tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872Sat, 15 Aug 2026 17:59:26 +0000116street SoccerFootballing from a lesser authority...noreply@blogger.com (Zach)Blogger156125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-7514810768791732990Wed, 12 Mar 2008 20:41:00 +00002008-03-12T16:43:43.830-04:00The Retirement Home ReturnsFirst Denilson, <a href=" Claudio Lopez</a>. Yeesh. Any chance we'll see some DP money spent on Gabriel Batistuta before all is said and done?2008/03/retirement-home-returns.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-9004141918629976486Sat, 23 Feb 2008 22:33:00 +00002008-02-23T18:51:48.194-05:00United's To Lose?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a>Let's seriously hope that Eduardo da Silva plays again. It is always disheartening to see a promising career threatened by the actions of a clumsy hack who tries to combat a skilled opponent by taking liberties with the limits of fouling strategy. In the meantime, Martin Taylor may have just gifted Manchester United the Premiership title. Arsenal was already down to three strikers before the Eduardo horror show, and will now have to adjust its tactics considerably, at least until Robin van Persie returns from injury. Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas Bendtner aren't exactly complementary strikers, which means that we might actually see Theo Walcott getting time up front (something Arsene Wenger has been trying to delay for most of the season). United overwhelmed Newcastle today, and if they can keep up that sort of form (they haven't been consistent for a solid month, so that's a pretty big if) they should be able to overtake an increasingly makeshift Arsenal team.2008/02/uniteds-to-lose.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-1216120321270947300Thu, 21 Feb 2008 20:55:00 +00002008-02-21T18:06:07.228-05:00Isn't Jonah Freedman A Man U Fan?Then he should know that United lost <span style="font-style: italic;">just a week and a half ago</span>. From his <a href=" Soccer Rankings</a> for this week:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"> By our own logic, we can't deny </span><strong style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;">Sir Alex Ferguson</strong><span style="font-style: italic;">'s boys anything -- </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">they haven't been on the wrong side of a score sheet since the New Year, unbeaten in 10 straight</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">.</span> </span><strong style="font-style: italic; font-weight: normal;">Carlos Tévez</strong><span style="font-style: italic;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"> </span>made sure of that Wednesday, netting a last-gasp goal at Lyon to keep United alive in three competitions at once, </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">even if it is slipping behind Arsenal again in league play.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /><br /></span>Umm... United is slipping behind Arsenal in league play because they were "on the wrong side of a score sheet" <span style="font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-style: italic;">just a week and a half ago!</span> </span>Remember? Munich Air Disaster Memorial? Throwback kits? Man City? Anyone? Bueller?<br /><br />Update: SI has amended the paragraph to say "<span style="font-style: italic;">-- </span><span style="font-weight: bold;">other than their loss to Man. City,</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> they haven't been on the wrong side of a score sheet in the New Year, unbeaten in 10 straight</span>." A little better, except that losing at home to your cross-city rival does not constitute a 10-game unbeaten streak. Oh well, nobody is perfect, I guess.2008/02/isnt-jonah-freedman-man-u-fan.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-8692992453116894922Thu, 21 Feb 2008 17:08:00 +00002008-02-21T12:14:33.362-05:00Matchday Madness<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a>As much as we here on 116th Street enjoy a Barnsley upset over Liverpool, the Champions League is the undoubted source of our football happiness. The FA Cup might be useful for exciting upsets and the occasional knockout spectacular (not to mention those incredibly useful lessons in English geography), but there is nothing like seeing the masterful play and contrasting styles on display in the premier football competition in the world. The return of the knockout rounds is probably our favorite time of the soccer year (it seems no small coincidence that it usually occurs right around the time we start noticing that daytime is getting longer again), and the intrigue and magical moments fuel our hunger for the game. Is it any wonder that some terrific storylines have already emerged?<br /><br />Since when did the fans and players at Inter become such sore losers? One title after 16 seasons (and no, I'm not counting that "championship" they were awarded in '06 by virtue of finishing third but not cheating; it wasn't earned), and now their fans are <a href=" the team at the airport</a> for losing at Anfield? Gratitude fades quickly, I see. Speaking of fickle behavior, how about Zlatan Ibrahimovic <a href=" blaming Marco Materazzi</a> for the loss? For a squad that has now lost twice <span style="font-style: italic;">all season</span>, they certainly seem to be surrounded by acrimony. Meanwhile, Liverpool continue their astounding run of European form, causing me to wonder whether they should consider having two managers - Rafael Benitez for Champions League matches and someone else for the Premiership games? When it comes to continental football, Rafa is a certifiable genius; how come he can't seem to figure out the English game? I suppose this all just proves the old adage about football - "one day you can lose to Barnsley, the next you can beat Inter."