Following Sunday's disappointing result against West Bromwich Albion, there were two competing
narratives. On one hand there was a desire to integrate the match and result into one of the main
stories of the 2011-12 season—namely the one where Liverpool can't score even though they
dominate possession.
On Sunday, the Union played Chivas USA to a drab draw in front of a sparsely populated Home
Depot Center in Carson, California. After a slow-paced first half that yielded few chances, Justin
Mapp opened the scoring in the second half before the sensational Juan Pablo Angel drew the home
side level at the death.
While it's still hard to sort the real stories from the gossip, most of the players mentioned in
connection with a move to White Hart Lane would be welcomed by fans into the club. There are
exceptions however, and it was particularly worrying to see Charlie Adam's odds shorten to 6/4 on a
move from Liverpool.
Wednesday's Carling Cup defeat to Crystal Palace was both embarrassing and disappointing for
Manchester United, as even with an under-strength side, United were expected to take care of
business at home against the Championship side. But with a couple of exceptions, that
under-strength side put in a poor performance, and credit to Palace, they came [.
The 2012-13 English Premier League season is set to start on August 18, 2012 with Manchester
United looking to unseat rivals Manchester City. It was a dramatic finish to last season as Man
City scored a late goal to edge United for the league title.
So, who will win the title this season and which clubs will be relegated?
Two e-books worthy of your consideration. And look, we're all busy people, credit crunch and
all, so what can I say they're cheap. Very good, mind. Have a look.
Arthur Rowe a Neglected Spurs Legend Whose Legacy Lives On
I think it would be fair to say if you were to ask most people to people look back at what has
set this Premier League season apart from others the answer you'd get would have to be:
high-scoring games. For a slightly more pessimistic view: bad defending.
It is in the big games where this has been most noticeable.
Why Chelsea Need To End Reign Of Player Power - originally posted on Soccerlens.com
When Andre Villas-Boas took over as Chelsea Manager in June 2011, he probably didn't envisage
the club's dressing room being his biggest problem during his first season in English football. A
dressing room filled with international footballers and seasoned professionals would surely have
been an attraction for any potential Chelsea manager following the ruthless sacking of Carlo
Ancelotti.
I have always thought that one (of the many) reasons that I did not become a footballer was because
I am too intelligent. In fact, as has often been the case, with some notable exceptions (Jorge
Valdano, Socrates, Ruud Gullit....), intelligent footballers seems to be more the exception that
the rule, and at a time when the media scrutiny is so intense, the demand on a bit of brains in
footballers
More than 73.000 people voted on Spanish Sports online channel "marca.com" for what they believed
to be the "Best 11 Players" of the Spanish Football League season 2011-2012. Marca - Best 11 season
2011-2012 As you can see the list is dominanted by Real Madrid & FC Barcelona players, with the
exceptions being Javi Martinez (At.
Schalke have today confirmed that legend Raul will be leaving the club on a free at the end of
the season after two years in Germany. He was offered a contract from them but decided it was time
to move on.
After an incredible career with Real Madrid, spending sixteen years in the first team, Raul was
no longer first choice so decided it was time to leave.
Many people argue that there is no such thing as a certainty in sport, especially football but
there are always exceptions to the rule and Barcelona winning the Champions League in 2012 looks
just as good as a football certainty as you could find... The current odds of 13/8 about Barcelona
winning the Champions League [.
Many people argue that there is no such thing as a certainty in sport, especially football but
there are always exceptions to the rule and Barcelona winning the Champions League in 2012 looks
just as good as a football certainty as you could find... The current odds of 13/8 about Barcelona
winning the Champions League [.
I strongly believe that every league and team should have soccer supporter groups. One of the
things that helped me appreciate and love the game is my fellow fans and supporter groups. They are
a necessary part of the game day experience. When I go to MLS games, I know I'll find a soccer
supporter group in a section that helps liven up game day with chants, displays, and dances.
I strongly believe that every league and team should have soccer supporter groups. One of the
things that helped me appreciate and love the game is my fellow fans and supporter groups. They are
a necessary part of the game day experience. When I go to MLS games, I know I'll find a soccer
supporter group in a section that helps liven up game day with chants, displays, and dances.
