Liverpool failed to fill the void left by Andy Carroll's departure because the club's owners
refused to sanction a £7 million deal for the former Fulham player Clint Dempsey.
Brendan Rodgers, the Liverpool manager, spent transfer deadline day trying to convince his
hierarchy of the need to secure the American international.
Maybe it wasn't all that surprising after all, considering that one of FC Dallas' bigger needs
in recent history was a quality striker. Of course, FCD addressed that, at least partly, by the
offseason signing of veteran Panamanian forward Blas Perez and when he's been on the field, "Super
Raton" has been great.
Its a busy time of the "summer", orange fans. I put sarcastic quotation marks around "summer"
because I am starting my fourth week of school, without a shred of sympathy for grade school
children bemoaning the end of their breaks. Also, I'm a bit scienced-out for the week, so I'm going
to let Opta add the science to the beautiful game as long as everyone is cool with that.
I have a new man-crush. Well, it's not really new, it's an old one that keeps coming back. It
comes around the time of every USMNT game. Mr. Tim Howard, I salute you and your cat-reflexes. What
a game, huh? I understand it was "just" a friendly, we got killed in the stats, and perhaps luck
was on our side, but all that aside, the American side won.
There has been quite a lot written over the last few days on the subject of the Olympic Games
and its various interactions with association football. A lot of this in particular the hand-
wringing chip wrapper fodder about how the behaviour of competitors over last couple of weeks has
somehow 'shamed' our national game but there is perhaps a grain of a point to be made about the
different feeling that Olympic football has had about it in comparison with the standard, bread and
butter that we usually imbibe to the point of intoxication.
More than 14,000 tickets have been sold for the USA-China match at PPL Park in Chester, Pa. on May
27 (kickoff 7 p.m. ET) so if you haven't got your tickets yet, now might be a good time.
The home to the Philadelphia Union of Major League Soccer seats 18,500, so with a week to go until
the match, the crowd should make for a fantastic atmosphere as the U.
Having kicked off this year's season preview with a rather downbeat post on the state of affairs at
Blackburn, we take a more positive turn today as former Smog Blog supremo Mike Baker assesses
Middlesbrough's largely brand new squad. Typical. Until April 2012 I ran a small Middlesbrough
blog, which was going well until boredom – both with what I was watching and events ‘off the
field' – put paid to progress and I killed it.
After leaving the Philadelphia Union, Joe Tait traveled around Europe and attempted to find a
new job. He spent time in Scandanavia after training with his boyhood club, Middlesbrough, but
nothing came of either of those trips.
Now the former Hartlepool United defender has returned to his home country of England to attempt
to resume his playing career.
We continue our series of historical videos of the clubs of the Football League Championship
this morning with Birmingham City, and six matches from the years between 1975 and 2007. Our first
match is a trip to Hillsborough for an FA Cup semi-final against Fulham in 1975, and our second
match is from the following year, a trip to Filbert Street to play Leicester City in a league match
from December 1976 which features a devastating performance from Kenny Burns.
One of the most protracted deals in Spurs' recent history finally came to an end on Sunday as
the club announced the signing of Ajax captain Jan Vertonghen. The Belgian defender joins us as the
second signing under Andre Villas-Boas' reign and will complete the deal after a medical.
There is a strong current of opinion among some Arsenal supporters that our seven year winless
streak is a disgrace.
The argument goes like this: "Arsenal are a big club. Big clubs win things. We haven't won
anything for seven years. Therefore... our manager isn't good enough; our Board of Directors lack
ambition; they're only interested in money.
For the last decade, the English national team has followed a comfortable and somewhat regular
pattern. First, aside from 2008, qualify for an international soccer tournament. Second, assemble a
roster of the EPL's top goalscorers. Third, optimistically (or naively or unreasonably) set the bar
high.
Fernando Torres netted a hat-trick for Chelsea in their 6-1 demolition against QPR, following up
with his decisive goal in the Nou Camp to help Chelsea beat Barcelona and book their place in the
Champions League final.
So, surely this means the old Torres is back? Not exactly, in my opinion.
Following United's shock defeat to Wigan on Wednesday night, City coach Roberto Mancini has said
that he will include controversial striker Mario Balotelli will feature in the Premier League
decider against United at the Etihad Stadium later on this month.
Mancini who had earlier stated that he would not play the forward again seems to have had a
change of heart arising from Wednesday's loss.
Christ that made for disturbing viewing. Somebody get me a glass of the good stuff, preferably
of Laphroaig 27-year-old. This is going to be a long, rough evening.
