Friday, May 30, 2014

The Mill Returns, The Joy Of Six, USA vs. Turkey, Driving From San Francisco To Salvador, AC Milan Mess, Arsène Wenger's World Cup Preview


And so goes another week. The Transfer Window is open and that means it's time for The Mill and all its various plusses to make a return. So, without further Freddy Adu, here you go:


There are a slew of friendlies set to take place over the next few days. Quite wisely, Amy Lawrence has chosen to take a look at Italy and their match tomorrow against Ireland at Craven Cottage. There are more than a couple strikers in the Italy 30 who are desperate to make the Italy 23.

The United States will also be in action in one of those friendlies. The USMNT host Turkey on Sunday at 2:00pm EDT (ESPN2) at Red Bull Arena in lovely Harrison, New Jersey, and The Diving German claims that Deuce is ready to go!

It's going to be hot in Brazil. Tim Vickery is worried. Thank you FIFA for mid-day kick-offs.

Ahhh, the Dutch. Those crazy Dutch. Drive from San Francisco to Salvador to see Holland vs. Spain? Why not? At least that's what a certain Ben Oude Kamphuis thought.

The Joy of Six! What else but World Cup Classics? And let's satisfy the hipsters with Top 10 World Cup Beards.

There are three stadia that will host the Yanks at the World Cup. You're talking venues in Natal, Manaus, and Recife. Let's take a closer look. 

James Horncastle is taking a closer look...at AC Milan. Frankly, it's a mess. And here comes Inzaghi!

Arsenal's manager has graced us with a World Cup Group-by-Group Preview. It's actually pretty good. He doesn't even mention the U.S. or Mexico.

That'll do it!

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 11:46 AM 1 comments

Thursday, May 29, 2014

It's All A Bit Quiet

We're going to take the day off for some housecleaning. Not much is happening besides speculation and more complaints (justified) about the World Cup. Stand by for a full post tomorrow.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 10:01 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

USA Defeat Azerbaijan, Pochettino Take Over At Tottenham, The Sids, Phil Ball In Spain, Luis Suarez, More Brazilian Protests


What up, Hump Day? The United States played the first of three prep matches last night at Candlestick Park in San Francisco and it was a rather dreadful affair. The Yanks ended up winning 2-0 but the fare on offer was rather stale. Clint Dempsey was a late withdrawal because of a groin complaint but said in his classic style, "it's all good." Jeff Carlisle claims the diamond looked rough. Here are some Player Grades for you. And...Three Thoughts from Grant Wahl!

As expected, Tottenham have named Mauricio Pochettino as their new boss. Jacob Steinburg has a list of five things that Mauricio must do at White Hart Lane to improve the vibe.

Yesterday we had the Bandinis and everything that was Serie A in 2013-14 and today we're treated to The Sids and everything that was La Liga in 2013-14. For starters...From a flashing backside distracting Diego Costa to Carlos Vela presenting a match ball to his dog, it’s time for the annual end-of-season Spanish football awards.

Phil Ball is back, baby! He's been off the pages for ages after his Qatar confusion (scroll down to the last segment entitled, "Conflict of Interest") but returns not to ESPN, but to The Guardian. He's obviously still in Spain, and this is what he's got for us: Could Eibar’s astonishing rise to La Liga end before a ball is kicked? The smallest club to enter the top flight of Spanish football, described as a ‘model club’, could be demoted before the season starts due to ‘unfair’ regulations.



We all know the World Cup is all about cash. So who's winning the brand war? Best commercials? Check it.

Wright Thompson is a damn fine writer and he's got a new piece out on Luis Suarez entitled, "Portrait of a Serial Winner." Enjoy. Sam Kelly is also down around the Rio Plata but he's more interested in Angel Di Maria than Luis.

And finally...Snoop Dogg sends his best.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 10:40 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Champions League Final Aftermath, The Bandinis, QPR Promoted, Cantona On FIFA, Germany Problems, USA IN SF

Madrid fans leave Lisbon with some cleaning up to do...
Well, well, well. That match certainly provided a fitting end to a crazy season of club football, eh? Let's get right to some of the finer articles on the matter:


Thanks to a Bobby Zamora goal, 10-man QPR beat Derby in a brutally unfair result to return the Premier League. 'Arry's back, folks. Stuart James was at Wembley where Derby dominated but simply could not score.

Podcast! Real Madrid did La Décima, QPR did Derby and return to the Premier League, and Yaya Touré didn't get his birthday cake. AC Jimbo, James Horncastle, Michael Hann and Sid Lowe are here to tell you all about it, bringing to an end a sensational season of Football Weekly.

 Team USA play Azerbaijan tonight (10pm EDT on ESPN2) at Candlestick in San Francisco. Here's a wee preview.

Madrid fans urinate on Lisbon...
Eric Cantona has been making a movie in Rio. A documentary. Here's what he's got to say about SPECTRE FIFA, "...the Frenchman views Sepp Blatter’s “corrupt” governing body as “so powerful, stronger than any country”. Couldn't have said it any better ourselves.

Are you going to Brazil for the World Cup? Are you going to Recife? Here's an article about that town.

Paolo Bandini is one of our favorite scribes. He's all over Serie A and at the end of each campaign he unleashes his awards. Here you go: The Bandinis 2014: An utterly exhaustive review of the Serie A season. From the best shinpads to the worst misses, via a referee-shaped dog chew toy, it’s our end-of-season Italian awards.

