I have no idea why I don't. I at first thought that I was too preoccupied tasting the sad of the Galaxy, but Dave Denholm is if anything more irritated about Adu's exclusion than Adu himself.
I at first thought that Adu was left off for the same reason that Parkhurst and McBride were left off the qualifying roster, and the same reason Donovan was left off the Olympic roster...until I took an eighth of a second and remembered Kljestan was called up. I thought "Well, maybe Olympics, Nats, AND Euro club commitments were too much to ask" - then I recalled Michael Bradley. Then I thought, "Okay, but Adu just joined a new club, just like Jozy" - oh, wait, Guzan and now Maurice Edu. Then I thought, "I'm not good at this."
Once again this morning I had a lovely piece all set to post and somehow, when I had my back turned, it scurried off to some unknown corner of the interweb.
If any of you come across it, would you let me know? Thanks.
In news worthy of Ripley's Believe it or Not", they have begun actual, physical construction of the actual steel structure which will eventually become RedBull Stadium.
Considering that it's taken all this time just to dig the damn hole, their projection that the stadium will be ready by Spring seems overly optimistic, but I hope I'm wrong.
This is the stadium MLS as a whole has needed for a long time now, although DC is right behind. It's hard to "showcase" a team that's playing in a cavernous stadium on fieldturf yardage markers.
Unfortunately now that it appears that reports of the demise of les tauroux rouges may have been exaggerated - that 10 man match against TFC was a real eye-opener - comes some bad news: they may all be in danger...click here to read more...
Brandi, what's your favorite Madness album? Wait, let me guess:
Kidding, Brandi. The dark hair works for you, by the way, I like it.
Okay, we got pretty much the dream final, even if the Daily News is running articles along the lines of "What's left for the Olympics after Phelps?" We were all traumatized last year, so we probably have forgotten that Brazil has even more to prove than the United States. This particular stat may change on the morning of the 21st, but right now, you and I have as many World Cup and Olympic championships as any Brazilian women's player. While we've been obsessing on Brazil, they've been obsessing on Germany...and they just beat seven kinds of snot out of the world champions.
Maybe Germany's great run just ran out of gas all at once - it happens. Or, maybe Brazil corrected what flaws they had in their game from last year. They were certainly there, they just didn't...click here to read more...
"Hello. Watch you bag?" People saw me walking down Shanghai Old Street and they would come from blocks away just to say this. I wasn't carrying a bag. It was very strange. Perhaps they were asking if I needed someone to watch my back - happily I wasn't knifed or pickpocketed, so I guess I didn't need anyone for that either.
However, I have learned that around the shops of Shanghai, "Hello" is not a greeting. It loosely translates to: "Come in, buy my things for ten times what I would sell them to a local". And believe me, everybody who runs a shop or stall on Shanghai Old Street knows "Hello". Their meaning.
From there, it's a short walk to Dongtai Road - antique stores and stalls line the street for its entire length. Well, I say antique - a good portion of the stuff for sale there seems to have the image of Chairman Mao on it, so in the context of Chinese society, I wouldn't call them antiques. But there are some places that have interesting pieces. One stall had an impressive...click here to read more...
The sheer quality of saves gives him the Best XI nod for this week. When Given faced shots, he didn't face flubs. He faced hard-driven, point blank rockets. Somehow, he parried them away. Darren Fletcher's equalizer was the one that got away - the kind of shot he was saving all night, a 5-yard, point blank rocket. But it wasn't meant to be (in fact, physically I'm not sure how he saved the first couple point blankers). At least, Given allowed the Magpies to move on from the 6-0 drubbing they took last year. Some of the first impressions we got from players might be deceiving, but if there's one thing for sure, it's that Shay Given is going be the heart of Newcastle's defense day-in and day-out.
FABRICIO COLOCCINI (Newcastle - D) 1st Selection
The central partnership of Coloccini and Steven Taylor kept Manchester United at bay. Darren Fletcher's goal for United was scored when one part of the duo - Taylor - was...click here to read more...
