Sometimes items from Soccer America can be a total miss but check out today's MLS Confidential
on the Galaxy. For anyone out there that couldn't get how the LA Galaxy was able to squeeze in
Edson Buddle to their salary cap, check this article out.
By bringing back Edson Buddle into the fold, even if he costs slightly more
than the $178,488 salary he earned in 2010 before leaving for Germany, the Galaxy probably hasn't
crunched its salary cap to any great extent, because of player departures as well as amassing
allocation money.
Today's post is written by Neil, a QPR supporter who we met up with before the game last
Saturday. These are his thoughts on the game and the Emirates experience.
I got the chance to visit the Emirates stadium as I have always wanted to, as iI had heard a lot
about it and it always looks great on TV.
1,774 posts have been published to this blog, Pitch Invasion, since its founding in 2007. In
late 2011, I decided to collect the very best of those posts in book form, in the unimaginatively
titled The Very Best of Pitch Invasion. 39 essays were selected for it, and 39 very good
ones they were, by two dozen writers exploring soccer culture around the world in long-form.
The season is done and dusted, 4th place it is then but as we know because of Chelsea's antics
in the Champions League final we have no Champions League football down at the Lane next season.
What impact this will have to the squad, with players in and out, is unknown for the time being,
but that is discussion for another day, along with a whole host of subjects that this blog will try
and delve into over the summer months.
I hope everyone had a happy and safe New Year celebration. It seems odd to be writing a preview
one day after a recap, but so it goes. Our boys are back in action tomorrow, taking on Fulham at
Craven Cottage. Our opponents aren't having the best of seasons, currently sitting in 13th place
with 20 points, and a -5 goal differential (which is also the same record as 14th place
Swansea).
We're a bit in the doldrums here at Arsenal Arsenal. At the moment we're still numb from
the defeat on Sunday and finding it hard to be upbeat and forward thinking. Our twin posts today
are in celebration of the return of Thierry Henry. Hopefully our bloggers will come out from behind
the sofa and remember the positives of this season so far, but don't let that stop you commenting
on where we go from here.
Sometimes in my life as a professional freelancer, I get
stretched in so many different directions that I must stop and take account of my sundry platforms
and obligations. So, let's see:
Sports Illustrated.com (SI.com) ... I'm on it.
For MLSSoccer.
And with the arrival of Manchester United to the Emirates, so to there is the slightly less
heralded return of myself to the exalted company of the Untold bloggers. Fortunately Tony hadn't
put me on probation for crimes against sportswriting, in actual fact I had to put my blogging
commitments on pause with university workload [.
Sorry about the title, but I can't resist a good pun if possible. Misleading as it might be, I
must stress that I am not saying Johan Djourou deserves any credit for his performance against
Manchester United.
However, for all the criticism surrounding Arsene Wenger for his choice to remove Alex
Oxlade-Chamberlain just as he'd made our equaliser and was at the centre of everything good we were
doing, a rather more bold move by the boss has gone largely ignored: replacing the more experienced
Djourou, terrible as he was, for Premier League debutant Nico Yennaris, a move that proved more
successful than bringing on Andrey Arshavin later.
Our latest guest post comes from Adam Orton, one half of Debra Orton Illustration - bloggers and
sellers of limited edition football print artwork and proud Highbury residents. It may surprise
watchers of Match of the Day that Norwich City's current successes are far from a novelty in the
history of the club and here, Adam takes an entertaining look back to a previous occasion when the
Norfolk club ascended out of Hades.
Devin is slammed and I'm sick (laryngitis). That being said, we're not sure a preview of Everton
will be making an appearance prior to the match. Apologies. What we do have for you, however, are
some excellent pieces on Chelsea's finances.
Someone asked us about the recent release of our financials for the year (June 2010-June
2011).
Back in October Rocky predicted we would be top three by New Year. He was actually close to
being right as a win at home to QPR on New Years Eve took us into the Champions League
qualification spots as we popped Champagne to wave bye bye to Arsenal's annus horribilis.
Unfortunately defeats to Fulham, Swansea and United followed, by the time we drew away at the
Reebok even the most positive bloggers on here were waving goodbye to any hope of Champions League
football next season let alone finishing above the cretins from N17.
Back in October Rocky predicted we would be top three by New Year. He was actually close to
being right as a win at home to QPR on New Years Eve took us into the Champions League
qualification spots as we popped Champagne to wave bye bye to Arsenal's annus horribilis.
Unfortunately defeats to Fulham, Swansea and United followed, by the time we drew away at the
Reebok even the most positive bloggers on here were waving goodbye to any hope of Champions League
football next season let alone finishing above the cretins from N17.
It's Thursday everyone. That's one more day closer to Saturday, when DC United kick off the
Carolina Challenge Cup against the Chicago Fire. The MLS regular season kicks off in twelve days
when United plays host to Sporting Kansas City. With my first season as a United blogger underway,
please let me know what you guys would like to see.
I'll huff and I'll puff and make a tasty lamb stew for you all. The JimmyG2 Column Where to
begin with the latest NLD encounter? Perhaps, first off, a little humility needs to be shown. We,
the fans, the players and the bloggers were more than a little arrogant about Arsenal before the
game. Musings predicted a close game but was dismissive in tone.
Many bloggers and reporters are going to give you a blow by blow of what happened today and their
opinions on the play. Either I am too lazy, or just don't feel like wasting my and your time with a
play by play. Chances are you either watched the game or have already read about the game. So
instead here is my opinion on the play and the game as I saw it today.
Controversy brewed in the Argentinean Primera Division this weekend when Colon were awarded a
highly dubious goal when visiting San Lorenzo.
The Colon penetration (sorry) occurred in the 68th minute, when the linesman flagged for
offside. Colon's Federico Higuain whipped in a cross regardless, which Ariel Garce harmlessly
tapped into the net, assuming play had stopped.
The guys at Football Attic are running a lovely project at the moment. They're compiling a
subbuteo style e-wallchart for football blogs. All bloggers need to do is to design their own kit
and it'll be immortalised by the wallchart. I quickly set off on my task by printing out the
template provided and sourcing some glitter glue pens.
The 26th May 1989 was an amazing night in Arsenal's history.
Arsenal travelled to Liverpool for the final game of the season needing three points and 2 goals
against the scousers to clinch the title. This game had been postponed following the tragedy at
Hillborough where 96 Liverpool supporters had been crushed to death.
The 26th May 1989 was an amazing night in Arsenal's history.
Arsenal travelled to Liverpool for the final game of the season needing three points and 2 goals
against the scousers to clinch the title. This game had been postponed following the tragedy at
Hillborough where 96 Liverpool supporters had been crushed to death.