Premiership Preview--15. Manchester City

15. Despite finishing in 14th place last season, Manchester City was tied for the fewest goals scored in the Premiership with 29. They set a Premiership record for fewest goals scored at home with 10, and even with a new, wealthy owner (Thaksin Shinawatra) and a high-profile manager (Sven-Goran Eriksson), Manchester City has done very little to address their goalscoring needs or to improve the club. With that being said, it's still only July, and the transfer window is open through August so the possibility of acquiring new players is still there, but at this point Manchester City seemed destined for another disappointing season.

When a team is arguably making more news for the players that are leaving then the players they're bringing in, that's not a good sign. Already this summer stalwart defender Sylvain Distin departed for Portsmouth after being a fixture in the center of defense for City since 2002-2003 (when he was voted their Player of the Year), Hatem Trabelsi, a Tunisian defender/midfielder who made 20 league appearances for City, most of them on the right side, was released, and most notably, Joey Barton left for Newcastle. Barton came up through the youth ranks at Manchester City and earned more and more playing team as he got older. He was the team's best midfielder and most talented player, but numerous off-field and on-field controversies led him and the club to move on. Bulgarian winger Martin Petrov has been brought in from Atletico Madrid after scoring just 3 goals in 45 league games for them, but the key signing was striker Rolando Bianchi from Reggina. Bianchi will have to prove that he can score goals in the Premiership after having an impressive season in Serie A, but as Andriy Shevchenko showed last year, coming over from Italy doesn't necessarily equate to great results in England. Bianchi will now have to adjust to the much faster pace of the game and deal with teams who have much better defenders than teams in the Serie A.

The schedule doesn't look to be too difficult for Manchester City. They've got only one real long, tough stretch of games, but unfortunately it comes towards the end of the season when it could be make-or-break time for the Blues. February 2-April 8 brings 9 league games, including trips to Manchester United, Bolton, Reading, and Birmingham (who by that time may be desperate) and home games against Arsenal, Everton, Wigan, Tottenham, and Chelsea. Manchester City shouldn't be anywhere near the relegation zone, but they don't want to leave anything to chance. That run of games will be very difficult, particularly for a team that doesn't score many goals and will probably give up their fair share of goals this season with a young defense. City is away to Liverpool and Middlesbrough to finish the year, but I expect they'll be in decent shape by then.

Bottom Line-Manchester City won't be relegated unless disaster strikes during the beginning-middle of the season when they're playing games they should take points from. As I said before, the defense is extraordinarily young with the departures of Stephen Jordan, Hatem Trabelsi, and Sylvain Distin. Micah Richards and Nedum Onouha (both possible starters; Richards is for certain) are 19 and 20 years of age respectively. If Bianchi can score 12-15 league goals, that would be a huge boost for a club that probably will struggle to score again this season. Look for Manchester City to make some noise in the 2008-2009 season and beyond, but they're too young to challenge for any European spot this year.

Premiership Preview--16. Middlesbrough

16. Last season, 16th-12th positions were separated by only 7 points, and I have a feeling that this year, that gap will be just as close, if not smaller. There isn't much separating teams at those spots in the table, and it's almost a crapshoot predicting what teams will finish where.

Middlesbrough should, at 16th, be closer to safety than their place indicates. They're one step above the relegation battle but two or three steps below the teams challenging for the UEFA Cup spots, and to me, that indicates mid-bottom end of the league table. This is a team that finished 12th last year and limped through the home stretch of the Premiership season before winning their last two games. They didn't get much better this summer and with the considerable improvements that the teams who finished under Middlesbrough last year made, it's going to be Gareth Southgate's team near the bottom.

Middlesbrough essentially swapped strikers this offseason, acquiring the younger (but smaller) Tuncay Sanli and letting Mark Viduka, who scored some big goals for the club in his three seasons at the Riverside, go to Newcastle. Sanli comes over from Turkish club Fenerbahce, where he averaged roughly a goal every three games. However, it usually takes at least a season for players who come to England from somewhere else in Europe to adjust to the high level and fast-paced style of game played in the Premier League. Middlesbrough also brought in 24-year old Jeremie Aliadiere from Arsenal to boost their attacking punch and right-back Luke Young from relegated Charlton to help shore up a defensive unit that gave up 15 goals in the last 9 games of 2006-2007 season and also lost Stuart Parnaby and Abel Xavier this summer.

Middlesbrough's schedule can essentially be divided into three parts: Two long, extremely difficult stretches of games against teams expected to finish in, or at the very least challenge for, European places this season, and the rest of the games against mid-lower table sides that Middlesbrough will have to take as many points as they can from. From September 30-December 8, Middlesbrough will play 9 league games. Out of those 9, they'll be favored in just one of them, and even it's no guarantee (an away game at Manchester City). Also in that long stretch are home games with Chelsea, Tottenham, Aston Villa, and Arsenal, as well as road matches at Everton, Manchester United, Bolton, and Reading. As if that run of games wasn't difficult enough, there's also a killer finish to the season. February 23-April 26, a span of 10 league games, sees just one "gimme" (a home game with Derby County). Trips to Liverpool, Aston Villa, Arsenal, Chelsea, Tottenham, and Sunderland are also included, as are home dates with Reading, Manchester United, and Bolton. Those two stretches make up 19 games in total, half the total schedule. 57 points are possible from those games but I can't see Middlesbrough getting more than 20, certainly no more than 25. That means Middlesbrough will have to take care of business in their other games to assure themselves of another season in the Premiership.

Bottom Line-Middlesbrough should stay up, though the schedule-makers didn't do them any favors this season. It will be essential for Tuncay Sanli to have a productive season because Middlesbrough don't have a stable of strikers who can put the ball in the net. After Yakubu, the talent level drops to the likes of Jason Euell and Lee Dong-Gook. Ouch.

Premiership Preview--17. Sunderland

17. Championship winner Sunderland should acquit themselves better this time around in the Premiership then they did in their last season there (2005-2006) when they recorded just 15 points and were the joke of the league. Irish manager Roy Keane took over the reins a few games into the Championship season last year and turned what was a disatrous start into a promotion for the Wearside club.

The difference between Sunderland and the three teams below them could very well turn out to be the higher level of talent that Sunderland brought in this summer. Derby County, Birmingham, and Wigan didn't really improve their team; in fact, Wigan's team looks worse (at least on paper) than the side they put on the field last season. Sunderland acquired, amongst others, Kieran Richardson from Manchester United to give the team some pace and skill on the wing, fellow 22-year old Greg Halford, who's extremely versatile and should start in the back, and 23-year old striker Michael Chopra, who scored 22 goals in 42 league matches for Cardiff City last season. This infusion of youth will help provide some excitement and speed to a team that, if they can manage to stay up this season, should be on the rise and has the potential to be a better team down the road. By the same token, there's not a whole lot of players with considerable top-flight experience, other than Dwight Yorke and maybe Kieran Richardson. Young players are extremly susceptible to pressure and aren't as well-suited for competitive, high-level games as veterans are. If these players can grow up and mature on the fly, Sunderland should stay up.

Sunderland's schedule also sets up in a way that seems to give the club every chance to remain in the Premiership. December is the toughest month by far, with road games at Chelsea and Reading and home dates with Aston Villa, Bolton, and Manchester United. Their four games in April are all against mid-table teams, so 8-10 points wouldn't be unreasonable, and just 30 points from all of their previous games should mean safety for the Black Cats. The last two matches of the year could be make-or-break for Sunderland, with a trip to Bolton followed by a home match with Arsenal on the last day of the season.

