England striker Wayne Rooney scored 2 penalties and produced an inspiring second half display as
Manchester United fought back from a seemingly hopeless position at Stanford Bridge. Trailing by a
single goal at half time, even the most die hard of United supporters must have thought all was
lost when a disastrous start to the second half saw early goals from Chelsea playmaker Juan Mata
(who buried a stunning volley) and a deflected set piece header from centre back David Luiz treble
the home side's advantage in a sequence of events that all Chelsea fan's must surely have believed
would put the game to bed as a contest.
Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew has praised his side for their recent form, and is confident
about their chances in the coming weeks. The impressive Magpies have been boosted by the return of
Senegal striker Demba Ba, and is thrilled with his side's performance during the African Cup of
Nations.
By Billy Le Dog McGraw
My preview for the Leeds game was such a stunning success that I have been asked to write again
on the subject. You will recall then we were playing the Yorkshire Grit (which is, as you will now
know, made up of coarse sand grains and small stones).
Against such [.
Was there really any doubt that Clint Dempsey wasn't going to run away with this award?
As some of our commentors pointed out during the voting, it seemed a bit one-sided. Not just
because of their own qualifications, but the over-whelming case that could be made for Sir
Deuce.
With nearly 40 goals for Fulham in the English Premier League and counting Clint Dempsey has made
the biggest splash of any American aboard, ever.
Sebastien Squillaci: Flumm-oxed
1. There are no free passes in the Premiership: Even the so called lesser teams
have their moments under the sun. You underestimate them at your own peril. Teams that got bitten
badly this past weekend: United, City, Chelsea, and Spurs.
Photo by Max Becherer/ISIphotos.com
By FRANCO PANIZO
LAKEWOOD RANCH, Fla. -- Bryan Arguez has a lot to be excited about these days.
In the past two months, Arguez has gone from playing in the NASL with the Ft. Lauderdale
Strikers, to getting signed by the Montreal Impact, to getting called into his first camp in years
with the U.
FC Barcelona got the league back on track with a thrilling 1-3 comeback win at Santiago
Bernebeu. The match started with a disaster as far as Barca were concerened. We went a goal down in
the very first minute following a horrendous mistake by Valdes. But this match was about whether
Barca's grit and they dig deep and produced a brilliant comeback.
From the Evansville Courier & Press, December 3, 2011
The Thanksgiving holidays offered some important coaching role models, and in some cases, will
probably surprise as well as promote thought of the kind of leaders to emulate.
Flipping the channels around on Thanksgiving and seeing 'The Wizard of Oz' brought me back to a
story from Joe Ehrmann's outstanding book 'InSideOut Coaching — How Sports Can Transform Lives.
Michael Bradley only started once in Jurgen Klinsmann's first five games in charge, but proved in
his second that Klinsmann may need him as much as his father had.
Frank Isola of Goal.com writes of the leadership, grit and playmaking that Bradley provided in the
US 3-2 victory away to Slovenia.
We've had lots of foreign coaches in the A-League - usually at inflated prices.
The Dutch duo are currently sitting bottom - the Kiwi is just ahead.
Of the ten current coaches five are foreign and only Vitaslav Lavicka and Scottish Coach Iain
Ferguson are in the top half of the table - both probably have spent more money than their
counterparts.
Chelsea don't like to do things the easy way. Our boys want to make your heart stop and leave
you hanging on the edge of your seat until the very end.
Was anybody even able to watch this match, apart from those at Goodison? I'm currently watching
the rerun on Chelsea TV.
If anyone wants to complain about this team's tenacity, heart, or passion, I'll be right here to
kick you in the balls. More, after the jump:
The Tipping Point
I won't let anyone hang their heads after that second half. Sure, the first was fucked
eight-ways to Tuesday before any rhythm could be established, and yeah, we had a lot to do with the
cards handed out.
Bate player, Filippe described this Barca team as made of outer space creatures and definitely
Barcelona produced a display to honour that compliment. FC Barcelona won their first match of this
year's Champions League season with a 5-0 result at the Dynamo stadium. This is our first away
victory in all official matches till now.
