tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8844715303623829462011-11-27T19:48:55.363-05:00My cohorts that will be posting on this blog have found a decided lack of intellect and sharp commentary on soccer in the world thus far. This blog hopes to remedy such a situation via sarcasm, absurdity and possibly ribaldry.L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.comBlogger791100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-13301601941531451532008-12-19T10:28:00.003-05:002008-12-19T10:36:49.010-05:00

And now for another exciting round of Champions League drawing...Chelsea v JuveVillareal v PanathinaikosSporting v BayernAtlético v PortoLyon v BarcaReal v LiverpoolArsenal v RomaInter v Man UI'm excited for Ferguson/Mourinho antics and the satirical re-enactment of said antics on I'm On Setanta Sports during game breaks. And hopefully ManU's defeat.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-28805255160872022822008-11-28T16:57:00.002-05:002008-11-28T16:58:27.522-05:00

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-14286913454757587212008-11-24T09:19:00.005-05:002008-11-24T09:55:03.801-05:00

Three months into the 2008 football season and it's time for some drastic changes in teams unhappy with their table position. With a third of matches played, it's time for some teams to turn it around in order to achieve this season's goals.Teams like Tottenham and Newcastle have already had major shake-ups in their coaching staff and team structure in attempts to jumpstart their seasons.While

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-84732999774800718442008-09-09T14:58:00.001-05:002008-09-09T15:04:04.476-05:00

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-43126470951166874562008-08-28T11:29:00.016-05:002008-08-28T11:53:19.845-05:00

Best Goalkeeper - Petr CechBest Defender - John TerryBest Midfielder - Frank LampardBest Forward - Cristiano Ronaldo "My position is Winger." In case you were confused.Best Footballer of the Year - I'm guessing it's going to be CR7 seeing as they just decided he defies categorization. I'm not sticking around for this.Group A:: Chelsea Roma BordeauxCFR

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-20653664340488045272008-08-28T08:56:00.007-05:002008-08-28T09:53:23.608-05:00

Massimo Oddo pulled the old switcheroo on O'L. Supposedly, he was scheduled to travel to Lyon to undergo a physical, but refused and is instead heading to Munich. With Marcell Jansen departing yesterday to hang out with BMJ at Hamburg, Bayern has bolstered the back line with the addition of Oddo. The right back joins FCB on a one year loan with the option to purchase at the end of said period.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-47208894759385888892008-08-15T08:38:00.005-05:002008-08-23T16:35:38.354-05:00

The Bundesliga season kicks off today with FC Bayern facing Hamburger at the Allianz (live on GolTV at 14.30). So what better way to begin another awesome German season than with some ridiculously unsubstantiated predictions for how this season will end in 9 months.1. FC Bayern Munich FC Hollywood is experiencing a SoCal makeover care of one Kaiser Klinsmann. Expect some early

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-80278096833581974742008-08-09T11:33:00.006-05:002008-08-09T12:14:27.888-05:00

EPL Preseason Drama.While Rafa is busy big O'ing over his new squad, which really is the same bloated rotation machine as his old squad, ManU is being the drama mama as per usual. That over-rated show pony, C. Ronaldo, was busy running his mouth..in between getting his goons to rub him up with baby oil and turning away blonde stick insects (he likes brunettes now ladies, watch the trends). Sir

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-27955431623628600302008-07-26T10:05:00.007-05:002008-12-10T15:57:48.670-05:00

Y'all already know that ESPN is the most annoying way to watch the beautiful game. From outlandish and unfounded comments (Dean Ashton is the great white hope of the England Nat'l Team), to distracting graphics that cover up the play to unnecessary break aways to more boring games in other sports and advertisments for other ABC programming (Japanese rip-off Wipeout); it is a struggle to keep

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-79092456492949665922008-06-12T23:24:00.002-05:002008-06-12T23:28:06.686-05:00

si on joue avec ce sentiment, on peut gagner.

