This week we focus on teams that are on a run, who have several wins on the trot, or having a
hard time breaking a winless streak. As always we cross the globe to choose our matches England,
Germany, Italy, Holland, Brazil, and Japan. This week's guest predictor is Mike who is a fan of
Manchester City.
Hugo Borst's column in the AD People ask me often - while the WC is still seven months away: "Do
you think Holland will win the cup in South Africa?" Does God exist? Is there life on Mars? Does
Oranje Angel have a Brazilian wax? There's a good chance, but how do we Click to continue reading...
FIFA has made official its National Team Ranking for December issuingtheir table today. As advanced
earlier in the week, SPAIN regains theNº1 spot from Brazil.Here are the Top 10 places:1. Spain
1622 pts2. Brazil 15923. Holland 12794. Italy 12155. Portugal 11816. Germany 11707. France 11228.
Argentina 10859. Click to continue reading...
All of us at COS towers wanted to point you in the direction of a brilliant new website that is
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Tixdaq is a ticket comparison site that has access to thousands of tickets to hundreds of
football matches.
Yesterday ended the long and difficult road that is World Cup qualifying. The 32-team field is
set and while we won't know until next month what the groups are it does present a good time to
discuss each team and how they got there.
(Note: I hope this is a start of many more World Cup posts going into next year.
For the love of Kun, the Rojiblancos have been slapped with a fine of 150
euros (about the cost of a decent La Liga ticket these days). Anyway, RFEF meted out that
small punishment after Atletico's fans were said to have thrown objects at Pellegrini from the
stands during the Madrid derby on November 7.
The Spanish U-21 National Football Team suffered a set back in itsobjective of taking the top table
spot, & thus the direct qualificationfor the European U-21 Championships of 2011, when they lost
2-1 toHolland in their Group 4 match at Rotterdam.The Dutch played well & did what they had to do
in a satisfactorymanner; however Spain was extremely unlucky as they hit the Dutchgoal post 4 times Click to continue reading...
The Netherlands might be the number 3 in the world according to FIFA, Oranje will go into cup 3,
according to Marca. France is said to go in cup 1, although Les Blues still have to qualify. If
Ireland qualifies at France' expense, Holland moves up one cup. The preliminary categories: Pot 1: Click to continue reading...
Arsenal star hopes to save himself from glue factory with unusual treatment Robin Van Persie has
revealed he will have horse placenta applied to his ankle injury in a bid to speed-up his recovery.
The Arsenal striker damaged ankle ligaments while representing Holland at the weekend. Van Persie
said: "I am going to receive treatment from a [. Click to continue reading...
Holland teammate Orlando Engelaar hopes his advice has lifted the spirits of injured Arsenal
striker Robin van Persie. Van Persie was told about Mariana Kovacevic, the housewife who is said to have the amazing healing
powers, by two of his former Feyenoord team-mates Danko Lazovic and Orlando Engelaar, who both now
play for PSV Eindhoven. Click to continue reading...
Easily the greatest penalty shootout celebration in history. (0.20) Fabio Capello is not such a hit
in Spain. (La Liga Loca) The dam is breaking in Manchester. (EPL Talk) Raymond Domenech: not so
smart. (The Spoiler) Amaral writes a nice, though curious, parting letter. (SoccerLens) Robin van
Persie to get mystery placenta juice treatments. Click to continue reading...
And so George Burley's reign ended as we knew - and in his heart of hearts he must have known - it
would. The sheer inevitability of his sacking was blatantly obvious at around 3.30 Saturday
afternoon.In truth it has been inevitable throughout a 14 game reign that never looked like
building momentum. Click to continue reading...
Ryan Babel has once again dismissed suggestions he wants to leave Liverpool FC in the summer while
reiterating his desperation to regain a regular first-team role and safeguard a World Cup finals
berth. Despite the Anfield outfit's poor start to the season, Babel has made just two starts in the
Premier League. Click to continue reading...
The striker suffered an ankle injury 10 minutes into Holland's goalless draw with Italy on Saturday
and had to be stretchered from the field. Click to continue reading...
You have to wonder why nations insist on playing friendlies slap bang in the middle of the
season. Now I could understand if there was an upcoming qualifier to test players and formations
ahead of, but Holland have qualified for the World Cup, in fact they qualified five months ago, so
why bother with a totally meaningless game now?
Arsenal striker Robin van Persie has had his ankle injury confirmed as ruptured ligaments but it is
insure just how long he will be sidelined for. van Persie sustained the injury whilst on international duty for Holland on Saturday after being
involved in a strong challenge with Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini. Click to continue reading...
On the surface Van Persie's latest setback is a major blow to our team. Dare I say it, it
could prove to be even more significant than Cesc's injury last year which ruled him out for 4
months.
We've played without either Arshavin or Cesc in games this season. Yet it is only the Carling
Cup where Van Persie hasn't featured.