<br /><br />Which would you rather be, allergic or impotent? That was the choice presented as Arsenal squared off with Milan. Arsenal, the paradigm of zippy geometric fury (and yes, that was really fun to write), created opportunity after opportunity, only to come out shooting blanks at the end. It is to their credit that after being shellacked by Manchester United over the weekend, they attacked with spirit against the defending European champions. Nevertheless, as the legendary Ronaldo <a href=" said</a>, "Dude, the ball is supposed to hit the net not the bar, ok?" <br />Of course, had the legendary Ronaldo not blown out his knee recently, Milan might not have played as if going near the Arsenal goal would result in severe rash. The AC came out in a 4-3-2-1 formation that basically led to Alexandre Pato running around fruitlessly, often chasing the ball away from the direction of Jens Lehmann. I expected the <span style="font-style: italic;">Rossoneri</span> to eventually mount an attack in search of that all-important away goal, but maybe they really were allergic to the Arsenal onion bag (hey, <a href=" things have happened</a>, after all).<br /><br />How electric was the crowd at Parkhead? They nearly willed Celtic to victory against Barcelona, were it not for, well, those annoyingly brilliant Barca players. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Barry Robson certainly did their part, putting the Hoops up 1-0 and 2-1, respectively. Barcelona's skill can be overwhelming, however, and did you see what Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry did to them? Scintillating...<br /><object height="355" width="425"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="355" width="425"></embed></object>2008/02/matchday-madness.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-2826262668451777146Wed, 13 Feb 2008 17:17:00 +00002008-02-13T12:40:12.776-05:00Quick Hits from 116th Street<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a>Good luck to the Premiership in trying to nail down that "39th fixture": when Asian and Oceanic clubs attempt to keep you out of their stadiums (and your dirty paws out of their revenue), when that Everton-Middlesbrough fixture isn't selling so well in Toronto, and when your entire fan base is pissed off at you for selling them out, you'll wish you had simply scheduled a couple of friendlies in New York and LA featuring the Big Four (oh wait, they can already do that themselves; what do they need you for, Richard Scudamore?). Sure, Arsenal and Manchester United could sell out anywhere; but what about Derby County and Newcastle? The reason it worked for the NFL is that American football is played in very few places abroad; soccer is everywhere and is built mostly upon local allegiances. The Premiership plan seems doomed to fail.<br /><br />Speaking of failure, Manchester United picking up 1 point in its last two Premiership matches has to really infuriate the Reds, seeing as how Arsenal keeps on picking up results without having played their best for a little while now. This should have been United's chance to make a move to the top, with their already-superior squad depth getting a boost by having little to no one away on African Nations duty. Instead, Arsenal keeps fielding threadbare lineups, moving players out of position and still winning. 5 points clear and with Kolo Toure and Robin Van Persie soon to return, Arsenal has to be feeling pretty confident at the moment.<br /><br />I have officially had it with <span style="font-style: italic;">FIFA 08</span>: if you catch me playing this god-forsaken game one more time, feel free to smack me upside my head. The players don't make intelligent runs, they just watch the ball go by, switching to a defender causes him to stop running, it's damn near impossible to tackle and there's this bug where I will occasionally try to make a pass and the ball goes entirely in the opposite direction. When does <span style="font-style: italic;">PES 2008</span> come out in the US?<br /><br />Hooray, we are <a href=" closer</a> to MLS expansion in Philly! Hooray, the USA <a href=" play</a> England! Hooray, <a href=" looks like</a> we've got Spain and Argentina lined up as well (hooray for potentially going 0-for-3?)! Let's keep playing as many top-20 teams as we can...2008/02/quick-hits-from-116th-street.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-8005095200687555211Thu, 07 Feb 2008 17:56:00 +00002008-02-07T13:55:00.212-05:00USA-Mexico Thrills, England as Cloverfield<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a>So I take back everything I said Monday about USA vs. Mexico, a game full of intrigue and excitement. After a day of watching some fairly dull international friendlies, it was fantastic to see some true passion and end-to-end action. While I wrote on Monday that there would be little gleaned from this February soirée, I can thankfully say that I was very much in the wrong.<br /><br />Bob Bradley, for example, has clearly taken a different approach to this friendly than his predecessor. The past efforts to preserve bragging rights in the rivalry have produced a very tightly-packed, possession-conceding USA side merely content with the result on the scoreboard. Bradley, in this very same friendly a year ago (and under tremendous pressure to win as an interim coach), employed this very Arena-like tactic in a game in which the victorious US team was criticized for their conservative approach.<br />Last night, however, Bradley was able to utilize the tactics he has spent the better part of a year instilling into the Nats, and the result was some very wide-open, attacking play that nearly resulted in a 3 goal performance for the US. That they were able to play an attacking style and hang in there against the superior pressure of Mexico should be a sign of encouragement for US fans.<br /><br />Less encouraging (particularly considering the praise I just heaped on Bob Bradley) was the play of Drew Moor and Ramiro Corrales. What was Bradley smoking to put two inexperienced fullbacks in the starting lineup against a very quick Mexico squad that likes to pressure from the wings? Neither player seemed suited for the speed of the contest, and Moor was disastrous on set pieces. Using at least one more experienced fullback (Heath Pearce comes to mind) may have helped cover for the shortcomings of the USA wide players.