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-79230371267892637852008-06-12T22:56:00.003-05:002008-06-13T08:00:00.702-05:00

So let's see what do we know. Netherlands is fresh off a 3-0 victory over 'World Champions' Italy. I put this in quotes because they were not once in this game. Netherlands took the game to Italy, that is an irrefutable fact. Wesley Sneijder showed why he is one of the most coveted midfielders in Europe. Italy was the victim of some superlative play that will be difficult to reproduce. All I

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-81553904648838693802008-06-12T22:48:00.003-05:002008-06-12T22:56:37.911-05:00

Alright, so at least one thing remains, the defense did not allow a goal. Sagnol looked shaky at best and the offense missed... offense. The entire game was for the most part...frustrating. France did not play great, they did not play with the usual flair and attacking urgency they have shown while clinching qualification for the Euro.Malouda was inefficient and appeared lazy at times, making

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-51549427925539656792008-06-03T17:41:00.005-05:002008-06-03T18:04:00.709-05:00

Following 3 matches against Ecuador, Colombia and Paraguay, France now must wait until 9 June to play Romania. If these matches have given anything to the France fan, it is that this will be, like EVERY tournament, a trying time that is going to rely on some luck, more precise finishing and a lot of defensive improvement as the tournament progresses.France did not allow a single goal against in

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-42657942708117101742008-03-21T10:35:00.008-05:002008-12-10T15:57:49.057-05:00

Let’s start this one off with a disclaimer. The above headline is a fabrication aimed at drawing in the maximum amount of readers from the throngs of loyal lequipemoustache fans, and was not double-checked or confirmed (sorry JC). The real story here centers around two nuggets of recent news. First is Fabio Capello’s selection of David Beckham in the provisional England squad. Second is the

Frenchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706703429956878997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-25413644648299578332008-03-11T10:52:00.005-05:002008-12-10T15:57:49.270-05:00

Dear Blog Readers,I would like to take this opportunity to once again blind you with some soccer science. This article, appearing today on the bbc website, suggests that red is the colour of successful teams. While this is an interesting postulate, and does seem to hold water based on the PL of England, I highly doubt that this should be used as a true barometer of winningness. If red is the

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-51322349737825101352008-02-22T11:40:00.003-05:002008-12-10T15:57:49.431-05:00

It seems as if the corporate nightmare that is Nike has further pushed its way into a market where I feel they have no place. That's right, Adidas, the name most often associated with football has been outbid by Nike for the title as uniform producer for Les Bleus.In the article here, the FFF has decided to go for the Nike contract, which features terms I can only call absurd. Nike will be

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-51951805520623274192008-02-05T01:08:00.003-05:002008-02-22T15:34:29.510-05:00

The Confederation of African Football announced that Frédéric Kanouté was named African player of the year. Born in Sainte-Foy-lès-Lyon, France, the 30-year old Sevilla forward and Mali international is the first European-born player to win the award. The CAF said that he edged out last year's winner Didier Drogba for the title. Or did he?Soon after Kanouté was announced as the winner, Drogba

Andy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16665606236390863489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-42327047261645505002008-01-10T09:48:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:49.734-05:00

Yes, it is true that Hamil Altintop looks like an oompa-loompa with or without the FCB beanie. But, in other news, Willy Sagnol is training "harder than ever". Which means that he has decided to fight to regain his first team spot and will be able to factor in France's friendlies and Euro 2008 games. The Bayern Munich propaganda machine makes it seem like Sagnol decided to work hard and tow

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-12522010512772617632008-01-08T08:15:00.000-05:002008-01-08T08:57:36.814-05:00

The following article comes from the 'Random Samples' section of the 30 Nov edition of Science magazine. Because Science doesn't believe in free access, I have pasted the story below. Enjoy your dose of soccer science!"Seismology grad student Garrett Euler of Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, was mystified by perplexing squiggles he and colleagues had recorded early in 2006 in the

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-13408374994275329312007-12-31T19:30:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:49.981-05:00

We're nearing the end of the yearly mind-numbing craziness of the Premier League surrounding the Christmas and New Years holidays when all other European leagues stop their schedules. This year 3 game weeks are shoehorned into the space of 11 days. Each team plays 4 matches with a 2 or 3 day break between each fixture. Watching games, score lines and trying to in vain to manage my fantasy team

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-58370643705088075742007-12-27T11:27:00.001-05:002007-12-27T11:28:35.681-05:00

