Sorry this was a little later than usual this week. Extremely busy Sunday left my head spinning and not in the right mind to write.
Later is better than nothing, so where do we want to start?
The latest Arsenal yo-yo?
The return of Ronaldo?
The New York Red Bulls playing in the MLS Cup Final?
Actually let's take a second to look at our own American top flight competition. Isn't it fitting that the nuclear waste disposal site of the franchise -- RBNY -- finally reaches an MLS Final via winning the Western Conference. It probably couldn't be any other way.
The most interesting thing I'll be watching is how the New York area, especially the media deals with this. For years the suits at MLS head office have dreamed and opined about what a winning franchise in the Big Apple would mean. Well, here it is 13 years later.
For what it's worth, there were radio ads on WFAN sports radio on Friday and Saturday promoing the Western Conference final on FSC and update guy John Minko did announce the score on Mike Francesa's NFL show Sunday monring. Will anyone from the team be interviewed on the station in the next six days? Would a Francesa/Juan Carlos Osorio interview blow up the Astoria, Queens studio? (I'd pay money to hear someone explain to Tank how the MLS playoff format works. Could be on par with having text messaging explained to him.)
Maybe the bigger question is how many people in New York a) know the Red Bulls exist b) care. Over time the Red Bulls/Metro Stars have been lost in the shuffle like some off, off, off, off, off Broadway play. The fact the team is owned and branded by an Austrian energy drink hasn't helped either.
Even with the Giants rolling through the NFL, the Jets doing things with Brett Favre, the Yankees spending billions on players, etc. it would be nice for the New York media to actually give the team some ink for at least one week.
Upstairs, downstairs -- Should Arsenal's 2-0 loss to Aston Villa be considered that surprising? If anything we've learned the Gunners fortunes ebb and flow like a rollercoaster. The sooner everyone realizes this is a good team, not a great team we can all move on with our lives.
For what it's worth, compare the lineups between the two teams at the Emirates. Did Arsenal even have that huge an edge on a player vs. player breakdown? Let's see.
GK -- Alumnia v. Friedel -- Based on this year, even or slight edge to the Spaniard for stopping a PK Saturday.
LB -- Clichy v. Luke Young -- Despite the own-goal Sunday, edge to Arsenal.
CBs -- Silvestre/Gallas v. Davies/Laursen -- Even, both Gallas and Laursen add offense in different ways, moving forward into the action vs. set plays.
RB -- Sagna v. Cuellar -- Edge to Arsenal, due to Sagna experience in the league...and hair.
LM -- Nasri v. Ashley Young -- Edge to Villa, for now.
CMs -- Diaby/Fabregas/Denilson v. Barry/Sidwell/Petrov -- Pretty darn even, right?
RM -- Walcott v. Milner -- The young England speedster is better, but does have games where he is invisible. .
F -- Bendtner v. Agbonlahor -- Edge Villa, by a lot at the moment.
So really, the only surprise is that Aston Villa won an important game on the road under Martin O'Neill. This should be a fascinating fight for fourth place all season.
Back, bitches -- Break out your hair product, because it's now official -- Cristiano Ronaldo is back. Two goals from free kicks? Even if they were against an utterly pathetic Stoke City, they still count. I was ready to write Manchester United off after last week, the Red Devils didn't seem to have 'it' this season.
Well, as long as No. 7 is in the lineup they'll stick around like the Foo Fighters. It's probably impossible for Ronaldo to top last season, but if he somehow does we'll be treated to perhaps the finest display of soccer of all time.
Oh right, raise your hand if you had Danny Welbeck in your fantasy lineup.
Odds and ends -- Make no mistake, the blunder by Gomes against Fulham is the worse you'll see all season. I almost feel bad to write anything about it since his face after letting in Simon Davies fairly easy shot from 20+ yards go in, was that of a dead man walking. Howler, gaffe, etc. don't even do it justice. As of this writing, Carlo Cudicini is the latest name linked for take over the Tottenham goal. When it's all said and done the 10 million pounds wasted on Gomes might be the biggest snafu in recent Spurs history, which is saying something... Chelsea is just too good. Nic Anelka is definitely a darkhorse for topping the goal charts this season considering Didier Drogba is lost at sea, or lost in the Franklin Mint. ... What does it say about the rest of the league that Hull City can go four matches without a win and still be in fifth place? ... The weekly team in crisis -- Blackburn -- which drops into 18th place, meanwhile Sunderland, which beat Rovers Saturday, jumps from the drop zone to 11th. Go figure. ...
Fantasy team of the week -- Some huge scores this week thanks to a certain Manchester United player. Tops is Erik Kreibel's oldenballs with 103 points due to Ronaldo (36), Laursen (12), Bosingwa (13) and Geovanni (10). Erik gets extra dap for playing Titus Bramble. Well played, sir.
Don't forget, U.S. plays Guatemala Wednesday. More stuff in the next couple days. For now, here's the roster.
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF), Matt Pickens (out of contract)
DEFENDERS (6): Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Sean Franklin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cory Gibbs (Colorado Rapids), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Drew Moor (FC Dallas), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Freddy Adu (AS Monaco), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), John Thorrington (Chicago Fire)
FORWARDS (6): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire)
Guess Bob Bradley is giving some MLS players early Christmas presents.
Later is better than nothing, so where do we want to start?
The latest Arsenal yo-yo?
The return of Ronaldo?
The New York Red Bulls playing in the MLS Cup Final?
