“My recent trip to England revealed a few interesting tidbits of info, c/o of some seasoned overseas football writers with whom I had a nice stout-soaked chat. Perhaps the most interesting was the revelation that it is near impossible to watch a full, live, 90 minute MLS match in the UK.” (A More Splendid Life)
“This summer has been one of continued transfer speculation surrounding the top players at the club. One did find the sums of money on offer elsewhere too much to resist but so far, that is it. Nothing unusual in that, after all since the turn of this century we have witnessed an endless stream of media gossip about who is going where and when, for how much and 99% of it has turned out to be baseless. Rarely has the club commented. The Reyes debacle probably offers as good a reason why as any other.” (A Cultured Left Foot)
“When it comes to sports, one of the stubbornest examples of American exceptionalism is the use of the word ‘soccer.’ Some six billion people around the world have chosen to call it ‘football.’ We don’t care. But in recent months, this sport—the one with the ball and the net—has taken a few steps forward. As Major League Soccer, the leading American professional league, holds its All-Star game Wednesday at Rio Tinto Stadium in Utah, there is growing evidence that America’s parochial attitude toward this game is quickly fading.” (WSJ)
“There is no question as to which team has been the star of the 2010 World Cup qualifying tournament in South America. It’s not Brazil or Diego Maradona’s Argentina but Chile, whose national side is undergoing a revolution. The team are second in the table with four matches to go. They have won more games than anybody else (eight) and boast the second best attack and goal difference behind Brazil.” (WSC)
Looking back, looking forward (That’s On Point)
“Guess I missed the memo. Somewhere along the line, the summer was supposed to be the slow part of the year in terms of soccer, well, aside from MLS. Then something happened making this year absolutely crazy. The soccer slate in America was more jam-packed than James Gandolfini trying to squeeze his way into wardrobe in the final seasons of ‘The Sopranos.'”
Frugal Rangers having to face the hard facts (TimesOnline)
“It must be years since Rangers last found themselves in their current position, having not made a single summer signing with the new football season imminent. In times gone by three, four or five new recruits would have been wheeled into Ibrox by now, and some of those such as Brian Laudrup or Paul Gascoigne caused huge excitement across the Scottish game.”
Top 5 Premier League transfers so far (twofootedtackle)
“The pre-season programme is well underway and the 2009/10 Premier League campaign is fast approaching. In the era of the transfer window, of course, the summer becomes a whirlwind of transfer speculation: the ins, outs, maybes and sagas.”
Cork’s team sinking again (WSC)
“The voluntary stewards have been told to turn up as usual for Cork City’s next home game against Bray Wanderers, but they may yet have this, and every other Friday, off. At the High Court in Dublin yesterday, Judge Mary Laffoy ordered the winding-up of Cork City FC Investments Ltd, should an outstanding estimated debt of €360,000 (£310,900) not be paid to the Revenue by Friday. It is the latest in a long line of disappointments for supporters of the club; for older football fans in Ireland’s second-biggest city, it is the latest in a long line of clubs folding.”
Normal Rotation Could Put World Cup in United States in 2018 (Washington Post)
“The United States has a good chance of hosting the 2018 World Cup if soccer’s governing body adheres to its principle of rotating the massive sporting event continent to continent, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said Monday.”
Pro Vercelli: A Vine That Keeps Climbing (The Run of Play)
“My assistant manager quit. I have no idea why. He just stood there in the doorway, gingerly holding his resignation letter, muttering something about becoming the coach of Sorrento.”
“Thomas Kahlenberg (born March 20, 1983 in Hvidovre) is a Danish professional football player, who plays as a midfielder for German club VfL Wolfsburg. He has played more than 20 matches and scored two goals for the Denmark national football team, and was the youngest member of the Denmark squad for the 2004 European Championship.’ Wikipedia, YouTube, ESPN
Fragment from the Ara Pacis (Altar of Peace)
“Ah, summer soccer in America. When we can finally kick back, crack an ice cold Miller Lite, and take in some of that industrious Major League Soccer all of these scallywags have been talking about … oh you’ve got Stella? Wait, Barca’s playing? Maybe next year….” (Foot Smoke)
Football For Breakfast (EPL Talk)
“On five hours of sleep, I pull myself from my bedroom, cross the hall to the living room and land on the couch. It’s a journey of maybe 20 feet, but it feels like Stage 20 of the Tour de France. I am a zombie on NyQuil dragging bags of concrete behind me. Liverpool FC face Singapore in a friendly 7am: Eastern. Standard. Time. No sane person would get up after so little sleep merely to catch a match where nothing was at stake. But I am not a sane person. I am a football supporter.”
7 Things We Learned About The World Football Challenge (EPL Talk)
“Chelsea’s squad returns to London today after an incredibly successful 10-day tour of the United States. While they were in the States, the club won the World Football Challenge, played in front of an average attendance of 68,687, demonstrated a renewed sense of enthusiasm and playing ability under new manager Carlo Ancelotti, and managed to wade off Manchester City’s advances toward captain John Terry.”
Szetela facing long road back for U.S.; Alvarez ready to switch sides (SI)
“From Olympic-team starter to Serie B bench-warmer in less than 12 months, Danny Szetela may be one of the few American players whose move to Europe actually set him back in the national-team pool. When Major League Soccer sold the former Columbus Crew starlet’s contract to Racing Santander of Spain’s La Liga in August 2007, Szetela was an up-and-coming player in the U.S. midfield rotation and already was a veteran of U.S. youth teams with loads of international experience.”
Spanning the South American age spectrum (BBC – Tim Vicker)
“It’s not often that Bolivian football makes headlines all over the world, but that’s what happened last week after a player made his first division debut a few days before his 13th birthday. Mauricio Baldivieso came off the bench for the last few minutes of Aurora’s match against La Paz. He had made a shrewd choice of father – Julio Cesar Baldivieso is not only one of the recent greats of the Bolivian game, he was also Aurora’s coach. But not any more.”
Roll on the footy! (BBC)
“I think I’ve had my fill of summer sport now, ta. By and large I enjoy a bit of football respite. But the pre-season friendlies have never done owt for my footy cravings. Vegetarian sausages, alcohol-free lager, silicone implants, football friendlies… all one and the same to me. I just want it to get under way and get a bit of order back into my life!”
Hicks & Gillett complete deal on Liverpool loans (ESPN)
“Liverpool’s American owners have concluded a deal to re-finance the bank loan they took out to buy the club in 2007. Co-owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are not expected to issue a statement, but the deal is believed to be for another year and will involve them paying back £60m of the original debt.”
Top soccer official to invite Obama to World Cup (AP)
“FIFA president Sepp Blatter has specific ideas on upgrading the popularity of soccer in the United States. He hopes he has an eager listener in President Barack Obama. Blatter plans to extend a personal invitation to Obama to attend the 2010 World Cup in South Africa when the two meet at the White House on Monday.”
“If it wasn’t for Florentino Perez and his early transfer window ‘shock and awe’ superstar shopping spree, a shopping spree which has seen the triple trophy winning exploits of Joan Laporta’s men at the Camp Nou quickly forgotten by anyone not from Catalunya, then what must be regarded as the summer’s most ludicrous deal to date would surely never have come to fruition.” (Soccer Lens)
Local Boy Returns Home With Soccer Royalty (The Washington Post)
“Oguchi Onyewu began playing soccer with his boyhood buddies at St. Andrew Apostle Catholic School in Silver Spring. Weekends were consumed by MSI, the iconic youth program of Montgomery County, and the group remained largely unbroken through eighth grade.”
Cult of celebrity is destined to produce fallen idols (Guardian)
“The drinking-football season has kicked off in style again, with Steven Gerrard and David Beckham playing blinders in a couple of friendlies, and the rest of us left wondering if we do actually inhabit the same planet.”
When the Goal is Peace (allAfrica)
“Delivering his first state of the nation address in June 2009, South Africa’s President Jacob Zuma described sport as ‘a unifying force’ that people must use to live together. A social soccer club in Cape Town’s informal settlement of Masiphumelele is taking his challenge seriously: Kanana Football Club has recruited foreigners as a gesture of goodwill and harmony.”
Kalou, Boots And Money Men Getting Antsy? (A Cullture Left Foot)
“Sunday morning brings the usual suspects as transfer targets and a new boy to boot. Wellington – a headline writers dream if ever there was one – is the latest Wunderkid to be linked with a move to The Emirates, seemingly ready to pick Arsenal ahead of Manchester United, Real Madrid and Chelsea. Until Manchester City come in and offer him £250k per week, that is.”
“Sven-Göran Eriksson must be kicking himself for not surviving the sack at Manchester City. After being given a top-10 target after he took the job in July 2007, the former England manager steered the club to ninth place in the Premier League that season, his first in charge.” (SI)
Born Again: How the Deep-Lying Midfielder Position is Reviving Careers (Soccer Lens)
“In football, as it’s played today, central midfielders have become the most important players on the pitch. Due to the growing importance of the transition game, the roving role of a post-to-post player demands competence in both defense and attack.”
Why Brazil hate altitude (World Cup Blog)
“Brazil’s lone vendetta against teams being able to play matches in their own capital cities has its roots in the following…”
City’s first steps to world domination (ESPN)
“Manchester City’s stated aim of becoming the ‘darlings of world football’ still has a long way to go if the club’s popularity in South Africa is an effective yardstick. Having been restricted by an inability to field their biggest signings on this summer’s pre-season tour, such as Carlos Tevez, Roque Santa Cruz and Emmanuel Adebayor (who landed in South Africa on Tuesday), City have yet to win over the local public.”
Benitez urges Alonso to remain with Liverpool (ESPN)
“Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez has urged Xabi Alonso to stay with the club as he continues to be linked with a move to Real Madrid. The Spain international has already suggested that he is flattered by the interest from the Bernabeu and would consider a move back to La Liga. But Benitez is desperate for the 27-year-old to remain at Anfield.”
News Update: Steven Gerrard Cleared Of Affray Charges (EPL Talk)
“Steven Gerrard was cleared of affray today when the jury at the Liverpool Crown Court delivered a verdict of not guilty. Gerrard insisted he had been acting in self-defense when he punched Marcus McGee at the Lounge Inn in Southport after an argument over the music in the club’s CD player.”
“This match hasn’t gone down in history as one of the great games of the World Cup (in fact, it is most remembered for one isolated flash of skill from Cruyff), but it did have its moments.” Wednesday 19th, June 1974, Telegraph, MySpace
View of Haarlem with Bleaching Grounds, c. 1670- 1675. Jacob van Ruisdael
“In the United States, there are as many opinions about soccer announcers as there are cable outlets — and, in the view of many, nobody has a clue. For many, a British accent is a prerequisite for membership in the club and Americans simply need not apply. The Spanish-language practitioners make things sound exciting (Gooooooooooool!) for many monolingual folks, but most of their commentary is overwrought, bombastic and borderline unlistenable.” (NYT)
United pull an Arsenal, Gerrard case shines light on Liverpool fans and lots more (Soccer Lens)
“As we amble through the ‘most amazing transfer season ever’, drunk on the memories of the ‘closest title race ever’ from last season and looking forward to what surely must be ‘the most exciting Premier League season ever’, it’s easy to miss the trees for the forest – or the blinding neon light that is 24/7/365 football.”
ThreeMatchBan Top 10: Facial Hair (Three Match Ban)
“Players today are often well groomed with a pop-star fashion sense and a mahogany tan, with the possible exception of the heavily stubbled Roy Keane. However facial hair was a popular accessory not so long back and was sported with pride by some of the biggest names in the game and also some of the lesser names too.”
Those We Have Lost: Southbury Road, Enfield (twohundredpercent)
“This piece is the first of a series of articles intended as personal recollections of some of our lost football grounds. Should you wish to contribute to this series, please feel free to email us via the ‘Contact’ page, which is linked at the top of this page. The first piece in this series takes a fond look back at Southbury Road, the late, lamented home of Enfield Football Club.”
Offside Sound Off: Which Retired Player from the Last 10 Years Would You Like to See Make a Comeback? (The Offside)
“Colombian striker Antony de Ávila (aka El Pitufo or The Smurf, as he’s 5′3″ small) is coming out of retirement. Nothing so unusual about that… except that de Ávila retired a full 10 years ago at the already advanced age (for a footballer) of 36.”
Cover Your Ears! Vuvuzela World Record Attempt Tonight (World Cup Blog)
“The Confederations Cup is over. And the 2010 World Cup is still 11 months away. But the vuvuzela stories just keep on coming. First there was Austria banning the little plastic horns for some very unconvincing safety reasons, and now an army of vuvuzela blowers will be making a world record attempt.”