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-56344897154567359162007-12-21T22:17:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:50.433-05:00

Willy Sagnol broke his knee in April. After a rapid surgery, what I can only assume was the best care by the world-renowned FCB team physios, and a lengthy recovery period, he managed some time with the reserves in November. At which point, out of the options presented him falling under the heading, "How to Successfully Return from Serious Injury for the over 30s", he decided to go with option

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-50163757185670693062007-12-18T12:17:00.000-05:002007-12-18T14:14:42.443-05:00

At the Manchester United Christmas party just last night, (early morning Tuesday for UK) apparently the police were called to investigate a rape that happened at the hotel where the party was being held.I did some research here and it seems to not be a fairly large hotel, which leads me to fear the outcome of this story. I hope that this is not another terrible scandal in one of the world's most

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-91826258552562765442007-12-17T17:03:00.000-05:002007-12-18T14:41:34.733-05:00

When discussing some of the best young players in the EPL, Cesc Fabregas is usually at the top of everyone's list. He has the vision, skill and composure to be one of the top midfielders in Europe for a very long time. Unfortunately, his reputation has been somewhat tarnished by his knack to deceitfully fall over and clutch body parts in apparent agony in order to draw a foul. What? You don't

Andy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16665606236390863489noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-53245112157731946082007-12-13T19:57:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:50.836-05:00

Ok, I lied. No, FIFA isn’t teaming up with the above mentioned groups…but I thought it would get your attention. If it worked, read on and you won’t be disappointed. This post is meant as a follow-up to my previous article from earlier in the year about goal line technology. At the time, FIFA has decided to scrap all other goal line technology efforts and concentrate on video replay and

Frenchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706703429956878997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-74272446860999793262007-12-13T15:28:00.000-05:002007-12-20T21:07:45.748-05:00

Well, the big gameweek is finally here. The perennial top 4 clash in what surely will be one of the most exciting soccer weekend's in recent memory in the English Premier League,given the current league table.This is a weekend of soccer you don't want to miss. Now for the picks:Lobanovsky:Portsmouth 2 - 1 Tottenham: Pompey had better win all the games they can now before their squad gets

Andy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16665606236390863489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-4001223191021566382007-12-13T10:00:00.000-05:002007-12-16T19:08:44.869-05:00

It's been a tumultuous road for Andriy Shevchenko thus far in the EPL. The famed striker has never been able to settle down at Chelsea. Continual lackluster performances coupled with an easily apparent lack of goalscoring have plagued the former Ballon D'Or winner to the point of him being considered a bust. The departure of Mourinho seemed a blessing for the Ukrainian sniper, as his well-known

Andy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16665606236390863489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-30995224510336596522007-12-08T02:42:00.000-05:002007-12-08T15:27:00.871-05:00

A new format for this week, we looked for some context from our posters along with their choices. Without further ado, the games and picks for Week 4.L'Américain:Aston Villa 2 Portsmouth 1 - Villans put up a good fight against Arse-lickers, unlucky not to tie. Reading 0 Liverpool 3 - Reading? More like Medej-ocre Stadium, Torres is going to Flamenco all over their faces. Bolton 2 Wigan 1 -

Andy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16665606236390863489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-89218946101866558482007-12-04T11:05:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:51.706-05:00

Wow UEFA! You’ve really outdone yourself. I had been waiting a few days, just because I thought this whole thing was just some international super-joke…turns out its not. I’m referring unfortunately to the recent group draw for the UEFA Euro 2008. For anybody who hasn’t seen these farcical groupings yet, here they are: Here’s an artist’s rendition of what the

Frenchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706703429956878997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-38454399164531428262007-12-03T15:42:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:52.106-05:00

The man that you see above in this picture looks as affable as the next, but I must assure you he is not. His name is Alex McLeish and he and his compatriots have been bringing me nightmares for over a year. Let us look back to last October when, Walter Smith is at the helm of Scotland as they take on France at Hampden Park. Scotland plays a heavily defensive match against the offensively

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-23377843960077957162007-12-01T02:05:00.000-05:002007-12-01T15:00:24.019-05:00

