While both teams already qualified for the London 2012 Olympiad there is a certain amount of
pride at play. For Canada's women this is an opportunity to declare that they deserve to be in that
top tier of teams challenging for Gold or Women's World Cups. With the Great White North hosting
the 2015 Women's World Cup it is matches like this and their second straight 20k+ crowd that
demonstrate that they are a top nation in the women's game.
It's January, as you might've noticed; and if you hadn't I would suggest those New Year's
resolutions about not drinking anything that really ought to be kept on a shelf in the shed aren't
going all that well. For the rest of you, you know the score. It's the beginning of the year and
that can mean only one thing: the always-good-for-a-laugh-don't-believe-everything-you
hear-better-off-not-opening-any-tabloid-newspapers-or-football-websites-for-a-month-pick-any-name-out-of-a-hat.
By Chris Wright
If you're a fan of men in tights sitting on each other's faces, then you may be familiar with
this pale-looking chap, if not then let us introduce him. His name is Sheamus, he's a WWE wrestler
and, unlike certain superstar basketball sell-outs we could mention, he's a genuine Liverpool
fan.
Sporting Kansas City hosted the Colorado Rapids on a rain-soaked pitch the second leg in the
Eastern Conference Semifinals. The home team did exactly what they needed to do in order to
preserve their 2-0 lead from the first leg and added two insurance goals on set pieces. Colorado
had a few promising moments but were unable to put any kind of sustained pressure on their
opponents.
By WAG Watcher
Move along, nothing to see here nothing at all except a scantily-clad Sarah Brandner looking all
kinds of gorgeous in the June issue of GQ. We know we're a little late, but trust us, it was worth
the wait.
A doff of the cap to Bastian Schweinsteiger, for he truly hath one scorching hot, angel-faced
filly (the first two photos are from the GQ shoot, the rest are all gravy!
Hello, good morning and welcome. The spectre of derby day looms. Wafting about the dinner table
like Banquo's ghost. And what better way to mark the occasion than with a talk with Spurs fan,
Guardian columnist and author of the fantastic Vertigo: One Fan's Fear of Success. John
Crace. And if that wasn't enough, well, then, you're just plain greedy.
Morning, saucepots. I shan't keep you long. Spurs are on Europa League duties this evening and
Greece is very much the word on everyone's lips. And here're some more words to get your noise
holes around. Panthessaloníkios Athlitikós Ómilos Konstantinoupolitón FC. The Hellenistic
herberts that stand betwixt us and three points that might prove terribly handy in the months to
follow.
Righto. Let's just pretend those first two were warm-ups, shall we? The real season
starts this weekend in a stadium not very near you. It's Wolves away, dear reader, and quite
literally the only way is up.
As you might recall, last year's encounter at the Molinuex was a bit of a swizz.
FIFA allows just one stadium training per team per venue, and as the USA has already played in
Dresden during this Women's World Cup (the 2-0 opening win over North Korea), the team practiced at
the official training site today. It was a gorgeous day in Dresden as the USA ran through just a
one-hour session to prepare for tomorrow's quaterfinal clash with Brazil.
Greetings, people of Earth. We have signs of life. The armada of swanky European sports cars
pulling up at The Lodge on Monday morning may have looked like a grand procession for the
overindulged and underworked- for the men of Hotspur, though, it signalled the end of the long hot
summer and the beginning of some serious pre-campaign slog.
All in all this has been a bad few days for us fans of FC Hotspur of Tottenham, or whatever the
inevitable spin-off movement will be called once our heroes have moved off to Stratford, or Geneva,
or the moon. One point for our lot, but wins and goals galore for the other Top Four-ites (bar Man
City, sunk by Darren Bent, most entertainingly) means that the 50th anniversary of the Double won't
end in a Disney-esque finale with Ledley emulating the great Danny Blanchflower, hoisted aloft
team-mates' shoulders, gleaming trophy in his mitts.
Have Qatar, will travelNot stictly speaking a European Football Weekend, but when the legend that is our big
hearted German friend Stoffers, rides off to Qatar for the Asian Cup, then we're willing to waive
the small print:I must admit I still haven't fully recovered from the moment when Sepp Blatter opened that envelope
some five weeks ago to reveal Qatar as hosts of the 2022 World Cup.
On the eve of the opening game in the Liga Primer Indonesia and I finally get my grubby salt n
vinegar stained mitts on a fixture list.
Good news for fans, especially those with jobs. All games will be Saturday/Sunday with the odd
Monday thrown in.
Guess it will be in local papers tomorrow.
