Feilhaber injury concern grows

hmmm, injury issues galore - at least our players aren't sleeping with the girlfriends of their teammates (as far as we know)

Feilhaber injury concern grows: "Add Benny Feilhaber to the list of American stars for whom injury concerns are clouding World Cup prospects as the AGF Aarhus midfielder is now currently in Brazil to see an expert about cartilage damage in his ankle."

Dempsey expects mid-March return - News - FOX Sports on MSN

Dempsey expects mid-March return - News - FOX Sports on MSN

Yaay :)

Donovan hails Everton fans for Facebook campaign

Keep up the Good work, Landon - I love it. I'm very happy that I have his jersey.

Donovan hails Everton fans for Facebook campaign: "On loan Everton midfielder Landon Donovan has been amazed by the support he has received from Everton fans, after learning that a campaign has started on social networking site Facebook to try to keep him at Goodison Park.

"

World Cup hopeful Holden set for Bolton debut

Come On You Spurs - 3-1 to Spurs with Holden scoring in the 65th minute to cut it to 2.

World Cup hopeful Holden set for Bolton debut: "World Cup hopeful Stuart Holden is set to make his long-awaited debut for Bolton in Wednesday's FA Cup fifth-round replay at Tottenham.

"

Donovan keen on Toffees return - News - FOX Sports on MSN

Donovan keen on Toffees return - News - FOX Sports on MSN

If this were one of the Spanish teams, Moyes would have claimed that Donovan was ready to sign a 5 year contract. I appreciate Moyes' comments.

I also think Donovan would be more than a little silly not to stay/come back soon. I don't care how sunny LA is, the MLS does not compare to what he's got going on at Everton.

Also, I mentioned this to Pete, but it always surprised me that nobody picked Everton. They've always been a solid team, fun to watch, have Timmy (maybe not), classy uni's, are in Liverpool, etc. This was before Donovan came to town.

FIFA: World Cup could not start tomorrow

hmm, this is a concern... hopefully they'll be ready to roll in 4 months

FIFA: World Cup could not start tomorrow: "FIFA secretary general Jerome Valcke admits South Africa would not be ready to host the World Cup if the tournament started tomorrow.

"

Grant Wahl: Mailbag: Projecting the U.S. roster for South Africa

This is one of my favorite soccer writers in the US (he's based in Baltimore) - this is his first run at the 23-man roster. Thoughts?

Grant Wahl: Mailbag: Projecting the U.S. roster for South Africa: "TAMPA, Fla. -- The 'Bag is back, folks. During my days covering college basketball I would do a regular mailbag column in which I answered reader questions, shared nuggets that didn't make my magazine stories, engaged in various parlor games, tracked down 'Where Are They Now' figures and even recommended a movie or two. Now that I'm covering soccer full-time, the 'Bag (that's me) is back on the case. I'll be happy to answer your questions on just about anything in the soccer world -- the smarter and/or funnier the better -- so send 'em in and let's get after it."

The FA Cup That Killed Portsmouth

The FA Cup That Killed Portsmouth: "

 

Since 1996, every Championship Trophy and FA Cup has rested in the trophy case of either Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea or Liverpool with one singular exception.  All 30 of those pieces of silverware have gone to the Big Four except for the 2008 FA Cup, which has been ensconced in a sacred place at Portsmouth’s Fratton Park.  That is the same Portsmouth that is now all but certain to go into administration and quite possibly obliteration in the coming weeks.  Those two facts are not just a coincidence – they are connected in an inexorable, tragic manner.

The economics of English football are simply perverse.  It is very expensive to lose in England and get relegated, but it is also ridiculously expensive to win.  Owning a sports team, at least in the short run, is usually a break-even investment at best.  Unless you happen to have Russian kleptocrat or Middle Eastern decomposed dinosaur money, it takes an astute, conservative businessman to own a football team and avoid getting wiped out in the process.

From a pure business standpoint, the best model is to be something like what Aston Villa or Tottenham are right now – successful enough to be competitive with the big boys, avoid any relegation issues and get an occasional sniff at European competition but small enough to cash in on an occasional lucrative Gareth Barry or Michael Carrick sale without enduring the ire of your fans.  That is a sweet spot that is very tough to hit, and Portsmouth is a prime example of what can happen when you miss that narrow target.

Since moving up to the EPL for the 2004/2005 season, Portsmouth has flirted with relegation on occasion, but more often has finished in the middle of the pack.  They have been modest dabblers in the transfer market, and several of their biggest purchases (Jermain Defoe, Glen Johnson and Lassana Diarra) have been sold for bigger profit.  David James was a significant purchase, but has been a good servant to the club.  Other purchases (John Utaka and Dave Nugent) have been clunkers, but most of the Portsmouth transfers have been prudent.  Portsmouth seemed comfortable walking that economic tightrope in the world’s most expensive football league.