Another scribe favorite is Raphael Honigstein. He's a German expert, don't you know? Today, he's talking the national team and worrying that injuries and the team diaspora remain threats to success.
This guy...
Donovan is not invited to the Big Party. Donovan gets angry. Donovan breaks MLS scoring record. Here are Five Things We Learned from the weekend in Major League Soccer. Power Rankings? Yes. Power Rankings again? Yes.

While his rival Ronaldo is basking in glory and getting naked for Vogue, Lionel Messi is quietly preparing for the World Cup. What the deal with Messi, anyway? Why don't people in Argentina go nuts for him? In his hometown of Rosario he's hardly honored at all.

Spurs are said to be closing in on a new gaffer in the form of one Mauricio Pochettino. Richard Jolly is curious as to whether Mauricio is a Martinez or a Moyes?

That would appear to cover what we'd like to cover.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 10:30 AM 1 comments

Friday, May 23, 2014

By Popular Demand


Posted by The Editor at 1:20 PM 1 comments

No Donovan In Brazil, Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid Champions League Final Insanity, Luiz To PSG?, Championship Play-Off Final


Hey Hey Hey! It's Friday! 

The Diving German announced his final 23 for Brazil yesterday and one Landon Timothy Donovan did not make the cut. The Golden Boy of his generation has failed to make the Brazil 2014 team. As you might expect, The Interwebs are freaking out.

What do we think? It's a mistake. Yes, he's 32 and it's an old 32. Yes, there is the Bayern Munich history. Yes, he and Klinsmann obviously don't see eye-to-eye on a lot of things. Yes, he bailed and went to Cambodia. But he's simply still too good (especially in Internationals) to completely leave him off the squad. What do the pundits think? Let's get to it:

Grant Wahl: Five Thoughts

Another left out is Brad Evans. Apparently, he has a sense of humor. Good for him.

Here are the 23 who will be on the plane:

GOALKEEPERS: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (RSL)
DEFENDERS: DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Fabian Johnson (Borussia Mönchengladbach), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders FC)
MIDFIELDERS: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
FORWARDS: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Looks like Jurgen's son is an asshole.
Jonathan Watts is in Rio and has an update on how the preparation is proceeding. Not well, as you might expect.

OK! Enough of that stuff about some tournament next month. Let's get to tomorrow's MEGAMATCH in Lisbon:

Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid: Preview
Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid: Preview II
Atlético Madrid vs. Real Madrid: Preview III

It seems like ages since we heard from Marcela Mora y Araujo in Argentina. Good to know she's still scribing. As you might expect, she wants to talk Simeone and the possibility of him taking over the national team.

It looks like everyone's favorite Sideshow Bob look-a-like will no longer be gracing Stamford Bridge. He's going to Gay Paris, apparently.

The Joy of Six? European Cup final goals. Top Tenner? European Cup finals.

Two other teams have a rather important match tomorrow. It's Derby County and Queens Park Rangers at Wembley for the right to return to the Premier League. Here's your preview. Check the action at 10am EDT on beIN Sport USA. Here's another look. One QPR fan's dog ate his ticket! No shit! Thankfully, it'll be OK. Whew!

That's all the time we have for now, folks!

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 11:17 AM 2 comments

Thursday, May 22, 2014

Taking Two Days Off


It's all a bit slow at the moment, so we're going to take a couple of days and do some spring cleaning around the headquarters. Luis Suárez injured his knee in training and is now a doubt for the World Cup, which would be a big blow to not only Uruguay, but to the tournament itself. As expected Bacary Sagna is set to sign for Manchester City. And...that's about it. We'll be back tomorrow with all the guff about the Champions League Final.

Onward!!

-SSN


Posted by The Editor at 9:02 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

More Van Gaal, Scribes, Portugal Squad, Serie A Season Review, What Is A World Cup Spot Worth?

Oi! What's this? The BBC's European football expert Andy Brassell is taking on the role of master of ceremonies as he hands out imaginary awards to his Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year and Coach of the Year, and names his Best XI of the season. Sounds good.

Grant Wahl has asked a very good question. It is this: How much is a roster spot worth for U.S. players in Brazil?

Louis, Louis, Louis, Looooeeeee...
As noted yesterday, one of the biggest clubs in the world finally has a new manager, and the reaction by the pundits is overwhelmingly positive. Here's more on that:


You know what sucks? Agents creating bullshit waves in order to make money. That's all Yaya Toure's agent is doing with this absurd rant about his birthday. SSN would certainly never go out of our way to defend the powers that be at Man City, but come on Seluk.

Scribes, yo!

Where? Brazil. Who. Tim Vickery. What? Brazil braced for more World Cup protests

Where? Italy. Who? Paolo Bandini. What? Serie A signs off with Europa League battle

Where? Germany. Who? Raphael Honigstein. What? Guardiola breathes again after Double

Where? Germany. Who? Uli Hesse. What? Bundesliga maintains goal-scoring reputation

Portugal has named its squad for the tournament set to take place in 23 days in its old colonial backwater of Brazil. Wait. Nani?!