Gazzetta dello Sport Cavani, Napoli's Matador Aquilani gives Milan hope, but the Uruguayan
unleashes a hat-trick De Laurentiis: 'I'm thinking about the Champions League' Juve celebrate going
+5 over the Milanese clubs Conte: "We were good: I saw the right aggression". Matri goal: "Last
year we didn't win matches like this" and "I saw the right grit" Matri: 'Last.
The Portland Timbers are a mere point outside a playoff spot. With only eight games left in the
regular season, a playoff berth is a prospect that suddenly seems attainable despite all the team's
struggles this season as explored in our piece yesterday written by Ryan Gates. Today we will take
a longer look at the Timbers' remaining schedule.
Arsene Wenger has had 41 days of the transfer window to bolster Arsenal's squad, yet just three
days until the start of the Premier League and six until their Champions League qualifier against
Udinese, he has failed to address any of the important issues facing his team.
With Arsenal's monumental implosion at the business end of last season, much was made of their
need to purchase experienced players with the mental grit to set an example to the horde of
talented youngsters in the squad.
There's been a lot pf hubbub in Bremen this summer over tattoos, whether they're being banned or
Marko Aranutovic wants them on the giant implants of his future wife. Seems it won't die down.
Tim Wiese has revealed a brand new tattoo on his left arm: a naked woman. His wife.
It is very rare these days that we see an Arsenal player with a genuine connection to the club.
A local lad, someone who has known Arsenal all their life, and not just from the start of their
footballing education. When Lansbury scored against Spurs last season everybody could see what it
meant to him he is Arsenal born and bred and suggestions of letting him go without giving him a
decent chance in the first team would be typical of the youth project in recent years.
It is always sad when a World Cup ends. No more matches at all hours of the day, no more
constant media coverage, no more excitement with new heros daily emerging from obscurity. This
year's 2011 Women's World Cup was as entertaining an affair as we have seen from this (or any other
tournament) in quite some time.
Hey look, its another generation of youth captivated by a women's team. I'm sure that won't pay
dividends for the future of American soccer...The word "destiny" got thrown around pretty casually
in the run up to this Women's World Cup Final. Granted it was by a lot of media types looking to
make Sunday's match as hyperbolic as possible; most American soccer fans held back only hoping for
the best while fearing the worst (hey it's in our nature).
High fives, high pressure: Abby Wambach, right, high-fives teammate Christie Rampone during
a U.S. training session Friday ahead of Sunday's World Cup final (AP Photo).
There were virtually no American reporters outside of those working for ESPN - which holds the
broadcast rights to the tournament - planning to follow the U.
I have had this thought in my mind for a long while – to create a comprehensive list of
weaknesses of Arsenal as identified by fans, pundits, and others.
This list is not a judgement on the club, manager, or the players. All the criticisms in this
list aren't necessarily valid. I believe most of these arguments don't hold water upon closer
inspection but want to avoid a debate on the merits of each, at least for the time being.
Same stadium - new red shirtThe Reds made a curious pair of deals today in that they
both seem to represent the beginning of a path to change rather than a conclusion. The club
officially announced the acquisition of 29-year-old Canadian international midfielder Terry
Dunfield from Vancouver Whitecaps while a deal sending Nana Attakora to San Jose Earthquakes has
been announced by the player, but at time of writing yet to be officially announced by TFC.
Yeah, it's Abby Wambach. Were you expecting someone else? Image: Scott Heavey/Getty Images/Daylife
Usually we write something amusing here. Lately, our purple prose preamble has been little more
than a device to divert your attention from the fact that the Women's World Cup and Copa America
haven't kept us to the level of excitement we demand here.
A late strike by Danny Welbeck earned England U21s a fortunate 1-1 draw with favourites
Spain in their opening European U21 Championship group match at the Herning Stadion,
Denmark.
Welbeck seized on a neat pass before placing the ball past Spanish goalkeeper David De Gea in
the 87th minute to seal a 1-1 draw.
That match that provided so much promise and gave us so much hope in a season stripped of it
proved to be the definitive choice amongst our brethren.
Readers' match of the season voting results (2010-11):
Total
votes: 129
1.
