Calcio Covenant

Physics says Roberto Carlos's free kick against France was no Fluke

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 16:38:00 +0000

BBC reporter Victoria Gill met up with France scientist Christophe Clanet and his team that were researching probably the best free kick ever taken.

The team explains Roberto was at a perfect distance, hit the ball hard enough, and with the correct spin, to give the ball the ability to fly the way it did....and that it could be done again.

If the ball would have continued it's path, it would have ended up in what is called a "snail shell" shaped trajectory. The distance is what allowed us to see the ball fly at it's potential trajectory, if it were any shorter, then the play would probably never have been talked about again. Mythbusters would have loved this.

Enjoy

Is Newcastle's Andy Carroll really Kevin Federline in disguise?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 16:47:00 +0000

Decide for yourself Geordies.

I won't be surprised in a few months to see The Northern Echo reporting Mr. Carroll backup dancing down at the Quayside...or busting out rhymes like this.

All kidding aside, it's nice to see a hometown kid do well in the black and white stripes. It feels good to see Newcastle back at the top tier and I hope they stay up for a while. It doesn't even feel like they left. The key to their success this year is the big man Carroll up front combined with Joey Barton's mustache.

Arsenal fans ALWAYS have hope

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 20:20:00 +0000

Freaking Goooners....

I don't know how many times I've seen it. Enough times where I would feel safe to throw down some money and bet on it.......and probably win 75% of the time. What exactly would this bet be?

Arsenal ALWAYS score in the last five minutes of a match....but only if they are trailing. Over the past 2-3 years I have noticed it more and more and today they struck again in the 90th minute against my beloved Liverpool. They are the only team that does this on a consistent basis. It's amazing.

I went to the watch the game at Brits Pub in downtown Minneapolis with my girlfriend. The game was getting in the later minutes and I turn to my girl and say, "you can never trust a lead against Arsenal, they always are a threat to score in the last 5 minutes." Sure enough, a ball gets sent into the box and Pepe bobbles it... it proceeds to roll right in the back of the net. Like clockwork.

If anyone who reads this is a betting man and is looking for a little late drama, don't even think twice about NOT putting a bet down on Arsenal leveling or taking the lead in the last 5 minutes. I won't be able to log into Paddy Power fast enough.

There are 37 more league games to go and who knows how many cup/tournament games Arsenal have left....but chalk today down as the first of the season. We here at Calcio Covenant headquarters will keep a tally for you.

My Premier League Predictions

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 09 Aug 2010 16:19:00 +0000

Alright, the Community Shield game was this past Sunday which everyone knows acts like the pep rally to kick-off the new Premier League season. Congrats to Man U for winning their 18th shield....they are getting closer to being able to use all those shields as dinner plates for a pre-match feast.

I am going to warn you now, if you are looking for incredible insight and nights of research and pints poured into this pre-season prediction list, your going to be disappointed. It's just a simple list you can compare with yours. At the mid point of the season I'll review this to see how if I'm an incredible football mind, or if stink at making predictions.

I am basing these predictions off of a few things: Past performances, players bought and sold, player fitness, and schedule. Here is my prediction for the outcome of the 2010-2011 Premier League season. Below the table are my predictions for the awards. Enjoy

20. Blackpool
19. Wolves
18. West Brom
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17. Newcastle
16. West Ham
15. Wigan
14. Fulham
13. Stoke
12. Bolton
11. Sunderland
10. Birmingham
9. Blackburn
8. Aston Villa
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7. Everton
6. Tottenham
5. Arsenal
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4. Liverpool
3. Man U
2. Man City
1. Chelsea

There ya have it, love it, hate it, it's all good. the Big 4 are becoming the big 5 or 6 pretty quick.

Individual Awards

Player of the year - Joe Cole

Golden Boot - Fernando Torres

Golden Glove - Shay Given

Manager of the year - Roy Hodgson

Bristol City sign David James & Freddy Adu just can't find a club

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 30 Jul 2010 15:54:00 +0000

Championship side Bristol City FC are having quite the busy signing day. Along with sealing up defensive pair Nicky Hunt and Damion Stewart, they captured England's World Cup keeper David James. Not a bad day I'd say.

James lives in Exeter, which is located in the southwest corner of England, and explained that this more important to him that staying in the Premier League.

"I've had offers to stay in the Premier League but it is more important that I play football for the right club and be a family man,"

I love the fact he is going to this team to help them win promotion to the Premier League and for family reasons. If Bristol succeed in that venture they would be the southwest team in the Premier League. He's going to be introduced during Saturday's friendly with Blackpool.

Liverpool's David N'Gog scored twice in yesterdays Europa League win over Rabotnicki.

Congratulations to Mark Hughes for becoming Fulham's new manager. He's already going after his old club Man City for Ireland, Santa Cruz, and Bellamy.

Robinho is on his way back to Eastlands.

Five thousand of Frank Lampard's 24-carat iPods are going to be melted down because they can't be sold. They will be re-created to Hello Kitty iPods. Frankie....why not just go to one of those cash for gold stores.

Will Freddy Adu ever be on a team for more than a season? Dude, just come back to the US.

Barcelona has real financial mess and more fun things in football

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 17:04:00 +0000

BBC reports that Barcelona suffered a loss of 77m euros last season. That puts their debt at 442m euros. How can this be? They are always deep in the Champions League competition which pays out generously, TV rights, winning the league, worldwide popularity and merch flying off the shelves. How do they expect to bring in huge names like Cesc Fabregas at a whopping 35m euro fee, or even Villa who they already signed for 33.4m. They must be printing their own money in some back room ant the Nou Camp.