Goalkeepers: Beto (Sevilla), Eduardo (Braga), Rui Patrício (Sporting).
Defenders: Andre Almeida (Benfica), Bruno Alves (Fenerbahce), Fabio Coentrao (Real Madrid), Joao Pereira (Valencia), Neto (Z. St. Petersburg), Pepe (Real Madrid), Ricardo Costa (Valencia).
Midfielders: Joao Moutinho (Monaco), Miguel Veloso (Dynamo Kiev), Raul Meireles (Fenerbahce), Ruben Amorim (Benfica), William Carvalho (Sporting Lisbon), Rafa (Braga).
Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid), Eder (Braga), Helder Postiga (Lazio), Hugo Almeida (Besiktas), Nani (Manchester United), Varela (FC Porto), Vieirinha (Wolfsburg).

You'll have to forgive us for overlooking the action Stateside over the weekend. What with the Primera Liga title up for grabs and a scintillating FA Cup final and all. Let's make amends. Here are Five Things We Learned in Major League Soccer on Saturday and Sunday. Power Rankings? But, of course. Jeff Carlisle's got New England, Real Salt Lake, and Seattle leading the table. That Bird guy's got Real Salt Lake, Seattle, and then New England. So there.

Domestic leagues are done. Dusted. Sorted. Time for the Season in Reviews to hit the airwaves. Let's begin in Italy with James Horncastle's Serie A 2013-2014 Season Review.

Done.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 2:14 PM 0 comments

Monday, May 19, 2014

Atlético Madrid Win La Liga, Arsenal Win The FA Cup, Manchester United Appoint Louis van Gaal, Giggs Retires

NOT Barcelona or Real Madrid.
Happy Monday. Honors even (1-1) at Camp Nou presented the Primera Liga trophy to Atlético Madrid on Saturday. Which is odd, because Xavi said Barcelona deserved to win the title. Anyway, it's Atlético's first title since 1995-96 and it's the first time in a decade that the title hasn't gone to either Barcelona or Real Madrid. Ain't change nice? As you would expect, SSN had people on the ground, but sadly, we've yet to receive their report. Only a photo (see below), which doesn't help us much...

SSN's Primera Liga Title-Deciding Match Correspondents at Camp Nou

Here's your lot from Spain, beginning with El Sid's report & his analysis:

Atlético Madrid 1 - 1 Barcelona: Sid Lowe at Camp Nou

Meanwhile, at Wembley, Arsenal went two goals down to Hull City but managed to claw back and get the go-ahead goal in extra time. It's Arsenal's 11th FA Cup and their first trophy in nine years. We figured we'd mention that just in case there was some way in hell you missed all the commentary on that subject. Speaking of commentary, how God-awful were Gus Johnson and Eric Wynalda? Wynalda should be banned for life. He simply has no clue. According to him, Aaron Ramsey is English. Enough of that, though. Here's your lot from London:

Arsenal 3 - 2 Hull City (aet): Paul Wilson at Wembley
Jonathan Wilson: The drought is over


Manchester United have a new gaffer: Louis van Gaal. Barney Ronay takes a gander at the anti-Moyes disciplinarian. John Brewin says get ready for a Dutch revolution, while Gab Marcotti claims Van Gaal's past offers little insight into United's future. The Dutchman's appointment means Ryan Giggs will stay on as his Number 2. It also means Ryan Giggs has finally officially retired. What a career. Just 963 games, 34 trophies, and 23 years.

In Italy, Juventus won to set a points record, while Inter Milan and Roma lost essentially meaningless matches. AC Milan won their match but didn't make Europe. Here's your final table. More domani with Paolo.

Whew! That'll do for today.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:19 AM 0 comments

Friday, May 16, 2014

Barcelona vs. Atlético Madrid For La Liga, Arsenal vs. Hull City For The FA Cup, Brazil Protests, The Joy Of Six, Puyol Retires, Friday Quiz

Who's ready for the World Cup!
And there goes another week. Tomorrow there are two matches of note and they both kick-off at 12pm EDT. Yes, unfortunate, but what are you gonna do? Two televisions? Picture-in-Picture? Whatever it takes, we suppose.

Right, so Barcelona and Atlético Madrid meet at Camp Nou tomorrow at noon EDT to decide the champions of Spain (that one is on beIN Sports USA) and Arsenal and Hull City meet at Wembley tomorrow at noon EDT to decide the winner of the FA Cup (that one is on FOX and will be called by Gus Johnson and Eric Wynalda - Nooooooooooooooo!!!).

Here's your lot for Spain:
Barcelona vs. Atlético Madrid: Preview
Barcelona vs. Atlético Madrid: 13 turning points in La Liga title race

Here's your lot for England:
Arsenal vs. Hull City: Preview I
Arsenal vs. Hull City: Preview II

The end of the line for one of the greatest hair farms the sport has ever seen...
Here's your Serie A scenario ahead of the final weekend:
Juventus won the Scudetto 
Roma and Napoli won Champions League qualification
Fiorentina and Inter won Europa League qualification
Livorno, Catania, and Bologna have been relegated 
Torino, Parma, Milan, Verona, or Lazio can still claim final Europa League spot

How's this for a career? Barcelona first-team regular for 15 seasons. 21 titles including six Primera Division and three Champions League trophies. Capped by his Spain 100 times. Greatest hair of his era. That's what Carlos Puyol can hang his very large hat upon now that he's decided to retire. Gracias por todo, Carlos!

Jozy Altidore had a pretty shitty season in Sunderland. He played hard and had some decent matches, but overall he was disappointing. Grant Wahl interviewed the Yank Abroad.

