U.S. WNT head coach Pia Sundhage has decided to return home to pursue opportunities in Sweden.
Pia Sundhage: Homeward Bound
The likeable and laid-back Pia has spent nearly five full years as the head coach of the WNT, after
taking over in November 2007. In that time she's compiled an 88-6-10 record while taking the team
to 3 major tournament finals.
With Newcastle up 1-0 on Spurs in the 54th minute of their first Premier League match of the
season, Magpies manager Alan Pardew get a little overexcited and shoved a linesman. Pardew was
reacting to the ball going out off a Spurs player, which the linesman apparently didn't see as
played continued, so Pardew gave him a shove from behind.
Okay, what's more offensive: the title of this blog, or the "controversy"--instigated by the
precious soul that is U.S. goalkeeper Hope Solo, who has never been in the center of a controversy
before, ever--regarding some of the U.S. women's national team members being drunk on live
television after having won gold in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing?
Manchester City proved they had the best team in the Premier League last season, and their
coaches show that they are not bad themselves.
Filmed at an open training session in the Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur ahead of
Manchester City's game against a Malaysia XI. The Blue's coaching staff are involved in a 5-a-side
game where assistant coach David Platt rolls back the years with an exquisite overhead bicycle
kick.
Short and sweet: A couple of days after his assistant, David Platt, defied the years and the
flab to score a magnificent overhead kick, slick fox Roberto Mancini continued the
theme yesterday by pulling off a nifty little backheeled volley pass during a one-touch drill at a
Man City training session in Beijing.
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has revealed that the fitness concerns that bothered winger Ryo
Miyaichi during the club's pre-season tour of Asia will keep the youngster away from full fitness
for at least a few more weeks.
The 19-year old Miyaichi, who is a Japan international was unable to prove himself ready for the
Gunners' 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in Beijing and despite returning for yesterday's 2-2 draw to
Kitchee, he looked a bit rusty.
How has the Far Eastern tour helped in our pre-season preparation?
The bald facts are: Played 3, Won 1, Lost 1, Drawn 1. Hardly an inspiring set of results.Â
The matches were played in dense humidity (Kuala Lumpur), pouring rain (Beijing) and dense
humidity (Hong Kong). Not the sort of climatic conditions to be expected in our first three
Premiership matches of the fast approaching new season: The Emirates, Stoke-on-Trent and
Liverpool.
About time we get to enjoy this tour from the spectator standpoint
Hello and hope you're having a good day. Olympics, if that's your thing but if not, there's some
Arsenal today as well. That's in a little less than 3 hours now. Arsene Wenger will rather be more
focused on the match than the constant questioning over a Dutchman.
Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen get's straight to the point during Arsenal's 2-0 defeat to
Manchester City yesterday in Beijing. What would Andy Gray say about this?
Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has dismissed any apprehensions regarding his squad's potential
following a 2-0 defeat to Manchester City in Beijing yesterday.
The Gunners appeared to be in control during the first half before goals from Pablo Zabaleta and
Yaya Toure condemned them to a two-goal deficit at the interval.
Playing in the rain. That was a fun game when we're younger, or could still be if you're young
now. Or not, if your parents are overly protective of you and thinks a every drop of rain on you
would kill one cell in your body. Playing football in the rain is especially fun when you're in a
hot climate and that is your once in a blue moon fix for a little cold weather.
Morning all, Saturday round-up for you starting with yesterday's 2-0 defeat by Man City in
Beijing. Certainly the four Man City fans in attendance will have been happy at the result, but one
or two shoddy defensive moments aside I thought there were some encouraging things from an Arsenal
point of view.
Goals from Yaya Toure and Pablo Zabaleta ensured Manchester City got their pre-season up and
running as they beat Premier League rivals 2-0 in Beijing earlier today.
Many a woman and, indeed, gay man will have fantasised about having strapping Belgian defender
Thomas Vermaelen launching himself at them. However, for assistant ref Sian Massey, the Arsenal
man's attentions rather caught her off guard during the Gunners' Beijing friendly with Man
City.
Arsenal and Manchester City will clash in Beijing today for a warm up, pre-season friendly match.
You can catch all the action, live and for free directly in your browser by following the links
given below:
Arsenal and Manchester City will clash in Beijing today for a warm up, pre-season friendly match.
