February may be the shortest month of the year but there was still more enough time for the Sack Race merry-go-round to gather pace. As the business end of the season draws closer, plenty of chairmen and owners were clearly getting twitchy during February, with a number of managers finding themselves out of work entering [.
Two of Arsenal's summer signings, namely Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla, struck either side of
the break to win 2-0 at Liverpool and force the home side to remain without a single win in the
Premier League this season.
Podolski made his impact right in front of the Kop at the half-hour mark when he finely struck
from the left side of the box to give Pepe Reina no chance of a save.
Joey Barton's meltdown against Manchester City has cost him the QPR captaincy plus six weeks
wages. Barton has already been banned for 12 matches next season by the F.A.
QPR have announced that there is an agreement with Barton that his contract could be terminated
if he seriously breaches the club's disciplinary procedures again.
Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton has been charged with two acts of violent conduct by
the English Football Association (FA). Barton was sent off in Sunday's match for an elbow on
Manchester City's Carlos Tevez. The charges are referring to what Barton did after being sent off
as he kicked Sergio Aguero and tried to headbutt Vincent Kompany.
You may have pulled a Neviller, face (see below) or noise (see this), if you were watching live
and witnessed that second Papiss Cisse goal. Fucking hell was that something else. Goal of the
season, sure, but I reckon it's one of the best I've ever seen.
Un-bah-lievabull
Needless to say, the January transfer window's greatest-ever signing (is this even up for
debate?
Had Liverpool's match yesterday at Carrow Road followed the season's narrative, it's likely Luis
Suarez would still be in for a shout as the man of the match even though he'd have come off without
scoring. His first effort would have been tipped wide by John Ruddy, his second would have clanked
off the post, and his third would have sailed into the home supporters that had already jeered his
every misstep.
The Portland Timbers practiced today at Jeld-Wen Field ahead of their Cascadia Cup match up with
the Vancouver Whitecaps tomorrow night. While the Whitecaps are still in a strong position to
compete for a playoff berth, the Timbers only remaining chance at glory this season is a victory
over their Cascadian rivals in Vancouver and Seattle.
New York Red Bulls fans may be days away from seeing the team's latest Designated Player, Tim
Cahill, in action.
Though he won't be used against the Montreal Impact on Saturday, the former Everton star will
likely be debuting much in the same manner like his New York DP predecessor Thierry Henry did just
two years ago; in a friendly against Tottenham.
The Houston Dynamo defeated 10-man FC Dallas in the Texas derby on Saturday night, and they can
thank Adam Moffat for that.
Moffat scored the winner in Houston's 2-1 triumph over rivals FC Dallas on Saturay night in the
first match between the two at BBVA Compass Stadium. Moffat's goal, combined with Jair Benitez
being sent off in the second half, improved the Dynamo to 3-0-1 in their new stadium while
extending FC Dallas' current winless run to 10 matches.
Blas Perez will sit out tonight's game due to suspension. (Getty Images)
FC Dallas forward Blas Perez.
Yes, this news came down yesterday afternoon and honestly many here in Dallas were stunned by
the news.  Perez was given a one game suspension for  an elbow on Whitecaps defender Jordan
Harvey in the first half of Saturday's game with Vancouver.
Today the MLS Disciplinary Committee announced the suspensions and fines for the past week. Brek
Shea and Mamadou Danso picked up suspensions for actions this past week, but two names were absent
from the list. Roger Espinoza and Peter Vermes were both missing from the list.
Espinoza had picked up a red card for an elbow to Sebastian Grazzini while going for a ball.
Plenty of discussion has taken place over the calls made in Sporting's 2-1 loss to Chicago last
night at Toyota Park. A lot of that discussion has centered on the foul by Roger Espinoza on
Sebastian Grazzini when the two went for a 50/50 ball and Espinoza's elbow hit Grazzini in the
face. Rookie referee, Jose Carlos Rivero made no hesitation going to his pocket and producing a red
card.
