***Official Soccer Discussion Thread*** (4 Viewers)

[PIK95]

<-- Spurs

My almost six year old son has been a Spurs fan for a couple of years now and even has a Spurs flag over his bed. You better put him on the list. He is also a fan of Italy as he's half and "Papa Mike" came from there. As for Spurs he thinks Luca Modric should change his name to Luke "his name" and he thinks "Gareth Bale runs the fastest but Van Der Vart has a better shot." He also said "Luca Modric is the best on Spurs because he has tricky moves." As for his general EPL thoughts...."Nani dives on the ground too much because thats what everyone does in Portugal." "Wayne Rooney is the best player in England, even better than Drogba." "Nobody likes Chelsea...or the Yankees." "I don't like Blackburn but I like Blackpool." "Van Persie should have stayed on the Netherlands." "How come Robbin isn't on Spurs, they could use him." "Why would Fernando Torres want to leave Liverpool?" "Is it because of their name?" "Liver-Pool.....that's silly" "Steven Gerrard will never leave Liverpool, right dad?" He helps make Saturday mornings great at our house. And he loves soccer like no other. Last week I was watching a match, Pool-Wig I think. My almost two year old daughter walks into the room, looks at the TV and says "Is that Man-Chesta dad?" Good times!

It could be worse. My son's a Chelsea supporter . He came by it honestly because his godfather is from West London.

That's awful. How old is your son? BTW put me down for Celtic now that you mentioned it. And why am I so far down the Pool list?

 

[Steve Tasker]

BTW put me down for Celtic now that you mentioned it. And why am I so far down the Pool list?

I think it goes by how quickly the person responded to the initial post.

 

[The Gator]

<-- Spurs

My almost six year old son has been a Spurs fan for a couple of years now and even has a Spurs flag over his bed. You better put him on the list. He is also a fan of Italy as he's half and "Papa Mike" came from there. As for Spurs he thinks Luca Modric should change his name to Luke "his name" and he thinks "Gareth Bale runs the fastest but Van Der Vart has a better shot." He also said "Luca Modric is the best on Spurs because he has tricky moves." As for his general EPL thoughts...."Nani dives on the ground too much because thats what everyone does in Portugal." "Wayne Rooney is the best player in England, even better than Drogba." "Nobody likes Chelsea...or the Yankees." "I don't like Blackburn but I like Blackpool." "Van Persie should have stayed on the Netherlands." "How come Robbin isn't on Spurs, they could use him." "Why would Fernando Torres want to leave Liverpool?" "Is it because of their name?" "Liver-Pool.....that's silly" "Steven Gerrard will never leave Liverpool, right dad?" He helps make Saturday mornings great at our house. And he loves soccer like no other. Last week I was watching a match, Pool-Wig I think. My almost two year old daughter walks into the room, looks at the TV and says "Is that Man-Chesta dad?" Good times!

It could be worse. My son's a Chelsea supporter . He came by it honestly because his godfather is from West London.

I was trying to teach my one year old the words to "#### off Chelsea FC" last weekend, but my wife's backhand put a stop to it.

 

[PIK95]

BTW put me down for Celtic now that you mentioned it. And why am I so far down the Pool list?

I think it goes by how quickly the person responded to the initial post.

Oh, OK. I am their biggest fanboy alive ya know. I'm spinning gerry & the pacemakers on repeat as I type this even.

 

[El Floppo]

Big games this weekend, per the NYTimes:

