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All Purpose Soccer Thread

Willets Point Jul 20 2005 12:48 PM

There are threads about golf, cycling, and basketball here, so I figured I'd start a thread about a sport I like to watch -- albeit as a novice fan. I'm attending a game on Sunday night between Chelsea FC and AC Milan in something called the World Series of Footbal. It will be interesting to see top notch football clubs play each other on US soil, although since they're exhibition games it's just as likely they'll send their B squads to play. In other news, the US Mens team is ranked #6 by FIFA, the highest ranking ever for the US team.

metirish Jul 20 2005 01:06 PM

You should see near full strength teams WP, Chelsea have played some competitive games the past ten days , here is a link to the official Chelsea site and the squad that arrived in the US Tuesday, new signing Shaun Wright-Phillips makes the trip. http://www.chelseafc.com/article.asp?hlid=292975&title=Squad+of+25+in+USA&nav=news Enjoy the game, players to look for on Chelsea, Duff, Robben,Lampard and Drogba.

Willets Point Jul 20 2005 01:18 PM

Duff is on Ireland's national team, correct?

metirish Jul 20 2005 01:23 PM

Yeah Duff is an Ireland international, he's an old style winger, I think every player in the Chelsea squad is an international player.

Willets Point Jul 25 2005 09:49 AM

Chelsea FC 1:O Milan AC It's fun to see European football clubs play before an American crowd - kind of a mixed bunch of English & Italian ex-pats, Revolution fans, soccer geeks, and suburbanite Soccer Moms, Dads and Kids. Probably the most people I've ever seen at a soccer game in the US as the entire lower bowl at Foxboro was pretty much full. Chelsea dominated the game scoring the only goal early in the first half, although some of the most exciting play took place in the last ten minutes of the game. Both sides started a mix of stars and no-names (neither goalkeeper was even listed on the rosters), and there were wholesale substitutions at the half, so they're probably not taking this match too seriously. In other news, the USA won the CONCACAF Gold Cup against Panama on (UGH!) penalty kicks (this is what the NHL has to look forward to).

Willets Point Aug 01 2005 03:33 PM

Soccer will be #1

MFS62 Aug 01 2005 06:34 PM

Around the time everyone in the US starts using the Metric System. You're going to get spoiled. AC Milan is probably the best team in the world. After seeing them, most of the soccer you'll see won't be as good. Later

Willets Point Aug 02 2005 12:38 PM

Best. Soccer Headline. Ever.

metirish Aug 02 2005 01:37 PM

Great stuff WP, you'd think someone at soccernet would have saw the humor in that headline, also good article from the Herald. ]How come a 10-7 NFL game is a classic, yet a 2-1 soccer match is an exercise in tedium? Is it because we've been ingrained to believe Eagles, Bears, Giants and Dolphins are somehow more worthy of our admiration and worship than Wizards, MetroStars and Galaxy? I've long wondered that.The thing about soccer becoming the number one sport is a bit much though, and I don't think MLS is trying to do that, what's encouraging about the league is that it has great leadership, soccer only stadiums are popping up all over the league and this weekend Pizza Hut Park will open in Dallas, there is plenty of room for the game to grow and MLS is here to stay, the quality of play gets better all the time.

metirish Aug 08 2005 10:38 AM

Excellent game Saturday night in Dallas as the MetroStars opened up Piza Hut Park, the stadium is not finished but it looked great and the playing surface is just about perfect, so said the players. This was a great game to watch as FC Dallas took a two goal to nil lead even though the Metrostars were playing good stuff and had hit the post and should have had a few goals, Carlor Ruiz scored the two Dallas goals,Djorkaeff prodded home a rebound to get the 'Stars on board in the 47th minute and then scored on a sublime chip six minutes later from the edge of the area to leave the match level. watch hightlights here.. http://metrostars.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20050807&content_id=39028&vkey=news_met&fext=.jsp&team=met

Willets Point Aug 08 2005 11:03 AM

Must be the only field in the state of Texas not covered with gridiron yard-line markings.

metirish Aug 12 2005 01:46 PM

The English Premeir league starts Saturday, Fox Soccer Channel(FSC) has Manchester United @ Everton,(7:30AM Live), 10AM its the German league Duisburg vs. Kaiserslautern" 12 Noon it's Liverpool vs. Middlesbrough 3PM it's Birmingham City vs. Fulham So that's what I'll be doing tomorrow.

Willets Point Aug 12 2005 01:52 PM

Sounds like a good day. Do you have a favorite side that you follow?

metirish Aug 12 2005 02:03 PM

Yeah, I've been a Man U freak since I was 7, suffered all through the 80's and early 90's when all they could win was the FA Cup, Liverpool were the dominant back then, they have a huge following in Ireland as do Man U .

MFS62 Aug 12 2005 03:39 PM

That does it. We're through. I thought we were pals. But, Man U? I'm a Tot'nam Hotspur fan. Let's call the whole thing off. Later

metirish Aug 12 2005 03:58 PM

Spurs are good, they're known for playing attacking football but rarely win anything, the odd Cup every decade, they've not won the League since 1960 IIRC,this years Spurs team will be very exciting to watch, very young team coached by Martin Jol, they just signed Edgar Davids who has bags of experience and should compliment the youger players nicely. watch out for Spurs in a few years. good link here.. http://www.premierleague.com/fapl.rac?command=forwardOnly&nextPage=enClubDetail&id=19

Johnny Dickshot Aug 12 2005 05:28 PM

World Cup 2006 Official Poster

metirish Sep 03 2005 11:38 PM

The USA is going to Germany, today the US beat archrivals Mexico 2 -0 at Crew Stadium in Columbus, it's been 33 years since Mexico has beat America on US soil in a qualifier, these teams don't like each other one bit, goals from Steve Ralton and DaMarcus Beasley helped America to their fifth straight World Cup. The game was on ESPN Classic which is disapointing, you'd think ABC would have it but with college football everywhere today I suppose it just got bumped. great pic here of Ralton.. There were some great games today all over the Europe, Ireland didn't play today but the teams in Irelands group did, France beat the Faroe Islands 3 - 0, the other game in this tight group had Switzerland and Israel drawing 1 - 1, Israel probably needed to win this game to have a chance to go to Germany but they are not done yet, Ireland play France Wednesday in a huge game, Zindane ,Thuram and Makalele have come out of retirement for the last number of group games for France, Zidane is one of the all-time greats , sould be a great game in Dublin. Switzerland, France and Ireland top this group with 13 points each with Israel on 12 having played a one game more, here are the standings.. http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/2981044

metirish Sep 07 2005 03:53 PM

Great day for football in Europe, Isreal beat the Faroe Islands 2 - 0,Ireland /France is nil/nil at half time, the Scots are winning 2/1 in Norway, I can't find audio anywhere on the web for the Ireland game, you'd think RTE Radio would have it, the only place I can get regular udates is here... http://www.newstalk106.ie

metirish Sep 07 2005 04:04 PM

Scotland win 2 - 1 England 0 - Norhtern Ireland - 0 with the second half under way

metirish Sep 07 2005 04:36 PM

Northern Ireland are beating England 1 - 0..WOW France just scored a great goal in Dublin, Henry from outside the box into the right top corner.

Willets Point Sep 07 2005 04:38 PM

It's odd geography that puts Israel in Europe.

metirish Sep 07 2005 04:43 PM

They've tried Israel just about everywhere else, Europe fits best.

Edgy DC Sep 07 2005 09:05 PM

Why?

ScarletKnight41 Sep 07 2005 09:07 PM

I doubt that Israel's neighbors in the Middle East would agree to play with the Jewish State.

Edgy DC Sep 07 2005 09:20 PM

Good. Advance via forfeit.

metirish Sep 07 2005 11:16 PM

Unfortunatly SK is correct,from recent SI article, ]Like the nation it represents, Israeli soccer has already overcome a labyrinth of obstacles in its brief history. Because most Arab states refuse to take the same field as Israel, the team had to hopscotch among a Risk board of regions -- Asia, Europe and even Oceania -- before finally joining Europe in 1992. From 2002 to '04 the national team had to play its home games abroad after soccer's governing bodies declared Israel a "security risk." And, of course, across the world there has been chronic racism directed toward Israel's players, Jews and Arabs alike. that's from a pretty good article, I can post the whole article if you would like, it's from last month. Anyway, Ireland after today went form first in the group to fourth, Israel are still very much alive in this group.

Edgy DC Sep 22 2005 09:20 AM

Gambian fans fake emergency to force a landing.

ScarletKnight41 Sep 22 2005 09:59 AM

]Maldonado said the plane, owned by Air Rum, flew directly to Piura Air Rum?!?!?!?!?

