Beckham’s Los Angeles Galaxy and Nabisco Cup winners Gamba Osaka for a winner’s cheque of $US75,000 ($83,000).So not only do they get to link up with their pal's the LA Galaxy again, who they gave an absolute "shellacking" too a few months ago, but they'll also get to frolic on Waikiki Beach with Becks and co. w Read more:Sydney
, Going
Destiny in the dollar 2008-02-06 01:14:24 If you’ve been wondering where I’ve been lately and why I haven’t been writing any posts, well you might be pleased to know that like so many other “players” from around the world, I’ve been trying to get “naturalized” as a Qatari so that I can line up against the Socceroos tonight. Did I try to cash in… without a doubt! Turns out Qatar spends billions of dolleros or petrollios or (whatever you call ‘em over there) every year to develop purchase talent, so I see this as a win-win; It would be the perfect inside job... I could sabotage all of big Jorge’s plans by scoring an O.G and help the Socceroos overcome their underestimated opponent, while still making money and hanging out with the wealthy Qatari sheikhs... ah the possibilities are endless.Related reads:Money sa Read more:Destiny
Pim-p our team 2008-01-20 22:26:54 No it’s not X to the Z... this is the real PIM-p and he has a whole lotta work to do with not much time to do it in!As the third of four Socceroos training camp kicks off today, it is still not known exactly who will fill the make-shift Socceroos lineup, although the ace up his pimp sleeve, which won’t be revealed till the weekend before the match on Feb 6th, is if he’s going to bring down any of Australia’s European big guns.I have talked by phone - or in person - with our European players and they have all made themselves available. Now it’s up to me to make a final decision on what to do.” My friend drives a sky blue 1973 Steevie Cor-ica 3.4 litre, which he has thrashed and is nearing it’s last legs wheels. A couple weeks ago PIM-p knocked on his door and offered to pimp h
The problem with Victory is... 2008-01-18 00:01:20 With one match remaining in Sydney and no chance of making the top four, Melbourne will be reviewing their season and asking themselves how they got it so wrong. Their recruiting at the end of last season and even before this one kicked off was getting praise from pundits far and wide cause they weren't resting on their laurels. They put the signs out early that they were keen to go back-to-back and on paper they looked the goods... so what happened?Well inside sources suggest that they put way too much emphasis on being fit for the looming Asian Champions League (Asian hookers give you more bang for your buck ya see) and the conditioning coaches got their calculations a little wrong; hence why Melbourne is peaking at the end of the season as opposed to months earlier. Also, Thompson and A Read more:Victory
New year, new national kit 2008-01-15 06:03:43 Both Adidas and Nike have launched new national team kits for a bunch of teams they sponsor, but most prominently for the teams that’ll be seeing some action in Austria and Switzerland next year.Among some of the surprises, the Netherlands and Turkey will now have turquoise in their away strips, which I rate highly. Adidas on the other hand haven’t really pushed the creative barrier much and their new jerseys look very measured and traditional… which really means they look uninspiring and like they've been 'done before'. What ever the kit, colour or fit, Euro 2008 promises to be another great tournament for all teams involved and I sure as hell can't wait.In the meantime though, we'll just have to relive the greatest moments of Euro 2004:
A-League: The end is nigh 2008-01-15 04:16:50 So we're down to the business end of the A-league season and all top 4 teams are locked on 31 points heading into the final game day of the season. At stake a place in the Asian Champions League
, potentially worth US$600,000 and a place in the World Club Championships.This has been the closest finish to a season in the A-league so far and it'll be interesting to see how it pans out; especially cause the games take place on seperate days as opposed to being played simultaneously, so as to not favour any one team.Surely the A-league will review this for next seasons fixtures and plan accordingly.Queensland currently top the group with a +6 goal difference, then Sydeny (+4), Central Coast (+3) and followed by the Jets (+3) but with less goals scored than CC.Final day fixturesKicking off the r
In Action: Nike Mercurial Vapor IV 2008-01-13 08:21:47 The Nike Mercurial Vapor IV SL, a by-product of the Nike Mercurial SL, have finally hit the feet Cristiano Ronaldo and will soon be hitting stores as well. Weighing in at 210 grams, these are by far the lightest boot out on the market at the moment. Designed to be fast, there's no wonder why Nike enlisted the services of Ronaldo to promote these beasts... And what a way to show them off! Overnight, Manchester United destroyed Newcastle United 6-0 at Old Trafford, with Ronaldo bagging a hat-trick. That brings his goal tally in the Prem. League to 13 this season and 22 across all competitions. He truly has stepped up his game and it'll only be a matter of time before a Spanish or Italian giant comes knocking at Manchester's door.Wallpaper download1600 x 1200Latest Nike ad: Cristiano Ronaldo Read more:Action
Spotlight: Nike Mercurial SL 2007-12-24 17:16:18 Lost in obscurity over the last couple of weeks, the Nike Mercurials haven't really been in the public eye lately; up until a few days ago that is, when they re-surfaced on the feet of who else but Cristiano Ronaldo, for the new Untouchables campaign. Even though they've officially been released, the boots still haven't been worn 'publicly'. PTP inside sources say that something big awaits but it's all very hush hush and perhaps the heads over at Nike have something planned for the festive period or the new year. Either way, I think we'll be in for a treat very soon.Asafa Powell, the fastest man in the world, tests Nike Mercurial SL, the fastest boots in the world... this is the result. Read more:Spotlight
How 'The Beast' stole 3 points 2007-12-24 17:15:17 Julio Baptista, 'The Beast
' scored the only goal of 'el clasico' in the 36th minute, finishing off a beautiful one-touch move on the edge of the box with Van Nistelrooy; a well-taken half-volley into the top-right corner!Bernd Schuster's side were worthy winners and now have 41 points from their 17 games, compared to Barca's 34.