“As Brazil coach, Luiz Felipe Scolari’s most controversial decision was his refusal to pick Romário. Even at 36, Romário was still one of his country’s most prolific strikers at the time and “Big Phil” faced a Spanish inquisition at every media conference. TV stations and newspapers launched pro-Romário campaigns and even Fernando Henrique Cardoso, then the Brazilian President, joined in.” (SI)
Video Highlights of Preseason Matches for Bayern Munich, Man City, Arsenal, Schalke, and Hamburg (The 90th Minute)
“The preseason schedule for European clubs has begun with several playing in tournaments and various competitions around the globe. Here’s a list of the recent preseason matches for some of the big clubs including Bayern Munich and Arsenal.”
Man City begin to shed their skin (ESPN)
“The unofficial title of ‘World’s richest club’ sat uneasily with Manchester City last season. It provided opportunities for mockery from their detractors whenever Benjani or Darius Vassell found themselves the supposed spearhead of a blunt attack, when a creaking Dietmar Hamann or a labouring Gelson Fernandes was handed a pivotal role in an overpowered midfield or when Richard Dunne was at his blundering worst in an error-prone defence. Wealth provided City, no strangers to embarrassment, with new indignities.”
How Football Is Like Foreign Films (EPL Talk)
“With huge advances in cable, satellite and Internet technology, we can now watch practically any major football league on our TV screens or monitors in the comfort of our living room. Your favorite football team could be the one that’s in the city near you, or it could be a club that’s on the other side of the world.”
Individual video highlights: Ronaldinho, Nesta & Onyewu (AC Milan) vs Club America (101 Great Goals)
“Ronaldinho continues to sparkle during the pre-season. Against Club America on Wednesday night, the gap-toothed wonder was fielded in the hole behind the strikers, allowing the Brazilian to attempt some cute incisive passes as well as seeing the forward crash the bar with a long-range free-kick.”
John Terry snubs City to stay at the Bridge, the return of Sven & Arsenal swoop for Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (101 Great Goal)
“[Mr. McGee] grabbed my menu off me and said ‘You are not fucking deciding what music goes on in here.’ When he grabbed it I said ‘What’s your problem, why can’t I change it?’ He basically said to me ‘I am not putting your music on.’ … – Steven Gerrard.”
Review of the week (BBC)
“We’ve all heard tales of Sven’s alleged antics down the years, but it still came as a surprise to learn he was tied up in Notts. I noted a couple of weeks back how this year’s close-season had turned into the silly season, but if Michael Owen’s move to Manchester United was a bit of a shock, Eriksson’s switch to Meadow Lane was a thunderbolt.”
“The Italian season opener, the Supercoppa Italiana (Italian Super Cup), between Serie A champions Internazionale and Italian Cup winners Lazio, is taking place abroad again at Beijing’s Olympic Stadium the Bird’s Nest. It’s a showy step in Italian football’s attempts to keep pace with the Premier League’s branded behemoths — and one that also includes a breakaway league reminiscent of England’s league transformation in the 1990s. Yet these flashy moves can’t hide the underlying crisis in Italian football.” (Pitch Invasion)
Why PL Will Still Reign Over Spain… (Football365)
“In terms of income and international profile, la Liga is quite literally decades behind the omnipotent, omnipresent Premier League. This has little to do with the quality of the product on offer – as marketing suits would put it – but the fact that the Spanish game is run by complete buffoons.”
Iraq united behind football stars (BBC)
“When is a one-nil defeat a victory? When Iraq play Spain. Spain beat Iraq in the qualifying round of the Confederations Cup in South Africa in June, scoring the only goal of the game. But the Iraqi fans were smiling.”
What is the state of soccer in U.S. (Wicked Local)
“When the United States national soccer team upset Spain in the Confederations Cup last month, it piqued the interest of a number of non-soccer fans here in the U.S. Granted the U.S. men didn’t win the World Cup or Olympic gold medal, but they pulled off an amazing feat, snapping Spain’s winning streak, the second longest unbeaten stretch up to that point.”
ESPN’s questionable competition (WSC)
“After Setanta’s slow motion decline into financial obscurity, the emergence of ESPN as a major provider of live televised football raises a number of questions. The key facts of the American broadcaster’s arrival are well known after it secured the rights to 46 Premier League matches next season and 23 for the next three seasons, alongside rights to SPL matches, secured jointly with Sky, through to the end of 2011-12.”
History Of Premier League On US TV (EPL Talk)
“Long before the Premier League debuted on August 15, 1992, top flight English football was available on US television. It was nothing compared to today’s offering where practically every weekend game is available to watch. But it’s been consistently available, in one form or another, to US viewers since the early 1990s.”
One Man’s Struggles with WPS Fandom (Foot Smoke)
“I love soccer. And I’m pretty sure I love women. So why don’t I love Women’s Professional Soccer? Or do I, secretly? These are questions I fear to answer because any serious soul-searching might uncover the misogynistic pig within. That, or I’ll end up stripping away a vestigial layer of macho-callous that has kept me straight and largely insensitive to the needs of women through the years. Oh well, here goes…”
“Conceding a late first half Panamanian goal and losing veteran defender Jimmy Conrad to a concussion, caused concern for the U.S. Men’s National Team, heading into halftime. However, the USA seized control in the second half, asserting itself with dominant second-half play, which culminated with a Kyle Beckerman equalizer in the 50th minute. Kenny Cooper would seal the 2009 Central American Champion’s fate with a corner-deflected penalty conversion. And here are my five thought… ” (futfanatico)
U.S. team, an improved MLS fuel growing buzz for sport in America (SI)
“Last week, I got an e-mail from a friend who is part of the U.S. World Cup 2018/2022 bid committee. He had just attended a sold-out event at the Kicking & Screening Soccer Film Festival in New York (full disclosure: I am a co-organizer of the event) and he had a feeling he wanted to express.”
On top of the world (The Times)
“THE Confederations Cup has never been a big deal in the football world, but the tournament which ended at Ellis Park on Sunday certainly changed international perceptions. Even England took an interest.”
The Craig Bellamy Factor (EPL Talk)
“I am anticipating some serious Craig Bellamy antics in the upcoming season. It’s to the point where, if he stays at City, I’ll almost be dissapointed if we don’t see something on par with The Golf Club Incident (on par… sorry, couldn’t resist). I’m not saying I condone personal injury—but serious property damage from a swinging cricket bat or something could be on the horizon at least. Let me explain.”
Hadji: A great adventure (FIFA – Classic Football))
“Three years ago the South African Football Association announced the names of the four players it had chosen as ambassadors for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa™. Joining George Weah, Abedi Pele and Roger Milla in the esteemed quartet was Mustapha Hadji, the former Morocco playmaker and the scorer of one of the most memorable goals of the tournament at France 1998.”
Alonso rumour just won’t go away (EPL Talk)
“Real Madrid are determined to snap up as much of the top talent in world football as they can with Xabi Alonso being tipped to be the next big signing for the club. I know this has been getting put about for quite a while now with no concrete movement quite yet but I fear for Liverpool next season without Alonso and possibly Mascherano.”
Gerrard ‘struck with boxer speed’ (BBC)
“Liverpool footballer Steven Gerrard ‘totally lost it’ and hit a man ‘with the style and speed of a boxer’ during a row over music, a court has heard.”
River-bank with Cows, c. 1650. Aelbert Cuyp
“It’s the little things. I’ve been fully enamoured with the concept of the shirt swap since I first saw it in action. Mind you, I’m an American and a latecomer to world football, and we don’t have anything like this in American sports. I’ve never seen a baseball pitcher record the last strike of the last out of a playoff game and then trot to home plate, unbutton his shirt and give it to the batter.” (EPL Talk)
Seba Veron, an heir to Cerezo (BBC – Tim Vickery)
“A couple of decades ago when I worked in the West End of London, I used to frequent a little Italian café, sadly no longer in existence, so I could watch the Serie A on their satellite TV.”
The making of a Bayern great (ESPN)
“As the clock slowly winds down to the start of the German Bundesliga season on August 8, Bayern Munich’s Uli Hoeness must have prompted a few laughs among German football fans when he revealed he was going to keep a low profile in the upcoming season.”
The transfer window heats up – can Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham strengthen their squads in time? (SoccerLens)
“Another week, another set of additions to the Manchester City strikeforce. This week it was Carlos Tévez & Emmanuel Adebayor who made the move to Eastlands, swapping Big Four unhappiness for Big Four hopefulness for a combined fee of around £50.”
David Beckham gets some love, anyway (LA Times)
“Some Galaxy fans boo the star midfielder in his return to Home Depot Center, but AC Milan players, coach are happy to see him, and feeling is mutual at the end of teams’ 2-2 tie.”
In Defence of: David Beckham (The Offside)
“So, right now former England captain David Beckham is not exactly the most popular man in America. After his spell in Europe (at the behest of England manager Fabio Capello) he’s being seen as a bit of a traitor on the otherside of the water, in fact in the friendly against Milan, he looked as if he might do a Cantona, as he rushed over to where the Galaxy fans had been jeering him.”
Club America Downs Inter on Penalties to Kick Off the “World Football Challenge” (The Offside)
“Well, that was unexpected. Did anybody else look at the lineup for the World Football Challenge — AC Milan, Inter Milan, Chelsea, and Club América — and think, ‘This might not be pretty for Club América’? With particular worries about the first game last night against Serie A Champions Inter?”
Barca chief defends Zlatan deal (World Soccer)
“Barcelona president Joan Laporta insists that Barcelona’s big-money bid for Zlatan Ibrahimovic should not be compared to Real Madrid’s massive spending spree this summer.”
“Only 70 miles from a 2010 World Cup football stadium, a farmer’s wife and a boy aged 13 learn to defend themselves with lethal weapons. They say thousands of white landowners have been killed by Zimbabwe-style marauders; their black rulers accuse them of belligerence and right-wing tendencies. Aidan Hartley reports on the war of words you won’t read about in your World Cup holiday brochure.” (Daily Mail – June 15, 2009)
South Africa facing race against time for 2010 World Cup (Times)
“Some of us, having just returned from the Lions tour in South Africa, have been left slack-jawed by Fifa president Sepp Blatter’s suggestion that everything is fine and dandy with preparations for the 2010 World Cup, just as long as a few minor issues are sorted out before the tournament gets underway in 11 months’ time.”
David Beckham’s big move (WSC)
“David Beckham’s spell in the US has been a controversial one. He returned to the country this week but seems set on joining a Premier League club with the 2010 World Cup in mind. In WSC 198 (August 2003), Joyce Woolridge looked at press reaction to Beckham’s departure from Manchester United in 2003”
Italian teams have much to consider in transfer season (LA Times)
“Milan might be one of the world’s great cities, but there is something it lacks. What it needs is a really good soccer team. Oh, sure, there is AC Milan, but everyone knows the Rossoneri are nothing more than a bauble dangling from owner Silvio Berlusconi’s watch chain, a hobby for the Italian prime minister when he is not playing other, more exotic games on his Sardinian island retreat of Villa Certosa.”
Downing eyes England place (FIFA)
“Stewart Downing believes he can beat the likes of new Aston Villa team-mate Ashley Young to a regular place in Fabio Capello’s England side. The left winger’s £12m arrival from Middlesbrough yesterday does not, however, spell the end of the former Watford player’s spell with the midlands club, according to manager Martin O’Neill.”
Liverpool and Spurs battle it out (ESPN)
“It’s Sunday and therefore the News of the World rumour mill is in full swing. Let’s start with the news that Ashley Young could be on his way out of Aston Villa, with Tottenham and Liverpool both set to bid around £20m.”
Ade-os, Who’s In And Football Returns (A Cultured Left Foot)
“A day when football took the centre stage once more, was to a certain extent overshadowed by transfer news at the end. A protracted affair came to a close when Emmanuel Adebayor signed for Manchester City, amid the usual platitudes towards former and new fans alike.”
Lucas van Valckenborgh, 1533/1597. The Tower of Babel
“His house was petrol-bombed, his father was attacked, and he was called the ‘Salmon Rushdie of football’. It was twenty years ago this week that former Celtic star Mo Johnston became the first well-known Roman Catholic to sign for Rangers, and Glasgow erupted. One enraged Rangers fan said that, ‘My blood is boiling. Is Mo Johnston going to run about Ibrox with his crucifix?’” (Pitch Invasion)
Check Your Local Listings for U.S.-Mexico Qualifier (NYT)
“If you are expecting to crack a cold one, sit back, tune in to ESPN and watch the United States play Mexico in a World Cup qualifier from Mexico City in the late afternoon of Aug. 12 … you better check your channel guide first. That is because the game will not be shown on ESPN, Fox Soccer Channel or probably any other English-language channel that has carried a soccer match in the past.”
