Robin Van Persie ended his Manchester United goal drought from the penalty spot during today's victory against Stoke. He obviously thought his neat spot-kick had earned him some plaudits when Geoff Shreeves oversaw the presentation of the man of the match award during his post-game interview. The only problem being that Sky Sports viewers knew [.
Gary O'Neil does his best to ensure West Ham's FA Cup third round replay at Manchester United has a happy ending. At least in the world of ITV co-commentator Andy Townsend.
Ordinarily, ITV commentator Clive Tyldesley doesn't need any help to sound like an idiot. But during last night's Champions League match between Juventus and Chelsea he was aided and abetted by the side-netting. Every weekend, fans 'on the other side of the ground' up and down the country are conned into believing their side has [.
Looks like Beckham's up to his old tricks again for LA Galaxy, this time scoring directly from a
corner in a cup qualifying game. Poor defending/goalkeeping, as expected when you watch games from
America, along with the stereotypical South American commentator shouting
"Goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaal".
We are costantly spoonfed the concept that Team GB are taking the Olympic football tournament
seriously, but can we really believe that the BBC are doing the same by using Mark Bright as a
co-commentator? Usually saved for minnow FA Cup games and Football Focus appearances, the BBC
rolled out their B team for the [.
The Match of the Day commentator Jonathan Pearce, perhaps guilty of not getting close enough to
Sir Killalot during his Robot Wars days, watched Robin van Persie's failed penalty kick in Sunday's
3-2 win over Southampton and exclaimed: "he went for the Pirlo!". (Ignoring his buffoonery for a
moment .
Only a few souls got into Newcastle's St. James's Park in time to see Mexico play South Korea in
the two sides' men's Olympic football tournament group game. And their emotions now probably range
between smug ("I saw the Gold and Bronze medalists playing each other") and disbelieving ("I saw
the Gold and Bronze medalists playing each other?
South Korea dominated the early stages of their men's Olympic football semi-final against what
Jonathan Pearce summed up perfectly as "a higgledy-piggledy mess" of a Brazil side. This led to the
fleeting prospect of a South Korea v. Mexico final. And, as those two sides met at Newcastle in one
of the tournament's direst games, it was just as well the prospect was only fleeting.
After one-and-a-half sensational semi-finals, I feel like a killjoy. Despite the wonderful
football played – at least as much by the losers as the winners – my thoughts were of
refereeing decisions at Old Trafford; of penalties given (to the United States) and not given (to
Canada); of yellow cards not shown (to Abby Wambach).
After a dream of an opening round in the women's Olympic football, the men showed how
international football tournaments SHOULD be done; three dismissals, plenty of playacting, a group
of death, defensive mindsets...and a domestic team unable to keep the ball and, consequentially, a
1-0 lead.
During a fine European Championship finals tournament which had its shocks, the revelation that
BBC co-commentator Martin Keown once captained England was possibly the most disturbing shock of
all. Keown had as bad a tournament as Ashley Young, a player labelled an "international natural"
last month by.
So when did Kiev host the Olympics? I always thought that an Olympic Stadium had to have at
least held one. Not that it matters, of course, as the stadium in question will be Shevchenko
Stadium from now on, after two Andriy Shevchenko headers in seven second-half minutes clinched
Ukraine's storybook come-from-behind win over Sweden.
Looks like Hope Solo has written an epilogue that published this week with her new book, "Solo: A
Memoir of Hope," (Christ on a crutch, this title....) explaining the fallout, or lack of fallout,
from her Twitter attack ('Twittack"?) on ex-U.S. women's national team player turned NBC
commentator, Brandi Chastain.
If you don't' already follow U.S Goalkeeper Hope Solo's twitter stream, you really should.
Solo's twitter rant was in response to former WNT defender Brandi Chastain's remarks when the
U.S. women's soccer team played Colombia on Saturday. During the first half, Chastain disparaged
defender Rachel Buehler's ball control.
If you aren't following Hope Solo's twitter feed, do.
Today's tweets were in response to Brandi Chastain's remarks during the US game against Colombia.
At about 18 minutes, Chastain disparaged defender Rachel Bheuler's ball control. She said that
Bheuler gives the ball away too much, and "needs to work on an improve on" her trapping skills.
Its Monday 30th July 2012 4 days into the Olympics and the Spanish football team already going
home, 1 more match then nah nah nah nah nah nah nah nah hheeeeyyeeyyy goodbye!!! That actually
ruined the beginning of this blog as I started writing yesterday that Spain lost their 1st match at
the World 1-0 [.
Watching Brazil steamroll over Great Britain on ESPN3 Friday afternoon, it was all too apparent how
quiet Middlesbrough's Riverside Stadium was, but how detached the crowd – and probably TV viewers
– were from this Team GB. ESPN co/commentator Tommy...
Watching Euro 2012 on a dodgy foreign satellite feed? We've got you covered. Tom Guest has taken
it upon himself to make sure that if you're watching the big semi-final between die Mannschaft and
Italy on German television, you too will be able to enjoy the wonders of football commentary.
Morning all and welcome to a brand new week. I'm beginning to think that Archer, the new dog, is
part alarm clock. Every morning somewhere between 6 and 6.30am he gives a little 'yip' to say he's
awake and needs to go out. Handy, for sure, but earlier than I'd like.
We'll start this morning at the Euros and it was penalty shoot-out heartbreak for England again
last night as a double dose of Ashley cost England a place in the semi-finals.
Morning all and welcome to a brand new week. I'm beginning to think that Archer, the new dog, is
part alarm clock. Every morning somewhere between 6 and 6.30am he gives a little 'yip' to say he's
awake and needs to go out. Handy, for sure, but earlier than I'd like.
