ESUFC gave Sodium all they could handle for 60 minutes of regulation in the OPL Semi-Final match. Back and forth all game the play went. Each keeper being called upon keep their team in the game. Play was physical as free kicks were awarded to both teams throughout the game.
In the end it was Jill Farley from her midfield position that brought the ball deep down the left side and ripped what we thought was going to be an awesome cross, INTO THE NET! Click to continue reading...

AC Milan seem to have their mojo back as they prepare to host Real Madrid in this crucial UCL match. Will they be as lucky as last matchday?... I don't think so, but I do think both teams will have to settle for a share of the points and that can't ... Click to continue reading...

Is anyone else starting to get a little nervous for the Man City "project"?

I was thrilled by the way the team were playing for the first two months of the season. � They were incisive, dashing, and had a swagger about them that said "we can do this". � As sure as one swallow doesn't make a summer, a handful of early victories doesn't define a season.

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After a very impressive start to the season, the recent three game winless run (although undefeated) has brought one or two frustrations from fans to the fore.
None moreso than the continued form of Micah Richards.
As rapid as his ascent was, coming into the side as a teenager and marking a first team spot as his own before catapulting himself into the international fold, his subsequent decline has been anything but. Click to continue reading...

"We adore chaos because we love to produce order."
~ M.C. Escher
In the delicious disorder that has marked the final weeks of the MLS season will come some order after this weekend, and it all started in that mudpit in Bridgeview last night.
So did anyone check out that Chicago/Chivas game last night? Click to continue reading...

The Houston Dynamo are not the only ones suffering through a run of bad form in recent days. I need to come in out of the fog as well.
Three weeks ago, I was swimming along with a .452 prediction rate at 70-85, feeling pretty good about myself at 19 games above just throwing darts blindfold at a board. Click to continue reading...

And so the long slow painful recovery begins as FC Dallas attempts to restore the recent mojo they destroyed with the lackluster performance in New York. I think what's so disappointing is that this was a game FCD should win. These are three points FCD needs in their long shot dream for the 09 playoffs. Click to continue reading...

I must admit, I was getting depressed when I would think about the goats. The downhill slide just didn't seem like it was going to end. We got a win last weekend, but was it a fluke? Could the Goats drive on and play like it was 3 months ago and they were on top of the world? Could Chivas USA find the Mojo it lost sometime in June?

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Whew, the losing streak comes to an end! Have the Goats gotten some Mojo or just a bit of luck? The Front office has made some moves including bringing a young stud in from Guadalajara ....lets wait and see what this weekends game looks like before we judge them...I remain cautiously optimistic.

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In weekend no. 3 one of the first six classics was programmed: PSV-Ajax in Eindhoven. A defeat at home would have resulted in the first crisis for Fred Rutten. In a memorable match, PSV found it's mojo in the second half and won the game 4-3. Isaksson, the PSV goalie, Click to continue reading...

Wow, something like 325 min without a goal in MLS play for Chivas USA! I wish I could say the same for Lance Parker! It seams like yesterday that the season started and Chivas USA was destroying everyone, I was sure we were going to be in the playoff's, and maybe the Championship game!....That was then, this is now!

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Switzerland is a country that is so immaculately clean that it is hard to imagine it having any flies. But if there are, then the place for them to be yesterday would have been on the wall of Rafa Benitez's temporary office in Badra Gaz.
Whatever was said between the Liverpool manager and the recently returned Javier Mascherano will rightly remain private but one can only imagine the tone of the conversation that took place. Click to continue reading...

The following comes to us from an Athletic Bilboa and Toronto FC fan:
Hi,
I found this article in a Spanish website:
The Basque striker says:
"Nada más volver de Holanda, tuve una oferta de Toronto, pero tenía tantas ganas de estar en casa... Llevaba como unos diez días y no pude ni hacer la primera maleta. Click to continue reading...

The U21 Championship finals between England and Germany are moments away and we can't wait to catch all the boys-to-men action.

Whilst we wait, with HD telly facial hair markers set to zoom, let's catch up on a few more of the players we've been enjoying during the tournament.

Manuel Neuer

Country: Germany
Team: Schalke
Position: Keeper
Claim to Fame: His nickname, Ducky, of course.

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The U21 Championship finals between England and Germany are moments away and we can't wait to catch all the boys-to-men action.