The Joy of Six: Great team goals (Guardian)
“That this is football’s apogee is not seriously in dispute by anyone with an anima. Yet it might legitimately be argued that this also represents the apex of all sport and, if you’re feeling particularly grandiloquent, all art.”
The first champions of Europe? (ESPN)
“‘A Dutch team will never win the Champions League again.’ This quote can be attributed to a number of leading people on the football scene in Holland and, although PSV did come close to the final in 2005, more than a few miracles during a season may be needed to see a club from the Eredivisie dancing around with the ‘The Cup with the Big Ears’ (Leo Beenhakker) in the future.”
When Bulgaria (almost) ruled the world (SoccerLens)
“The Parc des Princes, November 1993. France are seconds away from securing qualification for the 1994 World Cup, albeit nervously. Tied at 1-1 with Group rivals Bulgaria, they know a point is enough to send them to America the following summer.”
Gerrard yearning for more with Liverpool (uefa)
“Steven Gerrard discusses his ambitions with his hometown club Liverpool FC and we talk to Football Federation of Ukraine president Grigoriy Surkis in the uefa.com Magazine.”
Sheffield United boost the brand (WSC)
“Few would have noticed Ferencvaros’s brief tour of the north this month. Only a few thousand in total witnessed the Hungarians’ 5-1 win against non-League Sheffield FC, their 0-0 draw with Lincoln and the 3-2 defeat to Barnsley – on appearance a curious set of pre-season fixtures for a once splendid side.”
“The 1970 European Cup Final was a football match held at the San Siro, Milan, on 6 May 1970, that saw Feyenoord Rotterdam of the Netherlands defeat Celtic F.C. of Scotland 2 – 1 after extra-time.” Wikipedia, Kerrydale Street, 1969/70: Feyernoord establish new order (uefa)
“On June 26, Cristiano Ronaldo completed a $132 million transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid. In strict business terms, Real Madrid bought an asset from another business in hopes of improving its own product. No government, federation or league was going to stand in the way of what Real Madrid thought was a smart business decision.” (Intelligent Soccer)
The Greatest Brazilian Players of All Time – 50s and 60s (Soccer Lens)
“In this series I will be looking at some of the greatest Brazilian players to have graced the game of football over the last sixty years, using the 1950s, the decade in which Brazil marched to their first World Cup triumph, as a starting point.”
South Africa abuzz over talk of banning soccer fans’ favorite horn (Los Angeles Times)
” As South Africa gears up to host next year’s soccer World Cup, there are plenty of doomsayers predicting the worst. If transportation shortagesdon’t ruin the event, crime will. The beer will run out. Or the stadiums will be half empty. But no one expected an ugly plastic trumpet to dominate the controversy.”
Transfer Talk: Maxwell to Barca, Lucio to Inter, Bobo to Keep Playing (The Offside)
“Barcelona stood quietly by as Real Madrid raided the bottomless piggy bank in June, but have finally made their first move in the summer transfer market. Not for a splashy big name signing, but for Inter’s Brazilian left back Maxwell, who joins for €4.5m. Much to the surprise of Inter fans.”
Preseason test for four established powers (ESPN)
“The World Football Challenge is a four-team, six-game tournament that will be played in a half-dozen cities around the United States from July 19-26. Participating are Chelsea, Italian giants AC Milan and Inter and Club America.”
There’s only Juan Veron (ESPN)
“When he took a huge pay cut to leave Internazionale and return to his boyhood club in Argentina, Juan Sebastián Verón couldn’t have dreamed this.”
Looking forward to a new season (BBC – Steve Wilson)
“I got my first Match of the Day for season 2009/10 this week and I can almost taste the start of the season. Of course, for some of my fellow commentators the season has already started. I thoroughly enjoyed Rhyl v Partizan Belgrade on S4C on Tuesday night, even with every word in Welsh.”
Inter confirm Ibrahimovic talks with Barca (ESPN)
“Inter Milan have confirmed they are in talks with Spanish champions Barcelona over the potential transfer of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.”
Günter Netzer
“Ralf Bönt has been the captain of the German writer’s national team. In his younger years, he played for Arminia Bielefeld. In addition to his books, he wrote the soccer story ‘Eating.’ He calls his Ultimate XI the ‘team of the great unfinished,’ a reference to terrific players who never realized all their dreams. Of his Ultimate XI, only two are from outside Germany.” (NYT)
Gomes sets sights on World Cup (BBC – Tim Vickery’s)
“Last week I was on a Brazilian TV programme that was covering the build up to the first leg of the Copa Libertadores final between Cruzeiro against Estudiantes of Argentina (which, incidentally, finished 0-0 – second leg on Wednesday). Also appearing on the show was Tottenham goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes, who made his name with Cruzeiro earlier this decade. He was asked about his childhood idols – and named one of his predecessors in the club’s goal, Dida.”
Arsenal will not miss Adebayor (BBC – Phil McNulty )
“Michael Owen unveiling a brochure to attract buyers for himself is one thing – Arsenal fans doing likewise to attract a buyer for Emmanuel Adebayor is another. While Owen’s glossy pages spoke of ‘The Athlete, The Ambassador, The Icon’, a replica produced by a group of Arsenal fans made a series of claims on Adebayor’s behalf that were not altogether flattering.”
A starting XI of transfer questions (SI)
“It has been a weird summer of transfers. Most of Europe’s top leagues kick off next month and yet, with a few exceptions (Real Madrid and, to a lesser degree, Juventus and Bayern Munich), there hasn’t been too much going on. The window won’t close until Aug. 31.”
The Beckham Experiment Review: Showbusiness and Soccer (Pitch Invasion)
“Failure is almost always a more interesting subject for a book than success. Grant Wahl did not originally intend to spend 16 months following the dramatic disaster that was the David Beckham Experiment in America: but when Beckham’s celebrated arrival as the saviour of American soccer degenerated into a farce of injuries and infighting at the Galaxy, the juicy tale of how the biggest investment in American soccer history resulted in one of the worst team meltdowns ever in MLS became the story he had to follow all the way through.”
World Cup Construction Workers End Strike (NYT)
“Construction workers have agreed to end a weeklong strike that threatened to derail the completion of already tightly-scheduled projects for the World Cup, union officials and employers said Wednesday. Workers agreed on a pay increase of 12 percent, below the earlier demand of 13 percent, and work at sites across South Africa is to resume on Thursday.”
What Makes A Classic Football Match? Part 4: Manchester United 1-4 Liverpool (EPL Talk)
“Even after the mind-shattering come-from-behind win on 13 September (see Part 3), I couldn’t let myself feel too optimistic about the trip to Old Trafford. (Going into the biggest matches, I try to remain spiritually pragmatic.) 1-1 at O.T. would be a wonderful result.”
Good Grief, Is He Still Here? (A Cultured Left Foot)
“First of all, every thought should go to John Hartson and his family following the neurosurgery he underwent yesterday as a result of his cancer. By comparison the transfer news is trivial. It might not be in the minds of the individuals involved but in the greater scheme of things, it is. Adebayor is apparently stalling on the deal. The media, no doubt fed by the disgruntlement at Arsenal and hoping to pass it onto Manchester City fans.”
“Summer in the east. After a short break in June which felt almost as long as the frozen abyss of winter, football across eastern Europe is underway once more on green fields and under blue skies, half a continent and a whole world away from the frenzied din of a Bernabéu unveiling. And yet something is missing.” (SoccerLens)
Shaking Loose from the Soil (Foot Smoke)
“Alright, alright, fine. Blogging isn’t journalism. Lines divide the two fields. Professional journalists get paid, for example. Us amateur bloggers usually don’t. We toil in the nervous spaces between working on the internet and “working” on the internet, or between trips to Starbucks and withdrawing more trust-fund money.”
From Brisbane Road to the Bernabeu (BBC)
“Exactly 20 years ago, on 15 July 1989, one of the most remarkable careers in English football history came to a sudden and tragic end in a car crash on the outskirts of Madrid. Laurie Cunningham was only 33 when he died and spent most of the peak years of his career playing abroad.”
Ade Out, Whose In And Eddie’s Up For It (A Culture Left Foot)
“First off, it’s still rumbling on. Still no offer, Manchester City still wittering on about a deal to be done but now adding the word ‘possibly’ to sentences, hinting at either belated or utterly insincere diplomacy. Amazingly, the City way is exactly the same route that Chelsea followed when Abramovich came in: the basest way.”
Kuduzela Blows Its Horn for 2010 (allAfrica – Business Day)
“SANPARKS, with 2010 Soccer World Cup sponsor First National Bank and the 2010 local organising committee, has launched a new musical instrument to rival the vuvuzela at next year’s World Cup.”
Why the Stalemate on Samuel Eto’o (allAfrica – Cameroon)
“Is it a problem of discipline, personal conflict with the coach, some club officials or skin colour? These questions have been on the lips of most soccer lovers and media headline since the transfer saga between Samuel Eto’o and FC Barcelona was made public. Despite helping his club win the Kings Cup, the Spanish League title ‘La Liga’ and the Champions League, after scoring thirty-four goals, Samuel Eto’o has never been accepted by some FC Barcelonan club officials.”
Robson: Capello’s doing a great job (FIFA)
“Bryan Robson wants Fabio Capello to continue to ride his luck during his tenure at the England reins. The Italian has steered the side to the brink of the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa.”
William Adolphe Bouguereau, 1876
“The Paradise I yearned for called to me like the chirps of a nightingale in spring. I had seen the flames and punishments of hell, and was excited by the promise of eternal bliss and delight. Was it odd Bernd Schuster would be my guide? Yes. Was it strange he could fly? Even more so. But I suspended disbelief and tightly grasped Bernd’s hand as we flew over the malebolgia, and we soon descended into a dense oak forest.” (The Run of Play)
Transfer Talk: Didn’t See That Coming (The Offside)
“Even kit number transfers can leave us perplexed. Perhaps the strangest rumor of the day involves, once again, Michael Owen and those blokes from Manchester United. Not only did he get the surprise contract, but he’ll also reportedly be given the hallowed No. 7 previously worn by that greasy chap now residing in Madrid (amongst others).”
Manchester City Set To Adopt 1-1-8 Formation (Three Match Ban)
“Manchester City’s insistence on signing strikers on top of strikers has given me an overwhelming sense of déjà vu and I think I know what it is. It’s the sort of managerial tactics I employ in the transfer market when I’m playing on Championship Manager. The capture of former United striker Carlos Tevez is the latest addition to a squad that already includes the following international strikers: Valeri Bojinov, Robinho, Felipe Caicedo, Ched Evans, Benjani, Craig Bellamy, Roque Santa Cruz and Jo who has been farmed out to on-loan to Everton for the rest of the season.”
Typical transfer tactics (WSC)
“There has been much deliberation about the “spirit of the game” over the past couple of days. The game in question being cricket, with England’s time-wasting tactics during their draw with Australia having prompted a barrage of criticism. There has also been some support for the rather desperate ploys carried out by Andrew Strauss’s team including the suggestion that Australians, the pioneers of sledging and not averse to slow play themselves, are not best placed to pose as upholders of the game’s ‘spirit'”.
Football Returns To Baghdad (World Cup Blog)
“It was but a mere friendly against a walkover opponent, but in terms of symbolism it was on par with a World Cup final. More than six years after its last international game in Baghdad – and with an Asian trophy in its cabinet since then – Iraq returned to Al-Shaab Stadium and thumped fellow recent home-returnees Palestine 4-0.”
Video: Norwegian player scores the easiest 40-yard free kick you are likely to see (Off the Post)
“Sometimes goals are scored from 40 yards and the keeper can do absolutely nothing about them. This is not one of those instances.”
Pro Vercelli: End of the Season, Pro Vercelli: The Battle of Milan (The Run of Play)
“There was no heroic surge. We set a punishing pace from the outset, and we kept it up to the end. For a time it looked as though Inter would keep it up with us, but they’d faltered by midseason, and when we finally won the scudetto—in a 4-1 home win against Genoa, with goals by Fábio (2), Michele Proietti, and Riccardo Caprioli; all players under 23, the latter two in their teens—we did it without much drama.”
