It will be talked about for a long time: a World Cup berth "handed" to France. Thierry's Henry
helping hand assist (and a blown offside call) teed up William Gallas for the extra time clincher
to leave Ireland feeling backhanded...... but that was hardly the only drama on hand.Earlier,
Algeria, Greece and Slovenia procured invites to South Africa via upsets, with Portugal closing out
a tidy sweep
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Well, turns out Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey & Co. have about as much drawing power in Eastern
Europe as Anvil. For whatever the reason Friday night I decided to stay up through multiple power
outages for the MLS Western Conference Final between the Galaxy and Dynamo. During the match the
thought drifted into my head about Saturday's USMNT/Slovakia friendly -- why wouldn't Bob Bradley
simply roll
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Thanks to a first half spot kick from Napoli star Marek HamÅ¡Ãk, Slovakia edged out the USMNT 1-0
in Bratislava. The visitors were both shorthanded and short of ideas playing on a bumpy patch.Full
report link and highlight reel to come, with my U.S. Player Ratings set to appear at S365 either
tonight or early tomorrow.
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What can I say? Stuff is goin' on all over. It's relentless. You can't fight stuff...#1 - I've
posted a capsule preview of the four UEFA World Cup qualifying playoffs over at S365. Who is my
upset pick this time? Bosnia, baby. And in case you missed it yesterday, my chat with Houston
Dynamo ace Geoff Cameron.
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USMNT boss Bob Bradley has selected 22 players to gather in Bratislava to prepare for Saturday's
friendly with fellow World Cup qualifier Slovakia.As you can see, I pegged much of the roster, with
a few notable exceptions (like Tim Howard and the Mexican-based guys). However, I also expect some
changes to the roster before the Denmark match that follows four days later.
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These are all from the Champions League and Europa League, and they are all of superb
quality...Let's begin with a thunderbolt from Liverpool's Ryan Babel. I'm tellin' ya, Rafa... don't
sell this one away on the cheap.Atlético Madrid's Sergio Aguero rescues his side a point against
Chelsea with a choice free kick.
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Well, USMNT coach Bob Bradley is now 2-for-2 in World Cup tune-up friendly foes after setting up a
November 14th match at fellow South Africa travelers Slovakia.As you can see, this side - led by
Napoli ace Marek HamÅ¡Ãk - is no joke.- Greg Seltzer
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Better late then never, right? Enjoy some TV...Let's begin an overstuffed edition with Harkesy and
JPD breaking down the MLS awards races. As usual, I skip all such clips and articles for several
weeks ahead of the voting. Right or wrong, I'm gonna go with my brain's output on that
ballot.Sticking with ESPN, Revs coach and Liverpool man Steve Nicol offers no quarter in laying the
current "crisis"
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SoccerLens 22 October @ 07:25 AM EST
- How come nobody ever heard of you? I mean, how come you ain't got a reputation?
(Support Your Local Sheriff!, 1969)
With the visibly terrified Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Jadson looking like he'd just been told
that one of the small plastic spheres in his hand contained a hilarious paper snake on a spring –
and a grinning Uwe Seeler looking like the man who'd put it there – August's draw for the group
stages of this season's UEFA Europa League had the potential to be highly entertaining.
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SoccerLens 22 October @ 07:25 AM EST
- How come nobody ever heard of you? I mean, how come you ain't got a reputation?
(Support Your Local Sheriff!, 1969)
With the visibly terrified Shakhtar Donetsk midfielder Jadson looking like he'd just been told
that one of the small plastic spheres in his hand contained a hilarious paper snake on a spring –
and a grinning Uwe Seeler looking like the man who'd put it there – August's draw for the group
stages of this season's UEFA Europa League had the potential to be highly entertaining.
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The game swill be played November 14th & 18th. Should be some tense battles.Ireland v France
Portugal v Bosnia Greece v Ukraine Russia v Slovenia- Greg Seltzer
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Congratulations to Ghana for getting to spot kicks after going down a man late in the first half
and rallying there to defeat Brazil for the 2009 FIFA Under-20 World Cup title.I have to admit,
Black Satellites, you fooled me. I didn't think you could lock it down, I thought you'd resort to a
toe-to-toe slugfest.
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I'm in such a random mood. Why not share?#5 - If I was the manager of France, Greece, Portugal or
Russia, which UEFA WCQ playoff Pot B team would I be most hoping to avoid in the draw? Bosnia.
Frankly, the trio of Džeko, Misimović and Pjanić would give me nightmares.#4 - Just heard via
NSC pal Adam Spangler that an Italian report claims the Azzurri FA will petition to have U.
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As everybody's search for a USMNT v Honduras video continues, let's soak in some awesome...It also
started so well for Ireland, with Glenn Whelan doing the ice-breaking honors in style.In the
Under-20 World Cup, Italy's Giacomo Bonaventura single-handedly staves off the Hungary upset for a
bit.Spain's Xavi and Cesc Fabregas play a two-man game where nobody else knows the rules.
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Did you notice how I capitalized the whole title, as if it was some sore of official organ, and not
just literally what this post was doing? Wicked.Okay, so it all comes down to Group E, and the
Czech Republic v Costa Rica game in particular. Mladá Boleslav strike sensation Jan Chramosta put
the Czechs up 1-0 in the 11th minute, and we are now just past the half hour.
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Last week UEFA announced that the number of early round European matches under suspicion of match
fixing had risen to forty games, but that, almost exclusively, these events featured teams from
eastern Europe.
Well, the UEFA roster may well only feature such matches but Football Is Fixed can reveal that TWO
of the Champions League representatives from England have also been involved in a little insider
trading over the first two rounds of this years' Champions League.