<br /><br />It looks as if Michael Bradley and Ricardo Clark may be the Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard of the USA squad, and not in a good way. Famous for being fine players whenever not wearing the same shirt as the same side, Stevie G and Fat Frank have become notorious as poster boys for what happens when too-similar players line up right next to each other in midfield. Did anyone else notice that the U.S. midfield possession improved when Benny Feilhaber and Maurice Edu came on in the second half? Bob Bradley still has a lot of work to do in figuring out the midfield equation.<br /><br />The USA is keeping up with Mexico in the development of young talent. Yes, Mexico's much-hyped young players impressed (particularly Carlos Vela), But the American under-21 players held out their end of the bargain as well (Michael Bradley's performance notwithstanding). Once again, I can't quite figure out why Feilhaber can't get some time with Derby, as he was solid coming on as a sub. Freddy Adu looked comfortable in midfield, and can we please keep Jozy Altidore? Jozy was the story of the match, maintaining possession, making runs (both with and away from the ball), and being a factor in front of goal. An American striker who can finish his chances, who would have thought? It will be very hard to keep him on the bench for the sake of his "development" any longer. The pairing of Jozy and Clint Dempsey up front should continue.<br /><br />As much space as I have devoted to the US team, Mexico were still pretty clearly the better side last night. It's true that US failure to cover set pieces led to Mexico's goals, but El Tri were pretty threatening all night and had the US Men on the ropes throughout. Had Clint Dempsey's goal been allowed, the US probably would have registered a largely undeserved win, so I have to say that 2-2 is probably a fair result for such a frenetic match.<br /><br />Speaking of frenetic matches, England vs. Switerland was anything but. Fabio Capello probably blew the minds of English players, fans, technical staff and media when he opted for a 4-1-2-2-1 formation (a formation that only exists in fairy tales and King Arthur stories in England, you see), and the players, fans, technical staff and media responded as you might expect had they seen the Loch Ness Monster: with fear and confusion. Wes Brown, for example, acting on instinct, saw fit to merely push the ball slightly forward to David Bentley at every opportunity. Bentley, for his part, decided that since he was wearing number 7, he should become David Beckham, tactical considerations notwithstanding. Thus, rather than getting forward, he would cross in the general direction of Ashley Cole, who looked about as lost out there as Waldo, but not quite as lost as Gareth Barry, who appeared to be learning the rules to the game at a YMCA in Chester, Pennsylvania. In Barry's defense he was playing out of position at Capello's mandate. The same cannot be said for Steven Gerrard, who, occupying the left side of central midfield in a virtual 4-3-3, seemed to think that made him a winger for the day, slaloming down the left side and getting in the way of Joe Cole, who along with Jermaine Jenas was England's best player on the day (if I ever have to say "Jermaine Jenas" and "England's best player" again in the same sentence, feel free to shoot me in the head).<br /><br />It should come as no surprise then that Cole and Jenas connected on England's first goal, considering they were the only two with even the slightest idea of what they were supposed to be doing out there (Joe Cole does at least play in a similar formation at Chelsea; Jenas' performance is completely inexplicable). Immediately after, England went right back to looking like the Columbus Crew, until Capello said #*^% it and started letting his players start hoofing it all over the place with typical English zeal (Fabio, hold strong; don't become an enabler). This s what allowed erstwhile winger Gerrard get onto the end of one and find Shaun Wright Phillips for the second goal, giving England the win against a weakened Swiss side. The thing in all of this is that for England to become a serious international contender, it has to break it's long-ball addiction (Fabio, hold strong; don't become an enabler) and learn to become the kind of squad that can actually play 4-1-2-2-1 football if necessary. Expect some growing pains, English fans; not every other formation is a scary, man-eating beast.2008/02/usa-mexico-thrills-england-as.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-2296675779365624984Mon, 04 Feb 2008 16:51:00 +00002008-02-04T12:33:52.777-05:00Rocky 8<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a>And so it is that we return for what I suppose has become our annual February dance with Mexico, a game that would be <span style="font-style: italic;">so</span> much more interesting had they scheduled it just a few days prior. The chance to witness the first significant merging of national politics with the rise of soccer in our country would have been an amazing sight, with presidential campaigns scrambling to pander to the millions of captive Latino viewers glued to Univision for a USA-Mexico matchup ahead of Super Tuesday. Alas, it was not meant to be.<br /><br />What we are left with is USA vs. Mexico 2008, a match long on emotion but short on significance, symbolic or otherwise. Yes, we always beat them on our own soil, yes, Landon Donovan should never go down there without proper security, and yes, a Mexico player will likely try something dirty before the match is done. I will watch the game, cheer on the USA, yell obscenities at whoever, and will learn absolutely nothing about the state of US Soccer. Wake me up when we start playing friendlies down there; then we might actually find out something about our team.<br /><br />The question that is never answered by these Mexico friendlies is the one that asks, how good is our team anyway? We have Freddy Adu performing reasonably well at Benfica, Michael Bradley ripping $#!