MFS62 Sep 22 2005 12:31 PM

="metirish"] Anyway, Ireland after today went form first in the group to fourth, Israel are still very much alive in this group. Interesting use of the plural, as in the members of the team. The only place I see that used is in reference to soccer sides. Later

metirish Oct 03 2005 11:37 AM

George Best is in a "serious but improving" condition in intensive care with an infection, he's in a Liverpool hospital. http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,1563,1583947,00.html I suppose the only surprise is that Best is still alive at all,get well soon George.

Willets Point Oct 03 2005 11:42 AM

"I spent a lot of my money on booze, birds and fast cars - the rest I just squandered." Sounds like the Joe Namath of the other side of the Atlantic.

Edgy DC Oct 03 2005 11:48 AM

A lot of Best's bizarre life exists only in Namath's mythology. A story closer to Strawberry's, I'd say. Stranger than that even.

metirish Oct 03 2005 12:47 PM

Yeah I think Strawberry is a better comparison in that aclcohol and drugs helped to ruin his career, Best was pretty much done as a footballer at age 27/28, he did win the League title in 1965 and 67 and the European Cup in 1968. When the greatest players of all time are talked about he is in that conversation. Namath and Best probably have the playboy about town thing in common. Good link here.. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/4090840.stm

metirish Oct 09 2005 02:14 PM

Saturday was a big day in European qualification for the 2006 World Cup, Six Countries secured their places for Germany, Holland beat the Czech Republic 2 - 0 , England ,Croatia, Poland, Italy and Portugal also booked their finals places. The Republic of Ireland beat Cyprus and with the Swiss holding France to a 1 - 1 draw the Irish will assure themselves a play-off berth by beating the Swiss in Dublin Wednesday, The Republic are under severe pressure and the manaager Brian Kerr who was hailed as an inovator when he took over is now seen as a conservative coach who's tactics cost the Irish points against Israel both home and away. Here is a list of Countries that will be making the trip to Germany. http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/t/team/qualified.html

metirish Oct 12 2005 04:41 PM

And that's it, Ireland can't beat the Swiss, 0 - 0 draw in Dublin , game just finished.Switzerland are into the playoffs while Ireland are done, very disapointing,the games against Israel will be looked at as the turning point for Ireland, points lost home and away killed us, and that's not taking anything away from Israel.

Willets Point Oct 12 2005 11:48 PM

You'll never beat Ireland ... oh well.

metirish Oct 12 2005 11:58 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Oct 13 2005 12:07 AM

Yeah you'll never beat the Irish....our expectations are higher than our talent , our only two true world class players did not play today due to injury, Roy keane and Damien Duff, still when it's in your own hands and you know what needs to be done and can't do it then you don't deserve it. No doubt the people in charge will make a change and Brain Kerr will be gone as manager, the media will demand it,it's a bad deal for Kerr , he came in as a fave because he's from Ireland and did great work with the youth teams. At this point it's hard to see who would want the Ireland job, several players will retire now so gearing up for the Euro Finals in 08 is not that appealing.

Valadius Oct 13 2005 12:05 AM

ALL HAIL THE SUPER-SACRED SEAVER POST!!!

Willets Point Oct 13 2005 12:09 AM

Damn, I knew I didn't have it right.

metirish Oct 13 2005 12:24 AM

Yeah but your heart was in the right place....it's fucking depressing not to be going to the World Cup, I had plans on going to Germany next summer, me and about one hundred thousand...I was tuned to a talk radio show from Dublin during the game and it was sad, we created hardly nothing......Oh well I can still shout for America....

metirish Oct 18 2005 11:36 PM

Brian Kerr's reign as the Republic of Ireland manager ended today in Dublin when the Football Association of Ireland(FAI) chose not to renew his contract, he was fired in other words...form the head of the FAI... ]The downward trend in our rankings and seedings has been very disappointing and will make qualification for future tournaments considerably more difficult and that has knock-on consequences for the development of the game," said the FAI's chief executive John Delaney. that's the real danger of not going to the World Cup, your seeding drops for the next championship, being seeded fourth for the next Euro Finals will make it a tough go, some names that top the list from the Bookies are former captain and current captain of Manchester United Roy Keane, Man Utd manager Alex Ferguson although he has come out and said no..Martin O'Neill the former Glasgow Celtic manager,he'd be the best bet I would think...

metirish Oct 25 2005 12:05 AM

This is a classic and a fans dream... ]Nottingham Forest fans invited to slam players in person LONDON, Oct 25 (Reuters) - Nottingham Forest manager Gary Megson came up with a novel way of punishing his under-performing players at the weekend when he made them face disgruntled fans in the changing rooms. The former European champions, now languishing in the third tier of English football, were two goals down to Yeovil Town at halftime when a pair of fans aired their grievances to Megson. Rather than ignore them, the manager invited them to get it off their chests with the players after the game. Long-suffering fans John Emener and Andrew Peel thought he was joking, but Megson proved as good as his word following the 3-0 defeat. "(Megson) was walking to the dugout and I said 'Come on Gary. There's hundreds of fans who have traveled hours to watch us being outfought and outplayed in every department,'" Emener told Tuesday's Times newspaper. "He turned around and said 'I agree. That's exactly what I have just told them. Do you want to come in at the final whistle and tell them yourselves?' "I though he might change his mind, but to his credit he kept his word, he just told us nothing abusive or personal. "Their performances away to Swindon, Barnsley and Yeovil were unacceptable. I hope they got the message." Forest, who last week lost to conference club Woking in a cup competition involving lower league sides, are 11th in the third division after being relegated from the second division last season.

metirish Oct 27 2005 11:41 AM

Goerge Best not doing good. ]Best seriously ill but 'stable' Football legend remains in intensive care Staff and agencies Thursday October 27, 2005 Football legend George Best was today seriously ill but "stable" as he fights for his life in hospital. The former Manchester United legend is suffering from internal bleeding and is being treated in intensive care at the Cromwell Hospital in west London. Professor Roger Williams, who oversaw alcoholic Best's controversial liver transplant in 2002, said the 59-year-old was sedated and on a life support machine, but was "still fighting away". "He is on a ventilator but may be taken off it later today," explained Prof Williams. "He wasn't in good spirits. He was very depressed, but is still fighting away, as he always does. "All one can say is that the bleeding, we think, is easing - but he is very seriously ill on a ventilator. Quite what will happen over the next 24 hours is difficult to say. He could pull through or he could get worse." Asked what the prognosis was, he added: "You don't have a clear idea when people are as sick as this. You go from day to day with all the expertise you can. There is no intention to withdraw the treatment." The former Northern Ireland star was admitted to the Cromwell nearly four weeks ago suffering from an infection. He has had a well-documented battle against alcoholism, but the latest health problems are thought to be related to immuno-suppressant drugs he has been taking for his condition rather than drinking.

Edgy DC Oct 27 2005 11:47 AM

Funny to see irish post about the "former Northern Ireland star admitted to the Cromwell." Might as well have bit about the Orangemen having a drum vigil.

metirish Oct 27 2005 11:56 AM

Very good, I didn't see that, George is as orange as they come though.

metirish Oct 27 2005 11:19 PM

Word out of London is that the clock is ticking on Best, he's on life support still and well if he gets through the next 24 hours he'll have done good.

metirish Oct 31 2005 01:45 PM

Best is getting better.... ]George Best today got out of his hospital bed and spoke to friends and family as doctors said he could leave his intensive care unit within days. Best, 59, managed a few words to sister Julie and girlfriend Ros Hollidge as his condition continued to improve at the Cromwell Hospital, south west London. Doctors said Best, who is suffering from internal bleeding and kidney problems, is slowly getting better - but friends warned that the formed Manchester United winger is in terrible pain. Professor Roger Williams, who oversaw Best's liver transplant three years ago, said: "Mr Best is greatly improved, he is out of bed and sitting up talking. "However, he will remain in intensive care for several more days at least." The former footballer's manager, Phil Hughes, said: "It's great news, but he is in an incredible amount of pain. "He isn't yet able to hold conversations, but he did manage to say a few little things this morning." Best's illness is believed to be related to the immuno-suppressant drugs he takes to stop his new liver, which he received in July 2002, being rejected. His condition deteriorated severely last week after four weeks of hospital treatment for an infection, prompting new fears for his life.

metirish Nov 04 2005 12:22 PM

Maradona with Chavez protest President Bush in Argentina..

Willets Point Nov 06 2005 08:40 PM

Yee-ha! The Revolution have advanced to the MLS Cup finals. <pin drop> Okay, don't mind me, go about your business.

metirish Nov 06 2005 09:18 PM

I watched it, have to say I hate watching soccer games on a football field, these teams need soccer stadiums, Taylor Twellman is up for league MVP .In England Man United beat Chelsea 1 zip at Old Trafford today, it was a great game to watch.