Joan Laporta, who was in charge of the previous board said the team was 11m in the good at the end of June. Well that sounds great until accounting firm Deloitte went ahead with a second audit under new president Sandro Rosell. Their findings show that the cost of running the club last year was at 400m pounds and an income of only 341.7m pounds. I'm not an economics major or anything but generally to NOT be in debt, your operating costs need to be LESS than your income. It's not like Barca is a new club and need a few years before they profit. They have been around since 1899. To add more salt to the wound, they had to take out a 125m pound loan to help pay their players.

This is not good and the club really needs to take a step back and get their feet back on the ground. Not just Barca either, teams all over Europe. Players are being transferred all over the place for ridiculous prices (James Milner). Players and teams should honor their contracts and take advantage of free transfers. I don't mind the wages of players...it's the transfer fee's that are really killing these clubs. This would save hundreds of millions every year. Maybe teams would slow down the changing of uniforms too, fans can't pay $60-70 a year to upgrade to the new jersey, seriously...it's dumb. That is another topic for a different day.

I understand that the world of football has changed and it's more of a "must win trophy's right now" world instead of the slow, steady, and smart way. It's sad to see. How many more Leeds and Portsmouth's do we need to see before owners, teams, and players honor contracts and stop racking up the bill and giving the tab to the fans.

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This is one of the best celebrations I have ever seen. hahahaha.

Javier Mascherano really really wants to leave Liverpool. - Soccernet - He looks to be heading to Inter Milan so he can nuzzle next to Rafa Benitez.

Premier League has some new squad rules. Here is a great explanation of them.

Paul Scholes is regretting not going to the World Cup. - Daily Mail -

Pitch Invasion has some information on the largest American soccer crowds. Stats are always fun.

Wayne Rooney with Jedward...a set of twins with hi-top hairdo's that one Simon Cowell's X-Factor and covered Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" - The Sun -

Rio Ferdinand always has great question/answer sessions on his twitter account. Follow him.

Steve Cherundolo is going to be Hannover's captain this season. - Yanks Abroad - Congrats Stevie!

September 4th, my birthday, is non-league day.

In other sports, Christophe Lamaitre, a French sprinter, became the first white man to run 100m in under 10 seconds. Nice work buddy.

Whats involved in a Premier League fitness test, France suspended, Derby players cliff jumping

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 16:17:00 +0000

BBC reports The France Football Federation suspended all 23 members of their World Cup squad....for one game. That game happens to be against Norway, in Oslo on August 11th. The "Hand of Henry" is proving to be quite the bad luck charm. Keeper Hugo Lloris had this to say;

"We went too far. It was a very awkward decision, a big mistake. It was completely stupid. But there were so many problems.

Someone at the FFF needs to get themselves a rabbit's foot or a schedule a witch doctor. We all know that Karim Benzema and Frank Ribery could use some better luck....or just better decision making. Your professional footballers...why are you paying for a night of debauchery?

Richard Dunne had a laugh at the expense of France.

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Ever wonder what taking a Premier League fitness test is like? Well BBC shows us what it takes to be registered "fit" for competition.

Thierry Henry continues to haunt Spurs and during his debut for the New York Red Bulls last night it took him 25 minutes. Here it is.

Derby players are jumping off 40ft cliffs as part of their training - Mirror - Nothing like a huge cannonball to raise team spirit or get you prepared for playing against the world's greatest in a months time.

Scotland's new away jersey - BBC -

Man City make final offer for "get me outta here" Aston Villa man James Milner - Guardian -

If you like FC St. Pauli...this is a good article on their tactics and what to expect in their return to the Bundesliga. - TimHi -

Go here for sweet scarves. - Ruffneck Scarves -

A Little Football News....Some Soccer Information.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 16:34:00 +0000

Champions League is adding two refs for this seasons campaign after the World Cup saw it's share of goal line disputes.

FIFA refuses to give us a World Cup all-star team....and won't give us a reason. Seems to be a popular method of communication in FIFA.

David Beckham's top 10 hairdo's according to The Spoiler.

Ryan Babels shorts buying escapade on Twitter. - Pies -

Sir Alex Ferguson has high hopes for the future of soccer in the USA.

Cristiano Ronaldo rumored to be tying the knot with model Irina Shayk...well played Ronaldo. - Deadspin -

ESPN's Brent Latham gives us his report card for the halfway mark of the MLS season

Japan gets a morale boost for there World Cup 2022 bid after FIFA praises the country for having a quality inspection. - Soccernet -

The revolving door keeps on spinning at Liverpool. Dutch and AC Milan striker Klaas-Jan Huntelaar could be signing for Liverpool with Ryan Babel going to AC Milan. They also sealed up Rangers 18 year old defender Danny Wilson who won the Scottish Football Association Young Player of the Year award last season. Disgruntled winger Albert Riera is on his way out with a move to Greek side Olympiakos. The reds are also rumored to be chasing Man City's left-back Wayne Bridge, which is a position they need to fill. Hodgson didn't wait to start making an impact at Anfield. I'm liking these new signings more each day.

Martin Jol turns down Fulham job offer to stay with Ajax. Does this mean Bob Bradley is back in the running? - BBC -

Roberto Mancini confirms his interest in Captain America Landon Donovan.

A look at West Ham's new digs for this season. - EPLtalk - A lot of these new jersey's are crisp and simple. I hope this trend stays.