Then came the triumph/tragedy of the 2008 FA Cup run.  After beating Manchester United at Old Trafford and Middleborough, Portsmouth found itself in the surprising position of being the last premier league team left in the competition.  Their 1-0 victory over Cardiff City at Wembley is one of the great moments in club history.  However, as the players walked up the stairs at Wembley to receive their medals, they were also ecstatic about what this victory meant to them financially – most players had written into their contracts bonuses of over £250,000 for winning the cup, and manager Harry Redknapp was in line to get a cool £1 million.  All told, the bonus bill for winning the FA Cup probably totaled over £15 million.  This is a giant amount for a team that only has about £70 million per year in revenue to begin with. 

Why would Portsmouth agree to such bonuses in the first place?  Those types of performance based bonuses are pretty standard in England, and it seemed like a low-risk situation.  After all, who would bet that Portsmouth would be the first team in a decade to wrestle a major trophy away from the Big Four?  Frankly, if Steven Gerrard’s pile driver had gone slightly wide of the goal in 2006, West Ham would probably be in the same position as Portsmouth is today.

Nevertheless, those bonuses had to be paid, and once a team starts spending beyond its means in the EPL, they are in danger of entering a result-dependent economic death spiral.  The only place to get the type of money Portsmouth needed is in the transfer market (bye-bye Defoe, Diarra and Sulley Ali Muntari), which, of course, hurts the results.  As the results suffer, managers start to come and go, the team starts to sink, gate revenue starts to fall, and the team sinks even more.  More players are sold (Glen Johnson, Peter Crouch) and all of the sudden the 2009/10 season looked over before it began.  Perhaps some of this spiral could have been avoided if the team could get a loan to get over this FA Cup bonus hump, but loans can be a risky business in football (i.e. Leeds), and it was never a real possibility anyway with the collapse of the credit market just as Portsmouth was putting their new trophy on display.

Now Portsmouth is starring at the abyss and have no room to back-peddle.  There is always talk of some sort of shadow investor from some foreign land who can rescue the team, but wealthy people usually did not become wealthy by investing in soon-to-be-relegated financial sinkholes.

For better or worse, the structure of the EPL is that only four teams can afford and absorb the financial consequences that come with success.  Manchester City is trying to break into that crowd, and is set up to afford anything.  Beyond that, winning in England is a curse.  Nearly every team that has broken into the top four over the past decade (Newcastle in 02/03, Leeds in 00/01, Chelsea before the Abramovitch takeover) has seen financial misery.  Portsmouth is just the latest team to realize that losing is lousy, but winning in England can be death.

Related posts:

1. The Relegation Rumble: Portsmouth


2. Portsmouth On The Brink Again?


3. Portsmouth Should Go Into Administration Now

"

This is an interesting take - perhaps I want Spurs to finish 5th now...

Shamed Ashley Cole set for massive club fine

Shamed Ashley Cole set for massive club fine: "Newspaper reports on Monday have suggested that Chelsea defender Ashley Cole could be set for a huge club fine following the latest revelations about his private life.

"

What a stand-up guy.

Onyewu returns to training with US - News - FOX Sports on MSN

Onyewu returns to training with US - News - FOX Sports on MSN

Sweeet :)

Random Blog Thoughts

I just wanted to post a few things I've been thinking about as I'm playing catch-up.

• I love the live/tape delay of the blogs. It's awesome reading how feelings can change throughout the game. AC Milan owned MAN U for the first twenty minutes and yet at 70 minute,s after Rooney's second header, Martin Tyler had them out of Champions League, only to see a nail-biting conclusion in which the Italians were dangerously close to netting an equalizer. That being said, don't count on me to pull this off during a match. I might run in and enter a few comments if I get the chance, but it's not likely, particularly for the big matches, like the US WC Match against England.
• What's up with the HD on Fox Soccer Channel? I watched the AC Milan/Man U match on the Boston Comcast Channel and it was unbelievable quality. Same goes for ESPN2 during the Spanish 1st division and early Saturday morning EPL Games. The FSC games? Not so much. It's better than the Standard Definition they used to have, but it's not like the HD in the other channels. It's like Medium definition or something.
• The reason I love Spurs is because it's identical to my love of the Redskins. For the first couple of years I supported them, it was their knack for dominating games early and giving up injury-time corner kick goals to lose or draw. They also run through Managers like Snyder runs through head coaches as Jol, Allen, Ramos, and Redknapp have all been Manager since I started supporting in '06. Over the past two months their offense has mirrored the Redskins during their recent 20 game stretch of averaging 16 points. They hit the cross-bar, they miss penalties, and they regularly turn opposing no-name goalies into Tony Shumacher. If they were an NFL Team, they would eat up the entire second quarter with a masterful 10 minute, 87 yard drive that stalls at the four and ends up with a field goal. In the infamous Bill Simmons ESPN article that led to Pete and I becoming Spurs supporters this was listed as the Single Best Reason NOT to Pick Them: One reader writers, "If you want a team that will absolutely crush your spirit, you must support Tottenham Hotspur for the '06-'07 EPL season."

