By L.E. Eisenmenger - BOSTON, MA (Nov 16, 2009) USSoccerPlayers -- Angelo Bratsis is a FIFA referee inspector dealing with the challenges Major League Soccer referees face moving into a higher level of play. As MLS grows, so does the pressure on the officiating. Amid much criticism, MLS referees cope with player dissent, designated player issues, and annual MLS and US Soccer directives that sometimes result in public outrage at game-changing decisions. Click to continue reading...

After the first games of the Confederations Cup in South Africa last summer, Sepp Blatter was reported to be hopping mad about the constant, pulsating drone of the now-familiar vuvuzela, that "traditional African instrument" (a historical tribal tradition which seems to date back to the very dawn of 2001). Click to continue reading...

One of the common themes from press conferences and interviews with Mark Hughes this season has been his satisfaction with the current make up of the squad. This time he is praising the application and attitude to the training sessions:

City's boss also admitted that not every player in the squad he inherited last year was able to rise to the challenge of his demanding regime - but there is no dissent in the camp today.

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Jose Mourinho was shown a red card for dissent after arguing that Cagliari's Davide Astori should have received a second yellow card for a foul he committed in the second half of Inter's 2-1 win today. As you would expect, he went out with a flourish, but after the match he did not reappear to continue his tired in front of the media.

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Everyone please take their seat. No talking! Please take out your scantron sheets and your #2 pencils. The Final Exam will commence momentarily. If you cheat, you will be red carded and given an F. If you completed the required reading and attended class, you should do fine. If you were stoned, you should still get an A.

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It was an especially frustrating result for the home side, with a 0-0 draw at the final whistle. Worse yet for the Sounders is that Freddy Ljungberg picked up yet another yellow card for dissent, and will miss the next match. All of this will put Seattle in an even more precarious position in terms of making the playoffs. Click to continue reading...

Southend United slipped to their first league defeat of the season at the County Ground, and saw Jean Francois Christophe sent off in the first half for a second bookable offence.
Swindon took the lead through Scott Cuthbert on 20 minutes after the Blues failed to clear their lines following a free kick. Click to continue reading...

St. Mary's defender Erin Kearney tries to strip the ball from University of Denver senior Kelli Breidenbach on Friday night at DU's new soccer stadium. (photo by Tom Auclair/ColoradoSoccerNow.com)

It was the first time that the University of Denver women's soccer team played on the turf of their new stadium.

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For your viewing pleasure, a comparison of almost the exact same play. Landon Donovan draws the Caution against Tyrone Marshall, getting him sent off the pitch. Freddie Ljungberg gets called for Simulation and receives a Caution, almost immediately getting a second Caution for Dissent. I see slight hip checks by defenders in each case. Click to continue reading...

Colorado Rapids - With the demolishing of Chivas USA the Rapids moved up to 3rd int he West, just a point from the automatic playoff spot in 2nd and 8 points behind leading Houston (who has played two more games). They are 5th overall in the league, which would clinch a Superliga spot at minimum (assuming the competition runs next year). Click to continue reading...

So, after several weeks in which dust has gathered and tumbleweed idly rolled around White Hart Lane, the last seven days have seen a welcome return to complete all-action-no-plot madness at Spurs, with Darren Bent's glorious rant, a spell behind bars for Jermain Defoe, a big-money signing and even a trophy.

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Wouldn't soccer be more enjoyable if this is how the assistant refs actually looked? It could revolutionize the game and completely do away with the need for a separate team of lady dancers. Moreover, the assistant refs have a pretty easy job, so even this lady (who is a blonde and thus presumably not too bright) could handle an assistant ref's duties.

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There was some sort of anti-Seattle campaign going on before the game last weekend.
A game in which Cuauhtemoc Blanco dives all over the pitch, but somehow Freddie Ljungberg gets ejected for simulation/dissent. But that's an aside...
Anyways, this alliance stuff is garbage. Click to continue reading...

The story will likely be focused on the Center Referee and Freddie Ljungberg's double yellow. The first was for Simulation, what we all know as diving and the second is not listed in the match report. While it was likely Dissent, the 2nd Yellow was so quick one could question. What I [...] Click to continue reading...

This was reported in FOXSports.com.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Walter Martinez helped Honduras temporarily put aside thoughts of the political turmoil in its country with a goal in the 36th minute of the first half to beat Canada 1-0 and advance into the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal.

Honduras will play the United States on Thursday in Chicago.

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This was reported in FOXSports.com.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - Walter Martinez helped Honduras temporarily put aside thoughts of the political turmoil in its country with a goal in the 36th minute of the first half to beat Canada 1-0 and advance into the CONCACAF Gold Cup semifinal.

Honduras will play the United States on Thursday in Chicago.

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The Colorado Rapids fell to their second straight defeat and their first at home this season as offensive class from the visiting Chicago Fire won the game in the opening 45 minutes. The Rapids are now facing a mini-crisis which they need to get out of quickly and my concern is that they may not have any strikers to get them out of it. Click to continue reading...

The most drawn-out transfer of the modern era will reach a natural conclusion this week when Cristiano Ronaldo officially begins life with Spanish football giants Real Madrid as the world's most expensive footballer.

Almost 12 months after Spain's capital club first made public their desire to sign the Portugal international, followed by claims and counter-claims, including a public fall-out involving Sir Alex Ferguson and an official complaint made to UEFA, Ronaldo is expected to don the famous white shirt for the first time at his unveiling on Wednesday.

