Arsene Wenger was allegedly seen loading briefcase after briefcase of unmarked bills into each
of the Blackburn players' cars at precisely noon today in every time zone.
The 7-1 home exhibition match between Arsenal and Blackburn in the early kickoff Saturday
contained everything anyone could ask for in a match.
The Tevez-Pato "will he? won't he" questions ricocheted every which way this January as the
musical chairs transfers song played at AC Milan, but at the end everyone retook their own chairs.
Boring. Perhaps they were dating Berlusconi's daughter, or were on £200,000 a week slave wages
that no one else could match, but whatever the reason, that anti-climax will be followed up by a
busy February and early March.
With Arsenal currently sitting 7th in the Premier League Table, it's now truly inevitable that
Robin van Persie will choose a new club come summertime, barring some miracle. Because it seems so
predestined, the notion doesn't trigger anxiety levels of Fabregas proportions in summers past,
where you just really didn't know what was going to happen.
African Cup of
Nations (Group C), Gabon vs Tunisia (1pmET, Al-Jazeera Sports / Eurosport
International):Tunisia and tournament co-host Gabon both won their first two group games and hence
will advance to the final eight (while the other two teams in the group, Niger and disappointing
Morocco, will go home).
We've got to post a quick recap of what we watched this past weekend but first, very briefly,
here are two games today that you could tune in for, in case you're looking for something to watch
this afternoon/evening (depending on your timezone):
African Cup of Nations, Côte d'Ivoire vs Angola (1pmET, Al-Jazeera Sports /
Eurosport International): The group stage of AfCON2012 wraps up over the next couple days.
After the 2-1 defeat to Manchester United at the Emirates on Sunday, I was emailing with a
friend who has been an Arsenal season ticket holder since the ‘70s. He knows infinitely more
about the team than I do, so I figured I'd let him speak in his own words. (My email comments
inserted for clarity of what questions/comments he's responding to.
Without a "Group of Death," and without 5 of the top 8 ranked African countries (Egypt, Algeria,
Nigeria, Cameroon and South Africa all failed to qualify), the opening stages of the African Cup of
Nations lacks a bit in the tasty fixtures department. For perspective, Tunisia, the participating
country with the fourth-highest FIFA ranking is still behind tiny Cape Verde Islands (who also did
not qualify).
We've semi-regularly tried to post a Friday "What to Watch this Weekend" (WtWtW) viewing guide.
Starting today, we'll aim to bookend that with a companion "What We Watched this Weekend" (WWWtW)
summary pulled primarily from weekend email chatter among the CultFootball crew, maybe spiced up
with some video highlights.
Come on everybody, channel your inner Piers Morgan. Throw your hands up in the air, aim for the
hills and run with abandon. Just don't forget to unlock your wrists, so that the sprint for the
horizon seems that much more fueled by pure terror. And remember to shrill.
Wayne Rooney, his sidekick hair transplant and his nefarious Mancunian buddies traveled to the
Emirates on Sunday.
The Ivory Coast won their first match of the 2012 African Cup of Nations today, a 1-0 defeat of
Sudan with Didier Drogba scoring the lone goal.
Curious as to their current FIFA ranking and who else might likely put up a fight against the
Elephants, I looked it up. Learning that they rank 18th internationally didn't surprise, but the
fact that only 5 other African countries make up the top 50 did.
The Ivory Coast won their first match of the 2012 African Cup of Nations today, a 1-0 defeat of
Sudan with Didier Drogba scoring the lone goal.
Curious as to their current FIFA ranking and who else might likely put up a fight against the
Elephants, I looked it up. Learning that they rank 18th internationally didn't surprise, but the
fact that only 5 other African countries make up the top 50 did.
It's Super Sunday due to the two big EPL North London-Manchester games, but there's also a
couple interesting La Liga matchups and an relevant Eredivisie matchup today:
Super Sunday, Jan 22
Netherlands, Alkmaar-Ajax (8:30amET ESPN Deportes, ESPN3.
We watched Wednesday's Clásico in its entirety with spirited company at WoodworkBK. We had
the sense then that Barcelona slowly took control after the early goal by Cristiano Ronaldo, and
that Pepe was terrible. Watch this extended highlight clip, which should reinforce the
conclusions that (a) Barcelona completely dominated after about the 25′ mark, and (b) Pepe was a
complete embarrassment and not only for the already-infamous Messi hand stamp:
Real Madrid v Barcelona by vynylr
Acting!
"I never knew that music like that was possible!"