Sound familiar?

Seitz poised to shine for the Union

Seitz poised to shine for the Union: "

Photo by ISIphotos.com

By AVI CREDITOR

Chris Seitz greeted the news with open arms and a smile as wide as the goalposts.

An off-season trade from Real Salt Lake to the Philadelphia Union reunited the promising keeper with two coaches under whom he has flourished.

But more importantly, it gave him something he'd been yearning for since his entry to Major League Soccer in 2007: A chance to play.

"(The trade) was needed and something I've been looking for. It was definitely a happy moment," Seitz said. "Seeing the trust that Philadelphia had to trade for me was reassuring. Everywhere I've been the goalkeeper, it hasn't been my time. Hopefully now it is. I'm looking forward for my chance."

In Utah, Seitz was reduced to the role of understudy as Nick Rimando strung together highlight-reel performances in goal to lead Real Salt Lake to last season's improbable MLS Cup.

For Seitz, who has yet to make his mark in three seasons in Major League Soccer but is still widely considered as a potential U.S. men's national team goalkeeper, the championship run was bittersweet.

"I can definitely take some good moments out of (my time in Salt Lake)," Seitz said. "I had a good relationship with Nick and definitely learned from him. I improved a lot, but at the same time I wasn't excited about not getting too many games."

Philadelphia coach Peter Nowak pounced on the chance to add an eager Seitz to his growing roster, acquiring him from RSL for allocation money after the expansion draft.

Nowak previously coached Seitz with the U.S. U-23 team that qualified for and played in the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

"From a pure goalkeeper perspective, this is the future of U.S. Soccer and our team," Nowak said. "We're going to give him everything we can...but it's up to him. Right now everything is going in the right direction."

Seitz posted a 2-0-1 record and a 0.33 goals-against average in CONCACAF Olympic qualifying before taking a back seat to Brad Guzan in Beijing.

"It's very nice to get back with Coach Nowak," Seitz said. "It means a lot to me that he made the move to bring me here. It was a bold move, and I realize that. I'm honored, and I'm looking forward to playing under him again. I played some of my best ball beneath him."

Nowak isn't the only Union coach with previous ties to Seitz, though. Assistant/goalkeepers coach Rob Vartughian was an assistant at the University of Maryland during Seitz' two years as a Terrapin (2005-2006).

Seitz was outstanding on the college level, becoming the first freshman keeper since Brad Friedel (UCLA, 1990) to win an NCAA national championship.

He posted a 28-5-3 record and a 0.77 GAA with 16 clean sheets in two seasons at Maryland, and he saved an Andrew Boyens penalty kick in the 2005 national championship game to preserve a 1-0 victory over New Mexico.

"When I had him the first time he was 17-18 years old. Obviously he's not a kid anymore," Vartughian said. "The game is different than it is in college, and he's adjusted to that well. Getting a chance to work with him again is great."

Seitz, who will be 23 when the Union's inaugural season kicks off in Seattle, isn't alone in the quest for the team's starting keeper spot. The team selected 24-year-old Brad Knighton - Matt Reis' backup in New England - in the expansion draft, and it added 20-year-old UCLA netminder Brian Perk in the fourth round of January's MLS SuperDraft.

"We're obviously all very young and looking to make a name for ourselves," Seitz said. "By having three young goalkeepers it pushes us all to be better. It's going to be a battle for the rest of the preseason."

Nowak hasn't settled on a starter this early in the preseason, though it would appear that Seitz is the front-runner for the job.

Aside from his youth-national-team pedigree, collegiate achievements and previous links to the coaching staff, Seitz has all the physical and intangible tools of a top-notch keeper. At 6-foot-3, 236 pounds, he presents an imposing force between the pipes. He is agile in diving to either side, he has remarkable instincts and his vocal leadership and heart have never been in question.

It's just a matter of getting regular playing time on the club level before his full potential can be realized.

"For him, right now he needs games and those experiences," Vartughian said. "There's only so much you can replicate in training."

Seitz has visions of someday becoming the United States' No. 1 keeper. He texts with friend and current No. 1 Tim Howard regularly, and he has grown up studying and replicating the moves of American greats Howard, Friedel and Kasey Keller. He has paid his dues as a backup, behind Rimando in Salt Lake and behind Guzan at the Olympics.

2010 is his time to shine.

"I've always wanted to start off here and use MLS as a stepping stone, and now's my time to start playing in MLS," Seitz said. "I want to make the biggest contribution to this team that I can, and hopefully that means starting and guiding the back line. It's something I want to push for, to claim the No. 1 job. It'd be nice to get a season under my belt."

Seitz was very impressive in the U-20 World Cup in 2007. He and Guzan are probably our two best goalies after Howard. I'm hoping that he can find success in Philly.