Bottom Line-As I said before, if Sunderland's young players grow up and accept the pressure of playing in England's top flight, this club has the talent to stay up. Roy Keane is the type of manager who will get the best out of his players through whatever means necessary. His fiery personality should transfer itself onto his players and in the end, Sunderland will remain in the Premiership.

Premiership Preview--18. Wigan Athletic

18. It's going to be one place away from safety for Wigan Athletic this season, as they'll return to the Championship after two years in England's top flight. The drop would cap off the wild ride Wigan supporters (all 4 of them, as evidenced by low attendance at JJB Stadium) have been on in recent years. Three seasons ago, Wigan clinched second place in the Championship on May 8, assuring themselves of a Premiership spot. The next year, Wigan finished in the top half of the Premiership and had a chance to play in Europe, though they turned down their place in the Intertoto Cup. Last year, they narrowly avoided relegation by beating Sheffield United on the last day of the season.

Wigan's one good signing this summer, Welsh international midfielder Jason Koumas, is an underrated move that should pay dividends for a club that was in dire need of a midfield playmaker. However, Wigan still took one step forward and two steps back with the addition (or is it subtraction??) of Titus Bramble, a once-promising defender who is now known more for his comical blunders in the back than anything else, and the departure of Lee McCulloch, who made 224 league appearances for Wigan since 2001. The club will also be counting on new acquisition Antoine Sibierski to step up and score some big goals this season. There's still a chance that Leighton Baines, the young left-back, will leave the club this summer. Baines rejected a move to Sunderland recently and it now appears that Everton, Baines' childhood team, are the front-runners for his services.

Without Paul Jewell in charge, Wigan don't look to have much chance of staying up. Jewell took Wigan from League Two in 2001 to the Premiership in 2005. New manager Chris Hutchings has been at the helm only one other time during his coaching career, a stint with Bradford City from June-November 2000. He recorded 7 wins, 4 draws, and 10 losses during that time and then was sacked. He's been assistant manager at Wigan for the past six seasons, but I thought Wigan needed to go get a more experienced, higher-profile coach this summer and they failed to do that.

The schedule is fairly navigable up through November, and Wigan will need to take as many points as they can from the 11 games they'll play to that point. November brings Chelsea, Tottenham, and Arsenal (the latter two on the road), and it's likely they'll take no points from those three games. A trip to Bolton in early December doesn't make things much easier. Their three matches in February could turn out to be the pivotal point for Wigan this season. They're home to West Ham and Derby County, with an away match at Sunderland sandwiched in between. Wigan will probably need to take maximum points out of those games if they're in trouble heading into February, because their last five matches are as difficult as they come (Chelsea and a much improved Aston Villa side away, Tottenham, Reading, and Manchester United at home).

Bottom Line-If Wigan lose Leighton Baines this summer, give them absolutely no chance to stay up; put them below Birmingham in the end-of-year table. It may take a managerial change in the middle of the season to bring life into a club that just doesn't have the personnel to stay up.

Premiership Lookalikes

They say that everyone in this world has someone who looks exactly like them. Well, these gentlemen may not be the people who that nice little saying refers to, but for me, it's a good start. Feel free to think of some more Premiership figures who look like American celebrities. Players or managers, I don't care. Ready, set, go!


1. Steve Bruce (Birmingham City) and Jay Leno (Tonight Show)



2. Alan Curbishley (West Ham) and James Denton (Desperate Housewives)..well, maybe an older James Denton..

Premiership Preview: 20 Teams, 10 Days--20. Derby County, 19. Birmingham City

Over the next 10 days, starting from the bottom, I will preview my predicted order of finish for each of the 20 Premiership teams. I'll summarize their major transfers in and out, take a look at how their schedule sets up, and explain my reasoning for where I believe they'll end up in the table after this season.



19. Fellow Premiership returnees Birmingham City also should end the season with a return ticket to the Championship. The Blues spent only one season back in the second tier of English soccer, but manager Steve Bruce (aka Jay Leno, more on that later) will have to do a wonderful job of coaching to keep this club up.

Birmingham made a couple of solid moves this summer, including bringing in the young Dutch midfielder Daniel de Ridder and making Fabrice Muamba's loan deal from Arsenal permanent. Stuart Parnaby provides depth with his versatility at the back. Steve Bruce also appears confident that they will sign midfielder Hossam Ghaly from Tottenham by this weekend, but the move that now appears unlikely is the acquisition of Mido, also from Tottenham. The departure of DJ Campbell is the only real loss to a side that finished runners-up in the Championship last season.

If Birmingham are to have any hope for staying up, they'll need big seasons from their strikers, Cameron Jerome and Mikael Forssell. Forssell has been a disappointment since he made his loan deal from Chelsea permanent in 2005, scoring just 4 goals in 35 league games since. Jerome is a very talented young player but scored only 7 goals in 37 league games in 2006. Radhi Jaidi, a Tunisian defender, scored 6 goals in 37 league games for Birmingham by comparison, so increased production from the strikers will be vital for Birmingham.

August opens up with a bear of a match at Stamford Bridge, where Chelsea is undefeated for 2+ years of league games. The rest of the month shapes up far easier for the Blues, but in September they play Bolton, Liverpool, and Manchester United in successive weeks (Bolton and Manchester Utd. at home). With the new year comes Manchester United, Arsenal, and Chelsea also in consecutive weeks, with the first two of those games away from St. Andrew's. The home stretch of games is manageable enough, and even if Birmingham can take care of business in those games, they'll still need to steal some points from games in which they'll be the heavy underdogs.

Bottom Line-Birmingham will be a lot closer to safety then they will be to 20th place, but they still will be relegated.



20. Bringing up the rear, I've got Derby County. Back in the Premiership after a five-year absence, the Rams have a tough season ahead of them. They've brought in no real players of note, though Robert Earnshaw could turn out to be a decent buy, and on top of that, they'll start the season without talented midfielder Giles Barnes. Barnes looks certain to miss the season opener at home against Portsmouth, and is highly doubtful to play in either of the two consecutive away matches after that.

September trips to Liverpool and Arsenal won't help the Rams get off to a much-needed good start, and they also play Tottenham on the road in August as well as Reading the first week of October. Everton, Newcastle, Bolton, and Portsmouth (all UEFA Cup spot contenders) make up 4 of the first 5 home games. The run-in towards the end isn't much easier, as Derby plays Manchester United and Chelsea on consecutive weekends in March and finish up with Blackburn and Reading (Blackburn away, Reading home). It looks fairly certain that Derby won't get off to a good start, and with a pretty tough schedule towards the end of the season, they'll have to make hay during the winter months to have any chance of staying in the Premiership.

Bottom Line-Derby will head back down to the Championship. No if's, and's, or but's.

Freddie Ljungberg Completes Move to West Ham

Swedish international star Freddie Ljungberg sealed a move to West Ham yesterday, ending a decade-long run with Arsenal and with it, his tenure as the longest-serving player of the famed North London club. In total, he appeared 325 times in all competitions for Arsenal, scoring 72 goals, but injuries severely limited his impact with the team in his last three seasons, as he played in only 69 of the possible 114 Premier League games.

His move across London is just another of the flurry involving West Ham this summer. Ljungberg joins Craig Bellamy and Scott Parker at Upton Park, and one of the biggest reasons for his transfer is the club's chairman, Eggert (aka Elf-Ears) Magnusson, a fellow Swede:

“And why I want to join is because of Magnusson. He wants to bring them forward to be top of the country.