Blas Perez has been on the wrong end of a challenge deemed suspension-worthy by the MLS
Disciplinary Committee. Now he's the one being suspended.
The FC Dallas striker has been suspended one game and fined an undisclosed amount for his elbow
to Vancouver defender Jordan Harvey in their matchup Saturday night.
An elbow to the head will not go unpunished under the Major League Soccer Disciplinary
Committee's watch. Vancouver Whitecaps striker Atiba Harris was suspended one game for his elbowing
of Philadelphia Union center defender Carlos Valdes during a scoreless draw at PPL Park on March
31.
Harris tried to play off the elbow as being unrelated to an incident last year between the two
players, but there has been speculation that the Kittitian forward hit Valdes in revenge.
"Poke me again on Facebook and I'll block you, Kenneth"
Poor old Kenny Dalglish. Not only does he have to deal with the trauma of unemployment in
middle-age, but now he has been forced to endure the ultimate social media humiliation, after
Liverpool overlord John W Henry decided to unfollow him on Twitter soon after giving him the elbow
from Anfield.
Pepe Reina Red Card 2012- Jose Reina Headbutt James Perch Dismissal Sent off Newcastle Liverpool
is a post from Soccer Blogger. Follow Soccer Blogger on Twitter
Pepe Reina Red Card 2012- Jose Reina Headbutt James Perch Dismissal Sent off Newcastle Liverpool is
a post from Soccer Blogger.
Montpellier's Younes Belhanda picks up the award for 'Most Effective Use Of An Accessory to
Increase One's Hot Quotient'. Image: FRANCK FIFE/AFP/GettyImages.
It was meant to be a celebration of all that's great about French football, but having browsed
the the stills from last night's Ligue 1 Awards, we doubt we'd have fact checked too heavily if
they'd been labelled 'Ligue 1 Metrosexual of the Year' Awards.
I think we all saw this coming. However, it still blows.
The FA charged Branislav Ivanovic with violent conduct today for his starring role in an
incident with Shaun Maloney during the Wigan match on Saturday. Bane snuffed Maloney in the
midsection after Maloney apparently swung an elbow at the Chelsea defender.
As the Guardian points, Joey Barton's hysterics gave City the extra time they desperately needed
to transformed their fortunes. Conversely, Barton going neanderthal also sank United's Premiership
hopes. If I were him, he would be well advised to steer clear of anything movable that Sir Alex
could get his hands on.
The above video is from a provincial league match between Templeuve and Quevy in Belgium. As
seen in the video, it appears that midfielder Julien Lecomte took an elbow to the back of the
head/neck and went down in a pile in the box. Despite getting carted off the pitch, Lecomte
received a yellow for diving, and since it was apparently his second yellow of the match, the red
card came out.
Seattle Sounders (5-1-1, 16pts) put a makeshift lineup on the pitch to face the Philadelphia
Union (2-4-1, 7pts). Sounders are fresh off their first home win against LA Galaxy in MLS three
days prior and travel to FC Dallas on Wednesday and home against Real Salt Lake on Saturday .
Philadelphia has struggled this season, although their Goalkeeper has posted the second longest
scoreless streak in MLS this season at 408 minutes from March 25th to April 18th.
It might as well have been a scrimmage for the young Americans as they put on a clinic in their
Olympic qualifying opener. The US U-23 roster is stacked with talent led by Caleb Porter and with
all that talent comes high expectations. The young men met those expectations and then some by
cruising to a 6-0 victory over Cuba in the Group A opener.
The US U23 team got their Olympic qualifying campaign started on the right foot with a 6-0 win over
Cuba in their first group game. Joe Corona of Club Tijuana in Mexico scored a hattrick, while Juan
Agudelo, Freddy Adu, and an own goal rounded out the scoring against the Cubans. Cuba spent a
majority of the game down to 10 men after an early red card when Agudelo took an elbow to the face.
