Earlier this week, I realized I hadn't done a Hat Trick and Question of the Day since before the
MLS SuperDraft. Yikes. There have been very good reasons for this though: Between covering the
draft in Kansas City, looking at the St. Louis soccer landscape and interviewing both current and
former members of the Fire organization, it's been a very good time to write for Hot Time in Old
Town.
The long, long, long dispute between a group of players from Trinidad & Tobago's 2006 World Cup
squad and their national football federation reached a new but not yet final phase today when many
of the physical assets of the federation were seized by order of the Trinidadian High Court. (The
original article is located here.
USA 2014 World Cup Squad Projection Version 1.5 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog
It's been a few months since the initial projection and it's changed a bit with several
friendlies taking place. Overall, the core of the team remains the same with the final spots still
unclear. This projection is of what the team (23 man squad) will be for the World Cup (in 2014) and
not during qualifying.
Since the transfer window came into force during the 2002-03 season, Spurs have been one of the
most active clubs in terms of players arriving at and leaving White Hart Lane.
After a fairly quiet window by their standards – signing trio Yago Falque, Louis Saha and Ryan
Nelsen all on free transfers, let's take a look at seven players signed for big money during the
January period.
The Daily Mirror is reporting that England manager Fabio Capello is said to be furious over the
sacking today of his captain John Terry.
According to the report Capello fought for Terry to remain as England captain until the bitter
end and only accepted the FA's decision with extreme reluctance.
If the January U.S. Men's National Team camp was all about wins, adding Jermaine Jones might
have been the correct decision. That has never been the case.
The January camps, instead, have always been about giving deserving, often overlooked, players
in their offseason a chance to impress while their more established European colleagues are in the
midst of their season.
WARREN GATLAND'S Wales are looking to create a Manchester United-type youth dynasty which ensures
the Dragons remain at the top of world rugby for years to come.
Gatland's bold decision to go with young guns at the World Cup reaped rich rewards, with Wales
reaching the last four and leading pundits across the globe predicting a golden future for Sam
Warburton, George North, Toby Faletau, Rhys Priestland and Lloyd Williams.
In tribute to some little heroes
HE'D JUST set up the winning goal and was standing with the goalscorer, in front of the Sky
reporter, ready to hand him the man of the match champagne – but Charlie Adam had one thing he
really wanted to say. "I'd like to dedicate the win to Brad Jones who had a difficult week losing
his son.
Welcome back, Maura Gladys
For a little more than three weeks, the possibilities seemed endless for the U.S. Women's
National Team. On Oct. 27, Pia Sundhage named the 30 players headed into a two-week training camp
in Arizona, to prepare for their upcoming match against Sweden.
Gary Gardner stepped onto the Colchester pitch in place of Blackburn's Jason Lowe in the 62nd
minute with England leading 2-0 against Iceland in their Euro 2013 qualifier tonight. Barely more
than half an hour later, the referee blew the final whistle and scoreboard read 5-0; Gardner adding
two sublime late goals and a lot more to his growing reputation.
The above quote is lifted from the Rangers fan forum and is not referring to Matty actually but to
Thomas Broich and Mitch Nichols, who they merrily discuss their club's prospects of poaching, given
what they see as the bargain purchase of Matty.
The page about Matty, which begins when the first talk of the transfer emerged, goes for 50 pages.
Fresh off their 5-3 triumph over a highly rated Chelsea side at Stamford Bridge, the
early-season talk of Arsenal as overmatched and immature may now be in need of a fresh
reconsideration.
Manchester United gave every Gunner the pain of endless scorn and ribbing following their 8-2
collapse against the champions, and early moments of dramatic heartbreak still linger in the club
without influential Jack Wilshere and adjusting to deadline-day additions.
At some point we have to ask that question, don't we? I'm one of the bigger Walcott fans around
here, but it certainly seems that his play has leveled off a bit, or even declined since last year.
At the very least, it certainly doesn't seem like his arrow is still pointing up, and at the age of
22, we have to start wondering if this is as good as it's going to get.
After a horrendous Africa Cup qualifying campaign that saw the Super Eagles bundled out of the
2012 footballling showpiece, Nigeria coach Samson Siaisa has pleaded with his country to give him
more time to find his winning formula.
Nigeria failed to make it to the biannual tournament for the first time since 1996.
By Chris Wright
"Another wee dram Colonel?"
You'll be glad to know that Paul Gascoigne is not dead...yet, and that he's also been
reminiscing with Piers Morgan (for the ruddy-faced bounder's tear-milking Life Stories television
show) about the time he visited Libya, snooted enough fluff to down a Stegosaurus and then took the
fruits of Colonel Gaddafi's loins out on the lash around gay Tripoli:
"I went to Libya when I played for Middlesbrough and took Gaddafi's two sons out and got them
absolutely lamped.
