[Spotted at The Original Winger]
Hype can be a terrible thing. It can fail to account for the fact that natural growth may or may not occur or the butterfly effect which takes hold of everyone’s life – and this before considering what hype does itself, something taking hold of its host. Of course hype is very often there for a good reason.
Noah Shawn, 7, of Bayern Munich is going to have an awful lot of hype for the next decade or so.
The qualifying for the 2012 UEFA European Championships (more commonly known as Euro 2012) has begun with the group stage. The winners of each group will earn automatic qualification while the runner-ups will participate in play-offs to determine the final spots.
So, how will each group end up and who will earn an automatic spot? Here are are predictions for the groups.
UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying Group Predictions
Group A
- Germany
- Austria
- Turkey
- Belgium
- Azerbaijan
- Kazakhstan
Group B
- Russia
- Ireland
- Slovakia
- Andorra
- Macedonia
- Armenia
Group C
- Italy
- Serbia
- Slovenia
- Northern Ireland
- Estonia
- Faroe Islands
Group D
- France
- Bosnia
- Belarus
- Romania
- Luxembourg
- Albania
Group E
- Netherlands
- Sweden
- Hungary
- Moldova
- Finland
- San Marino
Group F
- Greece
- Croatia
- Israel
- Latvia
- Georgia
- Malta
Group G
- England
- Wales
- Switzerland
- Bulgaria
- Montenegro
Group H
- Portugal
- Denmark
- Iceland
- Norway
- Cyprus
Group I
- Spain
- Scotland
- Czech Republic
- Lithuania
- Liechtenstein
Free live coverage of England v Bulgaria in the UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying on Friday, September 3, 2010 can be found at the link below.
Free live coverage of Liechtenstein v Spain in the UEFA 2012 Euro Qualifying on Friday, September 3, 2010 can be found at the link below.
Free live coverage of San Marino v Netherlands in the UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying on Friday, September 3, 2010 can be found at the link below.
Free live coverage of Switzerland v Australia in a international friendly match on Friday, September 3, 2010 can be found at the link below.
Free live coverage of Lithuania v Scotland in the UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying on Friday, September 3, 2010 can be found at the link below.
Free live coverage of Armenia v the Republic of Ireland (ROI) in the UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying on Friday, September 3, 2010 can be found at the link below.
Watch Armenia v the Republic of Ireland (ROI) Online – 16:00 BST
Given it’s the football season, the war of words between Jose Mourinho and everybody else will run through the end of the year, when he’s only shut up by a cool beach breeze. Atop his list is Rafa Benitez, once nemesis and now replacement, who combined forces with Italian television, a cartoon, giant knockers and talkSPORT to make the next move on the offensive.
We can only hope this is how the real thing will go – verbatim.
[Spotted on 101gg]
Qualifying for the Euro 2012 continues on Friday, September 3, 2010 with a full set of matches. Below is the list of matches along with television listings. Times listed are BST or local time in UK (+1 for CET and -5 for EST).
UEFA Euro 2012 Qualifying TV Listings
Friday, 3 September 2010
Armenia v Rep of Ireland, Gp B, 16:00 – Sky Sports 1 (UK), RTE Two (Ireland), 1TV (Armenia)
Kazakhstan v Turkey, Gp A, 17:00 – TRT 1 (Turkey), Al Jazeera Sport (Middle East)
Andorra v Russia, Gp B, 17:30 – Russia 1 (Russia)
Moldova v Finland, Gp E, 17:30 – Moldova 1 (Moldova), YLE TV2 (Finland)
Faroe Islands v Serbia, Gp C, 18:00 – Al Jazeera Sport (Middle East), RTS 1 (Serbia)
Montenegro v Wales, Gp G, 18:30 – Sky Sports 3 (UK), S4c Digital (Wales)
Latvia v Croatia, Gp F, 19:00 – LTV 7 (Latvia), HRT 2 (Croatia)
Romania v Albania, Gp D, 19:00 – TVR 1 (Romania)
Sweden v Hungary, Gp E, 19:00 – TV6 (Sweden), Sport 1 (Hungary)
Lithuania v Scotland, Gp I, 19:15 – BBC One (Scotland)
Luxembourg v Bosnia-Hercegovina, Gp D, 19:15 – TV1 (Bosnia)
Estonia v Italy, Gp C, 19:30 – RAI Uno (Italy), ETV (Estonia), Al Jazeera Sport (Middle East)
Slovakia v FYR Macedonia, Gp B, 19:30 – STV 1 & STV 3(Slovakia), Sport+ (Russia),
Belgium v Germany, Gp A, 19:45 – Al Jazeera Sport (Middle East), Sport TV2 (Portugal), TV8 (Turkey), ARD Das Erste (Germany), RTL TVI (Belgium)
Greece v Georgia, Gp F, 19:45 – Al Jazeera Sport (Middle East), MEGA TV (Greece), Alfa TV (Cyprus)
Liechtenstein v Spain, Gp I, 19:45 – Tele Cinco (Spain), Show Sports (Middle East), SportKlub+ (Europe)
San Marino v Netherlands, Gp E, 19:45 – Al Jazeera Sport (Middle East), RTL 7 (Netherlands)
Slovenia v Northern Ireland, Gp C, 19:45 – Sky Sports 1 (UK), TV2 (Slovenia)
England v Bulgaria, Gp G, 20:00 - Fox Soccer Channel (USA), ITV 1 (UK), Al Jazeera Sport (Middle East), Sky Sport (Italy), SportKlub (Europe), Sport TV1 (Portugal), Setanta (Ireland)
France v Belarus, Gp D, 20:00 – Al Jazeera Sport (Middle East), Digi Sport (Hungary), Digi Sport (Romania), ESPN (UK), Orange Sport (Poland), TF 1 (France)
Iceland v Norway, Gp H, 20:00 – Canal 9 (Denmark), C+ Fotball (Norway)
Portugal v Cyprus, Gp H, 20:45 – RTP 1 (Portugal), Al Jazeera Sport (Middle East)
Whether or not this is actually the Ghana national team playing in a Chicago park is debatable (two years old), but it’s no less beautiful.