SaturdayManchester United vs. Crawley TownEnglish F.A. Cup, Old Trafford, Manchester, 12:15 PM ETIn olden times, the magic of the English F.A. Cup gave little-known amateurs the chance to play the soccer greats on a winner-takes-all basis. If the romance still lives, then Sergio Torres will score a goal Saturday against Manchester United at Old Trafford stadium.This is not the Torres who cost Chelsea £50 million, or $81 million, but his namesake, who paid his own passage from Mar del Plata in Argentina to chase the dream of playing in England.Seven years have passed, and Sergio Torres has stacked supermarket shelves and at 27 has yet to play on the field of giants.He has a delightful attitude toward the sport, open and fresh and up for the challenge of playing against a team that ranks 94 places and 5 leagues above him.But all is not romance: Crawley is the biggest spender, by far, in its own league, financed by secretive overseas backers after its previous owner, Azwar Majeed, was jailed for fraud.Chelsea vs. EvertonEnglish F.A. Cup, Stamford Bridge, London, 7:30 AM ETNo place here for Fernando Torres, either. He is barred from the Cup because he played in an earlier round for Liverpool.Chelsea will instead field Didier Drogba, its leading scorer since 2004, in an attempt to progress in the competition it won last season. A Premier League rematch in the F.A. Cup.Borussia Dortmund vs. St. PauliGerman Bundesliga, Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, 9:30 AM ETThe whisperers grow louder, and the chasing pack hopes that two successive drawn games and the long-term injury to Shinji Kagawa heralds the decline of Dortmund. Borussia’s coach says nonsense; as soon as the team gets back to basics, it will win again.A lead of 10 points in the Bundesliga will not evaporate in February, though the Hamburg team St. Pauli is on a roll of three consecutive victories to pull away from relegation.SundayNapoli vs. CataniaItalian Serie A, San Paolo stadium, Naples, 2:45 PM ETLike Crawley, Naples has looked down the barrel of bankruptcy and risen again. The southern Italian team, fired by South American strikers, is defying the odds.It has Serie A’s leading scorer, Edinson Cavani, and after 25 matches, Napoli still splits the Milan giants at the top of the standings.On paper, and on form, lowly Catania should not stop the euphoria down south.Corinthians vs. SantosFutebol Brasileiro, Alfredo Schurig stadium, São Paulo, 2:00 PM ETThere has to be life after Ronaldo and Roberto Carlos for Corinthians. An era of repatriating aging stars ended with Ronaldo’s retirement, and Roberto Carlos’s opting for life in the Russian league.Corinthians must find a new way to stop the likes of Santos, whose own effort to hold on to the youngsters Neymar and Ganso is a race against time and money. Chelsea remains eager for the striker Neymar, and A.C. Milan is closing in on the attacking midfielder Ganso.Leyton Orient vs. ArsenalEnglish F.A. Cup, Brisbane Road, London, 11:30 AM ETDown from the clouds after beating Barcelona, Arsenal travels just a handful of kilometers to the humble East London home of the Os.Leyton Orient has been around since 1881, but its existence has largely been hand-to-mouth, Cinderella stuff.But even now, as it fears the proposed move of West Ham United onto its territorial patch once the 2012 Olympic Games are over, the team sniffs a chance to startle the top guns of Arsenal.You beat Barça? Good job. Now welcome to Brisbane Road, capacity 9,271, but no less loved by its supporters.If there is the slightest hint of a Champions League hangover, the Os will run and run until Arsenal’s stars have had enough. That, too, is the allure of the oldest cup competition on earth.

 

[jonessed]

Gattuso charged after Jordan fracas

February 17, 2011

AC Milan midfielder Gennaro Gattuso has been charged with gross unsporting conduct, UEFA has announced.

Gattuso, the Milan captain on the night, clashed with Tottenham coach Joe Jordan during Spurs' 1-0 Champions League win at the San Siro, and is now set to be punished by UEFA - with a lengthy ban likely.

UEFA's control and disciplinary body will discuss the case against the 33-year-old Italian on February 21.

Former Rangers midfielder Gattuso, who was booked during the match and also clashed repeatedly with Tottenham striker Peter Crouch, headbutted Jordan before being led away.

Gattuso had already been cautioned in the game for a rash challenge on Steven Pienaar, after which the Italian repeatedly hit the turf in anger. That booking ensured that Gattuso will serve a one-game suspension, missing the second leg at White Hart Lane on March 9. But that ban is certain to be extended when UEFA discuss the case.

Milan vice-president Adriano Galliani has appealed for leniency from the governing body. He said: "What he did was an unpleasant episode that was not good, but he was heavily provoked. Of course you should not react like that but do not condemn everything.