+ up at Heerenveen, and DaMarcus Beasley having a decent season pre-injury at Rangers. We also have a good portion of our roster battling relegation in the Premiership, or struggling for playing time elsewhere in Europe. Are US players as good as we like to think they are (or hope they will become)? We have taken some good steps in the past year or so, increasing the difficulty of our opposition and (finally) attempting to downplay the significance of our results. At this time last year, we were riding very high after beating Mexico. Needless to say, we didn't end the year on such a high note, although that's not necessarily a bad thing. A lack of complacency could take US Soccer further in the long run. This year, let's resist the urge to get too excited about this matchup, and see it for what it is: another sequel in a thinning storyline.2008/02/rocky-8.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-8438044849810712273Wed, 30 Jan 2008 16:37:00 +00002008-01-30T11:54:10.867-05:00Philly Soccer Becoming A Reality?!?!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a>Being a die-hard Philly sports fan, it goes without saying that life here on 116th Street has been a bit of a nightmare recently, with Giants fans coming out of the woodwork trying to convince me to actually root for those #8+&^~%*<^~$ in the Super Bowl (as if that's going to happen). While I had largely consoled myself by downing pints and talking as much anti-Giants trash as possible (and what is this whole "You live in New York, you have to root for them" mess about, anyway? It's not like they are the only team in the city, after all), today I stumbled across <a href=" item</a> in the Delaware County Times, via <a href=" /><br /><p style="font-style: italic;">Bringing a professional soccer team to Delaware County is about to take a huge step closer to reality.</p> <p style="font-style: italic;">Make that 45 million steps closer.</p> <p style="font-style: italic;">The state is poised to announce an agreement to kick in $45 million to partially fund construction of a Major League Soccer stadium in Chester, the Daily Times learned Tuesday — though official details were scant...</p><span style="font-style: italic;">State talks with a private investment group to begin construction this year on the $115 million stadium next to the Commodore Barry Bridge have been ongoing for months, and have been closely monitored by MLS officials.<br /><br /></span>If I am reading this correctly, this means a day that I have long-awaited is nearing fruition: an MLS team in Philly, a team that I can finally call my own! No longer will I maintain casual acquaintance with the league, or follow the off-field practices of MLS more closely than the on-field results. I will be able to begin rivalries with New York and D.C., and learn songs for my own squad, and party with the Sons of Ben when they come up to NYC. A trip back home will include a Septa train out to Chester for a live match with MY squad! Let's get this thing kick-started, Don Garber, MLS brass, Philly ownership, whoever. I seriously cannot contain my excitement!<span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>2008/01/philly-soccer-becoming-reality.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-5679434797522212621Thu, 27 Sep 2007 15:21:00 +00002007-09-27T11:30:45.115-04:00What Is Happening with 116street Soccer?It's no secret that my posting to this site has been more than spotty, pretty much all year, and I feel like I owe everyone an explanation for this. 2007 has been an unimaginably difficult year for me, both personally and professionally, which has made it hard to find either the time, resources or energy to maintain this site. It was far easier in 2006, when everything was going well and I was an office temp with nothing to do other than write in my soccer blog all day.<br />With that being said, my year has certainly turned a corner, which means my opportunities and quality of life have improved dramatically, but which now leaves me with even less time to operate the blog. In the midst of such drastic change, I am very hesitant to stop blogging altogether, as it has been a source of great pleasure and (at times) sanity for me, and as I really like this blog and everything it stands for. I don't even want to announce a hiatus, because that would entail me putting some kind of limit on my blogging activity, which I'd rather not do. I guess the main thing here is that when my personal and professional life settle back into normalcy (something not seen since maybe December of 2006), I will have the clarity and time to get back into blogging again. The lack of updates have not been due to a lack of desire, and I have certainly continued to follow the beautiful game with the same passion as always, but sometimes times are hard, and when they finally become good again, establishing new patterns can be a bit of a challenge, you know?2007/09/what-is-happening-with-116street-soccer.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-7299932654462388135Mon, 20 Aug 2007 17:54:00 +00002007-08-20T14:40:17.450-04:00Broats, Thugs & Injustice<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a>I was walking down Third Avenue with Jeff, a Gooner who was making the convincing argument that since Eduardo da Silva had emigrated <span style="font-style: italic;">from</span> Brazil <span style="font-style: italic;">to</span> Croatia, he should no longer be referred to as "Crozilian," but rather as a "Broatian." "Doesn't it sound like more of a nationality to you? He's a Broat!" All of this was really cracking me up, and within minutes I was going around calling Eduardo the "Broatian Sensation," which put me in good spirits, considering my earlier frustration watching Liverpool blow numerous chances as well as piss away a good 4 minutes of stoppage time, failing to capitalize on a vulnerable Chelsea squad.<br />Liverpool's lack of efficiency was nothing, however, compared to the awful, awful, awful marking from Derby County on Saturday against Liverpool. This is where Benny Feilhaber is going to be continuing his footballing education? Yikes. The Rams looked as if they had stayed up all night watching the defensive clinic known as Galaxy vs. Red Bull, and any British pundit who questions the quality of MLS defenders had better take in a couple of Derby matches before casting the first stone.