The U.S. Under-23 men's national team is one of the favorites to qualify for this summer's
Olympics, and it lived up to its reputation by starting Olympic qualifying in emphatic fashion.
Led by three goals from midfielder Joe Corona, the United States cruised to a 6-0 victory in its
Group A opener against 10-man Cuba at LP Field in Nasvhille, Tenn.
When Cheick Tiote was being treated on the field for over 8 minutes on Wednesday night, we
feared he was out for the season. Cheick Tiote receiving treatment on Wednesday Tiote had taken
an elbow from  Jon Obi Mikel, when both went for a high ball, and Cheick  suffered a gash over
his eyebrow.
When Cheick Tiote was being treated on the field for over 8 minutes on Wednesday night, we
feared he was out for the season. Cheick Tiote receiving treatment on Wednesday Tiote had taken
an elbow from  Jon Obi Mikel, when both went for a high ball, and Cheick  suffered a gash over
his eyebrow.
Today's practice was a tricky one with all sorts of news, rumors, and misinterpreted tweets
flying around. Despite all that, practice kicked off like any other out in Beaverton before being
closed to the press.
Kosuke Kimura, the team's new signing, had not yet been announced and was not with the team at
the beginning of training, but apparently he worked out with the team after the press was
removed.
Despite all the disasters in MLS play in 2012, it was pleasing to see TFC win another Canadian
Championship tonight at BMO. Puzzling and pleasing, they seem to follow a game plan and defend
their own end better in the Canadian games. The Toronto performance was efficient and their scoring
was really taking advantage of Vancouver having to push forward to seek the important goal.
Prior to Sunday, the last time Juventus lost a match was their very first preseason friendly way
back on July 23 against Sporting Lisbon in Toronto. So after going 38 Serie A matches and another
four Coppa Italia games without a loss, squandering a completely undefeated season in a Coppa
Italia final that doubled as Alessandro Del Piero's final match with the club had to be
frustrating.
AAAAHHHHHHHH I AM ARTUR BORUC AND THIS IS A LIST OF THINGS THAT MADE ME ANGRY THIS WEEK:
1. DELIO ROSSI ATTACKING ADEM LJAJIC IN THE DUGOUT -- THIS IS SO
EMBARRASSING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I HAVE NEVER BEEN MORE DISHEARTENED TO BE A MEMBER OF THIS
FIORENTINA TEAM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I MEAN WHY COULDN'T IT BE ME?
This is the LAST team to get a mock-up logo. Its been bad luck, really.
Overcast Saturday afternoon. Fresh, yet not cold. Props to the scheduling gods for picking a
kickoff closer to the train schedules. Don't have to wait an hour before the match, won't have to
wait 45 mins after it.
Chicago is 1-1-2 and Toronto has neither earned a point nor scored a goal at home.
A very entertaining encounter between two free flowing footballing teams that saw us back to
winning ways in the league.
Bale was getting alot of luck out of the Swansea right back, as the guy behind me at the lane was
at pains to say every five seconds. As if to confirm to everyone around him that he was indeed
watching the game and that we should all value his incisive views.
Zlatan who? I am Zlatan. And your chin looks like a Greek person's elbow.
How do you like that Pep? I don't mean my joke about your elbow chin -- that's genius, so of
course you don't like it -- I mean the fact that I held your band of hormone-infused munchkins
scoreless for the first time in their last 30 Champions League matches.
The Busquets Peek -- a move in which a thespian footballer feigns a blow to the head then takes
a sneaky look around for the ref once on the ground -- may have been perfected by Sergio Busquets
and imitated by Didier Drogba on European soil, but like any fearsome plague, it has now spread to
foreign shores.
On September 25th 2008 the then Port Vale chairman Bill Bratt declared: "I feel the board and I
have taken the club as far as we can." And now, officially, they have. The end of the "Valiant
2001" era at Vale Park, which began when the self-styled "supporters" organisation bought Vale out
of administration in 2003 will be mourned by no-one.
