Crosses into the box

Chris Birchall to MLS?

2009-01-01T00:01:00.003-06:00

According to this article from the BBC,Trinadad and Tobago midfielder Chris Birchall could be coming to MLS.
He's a quality midfielder,and would be an excellent addition to any MLS team.I really hope that some MLS team goes out and gets him,he's not some superstar but a consistent,quality performer that every team needs.MLS teams would be stupid not to pursue him.

Book Review: The Ball is Round:A Global History of Soccer by David Goldblatt

2008-12-30T17:06:00.002-06:00

(A Short Review)

This book is absolutely phenomenal!

"The Ball is Round" covers damn near everything in the history of soccer,and covers it well.From the ball games of ancient times to the "foot-ball" in the 1800's to the present day,it is comprehensive,well-written,and easy to read,a must when the book is about 900 pages.It sounds a bit intimidating, 900+ pages of nothing but soccer, but it is an easy read and you will be hardly be able to put it down.Goldblatt goes into great detail about how soccer developed and became the dominant sport of almost every region of the world. "The Ball is Round" is an incredible book and a must-read for soccer fans everywhere.

Boxing Day

2008-12-26T21:37:00.002-06:00

Happy Boxing Day everybody!!
Sorry nothing today because its quite late and I've been busy trying out/using/watching the stuff I got for Christmas,and I completely forgot about my blog till now,and its approximately 11:14 so I'm going to bed,posts tomorrow for sure,I promise.

Oh,and Aston Villa-Arsenal was a fantastic game,I love Boxing Day soccer,its quintessentialy English.(I'm pretty sure I spelled that wrong.)

Everybody

2008-12-23T23:40:00.001-06:00

Hey all,I just want to let you know that I won't start posting in earnest till after Christmas,most likely the 26th.I'll see ya'll then.

Merry Christmas!

Crosses Into the Box 2.0

2008-12-21T20:30:00.002-06:00

When I first started this blog,I didn't really do it properly.I had bad writing,horribly inconsistent posts,and boring/already covered material.I wasn't really sure what I was doing,I just wanted to rant and rave about the game I love,have a place to voice my opinion and participate in supporting US soccer and the US soccer community in a small way.Now I've decided to start this blog again,with a renewed commitment to it.I promise to have at least two posts every 3 days,better quality posts,and better links.

Now,before I get started posting,let me tell you a bit about myself.
I'm Peter,a 17 year old kid living in Aurora,Illinois, about 45 minutes from Chicago.I'm a junior in high school,and play for my schools varsity team as a forward/fullback/winger/attacking mid/defensive mid/and centerback.I love music,especially punk rock and hip-hop,with a little bit of electro thrown in,and I play bass guitar.My favorite bands are The Clash,The Beatles,The Roots,and The Rolling Stones.I speak decent spanish,and half a semester of high-school french.

So,know that you know a bit about myself,let the fun begin.
(tomorrow actually.the 22nd)

mucho dinero

2008-01-30T16:46:00.000-06:00

Right I haven't posted in a while and I will get a new post in very soon, I'm just waiting for the transfer window to close,I will probably write a big post about MLS sides in the transfer market.,but I couldn't pass up the story from fifa.com on Gavin Glinton and the Turks and Caicos Islands National Team.Very cool.

Also reaction from Bolton v Fulham
from CCN

thanksgiving coma awakening

2007-11-25T17:09:00.000-06:00

How much you wanna bet Ruud Gullit is gonna trade away all his draft picks for players because he has no idea what to do with a draft(s)?
Still, I like the move for Mathis.

England chokes and it doesn't surprise me a bit.The players just don't seem to want it,and I feel Roy Keane is right when he says the players have serious ego issues.It seems like Beckham is the only that wants it because international games are the biggest thing he will play in from now on.

Also Fulham concedes late again.Motherfuckingcockshitdammit.HOW?WHY?Do we have bad karma or something and now its coming back to bite us in the ass?Why?????

Also also,I'm now an Udinese supporter.I've been smitten by Antiono Di Natale.And I think i just spelled his name wrong.

Right,school sucks so I might not post for a while(again).I despise all forms of mathematics.

2007-09-23T16:00:00.000-06:00

Once again, I haven't posted forever.Sorry.Anyway I have a lot of catching up to do.I'll work backwards.( I think.)

