WalkOn Blog

Tom Hicks on Rafa, DIC and His Future With Liverpool

2008-01-27T10:30:00.000-05:00

In an interview with Radio 5 live's 'Sportsweek' program, Liverpool co-chairman Tom Hicks has spoken about his future, the DIC rumours, Rafa Benitez and much more. Read the full transcript below.

How do you feel now that you have finally completed the refinancing of the club?

Well we are happy to get it behind us. It should have happened weeks ago but these things take longer. But it's all done, we are pleased and we are going about our business.

What are the implications of this refinancing deal?

Well it refinances the original loan we took on when we bought the club and more importantly it provides the capital for the next year and a half to take the stadium forward and as soon as we complete approval process and our judicial review we'll start digging in Stanley Park and get it going.

So you can confirm that you want to be involved with Liverpool for the foreseeable future?

Absolutely. I'm learning a lot about the club, I'll learn even more over the coming years but I think it has the most fantastic fan base and I'm very excited about the future of the club. People will come to realise that the new stadium will be the finest football stadium in the world and everybody in Liverpool should be very proud of it.

In the past fortnight you have insisted you do not want to sell the club. Is that still 100 per cent the case? You can confirm that you won't sell to DIC or anyone?

Absolutely not. I've learned a lot about British tabloids and I'm sure people already know about that. That was never a serious possibility.

So even if someone like DIC came in and offered a huge amount for the club, you would still say no?

My answer would be that I can't think of a price for which I would want to sell and I have no interest in selling at all. The DIC people are professional and wouldn't do that anyway.

Have you ever thought about selling Liverpool to DIC?

No. I never have.

So you have never negotiated with them at any point?

Well I did talk to them once about a 10-15 per cent participation but that was months ago and we gave them a valuation for which we would accept a minority investor and they thought the valuation was too high. We've had no conversation of substance since then.

So that 10-15 per cent would have been as part shareholder in your business?

Yes they would have been a minority investor and we would have used that capital to help build the new stadium. But we'll find other ways to capitalise the new stadium in a couple of years. Right now we've got the capital and I've put in a lot of money. We will put in more if we need to and we are going to design the best football stadium in the world and we'll end getting permanent capital for it when we need to further down the road.

Having spoken to the Dubai investors regarding a 15 per cent share, would you still be interested if other investors came in?

Well I can't predict the future. I know what we are doing right now and we'll let the future unfold. The fans should know we are building the best football ground in the world in Stanley Park and we've got a great manager in Rafael Benitez who has our support. We had a lot of consternation about Rafa. But after our meeting on December 16 with Rafa, where he really showed his strong intent to do the right things with us and by the club, he's been a gentleman ever since and we've had much better communication. He's got our total backing. I've made that very clear. We've funded transfer requests in January and we are talking about things for the summer. Rafa's going to be our manager. He's got a contract here for two more years and hopefully longer than that.

As someone who has been successful both at Valencia and Liverpool - do you think Rafa is doing a good job this season?

Well we can do better. The club knows that, the players know that and Rafa knows that. That's what it's all about - the players and what happens on the pitch. The tabloids like to have lots of fun with other issues but it's all about how we play and it's time for this club to win.

So you will definitely be honouring Benitez's contract for the two years that it has to run?

As far as I'm concerned Rafa Benitez will be here for at least the length of his contract.

But you have admitted to approaching Klinsmann. Can you honestly say you have no-one else lined up for the job of manager of Liverpool Football Club?

No. That was then and it was a long time ago. He's got a contract in Germany so he won't be part of our plans ever again.

What about your partnership with George Gillett. There have been suggestions you do not get on?

George and I get along fine. Sometimes we don't agree but that's what business partnerships are all about.

You're certain that there's no chance he will split from you and do a deal with DIC?

No that was never a possibility.

So in five years time you expect to still be the owner of Liverpool FC?

There is no question in my mind. I want to win the support of our fans with my actions. I want to get out of the tabloids, out of the blogs. I just want them to watch my actions and not read somebody else's words.

Why do you want to own Liverpool?

Well I own three clubs and I have a real passion for all three of them. I think it's a great way to invest my money. I believe in what is going to happen with global television and internet growth for teams. I love it. I'm a big fan and I watch all the games on television. I couldn't watch the Havant game because it wasn't on TV but I got the reports on the website. I wish I could come over for every game but it's a long way. I plan to come to more. I love baseball, I love hockey and I love football.