A blatant kick to the chest. This gets my vote for "Best Nigel de Jong Impression - 2010"

Joe Cole Joins Liverpool, Giggs greater than Pele? and Other News!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 19 Jul 2010 16:45:00 +0000

Picture this...but in glorious Liverpool red.

Liverpool FC today received a huge boost to their roster and their hopes to rejoining Champions League football at the end of the season. High fives all around!

Joe Cole signed a four-year deal with Liverpool that is still subject to a medical, and while the word medical was just typed, let's hope Joe can stay away from the medical table during his tenure with the club. He comes over after a free transfer from Chelsea which is also a wonderful thing considering the financial turmoil at Anfield. The man is fit and has proven that he can be one of the top players in the league when playing a full schedule (won Chelsea player of the year in 2008 and was on Premier League Team of the Year in 2006).

I'm going to beat this point to death but, this is a great step in the right direction for Liverpool. A possible midfield of Maxi, Gerrard, Aqua, and Cole....awesome. Now they need to focus on picking up a left-back and that first game against Arsenal doesn't look so bad after all. You can read the rest of the story here. Also, Liverpool fans didn't wait to long to write a few songs for him.

If you asked 1000 people who they think is the all-time greatest player who ever lived, 999 of them would most likely say Pele, Maradona, or Cruyff. So who is the one person would of the thousand that wouldn't say that, well that would be Manchester United's Wes Brown. When asked who the greatest player is, Wes had this to say.

"I know it is going to sound daft this but I would have to say Giggsy"

There is the initial knee-jerk reaction of this comment and say that he is crazy, but he defends himself.

"Of course, you have got the likes of Maradona and Pele who were world-class players, but for me it is Giggsy. His overall game and his achievements are just incredible.

"You get one-offs every now and again and he's certainly one of them. To have performed consistently well at the top level for such a long time and stayed with one team is amazing. It is difficult to think of anyone else like Ryan; Sir Bobby (Charlton) is probably the only other player to compare with Giggsy."

I think it is safe to say that Ryan Giggs has endured a career that every player and fan of the game would love to duplicate; titles galore, loads of silverware, one team, record holder for most games played for that team, the ability to stay healthy and play at the highest level, and great chest hair. It is a very impressive resume that's for sure, but the 999 other people who say Pele, Maradona, and Cruyff have the upper hand on the "greatest ever" argument. Story at Eurosport.
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Bob Bradley WAS in the running to become Fulham's new manager....until Martin Jol stepped in. - BBC - Also, could Suarez be following Jol to Fulham? - Eurosport -

Ronaldinho on stage with 50 Cent in Rio. The crowd doesn't exactly go crazy.

Joey Barton says, "I'm as good as anyone in this country". Bold statement Joey. I would love to see him prove it this season with Newcastle. Howay The Lads! - Pies -

Hilarious article onWesley Sneijder tying the knot with Dutch hottness...wears little suit. - The Spoiler -

If you like Champions League football and are curious when the draws and matches will be held, I have your cure...here is a list courtesy of UEFA.com. The fun has already begun so don't miss anymore action!

2010/11 UEFA club competitions draw schedule
Date Time	Location	Draw details
21/06/10 12.00CET	Nyon	UEFA Champions League First and second qualifying rounds
21/06/10 13.00CET	Nyon	UEFA Europa League First and second qualifying rounds
16/07/10 12.00CET	Nyon	UEFA Champions League Third qualifying round
16/07/10 13.30CET	Nyon	UEFA Europa League Third qualifying round
06/08/10 12.00CET	Nyon	UEFA Champions League Play-offs
06/08/10 13.30CET	Nyon	UEFA Europa League Play-offs
26/08/10 18.00CET (tbc)	Monaco	UEFA Champions League Group stage
27/08/10 13.00CET (tbc)	Monaco	UEFA Europa League Group stage
17/12/10 12.00CET	Nyon	UEFA Champions League Round of 16
17/12/10 13.00CET	Nyon	UEFA Europa League Round of 32, round of 16
18/03/11 12.00CET	Nyon	UEFA Champions League Quarter-finals, semi-finals, final
18/03/11 13.00CET	Nyon	UEFA Europa League Quarter-finals, semi-finals, final

2010/11 UEFA Champions League match calendar
Stage	Dates
First qualifying round, 1st leg	29-30/06/10
First qualifying round, 2nd leg	06-07/07/10
Second qualifying round, 1st leg	13-14/07/10
Second qualifying round, 2nd leg	20-21/07/10
Third qualifying round, 1st leg	27-28/07/10
Third qualifying round, 2nd leg	03-04/08/10
Play-off, 1st leg	17-18/08/10
Play-off, 2nd leg	24-25/08/10
Group stage, Matchday 1	14-15/09/10
Group stage, Matchday 2	28-29/09/10
Group stage, Matchday 3	19-20/10/10
Group stage, Matchday 4	02-03/11/10
Group stage, Matchday 5	23-24/11/10
Group stage, Matchday 6	07-08/12/10
Round of 16, 1st leg	15-16/02/11 & 22-23/02/11
Round of 16, 2nd leg	08-09/03/11 & 15-16/03/11
Quarter-finals, 1st leg	05-06/04/11
Quarter-finals, 2nd leg	12-13/04/11
Semi-finals, 1st leg	26-27/04/11
Semi-finals, 2nd leg	03-04/05/11
Final (Wembley, London)	28/05/11

