EPL Talk 22 November @ 04:28 PM EST
It's been a nice return to club football this weekend after all 32 countries are now locked in &
booked for South Africa next Summer. What a week it was though for memorable moments and
unforgettable photos in world football. Long will football fans remember the handball heard 'round
the world, the pain and dejection on the Irish players faces and moments of pure passion and joy
from other countries who will be playing their part in 2010.
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The Offside 22 November @ 04:21 PM EST
This is what MLS has been waiting for; a chance to show off their trophy player and their showcase
franchise, on the grandest stage they have to offer. In front of what is expected to be a
tremendous audience at QWest Field in Seattle, MLS stars will be shining brightly in one of the
[...]
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The Offside 22 November @ 09:44 AM EST
Fernando Amorebieta would make Hulk Hogan get all misty eyed with this performance. But where is
the follow up leg drop? (I hope some of you watched wrestling as kids . . . if not? That reference
just flew straight over your head) Now somebody get Messi an ice pack!
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The France-Ireland match and the aftermath have been extremely emotional for all involved.
The Match
France humiliated themselves with a pathetic performance, arguably the worst of the Domenech
era, which is saying something.
Ireland played very well, but blew multiple goal-scoring chances that would have booked their
spot in the World Cup.
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WorldCupBlog 21 November @ 09:46 PM EST
Didn't Sir Alex just finishing lecturing the FA on their media overexposure of
Wayne Rooney? Apparently, shedding a little bit of limelight his way isn't much of
an issue at all. The Scot didn't mince words when picking his favorite to win the 2010 World
Cup.
"I can't see past Brazil, actually," Ferguson was quoted in the Daily Mail.
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The Offside 21 November @ 04:49 PM EST
First, a confession: I kind of love Ipswich Town manager and former Ireland captain Roy Keane.
(Even though he terrifies me.) But I was glad it wasn't my cell phone going off in the middle of a
press conference this week. Because let's face it: the man is a bit...oh, [...]
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See The Cup 21 November @ 03:18 PM EST
Only 23 nations are going to the World Cup and the host nation won't even be there. Sounds
crazy? This is the world cup when one looks only at the nations of the coaches of the 32 squads.
The countries with more coaches? Germany and Argentina, each one has 3. And all the coaches from
the latter is heading a South American nation (Argentina, Chile and Paraguay).
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The Offside 21 November @ 11:00 AM EST
Best quote from this article on the National Health Service's plan to use footy fans' love of their
sport to get them to quit smoking: [M]ore than half of Liverpool fans say they would give up
smoking if their team won the League and FA Cup double more than for any other [...]
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Guus Hiddink could be making an announcement as early as next month about his future. He has a
contract with as Russia's head coach until the end of June 2010 and now with the failure to qualify
for the World Cup it is thought he will quit and become Technical Director at Chelsea. Hiddink had
[...]
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Is this the "new" mass threat to World Football (Soccer)?Dodgy referee decisions, intencional red
cards to leave your team with less men, own goals, off-sides not called, goalkeeping
mistakes...theoptions are long as "betting" money has entered as a possible factor ingame results.
In Germany they are investigating up to 200 games; local,Europa League & Champions League.
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The Offside 20 November @ 09:00 PM EST
Seven non-Titi related posts you may have missed during the last seven days... Japan sound the
horn. For silencing the horn. Tell us who your biggest international rival is. What they'll all be
wearing in Philadelphia next year. Who deserves the golden trashcan? Nothing like an international
break to recharge the old batteries New Zealand headed to South Africa thanks to [.
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The Offside 20 November @ 01:11 PM EST
It's difficult to answer that question with any precision. But seems the answer is "a lot more
corrupt than we realized". Because German prosecutors think it's corrupt enough that 200 games of
European football need to be investigating. Including 12 in the Europa League and at least three in
the Champions League.
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EPL Talk 20 November @ 12:42 PM EST
The appetite for commentary on the farce in Paris still seems strong, and I thought Arsene
Wenger had a very wise take on the entire situation today. Wenger is, obviously, a French
supporter and very close with Henry. In fairness to the Irish fans, the world football community,
and for the sake of Henry, he called for the game to be replayed.
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Nutmegged 20 November @ 11:56 AM EST
OK, after taking this week off to mostly just troll other blogs and not comment too much on MLS or
soccer in general after letting last week's loss sink in, I do have some thoughts on a rash of
topics:
(But before I begin, I have to tell you my favorite lines from anyone about events so far this
week.
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Redknapp sets sights on high profile wing wizard.
Spurs and Portsmouth both want to sign Marseille's Hatem Ben Arfa who has fallen out
with Didier Deschamps and his shiny black leather jacket. Ben Arfa has accused Deschamps of
"breaking his balls". Deschamps says he didn't break his balls, they were already broken and
actually he was only trying to fix them and he may have slightly chipped one while he was doing it
but it's not his fault if his balls are actually quite badly made and frankly quite cheap in the
first place.
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They Think It's All Over... considers Ireland's appeal to replay their match against France. Do
they have a chance? And what would it mean for football?
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Soccerblog 19 November @ 09:17 PM EST
Its not just the Egyptian and Algerian governments having a holy go at each other.