- Ruud’s joyous comeback. (Netherlands WCB)
- Russia play down racism with stupidity. (Match Fit USA)
- Jack Wilshere well on his way to being a proper Prem footballer. (The Spoiler)
- The CL at face value. (SoccerLens)
- Miroslav Klose wants that record even if cryogenically frozen. (Guardian)
- The worst of the worst in La Liga. (La Liga Loca)
- Diego Forlan is a wannabe cameraman. (Atletico Offside)
As evidenced by the aerodynamic qualities of his glistening dome and breaking land-speed records with every third free kick, Roberto Carlos is a very, very scientific man.
He’s also inspired scientists, particularly that free kick back in 97 – you don’t need to hit play to know the one I’m referring to – to determine whether he “defied physics” or if he’s not of this world.
They’ve ultimately determined it’s neither, while I think it’s a little bit of both – Barthez just got Roberto Carlos’d.
Your physics lesson for the day.
Dr Clanet described this path as a “snail-shell shaped trajectory”, with the curvature increasing as the ball travels.Because Roberto Carlos was 35m (115ft) from the goal when he kicked the ball, more of this spiral trajectory was visible. So the apparently physics-defying sharp turn of the ball was actually following a naturally tightening curve.
Dr Clanet and his colleague David Quere were studying the trajectory of bullets when they made their sporting discovery.
They used water and plastic balls with the same density as water to “simplify the problem”.
This approach eliminated the effects of air turbulence and of gravity and revealed the pure physical path of a spinning sphere.
“On a real soccer pitch, we will see something close to this ideal spiral, but gravity will modify it,” explained Dr Clanet.
“But if you shoot strongly enough, like Carlos did, you can minimise the effect of gravity.”
The crucial aspect of the wonder strike, according to the scientists, was the distance the ball had to travel to beat Fabian Barthez.
“If this distance is small,” said Dr Clanet, “you only see the first part of the curve.
“But if that distance is large – like with Carlos’s kick – you see the curve increase. So you see the whole of the trajectory.”
And thus concludes the first time we’ve ever informed you of something useful.
The defending Euro champions, Spain, begin their quest to repeat with a qualification match against Liechtenstein. The match will take place at the Rheinpark Stadium in Vaduz, Leichtenstein on Friday, September 3, 2010. Kickoff is scheduled for 19:45 BST (UK time) and 14:45 EST.
Liechtenstein v Spain TV Listings
It will be televised on Tele Cinco in Spain, SportKlub in Europe, C+ Sport in Norway, C+ Sport in Denmark, SuperSport in Africa, and on Orbit Show Sports in the Middle East.
Liechtenstein v Spain Preview
Spain are coming off a victory at the 2010 World Cup and have established themselves at the best team in the world. Their win in the Euro 2008 combined with the World Cup win has them in one of best runs ever during a two year span for a country.
They now begin Euro 2012 qualifying with a match against a week Liechtenstein side. Liechtenstein, currently ranked 149 in the FIFA rankings, have never qualified for a major tournament. Even though its a home match, Liechtenstein are still 40/1 to win the match while Spain are 1/66 to get the victory.
It’s a match where Spain should dominate and have little trouble getting the three points. Carlos Puyol is the one major injury for Spain but most of their other top players should be available for the match.