Arsene Wenger: The Next Move - originally posted on Soccerlens.com
There was a time when winning trophies was a habit at the Emirates. Or rather, Highbury. Such
have been Arsenal's performances that they have failed to win a major trophy since 2005. Not a
piece of silverware has been won since moving to their new state of the art stadium and it is
surely high time that Aresene Wenger accepted the fact this formula has come undone.
Amazing how refreshing a good cleanse can be.
Tonight's victory over Canada in the Gold Cup washes away the ugly filth of the Spanish drubbing
from the weekend. The US team that showed up tonight bore no resemblance to the ramshackle crew
assembled against Spain. Granted, Canada is far from the stiffest competition in the world (which
is precisely what Spain is), but the play of the US team tonight was inspiring, regardless of
opponent.
I don't like Manchester United.
From the owners of the club, to the manager, to a whole host of players past and present and
onward to "19″— I'm not a fan.
So, you'd naturally think I'd be supporting Barcelona in Saturday's Champions League final.
Lefty. Progressive. Unicef.
We have a number of players with contracts expiring this summer and uncertain futures, but the
one with the biggest question mark over his head was Nigel Reo-Coker. That
question mark remains no longer, the club have just announced that he has been released along with
nine other players.
Liverpool is reportedly monitoring West Ham midfielder Scott Parker in their pursuit of summer
reinforcements.
According to The Mirror, the Reds are keen on the Football Writers' Association Player of the Year,
as well as Real Madrid enforcer Lassana Diarra.
Parker's performances have earned him plenty of plaudits this season - not least the accolade from
the FWA - with his industrious and inspirational displays also rewarded with a place in Fabio
Capello's England set-up.
By NESTOR F. SEBASTIAN
Now that the shock has worn down from four Brazilian teams being ousted in the Copa
Libertadores Round of 16, which concluded last week, the focus is now on the remaining
quarterfinalists, which represent seven nations. The tournament doesn't have the usual overflow of
Argentine or Brazilian teams at this stage yet each country still has a representative not only in
contention but also considered favorites to lift the continent's most coveted trophy.
Can't believe I would ever stick up for Wenger but some of you lot should be ashamed of
yourself. You would think you were battling relegation, had a poor team, no money to spend, poor
crowds and a run down stadium.
Get a grip ffs, you probably play the best football, have a great new stadium, are on the best
financial footing of the top teams, compete in the Champions League every year, challenge for all
major trophies until the latter stages virtually every year and have one of your best ever managers
and you still moan like f@@k
Of course he needs to spend and of course it is frustrating watching your team consistently
falter when so close to winning trophies.
There were signs of strength and improvement today at BMO Field. Toronto FC had a sturdy first
half. Perhaps sturdy is too strong a description, let's say that sturdy is what they are building
towards. Dan Gargan got the job done, but he had his moments. It was sturdy compared to the
floundering we had witnessed the Saturday before.
There have always been excuses. For every loss or draw, there's been a fairly obvious excuse which
is presented and accepted. Against Philadelphia, Hassli was sent off. Against New England the ref
was crazy, and Hassli was sent off again. But what about now? What excuse can we make for this
poorly played match away against Houston?
There have always been excuses. For every loss or draw, there's been a fairly obvious excuse which
is presented and accepted. Against Philadelphia, Hassli was sent off. Against New England the ref
was crazy, and Hassli was sent off again. But what about now? What excuse can we make for this
poorly played match away against Houston?
Denver is a funky place. The last time I was in the Rocky Mountain city I was 12-years-old, on
my way to a family vacation in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. In many ways Denver reminds me of
Seattle without the constant presence of water. There are beautiful vistas on all sides of you,
with the mountains looming large over the city.
Written by Harry
The inner workings of Arsène Wengers mind have for some 15 years, had the average Arsenal fan's
imagination captivated. We've been spellbound by the intricate passing and mesmeric breathtaking
counter attacks, in awe of the array of attacking talent on show, which saw us reach the pinnacle
with the Invincibles unbeaten run in 2004, a feat unliklely ever to be matched by another
team.
By FRANCO PANIZO
NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Prior to Saturday, Jay DeMerit had not played at the international level
since the World Cup Round of 16 loss to Ghana nine months ago. That could've been easy to forget
judging by the solid performance the veteran put forth against Lionel Messi and Argentina.