Whilst we wait, with HD telly facial hair markers set to zoom, let's catch up on a few more of the players we've been enjoying during the tournament.

Manuel Neuer

Country: Germany
Team: Schalke
Position: Keeper
Claim to Fame: His nickname, Ducky, of course.

Click to continue reading...

I am, I know, something of a broken record on this subject, but I've found more proof so bear with me.

It has been my contention that Bobby Zamora, while not playing as well as we might hope, has not been as bad as people say.� He has played in a team that does not emphasise attacking play, does not commit numbers to attack, which makes it easier for defenders to close down chances.

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The next match is upon us already: tonight (Friday) at 7:30 at Nelson Field the Aztex will once again host the Puerto Rico Islanders. This will be the Islanders' third visit to Austin, after a pre-season exhibition and one regular season game. Both of those previous matches ended in draws: 0-0 and 1-1, respectively. Click to continue reading...

Just a quick note: Last week's Tuesday Portrait of Maldini is this week's Maldini Monday feature over at A.C. Milan Offside. Many thanks to Gianfranco for the invitation.

There's a lot of great stuff for Milan fans in the Maldini Monday series. I especially enjoyed this clip from Paolo Maldini Il Film, which features tributes from Ronaldo and Zidane, among others.

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Photo: Twitpic by @CBielsteinWe had a nice, warm evening of soccer at Nelson Field last night, for yet another 1-1 Aztex draw. The Fox Soccer Channel cameras were there, and from the crowd to the performance on the field, I think Austin Aztex FC's national broadcasting debut went over pretty well. Click to continue reading...

Fingers crossed here for another good NFL day for the bird teams.  The Ravens I had with a win.  But the Cardinals?  Wow.  I just hope they didn't steal the Eagles' mojo.  (Nah ... an unworthy thought to be having this snowy NH Sunday.)  If Ravens can bring down Titans, certainly Eagles can bring down [. Click to continue reading...

This morning's post will likely be quick, as I've gotta make 2 dozen sandwiches for some soccer-game tailgating by 7:30 AM.  But enough about me! On Truthdig I came upon this Palin Perspective from John Dean (yes, that John Dean).  Basically he argues, rather damningly, that were a sitting President in the position of having to [. Click to continue reading...

I'm buzzing from that France performance. I wrote about it a bit already, but the buzz still hasn't subsided.

I'm wary of getting carried away with hyperbole, but Yoann Gourcuff was a revelation, I thought. Starting in that most coveted of positions, central attacking midfield, the number 10 position, the Zidane role, he had a fine debut, with any number of marauding runs forward.

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I love that line. And if you are a United supporter, you know what I am talking about here. Here is a little mojo to get you Black-and-Red fans in the mood for tonight's US Open Cup final in RFK Stadium. I will have more in a bit on this game but I wanted to [...] Click to continue reading...

Wow - I read today in the Swedish press that Pia has turned down an invitation from Dubya to visit the White House and be graced by his presence. I didn't actually think I could like him less today than I did on July 28 (just to select a random date).  But after watching his smirking [...] Click to continue reading...

Image by goddam via Flickr well, if a fan needed any more proof that the new york red bulls have started to turn things around this season, yesterday's game was exactly what we wanted to see.
sure, we had a rough start to the first half, looking a bit disorganized, but that quickly faded, and we became a SOCCER team. Click to continue reading...

Over a year ago in a column for Soccer Times, I recall noting that the great players like Ronaldinho were starting to burn out due to a non-stop season of club, European, and international matches - not to mention the promotional tours that reduce any off time to recharge. In Ronnie's case, we watched him degrade over time until it reached a point where some said he had "fallen out of love with football. Click to continue reading...

Mario Gomez's footwear is not built for speed

So far under Joachim Low, the Germans have looked flat in the first big tournament in the post Klinsmann era. The mojo is missing and it is missing badly, especially from Mario Gomez who missed an absolute sitter. All it required was a tap in from a Klose pass.

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After Chivas won their first ever season series with the LA Galaxy last night the weekend games in the MLS shape up to be just as big as last night's SuperClasico. We have a new leader in the west now in Chivas and teams like Dallas and Houston will have to play catch-up and hope [...] Click to continue reading...

I probably won't get into too much detail over the weekend games. I honestly got to see very little of them due to things going on around me right now. Plus it was a gorgeous weekend that I didn't want to miss out on. Anyways, a few things to discuss that are going on in the [...] Click to continue reading...