Spain will cruise to victory in this match and it should be by several goals.
| Next Five Matches in Competition | |||
| Liechtenstein | Spain | ||
| 9/3 | Spain | 9/3 | @Liechtenstein |
| 9/7 | @Scotland | 10/8 | Lithuania |
| 10/12 | Czech Republic | 10/12 | @Scotland |
| 3/29 | @Czech Republic | 3/25 | Czech Republic |
| 6/3 | Lithuania | 3/29 | @Lithuania |
Liechtenstein v Spain Prediction
Spain will win the match 4-1.
Liechtenstein v Spain TV Listings
Liechtenstein win – 40/1
Draw – 9/1
Spain win – 1/66
Liechtenstein v Spain Live Online
The match can be seen at Free Live Sports TV.
Scotland looks to qualify for their first European Championships since 1996 as they travel to Lithuania to begin Euro 2012 qualification. The match will take place at the S. Darius and S. Girėnas Stadium in Kaunas, Lithuani on Friday, September 3, 2010. Kickoff is scheduled for 19:15 BST (UK time) and 14:15 EST.
Lithuania v Scotland TV Listings
It will be televised on BBC One in Scotland, and on LietuvosRytas.tv in Lithuania.
Lithuania v Scotland Preview
Scotland are in Group I which also includes the Czech Republic and Spain. It will be a very tough group for the Scottish to win and realistically they will be aiming for second place which would put them in the playoffs.
The same goes for Lithuania but they will need to win matches like this if they want to have a chance of qualifying. The match, according to oddsmakers, should be very even with both sides have a decent chance at three points.
For Scotland, they are captained by Man U midfielder Darren Fletcher, who has 48 caps and 4 goals in his international career. Other notable players on the roster are 40 year old defender David Weir, Rangers striker Kenny Miller, and Celtic captain Scott Brown.
Scotland have not qualified for a Euro tournament since 1996 and haven’t made it to the World Cup finals since 1998. While there will always be strong support from its fans, the Tartan Army are definitely getting a bit impatient and think that Euro 2012 qualification is possible.
This is a tough match to predict with it being the first in qualifying. Scotland have the stronger team but Lithuania has the home advantage. In the end, Scotland have the better side and that should be the difference after 90 minutes.
| Next Five Matches in Competition | |||
| Lithuania | Scotland | ||
| 9/3 | Scotland | 9/3 | @Lithuania |
| 9/7 | @Czech Republic | 9/7 | Liechtenstein |
| 10/8 | @Spain | 10/8 | @Czech Republic |
| 3/29 | Spain | 10/12 | Spain |
| 6/3 | @Liechtenstein |
||
Lithuania v Scotland Prediction
Scotland will win the match 2-1.
Lithuania v Scotland Betting Odds
Lithuania win – 6/4
Draw – 11/5
Scotlanw win – 6/4
Lithuania v Scotland Live Online
The match can be seen at Free Live Sports TV.
Having desperately clung to a one goal lead for the vast majority of their Lamar Hunt US Open Cup semifinal against Columbus - the very last thing the District of Columbia had left to play for in 2010 - they somehow coughed up a last minute goal to a central defender and then, since it looked like Columbus wasn't going to score in the overtime they went ahead and coughed up a PK two minutes from time.
Whereupon Cbus' short, funny looking old Argentine headed for the spot and the RFK faithful began searching for thier car keys. 37 years old or not, with a game on the line the guy is pure money.
With the worst regular season record in team history and, astonishingly, a real shot at surpassing the worst MLS record of all time, the Open Cup was the last thing that could have salvaged something out of a season from hell, a bright spot in the midst of a gloom the likes of which DC fans have never encountered.
Sort of makes Caleb Porters' decision to turn down that job seem pretty reasonable.
The saddest thing is that this season didn't have to be a lost, purposeless exercise.
No, I'm not going to get into a lot of obvious stuff here, like the fact that Kevin Payne and Dave Kaspar both need to find new employment, preferably not in the soccer business (unless they want to open a soccer supply store; there's good money in selling cleats and shinguards to the kiddies.)
Rather, I'm going to focus on one point, ie. the hiring of Curt Onolfo, which was both a symptom and a cause.
The team DC lost to last night brought in Sigi Schmid in 2006 and because of his reputation they gave him total control over the roster, which he proceeded to blow sky high. When he got done there were only three guys on the team who had been with the Crew the previous season.
And here's the thing: in his first year they lost more games than they had the previous year, a record which got Zippy the Pinhead fired.
The following year, same deal. Bad, badder, baddest.
But there was never any question of canning the Round Mound. He was a pro, he was brought in to fix things and, painful as it was, they let him do it his way.
And of course he won them the Cup in his third year.
Conversely, when Dave Checketts at RSL got tired of watching Dave Ellinger do a bad imitation of a soccer coach, he grabbed Jason Kreis off his bench and handed him the reins.
Now granted Kreis proceeded to join the Fine of the Week Club (it got so bad that Kreis was ordered to appear at MLS HQ for a one-day seminar on league rules and procedures) but nobody expected the guy to be able to hang up the jersey, put on a tie and lead a team to the playoffs and beyond.
