For once, UEFA President Michel Platini has said something nice about England. Platini has
said a lot about the Premier League's spending, which was mainly aimed at Man United,
Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool and more recently Manchester City. However he didn't say anything about
Real Madrid's spending and other high profile European clubs. Click to continue reading...
There was a time when the names Diego Armando Maradona, Carlos Bilardo and the
Argentine National team were synonymous with success. The magical run to the 1986 World Cup made
both men house hold names in the sport, and heroes back home.
Arsenal captain Cesc Fabregas admits winning the Premier League is needed at the club. Since moving to London at 16 he has begun to appreciate how much a domestic title means to English
fans. He admitted to The Sun: "I've realised with every year how big the Premier League
is. "Growing up it's about Champions League and World Cups.Click to continue reading...
In a Premier League full of seriously high stakes and grave financial ramifications for failure, it
is easy to forget that football is just a game. And no player better embraced that philosophy -
enjoying making a living playing the sport you love - than Dwight Yorke. For 15 Premier League
seasons, the striker charmed English fans with his smiling demeanour and impressed them with his
finishing prowess. Click to continue reading...
England last night completed their World Cup qualifying campaign with a fairly routine 3 - 0 win
over Belarus at Wembley, thanks to a brace from giant England striker Peter Crouch and a goal from
diminutive winger Shaun Wright-Phillips. An Excellent campaign - in which England have won nine of
their 10 qualifying games - has seen the squad reach the World Cup finals in some style. Click to continue reading...
First off, welcome to the party! 1) Germany, 2) Italy, 3) Mexico, 4) Ivory Coast, 5) Denmark, 6) Serbia, 7) Chile, 8) USA. Each booked their trips to South Africa. And it's nice to see a mix of traditional powers with
fresh faces. In case you're curious, and some of you are, the other qualified teams are the hosts, Australia,
Japan, both Koreas, the Netherlands, Brazil, Ghana, England, Spain and Paraguay. Click to continue reading...
Daniel Agger is generally known to Barclays Premier League fans as a technically gifted Danish
defender whose progress has often been halted by injuries. Similarly, Alberto Aquilani is usually
perceived by English fans as an immensely creative Italian midfielder who has often been deceived
by his proneness to injuries.
U.S. national team fans still seething over the fact that the upcoming World Cup qualifier in
Honduras is only available via closed circuit, you are not alone.
England national team fans are facing the same issue with England's upcoming qualifier in
Ukraine, with English fans being forced to watch the qualifier either by paying for an internet
feed, or by watching in select movie theaters showing the match.
U.S. national team fans still seething over the fact that the upcoming World Cup qualifier in
Honduras is only available via closed circuit, you are not alone.
England national team fans are facing the same issue with England's upcoming qualifier in
Ukraine, with English fans being forced to watch the qualifier either by paying for an internet
feed, or by watching in select movie theaters showing the match.
It is meant to be Scottish football's most eagerly anticipated match. A fixture that, love or
loathe it, is impossible to ignore. A derby that even has English fans, brought up on the champagne
football of the Premier League, glancing upwards through jealous eyes - fascinated by a rivalry
that is always capable of reducing even the most cultured player into a raving lunatic. Click to continue reading...
When Sven Goran Eriksson was in charge of the England national team there were always questions
about his commitment in the minds of many English fans. A foreign manager for the national side
never quite seemed to sit right but when Steve McLaren spectacularly messed things up we were all
pretty pleased with the appointment of Fabio Capello.
Preview: Why England Lose by Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski Did you know Arsene Wenger has a master's degree in economics? And what has he learnt from it?
Don't buy old players, buy in them their early 20s and sell them as soon as someone offers more
than you think they are worth. Another insightfull take from the Australian Financial Review:
For Milan fans, the news was bad enough that they had been trounced by rival Inter while being
watched by their owner and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. However, a rumor circulating
that Berlusconi has been in negotiations to sell the club to Libyan leader Muammar al-Gadaffi adds
to the confusion about whether the team is a serious threat to the scudetto and Champions
League.
There were few eyebrows raised earlier this summer when South Korea clinched a place at the 2010
World Cup. After all, the Taeguk Warriors had qualified for the previous six global tournaments; a
seventh successive spot was impressive but not especially newsworthy. But North Korea making a second ever appearance at the World Cup? Click to continue reading...
Riot police were called to help control soccer fans after a game at London's Uptown Park. Before
the West Ham/Millwall game began a man was stabbed after a small riot broke out between opposing
fans. The man was rushed to the hospital after police and stadium security finally broke up the
brawl. Camera crews show fans of both sides throwing bottles and bricks at the police.
The phrase "EPL" (short for English Premier League) was very nearly included in this post earlier
today, because I know English fans often laugh at Americans (or other foreigners) who refer to the
Premier League as such. But after thinking it over, I changed my mind. And I want to explain why.
So if you're one [. Click to continue reading...
Come on, admit it. That was pretty good wasn't it? The Premier League has its knockers, and
rightly so in a lot of instances, but for entertainment and watchability, it is up there with the
best dramas, the best comedies and the best contests, no question.
The opening weekend of the season is a rare time in football, a time when all clubs start on an
even keel, with shiny new strips, shiny new haircuts and shiny new players, not to mention some
seriously elevated ambitions.
Being away this weekend on business, limited the MLS action I saw, to just the Telefutura match.
In Central Florida, which has many football fans, the pubs were overflowing Saturday morning for
the start of the Premiership season, and it was easy to talk Mexican Football with some patrons on
holiday because, as I was told, "Mexican matches are always on in every hotel.
1. Anderson really can take a free-kick. 2. German food is pretty rank. I don't even know what they do to their mashed potato but it has the
consistency of a stress ball. 3. Antonio Valencia looks to be a good buy. 4. Germans don't get the concept of 'jibbing'. Despite there being no checks for tickets the whole
three days we were travelling around on the U-Bahn, the Germans always bought tickets.
This is the third season the Emirates Cup will be held at Arsenal. The first was a novelty and
sold out within weeks, last season had the big clubs, Real Madrid and Juventus to ensure it as a
box office sell out. This season it is a different story.
There are plenty of tickets still available for this season's tournament despite the fact that
Rangers have been given 9,000 tickets for each day.
Last season I made the inspired prediction that Spurs would crack the top 4 and qualify for the
Champions League. After watching them take around 23 matches to get their first point, I realised
that my ability to forsee in football was still pretty bloody ropey. Previous failures included
tipping Craig Bellamy to win European Footballer of the Year while at Liverpool and Colombia to win
the World Cup in ‘94.
The Parc des Princes, November 1993. France are seconds away from securing qualification for the
1994 World Cup, albeit nervously. Tied at 1-1 with Group rivals Bulgaria, they know a point is
enough to send them to America the following summer.
In possession is David Ginola, as enigmatic, stylish and confident then as he would prove to be
later on in his career, when English fans got to see him up close.
Since the outlaw of standing areas English stadia have undergone huge changes. From the
crumbling relics of the 1980s the Premier League now boasts some of the finest stadiums in the
world.
The names Old Trafford, Anfield and Stamford Bridge all roll off the tongue but within these
fine stadiums there is that one stand that best captures the fervour with which English fans follow
their teams.
Hands up if you were cheering on the USA against Brazil in the Confederations Cup Final...... I was
too. It would have been great to see an upset and despite Brazil getting themselves the win in the
end it was still a great show from the USA to end Spain's record equalling run without a [...] Click to continue reading...
