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Soccer Banter

Off the Ball

9/30/2013

2 Comments

 
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1.  It seems false advertising is allowed by MLS. On Friday the league sent out an email to promote the Sounders-Red Bulls match.  The two players advertised - Clint Dempsey & Thierry Henry, neither dressed for the match.

2.
 Professional soccer is here to stay in America. Now we need some covered terraces at stadiums, especially in the Pacific Northwest.

3.  I've been critical of DeAndre Yedlin this season, but his ability to cross balls has improved dramatically since the start of the year.  Once he improves his passing while under pressure, he will become a member of the USMNT. 

4.  In 2014 Eddie Johnson will have a designated player contract in MLS.  The question is, will that be with Seattle? Dempsey and Martins are automatics for DP's.  Will the Sounders choose Rosales, Johnson, Alonso or someone new as their third DP?

5.  If I was the general manager of an MLS side, for the price, the first player currently in the league that I would want to build my team around...Osvaldo Alsonso. 



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6.  My sister and brother-in-law arrived in Seattle for the first time on Friday. Less than 48 hours later they had their picture taken with Eddie Johnson.

7.   Why hasn't the best ginger in MLS, Dax McCarty, been called into a USMNT camp? 

8.   In less than 24 hours the grounds crew at CenturyLink Field was able to remove the football lines on the field prior to kickoff of the Sounders-Red Bulls match. Why cant the Gillette Stadium crew do the same prior to Revolution matches?

9.  Once again, Thierry Henry, skipped out on an opportunity to play on FieldTurf.  If the Red Bulls have to play a playoff match on FieldTurf, what will the hand-ball Frenchman do? 

10.  Happy for Mike Petke that he decided to add a coat to his outfit for the second half. Is it fair to say, he has the best style of anyone that has ever attended Southern Connecticut State University? 

2 Comments

Off the Ball

9/20/2013

1 Comment

 
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1.  Best restart goal of 2013.  Maybe those parents who scream "BOOT IT" are actually onto something. 

2.  When Chelsea hosts Fulham this weekend will the Blues supporters be holding "Jose Out" signs?  If the Blues were to lose for a third straight match, would Roman fire the Special One? 

3.  An own goal of epic proportions in China. It will go down as an own goal with two assists, all from the defending team.

4.  In a 2-2 draw, has one player ever been involved in all four goals? Well history was possibly made on Monday. Jonjo Shelvey scored and assisted on both goals for Swansea. Problem was, he could also be credited for setting up both Liverpool goals. Thanks Jonjo for the point, Liverpool still top of the table!

5.  Is Clint Dempsey in a funk? He has yet to light it up for the Sounders and his two most recent performances for the USMNT would be considered by most as subpar. When will suggestions start that he needs a Landon Donovan type sabbatical? 


6.  Trap is out as Ireland manager, but is Martin O'Neill really the answer? Actually, it could be a good hire since qualifying for EURO 2016, with the tournament expanding to 24 teams, will be as easy as finishing in the top two in the Scottish Premier League. 


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7.  Kelyn Rowe is on fire for the New England Revolution with five goals in his last five games. The Revs are going to need his form to continue if they are going to sneak into the playoffs for the first time since 2009. Expect Rowe to be in January camp for the USMNT, he's one for the future. 

8.  I don't think Jurgen Klopp was asking the 4th official over for dinner during his side's loss to Napoli. Germans can be scary. 

9.  The University of North Carolina Women's Soccer team did something this week that they hadn't done since 1982.  They lost back-to-back games in regulation. To put that stat in proper context, the two schools they lost to in 1982 - Missouri-St. Louis and Cortland State - no longer play Division I women's soccer. An unbelievable streak. 


10.  The beautiful game can be a cruel one, just ask Celtic supporters. The Scottish champions went toe-to-toe with AC Milan in the San Siro Stadium for 80 minutes.  In the 81', Anthony Stokes was inches away from giving the visitors a 1-0 lead as his free kick struck the post. 90 seconds later, AC Milan scores and go on to win 2-0. Keep the Faith. 

11.  Here we go, Question of the Week: Who will win the Manchester derby? United, City, or wish both clubs could end up with a loss? Provide your answer below. 


1 Comment

Off the Ball

9/6/2013

1 Comment

 
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1.  Great to have the transfer window behind us, now we can all focus on what truly matters - Liverpool is top of the table!

2.  Is this is how David Moyes responded to Wayne Rooney's transfer request? If so, Sir Alex Fergsuon's hair dryer treatment at halftime wasn't so bad after all. 

3.  Speaking of Liverpool, John Barnes post-playing career as a manager hasn't gone too well, but now he has a new profession to fall back on. I said a hip hop, the hippie the hippie.

4. Question of the Week: In order, predict the top four places in the Premier League this season.  Add your answer in comment section below.

5.  Unfortunately, I have watched Chivas USA play twice, live and in-person, in the last month. 180 minutes of my life I will never get back.  Also a good reminder that the lean years of the New England Revolution (2010-2012) were still better than watching the Goats play. 



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6.  Great to have international soccer back this week in matches that mean something. Would be even better if Glenn Whelan hadn't been named in Giovanni Trapattoni's Ireland squad to face Sweden. 

7.  Remember the Snow Clasico? A lot has changed since the buildup for that match. Klinsmann is now seen as the savior, leading the USMNT on a 12-match winning streak while being crowned Gold Cup champions. To keep the streak alive, the United States will have to do something it's never done before - take three points from Costa Rica on the road.  

8.  Winner for supporter of the year goes to David Feeney. We have all gone to extreme measures to try to watch our favorite team, but Mr. Feeney took it one step further - he bought the broadcasting rights for Ireland's match vs Sweden.



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10.  Congratulations to the Portland Thorns on winning the first ever NWSL championship.  After watching their team quite a few times, always felt they had the talent, but were missing some grit to win it all.  They proved quite a few people wrong with both wins in the playoffs coming on the road. 

11.  One of the Thorns heroes during their overtime come from behind win against FC Kansas City in the semifinals was Tiffany Weimer, who scored the tying goal and set-up the winning goal. I've known Tiff for over ten years - when nutmegging players, scoring goals, and making sarcastic comments were the only things that mattered to her. It's great to see her still doing all those things, but even greater to see her sharing her passion for the beautiful game with her own soccer publication, Our Game Magazine. 

12.  College soccer season is in full swing and if you need a team to cheer for, you could do a lot worse than cheering for the University of Massachusetts men's soccer team. Head coach, Sam Koch was hired in 1991 to coach the team for three months as the school had chosen to terminate the program after that fall season. Always the battler, Sam has kept the program going, and in 2007 did the unthinkable: with less than three scholarships, he led his team to the NCAA Final Four. For the past year, Koch has faced an even tougher test off the field - cancer. But just as he fought to save the program 23 years ago, Sam fights this battle with wit and sarcasm still in tact.  This fall, follow the Minutemen and Koch - they both deserve some extra supporters.


13.  It seems like just yesterday I was watching Bobby Rhine score goals in Storrs for UConn. A must read article by Nick Firchau looking at the passing of Bobby Rhine two years later. 

14.  The country that claims to have invented football is starting Rickie Lambert up front in a must-win World Cup Qualifier. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. 

15.  Ok, I'm off to find an establishment in Portland, OR that has GOL TV. Come On You Boys in Green. 


1 Comment

    Brendan Faherty

    Faherty is currently the Assistant Women's Soccer Coach at the University of Washington. He passionately supports four clubs, but is always following the game at many different levels. 



    Off the Ball
    Random observations from the last week of soccer. 



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Soccer Banter: Been Kicking Since March 1, 2011