2010/11 UEFA Europa League match calendar
Stage	Dates
First qualifying round, 1st leg	01/07/10
First qualifying round, 2nd leg	08/07/10
Second qualifying round, 1st leg	15/07/10
Second qualifying round, 2nd leg	22/07/10
Third qualifying round, 1st leg	29/07/10
Third qualifying round, 2nd leg	05/08/10
Play-off, 1st leg	19/08/10
Play-off, 2nd leg	26/08/10
Group stage, Matchday 1	16/09/10
Group stage, Matchday 2	30/09/10
Group stage, Matchday 3	21/10/10
Group stage, Matchday 4	04/11/10
Group stage, Matchday 5	01-02/12/10
Group stage, Matchday 6	15-16/12/10
Round of 32, 1st leg	17/02/11
Round of 32, 2nd leg	24/02/11
Round of 16, 1st leg	10/03/11
Round of 16 2nd leg	17/03/11
Quarter-finals, 1st leg	07/04/11
Quarter-finals, 2nd leg	14/04/11
Semi-finals, 1st leg	28/04/11
Semi-finals, 2nd leg	05/05/11
Final (Lansdowne Road, Dublin)	18/05/11

Great Shirt from Who Are Ya Designs & Other Happenings

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sat, 17 Jul 2010 02:27:00 +0000

This spectacle is a new shirt from Who Are Ya Designs. It features Paul the Octopus from Germany, famous World Cup match predictor. I'd say if you're planning on going to Vegas any time soon, you should probably be wearing this shirt while tossing the dice at the craps table. Rub the mollusk for good luck! Look how cute he is cradling that soccer ball. I love these shirts.

Carlos Bocanegra is moving from Rennes in France to Saint-Etienne for a cool 500,000 euros.

Could Ronaldinho be moving to the LA Galaxy? That would be a great one-up for the MLS since NY Red Bulls just signed Thierry Henry. Story at ESPN.

I have a question. If anyone on the world wide web has an answer to this please comment on it. What is with this bidding war over Mario Balotelli? I don't get it? What's so great about him? Man City just had a 25 million euro bid rejected from Inter. Chelsea and Man U are battling for his signature. It seems like there are different rumors every day.

The guy didn't even feature in the Champions League final and was subbed in with a 3-1 lead over Barcelona in the semi's. He whines more than Terrell Owens. I could understand if he was upset to not be in the starting squad if he was putting up good numbers, but 11 goals in 40 appearances isn't exactly stellar. Thats about one goal every four matches, or in a 38 game season is 9-10 goals. That number doesn't give him the title of "priceless" more like over priced. I understand that he's only 19 and odds are he will improve and will make me eat my words but teams shouldn't be paying that kind of money for him. Teams throw out that kind of cash for David Villa like players.

Wayne About to Become Highest Paid Man U Player, Lyon's Awful 3rd Jersey & all the World Cup Red Cards.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 17:39:00 +0000

The picture above represents what Wayne Rooney and wife Colleen will be using to tidy up after a trip to the loo. Why would they be using money Chris? Well, hundreds of readers, Wayne is close to writing his name on a new contract worth around 35 million pounds over five seasons. The NBA's Amare Stoudemire dug that out of his couch cushions when he caught wind of the deal. This contract is a 30,000 pound a week pay raise bringing him to 130,000 pounds a week, or the highest paid player in Man U history. At the ripe age of 24.

He also just won a lawsuit against former against his former agents that claimed he owed them 4.3 million pounds. Not a bad week for Rooney. Just remember to put on that sunscreen Wayne.

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Olympique Lyonnais's third jersey is just awful...have a look. It looks like a design you would see on a conference room floor at Holiday Inn. I can imagine a bunch of people on drugs watching a game and having the best trip ever while looking at this jersey. It's a bit creepy, it looks like it's smiling at me.

GONNA NEED A MONTAGE!!!!

Stewart Downing is puzzled why he wasn't even considered in the England team to go to South Africa. - Spoiler -

Hodgson gives Liverpool fans a collective sigh of relief when he drops the news of Torres and Gerrard are staying at Anfield. - BBC - (knowing transfers periods...this is subject to change)

Almost $10 million was rounded up in illegal World Cup gambling bets in Asia that involved over 5,000 people. Charles Barkley thinks thats excessive. - BBC -

Man City continue their spending spree and sign Serbian left back Aleksander Kolarov for 16m. Man City's total amount spent this summer is 75 million pounds. They are truly making it rain.

Eric Cantona is pretty confident that England WON't qualify for Euro 2012 or WC 2014. - The Sun -

Henry Retires...From International Ball + German Shows us How Not to Celebrate 3rd Place.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 17:24:00 +0000

So Germany just took home the bronze medal at the World Cup for the second consecutive year. Your cruisin' down the loop in your sweet ride, you have your butterfly doors flapping, trying to impress Schweini and some chicks. What you forget is there is a person sitting on the top of the back seat with their palms to the sky and you decide to squeal the tires. Uh oh. Too many Lowenbrau's. Party foul.

I love the silver Saab guy honking at the person who is injured on the ground. Doesn't he know silver Saab has other important things on his agenda that don't include checking to see if your alive?

Thierry Henry is doing more than joining the New York Red Bulls today. He also made a statement today that he is retiring from international football. He said he is fully committed to the Red Bulls and doesn't want to fly to Europe to play for France.