“He’s willing to go to the transfer market to buy top players and mix them with youth players. West Ham have a great academy.

“He wants to help take the club up and take them to the top in England. It’s a big challenge for me."

West Ham are not exactly stacked in midfield and if Ljungberg can stay healthy, he'll surely play a vital role for a team with European ambitions this season. If they can somehow hold on to Carlos Tevez, their fire would just be stoked even more and West Ham would be a serious contender for a European place.

New Jerseys for Middlesbrough

Here's a look at Middlesbrough's new jerseys for the 2007-2008 Premier League campaign. The club has replaced former sponsor 888.com with Garmin, a satellite navigation company based in the Kansas City metropolitan area. Middlesbrough's new logo is featured prominently, which is a refreshing change from the uniforms that splash the sponsor's name in huge lettering across the jersey and leave little room for the club's crest to show. I like both jerseys a lot; maybe a bit plain for my taste, but overall, two nice jerseys. They should be available for purchase around the middle of August.
Jersey designer: Errea

•Image courtesy of footballshirts.co.uk

Chris Eagles

I was watching highlights from the Manchester United-FC Seoul friendly yesterday and noticed something about the goal Chris Eagles scored (more on that in a bit). He also scored the final goal against Everton in Man U's 4-2 victory on April 28, the win that essentially wrapped up the Premiership for the club. It was his first ever goal for Manchester United.

What's the point of this post, you ask? Check out the clips of these two goals scored by Eagles. When was the last time you saw another young player open his body and place the ball to the right corner the way Chris Eagles does? These are two good goals.

1. @ Everton: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XyhBI7rnP-E

2. vs. FC Seoul: http://www.dailymotion.com/related/4336920/video/x2kygg_fc-seoul-0-2-manchester-united-eagl_sport/1

Saturday Night's Alright-for Soccer

We've got two friendlies on tap tonight, both of which are set to kickoff at 8:30 PM here on the East Coast. Though nearly all of America knows that Chelsea is in suburban Los Angeles to take on the Galaxy (with or without David Beckham), Everton's preseason tour in the US has been far less publicized. The Merseyside club's first stop is in Salt Lake City to play MLS Western Conference bottom-dweller Real Salt Lake.


Everton also announced that they too would be coming to Los Angeles. This Tuesday (July 24), they are set to face the Premier Development League's Ventura County Fusion at the Home Depot Center. The PDL is considered to be the 4th tier of American soccer, with most of its teams, including Ventura County, playing at high school fields.


I have nothing to say about the Chelsea-LA Galaxy game tonight (8:30 PM, ESPN) that hasn't been said by the media already; this game is the most hyped soccer event in recent memory, though for reasons other than the actual game (David Beckham, cough, cough).

Everton's Schedule:
Tonight: @ Real Salt Lake (8:30 PM ET, GolTV)
Tuesday, July 24: vs. Ventura County Fusion (TV TBA)

Stuart Pearce Becomes Full-Time England U-21 Manager

Former England left-back and Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce has been named as the permanent England U-21 manager today. Pearce was handed the temporary reins in January and led England's youngsters to the semifinals of the European Under-21 Championships in June. The squad's results in Holland obviously influenced the FA's decision to hire Pearce on a full-time basis; but let's be honest, with the talent level on that team, the semifinals should've been a given (especially with only 8 teams participating in the tournament), and surely expectations in England were higher than that.

Sir Trevor Brooking, the FA's Director of Football Development, says he was impressed by Pearce's achievements this summer:

"Stuart did an excellent job with the Under-21s last season and they came incredibly close to reaching the final in Holland. His record and achievements as a player set a great example for any young player. As a coach he already has a wealth of experience at the top level including taking all of his coaching badges with the FA right through to the Pro Licence. He will be a superb addition to our coaching team working with the young players who we hope will become the England internationals of the future."

Personally, I have mixed opinions about Pearce as a manager. His outstanding career as a player both for club and country is well-documented, but I think he's given more leeway as a manager simply because he was a great player, and that's not right.

Some very talented young players came through the ranks at Manchester City while Pearce was in charge there, the likes of Stephen Ireland, Micah Richards, Nedum Onouha, Ishmael Miller, and Daniel Sturridge among them, but how much of their skill can be attributed to Pearce's guidance? For me, naming Pearce as the manager of the U-21 national team, where the future of England's senior national team can be found, is a questionable move.

Harewood to Aston Villa, Richardson to Sunderland

Marlon Harewood finally left West Ham officially today to sign a three-year contract with Aston Villa. The 27-year old striker scored 47 goals in 142 Premier League appearances with West Ham after joining the East London side from Nottingham Forest, and now gives Aston Villa four solid options at the striker position (Ashley Young, John Carew, and Gabriel Agbonlahor being the other three). Harewood may have been influenced by his old teammate Nigel Reo-Coker's move to Villa this summer. The transfer fee was $7.1 million US, which is a relatively cheap sum of money with the way strikers have been going this summer, especially when you consider Harewood is a proven goalscorer with the exception of this season.


Kieran Richardson moved to Sunderland yesterday, and I believe this signing will lead to nothing but good things for the newly-promoted club. Richardson was never given much of a chance with Manchester United as they had Ryan Giggs and Cristiano Ronaldo playing on the wings, and the champions' acquisition of Nani over the summer basically shut the door on Richardson's career in Manchester.

That said, he's still only 22 years old and at one time, Richardson was one of the hottest young prospects around. He's signed a four-year contract to play for his former teammate at Manchester United, Roy Keane, and like I said before, this could be a very rewarding move for both parties involved. Richardson needs to play regularly to improve and to reclaim a spot on the English national team and Sunderland will benefit from Richardson's pace and considerable talent. The transfer fee is rumored to be somewhere around $11 million US, but that's not an outlandish price for a still-young player who can really help Sunderland for the next four seasons.