The replay request is now being echoed in the upper echelons of the Irish government as Brian
Cowen, the Irish PM is now suggesting that he will approach the French premier Nickolas Sarkozy to
discuss a replay and circumvent FIFA's objections.
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WorldCupBlog 19 November @ 09:00 PM EST
Qualification is officially over. Playoffs won, tears shed, hearts broken and dreams renewed,
it's all over. After Uruguay withstood the Costa Rican pressure late in the evening, the final 32
teams were written into stone though not without a fair bit of controversy.
The following are those 32 teams who will take part in South Africa 2010.
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WorldCupBlog 19 November @ 12:10 PM EST
The furor over last night's game will not settle down anytime soon. Not tomorrow, not next week,
not even before the traveling circus takes to South Africa next summer. Not unless something is
done to eradicate the impact of The Hand of Henry on the outcome of the game.
The Irish FA, of course you'd hear from them, have come up with a simple solution: replay the
game.
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WorldCupBlog 19 November @ 09:40 AM EST
The games didn't really have everything, did they? The results did some upsets, some heroics, a
few of the expected teams going in but outside of the one game which forced a playoff (Egypt 2
Algeria 0), some of these games were completely zapped of the necessary drama.
(Not, of course, that one played in the Stade de France.
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WorldCupBlog 19 November @ 07:10 AM EST
Without getting into a great deal of opinion, or any at all for that matter there's surely
plenty of that floating about it would probably be prudent to look into the words on each side of
the divide from those who were there, at the game and directly impacted. (What with it being one of
the most controversial games in World Cup Qualifying history and all.
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WorldCupBlog 19 November @ 05:10 AM EST
This is a picture of what's currently going down in the center of Paris. No, that is not a
Frenchman celebrating the lack of video replay in football. No, that is not an Irishman infuriated
by the lack of integrity by one Thierry Henry. Hell, it's not even the CEO of Caran d'Ache.
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In my EPL Talk piece yesterday, I discussed all of the reasons that Ireland's potential
qualification was better for World Football than France's would be. Much of this thought process
centered on the importance of American market to the success of the World Cup.
But alas, Giovanni Trapattoni's side was defeated at the hands of Thierry Henry's France.
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EPL Talk 19 November @ 01:07 AM EST
In my piece yesterday, I discussed all of the reasons that Ireland's potential qualification was
better for World Football than France's would be. I detailed my reasoning without any mention that
a group of hard working custodians of the game should not be denied by a group of talented but
unsporting cheats.
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WorldCupBlog 18 November @ 09:40 PM EST
The Algerian post-match celebrations.
[101GG]
- Hooligans force a player's premature retirement. (Dirty Tackle)
- The Diego Ban and How It Affects You (Futfanatico)
- Beginning the search for Scotland's next manager. (Inside Left)
- The vignettes of Finland.
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See The Cup 18 November @ 09:06 PM EST
No more. Done. Finito. Acabou. The fight for the 32 golden spots to play the most
exciting football (and sports) tournament on the planet has ended. Some big ones almost did not
manage. And some return after 24 years.
Today was the day for the last 6 squads to qualify. The brave (or lucky?
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WorldCupBlog 18 November @ 02:07 PM EST
Carlo Ancelotti closes in on Argentine sharp shooter.
Chelsea will push through a ÂŁ40m deal for Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero it was
reported today.
The Argentine international has been a long term target for the Stamford Bridge outfit and it
would appear that a deal will finally go through in January.
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WorldCupBlog 18 November @ 11:08 AM EST
In honour of today's Algeria vs Egypt showdown in Sudan, had planned on putting together a Top
10 Biggest International Rivalries post. But halfway through I realized it wasn't a great idea.
Your own national team's rivalry will always feel bigger than anyone else's, so why include some in
a Top 10 but not others?
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EPL Talk 18 November @ 09:01 AM EST
I'll admit that hearing many a pundit say that a World Cup without France would lose some of its
bite made my blood boil. Â I have nothing against French Football, and in fact cheered for them in
each of their four knock out stage matches of Germany 2006.
But from my perspective an Irish defeat today in Paris would be a defeat for football.
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Photographs of the USA's home jersey for the 2010 World Cup have been leaked.
Designed and manufactured by Nike, the new design features a white shirt with a prominent
diagonal line across the front of the shirt, which is a tribute to the 1950 US World Cup squad who
famously defeated England 1-0 in one of the greatest shocks in world football.
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The Offside 17 November @ 03:30 PM EST
With December fast-approaching, The Season is in the air. Christmas? Absolutely not. It's awards
season. The Argentine sensation known as Lionel Messi has already nabbed the Onze d'Or, a precursor
to the Ballon d'Or (with a heft more patriotism) which has predicted the BdO three times in the
last four years.
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WorldCupBlog 17 November @ 01:10 PM EST
It would seem this vuvuzela thing is, at the very least, unpopular. As a direct result of its
popularity, of course. Xabi Alonso left the Confederations Cup poo-pooing the vuvuzela and its
effect on the field of play. The cacophony a bit too intense for such things as hearing the
whistles and one's teammates not things entirely insignificant.
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