We'll start this morning at the Euros and it was penalty shoot-out heartbreak for England again
last night as a double dose of Ashley cost England a place in the semi-finals.
BBC co-commentator Martin Keown found himself trending on Twitter last night and not for a good
reason. The ex-Arsenal centre-back became a figure of fun after getting his American sports muddled
during his commentary on Czech Republic vs Portugal. Keown said Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo was
"like an NFL basketball player" with the height [.
Safe to say that Nuno Metas, the commentator for Portuguese radio station Antena 1, really
enjoyed Cristiano Ronaldo's second goal against the Dutch the other night so much so, in fact, that
at one point the only way he can accurately describe the immense joy coarsing through him is with
LASERS!
1. Spain delivered the ultimate 'up yours' to us all. After 87 minutes of sniping about their lack
of penetration and subsequent lack of a striker, they literally walked it into the net. 2. The
reigning champions did look precarious at one point. Fortunately, they had Jesus (Navas) to be
their saviour.
The BBC has given its support to co-commentator Mark Lawrenson over what sounded to OTP's ears to
be a casual racist comment he made during the match between Germany and Portugal. Spotting a
spectator wearing an all-over black lycra outfit, Lawro compared him to celebrated Olympic swimming
flop Eric the Eel.
szólj hozzá: Spain vs Ireland 4:0 MATCH HIGHLIGHTS
Spain at their ridiculous best. Fernando Torres looking like the old Torres, eating up real
estate with each huge gallop and flourishing a trenchant finish. Can we anoint Andres Iniesta? And
did David Silva's eye popping goal bring a tear to your peepers?
Greece's manager Fernando Santos knew what was coming – in the first half at least. He had his
head down, his eyes shut and his hand wiping a furrowed brow (a neat facial trick if your eyes are
closed). The speech bubble "oh no, here we go again" wrote itself. I'm sure it has been noted
somewhere that Santos would be a shoo-in for any Greek remake of the Inspector Wexford
Mysteries.
Ukraine went to veteran Andrey Shevchenko who showed he still has a plethora of goals in him. Or
is it cornucopia? Or maybe multitude works better? Or myriad?
The Iraqi commentator celebrated Shevchenko's goals by yammering about "Chernobyl" which if one
Googles up the connection is a reference to how Sheva at age 9 and his family were uprooted from
their village following the 1985 Chernobyl nuclear disaster and forced to relocate to the
coast.
Over the past few years OTP's affections for crazed commentators has stuck primarily with Italian
reporter Tiziano Crudeli, who reacts to goals as if he has scored it himself, won the lottery and
stepped on shattered glass. Tiziano provides a visual treat, but for pure audio exultation we may
have a new love interest.
I would rather see Giuseppe Rossi on the pitch than see him as a commentator on ESPN. A zombie
would have more animation. ESPN put out a panel of Michael Ballack, Alexei Lalas, Giuseppe Rossi
with Bob Ley moderating to discuss the Italy vs Spain match.
Rossi as a US citizen, a NJ native, whose national ambitions saw him switching allegiance to
Italy became a polarizing figure.
Let me start by saying, Stewart Robson is a man of courage. I'm not just saying that because I
agree mostly with his recent comments deriding Theo Walcott. I sometimes disagree with his opinions
during matches and on talksport and Arsenal World. I say it because he is employed by Arsenal, and
I'm sure they were not pleased with his outspoken opinion against a current player.
Let me start by saying, Stewart Robson is a man of courage. I'm not just saying that because I
agree mostly with his recent comments deriding Theo Walcott. I sometimes disagree with his opinions
during matches and on talksport and Arsenal World. I say it because he is employed by Arsenal, and
I'm sure they were not pleased with his outspoken opinion against a current player.
Johnny Jensen scored? No, not the one-off on that sunny afternoon defeat to QPR, the one which
prompted the " I was there was Jensen scored" t-shirts. No, I am talking about the one which led
to our signing Mr Jensen, that phenomenal shot which won Denmark Euro '92.
It was 20 years ago today (good opening line for a song!
Johnny Jensen scored? No, not the one-off on that sunny afternoon defeat to QPR, the one which
prompted the " I was there was Jensen scored" t-shirts. No, I am talking about the one which led
to our signing Mr Jensen, that phenomenal shot which won Denmark Euro '92.
It was 20 years ago today (good opening line for a song!
1. Reading vs West Brom up first on Match of the Day? A clear indication that something special is afoot. 2. Jonathan Walters needs to accept that Chelsea have signed Demba Ba and don't need another striker. His live audition for the role of a Blues goalscorer was shameful. 3. Laurent Koscielny can now cross [.
Town's first 3 points of the season are an absolute relief.
When the fixture list came out in June there was a real consideration that we may not pick up any
points for the first 3 games of the season.
I hoped for a draw against Blackburn, but did not expect it, and I fully envisaged us coming home
from Watford empty handed: how could we dare to think about anything else against the 'bogey team'!
Ideally sports provide us with an escape from our day to day lives, a chance to see friends,
support our team and have fun. Every once in awhile, sports can give us a moment that sticks with
us and we can look back to year and year and say, wow, that was a really great moment.
I remember a number of moments like that from my childhood.
Now first of all I don't have any personal issues with Mark Bright as a footballer or as a
person, but when I hear the words "we'll pass you over to the commentary team for the match, Joe
Bloggs and Mark Bright...", a little part of me dies inside. I simply can't enjoy watching a
football match with his constant derogatory or disapproving remarks every few moments.
