Wednesday, September 03, 2014

International (UGH) Break

Anyone going to Wembley today? Anyone? Didn't think so...
Good Grief. It's the dreaded September International Break already. The club action starts to heat up and, boom. Stop. Full Stop. Time for Russia/Azerbaijan, Denmark/Turkey, and Ireland/Oman. To be fair, Germany vs. Argentina could be decent since it's true great teams and rematch of the World Cup Final that took place just shy of two months ago. Ahhh, and our Yanks are in Prague to play the Czechs (2:15pm EDT on NBCSN). Oh, and England host Norway at...sorry, dozed off there...Wembley. Here are some previews, beginning with the U.S. of A. and their roster:

Goalkeepers: Cody Cropper (Southampton), Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Nick Rimando (RSL)

Defenders: John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt), Greg Garza (Club Tijuana), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Michael Orozco (Puebla), Tim Ream (Bolton)

Midfielders: Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Emerson Hyndman (Fulham), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt),
Brek Shea (Stoke City)

Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Joe Gyau (Borussia Dortmund II), Jordan Morris (Stanford), Rubio Rubin (Utrecht), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich)

USA vs. Czech Republic: Preview

Raphael Honigstein know his Germany, yes he does. Here's his preview for the WORLD CHAMPIONS' friendly against Argentina.

Spain were shit in Brazil, remember? They were the first nation knocked out. Time to rebuild! Sid Lowe takes a gander at what 'Ol del Bosque has in mind for his tika-tacking failures ahead of the friendlies against against France and Macedonia. Sticking with Spain, Guillem Balague says Real Madrid  have shown 'zero logic' this summer. Damn, Guillem! You harsh!

We want our money back! It appears that even the 1% can get upset when their team sell their stars. Those poor Monacans. Monacoans? Monégasque? Really? Cool.

We want our prestige back! According to Paul Wilson, the Premier League has got it back. Thanks to all those big-$$ signings.

We out!

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 11:51 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, September 02, 2014

Transfer Insanity, Tim Howard Insanity, Real Sociedad/Real Madrid Insanity, Paolo Bandini in Italy, Sid Lowe in Spain, Sam Kelly in Argentina, Dildo in Sky Reporter's Ear

El Tigre: "I am sure that this season will be great for us."
Good Morning! All of us at SSN Headquarters hope those of you living Stateside had an enjoyable Labor Day weekend and have returned to your respective offices with a renewed vigor ready to tackle the coming autumnal months. So much happened over the weekend it's tough to know where to begin. Actually, we know where to begin. We have to begin with the Sky Sports reporter and the dildo in his ear.

Ahem. Now then. The Transfer Window is finally closed, so let's take a look at where everyone has ended up now that the dust has settled (except for Tom Cleverley's dust). Prepare thee for...Insane-o-Linkathon:

Premier League Clubs: Ins & Outs
Miguel Delaney: What did we learn?

Scribe time! Go around the world with the best writers every Tuesday! Extra fun with Paolo today and the return of Serie A!

Where? Spain. Who? Sid Lowe. What? The Arcángel roars as Córdoba return 

Where? Argentina. Who? Sam Kelly. What? Argentina enter the Martino era with some familiar faces

Where? South America. Who? Tim Vickery. What? Falcao is "The Tiger" who tears defenses apart

Where? Germany. Who? Andy Brassell. What? Schalke's miners find renewed energy


Where? Monaco. Who? Andy Brassell. Wait. Isn't he in Germany? Yes, but he's also in Monaco. OK. What? Monaco's ambitious dream fades with Radamel Falcao exit

Chicharito: "Playing for Real Madrid is a dream come true. Everybody in the world knows Real Madrid."
They do play soccer at a relatively high level in the United States. The top league is called Major League Soccer. Here are Five Things We Learned from the weekend. You want Power Rankings? Bam! Bird's got you covered.

Speaking of Americans, Timmy Howard had a weekend to forget after Chelsea put six past him at Goodison Park. Some dude named Tim Hill says the USA secretary of defence is just Everton's overrated keeper. Ouch. He's incorrect, of course, but it's worth a read.