Willets Point Nov 07 2005 01:30 PM

Agreed. Gridirons on the soccer field are fugly. The one nice thing about Foxboro is that the Krafts had the field designed to be large enough for a true soccer field (meaning that Patriots' fans are actually farther from the action than anywhere else), but that's the only nice thing. I'd probably be a season-ticket holder if the Revs played in a true soccer stadium in Boston and I'd bet there attendance would go up overall. I just can't make the haul out to Foxboro and pay $25 for parking (which is a gyp since a car is the only way to get there and there's a sea of parking available).

metirish Nov 09 2005 11:02 AM

The big rumor in England today is that Robert Kraft could be making a major investment in Liverpool FC, Rick Perry Liverpool chief executive was a guest of Kraft at Monday nights game ...

seawolf17 Nov 12 2005 10:11 PM

The Stony Brook Seawolves are your 2005 America East Conference Men's Soccer Champions, thanks to a 5-3 shootout win over Binghamton. We beat Albany Wednesday night to advance to the final. America East All-Conference Midfielder Douglas Narvaez was named Most Outstanding Performer for the tournament. The Seawolves will learn their destination for the NCAA Tournament on Monday, November 14 as the men’s soccer selection announcement will air live on ESPNews (4-4:30 p.m.).

metirish Nov 12 2005 11:08 PM

A big congratulations to Stony Brook, nice to have a local flavor to this thread.

Willets Point Nov 13 2005 09:05 PM

Rats as big as dogs! The Revolution looked flat-out lethargic today losing to Los Angeles. Again. In overtime. Again. 1-0. Again. With games like this, people might say soccer is boring.

metirish Nov 16 2005 09:35 AM

Congratulations to Australia who today qualified for Germany by beating Uruguay 1 - 0 in the second leg to knot things up at 1 game each, they won 4 - 2 on the penalty shoot-out. said John Aloisi who netted the winning goal.. ]We thought it was going to happen. We've been dreaming of this for 32 years," said Aloisi. "You couldn't ask for a better finish, with 83,000 people here to watch us and 20m people in Australia following us. I just can't believe it."

Edgy DC Nov 16 2005 09:57 AM

The way I'm getting is that all of Oceania gets half a slot guaranteed to them. But Austraila and New Zealand got a guaranteed berth in the final group of six, but the winner of that group, Austrailia, still had to go through a playoff against the Solomon Islands. And a South American Team fighting for their fifth slot waits for the winner of all this, which was Australia, who won. How did Solomoon Islands get such a deep bye? So Oceania gets a half a slot in the World Cup, but it's sort of like Solomon Islands was guaranteed a quarter of a slot, Austrailia and New Zealand each guaranteed a twenty-fourth of a slot, and the rest of Oceaniea together getting a sixth of a slot. In short, it's long battle uphill for Vanuatu.

Valadius Nov 16 2005 12:06 PM

Diego Maradona is one ugly dude... yikes.

Willets Point Nov 16 2005 12:15 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 16 2005 03:31 PM

Three more qualifying playoffs in Europe today and then the full 32-team field for World Cup 2006 will be set. Africa Angola (ANG) Cote d'Ivoire (CIV) Togo (TOG) Ghana (GHA) Tunisia (TUN) Asia Japan (JPN) Iran (IRN) Korea Republic (KOR) Saudi Arabia (KSA) Trinidad & Tobago Europe Germany (GER) Ukraine (UKR) Netherlands (NED) Poland (POL) England (ENG) Croatia (CRO) Italy (ITA) Portugal (POR) Sweden (SWE) Serbia and Montenegro (SCG) France (FRA) Turkey or Switzerland Slovakia or Spain Czech Republic or Norway North America, Central America, & Carribean USA (USA) Mexico (MEX) Costa Rica (CRC) Oceana Australia (AUS) South America Argentina (ARG) Brazil (BRA) Ecuador (ECU) Paraguay (PAR) Trinidad & Tobago are up 1-nil as we speak. Updated to reflect T&T's win.

Edgy DC Nov 16 2005 12:23 PM

Bahrain? Well, I guess we found something crazier than putting Israel in Europe.

Willets Point Nov 16 2005 12:32 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 16 2005 12:46 PM

Bahrain is in-between Iran & Saudi Arabia and all three are in Asia both geographically and in FIFA.

Edgy DC Nov 16 2005 12:42 PM

Oh, I just saw them in the CoNCaCAF lineup. They're clearly playing T&T for a berth that's split between between CoNCaCAF and Asia. Must. Read. More. Before. Posting.

metirish Nov 16 2005 12:48 PM

We can just about count Spain as through, they are ip 5 to 1 from the first leg last week,Slovakia are playing for pride, still a good showing for them this time around,the most hostile place to be tonight in Europe will be Istanbul where the Swizz take a 2 - 0 lead from the first leg, in typical fashion the Turkish fans pelted the Swizz team coach as it came form the airport to the team hotel, this game should be a cracker,the Czech Republic lead Norway 1- 0 going into the game tonight....follow the action here... http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/t/match/index.html

metirish Nov 16 2005 12:48 PM

We can just about count Spain as through, they are ip 5 to 1 from the first leg last week,Slovakia are playing for pride, still a good showing for them this time around,the most hostile place to be tonight in Europe will be Istanbul where the Swizz take a 2 - 0 lead from the first leg, in typical fashion the Turkish fans pelted the Swizz team coach as it came form the airport to the team hotel, this game should be a cracker,the Czech Republic lead Norway 1- 0 going into the game tonight....follow the action here... http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/t/match/index.html

Willets Point Nov 16 2005 12:50 PM

Coach is in "luxury bus" or coach as in "manager of the team"?

Willets Point Nov 16 2005 12:57 PM

Edgy DC wrote: Must. Read. More. Before. Posting. I must post more clearly.

metirish Nov 16 2005 01:02 PM

Yes, coach as in luxury bus.

metirish Nov 16 2005 02:23 PM

Trinidad & Tobago are going to Germany, they beat Bahrain 1-0 and 2-1 on aggregate.Bahrain fans were not a happy bunch and ripped the seating up and threw it on the field towards the end of the game, the Columbian ref disallowed a late goal that riled the fans. I think Trinidad are the smallest nation in the WC.

Frayed Knot Nov 16 2005 02:35 PM

]Trinidad & Tobago are going to Germany, they beat Bahrain 1-0 and 2-1 on aggregate Well shit, when you've got 2 teams playing against one it's a wonder they didn't win by a bigger score. I think Bahrain got screwed here. Trinidad and Tobago should have been forced to play off against each other first instead of ganging up on some tiny oil patch of a country.

Valadius Nov 16 2005 02:50 PM

Cameroon's not in it this time??? They always make it!

metirish Nov 16 2005 10:33 PM

Well the Turkey game was a cracker...and violent ] Switzerland edge past Turkey as tempers flare (adds more quotes, details) By Mark Ledsom ISTANBUL, Nov 16 (Reuters) - Switzerland scraped into the World Cup on away goals after a 12-year absence following a 4-4 aggregate draw with Turkey in Wednesday's ill-tempered playoff. Turkey won a pulsating return match 4-2 but the Swiss, leading 2-0 after an impressive performance in Saturday's first leg in Bern, clinched a place at Germany 2006. Their celebrations were confined to the dressing room as the visiting players quickly left the pitch under a hailstorm of objects thrown by the disappointed home fans. The end of the match was also marred by clashes between players from both sides as they ran off the field, and an unused Swiss substitute was rushed to hospital following the trouble. Switzerland had appeared to be cruising when Alex Frei converted a second minute penalty following an Alpay Ozalan handball but Turkey then seemed set to turn the tie around. Two first-half headed goals from Fenerbahce striker Tuncay Sanli and an early second half penalty from Necati Ates put the home side within one goal of an aggregate victory. But as the 2002 World Cup semi-finalists threw everyone forward, the Swiss counter attacked and Marco Streller calmly slotted home in the 84th minute to restore their overall lead. With a minute left, Tuncay headed another goal to complete his hat-trick but it was little consolation for Turkey as Switzerland reached their first finals since 1994. LESSONS LEARNED "I think we will learn lessons from this and we will be better in the future," said Switzerland coach Koebi Kuhn. "The Turkey team did not play as I expected. Turkey have very talented players. They did not show their own football but played in the old English style." Turkey coach Fatih Terim told Turkish television: "You have to congratulate our players after they fell 1-0 behind. "I say well done to them (Switzerland) but I have never seen two such immoral referees both here and there". "Some of our players lost their concentration and as a result we conceded two goals." Asked about Terim's criticism of the referees, Kuhn added: "You have to look for the blame elsewhere. When you make a mistake you should not blame the referees". The state-run Anatolian news agency said Swiss defender Stephane Grichting, who was on the bench but did not play, was taken to hospital after the clash in the tunnel. "One of our players was diagnosed as having suffered internal bleeding and was taken to hospital," said Kuhn. "I don't know any more." The trouble started when Switzerland's Benjamin Huggel appeared to kick Turkey assistant coach Mehmet Ozdilek from behind as they ran off the pitch. Turkey defender Alpay, mixed up in a similar clash at the end of a Euro 2004 group playoff with England, then seemed to kick Streller as they entered the tunnel and Huggel flew into Alpay from behind, grabbing him around the neck. It was not clear what happened in the subsequent melee but television pictures showed security personnel holding back players as they headed towards the changing rooms. Regarding the missiles thrown by the crowd," Bicacki said: "It's possible that we'll get another fine from FIFA. Asked if anything could be done in future he added: "Yes, but it will take time, Things go slowly, slowly in Turkey."