Meanwhile, in Brazil, there were more protests yesterday as people burned tires near the Itaquerao Stadium in Sao Paolo and stormed a government building in Brasilia. Good times.

Who's ready for the World Cup!
It's been a while since we've enjoyed a good Joy of Six. Thankfully, today we've got FA Cup Final Heroes. Lord Arthur Kinnaird, anyone?

We're going to finish with a quiz this week. It's a tough one. Which club team can claim the most World Cup players? Think about it and click here for the answer.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 10:54 AM 0 comments

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Sevilla Win Europa League, France Implode In 2010, DeAndre Yedlin, Italia 90, Aston Villa, Inside: U.S. Soccer’s March To Brazil


Hello there! The curse continues as Benfica's run without European success now sits at 52 years. They were ever so close, too. In the end, it was penalties that cursed the Lisbon side and the trophy will head across the border to Seville. Jonathan Wilson was at the Juventus Stadium in Turin for an exciting match that simply lacked goals. Jonathan Wilson wrote two pieces about the match. Plus, Mark Lomas has Three Things.

Jonathan Wilson has been busy because he's also got this look back at England's trip to Italy in 1990.

We watched this the other night on ESPN: “Inside: U.S. Soccer’s March to Brazil." It wasn't bad. The access to the players and staff was interesting and there were some candid moments. We give it a thumbs up. The next episode airs May 21.


The German Football Federation appears to be an idiotic as their English counterparts. The national team trained at St. Pauli's stadium in Hamburg. The classic, "No Football For Fascists" sign that graces the ground was removed. Not cool.

The series continues: World Cup: 25 stunning moments … No17: France implode in South Africa. In open rebellion against their manager, France's 2010 squad self-destructed as Thierry Henry watched impassively.

We heard earlier this week that Randy Lerner plans to put Aston Villa up for sale. The American has owned the club for eight years. Richard Jolly takes a look at what he's done.

The idiots at Major League Soccer will keep playing right through the World Cup. Teams will lose their best players to the tournament in Brazil. How will they cope?

There's a lad from Seattle who plays for Seattle. His name is DeAndre Yedlin. He's got crazy hair. Let's take a closer look at one of the lesser-known men going to Brazil for the United States.


We're two days away from the winner-take-all conclusion of the La Liga season. Let's take a sneak peak, shall we?

As you should know by now, Arsenal will also try to win a trophy on Saturday. Here's a look at their catalog of catastrophe since their FA Cup win in 2005.

Done.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 11:13 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

Europa League Final, No Go For Nasri, No Go For Tevez, 50 Things Since Arsenal Won A Trophy, France/Argentina/Holland/Italy Squads

A pleasant Hump Day to you. 

She's angry.
Not so pleasant, however, for one Samir Nasri. Didier Deschamps has deemed Samir surplus to requirements and won't be taking him to Brazil. Nasri's girlfriend is pissed! Here's what she had to say (via Twitter, of course): "Fuck france and fuck deschamps! What a shit manager!" Damn, girl! Here's the French squad, then:

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Mickaël Landreau (Bastia)
Defenders: Mathieu Debuchy (Newcastle United), Lucas Digne (PSG) Patrice Evra (Manchester United), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Eliaquim Mangala (Porto), Bacary Sagna (Arsenal), Mamadou Sakho (Liverpool), Raphaël Varane (Real Madrid)
Midfielders: Yohan Cabaye (PSG), Clément Grenier (Lyon), Blaise Matuidi (PSG), Rio Mavuba (Lille), Paul Pogba (Juventus), Moussa Sissoko (Newcastle), Mathieu Valbuena (Marseille)
Forwards: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid), Olivier Giroud (Arsenal), Antoine Griezmann (Real Sociedad), Loïc Rémy (Newcastle), Franck Ribéry (Bayern Munich)
Stand-by players: Stéphane Ruffier (Monaco), Loïc Perrin (St Etienne), Maxime Gonalons (Lyon), Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton), Benoît Trémoulinas (Dynamo Kiev), Alexandre Lacazette (Lyon), Rémy Cabella (Montpellier)

Argentina released their team today. Have a look, yeah? You'll notice the absence of one Carlos Tevez. Sam Kelly is in Buenos Aires and can explain.

Goalkeepers: Sergio Romero (Sampdoria), Mariano Andújar (Catania), Agustín Orión (Boca)
Defenders: Pablo Zabaleta (Manchester City), Federico Fernández (Napoli), Ezequiel Garay (Benfica), Marcos Rojo (Sporting Lisbon), Hugo Campagnaro (Internazionale), Martín Demichelis (Manchester City), José Basanta (Monterrey), Nicolás Otamendi (Atlético Mineiro), Lisandro López (Getafe), Gabriel Mercado (River Plate)
Midfielders: Javier Mascherano (Barcelona), Fernando Gago (Boca Juniors), Lucas Biglia (Lazio), Éver Banega (Newell's Old Boys), Ricardo Alvarez (Inter), Augusto Fernández (Celta Vigo), José Sosa (Atlético Madrid), Angel Di María (Real Madrid), Maxi Rodríguez (Newell's Old Boys), Fabián Rinaudo (Catania), Enzo Pérez (Benfica)
Forwards: Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Gonzalo Higuaín (Napoli), Sergio Agüero (Manchester City), Rodrigo Palacio (Internazionale), Ezequiel Lavezzi (Paris Saint-Germain), Franco di Santo (Werder Bremen)
Good on her for finding a silver lining, though...

