4 more years

Not sure I agree with this, but Bradley will remain on our bench through Brazil 2014

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/soccer/08/30/us.bradley.ap/index.html?eref=sihp

EPL Weekend Viewing Guide, Gameweek 3

What games will everyone be watching this weekend?

EPL Weekend Viewing Guide, Gameweek 3: "

Granted I haven’t been writing this column for years, but for the first time in my tenure, there simply isn’t a 4-star drop-everything match. So enjoy the late summer fine weather, hang out at the beach or lake or your local soccer field. Queue up the DVR as there are some interesting early-season games, though, and once again, all 10 are available on television: 6 live, and 4 delayed.

**** Must-see. Cancel all other activities. Do not even DVR as even in America you might hear the score!

*** Strong match; worth watching live; DVR a must if you can’t see live

** Flip through quickly to see the goals, red cards, injuries, and perhaps watch the last 5 minutes + injury time if close

* Only if you’re a die-hard

Matches shown in chronological order:

Saturday, August 28 (all times EDT)

** Blackburn v Arsenal, 7:45 am, ESPN2 & espn3.com

Arsenal will want to start securing 3 points away from home.

*** Chelsea v Stoke, 10:00 am, Fox Soccer Plus & foxsoccer.tv & again 8pm Fox Soccer Plus

Chelsea are just scintillating to watch, even if this game is likely to be another blow-out. Drogba’s unselfishness may play dividends down the road. There are going to be some awful teams at the bottom again this year, so Tony Pulis need not hit the panic button yet.

** Tottenham v Wigan, 10:00 am, Fox Soccer Channel & Fox Deportes

This game perhaps should have been 1-star, but Defoe was so incredible in this fixture last year, it’s worth a look at the goals, etc. I am not sure if there is an adjective in the English language that can adequately define Wigan’s defending. WHL will be in full voice after Spurs advanced to the Champions League group stage Wednesday night.

** Wolverhampton v Newcastle, 10:00 am, foxsoccer.tv & 6 pm (delayed) Fox Soccer Plus

These two sides are in the top half of the table, so does this match deserve an upgrade to 3 stars? Naaaah; at least one will likely be in the relegation battle as we progress.

** Blackpool v Fulham, 10:00 am, foxsoccer.tv, & Sunday 9am (delayed) Fox Soccer Channel

I thought Fulham was absolutely terrific at times against Man United. Yes, this one is away from Craven Cottage where they have traditionally struggled. And we finally get to see Bloomfield Road as a Premier League venue, upgraded from 12,555 to 16,220 seats.

** Man Utd v West Ham, 12:30 pm, Fox Soccer Channel

West Ham continue to have trouble defending, and they simply cannot put the ball in the net. (They needed an injury-time goal from Parker to advance past Oxford United in the Carling Cup this week.) Meanwhile, Scholes and Berbatov have started strong for the Red Devils; Rooney & Nani not so much.

Sunday, August 29

*** Bolton v Birmingham, 8:30 am, Fox Soccer Plus & foxsoccer.tv

These two are fighting for a Champions League spot at the moment. Will that continue past, say, Week 5? Probably not, but a terrific start for each side. Worth watching.

** Liverpool v West Brom, 10:00 am, foxsoccer.tv; 5pm (delayed) Fox Deportes; 7pm (delayed) Fox Soccer Plus

Presumably the Baggies visting Anfield finally gives the Reds a seriously winnable match.

** Sunderland v Man City, 10:00 am, foxsoccer.tv; 5 pm (delayed) Fox Soccer Plus

City will need all 3 points to justify their expenditures and title hopes. They looked strong enough on Monday night to do so.

*** Aston Villa v Everton, 11:00 am, Fox Soccer Channel

This is the match the schedule-makers singled out as best-of-the-week, with national television in both the UK & the USA. But Villa went from sublime to sub-standard in their visit to St James Park last week. And Everton is off to another slow start.

Early contender for goal of the season

I watched this one at Slainte with Julie. I like going to soccer bars with my cousin. I don't like going to soccer bars where I'm the only Spurs supporter and there are 20 Arsenal supporters who don't even have a game to watch in the 2nd half (since they were up 15 million to zero). Thankfully, my liking of going to bars with my cousin trumps my hatred of the Arsenal crew, so I will continue to go. As Julie noted, at least the person to my right (Julie) and the person to my left (random dude) were very easy to deal with.