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New York Red Bulls defender Mike Petke has received a two-match band and a$500 fine for...drum roll please...mouthing off to officials. Are you kidding me? Mouthing off? Really? Two matches for dissent? What in the name of Donald Trump's bar hair piece is going here?
What...oh wait, Jair Marrufo is involved. Click to continue reading...

The Wizards took the lead, gave it up, then held on after going down 2 men to earn a 1-1 draw with league leading Chivas last night at Community America Ballpark. Both Kansas City and Chivas got up and down the field fairly quickly early on in the game, but neither team was able to get many good chances early on. Click to continue reading...

It is being reported that Arsene Wenger will have a meeting today with Ivan Gazidis to inform him of his decision whether to stay or leave Arsenal for Real Madrid. Sky Sports News were reporting that Perez and his team in Madrid were now less confident of getting Arsene Wenger as opposed to two days ago, and they have given him until tomorrow to hear his final response.

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It is being reported that Arsene Wenger will have a meeting today with Ivan Gazidis to inform him of his decision whether to stay or leave Arsenal for Real Madrid. Sky Sports News were reporting that Perez and his team in Madrid were now less confident of getting Arsene Wenger as opposed to two days ago, and they have given him until tomorrow to hear his final response.

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I watched the infamous Arsene Wenger meets the shareholders Question and Answer session on Arsenal TV the other day. I was sitting waiting for the vitriolic attacks on Silvestre (well deserved, a liability), the criticism of Adebayor, Song and Diaby. I was looking forward to hear what Arsene actually about these players.

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Perhaps the logo was prophetic, should USL-1 go down in flames.
We just received additional information about the USL-1 troubles from a source:
someone close to one of the stronger USL teams confirmed to me what you leaked on Twitter is correct in principle. They basically say their is some dissent within USL, and that the idea of some teams forming an MLS-2 (without relegation/promotion but affiliated with MLS, and most importantly marketed by MLS) does have some legs. Click to continue reading...

PGL: Well it's been a wretched week to be a Gooner. <?xml:namespace prefix = st1> Chelsea put the final nail in the coffin of our season. Any chance of finishing 3rd and maintaining our unbeaten run were both emphatically ended by a team who showed us a killer instinct that we so desperately lack.

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PGL: Well it's been a wretched week to be a Gooner. <?xml:namespace prefix = st1> Chelsea put the final nail in the coffin of our season. Any chance of finishing 3rd and maintaining our unbeaten run were both emphatically ended by a team who showed us a killer instinct that we so desperately lack.

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Sir Alex Ferguson insisted he had "no problem" with Cristiano Ronaldo's show of dissent and, for entirely different ­reasons, Carlos Tevez's own protests during the course of a comfortable derby win that has left Manchester United on the brink of their 18th league title.
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In a spectacular last minute goal by Andres Iniesta, Barcelona ended Chelsea's dreams of a repeat of last years final in the Champions League as the second leg semi final between the two clubs ended in a 1-1 draw. Aggregating 1-1, Barcelona went through to the finals on the away goal advantage.

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Happy Saturday morning ... as the clouds roll in, bringing some much needed rain to these parts. I went for a run yesterday after work and jogging by the fire house, noticed the sign saying that the fire danger was "extreme." (Breathed a small sigh of relief that I wasn't lounging by the chiminea, endangering the neighborhood without realizing!

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After giving up a goal just 71 seconds into the match - and earning deafening boos from the almost capacity crowd - the Galaxy came back to score three straight, the first three goal outburst in a half since May for L.A.

It should have been four - Edson Buddle couldn't beat D.C. goalkeeper Louis Crayton (a Liberian who played most of his career in Switzerland and was picked up by D.

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By Bill Edgar .. in the Times
1 Scrap the away goals rule and penalty shoot-outs in two-legged games.
2 Use goal difference before head-to-head records.
3 Introduce "celebration time" and remove punishments.
4 Book players for ANY dissent.
5 Scrap the rule that forces injured players to leave the pitch after receiving treatment before re-entering the field.

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In the course of being engrossed by the game to game mentality and analysis, it is easy for me to lose perspective of an entire season. At times like this, it is useful to look back on previous posts to remind myself of what I was thinking earlier, and to reapply that perspective to where we are now.

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Martin O'Neill has urged Gareth Barry to remain with Aston Villa and claimed the Midlands club wants him more than Liverpool.
Barry received a rapturous reception from the Villa faithful following his introduction as a 15th-minute substitute in the Intertoto Cup win over Odense.
The England midfielder responded with applause of his own as he turned in his usual measured performance after replacing stricken Dutchman Wilfred Bouma at left-back. Click to continue reading...

It's amazing how people who've grown up watching and playing this sport can be so bloody ignorant - you kick a ball, at point-blank range, into the guys arm (which is plastered against the side of his body), it's not a freakin' hand-ball! Nor is it a handball when you kick it against someone's arm, when his back is turned and couldn't see it coming! Click to continue reading...

Dave Lifton of Booked for Dissent picked up where we left off. He compiled a list of the last original member of each MLS club. We'd gotten about halfway through but Dave did well to pick up where we left off.
My brain was starting to hurt from having to think about that, so thanks Dave for saving me some brain cells. Click to continue reading...