And again, Ellinger aside, the team simply wasn't very good, but he and the they all sort of grew up together and, low and behold, a miracle happened in the Land of Saline Inland Waters.
Two different approaches, but the same result.
Onolfo, by contrast, wasn't a promising rookie and he wasn't successful at his last job (getting fired for suckitude is the first clue) and he wasn't given anything like control over his roster and he wasn't going to get either the benefit of the doubt based on past success or the time and patience you'd give a new guy.
Just win, baby. But don't ask me how.
I've never been a big Ben Olsen fan. Watching his teams beat up on yours all the time tends not to give you warm and cozy feelings.
But he's always been a guy who wears his heart on his sleeve - and sometimes pieces of other peoples' hearts as well, along with chunks of their spleens, livers and Achilles tendons - and he's going to need serious theraputic drugs (can you say Lithium?) to get through the next couple of months.
Maybe you give him the job - hopefully along with a bright, eager MLS-wise GM - and see what he can do in two or three years. Maybe you get back in touch with Richie Williams who, high-priced foreign talent aside, is proving to have a real eye for talent.
The bottom line is that DC came into the season with no hope at all of doing much of anything beyond exactly what it's done.
Astonishingly though, as bad as it's been they seem to have come up with two absolute gems from their academy, which was among the first and is still among the finest, in Hamid and Najar but it underlines the futility when you're bringing in kids who only need to shave once in a while to try and salvage what the grownups have blown.
It's time to clean house in DC. Blow the thing up and start over. DC fans are among the most sophisticated in the league and they will more than understand having to make it through a couple of bad seasons while the team retools, finds some new pieces and develops a new system under a first rate head coach. But they aren't going to stand for being fed crap and told it's chocolate cake any longer.
And if it's any consolation, since USSF graciously consented to once again put Lamars' Cup on plastic turf, the team that normally plays in that building and on that plastic is more than likely to win anyway, so they shouldn't feel too bad. All they really avoided was a fools' errand.
Due to the international break and Euro 2012 qualifiers on Friday, there’ll be no Premier League or Championship football in England this weekend. Football fan James Doe saw an opportunity, and declared Saturday, September 4th Non-League Day. So all football fans who usually support big teams are encouraged to go and see their local non-league team in action.
For those unfamiliar, non-league football in England refers to anything outside of the top four professional divisions. It’s a different world, with small stadiums, cheap admission prices, and attendances in the hundreds or low thousands. Most of the players are either part-time or semi-professional. It’s everything the Premier League is not, and in some ways better for it.
Though “non-league” is an English term, and he Non-League day campaign is an English phenomenon, semi-professional football exists in every country. It’s basically your local team that’s small enough for you to support without feeling like you’re cheating on your big team. If you’re in the US for exaample, then maybe it’s your local USL-2 team or PDL team. I thought this was a good opportunity for everyone to show your local team some love.
I’ll gladly go first. I actually have two: Halesowen Town FC of the Southern League Premier Division in England, and the mighty Richmond Kickers of USL-2 in the USA (who just missed out on winning the USL-2 Championship last weekend, losing 2-1 to Charleston Battery). Who’s your local team?
The Three Lions begin their 2012 Euro qualifying with a home match against Bulgaria. The match will take place at Wembley Stadium in London, England on Friday, September 3, 2010. Kickoff is scheduled for 20:00 BST (UK time) and 15:00 EST.
England v Bulgaria TV Listings
It will be televised on ITV 1 in the United Kingdom, Setanta Sports in Ireland, Fox Soccer Channel in the United States, Sport TV1 in Portugal, SportKlub in Europe, Al Jazeera Sport in the Middle East, and on Sky Sport in Italy.
England v Bulgaria Preview
It’s the opening match for Euro 2012 qualifying and an important one after England failed to make it to Euro 2008. Fabio Capello received a lot of criticism following the loss in the round of 16 (to Germany) in the 2010 World Cup but remains in charge. Many have accused him as unable to relate to the players and that an Englishman should lead the team.
Capello has responded by bringing in several younger players in the squad and trying to shake things up. All three goalkeepers called up for the match are under 30, and overall there’s only there’s only two players over 30 in the entire squad.
One of those is captain Steven Gerrard, who was the catalyst for the 2-1 win over Hungary in a friendly match in August. In that match, England struggled and if not for two goals from Gerrard in a few minutes, it could have been a disappointing loss at Wembley.
Bulgaria are not expected to get any result out of this match or even qualify for Euro 2012. They have not qualified for a major tournament since Euro 2004. Their roster has players who are on clubs in eastern Europe with a few who play in the EPL. The two EPL players are Martin Petrov of Bolton Wanderers and Stiliyan Petrov of Manchester City.
