Honestly, for all the negative rhetoric spewed about United States national team's match on
Saturday in Massachusetts, you'd think they lost a game that actually mattered.
Here's the truth: Of the seven games Bob Bradley's squad will likely play over the next 22 days,
the drubbing to Spain was by far the least important.
Hercules club's victory over FC Barcelona has to be the biggest upset of recent times in
European football. The surprise factor became bigger considering the fact that it did took place at
the fort of Camp Nou, on one of the most important day in Catalunyan calendar. Most of us have
still not come to to terms with the defeat.
We are still six weeks away from the first El Clasico of the season but the rhetoric is already
at a mid- season level.
The news that the� Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) had lifted Jose Mourinho's touchline ban
imposed on him for poking his finger in the eye of� then Barcelona assistant manager Tito Vilanova
last season has not gone down well in Catalonia.
The Olympic Stadium decision will be announced this week, and the biggest question the legacy
committee will be asking themselves is what bad things will Karren Brady have to say about them if
they rule in favour of Tottenham?
She's conducted herself in a manner any unscrupulous politician in the world would be proud of
latched on to one key piece of rhetoric (promises, legacy, equating Tottenham with 'shaming
Britain') and subsequently ignored everything tangible about the Tottenham position.
Do you ever expect to win the league again while Wenger is manager at Arsenal?
I was listening to Talk Sport the other evening (I know, I know) when suddenly
they posed that question� and it� struck me like a bolt of lightning. I don't usually take too much
notice of the anti-Arsenal rhetoric that Adrian Durham spews out.
Sometimes the international break helps. And on occasion it can disrupt a team's momentum. Many
Gunners have only played 90 minutes during the fortnight and, arguably, at an intensity level
fairly below the Premiership level. Ideally, this should help Arsenal as the players will not 'lack
sharpness'.
Former Liverpool striker Stan Collymore has attacked a small section of the club's fans fans for
showing 'open dissent' towards manager Kenny Dalglish after the Swansea game at the weekend.
Fans were reportedly booing at Anfield on Saturday after Liverpool were played off the park, and
during Collymore's radio show on that night, there were a few very irate fans (Liverpudlians, it
should be added), who were vehemently castigating Dalglish for his perceived failings.
Liverpool forward Luis Suárez is expected to be interviewed by the Football Association next week
as investigations continue into allegations of racist abuse made by Manchester United defender
Patrice Evra following last Saturday's 1-1 draw between the two clubs at Anfield.
Suárez has strenuously denied accusations made by Evra that he uttered racial insults during the
Premier League fixture, with Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish insisting on Thursday that the club
remain "totally and utterly behind" the Uruguay international.
The game against Barcelona evoked a number of emotions among all Gooners. Most were infuriated
by the ref, some were disappointed with the performance, or by the tactics, or for any number of
reasons. As always, there were also those who came up with irrelevant and illogical rhetoric based
on their personal fancies that had very little to do with what happened on the pitch.
The Carlos Tevez transfer situation took another fascinating turn tonight as Tevez fired back
angrily after City had rejected his transfer request.
Yesterday Tevez shocked City by turning in this transfer request and this morning City fired
back, rejecting the request and putting all the blame at City's agent Kia Joorabchian.
The Carlos Tevez transfer situation took another fascinating turn tonight as Tevez fired back
angrily after City had rejected his transfer request.
Yesterday Tevez shocked City by turning in this transfer request and this morning City fired
back, rejecting the request and putting all the blame at City's agent Kia Joorabchian.
He's been here a week - who knows who the better Coach is - but football is often about bluff and
baloney and the man from Belfast has it in spades...or so it seems.
Memhet has a deep rich voice but his media efforts were poor, didn't inspire or excite the fans. He
couldn't explain his vision, looked frozen before the camera and when things got tough he had no
bluster or baloney to fall back on.
I was not present at the weekly Wenger press conference yesterday morning in the media room at
the Emirates -� but with so many websites posting up the video of it, I did not need to be.
The noise from the pond life scum, otherwise known as the British Press, this weekend will no
doubt be a negative one towards our transfer policy, based purely on the fact Wenger stated he
believes in his current crop of players.