“Andrés Iniesta Luján (born 11 May 1984 in Fuentealbilla, Albacete, Castile-La Mancha) is a Spanish football attacking midfielder who currently plays for Spanish La Liga club FC Barcelona. His willingness to play anywhere on the pitch, coupled with a natural humility, has earned him the sobriquet El Ilusionista, El Anti-Galáctico and most recently San Andrés, or Don Andrés from the Catalan press.” Wikipedia, Guardian, Times, YouTube, (1)
“The English hooligan problem was at its worst outside Britain, when fans went to international matches abroad. Violence in Argentine football, by contrast, has reached a point in recent years where it is rarely even a confrontation between the hardcore fans of rival teams.” (Reuters)
To Unite Diverse Communities, a Soccer Tournament of Skill (NYT)
“An international summit meeting convened recently in Manhattan with delegates from countries including France, Jamaica and the United States. After a good start, the negotiations, as so often happens, soon got bogged down. The main sticking point was how to define national identity. Ireland and Greece formed an unlikely partnership, pushing for tight regulation, while the Ghanaian delegate advocated a more laissez-faire approach.”
Ground-sharing: Should it be a taboo? (Pitch Invasion)
“There is something of a buzz walking into your rival team’s stadium. Being in a small minority of a group of away supporters is surely part of it; you’re outnumbered, but you’re hungrier and louder as a response. Everywhere around you is enemy territory. It’s not home; it’s unfamiliar, it’s foreign, it doesn’t belong to your club.”
Wither Jozy? (That On Point)
“Maybe it’s just me, but hasn’t this been a rather quiet “silly season”? Aside from the Real Madrid money press snatching up stars and Manchester City linked with every single player alive, it’s been rather dull. (Not that I mind.) ”
Liverpool learns high cost of doing business in the Premier League (SI)
“Liverpool manager Rafael Benítez is not a happy man. In the past few seasons, he’s had his own way in the transfer market, happily signing 3-4 big-name players each summer, spending an average of $70 million across the last four.”
The 8 Second Red Card (The Offside)
“Ze Carlos set a highly dubious record this weekend in Brazil, getting sent off despite being only the third person to touch the ball after the opening kickoff – 8 seconds for the foul, 15 seconds for the card – for an errant elbow…or two.”
“Arthur Antunes Coimbra (… born 3 March 1953 in Rio de Janeiro), better known as Zico, is a former Brazilian footballer and coach. Often called the White Pelé, he is commonly considered one of the most skilled dribblers and finishers ever and possibly the world’s best player of the early 80’s.” Wikipedia, Planet World Cup, YouTube
“Soccer is known as the ‘beautiful sport.’ It takes a skill and finesse to play, and it requires just about every athletic trait, such as speed, endurance, and coordination. Some of the most athletic moves in sports come from soccer, such as the bicycle kick, and the spinning step over.” (examiner)
As Real Madrid Packs in Players, Some Must Go (NYT)
“Now may not be the best of times to be Dutch in the city of Madrid. As preseason training began this weekend at Real Madrid’s labyrinthine Valdebebas complex, the scene might have resembled Grand Central Terminal in New York City. There are so many new arrivals, and so many on the way out, destinations uncertain.”
Scotch Christians and the 1902 Ibrox Disaster (More Than Mind Games)
“Later, they blamed the rain for bringing the stand down. The eventual toll from the accident on 5 April was 25, but the deaths took time: the stand collapsed on a Saturday, and by the following Wednesday the count was still only 21.”
Switching On To Football: An American Supporter Awakes… Part 1, Switching On To English Football: An American Supporter Awakes… Part 2 (EPL Talk)
“After hearing from fellow Americans who follow the Premier League, I’ve been pondering the idea of coming to English football as an outsider. Here’s how my own love affair from distance got started…”
Inside Soccer: Hope for Heaps and a big Iraq win (Universal)
“For a brief time Wednesday, as the minutes flowed toward conclusion of the U.S. Men’s National Team’s 2-0 win over Honduras in a Gold Cup match in Washington, D.C., it appeared Jay Heaps just might achieve the dream of every American soccer player. For some 15 minutes, he had been warming up on a small patch of grass behind one of the goals with five other U.S. substitutes. No more than three players could be called.”
The Monday Miscellany (Footballing World)
“For most of the World Cup qualifying campaign so far, there has been a ‘big team in trouble’. Initially it was France, after their dire opening day defeat to Austria, 3-1 in Vienna. They, though, sorted themselves out, beating their main qualification rivals Serbia 2-1 at the Stade de France four days later and are now likely to finish in the play-offs at worst.”
A Kid’s Letter to Alexi Lalas (Foot Smoke)
“Dear Alexi, You seem like a pretty cool guy, for a ginger and a hippie. Actually, that’s why I like you – cause you’re a ginger but you make fun of yourself for being a ginger.”
Football: Europe’s top 40 summer transfer targets (Guardian)
“Those who believe that almost everything Real Madrid have come to stand for makes a travesty of sport as we have always known it and respected it and, yes, loved it, are unlikely to be too reassured. However, the fact is one of the leading guests at this week’s celebration of the arrival of Cristiano Ronaldo represented not the power of money to buy any success, flatten any possibility of vaguely level competition, but, well, God.” (The Independent – James Lawton)
How Guardiola silenced his critics (World Soccer)
“Week three in La Liga and coach Pep Guardiola could have been forgiven for being worried. A debutant in the Barcelona dugout, alone but for the shadowy figures gathering behind him, knives at the ready, his status as a Barca legend, an icon of the Dream Team, had bought him the benefit of the doubt. But the critics were growing in number and his credit was running out fast.”
Toilet trouble, Michael Owen on Dragons’ Den and a Turkish laugh (Guardian)
“Featuring a golf fan with a sore bum, Darius Vassell’s arrival in Turkey and the night Nate Myles will never live down…”
Q.& A. With Grant Wahl, Author of ‘The Beckham Experiment’ (NYT)
“Beckham 3.0 will launch in the United States when the Los Angeles Galaxy plays the New York Red Bulls in a Major League Soccer match Thursday at Giants Stadium. Two days before, and not by coincidence, ‘The Beckham Experiment: How the World’s Most Famous Athlete Tried to Conquer America,’ by the Sports Illustrated senior writer Grant Wahl, will be available in bookstores.”
The Chimes they are a-changin’ (ESPN)
“No money, an owner desperate to sell, an exodus of players, no manager and an impending sense of doom. No, not Newcastle United but Portsmouth. While Mike Ashley tries valiantly to escape the north-east and return to London amid a blaze of publicity, Pompey find themselves in equal measures of limbo.”
The greatest U.S. transfer ever? (ESPN)
“This was the week in which Michael Owen had the last laugh following his transfer to Manchester United, Carlo Ancelotti revealed his plans for bionic engineering at Stamford Bridge and Oguchi Onyewu made a shock move to AC Milan in possibly the greatest U.S. transfer ever.”
Why Mo Johnston still stirs emotions across Glasgow (Guardian)
“The most striking aspect of any glance back towards the day Maurice Johnston first pulled on the blue of Rangers following his transfer in July 1989 is that some of the comments made by the club’s followers would have seemed more apt 200, not merely 20, years ago.”
The Astronomer, c. 1668. Jan Vermeer.
“Manchester City’s difficulties in trying to capture the marquee signings they crave have brought them to the point of abandoning their pursuit of Samuel Eto’o. The club have set a deadline of close of business tonight to get a definitive answer from the Barcelona striker. Otherwise they plan to withdraw their £25.5m bid. (Guardian)
UEFA’s qualification quagmire (WSC)
“Shock news: UEFA rule change makes life harder for clubs and fans. Now there’s a sentence you haven’t read for at least – I don’t know – a week. The change is in the qualifying format for the Europa League. Where once it was simple and sensible, now it’s expensive and illogical. It’s bad enough when UEFA’s tinkering affects Manchester United, or Milan. These changes make life harder for Lisburn Distillery and Llanelli.”
Liverpool’s lessons in loyalty (WSC)
“Rafael Benítez’s attempt to keep his midfield pairing of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano has turned personal. Speaking yesterday, the Liverpool manager appealed to the sense of loyalty the players should show to their club. Benítez thinks that, as Liverpool have developed the pair into the superstars they are today, they ought to stay with the club.”
Capello: Injuries concern me (FIFA)
“After taking on the role of England coach in January 2008, Fabio Capello’s record has been impressive, winning 12 of his 15 games in charge. Seven of those victories have come in their seven qualifiers for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa, results which have left the Three Lions in with a chance of sealing their place as early as 9 September, when Croatia, their nemesis in the preliminaries for UEFA EURO 2008, travel to Wembley.”
World Leagues preview (FIFA)
“It is back to domestic action for Brazil’s finest this weekend, with two of the country’s clubs having been involved in continental finals in midweek. Over in the USA, fans will be enjoying a veritable footballing feast, given their nation’s hosting of the CONCACAF Gold Cup and a packed round of Major League Soccer fixtures. FIFA.com brings you the best of the forthcoming action from outside Europe.”
Latest News From ESPN, Setanta, GolTV and Others (EPL Talk)
“It’s been a few weeks since I’ve had a chance to update you on the latest news stories affecting English football fans from around the world. So even though some of these stories are stale, most of them have not been covered by the blogosphere and remain topical to us die-hard football fans. Enjoy.”
Are England players really that technically deficient? (Times)
“Why are so many people always so critical of English players’ technique? I read an article this week lamenting the technical ability of the country’s young talent and blaming the FA. But it’s wrong to suggest that English players have serious technical weaknesses and rubbish to blame the FA in any case.”
Muntari fights for favour of fans (BBC)
“Ghana midfielder Sulley Muntari has spoken out against accusations that he deliberately missed the Black Stars’ two World Cup qualifiers last month. Muntari returned home hoping to celebrate his league title with Inter Milan but ended up battling to rescue his image after some vitriolic player-bashing from fans.”
“Thousands of South African construction workers walked off their jobs on Wednesday, beginning a nationwide strike that could threaten the biggest event in international soccer, the 2010 World Cup. However important the tournament may be to fans of the game, it represents nothing less than a defining moment for South Africa, the first country on the continent selected to host such a major sports competition.” (NYT)
Notes from South Africa: Final Thoughts (The Run of Play)
“The U.S. upset of Spain in the semifinal delighted everybody in South Africa. In addition to giving Bafana Bafana hope of an equally improbable victory against Brazil, the win by the U.S. erased the sour taste left by the previous crowd favorite, Egypt. The game was in Bloemfontein, on a bitterly cold night, and it started off slow. People were late in arriving to the gate, and expectations for the game were minimal. As everyone trudged to their seats, the mood seemed to convey a feeling of inevitability—how could Spain not win this game? At kickoff the stadium was only just over half full, with one contingent of fans making a bit of noise behind one of the goals.”
Soccer on Celluloid (NYT)
“Five soccer freestylers set off from England, destination Argentina and a meeting with their idol — Diego Maradona. Sounds like a far-fetched fantasy gambit, something out of the movies … which it is … “In the Hands of the Gods,” one of the films featured at the Kicking and Screening International Film Festival in New York July 14-18, as reported in the Times on June 30.”
John Terry & Roman Abramovich – Who’s In Charge? (twohundredpercent)
“It’s fairly safe to assume that John Terry has been operating under the assumption that his place at Chelsea was a job for life. There has been talk of him requesting a managing role at the club when he retires and his recent behaviour with regard to telling the club which players he thinks they should sign has been another indicator of a footballer that doesn’t particularly see his role as being, well, a footballer.”
FIFA Suspends Bradley the Younger … Sort Of (NYT)
“Bob Bradley is often characterized as cool, calm and collected as he directs his United States national team players during games and training sessions. Not quite dispassionate, but decidedly even-keeled, dare we say a bit boring.”
U.S. sowing the seeds of possibility (SI)
“In the context of the U.S. national team’s glittering performance at the Confederations Cup last month and Oguchi Onyewu’s lustrous move to AC Milan on Tuesday, the CONCACAF Gold Cup just doesn’t seem that shiny, does it? It’s more like a pewter mug: It obviously carries some heft — this is the continental championship, after all — but you won’t get much for it down at the Acme Pawn Shop.”
Copa Libertadores deserves golden final (BBC – Tim Vickery)
“The 50th Copa Libertadores has not been a vintage edition. South America’s premier club competition deserves better than some of the mediocre football that has been on show, especially in this anniversary year. Perhaps the final can come to the rescue. To be played over two legs on 8 and 15 July, there are grounds for hoping that Estudiantes versus Cruzeiro will live in the memory for positive reasons.”