Roundup of Recent Friendlies

•Manchester City-3, Doncaster-1
•Manchester City-4, Orgryte-1
•Manchester City-2, Shrewsbury-0
•Manchester City-0, Valencia-1
•Arsenal-2, Barnet-0
•Arsenal-3, Genclerbirligi-0
•Arsenal-0, SV Salzburg-1
•Arsenal-2, Paris Saint-Germain-1 (Emirates Cup)
•Arsenal-2, Inter Milan-1 (Emirates Cup; Arsenal wins Emirates Cup)
•Arsenal-2, Lazio-1 (Amsterdam Tournament)
•Liverpool-3, Crewe-0
•Liverpool-3, Werder Bremen-2
•Liverpool-2, Auxerre-0
•Liverpool-3, South China-1 (Barclays Asia Trophy)
•Liverpool-2, Shanghai Shenhua-0 (Port of Rotterdam Tournament)
•Liverpool-1, Feyenoord-1
•Bolton-2, Chivas Guadalajara-0 (Peace Cup)
•Bolton-2, Racing Santander-1 (Peace Cup)
•Bolton-0, Lyon-1 (Peace Cup Final, Bolton wins Peace Cup)
•Bolton-3, Espanyol-0
•Reading-0, River Plate-1 (Peace Cup)
•Reading-1, Lyon-0 (Peace Cup)
•Reading-1, Shimizu S-Pulse-0 (Peace Cup)
•Reading-6, Brentford-1
•Reading-3, Wolverhampton-2
•Portsmouth-2, Yeovil-0
•Portsmouth-2, Havant & Waterlooville-0
•Portsmouth-1, Eastleigh-0
•Portsmouth-1, Fulham-0 (Barclays Asia Trophy)
•Portsmouth-0, Liverpool-0 (Portsmouth wins on PK’s, Barclays Asia Trophy Final)
•Portsmouth-4, Bournemouth-1
•Portsmouth-3, Leicester City-1
•West Ham-2, Dagenham and Redbridge-0
•West Ham-1, Leyton Orient-1
•West Ham-2, MK Dons-3
•West Ham-3, Southend United-1
•West Ham-2, AC Roma-1
•Chelsea-2, Club America-1 (World Series of Football)
•Chelsea-1, Suwon Bluewings-0 (World Series of Football)
•Chelsea-1, LA Galaxy-0 (World Series of Football)
•Chelsea-1, Feyenoord-1
•Chelsea-0, Rangers-2
•Chelsea-2, Brondby-0
•Middlesbrough-0, FC Schalke-3
•Middlesbrough-1, Burnley-1
•Middlesbrough-2, Darlington-0
•Manchester United-2, Urawa Red Diamonds-2
•Manchester United-4, FC Seoul-0
•Manchester United-6, Shenzhen Jianlibao-0
•Manchester United Reserves-2, Port Vale-3
•Manchester United-3, Guangzhou Pharmaceutical-0
•Manchester United-2, Inter Milan-3
•Manchester United-2, Doncaster-0
•Manchester United-3, Glentoran-0
•Manchester United-4, Dunfermline-0
•Newcastle-3, Hartlepool-1
•Newcastle-1, Carlisle United-1
•Newcastle-4, Celtic-1
•Newcastle-0, Hull City-1
•Newcastle-2, Juventus-0
•Newcastle-1, Sampdoria-0
•Fulham-1, Dagenham & Redbridge-0
•Fulham-4, South China-1 (Barclays Asia Trophy)
•Fulham-1, QPR-2
•Sunderland-2, Darlington-0
•Sunderland-4, Galway United-0
•Sunderland-1, Juventus-1
•Tottenham-2, Kaizer Chiefs-1
•Tottenham-2, Orlando Pirates-1
•Tottenham-3, Orlando Pirates-0 (Tottenham wins Vodacom Challenge Trophy)
•Tottenham-4, Leyton Orient-2
•Tottenham-2, Torino-0
•Everton-0, Real Salt Lake-2
•Everton-4, Ventura County Fusion (PDL)-0
•Everton-2, Werder Bremen-2
•Everton-0, Crystal Palace-0
•Aston Villa-4, Toronto FC-2
•Aston Villa-3, Columbus Crew-1
•Aston Villa-2, Stoke City-0
•Aston Villa-3, Inter Milan-0
•Wigan Athletic-2, Blackpool-1
•Wigan Athletic-2, Barnsley-0
•Wigan Athletic-2, Leeds United-1
•Derby County-2, Nottingham Forest-0 (Derby County wins inaugural Brian
Clough Trophy)
•Derby County-2, Espanyol-2
•Blackburn-1, Huddersfield-2
•Blackburn-3, Preston North End-0
•Birmingham-3, Peterborough-0

Note: Premiership team listed first, NOT home team

US-Austria Preview

What possibly could be the most underhyped of the four quarterfinal games of the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup (at least from a global view) features the US and Austria, with the winner advancing to the semi-finals to take on the winner of the Spain-Czech Republic game. The US is seen as the significant favorite over Austria, however they were seen in the same light before their game against Uruguay and that was a much closer game than many people thought it would be.


Austria's roster is comprised of all domestic-based players except for one, Martin Harnik, who plays for Werder Bremen in Germany. They're led offensively by Erwin--and this is not my own bad joke--"Jimmy" Hoffer, who's scored twice in four games for his side. Austria as a team has only scored four goals in this tournament; however they've only conceded two and if they can force their tempo on the US like Uruguay did, they could pull the upset and move on to the semi-finals. Three different goalies have played for Austria thus far; Michael Zaglmair has started twice and Andreas Lukse and Bartolomej Kuru have started once. Zaglmair was in net for Austria's 1-1 tie with Congo in the first group game and for the 2-1 win over Gambia in the quarterfinals. It seems as if a rotation is in place, and if that's the case, Andreas Lukse is in line to start against the US as his last appearance was in the second group game (a 1-0 victory over Canada). One thing is for certain though: Austria's defense is led by Sebastian Proedl, who plays his club soccer at SK Sturm Graz. Proedl has played every minute of every game at this U-20 World Cup, and at 6'2", 187, Proedl is a physically imposing player who could give the US fits all night.


I'd venture to say everyone reading this preview knows about the US by this point. Freddy Adu, Josmer Altidore, Danny Szetela, and Sal Zizzo have carried the US to this stage in the tournament. However, Altidore's availability could be in question after he limped off with a knee injury in the 51st minute against Uruguay. The last thing the US needs is to play without Altidore against an already-referenced stout defense. The two goals scored in the Uruguay game were scrappy, hard-nosed goals that don't come around too often. Andre Akpan didn't show much of anything after he was subbed on for Altidore and if he has to start this game, the US could be in trouble offensively. Their goalkeeping situation also could be in doubt. Chris Seitz, the starter, got injured against Brazil and was obviously still too banged up to play against Uruguay was Brian Perk got the call. There's a huge gap between Seitz and Perk, in my opinion, and though it may not turn out to be much a factor against a team like Austria that struggles to score, I'd rather have Seitz in goal ten times out of ten. Perk looked shaky at best against Uruguay; not calling off defenders to claim the ball himself, punching balls he easily could've caught, in short, looking every bit of the 17 years of age that he is. Seitz is a steady, calming influence at the back and his presence alone would give the US a huge advantage.

Toronto, Ontario is the host city for tomorrow's game, which is scheduled for a 2:15 PM Eastern Time kickoff on ESPN U. Check back here for a full match recap, one which hopefully will be celebrating a US win.

US U-20's Rally, Advance to Quarterfinals

Michael Bradley put the finishing touch on a left-footed shot by Julian Valentin in the 107th minute and the US U-20 national team held on to beat the Uruguayan U-20's 2-1. Luis Suarez put Uruguay ahead on 73 minutes after slamming home a rebound that couldn't be controlled by US fill-in keeper Brian Perk, but an own goal 14 minutes later sent what was a brutal-to-watch, no rhythm game to extra time.

The match started off slow and just got slower throughout the first half. A combined 22 fouls (some of which were nitpicky and could've been no-calls by the Uzbek referee, Ravshan Irmatov) really sucked the flow out of the first 45 minutes of play. The US wasn't able to play the up-and-down, high-paced style of soccer they'd exhibited in the group stage of the tournament as they fell in to the slow tempo that Uruguay wanted to maintain. Neither side had any exceptional scoring chances, though Luis Suarez sent a curling free kick just over the crossbar and Josmer Altidore had a free header which was saved by the Uruguayan backup goalkeeper, Yonatan Irrazabal.

The US suffered a huge blow in the 51st minute when Josmer Altidore suffered a knee injury that could prove problematic to the US down the line. Uruguay's defenders had been very physical with Altidore all game long and their repeated challenges seemed to take their toll on the New York Red Bull striker. He was substituted for Andre Akpan, and at this point, things seemed bleak for the US as they'd generated little offense to that point and with their best striker out of the game, not much more attack could be expected.

The situation became even drearier when Uruguay drew first blood in the 73rd minute. Luis Suarez beat Brian Perk to a rebound from an Edinson Cavani header and hammered it home to put the South Americans up 1-0. The two European-based players were the best players on the field for Uruguay all night long, and when Suarez was substituted out in the in the 83rd minute, it was a move that had me second, third, and fourth-guessing Uruguay coach Ferrin Gustavo.