I know, the Cassano-National Team debate is getting old and boring. But this was too funny. In
the 5th minute of the game yesterday, a fan ran onto the pitch wearing a t-shirt with the Superman
logo and with the words "Cassano in Nazionale" (Cassano on the National Team). He jogged
around the pitch for a while and then made his way off the pitch and was promptly arrested.
A pointless, pathetic, idiotic, unnecessary, stupid, lunatic, evil match. Holland 0 Italy 0, it
meant nothing, told no one anything, and Robin Van Persie is now out for about 3 months possibly
longer. Tearing ligaments is a bastard of an injury and I can tell you that from experience. My
extremely minor and utterly [. Click to continue reading...
Well, it had to happen, didn't it? The Interlull had been so dull and tedious the only thing
that could spark a bit of life into it was an injury to one of our players. It certainly wasn't
going to be the football as anyone who sat through the Sunday park football shitstravaganza that
was Ireland v France last night will tell you.
I am sure I am not the only one left fuming this morning after the news broke about Robin van
Persie! During a ‘friendly' between Holland and Italy and following a ‘heavy challenge' by Juve's
Giorgio Chiellini, Robin was stretchered off!
It is suspected and greatly feared that Robin has torn his ligaments in his right ankle.
Two Wizards had the honor of being called up to their respective national teams during this
international break. Jimmy Conrad (along with former Wizard Eddie Johnson) were in Bratislava as
the US took on Slovakia. Conrad was on the bench for the United States, but did not see the field
in the United States 1-0 loss to the Fighting Jondas. Click to continue reading...
By Walter Broeckx As Tony recently wrote an article about some terrible grounds in the UK I must
say that one of my favourite things during the holidays is going to stadiums. I usually take a tour
when I can and so I have seen some fine stadiums in the world. Most grounds in Holland are [...] Click to continue reading...
USA - Slovakia on Fox Soccer Channel and Galavision at 10am. MLS Eastern Conference final on World
Cup Qualifying: New Zealand - Bahrain on Fox Soccer at 2am, Russia - Slovenia at 11am on Setanta,
Greece - Ukraine at 1pm on Setanta, Portugal - Bosnia at 3:30pm on Setanta (8pm on ESPN Deportes).
International friendlies: Brazil - England at 12pm on Fox Soccer, Argentina - Spain on ESPN
Deportes at 2:30pm, Italy - Holland on. Click to continue reading...
The Spanish U-21 National Team managed a hard earned & important1-0 victory over a very defensive
Finland side in their Groupclassification match. The Finns played a hard game which madeSpain's
ball control strategy & game difficult in finding the endobjective which only came in the 72nd
minute when MICHELscored the winner. Click to continue reading...
I've been sitting on this story for a few days looking for confirmed news of it, but it appears
that Wizards forward, Kei Kamara has been called up by the Sierra Leone national team for their
upcoming friendly in Holland against Willem II of the Eredivisie. Kamara's Facebook status talks
about going to the game in Holland. Click to continue reading...
Bulgaria's greatest, Georgi Asparuhov, life tragically cut at 28. Rooney misses a sitter. (Studs
Up) The incredible new lows of Mike Ashley. (Three Match Ban) Stamford Bridge name TBA; football's
name also TBA. (Futfanatico) John Barnes: Savior of Rwanda, not Don Cheadle. (Fisted Away) Adriano:
The face of crack. Click to continue reading...
History It all began as a clash of cultures. Feyenoord were supported by the dock workers from the built up
part of Rotterdam, while Ajax by the richer, more sophiscated side of Amsterdam.
Magic moments This fixture is full of goals, goals, super goals as big Frank frank would say.
As always, highlights are below and are also archived on the right sidebar. Don't forget to
click on "see all videos" at the bottom of the widget for the rest of the highlights from this
season and preseason.
One can't just leave for two weeks, it seems... Lots has happened since, not in the least the 250+
comments from my calcio brothers and sisters :-). Thanks for keeping this blog alive, my friends!!
Anyway, I'm just doing this from the hip, if that's ok... In Holland, AZ is hurt by Click to continue reading...
I didn't get to see much of the game last night and I have hardly had a chance to sit down today
and watch the full highlights so this blog may again be fairly short.
We drew 1-1 away at AZ Alkmaar of Holland but should really have won the game and closed it out,
as it happens we conceded from yet another set piece and had to settle for a share of the
spoils.
 I apologize to the joker for stealing that quote but it fits in well with this mini review of
the match against AZ Alkmaar.
We've now played three games and collected 7 points. Most often than not, 9 points usually does
the trick with regards to qualification. We have two home games, one against Alkmaar and the other
against Liege.
This is one of the most hilarious goals of recent times, unless you're a Liverpool fan. And, of course, by any standards of common sense it shouldn't have been a goal at all. (I just
tested this on my wife, incidentally, who is conversant with the rules of the game and considered
the awarding of the goal an outrage. Click to continue reading...