"Gattuso has played 104 games in Europe and has been sent off once, in 2003 after a clash with [Zlatan] Ibrahimovic, who is now his team-mate. In 25 years, since [silvio] Berlusconi became president of the company, Milan's conduct has been exemplary.''

Galliani added: "We are not thinking of stripping the vice-captaincy from Gattuso.''

UEFA rules stipulate a minimum three-match ban for assault, although the governing body have the power to dole out lengthier suspensions in exceptional cases.

Gattuso's agent Claudio Pasqualin has since stated that Jordan had used provocative language towards the midfielder prior to their clash. However, Spurs have declined to make an official comment on his claims.

Gattuso later apologised for his actions, saying: "I lost control. There is no excuse for what I did. I take my responsibilities for that.

"I didn't want to argue with players and I did it with him, but I was wrong to do what I have done.''

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story/_/...conduct?cc=5901Heavily provoked my butt.

Yeah, he was going nuts all game. The ref looked astonished when he threw the hissy fit on the ground after the yellow card, he kept getting into fights with Crouch, he engaged Jordan twice. I'm surprised Milan are going to keep him as a captain. Not just for the shame he has thrown onto the club, but for the fact that you just can't have a captain that's a constant loose cannon.

 

[NewlyRetired]

This should round out the final pieces in the MLS national TV schedule

======================================================

NEW YORK – Major League Soccer and FOX Soccer announced on Friday that they have extended the network’s national broadcast rights agreement for one year.

The premier soccer-only channel in North America will broadcast up to 31 regular-season games, plus three exclusive MLS Cup Playoff matches including a Conference Final – all in high definition. The package includes 15 matches on Saturday nights and 14 on Friday nights; 20 of those 31 broadcast windows are exclusive to FOX Soccer.

“FOX Soccer has been a tremendous partner for MLS for many years and we are very happy that we have been able to extend the relationship,” said MLS President Mark Abbott. “Through both its news coverage and its extensive schedule of MLS games, Fox Soccer allows MLS fans across the country to follow their club as well as their rivals.”

FOX Soccer schedule this season begins with the MLS Cup Champion Colorado Rapids hosting the Portland Timbers in the expansion club’s inaugural MLS match as part of First Kick presented by ****’s Sporting Goods. Other highlights of the FOX Soccer lineup include five games between regional rivals, a clash of the two winningest teams in MLS history (LA Galaxy vs. D.C. United, June 3), and late season conference matchups that are bound to have playoff implications and high tension.

“We’re extremely pleased to be home to MLS – the gold standard for soccer in the US - for our ninth straight season,” said FOX Soccer Executive Vice President and General Manager David Nathanson. “FOX Soccer is committed to providing soccer fans in America the best coverage possible, and this extension helps us keep that commitment.”

FOX Soccer has been a national broadcast partner of MLS since 2003.

Complete FOX Soccer schedule

Date Time (ET) Match (home team listed first)

Sat, March 19 9:00 pm Colorado Rapids vs. Portland Timbers

Fri, March 25 * 10:00 pm Seattle Sounders FC vs. Houston Dynamo

Fri, April 1 * 7:30 pm Columbus Crew vs. FC Dallas

Fri, April 8 * 9:00 pm FC Dallas vs. Colorado Rapids

Sat, April 16 7:00 pm Toronto FC vs. D.C. United

Fri, April 22 * 9:30 pm Colorado Rapids vs. Seattle Sounders FC

Sat, April 23 11:00 pm LA Galaxy vs. Portland Timbers

Fri, April 29 * 8:30 pm Houston Dynamo vs. D.C. United

Fri, May 6 * 10:30 pm Portland Timbers vs. Philadelphia Union

Sat, May 14 9:00 pm Real Salt Lake vs. Houston Dynamo

Fri, June 3 * 11:00 pm LA Galaxy vs. D.C. United

Fri, June 10 * 8:30 pm New York Red Bulls vs. New England Revolution

Sat, June 11 10:00 pm Seattle Sounders FC vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Fri, June 17 * 8:30 pm Sporting Kansas City vs. San Jose Earthquakes