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This is a special birthday edition as my wonderful grandmother is 96 years young today!Let's begin
with a pinpoint drive from Ghana U-20 skipper Andrew Ayew lashing home the second goal (at the :40
mark) in a rout of England.Also in the U-20 World Cup, Hungary's Adam Presinger curls home a beauty
to cap Hungary's blasting of South Africa.
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Just last week, UEFA announced 40 further investigations into match-fixing
claims, but as Jonathan Wilson points out in the Guardian, this has elicited little
interest in the British press. Wilson notes that even though most of the concerns are related to
Eastern Europe, "fixers" have been moving westward for some time with German referee Robert Hoyzer
jailed for his role in match-fixing a full four years ago.
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I've noticed that when I feature music from an opposing nation the day of a game, the U.S. lose.
Bad. It's happened three times now. So that's over. Sorry, fine Cameroonian musicians who'd I'd
otherwise love to highlight. Too bad for you.Now, for those long hours until our team gets to try
and make things right (a ka the fourth longest wait in life).
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UEFA has confirmed that it plans to investigate 40 cases of suspected match-fixing in the
Champions League and UEFA Cup. Most of the cases were from Eastern Europe and involved games in the
early qualifying rounds of the tournaments, according to Peter Limacher, UEFA's head of
disciplinary services.
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Anfield Red 15 September @ 12:21 PM EST
It only seems like yesterday that Liverpool were playing Chelsea in the knockout stage of
Champions League. Now, only five months removed from the dramatic defeat, Rafa is ready to lead the
squad back into the Champions League for another run at a sixth piece of silverware from Europe's
most coveted event.
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Anfield Red 15 September @ 12:21 PM EST
It only seems like yesterday that Liverpool were playing Chelsea in the knockout stage of
Champions League. Now, only five months removed from the dramatic defeat, Rafa is ready to lead the
squad back into the Champions League for another run at a sixth piece of silverware from Europe's
most coveted event.
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Anfield Red 15 September @ 12:21 PM EST
It only seems like yesterday that Liverpool were playing Chelsea in the knockout stage of
Champions League. Now, only five months removed from the dramatic defeat, Rafa is ready to lead the
squad back into the Champions League for another run at a sixth piece of silverware from Europe's
most coveted event.
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This first summer transfer Top 5 List is taking a long time to put together (so many shrewd
shoppers!) and it won't be ready 'til tomorrow, sooooo I thought I would give a little sustenance
thought morsel.With the transfer window now closed, I will share my yearly exercise of predicting
champions for a whole slew of top flight European leagues.
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The Offside 21 August @ 10:00 AM EST
Inside the stadium, outside the stadium - it matters not to fans of Eastern European football.
Where there's a crime to be done, a protest to be made, they'll be there. While Red Star Belgrade
fans were busy making trouble for the Czech police before their fixture, Dinamo Bucharest fans got
busy making trouble for [.
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It's Thursday so it's UEFA Europa League time and the first of of two legs with a place in the
group stage for the winners:19:15 Rapid Vienna v Aston Villa (Friedel)19:30 Steaua Bucharest v St.
Patricks Athletic (Guy)20:30 Lech Poznan v Club Brugge (Jeffrey)21:00 Everton (Howard) v Sigma
Olomouc21:00 Fulham (Dempsey) v Amkar Perm21:00 Stabaek (Diskerud) v ValenciaIn addition, NAC
Breda, with ex
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As you all know by now, Villarreal striker prodigy Josmer Altidore is set for a Hull City unveiling
at 2.30 PM UK time, but I have managed to scrape away the details of the deal a little
early.Despite some reports that the Tigers would break their club record to sign him on a transfer,
Altidore is joining the Prem battlers on a one-season loan.
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Anfield Talk 04 August @ 12:18 PM EST
Alan Palmer and Francis Gallagher have been appointed principals of the UK arm of HKS, the global
architectural practice which built the Dallas Cowboys stadium and designed the new home for
Liverpool FC.
Under the new London office structure, Palmer and Gallagher will lead the 90-person UK practice,
overseeing architectural leadership, business development and operational management.
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No, it's not back regular yet, but I felt like scrapping one together for you all today. I was
trying to wait to see an MLS Goal of the Week clip go up...Spartak Moscow's Alex with a nasty free
kick. I love the finicky ref on this one.We have an Ariel Ortega sighting! Here, the River Plate
attacker snake charms Everton.
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A quick reminder: before we go into Gold Cup semifinal matters, we have a few Americans attempting
to help their clubs into the third qualifying round of the first edition of the Europa League
today.Ryan Guy and St. Pat's Maltese showdown at Valetta kicks off in a couple of hours with the
tie knotted at ones from the first leg.
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And I don't understand it. The silly season is well underway and these pieces of brilliance are
still with clubs in leagues below their level - some well below it.Each has had numerous suitors
come and go without a transfer taking place and each would be a bargain of well less than €10
million - in fact, our top three wouldn't require half that much money to pry loose.
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SoccerLens 16 July @ 07:29 AM EST
Former Celtic reserve boss Willie McStay couldn't have asked for a tougher start to his new job
as manager of Ujpest Dozsa than a Europa League qualifier against Steaua Bucharest.
After less than a month in the job McStay, and his assistant Joe McBride, travel to the Romanian
capital hoping to cause a shock that would certainly be noticed around Europe.
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Just a quick Charlie Davies transfer update: contrary to French reports claiming this deal would be
announced 'by the end of the week' and a curious statement from Sochaux president Alexandre Lacombe
that implied the American was already in their corral, I have been told by Hammarby this afternoon
that no transfer fee agreements have taken place yet.
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