After watching the second half of yesterday's Clasico, I'm beginning to see Mourinho as Salieri
to Guardiola's Mozart. When a team of Madrid's caliber gets schooled and forced into errant passes
and frantic individual dribbles on offense and desperate tackles on defense, huffing shadow-chasing
and hapless outreached hands pleading for offside calls that won't come, the opposition must be
touched by the divine; the divine stringing of passes, la pelota always kept just a
fleeting inch away from Madrid's lunging cleats, and importantly, the divine total defense, which
at one point saw Özil attempting to dribble into the box only to be surrounded by seven (7!
"Wilma...!" -- Fred Flintstone in a paroxysm of ecstasy after he convinces Betty Rubble to "role
play a bit."
We'll keep you posted. More on this at 5.
Wait, start from the beginning.
Out of seemingly nowhere, the U.S. Soccer Federation has cleared house. Today, the U.S. power
that be announced U.
Sawa potentially begins her Ballon d'Or reign as Messi continues his own, picking up his third
in as many years.
If history is anything to go by, expect 2011 Women's World Cup winner Homare Sawa to be
collecting her second Ballon d'Or prize this time next year. Marta had won five years running as
the top female player in the world, but no more.
Should Tottenham fail to win their gimme game in hand, that hand will be wiping egg off that
puffy face.
For those who don't support Tottenham, the frequently heard refrain of, "we've got such and such
points, and when we win our game in hand..." got old a long time ago. At long last the fixture lost
to the months-ago unpleasantness in London (August riots) will be resolved on Wednesday, and none
too soon.
Kolo and his brother will soon meet up with fellow academy-ites Kalou, Eboue and Gervinho at the
African Cup of Nations in .
When Gervinho, Salomon Kalou, Emmanuel Eboué and the brothers Touré convene in for the African
Cup of Nations tournament to play for the Ivory Coast, it's a high school reunion of sorts.
The beast from the North East
Prologue: Salvador, up in northern Brazil, is so unlike Rio and Sao Paulo, the rest of the
country refers to Bahiaians rudely as "slow". As I trudged through the late afternoon sun looking
for the Newcastle Man Utd game, it struck me that the heat may have something to do with it.
As City wheel and deal in another transfer window, Samir Nasri falls further down the pecking
order. And he just joined. Think how early-adopter Wayne Bridge feels.
It's hard to watch several leagues simultaneously, which somewhat tempers the distaste for the
phenomenon of sugardaddied Manchester City and makes the team an intriguing entity to behold.
Robin celebrates one of his 35 Premier League goals in 2011, second only to Alan Shearer's 1995
calendar year tally of 36.
A few quick comments as the minutes to midnight tick closer.
Robin rules. It would be impossible to heap too many superlatives on his form this season. He
finally got to show what he could do when he could remain injury-free.
Another fantastic match between two teams near the top of the table Thursday at White Hart Lane
Spurs hosting crosstown nemeses Chelsea.
Gareth Bale gets wide for Spurs vs Chelsea
First from Sean, written in real-time during the first half:
What a low camera angle at the Lane.
Another fantastic match between two teams near the top of the table Thursday at White Hart Lane
Spurs hosting crosstown nemeses Chelsea.
Gareth Bale gets wide for Spurs vs Chelsea
First from Sean, written in real-time during the first half:
What a low camera angle at the Lane.
Vincent Kompany brushes off Theo Walcott
A big game in the world of CultFootball took place Sunday in Manchester Arsenal visited Etihad
Stadium to take on league-leading Manchester City. Result was a tense but exciting match, which
ended 1-0 for City.
The difference, not surprisingly, was a slight Spanish man named David Silva.
Vincent Kompany brushes off Theo Walcott
A big game in the world of CultFootball took place Sunday in Manchester Arsenal visited Etihad
Stadium to take on league-leading Manchester City. The result was a tense but exciting match,
which ended 1-0 for City.
Some commentary from one of the CultFootball head honcho:
City deserved the win, though Arsenal had their chances and maybe the game would've tipped if
Arsenal had scored first or at all.
Remember how yesterday we wrote about our friend that we're aiming to initiate into the cult of
football? (No? Read this real quick.)
Well, we emailed that link to him not only did he read the post, when we asked if he clicked
through and read the three links we posted (one each for Messi, Balotelli, Dempsey) he replied
via email (and gave us permission to blockquote):
i just read them all.
We've got a good friend who's a big sports fan, but mostly of the traditional American variety:
primarily basketball and football, both college and pro.