While they are a 10/1 underdog to win the match, they do some talented players and could surprise. Like the Hungary match, England could be vulnerable if they concede an early goal and fail to take hold of the match in the first half.
For England, it’s a match they should win and need to if they want to win Group G. They are heavily favored to win the group but can’t afford to drop points in matches at Wembley. With a full crowd, the Three Lions should get a comfortable win but if Rooney continues to struggle to score goals, it could be interesting.
| Next Five Matches in Competition | |||
| England | Bulgaria | ||
| 9/3 | Bulgaria | 9/3 | @England |
| 9/7 | @Switzerland | 9/7 | Montenegro |
| 10/12 | Montenegro | 10/8 | @Wales |
| 3/26 | @Wales | 3/26 | Switzerland |
| 6/4 | Switzerland | 6/4 | @Montenegro |
England v Bulgaria Prediction
England will win the match 4-0.
England v Bulgaria Betting Odds
England win – 3/10
Draw – 3/1
Bulgaria win – 10/1
England v Bulgaria Live Online
The match can be seen at Free Live Sports TV.
The Irish look to rebound from a disappointing end in World Cup qualifying with the first match in their 2012 Euro qualifying. The match will take place at the Vazgen Sargsyan Hanrapetakan Stadium in Yerevan, Armenia on Friday, September 3, 2010. Kickoff is scheduled for 16:00 BST (UK time) and 11:00 EST.
Armenia v Republic Of Ireland TV Listings
It will be televised on 1TV in Armenia, RTE Two in Ireland, and on Sky Sports 1 in the United Kingdom.
Armenia v Republic Of Ireland Preview
The Irish still have bad memories of the Thierry Henry handball last December but now shift their focus to Euro 2012 qualifying. They are in Group B which has Russia and Slovakia as the main teams they will be competing with for first place.
Armenia are not a powerhouse in Europe or international football and not expected to qualify for Euro 2012. Their roster is comprised of players from the Armenian domestic league along with a few from other leagues in Europe and Asia.
Ireland need to get a win or at the very least a draw to keep their hopes high about qualification. These are the matches they can’t afford to lose or drop points especially with teams like Slovakia and Russia in their group. It will be a long trip from Ireland and a relatively early match time (16:00 UK time for a mid-week match) which could have an effect.
There aren’t many injury concerns for the Irish with Robbie Keane and Richard Dunne fit for the match. Keane, who is still struggling to get regular playing time at Tottenham, continues to be a consistent score for his national team.
While Armenia are one of the weaker sides in Europe, they will make the Irish work to get a result. In the end, they are the superior side and should get the result but don’t expect a significant margin.
| Next Five Matches in Competition | |||
| Armenia | Ireland | ||
| 9/3 | Ireland | 9/3 | @Armenia |
| 9/7 | @Macedonia | 9/7 | Andorra |
| 10/8 | Slovakia | 10/8 | Russia |
| 10/12 | Andorra | 10/12 | @Slovakia |
| 3/26 | Russia | 3/26 | Macedonia |
Armenia v Republic Of Ireland Prediction
Ireland will win the match 1-0.
Armenia v Republic Of Ireland Betting Odds
Armenia win – 4/1
Draw – 9/4
ROI win – 4/6
Armenia v Republic Of Ireland Live Online
The match can be seen at Free Live Sports TV.
It has now come out that Everton made a final bid for Landon Donovan but it was declined by the Los Angeles Galaxy. Everton seemed the only realistic option if Donovan were to leave the Galaxy but the deal never happened. It’s unclear how much the Galaxy were asking for (rumored to be aroudn $16 million or around 10 million pounds) or if they would even accept any offer.
It is clear that Donovan would have accepted a transfer after his very successful loan stint in Everton last winter. Another loan deal could happen, especially if there are injury concerns at Goodison Park, this upcoming winter as Donovan does have a clause in his contract that allows this.
A permanent move for Donovan to Europe is still not out of the question and could likely be dependent on the outcome of the current MLS season. If the Galaxy are able to win the 2010 MLS Cup, then it’s possible the club will be more likely to cash in during the offseason. Another factor affecting a possible deal would be if the Galaxy are able to sign a player like Ronaldinho next year (was rumored this season but could happen next summer) to replace Donovan.
At this point, it doesn’t seem that Donovan will leave the Galaxy on any permanent deal if they didn’t make a move after the 2010 World Cup. His price tag for a transfer will likely only drop at this point as he’s not getting any younger and won’t attract a lot of attention worldwide while playing in MLS.
Ironically, Donovan will likely have a role similar to what Beckham has done which is to play most of the MLS regular season and then join a club in Europe during the off-season (winter months).
What do you think of this news? Are the LA Galaxy and/or MLS not willing to let Donovan transfer to a side like Everton a bad move? Would they actually benefit by having one of their top players go to one of the top leagues in the world? Or is it just not fair and a bad publicity move to not let Donovan move to Everton?