In terms of money for the players, do you anticipate any further additions to the squad before the end of January?

We have never turned down Rafa's request for money on any player he has asked for. If you look at the signings last summer and this month it shows that. We are already having conversations about the summer. You'll have to ask Rafa about that but we've never turned him down.

There's a lot of speculation about whether you will complete a £17million deal for Javier Mascherano. Are you prepared to endorse that transfer?

Absolutely.

And finally, what is your message to Liverpool supporters today?

Well we are on our way. We are going to build the greatest football stadium in the world. We've got a great manager, great fans and it's time to put all the press frenzy behind us and move down the road.

There's no question you will be selling the club then?

There's no question in my mind.

Ohio State - Oklahoma Series Announced

2008-01-16T10:35:00.000-05:00

I love that the media tears us apart about our schedule, but Ohio State is the one program going out and seeking these huge games with other big programs. Texas in '05 & '06, Washington in '07 (not our fault they were down), USC in '08 & '09, Miami(FL) in '10 & '11 and now Oklahoma in '16 & '17. Bring 'em all on.

From OhioStateBuckeyes.com

COLUMBUS, Ohio – Perennial college football powers Ohio State and Oklahoma will begin a two-game series in 2016, the schools announced today.

The first game of the new series will take place Sept. 17, 2016, in Norman. It will be followed by a Sept. 16, 2017, game at Columbus.

“Adding Oklahoma to our future schedules underscores Ohio State’s commitment to playing attractive national matchups whenever possible,” said Steve Snapp, OSU associate athletic director. “Our meetings with the Sooners in the 1970s and 80s were exciting games between Top 10 teams, and the future meetings should be no different between these tremendous programs.”

The Ohio State-Oklahoma games will rekindle a series that has been dormant since 1983 when the Buckeyes notched a 24-14 win in Norman. The only other meeting was in 1977, when Uwe von Schamann's 41-yard field goal with two seconds remaining hoisted the Sooners to a 29-28 victory at Columbus.

Former Liverpool Greats Back Benitez

2008-01-15T13:37:00.000-05:00

According to an article from the associated press, Liverpool greats Ian Rush and Kenny Dalglish are supporting Reds manager Rafa Benitez in his public dispute with the club's owners, Tom Hicks and George Gillett Jr.

This comes out as part of the backlash against the new owners after it was released that they had pursued Juergen Klinsmann to replace Rafa as manager.

"After the fans showed their support for Rafa the last time, I would not be surprised if there was another show of support for the man at the game against Luton," Dalglish said. "I think fans will be very disappointed and frustrated. I don't think they have ever had this before. I think Rafa's reputation was reflected in the support the punters gave him."

Laurinaitis Staying At Ohio State

2008-01-14T21:34:00.000-05:00

James Laurinaitus's statment:

After a long thought process and strategic evaluation of the pros and cons of this decision with my close family and friends, I’ve decided to stay at Ohio State for my senior season to complete my schoolwork and football career.

I know I can still improve as a player, and I know there is still much more to me and for the Buckeyes to accomplish. My love for this university, my love for the people of the state of Ohio, and my love for teammates and friends is so great that I want stay a Buckeye for another season. You only get to do this once, so I want to take full advantage.

There are a lot of things that money can’t buy, and some of those things are the experiences of a senior season. Going through those things with my teammates next year is what I look forward to the most.

I received a lot of great advice from those close to me: my parents, close friends, former players and through prayer.

I knew the right decision for me was to follow my heart and figure out what’s important to me right now. That’s the decision to remain at Ohio State, have a great senior season, and graduate with my degree in communications next year. I am very satisfied with that decision.

This just in....Dispatch reporting on Crew in off season!

2008-01-14T10:59:00.000-05:00

I know it may surprising to most of you, but apparently with pro and amateur football seasons over in Ohio, the Blue Jackets disappointing and no Thad Five there is enough room in the ever shrinking dispatch sports section to report on our beloved Crew. Three articles this month must mean Shawn Mitchell is pulling in some serious overtime.

The Dispatch articles have centered mostly around last year's team MVP, Guillermo Barros Schelotto. His contract runs through the end of this coming season, but there have been conflicting reports about what he wants. The Crew front office keeps reafirming their belief that he is happy here while interviews out of Argentina have stated otherwise. Every one in Columbus will only feel better when Guille is spotted at training next month.