He made his international debut in a game against South Africa in 1997 and played his last game for France in this years World Cup, 13 years later against South Africa. He wont the World Cup in 1998 and came painfully close again in 2006. He is France's all-time leading goal scorer with 51 in 123 appearances.

Other news....

Mike Tyson showed up at a Peterborough v West Ham game - The Sun -

What would Becks do if he wasn't a footballer...he would professionally build lego's. - Star -

"If I hadn't been me that brought it to a head, someone else would. It was waiting to happen," Anelka said.

This is some of what Nicolas Anelka said regarding France's meltdown at the World Cup. Read the rest of it here.

The FA will consider cancelling FA Cup replays to make room for a winter break during the season. The main reason for this is because of England's poor performance in the World Cup.

Some Soccer Headlines, Leaked Jerseys!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 15 Jul 2010 02:27:00 +0000

Landon Donovan claims not to have a love child.

David Silva completes 24m pound move to Man City worth 160,000 pounds a week, not too shabby.

Michael Ballack warns Philip Lahm about the German captaincy stating that there are "hierarchy's" and he wants it back. - BBC -

Roster the MLS is putting out on the field against Man U in the all-star game. - MLSsoccer -

Becks says he won't manage England, but fancies his chances to play in Euro 2012 - BBC -

New Fulham jersey for this upcoming season. - EPLtalk -

New Sunderland jersey. - EPLtalk -

Leaked new Man U jersey - EPLtalk -

New FIFA Rankings

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 17:14:00 +0000

FIFA came out with it's new rankings of national teams. As expected there a some movers and shakers. Here is a peak of the bigger movements from teams that played in the World Cup.

Biggest rise in rankings: New Zealand, ranked 54th, up 24 spots from 78th.

Biggest fall in rankings: France, ranked 21st. down 12 spots from 9th. Deservedly so.

Cracking the Top Ten: Uruguay moved up ten spots to 6th on the chart. Egypt, who didn't even play in the World Cup, moved up three spots to 9th..interesting.

Leaving the Top Ten: France as mentioned above as well as Italy moving six spots from 5th to 11th.

Biggest surprise ranking: England, moving up 1 spot to 7th. Shocking considering this is was their worst performance in a World Cup.

Other notable movers: With the assistance of Larissa Riquelme, Paraguay moved sixteen spots from 31st to 15th. Cameroon won't be happy since they fell 21 spots from 19th to 40th. Japan moved 13 spots to 32nd, I won't be surprised if Honda makes a move to the Premier League. Team USA moved up one spot to 13th, which they share with Serbia. Last but not least, hosts South Africa moved up 17 spots from 83rd to 66th.

Speaking of FIFA, if your a Diego Forlan fan, and I'm guessing if you weren't already you are now, they have an interview with him on their website.

Every Goal of World Cup 2010 & More News and Links!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 13 Jul 2010 15:17:00 +0000

Relive every goal of the tournament. A great way to spend 10 minutes at work!

Here is a great spread of tournament statistics courtesy of FIFA.

FIFA Awards

Golden Ball: Diego Forlan of Uruguay

Golden Boot: Thomas Mueller of Germany

Golden Glove: Iker Casillas of Spain

Young Player: Thomas Mueller of Germany

Forlan was an absolute beast and probably had one of the best years any player could ask for.

My Team of the Tournament

Keeper: Iker Casillas (Spain)

Defense: Philip Lahm (Germany), Carles Puyol (Spain) John Mensah (Ghana) Maicon (Brazil)

Midfield: Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany), Xavi (Spain), Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands) Thomas Mueller (Germany)

Strikers: David Villa (Spain), Diego Forlan (Uruguay)

If you think my team is awful and needs some replacements...let me know in the comments! Who would you have picked?

Xabi Alonso has this to say about De Jong's Jackie Chan like tackle.

"It was one of the worst tackles I have ever suffered,"It was one of the most painful tackles in my life and it was hard to play on."I have probably broken a rib, although I am not too worried about that."

A nice little read from David Bond of BBC on South Africa and it's new era thanks to the World Cup.

Dutch legend Johan Cruyff pretty much thinks the Dutch team played like idiots. - BBC -

Ronaldinho is in talks with AC Milan to move him to Brazilian club Flamengo.

Fernando Torres could be out for the first two months of the Prem season. - Guardian -

Man City launched a website for American fans.....because we can't read the UK site? MCFC.com

The New York Red Bulls are set to introduce Thierry Henry as a new member of their team on Thursday. - Global Post -

Bob Bradley to Craven Cottage? - Goal -

Spain = Champs of the World

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 12 Jul 2010 18:15:00 +0000

Congratulations to Real Madrid and Barcelona.....I mean Spain, for winning their first ever World Cup and doing so amidst a very choppy, dirty game. They were the better team throughout and probably should buy Arjen Robben a steak dinner for his inability to find the back of the net not once, but twice. I feel like the only way for Robben to score is to cut inside from right to left and shoot from just outside the 18. We all know there are a bunch of bummed out basement dwellers that are pissed to miss out on their first and only chance of felacio via porn star, or any other person.

Iniesta showed great concentration and skill to hammer that cross home late into extra time. I think you all can agree that the way the game was going and how it was being played, it was only going to take one goal to write soccer history for the respective nation. How about Van Bommel and Robben? They both played in the Champions League final and the World Cup final....and missed failed to convert either of them. I don't feel bad for Van Bommel one bit. The man is a hack and in my opinion is rewarded the World Cups Dirty Player of the Tournament. How he avoided more cards is beyond my knowledge.