Sat, June 25 11:00 pm San Jose Earthquakes vs. LA Galaxy

Sat, July 2 7:00 pm D.C. United vs. Philadelphia Union

Sat, July 9 10:30 pm LA Galaxy vs. Chicago Fire

Sat, July 16 4:00 pm Seattle Sounders FC vs. Colorado Rapids

Fri, July 29 * 7:30 pm Philadelphia Union vs. Colorado Rapids

Sat, July 30 7:30 pm Vancouver Whitecaps FC vs. LA Galaxy

Fri, Aug 5 * 9:30 pm Colorado Rapids vs. Columbus Crew

Sat, Aug 13 8:30 pm Sporting Kansas City vs. LA Galaxy

Sat, Aug 20 10:00 pm Portland Timbers vs. Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Sat, Aug 27 10:30 pm Chivas USA vs. Real Salt Lake

Fri, Sept 9 * 11:00 pm LA Galaxy vs. Colorado Rapids

Fri, Sept 16 * 11:00 pm Portland Timbers vs. New England Revolution

Fri, Sept 23 * 8:30 pm Sporting Kansas City vs. Philadelphia Union

Sat, Oct 1 * 7:30 pm Toronto FC vs. New York Red Bulls

Sat, Oct 15 10:30 pm Seattle Sounders FC vs. San Jose Earthquakes

* indicates date or time change from schedule as originally announced

 

[B Maverick]

ESPN: Eric Cantona

Great interview with the great Eric Cantona

He was voted United's player of the century when he retired in 1997. Even today, it is not uncommon to hear the Old Trafford faithful burst into rapturous chants of "Ooh-ah, Cantona" or songs like "On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me, Eric Cantona …"

He was fun to watch!

 

[El Floppo]

ESPN: Eric Cantona

Great interview with the great Eric Cantona

He was voted United's player of the century when he retired in 1997. Even today, it is not uncommon to hear the Old Trafford faithful burst into rapturous chants of "Ooh-ah, Cantona" or songs like "On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me, Eric Cantona …"

He was fun to watch!

thanks for that, BM- very cool.

was still hoping for more insight into his Cosmos role though...

 

[Christo]

ESPN: Eric Cantona

Great interview with the great Eric Cantona

He was voted United's player of the century when he retired in 1997. Even today, it is not uncommon to hear the Old Trafford faithful burst into rapturous chants of "Ooh-ah, Cantona" or songs like "On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me, Eric Cantona …"

He was fun to watch!

thanks for that, BM- very cool.

was still hoping for more insight into his Cosmos role though...

DH: If it's all about Cruyff, why don't you add him to your stable of legends in the Cosmos front office?

EC: Because now we have Eric Cantona.

Damn. I wish we'd had the same coverage/access to the EPL in the 90s that we do now.

 

[Eephus]

ESPN: Eric Cantona

Great interview with the great Eric Cantona

He was voted United's player of the century when he retired in 1997. Even today, it is not uncommon to hear the Old Trafford faithful burst into rapturous chants of "Ooh-ah, Cantona" or songs like "On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me, Eric Cantona …"

He was fun to watch!

thanks for that, BM- very cool.

was still hoping for more insight into his Cosmos role though...

he's going to kung fu kick opposing fans

 

[B Maverick]

ESPN: Eric Cantona

Great interview with the great Eric Cantona

He was voted United's player of the century when he retired in 1997. Even today, it is not uncommon to hear the Old Trafford faithful burst into rapturous chants of "Ooh-ah, Cantona" or songs like "On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me, Eric Cantona …"

He was fun to watch!

thanks for that, BM- very cool.

was still hoping for more insight into his Cosmos role though...

DH: If it's all about Cruyff, why don't you add him to your stable of legends in the Cosmos front office?

EC: Because now we have Eric Cantona.

Damn. I wish we'd had the same coverage/access to the EPL in the 90s that we do now.

I agree, not sure what he will do for them. I do hope they are the 20th franchise though.

I need to find a link but the Secret Tournament commercials (nike i think) with him on top of the cage running the show were excellent. All the greats (of that time) playing 3v3, first goal wins.

 

[El Floppo]

I need to find a link but the Secret Tournament commercials (nike i think) with him on top of the cage running the show were excellent. All the greats (of that time) playing 3v3, first goal wins.