You can catch all the action, live and for free directly in your browser by following the links
given below:
Arsenal midfielder Abou Diaby is aware that the 2012-13 is critical for him if he is to finally
put his injury-prone past behind him.
The lack of full fitness has restricted the 26-year old Diaby to merely 26 appearances across
all competitions in the last two seasons and as he looks to finally regain full fitness in the
coming season, the Frenchman has praised manager Arsene Wenger for supporting him all along.
A very good Friday to you and I hope to find you well. Pre season means that the matches could
fall on any day and that's exactly what happens today. Arsenal takes on reigning Premier League
champions, Manchester City at the Bird's Nest Olympic Stadium in Beijing later today.
For the second consecutive summer, Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini is unhappy with the
Premier League champions transfer policy.
Asked in Beijing on Thursday whether he was "disappointed" that City haven't signed anyone yet
this summer, Mancini immediately shifted responsibility to football administrator Brian Marwood
saying:
"For this question, speak to the man in charge," Mancini said, when asked about Van Persie.
Mohamed Azmi Muslim made the match interesting when his 30 yard flyer beat Vito Mannone as the
defense went to sleep (eye roll, its Arsenal!) just before the end of the first half. By then the
Gunners had missed at least three good chances including one from Andre Dos Santos.
Arsene Wenger made a number of substitutions in the second half and late in the half, Nico
Yennaris charged down the right latching onto one of Alex Song's preternatural passes.
So pre-season began in earnest yesterday with a 2-1 over a Malaysia XI, although it took a
couple of late goals to do it.
Having gone ahead in first half injury time with a belter of a goal, the Malaysian side looked
fit and determined to cause a 'shock'. We looked very much like a team which was playing its first
real game and although we never really clicked we missed a number of very presentable chances.
Despite Manchester City's disappointment in Europe last season, Arsenal goalkeeper Wojciech
Szczesny has described them as one of the best teams in the continent.
City clinched the Premier League title in dramatic fashion two months ago on the last day of the
2011-12 campaign to put an early Champions League elimination well behind them.
It looks like Arsenal won't be touring Nigeria this summer after all. The Premier League club
announced on July 5th that they'll be postponing their trip to Africa, which was scheduled for Aug.
5th. They were supposed to meet the country's national team, known as the Super Eagles, on that
date at the National Stadium in Abuja.
Arsene Wenger has revealed that Arsenal will be signing a few
more players before the summer transfer window shuts close at the end of next month.
(Guardian)
The Gunners have already secured the signatures of strikers Lukas Podolski and Olivier Giroud
this summer and will likely have the injured midfield duo of Jack Wilshere and Abou Diaby fully fit
before the start of the new season.
Another chapter on Arsenal's adventure in Malaysia closes as the journey continues to Beijing.
Yesterday saw Arsenal defeating a Malaysia XI side, coming back from a goal down to salvage a win
in the closing phase of the second half. Lots of happy fans and lots of happy sponsors. But more
importantly, if not the workout, the heat alone would help the players shed a few extra stones
picked up in the off season.
Tuesday the Colorado Rapids announced the signing of midfielder Hendry Thomas, who will occupy
an international player slot on their roster.
The Honduran international spent his last three seasons with Wigan Athletic of the English
Premier League. Thomas appeared in 55 matches for the Latics during the three-year stint with the
English side.
A rather exuberant fan of Edison Cavani, evidenced by the portrait in his fan, is even more
exuberant to see his hero. Or is auditioning for a horror flick to be distributed by Tartan Asia
Extreme. One or the other. (Yes, this is in Beijing and they're predominantly South Korean
films.
Jon Levy Four years ago in Beijing, a young midfielder with a contentious last name very nearly led
an Olympic team to medal heights, only to have those dreams dashed by a bad piece of goalkeeping on
a Holland set piece and the definition of an ill-timed red card by one Michael Orozco a game [...]
It's been well established that Napoli owner Aurelio De Laurentiis will say and do whatever he
wants, so it should come as no surprise that the eccentric producer of such films as Christmas in
South Africa, Christmas in Miami and, of course, Christmas in India, is now threatening to pull his
club out of the Supercoppa Italiana match in Beijing.