The other speculation coming from the dispatch is something that Walt already reported on in his Rouge Review. It would seem that the Crew's top target is Glasglow Celtic striker Maciej Zurawski. You can read more about him in Walt's article or his wiki page. "Magic" as his is often called would provide an instant impact in MLS and would be a tremendous weapon with Guille serving him balls.

Must Win Game for Crew

2007-08-30T08:25:00.000-04:00

The playoffs start this week for the Crew. No, you haven't missed the last few games of the season, but that's how big these next two games are for 9th place Columbus. If they can get wins at home against Colorado (8th) and Chicago (10th), they will go a long way to securing a playoff spot. Each game on paper is only worth three points, but in the playoff race they are truely worth six.

The hard fought draw on the road last weekend was hopefully a wake up call these guys needed to get back on the right track. It happened after a very similar result in New England where we went on to win 4 of our next 5. If we repeat that string of results we'll make the playoffs for sure.

Liverpool Confirm Double Signing

2007-08-23T08:26:00.000-04:00

According to the BBC, Liverpool have signed a central defender and a keeper.

From the BBC:

Liverpool have signed young duo Mikel San Jose and Peter Gulacsi.
Central defender San Jose has joined the Reds from Athletic Bilbao and has penned a three-year contract.

Keeper Gulacsi is the third Hungarian to arrive at the Anfield club this summer and has agreed a 12-month loan deal from MTK Hungaria.

Meanwhile, 19-year-old FA Youth Cup-winning defender Miki Roque has been loaned out to Spanish second division side Xerez CD for the season.

MLS Week 20 Rankings

2007-08-21T14:51:00.001-04:00

Columbus looks to be in trouble down the stretch unless Sigi rights the ship soon.

Luis Garcia to Reds: Thanks

2007-08-21T13:23:00.000-04:00

This is something you don't see very often in this day in age where many are more concerned about money then the badge on the shirt. Luis was different in that repect. Recently he penned a letter to his former club's website thanking the club and its supporters:

Dear Reds,

First of all I'd like to apologise for not having been back in touch sooner, but I needed to take some time to take on board all the recent changes and then to put down these words for you.

I'm sure you will understand.

I would rather this be a letter of thanks and gratitude, not simply a goodbye.

Yes, thats right, gratitude, because that is the word that best sums up my feelings for you all.

Taking the decision to change clubs hasn't been easy. Not easy at all.

I've experienced three fantastic years at the club and in the city. Three years in which together, the fans and the team, we have accomplished some fantastic achievements, and I'm sure that these successes will continue to be repeated in the near future.

You know that I like a challenge and that I don't just settle for second best.

Back then Liverpool Football Club gave me the opportunity to be part of an ambitious plan to put the Reds back at the summit of the game.

I think that together we managed to achieve that.

As I said, I do like challenges and in spite of the fact that at that time I was playing for my home town club, one of the biggest in the world, I wanted to be a part of that project that was being presented to me by Liverpool, and so I accepted the challenge.

Now, after three seasons in the Premier League and having won some major trophies, the chance came up for me to return to La Liga and be part of a new project at a club I already knew.

The idea of enjoying things in a Spanish club like we experienced together at Liverpool over these last three years appealed to me, and thats why I accepted the offer.

I want to thank everyone working at Liverpool Football Club for how well they have treated both my family and I, making us feel at home from the very first day to the last.

I also want to thank the management, coaching staff and directors for the opportunity they gave me back then to be part of such an important and well-loved club as Liverpool. A club which has helped me to grow as a footballer and where to date I have enjoyed the biggest success of my career.

Without a doubt, this success has been possible thanks to the outstanding group of players with whom Ive been able to share a dressing room over the last three seasons.

I'm not going to mention anyone specifically, because I think that the secret of this team's success has been exactly that: nobody wanted to stand out above the rest and there has always been a great togetherness in the squad, which made it into something more than a group of players, it was a group of friends.

Thanks to all of you for your help and your friendship.

I've left until last the thank you which for me is the most important: Thank you to the supporters.

Your support allowed me to settle quickly at both the club and in the city, and you made me feel really at ease with you all right from the word go; that's the kind of help that you notice most of all during the difficult times, of which there have been a few during my time here.

