Daily Archives: August 12, 2010

Decent performance from England as Capello experiments with new systems

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“A nervous performance, but overall a deserved win and a decent night for England in their first game since their embarrassing exit from the World Cup against Germany. The result and performance will largely be ignored in the mainstream media, thanks to the news that David Beckham’s England career is supposedly over. The determination to not give Capello or England any praise whatsoever means that the ‘announcement’ was superbly timed – no need to focus on what actually happened on the pitch.” (Zonal Marking)

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Menezes’ Brazil start with impressive victory

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“One suspects that getting the Brazilian public onside with good attacking football was Mano Menezes’ first priority as Brazil manager, with a result in his opening game second on the list. With a 2-0 win over the US, he managed to achieve both. Dunga’s reign as manager will not be remembered fondly by the majority of the Brazilian public – even before the World Cup exit he was disliked for the perceived negativity in his side’s football, and for constantly selecting his ‘favourites’ ahead of established stars like Ronaldinho, and younger, emerging talents such as Neymar and Ganso.” (Zonal Marking)

England v Hungary – as it happened

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“Good evening everybody. Well, both of you. Sorry, us. It would be easy for me to begin tonight’s commentary by wondering about the pointlessness of it all: an international friendly being contested by two groups of players who almost certainly have no interest in playing it and chronicled on a minute-by-minutely basis by a reporter who has no interest in watching it for people who have no interest in reading about it.” (Guardian)

England 2-1 Hungary – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Friendly – 11 August 2010
“England played their first match since the disappointing exit from the 2010 FIFA World Cup with a friendly match against Hungary. The England side saw several changes from the World Cup with call-ups of new players and an emphasis on younger players.” (The 90th Minute)

2010-11 English Premier League Preview, Part IV: EPL Talk Podcast

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“In the final part of our preview series, Laurenca McKenna, Kartik Krishnaiyer and myself talk about the three clubs we expect to compete for the 19th Premier League title: Arsenal, Chelsea, and Mancester United. We also talk surprises and disappointments, themes and trends, and our first match of the week: Arsenal’s visit to Liverpoll.” (EPL Talk)

The Match-Fixing Allegation Tainting Spanish Soccer

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“As Spain continues to revel in reigning supreme after lifting soccer’s World Cup in South Africa last month, a match-fixing allegation is threatening to overshadow the start of the country’s top domestic league. The scandal surfaced when the main shareholder of second division team Hercules was allegedly caught on tape boasting that he paid €100,000 to the goalkeeper of the opposition side Cordoba to throw a match in May.” (TIME)

Football transfer rumours: Chelsea keeping tabs on Neymar?

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“The die, it seems, is cast. England won, Hungary’s goal never even crossed the line, the first-half performance was actually quite good to watch and the second-half display wasn’t a great deal worse and the captain scored two lovely goals. So everybody’s happy, right?” (Guardian)

US v. Brazil – An American Dreaming Realities

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“Let’s play in the world of a constructed binary. The land of television is seduction. Images and sound combine to tempt you, seduce you, and entertain you. Helpless, you sit there, motionless. The flashing light leaves you still, like a deer in front of a semi on a back alley road in the dead of night. Pause. Welcome to reality. The sunlight burns your eyes and warms your skin. A gentle breeze caresses your neck. The feint odor of garlic abounds, flaring your nostrils. You are in your body. This is reality.” (futfanatico)

The Premier League Previews, Part 16: Tottenham Hotspur – To Dare Is To Do (Again)

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“Following the 1-0 win against Manchester City that secured Champions League football for the club for the first time in their penultimate match of last season, Tottenham Hotspur players celebrated as if they had just won the Premier League itself. In some respects, this was understandable – consider, for example, what this must have been worth to them in bonuses alone – but in others, it was the end of one battle and the beginning of another. As Arsenal supporters have not tired of reminding them over the summer months, finishing in fourth place in the Premier League didn’t actually guarantee Spurs place in the Champions League proper. Rather, it granted them a place in the final qualifying round for a place in the Champions League.” (twohundredpercent)