Well, at least Sarachan is back as his assistant coach. Or "associate head coach," if you're AEG and are Director of Making Up New Titles. They did work together well in 2002. And at least Cobi was kept on. In other words, I'm a helpless fan, and I pretty much have to channel Spinal Tap's reaction to the redone record cover at this point. Although I do wonder if on Thursday Arena starts yet another 4-5-1, and Brian McBride gets the PTSD thousand-yard-stare.
I realize a lot of us are too cool for this, but the Goal of the Week candidates are yet another grand assortment. For all the "Thank God REAL football has started again" coming from two different directions, it's nice to see our humble little league putting some exciting highlights up now and again....except for Jeff Cunningham's, which was garbage. Look, I love the guy too, I'm glad Toronto realizes that gosh maybe he WASN'T...click here to read more...
Like the saying - and that awful song - goes, "Be Careful What You Wish For".
In Hope Solo's case, the Olympic Gold Medal game, a replay of last year's US-Brazil match in the Women's World Cup, is her chance to prove to the world that her postgame comments, ill-advised though they may have been, were dead on.
You'll recall of course that Solo remarked to reporters that had coach Greg "Satan" Ryan started her instead of a musty, flea-bitten old has-been that Brazil would have scored NO goals and the US would have won.
(She later sort-of apologized, saying that when she criticized the coach for starting a useless old hag in her place she of course meant no offense to the useless old hag, a distinction which was lost on many observers particularly, it should be noted, most of her teammates and the useless old hag herself.)
So as fate would have it, she's being handed her chance at redemption: the same opponent,...click here to read more...
Originally Posted by the Galaxy's rather hastily written and typo-laden press release
CARSON, Calif. (Sunday, August 17, 2008) – The LA Galaxy will introduce the new head coach of the club on Monday, August 18 at The Home Depot Center. The new head coach will immediately take over the reigns of the team; beginning with Monday’s training session on University Field #1. Following the conclusion of training, the new head coach will be formerly introduced and available to the media for interviews.
....I loved Men at Work. That was a smash hit for them, of course. You probably also know "Down Under," but one of their most underrated songs off their follow-up, "Cargo," was
...a song which for some reason I can't seem to get out of my head right now.
It was the week of young attackers, some known, some unknown. Read on and I should have a bunch of EPL, Ligue One, and MLS all this week...
For the week of August 11th:
GABRIEL AGBONLAHOR
Aston Villa (ENGLAND)
What characterizes the EPL Player of the Week? Does 3 goals in 7 minutes qualify? All rhetorical as Aston Villa's midfielder Agbonlahor hit in the 69th, 74th, and 76th minute pinning a 4-2 loss on Mark Hughes and Manchester City in the opening weekend. Gabby's hattrick was sort of "look what you're missing" statement to English national team boss Fabio Capello, who left him out of the squad appointed for the friendly vs. Czech Republic this Sunday. As Aston Villa's two-time Young Player of the Year, the 21-year speedster looks to surpass his career goalscoring record of 11 set last season. It was his first hattrick at the senior professional...click here to read more...
Say what you will about MLS but this season has been about as entertaining as the Britney Spears - Tia Tequila Trailer Park slapping match that will surely pop up on Cops any month now.
Hot on the heels of the "Bruce Arena to Los Angeles" rumors, where the headlines are reading "Arena Tipped to Take Over Galaxy" but the meat of the article is always full of non-comments, evasions and "have a nice day", comes this juicy nugget courtesy of The Star:
Yes, it appears that "the fans" in LA have risen up as one (first time for everything, right?) and are demanding that DBecks take over as Player-Coach of the Galaxy.
(Now before I am inundated with an avalanche of "Silly American, The Daily Star is...click here to read more...
Time to ruffle some feathers - but this is my blog, and if I don't say what I feel, what's the use. I originally flew into Shanghai. I was completely unimpressed by what I experienced here - but at the time, I put it down to my simply being cranky and tired after a long flight.
Since then, I have traveled to Qinhuangdao, Tianjin, Shenyang, and Beijing. I have interacted with people in each of these cities, and in every case except Shenyang (where my only experience outside the hotel and stadium was the shuttle bus between the two), have gotten out and about at least a little. And with the exception of the taxi drivers in Tianjin, who seem to be unable to find a hotel even when you give them a card with the address in Chinese, and a map, everyone I have come across seems to be helpful and friendly.