<br />For those of you saying that newly-promoted Derby cannot serve as an indictment of Premiership quality, allow me to serve you a healthy slice of Blackburn Rovers. About as mid-table as they come (they finished 10th last season), Blackburn gave us some of the most negative, thuggish football I've seen in a while in their 1-1 draw at home with Arsenal yesterday. To compare what happened at Ewood Park with rugby would be at great insult to those league and union professionals. In a continuation of a theme from last season, Rovers cared little to maintain possession, and attacking seemed thoroughly out of the question. They came to maul the Gunners, and while I am certainly not against physical play, it seemed that Blackburn's intent was particularly violent. Arsenal, to its credit, did not back down (well maybe our favorite Broatian shied away from the contact, but he's new to the league), but, in a continuation of a theme from last season, a Jens Lehmann gaffe cost them the three points (his mishandling of David Dunn's screamer only shows that there is little justice in the world; then again, I've been watching a great deal of <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wire</span> on DVD and I might just be cynical).<br />But how about Man City? They might just be the new darlings of the Premiership (well, except for the fact that everyone hates Thaksin Shinawatra and, well, except for the fact that everyone hates Sven-Goran Eriksson). "It is the natural way of the universe," I explained to Jeff in discussing United's ill fortune so far this season. "If you sneak through a whole season with little depth and no injuries, you better believe you'll get hit hard the next." Perhaps there is some kind of justice, in that case (especially now that Rob Styles, the referee who awarded that egregious penalty against Liverpool after Florent Malouda leaped into Steve Finnan, <a href=" been suspended</a> for a week by the Premiership).2007/08/broats-thugs-injustice.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-4533117713511758740Fri, 17 Aug 2007 16:37:00 +00002007-08-17T13:41:21.693-04:00Becks Scores, and Keano Hates the WAGs<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a>With a brilliant free-kick strike against D.C., the bequeathing of Galaxy captaincy from Landon Donovan, an appearance in the SuperLiga final and an England call-up in the works, it appears as though the David Beckham experiment is finally beginning to run according to script. Perhaps some of the adversity of the past month has been a bit of a blessing in disguise, as it appears as though the hoopla was enabled to extend itself just a little bit longer than it would had everything gone swimmingly from the start. MLS has to finally be able to breathe a quick sigh of relief, what with Steve McLaren <a href=" its standard</a> "Championship top half, lower Premier," and with even more investors lining up to start up or sponsor clubs. Indeed, it would seem as though the league's profile is slowly rising.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"It was nice to see Cesc get in there; that showed the spirit you're going to see from us this year. People have been saying it's not his game to play like that but he's showed he can score, he can pass and he can kick people, so everything is perfect." - </span><a href=" Clichy</a>, in my favorite quote of the week, after Cesc Fabregas got into it with Sparta Praha <span style="font-style: italic;" class="vcb_rt">obhájce </span><span class="vcb_rt">Thomas Repka. I can't say I'm quite convinced that Cesc can make the full transformation into a tough guy, but it's always fun to see a young player maturing into a great one.<br /><br />I almost forgot to mention my favorite rant of the week, which comes from the always 'bout it <a href=" /></span><span style="font-style: italic;">"Priorities have changed for footballers and they are being dictated to by their wives and girlfriends. I find it surprising that geography seems to play such a big part or that players let their wives decide. I think it's weak. You see it with a couple of big players now. Clearly their wives and girlfriends are running their lives and that's a bad sign. I realise it is part of the package and more so when there are children and schools involved, but ultimately you're a footballer. Retire at 35 or 36, you can live wherever you bloody well like -- London, Monaco, wherever -- and any half-decent footballer will be a multi-millionaire anyway. Why is there such a big attraction with London? It would be different if it was Chelsea, Arsenal or maybe Tottenham, but when they go to a smaller club just because it's in London, then it's clearly because of the shops. Their priorities are not the same as mine. We will do the best for our players' families, but we've had a player this summer who didn't even ring us back because his wife wanted to move to London. And shopping was mentioned. It might astonish many people, but it's true."<br /><br /></span>Roy Keane sounds pissed (and we all know he is not the kind of man you'd want to upset) - what happened, did he try to bring Sheva to Sunderland?<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span><span class="sg"><br /></span>2007/08/becks-scores-and-keano-hates-wags.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-1547375935545854140Thu, 09 Aug 2007 14:36:00 +00002007-08-09T12:03:06.194-04:00Premiership Predictions (2007-08 Edition)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a>The Premiership season is upon us, and I can't really say that I'm ready. I am, without a doubt, excited, but in terms of actual preparedness I find myself a step behind. This could be due to the fact that I'm preparing for a weekend that includes both a bachelor party and a christening (if I go missing from this blog, it's probably a result of the lightning bolt that's coming my way for being at a strip club and church within a span of mere hours) and I'm likely to miss the opening of the season, or it could be the result of an unusual summer overload of football due to international competitions, SuperLiga and what's-his-name. Whatever the case may be, the start of the Barclay's Premier League has caught me slightly flat-footed, and now I must play catch-up.