In financial markets, as in sex, humour and volleying a ball home from just outside the area, timing is everything.
The superslick who are way ahead of the curve self-compress their future profits through their inability to appropriately time market entries and exits.
The bewildered who are reactive to the curve simply exist to provide the rest of us with our future cash. Click to continue reading...

There were three somewhat major cup exits yesterday. Three second division or lower sides which took their Cinderella moment and cashed it in: the much discussed Alcorcon thrashing of grand Real Madrid; Furth downing the apparently unfireable Markus Babbel and epic disappointers Stuttgart; and Borussia Dortmund gifting three goals and a win to Osnabruck, who [. Click to continue reading...

New Jersey-based Sky Blue FC completed its Cinderella Story finish to the Women's Professional Soccer season, defeating regular-season champion Los Angeles Sol, 1-0, on Saturday in the WPS Championship. Below are Associated Press photos of the Chicago-area locals who played in the match. (CLICK HERE for the game report)
Elk Grove Village native Jen Buczkowski (4) celebrates the WPS title with her Sky Blue FC teammates Saturday. Click to continue reading...

Valencia CF is probably growing some fierce dislike for the country of Norway. In the fall of '07, back when Valencia were supposed to be good, they were humiliated twice by super Cinderella Rosenborg, who also achieved infamy by morphing The Special One into The Jobless One, with double 2-0 defeats. Click to continue reading...

What is the official name of this new round anyway? Fourth round? "Playoff bracket"? How about "the mere formality", because that's what it turned out to be yesterday. While all were hoping for a big upset and a Champions League Cinderella, the big clubs went quietly about taking care of business, disposing of the riff [. Click to continue reading...

When the concrete pitch gets hot, the Metro Bulls cool off. That has been the story since the teams inception. August has been a killer; It's hot, it's muggy, and the Bulls can't buy a win on the eighth month, no matter what year it is.

That is, until last years Cinderella run. Check it:

1996: 2-2-1
1997: 2-3-1
1998: 2-5
1999: 0-6-2
2000: 3-3-2
2001: 3-2
2002: 1-2
2003: 0-1-3
2004: 1-2-1
2005: 1-1-2
2006: 1-1-2
2007: 2-2
2008: 3-0-1

Last year, around this time, the team was floundering (shocker, I know).

Click to continue reading...

————————Angel————————

Kandji—-Rojas—-Ubiparipovic—Richards

———————-Sassano———————-

Pacheco—–Petke——-Krupnik———Hall

———————-Coundoul———————

Once I saw that lineup, and that dreaded formation, my instinct was simple; change the channel.

Click to continue reading...

Players are the reason we love soccer. Human athletes have always been the real attraction throughout sporting history. While the games have changed, our love of the gladiators and warriors who play them has remained intact. But in soccer, these armies of players must abide by rules.

Click to continue reading...

1. United States
Scraped and scrapped though with a 2-1 overtime win against Panama. Kyle Beckerman tied the game in the second half after a Panama goal just before the break. Kenny Cooper drew a foul -- absorbing a kung fu kick to the gut -- in the box and converted the spot kick for the win.
2. Click to continue reading...

We all knew that the Swedish Cup quarter-final against Mjällby would be a tricky match-up, so it didn't come as a complete shock when illustrious striker Erton Fejzullahu scored the first goal of the game after only nine minutes. At this point the Mjällby supporters at Strandvallen surely felt that this game could become another chapter in their ongoing Cinderella story. Click to continue reading...

By Clemente Lisi - NEW YORK, NY (Jun 27, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- Mention the name Brazil and you conjure up soccer greatness... a rich tradition that spans fours decades highlighted by five World Cups. Brazil's already-packed trophy case, which also includes two Confederations Cups, could see the addition of another title this Sunday. Click to continue reading...

Cinderella stories happen everyday, everywhere in this world. In particular, when it comes to the world of football, we have seen quite a few of them. After all, who would have thought that Senegal would knock France out of the World Cup in 2002? Or who would have picked Greece to win it all in the European Cup of 2004?

Click to continue reading...

I started the last post with a legendary quote by a coach (Bear Bryant), so why not do the same here as well. As Jim E. Mora once inquired (word for word): "What's that? Ah - Playoffs? Don't talk about - ah - Playoffs? You kidding me? Playoffs? I just hope we can win another game!

Click to continue reading...

(Full highlights forthcoming.) Grosseto had a Cinderella season in Serie B - think of them as the Wolfsburg to Sassuolo's first half barnstormers Hoffenheim. Despite making their Serie B debut just last year, 95 years after their founding, they made it to the Serie A promotional playoffs this year against Livorno, who finished a disappointing and [. Click to continue reading...

Remember a couple of weeks ago, when I was heartbroken about the 4-0 thrashing Bordeaux laid down on little Cinderella team Vannes? And I was lamenting the fact that we rarely get the happy Cinderella ending we hope for? I am cheerfully eating my words today after Guingamp took down Ligue [...] Click to continue reading...

With Aston Villa defeating Hull City 1-0 last night, Premier League fans had to settle once again for an ordinary season at the top of the table. While a few of the places are a bit different (Liverpool ahead of Chelsea?), once again the normal culprits have all locked up European spots.

Even as a United fan, the dullness and predictability of the top half of the table is a bit disheartening.

Click to continue reading...

By SEAN RUBIO

A light day today as we prepare for a weekend full of matches across the world. More poor refereeing (this time in Africa), a critical look at MLS youth development, a review of what was at one time a "Cinderella story" and more. Enjoy:

Phil Schoen takes a look at MLS youth development, and doesn't like what he sees [GolTV]
Almunia For England? Click to continue reading...

By SEAN RUBIO

A light day today as we prepare for a weekend full of matches across the world. More poor refereeing (this time in Africa), a critical look at MLS youth development, a review of what was at one time a "Cinderella story" and more. Enjoy:

Phil Schoen takes a look at MLS youth development, and doesn't like what he sees [GolTV]
Almunia For England? Click to continue reading...

It was a sad ending to a great story. A team puts the Islanders out of the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL).

Cruz Azul lead the Islanders 2-0 after 90 minutes to tie the aggregate, even though the Aztecs were a man down for the last 59 minutes of regular time, to send the series into overtime.

Click to continue reading...

The system needs to be changed - and fast. After watching a Cinderella run come to a crashing halt, I have seen enough. Burnley were unjustly knocked out of the Carling Cup, and it is all the FA's fault. In the first leg of the Carling Cup semi-final between Tottenham and Burnley, Tottenham came away with an easy 4-1 victory. Click to continue reading...

Anyone a fan of underdogs has surely loved Hoffenheim's run as pacesetters for the Bundesliga this term. From small village team to cream of the German footballing crop, Cinderella stories get no bigger. And if we were to label one player as Cinderella herself, it's hardly a contest: Vedad Ibisevic, the Bosnian striker leaving the [. Click to continue reading...