“Rafael Benitez used the unveiling of defender Glen Johnson to attack Manchester City’s “money, money, money” approach to transfers. The Liverpool boss splashed £17m on the England right-back, but paid substantially less than that to Portsmouth, who still owed money on the transfer of Peter Crouch. (ESPN)
Catch-22 for Rafa’s recruitment drive (ESPN)
“Clinical forwards tend to have an innate ability to identify opponents’ weaknesses. Yet while Fernando Torres stated the obvious recently when he declared that Manchester United will be weaker without Cristiano Ronaldo, it may represent the biggest boost to Liverpool’s title chances.”
Rafa’s 100 GREATEST PL GAMES: NO.43 (Liverpool FC)
“Crouch ended his much-publicised goal drought in style by bagging a brace as Liverpool turned on the style against Wigan at Anfield. The dubious goals committee even tried to take the opening goal off him when he found the net with a deflected strike from 20-yards out.”
Kop Star: Stephen Darby (This Is Anfield)
“Irrelevant of which side of the fence you chose to perch during the ‘flooding of the Reserves’ debate, there is no doubting, with the number of players fast-tracked to our reserve side, that it is tough times at Kirkby at the minute, if you are trying to break into the set-up at Melwood.”
Selfish; Inspirational; King of the Roost – Bob Paisley on Emlyn Hughes (Liverpool Kop)
“Emlyn ‘Crazy Horse’ spent 12 fantastic years at Liverpool FC and captained the club to consecutive European Cup victories in the 1970s. Here, in his own words, Bob Paisley provides an insight into how Hughes – never the most popular player at the club – fitted in at Anfield.”
“The world of football is made up of 6 main football federations; UEFA, CONCACAF, CONMEBOL, AFC, CAF & OFC. These governing bodies look after different areas of world football, roughly along the lines of the geographical continents of the world.” (SoccerLens)
Estudiantes and Cruzeiro will meet in this year’s Libertadores final (World Soccer – Tim Vickery)
“The Final of the 50th Libertadores Cup will be between two sides in good form. Both Estudiantes of Argentina and Cruzeiro of Brazil go into the decider after having passed through the knock out rounds unbeaten – each had earlier inflicted a heavy defeat on the other when they were drawn together in the group phase.”
For Soccer to Flourish in the U.S., Its Doors Must Open (NYT)
“In the aftermath of a strong performance by the national team in the Confederations Cup, U.S. Soccer officials are confident that the sport’s time has arrived here. They are excited about the prospect of bringing young Hispanic and African-Americans into the mainstream. But any discussion about the future of soccer in the United States is like turning over a gigantic stone that has been in place for decades. Underneath is a colony of issues, involving race, ethnicity and economics.”
Player Profile: Steve Ogrizovic (Three Match Ban)
“Steve Ogrizovic is one of those players who I have no recollection of ever being young. In my mind he has always been old and was born in goal for Coventry City. Oggy as he was popularly known, enjoyed 16 years with Coventry and he holds the distinguished club record of 209 consecutive League appearances for a Coventry City player, from August 1984 to September 1989.”
Gre-nada (That’s On Point)
“Walking into my parent’s house with a tummy full of Fourth of July fried hot dogs and fried dough to give my father some company for the all-time epic grudge match between the U.S. and Grenada in the opening match of the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup Saturday night, my first impressive probably summed up the ensuing 90 minutes.”
Celtic Out – The Biggest Casualty Of The Summer (So Far) (twohundredpercent)
“It was as rapid as it was unexpected. Farsley Celtic thought that they had dodged the bullet of a High Court winding up order brought by HMRC. They were forced into administration by the Australian brewing giant Coors – another one of their creditors – earlier this week to prevent the winding up order from going through today, but the Football Conference threw a curve ball at them has thrown them into an – if anything – even more serious crisis than the one that they were already in.”
Czechs show promise at Grand Prix (Czechs show promise at Grand Prix)
“The Czech Republic showed useful form ahead of January’s 2010 UEFA European Futsal Championship by reaching the semi-finals at the prestigious Grand Prix in Brazil while Ukraine ended sixth, continental finals hosts Hungary came 12th and non-qualifiers Romania took an impressive bronze.”
Shamrock Rovers to take on galacticos (WSC)
“On July 20, a modest ground in the suburbs of Dublin will become the centre of the footballing universe. In the way that UFOs appear only in out-of-the-way areas, the galácticos MKII will touch down in south-west Dublin, when Real Madrid take on Shamrock Rovers in their long-awaited new home, Tallaght Stadium.”
What Football Shirts Are Hiding In Your Closet? (EPL Talk)
“There’s something beautiful about a football shirt. It’s not just the fabric, how it looks on you or what it represents. To me, it means so much more. It’s all about memories. When you wear a new one for the first time, such as any of the new football shirts for the 2009-2010 Premier League season, it’s all about the material and the identity of your club.”
“James Lee Duncan ‘Jamie’ Carragher (born 28 January 1978) is an English footballer who plays as a defender for Premier League side Liverpool. He is the current vice-captain and is one of the club’s longest-serving players; he made his 500th appearance for Liverpool in all competitions in January 2008.” Wikipedia, ESPN, Dailymotion
“Cripes. The Mill was going to begin today with that Blackburn and Wolves are competing for the affection of Sol Campbell, but given the widespread gibbering about Michael Owen and Manchester United, we can’t rule out the creaking former England centreback being the subject of a gargantuan offer from Real Madrid.” (Guardian)
Give And Go Special: USA’s Landon Donovan (Goal)
“Los Angeles Galaxy captain – and occasional U.S. captain – Landon Donovan was one of the star players for the Americans in their unexpected run to the final in the Confederations Cup tournament. He scored the goal that temporarily put the USA up 2-0 on Brazil in that match, before the South Americans rallied for three goals and the title.”
Ivory Coast go top in Africa (BBC)
“Ivory Coast have overtaken Cameroon as the top team in Africa, matching their highest ever position in the Fifa world rankings. The Elephants are now 18th in the world, up 20 places on last month.”
Egypt skipper refuses to give up (BBC)
“Captain Ahmed Hassan insists Egypt can put their 2010 World Cup back on track with victory over Rwanda on Sunday. The Pharaohs lie bottom of Group C with just one point after drawing against Zambia and defeat to Algeria.”
On top of the world (Times)
“THE Confederations Cup has never been a big deal in the football world, but the tournament which ended at Ellis Park on Sunday certainly changed international perceptions. Even England took an interest. The chief reason was obvious: despite much evidence to the contrary, there is still some scepticism about South Africa’s ability to stage World Cup 2010. The foreign press corps came in their numbers to see whether we could successfully stage a dress- rehearsal for next year’s big thing.”
Top 10 English football exports to Turkey (Off The Post)
“As Darius Vassell mulls over a move to Turkey, we look at those who have blazed the trail for him.”
2010 World Cup Offers Continent Great Opportunity (allAfrica)
“THE Confederations Cup is the traditional dress rehearsal for the FIFA World Cup. And as far as dress rehearsals go, the 2009 Confederations Cup recently held in South Africa was a splendid advert for this Rainbow nation. On-pitch, the soccer tournament showcased the Beautiful Game in all its glorious unpredictability. Yet, it’s off-pitch that the showpiece had its most desirable impact.”
Chamakh-In The Ade Out With Laporta Bang To Rights (A Cultured Left Foot)
“Ready for your daily dose of high blood pressure? Insert your own rant here as Joan Laporta is accused of tapping up Cesc. It was of course entirely predictable since the, ahem, news that Cesc has apparently agreed to sign if Sandro Rosell wins the Presidential elections next summer. In fact, it would be of no surprise if a formal bid were made by the Catalans on political grounds even if they know that it will not be accepted since it will be easy for Laporta to run around chanting, “Liar, liar, pants on fire“, when Rosell makes his claim again next summer.”
“Michael Owen could be a Manchester United player by the end of Friday after a day of medical checks in the city. The striker spent this morning at United’s training complex, Carrington, before heading to a south Manchester hospital for more tests. Owen left the hospital just after five o’clock and was understood to be returning to United’s Carrington training ground to complete the formalities of the move.” (ESPN)
Ten Top Shock Transfers (ESPN)
“With Michael Owen about to stun the football world and sign for Manchester United, we pick out 10 of the most interesting, and downright stupid, transfers of all time.”
Owen worth Man Utd gamble (BBC – Phil McNulty)
“Sir Alex Ferguson placed his faith in something he trusts far more than a glossy brochure when he picked up the phone and offered Michael Owen a new home at Manchester United. Owen’s management team produced the 32-page magazine advertising their client’s qualities – aspirational, cool, devoted and sincere to name but four – and delivered a slick reminder of why he was once one of football’s genuine superstars.”
Owen completes switch to Man Utd (BBC)
“Michael Owen has completed his surprise move to Manchester United after the free agent signed a two-year deal with the Premier League champions. The 29-year-old ex-Liverpool and Real Madrid striker’s contract with Newcastle ended earlier this week.”
On top of the world (Times)
“THE Confederations Cup has never been a big deal in the football world, but the tournament which ended at Ellis Park on Sunday certainly changed international perceptions. Even England took an interest. The chief reason was obvious: despite much evidence to the contrary, there is still some scepticism about South Africa’s ability to stage World Cup 2010. The foreign press corps came in their numbers to see whether we could successfully stage a dress- rehearsal for next year’s big thing.”
England’s summer of rejection (ESPN)
“Kaka chose Spain. Cristiano Ronaldo chose Spain. Franck Ribery, should he be granted a choice, appears likely to choose Spain. David Villa wants to remain there. So, despite the offer of becoming the best paid player in England, does Samuel Eto’o. Collectively, it amounts to a considerable snub.”
FC Barcelona: Samuel Eto ‘o & Signs of Bad Management III (Spanish Football & Sports)
“Does anyone remember that FC BARCELONA won “The Big 3” titles – Spanish League, Spanish Cup & Champions League – last year? To REAL MADRID presents their first new signing KAKÁ & there is no place on the World media for anything else, except the news conference that SAMUEL ETO ´O´s representative has given this morning to give their version of what some are already calling the first pre-season “Barça crisis”. How can FC Barcelona be in crisis after finishing their most successful season in their history?”
“UEFA’s Executive Committee has approved guidelines for match officials to deal with serious racist incidents in stadiums.” (uefa)
Six years on… (ESPN)
“After six years with Soccernet I am moving on to pastures new. Given my impending departure and an unhealthy, nay, nerdy interest in the business of football now seems an opportune moment to assess the health of the UK game and see what, if anything, has changed in my time covering the game for ESPN.”
Fernando Torres says that Rafael Benitez has made him a better player (Times)
“Fernando Torres, the Liverpool and Spain forward, believes that Rafael Benitez has made him a better player in the two seasons since he moved to Merseyside. Torres was known as a player of immense potential when he arrived at Anfield in the summer of 2007 from Atletico Madrid, but not as a prolific goalscorer.”
The top 10 stars of the Libertadores (SI)
“The 50th edition of South America’s Champions League, the Copa Libertadores, is set for a thrilling climax, with the return legs of both semifinals scheduled for this week. With Nacional of Uruguay taking on Argentina’s Estudiantes de La Plata and an all-Brazilian affair of Grêmio up against Cruzeiro, fans will be treated to two matches embroidered with history and still wide open after the first-leg results.”
ESPN planning World Cup blowout (SI)
“It’s been said before: John Skipper is that rare American who can equally negotiate the worlds of Craven Cottage and Ricky Craven. As ESPN’s executive vice president for content, Skipper has a major hand in the programming you see on the network and his fondness for soccer is no Beckham-come-lately act. He is a devoted supporter of Tottenham, the plucky London-based English Premier League team, and has spanned the globe with his two children visiting some of soccer’s most famous cathedrals.”
The Sands of Time: Doomsday for the Original Franchise FC? (Pitchinvasion)
“While a good majority of the negative attention surrounding relocation of football clubs is aimed at McDons (Milton Keynes Dons, the franchise that replaced Wimbledon F.C.), and with good reason, many tend to forget that they were not the first in Britain. In Scotland, what is now Livingston FC did the same thing in 1995 when they, then known as Meadowbank Thistle, abandoned Edinburgh in favor of a new stadium in the new town of Livingston, West Lothian.”