We're back for more picks. Thanks to uber-nerd contributer L'Américain, there is a nicely crafted standings table available on the right side of the page. I've decided on a new format for my picks column, so here goes:Chelsea v. West HamEast London meets West London at Stamford Bridge in this derby between two teams enjoying a good amount of respective success in the EPL. Chelsea suffer from a

Andy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16665606236390863489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-30817639592437544312007-11-23T19:20:00.000-05:002007-11-24T12:19:54.496-05:00

Hey Everyone! Hope you had a nice Thanksgiving. The EPL is back this weekend after a week-long hiatus for Euro Cup Qualifiers. It's time for picks!! Here are the standing after week 1:jnm154--------------------------------4 pts.Erin-----------------------------------3 pts.Thom John, Frenchy, El Bostero-------2 pts.L'Américain, Lobanovsky--------------1 pt.The selected games for this weekend (

Andy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16665606236390863489noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-1376638345987124312007-11-09T01:52:00.000-05:002007-11-23T19:19:36.987-05:00

As a new feature to the blog, several members will make score predictions for a selected number of EPL games every weekend. The scoring will be tallied up every week and a leaderboard will be maintained. The scoring will proceed as follows:Correct outcome (regardless of scoreline) - 1 pt.Correct score - 2 pts.This will give a total possible score of 3 pts. for every game.For the first

Andy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16665606236390863489noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-5628773341521168712007-11-08T09:43:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:52.352-05:00

La liste :GARDIENS : Sébastien Frey (Fiorentina/ITA), Mickaël Landreau (Paris-SG), Ulrich Ramé (Bordeaux)DEFENSEURS : Eric Abidal (FC Barcelone/ESP), François Clerc (Lyon), Patrice Evra (Manchester/ANG), William Gallas (Arsenal/ANG), Bakary Sagna (Arsenal/ANG), Sébastien Squillaci (Lyon), Lilian Thuram (FC Barcelone/ESP)MILIEUX : Alou Diarra (Bordeaux), Lassana Diarra (Arsenal/ANG), Mathieu

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-68279350293275470832007-10-25T19:40:00.001-05:002008-12-10T15:57:52.577-05:00

It is with a heavy heart this afternoon that I learned of the end of Martin Jol as Tottenham Manager. I was reading the BBC live text as it came up that he had given his resignation before kickoff of the Getafe game. This is a very conflicting day for a Spurs fan like myself.While the current form and feelings around the team drew darker and darker, I was sure it was only a matter of time

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-15353394105615713282007-10-23T21:25:00.000-05:002007-10-25T19:56:55.941-05:00

Although the score line may read that Bayern barely edged out a win, the game tells a different story: Bayern used Bochum for practice. Bochum took the lead at minute 10 and then never saw the back of the net again and it seemed to me that Bayern was trying out some new tactics.In the first 30 minutes of play, Ribéry would bolt into the center striker position any chance he got: cutting off

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-45749181127037586542007-10-17T21:35:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:52.777-05:00

Willy Sagnol is finally training with someone else besides the machine that you pedal with your arms. While still only participating in skills exercises and not the whole squad training program, look at that beautiful knee!!

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-60774164199275193272007-10-07T09:58:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:53.384-05:00

I came across the following article from the Aug 24 2007 issue of Science magazine this week in lab. I had to post it verbatim below since Science magazine is anti-free access (lame)."No ball is a perfect sphere, but the closer it is to one, the smoother the trajectory. After goaltenders during the 2006 soccer World Cup in Germany complained that the latest design had an unpredictable trajectory

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-80120613550908735562007-09-19T19:11:00.001-05:002007-09-20T18:29:50.621-05:00

Team Chemistry means a lot, and sometimes it can mean everything. The discordant situation at Chelsea leaves me thinking that perhaps a little team chemistry would do them better than a healthy Drogba and Lampard (I just read about Morinho’s leaving, so perhaps they can all just get along now). Bayern Munich splashed out a whole boatload of cash for their current lineup, but what they were

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-77212515174816824552007-08-10T09:32:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:53.625-05:00