Video: Freddy Adu scores again

Video: Freddy Adu scores again: "From today's Greek Cup match between Aris and Xanthi:



Is Freddy making a late push to be in the final 23?

Tape Delay Blogging Man U vs. AC Milan

Getting a bit of a late start here, missed the line-ups but not the flash of Beckham in an AC Milan jersey and the excitement over him playing against his old club.

Kickoff starts, quite loud at the San Siro. AC Milan controlling the opening plays, Ronaldhino didn't waste any time with a cute little touch or two

2nd minute Wow. Ac Milan scores. Ronaldhino, in fact, off a deflection in the box following a Beckham free kick.

4th minute. Italians screaming at any little cheeky play (or any touch) from their fun midfielders.

6th minute. It's the Ronaldhino show so far. He gets another shot off in the box off a play from Huntelaar- who has an awesome last name.

Man u getting their first real touches on the ball, move it up field, Scholsely gets all excited and just kicks it as hard as he can.

10th minute. Another incredible chance from AC Milan. One of their midfields slots a great ball to one of their forwards who cuts inside the box and shots it just wide.

Sorry that I don't know many of the AC players' names and the ones I do know, I can't spell.

12th minute. Man U corner kick, ridiculously poor clearance from the goalie. Brief counter from AC milan despite the clearance and now Man u have possession.

Rooney getting all frustrated. He hasn't had any brilliant chances yet- I guess that's unusual for him.

Rooney still pissed, as Nani buys like 4 minutes with fancy footwork and crosses and then still no one meets the cross. Not sure Rooney should be the upset one.

17th minute. Ronaldhino almost wins a PK after about 3 minutes of Man U "dominating" the run of play that resulted in a few moderate scares.

Rooney gets an awesome chance that would have looked like a silly play by anyone else. He gets like 5 inches room at the top of the box and whips it wide.

Van Der (Superman) Sar punches a great Beckham free kick out of the box. The Dutchmen kills 1 or 2 Milan players in the process.

20th minute- This game is flying by. Lots of action. Tough to keep up with the blogging.

Really nice to see Man U on their heels a bit. They are looking like typical man U here and there and then there they produce a horrible cross or a shot well wide.

24th minute. Rooney steps on some poor Italians head. But in his defense, the Italian did stick him pretty good and stole the ball.

Man U taking the game over a bit now. Owning most of the possession, but no quality chances coming from their efforts.

I already like this Huntelaar fellow and it's not just his name. You can tell by the crowd's reaction that he's quality when he just touches the ball and they cheer really loudly. He's got pace though and an instinct to go straight towards the goal

31st minute. I'm beginning to think this game is on loop. AC Milan have a nice fun, quick attack. Man U get the ball, switch fields through midfield until one of their outside mids can make a horrible cross. Repeat.

Just noticed that Ronaldhino's number is 80. How absurd is that?

34th minute. Wow. What a chance from AC Milan. Abbrosini feeds a ridiculously easy (yet nice) pass to Huntelaar who beats his defender to the ball at the top of the box, misses just wide.

Man U resorting to diving in the box. Nani literally just feel down after one of the patented horrible crosses floats well over his head.

Scholsely puts in a goal. Tie game and Man U get themselves the all important away goal. He actually missed the volley and it hit his other foot. Really ugly goal. But it counts just the same.

40th minute. Both teams settling in now. The game seems to have slowed down a touch with more possession.

#80 makes two Man U players look really silly, he turns on them, splits them and gets a terrific shot off.

Man U can't seem to defend at all. Allow a very dangerous free kick in the middle of the field. Here we go.... Well over from Beckham.

Half. Going to try and be less mean to Man U in the second half.

CL Discussion

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/feb/14/premier-league-play-off-champions-league

Read and discuss... go!

FA Cup Round 5 Bolton:Spurs

Welcome to live blog #3 of Hunter FC. This is Round 5 of the FA Cup.

Martin Tyler is our announcer and Phil Dowd (Julie's favorite) is our referee.

For the record, I am tired.

1 - Spurs have an early freekick which is wasted.

2 - Early foul against Kevin Davies - looks unhappy.

3 - Spurs are using a full strength lineup this morning, it is pretty clear that they realize the fact that the FA Cup is there to be won.

4 - Spurs away supporters in great voice. Bolton is currently fighting relegation, so this FA Cup run is there only chance at silverware as well.