Now I have been back in Shanghai for two more days, and have something to compare it to. And I continue to be completely unimpressed. I don't get a real xenophobic vibe - I...click here to read more...
Full slate of games for the first time in a while. Wait, there are thirteen OTHER teams in the league besides the Galaxy? Boy, you'd never know it from the news. I wonder how far behind LA they are in the standings.
COPA DE LAMAR
Probably worth paying close attention to this game - fortunately, it's on FSC, so those of you who are Direct Kick non-compliant can join the fun. The big question is whether Dallas really has been reborn under Schellas Hyndman. Those three points in Toronto say so, so does the leap up to third place from sixth place and dead in the water. I have no idea why I don't believe in Dallas, I really don't. Well, I sort of still think their defense has "Kick Me' on it. Not by the standards of the West, but by, you know, standards. And the Crew had a bunch of huge favors done for them regarding New England remaining within striking distance - they're not going to just blow it, are they? Crew, 3-1.
From now until the kickoff of the La Liga season, I will 'preview' the 20 teams that will be vying for this year's crown.
Note that I didn't review every player or position, nor is this a strictly statistical based preview. It is designed to get people thinking about issues and for you all to leave your comments about the specific players, coaches and issues that relate to all of these La Liga clubs.
I do not claim to know everything about every La Liga team, but everyone has their favorites, and we all can learn from each team's respective fan base.
Also note that, yes, I do research all of these teams, and yes, I do make mistakes. So, feel free to correct me as always in the comments even though everyone does that already.
Today is one of the newly promoted sides, and a damn good town to go out drinking in..Málaga CF
[quote=Duck Manson;15486993]Sissoko, Zanetti, Marchisio, Paulsen is enough for our one defensive midfield position. If we are going to be buying midfielders Appiah should be the last type of player on our shopping list.
[quote=Alberto;15486179]Brasil is on a bad run right now.
They sure are, since quite some time. I am not the type to immediately blame the coach when the team loses, but in this case I think the Dunga style doesn't fit them at all....
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[quote=Redfoot;15486779]I'm constantly amazed at how bipolar this board can be, if we win a few games we're the best team in MLS and we're going to win everything and if we're playing bad well everyone sucks and every member of the coaching staff...
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[quote=4x4s;15486071]
Personally, I'd like us to snatch away talents for a lower fee, like we did with Marcelo, but at the same time, if we pay 30 million for Sergio Ramos, what can i do?
Il Lippi bis riparte da Italia-Germania
Stasera a Nizza nell'amichevole con l'Austria il tecnico di Viareggio si affida in attacco a Gilardino-Del Piero. I due giocarono l'ultima volta insieme nella semifinale dell Mondiale 2006....
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Ilan attaccante brasiliano del Saint-Etienne, potrebbe fare il suo ritorno nella terra d'origine. A inizio giugno il giocatore sembrava voler continuare la sua avventura in Europa dove ci sono...
Oggi a mazzogiorno presso la chiesa di San Lorenzo al Varano si svolgeranno i funerali di Franco Sensi. Dopo l'omaggio di ieri alla salma anche per oggi si prevede una partecipazione massiccia...
Le operazioni imminenti di mercato della Reggina riguardano esclusivamente le uscite. Sul taccuino di Foti sono tre i nomi destinati a lasciare la maglia amaranto: Joelson(29) che andrà alla...
Francelino Matuzalem è appena arrivato alla Lazio e già capisce di stupire e affascinare i tifosi. Sulla squadra: "Bisogna partire bene fin dalle prime gare cercando di fare sempre punti anche...
Ecco le probabili formazioni di Italia-AustriaItalia(4-3-4): Buffon, Grosso, Barzagli, Bonera, Zambrotta, Gattuso, Pirlo, De Rossi, Del Piero, Gilardino, Di Natale. All. Marcello LippiAustria(...
Il Bari di Antonio Conte sembra voler fare le cose sul serio. Nella giornata di domani verrà presentato Andrea Ranocchia, di ritorno dalla Cina. I biancorossi sembrano però intenzionati a...
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