According to today's article on Yahoo!, Zidane is in talks with the LA Galaxy to join Syndey FC in an exhibition game against Beckham in Australia. The interesting part of this article is that "while discussions were at an early stage, it was believed the approach from Zidane's management was serious, although money had not yet been discussed." Hmm, so they are telling me Zizou approached this

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-51552800203454954622007-08-02T17:40:00.000-05:002007-08-02T18:15:45.225-05:00

The product of Bayern Munich's youth program, Sandro Wagner looks like Clint Dempsey's german twin. Hitzfeld slotted him in up front during the FCB preseason Ligapokal tournament while Luca Toni was injured and while resting some of the star players. Sandro plays well with the big boys and has shown flashes brilliance that Podolski can't seem to conjure up in the Bundesliga. Showing his youth,

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-79195663976920851542007-06-28T08:32:00.000-05:002007-06-28T09:19:09.861-05:00

La Liga "winners" (discussion of the validity of head to head record vs. goal differential is optional), Real Madrid, have seen fit to fire Fabio Capello. His mis-management of David Beckham may have had some bearing, but one would believe that the front office had the opportunity to make their displeasure over this issue more apparent during the season. Also, I guess you have to give credit to

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-2128811452809066062007-06-13T09:45:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:54.203-05:00

In the fevered anticipation of David Robert Joseph Beckham's arrival in the US of A, espnsoccernet.com has instituted a "Beckham Watch" on the US soccer home page. Will Becks miss six more MLS games?? Will FIFA require Lalas to drive him to LAX as promised?? But, really, the question on everyone's mind is, when will the reality show begin broadcasting? That's right. A reality show of the

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-76298688556402207642007-06-12T13:20:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:54.431-05:00

Team USA is looking good. And no, I'm not referring to captain Bocanegra's faux hawk. I watched the USA Guatemala match last week and I was impressed by what I saw: good passing, good crossing, good communication, and an actual team presence. Landon Donovan makes a much better attacking midfielder than a lone striker. There were still some miscues when Twellman missed any easy header, but the

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-11428901067212970002007-06-07T11:58:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:54.574-05:00

It is now officially official that both Luca Toni and Franck Ribéry will be joining Bayern Munich. I would like to thank ManU for being the big money spenders that they are and freeing up some cash flow for Uli Honeß to throw around for his team "overhaul". I would like to thank Owen Hargreaves for his "English heritage" by way of Canadia. I am pumped beyond belief for the upcoming Bundesliga

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-74443133663560765162007-05-25T11:27:00.000-05:002007-06-04T12:41:06.750-05:00

Today there is more news on this transfer here and here. It seems as though this rumor is marching steadily towards reality with a concrete announcement to be made on Thursday after the France-Georgia qualifier by both parties. Both articles imply that Arsenal had dropped out of the picture awhile ago leaving Real Madrid and FCB to duel. In other FCB transfer news, Claudio Pizarro joins former

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-47429464631788992362007-05-24T07:50:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:54.885-05:00

So, as of this morning, this is the list of 25 call-ups for the games against Ukraine @ Saint Denis (Which I, Frenchy and jnm154 will be attending)and Georgia @ Stade de l'Abbé-Deschamps in Auxerre:Isn't this just so pretty???La liste complète des 23 joueursGardiens de but: Grégory Coupet (Lyon), Sébastien Frey (Fiorentina) et Mickaël Landreau (PSG)Défenseurs: Eric Abidal (Lyon), François Clerc

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-33892539044163409972007-05-21T09:02:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:55.101-05:00

Preface:For the past year, I have become increasingly disappointed with the prevalence of diving, play acting and other assorted nonsense in the beautiful game. I came to notice that there was a theme so obvious that it would make even Graham Poll count his yellow cards correctly if he saw it. There is mathematical proof that dictates which players of countries will dive, and which countries

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-41739508558511570692007-05-02T07:27:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:55.291-05:00

This transfer rumor has been confirmed with more transfers to be verified in the near future.According to La Gazetta dello Sport, (which is in Italian and my knowledge of Italian consists of Spanish and bon giorno so maybe Tony could confirm), Luca Toni has signed a 5-year contract with Bayern Munich. I first heard this news on GolTV last night, so I've done preliminary searching but could not

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-80877438159495060842007-04-28T09:21:00.000-05:002007-04-30T07:54:36.082-05:00