The Dutch? Yes, we must:

Goalkeepers: Jasper Cillessen (Ajax), Tim Krul (Newcastle United), Michel Vorm (Swansea City), Jeroen Zoet (PSV Eindhoven)
Defenders: Daley Blind (Ajax), Stefan de Vrij, Daryl Janmaat, Terence Kongolo, Bruno Martins Indi (all Feyenoord), Karim Rekik (PSV Eindhoven), Patrick van Aanholt (Vitesse Arnhem), Paul Verhaegh (Augsburg), Tonny Vilhena (Feyenoord), Ron Vlaar (Villa), Joel Veltman (Ajax)
Midfielders: Jordy Clasie (Feyenoord), Jonathan de Guzman (Swansea City), Nigel de Jong (Milan), Leroy Fer (Norwich City), Arjen Robben (Bayern Munich), Wesley Sneijder (Galatasaray), Rafael van der Vaart (Hamburg), Georginio Wijnaldum (PSV Eindhoven)
Forwards: Jean-Paul Boetius (Feyenoord), Memphis Depay (PSV Eindhoven), Klaas-Jan Huntelaar (Schalke 04), Dirk Kuyt (Fenerbahce), Jeremain Lens (Dynamo Kiev), Quincy Promes (Twente Enschede), Robin van Persie (Manchester United)

The Italians? Va bene...

Goalkeepers: Gianluigi Buffon (Juventus), Salvatore Sirigu (PSG), Mattia Perin (Genoa)
Defenders: Andrea Barzagli (Juventus), Leonardo Bonucci (Juve), Giorigo Chiellini (Juventus), Gabriel Paletta (Parma), Andrea Ranocchia (Inter), Ignazio Abate (Milan), Mattia De Sciglio (Milan), Christian Maggio (Napoli), Matteo Darmian (Torino), Manuel Pasqual (Fiorentina)
Midfielders: Andrea Pirlo (Juventus), Claudio Marchisio (Juventus), Thiago Motta (PSG), Marco Verratti (PSG), Riccardo Montolivo (Milan), Daniele De Rossi (Roma), Antonio Candreva (Lazio), Marco Parolo (Parma), Alberto Aquilani (Fiorentina), Romulo (Verona)
Forwards: Mario Balotelli (Milan), Antonio Cassano (Parma), Alessio Cerci (Torino), Ciro Immobile (Torino), Giuseppe Rossi (Fiorentina), Mattia Destro (Roma), Lorenzo Insigne (Napoli)

Want a running tally of every nation's team? Done.

That means most of the "big" countries have announced their squads. Hence, The Guardian has announced its squad of rejects. It's pretty strong, as you might expect. The Guardian also hired Brazilian legend Zico to pontificate on the World Cup. Today he's got this: A lucky draw and few injuries give the Seleção a great chance of going all the way – now they need to ramp up the atmosphere.

Our man in Lisboa Pedro Santos sent us this funny piece this morning. Here are 50 Things That Have Happened Since Arsenal Last Won A Trophy.

Up in Turin Sevilla and Benfica (hey, they rhyme!) will battle for the Europa League Trophy. Here's a preview. Curse? What curse? If you're so inclined, you can catch all the action at 2:45pm EDT on Fox Sports 1.

The Big Match this weekend (other than the FA Cup Final) is in Spain where Atlético Madrid will go to Barcelona to decide the title. Graham Hunter says the visitors must re-focus after last weekend's disappointment against Málaga. Meanwhile, Xavi, certainly not a favorite of us here at SSN, says that Barcelona deserve to win the title. Really, Xavi? Dick.

Back to the U.S. for a moment where Brian Strauss is checking out The Fight For 23: U.S. World Cup roster locks and uncertainties.

We already miss the Premier League. Thankfully, Phil McNulty has ten things we learned from 2013-14 season to remind us of how great it really was.

And finally...what was the most-watch Premier League match in the U.S. this season? Click here to find out. It's not what you think.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 10:57 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

Spurs Sack Sherwood, Rio Leaves United, Chris Gaffney On Brazil 2014, Scribes, USA Squad, Spain Squad, Ivory Coast Squad, New TV Deal For U.S. & MLS, QPR vs. Derby County

Ahoy! It is Tuesday and that means we've got a ton of stuff to wade through. We'll begin in North London where Tottenham wasted little time in sacking Tim Sherwood. You're fired. Thanks for a great five months, though. Word on the street is they want Southampton gaffer Pochettino to run the show at White Hart Lane. Whomever takes over will be their 11th manager in the last 12 years.

After 12 years, Rio Ferdinand will leave Manchester United. He's 35. He's had a great career: Six Premier League titles, Two League Cups, One Champions League. He doesn't get credited for the FA Cup United won in '04 because he was suspended for missing a drug test.

We'll stay with the Premier League for a moment here. There are 19 teams currently slated to play in the league next season. Out went Cardiff, Fulham, and Norwich. In have come Leicester City, Burnley, and...Derby County OR Queens Park Rangers. Yes, QPR won a thriller over Wigan last night to set up a date with Derby at Wembley (May 24). James Riach was at Loftus Road and filed this report.