By Chris Wright
After missing the entire 1993/94 season with a chronic ankle injury, Milan leggenda
Marco van Basten was coerced into ruling himself out Holland's '94 World Cup squad that summer and
was eventually forced to admit defeat in his bid to recover following several surgeries officially
announcing his retirement from the game (aged just 28) on August 17th, 1995 after spending another
year in fruitless rehabilitation.
Photo: Daniel Gajdamowicz
For nearly 150 years, eleven men have been stepping onto a soccer field prepared to attack and
defend against their opponent as a unit.
It happens every day all across the world. How often do we think of the significance of the
number, 11?
The friendly that the United States played against Mexico in Philadelphia on August 10brought
back a historical tradition.
Less than two weeks ago, Arsenal legend George Eastham celebrated his 75th birthday, in
comfortable retirement in South Africa. He is best remembered by his peers as a skillful inside
forward with an exceptional eye for a pass. Qualities that led to 19 England caps and selection to
the 1966 World Cup squad.
Stoke sign two 'immature underachievers' plus why Hutton and O'Hara aren't missing
Spurs
Until recently, Stoke City's dressing room wall featured a poster with the headline ‘On 29th
June 2010 Two Planes Landed In England', complete with contrasting photos of England's failed World
Cup squad returning to Heathrow and the coffins of British soldiers from the Afghanistan conflict
being repatriated.
Optimism is abound at Anfield following a busy, yet successful transfer window period, in which
numerous players of quality arrived.
Charlie Adam, Stewart Downing, Jose Enrique and Craig Bellamy are all established names with proven
track records at their respective clubs prior to joining Liverpool.
John Aloisi: helping or hurting? - originally posted on Soccerlens.com
With A-League clubs beginning to convince the younger and fitter members of Australia's golden
generation to return to antipodean shores, the moves come with a warning from the country's
favourite penalty-taker, John Aloisi.
By Chris Wright
Read any Djalminha retrospective and the same words seem to crop up; brilliant, mercurial,
elusive, tumultuous, profligate, turbulent and it's little wonder why.
Having intermittently illuminated Spanish football with his extrovert brand of grace and skill
after arriving at Deportivo La Coruna in 1997 (including a starring role in their title-winning
side of 1999/2000), Djalminha looked a shoe-in for a spot in Brazil's 2002 World Cup squad right up
until he pressed the self-destruct button two days before Phil Scolari was due to announce his
final draft headbutting Deportivo coach Javier Irureta during a training ground scuffle.
By Chris Wright
Read any Djalminha retrospective and the same words seem to crop up; brilliant, mercurial,
elusive, tumultuous, profligate, turbulent and it's no wonder why.
Having intermittently illuminated Spanish football with his extrovert brand of grace and skill
after arriving at Deportivo La Coruna in 1997 (including a starring role in their title-winning
side of 1999/2000), Djalminha looked a shoe-in for a spot in Brazil's 2002 World Cup squad right up
until he pressed the self-destruct button two days before Phil Scolari was due to announce his
final draft headbutting Deportivo coach Javier Irureta during a training ground scuffle.
By Chris Wright
Woke up feeling decidedly 'irie', and as such felt compelled to put together a ten-strong
gallery of Robert Nesta Marley indulging in his first love...
Marley practices his kick-ups after a match in Paris against a team of French celebrities
was cancelled due to bad weather, 1977
Marley has a backstage kick-about with rest of The Wailers, 1976
Bob Marley and the Wailers play football at an empty stadium in Brussels while waiting to
sound-check before kicking off the Belgian leg of the Exodus Tour, 1977
Marley relaxes with a soda after playing a game alongside Paolo Cesar Caju (a member of
Brazil's 1970 World Cup squad) at Brazilian musician Chico Buarque's private pitch in Rio,
1980
Marley pulls on a 'Pele 10′ Santos shirt during a visit to the Brazilian club's stadium in
Rio, 1980
Marley plays football with the 'Am/Jam' Team (America and Jamaica) against Haiti in Miami,
September 1980 he was diagnosed with cancer two days later and died in May the following
year
Bonus footage of Marley in action.
By Chris Wright
Arise Sir Willie 'Bud' McClure Johnston, formerly of Rangers and West Brom, who, during the
first of his one-season stints with the Vancouver Whitecaps and coming months after he'd been
reprimanded for celebrating a goal by mooning the opposing team's bench, further etched his name in
the annals of footballing folklore by swigging from a bottle of beer offered to him by a fan before
whipping in a corner for his teammate to nod home.
Tragic news out of Japan as Naoki Matsuda succumbs two days later after suffering a suspected
heart attack. Matsuda was just 34 years. He collapsed on the pitch during a routine warm up at
current club Matsumoto Yamaga and rushed to the hospital where he was put on artificial life
support systems but never gained consciousness.