Jose Mourinho getting fired-At first I laughed my head off at this in delight,but then I realized I was going to miss him.While at times I found him annoying as hell, he was a tactical genius,and he would have guided the club to a ton of trophies if Roman Abrahimovic .
The Chelsea "exodus"-I really hope this happens,as I could see a few of these guys playing in the MLS in the very near future.Namely Andriy Shevchenko,who in my opinion is the most likely,Dider Drogba,who will probably play a few more years in Europe before coming over here,if at all,and Claude Makelele,who just signed a new contract,but is still a possibilty.
USA-Brasil-I somehow got tickets to this game and I'm glad I did.It was a good game and a good performance by the US.However their was some very shady refereeing and we should have had a penalty whe Josh Wolff was pulled down.This game should have been a draw or Brasil shoudl have one by only 1 goal.Also I was really pissed off by the large number of people wearing Brazil jerseys,especially the ones that AREN'T Brazilian.C'mon, you live in the country,speak the language, support your own freaking team.
Anyway,there is a lot more happening in the soccer world,but I've run out of time.Adios.

Ramblings

2007-08-16T17:55:00.000-06:00

I was watching Around the Horn on ESPN today, and I must say I'm really warming to Woody Paige as he defended soccer against the other crackhead idiots on there,most notably Jay Mariotti and Co.He even showed a couple of LA/Beckham posters and held up his Chelsea jersey with his name on it,which was cool.(The customized jersey,not the Chelsea bit)
This also brings up a another issue.I'm betting the average sports fan(and sportswriters,for that matter),doesn't really understand some of the finer points of soccer,all the Cups they participate in,National Team duties,transfers,and all the other things like that.I don't think so,so hopefully some of of the more soccer-savvy fans and reporters and whatnot can help explain that Joe Schmo.Lets hope so.
Steve McLaren,while I think he terribly screwed up the England job,says the MLS is top-half Championship,lower-half Premier League.Spot on.

The English Guy

2007-08-16T17:33:00.000-06:00

Game Notes on La La-DC

LA needs a target man,Pavon has to play off somebody.
I think its wrong not to play Cobi Jones, he would work well with Becks because he makes good runs and gets open,imagine him and Landon making all those runs and Becks just sitting back them feeding them both.
Avel Xavier and Joe Cannon need some help in defense,they can only do so much.Late in the game Emilio was wreaking havoc behind the defense and I thought DC would score for sure.
David Beckham is a pretty tough guy,did you see all that ice and tape he had on his ankle/shin?I could barely move with that on.

2007-08-06T13:49:00.000-06:00

Wow, I've been gone for awhile.
I'll start on July 22,when I went to see the Fire take on Celtic.
So, let me say a few things.
Who needs Beckham when we have Blanco!
He has great vision,passes well,has some flair,and scores too.He does everything.Too bad we couldn't get him earlier.I was also impressed with our latest Brazilian, Bruno Menezes.He ran all day, playing good defense and offense.A great signing.

In other MLS notes, it was great decision by Freddy Adu to go to Benfica.It is the perfect club for him and I expect him to do well there.
Beckham is still hurt, but has been classy throughout this whole deal, and I expect the Galaxy to make a late run when Beckham is healthy, but just barely miss the playoffs.Look out for the Galaxy to be a force next year,when the get everything together.

Friday the 13th

2007-07-13T15:41:00.000-06:00

Last night was a bad,bad, day to be a Fire fan.We just got destroyed.I think we are too conservative on the attack and defense.We hesitated too much when we should have just shot the ball.Blanco's not going to hesitate, hopefully he will inspire the rest of the team to actually shoot the freakin ball.

I liked that new Brazilian defender, but of course I forgot his name.I also feel bad for Pickens,he has had no help at all this season.

Pretty much the only good things last night were that one Brazilian defender,the commentary was decent,Nygwena(sp?) ridiculous goal,and the fact that Toyota Park was packed(20,000 or so) and the fans showed their support.

Much has been said about David Beckham and his whole scenario, but I just have one thing to say.
The MLS never needed saving, just publicity.

Somewhat running diary of US-Argentina

2007-06-28T18:58:00.000-06:00

9th minute-Holy Freakin Crap, Eddie Johnson just scored on a penalty.We are beating Argentina.No way.

10th-Damnit, Argentina just scored.Hernan Crespo. i don't really know what happened, chalk it up to hesitation and inexperience.

16-Maradona is in the stands.I love how he always goes out to the games and supports Argentina.

To put it simply,Riquelme scares me Badly.

Argentina is looking dangerous tonight, and its making very,very nervous.God help us.

I love the way the Spanish announcers pronounce Jonathon Bornstein.Booooorrnsteiin.Hilarious.

Boooooornsteiiin has kept Messi somewhat in check tonight,meaning he hasnt scored on us.Yet.

I'm also keeping an eye on the NBA draft, it seems my Bulls have drafted Joakim Noah.No surprise there.He'll do good.

42-Jesus, was that a shot by Veron.Nice job by Keller to tip it over the bar.It scared the crap out of me.