Adequate is the word that I would use to describe Arsenals transfer window. It could have been
better but then again it could also have been worse. Watching the post match interview with Wenger
after our dismal Sunday last weekend left me feeling angry, deflated and pessimistic about our
future.
Its Christmas time and Arsenal are fighting for the title and being the optimist that I am, it
sure feels good. This squad looks set to go all the way. But we have been saying this for ages, so
there's something definitely that's bothering this team.
Last week we all witnessed an extraordinary series of events involving Liverpool. As things were
unfolding, I noticed a lot of rhetoric from the media and Liverpool fans alike. They were glad to
be finally rid of their owners (and rightfully so), but there was also a sentiment that because
"they're Liverpool" that they will now somehow be back to winning ways with a new owner.
Devoid as we are of international success it might be heartening that Scottish football is now
head and shoulders above any other country when it comes to releasing statements.
Today it was the turn of Clyde.
Quite explosive this one. It seems to nail as hollow some of the threats that have been made, it
questions the continued silence of most SPL clubs and draws attention once more to the uncertainty
that still surrounds the Charles Green owned Rangers newco.
We've heard the rhetoric from Klinsmann. Tonight will be his team's first test at playing the right
kind of nasty. Nearly a fortnight ago, the United States fell to visiting Brazil 4-1 at FedEx Field
outside of Washington, D.C. The ...
Visit http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com for the rest of the story.
Tweet"Robbed", "disgusted", "hard done by"... are phrases one may see as normal. But you may not
know that the use of this rhetoric this negative persona that is ingested by clubs and their
current manager is a tell-tale sign of � 'little-club syndrome'. Perhaps the biggest killer in
Premiership football.
At Gay4Soccer, a call to offer support to gay players and fans:
Imagine how David Testo's career would have gone if he didn't have supportive people to
come out to early on in his career while at the Columbus Crew. I'd like to think the kindness and
support of the players he told kept him in the game and standing strong against the on-field taunts
he's had to endure.
Intrigued by the nominations for Supporters of the Year in the SLeague. Normally SAFFC win it with
their neo super hero style outfits and dangerously young cheerleaders and of course they are in the
running again this year.
Looking at contenders this year, SAFFC, Gombak, Albirex Niigata and Young Lions, you get the
feeling that for all the rhetoric that comes out of the FAS about rebranding the game it's all just
same old, same old.
‘Football fans have been exposed to the type of policing historically that is probably
unfair and untargeted. I think it's evolved, I think it's moved on. My football unit police with
the best interests of football fans that are around safety and that's our principle driver. It's
not you and us at all.
There are different ways of interprating the latest comments of Barcelona's new signing Cesc
Fabregas, even if they might just be more of the usual rhetoric churned out for interviews, people
can reveal a lot when not on their guard.
Fabregas spoke of his joy at re-joining his boyhood club, and says he will relish the strong
competition for places in the star-studded lineup of the European Champions.
Whether you'd like to believe it or not, this is your triumph. I believe Bob was
relieved of his duties in large part due to your collective voices.
Like the last point in my optimistic piece, 5 positive influences on US Soccer in 2010,
suggested, I had never witnessed such a strong and sustained outcry for the head of our national
team coach.
Sentimments on a sensational, dramatic final, on the ascending quality of women's soccer and on
one particular word that really needs to be retired from the sports writing lexicon:
1. What a superb final. As we all know, caution rules and expectations rise in championship
deciders and the matches rarely deliver what we would call, on and around July 4 fireworks period,
the "big finish.
First things first, I'm not attacking the Chronicle. They are doing the best they can monitoring
the comments posted by users on their website, but sadly more than a few idiots still manage to get
their misguided nonsense through. I mentioned in a previous post that there was some racism (which
is fairly typical when it comes to soccer) but now there some sexism and more typical anti-soccer
rhetoric.
Apologies for the title taken from a Robbie Williams song. I would have preferred another song,
more earthier, more direct but there you go.
Questions are being raised about the authenticity of a fax allegedly sent from FIFA to the
Indonesian FA, PSSI, calling on the Indonesian body to impose sanctions on the breakaway Liga
Primer Indonesia.