Speaking of avoiding a card....how about a big, fat, juicy, red card for Nigel DeJong for a karate kick that would make Bruce Lee blush.

Dude, you already smashed up Stu Holden for the US and now your going after Xabi Alonso and his beard? Keep looking for that suspension because your not too far away from it.

Overall, I am happy for Spain and I know they are already very heavy favorites to retain their title as European Champions when Euro 2012 comes around. I am preparing a list of my favorite events of the 2010 World Cup and will post it in a few days. I'm sure all of my readers are gripping to know what is on the list.

I'm actually missing the vuvuzela a little bit. Also, I wonder if ESPN would consider the African jingle they played cutting into and out of commercial breaks, and bring it into their every day production.

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Spain slammed a lot of Budweiser after the game. - Dirty Tackle -

Paraguay's #1 female fan Larissa Riquelme keeps her promise to all of us fellas. - Pies -

Win a limited edition Umbro shirt - Umbro -

I finished a surprising 3rd place (team name: Maradona's Bidet) with 141 points in the Designated Players World Cup Fantasy Pool on Yahoo. The winner, team name Hexa, won with 147 points. I received an email from Bruce McGuire of DuNord about a prize to be mailed to my place. I'm exited to see what it is.

Iker Casillas and Sara Carbonero kiss and make up in the post game interview.

Puyol and Fabregas tipping back a Bud after the game...why does Cesc have his hand down his pants?

Fan runs onto the field and almost grabs the World Cup Trophy

Intelligent Soccer Video From the South

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 09 Jul 2010 03:04:00 +0000

"Mexicans from Uruguay....Mexicans from Puerto Rico." Classic.

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A showdown of a lot of firsts. Most importantly, and my favorite "first" is that we will have a brand spanking, shiny new winner of a World Cup. Dirty Tackle has some other 1st's you may be interested in. Is this the final you were hoping for? Two teams with mass amounts of creativity and skill. Both well disciplined and have players able to create spaces and make their opponent pay with a small mistake. This is like Christmas morning. I think ESPN/ABC should have a picture in picture of both Madrid and Amsterdam in the corner so we can all watch fans reactions. Great tournament, here's to a game that Paul the Octopus will hopefully predict to be an instant classic.

Spain's Carles Puyol meets the Queen of Spain.....wearing just a towel. - Yahoo -

Dutch Porn Star Promises Special Gift if Dutch Win World Cup and More!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 16:01:00 +0000

Famous love maker Bobbi Eden is probably in line for a few record breaking days for the amount of new followers (males) on Twitter. She's made a gripping promise to her fans that will be hard to swallow if it comes to fruition. Her and a few other lady's of the night are promising to put their mouths on-and/or-around the nether regions of all her followers if Holland win the World Cup.

Since the infamous tweet, sales of Dutch merchandise has been flying off shelves and middle aged Star Wars fans in basements squealed with joy.

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Speaking of Holland, BBC Sport has an awesome video of Dutch fans gathered at Museumplein in Amsterdam throughout yesterdays game. Great reactions.

Dutch WAGS showing support for their hubby's - The Spoiler -

Tactical preview of Germany vs. Spain - Zonal Marking -

Jogi Loew's lucky blue sweater can't be bought in Munich. - Dirty Tackle -

Gomez from Addam's Family...oops, I mean Mesut Ozil of the German national team blasts England. - Daily Mail -

20 Players who's value has grown substantially during the World Cup. - Pies -

Barcelona didn't pay players salaries in June? - BBC Sport -

Someone's head is going to roll at Everton for this one. - Daily Mail -

Facebook to be England Sponsor? Terry Dressed as a Clown?

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 18:28:00 +0000

Picture the above...but with Facebook instead of Nationwide, this is what Daily Mail is reporting. Consider this a 'friend request' from a sugar daddy. Facebook is looking to 'poke' 40m pounds to become the next sponsor of the England national team, almost double what Nationwide is currently paying.

Facebook has over 400 million users, giving the fan base a much louder stage to voice their likes and dislikes. England could definitely use a boost after their World Cup performance. If this does happen, I can see players and FA staff being distracted by hours of Farmville or Mafia Wars...leading to a disappointing yet predictable Euro 2012.

The other competing sponsors are o2, Orange, spanish bank Santander.

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John Terry dressed up as a pirate. - Daily Mail -

Internet art: Arjren Robben post-dive style. - The Spoiler -

Awesome view of Green Point Stadium from Table Mountain. - Pitch Invasion - This stadium is the best in the World Cup I think.

Letter to German fans from the national team. - Dirty Tackle -

Lady, Companion to All Things Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:44:00 +0000

The scene above is what went down after Jogi Low's team sent Argentina packing after a 4-0 defeat. I wonder if Diego took a stash of salads and soft serve before leaving the hotel? Yes, she does have a frisbee in her mouth while heading the Adidas Jubulani ball. I did not pay for that ball but I will turn the other cheek as to how she got that. Anyways, Saturday was a huge day for my furry comrade.

It started with a tradition German breakfast (rolls, butter, jam, ham, and coffee) mixed with Hills Science Diet Lamb and Rice meal. It took a whole two minutes for all to be consumed. After the usual morning walk it was time for the game.

She hadn't been the same in the days leading up to the game; problems barking at small children wearing light blue and white, running the opposite direction when hearing tango music, and chewing on an Oasis CD which I thought was interesting since that is Lionel Messi's favorite group. She continued her nervous behavior until 3 minutes into the match when Thomas Muller nodded home the opening goal for Germany. Belly scratches and stair runs ensued.