Okay, Halftime.
Well, we aren't dead yet
I will probably have to end the commentary right now.Sorry.

Don't cry for me Argentina!!
(sorry, but how could i not use that line).

Adios
peter

2007-06-26T17:02:00.000-06:00

I like the new MLS website.ShinyyyyIt's snazzy and a bit more easy to use.
Just wanted to spread the good word, thats all.

CHAMPIONS!!!

2007-06-24T15:07:00.000-06:00

Well done boys,well done.
I'll have game notes later in the evening.

King Henry

2007-06-22T13:33:00.000-06:00

Wow.Reports say that Thierry Henry has left Arsenal to join Barcelona for about $32 million.It seems that nothing absolutely solid has happened yet, but all of the websites and newspapers are reporting all the same thing.I honestly don't know what to think.He's the face of the franchise in Arsenal and one of the best players in the world.I'm still a bit shocked and haven't really got my thoughts in order, but if this goes through,then thats one hell of a coup for Barca.

EXTRA,EXTRA-I just want to add some things that I've picked up.It seems that Spanish media is reporting that they are 100% sure Henry is going to Barca even though Henry's agent isn't saying anything.Therefore I now consider Henry a Barcelona player.

Also, interesting note here.Sports Illustrated has this as one of the most important stories, and it is the most popular story on the whole site.ESPN, on the other hand, has the story somewhere like 5th or 6th, and doesnt really give you much information.SI does.

ESPN's Title-Reports: Soccer superstar Henry leaving Arsenal

SI-Barça lands Arsenal star Henry in $32M transfer

This is a small detail, but it seems that ESPN doesn't really like/care about soccer(which I don't think it does)and SI pays more attention to it(which it does.)Intersting.no?

2007-06-20T23:00:00.000-06:00

Right, I forgot to add this to the post below.I've been cruising the comments and message boards and the internet in general and it seems that most of the people seem to want Novak, with Chris Coleman running second.Here below is my list of my personal choices.And, yes, the list is short, but I really can't think of many and Sarachan was only fired earlier in the day.I want Chris Coleman, plain and simple.I think Cookie would be the more likely target and I would love to see him as our coach.I believe he said he is interested in coaching overseas?if he is wouldn't the MLS be perfect?I sure think so.If Coleman isn't interested, the Fire should gamble on a big coach from Europe.Here are the people that the Fire should go after.I'm not saying any of those are realistic, or that any of these make sense,but at least get your name out there and let it be known that you are in the market for a coach.This list doesnt include Chris Coleman.

Gerard Houllier, if he isn't still at Lyon.( I can't remember)
Stuart Pearce-Depends on England U-21 and if he stays,but otherwise, see #3
Glenn Roeder-He's English, he's not terrible, and he's available.
Sven Goran-Ericksson( I didn't spell that right)He would certainly make it interesting and bring publicity.
I'ma shamed to say this, starting to run out of names
Ivan Hasek-he's Czech, and Chicago has a large eastern-European population,He's had experiance at a reasonbly large and sucessful club, St Etienne, of France.I don't know if he speaks english though.

Alright I've exhausted my football intellignce and memory, so if you have any ideas, so if you have an opinion, just comment or e-mail.(cravencottager@gmail.com)
Once again, my personal choice would be Chris Coleman.

2007-06-20T22:37:00.000-06:00

Dave Sarachan is gone.I don't really know how I feel about this.I suppose thats the way I've always felt about him.To me, he was just a coach, not a person.To me at least, he never showed emotion, or passion or anything.Very boring.The Fire need a coach who's a bit crazy, like the I-forgot-my-Ritalin-this-morning quote-machine.In short, we need Jose Mourinho type, except not as big of a.........wanker, I suppose is the word I should use here.Think Ozzy Guillen-ish.You know what I mean.Someone who can bring some passion, and ,um,fire, to the Fire.
Personally, I think we need to hire a European, just to add some variety and the intangibles they bring from coaching in Europe.. Preferably Dutch or Spanish.I wonder if Johan Cruyff is interested...............Yeah, in my dreams.
Does anybody know anything about the interim guy,anything at all??
Also, I apologize for not posting in a while,as I 've been busy going to band practice( I play bass guitar)and just enjoying the first weeks of summer.
Adios

Fulham away kit

2007-06-08T13:06:00.000-06:00

Fulham FC annuounced their new away kit today.Here's a picture of it and the home kit.
The away kit is the red and black one, and the home kit is white and black.They look good, very retro.