Hope Solo of course gets the most attention in these parts of the ladies on the United States
Women's World Cup squad. Some of that is due to her growing up in our state and playing for the
Huskies, it is also because she's quite good. The other most recognizable name for Sounders fans
that have only casually watched the games is Alex Morgan.
USWNT WORLD CUP INJURY FACTS
What percent of the US Women's National Team 2011 FIFA World Cup squad have torn their
ACL's and come back after surgery and rehab?
28.5%
Of the 21 players on the US World Cup roster, 6 players have torn their ACL in their pro
or college career.
How hard it must be for baseball in America right now. Ongoing sagas with the Dodgers and the
Clemens trial and then a most unspeakable tragedy of the fan falling headfirst for a foul ball, it
really can't get much worse for baseball. There's sadness at every turn, including an all-star game
that is not relevant at all.
Saturday
- Having just returned from her latest holiday in Baleares Island, Spain with Frank 'The
Sun has my bare bum exposed, how do you like me now?' Lampard, Christine Bleakely's "Daybreak"
co-host, Adrian Chiles, declared her skin colouring to be a shade of 'burnt bacon brown' on live
telly.
By Chris Wright
Presenting the first installment of a new, off-season series we'll be featuring semi-regularly
on Pies over the summer 'On This Day In...'
Having somehow wriggled his way into Enzo Bearzot's 'final 22′ despite not having played a
competitive game for nigh-on two years after getting himself caught up in the 'Totonero'
match-fixing scandal in 1980, a palpable wave of derision accompanied Juventus striker Paolo
Rossi's inclusion in Italy's 1982 World Cup squad with both the fans and the nation's media pouring
scorn on Bearzot for frittering away a place in the squad on a man who was clearly not
match-fit.
Liverpool youngster Dani Pacheco is hoping to make an impact for both club and country this
summer.
The Spanish starlet enjoyed a successful loan spell with Norwich City at the end of last season,
helping the Canaries to Npower Championship promotion and a place in the English top flight next
season.
Liverpool youngsters Jack Robinson and Andre Wisdom have been named in the England squad for the
forthcoming U20 World Cup finals in Colombia.
The Reds pair are part of coach Brian Eastick's 21-man squad, which will warm up for the finals
with a 10-day training camp in Denver, Colorado in America from July 14.
SOURCE: REPUBLICAThe All Nepal Football Association (ANFA) on Tuesday said that the football
governing body has not taken any action against striker Santosh Sahukhala.
"We have not taken any disciplinary action against Sahukhala and excluding him from the World Cup
squad is the technical decision taken by the coach.
LINEUP
USA: 1-Hope Solo; 11-Ali Krieger, 19-Rachel Buehler, 3-Christie Rampone (capt.), 6-Amy
LePeilbet; 9-Heather O'Reilly, 7-Shannon Boxx, 10-Carli Lloyd, 12-Lauren Cheney; 8-Amy Rodriguez,
20-Abby Wambach
Subs: 2-Heather Mitts, 4-Becky Sauerbrunn, 5-Kelley O'Hara, 13-Alex Morgan, 14-Stephanie Cox,
15-Megan Rapinoe, 16-Lori Lindsey, 17-Tobin Heath 18-Nicole Barnhart, 21-Jill Loyden
LINEUP NOTES
- The USA makes its 2011 FIFA Women' World Cup debut in all white uniforms.
Below is an article by Mark Segal concerning Joe Cole's frustrating descent to bit-part
player...
"When you're older, you'll be able to tell your grandchildren you
were at Upton
Park the day Joe Cole signed his first professional contract.
Photo by Jose L. Argueta/ISIphotos.com
By THOMAS FLOYD
WASHINGTON - Fair or not, U.S. national team coach Bob Bradley has been much-maligned for his
reluctance to deviate from a traditional 4-4-2 formation and the core player contingent that fills
it.
Following on from Peter Reid and Bryan Robson can we expect the Thai FA to continue to look to
England's World Cup squad for its coaches? Specifically the midfield?
In that case can we expect to hear that Steve Hodge has been announced as the new Thai coach? Or
Trevor Steven? Or even Ray Wilkins?
Under-21 Euro 2011: Players To Watch - originally posted on Soccerlens.com
With no senior tournament for Europe this summer, it is the chance for the next
generation to shine. Here are eleven youngsters hoping to catch the eye at the forth coming 2011
Under 21 European Championships in Denmark.
U.S. head coach Pia Sundhage has named Kelley O'Hara to the Women's World Cup squad, replacing the
injured Lindsay Tarpley, who underwent successful ACL surgery yesterday.
The 22-year-old O'Hara, a talented and tenacious flank midfielder, won the 2009 Hermann Trophy as
college soccer's top player after her senior season at Stanford University.