Crystal Palace Baltimore

On Saturday I ventured north to Baltimore to watch a USSF Division II professional soccer match between Crystal Palace Baltimore and the Montreal Impact. Our blog colleague Peter was serving as fourth official for the game which made it a special event. His mother and grandmother attended as well to cheer for the boys in gold.

Saturday was a spectacular day for soccer, warm and sunny and little to no wind. The game was played at Calvert Hall's field. A multi use high school stadium which was in excellent shape.

When we arrived the game was 1-0 Montreal. Montreal scored three more goals in the first half. Palace tried to compress the field leaving a square back line that Montreal had no problem penetrating. Baltimore's back players did not have the quickness to defend against the Impact's front runners. For their part the Palace attack was ineffective and disjointed--numerous attempts at running the ball on the left were run into the end line and on the right the outside midfielder was unable to get past his defender leading to many Montreal counterattacks. A fifth goal was scored by Montreal in the second half but they used the lopsided score to rest their starting front line.

All in all while the match was not very competitive the level of play was entertaining. Probably not at MLS standards but certainly higher than a Division I college game. US soccer still has a ways to go but these developmental leagues can serve as a step in the progression towards building a base of professional talent broader than the MLS by itself.

Just cause...

EPL Weekend Viewing Guide, Gameweek 1

The season has come - I'm looking forward to getting underway. I'm hoping to wake up bright and early on Saturday while up in Saratoga for Spurs/Man City and then listening to Liverpool/Arsenal on my way home from the same location. What are everyone else's plans?

EPL Weekend Viewing Guide, Gameweek 1: "

After a terrific summer of World Cup matches, vuvuzela-free Premier League soccer is back! And I will be back too, with your weekly guide to Premier League matches. I intend this weekly column for two different audiences: First, for the person who needs no assistance figuring out which games to watch, they just want to know when and where. Hopefully we’ve assembled the places the US EPL supporter can watch, on the tube or on-line. Second, for those who would like a bit of editing, I’ll try to recommend the must-see matches and why. That might mean introducing you to a great second city derby or reminding you of a rematch of a game that had special import from last year or earlier this year. My ratings system is intended for neutrals; of course, every match is a 4-star must see for someone!

I’ve removed the HD designations this year, as I’m told all matches will be recorded by Sky UK in HD, but, alas, not every carrier has made HD channels available. In NYC, where I watch on Time Warner Cable, we do have HD versions of ESPN2 & Fox Soccer Plus (FS+), but we are told we have to wait til September for an HD version of the main Fox Soccer Channel (FSC). We will typically again get a Saturday 7:45 am (eastern time) match on ESPN2 (and a 10 am ESPN2 match for weeks without an early kickoff), simultaneous 10 am matches on FSC & FS+, and a live 12:30 match on FSC. The 8:30 am Sunday kickoff (no game this week) will again be on FS+ with the 11am on FSC. I think there are only 5 Monday night matches currently scheduled, and they will all be on ESPN2. Then other matches will be shown delayed around 2 pm on FSC & FS+, with one match embargoed all the way til Sunday morning. Fox has been advertising these delayed matches as “debuts.”

Enjoy the matches! Here is my first Premier League viewing guide for the 2010-11 season:

My ratings system:

???? Must-see. Cancel all other activities. Do not even DVR as even in America you might hear the score!

??? Strong match; worth watching live; DVR a must if you can’t see live

?? Flip through quickly to see the goals, red cards, injuries, and perhaps watch the last 5 minutes + injury time if close

? Only if you’re a die-hard

Matches shown in chronological order:

Saturday, August 14 (all times EDT)

???? Tottenham v Man City 7:45 am, ESPN2 & espn3.com

In the reverse fixture that came on last season’s penultimate week, Spurs traveled north and won the 4th-place and final Champions League spot on Peter Crouch’s late goal. No team has more fun-to-watch wingers than Spurs, in Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale, and City’s extraordinary roster of stars (Tevez, Adebayor, new signing Kolarov at left back, Toure, Boateng, and on and on) may make them compelling television all season. Plus a very tough first-team keeper choice for Roberto Mancini: Ireland’s #1 (Given) vs. England’s new #1 (Hart).