Nani and Anderson/EPL Talk podcast/Andrew Jennings/

2007-06-05T19:18:00.001-06:00

I just saw the video of Nani and Anderson on the EPL Talk page and I am amazed.Just stunned.Anderson is a freak, to put it simply.I just tried to do his move and damn near broke my own ankles.Its amazing.He is ridiculous.Nani is great too.He doesn't have as much flair and, from what I've seen, not as much dribbling ability, but he can still play.He's a good finisher and I saw some good long-range shots.I'm looking forward to seeing them both.Best of luck to both of them.And check out this weeks EPL Talk podcast, it has a fantastic interview with Andrew Jennings.He is a great reporter and the podcast is tremendous and left me shook to the core.Go check it out.Publish Post

New home kits

2007-05-30T11:25:00.000-06:00

Fulham FC has released pictures of their new home kit, which is provided by Nike.I think it looks pretty snazzy myself.

FREDDIE

2007-05-29T21:06:00.001-06:00

Anybody else think that it would be a good idea for an MLS team to snag Freddie Ljungberg?In my opinion, there is no bad side to him coming to MLS.

2007-05-23T15:34:00.000-06:00

Congratulations to AC Milan, the 2007 UEFA Champions League Champions.

Champions Leaue Final

2007-05-23T11:54:00.001-06:00

Well, I'm sitting here in computer class and it is 12:53.I desperately tried to fake sick today so I could stay home and watch the game, but,alas, all of my tricks and methods failed to persuade my dear mother to let me stay home because I ws "sick".Oh well.I will catch the end when I get home from school, and then I will catch whatever I miss when ESPN re-airs it that evening.And now for my thoughts on the game.

GK- Reina vs Dida.Reina has been on fire this season in all competitions and can perform in the clutch(see Chelsea v Liverpool).Dida on the other hand, is still good, but still seems to make basic errors, such as not covering his far post.( see AC Milan v Man U)

Advantage-Liverpool

DEF-This is interesting.I'm embarassed about this, but i know very little about each team's defense, so what I say next may or may not make sense.AC Milan has the advantage on the wings, but Liverpool is stronger in the center of defense.Once again, this might come down to who plays where.

Advantage-None

MID-Depends where Gerrard, Kaka, and Seedorf play, but in my opinion Kaka and Seedorf alone outclasses Liverpool's midfield, even with Gerrard.And don't forget about Gattuso.The game will be won in the midfield.

Advantage-AC Milan

ATT-Crouch and Kuyt are very interesting in attack, but it depends on which Crouch shows up, the flamingo in the mud, or a potent offensive threat.Gerrard can always blast in a long range effort and a few defenders may float up too.AC Milan is always dangerous when Ighazi is on the field, but most of Milan's attack comes from the midfield with Seedorf and Kaka.

Advantage-Liverpool.Their bench gives them the advantage here.

My prediction-AC Milan 3-Liverpool FC 2

Trade

2007-05-23T11:53:00.000-06:00

Well, it really sucks to be Alecko Eskanderian right now.Have fun in soccer hell, also known as RSL.

French League standings.

2007-05-15T11:39:00.000-06:00

While the French Ligue 1 title has already been won by Olympique Lyon, their is still a really tight race on who gets the CL and UEFA Cup spots.The relegation battle is pretty much over.
2 games left to play

Olympique Lyon-78 already clinched title and CL spot
Marseille-58
Lens-56
Bordeaux-56
Sochaux-54
Rennes-53
Toulouse-52

Man City releases Beasley

2007-05-15T11:33:00.000-06:00

Man City has released a list of those players who they have released this year, inluding one of my favorites Demarcus Beasley.

STOITCHKOV!!!

2007-05-09T20:50:00.000-06:00

Holy Freakin Crap.Hristo Stoitchkov, the mad Bulgarian,has an official website.For some reason this strikes me as absolutely amazing.Here it is.

Run-DmB

2007-05-08T16:55:00.000-06:00

While browsing Du Nord, I checked out an article on Man City and how they are going to clean house this summer and on the page there was a poll asking which player they wanted to stay.Beasley had 60 percent of the votes!!Congrats to Beasley on being a fan favorite, its just too bad the management doesnt care.However, its probably better for Beasley to go back to PSV,as they are a hell of a lot better than Citeh.

2007-05-01T19:33:00.000-06:00

I'll cover the MLS first.

