It's almost come as shock to some people that Arsenal are kicking into gear and are starting to fly
like R. Kelly believes he can.
It doesn't surprise me though. Not at all. There is too much quality in the squad for us not to
be.
Of course, this current group of players is arguably one of Arsene Wenger's weakest since he joined
the club but that just shows the strength of the previous teams he has had.
Yep, it's our preseason MLS spines list, a series that was, believe it or not, the topic of the
second ever post on NSC. I, of course, take into account all recent preseason acquisitions and
reserve the right to pick through these depth charts. The spines lists usually unfairly penalize
teams for concentrating talent out wide in 4-3-3's, so keep in mind that teams like SKC and TFC
will not be
Click here to view the embedded video.
New kits are coming thick and fast, and while most are going with the standard 'cute boy in a
clean shirt' approach, Leeds United are enticing their fans with something a little different.
Tell us, Kickettes: do you even buy replica shirts?
2012: Rise of the Chinese Football Empire? is a post from: Just Football
Following the arrival of Nicolas Anelka and Jean Tigana at Shanghai Shenhua, the Chinese
Super League (CSL) has received more attention in a month than it has previously done in
almost a decade.
The CSL itself is coming up to its ninth year as China's top league since it superseded the
Jia-A League in 2003.
Agudelo: One Foot Out the Door?When the New York Red Bulls' disappointing 2011 season drew
to a close, both Hans Backe and Erik Solér assured fans that they had identified the team's main
weaknesses and would be taking steps over the winter to address them. But with 2012 preseason
training camp having opened this week, the RBNY roster is still a work in progress, with question
marks hanging over the heads of several players and doubts remaining about key positions and bench
depth.
David Gill has told Manchester United fans to expect an "interesting time" this summer ahead of
the transfer window opening.
"The work goes on all year round but obviously intensifies as we come to the end of the
season in terms of players," Gill said. "There's various contracts we've got to do, we'll
look at some acquisitions and there will be some players who will leave.
Last season a small tweetmeme of #TheTrialist started after Seattle Sounders FC reported
non-drafted, non-contracted players as "trialist" in their reports of pre-season scrimmages. There
were occasions when "Trialist 1" passed to "Trialist 4." Due to Major League Soccer's various
player acquisition methods this was done to reduce the chances of said player being claimed prior
to Seattle claiming the player as their own.
Thursday morning marks the beginning of training camp for the Seattle Sounders. Training camp is
the MLS version of musical chairs. While the music is playing every one at the party gets to play.
But once the music stops, some of these men are going to find themselves without a seat. The
current roster of 28 players will be augmented in camp by 7 draftees and a collection of
trialists.
Glenn Davis on Dynamo Player Acquisitions and Trialists
Some interesting info from Glenn Davis. Most notable the name of one of the trialists (and
intriguing fellow), and a quick poke at the Boniek Garcia rumors. Keep hope alive 2012!
While I'm relatively certain that most dedicated followers of MLS will know what United are
getting with the likes of Maicon Santos and Danny Cruz, there's still an element of mystery
surrounding the acquisitions from the mid-tier Euro-leagues. Most of us see precious little from
Swiss or Austrian clubs outside of perhaps the odd Europa League highlight.
photo by Howard C. Smith/ISIphotos.com
Tim Ream returned to England earlier this week with all the necessary paperwork completed for
him to suit up for Bolton Wanderers, and he might not have to wait long at all to make his
debut.
Bolton manager Owen Coyle told reporters on Thursday morning that Ream, and two of the other
club's recent acquisitions, will be on the gameday squad that will take on Wigan Athletic in a
match with relegation implications on Saturday.
Photo: Nizar Khalfan
Philadelphia Union waived midfielder Nizar Khalfan just days after he sat out the club's
preseason friendly in Orlando.
Khalfan, 23, joined the Union via the MLS waiver draft in November after Vancouver let him go
following a 2011 season in which he recorded one goal and four assists in 22 games.
The Philadelphia Union continued their youth minded approach to player acquisitions today,
officially signing academy star Cristhian Hernandez to a Home Grown Player contract. Details of the
contract were not released to the public, per team and Major League Soccer (MLS) policies.
Hernandez will use up an international roster spot in 2012, as reported by the Brotherly Game
last month.
It was a classic opening game. The fans came hoping to see signs of a rebirth with new
acquisitions and a team style that had finally gelled. They went away disappointed as DC United
remained mired in the same ineffective scoring rut that ended the 2011 season.
Kansas City was superior in possession and earned far more good shooting chances.