<br /><a href="2006/08/anfield-anticipation.html">Last season</a>, I predicted that Liverpool would surprise everyone and carry off the trophy, led by the newfound superstardom of Luis Garcia. This prediction only confirmed the status of this blog as a "lesser" authority, as Manchester United combined a stunning seasonal performance from Cristiano Ronaldo with an injury-free campaign to win the league (there is an adage about how people who write about sports spend so much time writing about things that have already happened that they are no good at predicting future events. I suppose it applies). United, perhaps wary of trying to get through another season unharmed with a slim squad, spent quite a bit on reinforcements this summer, which would logically make them favorites again, which brings up an interesting question regarding the transfer market: does summer spending actually translate to seasonal success?<br />Arsenal (slight squad adjustments), Man United (reinforcements/ future starters + Carlos Tevez), Chelsea (veterans competing for spots), Liverpool (everyone on the market + Fernando Torres) and Tottenham (strengthening positions they were already deep in) all took different approaches to the transfer market this season in an effort to boost their standing in the league. With so many competing philosophies, it can be difficult to determine exactly which overriding philosophy works best, but we here on 116th Street decided to take a very uncomprehensive stab at figuring out transfer market success, looking at the past five Premiership champions.<br /><br />1. Don't fret over losing a big name striker.<br />This bodes well for all of you panicking Gooners, who will rest easier knowing that Man U lost Ruud van Nistelrooy last year and still won the title. Going a little further back, Chelsea lost both of their front line strikers (Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Hernan Crespo) in the summer prior to their 2005 title, replacing them with Didier Drogba and Mateja Kezman, neither of whom exactly lit the world on fire that season.<br /><br />2. A new starting midfielder goes a long way.<br />It's not certain whether players such as Kevin-Prince Boateng, Yossi Benayoun or even Owen Hargreaves will make major impacts at their new clubs, but Michael Carrick, Michael Essien and Arjen Robben are testament to the championship-providing boost a key midfield player can provide. In other words, all you ManYoo fans out there should be excited about the Hargreaves pickup.<br /><br />3. Get a new keeper.<br />None of the big clubs did this (unless Lukasz Fabianski suddenly takes over at Arsenal), but it's worth noting that both Jens Lehmann and Petr Cech won the league in their first seasons minding the nets at their respective clubs.<br /><br />4. Who added a stalwart defender?<br />That would be Chelsea, whose pickup of Alex could be as key to winning as, say, Ricardo Carvalho, Rio Ferdinand or Sol Campbell were in their first seasons with championship-winning sides.<br /><br />5. Beware the established superstar (especially if he's switching leagues).<br />I'm looking in the direction of the Kop here. Don't put ALL of your faith in Torres, ye Liverpool faithful lest he go the way of Shevchenko, Ballack or Veron. Switching to English football can be quite an adjustment, after all.<br /><br />6. Let the kids grow up.<br />Those (occasionally) under-the-radar youngsters you picked up a couple of years ago? When they mature, they bring championship winning results with them (we don't even need to mention names here, do we?).<br /><br />Now that we've gone through our (completely!) scientific and comprehensive breakdown of the transfer market, we predict that the Premiership champion of 2007-08 will be Chelsea, narrowly edging out Manchester United for the title (we can really go out on a limb sometimes around here). Getting both Florent Malouda and Alex will push them over the top, while Man U's lack of defensive cover will come back to haunt them this season. As for Arsenal, they remain a year away, while Tottenham and Liverpool remain a little too unfocused for true title contention in the near future. Of course, we've been wrong many times before, so feel free to jump all over us when Fernando Torres dominates the league and Liverpool lifts the trophy, but just remember one thing: Luis Garcia is set for stardom, any day now...2007/08/premiership-predictions-2007-08-edition.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-6601588304140007913Mon, 30 Jul 2007 17:47:00 +00002007-07-30T14:32:01.453-04:00Quick Hits<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a>Raise your hand if you are enjoying SuperLiga as much as I am. There is some real passion on display in these matches, not to mention a nice bit of skill from the much-maligned MLS players. Christian Gomez was magnificent for D.C. against Club America yesterday, and I think my newest favorite MLS player might be Joseph Ngwenya (who Houston subbed off too early last night, in my opinion). Mexican League teams might have expected a series of glorified friendlies, but this tourney looks as if it will be a dogfight to the end. Over time, this could shape up to be the tournament MLS fans have been waiting for, and let's hope that future editions feature a true "home-away" format for added drama!<br /><br />Freddy Adu is going to Benfica, which is a great move on his part. In Lisbon he will be able to participate in a big club, but under less of a microscope than he would find among the pundits in England and Spain. He also moves directly under the wing of one of the game's most venerable playmakers, the distinguished Manuel Rui Costa, who teamed with Gabriel Batistuta years ago to make Fiorentina one of the most enjoyable Serie A teams of recent memory, before helping mentor the great Kaka at AC Milan. He was also defeated by the USA in the '02 World Cup, as a member of a Portugal squad that will forever be near and dear to the hearts of Gringos everywhere; Freddy should learn much from him! Lastly (and perhaps most importantly), Freddy will be in a side with an annual shot at Champions League action, which is more than you can say about Tottenham. Playing in such a high-pressure environment against the world's best will certainly help Adu's game; now all he has to do is earn that playing time. Best of luck, Freddy.