Frayed Knot Nov 16 2005 11:48 PM

I can't wait until us crass Americans finally evolve to the sophisticated level of those classy European sports fans.

metirish Nov 16 2005 11:58 PM

Don't sell the Amrican fans short Frayed Knot, remember Detroit?

Willets Point Nov 17 2005 10:01 AM

I'm missing something. If the aggregate was 4-4, what tie-breaker allowed the Swiss to advance?

Willets Point Nov 17 2005 10:10 AM

Here are the final 32 that will play in Germany next summer. The draw for groups will be on Dec. 9. Africa Angola (ANG) Cote d'Ivoire (CIV) Togo (TOG) Ghana (GHA) Tunisia (TUN) Asia Japan (JPN) Iran (IRN) Korea Republic (KOR) Saudi Arabia (KSA) Europe Germany (GER) Ukraine (UKR) Netherlands (NED) Poland (POL) England (ENG) Croatia (CRO) Italy (ITA) Portugal (POR) Sweden (SWE) Serbia and Montenegro (SCG) France (FRA) Switzerland (SUI) Spain (ESP) Czech Republic (CZE) North America, Central America, & Carribean USA (USA) Mexico (MEX) Costa Rica (CRC) Trinidad & Tobago (TRI) Oceana Australia (AUS) South America Argentina (ARG) Brazil (BRA) Ecuador (ECU) Paraguay (PAR)

metirish Nov 17 2005 10:50 AM

]I'm missing something. If the aggregate was 4-4, what tie-breaker allowed the Swiss to advance? The Swizz advance because they scored two "away" goals, they led 2 - 0 from the first leg and scored two goals in Istanbul.

metirish Nov 18 2005 08:59 AM

Holy Shit....there's only one Keano..I am stunned. ]Keane leaves United Manchester United captain leaves following MUTV rant at team-mates Sean Ingle Friday November 18, 2005 Roy Keane has dramatically and unexpectedly left Manchester United by "mutual consent" after more than 12 years at the club. The announcement, which was made by the club just after midday, follows weeks of tension and unease at Old Trafford following comments made by Keane on the club's television channel MUTV, during which he criticised seven of his team-mates. But as speculation whirred around Old Trafford regarding the tipping-point for Keane's departure, both player and club played it straight. "It has been a great honour and privilege for me to play for Manchester United for over 12 years," said Keane, who joined United in 1993 from Nottingham Forest for a then-British record fee of 3.75m. "During my time at the club I have been fortunate to play alongside some of the best players in the game and in front of the best supporters in the world. At all times I have endeavoured to do my best for the management and the team. "Whilst it is a sad day for me to leave such a great club and manager I believe that the time has now come for me to move on. After so many years, I will miss everyone at the club." Manager Sir Alex Ferguson was equally complimentary, calling Keane "the best midfield player in the world of his generation. "He is already one of the great figures in our club's illustrious history," he added. "Roy has been central to the success of the club in the last 12 years and everyone at Old Trafford wishes him well in the rest of his career and beyond." Chief executive David Gill was also effusive in his praise, saying: "Roy has been a towering figure at the club for over a decade. His dedication, talent and leadership have been qualities that have marked him out as one of the true greats. On behalf of everyone at the club, we wish him every success in his future career." Earlier, Keane's representative, Michael Kennedy, met Gill at Old Trafford to thrash out details of Keane's severance. The agreement they struck allows the former United captain to sign a long-term deal with another club with immediate effect to - in the club's words - "secure his playing career beyond what would have been the end of his contract at United in the summer". Today's events were the culmination of months of frostiness between club and player, which started when the Manchester United captain criticised a pre-season get-together in Portugal as a waste of time. He then angered United further in September, by admitting he was likely to leave at the end of the season when his contract ran out - comments that came as a shock to the Manchester United manager. Then there was that infamous rant on MUTV - later destroyed by the club - in which he criticised key United players. "Just because you are paid £120,000-a-week and play well for 20 minutes against Tottenham, you think you are a superstar," Keane said, pointing the finger firmly at Rio Ferdinand. "The younger players have been let down by some of the more experienced players. They are just not leading. "There is a shortage of characters in this team. It seems to be in this club that you have to play badly to be rewarded. Maybe that is what I should do when I come back. Play badly. There is talk about putting this right in January and bringing new players in. We should be doing the opposite - we should be getting rid of people in January." Instead it is Keane leaving, in November. Everyone knew the 34-year-old couldn't go on forever, but even so his departure comes as a shock.

Edgy DC Nov 18 2005 09:54 AM

No, there are folks here who have given me the attitude that their soccer enthusiasm makes them better somehow than the standard Amerian sports fan and his crass imperialist tastes. Typically, they're only passing fans and don't or won't realize (1) the international game is the most jingoism-laden game in the world, and (2) MLS is as exploitative as any league out there, .

metirish Nov 18 2005 09:57 AM

Edgy I have no idea what you mean, I certainly don't think I am better than any american fan,of any sport.

seawolf17 Nov 19 2005 05:37 PM

Yet more props for the Stony Brook men's soccer team, who advanced to the second round of the NCAA tournament with a 2-1 overtime win over Yale last night. UConn is next, on Tuesday night in Storrs.

Edgy DC Nov 19 2005 08:32 PM

irish, I certainly don't mean "here" as in "here in this thread." I'm sort of making a straw man argument, as the snobs I'm bitching about are many you are unlikely to meet. I adore soccer.

metirish Nov 19 2005 11:18 PM

No problem Edgy,I just didn't know what you meant...with George Best back in the ICU here's a good article by a reperter that new him well... http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,9753,1646611,00.html

metirish Nov 24 2005 02:00 PM

George Best is on the brink and is not expected to last the night.... ]Professor Roger Williams, who is leading the team treating Mr Best at the Cromwell Hospital in West London, said that the 59-year-old had suffered internal bleeding in his lungs, a complication which cannot be successfully treated. He told reporters: "I'm afraid Mr Best is coming to the end of the long road of his ill health. "The situation is that medically the intensive care team and everybody concerned managed to cope with the pretty much all the complications - except for the one that happened again during the night, the bleeding...There really is no return from that situation and it's just not possible to recover that episode he had during the night." Professor Williams, who has treated Mr Best for five years and was visibly moved during his short briefing outside the hospital, said that the former footballer was no longer conscious and was not in pain. His family, including his 87-year-old father, were with him at his bedside. "He is still alive, still having medical care and treatment, but I have to tell you that his hours are numbered now," Professor Williams said. "I can't be precise as to the time, but it is the final stages of this illness and I'm afraid he could die any time over the next 24 hours, I'd be very surprised if he survived more than 24 hours."

metirish Nov 25 2005 09:29 AM

Farewell Georgie Best... George Best - 1946 - 2005

metirish Nov 25 2005 11:05 AM

Best as a kid..

Edgy DC Nov 25 2005 11:21 AM

That rivals infant shots of Tiger Woods in demonstrating somebody who had their form down right out of the crib.

metirish Nov 25 2005 01:16 PM

So true Edgy,I believe he was not yet two years old in that picture, but you can see the balance, eye on the ball, amazing...the Belfast Telegraph has some good tributes. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/best_of_times/story.jsp?story=670367

metirish Nov 26 2005 12:14 AM

Best will be buried next friday in Belfast next to his Mom Ann, his funeral is expected to be the biggest in the history of the old city, they are exspecting a half million people that day to line the streets, in death as in life George will unite people. http://george-best.gonetoosoon.co.uk/

Edgy DC Nov 26 2005 12:30 AM

Strange stuff.

metirish Nov 26 2005 12:32 AM

How so?

