Thursday, April 7, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
CD 9 scores 2 goals in MLS return debut
I'm not saying we going to win the MLS Cup next year, but at least we have someone scoring goals.
Monday, March 7, 2011
A Perfect Sunday
I am an American Liverpool fan. I have no real ties to this team. No family from Merseyside, nor have i had the chance to go see jolly old England yet. But i can honestly say since seeing them play in the champions league final in 2005 I didn't have a doubt in my mind that they would be my team. I had dabbled off and on into soccer previously. Only really a passing interest that would wax and wane with the coming World Cups. I had even caught glimpses of my future team on television before though not taking the time to appreciate the subtleties. In 2005 on that night in Istanbul i saw the grit and determination that i would want any team in any sport to play with. A fire was lit inside me that day one that gives me clarity and focus in the matters of European sport. Despite "sexier" teams building squads thru powerful pocketbooks and established farm systems, I will not waver in my belief that Liverpool Football Club is the one that best represents me and what i stand for. Not just on the field but in the stands and in the ideals that all Liverpool fans hold dear. It is not a closed off elitist view of the world or some made up nike slogan about the beautiful game. It is a genuine warmth and unity throughout the whole community of fans. "You'll Never Walk Alone" is not just the anthem it's the basis for something greater, something to build on everyday.
It is always hard to wake up at 7:30am. The only thing that eases a blow like that is to know that i am waking up for a chance to see my team play against their greatest rival. This is the Sunday that Liverpool face Manure and Sir Alex Turdeson. This is always an important match but this Sunday's of particular importance being that the Reds have a chance to hurt manure's shot at the title. And more importantly in my eyes winning a fight in the larger battle of good vs. evil and the many impacts it could have on our souls and as human beings. I will not be giving a recap of the match or going over the highlights( I would hope that any interested parties have already seen the necessary footage or hopefully the entire match). But i will say that no matter what the weather may have been in reality it was 75f and sunny until about midnight that evening. The kind of beating Liverpool put on the scumlords was one that should be passed on and told for generations to come. With no lack of stars pitting their wits against one another, it was the consummate unsung hero who's name was sung the loudest. Dirk Kuyt I thank you personally for making my Sunday, my weekend, my week about as spectacular as it could possibly be(aside from money falling and hitting me in the face).
oh yeah and
"You're Manchester United and you'll do what you're told"
It is always hard to wake up at 7:30am. The only thing that eases a blow like that is to know that i am waking up for a chance to see my team play against their greatest rival. This is the Sunday that Liverpool face Manure and Sir Alex Turdeson. This is always an important match but this Sunday's of particular importance being that the Reds have a chance to hurt manure's shot at the title. And more importantly in my eyes winning a fight in the larger battle of good vs. evil and the many impacts it could have on our souls and as human beings. I will not be giving a recap of the match or going over the highlights( I would hope that any interested parties have already seen the necessary footage or hopefully the entire match). But i will say that no matter what the weather may have been in reality it was 75f and sunny until about midnight that evening. The kind of beating Liverpool put on the scumlords was one that should be passed on and told for generations to come. With no lack of stars pitting their wits against one another, it was the consummate unsung hero who's name was sung the loudest. Dirk Kuyt I thank you personally for making my Sunday, my weekend, my week about as spectacular as it could possibly be(aside from money falling and hitting me in the face).
oh yeah and
"You're Manchester United and you'll do what you're told"
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Cmon Fergie big girls don't cry.
So after a very physical and well contested match between the two most recent English title holders Sir Alex Ferguson had his axe out again to chop off the head of another match official he disagreed with. Though few can dispute David Luiz was fortunate not to be handed a second card, but you could also argue that Manchester captain Vidic been sent off much sooner than he did.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Marc Albrighton
I would love for Liverpool to seriously consider this boy for a transfer in summer. He's got pace for days and isn't afraid to dribble and cut inside to shoot when necessary.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Champions League knockout round week 1
Sorry for the slow updating alot of craziness going on this week. So on to the fixtures;
This weeks action was kicked off in the San Siro where Milan pitted wits against European newcomers Tottenham. And despite the match taking place in Italy the Rossoneri were not clear cut favorites. The first half began with Spurs gaining possession and momentum and really putting intense pressure on the aging Milan back four. Even with the absence of Welsh wonderkid Gareth Bale the London side looked the most dangerous in that first period. The speed and precision passing play of Spurs left the Italians looking bewildered for much of the game. Robinho and Zlatan lacked any sharpness and were easily frustrated aside from a few slight chances. Spurs were very unlucky to not have taken the lead in the first half, but it was no surprise when Aaron Lennon leapt past a diving Yepes and slid a smart ball over to the big man Crouch for an easy finish. The English club will be the favorite moving on to the next leg in London are my darkhorse to progress through to the semifinal.