And finally, a quick look back at what happened in Europe over the weekend. For one, Real Madrid threw away a two-goal lead...

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 10:58 AM 0 comments

Friday, August 29, 2014

Serie A Returns, Tottenham vs. Liverpool, Everton vs. Chelsea, Napoli?


There goes another one! The week is over, and with Serie A bringing the ruckus this weekend, we'll finally have all the top Euro leagues back up and running. Let's begin in Italy, shall we?



We noted the tasty English match-ups in the subject line. What else is on tap for the Premier League this weekend? Check it:



Xabi Alonso. Kagawa. Falcao. Cambiasso. Cleverly. Chicharito. On to...The Mill. Plus One. Plus Plus One.

That 3-5-2 that van Gaal loves and Manchester United is finding difficult to adapt. What's the deal with that? Jonathan Wilson investigates.

This is Karim Benzema's chrome Bugatti Veyron, which costs roughly €2 million (£1.6m).
James Horncastle notes that Napoli were knocked out of the Champions League (qualifying) by Athletic Bilbao. Is it the end of the Rafa Benitez revolution at Napoli?

Barney Ronay is asking this question today: Will the real Mesut Özil stand up? Barney Ronay is offering this answer today: Very possibly at Arsenal this season.

Enjoy the weekend!

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 12:09 PM 0 comments

Thursday, August 28, 2014

The Champions League


Posted by The Editor at 12:58 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

MK Dons Destroy Manchester United, Champions League Qualifying Previews, Warnock In At Palace, Donovan Gets One More Match


Crisis. Crisis? What crisis? The (social) media vultures are circling around Manchester United after they were dispatched from the What's In Your Wallet? Cup by MK Dons. The score? 4-0. Ouch. Here's the fallout:

MK Dons 4 - 0 Manchester United: Report
MK Dons 4 - 0 Manchester United: Richard Rae at Stadium MK

One player who did not play for United yesterday is Ángel di María. Thankfully for fans of The Red Devils, he'll be playing soon. Sid Lowe takes a look at the move from the Madrid perspective.

Hallelujah, hallelujah, ride my Chevrolet.

There were some Champions League qualifiers last night. Teams that advanced to the Group Stage include Zenit, BATE, and APOEL, but not Celtic. Tonight, the biggie is in London where Arsenal host Besiktas in the second leg of their affair (2:45pm EDT on Fox Sports 1). The first leg was scoreless. Prep with this:

Arsenal vs. Besiktas: Preview
Arsenal vs. Besiktas: Preview II

Right. So di María has gone to United. Samuel Eto'o'o'o'o'o, meanwhile, has signed with Everton. What else might happen between now and the end of the month?


Jermaine Jones now plays for New England. How did it happen? With a "blind draw." What the hell is that? Jeff Carlisle is frustrated, as are we. Especially a certain Bobbie BS.

Crystal Palace have a new gaffer. Neil Warnock has returned to Selhurst Park to try to right the ship. Warnock managed the Eagles from 2007-2010. How long before he's fined for criticizing the refs?

Serie A begins this weekend! Woo hoo! Let's preview Hellas Verona, a side featuring 63-year-old striker Luca Toni.

And finally...Landon Donovan will don the uniform of the U.S. National Team one more time.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 12:02 PM 0 comments

Tuesday, August 26, 2014

City Defeat Liverpool, United Agree £60m fee for Di María, Scribes, Podcast

Is Munir El Haddadi Mohamed ready to bust out at Barcelona?
Has Manchester City already won the title? Perhaps Chelsea can compete, but City are so deep at every position, it's really theirs to lose. Yesterday, they had little trouble with Liverpool. And Liverpool looked pretty good! Here's the breakdown from the match:

Manchester City 3-1 Liverpool: Henry Winter at the Etihad Stadium
Richard Jolly: City exploit weaknesses

It's Tuesday, and that means Marcotti's Musings. Today, Gab is gabbing about Di Maria and Balotelli.


Scribe time! Go around the world with the best writers every Tuesday!


