World Cup and European leagues

[ScotsFan]

I watched a replay of the Campbell/Fabianski disaster play!! Bizarre

Just watched the replay as well and you are right.  Bizarre indeed!

Note of interest.  The head official in that match was the very same official from that France/Ireland WCQ and the imfamous Henry hand ball.  This guy must just be a magnet for contraversy.   

[ECSUalum]

I watched a replay of the Campbell/Fabianski disaster play!! Bizarre

Just watched the replay as well and you are right.  Bizarre indeed!

Note of interest.  The head official in that match was the very same official from that France/Ireland WCQ and the imfamous Henry hand ball.  This guy must just be a magnet for contraversy.   

Scot,

I KNOW  , I saw him on the replay as well.  I think he was right on this one, but maybe should not have dropped the ball for the free kick so soon.  Fabianski looked like he was out of it !!!!

[Hoosier Titan]

Everyone on the Arsenal side was out of it!  He was right on this one.  As Fabregas said, they have to stop making "schoolboy errors."

[Hoosier Titan]

Liverpool gutted one out in their Europa League opener with Unirea Urziceni 1-0.  The goal came in the 81st minute on a long pass into the box from Ryan Babel.  It was brought down nicely by Daniel Pacheco and David Ngog put it in the net.

I lost count of the number of Liverpool corners--it was probably close to 15.  Unirea were content to play defensive football until the goal came, evidently hoping just to get out of Anfield with a draw.  They came out a bit after the goal and almost conceded once or twice more.

Not the greatest performance, but a win is a win.

[ScotsFan]

I watched a replay of the Campbell/Fabianski disaster play!! Bizarre

Just watched the replay as well and you are right.  Bizarre indeed!

Note of interest.  The head official in that match was the very same official from that France/Ireland WCQ and the imfamous Henry hand ball.  This guy must just be a magnet for contraversy.   

Scot,

I KNOW  , I saw him on the replay as well.  I think he was right on this one, but maybe should not have dropped the ball for the free kick so soon.  Fabianski looked like he was out of it !!!!

I agree that he wasn't in error in what happened.  That was totally on Arsenal for not being ready and a total heads up play by Porto.

I just found it ironic that the official involved in such a bizarre incident was the same official from that WCQ and this was his first high profile match since that France/Ireland match.

[sac]

Everton 3 ManU 1

[Stinger]

US World Cup Kits are released.  I kind of like them.  What do you think? Nod to the 1950 team?

http://www.majorleaguesoccertalk.com/usa-world-cup-2010-home-jersey-leaked-photo/7152

[sac]

they look good.....but why didn't they wait and wear them in Brazil?

[ECSUalum]

Chelsea-2 Manchester City-4!!!!!!!!!

From RTE Sports:

It was perhaps the most predictable part of a truly astonishing afternoon that exploded into life once Frank Lampard had put the hosts in front just before the break.

At about that point, Chelsea's world imploded.

Henrique Hilario gifted City goals either side of the interval, failing to make saves Petr Cech would regard as routine to keep out shots from Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy either side of the interval.

Then Juliano Belletti was red carded for a foul on Gareth Barry that allowed Tevez to fire home a third from the spot.

And the drama did not finish there as Michael Ballack was also sent off for two yellow cards before Bellamy added another.

A stoppage time Lampard penalty at least raised a cheer from a team whose lead over Manchester United remains a precarious single point.

[ScotsFan]

Chelsea-2 Manchester City-4!!!!!!!!!

From RTE Sports:

It was perhaps the most predictable part of a truly astonishing afternoon that exploded into life once Frank Lampard had put the hosts in front just before the break.

At about that point, Chelsea's world imploded.

Henrique Hilario gifted City goals either side of the interval, failing to make saves Petr Cech would regard as routine to keep out shots from Carlos Tevez and Craig Bellamy either side of the interval.

Then Juliano Belletti was red carded for a foul on Gareth Barry that allowed Tevez to fire home a third from the spot.

And the drama did not finish there as Michael Ballack was also sent off for two yellow cards before Bellamy added another.

A stoppage time Lampard penalty at least raised a cheer from a team whose lead over Manchester United remains a precarious single point.

Did you happen to see Wayne Bridge snub John Terry on the pre-game handshakes?  It was freaking awesome!  There was speculation that all ManCity players were going to refuse to shake Terry's hand, but Bridge ened up being the only one.  But, that's not to say that Bridge didn't give City plenty of fire to go out and take it to the Blues.  After every City goal, the goal scorer immediately was pointing to Bridge as if to say this one's for you!

I'll be very surprised if Chelsea is able to recover from this enough to hold off hard charging United!   

[Hoosier Titan]

More worrying for Chelsea than the handshake has been their terrible form.  Hilario is in no way a substitute for Cech, and John Terry has been almost as poor on the pitch as off.  I won't be surprised to see Man U or Arsenal overtake them.

The tabloids seem to have moved on from the Terry-Bridge soap opera to Ashley Cole's marriage breaking up.  His WAG, Cheryl, is something of a star in her own right as a member of Girls Aloud, a pop group.  Standing in line at the supermarket one can read that they're getting back together, they're definitely divorcing, they haven't slept together in over a year, etc.  What is it about left backs these days?

Wayne Rooney has issued a plea to the English fans not to boo Terry at Wembley for the friendly with Egypt tomorrow night.  I'll actually get to see this one as it's on ITV, not on the satellite channel.  We'll see what happens.

[ECSUalum]

Will be listening to Brazil vs Republic of Ireland on RTE Radio 1.  Apparently, FAI and RTE is getting the broadcast in London (Arsenal's Emirates) as reconciliation from FIFA for the "Hand of Thierry"

[ScotsFan]

More worrying for Chelsea than the handshake has been their terrible form.  Hilario is in no way a substitute for Cech, and John Terry has been almost as poor on the pitch as off.  I won't be surprised to see Man U or Arsenal overtake them.

Oh, I agree completely.  I think this whole Terry fiasco is just a partial (albeit pretty significant) contributor to the sinking blue ship in west London.

[ECSUalum]

Will be listening to Brazil vs Republic of Ireland on RTE Radio 1.  Apparently, FAI and RTE is getting the broadcast in London (Arsenal's Emirates) as reconciliation from FIFA for the "Hand of Thierry"

Ireland 0- Brazil 2  (both by Robinho)

First half respectable for ROI except for Keith Andrews own goal @ 44 min, although replay showed linesman missed offsides call on Robinho .  Second half a disaster.  Trapattoni sure missed injured John O'Shea, and Richard Dunne. Might have been 4-0, if Kaka/Grafite, and Alves had converted take aways from St Ledger and McShane

Wigan Athletic youngster James McCarthy got his first international cap, he will be a good one

[Stinger]

"Such offences are part of football. I went for the ball and got the opponent at the end. I had no evil intent. If the ball is between me and the opponent, you have to go in full. If you do not then the opponent takes you. And if you're scared in a game you get injured yourself." -Nigel De Jong, Holland National Team

Please see my signature for my thoughts......