- A little virtual in reality. (The Best Eleven)
- RvdV has been taking tanning lessons from CR. (Never Captain Nicky Butt)
- Pele’s newest digs – for you. (Football Fashion)
- The men who put themselves in the middle. (Futfanatico)
- Mino Raiola is fat, brokers phat deals. (Italy Offside)
- Mourinho isn’t Harry Potter – not yet that mature. (Dirty Tackle)
- Capello pays no mind to the Capello Index. (Three Match Ban)
There’s every chance this is the best story we’ve yet featured here, at least the one fraught with the most simultaneously delightful and harrowing possibilities, and there’s an equal chance there’s not a hint of hyperbole in that statement.
A Chilean prison is training ex-convicts for life on the outside with one specific trade: football referee.
I can’t believe the people who decide these things to have ever watched a football game in their lives.
A group of Chilean convicts are learning to impart justice on a scruffy prison football pitch, hoping to turn around their lives by becoming referees when they finish out their jail terms.
The 20 men and 10 women are the first to be chosen for the special referee training program, which is intended to both reward them for good behavior and prepare them for re-entry to society.
The start has been with inter-prison games and will evolve to amateur games on the outside. Games where shankings are met with a yellow card and protesting said yellow with “I’ll see you in the showers”.
So Chile instantly shoots to the top of the list for country with the least dissent and protesting.
The referee ignores the shouting and pays close attention to the game, with an instructor intently watching. Sometimes a player protests a call, and someone on the sidelines will shout not to forget who is the judge.
There’s a fair bit of genius in this plan.
But really, many in prison deserve their second chance; however, tossing that second chance into the middle of a football match, which often resemble a prison riot on a good day, leaves the mind wandering with frightful imagination…
There have been reports circulating that CONCACAF, the region with the USA and Mexico, is going to propose changes for 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualifying. The change would likely make it where the USA and Mexico would never play each other and get rid of the hexagonal.
Currently the system has an opening round (with teams ranked 14-35 in the region competing in two legged ties), a second round (with the 13 teams getting byes playing the winners from the previous round), and then the final stage which is the round robin hexagonal.
In the current format, the top three teams receive automatic qualification with the fourth team playing a play-off with a South American side for a spot. This means that all the top countries in the final stage would get to play each other and is very similar to the South American format (which has a round robin as well).
The new proposed format would be different in that it would have three group stages along with an opening preliminary round. Below is an outline of the new format.
- Preliminary round (if needed) to trim the number of teams to 32.
- 8 groups of 4 teams. Top two in each group through to the next round.
- 4 groups of 4 teams. Top two in each group through to the next round.
- 2 groups of 4 teams. If CONCACAF will have 3.5 spots, the winners of the groups will qualify directly to the World Cup, while the second placed teams will play-off against each other first, then against a team from another confederation (CONMEBOL). If CONCACAF gets 4 spots as they hope, the top two teams in each group will qualify to the World Cup.
In this format, it’s almost certain that the USA and Mexico would be draw into different groups in stage three and four (the top teams in the region would get a bye until this point) and therefore never play in qualifying. While the two teams could schedule friendlies, it would definitely negatively impact the process for both sides. It’s clear that these two countries are the top in the region and by not playing each other they will suffer.
In both countries, the rivalry brings out strong crowds (as well as TV Ratings), and is usually the most anticipated fixtures for fans of both countries. The changes haven’t taken effect yet but it seems almost inevitable as they would be beneficial to the smaller countries.
What do you think of the new format?
Quite the 24 hours for Milan fans, with the club first signing the high-kicking Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Barcelona on a one year loan deal (with the option to make it permanent for €24m next summer) and then paying &euro:21 to 25m to permanently relieve Manchester City of Robinho’s lollipops just before yesterday’s transfer deadline. So the flair players wearing Milan jerseys next season will include Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Robinho, Ronaldinho and Alexandre Pato.
That’s an insane amount of flicks, tricks, backheels, stepovers and other highlight worthy maneuvers. I imagine the YouTube people have been put on high alert, and are doubling their bandwidth as we speak in preparation for the inevitable onslaught of fresh highlight reels set to music. I’m not even going to take a guess at how coach Massimiliano Allegri will fit all that unpredictability into one team, or whether it’s even wise to do so. Gianfranco over at the Milan blog has his reservations. But I will make the argument that Milan are suddenly THE team to watch this season.
Not necessarily the best team. But definitely the most exciting team. The like of Real Madrid, Barcelona and even Inter may prove to be better prepared and more effective. But in terms of potential for the unexpected and unorthodox, and the possibility to make us all go “Who! Did you see that move?”, even the like of Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can’t hold a candle to the trio of Zlatan, Robinho and Ronaldinho.
Club football is taking a break this week to make room for international football and the start of Euro 2012 qualifying, but I’ve already checked the Serie A schedule for Milan’s next game and will be watching them away to Cesena on September 12th.
