tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-222667092024-03-13T07:51:34.219-07:00Soccermad In AmericaInternational Soccer for the American Fansoccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.comBlogger981125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-30499408334290887322009-06-22T04:08:00.000-07:002009-06-22T04:10:38.358-07:00Flawless Spain march onSpain continued their record-breaking form in South Africa’s World Cup rehearsal, the Confederations Cup, as they chalked up 15 successive wins on Saturday.The European champions became the first international side to claim 15 straight victories after their 2-0 triumph over South Africa, eclipsing the mark jointly held by Brazil, Australia, and France. The result also saw Spain equal Brazil's Phil Tomlinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05824425347883527896noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-3256886313686927652009-06-16T03:35:00.000-07:002009-06-16T03:40:10.972-07:00Pearce can take credit from England winEngland stumbled their way to a 2-1 win in their opening match at the European Under-21 Championships in Sweden on Monday – a victory which owed much to boss Stuart Pearce. Pearce was brave enough to switch his formation at the break with England down to 10 men after the dismissal of Michael Mancienne. England had taken the lead through Lee Cattermole, but after Mancienne was caught out by Phil Tomlinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05824425347883527896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-25770863422259973212009-05-26T04:37:00.000-07:002009-05-26T04:40:09.547-07:00Forget Giggs, Murphy’s the manRyan Giggs might have won the PFA Player of the Year award this season, but one man who has had his best ever campaign and not been awarded the praise he deserves is Danny Murphy.Giggs controversially edged out Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Edwin van der Sar, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Steven Gerrard to the top gong but the Fulham man has been on a par with the big names, if not better.Murphy has Phil Tomlinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05824425347883527896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-69894249733673726312009-05-18T08:24:00.000-07:002009-05-18T08:28:00.270-07:00Lehmann takes a swipe at German officialsFormer Arsenal goalkeeper Jens Lehmann has stoked the fires of controversy once again after pointing the finger at German officials. The Stuttgart number one has claimed his side would have wrapped up the Bundesliga title had it not been for some controversial refereeing decisions.The 39-year-old believes league leaders Wolfsburg, who need only a point to be crowned champions for the first time Phil Tomlinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05824425347883527896noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-6083045062636122122009-04-20T03:29:00.000-07:002009-04-20T03:32:37.361-07:00Don't mention the treble to LampardFrank Lampard has revealed he 'hates' talk of the treble after propelling Chelsea into the FA Cup final on Saturday.Lampard was the driving force for Guus Hiddink's blue machine as Chelsea recovered from a goal down to secure a 2-1 win over Arsenal and a place in the final against Everton.The England midfielder was man-of-the-match at Wembley, but he was quick to play down talk of a trophy treblePhil Tomlinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05824425347883527896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-371115315230107562009-04-06T03:13:00.000-07:002009-04-06T03:15:53.737-07:00Cool-headed Macheda set for stardomNot too many people had heard of Federico Macheda before Sunday, but the Manchester United youngster looks like being in the headlines for several years to come.The 17-year-old was introduced as a second-half substitute as the champions chased the game at Old Trafford against Aston Villa and what an introduction to English football the Rome-born youngster made.With the game in stoppage time at Phil Tomlinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05824425347883527896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-4102961344032858742009-03-31T11:13:00.001-07:002009-03-31T11:49:05.205-07:00Mutu acts, Kissinger on the World Cup and some bad kitsSome interesting stats on squad size in the Premier League. [Daily Mail]Henry Kissinger loves the beautiful game. [NY Times]The Gaffer has some stipulations for FSC's airing of the Champions League [EPL Talk]Some truly terrible kits. [Telegraph]Musings over the Champions League. [ESPN]soccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-52739108537182364652009-03-30T07:25:00.000-07:002009-03-30T07:42:15.878-07:00Passionate Bellamy brutally honestAs long as you're not John Toshack or one of the 20,000 or so brave souls who watched Wales' 2-0 defeat to Finland at the weekend then Craig Bellamy's post-match comments on Saturday