World Cup and European leagues

[ScotsFan]

The EPL became very interesting in the last 10 days.  Dare I say ManU fans will be big Liverpool fans next weekend?

Kind of like Hoosier talking about being a supporter for ManU yesterday vs. Spurs?      

ManU is going to have to finish off their push for a 4th consecutive EPL Title without Wayne Rooney.  He is doubtful to play in ManU's final 2 fixtures of the season although Sir Alex reamains hopeful that ManU's medical staff can have Wayne ready for both matches and at the very least their season finale vs. Stoke.

[Hoosier Titan]

The EPL became very interesting in the last 10 days.  Dare I say ManU fans will be big Liverpool fans next weekend?

Kind of like Hoosier talking about being a supporter for ManU yesterday vs. Spurs?      

ManU is going to have to finish off their push for a 4th consecutive EPL Title without Wayne Rooney.  He is doubtful to play in ManU's final 2 fixtures of the season although Sir Alex reamains hopeful that ManU's medical staff can have Wayne ready for both matches and at the very least their season finale vs. Stoke.

There is talk amongst some LFC diehards about whether it would be better to field a weak side against Chelsea.  Personally, I find that really offensive (and I dislike Chelsea more than Man U), but there are some who think that way.  I don't think Benitez is one of them, though.

Bad day for Man City keeper Shea Given yesterday--a horrific shoulder dislocation that takes him out for the rest of the season.  It was one of those that I couldn't watch more than once.  Joe Hart is the backup City keeper but he's on loan to Birmingham for the season; the second backup is injured, so the third backup, one Gunnar Nielsen, came in.  He's the backup keeper for the Faroe Islands national team.  Interesting dilemma for Mancini...maybe he has more pressing things to think about than landing Fernando Torres .

[sac]

Nani had a nice little chip one Saturday morning vs Tottenham, +k to anyone who can find it.

The EPL became very interesting in the last 10 days.  Dare I say ManU fans will be big Liverpool fans next weekend?

What a beauty by Nani!!!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sy5OcI_wVW4

+k anyway but that was from last year

[Hoosier Titan]

Manchester City has asked, and is probably going to get, permission to sign an emergency goal keeper until the end of the season due to Shay Given's injury.  Talk about mis-management--they spent millions, loaned out a perfectly good keeper (Joe Hart, who should be in the England squad over Robert Green), and now they need special permission to get a keeper. 

So, Liverpool's got Fernando Torres, David Ngog, and now Dirk Kuyt injured.  Can we get permission to hire an emergency striker? 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/8644269.stm

The rich keep getting richer.  Infuriating!

[sac]

Good to see Newcastle bounce right back into the EPL, but leave the creamscicle shirts in the Championship.  West Brom comes right back up as well.

Burnley, Portsmouth go down........Hull isn't officially down but they can only tie and their  goal differential is -21 or something.  They are down.  No final day drama at the bottom this year.

PS Altidore got tossed in Hull's weekend game which means he'll be suspended the remainder of the year.  Good for the USA, he'll be rested and presumebly healthy.

Also, Friedel was outstanding this weekend.

[sac]

Blackpool won promotion through the playoff.  I believe Blackpool are now one of the smallest clubs to ever make it to the EPL, not sure on that though.


Its like winning the lottery for the whole town apparently.


Bolton, Blackburn, ManU, ManCity, Liverpool, Everton, Stoke, Blackpool.......all within relatively short distances of each other.

[ScotsFan]

With the US opening camp over the weekend and their first WC tune-up tonight vs the Czech Republic, anyone up for some WC discussion?

Bradley is also set to announce his 23 man roster trimmed down from the 30 invites to camp tomorrow.  Part of me is hoping that Edson Buddle does enough to make the 23 man roster.  He has been in great form for the Galaxy this season teaming up with Landon.  I think Bradley would be foolish not to try and recreate that partnership on the MNT.

Looking at the squad as a whole, I think the US is going to be ok in the midfield and depending on the fitness of Gooch, they should be ok in the back as well and also in goal.  The questions arise up front with the loss of Davies.  There is really no one available to match Davies speed and his ability to stretch opposing defenses.

All in all, with the favorable draw by the US, if they have another collapse like they did in '06 in Germany, could this be Bradley's farewell?  I think the US HAS to get out of the group stages or Bradley is done.  Just my opinion of course... 

[Hoosier Titan]

The final list of 23 is out for England:
http://www.givemefootball.com/internationals/england-coach-makes-his-toughest-decisions-yet

Most notable person staying at home:  Theo Walcott.
Most deserving of staying at home (from what I saw in the Mexico friendly):  Leighton Baines.
Question on most people's minds:  Can Lampard and Gerrard play together effectively?  (I think so, and I think Capello can help them).