5 - good header from King off a beautiful ball from Matt Taylor, safely into Gomes's hands

6 - Bolton's first shot of the match comes from Muamba and it goes 20 yards wide... tentative start to this one

7 - Bolton has a bunch of drummers in the crowd, pretty quality... Martin Tyler speaks about the romance of the FA Cup on Valentine's Day, cute indeed

9 - Bolton with the first real chance of the game, Elmander with a real look, but it's deflected over by Corluka for a corner kick... which is punched away by Gomes

10 - Zak Knight with another good look - he shoots it right into Gomes's arms... Bolton with the early chances

11 - another corner for Bolton and it's cleared away

12 - for the record, Robbie Keane is not playing

13 - Gareth Bale with the first real look for Spurs... he puts it over the bar from 19 yards out

14 - Gareth Bale got a haircut

15 - Elmander gets behind the defense but fires it well over the bar

17 - yellow card shown to Huddlestone for a crunching tackle against Lee - deserved

18 - clear foul on Bale - another free-kick for Bolton

19 - the free-kick turns into a corner which turns into another free-kick right at the edge of the area to the side... iffy call against Palacios... that free-kick turns into yet another corner

20 - that corner is turned into a shot by Knight that flies over the bar - Bolton have dominated so far

22 - the ball hasn't left the Spurs half in 6 hours

23 - the ball pings around the Spurs box, but eventually goes out for a Bolton throw without a shot on goal

24 - harsh foul from Palacios, late and deserves the yellow card that he gets

25 - Taylor goes from goal on the free-kick... Gomes stretches well to keep it out... the resulting corner amounts to nothing - the "Gomes has turned it round from his early troubles" has come out in Minute 25

27 - Spurs with their first corner... which turns into Spurs' second corner

28 - which turns into a shot over the bar from Huddlestone

29 - Spurs with a counter-attack... turns into a weak header from Bentley

30 - Bolton with a free kick from 30+... turns into nothing

31 - Spurs with another counter-attack that turns into a shot from Bentley straight into the goalie's arms

32 - Spurs possess the ball well, Bale crosses it over and forces a corner... Spurs starting to assert themselves a bit more

33 - Bale with a cheaky elbow leads to a free kick for Bolton in their half

34 - Bolton Goal Bolton 1:0 Spurs - so much for Spurs reasserting themselves as Bolton comes back the other way and the captain, Kevin Davies puts it away... maybe Spurs will wake up now

36 - quick counter from Bale draws a corner kick... any Spurs attack has come straight from the left-hand side

37 - the corner leads to nothing

38 - Bentley is now #43 due to his bloody nose and bloody #5 shirt... this game stinks

39 - when Dawson has the ball, he is required to pass it to Crouch's head - I saw this in the 2010 Laws of the Game during my referee recert class in January

42 - I'd rather be playing FIFA or sleeping right now

43 - Spurs have been rubbish so far

44 - Spurs have a corner kick... they've held possession for the last 6 or 7 minutes without anything to show for it... the corner leads to a free-kick and a yellow card for Zak Knight - tremendous work from Bale, who has been Tottenham's best player

45 - the free kick is cleared away for a corner for Spurs - the corner stinks and it's a goal kick

45+1 - two minutes to be added here

45+2 - for some reason Defoe and Taylor both receive yellow cards... I'm not sure why

45+3 - Half-time Bolton 1:0 Spurs - a really crappy half ends and i'm going to eat breakfast

I'm done posting - too many things to do during the second half... plus this game has not exactly been inspiring so far.

Donovan

Landon was apparently the best player on the field last night against Chelsea.

Snow Test

 

The main purpose of this is simply to see if I can post pictures from Picasa to the blog directly. Let's see....

Live Blogging the tape delay of Wolves-Spurs

I'm not sure if it's really live blogging if the game is a tape delay, but I'm giving it a go anyway. Game "starts" at 5:00pm, COYS!

Pre-game: We're coming to live from the Winter Wonderland better known as Baltimore, MD. Starting lineups for this match between Wolves and Spurs includes American keeper Marcus Hahnemann in net for Wolves. For Spurs, it is Gomes in goal, Kaboul making his first appearance in his second run with Spurs, Dawson, Bassong, Bale, Bentley, Huddlestone, Jenas, Kranjcar, Defoe, and Gudjohnsen making his debut apperance.

1 - Bentley forces a foul from the Wolves RB. Free kick for Spurs. Early danger.

2- Bale goes for goal and misses - strange decision from that angle.

3 - corner for Wolves, looks like there was snow over there - approx. 49 inches less than what we've had - corner is dangerous, punched by Gomes and rebound is blocked by Dawson

4 - Wolves are going for the double over Spurs - they won the first match at WHL 1-0 in December

5 - Kranjcar goes for goal from 25 yards and misses by 25 yards

6 - Kaboul back in the side, Spurs like getting their old players back whenever possible - Wolves playing a very high line and are playing with danger against Defoe's pace who is caught offsides by just a whisker

8 - our referee for today is Mark Clattenburg, whom I think is one of the top referees in the premier league

9 - Spurs chance, the ball comes into the area, Jenas beats Hahnemann to the ball and heads it over him, but the defender comes back to cover

10 - Huddlestone escapes a yellow card with a foul at midfield - Spurs had good possession, but it broke down after a mis-communication between Gudjohnsen and Jenas.