When you do, post them please- those were great spots (Henry, Ronaldo et al, right?).whoa. just googled Henry and came across his new NYC pad.

 

[Eephus]

I need to find a link but the Secret Tournament commercials (nike i think) with him on top of the cage running the show were excellent. All the greats (of that time) playing 3v3, first goal wins.

When you do, post them please- those were great spots (Henry, Ronaldo et al, right?).whoa. just googled Henry and came across his new NYC pad.

Wonder if he'll be sold to Columbus or Salt Lake

 

[Christo]

I need to find a link but the Secret Tournament commercials (nike i think) with him on top of the cage running the show were excellent. All the greats (of that time) playing 3v3, first goal wins.

When you do, post them please- those were great spots (Henry, Ronaldo et al, right?).whoa. just googled Henry and came across his new NYC pad.

Just imagine what it would look like if he had Otis as his interior decorator.

 

[otello]

When the seagulls follow a trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.

 

[B Maverick]

When the seagulls follow a trawler, it is because they think sardines will be thrown into the sea.

I was laughing so hard when i read that!If i can find the commercials i will post em. Think they are on youtube, but dont have time for a search... heading home and its raining

 

[Christo]

Big games this weekend, per the NYTimes:

SaturdayManchester United vs. Crawley TownEnglish F.A. Cup, Old Trafford, Manchester, 12:15 PM ETChelsea vs. EvertonEnglish F.A. Cup, Stamford Bridge, London, 7:30 AM ETBorussia Dortmund vs. St. PauliGerman Bundesliga, Signal Iduna Park, Dortmund, 9:30 AM ETSundayNapoli vs. CataniaItalian Serie A, San Paolo stadium, Naples, 2:45 PM ETCorinthians vs. SantosFutebol Brasileiro, Alfredo Schurig stadium, São Paulo, 2:00 PM ETLeyton Orient vs. ArsenalEnglish F.A. Cup, Brisbane Road, London, 11:30 AM ET

Sweet. Between FSC and GolTV, we get to see all of these.

 

[Steve Tasker]

I agree, not sure what he will do for them. I do hope they are the 20th franchise though.

I need to find a link but the Secret Tournament commercials (nike i think) with him on top of the cage running the show were excellent. All the greats (of that time) playing 3v3, first goal wins.

Still hard to top this goal. Love the celebration, like..."holy ####, did I just do that?"Also here's the

that you're talking about, all compiled into 1 long Youtube video. Love em.

 

[Christo]

I agree, not sure what he will do for them. I do hope they are the 20th franchise though.

I need to find a link but the Secret Tournament commercials (nike i think) with him on top of the cage running the show were excellent. All the greats (of that time) playing 3v3, first goal wins.

Still hard to top this goal. Love the celebration, like..."holy ####, did I just do that?"Also here's the

Check out the one versus Swindon

 

[bentley]

I agree, not sure what he will do for them. I do hope they are the 20th franchise though.

I need to find a link but the Secret Tournament commercials (nike i think) with him on top of the cage running the show were excellent. All the greats (of that time) playing 3v3, first goal wins.

Still hard to top this goal. Love the celebration, like..."holy ####, did I just do that?"Also here's the

Now THAT is a terrible looking shirt.

 

[Christo]

Come on you Toffees!

 

[Christo]

Come on you Toffees!

Great game so far. Wide open. Physical but not dirty.

 

[jonessed]

Wow. That was clutch. Baines with the overtime leveler.

 

[Christo]

Come on you Toffees!

Great game so far. Wide open. Physical but not dirty.

LEIGHTON BAINES!

 

[JaxBill]

Great saves by both keepers.

 

[El Floppo]

:nailbiting:

 

[El Floppo]

 

[El Floppo]

Roger Daltry!!!!!!

 

[Christo]

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! SUCK IT CHELSEA!

 

[jonessed]

The shoulder by Heitinga . Not real sporting, but I can see how it would be effective.

 

[Christo]

This is the official who's a fan of what team(s) post. As many teams/leagues as you want to put in here.