Who else has conflicts of interest in teams to support?  I have four, and they're localized into two groups:  England and the US, and then Spain and Chile.  Not that my support is likely to make any difference in either case!   I think they all have a chance at making it out of the group stages, though, so I'm off the hook for a couple of weeks.

[ScotsFan]

Who else has conflicts of interest in teams to support?  I have four, and they're localized into two groups:  England and the US, and then Spain and Chile.  Not that my support is likely to make any difference in either case!   I think they all have a chance at making it out of the group stages, though, so I'm off the hook for a couple of weeks.

My conflict of interest is also with the US and England.  Even though they are both in the same group, I really like the chances of both of them making it out of the group stages.  I am pulling for the US to win in their opener with England though.  I think England has a better chance of overcoming an opening loss to the US than vice/versa.  A draw wouldn't be all too bad either.

How about teams you absolutely can't stand?  Italy and France are tops of the list for me in that category!  Brazil is a close 3rd.

[Stinger]

June 12th can't get here soon enough.   The US team concerns me, yet I think they are mature enough to do what it takes to get through to the second round.  The US should be able to take care of Algeria and Slovenia.   I'll also be pulling for Spain.  I'd love to see them win after their dominating performance on Euro '08.

My most hated team is Italy hands down. WC2006 cemented that into place. Their tactics are downright bush league. 

Speaking of the Azzuri, how about Rossi staying home? I was a bit surprised on that one. I wonder if he regrets his decision just a wee bit.

[Hoosier Titan]

Italy and Portugal are my most despised teams, Italy for their dirtiness and diving; Portugal primarily for diving.  The 2006 Portugal-Holland game was the worst football match I have ever seen--something like 16 yellows and 4 reds and that wasn't the half of it.

Last night the BBC had a two-hour special of the most shocking moments in World Cup history.  I thought I couldn't sit for two hours, but I was absolutely mesmerized.  It went by before I realized it.  Most of them I'd heard of, and I'd experienced a surprising number--England's problems with penalty kicks, of course; Christiano Ronaldo's wink in 2006; the Hand of God; Beckham's red card against Argentina.  And number one I remember all too well--the Zidane headbutt.  To this day I can't fathom what happened to cause him to lose it like that.  DaMarcus Beasley featured in one of the oddest and, well, most stupid--he was about to go in as a sub and got a call of nature, so he tried to, um, relieve himself while kneeling along the touchline thinking he wasn't being seen.  Needless to say, about forty television cameras from all continents caught him in the act and it's now immortalized as an Official Shocking Moment. 

Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey have a great following here in the UK.  They are the US players who are feared here (of course, they're the ones who are best known).

[Hoosier Titan]

Well, Gillette, Hicks, and company seem to have sacked Rafa Benitez.  I'd like to believe it's not true, but it's now on the BBC.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/8719210.stm

How much sense does it make, when money is short, to pay £16 million in severance pay to a manager who seems bound for Inter Milan--the European Champions?  He's good enough for Inter but not good enough for Liverpool?  And they waited until the outspoken players--Reina, Carragher, Torres, and Gerrard--were all off at the World Cup. 

This seems an obvious ploy to get rid of a manager who made waves.   Bad times at Anfield Road, and getting worse fast.

I'm gutted.

[Mr. Ypsi]

Well, Gillette, Hicks, and company seem to have sacked Rafa Benitez.  I'd like to believe it's not true, but it's now on the BBC.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/l/liverpool/8719210.stm

How much sense does it make, when money is short, to pay £16 million in severance pay to a manager who seems bound for Inter Milan--the European Champions?  He's good enough for Inter but not good enough for Liverpool?  And they waited until the outspoken players--Reina, Carragher, Torres, and Gerrard--were all off at the World Cup. 

This seems an obvious ploy to get rid of a manager who made waves.   Bad times at Anfield Road, and getting worse fast.

I'm gutted.

You're going so Brit on us, we won't understand a word you say by the time you return to the colonies!

[sac]

Seems Benitez probably wasn't going to get the funds to improve the club this summer.   Maybe he saw the writing on the wall, 'mutual consent' they are saying this morning.  As a passive fan I just hope they can keep Gerrard and Torres.

Liverpool need a sugardaddy to compete with the big boys now......as crazy and absurd as that sounds. 

Martin O'Neil is the highest profile name mentioned so far, he's done well at Villa.


Would Liverpool try and poach David Moyes?..........perish the thought.

[Stinger]

An excellent ESPN OTL about the life of Joe Gaetjens, who scored the winner in the US victory over England in 1950.  Worth the 10 minute view. http://tinyurl.com/25eb68a

Maybe Jozy will find a little Haitian karma from Gaetjens to put one in against England.