by Patton on February 18, 2010
photo credit: B Rosen
Let’s use our heads people!
There seems to be some confusion over what some people thought were harsh and uninformed comments about Fabio Capello. Listen, I know what a good Soccer mind is and that’s not at question. I know he won Serie A like 5000 times. I get it! Here’s the problem: What do we know now?
For example: Liverpool starts there Europa League campaign today. They saay they’re ready to breakout from this pathetic season. Do you believe them? I’m going with what I know…they’ll have a hard time. Read more... (321 words, 2 images, estimated 1:17 mins reading time)
by Patton on September 13, 2009
Today I’m reading an article at MLSnet.com about Dallas committing to what the writer called “attacking” soccer. I like to call it “Soccer at warp speed”.
Let me give you some background. Soccer was the only sport I played as a kid and I played like a lunatic. We ran hard, we kicked hard, we tackled hard (I even once broke a kid’s leg slide tackling him. It was probably just bad luck our parts, but I wasn’t messing around and neither were my teammates.) Read more... (424 words, estimated 1:42 mins reading time)
by David on April 10, 2009
Tottenham‘s conquerors Shakhtar Donetsk took a big step towards the last four of the UEFA Cup after beating Marseille 2-0 in their quarter-final first leg. Tomas Hubschman set the Ukrainian side on their way in the first half and Rodrigues Jadson added a second after the break as Shakhtar continued their impressive run.
Shakhtar beat Spurs and CSKA Moscow in the last two rounds and looked superior to their visitors, who went into the game on the back of an eight-match unbeaten run in the French Ligue 1 which included six wins. Read more... (342 words, 1 image, estimated 1:22 mins reading time)
by David on February 26, 2009
AC Milan were dumped out of the UEFA Cup after throwing away a two-goal lead in their last-32 second-leg clash with Werder Bremen. Having drawn the first leg 1-1 in Germany, there was some pressure on the Italians going into the return match. First-half goals from Andrea Pirlo and Alexandre Pato seemed to set Milan on a smooth path into the next round only for Claudio Pizarro’s brace to put Bremen through on away goals. Read more... (854 words, 1 image, estimated 3:25 mins reading time)
by David on February 19, 2009
Ajax took a smash-and-grab win from their trip to Florence with a goal from Kennedy Bakircioglu giving Marco van Basten’s side a 1-0 win over last year’s semi-finalists Fiorentina. It had been one-way traffic for much of the night at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, but Bakircioglu’s 60th-minute strike against the run of play showed the home side the way to goal.
The Viola were unable to respond and missed a hatful of chances to leave them a mountain to climb in Holland next week.
Marko Arnautovic’s first-half strike earned Ajax’s Eredivisie rivals FC Twente a first-leg victory over an off-colour Marseille at the Stade Velodrome. Read more... (269 words, estimated 1:05 mins reading time)
by David on February 19, 2009
Tottenham boss Harry Redknapp had an entire team injured, rested or ineligible at the RSC Olympiyskiy for the first leg against the Ukrainian champions – and his makeshift side held on until 12 minutes from full-time before they lost 2-0 in the UEFA Cup last-32 clash against Shakhtar Donetsk.
Yevgen Seleznov opened the scoring with a header from a free-kick, then Jadson added a second with two minutes remaining.
Dean Parrett, 17, made his debut and the likes of Oscar Jansson, Adam Smith, John Bostock, Ryan Mason and Jonathan Obika could be called upon for the return leg at White Hart Lane. Read more... (532 words, estimated 2:08 mins reading time)
by David on February 18, 2009
UEFA Cup holders Zenit St Petersburg shook off the rust to win the first leg of their last-32 showdown with Stuttgart 2-1.
Szabolcs Huszti gave Zenit the lead after just two minutes only for Mario Gomez to equalise, but Anatoliy Tymoshchuk – who has agreed to join to Bayern Munich next season – made it 2-1 two minutes into first-half stoppage time.
Valencia put their poor recent domestic form behind them to take a slight advantage in their tie against 10-man Dynamo Kiev with a 1-1 draw at the Lobanovsky Dynamo Stadium. Read more... (526 words, estimated 2:06 mins reading time)
by David on February 18, 2009
John Carew handed Aston Villa a UEFA Cup lifeline with a second-half equaliser as they drew 1-1 in the last-32 first-leg clash with CSKA Moscow at Villa Park. The Norway international struck his eighth goal of the campaign after Vagner Love had broken the deadlock.
Martin O’Neill’s men dominated the second 45 minutes but the visitors somehow survived the onslaught. It was a classic confrontation contrasting the technical skills and movement of the Russian side and the more direct but equally threatening approach of Villa. Read more... (265 words, estimated 1:04 mins reading time)
by David on February 13, 2009
Attention turns back to European club competition next Wednesday as the UEFA Cup Round of 32 gets under way.
For a host of teams, these two-legged ties represent their first competitive football of the year, but that predicament was no hindrance to Zenit St. Petersburg last season when they went all the way to lift their first European trophy. After finishing third in their UEFA Champions League group, Zenit return to defend the title, yet like 12 months ago when they overcame Villarreal at this stage on away goals, they face tough opponents in VfB Stuttgart. Read more... (355 words, estimated 1:25 mins reading time)
by David on December 19, 2008
The three English teams left in the UEFA Cup, Aston Villa, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City, all face tricky ties in the last 32 of the UEFA Cup.
Villa and Tottenham will both face eastern European opposition, with Aston Villa drawing Russian side CSKA Moscow and Spurs travelling to Ukrainian side Shakhtar Donetsk, who enter the competition having finished third in their Champions League group. Manchester City will play Danish side FC Copenhagen. Read more... (407 words, estimated 1:38 mins reading time)