Where? Spain. Who? Graham Hunter. What? The emergence of Munir El Haddadi

Where? South America. Who? Tim Vickery. What? Angel Di Maria can thrive as Old Trafford star man

Where? Germany. Who? Andy Brassell. What? Did the Bundesliga title race just finish in record time?

Where? Italy. Who? Uli Hesse. What? Finding a hallowed ground in Padua


Podcast! On this bank holiday edition of Football Weekly, AC Jimbo is joined by his old chum Philippe Auclair as well as Barry Glendenning and John Ashdown to look back on a wild weekend in the Premier League. Tottenham sit atop the embryonic table after making sure former manager Harry Redknapp had an unhappy return to White Hart Lane with QPR. Meanwhile, Manchester United are about to splurge huge bucks on a winger when what they really need is a clue (and a centre-back and midfielder). Next, we round up a few bits and bobs from around Europe - including a blindingly fast goal in the Bundesliga – before turning our attention to the Championship, where Felix Magath's time at Fulham goes from bad to worse … to shambles.

 La Liga began this past weekend. What the hell did we learn? Here are Five Things That We Learned. Here's what happened yesterday. Once Madrid side won and another drew.

Major League Soccer Power Rankings! Bird puts D.C. at the top.

Crazy MLS Contract Clown Show! MLS Changes the Rules to Swing Jones to Revs

That's a wrap.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 12:12 PM 0 comments

Monday, August 25, 2014

Last Weekend In Europe, Spanish Super Cup, Transfers, Manchester City vs. Liverpool, Jermaine Jones In NE

#1 Sunderland Supporter?
What a pleasant Monday it is. There was a lot of fine action over the weekend. No real surprises (Borussia Dortmund losing their opener at home would be the exception - that match included the fastest goal in Bundesliga history), but a lot of good football on offer. La Liga and the Bundesliga are back, thankfully, and the EPL continues apace. That's probably a fine place to begin. Per usual, we'll focus on the Continent tomorrow.

Sunderland 1-1 Manchester United: Louise Taylor at the Stadium of Light
Tottenham vs. QPR: Three Points

In the second leg of the Spanish Super Cup back on Friday, Atlético Madrid defeated Real Madrid 1-0. As you might expect, Sid Lowe was at the Vicente Calderón.

Ohhh. Let's take a quick look at MLS, shall we? Word is, Thierry Henry had one of those nights. Speaking of MLS, everyone's favorite heavily-tattooed-dreadlocked-German-American Jermaine Jones has signed with MLS and handed to New England in some sort of "blind draw." Are we still speaking about MLS? Yes? Weekend round-up, then.

Back to Europe with...Last Weekend In Europe

There's some rather substantial Monday Night Football tonight, people. We've got Manchester City vs. Liverpool (3pm EDT on NBCSN), Real Madrid vs. Cordoba (2pm EDT on beIN Sports USA), and Rayo Vallecano vs. Atlético Madrid (4pm EDT on beIN Sports USA). Here's what you need for the Premier League clash: Preview I. Preview II. 50/50 Challenge. Five Questions.


So. It looks like Di María is going to ManU. Do they really need a winger? What about their central midfield issues? Jamie Jackson investigates. Meanwhile, The BBC's Chris Bevan is investigating Arsenal. He says, "Arsenal show new resolve but old problems remain."

Balotelli. Di María. Falcao. Podolski. Welbeck. You know where this is headed...The Mill. Plus One. Plus Plus One.

And finally...Crystal Palace. What went wrong? It was all up and up thanks to Tony Pubis' revived side and then...bang! It turned into a circus. Phil McNulty is on the case.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 11:34 AM 0 comments

Friday, August 22, 2014

La Liga Returns, Bundesliga Returns, Premier League Previews, Balotelli to Liverpool, The Joy of Six, Mackay's Sick Texts

And there goes another week, Peeps! Mario Balotelli is back in England, this time with Liverpool. Yes, the Reds have ditched one crazy forward and found themselves a suitable replacement. Will he thrive or will he go bonkers? Before the move is finalized he has to agree to behave. But it'll happen. Italian expert Paolo Bandini thinks Liverpool may be just the place for Mario Balotelli to get back to basics. We shall see. Here's the question, though: Why is it always them?