Champions League - Matchday 6 Review 2007-12-13 09:10:35 Robin van Persie made his long awaited comeback from injury today in preparation for the weekends match against Chelsea at the Emirates. And things looked positive for the experimental Gunners side that had qualified weeks ago. RvP was the center of all things creative in the first half and was involved in starting both moves which lead to Arsenals goals. Another positive is that Cesc Fabregas may be joining up with the squad for the weekend clash also.As I expected, Liverpool stepped up to the plate and knocked Marseille for 6! Delivering some killer blows was the fit again Harry Kewell who had a great game... Funny that, his contract expires at the end of this season, so he may well have just earned himself a new one! Usual suspects, Gerrard, Torres and Kuyt were no the score sheet and s Read more:Champions
, League
, Matchday
, Champions League
New Adidas boots...no Kaka 2007-12-12 08:07:22 Kaka, Fifa world player of the year, unveiled the new adidas adiPURE football boots in Yokohama only days ago. He opened a black marble shoe box made especially for him and unveiled his new handcrafted adiPURE football boots. At the event, Kaká wrote his personal advice for all passionate football players on the lid of the marble shoe box.Only when you have a true feel for the ball can you truly make it do what you want.At the heart of this new football boot made of fine, shiny K-leather is incredible elegance. The name “adiPURE” symbolizes the main features of the handcrafted football boot: pureness, simplicity, naturalness and elegance. However, the key benefit of this boot is its fantastic fit. The high-quality materials, soft leather and pre-moulded sockliner provide outstanding c Read more:Adidas
Separated at birth! 2007-12-11 07:47:13 While I was browsing shots of Chelsea's UCL training sessions today I discovered that I'd seen Avram Grant years ago (before I actually knew he existed, which to tell you the truth, was not until he got the lead role at Chelsea only a few months ago). Anyway, convinced that I'd seen his ugly head several times while growing up, it soon occurred to me that he was part of the awkwardly morbid and gothic 60's tv show The Addams Family... now all I have to find are people that look like Gomez, the Thing, Lurch, and Cousin Itt and we'll be able to have a reunion! Read more:Separated
, birth
Champions League - Matchday 9 Review 2008-04-02 23:29:17 An awesome finish by Kazim Kazim, excuse my stuttering, and a wonder strike by Deivid have given Fenerbahçe a good little lead going to Stamford Bridge next week. This match was definitely a game of two halves with Chelsea dominating the first and Fenerbahçe controlling much of the second. A contributing factor to their dominance was the Turkish crowd which really got behind them; I’d suspect that playing in stadium in which 99% of the people eat kebabs and want your head on a stick would be intimidating... anyway the support paid off and now Fenerbahçe can go to London knowing that as well as facing a stadium that wants it managers head on a stick, they’ll be up against a team that hasn’t lost there in a really, really long time; anyone know exactly how long it’s been? If the m Read more:Champions
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, Champions League
Arsenal v Liverpool - Episode 2 2008-04-06 22:34:34 Nicklas Bendtner, who much to my surprise started the match, suprised me again by scoring the equaliser on 53 minutes with a powerful header at the near post. Peter Crouch had opened the scoring with a nice half volley outside the box late in the first half and he was the only refreshing thing about Liverpool
’s play as he came racing straight out of the blocks to help put early pressure on Arsenal
. Once the Gunners settled though, Liverpool resorted to their defensive measures again and tried to close down the game. It’ll be interesting to see how Liverpool approach their third and final match this week. They’ve been very inconsistent at Anfield this year and may have to come out and play, especially if Arsenal snatch an early goal... Arsenal have recently proved that they can unlock Read more:Episode
Champions League - Matchday 10 Predictions 2008-04-08 02:32:33 Tuesday matchesLiverpool 1 v 2 ArsenalChelsea 2 v 1 FenerbahçeWednesday matchesMan. United 2 v 2 RomaBarcelona 3 v 2 SchalkeDo-or-diesLiverpool v ArsenalBenitez told a press conference on Monday:We don't want a 0-0 draw. I would prefer us to win. For us it is important to score a goal if we want to win the game. Arsenal can score goals away from home so we have to think about winning the game.”This is where Liverpool’s luck will run out. They can afford to sit back and defend but no doubt Wenger will have tricks up his sleeve to make them come out and play and I think Arsenal will snatch an early goal through van Persie... yeah he’ll start.Chelsea v FenerbahçeThe fans at Stamford Bridge have become unsettled by some of Avram Grant’s tactical decisions and if Chelsea concede an ea Read more:Champions
, League
, Matchday
, Predictions
, Champions League
Champions League - Matchday 10 Review 2008-04-10 19:38:41 Roma were quite unlucky not to get more out of this match and after the match Daniele De Rossi admitted his first-half penalty miss was the pivotal moment in the Italian club's defeat. It was a highly-charged moment and probably I had too much time to think before taking it. I've scored penalties in important games like the World Cup final during my career but tonight I was less fortunate. I'm deeply sorry. I hoped that this would not have happened to me, especially tonight in a special game like this."Let’s get one thing straight, Manchester United without Ronaldo and Rooney are not Manchester United... they’re more like Scunthorpe United on RedBull... and even though they came out charged (that’s what 5 cans does to you), Roma settled and started to play the ball around a lot nicer Read more:Champions
, League
, Matchday
, Champions League
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