I'd like to especially thank you for making up a song for me and you should know that every time I heard you singing it, it was like an extra injection of strength and motivation, even helping me to overcome pain occasionally during a game.

Your unconditional support is the thing that ensures that this team manages to pull through in the most difficult circumstances; and I can assure you that the whole squad is aware of this and thanks you for it.

A football club isn't just made up of players, coaches and directors. More than anything else it's the supporters who make a club, and that perhaps is the ingredient which best distinguishes Liverpool Football Club from every other team. The supporters.

Because if one thing has remained obvious to me after these few years, it's that with supporters like you, Liverpool Football Club will never walk alone.

I really hope that the club wins lots of major trophies in the future; I'll be following it all from a distance, with the pride that you can only get from having been a Red and played for the home team at Anfield – a ground that every football fan must visit at least once in their life.

Thank you for everything. Yours most sincerely,

Your friend, Luís García

Reds Defeat Toulouse 1-0 In First Leg

2007-08-15T12:23:00.000-04:00

Andriy Voronin found the back of the net in the 43rd minute at Toulouse's Stadium Municipal to secure a first leg victory in Liverpool's Champions League third round qualifier.

From LiverpoolFC.tv:

Liverpool are 90 minutes away from a place in the group stages of the Champions League after a comfortable 1-0 victory against Toulouse in France.

Andriy Voronin's stunning first half strike secured a well earned success against the French outfit as Rafael Benitez's side took a big step towards once again qualifying for European football's premier competition.

With Chelsea looming on the horizon this weekend it came as no surprise to see six changes from the starting line-up which won so impressively at Aston Villa, with Peter Crouch, Sami Hyypia, Javier Mascherano, Ryan Babel and Yossi Benayoun joining Voronin in making their first appearances of the new campaign.

In the baking mid-afternoon French heat the game was often played at a pedestrian pace, but the Reds remained in control from first minute to last and will now more than fancy their chances of finishing the tie off at Anfield and taking their place in the draw for the next stage of the tournament on August 30.

Despite dominating proceedings, it took until two minutes before half time for the deadlock to be broken “ but it was a goal well worth waiting for.

Steven Gerrard had already gone close with a couple of efforts which flew wide of the target before the Reds grabbed the goal they fully deserved.

Voronin “ who had been one of the stars of the pre-season campaign “ collected the ball on the edge of the area and, having created space for the shot, drilled a blistering drive into the roof of the Toulouse net.

The smile on the Ukrainian's face told its own story “ he may not be a regular first choice for Rafael Benitez this season but there's no doubting he has already endeared himself to the Liverpool supporters with his hugely impressive performances for the club so far.

Toulouse rallied after the break but Pepe Reina remained untroubled, while at the other end Gerrard fired another drive over the bar as Liverpool looked for the goal to kill off the French challenge and make the Anfield return little more than a formality.

Reina was forced into his first save after 62 minutes when Toulouse striker Elmander got across Sami Hyypia at the near post, but his first time effort was well stopped by the Spanish stopper.

Liverpool had opportunities to create more danger in the Toulouse half of the field, but were more often content to retain possession and guard against conceding an
unnecessary equaliser.

After a second successive satisfactory afternoon's work this season, Rafa Benitez can now turn his attentions towards the showdown with Chelsea this Sunday safe in the knowledge that, barring any second leg calamity, his side will be competing once more with Europe's elite later in the season.

Teams

Liverpool: Reina, Arbeloa, Hyypia, Carragher, Finnan, Babel, Gerrard (captain), Mascherano, Benayoun, Crouch, Voronin. Subs - Agger, Riise, Torres, Kuyt, Itandje, Alonso, Sissoko

Toulouse: Douchez, Ebondo, Fofana, Cetto, Mathieu, Dieuze (captain), Sirieix, Emana, Cesar, Elmander, Bergougnoux. Subs - Riou, Jonsson, , Sissoko, Gignac, Mansare, Batlles

2007-08 OSU Men's Basketball Schedule Released

2007-08-14T18:03:00.000-04:00

Ohio State will start its Big Ten men's basketball schedule Jan. 3 and open the conference sesason at Illinois for the third time in five years.

From today's Dispatch:

At least seven of the Buckeyes' conference games will be -- and as many as 11 could be -- televised by the Big Ten Network, which is scheduled to go on air Aug. 30 but has not come to terms with central Ohio cable providers. For now, only subscribers to satellite provider DirecTV would have access to the network locally.