Germany

1. FC Nurnberg - Bonzai

Bayern Munchen - Mjolnirs, Short Corner

Borussia Dortmund - eagles2007, editor47

VfB Stuttgart - kblitz

VfL Wolfsburg - SmoovySmoov

Let's bump this. Hasn't been updated in 7 months.

Put me down for F.C. St. PauliJust finished watching Dortmund v St. Pauli and was doing a little reading up on St. Pauli.

Soccer: Bohemians mixing it with big boys

Sick of Chelsea and the magic of the marketplace? Turned away from the marketing of Manchester United only to see Manchester City go the same way?

Give up on the English Premiership. It's simply a feeder into Deloitte's Money League.

There is an alternative - the German Bundesliga.

One of the Bundesliga's teams is reminiscent of the Hart team - that's "Hart" as in Halt All Racist Tours - which famously and successfully played in the Auckland Football Association's Open Divisions.

It was formed in the 1970s as a leftish, anti-racist side and went on to take four divisional championships and boast players like Junior All Black Greg McGee and Mayor Tim Shadbolt and the odd National League player.

Now a team identical in many ways (but without Kiwi characters such as McGee and Shadbolt) is flying high in the Bundesliga - the German soccer championship first division.

It's FC St Pauli, formed in 1899 in the red-light district of Hamburg, down by the docks.

Its supporters were the local wharfies and labourers, and the occasional prostitute.

When the Beatles lived and played among Hamburg's brothels and strip-clubs in the early 1960s, had they gone to the local footy between gigs they would have gone to watch FC St Pauli.

By the early 1980s the area was in decline and the soccer side was going down with it.

The neighbourhood's one virtue was that while housing was rough, it was cheap. Immigrants moved in, followed by students and punk rockers and artists and bohemians.

From all this, a militant housing campaign emerged and empty buildings marked for demolition became occupied by squatters. The squatters started supporting FC St Pauli.

The skull and crossbones flags that flew from newly occupied squats began to appear in the FC St Pauli stands.

The club, in turn, began to reflect the political complexion of its new supporters. FC St Pauli became the first German club to ban neo-nazi movements from its ground. It condemned racism and sexism and announced support for gay groups.

By the end of the decade, FC St Pauli was attracting thousands of supporters and was on its way back. By the mid-1990s it was attracting 15,000 fans per match, despite playing in the third division.

These days more than 20,000 fans pack the home stadium and the club is said to be among the top season-ticket sellers. It's not just the soccer that the fans come for, despite St Pauli being known for a passionate and impetuous style.

The fans come to party. At FC St Pauli home matches you can smoke and drink - a rarity at German grounds.

There's a carnival atmosphere. Fans of most soccer clubs see the weekend match as revenge on the rest of the working week. FC St Pauli fans, inheritors of a boho culture, want fun.

They include the largest proportion of female fans in German soccer, and - up to last year - a gay club president, one of the few openly homosexual men in European sport.

The team runs out to AC/DC's Hell's Bells and every St Pauli goal is celebrated by a rendition of Blur's Song 2.

Through the past decade, the team drifted in basement divisions, but then began an ascent that led last year to a massive party in the Reeperbahn, the street at the heart of Hamburg's red-light district.

Tens of thousands of St Pauli fans celebrated the promotion of their side - nicknamed by sneering rivals "the brothel of the Bundesliga" - to first-division soccer.

Next weekend sees the big local derby: FC St Pauli against massive German soccer superpower SV Hamburg.

But in the meantime, and more importantly, the anti-fascist and anti-racist stance taken by FC St Pauli fans has now become the norm in German soccer.

By Dean Parker

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/human-rights/new...jectid=10673207

Amburgo, Amburgo: Vaffanculo!

 

[jonessed]

Crawley really laying the pressure on United. This has been a great second half

 

[Christo]

Crawley really laying the pressure on United. This has been a great second half

 

[jonessed]

Too bad for Crawley. They just lacked that finishing touch. Hard to believe they are non-league.

Watching United in these FA and League Cup games it's hard not to notice their lack of depth in the midfield. Anderson, Park, Nani, Valencia, and Fletcher are pretty much their only decent midfielders after Scholes and Giggs are gone. Their up and coming midfielders just aren't very good.