Mario's back to lead the line at Liverpool...
The summer is finally over in Spain where La Liga kicks off tomorrow. Sid Lowe has a season preview and explains the oddity of the fact that Atlético Madrid are the Champions yet also underdogs. Here's another fun little preview worth your time. This weekend in particular? Oddly, the Spanish Super Cup has to finish this afternoon. Leg One finished 1-1 between Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid. Those two teams will begin their league season on Monday. Here's a preview.

In Germany, it's pretty much Bayern Munich vs. Borussia Dortmund. Those two sides stand apart from the rest of the league. Raphael Honigstein has a season preview and thinks Dortmund can defy the odds and challenge the might Bayern. This weekend in particular? Here's preview. Bayern Munich actually begin things this afternoon against Wolfsburg. Uli Hesse has a piece on the hilarious history of the Bundesliga opener. And, of course, since the Bundesliga is back, everyone's favorite Schalke supporter must make his return, as well. Welcome back, buddy!!

We've missed you...
Back in the Premier League, you'll have to wait until Monday for the biggie between Manchester City and Liverpool, but Everton/Arsenal, Tottenham/QPR, and Sunderland/Manchester United could all excite. Here's your mega-lot for the weekend in England (and Wales).


The Joy of Six! This week it's High-Scoring Football Draws. Enjoy the Joy.


Barney Ronay on the Transfer Window and why we want it shut. Now. Make it stop!! Wait. Not quite yet: The Mill. Plus One. Plus Plus One.

And finally...Ex-Cardiff City boss Malky Mackay apparently sent texts like this:


He's not alone, sadly. No real surprise, though.

Enjoy the weekend.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 12:23 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, August 20, 2014

Real Madrid 1-1 Atlético Madrid, Besktas 0-0 Arsenal, Barcelona Transfer Ban Upheld, Americans Abroad, Bayern Munich Reveal Their Bus

Hump Day once again, Amigos! 

Things got a wee bit nasty over in Istanbul last night where honors finished even between Besiktas and Arsenal. Bilic was sent to the stands, Ramsey was sent off, Ba crippled Arteta, and someone threw a bottle at Arsene Wenger. Dominic Fifield made the trek out to the Ataturk Olympic Stadium and filed this report. Here are Three Points & Five Talking Points from the match. What? How did Olivier Giroud perform, you ask? Here's one of his finer moments from last night.

In other action, Bilbao and Napoli drew as well. Check this wrap of the Tuesday matches.

I'm sorry. Did you say you're Serbian?
Over in Madrid, James scored for Real Madrid and Raúl García scored for Atlético Madrid. Both goals were late in a tightly contested contest. Do you think Sid Lowe was at the Bernabéu to check out the action and provide his insight? Better believe that! And here are Three Points.

Erik Lamela. Remember that guy? Spurs dropped £30 million on the Argentine kid and he scored one goal last year. Jonathan Wilson says hold it right there, folks. He's still good and he's still young. Don't right him off just yet.


Not cool, dude! OK? Totally not cool!

This: Barcelona will be unable to sign players until January 2016 once the current transfer window shuts, after world governing body Fifa rejected the club's appeal against a transfer ban.

Time to check in with the Yanks plying their trade outside of our fine nation. We've got two reports. One...and...Two.

Everyone loves own-goals! Here's a special one from the Everton Under-21s. Oh, dear...

And finally...THIS is how you unveil your official bus:


Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 11:30 AM 1 comments

Tuesday, August 19, 2014

Chelsea Brush Burnley Aside, Champions League Playoffs, Podcast, Suárez Promises Not To Bite, Spanish Super Cup

Turf Moor, Burnley, England
Howdy! Chelsea turned on the style and made their case with aplomb at Turf Moor last night. Burnley were simply overrun. Fábregas was Fábrulas and Diego Costa opened his account as Chelsea showed a panache in attack not seen since the Zola years. Daniel Taylor was there and filed this report. There's more, of course. What? Oh, you know, Five Things We Learnt, Three Points, Five Talking Points...