were refreshingly honest.After the weekend's horror show at the Millennium Stadium skipper Bellamy faced up to the sad reality of constant failure in big tournament qualification and instead of trotting out the Phil Tomlinsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05824425347883527896noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-91712772426914454582009-03-26T07:03:00.000-07:002009-03-26T07:26:13.039-07:00Bayern Munich, Tata, seducing Goldenballs, and Asian footballersBayern Munich are sick of bailing out 1860 Munich. [Independent]The world's cheapest car and the planet's biggest club. [Reuters India]Another Gunner gets his head turned by the Rossonieri. [Daily Mail]Manchester City don't give up the hope of attracting some of Europe's best. [Times]Posh worries as Italian ladies love the Beckham. [Bild]If your taste in cinema includes movies like Goal II, soccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-48228121806121867442009-03-23T03:15:00.000-07:002009-03-23T14:36:50.536-07:00Goal II: Living the DreamI spent roughly two hours watching Goal II: Living the Dream on Netflix last night and normally I'd be bitching about how I'm never going to get that hour and fifty-six minutes back, when I could have been sleeping.Although I have to say, as shit as the movie may be, I love the game enough to watch every minute, from the ridiculous cut and paste La Liga and Champions League play to the soccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-19203381552653556952009-03-22T12:04:00.000-07:002009-03-23T03:14:09.536-07:00Liverpool gain on Manchester United and dent Villa's hope for EuropeAP Photo/Paul ThomasUnlike previous weekends, when Manchester United's grasp on first place was only solidified by disappointing results from the remaining top four, this weekend belonged to Liverpool. Hosting fifth place Aston Villa at Anfield provided the most compelling match of the weekend, discounting a poor result from Chelsea at Spurs and a multi-faceted collapse by Manchester United at soccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-273019552376395572009-03-16T13:05:00.000-07:002009-03-16T13:29:10.150-07:00Arsenal and Aston Villa jockey for fourthAs interesting as Liverpool presumes it has made the race for first, or perhaps as Manchester United deigns to flatter them, the race for the fourth and final Champions League spot in the Premier League is just as compelling. With Aston Villa off to a great start, and Arsenal stumbling with inconsistency, the Gunners hold a slight edge over the Villans by virtue of seven goals. Yes, seven goalssoccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-42937797793452504792009-03-14T07:47:00.001-07:002009-03-14T08:14:28.161-07:00Manchester United fall to Liverpool at Old Trafford ANDREW YATES/AFP/Getty ImagesIt's down to four points now in the Premier League as Liverpool beat 10-man Manchester United at Old Trafford 4-1. Given the amount of coverage surrounding Rafa Benitez's comments about Sir Alex Ferguson getting all the advantages in the title race, as well as Ferguson's dismissal of the Spaniard's words, this was another banana peel for Liverpool.Throw in a soccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-12900744057925596492009-03-07T02:04:00.000-08:002009-03-07T02:39:44.424-08:00Cup competitions, Sir Alex Ferguson on retirement, and Cheryl Cole's a good personWith the FA Cup quarter finals taking place this weekend, ahead of a crucial European week, it's time to question the relevance of the competition. [Guardian]Chasing the dream in football's academies. [Telegraph]Two of Buenos Aires' finest get knocked out of the Libertadores Cup. [Reuters]While many on the big island may agree with Michel Platini's opinions on the English footy, it may not be soccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-67921084478081422152009-03-06T06:05:00.000-08:002009-03-06T06:37:57.821-08:00Rebecca Lowe, Ian Wright's spawn, and David BeckhamEr, yeah . . . how many of these did you make?While SMiA loves anything footie-related, Rebecca Lowe may be the main reason we tune into Football Matters every week. [Guardian]Ian Wright Wright Wright has a kid that likes to fight fight fight. [The Sun]Becks finally sorts out the rest of his Galaxy career. [Daily Mail, Examiner]Mein Gott! The EPL is getting too big. [Reuters]Klinsmann feels soccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-56547270694412472552008-12-08T16:04:00.000-08:002009-03-22T15:32:51.011-07:00Bobby McMahon on the EPL and moreBobby McMahon is the analyst for the Fox Soccer Report, a nightly soccer news show on Fox Soccer Channel. For many of us here in North America (and around the world), McMahon is an authority when it comes to what's going on in the world of footie.With a lifetime of experience playing, organizing and studying the game, he's a valuable voice in the coverage of world soccer. He can be seen on the soccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-91866192217268838502008-11-15T13:30:00.000-08:002008-11-15T14:19:30.617-08:00Weekend ReadingDiego Maradona's arrival at Hampden for his first game in charge provides an opportunity to reflect on the man. [Telegraph]Elano gets fined 40K GBP (about $64K), a week's wages for the Brazilian, for publicly expressing his dismay at riding the pine. It looks like the other Brazilians don't seem to smiling as much as Robinho. [Guardian]An excellent piece by ESPN's Wright Thompson about soccer soccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-73101515418624971662008-11-12T16:53:00.001-08:002008-11-12T17:21:07.110-08:00Top clubs crash out of League CupsMany of the big guns have been knocked out of domestic league cups lately, perhaps the most notable, Real Madrid's loss to the Basque 3rd division side Real Union. Another one bit the dust tonight, as Villareal crashed out to Polideportivo Ejido, also a 3rd division side, which they deserved after drawing 1-1 at El Madrigal after losing 5-0 away.Now it's Chelsea and Liverpool's turn. The Blues soccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-38658362758071689852008-11-11T21:43:00.001-08:002011-02-20T23:31:56.294-08:00Real Madrid: What A MessIn what is easily one of the the biggest upsets in Spanish soccer, if not European or world soccer, Real Madrid were beaten today in the 4th round of the Copa del Rey by 3rd division Real Unión. Over two legs, the small Basque club won the tie 6-6 on away goals, the first time los Merengues have lost out to a 3rd division club. Just to put this into perspective, this was the Real Madrid line-upsoccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-25395346321214788442008-11-11T21:28:00.001-08:002008-11-11T22:32:17.655-08:00Picture Of The DaySkin pigment specialist Silvio Berlusconi hosts Brazilian president Lula da Silva, as well as six Brazilians he has on the payroll at AC Milan. From left, Dida, Leonardo (Milan Technical Director), Kaka, Ronaldinho, Lula, Berlusconi, Pato, and Emerson.Ronaldinho almuerza con Lula y Berlusconi (in Spanish) [El País]-acsoccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-53212997006234562722008-11-09T13:33:00.000-08:002008-11-09T13:41:33.877-08:00Organized crime in the beautiful gameDeclan Hill's book The Fix: Soccer and Organized Crime details the Canadian journalist's investigation of match-fixing in some of the world's biggest competitions. An excerpt of his book ran in the Sunday Telegraph and is available here.Hill spoke on the CBC television show The Hour. His interview is here.[Examiner, CBC]-blsoccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-23453873757355069492008-11-08T00:50:00.001-08:002008-11-08T01:16:38.656-08:00Picture Of The DayDiego Simeone, moments after telling his River Plate squad that he is stepping down as the club's head coach. Just over four months after leading River to their first domestic title in four years, Simeone has had a terrible Apertura tournament, collecting just nine points through 13 games. He will coach his last game for the Argentine giants tomorrow against fellow stugglers Huracán.Se quebró (soccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-51110841382852618332008-11-07T23:56:00.001-08:002008-11-08T00:34:14.618-08:00Quote Of The Day"If you think that I will use Iniesta as an excuse then think again. He's not here, and that's all there is to it. We will cope without him for two months as we have several alternatives in that position."-Pep Guardiola, making it perfectly clear that he will not tolerate any let off from his Barcelona side against Valladolid tomorrow afternoon. The Catalan giants will likely be without Andrés soccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-59976138612322893242008-11-07T18:28:00.000-08:002008-11-07T19:26:59.178-08:00Pay Up, Or Else It's Luxembourg For YouThat's the story coming out of The Scottish FA, "any future glamour games will be based on the fact that fans can afford the ticket levels." With eyes toward Argentina's visit to Hampden Park, there have been murmers about how much Scottish fans are willing to pay to see their side play host some of the world's best teams.Moneyquote:Scottish soccer executives say that future games with Brazil soccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22266709.post-84407133040682407132008-11-07T01:33:00.000-08:002008-11-07T04:43:34.409-08:00Interview with The Gaffer, Founder of EPL TalkA cornucopia of information, soccer blog EPL Talk is the site for fans of the English Premier League. Loaded with straight news, opinion, great podcast interviews, and the skinny on how the world's richest league is broadcast here in the States, EPL Talk cuts no corners in it's coverage of England's top flight.
While there's plenty to praise founder Christopher Harris (a.k.a. The Gaffer) for, soccermadhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12092301404187132929noreply@blogger.com0