Sure enough, the US scored just 4 minutes later courtesy of a Mathias Cardaccio own goal. Danny Szetela kept a Freddy Adu corner kick alive, dribbled towards the end-line, and slammed a low left-footed drive from 9 yards out that skipped under Irrazabal's diving frame. Andre Akpan looked certain to finish it, but a sliding lunge from Mathias Cardaccio was actually the touch that directed the ball into the net.

Uruguay nearly won the game in regulation but an awkward-looking header from Manuel Diaz came squarely off the right post. It had Brian Perk frozen; just an inch or so to the left and Uruguay would've won but as it was, the US benefited from a stroke of luck and the game went into extra time.

The first 15 minutes of extra time went by without any drama, though a yellow card was handed out to defender Anthony Wallace. The second 15 minutes produced 5 more yellow cards, but most importantly, what turned out to be the game-winning goal by US midfielder Michael Bradley. In truth, Bradley had not played very well, to say the least, all game long but he was in the right place at the right time to redirect a Julian Valentin shot into the net to give the US a 2-1 advantage. Bradley has often times looked out of his depth during this FIFA U-20 World Cup, which is surprising after his impressive performance (though it was against lesser CONCACAF teams) during the Gold Cup. However, his goal gave the US the lead and it was a lead they held onto for the last 13 minutes of extra time.

Men of the Match:
USA: No one jumped out at me whatsoever, and I refuse to name Michael Bradley man of the match simply because he scored the game-winning goal because he didn't play well at all during the game. Insert your choice here, but I'll go with Freddy Adu.
Uruguay: Edinson Cavani

The US advance to the quarterfinals to take on Austria, a 2-1 winner over Gambia. That game will be played this Saturday, July 14, also in Toronto. Kickoff is set for 2:15 PM Eastern Time, and ESPN U will have the live broadcast from BMO Field.

A full preview of that game can be found here either tomorrow night or early Saturday morning. Keep checking the site for the latest coverage of the FIFA U-20 World Cup.

International Eligibility

When the US U-20 national team played Poland on July 3, the match commentator made a comment touching on something I had been stewing over for a while. He said that Danny Szetela was eligible to play for Poland based on his heritage; Szetela's parents are native Poles but Szetela himself was born in New Jersey and has lived in the US his whole life.


Nigel Reo-Coker's transfer on July 5 brought up the same topic. Reo-Coker is of Sierra Leonean descent and has stated on multiple occasions that he would consider future call-ups to their senior national team, though he was the captain of the England U-21 team until recently, having become too old to play for the squad after the 2007 UEFA U-21 Championship which finished in June. He's lived in England since he was eight and played for England's youth senior teams and club teams and captained some of them along the way. Should he really be allowed to play for Sierra Leone? He's spent more than half his life in England, including the part of it where soccer played the bigger part. Ages 8-present are more important for soccer than anything younger than 8 because opportunities for rapid development and good coaching can be found as you get a bit older.

There are, of course, many other players who are in the same position as these two players; that is, they're eligible to compete for multiple countries, if their heritage allows, on the senior international level even after playing for one country on the youth international level. They can still play for another country at the senior level as long as they're uncapped with the senior team of the country they played their youth international games for. This ruled Freddy Adu out as he played for the US senior team on January 22, 2006 in a friendly against Canada. Adu could've played for Ghana even though he's lived in the US since he was eight and has played for youth international teams here, but that eligibility was terminated once he made a senior appearance with the US. It doesn't work backwards, however. A player can't play for one country's senior team and then still compete for another country's youth teams.

All of this, to me, is ridiculous. If you play for a country at the youth international level, that's the country you should have to play for at the senior level. FIFA currently organizes world championships at the U-17 and U-20 level, but countries have national teams for ages even younger than this; both the US and England have a U-16 team, for example. By that age, players should have enough maturity to decide what country (if they are eligible to play for more than one) they want to play international soccer for. Jumping from one country's youth teams to another's senior team shouldn't be permitted. That rule needs to be changed by the powers-that-be. What sense does it make?? The players that take advantage of this rule often exploit it to play for a country on whose senior team they would be able to play more for, perhaps because the country whose youth teams they played for is stacked at the senior level and there's no room for that player to play a part on the team.

How right is that? Doesn't sound logical to me. Playing for your national team is supposed to be an act of patriotism. It's not a right, it's a priviledge (as my parents said to me when I became old enough to drive). To put on that uniform is something time-honored and something that people who aren't blessed with the skills that those players have but still play the game would do anything for. You represent your country when you play for their national teams, at any level. But for some reason, it's permitted for players to, for lack of a better term, country-hop. What message does that send young players?

In Danny Szetela's case, I understand that his parents are from Poland. I'm sure they speak the language fluently and I wouldn't be surprised if Danny himself spoke it as well. Here's the reality though: He was born in New Jersey and has lived his whole life here. He shouldn't be allowed to play for Poland because he isn't Polish! His parents, if they played soccer, could play for Poland because they're native Poles, but Szetela is an American. There simply shouldn't be any way that could play for them. He's made it clear that he will only play for the US senior side if called up, and I applaud him for that, but that isn't the point.

Look, I know that some situations are different than others, some are the same, and some are completely unique. But the fact is, if you're mature enough to embrace the colors of one country at the youth international level, that's the country you should have to play for at the senior level. If there's any doubts in your mind as a player about who you want to play for as an adult, don't appear for any youth team until you've made your decision. Players take advantage of the rule that allows them to play for different teams and that shouldn't be the case.

Benayoun to Liverpool, Nugent to Portsmouth; Baines to Everton?

According to the agent of Israeli midfielder and captain Yossi Benayoun, Liverpool and West Ham have agreed to an $8 million US fee that would send Benayoun to Liverpool. It is the second high-profile deal between the clubs this week (Bellamy to West Ham). Benayoun is just 27 years old and played as an attacking midfielder for West Ham, though Liverpool sees him as the perfect replacement for Luis Garcia, who left the club for Atletico Madrid. His acquisition seems to signal Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez's intention to reinforce the outside midfield positions this year. The move further strengthens a midfield that is probably the best in all of England, with Xabi Alonso, Gerrard, Harry Kewell, Jermaine Pennant, Javier Mascherano, and Mohamed Sissoko already signed through at least this season.


Former England U-21 striker David Nugent is reportedly set to sign for Portsmouth on Wednesday, according to BBC Radio Lancashire. Nugent has starred for Championship side Preston North End since 2005, scoring 33 goals in 94 appearances for the club, but the 22-year old has been seeking a move to a Premiership team and Portsmouth is a team where he would be able to play a lot of games and contribute at a high level. Sol Campbell has been pleading with management all summer for additions at the striker position with the departure of Svetoslav Todorov and the controversy surrounding Kanu and his return to the club, and this signing could be just what Portsmouth needs to contend for a European spot this season. The deal is rumored to be worth $12 million US with Nugent then having to agree to personal terms and pass a physical.

Updated Wednesday, July 11: Nugent's transfer has been confirmed and completed as he passed a physical and signed a four-year contract with Portsmouth, keeping him on the South Coast through the 2010-2011 season.


Another former England U-21 player, Wigan defender Leighton Baines, could also be on the move within the coming days. Wigan has rejected multiple offers from Sunderland but now Everton is lining up a $9 million US bid to bring Baines to Merseyside. New Wigan manager Chris Hutchings said that Baines would be part of his club next season:

"I have told (Sunderland boss) Roy Keane that Leighton is not for sale. He is part of this club.