Date -- Day -- Opponent -- Time, TV
11/12 -- Mon -- Wisconsin-Green Bay (NIT) -- TBA, TBA
11/13 -- Tue -- Columbia or Delaware St (NIT) -- TBA, TBA
11/28 -- Wed -- North Carolina -- 9 p.m., ESPN
12/ 1 -- Sat -- at Butler -- TBA,TBA
12/18 -- Tue -- at Cleveland State -- TBA, TBA
12/22 -- Sat -- Florida -- 3:45 p.m., CBS
1/ 3 -- Thu -- at Illinois -- 8 p.m., ESPN
1/ 6 -- Sun -- Northwestern -- Noon, BTN
1/ 9 -- Wed -- Iowa -- 7 p.m., BTN
1/12 -- Sat -- at Purdue -- 4 p.m., BTN
1/15 -- Tue -- at Michigan State -- 7 p.m., ESPN
1/19 -- Sat -- at Tennessee -- 3:30 p.m., CBS
1/22 -- Tue -- Illinois -- 9 p.m., BTN
1/26 -- Sat -- Minnesota -- 8 p.m., BTN
1/29 -- Tue -- at Penn State -- 7 p.m., ESPN
2/ 2 -- Sat -- at Iowa -- 6 p.m., BTN
2/ 5 -- Tue -- Michigan -- 7 p.m., ESPN
2/10 -- Sun -- Indiana -- 1 p.m., CBS
2/13 -- Wed -- at Northwestern -- 9 p.m., BTN
2/17 -- Sun -- at Michigan -- 1 p.m., CBS
2/23 or 24 Sat/Sun -- Wisconsin -- 2 or 4 p.m. ESPN or BTN
2/26 -- Tue at Indiana -- 7 p.m., ESPN
3/1 or 2 -- Sat/Sun at Minnesota -- 4 or 6 p.m., ESPN or BTN or CBS
3/4, 5 or 6 -- Tue/Wed/Thu -- Purdue 7 or 9 p.m., ESPN or BTN or ESPN2
3/9 -- Sun -- Michigan State Noon, 2 p.m. or 4 p.m., BTN or ESPN or CBS
3/13-16 -- Thu-Sun at Big Ten Tournament, Indianapolis BTN or ESPN or CBS

MLS Week 19 Standings

2007-08-14T01:04:00.000-04:00

The Crew maintain a decent five point lead over the 9th place rapids, but need to pick back up the pace. The Crew went from averagin 2.2 points per game to only 1.4 points per game over the last five games.

Hang On Sloopy in NYC

2007-08-13T23:26:00.001-04:00

I was in NYC this weekend and happened across this group singing "Hang On Sloopy" of all things in Washington Square Park in Greenwich Village. Had to share it. Go Bucks!

Aston Villa 1:2 Liverpool Highlights

2007-08-12T09:42:00.001-04:00

Liverpool starts the season off right with a victory at Villa Park. Steven Gerrard provided the late game winner in what will probably be the goal of the week.

Bryant Gumbel on Beckham in the US

2007-07-22T23:36:00.001-04:00

Well said...

Liverpool extend Carlsberg deal

2007-07-02T00:29:00.001-04:00

From FoxSports: Liverpool have confirmed that their sponsorship agreement with Carlsberg has been extended until 2010.

The new deal is for three seasons, believed to be for around £8million a season (16 million USD), and further extends the longest club partnership in the Premier League. Carlsberg first sponsored Liverpool in 1992.

Liverpool chief executive Rick Parry said: "The Carlsberg and Liverpool partnership is one of the longest and most successful in football, based on trust and mutual respect."

There had been talk that the new deal would be for five years, but Liverpool are believed to want to move into their new Stanley Park stadium without any commercial connections.

That would leave them with a clear field to negotiate new deals which could include the naming of the stadium, in a similar move to Arsenal's deal for the Emirates Stadium.

New plans for Liverpool's new home, re-designed by the Tom Hicks-George Gillett regime, are expected to be unveiled in July, with the hope that the ground could be completed in three years.

Crew Dominates New York

2007-07-01T23:04:00.000-04:00

1:0

I think that they were better over the 90 minutes and they
fully deserved the win. I think they played better.
- NEW YORK RED BULLS FORWARD
JUAN PABLO ANGEL

After losing 4-0 in East Rutherford last month no one expected Columbus to dominate this match like they did for the full 90. Instead the Crew made New York appear as though they were from the local 30+ rec league. From the beginning of the game the Red Bulls were out hustled to every ball and were run ragged on the flanks thanks to Thomas and Hedjuk.