EXCLUSIVE: Al Jazeera Sports Network has won the US TV rights to La Liga,
beginning with the 2012-13 season, according to a source.
The shocking news means that GolTV's flagship league will no longer be shown on the Miami-based
network. Al Jazeera Sports Network's acquisition of La Liga rights comes hot on the heels of
similar acquisitions by Al Jazeera Sports Network worldwide including winning the bid to show Ligue
1 in France from 2012-13 through 2018-18, as well as the rights to show UEFA Champions League in
France from 2012-2015.
Dear potential investor (and possible massage enthusiast),
It is with the greatest satisfaction that I, Dr. Moschlavius Gumperteer, report that FutSail
Online University has launched with nary a snag. At the onset, we believe that our principles,
business model, and early acquisitions have laid a foundation for fantastic profit margins.
BY DAVE MARTINEZ
Will reinforcements be joining the New York Red Bulls soon? As of now, it doesn't seem
likely.
With the April 15th transfer deadline only days away, Coach Hans Backe remains skeptical about
the options he may have available to join his side.
Colorado has just announced that they've signed midfielder Harrison Henao on loan from Once Caldas
of Colombia. No terms were released but reports in Colombia say its until December and almost all
MLS loans include an option to buy. Henao is a 25 year old player who's been a pro since 2006.
Early indications are that he's a defensive midfielder, which may not be a positive sign for
Pablo's recovery.
Fenway Sports Group and Liverpool FC confirmed today that Director of Football Damien Comolli
has left the Club by mutual consent.
Principal Owner John Henry said: "We are grateful for all of Damien's efforts on behalf of
Liverpool and wish him all the best for the future."
Liverpool Chairman Tom Werner added: "The Club needs to move forward and we now have a huge game
on Saturday.
Liverpool have identified Celtic's chief scout John Park as a leading candidate to replace Damien
Comolli as director of football, it has been claimed.
Comolli was relieved of his duties last Thursday following a number of failed signings, and with
the Reds faltering in the Premier League.
The Frenchman was responsible for bringing the likes of Andy Carroll and Stewart Downing to Anfield
for exorbitant fees, and paid the price for the failings of the pitch of his numerous expensive
acquisitions.
Saer Sene (left) and Jose Moreno may give the Revolution a formidable one-two punch up top this
season. (Photo of Sene: Joshua Pearson. Photo of Moreno: Chris Aduama/aduama.com)
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. For the first time this season, the Revolution finally featured what could be
considered a legitimate first-choice striking tandem on Saturday.
No team is as reliably almost-but-not-quite great as the Chicago Fire. After their MLS Cup
winning expansion season in 1998 they made the playoffs in 10 of the next 11 seasons, but never won
it again - a stretch that included 2 finals losses and a grueling 5-year run from 2005 to 2009 of
losing in the conference finals 4 times.
Photo: Nicolae Stoian
In 2011, the Union had scored only 5 goals in the first seven games but their record was
4–2–1 instead of 2–4–1 as it is now. The defensive solidity that marked 2011 was unexpected
and proved decisive for the first half of the season as the Union struggled to find consistent
goalscoring.
If we retain the precious third spot after next weekend, will we, as fans, really be
celebrating?
I don't mean celebrating as if we won a cup, or the league. But will we really feel satisfaction
or accomplishment? I know, that with about eight weeks left, looking at the run in for ourselves,
Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea, it was exciting.
If we retain the precious third spot after next weekend, will we, as fans, really be
celebrating?
I don't mean celebrating as if we won a cup, or the league. But will we really feel satisfaction
or accomplishment? I know, that with about eight weeks left, looking at the run in for ourselves,
Spurs, Newcastle and Chelsea, it was exciting.
Fire forward Dominic Oduro is one player the Revolution defense will have to keep tabs on come
Saturday. (Photo: Chris Aduama/aduama.com)
(Editor's note: Prior to each Revolution match, New England Soccer Today will invite a
reporter who covers the Revolution's upcoming opponent to provide greater insight on what to expect
on gameday.
Poor Romelu Lukaku. He's improved in training, he's done okay in matches. He's even eaten
fewer hamburgers. What more can a man do?!
Just goes to show though, doesn't it? Teams can spend a lot of money on players then never use
them. Chelsea can cover this sort of thing, but arguably, Fulham can't.
Poor Romelu Lukaku. He's improved in training, he's done okay in matches. He's even eaten
fewer hamburgers. What more can a man do?!
Just goes to show though, doesn't it? Teams can spend a lot of money on players then never use
them. Chelsea can cover this sort of thing, but arguably, Fulham can't.