12 - Defoe with a good run through a few defenders and draws a foul about 35 yards out... quick free kick leads to nothing

13 - galloping run from Bentley leads to a corner kick for Spurs

14 - good delivery from Bale and Dawson mistimes his jump - that was a chance

15 - Defoe looks lively today

16 - Bentley with a very nice run and then a sloppy ball to Kaboul goes out for a goal kick - Spurs showed their counter-attacking ability there

17 - Spurs away-supporters in good voice, as usual

18 - Bale with a good run, but runs into solid defending and the ball goes out for a goal kick off the cross

19 - Wolves supporters scream for a foul at the top of the area against Bassong, none given - upon replay, it seems that Clattenburg got the decision right

20 - Oh my, great chance for Krancjar, in all alone - a beautiful play by Spurs from Kaboul, to Gudjohnsen, to Defoe - great save from Hahnemann - corner kick coming... and it amounts to a throw-in for Spurs

21 - great chance for Wolves, Doyle beats the offside trap... Dawson tracks back wonderfully and Jenas cleans up the mess

22 - Wolves are tending to an injury to one of their players (Jones #14) - in the meantime, it's a blizzard outside, I think my walls are going to cave in soon

23 - the resulting corner for Wolves was cleared

24 - the sounds of my walls caving in was actually coming from Ross shoveling the roof - I'm not as concerned anymore... as long as he doesn't fall off the roof

25 - Bentley goes for goal and puts it over the bar - Bentley has been heavily involved so far - he could not be any different from Lennon in terms of style of play, but he has performed well in Lennon's absence

27 - Wolves goal - Wolves 1:0 Spurs - Jones, the player who was injured finished off a tremendous move from Wolves and slotted it behind Gomes - Spurs have to battle back now... this is a must 3-pointer

29 - Penalty shout for Wolves... nothing given, Bale gets fouled 100 yards from the incident in the area... looking at the replay now, it should have been a penalty against Dawson - Kevin Doyle receives a yellow card for arguing

30 - the ball could have gone anywhere off the free kick and it hit Hahnemann in the face... he knew nothing about it

34 - Wolves with a chance form Jarvis... good save from Gomes... corner coming - corner cleared, Spurs are on the break... Kranjcar shoots right at Hahnemann - excellent counter yet again... Spurs need to convert one of these chances

37 - the pace of the game has slowed a bit... it has not been Kranjcar's best performance thus far, although he has been quite active

38 - Gudjohnsen with a slack pass to Dawson stumps an attack... he looks a little rusty... as i say that, he just strays offside on a ball from Defoe

40 - Spurs look a little out of sorts after a solid start... Kaboul looks good so far, much better than what I remembered from the past

41 - COYS = Come On You Spurs

43 - Jenas and Huddlestone are made to look miserable but the ball runs away from the Wolves player just as he gets to the top of the area

44 - Spurs seem to be missing the bite of Palacios in the middle... Jenas is not helping his cause for more playing time at the moment

45 - Jenas with another inexcusable give-away at midfield... but he gets it back a few seconds later and draws a corner kick... 2 minutes to be added

45+1 - I think Harry is going to yell at the guys at half... Spurs have looked poor since the goal

End of First Half - Wolves 1:0 Spurs

Spurs opened the game in familiar style - controlling the play and creating some chances. However, it was Wolves who would get the first goal in the 27th minute. From there, the play was more balanced and Wolves had the better of the chances. Spurs will need to step it up a few notches in order to get the required 3 points.

The Bender Ball is available for $9.99 + s/h - that's for working the abs

Bosley is out there for hair restoration - go to bosley.com or call 800-297-3089

Start of the 2nd half - Palacios comes on for Jenas - a move that I give three thumbs up.

46 - Palacios commits a foul within 29 seconds

47 - Wolves player misses the goal by 45 yards

48 - crunching tackle by Kaboul leads to a chance from Spurs which is deflected for a corner - great run by Kranjcar

49 - corner is headed wide, goal kick - Hahnemann getting a USA chant from the home supporters

50 - Bentley continues to be the focus for the Spurs attack - as I say that, he crosses the ball much too far for anyone and it goes out for a goal kick - I see another sub coming for Spurs within the next 15 minutes

52 - good chance for Doyle, tries to loop it over Gomes but goes high and wide

53 - another good run from Bentley sets up another corner kick... chances galore, but they haven't taken advantage yet... another chance wasted - they don't look threatening from the corners yet

54 - wayward from Huddlestone, it hasn't been his best match either

55 - good possession from Spurs, but Huddlestone loses it in the area... Spurs putting the pressure on now

56 - the attack is going through Bale a little more now - Kranjcar fires the ball 10 yards over the ball

57 - according to the radar, it's going to snow forever in Baltimore

58 - Dawson has been a bright spot on an pretty bleary night so far

59 - Bentley loses it at the top of the area after another good build-up from Spurs... this story is getting repetive... shot from Wolves goes wide for a goal kick

60 - substitution for Wolves... an exchange of left backs... Ward off, Elokobi on, Ward had been struggling against Bentley