I love the Thursday night games.It gives me something to look forward during the week and school.I love the technology, even if some of it is kinda pointless.
The only thing that I don't like is the commentators.Dave O'Brien is terrible.I mean bad.He talks too much and seems to panic slightly if their is a silent moment.He's just to much of an American announcer, thats the only way I can put it.I watched Liverpool v Chelsea earlier today and Tommy Smith ans Derek Rae are amazing and they now when to to talk and when not to.More on that game later.
Eric Wynalda is good, slightly annoying, but still good.When they have Tommy Smythe ( Smith,Smyth,?) it is excellent.Allen Hopkins is way too good to just be a sideline reporter.I was watching one of my favorite movies, Goal: The Dream Begins, and I discovered that he was a main consultant/producer on the film.He truly loves soccer and ESPN is shoving him to a sideline role?Thats just stupid.
This one is slightly random, but I loved the interview a few weeks ago when Hopkins interviewed Martin Gramatica.I didn't know he was a soccer fan.He knows what he's talking about and even congratrulated Waldo on his interview a few weeks ago.Nice.HOORAY MARTIN GRAMATICA
I suppose I should actually cover something besides Thursday night games, so here it goes.
Toronto FC has good talent, but aren't doing anything.No goals, no points.Why?
Oh D.C. , where did you go?What the hell is happening with them?However, I still think they recover and make a good postseason run,but I mean, c'mom, what is qrong with them?
NYRB and Chicago are on,um,fire so far.You can see the European influence on this team.They control the ball, play good defense, and above all they play smart.They dont rush anything and they protect the ball. Chicago defence is playing well, so Chicago is playing well.I'm surprised the offense has stepped up this well, but hey, I'm not complaining.Just wait till Blanco comes, as I suspect that the offense will begin to play as well as defence.Be afraid, be very afraid.KC has also played really well and have surprised me a lot with their offensvie punch and teamwork.I saw them play the Fire at Toyota Park awhile ago and even though we beat them pretty good, I could tell that KC is a contender this year.
Columbus is a huge surprise in a way.I mean they have been terrible for almost their whole existence, but then again, you have to eventually play good, dont you?
I have to run, more MLS notes to come.

2007-05-01T19:31:00.000-06:00

Sorry I have been gone for a while, as my laptop decided that it didn't want to work.Lots of news have been happening since I last posted so I have to make up for lost time.

2007-04-11T17:30:00.000-06:00

American Football star Chad Johnson has an interview on espn about soccer.Nice to see a high-profile athlete taking an interest in soccer.It's good for the game.Funny how after Beckham more people seem to be "coming out" and saying that they like soccer.

2007-04-10T21:16:00.000-06:00

Here's another Coleman article, this time from FulhamUSA.com.

2007-04-10T21:14:00.002-06:00

Fulham's official website article about Coleman's firing.

2007-04-10T21:14:00.001-06:00

Fulham has decided to sack manager Chris Coleman.Here's an article about from uefa.com.
He will be replaced by Lawrie Sanchez.
Wow.I can't believe this happened.This a surprise to me.I figured he would be fired sometime, but not right now.It ought to be interesting to see what effect this has on Fulham.

2007-04-04T11:58:00.000-06:00

The more I learn about Blanco, the more I like him and the more I am glad we signed him.

He should be a great addition to the team.On the local news, the Fire actually had a lot of coverage.Only the Bears possibly trading Lance Briggs got more.Their was even an article in the Sun-Times, which was nice.The article also said that fan favorite and team captain Chris Armas will probably retire at the end of the season.So that makes 2 MLS originals retiring, him and Cobi Jones.

Also, I think its really stupid that no MLS team wants Kasey Keller.I bet teams in Europe wouldn't mind having him, and yet the MLS is to good for him or something.C'mon thats ridiculous.

2007-04-02T11:57:00.000-06:00

God, Thank you for Eric Wynalda.When I first heard him talk, I didn't really like him.But now I do.He's a good announcer, a good analyst, he speaks his mind, he's not some ESPN puke stuck with the dreaded soccer game because nobody else wants do it, he actually loves the game and he can identify with American soccer fan.This guy is my new favorite person, I guess( Bobby Boswell and Brian McBride are tied for second)Anyway, check out this interview.

2007-04-02T11:42:00.001-06:00

Uh-Oh. Montella's not happy.

2007-04-02T11:04:00.000-06:00

Today, or yesterday, I'm not sure, the Chicago Fire acquired Cuauhtemoc Blanco from Club America using their DP slot.To tell you the truth,( and I'm ashamed to admit it,) I know very little about him.From what I've read he seems to be more of a creative playmaker and a leader than a scorer, though he can score if he wants to.I'm pretty excited about this, but I have a few questions.
First, how long is his contract.He's 34 and I don't know how much he has left in the tank.
Second, the articles I have read say that he has had some knee troubles in his past, and knee injuries are always worrisome.
3rd.He will join the Fire in the summer, so he will have been playing soccer for about a 10 months straight.I don't know how effective he will be when he first arrives.
4th, where exactly does he fit in the Fire lineup?
But, enough for the bad stuff.I'm pretty excited about the signing and I can't wait to see him play.