"Every player does have a price but I am happy to keep him here as I am building a team."

With this being said, if Everton can match the price at which Wigan rates him, I would expect a transfer to be completed. At only 22 years of age, he's already been a part of Wigan's first team for five seasons, and he is still a young talent growing into his tremendous potential. Baines will only be looking to play for a bigger club in the future anyway, and I think Wigan would be wise to sell him if they can get full value so they can bring in more players to address their multiple needs.

New Uniforms Galore

We'll start off with a team on the South Coast, Portsmouth. Their new home jersey looks very similar to last year's edition; the only real addition to this jersey is the presence of gold/yellow as an accent color, replacing white (though white can still be found around the collar). White shorts and red socks finish off the home kit and all-in-all, it's a classy, more modern kit that still reflects some of the club's history.
Jersey designer: Canterbury


Blackburn Rovers will also be debuting a new home jersey this fall. The club had already released a home jersey manufactured by Lonsdale which was supposed to be their new jersey for this year as voted on by fans, but they've scrapped those plans and signed a contract with Umbro instead. Once again, one large blue stripe and one large white stripe are the focal points of this jersey. A bit of red can be found near the neck as well. In my opinion, this is one of the uglier jerseys I've seen. Blackburn shouldn't be credited for flip-flopping manufacturers; they had a deal with Lonsdale and had already come out with a jersey, it should've been honored.
Jersey designer: Umbro


I have mixed feelings towards Derby County's new home shirt. On one hand, it's tight, slim, and not ruined by a sponsor who wants their logo blown up across the front. On the other hand, it's a bit plain and almost resembles white Under Armour. The shorts are all black, and the away uniform will be what you see here in reverse (black shirt, white shorts). Adidas wasn't very creative when they came up with these uniforms, to say the least.
Jersey designer: Adidas


And to finish up, here's a look at Charlton Athletic's new away jersey, which will replace their black away jersey from last year (that black jersey now becomes their third jersey). It goes on sale beginning July 18, but honestly, why would people it? The stripes are clashing with each other ("seahawk blue" and "denim" are not a good combination) and there's no red anywhere in the jersey, which is Charlton's traditional color. Puzzling choice of colors, to say the least.
Jersey designer: Joma


Images courtesy of http://www.football-shirts.co.uk

US U-20's to Meet Uruguay in Round of 16

The Round of 16 was finalized yesterday as group play finished off in Groups A and C. The US, as the winner of Group D, earned the right to play a third place team in the Round of 16, and their opponent will be South American side Uruguay.

Uruguay ended group play (Group B) with 4 points from 3 games and a -1 goal differential, which cost them second place as Zambia also had 4 points but a +1 goal differential. Uruguay was led by two goals from Palermo striker Edison Cavani and a goal and an assist from FC Gronigen midfielder Luis Suarez. Worth noting, however, is the fact that Uruguay will enter the match with the US without their starting goalkeeper, Mauro Goicoechea, who received a red card just 19 minutes into his country's final group match against Zambia (a 2-0 loss). This surely will be a huge advantage for the US, whose dynamic offense gives starting goalkeepers fits, much less their backups.

The US heads into the knockout stages as the winner of Group D with 7 points. A comfortable goal differential of +6, buoyed by 3 goals apiece from Danny Szetela, Freddy Adu, and Josmer Altidore. Sal Zizzo contributed 3 assists as well, and the US led all countries in goals scored during the group stage with 9.

The match will be played in Toronto on Wednesday, July 11. It's tentatively scheduled to be televised on ESPN U, though interest across the country forced ESPN executives to move the match against Brazil to ESPN and the same may be done again. The winner of this match will play the winner of the Austria-Gambia game in Toronto on July 14.

Check back here for a full recap of this match and if results go the US' way, a preview of their quarterfinal game.

For the complete knockout bracket, see: http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/matches/index.html

Chelsea to Sign Malouda

According to the Premier League's official website, Chelsea and French giant Lyon have agreed to a deal which would bring Florent Malouda to Chelsea. The move, a $27 million US, £13.5 million pounds UK, has been confirmed by both a statement on Chelsea's website and Lyon president Jean-Michel Aulas:

"It (the deal) is brilliant and it is good news for Flo," Aulas told OLTV, the French champions’ own television station.

The addition of the 27-year old French midfielder now gives the London side a glut of players who are capable of playing on the wing. Arjen Robben, Shaun Wright-Phillips, and Joe Cole have all played many a game on the outside and with Chelsea's formation being what it is (4-3-3, which often turns into a 4-5-1), it's most likely that only two of the now four players would start a game. Shaun Wright-Phillips seems to be the one who's out of favor with Chelsea's management and thus could be on the way out. Malouda has made 28 appearances for France, scoring 3 goals, but had a breakout World Cup in 2006. His performance raised his value considerably and he's now cashing in on his hard work.

Updated Tuesday, July 10: Chelsea and Lyon reached an agreement that will send an undisclosed fee Lyon's way and Malouda to London. He passed a physical yesterday and will now fly to Los Angeles to join his new squad for a three-game preseason tour of the US, headlined by their game against David Beckham's LA Galaxy.

US U-20's Roll On, Upset Brazil 2-1

New York Red Bull striker Josmer Altidore scored twice and Freddy Adu had his coming out party as the two led the US U-20's past Brazil's U-20's by a score of 2-1. Adu had the assist on Altidore's second goal after his shot (which, if finished, would've looked exactly like his first goal against Poland) was deflected by a Brazilian defender and finished on one bounce into a wide-open net by Altidore.

The game was a hotly contested, up-and-down affair with chances aplenty for both sides. The US came out of the gate firing on all cylinders and they set the tone for the rest of the match, proving to Brazil that they wouldn't be intimidated and that they were a team to be reckoned with. Robbie Rogers looked dangerous early as he had a good shot parried away by Cassio and then served a cross in to Josmer Altidore, who just got a foot on it as Cassio came up with another good save. Altidore received the ball won by Adu from a Brazilian player in the 25th minute, controlled it between two defenders, and unleashed a wicked shot that stayed on the ground and went past the diving Cassio to give the US a 1-0 lead. The shot would've went in on any surface but it was ironic that this game was played on turf, which the Brazilians and the other South American teams had complained about. The shot definitely looked to be turf-aided in the fact that it didn't slow down at all; grass would've sucked some of the velocity right out of the shot.

Brazil absolutely deserved an equalizer and got it, scrappy though it was, from Leandro Lima in the 64th minute. Michael Bradley's poor clearing header (and it was awful, no power at all behind it) was controlled for a second, then popped up, and when the ball came down, Renato Augusto's incredible side volley was saved by US keeper Chris Seitz. Seitz couldn't hang on to the rebound and a hard-charging Leandro Lima did enough when he and a US defender crashed into Seitz to poke the ball under the keeper. The ball rolled slowly into the net and the Brazilians were back in the game, 1-1.

At this point, doubts sprang into my mind. The pace of the game was too high for the US team and they visibly looked to be exhausted. There's no shame in not being able to keep up with the Brazilians and it seemed that for all the world that it would be the Brazilians, if anyone, who would get another goal, especially because the Brazilians came into the game far more desperate than the Americans, needing points to secure advancement into the knockout round. However, it was not Brazil who scored the the next goal, but it was the US. An incredible showcase of dribbling got Freddy Adu free in the box, parallel to the end-line, and when his shot was deflected by a Brazilian defender in the 81st minute, Josmer Altidore was there to pick up the pieces and side-foot the ball into a wide-open net to make it 2-1.