Assuming the United States is chosen to host the World Cup in 2022, we can pretty much guarantee MLS another twelve years of life. I think today we finally passed the point where if Phil Anschutz sees the Galaxy stink up the HDC again and says "Screw this," the league would fold.
It was fairly obvious before, but now it's undeniable. In March 2014, barring a meteorite strike, Dalek invasion, or the Mayas being depressingly correct about their calendar dating rationale, MLS will start its nineteenth season. That will make MLS the longest running first division professional soccer league in American history. The doubters were wrong. The believers were right.
Beau Dure's book, "Long Range Goals," is the history of the league before Monday.
Having said all this, no one who gets very far into the book will conclude that MLS was destined for popularity, or that its leaders were necessarily canny visionaries. One might in fact conclude - Dure doesn't - that decades of American soccer history, most specifically the NASL run and the slow, grinding rise of the US national team in the 1990's, built a foundation of support for the sport that even a league as hell-bent on self-immolation as MLS could manage to eke out a precarious existence.
To paraphrase David Byrne, this is not my beautiful league. How did we get here? My God! What have we done?
The vast majority of the book takes place off the field, which makes sense - the vast majority of whether a league lives or dies is decided off the field. Beau doesn't torture the reader with a lot of numbers, mostly because MLS would cheerfully have killed him rather than provide those figures. He also doesn't lapse into business speak, being merely content to quote it for comedy purposes.
The action starts with a brutal conflict of interest - USSF President Alan I. Rothenberg deciding whether the APSL would get Division I status over two vapor leagues, one of which would eventually name its trophy after Alan I. Rothenberg. Had MLS flopped, the courtroom battles that would have followed would have made the Soccer Wars of the 1920's seem downright chummy.
Dure has extensive interviews with personnel around at the time - most illuminatingly from Doug Logan, who doesn't come across as that self-serving. (Although - yeah, sure, Doug Logan was a rules purist, and was helpless against abominations like the shootout and the countdown clock. That's why they lasted four entire seasons.)
And he spends a lot more time on the infamous players' lawsuit than he does on - well, on all the games the league has ever played, practically. (Although he does spend a page or two on a hilarious 6-4 Crew-Wizards game from 1996.) Which is understandable, because the lawsuit showed so much about what the league was facing. Mark Semioli's presence in the book is indispensable here - not only for his insight in to the early days of the league, but because he's the only one who will even half-heartedly defend that lawsuit. Dure gives him even more space than he gives to League One America's Jim Paglia, but Semioli isn't crazy. (Come to think of it, maybe the book should have had more Paglia.)
The target audience of this book can relive a lot of amusing anecdotes that didn't necessarily risk the future of the sport, but were fairly aggravating at the time. Bet you haven't thought of Paulina Rubio in a while.
And then there's Sunil Gulati renewing Tab Ramos' Metrostars contract, over the objections of the Metrostars. Boy, Sunil sure loves to renew contracts.
But if you want to read about League One America, buy his book. I'm not going to give it away for you.
The other really interesting part of the book is the end, where Beau details the challenges the league still faces. The quick list:
1. Getting everyone a stadium, specifically Houston, San Jose and DC United.
2. Finding its audience.
3. Finding a playoff system that doesn't irritate more people than it attracts.
4. Avoiding labor stoppages.
5. Increasing talent.
6. Competing with other American sports.
7. Getting more money from broadcasters and sponsors.
I'm sure we'll all have plenty of time to discuss all of those, but it's worth it to read what Beau has to say. Even if you don't agree with his conclusions - for example, MLS could go ten thousand years and not need a single table, and promotion and relegation doesn't even deserve the cursory mention Beau gives it. But reasonable minds can differ.
In the end, Dure concludes that the league is doomed, and we're all better off giving up and becoming baseball fans.
No, obviously, the league has achieved what Beau calls "the miracle of stability." There are and will continue to be the little apocalypses that, if left unchecked, will mean the end of soccer in this country - at least, if you believe what you read. Hey, remember back in March, when we all thought there would be a labor stoppage and the league would undoubtedly fold as a result? Of course you don't.
Do Amazon links still show up automagically on these blogs? Let's find out.
Apparently so.
Oh, speaking of soccer history, it looks like we finally got Roger Allaway blogging!
The 2012 European Championships are set to begintheir qualifying with a full set of fixtures on Friday, September 3, 2010. All the top UEFA nations are in action including Netherlands, France, Spain, England, Germany, and Italy.