Edgy DC Nov 26 2005 12:47 AM

Because a half a million people is a lot in a relatively small city that's seen a lot of public mourning. A great athletic talent who destroyed himself with high living is an ambiguous life that's usually met with an ambiguous response, leaving people sad, but bitter also.

metirish Nov 26 2005 01:04 AM

Yeah I had the same thought, that city has seen some of the biggest on both sides on the divide, perhaps the person I read that from is wishfull, but then I watch Sky Sports tonight and they compare it to Princess Di, I don't know but for all his problems off the field he was loved, I watched tonight as Blair and Ahern payed tributes to him, the leading French and Italian papers had his death as a lead, Pele and Eusabio talked about "a friend", Platini talked about the "rock and roll star"...make no mistake, the death of Best is huge in Ireland and Britain and Europe...yeah he was flawed in a terrible way but he's gone now,but never will he be forgotten, in a ironic twist Manchester United nead to beat Benfica to progress in the Champions League,Best had his finest hour against Benfica and Eusabio in the European Cup final... All Premership games will observe a minutes silence today.

Edgy DC Nov 26 2005 01:17 AM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Nov 26 2005 01:38 AM

I'll be sadder than most when Darryl Strawberry goes (assuming I outlive the man) but I'm not expecting a half of million peeps will show (hope I'm wrong), and Best has a longer rap-sheet with a lot of ugly complaints like "aggravated assault" and "sexual assualt" --- much of it relatively recent. Even leaving his off-the-field life off the field, Best --- both with Manchester and international --- was a maddening player that often disregarded tactical football for improvisation, which has never been the British game. No wonder Pele respected him, as that sort of style is and was encouraged in Brazil and Argentina. I sure don't want to deomonize the guy (grace of God and all that), and I sure don't want to lionize the princess, but I'm somewhat surprised to hear of a Diana-esque response.

apmorris Nov 26 2005 01:28 AM

which spice girl was he married to again? - was it "slutty spice"? I keed. "...kept drinking after his liver transplant" yaouch. I was just thinking - his story kind parallels Micky Mantle's (more than Straw's). A quickie liver transplant for the famous drunk that went to waste. Cept that they knew he how much a fuck-up he was before he died. Outstanding talent - an icon of a sport with a heroic name.

metirish Nov 26 2005 01:40 AM

And fuck you....kick him in his grave..

metirish Nov 28 2005 11:49 PM

Well however many people show up Best will get a great send off.... ] The Times November 29, 2005 Can a funeral for the record books transcend Ulster's divide? By David Sharrock So many people are expected at George Best’s send-off that it will be held at Stormont Castle IT WILL be the largest funeral seen in Northern Ireland, with up to one in three of the population possibly turning out to pay final respects to their most famous son. The scale of the occasion when George Best is buried in Belfast on Saturday will be an event so grand that the Stormont parliament building in East Belfast will be pressed into service as the venue. Not even Lord Carson (if reluctant) founder of Northern Ireland, received such a send-off when he was given the province’s first — and, to date, last — state funeral in 1935 and was buried in St Anne’s Cathedral in Belfast. It may tell us a few things about Ulstermen and women, the first being that they prefer sportsmen to politicians. Joey Dunlop, five times World Motorcyle Champion, attracted more than 70,000 mourners to his funeral in 2000, roughly the same number that turned out to mourn IRA hunger striker and MP Bobby Sands in 1981. But if half a million mourners turn out on Saturday morning, as some were predicting yesterday, it will also be a tribute to Best’s particular brand of popularity, which transcended Ulster’s religious divide. The working-class lad from staunchly Protestant East Belfast will have many Catholics at his funeral this weekend. Football being its own religion and a topic above the tawdry world of politics, “Our Georgie” as he is known to everybody in Northern Ireland, had long enjoyed the distinction of being able to say the unsayable without upsetting too many people. His views on an all-Ireland national soccer team — which he said he hoped to see before he died — pleased nationalists, who in the tribal politics of Ulster are overwhelmingly Catholics, but largely annoyed Protestant Unionists. On this occasion, however, the unionists will happily bite their tongues, gladdened to see the huge turnout for a man they revered as someone who showed the world what the province was capable of. In that sense, what will take place on Saturday in East Belfast will be more than a funeral. It will be a secularised version of sainthood being publicly bestowed upon George Best. One caller to a radio station yesterday grumbled that folk in Northern Ireland remember their greats only when they are dead and lamented the lack of any permanent monument to Best. That will presumably change soon. The Government, which is meeting resistance to its plans to build a national stadium on the site of the former Maze Prison outside Lisburn, Co Antrim, said yesterday that it was possible the stadium would be named after him. Other ideas include renaming Belfast city airport George Best airport, erecting a statue in the grounds of Belfast City Hall, funding a hall of fame and awarding him a posthumous knighthood. The funeral cortège will leave the Best family home in the Cregagh estate at 10am on Saturday, taking an hour to travel the three miles through East Belfast to Stormont along streets that, come rain or shine, will almost certainly be lined with mourners. Details of the funeral have not been finalised, but it is thought that there will be a mixture of public and private ceremonies, with the family at the funeral inside the building’s Great Hall and the service relayed to the tens of thousands of well-wishers expected to gather in the Stormont grounds. This will be a first for Stormont. Eamonn Holmes, the television presenter, will act as master of ceremonies as the funeral is relayed outside on giant screens. Inside, 300 guests invited by the Best family will include Sir Alex Ferguson, the Manchester United manager, before he leaves to be at his team’s fixture against Portsmouth. Other leading soccer figures there will be Pat Jennings, Martin O’Neill and Gerry Armstrong, Best’s Northern Ireland team mates. Music will be provided by Brian Kennedy, Peter Corry and possibly the flautist James Galway. The family has asked that the interment in Roselawn Cemetery be respected as a private event. Roselawn is four miles from Stormont amid hills that offer panoramic views of Belfast. George Best will be buried in the family plot, alongside his mother, Ann, whose own life was cut short by alcoholism.

Willets Point Nov 29 2005 04:23 PM

Sean Connery gets a FC Barcelona jersey.

metirish Dec 05 2005 10:07 AM

Best all but got a State funeral Saturday witj flags at half mast accross the North.....some pictures here... Father, Son and Sister That's it for me on Best... In other news Real Madrid sacked it's coach over the weekend....

Willets Point Dec 09 2005 10:51 AM

Final Draw for the 2006 World Cup starts at 2:30 ET today. One can watch live if so interested.

metirish Dec 09 2005 02:45 PM

That's a great site Willets but it's hard to connect, probably has millions around the world connected....I've had this problem before with the Fifa WC site.

Willets Point Dec 09 2005 02:46 PM

Yea, it's not working for me either sadly enough.

Willets Point Dec 09 2005 02:50 PM

Soccernet has something to follow the draw as well.

Willets Point Dec 09 2005 04:06 PM

A Germany Costa Rica Poland Ecuador B England Paraguay Trinidad & Tobago Sweden C Argentina Ivory Coast Serbia & Montenegro Netherlands D Mexico Iran Angola Portugal E Italy Ghana United States Czech Republic F Brazil Croatia Australia Japan G France Switzerland South Korea Togo H Spain Ukraine Tunisia Saudi Arabia

metirish Dec 09 2005 04:16 PM

Group E is the same as was for Italia 90 except Austria for Ghana.Some good groups here, if England win their group they would play the second teram in group A... Angola a former Portuguese colony will relish playing Portugal.

Willets Point Dec 09 2005 04:23 PM

]Group E is the same as was for Italia 90 except Austria for Ghana I don't think the US will end up pointless this time.

metirish Dec 09 2005 04:25 PM

That's as tough a group as there is, Italy and the Czech Republic will be tough, at the same time neither will relish playing the US and Ghana wo knows.

metirish Dec 09 2005 04:38 PM

Hre's the ball that will be used, just revealed during the draw...Adidas hopes to sell 10 million of these....