MARIO BALOTELLI!!!
We asked him if he'd ever thought about watching some soccer, and he said what it would take would
be a compelling player for him to follow.
Belatedly, a roundup of links regarding the passing of Brazilian great Socrates a couple weeks ago:
Remembering Brazil's Soccer Philosopher King, penned by Gabriele Marcotti,
appeared in the WSJ the day after his death:
Sunday [December 4] morning marked the passing of Socrates Brasileiro Sampaio de Souza Vieira de
Oliveira, better known simply as Socrates.
- Dempsey faces a fight to stay in the Europa League. Fulham must get a result at home over
Odense.
As the final matchday of the Europa League group stages approaches Wednesday and Thursday, so
does the best chance to see Americans in action overseas on a TV near you. And with some of the
Americans' teams in danger of crashing out of Europa, it may be the last chance for a while.
Another El Clasico is upon us Real Madrid hosts archrivals FC Barcelona at the majestic Santiago
Bernabeu for a Saturday night La Liga match (kickoff is at 10pmCET/9pmGMT/4pmEST).
This will be, remarkably, the 7th El Clasico of 2011: there were the four matches packed into 18
days last spring (two meetings in the Champions League semifinal, the Copa del Rey final, and their
2nd La Liga match of the season), plus there were two legs to the preseason Spanish Super Copa.
- Next time, rake the cleats, Rooney my boy.
And as Matchday 6 of the Champions League separated the wheat from the chaff, the next eight
into the Europa League knockouts are:
Valencia
Olympiakos
Porto
Victoria
Plzen
Manchester United
Manchester City
Lyon FC Basel
Trabzonspor
Manchester United failed to beat Basel, so MUFC goes to Europa while the Swiss progress to the
knockouts.
The U.S. Under-17s ouclassed, outmaneuvered and out-flaired Brazil on the day, winning the Nike
International Friendles tournament with the 3-1 victory.
The U.S. Under-17 team took on Brazil in Lakewood Ranch, FL, and never looked outclassed in the
slightest, defeating Brazil 3-1. Having drawn 2-2 with France midweek and beaten Turkey 2-1 on
Friday, they won the Nike International Friendlies trophy with three first half goals and an
impressive second-half defense.
Betting sites has tipped Tottenham to take home the silverware, but the odds are now against
them even exiting the group stages.
With two weeks until the final matches of the Europa League group stages, 14 clubs have clinched
spots in the knockout rounds of the cup with a game to spare. With the eight teams that finish
third in their UEFA Champions League groups transferring over to Europe's second-tier competition,
that leaves 10 spots.
Arsenal's 1-0 loss to Manchester City in the Carling Cup match yesterday showed, once again,
the power of petropounds. But one goal from over 100 million is a pretty weak return, really.
However, a win is a win and even if City are on the ropes in Europe, they've booked their spot in
the semifinals of the league cup.
A variety of matches worth watching this weekend: a couple from England, a couple from Spain,
intriguing matches in Munich and in Naples, a Uruguayan super derby, and the MLS championship
game.
(As usual, all times ET and all TV listings for the United States.)
Saturday, Nov 19
England, Manchester City-Newcastle (10am, Fox Soccer): The match of the weekend
in England.
Jack Wilshere's successful loan spell at Bolton proved the final piece of his development. More
please...
Even before the quarterfinal draw for the Carling Cup paired Arsenal with Manchester City
(a.k.a., the Death Squad), many speculated that the reserve teamers logging time on the big stage
would soon cede their places to first team players in a push for the silverware.
When he's not breaking ribs at A.C. Milan, Oguchi Onyewu travels back in time to break Bruce
Lee's ribs in Game of Death.
Seemingly celebrating the first anniversary of his altercation with Sporting Lisbon defender and
U.S. international Oguchi Onyewu, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has released an autobiography that briefly
details the fight (among other, far less interesting self-aggrandizement).
- With the Manchester teams and Chelsea the next three fixtures, Demba Ba won't be celebrating
another hat trick anytime soon.
Not long ago, Newcastle United found itself relegated to the Championship and Mike Ashley
couldn't pay someone to take the team off his hands. (Ok, that's going a bit far.
- In a huge disappointment to fans of dreadlocks everywhere, no white men with dreads are likely
to hoist the MLS Cup this year.
Los Angeles will host the Houston Dynamo on November 20, as both teams won their conference
finals by a two goal margin. Unfortunately for Houston, the Galaxy remains undefeated at home in
2011.