The win pushes the Crew win streak to 3 games. With games next week at Colorado on Wednesday and home to Real Salt Lake on Saturday the streak can easily be pushed to 5 games. The Crew's last game going into the All-Star break is at Chivas USA on July 14th, if the Crew can manage to win there as well they would go into the break sitting at a hefty 27 points. I'll remind you now the the Crew finished the 2006 season with only 33 points.

Things are looking up in Columbus. The club which finished last in 2006 in scoring has 18 goals already this season after only tallying 30 last season. The defense is dominating as well, evidence by stopping Angel's 6 game goal streak in its tracks.

I saw a graphic like the one below on the MLS 2007 Season wiki page and wanted to recreate it for my own use. It's a great graphic for a better understanding of how teams are doing over time and also illiustrates Dallas's inflated lead in the league. Let me know what you think.

Crew Win! Beat Wizards to End Draught!

2007-06-22T00:46:00.000-04:00

Stefani Miglioranzi scored the game-winner. (Greg Bartram/MLS/WireImage.com )

2:1

"I don't care how we played. I don't care what
it looked like. A win is a win, and we are very
happy." - Crew coach Sigi Schmid.

I could agree with Sigi more, after playing a lot of beautiful football we finally have a down game and end up getting the result. Before Wednesday night's game the Crew's last victory had come 53 days ago in a lightning delayed match against DC. The team seems really confident right now as there finally getting the results that there improved play has deserved.

An interesting stat is that the Crew had not scored two consecutive goals without giving up one all season until scoring two in a row Saturday at New England. Columbus extended that to four goals before giving up the stoppage time goal to KC. The offense has really started to click, after scoring only 4 goals in the first 8 games (.5 Goals PG) the Crew has turned it around scoring 10 goals in the last 5 matches (2 Goals PG). The only problem in this new found offense is that the once stellar defence (zero gaols against in first three matches) has given up 15 goals in the last six matches (2.5 goals per game).

With a win over L.A. on Saturday, I feel things will truely be turned around. I predicted a 2-0 win Wednesday, but thanks to more stoppage time then there should have been I was wrong. For the game Saturday I think we steal one on the road with a 2-1 win over the gals. Go Crew!

Crew vs. Kansas City Preview

2007-06-20T15:15:00.000-04:00

Looking at the Big Soccer pregame thread 48% of Crew Nation thinks we're going to win this one:

Win by two or more goals - 16.30%
Win by one goal - 31.52%
Tie - 19.57%
Lose by one goal - 18.48%
Lose by two or more goals - 14.13%

I personally voted for win by two or more goals as I think we're a stronger club than the team that visited KC last month not to mention that the Wizards are with out MLS leading scorer Eddie Johnson. With four guys out on national team duty we're a bit strethced ourselves. Robbie Rogers had a good quote about it after the game Saturday in which he got his first goal,

"As much as I want to play for my country, I want to help all the guys here. That was such a great effort Saturday, and I'm a little bummed I have to leave." -- Rogers, who joined Moreno and Guillermo Barros Schelotto in the trio of Crew players to score a goal and earn an assist against the Revolution.

I see us winning 2-0 with Moreno and Guille scoring for the good guys. Speaking of Guillermo, The Dispatch had a nice piece on him today by Shawn Mitchell. Below is an excerpt, the whole article can be found here.

"I'm here to do my job," he said through Crew forward Alejandro Moreno, who served as Schelotto's interpreter. "I have a contract here. I have objectives that I want to achieve with the team and as an individual. I know this team can do well."

He has begun to adapt to his role on the wing and to click with Moreno, the club's Venezuelan target forward. He assisted on Moreno's tying goal Saturday and was credited with another on a Moreno goal in the Crew's previous game.

"The (New England) game was shown on TV in Argentina, so that probably helped," Crew coach Sigi Schmid joked after watching Schelotto acknowledge a group of Boca supporters at halftime Saturday.

"Really, though, it seems like every time we scored he generally is involved. He is more and more moving around and finding the ball."

I remember hearing that our Thursday night ESPN game with New England was also telecast in Argentina and eneded up being the most watched american soccer game ever. This just means that Columbus is massive.