This would be all the US needed and though it was a frantic last 10+ minutes, Chris Seitz came up huge like he had done all game long. He deserves a lot of credit for the victory as Brazil had good chances to score all game long, led by CSKA Moscow striker Jo, new Real Madrid left back Marcelo, and Renato Augusto. The supremely talented Alexandre Pato seemed to disappear far too often for Brazil yesterday, and aside from a failed chip shot that would've been a breathtaking goal, Pato was not a factor in the match at all.

It was a great crowd last night in Ottawa, far better than what the US got when playing in Montreal. The stadium (Frank Clair Stadium) was filled to capacity and both teams had their own rooting section. The US seemed to be the choice of the neutral fans, however, as I think they got an added boost from a crowd which was cheering for the underdogs and the team close to home.

With the victory, the US finishes on top of Group D and go into the Round of 16 on a high note. By winning the group, they stayed away from Argentina (Poland, Group D's runner-up, drew the South American side in the next round) and assured themselves of a chance to play a third place team. That's huge for this country as a successful showing here would help erase the negatives that were generated by the awful results achieved by the senior team sent to Copa America. That team went 3 losses and out, like the World Cup 1998 side that brought soccer in America down until we reached the quarterfinals in 2002.

Look for another post when the US know who their Round of 16 opponent is and a full preview of that match, which will be played on July 11 in Toronto.

Men of the Match
Brazil: Jo
USA: Freddy Adu/Josmer Altidore

For full highlights of this match, see
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsBEIxvLAMU

Craig Bellamy Ready to Join West Ham

After spending just one year at Liverpool after joining the Reds from Blackburn, 27-year old Welsh striker and captain Craig Bellamy is set to play in East London next year for the Hammers. The move clearly indicates that West Ham are prepared to face life in the Premiership without last season's savior, Carlos Tevez, who is rumored to join Manchester United. West Ham had no choice but to be proactive in finding a capable replacement for the Argentine and with many big-name strikers already transferred and under contract, signing Bellamy is a solid move for the Hammers. He's agreed to personal terms, with a four-year, $18 million US contract (70,000 pounds/week) already confirmed, but Liverpool and West Ham now have to agree on a transfer fee or the possible swap involving West Ham midfielder Yossi Benayoun.

Bellamy was really never in favor with Rafael Benitez at Liverpool (for some reason Peter Crouch plays nearly every game though??) but can be a dependable goal-scorer when given the chance. He scored 13 goals for Blackburn in 27 English Premier League games in 2005-2006 and 7 in 12 Scottish Premier League games when he was on loan with Celtic in 2005. The knock on Bellamy, and it is a rather large one, is that he wears out his welcome very quickly. Controversy has followed him wherever he's gone recently, from his feud with Newcastle United to attacking Liverpool teammate John Arne Riise with a golf club while the team was training in Portugal.

West Ham are in desperate need of a number 1 striker with Marlon Harewood and Carlos Tevez on their way out. They have Bobby Zamora but realistically, he's not much better than a second option and the same can be said, at best, about Dean Ashton and Carlton Cole.

For Fox Soccer's article concerning the transfer, see
http://msn.foxsports.com/soccer/story/6996556

Updated Tuesday, July 10: West Ham and Liverpool reached an agreement on the transfer fee to sign Bellamy. The Hammers will pay $15 million US to the Merseyside club for the Welsh striker's services, which is a club record signing for West Ham. Bellamy spoke to the media afterwards:

“I supported Liverpool as a boy and would have had the chance to play Champions League football again next season but I needed to look beyond that, in the same way that Lucas Neill did when he came here,” said Bellamy.

“I understood Lucas’s position. If he’d joined Liverpool, he would have been a squad player, like I was. Some people don’t understand it, but the opportunity to be a senior figure at an ambitious club like West Ham is very attractive.

“I’ve signed a five-year contract here, and I will be here for the long term. I’ve moved around a bit in recent years, and now I want to settle.

American Football Meets English Football

Two of the most marketable superstars in their respective sports, Reggie Bush of the New Orleans Saints and David Beckham of the LA Galaxy/English national team (for now), have come together and filmed several commercials for Adidas as part of the sports giant's "Futbol meets Football" campaign. They can be seen on YouTube by searching "David Beckham and Reggie Bush".

The commercials are quite good, in my opinion. You can see that Reggie Bush is an incredible athlete. For someone who probably hasn't ever played soccer before, he picks up the game incredibly well. Beckham and Bush establish a solid chemistry right off the bat and the scenes are pretty entertaining. The two fire penalties at each other, Beckham shows Bush how he hits one of his trademark free kicks, and Bush shows Beckham a few things about American football. The shot with Beckham lofting a long ball, much like a quarterback, and Bush acting as a wide receiver and hauling it in yards down the field is classic.

Nothing bad can come out of commercials like these and surely David Beckham's arrival in LA later this month will provide soccer with increased visibility here in the States. He and Reggie Bush are two athletes who are easily recognized wherever they go and joint efforts like these are good for both sports, but primarily soccer as it needs credibility in the US. Rapper P. Diddy is a reknowned Arsenal fan (http://www.itv.com/news/entertainment_6fea0f017e4b7c37a7299c15ab7cd75e.html) and has been to Premiership games before. He visited Manchester United in Copenhagen when they were there for Champions League commitments and he was in town for the MTV Europe Music Video Awards. Superstars of that magnitude are so important for soccer to succeed in the United States and the commercials with Beckham and Bush are just another illustration of soccer's attempt at growth here.

Here are a few of the commercials:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfpm7FrdQyI
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JmhgiY9uvKU
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zc6csxqtrBk

Nigel Reo-Coker Set to Join Aston Villa

The former West Ham midfielder and current England U-21 captain (though he won't play another game for the side due to his age, 23) has reportedly agreed to a four-year deal which would keep him at his new club until after the 2010-2011 season. Official word is pending as Reo-Coker still has to pass a physical and agree to personal terms, but Aston Villa have reached an agreement with West Ham concerning his transfer fee.

Reo-Coker would become Villa manager Martin O'Neill's first summer signing and probably would be inserted immediately into the starting lineup. Together with Craig Gardner, who had an impressive season last year, and Isaiah Osbourne, Reo-Coker will become an integral part of a young, promising midfield at Aston Villa for years to come. He's already proved he is capable of being placed in a position of leadership as he's been a club captain (at West Ham) and an international captain (England U-21) at the young age of 23. This will be invaluable to Aston Villa as he'll be counted on to assist the current captain, Gareth Barry, in mentoring those young midfielders.

Thursday afternoon update: Reo-Coker has completed the transfer to Aston Villa as he passed his physical and agreed to personal terms. West Ham and Villa agreed to a $17 million US transfer fee for the 23-year old midfielder.

US U-20's Victorious, Rout Poland 6-1

After a shaky start that saw them go down a goal just 4 minutes into the game, the US U-20's picked up their play and went on to beat Poland's U-20 team 6-1, led by a hat trick from Freddy Adu and two goals from Danny Szetela, the talented Columbus Crew youngster with Polish heritage.

In all honesty, the outcome could've been even more one-sided. The US looked threatening all game long, visibly outclassing Poland at every position on the field. Southampton's Bartosz Bialkowski came up with some outstanding saves to hold the US to 6 goals and without him in net, Poland may just have conceded a total in the double digits as the US was firing shots from all over the field.

