World Cup and European leagues

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Yeah, I can't wait to experience it some day.  I went to a Wizards match at Arrowhead last season.  It was fun, but the lower bowl was only about 2/3 full and there's just one section of crazy, dancing, singing, chanting fans called "the cauldron."  It's just tough to imagine a full stadium of such craziness.

[Hoosier Titan]

Okay, I'm giving a big talk this afternoon so I wasn't gonna post here until later but you got me hooked.

As I said after our trip to Anfield, the atmosphere is indeed fantastic.  We were not in the Kop--legendary fan section at the end of the stadium--but in the Main Stands.  Turned out our tickets were comps returned by the coach of the youth squad--it says right on the ticket where it came from!  We were fairly high up, but that was a good thing because you could see the entire pitch.

The crowd were enthusiastic but even the Kop didn't seem rowdy.  Where we were, surrounded by employees and youth squad families, was actually pretty sedate.  But everyone was into the match, applauding good play and even a nice save or two by the Fulham keeper.  And the instant something happened on the touchline--like Fernando Torres getting up to warm up--the entire stadium knew it. 

Interestingly, they do not sell beer inside the stadium--something I think would improve US professional sporting venues a lot.  There are plenty of places outside to drink up before and after.

I would expect that the atmosphere might get a lot more frenetic when some of the top rivals come in, like the blue side from right down the street, or that other red team from Manchester...if only my Reds could start WINNING some of those matches!

Now please stop being so interesting until at least tonight!  Have a good day, everyone. 

[Hoosier Titan]

Okay, the talk is over.  It went really well--fooled 'em again....

Wow, how 'bout them Blue Square Premier guys?  I'd like to say Liverpool showed mercy on Havant and Waterlooville for the first half, but it sounds like the H&W side played tremendously.  Interesting that this seems to have been the only FA match not televised (just like the first tie with Luton).  It sounds like the atmosphere at Anfield was great, with the H&W fans standing and singing "You'll Never Walk Alone" with the home fans, and then singing "Que Sera, Sera...We're going to Wem-ber-ley..."  (Okay, so they're not poets).  But who could blame them?  Lucas Leiva's first English goal, a hat trick from Yossi Benayoun, and a last-minute goal from Peter Crouch gave the Reds a deceptively wide margin. 

The FA cup reminds me of high school basketball before it was divided into classes:  most of the time the big fish win, occasionally a minnow comes through, and you get all sorts of great efforts like this.  But thats another topic...

[joepieters]

The FA cup reminds me of high school basketball before it was divided into classes:  most of the time the big fish win, occasionally a minnow comes through, and you get all sorts of great efforts like this.  But thats another topic...

This is not the board to discuss the great blunder of the IHSAA , but I agree that that is the sense you get from watching those matches.

[sac]

The FA cup reminds me of high school basketball before it was divided into classes:  most of the time the big fish win, occasionally a minnow comes through, and you get all sorts of great efforts like this.  But thats another topic...

The irony here is that with the FA Cup now down to 16 teams, there are only 6 Premier league teams remaining.

[sac]

After the draw today......

FA Cup Fifth round fixtures:

Bristol Rovers v Southampton
Cardiff City v Wolves
Sheffield United v Middlesbrough
Liverpool v Barnsley
Manchester United v Arsenal
Preston v Portsmouth
Coventry City v West Brom
Chelsea v Huddersfield Town

[joepieters]

H.T.,

My favorite Reds player, Momo Sissoko, has been transferred to Juve!
A shame, really, I thought that he added a real quality to the midfield. 

At least FSC carries Serie A matches.

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Mellberg is heading there this summer as well.  He's been the backbone of my fantasy squad for three seasons now.

[Hoosier Titan]

Re:  Sissoko--I'm sorry in a way, but it has been coming for a long time.  I've always liked him too.  But according to the stories, the transfer will help them finalize a deal for Javier Mascherano, who's definitely become a fixture in the midfield.  The only knock on Sissoko I've heard is that he roams a lot (as does Steven Gerrard), without the scoring.  I think it was Xabi Alonso who said that it could sometimes get a little confusing when both Sissoko and Stevie G were in.  At any rate, Momo's not been playing, and it's certainly better for a young player to be in the lineup!  I wish him well at Juventus.

About Man U v. Arsenal--another big one soon to bite the dust!  Not too many really little teams left now--all but one of the non-Premier sides are Championship League, with Huddersfield the only League One side left.  It's interesting that the Championship sides are from the top and bottom of the table of that league.  West Brom and Bristol (along with Watford, sigh) are in line for promotion as things stand now, while Preston looks likely to be relegated to League One.

And I note that Havant and Waterlooville's Alfie Potter is one of four nominated for "Man of the Round" for the fourth round.  Let's hear it for the pipefitters and dustmen!

[Hoosier Titan]

Aaagh....West Ham 1 - Liverpool 0.  It's a fight for the Reds to qualify for Europe next year now.        

Maybe Sissoko's fans have cursed the team.  No, actually this has been coming for a long time.  I dunno.  Thank heavens there's basketball for a few more weeks!

[joepieters]

Fear not, HT
Pitchers and catchers report in two weeks.

[Hoosier Titan]

And six weeks until the first Formula One race!  Oh, we don't have d3F1.com, do we?  Rats--OT again.

Latest news:  fans worldwide to try to buy out Liverpool.  Anyone got £5,000 ($10,000) to throw at this?  I think we'd better not tell 'em we're Americans though...Gillett and Hicks are not the most popular guys in town right now.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/business/7217238.stm

[Ryan Scott (Hoops Fan)]

Did they not check into the way Hicks ran the Rangers?  Spend too much on zero results; not the way to run a world class club.

[joepieters]

Well, it looks as if the transfer window is going to close quietly in the Premiership.

[Hoosier Titan]

Did they not check into the way Hicks ran the Rangers?  Spend too much on zero results; not the way to run a world class club.

Good question.  I haven't been following Major League Baseball, but that information was certainly easy to find.  I feel guilty--we watched the Liverpool-Portsmouth match in a pub in Cambridge last September.  All the fans there wanted to know about the new owners and if they are reliable.  In a way I'm glad I didn't know. 

Jermain Defoe to Portsmouth at the last minute was the biggest transfer I saw--pretty quiet. 

Any thoughts about the recently-announced England side?  Here's a link to a story with the full roster.  Notable omissions:  David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Paul Robinson, and John Terry (due to injury).  New faces:  Curtis Davies (West Brom on loan at Aston Villa), Chris Kirkland (Wigan), and Gabriel Agbonlahor (also Aston Villa).  Capello says he's willing to look at Beckham again when he's playing regularly here again.