The other matchup on Tuesday saw former Madrid great Raul play his first game back in his home country. This was an interesting side-billing of two bridesmaid champions league sides, Schalke and Valencia. The early goings were dominated by the German side and their persistence was almost rewarded in the 10th minute when Huntelaar whiffed on a terrible strike at goal. The home side went from feeling lucky to justified when just 7 minutes later Soldado latched onto a cross from Mathieu with a very nice finish. The game then swayed back and forth for rest of the first half with intense battles between Howedes and Banega for possession in the midfield. The second half was started at a very competitive pace with both teams looking to push for more goals. But it was the Spaniard Raul who slotted home a nice pass from Jurado to put both teams level and making the second leg in Germany a game that will hopefully be played with the same intensity and desire.
The Wednesday games were obviously highlighted by one game in particular, but those who overlooked the AS Roma vs. FC Shakhtar Donetsk missed out on a fantastic upset. The Shakhtar side full of relative unknowns manged to stun a Roma side that must feel the window closing right in front of them. Despite a late goal from Jeremy Menez the Ukrainian side must feel extremely confident going back home for the 2nd leg. With the final score looking closer than the game really was at 3-2.
On to the fixture everyone was salivating over. The rematch from last years knockout phase pitting Barcelona against an Arsenal side reeling over a 4 goal comeback on them just one week prior. The game being played in the Emirates began with Barcelona looking deadly and dictating pace. The Catalan side was very unlucky to not score sooner than they did when David Villa finally slotted one home past keeper Szczesny in the 26th minute. The rest of the first half was played out in a stalemate with both sides struggling to get solid chances at goal. The second half began slowly with both sides eager to find some kind of advantage to build on. Barcelona again struggled with chances that normally are easy goals for the likes of Messi and Villa both coming up short. The game then started to shift in about the 65th minute Arsenal began to move the ball the way Wenger has taught them to do. Then in the 78th minute their hard work paid off with Van Persie sliding a half a chance between Valdez and his near post. A shot that maybe 8 out of 10 hits the post left the Spanish number 3 looking foolish, and causing Barca to further regret their inability to put the game away when they had the chance. Momentum was building with the crowd behind them, and in the 83rd minute the much maligned Andrey Arshavin struck against the grain on the Barca keeper again leaving him standing still. It was a result that a week earlier was looking very unlikely, but should have the gunners feeling very positive heading to the Camp Nou in 3 weeks time.
It should be an exciting couple of fixtures forthcoming.
This weeks action was kicked off in the San Siro where Milan pitted wits against European newcomers Tottenham. And despite the match taking place in Italy the Rossoneri were not clear cut favorites. The first half began with Spurs gaining possession and momentum and really putting intense pressure on the aging Milan back four. Even with the absence of Welsh wonderkid Gareth Bale the London side looked the most dangerous in that first period. The speed and precision passing play of Spurs left the Italians looking bewildered for much of the game. Robinho and Zlatan lacked any sharpness and were easily frustrated aside from a few slight chances. Spurs were very unlucky to not have taken the lead in the first half, but it was no surprise when Aaron Lennon leapt past a diving Yepes and slid a smart ball over to the big man Crouch for an easy finish. The English club will be the favorite moving on to the next leg in London are my darkhorse to progress through to the semifinal.
The other matchup on Tuesday saw former Madrid great Raul play his first game back in his home country. This was an interesting side-billing of two bridesmaid champions league sides, Schalke and Valencia. The early goings were dominated by the German side and their persistence was almost rewarded in the 10th minute when Huntelaar whiffed on a terrible strike at goal. The home side went from feeling lucky to justified when just 7 minutes later Soldado latched onto a cross from Mathieu with a very nice finish. The game then swayed back and forth for rest of the first half with intense battles between Howedes and Banega for possession in the midfield. The second half was started at a very competitive pace with both teams looking to push for more goals. But it was the Spaniard Raul who slotted home a nice pass from Jurado to put both teams level and making the second leg in Germany a game that will hopefully be played with the same intensity and desire.