My final thoughts are that of the stands. These weeknight crowds are always interesting. Could be a decent crowd or it could be rather thin. Hopefully buck-a-brawt night and the good rally at New England will help the attendance numbers tonight. Go Crew!

Sarachan out as Chicago coach

2007-06-20T13:15:00.000-04:00

Chicago Fired!!!

Chicago F!re head coach Dave Sarachan has been relieved of his duties as leader of one of Columbus Crew's Eastern Conf. rivals. The move was made because the team does not appear to be headed in the right direction, according to President/CEO John Guppy. Chicago currently sits 5th in the conference, 5 points clear of bottom place Columbus. Both sides have netted a conference low 12 goals on the campaign.

This managerial move, as well as the lack of positive results over the past 2 seasons has to beg the question: How much longer should Sigi Schmid be given to "turn things around" with our beloved Columbus Crew? The winless streak is at 7 games now, heading into tonight's contest at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City.

It's difficult to remain optimistic, but for some reason I'm still just as eager to put on my Crew jersey and head out to Summers Restaurant in Arlington tonight to watch the game on Direct Kick. Though, it cannot be ignored that with the new MLS playoff qualification format, the window of opportunity is getting smaller by the day...

Gold Cup Quarterfinals: US 2, Panama 1

2007-06-18T19:56:00.000-04:00

2007 CONCACAF Gold Cup Quarterfinals

United States vs. Panama

Gillette Stadium - "The Big Razor" @ Foxboro, Mass.

In a match dominated mostly by head referee Neil Brizan of Trinidad & Tobago, the Yanks gutted out a nice win against a very game, but chippy Panamanian squad. After falling behind by 2 goals near the hour mark, Panama received yet another blow as Manuel Torres was sent-off for a second bookable offense on 76 minutes. This was the 7th of an eventual 10 yellow cards on the day, and while it can be argued that most were warranted, the official's lack of control early on helped lead to this dreadful display of defensive futbol on the whole.

A crowd that filled roughly 1/3 of Gillette Stadium watched the U.S. put in goals by Landon Donovan on a PK and Carlos Bocanegra on a beautifully angled ball from a free kick by DeMarcus Beasley in the 60th and 62nd minutes respectively. Home-team boy Taylor Twellman of the New England Revolution got the start up top for the Yanks, but failed to impress. It seems he's better suited for a substitute's role, as my choice would have been for the seeing-eye balls specialist, Eddie "grown-ass man" Johnson.

The USMNT now heads for the Windy City to take on northern border rivals Canada in somewhat of a dream matchup for the Fighting Maple Leafes. Our neighbors to the north have burst onto the footballing scene this season with the emergence of Toronto FC (and their colorful fanatics). Canada boasts a serviceable roster that poses a potential threat to our 'Nats...it includes the likes of Dwayne DeRosario and Pat Onstad (Houston Dynamo), as well as European football seasoned Paul Stalteri (Tottenham Hotspur).

Kick-off is this Thursday, June 21 at 7pm in Soldier Field, and the match will be shown LIVE on both Fox Soccer Channel and TeleFutura.

Final Thought

Landon Donovan, often times ridiculed for his play in Germany and "childish" attitude about playing his club football across the pond, is the on-field leader of this team. The man cannot seem to make a quick jab at the ball without some U.S. Soccer fan criticizing his play. Lighten up and give the guy his due. People expect him to score everytime he touches the ball, but what they don't realize is that is not his game. Like a true point guard in basketball, LD looks to setup his teammates more often than himself, and does so unlike anyone else this country has seen in this day and age. He showed this during the El Salvador game on Tuesday and again against Panama. If you want a guy that plays for himself look no further than TFC forward, and former Crew boy, Jeff Cunningham...can't imagine where U.S. Soccer would be if a "true scorer" like Cunny was leading our nation's fight...

US Wins, Crew Rallies In Good Day For Soccer

2007-06-16T23:37:00.000-04:00

Two big match ups on tap for what turned out to be a great day/evening at Tommy Keegan's in the Brewery District.

First up, the US took on Panama in Foxboro. The United States took care of business and avoided a late scare from Panama to win 2-1. They will face Canada on Thursday in the Gold Cup semifinals.