What's going on today? Champions League Qualifying! By virtue of their third-place finish in Turkey's top flight, Besiktas get the chance to reach the Champions League proper if they can defeat Arsenal in a two-legged affair. Arsenal finished fourth in England's top flight. Here's a preview of that one. Meanwhile, James McNicholas is worried about a frail Arsenal defence. They have a lot of injuries and such, apparently.

Elsewhere, Italy's third-place club from last year (Napoli) face Spain's fourth-place club (Atheltic Bilbao. James Horncastle says the pressure is on Napoli. Andy Hunter says Athletic stand by their principles. So there. Here's a preview for all of today's (and tomorrow's) action.

The Spanish Super Cup kicks off today, too. Normally, we wouldn't pay much attention to this pre-season La Liga affair, but as it's Real Madrid vs. Atlético Madrid, we'll cast an eye towards the Estadio Bernabéu.

Happy lads...

Tony Pulis resigned from Crystal Palace. Word on the street is Malky Mackay is going to be the new gaffer at Selhurt Park.

Manchester United. They were poor at the weekend, right? But were they really that bad? Paul Parker thinks they were.

Scribes! It's been awhile, and although we're not completely up to speed, we're going to try to throw something together. Spoiler: it's mainly Spain. Check it:


Where? Spain. Who? Francesc Tomas. What? Barca look ready for the new season

Where? Spain. Who? Sid Lowe. What? Suárez finally makes Barcelona bow

Where? Spain. Who? Graham Hunter. What? La Liga's Top Three

Podcast! Another friend we've not seen in too long. Here: Welcome to the first Football Weekly of the season proper, in which James Richardson, John Ashdown, Michael Cox and Paolo Bandini look back on an opening weekend that saw Louis Van Gaal's reign at Manchester United get off to the worst possible start. After rounding up hard-fought wins for Manchester City and Liverpool, we move on to Arsenal, who now face Beskitas in a Champions League qualifier, before giving Aston Villa some credit for their victory over Stoke. And because you didn't ask for it, we also give you a bumper round-up from the Championship and even Scotland.




Spain! Germany! Italy! France! What can we expect in '14-'15 from these places? What shall they offer us football freaks (and geeks)? BBC European Football Expert Andy Brassell is on hand with all the answers.

The United States! Weekend Review? Done. Major League Soccer's Best XI of Week 23? Done. Power Rankings from Jeff Carlisle? Done.

And finally...Landon Donovan said goodbye to The Crew.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 11:36 AM 0 comments

Monday, August 18, 2014

Swansea Shock United & Ashley Young Eats Bird Poop, PSV Say No Wi-Fi, Monday Night Football (Courtois To Start?)

Happy Monday! It's all Premier League as we await the start of the the other top European domestic competitions (no, France & Holland do not count). Swansea City provided Louis Van Gaal with a rough welcome as they emerged victorious at Old Trafford. Elsewhere, nobody looked particularly spectacular as Liverpool, Manchester City, Arsenal, and Tottenham claimed victories. Here's your lot:

Manchester United 1 - 2 Swansea City: Daniel Taylor at Old Trafford
Premier League Title Contenders: BBC pundits' first impressions

Yes, that looks to be poop going directly into Ashley's mouth...

Although we've started playing matches that matter, the Transfer Window will remain ajar until the end of the month. Will Manchester United splash the cash on Di María? What of Ezequiel Lavezzi? Radamel Falcao? It's all right here: The Mill. Plus One. Plus Plus One.

This is pretty great. PSV Eindhoven fans say, "Fuck Wi-Fi. Support the Team." Indeed.

There is Monday Night Football tonight! NBCSN at 3pm EDT. Burnley return to the Premier League and have to start things off by welcoming Chelsea to Turf Moor. Word is, Thibaut Courtois will start in goal for The Blues. What does that mean for poor Petr Cech? Preview. Preview II.

And finally...over in France things got a wee bit feisty after the PSG/Bastia match. Here's the Moment when Thiago Motta is attacked by Brandao. And has his nose broken...


Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 11:02 AM 0 comments

Friday, August 15, 2014

West Brom & West Ham, Pulis Resigns From Palace, EPL Weekend Previews!

The Premier League season begins tomorrow.
Sure. Of course, on the eve of the start of the EPL season, SSN Headquarters loses power. Geez Louise. OK, let's try and get something together so we're prepared for tomorrow. We'll begin with one final entire EPL season preview. Daniel Taylor has the honors. And now to the weekend:


Bloody hell. The day before the season and Crystal Palace's manager resigns! Tony Pulis is out at Selhurst Park. Not the best way to begin the campaign for the Eagles.

The final two team previews are here:


El Sid has taken his eye off of Spain for a minute to cast a glance down at Chile. Yes, folks, it's Sid Lowe on Alexis Sánchez.

That's a lot of Ronny...
Richard Williams! He's been quite of late. He's back today with this question: Can Louis van Gaal allay English suspicions of the three-man defence?

We're going to throw in 10 Players With Points To Prove (EPL) right here.


And finally...Antonio Conte has been named to head the Italian National Team. James Horncastle thinks the Italians are rolling the dice.

Enjoy the weekend!

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 2:56 PM 0 comments

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Swansea City & Tottenham, DeAndre Yedlin to Tottenham, Gentleman Ultra's Alternative Serie A Guide To Lazio

Yikes! It'll have to be a quick one today. Let's get rolling...

As expected, Yank In His Hometown DeAndre Yedlin has become a Yank Abroad. His move from Seattle to Tottenham has been confirmed. Good luck to him. Luis Suárez is still banned but can now train with Barca and play in friendlies Good luck to...uh...no.


The Gentleman Ultra is back! We're graced with a guide to Lazio. Grazie, Gentleman! We shouldn't just look at one side of Rome, though. Thankfully, James Horncastle has a little feature on The Wolf of Roma today. That would be Walter Sabatini, by the way.

Two more EPL previews today, two more tomorrow, and then that's it, people!


San Lorenzo are the Champions of South America, says Tim Vickery. Yes, the Pope's favorite side won the Copa Libertadores yesterday. Jonathan Wilson reports on the end of an era. An era without a trophy. As he puts it, "And with that, Club Atlético Sin Libertadores de América, one of the oldest jokes in Argentinian football, had ceased to be."

This is weird...


Michael Cox is a tactical dude. He likes to write about tactics. Today, he's got a club-by-club tactical guide to the EPL season ahead. And all that entails. Tactically speaking, of course.

And finally...does it pay to sell your best player?

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 12:59 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Stoke & Sunderland, Ronny & Real Madrid Win UEFA Super Cup, Jonathan Wilson On Barcelona '99-'00, Raphael Honigstein In Germany

Errr...hello. Now I play in Spain. Now I wear the string.
And a very pleasant Hump Day to you and yours. As we predicted, there were Ronaldo biceps displayed yesterday as the FITTEST PLAYER IN THE WORLD scored twice to lead Real Madrid over Sevilla. Rob Phillips was at Cardiff City Stadium and filed this report. Joe Lovejoy was there, too. And...Mark Lomas has Three Points.

Loyal SSN followers will know that Phil McNulty is the Chief Football Writer for the BBC. Today, Phil released his predictions for the upcoming season. He thinks Chelsea will win the league. He thought Chelsea would win the league last year. Sticking to his guns, he is. Chelsea do have a top striker now in the form of Diego Costa. None other than Spanish Football Expert Sid Lowe thinks Costa is "perfect" for Chelsea. Look out!


Today's EPL previews are here. Stoke and Sunderland. What more is there to say?


Oh, Jonathan Wilson. You're such a wise scribe. Thank you for giving us this fascinating article about Barcelona in the late 1990s. Thanks for reminding us how Louis van Gaal shaped five top managers between 1997 and 2000. Here's the Stat of the Day: In 1997-2000 the present managers of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Manchester United, Chelsea, Ajax, PSV Eindhoven and Southampton were all either playing or working at Camp Nou. Wow.