One of the more potential-filled midfielders in the U.S. youth pipeline is coming to MLS.
The Portland Timbers have acquired U.S. Under-20 midfielder Charles Renken through the MLS
waiver process, according to a team release, bringing the 18-year-old to the Pacific Northwest from
TSG 1899 Hoffenheim.
The MLS 101 series will be a "living/breathing document" in that I
will continue to edit and update these post to keep up to date with the inevitable changes that MLS
will make. I encourage you to bookmark the post so you can use them as a reference going
forward.
In this edition of MLS 101, it's time to tie up some lose ends about MLS roster rules, along
with player movement and acquisition.
Well, that went about as expected. Sporting KC are one of the strongest, if not the strongest,
team in the Eastern Conference, and return almost their entire starting lineup from last year.
Little wonder that they looked more fluid on the ball and in their movement than a United side that
is still figuring itself out and integrating new pieces.
In part because of the smoke bombs and a few obscenity bombs Dynamo supporters dropped during the
playoffs, Major League Soccer has sanctioned the Dynamo's supporter groups and withdrawn some the
exceptions MLS usually makes for supporters groups. Since this is my blog, I'll give you my
opinion. As a parent, I want a clean [.
Monday MLS Breakdown: Application Of Home Grown Player Rule - Goal.com
The most complete look at the current state of the HGP rule and the exceptions to the rule that
have been granting. Yes, Brent Richards was an exception, but there have been a few others.
There's also a nugget that now seems to incentivize a club operating an amateur PDL team in
order to main their connections to former U18 players who are then at colleges.
Ok, ok. It may be a bad pun but it makes more sense than the "3 Questions" moniker. Why, you may
Ask? Well, most exchanges are more than 3 questions, and some are one sided only (like today's). To
me, it made more sense to re-name question exchanges rather than using an incorrect title. So, from
now on, my questions exchanges will now be Fireside Chats.
Prior to England's clash with Italy at Euro 2012, Scott Parker was asked a simple question.Â
Would he be holding any grudges against Mario Balotelli, the man who had stamped on his head
earlier in the season?
When your son-in-law is playing a vital role in the Manchester Derby, you're
allowed to turn up and sit next to Giannina at the VIP stands, even if you had spent the whole time
opposing his move to the club and whispering "Real Madrid" softly into his ears.
Such exceptions only apply in England because a) he's Maradona, b) no one can
stop him from walking into any room and c) Pele is not around.
So while Seattleites will continue to set the standard for MLS attendance and atmosphere, they
will probably have to set aside their hopes of welcoming the U.S. national team
Seattle is a great soccer market. So why won't the U.S. national team play there? A search for
answers - Soccer Insider - The Washington Post
Exceptions are made for LA, for Salt Lake, for Foxbourough, for Tampa, for New Jersey, but not
for Seattle.
Last time we checked, wearing hair rollers in public was a "Don't" in most sensible ladies'
books.
Well thanks to a recently misinterpreted decree from Vogue, the British press is now
claiming that the baffling, mind-boggling and completely WAG-like trend of wearing hair rollers
whilst out and about is now in fashion.
Fitness continued to be the focus for the Portland Timbers as they neared the end of their first
week of preseason training in 2012. The sun shone brightly on the turf and allowed some players to
shed their extra layers. Again the players participated in an 8v8 half field scrimmage after
warming up and doing a few drills, but the consistent theme throughout the session was keeping
everyone constantly in motion.
I started thinking about this question again in the wake of some recent comments by Dennis
Bergkamp about what's going on at Arsenal. He stated his views about tactics, a need for a true
goal scorer, and Patrick Vieira. Naturally, this led a few writers to wonder if Bergkamp would be a
good future manager at Arsenal.
In memory of Al Davis' death today, I'll rip a page from his book to provide some helpful advice
for Klinsi today: Just score, baby. With a few exceptions, the style points have been there. We've
seen advances in stylish play that seemed a pipe dream during RoboBob's preference for the robotic,
some brief glimpses of progress in this 4-3-3 implementation and some serious defections, most
notably
