On this busy day of international soccer, check out this interesting piece from Soccer America magazine on Real Salt Lake owner, Dave Checketts. I don't know anything about the man and maybe he is not Mr. Nice Guy but, according to goalkeeper Nick Rimando, at least he seems to care about his team. Can anyone imagine Mr. Click to continue reading...

Elizabeth Lambert. Plays of the University of New Mexico.
She's brutal. Worse than Cantona or Gattuso or Materazzi or anyone you can think of.
Check out the highlights from SportsCenter.
Then check out some links:

• MLS Defender of the Year: Chad Marshall.

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Better him than Usmanov

News fluttered in yesterday that the American tycoon, Stan Kroenke has purchased more Arsenal shares to bring his shares to 29.9%. Just 0.09% short of needing to make a move for the rest of the shares. Now I've reserved my thoughts on this matter for quite some time as it has already been highlighted in many other blogs and there is no need for me to talk anymore about it, but with Stan so close to a takeover, I guessed now is as good a time as any to give this topic a special mention.

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I'm not quite sure where this week has gone. It's absolutely motored past. However, I suspect I drifted along, basking a bit too much in derby delight, and before I could whistle, the Champions League game had been and gone, and Stan Kroenke had hoovered up yet more shares.

We continued our fine form, albeit against what turned out to be the limited AZ.

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Well here we all are again, a little dustier and a trifle older, but here we all are nevertheless.

I did try to get excited about the internationals. But I couldn't. I missed the Ukraine game entirely, and though I did watch the Belarus game, it was so inconsequential that I lost interest faster than I do when I periodically attempt doing some DIY.

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While surfing over to the Arsenal site to find out how ridiculous their ticket prices are, I was confronted by this lightbox-y (wow, that's a daring design choice) pop-up:
The text reads:

Hi, you appear to be visiting our site from the USA.
Arsenal Football Club has just launched a new website especially for fans Stateside - USA.

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It looks as if Arsenal may soon lose its status of being the only top four club controlled by an English board, while Liverpool continues its search for a purchaser. At Arsenal, American sports entrepreneur Stan Kroneke is close to winning the battle with Moscow-based billionaire Alisher Usmanov to control Arsenal.

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Morning everyone. A couple of things have been happening in the world of Arsenal in the past few days so I figured I'd keep everyone up to date.
First of all, it's only 8 days until the first preseason match! We'll get to see that annual match vs Barnet, which while not an overly competitive match usually, it is the return of football each year and that is something to be celebrated. Click to continue reading...

It was no surprise to anyone that the board even though they reviewed the possibility of raising additional funds, the board has come to the conclusion that the club does not need to raise any additional funds.

 In the board's infinite wisdom, they are able to repay the £135million loan on Highbury Square by April 2010 and give Arsene the money he needs to improve the squad without the need for an annual "marquee player" sale.

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The idea that United pulled out of the Tevez deal for any reason other than money is absolute nonsense. Tevez has stated on numerous occasions that he simply wants a five year contract and is well aware that at his age this is the last chance to secure one. The purpose, quite honourable in my opinion, is to achieve financial security for himself and his family for the rest of their lives.

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What a turbulent week, Wenger throws away a line about Real Madrid and suddenly we felt like the roof hade caved in on our little world. Everyone came out in support of Wenger.

 Hill-Wood came out like the proud rooster, strutting his stuff about how disgraceful those shareholders were and how dare they question a man like Wenger.

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Good, perhaps great, news from The Indy:

In the previous two seasons, Wenger has said that the club must sell a player every year to help service the annual £24m payments on the Emirates Stadium. He has sold Thierry Henry and Alexander Hleb – both to Barcelona – over the last two seasons and the evidence suggests that a further sale will be in order this year if he is to continue financing the club.

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This morning's lead story in AS, the Spanish sports daily, is all about Arsene Wenger and the possibility of him taking over as manager.

On French TV yesterday Wenger described the idea of working with Perez, who looks set to take over as President of the Spanish club again this summer, as 'interesting'.

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On the eleventh episode of the Soccerlens Podcast, Stephen Darwin is joined by US soccer enthusiasts Mark Fishkin and Lisa Eisenmenger to discuss MLS.

The show will be looking specifically at the structure of MLS and how the league can be improved, MLS and it's connections with the English Premier League and there's even a chat about the merits of cheerleaders!