I bet they make a run at Bale this off-season.

 

[Mjolnirs]

Put me down for F.C. St. PauliJust finished watching Dortmund v St. Pauli and was doing a little reading up on St. Pauli.

St. Pauli is indeed a unique club.

 

[El Floppo]

Put me down for F.C. St. PauliJust finished watching Dortmund v St. Pauli and was doing a little reading up on St. Pauli.

St. Pauli is indeed a unique club.

I knew absolutely nothing about them, before Christo's post- thanks for that info, gb.

 

[El Floppo]

Watched most of the United v Crawley game yesterday. The main thing that struck me- Bebe is absolutely, amateurishly bad.

He literally couldn't compete against a single Crawley player and was hands-on-knees-head-between-them gassed by 70th minute. He seemed to have no idea about how to play. IIRC, he was a well known street soccer player or something in Portugal? Woof. Have to assume there's more to his game than what he showed (maybe he's got some really cool juggling tricks) since I thought United and Sir Alex had a good track record vetting their players. I guess it was good for Fergie to get him a game, but given the performance I'm going to assume it's the last we see of him for a long while.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Why do Arsenal seem so intent to attack from the flanks when it looks like they can get something going through the middle? That's the danger of running a lineup with Chamakh and Bendtner up front....it's like running with Altidore and Buddle together. Need someone with a little creativity, a little pace.....I think Bendtner is surely capable of it, but he looks so rusty out there today.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Why do Arsenal seem so intent to attack from the flanks when it looks like they can get something going through the middle? That's the danger of running a lineup with Chamakh and Bendtner up front....it's like running with Altidore and Buddle together. Need someone with a little creativity, a little pace.....I think Bendtner is surely capable of it, but he looks so rusty out there today.

Apparently the announcers disagree. Gibbs doesn't have the quality to make things happen like Clichy does, yet Arsenal keep trying to force it out wide. I know strategically how the game works, and yeah you want to stretch the defense, but every time a forward gets the ball from 25 yards out, he has a ton of space and yet they keep playing it out wide.

 

[Christo]

Put me down for F.C. St. PauliJust finished watching Dortmund v St. Pauli and was doing a little reading up on St. Pauli.

St. Pauli is indeed a unique club.

I knew absolutely nothing about them, before Christo's post- thanks for that info, gb.

To be honest, I was doing the research in the hope that I'd find out they were owned by the St. Pauli Girl Brewery and I could jump on the bandwagon for that reason. Turned out the team is located in Hamburg and the brewery is located in Bremen. But the history of the team and fans was too good to pass up.I found out something interesting about St. Pauli Girl beer too. It is made by Beck's but is only produced for export and not sold in Germany.

 

[Christo]

Watched most of the United v Crawley game yesterday. The main thing that struck me- Bebe is absolutely, amateurishly bad. He literally couldn't compete against a single Crawley player and was hands-on-knees-head-between-them gassed by 70th minute. He seemed to have no idea about how to play. IIRC, he was a well known street soccer player or something in Portugal? Woof. Have to assume there's more to his game than what he showed (maybe he's got some really cool juggling tricks) since I thought United and Sir Alex had a good track record vetting their players. I guess it was good for Fergie to get him a game, but given the performance I'm going to assume it's the last we see of him for a long while.

Yep. He was outclassed by the non-leaguers. That was a great second half to watch.And through the first half, Arsenal have looked pretty lackluster. It couldn't have help them to find out just before the game that in the next round they have to go to Old Trafford.

 

[Steve Tasker]

Rosicky!

 

[Christo]

Lucky, lucky Arsenal.

 

[Steve Tasker]

lol

"ouch"

 

[Bonzai]

WOW!

 

[Christo]

Gooooooooooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaalllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!

 

[Steve Tasker]

I don't care who you're playing....you defend like that and you don't deserve to win. Ooooof

I hate Squillaci more and more every time he plays...

 

[onionsack]

What a superb goal in the dying moments to tie it. Hats off to the O's!

 

[Bonzai]

Glad I flipped this on. What an end!