The night cap in Boston was of course the Crew taking on the revs. The Crew entered the match on two straight losses and was in desperate need of turning things around. After striking early the Crew gave up three straight goals in the first thirty two minutes. The ruckus crowd at Keegan's had become pretty disgruntled. All was not lost however as Guillermo hit home a beautiful goal just before the half. Overcoming some questionable officiating that saw a Crew goal waived off the team managed to rally and score the late equalizer in the 85th minute. Keegan's was rocking at this point, everyone was jumping around and you would have thought we just clinched the playoffs.

Following the matches there was some good discussion and a merry time. I don't know who came up with the idea, I think Grahm, but we decided a new song should be "Wise men say only fools rush in, but I cant help falling in love with you" Columbus! Anyway, good night with a bunch of friends.

Columbus Crew Best Goals of 2006

2007-06-15T10:32:00.000-04:00

To help keep the glass half full...

It's to the point where I had to actually go back and look up 2006 stats to verify we did indeed have more than ten goals all of last season. Apparently we got 30, but it sure felt even worse than that at times.

While we only scored thirty goals, the quality of the top ten is still pretty impressive for MLS, the only sad thing is that half these guys aren't on the team any more. Whether that's for better or for worse is still up in the air.

Duncan Oughton on CD101 Morning Show

2007-06-14T15:01:00.000-04:00

Only caught a bit of the interview as I was on my way into work, but none other than Duncan Oughton was on the CD101 morning show. The kiwi talked about getting married in the Bahamas six months ago. Frankie Hedjuk and Ross Paule were both in attendance but Frankie was the only one wearing sandals at the service. Duncan is happy living in suburbia and said that he and his wife were still in the "honeymoon" phase.

As some of you might remember Kyle Martino would frequent the CD101 morning show when he was with the Crew. Brian Phillips asked about Duncan's friend Kyle and had a few interesting things to say. The most interesting is that Kyle has bought a hybrid and become "more iffie than ever."

I love sirk's interviews with Duncan, but he's all the more funny when you can hear the thick New Zealand accent. Hopefully this is more than a one time thing as I used to love hearing Kyle joke around with Brian and Joe.

07-08 Premiership Schedule Released

2007-06-14T11:25:00.000-04:00

Liverpool will travel to Aston Villa on the opening day of the 2007/08 Premier League campaign on August 11. With the first Merseyside derby taking place at Goodison Park on October 20 with the return at Anfield on March 29. Liverpool then finish the campaign with a trip to Tottenham on May 11.

Here is Liverpoolfc.tv's Nine Dates to Remember

There may be 58 days to go until the big kick off, but the publication of next season's fixtures has already whetted the appetite.

Liverpoolfc.tv has picked out nine key dates for your diary during the season to come.

August 11: The waiting is finally over. Liverpool kick off their Barclays Premier League campaign away to Aston Villa. You have to go back to August 2002 for our last opening day victory – though happily this was at Villa Park.

August 15: Anfield will get its first opportunity to cast an eye over the Class of 2007/08 when Alan Curbishley's West Ham come to town. If this clash is postponed due to Champions League qualifiers, Jose Mourinho's Chelsea will provide the first home opposition on August 18.

October 20: The Merseyside derby. Liverpool head to Goodison Park hoping to avenge the 3-0 defeat in last season's corresponding fixture.

December 15: The Premiership table will have started to take shape by the time north-west rivals Manchester United visit Merseyside. Rafa has yet to taste victory over Alex Ferguson in the Premiership, and you have to go back to November 2001 for the last time Liverpool beat United at home in the league.

December 26: The Reds travel to newly promoted Derby County hoping for better luck than December 26, 2006. That day saw them batter Mark Hughes' Blackburn Rovers only to head back down the M6 with nothing.

January 1: Thankfully the fixture list has been kinder to Reds fans than in 2003 when, after seeing in the New Year, they faced a hellish journey to the north-east and St James' Park. This time round it's Wigan at home. The Latics have yet to score in four matches against Rafa's side, while at the other end they've conceded 10.

March 22: They say league titles can be decided over the Easter weekend, and the fixture list has thrown up a corker to devour alongside your hot cross buns. The boys travel to Old Trafford on Holy Saturday.

March 29: Everton visit Anfield.

May 11: By 5pm everything will be clear. Who knows, Steven Gerrard could be holding the Premiership trophy aloft at White Hart Lane following the closing day clash against Spurs.

The full fixture list can be found at premierleague.com