World Cup 1966 hero Geoff Hurst thinks England won't win the main prize in South Africa this year. While he's not alone in holding this perfectly reasonable view, Hurst's pessimism is backed by some bizarre reasoning.
"We're a tiny bit short up front," Hurst told BBC Radio 5 Live, a remark which suggests he has never seen Peter Crouch.

Here we go. Since the draw was made, we've been waiting for tonight with bated breath. There could have been nothing to play for, but the never-say-die spirit shown last week has left the tie firmly in the balance.

At this stage of the season, one of two things is normally happening. Either a) every match is a pressure cooker situation, usually labelled a 'must-win', or b) you're out of contention.

I probably could've done something to the stars, but oh well...
Oh Toronto in the spring. Arguably spring started mid-March when we had a week of +20 C temperatures. And our spring lasts 6 weeks around here. Which means it'll be almost summer by the time Seattle gets here. Pre-gaming at the Foggy Dew with gorgeous women everywhere I look in this city a black velvet in hand, I await with bated breath for this evenings festivities when I am privy to hurl insults with my season friends at 11 men running around on a newly minted grass pitch.

Since we find ourselves engaged in a 3-way title race at the end of February, from here on out, every draw will have us considering one of football's most philosophical questions: Was it two points lost, or a point gained?

I know. I did it after the Everton match. While many disagreed with me, though not most according to our poll, I believed we had gained a point on that day.

Well, I sure did tempt the fates when I said the Romantic in me wanted to face Barcelona. While it is obvious that I'd rather have faced Lyon or Bordeaux (a fact Laurent Blanc himself testified to), a fact that is as undeniable as that the earth is a sphere slightly flat at the poles is that this is clearly thus far the Match of the Season.

Lighter's Note : I am neither an Arsenal nor a Barcelona fan. However, I really cannot help myself.

5 hours. The football fan in me is salivating. In a country with out a live telecast of the La Liga, this one is special.

I wait with bated breath.

Filed under: Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Man United, The Rest of it

There are only 70 days before the World Cup kicks off in Johannesburg and the last thing England supporters wanted to see was Wayne Rooney hobbling off the field in Munich. While football fans around the world wait with bated breath on news of Rooney's injury, it's worth considering, who on the England team is actually heading into the World Cup healthy and on form?

espn.com

Messi and Maradona must unite
By Kevin Palmer

As Lionel Messi prepares for his date with destiny at the World Cup finals, the greatest footballer on the planet could be forgiven for wondering whether the biggest rival standing in his way this summer is, in fact, on his own side.

Philippe Mexes. Baguette Smuggler? Images: Getty Images, AP Photo & Reuters via Daylife

At the editorial meeting for this post, we thought long and hard about which picture to lead with.

- Should we use this one of Theo Walcott, who scored his debut club hat trick in Arsenal's 6-0 whipping of Blackpool at the Emirates, and celebrated by gallantly trying to stifle Marouane Chamakh's backspray?

Guest Blog Post by Jade Scully

Vuvuzelas characterised South Africa's Soccer World Cup. We knew they would. We also knew (from previous experience) that they wouldn't go down well with many of the European soccer playing nations who prefer a more (ahem) civilised atmosphere.

Oops...On Thursday morning we watched with bated breath for FIFA's 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts announcement. And in a single moment our hopes for the United States to be the home for the world's largest sporting spectacle in 12 years time vanished like a fart in the wind.
When Sepp Blatter pulled "Qatar" out of that plain white envelope my heart sank.