61 - Gudjohnsen with another wayward touch - certainly looks rusty - Crouch warming up

63 - Dawson is being tended to on the field... he was involved in a collision with Doyle... this is unsettling for Spurs considering the injury situation at CB... Spurs make a substitution, Crouch on for Gudjohnsen

65 - Wolves create a chance off a turnover at midfield... a corner coming

66 - handball on Wolves off the corner - Spurs need to bump it up a gear or two

67 - Bentley gives it away... Dawson is struggling a bit after that collision... this might force a change that Harry does not want to make, we'll see what happens

68 - Yellow Card to the new LB for Wolves - seems a bit harsh

69 - Crouch commits a foul, and as usual, looks quite confused about it all

70 - most of the play is in Wolves' half... foul against Wolves... they don't look very happy about that one, but it was a clear foul - Huddlestone shoots the ball 20 yards wide off the free kick

72 - Kaboul with a bad pass, Wolves come the other way and Dawson commits a foul - Spurs make their last substitution with Modric coming on for Krancjar... Wolves make their second change... Guedioura off, Mancienne on

73 - Bale finds Bentley on the other side of the field, but Bentley's cross into the area goes straight into the hands of Hahnemann

74 - Bale creating problems on the left side, a real factor - creates multiple chances but no one is able to finish...

75 - Palacios commits a hard foul and receives a justified yellow card

77 - Spurs have almost all of the possession - Crouch with his first meaningful touch, I imagine they will be looking to get the ball into him a bit more in the final 13

78 - Huddlestone has been terrible - Bentley shoots it with his left foot and misses by quite a bit - Wolves are 12 minutes away from completing the double over Spurs

80 - Bale with another great run... he's been fantastic, needs to find a man with one of his crosses though - Wolves make their last substitution... Jarvis off, Milijas on

82 - Wolves supporters screaming for fouls at every contact... they are serious need of points and taking 3 tonight would be a big step in their fight for safety

84 - Bale delivers another ball, but it has too much air and Hahnemann collects

85 - the ball is in the net, but Bentley is offside by a half a step... lazy from Bentley

87 - another looping cross from Bentley this time and Hahnemann collects - a little over 3 minutes left

88 - Huddlestone complete misses a good chance about 7 yards wide... it simply has not been his night

90 - the ball is just a foot out of range from Defoe and Hahnemann collects - 4 minutes to be added on

90+1 - the ball is all around the area and goes out for a corner... time is running out

90+2 - the ball is cleared off the corner, Palacios takes a shot and it is slightly deflected into Hahnemann's arms... just over 2 minutes to go

90+3 - Doyle runs into space and draws a foul which will kill a lot of the remaining time

90+4 - Wolves earn a corner kick which will continue to kill the rest of the clock

Full Time Wolves 1:0 Spurs - the first league double for Wolves over Tottenham in over 50 years... a huge 3 points from Wolves... a complete disaster for Spurs... it's tough to justify a top 4 finish when you get zero points from Wolves on the season

Live Blogging Chelsea vs. Arsenal

I'm going to give this live-blogging a go and use today's match between Arsenal (go Gunners) and Chelsea (boo) as a trial run. I hope this is a format Hunter FC will be able to master (or worst case scenario abandon) by the World Cup. Here we go...

11:00am Almost forgot this was a London derby since this would be a big game regardless of it being a derby and the only London derby that reeally matters is the one vs. Tottenham.

Line up for Arsenal- pretty standard, no rosicky, but diaby and song in there....

Kick off is on

wow, going to be a fast paced, intense game for sure. It's only the 3rd minute and I already love the energy so far.

Oh, first legitimate shot definitely should have been a corner. Walcott is very involved so far- like to see it. He usually comes off the bench, nice to see him starting a game and not afraid to jump in there.

6th minute- free kick for Chelsea. Simply can't let in an early goal. Nerves are high...nothing. phew.

Son of a bitch. Drogba puts an easy poke in off a corner to put Chelsea up 1-0.

Arsenal playing like their title hopes depend on it, because they do. And to be honest, you have to (and should) win big games to win the title.

Peter likes the fourth official- Peter Walton. "Reasons are obvious."

12th minute. Arsenal seem thrown off their game. Playing long balls instead of possession.

Just a tad offsides Le Sulk.

First corner, let's get something on goal here.- Cech's helmet willl never not be absurd.

Arsenal willing Arshavin to get involved, to be a big factor in the game. The more the ball gets to him, the better.

what a gorgeous chance by arsenal. damn.

Peter: well then

me: should have put that away

what a beautiful ball

"had time"

Peter: that's a pretty good strike still

me: he had to hit that first time

Peter: haha, the little russian

21st minute. Arsenal dominating the last several minutes of play. Looking dangerous. Nothing to show for it though.

Son of a bitch. Drogba scores again, in typical Drogba style. 2-0. This is awful.

