Time to ditch the MLS qualifying bracket in the US Open Cup.
I've had this thought bubbling for a while. How on earth can we improve the US Open Cup? I know
I've mentioned it in the past and today seemed like a good day to bring it back up. With the
changes that have gone on in US Soccer over the last year or so with the NASL-USL split and the
ever growing MLS it seems like a perfect time to revamp the Cup.
As promised in my Strike Partnership article (Although not to the most pinpoint time
schedule) here are my top ten defensive pairings in Premiership History.
10. David Wier and Alan Stubbs
Stubbs and Wier defied all odds in the 2004-05 season when relegation candidates, Everton,
qualified for the Champion's League.
The fourth round of the FA Cup saw the league's top four barely survive, though the fifth of the
Big Five (Tottenham) met their end at Craven Cottage. On this edition of the EPL Talk Podcast,
myself, Kartik Krishnaiyer, and the returning Laurence McKenna discuss the weekend's results,
outcomes that failed to producing the type of captivating upset we've come to hope for from our
knock-out competitions.
It's the Third Round of The FA Cup this weekend, and Alan Smithy will be looking forward to
not all of the matches played being decided on the day. Alan writes Football Hobo,
and you can follow him on Twitter here.
We all love a good cup replay, don't we?
While the Aussies played a 0-0 draw with UAE last night as they start their Asian Cup 2011 bid on
the weekend it was announced by AFC President and Qatari Bin Hamman that Australia has won the
rights to host the 2015 Asia Cup.
Aussie media are reporting we were the only bidder!
I'm telling you who cares.
The quick and dirty on the Premier League in 2010.
Teams: Man City & Tottenham. Not only have these teams firmly, and possibly permanently,
broken into the Big Boys Club, but they've become title contenders surprisingly quick. Breaking up
the hegemony is one thing; still within striking distance in January?
Harry Kewell has called the Asian Cup a 'mini-World Cup', which seems rather appropriate given
the nature of the first round. There were the mildly colossal upsets (Uzbekistan over Qatar and
Syria over Saudi Arabia), the big upset which will wind up a small upset (Jordan drawing with
Japan) and the big boys takin' care of business (Korea, Australia, Iran).
Szczesny, Sagna, Djourou, Koscielny, Clichy, Song, Wilshere, Fabregas, Nasri, van Persie,
Walcott
Arsenal 3-0 Wigan (van Persie x3)
That first eleven are mustard. The creativity is unrivalled and we got a sign that they can
create against the big boys against Chelsea, the midfield is the perfect blend, the defence has a
hell of a lot of potential.