Twenty minutes into the second half she knew it was over when Muller, Podolski, and Klose hooked up for Klose's tap in. When the third went in Lady began to roll over and over and over again knocking over coffee cups and steins. Chants of "Go Start the Bus" were ringing throughout my place. The pinnacle point of the match for her was Klose scoring his second and trailing Ronaldo by one goal for first all time for goals scored in World Cups. I can't count on two hands how many "Two games/goals Klose to history" catch phrases were being tossed out that day.

The picture above was about an hour after the game. She is honing her skills to be like her hero's. This went on for about 10 minutes...and celebrations carried on throughout the day and bowls of Spaten were being lapped up by the six pack.

Little Ronaldo = Little Containers of Pomade.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Mon, 05 Jul 2010 19:47:00 +0000

I will kick this bit off by a new coming from Chris Toy of Studs Up. It's called Son of a Ronaldo.

Ronaldo's loins have finally been tamed and news of a new baby boy have been flooding the internet. Who is this woman? Maybe she wants to stay quiet because of the flock of other women that would sabotage her for being the first* lady to bear Cristiano's offspring. The one thing we know is she is American and thank god it's not Paris Hilton or Kim Kardashian. Website Gossipcenter caught wind of Ronaldo paying a woman to be a surrogate mother.

A few other attributes we can parlay on. Lil' Ron uses a considerable amount of hair gel....most likely this;

Right now, the lil' Ron is completely decked out in Armani. While being layered in thousands of dollars in clothing that will be used once, Jr. is posing for those same companies. Also, Man United is already negotiating a contract with him.

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BBC Sport reported today that the FIFA World Player of the Year award and the Ballon d'Or for Europe's best player are merging for one super trophy to be named......wait for it.....the Ballon d'Or, which means Golden Ball. The agreement came Monday Sepp Blatter (FIFA President) and Marie-Odile Amaury, the publisher of France Football magazine. The judging details haven't been finalized yet but the old system was journalists would vote for the Ballon d'Or and coached would choose the World Player of the Year.

Ashley Cole is spending quality time meeting intelligent woman in LA on vacation - Daily Mail -

My favorite Scottish player Kris Boyd is moving south to Championship side Middlesborough. Boys is the all time leading goal scorer in Scottish Premier League history with 164 goals. I wish him the best of luck on Teesside and hope he nets another 164 goals before he calls it a career.

The transfer period is starting to get stormy in Liverpool. The Daily Mail reports that Fernando Torres is set to join "another" Premier League club, *cough* Chelsea *cough*. The Mail is also reporting that Rafa Benitez is preparing to bring right back Glen Johnson to Inter Milan. Lets hope these aren't true and we can sell Lucas instead. Man he's awful.

The Hand of Suarez

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 02:16:00 +0000

The way Uruguay - Ghana ended today makes up for an instant classic. A flurry of action in front of the net led to the ball bouncing around like a pinball. Suarez managed to block the first shot back into the fray of people but the second shot is what started the madness. He blocked the shot like he was playing in the NBA quarterfinals instead of the World Cup quarterfinals. The ref immediately showed him red and awarded the penalty.

The whole audience including television viewers thought Ghana was clear through to the semi's, I mean, Asamoah Gyan is going to hammer this ball into the back of the net and all of Africa would be crushing beers out of vuvuzelas. He places the ball on the spot and smacks it right off the cross bar. I felt absolutely gutted for Ghana. For the second time I've noticed, the vuvuzelas were silent. The first time would have been when South Africa went down 3-0 against Uruguay.

That miss later proved to be the pivotal moment for Ghana and they crashed out in penalties 4-2. Gyan did bang the fist one home for Ghana, respect for him for overcoming the pressure. Uruguay's keeper Fernando Muslera was jacked up, shaking fingers and showing his best "not in my house" face.

After the game Twitter updates were showing that people thought Suarez was a cheat for his blatant handball. I do not agree with that. I think it smart. He saved the tournament for Uruguay, granted they will have a heck of a time against Holland. He received the punishment he deserved and Ghana was given the chance to win the game. The ref couldn't have done a better job, it was flawless. The same scenario would be if an NBA player purposely fouled someone who was going up for a dunk at the end of a game that was tied. The player gets the foul and the chance to win it from the free-throw line. Ghana just couldn't close the deal and Uruguay capitalized on the second chance. Remember Ghana....

Also, here is Forlan's stunning free kick to tie it up.

Suarez photo from: AP Fernando Vergara

Netherlands > Brazil

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 16:41:00 +0000

Fields of tulips, potheads, windmills, and people on bicycles are celebrating today. Heineken is flowing freely through the streets of Amsterdam and people are doing inappropriate things with clogs.

The first 10 minutes of the match had me doubting the Dutch would win today after Felipe Melo threaded a great pass to Robinho for a 1-0 win. If Holland were going to let Brazil kick the ball around like that all day it was going to be a massacre. It was huge that Holland didn't let another goal in before half. It enabled them to get their minds right and try to pull together a goal, which they managed.

It was the beginning of Brazil's meltdown, or should I say, Felipe Melo's. He managed to concede Brazil's first own goal in 30+ matches. (Don't know the exact number). Robben pestered Melo all day and he finally went off the deep end and did this.