The turn of momentum highlights an ever present weakness that Arsenal has- lack of killer instinct. Or maybe just a lack of a striker to put chances in the back of the net. Drogba is special (so is Rooney) in those regards, but we don't have that striker.

Agree with commentators. Must score by halftime.

30th minute. If you have to knock down Drogba to defend him, fine.

Hmm, f you, commentator. I will put Arsenal's passing up against anyone. That is not a weakness. Too much passing? sometimes. Pace of passing? no.

Might need a beer at half time. Loving Peter's commentary in the comments section. Might try and see if we can simultaneously update the same blog post in the second half. That would definitely be ideal.

44th minute.

Peter: corners are tough with your team of midgets

me: i'd like to see bentner brought in for walcott

give us some height

thank you peter, just saw your midget comment

they really are though

Peter: i think arsenal should ask for a "pass-off" instead of standard corners

or a dribble-thon

they'd do better w/ those

Half time and time for a beer.

Ok, set to get underway again. Come on Gunners. If you're not going to win, let's be entertaining, show some spirit, etc.

Great. A Chelsea corner. Wonderful. Nice clearance.

48th minute. There is literally no player I dislike more than Ashley Cole. I have visceral reaction just from the sound of his name.

Ok, more attack from Arsenal. Another corner. I feel like at this point, Chelsea is purposely allowing them.

Hey, random Chelsea player who was taken down. The ref is not going to give a yellow card for an innocent tackle in midfield.

51st minute. Drogba appears to be hurt. J. Cole warming up. Arsenal on the attack and oh look, another corner. A short one and we get a shot off. Hmm, seems like a tactic to stick with to me.

Hey Arshavin, let's have a shot on a goal. You have the ball around the 18? Just knock one off.

55th minute.

Hey Fabregas, let's have a shot on a goal. You have the ball around the 18? Just knock one off.

Le Sulk briefly looking dangerous as some random Chelsea player waltzes through 3 of our tinky defenders and feeds him a ball in the box. Peter wonders why he didn't shot.

58th minute

Peter: matt damon is there

Arsenal fans setting off red firecrackers in the stands. Give Arsenal a moment of inspiration, good opportunity by Nasri.

Hey Nasri, let's have a shot on a goal. You have a breakaway in the box, put the ball in the back of the net.

I officially hate this one commentator. "The more passes there are the more chance the other team has to intercept." I refer you to this. Some teams play a possession game, one relying on patience and movement and waiting for an opportunity. That's Arsenal's system- sometimes it works, and yes, sometimes it's infuriating.

68th minute. Oh you mean Fabregas, going after poor little Drogba. Bentner wins a dangerous free kick. *Fingers crossed* Here we go, come on Fab...

Two extraordinarily good chances. But they come up with? nothing.

73rd minute ok, after liverpool, arsenal has 6 straight games against mid table or lower half clubs...other commentator, stfu. I don't think they'll quickly go from title hopefuls to battling for 3rd place.

Some subs- Rosicky in for Diaby and Eboue in for Sagna.

Not having RVP is killing us in these big games. Not only is he a world class player but he has the experience and poise to score in big games.

Arshavin has completely disappeared in the second half.

Wow, another great opportunity that amounts to....nothing.

80th minute Arsenal still charging, still attacking. They've played with spirit, but sometimes you need a break and need some luck.

Terrific, a free kick for Chelsea. I feel this going to 3-0 Chelsea. Drogba rips it and hits the cross bar. Almunia was completely helpless. Didn't even move.

Mighty Fabergas going after poor Drogba again. Classic captain tenacity there.

90th minute. Fabregas hits a glancing header wide. Commentator: "That's Arsenal's day for you."

Yep.

Closing thoughts- Arsenal played a good game- had tons of good chances, were perhaps unlucky on more than one occassion. Cech was mighty and Drogba was Drogba.

I refuse to believe our title hopes are over. Chelsea and Man U will drop points. But to be honest, and as I mentioned earlier, you have to win big games to be champion and we haven't done that this season. Champions League starts up again in a few weeks.

I think the live- blogging went well. I'd like to see what people think- how it can be improved/etc.

Now to unwind in Mark Hunter style- with shoveling snow and a nice walk.

3 big EPL games on TV this weekend

Since we're bracing for a region-paralyzing storm this weekend, I wanted to see what other games were on the television in addition to Arsenal's.

Looks like a fantastic weekend of soccer to me: First, a classic derby, then a massive game for the Champions League spot, and on Sunday, 1 vs. 3.

Saturday

7:45 a.m. Liverpool vs. Everton on ESPN2

12:30 p.m. Tottenham vs. Aston Villa on FSC

Sunday

11:00 a.m. Chelsea vs. Arsenal on FSC

Champions League Final passes Superbowl as most watched event

This years Champions league final was the #1 watched sporting event just edging out the Superbowl and the badmitton match between traditional powerhouses S Korea and China.


http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/european/elite-clubs-on-uefa-gravy-train-as-super-bowl-knocked-off-perch-1884429.html