The Polish defense, headlined by Bolton defender Jaroslaw Fojut, their captain, will be hard-pressed to forget Adu and Szetela, but I think it was Sal Zizzo who came up with the best performance of the night. Zizzo looked like Cristiano Ronaldo with his play on the right side, constantly running at the Polish defenders and breaking them down. He had two assists on the night and it was only his unselfishness that didn't see his name onto the scoresheet as he was the most menacing player on the field.

One brief sidenote about the match, which was played at the Olympic Stadium in Montreal. If the stadium isn't good enough to keep the professional baseball team that played there recently, the Montreal Expos, is it really fit to be a site at the FIFA U-20 World Cup? It's a 65,000+ seat stadium but only half of it, at best, was filled for the US-Poland game. There's nothing worse than playing in front of a reserved, lackluster crowd and at the biggest stage of them all in youth international soccer, the sight of a game in Olympic Stadium was a disgrace. The stadium is closed for four months every winter as the fire marshal in Montreal has concerns about the roof not being able to support snow loads for goodness' sake!

The US will square off against perennial power Brazil in Ottawa on July 6. They sit on top of Group D after 2 games and with a +5 goal differential, one would think a tie would be enough for the US to advance to the knockout stages of this tournament. A loss may not even eliminate the US as long as the scoreline is kept close. Right now, the US is in the driver's seat and if they can hold on and win the group, they would play a third-place team in the next round, improving their chances of moving further in the tournament.

Group D Standings (after 2 matches):
1. USA (4 pts, +5 GD)
2. Brazil (3 pts, 0 GD)
3. Poland (3 pts, -4 GD)
4. South Korea (1 pt, -1 GD)

New Away Jersey for Everton

Though it will be officially launched on July 12, Everton has released an image of theiy 2007-2008 away shirt on the club's official website. I'm not sure where the inspiration for this jersey came from; for a club that is visually separated from its Merseyside neighbors Liverpool by the blue in their uniform, I see nothing on their jersey that would make me think "Everton" immediately. Particularly when you take a look at their new home jersey (which can be found at the bottom of this site's homepage), this one doesn't seem to make any sense. The sponsor's logo is green and the accent color is black! No blue whatsoever can be found on this jersey.

Memo to the marketing/business staff of Everton: Next time you come out with a new jersey, at least put your club's traditional color on it somewhere!

Jersey designer: Umbro

Back from Vacation

It's been a great two weeks on the sandy shores of Hawaii, though without internet access it was tough to get caught up on all the extraordinary soccer news other than the periodical reports in the USA Today concerning the American national team. I hope everyone has kept up with the goings-on around the world and especially in England and the US, where stars are changing teams left and right, new uniforms are coming out, and the national teams are playing.

Sites like eplleague.blogspot.com and soccershout.com are outstanding sources of breaking news, as well as the Fox Soccer website and Premier League official website. These links and others can be found in the "Useful Soccer Sites" section to the left of the homepage.

It's good to be back, and it's good to be working on the blogs again.

England U-21's Eliminated in Epic Penalty Shootout Loss

In a game that was as memorable as any in recent recollection, the host Dutch U-21's advanced to the European Championship Final after a 1-1 (13-12 PK's) victory over the England U-21 squad.

Leroy Lita, who, aside from missing a penalty kick in the group stage of the competition, was probably England's best player in the tournament, scored 39 minutes into the game to give his side the lead heading into halftime.

Holland was fortunate just to extend the game into extra time after an 89th-minute bicycle kick goal from Maceo Rigters. The England players immediately appealed for high-kick but there was simply no way the referee was going to disallow the goal; no danger or potential harm was brought upon Nedum Onouha and the goal was never going to be called back. As the match commentator said, it was ironic that an English defender (Steven Taylor) was down injured at the time Holland drew level as it reminded viewers of the scene against Serbia when Slobodan Rajkovic was down and England played on and scored the insurance goal.

When the 30 minutes of extra time had been completed, England had just nine players fit enough to continue as Nedum Onouha was forced off the field and Steven Taylor was barely able to walk.

The penalty shootout was a story of missed opportunities as both teams had chances to end it before Holland's Gianni Zuiverloon coolly slotted home the deciding spot kick. Justin Hoyte's failed attempt during Round 4, which would've effectively sealed the deal for England, gave Holland hope and they took full advantage, scoring right after to level the score at 3-3. Nigel-Reo Coker's shot was saved in Round 9 and he was only avenged when the potential game-winner from Arnold Kruiswijk was put high over the net. Matt Derbyshire put one right into the Dutch keeper's (Boy Waterman) midsection in the 15th round and again England escaped from defeat, this time with a great diving save by Scott Carson to deny Daniel de Ridder. England's luck finally ran out when Anton Ferdinand, who had scored earlier in Round 6, put his attempt off the crossbar and Zuiverloon beat Carson to his right to win the game for the hosts.

It was a classic game between two nations who have some extremely promising youngsters waiting for a chance at the senior level. Holland move on to the final against Serbia, a 1-0 winner against Belgium, and you have to like the host's chances in that game although Serbia have a stout defense. It should be a great match and I'm looking forward to watching.

Lita's goal: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2bu0m_england-1-0-holland-lita
Rigters' late equalizer: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2buu1_england-1-1-holland-rigters
Last two rounds (four shots) of the penalty shootout: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2bwbv_penalty-shootout-las-4-penalties

Sunderland To Host Juventus in Friendly

The famed Italian club, newly returned to Serie A,
will visit the Stadium of Light for a pre-season friendly on Saturday, August 4, a week before the Premiership schedule starts. The match is designed to help mark 10 years at the Stadium of Light, a beautiful 49,000-seat UEFA four-star ground that cost only 34 million pounds ($67.7 million US) to build.

Sunderland chairman Niall Quinn told the club's website that he was pleased to welcome Juventus to England:

"Juventus is one of the biggest clubs on the world stage, with countless European successes as well as a superb domestic record.

"There have been some legendary players to have represented the club over the years and it will be an honour to welcome some household names to the Stadium of Light when they come here."

England U-21 Advances to Semi-Finals

Goals from Leroy Lita and Matt Derbyshire propelled the England U-21's past Serbia's U-21's 2-0 in a game that was marked more by off-the-field activities than what occurred on the pitch itself. Chants from the Serbian fans directed at England defenders Nedum Onuoha and Justin Hoyte, both of whom are black, forced UEFA to make an impromptu anti-racism announcement.

"We will not tolerate your racist chants," the stadium announcer said just before the half-hour mark. "Please stop or leave the stadium."

Lita put England up 1-0 after just 5 minutes after finishing a missed header by Steven Taylor and his replacement Derbyshire scored a controversial second half goal to seal the deal for England. Talented young Serbian defender Slobodan Rajkovic was down injured at the time and Derbyshire received a pass from Kieran Richardson, dribbled right by the injured Rajkovic and slotted a finish home to make it 2-0 instead of playing the ball out to allow treatment for Rajkovic. Angry Serbian players then confronted Derbyshire on the sideline sparking a host of English players to come over as well. Pushing and shoving ensued but that was just the beginning.

Tom Huddlestone was sent off in the final minute of the match for foul and abusive language and chaos erupted in the tunnel after the game with Serbian and English players involved. UEFA will decide on taking action when they receive the official report handed in by the match delegate, but by that time England will be preparing for their semi-final game against the host nation Holland.

Huddlestone has been given a two-match ban for his actions, meaning the Tottenham midfielder will miss the final if England beat Holland on Wednesday.

Lita's goal: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2as0r_england-1-0-serbia-lita
Derbyshire's goal: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2atlm_england-2-0-serbia-derbyshire