Before this incident though I should mention the goal that put Netherlands ahead. It was a corner than Kuyt flicked on perfectly to Sneijder who headed it into the net. Wonderful vision and ability to finish when needed most. If Netherlands win this tournament they should buy him a nice steak dinner.

I bet that goal ruined this guys day.

This win should almost guarantee a ticket to the final for the Netherlands. Who they face...I think it will be Spain or Germany.

The Damned United viewing at Brits Pub & More.

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 18:14:00 +0000

A look at some EPL managers back in their glory days courtesy of betfair.

Cast your MLS Allstar vote here.

If your in Minneapolis tonight, come to Brits Pub downtown for a free showing of The Damned United at 7:30pm. Here is the trailer.

Roy Hodgson already has plans for who he wants to bring in. - Daily Mail -

Eric Cantona is starring as an evil alien in the BBC's sci-fi series Doctor Who. - Star - Maybe we will see some flying kicks like in 1995.

Man City looking to bring their spending closer to 100 mill with the addition of James Milner. - Telegraph -

New LFC Manager, Nigeria President Not Happy, Ashley Cole Hates England, & More!

noreply@blogger.com (Chris) — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 17:43:00 +0000

Chris Toy from Studs Up gives us a great depiction of what most football/soccer fans around the world felt as we woke up this morning with his new comic Unacceptable.

Roy Hodgson = Liverpool FC's new boss. Picture this but in a Liverpool jacket.

Yesterday the rumor mill was churning with loads of gossip about Roy being put in the captains seat and today was the official announcement and he will be appointed on Thursday according to BBC Sport. He will be replacing Rafa Benitez who took over for Jose Mourinho at Inter Milan. It's manager musical chairs this summer. There are some mixed reactions to Roy being named boss. Paul Tomkins of The Tomkins Times based in Liverpool, UK has a great piece on what Hodgson is walking into. Former footballer Peter Beardsley was hoping for Liverpool legend Kenny Dalglish to take over as manager. Kenny may have been the most financially smart choice for Liverpool seeing as the club are in debt up to 226 million pounds. LFC secured Hodgson for 8 million pounds, not exactly a sale price. Kenny also has had a stellar record with Liverpool as manager from 1985-1991 boasting a great record (G:297, W:180, L:41, D:76), that is a win percentage of 60.6%. He also won manger of the year three times, wont he league three times (runner-up twice), won the FA Cup twice, and the Charity Shield twice. Now thats a great resume. Put those aside and he already has the trust of the players and the fans.

Now Roy has done some good things as well. He managed to save Fulham from the drop in in the last game of the 2007-2008 season with a come from behind 3-2 win over Manchester City. The proceeding year he brought Fulham to their highest finish ever in the Premier League, 7th, and you can't forgot the amazing Europa League run of this past season that earned him the Manager of the Year award.

I am very excited to see a new manager at Liverpool and can only hope he turns their fortunes around. I'm not expecting them to win the league net year but a top four finish would be great. He has a great starting eleven and with an influx of some cash, hopefully he can bolster the strike force the left side of the midfield. Come on Roy!

He is hoping to lure Joe Cole to Anfield. - Caught Offside -

Since this is a big day for the Reds, Here is a great video from BBC Sport about the history behind the Kop.

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The president of Nigeria, Goodluck Jonathan, gave his country's national team a low blow. He suspended the team from international play for two years. Why? Well because of their poor showing at the World Cup. Presidential adviser Ima Niboro gave this statement.

"This directive became necessary following Nigeria's poor performance in the ongoing World Cup."

They also released a statement apologizing to all football loving Nigerians. I can't believe they would do something like this. If this is what Nigeria does, I can't imagine what North Korea and Kim Jong Il are going to do.

FIFA has rules about political interference with football, here is there statement.

"At the time of writing, we have no official information on this matter," a Fifa statement read.
"However, in general, Fifa's position regarding political interference in football is well known. Our statutes do not allow for any political interference."

It will be interesting to see where this goes. Sepp should drop the hammer and hopefully restore some football for Nigeria.

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Photos of Tottenham's new home shirt have been leaked, it's made by Puma and I love it. - Who Ate All The Pies.

The Sun reports that Ashley Cole isn't very keen about England and it's people. Cole was on his Blackberry before heading to the World Cup. Probably not the best thing to do since England's performance in the southern hemisphere was awful. Here is the message.

FLOP Ashley Cole sent a disgraceful message to pals days before flying out to the World Cup - snarling: "I hate England and the f***ing people!"

After he returned from South Africa he defended himself with this stunner.

"I always try my hardest for England and Chelsea but the intrusion and pressure I feel is making my life hell."

Ashley, maybe you shouldn't have cheated on her-hottness ex-wife Cheryl for a former lapdancer. Karma really isn't being nice to you man.

Yes Please!

Paraguayan fan and lingerie model Larissa Riquelme promises to strip if her home team raises the World Cup trophy on July 11th. Lets go Paraguay!

South Park Germany tribute video!

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Man City finally agree on a deal with Valencia for David Silva - BBC Sport - What a great signing. Man City are going to be insane. The "Big Four" is going to be in shambles. Finally.

City were also impressed by Landon Donovan in the World Cup - Mirror -

Real Madrid are hoping for both Steven Gerrard and Ashley Cole - Daily Mail -

Gary Neville is set to retire and officially become the next pundit at Sky Sports. - Mirror -

Chelsea to separate from John Terry? - Deadspin -

Kaka campaigns against prostitution. - Dirty Tackle - I love the Comic Sans sign.

Xavi = small person - Kickette -