ThreeMatchBan Top 10: World Cup Finalists Who Chose Mid-Table Obscurity… Or Worse (Three Match Ban)
“The Premier League has witnessed many World Cup winners in its brief but illustrious history, but only 10 players have appeared for clubs other than Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal and witnessed the humdrum of mid-table obscurity. Those brave souls who have tasted the pinnacle of football success as champions of the world, but chose to play for a club whose existence is based around more than just winning trophies every season have finally been recognised in chronological order.”
“Brazilian football, unlike any other cultural interpretation of a particular sport, has the ability to conjure up in one’s mind an essence of mystery, of carnival, of rhythm, of unadulterated joy and freedom. Futebol is so deeply, so passionately interwoven into the fabric of Brazilian culture that the two entities are inextricably linked, they define each other and share an intrinsic identity, an instantly recognisable global image.” (SoccerLens)
“There’s a famous South American film with a title that translates as ‘God and the Devil in the Land of the Sun.’ It’s Brazilian, set in the country’s arid northeast. But it is Argentina that has the sun in the middle of its flag, and the title could easily and appropriately apply to events in Buenos Aires. Good and evil are not hard to find in Argentine football, sometimes in the same place – such as the Huracan club at the moment.” (BBC – Tim Vickery)
Football is ‘vulnerable’ to money laundering, but no names named (Guardian)
“Today’s report by the Financial Action Task Force raises the spectre, in calm, plain language, that football is vulnerable to criminals, who might take over beloved local clubs or use the transfer system to launder dirty money or evade tax. Some of it is not mightily surprising, but still, there is something startling about reading these warnings, set out calmly in an official report by an inter-governmental body whose job is ‘to protect the global financial system against money laundering and terrorist financing.'”
North/South Divide in Western Hemisphere (NYT)
“In soccer in the Western Hemisphere, North is North and South is South and they shall rarely meet on the soccer field. That was the word Tuesday from Concacaf, the sport’s governing body for the North, Central American and Caribbean region, which said that its club teams would no longer take part in the Copa Sudaméricana — primarily because the competition will put a strain on its regional club teams and conflict with the Concacaf Champions League, which will begin its second tournament in late July.”
Peru’s players have acted in a bid to arrest a decline in standards, writes Brian Homewood (World Soccer)
“Peruvian players have threatened they will boycott the national team unless sweeping and deep-rooted changes are made to the way football is run in their country. The Peruvian Players Union have sent a document to the federation (FPF) setting out what it sees as the reforms which are needed to end the seemingly interminable decline.”
Cana Dig It? Yes, You Can & All White On The Night (A Cultured Left Foot)
“Oh dear Arsene, what are you going to do? Felipe Melo has signed a new contract extension, which explains the transfer buzz that was created around him, at Fiorentina to whom will you turn now that your primary target has probably got a hugely inflated escape clause surrounding him?”
Who will be market movers? (BBC – Phil McNulty)
“Manchester City’s “stratospheric” efforts to muscle in on the Premier League’s elite Gang of Four have set a searing pace in the summer transfer market. Gareth Barry has already been snared from Aston Villa, along with Blackburn Rovers striker Roque Santa Cruz – but they increasingly appear to be mere warm-up acts for the forthcoming main attractions.”
The fine tuning of pre-season (BBC – Paul Fletcher)
“June turns into July and the sanctuary of the beach gives way to the toil of the training ground in the scorching summer sun as players return for pre-season.”
Owen A Debt Of Gratitude To A Brochure? (Three Match Ban)
“Politeness costs nothing, so first of all, thank you Michael Owen for the brochure, but I will not be taking the opportunity to sign a ‘ruthlessly determined person who is desperate to be back in the England squad.’”
Defender leads from the front (FIFA)
“Australia’s successful qualification campaign for the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa was built on a remarkably consistent and thrifty defensive line. Marshalling the back-four virtually throughout the 14-match campaign was captain Lucas Neill, whose consistency played a key role in helping his side achieve a national FIFA World Cup record of seven consecutive clean sheets.”
“László Kubala Stecz (June 10, 1927 – May 17, 2002), also referred to as Kubala Stécz László, was a footballer and manager who played as a forward with, among others, Ferencváros TC, ŠK Slovan Bratislava, Vasas SC, FC Barcelona and RCD Espanyol. He also played for three different national teams, Czechoslovakia, Hungary and Spain, as well as the Europe XI and the Catalan XI.” Wikipedia, The Independent, YouTube
“LIVERPOOL striker Fernando Torres accepts the club’s lack of financial muscle means they are unlikely to be able to compete for star signings – but he believes that will not affect their chances of winning trophies.” (Liverpool Dail)
Bank dismiss fears over Liverpool debts (ESPN)
“Liverpool’s bankers Royal Bank of Scotland have dismissed fears about the future of the club by stressing they are ”financially healthy and able to service comfortably its debt”. American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are currently in negotiations to refinance the £350m loan they took out to buy the Reds two years ago, with less than a month to go until the deadline for an agreement.”
Pepe Reina’s Guide to His Teammates (Liverpool FC)
“In an exclusive interview with Liverpoolfc.tv, Pepe Reina gives the lowdown on his teammates and reveals who he is close to off the pitch.”
Paul Anderson returns to the City Ground (This Is Anfield)
“Paul Anderson has just completed a £250,000 switch to Nottingham Forest signing a three year contract at the City Ground earlier today. The move was confirmed after he passed a medical this morning and marks a swift return to Nottingham for Anderson who enjoyed a successful loan spell at the City Ground last season.”
The true Spirit of Shankly (This Is Anfield)
“On 25th May, 2005, Liverpool re-created history by winning our 5th European cup. In true Liverpool fashion, we faced adversity, stared oblivion in the face, and rose up to fight and triumph against all odds.”
Exclusive interview with David Fairclough (LFC History)
“David Fairclough can be proud of his scoring record at Liverpool. He scored 37 goals in 92 starts and 18 goals in 62 substitute appearances. Everybody knows what he was called at Liverpool.”
“Italians once referred to Serie A as ‘il campionato piu bello del mondo’, the most beautiful championship in the world, but this summer there threatens to be an exodus of top talent that could mark the end of an era for Italian football. The rise of the Premier League and La Liga has already impacted upon the standing of calcio in European football and the gap looks set to widen.” (ESPN)
Eto’o and Tevez Potentially Agree To Join Manchester City (EPL Talk)
“Well, two days are left until the transfer window opens again and Manchester City look like they’ve signed two strikers to help Mark Hughes drag them up the table. I suppose they need some good news down at Eastlands after the ground flooded on Saturday due to flash floods.”
Of course! The US beats Spain and an oil company helps analyze player performance! (Foot Smoke)
“In case you weren’t aware, the ever-prescient governing body of soccer has partnered with Castrol GTX to develop the “definitive system” to rate player performance. Not only does it rate performance, but it rates performance objectively! According to a clarifying explanation on the Fifa.com website, the infinitely complex system ‘tracks every move on the field and assesses whether it has a positive or negative impact on a team’s ability to score or concede a goal.'”
Brian Glanville: Shouldn’t Michael Owen gracefully retire? (World Soccer)
“SHOULDN’T Michael Owen gracefully retire? Once such a golden boy, an 18-year-old star of the 1998 World Cup finals, beyond doubt one of the finest, purist English talents of the last couple of decades. A shocking series of injuries has taken the edge off his speed and his game, he has lost his England place, despite somewhat fatuous attempts in certain quarters to propose his return.”
Breaking Bad … or Good? (That’s On Point)
“As explained in the quickee recap post, I needed to walk this one off. There was simply so much swirling after Brazil’s nearly epic 3-2 comeback over the U.S. at the 2009 Confederations Cup final that it was like watching a mindblowing ‘Lost’ episode. I needed to hit pause on the DVR, pick the melted ooze that was once my brain off the floor and collect myself.”
“And I can say that with authority, because we are the champions. How are we the champions, when we’re not even halfway through the season? Keep reading. Let’s do this McKinsey-style, to bring some discipline to the lives of all the English majors in the audience.” (The Run of Play)
Pro Vercelli: The Nickel Objects of Our Dime Desire (The Run of Play)
“The two implacable enemies of a successful football club are stagnation and arrogance. Stagnation leads to complacency, to a drowsy sense of timelessness. If things have always been and will always be as they are, why should we bother being fierce? Arrogance leads to laziness and a bitter, spoiled entitlement. If we’re special for who we are rather than for what we do, why should we have to prove it?”
Pro Vercelli: Contest Results (The Run of Play)
“One of the first pieces of news I got after the Champions League final was that the board had decided to expand the stadium by more than 11,000 seats. In other words, our not-even-one-year-old arena is about to have its seating capacity increased by almost 40%. This is huge news, and it only heightens the importance of finding a good name for the place. And thus, to the contest results.”
“Lucio scored a late goal to give Brazil a 3-2 win over the United States and a second straight Confederations Cup title Sunday. The Brazil captain headed in a corner from Elano in the 84th minute to help the five-time world champions hold off a spirited American team that had taken a 2-0 lead at halftime. (ESPN)
Match Tracking Confederations Cup Final: Brazil 3, U.S. 2 (NYT)
“The final of the FIFA Confederations Cup was a tale of two halves. First half: U.S. 2, Brazil 0. Second half: Brazil 3, U.S. 0. Final: Brazil 3, U.S. 2”
U.S. vs. Brazil Live Commentary (FanNation)
“It’s a bit of a depressing end to a fantastic run for the U.S. at the Confederations Cup. For 45 minutes, it looked like the Americans were going to win their first major trophy. But the U.S. earned some respect at this tournament — I can’t tell you how many e-mails and texts I’ve received from my English, Spanish and Brazilian friends telling me how impressed they were with the Americans’ performance in South Africa, especially after the debacles of the first two games.”
Brazil crown fitting finale (FIFA)
“The final day of the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 produced ten goals and two comebacks, as Brazil and Spain turned the tables on USA and South Africa respectively. When matchwinner Lucio lifted the trophy, he also created history for Dunga, who became the first person to win the tournament as a player and a coach.”
Brazil shows why it’s Brazil (SI)
“Pedigree matters. If it didn’t, we might not have witnessed what happened at Ellis Park on Sunday, an unstoppable rally that gave Brazil the Confederations Cup title in a 3-2 win over the U.S. Heck, when was the last time you saw a team come back from two goals down at halftime in a major final? (Apart from the 2005 Champions League final, that is.)”
Scrutiny for South Africa Year Before World Cup (NYT)
“On June 11, 2010, soccer’s World Cup — the world’s largest sporting event and, many believe, the most important — will open with an African host for the first time. The monthlong, 32-team tournament, to be held in 10 stadiums around South Africa, will present organizers with significant challenges regarding security, transportation and accommodation of the expected 450,000 international visitors.”
Brazil eye their place in history (ESPN)
“Only one team in the history of the Confederations Cup has ever defended the title (France in 2001 and 2003), but Brazil are well placed to become the second as they meet the U.S. in the final on Sunday.”
Selling shirts no substitute for skill (WSC)
“While the daily papers are full of transfer gossip, one recent summer trend has been noticeable by its absence this year. Hardly any English clubs seem interested in bringing over footballers from south-east Asia any more. The only player who has been linked with a move so far is South Korean midfielder Lee Chung-yong who is supposedly the subject of interest from Bolton and Manchester City.”
“In the wake of the Wednesday’s crazy 2-0 win by the U.S. over Spain in the Confederations Cup semifinals, we’ve seen the term ‘Miracle on Grass’ tossed around. Pardon me while I go vomit. Not to turn this post into another media examination, but drawing comparisons to the 1980 U.S. hockey win over the Soviets at the Lake Placid Olympiad is simple-minded thinking.” (That’s On Point)
Fearless U.S. braced for Brazil showdown (Guardian)
“The United States are one victory away from claiming a major FIFA competition for the first time if they can produce another shock against Brazil when the Confederations Cup competition reaches its climax on Sunday.”
Altidore, Afterthought in Spanish League, Stars for the U.S. (NYT)
“In the days before the United States stunned Spain in the Confederations Cup, forward Jozy Altidore sent a text message to his friend Joan Capdevila, the Spanish defender. ‘Be careful of the USA,’ Altidore texted Capdevila, his teammate at Villarreal in the Spanish league. Capdevila later joked that while Altidore’s sentiment was clear, his Spanish grammar was not.”
Gavin Hamilton: Some thoughts on the Confederations Cup (World Soccer)
“Ok, so we are still a way off the start of the new Premier League season, but the opening day fixtures are now out. See the full list of top-flight games and the early match betting.”