2007-03-30T11:38:00.000-06:00

Ok, I have a question.
Barry Bonds was seen wearing a Mexico scarf while he was posing for a picture.
A while ago Barry Bonds was also seen wearinga DCU shirt in spring training.
Why?
Hopefully he is getting interested in soccer, and when an athlete as famous as he is takes an interest in something, there's a good chance it will receive some publicity.
Personally I've never really liked Barry Bonds, ,but now since I think he likes soccer I dont really care.

Yawn

2007-03-29T11:50:00.000-06:00

U.S.A. vs Guatemala Thoughts and Stuff
That was really, really boring.I hate it when teams do that but I dont really know what else the Guatemalens could do.

Carlos Ruiz is really fun to watch, and he's also pretty good,especially at losing his marker.

Frankie Simek, Michael Bradley, and Benny Feilhaber really impressed me.Funny how the U.S.'s next generation of midfielders were all raised overseas or have played all their lives overseas except for Michael Bradley, but he's the coach's son.

Justin Mapp had some good runs, but you could tell he was just lacking experience as Wynalda pointed out.He's going to be good when he gets older.

I'm really starting to warm to Eric Wynalda, as he's not afraid to tell the truth and speak his mind, and I respect that.

Roy Williams was there with Freddy Adu, thought he didn't seem very interested.It's too bad that watched a crappy game instead of a good one.Freddy needs to drag him to a few Copa America games or something.Take him to something exciting for Christ's sake.

Overall, it ws just an alright game and good test for the U.S. team.I suppose U.S. fans better get used to this as I have a feeling that we will see this often as we play teams that can't match our pace or scoring ability.

Victory

2007-03-26T12:14:00.000-06:00

Lots of soccer-related news this weekend, but I don't have much time so I will only cover the U.S.-Ecuador game.
My Thoughts...
Landon Donovan was really on today,why can't he be like this every game.
Donovan's third goal ws absolutley ridicolous
An MLS team needs to sign Tenorio
You could tell Ecuador needed Delgado today, as the couldn't finish anything.

I'm not Irish, so don't freaking touch me!!

2007-03-18T15:35:00.000-06:00

Fulham draws Wigan 0-0
St Etienne beats Troyes 3-1
Chicago Fire lose another preseason game, this time 4-3 to FC Dallas.
MLS season starts in 19 days or so, according to mlsnet.com.

On an eurosport.com poll asking who should be back on the English national team, 62% said that David Beckham should be back on the squad.Interesting.

Also Houston Dynamo beat Pachuca and D.C. United tie CD Guadalajara.

Also, I spent most of today( Sunday) watching Ajax v PSV Eindhoven on Telemundo( I think)

Whoa, I was watching Dutch football on a Mexican TV station on an Irish holiday.
Crazy.

2007-03-13T16:43:00.000-06:00

The book I was sort-of talking about in the previous post is called"National Pastime:How Americans play Baseball and the Rest of the World Plays Soccer."by Stefan Szymanski and Andrew Zimbalist.This a fantastic and you should go buy it or something.Lots of stuff I didnt know before and does a great job of comparing the 2 sports.Here it is on Amazon.com.

2007-03-13T16:37:00.000-06:00

As usual, I checked out Du Nord today and as usual, there was a fantastic article on there about Terry Cooke, an English MLS player for the Crapids.This is a great article and I particularly liked it because he said the MLS was a lot harder than he expected and that it is of a mid- Coca-Cola Chamionship level of play.I think this is fantastic as the MLS is on 12 years old and is already roughly the same quality of play as a league that has been around for a hell of a lot longer.I think they were started in 1890-something.I have a book about that somewhere.....
Anyway, a great article so go check it out.

2007-03-12T18:36:00.000-06:00

I just saw the pictures of Wembley Stadium in London and it looks amazing.I dont have a link or anything, but i considered Wembley so amazing I did a report on it for school.It looks a hell of a lot better than the luxury spaceship that is Soldier Field.Anyway, the only question that remains is who will play in the shiny new stadium for the F.A. Cup final. (My prediction-Blackburn vs Manchester United, Man U wins 2-1.)Also I'm betting that Man U wins the treble beating Bayern Munich in the Champions League final.

2007-03-12T18:31:00.000-06:00

I stole this article from Du Nord.Its about Blanco and his potential deal with Chicago.This deal should go through this it just isnt going away like the Zidane rumors.I'm treating this like Blanco is already a member of the "Men In Red"( wow, I really hate that ad slogan.In fact, the MLS sucks at marketing.But I'll save that for another day.)Anyway this deal will probably be done soon, so I look forward to seeing him at Toyota Park.