<br /><br />Robin van Persie is going to be a very big star this season (I know I said that about Luis Garcia last year, but I'm certain of this). He was absolutely phenomenal against Inter in the Emirates Cup yesterday. The scariest part of his dominant play on Sunday was the seeming discovery of his right foot, which he used to score a stunner:<br /><embed src="; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" pluginspage="; flashvars="autostart=false&token=233_1185729096" scale="showall" name="index" height="370" width="450"></embed><br />Perhaps those rumors of the demise of Arsenal are a bit exaggerated (then again, they might be pleading for Henry to come back by January)!<br /><br />Can't wait for Becks to make his SuperLiga debut, here's to hoping the Galaxy go through, just in case he can't play against FC Dallas on Tuesday. A little star power goes a long way, after all, and it's a shame Chicago wasn't included in this tournament as well; while walking home on 116th Street (a stronghold for Chivas and Club America supporters) yesterday, I saw a group of Mexican teens in Fire jerseys. That was certainly a first! David Beckham and Cuauhtemoc Blanco have been marketing coups for MLS thus far, and their impact has the potential to stretch far beyond the U.S. market. For proof, check out this MLS-themed show from the UK, "David Beckham's Soccer USA" (shown below in five parts):<br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><object height="350" width="425"><param name="movie" value=" name="wmode" value="transparent"><embed src="; type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" height="350" width="425"></embed></object><br /><br />Finally, congratulations to Iraq for their Asian Cup victory. Although many players will not be able to return home in the near future for safety reasons, hopefully their sense of unity and sacrifice will provide some inspiration to a nation in desperate need of it. Soccer may be a small thing, but it incites passion like few other things in the world; let's hope Iraq gets to experience similar joy in the years ahead.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px;" src="; border="0" alt="" /></a>2007/07/quick-hits.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-2189213097046601924Thu, 19 Jul 2007 14:39:00 +00002007-07-19T11:09:03.058-04:00Kissing the Cup<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a>That's right, this is a photo of yours truly kissing the European Cup (try your hardest to contain your envy - jealousy will lead you down a dark path). How did this come about, you ask? Evidently, AC Milan is touring the trophy in an attempt to turn some unfortunate saps into Serie A fans (Milan fans at that - even worse!), and they made a stop at a prominent NYC soccer pub, Nevada Smith's.<br />Although they displayed the trophy most of the night, a disappointing number of patrons came through to see it, possibly due to the rain or the steam pipe explosion that crippled the East Side of Manhattan for much of the night. Milan gave out some promotional knick-knacks for the event, and its devil mascot, Milanello, was in the house along with some models (I missed that part, sadly), but the main attraction was the trophy.<br />Security around the Cup was surprisingly lax - there was just one representative from Milan, along with the aforementioned mascot and models, and a couple of bouncers - which meant that fans could pick up the trophy, kiss it, pose with it, basically do everything short of drink from it (and having gotten a good look at the inside of that thing, there's no way I'm doing that). I approached the trophy nervously, just hoping to reach out and touch it the way a runner-up would on the way to collect his second-place medallion. I put my hands around its handles and gave it a nervous lift; it wasn't all that heavy, and now a gleeful, childlike grin was sweeping across my face. I lifted it higher, and was instantly transported into the center of the field, confetti flying everywhere. I was Fernando Hierro, Paolo Maldini and Steven Gerrard, all at once (I imagine that any captain who lifts this thing must instantly feel as if he'd become every captain before him; it's quite a rush). Without many other patrons in the pub (and without a Pirlo-esque teammate to take the trophy and start a victory lap), I felt no pressre to put it back down, so I held onto it as long as I could. Eventually, I did put it down to examine its contents: in addition to the UEFA logo on the front, there is a French inscription that loosely translates to "Cup of European Champions." On the back, another French inscription; I interpreted this as saying "Vanquishers." There were names of memorable Cup winners of the past: Manchester United, powered by David Beckham corner kicks to take down Bayern Munich in injury time; Real Madrid, inspired by Nicolas Anelka, of all people, then two years later through a piece of Zinedine Zidane magic; and AC Milan, who I can't stand but to whom I am grateful for making this whole thing happen.<br />While there were few people around, the football fanatics who did arrive had the fan experience of their lives. I've never seen so many adults turn into little kids right before my eyes! One woman was just taking a walk down the street when she saw the advertisement outside of the bar; she came in, eyes widened at seeing the trophy, then went home to fetch her Milan shirt. When she returned, she lifted the trophy as if she were a member of the Maldini family herself. A girl visiting NYU had no idea what the trophy represented; when I explained to her that it was equivalent to the Super Bowl trophy (only way better), she exclaimed, "I'm going to be a soccer fan now!" One girl came in and giggled, "The World Cup is here!" I let her be. A Newcastle fan held it and said "One day, there will be black-and-white ribbons on this," to which a fellow patron countered, "Yeah, when Juve wins it." All and all, it was a fantastic evening, although my buddy Joe was slow in arriving and missed the trophy. Maybe next year, Joseph, maybe next year.2007/07/kissing-cup.