Kaka backs England for 2010 World Cup success (Telegraph)
“The South Americans have shown ominous form in progressing to the final of the Confederations Cup, where they will face the USA in Johannesburg tomorrow. Along with European champions Spain, Brazil look sure to go into next year’s tournament as favourites, but the Real Madrid playmaker believes they are not the only ones capable of taking the crown. ”
USA v Brazil (BBC)
“USA must make an enforced change, with midfielder Michael Bradley suspended after becoming the third American to be sent off during this tournament. Former Derby midfielder Benny Feilhaber is vying for Bradley’s spot with DaMarcus Beasley and Sacha Kljestan.”
U.S. aiming for upset in Confederations Cup final (ESPN)
“The United States are one victory away from claiming a major FIFA competition for the first time if they can produce another shock against Brazil when the Confederations Cup competition reaches its climax on Sunday.”
Betting Preview: Brazil v United States – Confederations Cup Final (101 Great Goals)
“While pre-tournament forecasters may have identified Brazil, the defending champions, as a likely finalist at the Confederations Cup, the United States arrived in South Africa in a state of flux and with most analysts skimming over the US challenge.”
“On a rare night when Brazil was not always the better team, it remained the more patient one and ultimately prevailed, 1-0, over South Africa in the semifinals of the Confederations Cup on Thursday. A late substitute, the defender Dani Alves, delivered his specialty in the 88th minute, drilling a free kick from 19 yards that nicked the inside of the right goal post and sent Brazil to the final against the United States on Sunday.” (NYT)
Final week: The good and bad of Confederations Cup (Daily Monitor)
“Thieves, prostitutes, Italy’s exit, a United States miracle and vuvuzelas; it’s all been happening at the 2009 Confederations Cup in South Africa which climaxes tomorrow at Ellis Park stadium in Johannesburg. No one will dare suggest the tournament has not been a success, no chance.”
Iran Did Not Suspend Players, Coach Says (NYT)
“Afshin Ghotbi, the coach of Iran’s national team, said that the country’s soccer officials had taken no action against players who wore green wristbands in a recent World Cup game in solidarity with a presidential candidate who was disputing the results of the June 12 election.”
Panoramic view of transfers (WSC)
“The way the BBC flagged up Alex Millar’s exposé of bungs in football like an overexcited linesman may have been an attempt to reflate the reputation of the beleaguered Panorama, or because they had struck serious dirt. The lack of advance tapes heightened the air of expectation.”
Brown hoping to open talks with Owen (ESPN)
“Hull City manager Phil Brown is hoping to meet soon-to-be free agent Michael Owen early next week in the hope of convincing the 29-year-old to join the Tigers. Former England striker Owen will be out of contract from midnight on Friday when his deal with Newcastle United expires, and Brown is keen to open talks.”
“Substitute Daniel Alves broke South African hearts with an 87th-minute free-kick for Brazil that dumped the hosts out of the Confederations Cup with a narrow semi-final victory in Johannesburg. The Barcelona right-back, who only came on for the closing stages of the game, smashed in a powerful 18-yard set-piece from the left to stun the huge crowd at the Ellis Park Stadium after their side had performed impressively for most parts of the game.” (ESPN)
Brazil survives South Africa on late free kick, reaches Confed Cup final (SI)
” Daniel Alves scored with two minutes left Thursday to give a lackluster Brazil a 1-0 win over South Africa and a place in the Confederations Cup final against the United States. South Africa had unsettled Brazil with a frantic hustling game of quick challenges and tight marking, but the substitute defender curled in a shot from the edge of the area to give his team a chance of a record third title after Ramires tumbled right on the edge of the area under a challenge from South Africa captain Aaron Mokoena.”
Santana in attack-mode for Brazil (Africa Soccer Union)
“If South Africa play as well as their coach Joel Santana talks then Brazil are in for a hiding in Thursday’s Confederations Cup semifinal. The Brazilian was in loquacious form at the eve of match press conference at Ellis Park on Wednesday, handling questions as deftly as a seasoned politician.”
Alves scores late as Brazil knocks out host (Associated Press)
“Just call Daniel Alves the spoiler. Alves scored the only goal on a free kick with just two minutes left at the Confederations Cup on Thursday, sending Brazil into the final against the surprising United States and ending host South Africa’s upset bid.”
Dani Alves v South Africa (101 Great Goals)
Parreira treads a diplomatic line (FIFA)
“”It’s not as if my loyalties are divided, but let’s just say I’m going to be neutral.” As those words suggest, former Brazil and South Africa coach Carlos Alberto Parreira is trying hard not to show his allegiance to A Seleção ahead of their FIFA Confederations Cup semi-final meeting with the tournament hosts.”
Felipe Melo playing it cool (FIFA)
“Until very recently, the name of Felipe Melo barely figured in the world’s sports pages. During several seasons in Spain, the Brazil international turned out for largely unfashionable sides and his chances of appearing in competitions such as the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 looked remote.”
Soccer Tries to Bring Unity in South African Sports (Bloomberg)
“Sports remain a question of color in South Africa, a year before the country hosts the soccer World Cup. Soccer is the game of the black majority, with cricket and rugby favored by whites, who make up about 9 percent of the country’s 40 million inhabitants. The government and sports officials are trying to broaden that support to help the national team and fill seats in the stadiums.”
“The United States stunned top-ranked Spain 2-0 Wednesday night on goals by Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, advancing to the Confederations Cup final with one of the Americans’ biggest soccer victories. Altidore scored in the 27th minute and Dempsey added a goal in the 74th as the Americans became the first team to defeat Spain since Romania in November 2006.” (ESPN)
Spain 0 – 2 United States: The Gift Outright (The Run of Play)
“They didn’t play like green-eyed soldiers of beauty, but this wasn’t Chelsea taking tire irons to Barcelona, either. Especially in the first half, before the fatigue and stress started plinking their way up the keyboard, they had some attacking intent. I’d assumed the tactical thinking would be that the easiest way not to lose to the world’s best midfield would be to avoid the midfield entirely, but during the great 25-odd-minute spell leading up to Altidore’s goal, they somehow found space to exploit, kept possession, and actually dribbled at Spain rather than rainbowing rockets over them.”
Spain 0-2 USA (BBC)
“USA caused one of the biggest surprises in Confederations Cup history by beating European champions Spain to reach Sunday’s final. Jozy Altidore scored the opener when he turned his marker Joan Capdevila to fire in from 15 yards. Fulham’s Clint Dempsey doubled the lead in the second half when he converted Landon Donovan’s pass from close range.”
Americans Stun Spain and Gain Final (NYT)
“A surprise advance to the semifinals of the Confederations Cup seemed to awaken the United States’ belief in itself. Previous caution strengthened into assertiveness Wednesday as the Americans earned one of their greatest victories, a startling 2-0 win over Spain, the world’s top-ranked soccer team.”
United States beats Spain 2-0 (seattle pi)
“The United States stunned top-ranked Spain 2-0 Wednesday night on goals by Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey, advancing to the Confederations Cup final with one of the Americans’ biggest soccer victories. Altidore scored in the 27th minute and Dempsey added a goal in the 74th as the Americans became the first team to defeat Spain since Romania in November 2006.”
Confederations Cup Live Blog: Spain 0-2 United States (SI)
“It is finished. Spain’s 35-match unbeaten streak ends on a frigid night in Bloemfontein, where the United States men’s national team has engineered an improbable 2-0 upset of the reigning European champions. Goals from Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey have given the United States its most improbable upset since tipping England in the 1950 World Cup.”
“Roy of the Rovers is a British comic strip about the life and exploits of a fictional footballer named Roy Race which has run in various publications since 1954. The strip gave its name to a weekly (and later monthly) comic magazine, published by IPC and Fleetway from 1976 to 1995, in which it was the main feature.”
(Wikipedia)
Roy of the Rovers kicks off series of comic reissues (Guardian)
“Fans of Roy Race will be able to relive the fictional football star’s tumultuous career – and introduce their children to the flaxen-haired soccer hero – with the publication of a collection of classic Roy of the Rovers comic strips next week, MediaGuardian.co.uk can reveal.”
Roy of the Rovers (down the tubes)
“Arguably the most famous British comics character of all, ‘Roy of the Rovers’ forty year playing career began on the cover of Tiger no.1 in September 1953. Since then, the phrase ‘Roy of the Rovers stuff’ has become part of the English language, regularly invoked by pundits to describe the essence of footballing dreams.”
Roy of the Rovers profile: All you need to know about the classic football comic (Mirror)
“Football fans who grew up reading classic comic strip Roy of the Rovers are in for a nostalgic treat when Roy Race and his Melchester United chums return to the newsstand next week.”
“In this, the hometown of J.R.R. Tolkien, it seems fitting that Spain’s attack is controlled by a hobbit-size midfielder. Xavier Hernández, known simply as WHITHER Italy? What price Marcello Lippi? After that crushing 3-0 defeat by Brazil, he can hardly put up the lame kind of excuse he did when the Azzurri in the Confederations Cup lost 1-0 to Egypt.” (NYT)
Liverpool close to vital refinancing? (ESPN)
“The last few days have brought good news and bad news for Liverpool fans. The good news is that something approaching financial stability could be on the horizon amid reports that banking groups RBS and Wachovia are ready to refinance the £350m debt that was threatening the club.”
After Fighting Out of Corner, U.S. Back in Ring at Confederations Cup (NYT)
“The e-mail messages kept coming until there were 200 of them, mostly angry, nearly all demanding that Bob Bradley be fired as the coach of the United States men’s soccer team. The United States had lost to Italy, 3-1, and to Brazil, 3-0, in the Confederations Cup. At least the Americans had played confidently against Italy, the game changing on a disputed red card.”
Spain aiming for record (Liverpool)
“Liverpool duo Pepe Reina and Albert Riera have been declared fit after a training ground collision left them both nursing minor knocks. The USA may stick with the same 11 players who outplayed Egypt. They are boosted by Sacha Kljestan’s return from suspension, while ex-Fulham defender Carlos Bocanegra has recovered from a hamstring injury.”
Brian Glanville: Whither Italy? (World Soccer)
“WHITHER Italy? What price Marcello Lippi? After that crushing 3-0 defeat by Brazil, he can hardly put up the lame kind of excuse he did when the Azzurri in the Confederations Cup lost 1-0 to Egypt. Viz: that his team didn’t take account of his instructions in the first half.”
Taking a moment to admire Spain (Soccer By Ives)
“Some teams are easy to hate, but some teams are just so good at what they do that you can only admire them. Spain is one of those teams.”
“What’s plastic, a metre long, brightly coloured and sounds like an elephant? It’s the vuvuzela, the noise-making trumpet of South African football fans, and it’s come to symbolise the sport in the country. It’s an instrument, but not always a musical one. Describing the atmosphere in a stadium packed with thousands of fans blowing their vuvuzelas is difficult. Up close it’s an elephant, sure, but en masse the sound is more like a massive swarm of very angry bees.” (allAfica)
The Vuvuzela – Legendary Horn! (YouTube)
Money will talk louder than any vuvuzela (Reuters)
“The debate around the vuvuzela was always going to generate big noise but for some South African commentators it has become almost a neo-colonial conflict.”
No Heart? I’m All Heart Mother… (Foot Smoke)
“Lucky? Yeah. Holy shit, yeah. The U.S. got a waist-high boost from Brazil’s 3-0 thrashing of Italy to advance to the semifinal round of the Confederations Cup. But after the grit and determination it showed on Sunday, the team deserves some apologies, some reconsideration.”
Blue-collar Brazil still Kaká’s team (SI – Tim Vickery)
“Like many fans, my editor used the word ‘impressive’ when he asked me to write about Brazil at the Confederations Cup. And it’s hard to argue with the results. The Seleção won their three group-stage games by a combined 10-3.”
Scotland’s greatest export? (BBC)
“It is striking that three of the candidates being touted for the managerial role at West Bromwich Albion, vacated by Tony Mowbray on his departure for Celtic, are Scots. Preston North End’s Alan Irvine, St Johnstone’s Derek McInnes and Darren Ferguson at Peterborough United are young managers attracting the attention of club chairmen in England.”
A Dream Final Beckons (The Herald)
“GIVEN the drama that unfolded on Sunday night, nothing can be taken for granted but it’s hard not to believe that it’s all shaping into a Dream Final in this Confederations Cup pitting mighty Brazil and the team that is battling to replace them as the most exciting side in the world — European champions Spain.”