Recently, I revisited L'Américain's post of last month and spent some time pondering the hardcore endurance, technical skill, and all around intensity in-ten-cities required to become a footie star. As such, I give you my Robot XI of EPL players that have proven this season to be more than meets the eye.Petr Cech fractured his skull and came back within the season to take his place on the goal

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-76526993894929749832007-04-14T11:50:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:55.661-05:00

Mysterious injuries and random occurences plague the Bayern squad. The "knee knock" that Schweinsteiger suffered in last Saturday's game that left him out of the Champions League match is not going away. One hypothesis is that the swelling is due to a tick bite. The fluid drained from his knee has been sent for testing, results awaited. It is uncertain how long this mysterious injury will

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-7823091990833390472007-04-12T16:12:00.000-05:002007-04-12T16:13:52.969-05:00

The run-up to yesterday's Bayern Munich v AC Milan leg was nerve-wracking. The FC Bayern site was reporting that Schweinsteiger received accupuncture (seriously?) on Monday for a knee knock acquired during training session. A large crowd watched on Monday as Hitzfeld put Salihamidzic in right-back and moved Lell up to midfield?? Salihamidzic is a spazz. He plays his heart out and always plays

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-71215268474112393582007-04-10T15:47:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:55.974-05:00

I can't pin it down, but I feel nauseous. I'm not sure what it is. I remember coming home to check the Roma score and opening the browser, and then a sudden illness befell me. Was it something I ate? This may not be the appropiate venue, but maybe you guys can help me out. Symptoms include: disappointment, shock, unexplained anglophobia, and feeling like a COMPLETE MORON.

jnm154http://www.blogger.com/profile/04617426453646283261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-5338995693340208642007-04-10T10:29:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:56.371-05:00

I've never heard so much self-praise and raw smuggery leading up to a high profile match than from Manchester United's management and first squad. It's been so bad that I'm going to spare any direct references because I'm sure you're all sick of it by now and can't wait for their imminent defeat at the hands of the Giallorossi this afternoon. After reading an article headlined something like "

jnm154http://www.blogger.com/profile/04617426453646283261noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-902533415489918452007-04-09T19:58:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:57.117-05:00

With some questionable referreeing occurring during last weeks Champions League games, I was curious to see what untried officials UEFA will be calling up for the second leg of the quarterfinals. Luckily, UEFA has already done half my work by posting the officiating staff on their website (look under Media Services). So, can you look forward to a Ruskie newbie calling a clear dive as a PK? Or

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-25011650083326021262007-04-05T14:00:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:57.285-05:00

The FC Bayern website is reporting that Willy Sagnol seriously injured his right knee in Champion's League play on Tuesday. It requires surgery and he will be out of play for Bayern and L'Equipe du France for an estimated four months. Have I mentioned lately that I hate Kakà?Replay tonight 11pm on FSC.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-38006724796531836232007-04-03T07:49:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:57.692-05:00

Here are some videos of Iya Traore that I took while L'Américain and I were watching him freestyle on the steps of the Sacré-Cœur, Montmartre, Paris. Make sure to check out his website, it's pretty sweet also.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-71723927883262630222007-04-02T12:37:00.002-05:002007-04-30T14:41:14.385-05:00

Bayern Munich pulled out a much needed win against top-tablers Schalke 04 on Saturday. The first half opened with a bang as a falling Van Bommel managed to connect with a Schweinsteiger pass to help the ball slot through to Roy Makaay for a classy goal in the third minute. After a stellar opening, the game lagged a little with some poor passing by Sagnol who re-found his form around the half

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-55236043510475338212007-03-28T20:15:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:58.065-05:00

They have some balls for such a shite soccer country. I'll give them some credit though, it is pretty funny.

Andy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16665606236390863489noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-18253402046700258642007-03-26T19:10:00.000-05:002007-03-29T01:30:20.501-05:00

I'll keep this post short, but as I was 'studying' French by ignoring my other studies and watching French news, I found a short clip of Zidane scoring 2 goals in a Futsal tournament in France. If you follow THIS LINK and go to 2:00 ish they have a little highlight of his magical self in action.It's not much, but its the only glimpse we have of our hero!