Pitch Invasion! QPR fans celebrate their upcoming trip over to Wembley
Ahhh, the World Cup. A cultural wonderland of parties and feeling good. Sadly, FIFA has its own World Cup going on that involves taking public funds and creating profits for struggling corporate entities such as Budweiser and Adidas. Our man in Rio Chris Gaffney graced the box and is, as always, astute in his analysis of the shitshow that is Brazil 2014.

Speaking of Brazil 2014. The United States, Spain, and Ivory Coast announced their squads. Fernando Torres? Yes. Emmanuel Eboué ? No. Eddie Johnson? No. Brek Shea? No. Julian Green? Yes. DeAndre Yedlin? Yes. Sacha Kljestan? No.

Here are the Yanks:
Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton), Nick Rimando (Real Salt Lake)
Defenders: DaMarcus Beasley (Puebla), Matt Besler (Sporting Kansas City), John Brooks (Hertha Berlin), Geoff Cameron (Stoke City), Timmy Chandler (Nürnberg), Brad Evans (Seattle Sounders FC), Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy), Clarence Goodson (San Jose Earthquakes), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim), Michael Parkhurst (Columbus Crew), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle Sounders)
Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Real Salt Lake), Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto FC), Joe Corona (Club Tijuana), Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg), Maurice Edu (Philadelphia Union), Julian Green (Bayern Munich), Jermaine Jones (Besiktas), Graham Zusi (Sporting Kansas City)
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna), Clint Dempsey (Seattle Sounders FC), Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy), Aron Johannsson (AZ Alkmaar), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)

Here are the Spaniards:
Goalkeepers: Iker Casillas, David de Gea, Pepe Reina
Defenders: Sergio Ramos, Gerard Piqué, Raúl Albiol, Juanfran, Jordi Alba, César Azpilicueta, Daniel Carvajal, Alberto Moreno
Midfielders: Xavi, Javi Martínez, Xabi Alonso, Andrés Iniesta, Koke, Sergio Busquets, Santi Cazorla, Ander Iturraspe, Cesc Fábregas, Thiago Alcântara, Juan Mata, David Silva, Pedro, Jesús Navas
Forwards: Diego Costa, David Villa, Fernando Torres, Álvaro Negredo, Fernando Llorente

Here are Les Éléphants:
Goalkeepers: Copa Barry (Lokeren), Gbohouo Sylvain (Sewe Sport), Sayouba Mandé (Stabaek), Badra Ali (ASEC Mimosas).
Defenders: Kolo Touré (Liverpool), Bamba Souleyman (Trabzonspor), Jean Daniel Akpa Akpro (Toulouse), Arthur Boka (Stuttgart), Serge Aurier (Toulouse), Brice Dja Djédjé (Marseille), Didier Zokora (Trabzonspor), Benjamin Angoua Brou (Valenciennes), Ousman Vieira (Caykur Rizespor).
Midfielders: Cheik Tioté (Newcastle), Yaya Touré (Manchester City), Romaric (Bastia), Max-Alain Gradel (St-Etienne), Ismaël Diomandé (St-Etienne), Didier Ya Konan (Hannover), Constant Djakpa (Eintracht Frankfurt), Geoffroy Serey Dié (Basel).
Strikers: Wilfried Bony (Swansea), Didier Drogba (Galatasaray), Gervinho (Roma), Giovanni Sio (Basel), Seydou Doumbia (CSKA Moscow), Lacina Traoré (Monaco), Salomon Kalou (Lille).

So now we know who will be going to Brazil for the United States, but we still don't know who will actually play. And who will start.

Since we're talking U.S., we should probably take a moment to check in on Major League Soccer. The league has a new TV deal. Check it. And...we should get some Power Rankings. Bird's are here and Jeff Carlisle's are here.

Oscar has his own underwear...

It is Tuesday and that means Marcotti is musing. And gabbing. Here are today's topics: City's deserved success, Rodgers' achievements, more.

And we mentioned and as you know, it is Tuesday. Scribe Time!




Where? Germany. Who? Raphael Honigstein. What? German squad shows Löw's commitment to technical football

Where? Germany. Who? Raphael Honigstien. Again? Yes. What? Hamburg close in on unwanted title

And finally...we'll end on a light note. It would appear that Lewis Holtby tackled Howard Webb in last night's testimonial for Ledley King. Musta been fun...

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 10:52 AM 0 comments

Monday, May 12, 2014

Manchester City Win The Premier League, England & Ghana WC Squads Announced, Atlético Madrid & Barcelona Both Draw (Real Madrid Lose) Ahead Of Final Showdown, Aston Villa For Sale


A fine Monday to you! As expected, Manchester City wrapped up the Premier League title at the Etihad yesterday. Here's your final table. You're looking at Champions League football for Man City, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal. Everton, Tottenham, and Hull City will enjoy Europa League football.

So no more Premier League footie until August, folks. Stand by for the Championship Playoff Final (May 24 between Derby and either QPR or Wigan) to see who will win promotion, and the FA Cup Final (this Saturday between Arsenal and Hull). Otherwise, you've got this Saturday's mega-match between Atlético Madrid and Barcelona to decide the title in Spain, and then...the wait until June 12 and World Cup 2014.