RvP & Steppin’ In The Right Direction (A Cultured Left Foot)
“Having resolved his defensive issues, Arsene has some work to do on the forward line with the siren call of Serie A serenading his strikeforce towards the rocks of oblivion. Nicklas Bendtner was the first to hear the sound but was steered to safety by Mr20%, who also conveniently has the part-time role of being Bendtner Senior.”
“Gerard Piqué Bernabéu (born 2 February 1987 in Barcelona, Catalonia) is a Spanish footballer currently playing for FC Barcelona, as a centre back. A product of Barça’s cantera, he initially left the club for Manchester United where he played for four seasons, being rebought in 2008-09, and helping the club to become the first Spanish club ever to complete the treble.” Wikipedia, Gerard Piqué is back at Camp Nou, the man with Barcelona in his DNA (Guardian), Gerard Pique: From Fergie reject to Barça colossus (The Independent), ESPN, FANDOME
“Sunday was the 39th anniversary of a previous Brazil victory over Italy by a three-goal margin. One of the main architects of that 4-1 win in the final of the 1970 World Cup was Pele, who last week was criticising the current Brazil side.” (BBC)
Notes from South Africa: The Forbidden Vuvuzela (The Run of Play – Anders Wollek)
“The Confederations Cup is underway in South Africa. Despite a disappointing result by the home team, a scoreless draw with Iraq, the interest level here is steadily rising. It’s helped that three of the games have been great spectacles in themselves: Spain’s 5-0 demolition of New Zealand, a 4-3 thriller between Brazil and Egypt, and a tense affair between Italy and the U.S., where the World Champions had to come back from a goal down against a U.S. team playing with ten men.”
Kaká Gives Brazil a Touch of Class in Confederations Cup (NYT)
“Five minutes into Brazil’s opening match at the Confederations Cup, Kaká settled a pass with his left foot, chipped the ball over one Egyptian defender, then another, and drove the ball low into the net.”
Brazil’s rocks of strength (FIFA)
“Brazil are sure to remember their handsome 3-0 defeat of Italy in Tshwane/Pretoria on Sunday for a long time. After all, comfortable wins over old adversaries tend to be few and far between, which explains why the Brazilians were celebrating gleefully at the final whistle and then in the changing room.”
Italy – Brazil (0-3): Confederations Cup (Mighty Football)
An American miracle (FIFA)
“It may have only been half-time in their second outing, but USA were already resigned to an early flight home. Having lost their opener 3-1 to Italy, Bob Bradley’s team trailed Brazil 2-0 en route to a 3-0 defeat that left the door seemingly padlocked on their chances of reaching the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 semi-finals.”
U.S. shows passion and heart to rout Egypt (ESPN)
“Bob Bradley could have looked at the scenarios the United States needed to advance in the Confederations Cup and decided that Sunday’s game against Egypt would be a game to rest veterans and give youngsters a look. He could have decided, as most might have in his position, that beating Egypt 3-0 and having Italy lose 3-0 was such an improbability that even planning for that possibility would be crazy.”
U.S. Advances in Confederations Cup (NYT)
“One seemed more unlikely than the other, that the United States would win by three goals and that Italy would lose by three goals Sunday in the Confederations Cup.”
Egypt – USA (0-3): Confederations Cup (Mighty Football)
Flawless Spain flying high (FIFA)
“After three games, Spain have amassed nine points, scoring eight goals, conceding none, and playing fantastic football along the way. With records for consecutive wins and matches unbeaten to their name, what more could la Selección have wanted from the group stage of the FIFA Confederations Cup South Africa 2009?”
Castrol Index: Leading trio emerge (FIFA)
“David Villa has been the outstanding player of South Africa 2009’s group phase. That is the headline conclusion of the latest FIFA Confederations Cup Castrol Index, which shows the emergence of a heavyweight trio of contenders at the top.”
Africa responding to noise of the vuvuzela (ESPN)
“With the group stages now over and less than a week of the Confederations Cup left, South Africa’s dry run for the World Cup is proving something of a mixed bag.”
Brazil knock out Italy from Confederations Cup (Times)
“Brazil knocked world champions Italy out of the Confederations Cup with three quick goals just before half-time to earn a 3-0 victory on Sunday. Strikes from Luis Fabiano after 37 and 43 minutes and an own goal from Andrea Dossena just before the interval left the competition’s defending champions top of group B and set up a semi-final against host nation South Africa in Johannesburg on Thursday.”
Matthew Booth a white knight for the black masses (Times)
“One of the things you pick up rather quickly here in South Africa is that things aren’t always what they seem. Or, rather, that our untrained eyes (and ears), coupled with our own prejudices, can lead us to the entirely wrong conclusion.”
“The countdown has begun for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, an event, now only a year away, that could change perceptions about the whole continent and show the globe a festival of sport that reverses obstinate stereotypes of a region in constant crisis and violence.” (Reuters)
The British Transfer Record Spirals Out Of Control (EPL Talk)
“Just when you think you’ve seen it all, Torino have shelled out £100,000 to lure Dennis Law from Manchester City. Yes, it’s 1961 and the record transfer fee paid to or by an English club has broken the hundred thousand mark. Shocking.”
Your what in your hands, Carlitos? (ESPN)
“”Playing like that, we’ll win more matches’; ‘We’re still dependent on ourselves’; ‘We’re going to have our arses in our hands.’ Three members of the Argentine national side all – more or less – agreeing.”
Hiddink’s modernity slays Finland’s golden generation (ESPN)
“Guus Hiddink is a man used to rapturous welcomes. Fresh from his stint as Chelsea’s saviour, the former South Korea and Australia manager returned to the international stage to effectively end Finland’s hopes of qualifying for the World Cup, and the applause he received at the post-match press conference was indicative of the importance Russians attach to his role with their national team.”
When Do the Heads Start Eating Eachother? (Foot Smoke)
“I view billionaires from kind of the same curious perspective I view species of mysterious origin and function, like tapir or rare slime molds. I have lots of questions: How did they get there? And what do they do? If I see one, will I know it? Generally, these questions don’t have easy answers.”
World Cup 2010: football brings defining moment for South Africa (Guardian)
“The eyes of nearly a billion TV viewers are fixed on the vast Soccer City stadium. The winning team captain receives the trophy from a frail but radiant Nelson Mandela. The date is 11 July 2010 and, irrespective of what happened on the pitch, the true winners of the World Cup are the hosts.”
Soweto’s miracle: From strife to World Cup glow (Google)
“Having seen one impossible dream come true — the death of apartheid — Soweto is getting ready for another: the arrival of soccer’s World Cup, the most-watched sporting event on the planet. The vast township on Johannesburg’s southwest fringe is one of many which South Africa’s white rulers built to house armies of black workers banished nightly from white areas. Spartan, cramped and meagerly funded, even Soweto’s African-sounding name was a white bureaucrat’s contrivance, an acronym of ‘southwestern townships’.”
South Africa 2010: Countdown to kick off (CNN)
“The countdown to the 2010 World Cup, football’s biggest carnival, began in earnest this week with the passing of the one-year anniversary to the opening game of the event. The journey to the finals is long and challenging, with 200 teams competing across six global regions for qualification to a showpiece that will eventually see only the best 31 sides take part, along with hosts South Africa.”
History of the world transfer record (BBC)
“Just days after Real Madrid completed their chase for Kaka for a reported £56m, they look set to smash the world transfer record by paying £80m for Cristiano Ronaldo.”
“Raymond Neal ‘Ray’ Clemence, MBE (born 5 August 1948) is one of English and European football’s most decorated goalkeepers ever and was part of the Liverpool team of the 1970s.” Wikipedia, Top 50 English Players: Ray Clemence (Goal)
“During eight years of playing professional soccer in Europe, Oguchi Onyewu of the United States had grown wearily accustomed to monkey noises and racial remarks made by fans toward black players. But Onyewu, a defender whose parents immigrated from Nigeria, said he had never heard such discriminatory remarks uttered at him by another player until a playoff match last month to decide the Belgian League championship.” (NYT)
Beating the international minnows (WSC)
“Following England’s sound disposal of Andorra, a well rehearsed debate arises again: does the tiny nation deserve a place in UEFA’s qualification tournament? With a population of only 68,000, the principality is yet to field anything approaching a competent side. Last night’s game was, according to Martin Samuel in the Daily Mail, no more than ‘a training session dressed up as a football match… England scored as many as they could be bothered to’.”
For the World’s Best Players, Italy’s Lure Fades (NYT)
“Apart from Brazil, perhaps no country is more synonymous with soccer than Italy, where fevered fans are known as tifosi, or carriers of typhoid. The Italian national team has won the World Cup four times, only once fewer than Brazil, and is the defending champion. And the most celebrated team in the Italian League, A.C. Milan, is owned by none other than the country’s prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi.”
What is the Confederations Cup? (BBC)
“On Sunday, the eight-team Fifa Confederations Cup gets under way in South Africa when the host country take on Iraq in Johannesburg. It is the eighth edition of a tournament that is still something of a mystery to many football fans around the globe. So, what is the Confederations Cup?”
2010’s unlikely star (BBC – Simon Austin)
“Zurich, 15 May 2004: The destination of the 2010 World Cup has been revealed and the icons of modern South Africa are celebrating. Archbishop Desmond Tutu, president Thabo Mbeki and Nelson Mandela are enveloped by hugs and congratulations on stage at Fifa’s headquarters.”
Bloggers are Not Journalists (A More Splendid Life)
“First, to get this Real Madrid transfer business out of the way: Sir Alex Ferguson is getting pilloried for going back on his ‘I wouldn’t sell that mob a virus.’ But he didn’t sell them a virus, he sold them Ronaldo. So case closed.”
South Africans ring in one-year World Cup countdown (TopNews)
“Johannesburg – With exactly one year to go to kick-off in the 2010 football World Cup in South Africa, the organizers of the tournament were thumbing their noses at the sceptics Thursday and assuring preparations were on the ball. On June 11, 2010, the first salvo in the first World Cup on the African continent will be fired at Soccer City stadium outside Johannesburg, where home side Bafana Bafana meets an as yet unknown opponent.”
Football Fans Gone Wild (The Offside)
“Two videos have come to light in the last two days that display, unfortunately, just how stupid, for lack of a better term, football fans can be. The first comes from Mexico, where a fan was caught on video camera laying out another fan with a right hand.”
Lies, Damned Lies… (World Soccer – Brian Glanville)
“All the more – or less – so when you think of the resurgence of a Brazilian team capable of winning 4-0 in Montevideo against Uruguay, so often their bogey team, or the sweet combinations of Spain in midfield, bolstering an attack which contains Fernando Torres and David Villa.”
“Welcome to Pretty Much the Exact Opposite of the Thunderdome. Okay, here’s the deal. It’s 2019. A dozen years after Twitter (not a fad, by the way) transformed the very way we think about information, the power of social networking is being harnessed at all times to redefine who we are and how we interact in a world of dynamic choices.” (The Run of Play), (1 – Pro Vercelli: Carpe Everything), (2 – Pro Vercelli: Iron Fine as Sand), (3 – Pro Vercelli: Blossoms to the Wind)
“Argentina’s World Cup fear of heights resurfaced on Wednesday when they lost 2-0 in Ecuador while Brazil and Chile both moved closer to a trip to South Africa with home wins. South American group leaders Brazil came from behind to beat Paraguay 2-1 in a top-of-the-table clash while surprise package Chile thumped a negative Bolivia 4-0.” (ESPN)
Africa’s biggest and best struggle (ESPN)
“After two rounds of Africa’s World Cup qualifying matches not many experts would have guessed that the continent’s two most successful sides would be propping up their groups. Egypt have won a record six African Nations Cups while Cameroon have been the continent’s top side four times and are chasing a sixth World Cup finals appearance. Yet 2004 and 2006 African champions Egypt are yet to win in Group C and Cameroon are yet to score a single goal in Group A.”
Ecuador 2 – 0 Argentina (ESPN)
“Second-half goals by Walter Ayovi and Pablo Palacios gave Ecuador a crucial 2-0 win over Argentina and kept them in the hunt for a place in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.”
Mighty Football)
Colombia hand Peru eighth sucessive defeat (ESPN)
Brazil retain top place, Paraguay now third (ESPN)
(Mighty Football)
“Yes, it’s been awhile, but by the time May had rolled around (we begin months on the tenth or thereabouts) we decided to eliminate the confusion and allow the lads to duke it out on the field. They did, someone won, and selecting the best team became a mere formality.” (The Offside)
Scissors Kick 