Foh Shizzle.
Fast forward a few years and Barcelona now have Neymar. Is he more important to the club than Messi?

Everyone thinks Fellaini is leaving Manchester United. Funny, then, that he scored the winning goal in United's friendly victory last night over Valencia. Was it Screech's final act? If so, nice to score, but not nice to receive the attention he got from the United faithful.

Raphael Honigstein is reporting on Germany again! Outstanding. Today he's talking some Jürgen Klopp and Borussia Dortmund. Excellent.

More Premier League Previews? Sure. SB Nation has a Mega-Preview here.

We out.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 11:15 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, August 12, 2014

QPR & Southampton, Uefa Super Cup, Sid Lowe On Barcelona, MLS

Good Day! All eyes on Cardiff (OK, maybe not) as Real Madrid and Sevilla meet for the UEFA Super Cup this afternoon (2:45pm EDT on Fox Sports 1). What the hell is the UEFA Super Cup, you ask? It's when the winner of the Champions League and the winner of the Europa League play each other. Duh. You'll get your Gareth Bale in a sort of homecoming to Wales, your first sight of James and Kroos in blanco, and, most likely, Ronaldo's flexed muscles. Just a little something to get you through the week. Check the Team News.

EPL previews. Today it's two clubs who will hope to finish mid-table.


Not enough? You want a club-by-club guide? Here.

New boys. There are a lot of them in the Premier League this season. Here are five new faces aiming to make their mark. Transfers. How about Top 10 for their value?


'Tis Tuesday and that's when we usually check in with MLS. Bird has a Top 11 for the weekend here. Bird also has Power Rankings here. He claims Seattle should be top. Jeff Carlisle disagrees. He think the assGalaxy are the most powerful.


The Cannibal has gone to Catalonia. No, he can't play for a while, but it'll be very interesting to see how Luis Suárez does at Barcelona once his ban ends. His signing certainly represents a change in philosophy by the Spanish giants. Sid Lowe investigates.

Let's get going with EPL predictions, shall we? The man with the huge nose thinks Chelsea will win it all. Southampton legend Matt Le Tissier argues that it'll be Manchester City once again.

That'll do just fine.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 11:10 AM 0 comments

Monday, August 11, 2014

Manchester United & Newcastle, Arsenal Win Community Shield, James Horncastle On Roma

Happy Monday. Arsenal defeated a half-asleep and still-on-vacation Manchester City in the Charity Community Shield at Wembley yesterday. The match provided some decent moments for the neutral (Barney Rooney filed this report) and we can now say that the curtain has been raised and we're ready for the real deal this weekend. Before we move on, however, here are Three Points, Five Talking Points, and Jonathan Wilson's report. Oh, and just how did all the new signings get on?

Michael Cox is a tactical dude. He likes to write about tactics. Today, he's writing about Manchester United and Van Gaal's philosophy. And what that means. Tactically speaking, of course.
Totti & Batigol celebrate as Thuram looks on...
They'll be playing Il Calcio in Italy before too long. Serie A gets going next month and James Horncastle reckons Roma have what it takes to win their first Scudetto since 2001. Ahhhh, that was a squad we loved. Totti in his prime, Walter Samuel and Cafú anchoring the defense, Batistuta and Montella up front. Hidetoshi Nakata. Abel Babo! What a side. Sniff...sniff. Good memories.


Sticking with transfers, here are the Top 10 Biggest Risks of transfers that have gone through already.

In Major League Soccer, Landon Donovan's farewell tour has officially begun. Here are Five Things from the weekend's domestic action.

We've got two more Premier League previews today. They feature two big clubs with a lot to prove and under a lot of pressure.


Question of the Day: How do Real Madrid keep £500m of talent happy?

Jamie Redknapp tips Chelsea for the title. There. Now you know. Do you care? If so, click here for 'Lil Redknapp's team-by-team season preview.

We'll conclude the beginning of the week with this: Ten hidden gems that are ready to sparkle in the Premier League this season. Bam!

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 12:39 PM 0 comments
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