Vidic's final match for United gets a bit bloody...
Let's get going with all the insanity in the Premier League from Championship Sunday and the 2013-14 season with an Insane-O Link Show:

Martin Rogers: Right man for the job

Woy announced his squad for Brazil this morning. Here it is. No Ashley Cole. Carrick only makes the waiting list. And rather odd that Glen Johnson is listed as a defender. Oh! We'll be here all week. Try the Corned Beef...

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart (Man City), Ben Foster (West Brom), Fraser Forster (Celtic)
Defenders: Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Chris Smalling (Man Utd), Phil Jones (Man Utd), Leighton Baines (Everton), Luke Shaw (Southampton)
Midfielders: Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), James Milner (Man City), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal), Ross Barkley (Everton), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal). Forwards: Wayne Rooney (Man Utd), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Man Utd), Rickie Lambert (Southampton).
Stand-bys: John Ruddy (Norwich), Jon Flanagan (Liverpool), John Stones (Everton), Michael Carrick (Man Utd), Tom Cleverley (Man Utd), Andy Carroll (West Ham), Jermain Defoe (Toronto).

Meanwhile, U.S. opponents (are they not every four years?) Ghana announced their squad. Here it is:

Goalkeepers: Adam Kwarasey (Stromsgodset), Fatau Dauda (Orlando Pirates), Stephen Adams (Aduana Stars)
Defenders: Samuel Inkoom (Platanias), Daniel Opare (Standard Liege), Harrison Afful (Esperance), Jeffrey Schullp (Leicester City), John Boye (Rennes), Jonathan Mensah (Evian), Jerry Akaminko (Eskisehirspor), Rashid Sumaila (Mamelodi Sundowns)
Midfielders: Michael Essien (AC Milan), Rabiu Mohammed (Kuban Krasnodar), Agyemang Badu (Udinese), Kwadwo Asamoah (Juventus), Sulley Muntari (AC Milan), Albert Adomah (Middlesborough), Wakasu Mubarak (Rubin Kazan), Christian Atsu (Vitesse), David Accam (Helsingborg), Andre Ayew (Marseille), Afriyie Acquah (Parma)
Forwards: Asamoah Gyan (Al-Ain), Kevin-Prince Boateng (Schalke), Abdul Majeed Waris (Valenciennes), Jordan Ayew (Sochaux)

Have your cake and eat it, too...
Right. So, Real Madrid lost to Celta Vigo while Atlético Madrid & Barcelona both drew. That means this weekend's match will be epic. EPIC! More on that tomorrow from the scribes.

USA Hotlist!  Hot: Fabian Johnson. Not: Omar Gonzalez.

You want to own Aston Villa, you say? Now's your chance.

Until tomorrow.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 1:22 PM 2 comments

Friday, May 09, 2014

Final Premier League Weekend, Ronaldo In 1998, Juventus, PSG, Sunderland, World Cup Rosters

Fulham vs. Palace on E! West Brom vs. Stoke on Oxygen. Syfy for Southampton/United.
And there goes another one! Welcome to Friday, friends. It's the final day of the season in the Premier League and The Guardian has 38 Key Moments in the Season for us to look back on. It's really all up to Man City to finish the job against West Ham. Cardiff, Fulham, and Norwich have already been relegated. Here's your lot (the last until August!!) for Super Sunday when NBC will broadcast every match:


Just how did Sunderland pull off The Great Escape? Jonathan Wilson examines.

World Cup Stunning Moment #15: What the hell happened to Ronaldo in '98? The dude was unstoppable and then all of a sudden went limp. Fever? Panic attack?

So Juventus had quite the year. Where do they go from here? James Horncastle takes a look at The Old Lady.

Top Tenner? Comebacks. You know 1999 will be in there. And 2005 in Istanbul...



Major League Soccer? Weekend Previews. More Weekend Previews. The Fire still haven't won a match this season. Yikes.

Paris Saint-Germain. They've got money now. They can buy big-time players. They've won two League Uhhhhhhhhh titles in a row. And...wait for it...their success has pushed their small group of far-right supporters to the periphery. Yay!

Fernando Torres' career in England is a tale of two-halves. Richard Jolly looks at the tale.

In Italy, there's still plenty to play for in terms of relegation. Catania...Liverno...Bologna? Here's your Week 37 Preview.

In Spain, Real Madrid slipped up mid-week dealing their title aspirations a mighty blow. And, Ronny got hurt. Here's your Weekend Preview. There's one round to go after this weekend.

Who is going to Brazil? Here's a helpful list of everyone in every country that's been announced.

And we out.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 11:16 AM 1 comments

Wednesday, May 07, 2014

More Liverpool, Javier Zanetti, Manchester City vs. Aston Villa, Sunderland vs. West Brom, Brazil Announce Roster, Removal Of Michael Jackson = Fulham Relegation

Thanks for the memories...

Manchester United defeated Hull City quite comfortably yesterday thanks to a couple of goals from their newest kid, James Wilson. On the other end of the spectrum, evergreen Ryan Giggs probably played his last match at Old Trafford and looked quite good in his 20-minute cameo. Out with the old, in with the new...

Meanwhile, on the other side town, City have a chance to go back on top tonight when they host Villa. The other match today sees Sunderland attempt to continue their march to safety at the Stadium of Light against West Brom.

In other action today, Real Madrid go to Valladolid knowing only a win will suffice to keep them in title race. Here's a video preview that features the Real Madrid players jogging and Carlo Ancelotti talking.