MFS62 Dec 12 2005 07:15 AM

The University of MAryland Terrapins won the NCAA Soccer Championship yesterday by a score of 1-nil (the score that made soccer famous). Later

Willets Point Dec 14 2005 08:35 PM

Soccer helmets? I would say that yes there is a danger of brain damage, but legislating soccer helmets is an extreme measure and they definitely need to explore other options.

metirish Jan 14 2006 11:30 PM

This is a terrible idea, FIFA thankfully sees it different that this politician. ] LONDON (AP) - A leading British politician called for Iran to be expelled from soccer's World Cup for resuming its nuclear program. Conservative lawmaker Michael Ancram said Friday such a move "would give a very, very clear signal to Iran that the international community will not accept what they are doing." "It may be unpleasant, but you can give a very hard signal which isn't going to hurt people as such but is going to at least give a chance of registering in the minds of the Iranian people that what their president is doing is unacceptable to the international community," Ancram, a former Tory foreign affairs spokesman, told British Broadcasting Corp. radio. Iran is one 32 teams that will play in the monthlong soccer showcase that begins in Germany on June 9. Soccer's governing body said last month it would not expel Iran despite calls from German politicians for the country to be excluded because the Iranian president denies the Holocaust. FIFA spokesman Andreas Herren said from his group's Swiss headquarters that any such move would have to be initiated by governments or international political organizations, such as the United Nations. "FIFA is a sporting organization and not a political organization," he said, adding that the Iran soccer federation that qualified had done so "in accordance with our rules and regulations." Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said he was "not certain" sports sanctions against Iran would help. Iran has come under increasing pressure to cease nuclear activities until an agreement has been reached on the scope of its nuclear program. Tehran insists it wants only to develop nuclear energy, but there are widespread fears Iran is seeking atomic weapons.

Willets Point Jan 15 2006 12:20 AM

Lets eject all the countries with nuclear weapons programs or none.

duan Jan 16 2006 04:03 AM

please please please can we. If France, England, USA & Iran were all thrown out SURELY, I SAY SURELY there'd be a way for us to get in.

Willets Point Jan 24 2006 01:52 PM

Does anyone know any online services for watching European and international football matches live? I'm looking for something equivalent to the subscription service MLB.COM offers to watch baseball games. I found some things in Google, but they all look a little shady.

metirish Jan 26 2006 11:37 PM

Duan I like that idea, what do you think of Stan and Bobby at the helm, or better yet what do you think Robson's role is?, seems a bit strange to me, still Friday we have the draw for Euro 08....no doubt as a 4th seed we will get screwed.. Willets I no of no such site, I have looked but tomorrow i will email a friend that will know...

MFS62 Jan 27 2006 07:32 AM

Hey! I just noticed that the 'Spurs are in 4th place in the Premier League. You were right, Irish. They are having a good year. Later

metirish Jan 29 2006 09:34 PM

Willets I don't think any online service that you are hoping for is available,I would think if it did it would be here... http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/

Edgy DC Jan 29 2006 09:58 PM

Here's a bitch. How about MLS teams stop kidding themselves they're someone (or somewhere) else? DC United was enough cheap borrowed authority, but at least that had some precedent. And at least it makes some sense in a new context. After that, the league added FC Dallas, and Real Salt Lake. Now we have 1836 Houston (a baldfaced copping of 1860 Munich). Build your own legacies, guys.

metirish Jan 29 2006 10:07 PM

Yeah is stupid, they are called 1836 because that wa the year the city was founded..so says MLS.net, the number one pick in last weeks draft was the son of former major leaguer Marvell Wynne who played for the the Padres, Cubs and Pirates.

Edgy DC Jan 29 2006 10:13 PM

Traded on the verge of Metdom for Junior Ortiz.

Willets Point Jan 31 2006 04:03 PM

USA schools Norway 5-0.

Willets Point Jan 31 2006 04:09 PM

Edgy DC wrote: Here's a bitch. How about MLS teams stop kidding themselves they're someone (or somewhere) else? DC United was enough cheap borrowed authority, but at least that had some precedent. And at least it makes some sense in a new context. After that, the league added FC Dallas, and Real Salt Lake. Now we have 1836 Houston (a baldfaced copping of 1860 Munich). Build your own legacies, guys. DC United works in that United is a pretty generic European football term that also works well with United States in the nation's capital. FC Dallas is pretty dumb since no one in the USA calls a soccer team "football club" (except maybe Texas' Hispanic fan base?), but on the other hand it's a vast improvement over Dallas Burn. Real Salt Lake is dumb, dumb, dumb. There's nothing "royal" nor "Spanish" about Utah. 1836 is less dumb but only slightly.

metirish Feb 06 2006 08:22 PM

[url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,283-2028147,00.html]Freddy Adu moving to Chelski?[/url] Long term this would be a great move for Adu, getting to train and play with the best players in the world will only improve him, Chelsea are snapping up the best young palyers in the world, last year it was Manchester City's Shaun Wright Phillips for around $30 million, he rearly sees first team action but next season probably will.

Edgy DC Feb 06 2006 09:06 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Apr 07 2006 04:33 PM

Probably was the plan all along with Adu. Get him in MLA long enough to establish his Americaness, then, as soon as he gets his first cap as an American (was that two or three weeks ago?), let him mature on someone else's dime --- as MLS doesn't generate nearly enough revenue right now to pay the top player in the world, and has a tight anti-competitive rein on salaries anyhow --- and then let him come back a fully developed superstar to help the US win a cup in 2010.

MFS62 Feb 07 2006 01:59 PM

Get your red hot soccer news here: http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/index.html Later

metirish Feb 19 2006 05:39 PM

Not good news today for Italy, Francesco Totti suffered a bad ankle injury playing for Roma Sunday...will be out 2 months or more but should make it back for the World Cup....warning, the picture below is kinda horrible.

metirish Mar 09 2006 01:28 PM

Major changes coming in NY. ] Red Bull buys MetroStars, renames team March 9, 2006 NEW YORK (Ticker) - The MetroStars never reached the championship game in their first 10 Major League Soccer seasons. Now their history is but a memory. Energy-drink manufacturer Red Bull Company Limited purchased the MetroStars on Thursday from the Anschutz Entertainment Group and renamed the team "Red Bull New York," effective immediately. In addition, Red Bull agreed to partner with AEG on the construction of the team's soccer-specific stadium in Harrison, New Jersey. As part of the agreement, approved by the MLS Board of Governors on Thursday morning, Red Bull purchased naming rights to the new stadium. Red Bull will own half of the new stadium, with AEG responsible for constructing, managing and booking. Financial terms were not disclosed, but the Daily News on Tuesday said the deal could reach at least $50 million. "The addition of Red Bull into our group of owners is a landmark moment for Major League Soccer and for all Tri-State area soccer fans," MLS commissioner Don Garber said. "Red Bull founder Dietrich Mateschitz brings international credibility and proven, innovative marketing expertise to Major League Soccer." The company also owns an Austrian club, Red Bull Salzburg, which it has transformed into one of the leading teams in the country's first division. Beckenbauer is expected to be involved, as is Chinaglia.

Edgy DC Mar 09 2006 01:30 PM

That's an ugly little precedent.

Willets Point Mar 09 2006 02:32 PM

And another dumb team name. Go Revs.

Elster88 Mar 23 2006 10:58 AM

Is the European Team Cup a yearly event?

Edgy DC Mar 23 2006 11:08 AM

I'm not even sure it's called that, or what prestige it's held to. I think it's quadrennial. But get one of the Irish guys to tell youse.

Elster88 Mar 23 2006 11:10 AM

I thought you were one of those Irish guys.

Elster88 Mar 23 2006 03:04 PM

BUMP Soccer question for metirish.

metirish Mar 23 2006 03:10 PM

Yes it is yearly event, it used to be called ' the European Cup' where only the champions of each league in each Country played, now it is called 'the Champions League' where leagues in England ,Spain,Italy and the other power leagues send 4 teams every year, it's about money of course...Liverpool who have not won the English league since 1990/91 are the current Champions of Europe, they got in beacuse they finished in the top four the previous year in the Premiership.The Champions League is held in huge prestige in Europe, a club that gets into the knock- out stages earn millions, Manchester United did terrible this year and it cost them $10 million because they failed to get into the money rounds. There is a group in Europe called the G14, they are the biggest of the big.....FIFA is pissed with them http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1738128,00.html

Elster88 Mar 23 2006 03:15 PM

Ah, so my confusion makes sense and I'm not just an ignorant American. Edgy set me straight about that which is the European Cup these days.

Edgy DC Mar 23 2006 03:17 PM Edited 1 time(s), most recently on Mar 23 2006 03:34 PM

But set you adrift on the scheduling. Sorry about that.

metirish Mar 23 2006 03:20 PM

Here is what is left in this years cup... ] Quarter-finals - Match kick-offs are listed in CET Agg. First leg Second leg Benfica - Barcelona 28/03 » 05/04 » Arsenal - Juventus 28/03 » 05/04 » Internazionale - Villarreal 29/03 » 04/04 » Lyon - Milan 29/03 » 04/04 » First-leg home team shown first. http://www.uefa.com/Competitions/UCL/index.html

metirish Apr 07 2006 03:59 PM

Manchester United have secured American Insurence giant AIG as it's new shirt sponsor. http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1748772,00.html

MFS62 Apr 07 2006 04:03 PM

The nEw York team in the pro league had been broadcasting radio spots for its season opener. They said attendees will include Pele, Franz Beckenbauer and SHAKIRA! Not that she isn't a welcome participant to the festivities. But, other than having some great moves, her tie to soccer is unclear at this point in time. I would guess she would make for a striking striker. Later

Willets Point Apr 07 2006 04:28 PM

Whenever, whatever.

metirish Apr 07 2006 04:31 PM

She's got an ass and a half.....damn ..