Actually let's take a second to look at our own American top flight competition. Isn't it fitting that the nuclear waste disposal site of the franchise -- RBNY -- finally reaches an MLS Final via winning the Western Conference. It probably couldn't be any other way.
The most interesting thing I'll be watching is how the New York area, especially the media deals with this. For years the suits at MLS head office have dreamed and opined about what a winning franchise in the Big Apple would mean. Well, here it is 13 years later.
For what it's worth, there were radio ads on WFAN sports radio on Friday and Saturday promoing the Western Conference final on FSC and update guy John Minko did announce the score on Mike Francesa's NFL show Sunday monring. Will anyone from the team be interviewed on the station in the next six days? Would a Francesa/Juan Carlos Osorio interview blow up the Astoria, Queens studio? (I'd pay money to hear someone explain to Tank how the MLS playoff format works. Could be on par with having text messaging explained to him.)
Maybe the bigger question is how many people in New York a) know the Red Bulls exist b) care. Over time the Red Bulls/Metro Stars have been lost in the shuffle like some off, off, off, off, off Broadway play. The fact the team is owned and branded by an Austrian energy drink hasn't helped either.
Even with the Giants rolling through the NFL, the Jets doing things with Brett Favre, the Yankees spending billions on players, etc. it would be nice for the New York media to actually give the team some ink for at least one week.
Upstairs, downstairs -- Should Arsenal's 2-0 loss to Aston Villa be considered that surprising? If anything we've learned the Gunners fortunes ebb and flow like a rollercoaster. The sooner everyone realizes this is a good team, not a great team we can all move on with our lives.
For what it's worth, compare the lineups between the two teams at the Emirates. Did Arsenal even have that huge an edge on a player vs. player breakdown? Let's see.
GK -- Alumnia v. Friedel -- Based on this year, even or slight edge to the Spaniard for stopping a PK Saturday.
LB -- Clichy v. Luke Young -- Despite the own-goal Sunday, edge to Arsenal.
CBs -- Silvestre/Gallas v. Davies/Laursen -- Even, both Gallas and Laursen add offense in different ways, moving forward into the action vs. set plays.
RB -- Sagna v. Cuellar -- Edge to Arsenal, due to Sagna experience in the league...and hair.
LM -- Nasri v. Ashley Young -- Edge to Villa, for now.
CMs -- Diaby/Fabregas/Denilson v. Barry/Sidwell/Petrov -- Pretty darn even, right?
RM -- Walcott v. Milner -- The young England speedster is better, but does have games where he is invisible. .
F -- Bendtner v. Agbonlahor -- Edge Villa, by a lot at the moment.
So really, the only surprise is that Aston Villa won an important game on the road under Martin O'Neill. This should be a fascinating fight for fourth place all season.
Back, bitches -- Break out your hair product, because it's now official -- Cristiano Ronaldo is back. Two goals from free kicks? Even if they were against an utterly pathetic Stoke City, they still count. I was ready to write Manchester United off after last week, the Red Devils didn't seem to have 'it' this season.
Well, as long as No. 7 is in the lineup they'll stick around like the Foo Fighters. It's probably impossible for Ronaldo to top last season, but if he somehow does we'll be treated to perhaps the finest display of soccer of all time.
Oh right, raise your hand if you had Danny Welbeck in your fantasy lineup.
Odds and ends -- Make no mistake, the blunder by Gomes against Fulham is the worse you'll see all season. I almost feel bad to write anything about it since his face after letting in Simon Davies fairly easy shot from 20+ yards go in, was that of a dead man walking. Howler, gaffe, etc. don't even do it justice. As of this writing, Carlo Cudicini is the latest name linked for take over the Tottenham goal. When it's all said and done the 10 million pounds wasted on Gomes might be the biggest snafu in recent Spurs history, which is saying something... Chelsea is just too good. Nic Anelka is definitely a darkhorse for topping the goal charts this season considering Didier Drogba is lost at sea, or lost in the Franklin Mint. ... What does it say about the rest of the league that Hull City can go four matches without a win and still be in fifth place? ... The weekly team in crisis -- Blackburn -- which drops into 18th place, meanwhile Sunderland, which beat Rovers Saturday, jumps from the drop zone to 11th. Go figure. ...
Fantasy team of the week -- Some huge scores this week thanks to a certain Manchester United player. Tops is Erik Kreibel's oldenballs with 103 points due to Ronaldo (36), Laursen (12), Bosingwa (13) and Geovanni (10). Erik gets extra dap for playing Titus Bramble. Well played, sir.
Don't forget, U.S. plays Guatemala Wednesday. More stuff in the next couple days. For now, here's the roster.
GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF), Matt Pickens (out of contract)
DEFENDERS (6): Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Sean Franklin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cory Gibbs (Colorado Rapids), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Drew Moor (FC Dallas), Michael Parkhurst (New England Revolution)
MIDFIELDERS (5): Freddy Adu (AS Monaco), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids), John Thorrington (Chicago Fire)
FORWARDS (6): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal), Davy Arnaud (Kansas City Wizards), Conor Casey (Colorado Rapids), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire)
Guess Bob Bradley is giving some MLS players early Christmas presents.
Labels: MLS, Monday recaps, Premier League, Soccer
Did you hear the announcer's call on the Gomes howler? Classic: "What a horror story!" So accurate. A horror story indeed.
Also, how cool was Ryan Taylor's goal for Wigan? Looked more like Matty Taylor!