??? Aston Villa v West Ham United, 10 am, FSC

Villa’s fortunes have changed markedly with this week’s resignation of Martin O’Neill. Caretaker manager Kevin MacDonald still has some terrific players to work with. And the likes of Agbonlahor and Ashley Young should be reaching their prime. James Milner is still there (for now) and will be tough for West Ham to handle. Meanwhile, the Hammers were simply awful last year, and stayed up only because Hull City, Pompey & Burnley were worse. (Full disclosure: I’m a 20-year West Ham supporter and suffered mightily last year.) West Ham should be better in midfield this year, with Pablo Barrera and Thomas Hitzlsperger joining Parker, Behrami, Dyer, and Collison, and with Avram Grant realizing that Julien Faubert is a winger, not a right back. Goals were at a premium, though, with Carlton Cole struggling with injuries, and Diamanti played in the wrong positions. It will certainly be, ahem, interesting, to see Robert Green’s reception in away matches, and his defense has not improved enough to keep clean sheets.

??? Blackburn v Everton, 9:55 am, FS+ and foxsoccer.tv (also 8 pm delayed FS+)

This one would have been two-stars, but I’ve upgraded it to 3 for Everton’s new away kit alone! If you haven’t seen it yet, take a look on Saturday as it gives a whole new look to the Premier League. Not many changes for David Moyes, whose squad got off to a terrible start last year, but were as hot as any team in the league last spring, beating Chelsea, and both Manchester squads. The Landon Donovan effect? Can Jermaine Beckford keep scoring in the EPL as he did for Leeds? A healthy Arteta would give Everton a strong chance for Europe again. Thy should score plenty of goals, even away from Liverpool. Blackburn will have a tougher time scoring again this year, but a Sam Allardyce team will have plenty of strength and guts and power.

? Wolves v Stoke City, 10 am, foxsoccer.tv; 2 pm (delayed), FS+

? Bolton v Fulham, 10 am, foxsoccer.tv; 2:30 pm (delayed), FSC

? Sunderland v Birmingham City, 10 am, foxsoccer.tv; Sunday 10:30 am (delayed), FS+

? Wigan v Blackpool, 10 am, foxsoccer.tv; no television coverage

Fox only had room for 7 of 8 matches, and with the bookies giving Blackpool an 80% chance of being relegated, they appear to have made the right choice. (Wigan are tipped 3rd for relegation.) For the die-hard, available on-line at foxsoccer.tv.

??? Chelsea v West Bromwich Albion, 12:30 pm, FSC

Great to see the Baggies back up so quickly, and they will probably again play attractive, positive soccer. Di Matteo may have a rude return to Stamford Bridge, though, and if Chelsea pick up where they left off in May, they may be pumping in 7-8 goals Saturday afternoon. (Granted, Chelsea have not looked good pre-season.) Chelsea will have far bigger matches than this one, so we’ll reserve more words for the Champions in later weeks. But they start with about as easy a schedule as one could possibly imagine, and Ancelotti will want 15 points from their first 5 (WBA, @Wigan, Stoke, @West Ham, and Blackpool) before their September 25 showdown at Eastlands.

Sunday, August 15

???? Liverpool v Arsenal, 11 am, FSC

What a terrific Sunday tea-time starter for the season, as these two perennial contenders try to retain/regain their Champions League positions and even contest for the title. Fabregas is still Arsenal’s captain but Arsenal has some questions from the back, notably at keeper, where they continue to look for a Champions League caliber #1, and there are question marks about who replaces Gallas. Will Chamakh get time up front immediately? Can Walcott cement a regular spot in the starting eleven? For Liverpool, the bigger changes are in management, with Rafa finally replaced by Hodgson. The near straight-up Joe-for-Yossi switch is their biggest player change, with healthy and productive Torres & Gerrard the key to their season. Aquilani may be set to show the most improvement under new management and it’s hard to imagine Liverpool having the type of bad luck they had last year (e.g., beach balls creating goals).