Johnny Dickshot Apr 07 2006 06:05 PM

Not to even begin to suggest that MetroStars was a good name, but whoring out to call themselves the NY Red Bulls is even worse.

Willets Point Apr 24 2006 01:30 PM

Edgy DC wrote: Here's a bitch. How about MLS teams stop kidding themselves they're someone (or somewhere) else? DC United was enough cheap borrowed authority, but at least that had some precedent. And at least it makes some sense in a new context. After that, the league added FC Dallas, and Real Salt Lake. Now we have 1836 Houston (a baldfaced copping of 1860 Munich). Build your own legacies, guys. What huh? When the hell did this happen: Houston Dynamo? They listened to Edgy and decided to build a legacy on stupid, singular names.

Edgy DC Apr 24 2006 03:41 PM

And mlbaseballtalk says I don't know how to write a letter of complaint.

Willets Point May 09 2006 11:25 AM

One month from today World Cup 2006 begins in Germany. Bruce Arena recently released the roster for the USA team. Taylor Twellman was robbed!

MFS62 May 09 2006 12:20 PM

My wife and I have Munich 1860 scarves. We were in Munich a few years ago, and the 1860 and Bayern Munich team shops are right across the street from each other (about two blocks from the famous beer hall where Hitler began his political campaign). We could have bought stuff at either shop, but my wife liked the 1860 colors better. I didn't realize that from an historic standpoint Bayern is the Yankees and 1860 is the Mets. If I had known, I would have bought 1860 stuff without a second thought. Later

Willets Point May 11 2006 11:52 AM

Priests vs. Imams refereed by Rabbis

HahnSolo May 11 2006 12:23 PM

My daughter scored her first two goals in six-year-old, 4-on-4, small field, no goalie action last week. Beyond her exploits, I've got nothing to add to the soccer conversation.

metirish May 11 2006 03:08 PM

Well at least they don't have a stupid name... ] Toronto franchise to join Major League Soccer in 2007 HARTFORD, Connecticut, May 11 (Reuters) - Toronto FC will join Major League Soccer (MLS) next year, becoming the first team from outside the U.S. in the league. "We're thrilled to have Toronto FC as the 13th team in MLS and our first international club," league commissioner Don Garber in a statement on Thursday. "The combination of a new stadium, a diverse sports market and one of the elite sports and entertainment organisations in the world provides an exciting future for MLS in Canada," he added. The league granted Toronto a team in October 2005 after an agreement was reached to build a permanent soccer-specific stadium at the city's Exhibition Place. The 20,000-seat venue is expected to be completed by the end of the year. In addition to being the home of Toronto FC and the Canadian national team, it will host the FIFA Under-20 World Championship next July. "This is an exciting day for soccer fans in Toronto who can now enjoy great quality soccer and have a team they can call their own," Tom Anselmi, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment (MLSE), the club's investor-operator, said in a statement. "Toronto provides the perfect backdrop for the world's number one sport given our city's diversity and affinity for soccer. We're committed to making Toronto FC and Major League Soccer a success." MLSE is a privately held corporation that owns the Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League and the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association. Major League Soccer plans to have 16 teams by 2010.

Willets Point May 11 2006 03:39 PM

]Major League Soccer plans to have 16 teams by 2010. Translation: MLS plans bloat themselves to an unmaintainable excess as previously modeled by NASL. Slow down boys. They should work out a promotion/relegation system with the A-league instead of constantly awarding expansion franchises.

metirish May 12 2006 09:18 PM

A new documentary about the Cosmos is coming out, decent article for the Guardian. http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1772816,00.html

MFS62 May 23 2006 10:05 AM

Irish, two soccer items of note in today's NY Daily News. The New York team is considering acquiring Brazilian great Ronaldo. He is a spokesperson for the product of the team's owner, and he seems interested after his current season ends in July. He is making $8 million under his current contract, and it would probably costthe team that much to get him. He would only make about $1 million, but he is getting about $14 million a year from endorsements, so money would not be an issue. And They renamed an airport in Eurpoe (Ireland?) after George Best, on what would have been his 60th birthday. Had you heard about that? Can you provide any additional info? Later

Willets Point May 23 2006 11:18 AM

I read it yesterday. Belfast City Airport is now the Best Airport.

metirish May 23 2006 11:26 AM

I hadn't read about Ronaldo to Red Bull New York, don't really know why he would want to go to Red Bull, they are Bullshit, plus Ronaldo would generate a lot of interest form the top teams in Europe, especially if he has a good world cup. Willets is correct on Best.

MFS62 May 23 2006 12:28 PM

Here's the Ronaldo story. He gives his reasons: http://www.nydailynews.com/05-23-2006/sports/more_sports/story/420099p-354689c.html Later

metirish May 26 2006 11:14 AM

] Fifa rules Northern Irish players need British passports By Damian Spellman Published: 26 May 2006 Football's world governing body, Fifa, has told Northern Ireland their players must hold British passports if they are to represent their country. The controversial ruling, despite representations made to the governing body by the Irish foreign affairs minister, Dermot Ahern, means that players holding only Republic of Ireland passports would be barred from appearing for Lawrie Sanchez's side, which is on tour in America. Fifa's stance is at odds with the terms of the Good Friday agreement, which granted the people of Northern Ireland the right to dual Irish and British nationality. The ruling is an attempt to clear up problems for match commissioners, who have to establish the nationality of participants. The governing body of the game in Northern Ireland, the Irish Football Association, released a statement yesterday detailing the clarification they have received from Fifa "in the light of the rather exceptional circumstances that exist in Northern Ireland". "Fifa sees no alternative but to require players to hold the passport of the national association they are seeking to represent in order to allow the match commissioner to verify their eligibility," the statement said. "The fact that a player holds an Irish Republic passport does not demonstrate conclusively, that he or she is eligible to play for Northern Ireland." The development came as Sanchez and his players prepared for the final game of the tour against Romania in Chicago early tomorrow morning. They may be glad to get back to football after an eventful start to their visit to the city which ends with the game at Soldier Field, home of NFL side the Chicago Bears. The tourists found themselves plunged into a sectarian row when they were greeted by around 80 protesters when they visited the city's Gaelic Park following their arrival from New York on Tuesday. They were greeted by objectors waving black flags and wearing shirts emblazoned with the words "IFA you are not welcome." But the IFA Chief executive, Howard Wells, shrugged this off, saying: "We must try to get more focus with regard to this tour back to the football side of it, the playing side." Sanchez fielded a young and largely inexperienced side for the 1-0 defeat by Romania last weekend. The leading scorer, David Healy, the captain, Aaron Hughes, the goalkeeper Maik Taylor and the midfielder Keith Gillespie were among 11 regular squad members unavailable, prompting the manager to hand debuts to Jeff Hughes, Sammy Clingan, Sean Webb, Mark Hughes and Kyle Lafferty. Sanchez has given little away about his selection for the Romania game, but confirmed that the Aston Villa midfielder Steven Davis will continue as captain, while hinting that the Doncaster keeper Alan Blayney may be involved. Football's world governing body, Fifa, has told Northern Ireland their players must hold British passports if they are to represent their country. The controversial ruling, despite representations made to the governing body by the Irish foreign affairs minister, Dermot Ahern, means that players holding only Republic of Ireland passports would be barred from appearing for Lawrie Sanchez's side, which is on tour in America. Fifa's stance is at odds with the terms of the Good Friday agreement, which granted the people of Northern Ireland the right to dual Irish and British nationality. The ruling is an attempt to clear up problems for match commissioners, who have to establish the nationality of participants. The governing body of the game in Northern Ireland, the Irish Football Association, released a statement yesterday detailing the clarification they have received from Fifa "in the light of the rather exceptional circumstances that exist in Northern Ireland". "Fifa sees no alternative but to require players to hold the passport of the national association they are seeking to represent in order to allow the match commissioner to verify their eligibility," the statement said. "The fact that a player holds an Irish Republic passport does not demonstrate conclusively, that he or she is eligible to play for Northern Ireland." The development came as Sanchez and his players prepared for the final game of the tour against Romania in Chicago early tomorrow morning. They may be glad to get back to football after an eventful start to their visit to the city which ends with the game at Soldier Field, home of NFL side the Chicago Bears. The tourists found themselves plunged into a sectarian row when they were greeted by around 80 protesters when they visited the city's Gaelic Park following their arrival from New York on Tuesday. They were greeted by objectors waving black flags and wearing shirts emblazoned with the words "IFA you are not welcome." But the IFA Chief executive, Howard Wells, shrugged this off, saying: "We must try to get more focus with regard to this tour back to the football side of it, the playing side." Sanchez fielded a young and largely inexperienced side for the 1-0 defeat by Romania last weekend. The leading scorer, David Healy, the captain, Aaron Hughes, the goalkeeper Maik Taylor and the midfielder Keith Gillespie were among 11 regular squad members unavailable, prompting the manager to hand debuts to Jeff Hughes, Sammy Clingan, Sean Webb, Mark Hughes and Kyle Lafferty. Sanchez has given little away about his selection for the Romania game, but confirmed that the Aston Villa midfielder Steven Davis will continue as captain, while hinting that the Doncaster keeper Alan Blayney may be involved. I never liked the idea of politics getting mixed up with sport, in Ireland we have a long history of that.