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-63078989768883244212007-03-25T10:41:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:58.422-05:00

Goal line video technology.As football fans, we've all talked jokingly about it, or heard somebody else mention it. It always seemed like some crazy pipe dream; a topic discussed in a purely hypothetical sense. But it looks like the future is finally here.In the early March 2007 the International Football Association Board, the fabled IFAB, met in Manchester to set down criteria for all

Frenchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706703429956878997noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-26075302942505885982007-03-22T15:54:00.000-05:002007-03-23T08:03:32.268-05:00

So now that I am finally back from L'Hexagone, and fully refreshed and inspired to finish out my studies and graduate in May and leave for France and not use my IT degree, I thought it apt that I reflect on my travel. I will be presenting different aspects of my trip that involved Football and some other aspects that don't, but are still quite entertaining.17.03.07 Olympique Lyonnais vs AS Nancy

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-23189638556406072072007-03-19T10:06:00.000-05:002007-11-09T02:40:59.474-05:00

A few weeks ago our very own contributor Frenchy wrote a scintillating article on how football is a growing trend in America. It can be seen here. With Euro 2008 quickly approaching, we can now see that this trend is spreading into uncharted territories.Recently uefa.com started its ticket application phase for Euro 2008. The tournament, which is being co-hosted by Austria & Switzerland, was

Andy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16665606236390863489noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-62083649436214947332007-03-09T11:29:00.000-05:002007-03-09T11:52:09.185-05:00

As I sit in my cubicle and anticipate leaving to go to France, I must offer some thoughts on the past couple weeks in football since my last post.First of all, what the HELL is going on in football?Every game that I have watched or heard about in the last couple weeks has featured some sort of terrible event.The Rundown:Craig Bellamy - Not only does this priceless Welshman attack his Norwegian

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-34067606076521182472007-03-06T17:21:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:58.655-05:00

After today's results, Roma, Liverpool, Chelsea and Valencia all advance to the next round. L'Américain reports that the ref for the Porto game made some questionable calls, but Chelsea overcame that set of odds thanks to goals by Ballack and a diving Robben. Apparently Totti's back issues didn't keep him from scoring one for this team, with Mancini putting in goal #2 for their win over Lyon.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-53342999492239505752007-03-06T08:45:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:58.873-05:00

The second leg of the first knock-out round of Champion League play begins today with the following matches: Lyon v Roma, Liverpool v Barcelona, Chelsea v Porto, and Valencia v Inter Milan. With the first leg of the round going 2-1 to Liverpool when they played at Barca and all other matches running to a draw, today will be an exciting day for some very good teams. Terry (is he man or machine?)

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-66971557833088072622007-03-05T14:51:00.000-05:002007-11-09T02:41:37.582-05:00

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. . .Watching the Premier League over the past couple of weeks, it troubles me how the fortunes of two clubs, Manchester United and West Ham United, could be so greatly contrasted. West Ham's current 11 game winless streak has dropped them 10 pts. deep into the relegation zone. On the other hand, Man U's late winner against Liverpool has them 9

Andy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16665606236390863489noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-20629017780764674292007-02-27T11:16:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:59.069-05:00

Keeper Rene Adler burst onto the scene for Bayer Leverkusen on Sunday. With first choice keeper Joerg Butt suspended, coach Michael Skibbe overlooked backup goalie Benedikt Fernandez who had played well against Frankfurt and Hannover. Instead, he prepared Adler who just returned from injury to debut in the reserves only 9 days before this big match. In his Bundesliga premier, the 22 year old

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-65147440269406776272007-02-26T09:38:00.000-05:002007-02-26T20:24:00.537-05:00

In an effort to facilitate discussion about the English Premier League in this blog I'm going to make my inaugural post about the Tottenham Hotspur Football Club. If I'd begun this post two weeks ago things might have looked very bleak for Tottenham as they'd fallen to 11th place in the league, gone winless since Boxing Day (save a few FA Cup ties against lesser competition), won only once away

Thom Johnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17611524416930046522noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-51182363268186562762007-02-22T16:40:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:59.730-05:00