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Stan Kroenke has increased his stake to become the biggest single shareholder in Arsenal Football Club. Kroenke increased his stake in the club to 28.3 per cent by buying 4,839 shares from members of the Carr family, including fellow director Richard Carr

Kroenke has come a long way since acquiring a 9.

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My regular reader knows that I readily admit when I'm wrong. So, without further ado I will just say that yesterday I was wrong when I lumped the Arsenal Supporter's Trust (AST) in with the Kroenke come lately's. As it turns out, I was thinking of a particular interview with Nigel Phillips and Tim Payton in which they actually ask measured questions of Kroenke, rather than my memory of the interview, which was simply wrong.

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Official announcements were made to the PLUS market towards the close of business today (Friday 1 May 2009) that Stan Kroenke has acquired a further 4,839 Arsenal Holdings shares to take his total stake in the club's holding company to 17,613 shares, or 28.3% of the total 62,217 issued.

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Arsenal's Chief Executive, Ivan Gazidis has been talking about our three main shareholders, Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith, Alisher Usmanov and Stan Kroenke.  Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith, who owns 15.9%, was ousted shortly before Gazidis was appointed. She has spent more time in India recently. Her shareholding is vital as to who will control the club. Click to continue reading...

Even though all Gooners can probably still hear "HE CAME TO US WHEN HENRY LEFT...." Ringing around the very chambers of our hearts, the big sweaty Uzbeki may be about to darken our days once more. Although he does not yet have the blocking stake we all assume he is aiming for, he is making the moves to ensure that come the end of the lockdown, he is in prime position to snaffle up the 4. Click to continue reading...

Stuff to read while you steal from the rich and give to the poor..... Tomas Rosicky's fantasy team. (uefa) Video of a scantily clad woman frolicking on the beach. (WAGs Offside) Time for a Bundesliga movement. (Bayern Offside) Volleyball doesn't work on a football pitch. (The Spoiler) A spot kick duel between Kroenke's stache & Usmanov. Click to continue reading...

Recent mutterings from ex-Etonian Peter Hill-Wood have sent the City finacial fixers in a tailpsin.  If the offer was right we will have to recommend it to shareholders. When David Dein dared mentioned bringing Kroenke on board, he was dismissed from the board, the remaining directors raised the drawbridge, manned the barricades and awaited for the [. Click to continue reading...

The current Arsenal board consists of Peter Hill-Wood, Danny Fiszman, Lady Nina Bracewell-Smith, Richard Carr, Ken Friar, Lord Harris of Peckham and Sir Chips Keswick. A wide and varied group, but the all Danny Fiszman, are drawn from Arsenal's two ruling families, the Hill-Woods and the Bracewell-Smiths. Click to continue reading...

Arsenal chairman Peter Hill-Wood has made up with Kroenke apparently and has been saying that now he would like investment from the American. He told the Daily Star "I think he would be a good addition. He seems to have been very sensible. "I think he would be quite happy to buy more shares but I think he has absolutely no intention of buying the whole thing. Click to continue reading...

Morning. Let's get right down to it. The Independent says Arsenal are going to offer Stan Kroenke a place on the board. This is a far contrast from the way they feel about Usmanov, and indeed felt about Kroenke some time ago. When Stan from the States first bought into the club everyone thought that he was part of a takeover plan which never came about. Click to continue reading...

- Reportedly Brazilian winger Mancini wants out of Rome. Clashes in the past with Roma manager Spalletti and his recent break-up with his girlfriend appear to be two of the major factors. During the transfer window, the 27-year-old was courted by many top clubs, but wanted to stay in Rome mainly because of his girlfriend. He now says he wishes to be transferred to Lyon. Click to continue reading...

As mentioned a few days ago, the Colorado Rapids are winless in 10 games. Worse, they have only won 11 games out of their last 41 played in the MLS. Most disturbing is that their hasn't been a peep out of the Front Office about the coaching situation. No one has came out and said that Clavijo's job is on the line if he doesn't turn around the team soon (not that he deserves more time). Click to continue reading...

There are four pieces of good news and one not so good for Arsenal fans. At least that's how we interpret the following: - Wenger traveled to Norway to try and sign a 16 year old - Hill Wood and Edelman met with Kroenke in New York - 40m has been set aside as Wenger's transfer budget - West Ham offer 17m for Bent! - The August fixtures look encouraging. Click to continue reading...