Edgy DC May 26 2006 11:17 AM

That's some serious bogus decision by FIFA. If they have a British passport, then, shouldn't they be rrestricted to competing for Britian. Either the statelet of Northern Ireland --- like Scotland and Wales --- fits their definitiion of a soccer playing nation or it doesn't.

metirish May 26 2006 11:20 AM

Yeah it really is, especially when you consider the special circumstances that prevail in the North, and I would have thought that the Good Friday Agreement ruling on this would be good enough for FIFA.

Willets Point May 26 2006 12:28 PM

FIFA brags about having more members than the United Nations, but that's partly because the United Kingdom is one member of the UN and four members of FIFA. The UK would probably be better off if they had four votes in the General Council and one kickass soccer team.

metirish May 31 2006 04:35 PM

All about Germany 06 http://www.ireland.com/sports/soccer/worldcup2006/

HahnSolo May 31 2006 04:59 PM

I like the World Cup ad campaign (and not just because I like U2). The TV ads are great, and I like the advertising pull out insert in this week's SI, that gives little snippets about each nation's chances. I'm actually looking forward to this, even my daughter who plays soccer is interested.

Willets Point May 31 2006 08:59 PM

I'm kind of giddy with excitement about it myself. I kind of wonder if I'm the only native-born person in America who feels this way. :)

MFS62 Jun 01 2006 06:39 AM

Probably. Later

Johnny Dickshot Jun 01 2006 09:00 AM

I love it. Can't wait. Only soccer I watch. My only thing is that I don;t usually root for USA.

Edgy DC Jun 01 2006 09:17 AM

Hard not to root for those upstart Koreans last time out. At least it was hard not to root for them until I learned that some poor fool (fools?) self-immolated as a sacrificial offering to the team.

metirish Jun 01 2006 09:46 AM

I'll be rooting for Brazil, like most fans, they are a joy to watch ,"Joga Bonita", a national pastime in Ireland is to root against England, it's weird because we root for the same players when playing for your fave club but wish them nothing but bad results when playing for England, thankfully they have a coach that's prone to over-coaching and has now decided to change tactics because Wayne Rooney is injured, I can't believe Brazil would do such a thing if Ronaldinho was out of the World Cup, but then again Brazil have 5 or 6 truely great players.

Johnny Dickshot Jun 06 2006 10:54 AM

Football and beer: Perfect Together ]UK: Tesco Lays On Extra Lorries To Cope With World Cup Beer Demand Tesco has a fleet of extra lorries on stand-by to ensure stores do not run out of beer and other goods during the World Cup. Tesco, like other chains, has cut beer prices and expects to sell five million cases of beer during the four-week tournament. Sainsbury's is braced for a 10% rise in beer sales rise during the event, rising to 20% before England games. Asda invested £32m to cut beer prices at the start of last month. The tournament is set to boost the UK's economy by an estimated £1.25bn due to extra consumer spending, according to the British Retail Consortium.

MFS62 Jun 06 2006 11:17 AM

Beer and any sport are perfect together. Later

metirish Jun 06 2006 11:17 AM

Except when the English football hooligans go on the rampage, which they surely will in Germany.

metirish Jun 08 2006 11:05 AM

U2 and the World Cup... ] U2 Is Giving a Voice to ESPN's Coverage By RICHARD SANDOMIR Published: June 8, 2006 For its extensive coverage of the World Cup, which begins tomorrow, ESPN felt it needed more than its announcers and more than its game coverage to convey the enormousness of the event to casual fans. It needed a voice. It wanted U2. "Our biggest fear," said Seth Ader, senior director of ESPN Marketing, "was we would create this beautiful campaign on paper, and they'd say: 'We don't do this kind of thing. We don't need it. We don't need the money.' " The idea was to license U2 songs and concert footage for highlights and promotional ads (which the band members would narrate), as a merger of the astonishingly popular World Cup and the enduringly popular rockers. "If it was just a music deal, it would have been like any other campaign to pay for their music," Ader said, describing the role of the band in providing the voice-overs of the ads as crucial. "We wanted them to be a part of it." U2 had never done precisely what ESPN envisioned, but the band has not been shy about exploiting its music. It has licensed its songs to films and the English Premier League, has performed at halftime of the Super Bowl and has gone into business with Apple to create the iPod U2 Special Edition. But the band was smitten with ESPN's plans, in part because all four of its members are soccer fans from Ireland, and the global scope of the World Cup appeals to their well-known charitable endeavors, especially in Africa. "There's something wonderfully democratic about soccer," Paul McGuinness, U2's manager, said yesterday from his home in London. "It's the cheapest game in the world. All you need is a ball, and boys and girls can play it. Not that we're zealots, but we feel that soccer is a good thing, so our association with it is a good one." During a flight last February from Los Angeles to a concert in Mexico, Bono grabbed the scripts for the five promotional spots, written by ESPN's ad agency, Wieden & Kennedy, out of McGuinness's hands and acted out each one for his bandmates, the Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. "That's when we knew this was a big deal to them," Ader said, recalling his reaction when McGuinness related the story. Viewers have seen the five spots, which depict various tableaux set to U2 songs. A montage of children playing soccer around the world is set to "City of Blinding Lights." A second, about rampant yet widely sanctioned absenteeism during World Cup games, is punctuated by "Beautiful Day." A gleeful one showing the Tartan Army of fans of Scotland (whose team did not qualify for the World Cup) dancing in Edinburgh's streets, is backed by "I Will Follow." And one about the Ivory Coast's qualifying for the first time is supported by "Where the Streets Have No Name." McGuinness said the Ivory Coast ad "hit the nail on the head" for the band, "and resonated immediately." In it, visions of feuding factions in the country's war give way to a crowd of well-wishers cheering for their team as it prepared to board the flight to Germany for the World Cup. "After three years of civil war, feuding factions talked for the first time in years," Bono said in his voice-over, "and the president called a truce because the Ivory Coast qualified for its first-ever World Cup." But the peace is tenuous; Human Rights Watch has reported that government forces, militia groups and rebels committed human-rights abuses "with impunity" against citizens from last November through March. More than 7,000 United Nations peacekeepers are trying to help reunite the Ivory Coast. The Web site deadspin.com suggested that Bono might be rooting for the Ivory Coast for reasons beyond his humanitarian work in Africa; its flag is a mirror image of Ireland's. (Ireland did not qualify for the World Cup.) During the World Cup, viewers of games on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC will see most packages of highlights accompanied by U2 music, whether recorded in a studio or on a concert stage. As part of its deal with the band, ESPN has the rights to 11 songs. "We have confidence in the creative people running this campaign," McGuinness said. "It's great to feel comfortable with the people essentially chopping up our songs and putting them to other uses." Being the musical centerpiece of ESPN's World Cup coverage is the type of exposure that U2 craves. "With record companies decreasingly able to spend money on paid advertising, these kinds of hookups are more attractive," McGuinness said. He said the band's compensation from ESPN was "nothing extraordinary, but we did get paid." E-mail: sportsbiz@nytimes.com

MFS62 Jun 08 2006 11:09 AM

If you can get your hands on a copy, today's NY Daily News has a center pullout section on the World Cup. They show brackets, analyze the teams and show the current odds of winning for each team. Some of the analyses are funny. Haven't checked to see if it is on their online site. Later

duan Jun 08 2006 11:10 AM

i won't tell you how little the lads know about football. Larry has a decent grasp, but the other 3 don't have a rashers.

metirish Jun 08 2006 11:14 AM

Yeah that's what I thought Duan, I've never heard the other three talk about it....