The Beautiful Game

VIDEO: Violent pitch invaders

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 02:42:00 +0000

Celebrate the win and punch some players in the process.

Tragedy LINKS

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 01:15:00 +0000

Sad news out of Germany yesterday, as it appears star goalkeeper Robert Enke took his own life.

The 32 year old was apparently struck by a train. He is survived by his wife and their adopted daughter.

The impact of this one will be felt a while over there.

Now to some links:

Irish dude rips Raymond Domenech. [SkySports]
West Ham dude accused of assaulting pregnant sister. [Mirror]
FIFA hearing in line for Maradona after outburst. [USA Today]
Tottenham announces some record profits. [SI]
Japanese sore loser offer to return prize money. [Yahoo!]
Zlatan might quit Swedish national team. [TribalFootball]
FA to use video on divers after recent disgrace. [Daily Mail]
The first one-handed player takes the field. [The Spoiler]
I'll behave to go to W.C., says Peter Crouch. [Guardian]
EPL team of the year -- so far. [Pies]
Top referee gaffs of the season. [Sanford's Soccer Net]
Ronaldo admits to being a bit fat. [Dirty Tackle]
Top 10 non-English soccer phrases. [The Offside]

VIDEO: Red card and a hug?

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 23:48:00 +0000

I think refs should do this more often. Send off guys with some love.

Sloppy transfers

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 22:24:00 +0000

Just a wild mess of 'em today:

Despite Roma rift, Baptista is staying.
Van der Vaart considering his options.
Crew to dump Robbie Rogers?
Xavi dying to get Cesc at Barca.
Exiting Madrid: Guti?
Yaya: I might move, not to City.
Liverpool's savior: Carlton Cole?
Pavlyuchenko leaving Spurs soon?
New Inter deal for Julio Cesar.

Booya.

VIDEO: MLS final week, playoff 2nd legs

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 20:59:00 +0000

Wednesday photo shoot

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 19:36:00 +0000

1. Where's Tottenham at? -- via EPL Talk

2. Tennis spectators are the stars -- via Kickette

3. New kits around the world -- via TOW

4. River Plate museum? -- via Futbolita

5. Inside John Terry -- via The Spoiler

6. UF's Drogba Award -- via Unprofessional Foul

VIDEO: Disco-era Totti?

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 18:11:00 +0000

ONTD gets credit for finding this ad.

American soccer news

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:46:00 +0000

First off, congrats to Sounders FC forward Fredy Montero on being named MLS Newcomer of the Year. I'm note sure he wasn't the second-best newcomer on his own team, but it's a nice honor for the kid (who has definitely had an up-and-down year).

Also, Chivas USA goalkeeper Zach Thornton pulled in his second award in being named MLS Comeback Player of the Year. He can put that trophy right next to his GK of the year award.

Remember those USL teams that threatened to break away and form their own league? Looks like that's gonna happen.

In some coaching moves, word is Preki is out at Chivas USA (to assist the USMNT?) and expansion-franchise Philly is going after Peter Nowak.

And lastly, our boy Charlie Davies was released from the hospital. Nothing but the best wishes to a full recovery for that kid.

VIDEO: The Norwgian Maradona

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:20:00 +0000

Heckuva goal this one.

Real Madrid: the Liverpool of Spain?

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 13:53:00 +0000

Injuries.

Underachieving.

A manager under fire.

Alcorcon? Sounds like a pharmaceutical or a weapons manufacturer. Not a third-division club that knocked you out in the Copa del Rey.

Naw, they're not Liverpool. Madrid is just one point out of first (not 11), but you get the picture.

The guys writing the paychecks can't be happy.

VIDEO: Zidane's charity game free-kick

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:27:00 +0000

Vintage.

Love it.

A day of thanks

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:02:00 +0000

VIDEO: Unheralded assist

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:23:00 +0000

This effort from Zlatan certainly deserves some love.

VIDEO: Super fast goal

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 02:43:00 +0000

Can't get much faster than that.

Best friends LINKS

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 01:11:00 +0000

Word is Aston Villa manager Martin O'Neill and Nigel Reo-Coker are back on good terms. That took a while.

A couple months ago the two had one of the biggest spats of the season, over the weekend the boss named the player captain.

Kumbaya.