FINALLY.It has recently come to my attention that as the high-schoolers of the 90's are becoming successful hipster professionals they are turning to the original football as a new, enjoyable and fashionable way to spend their time and money. Football represents a new age of American pop-culture and sports.I can remember just 10 years ago. How many people that you know now could have named 5

Frenchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706703429956878997noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-39527702266005300542007-02-22T12:29:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:57:59.938-05:00

The DFL's top flight table has seen some shake-ups in the second half of this year's season. With Bayern Munich falling out of form and off the top spots, Schalke 04 on an enviable winning streak and Mainz tearing their way out of the very last relegation spot things are looking to remain exciting in the Bundesliga.Schalke 04 is having a crazy delicious season. Someone must've spiked their Mr.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-39790780801764936882007-02-20T14:29:00.000-05:002007-02-22T19:00:59.870-05:00

As I anticipated today's Champions League games, I came to the terrifying reality that the France national team is aging, and that there are really no people besides Ribéry lighting the world on fire. The issue at hand, is that the established stars of the France Team (Henry,Thuram, Trezeguet,Makelele et al) are now all pushing 30+, and the dynamic stars of the late 90s have all now passed onto

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-19847753895878192852007-02-20T12:26:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:58:00.072-05:00

Disney's new ad campaign includes David Beckham as Prince Phillip slaying the dragon Maleficent.

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-59481017018553859242007-02-19T16:53:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:58:00.458-05:00

Why does nobody outside of France give two bleeps about French football in Ligue 1? Are French teams really that bad that nobody cares? Let's take a deeper look at what is wrong with Ligue 1 and why it has been so relatively stagnant in the otherwise thriving world of professional Footie.Ok.Everybody look at this map.Do you see a problem here? If anybody hasn't noticed the massive gaps in

Frenchyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17706703429956878997noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-73412434928285039012007-02-18T13:33:00.000-05:002007-02-22T19:02:29.073-05:00

While I am not the one to typically bash Italian soccer (my other colleague seems to dole out more than enough criticism), I feel compelled to to discuss the problems that have plagued this league/country in the last year. Going into last summer's World Cup in Germany, the Azzurri were mired in controversy and problems surrounding the match-fixing of the prior year. Almost all of the players on

Califogiahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06947734919271335058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-55651606272401990172007-02-16T11:25:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:58:00.683-05:00

After a luxurious Christmas break for training camp in Dubai where they placed third in the Mohammed bin Rashid International Football Championship (MBRIFC) aka Dubai Cup, the Reds returned to the fatherland to open a dismal second half of the Bundesliga season. Losing to middle of the table Borussia Dortmund, Bayern could only squeeze out a draw against bottom feeders Bochum in the second game

Erinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10919947399390045491noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-73819347351059666712007-02-16T10:19:00.000-05:002008-12-10T15:58:01.092-05:00

Each time the FIFA rankings come out, I feel a sudden urge to fly to Switzerland and accost Sepp Blatter, et. al. Without fail, every release of the rankings, since I've started paying attention have been completely absurd. I'm sure you all remember the pre-World Cup rankings that had the USA at a ridiculous 6th place even though they had lost to Morrocco 1-0 at home and only beat Latvia by 1

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-61442735398780781022007-02-15T15:03:00.000-05:002007-11-09T02:42:36.431-05:00

The biggest thing to come out of Ukraine since radioactivity, Sheva has captivated the world with his goal-scoring prowess at Dynamo Kiev and Milan over the past 15 years. However, his recent move to Chelsea has been nothing short of ignominious. Scoring only 3 league goals so far, he has fallen short of expectations and has been the center of criticism on a Chelsea team 6 points behind Man U in

Andy Khttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16665606236390863489noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-884471530362382946.post-10504471144766750892007-02-15T12:53:00.000-05:002007-02-22T19:03:03.183-05:00

After numerous tries to gather information that is actually descriptive of what happens during soccer games and off the pitch, I have found that most of the news sources in the US and abroad miss giant amounts of information regarding results, player styles, and pretty much everything else soccer related. Hopefully this blog will have at least 2-3 posts a week from the people I trust to talk

L'Américainhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06442047300629729326noreply@blogger.com1