The Wednesday games were obviously highlighted by one game in particular, but those who overlooked the AS Roma vs. FC Shakhtar Donetsk missed out on a fantastic upset. The Shakhtar side full of relative unknowns manged to stun a Roma side that must feel the window closing right in front of them. Despite a late goal from Jeremy Menez the Ukrainian side must feel extremely confident going back home for the 2nd leg. With the final score looking closer than the game really was at 3-2.
On to the fixture everyone was salivating over. The rematch from last years knockout phase pitting Barcelona against an Arsenal side reeling over a 4 goal comeback on them just one week prior. The game being played in the Emirates began with Barcelona looking deadly and dictating pace. The Catalan side was very unlucky to not score sooner than they did when David Villa finally slotted one home past keeper Szczesny in the 26th minute. The rest of the first half was played out in a stalemate with both sides struggling to get solid chances at goal. The second half began slowly with both sides eager to find some kind of advantage to build on. Barcelona again struggled with chances that normally are easy goals for the likes of Messi and Villa both coming up short. The game then started to shift in about the 65th minute Arsenal began to move the ball the way Wenger has taught them to do. Then in the 78th minute their hard work paid off with Van Persie sliding a half a chance between Valdez and his near post. A shot that maybe 8 out of 10 hits the post left the Spanish number 3 looking foolish, and causing Barca to further regret their inability to put the game away when they had the chance. Momentum was building with the crowd behind them, and in the 83rd minute the much maligned Andrey Arshavin struck against the grain on the Barca keeper again leaving him standing still. It was a result that a week earlier was looking very unlikely, but should have the gunners feeling very positive heading to the Camp Nou in 3 weeks time.
It should be an exciting couple of fixtures forthcoming.
Friday, February 18, 2011
"The Guarani Messi" Someone please sign this KID!!
Juan Manual Iturbe (born on June 4th, 1993) is an 17 year old Argentinian-Paraguayan footballer. Known as the "Paraguayan Messi" he currently plays for Cerro Porteno in the Copa Libertadores and for Argentina in the U-20 South American tournament. Most recent match was with Cerro Porteno (PAR) vs Colo Colo (CHI) where he scored twice to seal a 5 - 2 victory for the Paraguayan club. Signed on a free transfer move to Argentinian club Quilmes on August 2010.
BARCELONA NEEDS TO PLEASE SIGN THIS KID UP NOW!!!!!
Monday, February 14, 2011
A Sad day in Futbol Land: (R9) Ronaldo Retires
Ronaldo Luis Nazario de Lima. So much can be written about this man and his importance to modern football. In my opinion his career can be broken into two era's. The first era when he puts NIKE Soccer on the Map is before his severe knee injury that sidelines him for two years, and the second era begins after his comeback from this injury where he leads Brazil to a 5th World Cup.
Here are some 1st Era Numbers to give you a better perspective
1993 Cruzeiro: 12 goals in 14 appeareances and led team to their first Copa do Brasil
Classic Video: Ronaldo vs Boca Juniors – breaking defender’s hips
1994 Brazil - Wins World Cup with Brazil at age 17
1994-1996 PSV Eidhoven: 30 goals in 1st season and averaged nearly 1 goal per game. 1st knee injury
1996-1997 Barcelona: Wins the UEFA CUP, Copa del Rey and Supercopa de Espana.
Led team with 47 goals in 49 games in all competitions
Classic Video: Ronaldo running through entire defense from half field while players are
basically trying to tackle him American Football style.
1996 - FIFA World Player of the Year, starts to put Nike Soccer on the MAP.
1997 - 2002 Inter Milan: Signed as most expensive player in the world at the time. Won EUFA Cup.
Classic video of him breaking Lazio goal keeper’s ankles.
1997 - Wins FIFA World Player of the year for a second time.
1998 - Reaches final of FIFA World Cup, named player of the tournament.
1999 - Second knee injury
2000 -Third knee injury
2002 - Helps Brazil win 5th title, Wins World FIFA Player of the Year for the third time
and wins second World Cup
2006 - Becomes the 20th player ever to score in three different FIFA World Cups
and also breaks World Cup scoring record held by Muller of Germany for most goals ever scored at a Cup.
I could go on but after this he gets signed by Real Madrid…
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Milko and an introduction to South American Futbol
Soccer was invented by the English, or at least that's what they say. The Centre circle, the half-way line, the off-sides rule, the penalty spot... all that "Stuff" they thought about, its really nice and we give thanks to them.
But now lets think back about who first tried a back-heeled penalty shot, or a couple bicycle step-overs, who do you think thought that "Stuff" up?