Now the links:

Fergie escapes FA punishment (v.34090.0). [TribalFootball]
Big changes coming to Premiership? [ESPN]
Peter Kenyon has a new gig in Hollywood. [Times]
German hooligans attack train. [SI]
Roma coach calls foul on Vieira elbow. [Football365]
Potential W.C. ref suspended for sucking. [Yahoo!]
Update on the toothbrush man. [Run of Play]
Ronaldo gets libel damages. [USA Today]
And he's been banned from Portugal trip. [Guardian]
Zero tolerance for World Cup hooliganism. [BBC]
Still alive for a W.C. spot: Ronaldinho. [Can. Press]
Manager cleared of racism. [SkySports]
Dean Ashton looking to retire. [Telegraph]
Christmas deadline for success at Bayern. [ITV]
Is JT's dad selling drugs? [Who Ate All the Pies?]
Kansas City sticks with its coach. [Soccer By Ives]
Ashley Cole has setback in leg injury. [Daily Star]
Worst moment of silence ever. [101 Great Goals]
Surgery in line for Bendtner. [Goal.com]

VIDEO: Epic bicycle kick

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 23:50:00 +0000

This is about as good as these things get.

Full jump. Full extension. Full flip. Upper 90.

Love it.

Talkin' Tuesday transfers

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 22:28:00 +0000

Here we go. Some new stuff this time around.

Carlo A. rules out January moves to bring Aguero and Pato to Chelsea.
FC Dallas re-signs Dax McCarty.
Kolo Toure wants brother Yaya at Manchester City.
Manchester United and Chamakh now?
Vicente and Tottenham?
Yet another, perhaps the last, Robinho link to Barcelona.

End scene.

VIDEO: More female soccer violence

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 21:52:00 +0000

Unprofessional Foul found a local news report on a high-school girls soccer fight.

Vicious.

So after that New Mexico brawler, do we have a pattern? A trend?

Tuesday photo roll

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:29:00 +0000

1. Sounders FC get champions welcome -- via Jose's blog.

2. Arsenal mascot dudes? -- via ??? Russian static diary?

3. Dynamo dancer girl (Ana Faris) -- via The Original Winger

4. Owner in a bear suit? -- via Dirty Tackle

5. Is this guy a giant? -- via The Spoiler

6. Trezeguet is no fun at all -- via Futbolita

7. MLS Cup looking good -- via The Offside Rules

VIDEO: Coach needs to dial it down

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 19:06:00 +0000

At about the 0:16 mark you'll see the dude fire a rocket shot off the head of a small child.

The ball ricochets off to the other side of the field.

The kid jumps right back up.

National Soccer Hall of Fame ballot

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:47:00 +0000

Here are the 24 finalists, courtesy of Goff:

Mike Burns, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Raul Diaz Arce, Thomas Dooley, John Doyle, Marco Etcheverry, Robin Fraser, Chris Henderson, Eduardo Hurtado, Dominic Kinnear, Roy Lassiter, Shannon MacMillan, Joe-Max Moore, Victor Nogueira, Peter Nowak, John O'Brien, Cindy Parlow, Preki Radosavljevic, Mike Sorber, Earnie Stewart, Steve Trittschuh, Carlos Valderrama, Tisha Venturini-Hoch, Peter Vermes.

Now I don't recognize all these names, but I would think Stewart and Preki have to be on their way in.

Any thoughts?

VIDEO: Rooney warned for '12th Man' comment

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 16:23:00 +0000

Apparently Fergie isn't the only sore loser at Manchester United.

The new dad Wayne Rooney was warned by the FA for looking at the camera and mouthing "12th man", implying that Chelsea won due to the favor of the referee.

Lame.

USMNT roster v. Slovakia

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 14:55:00 +0000

Bob Bradley didn't call up those guys with league commitments in the MLS playoffs, which explains why a few familiar names aren't included.

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Marcus Hahnemann (Wolverhampton Wanderers), Troy Perkins (Valerenga)

DEFENDERS: Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus), Chad Marshall (Columbus), Heath Pearce (FC Dallas), Jonathan Spector (West Ham)

MIDFIELDERS: Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Clint Dempsey (Fulham), Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Dax McCarty (FC Dallas), Robbie Rogers (Columbus)

FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Hull), Conor Casey (Colorado), Jeff Cunningham (FC Dallas), Eddie Johnson (Fulham)

How about that EJ/Cunningham forward pairing...?

VIDEO: The unholy dive

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 13:30:00 +0000

David Ngog, who scored early on for Liverpool, is the goat of the soccer world today after his disgraceful dive in the second half against Birmingham earned his team what would be an equalizing penalty-kick.

Ban him. Fine him. Stone him.

If you want to rid cheating for the game, punish it harshly.

Now let's laugh at the Reds being seventh in the table and 11 points back of Chelsea (also one point back of Manchester City with an extra game played).

VIDEO: The goal we should all be talking about

noreply@blogger.com (The Beautiful Game) — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 12:05:00 +0000

Cameron Jerome's wonder goal in the 45th minute should be the talk of the soccer world today.

A goal that should've been an unlikely winner for Birmingham at Anfield.

Instead Liverpool benefits from cheating and gets an undeserved draw at home.

Surely that axe is inches above Rafa's neck now...