Below is our list of predictions for all the matches. Times listed are
UEFA 2012 Euro Qualifying Predictions
Friday, 3 September 2010
Armenia v Rep of Ireland, Gp B, 16:00 – Ireland wins 1-0
Kazakhstan v Turkey, Gp A, 17:00 – Turkey wins 2-1
Andorra v Russia, Gp B, 17:30 – Russia wins 2-0
Moldova v Finland, Gp E, 17:30 – 0-0 Draw
Faroe Islands v Serbia, Gp C, 18:00 – Serbia wins 3-1
Montenegro v Wales, Gp G, 18:30 – Wales wins 2-1
Latvia v Croatia, Gp F, 19:00 – Croatia wins 3-0
Romania v Albania, Gp D, 19:00 – Romania wins 1-0
Sweden v Hungary, Gp E, 19:00 – Sweden wins 2-0
Lithuania v Scotland, Gp I, 19:15 – Scotland wins 3-2
Luxembourg v Bosnia-Hercegovina, Gp D, 19:15 – Bosnia wins 4-0
Estonia v Italy, Gp C, 19:30 – Italy wins 3-0
Slovakia v FYR Macedonia, Gp B, 19:30 – 1-1 Draw
Belgium v Germany, Gp A, 19:45 – Germany wins 2-0
Greece v Georgia, Gp F, 19:45 – Greece wins 2-0
Liechtenstein v Spain, Gp I, 19:45 – Spain wins 4-0
San Marino v Netherlands, Gp E, 19:45 – Netherlands wins 5-0
Slovenia v Northern Ireland, Gp C, 19:45 – Northern Ireland wins 1-0
England v Bulgaria, Gp G, 20:00 – England wins 3-0
France v Belarus, Gp D, 20:00 – France wins 2-1
Iceland v Norway, Gp H, 20:00 – 2-2 Draw
Portugal v Cyprus, Gp H, 20:45 – Portugal wins 3-1
Qualifying for the upcoming 2012 European Championships are set to take place with several fixtures on Friday, September 3, 2010 (also there’s one match on Thursday). Below is the full list of matches and times listed are BST or local UK time (+1 for CET or most of Europe).
UEFA 2012 Euro Qualifying Fixtures
Friday, 3 September 2010
Armenia v Rep of Ireland, Gp B, 16:00
Kazakhstan v Turkey, Gp A, 17:00
Andorra v Russia, Gp B, 17:30
Moldova v Finland, Gp E, 17:30
Faroe Islands v Serbia, Gp C, 18:00
Montenegro v Wales, Gp G, 18:30
Latvia v Croatia, Gp F, 19:00
Romania v Albania, Gp D, 19:00
Sweden v Hungary, Gp E, 19:00
Lithuania v Scotland, Gp I, 19:15
Luxembourg v Bosnia-Hercegovina, Gp D, 19:15
Estonia v Italy, Gp C, 19:30
Slovakia v FYR Macedonia, Gp B, 19:30
Belgium v Germany, Gp A, 19:45
Greece v Georgia, Gp F, 19:45
Liechtenstein v Spain, Gp I, 19:45
San Marino v Netherlands, Gp E, 19:45
Slovenia v Northern Ireland, Gp C, 19:45
England v Bulgaria, Gp G, 20:00
France v Belarus, Gp D, 20:00
Iceland v Norway, Gp H, 20:00
Portugal v Cyprus, Gp H, 20:45
Big diving controversy in Australia this week, which I found out about while reading David’s post on the A-League Offside blog. Patricio Perez of the Central Coast Mariners and Michael Baird of Perth Glory both won penalties over the weekend with suspicious looking falls to the floor. Not so strange, because that happens in every football league in the world. What is a little strange is that Football Federation Australia stepped in on Monday and punished both players with two game bans for simulation.
Huzzah, you might say. Because diving is evil. But the controversy isn’t so much about the players being punished as it is about how the punishments were handed down. There was no opportunity for either Perez or Baird to argue their case, and neither has any right to appeal the FFA’s decision. Patricio Perez has kept quiet, but Baird has pointed out that “even murderers get the chance to appeal”, and Australian Professional Footballers Association chief exec Brendan Schwab believes that there’s been “a fundamental denial of natural justice, we think that FFA does not lawfully have the power to do it. If the rules were challenged in court the challenge would succeed.”
See both incidents below:
Patricio Perez‘ dive for CCM against Sydeney FC:
The game finished 1-1, but Sydney keeper Liam Reddy’s red card has now been overturned by the FFA.
Michael Baird’s dive for Perth Glory vs Melbourne Heart:
Robbie Fowler converted the spot kick (his first goal for Perth) and the game finished 2-2.
I can definitely understand Baird’s complaint, and it seems unnecessary to deny players any right to appeal or at least argue their case in some way. But. Diving. Bad. Even if the FFA’s decision is unorthodox, I can’t help thinking it’s great to see a governing body finally crack down on hard on diving. So I vote for expanding the FFA’s authority worldwide and allowing them to hand out suspensions to players in any league around the world and for incidents in any game past or present. I suggest they start by looking closely at The Offside Diving Hall of Fame.