2007-03-12T18:29:00.000-06:00

Fulham USA article explaining why Fulham should keep Chris Coleman.I think he should stay, as he is getting the best out of the squad.

2007-03-12T18:27:00.000-06:00

Jimmy Bullard injury update.I think this guy is a comedic genius and also a pretty good midfielder.

2007-03-12T18:22:00.000-06:00

Sorry there, I sorta dropped of the face of the earth for a week or so.A lot of stuff happened when I was gone.Fulham defender Moritz Volz wants to play for the German national team.Volz played with their youth squads but never on the "varsity" senior squad.I think he should be called up, as there is still a lot of time till 2010 South Africa.He is versatile, and really strong.I remember in the game in Man U held off 2-3 players and then went right past them.Anyway, I think he should be called up.

2007-03-05T19:16:00.000-06:00

Also, David Beckham is in the news.He injured his knee Sunday versus Getafe in a 1-1 draw.I've heard that he will be out anywhere from 4-6 weeks.I doubt that this will affect his Galaxy debut in any way shape or form, but still, its something to take note of.

2007-03-05T19:12:00.000-06:00

Olympique Lyon keeper Gregory Coupet says that he might join the MLS after he finishes his career in France or if he can't get a contract extension.He's 34 years old but goalkeepers can play forever so if he leaves for the U.S. that will be a great signing for whoever gets him.

2007-03-05T19:03:00.000-06:00

I had a mixed weekend.Fulham drew Aston Villa 1-1 as ex-Fire player Carlos Bocanegra headed in a goal.I think that Fulham, barring a Chernobyl-style meltdown, are safe from relegatoin.
St Etienne got whupped pretty good, 3-1 by rival Lyon.Some Lyon fan threw a flare into the seats and an St Etienne fan threw it back, causing a stoppage of play.Real freakin intelligent actions by both fans.
The Fire wrapped up their pre-season training as they recorded a 4-2-1 record.Seems like they had a pretty good preseaon so far.All in all, a decent weekend.

2007-03-02T16:55:00.000-06:00

Zach Thornton is now a member of the Colorado Rapids. a.k.a. the Crapids.Well,Zach was one of my favorite players and it will be weird to see him in a different uniform, but now he will see some playing time so it can't be bad for him.

2007-03-02T13:07:00.000-06:00

FulhamUSA preview of match against Aston Villa.COYW

2007-03-02T13:04:00.000-06:00

USA pretty much has 2014 or 2018 World Cup locked up.To put this mildly I'm ridiculously excited.YEAH!!!!!!!!!

2007-03-02T13:03:00.000-06:00

Arsenal- PSV preview/story.With all the injuries to Arsenal, I say PSV wins 2-1.

2007-03-02T13:01:00.000-06:00

Cool story about the guy that created a site I am a proud member of, Fulham USA.Cool story and a even better site.

2007-03-02T12:58:00.000-06:00

Zlatan Ibrahimovic will return to Swedish national team.I have always liked the Swedes and they always put up a fight.Anyone remember their game against England in 2006 WC?That was one hell of a game.

2007-03-02T12:56:00.000-06:00

Beckham wants England recall.I hope he does as it will shut most of the critics up.

2007-03-02T12:55:00.000-06:00

Here's a short Ligue 1 preview.

2007-03-02T12:53:00.000-06:00

Frank Ribery ,one of my favorite players,possibly headed to Real Madrid.

2007-03-02T12:50:00.000-06:00

D.C. United beats CD Olimpia to advance into next round.Story here.
Houston Dynamo(Who I think should just be called the Orange, as it sounds cooler)beat Puntarenas FC 2-0 to advance also.Story here.
HOORAY MLS!!!

Mexico v Venezuela

2007-03-01T16:27:00.000-06:00

Mexico beats Venezuela 3-1 in San Diego.Andres Guardado, Fernando Arce, and Cuauhtemoc Blanco score for Mexico and Daniel Arismendi for Venezuela.No surprises here.Also attendance was something like 62,000, which is good to see.

2007-02-28T16:42:00.000-06:00

Blanco to Fire? Rumors say that one Cuauhtemoc Blanco is in negiotations with the Fire.He's old and fat and not very fast, but this would still be a great signing as he would bring an experienced presence to the Fire and would help draw more Hispanic fans to the games which is never a bad thing.Maybe this will gain the MLS more respect in Mexico, which would be nice.If this signing goes through, its a win-win situation for everyone. Also, Fire games will get a lot more interesting as we will now have passionate Mexicans, drunk Poles with no shirts,30-something white guys, and soccer moms.Whoa, is this what hell is like?