Monday, August 16

??? Man United v Newcastle, 3 pm, ESPN2 & espn3.com

A tough opening match for the Toon. It will be interesting to see what opening day lineup Sir Alex throws out, with so many options. We don’t get very many Monday games this year, but this should be a fun one.

"

US v Brazil

Not sure if people got to see the US v Brazil game but here are some of Bernardo's thoughts.

First off- I really missed watching a soccer game without those stupid vuvuzelas.

Secondly- Brazil = wow. That Brazil team would have smoked the one they brought to South Africa. That was the Brazil this World Cup was missing and I'm glad to see it back. It won't be long before Neymar is FIFA player of the Year.

I have mixed feelings about the way we approached the game. I get giving Bradley and our squad one last hurray but it was painful to watch. I couldn't tell if it was because our players didn't care or because those players will never remotely be in the same class as that Brazil squad. I thought we had all agreed that Klestjan and Bornstein never put US jerseys on again and once we have a new coach that will be the case. Hopefully we have a new set of players coming up through the ranks because it was obvious that we can go no further (if not regress) with this bulk of players.

One bright spot on the US team was backup goalkeeper Brad Guzan. He is ready to be our number 1 and I wouldn't be suprised if that were the case in Brazil 2014.

1st Annual Hunter FC EPL Pick the Table Tournament

It's a little wordy, yes, but the EPL season is right around the corner. So here's the deal: predict how the 20 EPL teams will place at the end of the season.


FAQs:

Deadline for picks?
Unofficial: beginning of the family party.
Official: Before the league kicks off August 14th.

How will the scoring be done?
I'm not sure. I propose we make it as complicated as possible using a formula of algorithms, matrices, and the zodiac signs to determine the winner. If that doesn't work, I think we should discuss a system that factors in extra points for picking the champ, the top 4 finishers and the three relegated teams.

Don't you think there should be some additional side bets for fun?
Yes. For instance, everyone picks a team purely based on their name and whose ever team finishes ahead of the others wins one Shrute buck.

Saving a Friendly

So, as most of you know, Inter Milan and Manchester City played in Baltimore on Saturday Night. As some of you know, I was teetering on the edge as to whether or not I wanted to go. It was “under consideration” from the day the game was announced until 4:53p on Saturday. At that point, my friend, Mo, called me and said that there were some comp tickets available from the referees and that I could go for free. Needless to say, that made the decision quite easy.

So, I started to walk to the stadium a little after 6 with the idea of meeting Mo and another guy whom I ref with, tailgating, and going into the match. I was about half way there when I got a call from Mo with these words “we are in a major bind.” Since I knew getting the tickets had been an issue for most of the week, I just figured that something had come up with the tickets and that I was not going to be able to go. This would have been disappointing, but certainly not Earth-shattering. So, I asked what was up. He goes “ok, where are you, close to the stadium??” I said, “I’d say I’m about half-way between the stadium and my house, why what’s up?” Mo: “Ok, I need you to do this, I need you to go home, pack your referee bag and put everything you have in it, shirts, shorts, socks, everything.” Me: “Uhhhhh”. Mo: “We’ll meet you at your house.”

Now, I’m not an idiot, I know that I’m not working an international friendly, but I will say that for a fleeting second that thought did cross my mind. I was really confused. So, I got another call asking for directions to my house when I asked, what the hell is going on? He went on to explain that one of the referees had brought the wrong kits and they had no backup kits to use. That’s when I started laughing. Out of the 4 referees, we had 3 FIFA’s or former FIFA’s plus my friend Jason (the guy you all saw out in Denver.) I knew Jason hadn’t forgotten his stuff and if he had, he could have just gone home and got it (he lives almost as close as I do). So, here I am, a lowly Grade 7 referee providing a uniform to a FIFA official so that an international friendly could go off as scheduled.

So, that’s about the end of the exciting part of the story – my bag got to the stadium by 6:45. Kickoff was not until 8:00, so they had plenty of time. I watched the game (great seats by the way, $70 for $0). We met with the referee crew after the match and they were all very appreciative that I was able to help them get out of a bind. Mo said, “I don’t think you realize how much you helped yourself today, they are definitely going to remember who you are.” I’m not sure if I helped myself, but I certainly didn’t hurt myself and I will admit that it was pretty cool seeing my stuff on the field, as nerdy as that may sound.