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-2733747333050421914Mon, 16 Jul 2007 12:20:00 +00002007-07-16T08:42:45.402-04:00Brazil Returns<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a>I was shamelessly front-running, bouncing up and down to "Popazuda Rock 'N Roll" while some extremely attractive Brazilian girls were shimmying with the Robinho lookalike to my right, and who could blame me? Brazil, with a B squad full of players I was barely familiar with, had just pistol-whipped their more celebrated archrivals, vanquishing Argentina to claim another Copa America title, and since I had never partied with a bunch of Brazilians postgame, I couldn't think of a better occasion.<br />Wendell, the aforementioned Robinho doppelganger, was filling me in on the appeal of cheering for Brazil, and I have to say it was quite a nice pitch. "Today, you are Brazilian," he said, then directing his attention to another non-Brazilian in the room, he added, "so is he. So is she! Today, everyone is Brazilian!" That's how it looked on the field, too, as the swarm of yellow and blue made a previously dominant Argentina side look completely irrelevant. The <span style="font-style: italic;">Albicelestes</span>, so accustomed to controlling the pace of the game, were simply overwhelmed by the pure pace of the Brazilians.<br />Playing with neither a classic target man or wingers, Argentina has relied primarily on its composure and passing in midfield to pinpoint openings in the defense, at the expense of width and a consistent aerial game. Against Brazil, however, that lack of width was telling, as the Brazilian counterattack caught Argentine fullbacks too far upfield and wreaked vengeance with stunning precision. By the 40th minute, Argentina's defenders were already hunched over and pulling at their shorts, and only seconds later Roberto Ayala was trying to pick himself off the ground, an own-goal scoring victim of Brazil's fearsome counterattack.<br />Thus it appears that Brazil, written off as a work in progress, are players on the world stage once again; we will have to get familiar with a few new names, such as Josue, Elano, and Daniel Alves. The match has also proven just how tough it is to win a major competition (USA fans, don't be so impatient!); the last time Argentina won one of these, <span style="font-style: italic;">Saved By The Bell</span> was on the air.2007/07/brazil-returns.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-26314872.post-6945218462795042183Fri, 13 Jul 2007 15:38:00 +00002007-07-13T11:59:20.307-04:00Embracing Beckham<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href=" style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 320px;" src="; alt="" border="0" /></a>I am honestly excited by all of it. I can't wait for the hoopla, the impossible to fulfill expectations, the mocking and guffawing, the eventual backlash from the anti-soccer dolts, the eventual Spice Girls reunion, the eventual Landon Donovan beeyotch session where he cries about not being the center of LA's galaxy, the curling free kicks, and even the hairstyles. I am positively ready for the David Beckham experience to land right here in the USA, where hype truly belongs, because at the end of the day, the Mancs and Madridistas can't do it quite the way we can. This is high drama here, people, the kind that we soccer fans eat up in spades.<br />A refresher: Beckham's biggest challenges to date have been (1997) snagging Victoria away from pretty-boy teammate Ryan Giggs; (1998) convincing the English public not to hate him, it's not <span style="font-style: italic;">entirely</span> his fault that Diego Simeone is a flopping actor who played his part in getting Beckham sent off; (2003) escaping Sir Alex Ferguson's warpath of anger to flee to Madrid, then somehow supplanting Luis Figo as Real's main man on the right; and (2007) making himself indispensable to Real and England squads that had totally rejected him. Now, he is faced with the most Sisyphean of all his challenges to date, making soccer relevant in the USA, and there is no question that we won't succeed in this endeavor.<br />That's right, it's a lost cause. David Beckham will not cause the American public to care about soccer anymore than it already does. In this regard, his endeavor is hopeless. There is, however, a very fine line between caring about something and noticing something, and people will pay attention, whether it's to the free kicks or the hair or Posh's implants. The sportswriters will notice enough to slam soccer once again, but the difference this time will be that it is not a World Cup year and there is otherwise no reason to even discuss the game in this country. So while David Beckham won't get anyone to care, his arrival takes us once step closer to the day when other factors do convince the public to invest their time, emotions and interest in the sport.<br />With all of that being said, this is going to be fun, which is why I don't quite get all of the sarcasm associated with his arrival. Sometimes I feel as if American soccer fans want to be closed off to everyone, as if we're some super-cool club no one gets invited into. Maybe Beckham's arrival is exposing us as the band geeks we are, but so what? We get it, we get him, we get the circus. It's been going on for years, now it's just in our back yard. I say we go ride the Ferris wheel and down some funnel cakes. It's David Beckham, you know what I'm saying? This is a guy with an uncanny sense of the dramatic, a true professional, a guy who just made the hot female factor at MLS games increase by about 5000%. Now is not the time to be loathsome or irritable, it's time to make some friends. David Beckham is here. He's not the Messiah, but he's a start. Let's show him some love.2007/07/embracing-beckham.htmlnoreply@blogger.com (Zach)