2007-02-28T16:38:00.000-06:00

Brian Plotkin wants to play more.What a surprise.Still it amazes me that the Sun-Times would do an article on a Fire player, especially as he is not well-known.I want to ask why, but I am afraid that I wouldn't like the answer.
I also would like to thank a Mr. David Beckham, as he is responsible for this sudden burst of crazyness from the Sun-Times.

A new Stadium for les Verts rivals?

2007-02-28T16:18:00.000-06:00

St Etienne's rivals, Olympique Lyon unveiled plans for a new stadium today.It looks really nice and should be ready in 2010.Possible France World Cup bid in 2018 or so?I dont think so, but still intriguing.

2007-02-28T16:16:00.000-06:00

Inghazi for`Montella? Find out here

2007-02-28T16:13:00.000-06:00

Liverpool striker Robbie Fowler going to the Revs?.....
Or is he??

England and the World Cup

2007-02-28T16:10:00.000-06:00

Story analyzing Englands chances for the 2018 World Cup

2007-02-27T16:08:00.000-06:00

Story about les Verts defender/midfielder David Perquis and his future at St Etienne.If he leaves St Etienne it will be a great loss as he`is very versatile and has great skills.I really hope he doesn't leave.St Etienne plays Ligue 1 leaders Lyon on March 3

2007-02-27T16:01:00.000-06:00

Story about an amazing Italian Fulham fan.Yes, you read that right, an Italian Fulham fan.An amazing story.

2007-02-27T15:57:00.001-06:00

Another article from fulhamfc.com, this time with Carlos Bocanegra and the lost to Manchester United on Saturday.

2007-02-27T15:55:00.000-06:00

An article about Clint Dempsey and his time at Fulham so far.

2007-02-26T21:09:00.000-06:00

Phillipe Christanval talks about how much he loves Chris "Cookie" Coleman.Awwww isn't that nice.
Hey, I love Christanval too but it would be nice if he could defend every once in a while.

The Beckinators Salary

2007-02-26T20:51:00.000-06:00

Lookee what I sort of found!!!!.Article about Beckham's salary that I understand

A valiant effort, couple of Americans ,titchy Canadian's, and a Portugeuse golden boy.

2007-02-26T19:31:00.000-06:00

All right lets cross the pond to England.On Saturday my beloved Fulham played big, bad,Man U and............lost.Damn.It was actually a fantastic game as we played some great soccer right up till the 80th minute or so, at which point we started a defensive free fall that culminated in Christiano Ronaldo's 88th minute strike which won it for Man U.Fulham drew first blood as Brian McBride capitalized on a Edwin Van Der Sar mistake and coolly stroked the ball into the net.Ryan Giggs then equalized in the 28th off a nice Wayne Rooney cross.After half the game started to pickup as both teams created more chances and Fulham came agonizingly close to scoring as Tomasz Radzinski clanked a header off the crossbar off a Micheal Brown cross.This was also hilarious as the commentator said that "just when you want the big American(McBride) you get a titchy Canadian with a Polish name."Thats an instant classic call. Simon Davis had a fantastic play as he flicked the ball behind him and almost put a beautiful volley in the bottom right corner, but Van Der Sar was there to make a nice save.The teams were pretty evenly matched but Man U was starting to simply wear down Fulham as the game went on and finally, disaster struck as Ronaldo scored in the 88th minute.
Fulham played a great game but couldn't hold on for some points.Fulham desperately needs some insurance`points and will hopefully get some when they play Aston Villa next week.
Also Clint Dempsey came in as a sub in the 70th minute but didnt really do much as he is still adjusting to the Premiership.COYW"s

Sunday, Crazy, Sunday,!!!!!!

2007-02-26T19:18:00.000-06:00

First off let me start with some MLS news.The NYRB cant use their DP slot on Agustin Delgado because he is suspended by FIFA for a year.You know, this might be the first time I actually feel sorry for the Red Bulls.I watched Delgado during the World Cup and I must say, I was pretty impressed.Actually, the whole Columbian National Team impressed me.Anyway,he's pretty creative and he's good at finding space when he doesn't have the ball.This is terrible news for the Red Bulls becuase they really wanted a forward, and Delgado would have been an excellent pickup.

First Post/...2-26-07

2007-02-26T18:41:00.000-06:00

Welcome to Stark Mad Soccer.I'm a 15 year old Chicago area kid from the burbs who loves the beautiful game and everything about it but I especially love the Chicago Fire, Fulham FC, and A.S.S.E. ( St.Etienne ).I have been playing soccer since the tender age of 6 and I love it and will defend it to the death.
I figure I will update this blog a couple of times a week so check in every once in a while, eh?.Anyway, let the soccer lunacy commence.