When the English thought about having a keeper defend the goal, do you really think they ever imagined Rene Higuita having the courage to one day attempt doing the Scorpion... in Wembley!?
See, these are the types of things we like to do: The Bicycle kick, yeah we invented that one, the Rabona yeah that one to, oh and the Wave. Because we live for soccer and interpret it differently then Europeans.
See because to us HOW you score a goal or how you miss it, is just as important as scoring a goal itself, because we have different ideas, because we eat Arepas, Ceviche, and Mangos, and because we sing Corridos, and Tangos, because we dance Samba, because our style of literature is known as Magical Realism, because Soccer is our way of saying to the world; We are here, We are like this, and We will never change! We are all happy here in this crazy land of ours where glaciers and deserts mix. That is why we don't do FOOTBALL, we do FUTBOL!!!!!
Sylvain Marveaux
Many sources online are indicating that Liverpool are or already have made arrangements to hire the services of this man Sylvain Marveaux a creative young french winger who currently is on the team-sheet at Rennes, but will not take the field again this season after re-aggravating a groin injury. He looks quite promising. Lets hope he can play on the left side.
OK OK everyone calm down
So the big Manchester United vs Manchester City match took place this weekend and everyone is defecating in their knickers over this rooney goal. And i'm just a little confused, sure it was a fantastic goal by a very talented player on the strongest team in the premiere league this season. But wasn't this the same Wayne who was a villain and wanted to leave Manchester about two months ago. I'm really supposed to just follow suit and slurp a guy who if he wasn't on such an established team he wouldn't have the freedom to work out these slumps. On his real team or home team Everton he would be leaned on day in and day out to produce and manufacture results. As long as i have watched Rooney i have always seen the talent, the attitude, and a willingness to win. But this Rooney the post world cup Rooney almost looks like Brett Favre. Like if he doesn't perform well it's acceptable because "oh he's had a rough time recently", and then when he does score a goal like that we all have to turn around and kiss his ass again like hes the greatest striker to ever don cleats. As near as i can tell he isn't even the best striker on his team this season. Poofter Nani and creepy looking Berbatov have been carrying Manchester all year and now that Rooney is finally finding form again everyone is just acting like the king is re-taking the throne and i don't buy it. I know how the game finished and it was a fair result United deserved the victory and Rooney's strike was excellent (although i still think he sold his soul to get his fat ass that far off the ground), but the only result i could consider a win would be ..........
Thursday, February 10, 2011
The career that never was
A little tribute to one of the greatest US players to ever kick a ball if not for injuries he could be much more revered than he is now.
Connor Wickham
This boy has been constantly linked with Liverpool and is a self professed Liverpool supporter. I myself am not 100% behind him as a target but he is talented. Here is a video of some of his finer moments. The England 17 year old striker and potentially a player for a big club sometime soon.
WTF?!!?
ronaldo baby mama death too creepy
If this is even remotely true i want to know why nobody is reporting this story way too strange...
If this is even remotely true i want to know why nobody is reporting this story way too strange...
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
I Wonder
The King effect
King Kenny and Dirk Kuyt are praying that the new managers influence carries through the rest of the season. Recent results have shown dramatic improvement not just in terms of goals and wins but an overall attitude on the pitch. With the emergence of Martin Kelly as a solid right back and Glen Johnson moved to the left side it has allowed an often leaky defense this season to finally tighten up. While seemingly turning the corner on their defensive woes Liverpool has also stumbled upon at least a temporary hero in Raul Miereles. The Portugese midfielder has been playing the soccer of his life in the past few weeks and with the growing confidence in Lucas as the holding midfielder Raul will only get more freedom on the pitch. Now that the work ethic and fight is back in the squad the X-factor is going to be how the big money men can play together. Both seem to be team players willing to put in the work for others, but lets hope their new larger contracts don't increase the size of their heads(which in andy carroll's case might be pretty hard). For now at least the Liverpool ship is righted but with 13 games to play alot can go on in the premiere league.
-N
An Introduction
This is a new soccer blog aimed at people in the Washington DC area but also all over the world. We aim to bring you commentary on recent events in global and local soccer. I myself am a Liverpool fan and as such will do my best to represent their interests and cover the team, but i will do my best to be impartial and report on other interesting stories around Europe and the rest of the world. My co-author will bring a more South American opinions and outlook to this publication. Overall we just hope to entertain you as well as maybe educating you on some matters concerning the beautiful game.
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