On a binge
It's a safe bet that John Terry left Craven Cottage late Monday night wandering what the hell
had just happened.
Firstly, I would like to say a big thank you for all the comments and feedback on yesterday's
piece on the Red and White letter, ostensibly sent to the board, but actually written for our
'benefit'. I realise that my opinion may be one that you wholeheartedly disagree with I wish to see
Usmanov as far away from the club I love as possible, while many view him as a potential wind of
positive change but the debate was a fascinating one.
TweetSome would say it is ironic that, in this most turbulent of seasons in Chelsea's recent
history, Roman Abramovich's holy grail of winning the Champions League is finally realised. In
Munich last Saturday, Roberto Di Matteo achieved what esteemed figures such as Jose Mourinho, Luis
Felipe Scolari and Carlo Ancelotti could not.
I want to use today to focus on Bayern Munich and the different clips and comments that have come
out of their camp this week as we look to build up to Saturday's final. I will use comments from
different people in separate posts to discuss them on here in detail as I am keen to get you, the
football fan reading, your opinion.
Liverpool make their third Wembley visit, this time to face Chelsea in the FA Cup Final. The
clubs are more than familiar with one another, having played twice already and set for a fourth and
final date at Anfield three days after they determine who'll be taking home the FA Cup Trophy.
Neither side were overly impressive midweek in their respective losses, but recent history tells us
that tomorrow's got the making of a fascinating and potentially volatile cup final.
Morning all and what better way to kick off your Saturday than a massive game of football?
Make no mistake, today's game is huge. Not just because of the opposition and the recent history
we have with them, but because of our need for points in the race for a top four finish, and
ideally a third place one.
The second uniform for FC BARCELONA for season 2013 - 2014 has been "leaked" as the below image
highlights. For the first time in the Clubs 113 years founded by Swiss , English & local Spaniards,
the Club takes literally its "recent history objetive" of representating the "Region of Catalunya".
The colours & print are the same as the "Senyera", the name given to the flag of Cataluña.
This is the kind of match that only pro Soccer can host. A team representing one of the largest,
most modern metro areas in the world, Los Angeles, takes on a team coming from a second-world
country of a town of 19,000 people. Metapan of El Salvador would seem like a huge underdog, but
they're not.
Metapan (is 30 miles outside of Santa Ana-which has a population of more than 200,000 and their own
Soccer team) is a significant underdog, especially playing as a visiting team at the Home Depot
Center in Los Angeles on Thursday night, starting at 10pm Eastern on Fox Soccer.
After the announcement that the US Open Cup Final rights were awarded to Sporting Kansas City
over Seattle fans of the Sounders took to twitter to vent frustration. The lack of transparency,
the claims that the bids were tied and USSF's general disinterest in Seattle and the Pacific
Northwest fuelded the vitriol.
Jair Benitez has to rank as one of the more polarizing FC Dallas players not just this year but in
recent history. While some Dallas supporters love his pace and ability to get up and down the left
flank at will, an aptitude which comes in handy with the club being coached by someone who likes to
see his fullbacks get involved in the attack, others lament his being out of position,
hotheadedness and general bonehead plays
The fifth round of Conmebol World Cup qualifying is set to take place this weekend, and Leo
Messi and Argentina are hoping this is the round where they claim first place in the standings.
Argentina will look to overtake Uruguay in the table this weekend, but the albiceleste will need
a result at home against Ecuador in arguably the biggest match of the fifth round of Conmebol World
Cup qualifying.
Dare I utter the blasphemous words? Has it come to this? Very well, here goes: It's time to allow
Robin van Persie to leave the Arsenal for pastures new. And we, the Arsenal masses, should wish him
a fond farewell with our blessing.
Before you denounce me with venomous bile, let me clarify my position: I want RVP, our
goal-scoring talisman who has spearheaded our ascent to third in the Premier League with his haul
of goals, to stay at the Emirates.
As has happened before in the recent history of the club, the battle to save Darlington FC went
to the wire. Another deadline was hanging over the club this week with the a threat of liquidation
waiting on the other side of it, but yesterday afternoon it was confirmed that the Darlington 1883Â
group, which has been battling to keep the club alive in this incarnation since the beginning to
the year.
Fun Fact: The Sub In This Ad Shares Many Features With RBNY's Tyler RuthvenBack
safe and sound in the crystal clear waters of the mighty Passaic River, SUB WATCH returns for Week
6 as the New York Red Bulls take on the San Jose Earthquakes' stingy D and their star striker Chris
Wondolowski.