There are a few players respected by every single employee at SSN Headquarters. There aren't many, but there are a few upon which everyone here can agree. Javier Zanetti is one of those players. He's been a favorite of ours for 22 years now. If you search for "oozing class," you'll find Zanetti. Top Italian scribe Paolo Bandini takes a look at the Inter Milan and Argentina legend as he finally hangs up his boots.

Firmly residing in the "Really?!!" category is this. The asshat who threw the banana at Alves now has his own support group. And...and...Villarreal was punished not by losing points, not by a stadium ban, but by a fine of 12,000 euros. So...that'll learn 'em.

The moment it all began to go wrong for Fulham...
Liverpool's collapse on Monday was so epic. What a way to lose. Martina Hyde has a great piece on the psychiatry behind the whole affair: Dr Steve Peters has been so brilliant at making Liverpool dismiss negative thoughts this season that at Crystal Palace they abandoned even negative concepts – like having a defence. Phil McNulty says that never has going top of the Premier League with one game to play been greeted by such an outpouring of grief, despair and disappointment.

The hosts for this summer's big show have announced their 23-man squad. Here it is:

Goalkeepers: Julio Cesar (Toronto FC), Jefferson (Botafogo), Victor (Atletico Mineiro)

Defenders: David Luiz (Chelsea), Dante (Bayern Munich), Thiago Silva (Paris Saint-Germain), Henrique (Napoli), Maicon (Roma), Dani Alves (Barcelona), Marcelo (Real Madrid), Maxwell (Paris Saint-Germain)

Midfielders: Luiz Gustavo (Wolfsburg), Paulinho (Tottenham), Fernandinho (Manchester City), Ramires (Chelsea), Oscar (Chelsea), Willian (Chelsea), Hernanes (Inter Milan)

Strikers: Hulk (Zenit St. Petersburg), Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk), Neymar (Barcelona), Jo (Atletico Mineiro), Fred (Fluminense)

And finally...former Fulham owner Mohamed Al Fayed knows the reason why Fulham were relegated this season: the removal of the Michael Jackson statue.

Onward!!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 11:40 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, May 06, 2014

Trail Of Tears In South London As Palace Stun Liverpool, World Cup Watch, Manchester United vs. Hull, USA: Who Goes To Brazil?, Scribes

The calm before the storm: Suárez arrives at Selhurst Park with his mate in hand.
And a fine Tuesday to you and yours. As with most Tuesdays we've got tons and tons of stuff to cover. We were watching Liverpool dismantle Crystal Palace yesterday when nature called. Upon returning from the facilities, the score changed from 0-3 to 1-3. Then 2-3. Then 3-3. Yes, Liverpool went up three goals and dreams of erasing the goal deficit began to dance in their heads...and then their midfield lost its shape and they became susceptible to the counter. They brought on attackers Coutinho and Moses instead of solidifying the defense. Sadly for Scousers of the red ilk, the chance to claim their first title in 25 years in the year of the 25th anniversary of Hillsborough is over. Here's your lot from a very, very exciting and emotional Monday Night Football:

Crystal Palace 3 - 3 Liverpool: Phil McNulty at Selhurst Park
Crystal Palace 3 - 3 Liverpool: Daniel Taylor at Selhurst Park
Dominic Fifield: Istanbul in reverse

Who goes to Brazil? The ESPN soccer gurus have gotten together to predict the USA's 23-man World Cup roster. Here are Jeff Carlisle's picks:

Jeff Carlisle -- ESPN FC senior writer:
Goalkeepers (3): Tim Howard, Brad Guzan, Nick Rimando
Defenders (8): DaMarcus Beasley, Fabian Johnson, Matt Besler, Omar Gonzalez, Clarence Goodson, Geoff Cameron, Michael Parkhurst, Brad Evans
Midfielders (8): Landon Donovan, Julian Green, Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, Kyle Beckerman, Maurice Edu, Graham Zusi, Alejandro Bedoya
Forwards (4): Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey, Aron Johannsson, Terrence Boyd
Twitter: @JeffreyCarlisle

Sticking with Jeffrey Carlisle, he's got MLS POWER RANKINGS!! So does that Bird guy over at SI.

There's a match tonight. Manchester United vs. Hull City. The final home match for Vidic. The final home match for Giggsy? Evra? Rio? Kagawa? Cleverley? Fellaini? 2:45pm EDT on NBCSN if you're so inclined. We certainly are.

It is Tuesday and that means we'll muse with Marcotti. This week Gab is gabbing about La Liga heats up, sad scenes in Italy and Spain, more. 

It is Tuesday and that means Scribes. We caught up with Paolo in Italy yesterday, but we need to hear from his mates around the world:


Where? Brazil. Who? Tim Vickery. What? Brazil's true brilliance is defense

Where? Germany. Who? Uli Hesse. What?  Bundesliga stadium announcers

Where? Brazil. Who? Fernando Duarte. What? There won't be many surprises when Brazil squad is revealed

Where? Germany. Who? Raphael Honigstein. What? Lewandowski leads the teary farewells

Suárez departs Selhurt Park with his shirt in hand.
Podcast! Well, we decided to hold the show back for 24 hours and sure enough, Liverpool went and blew it at Crystal Palace. Yes, on today's Football Weekly, AC Jimbo has Barry Glendenning, Jacob Steinberg and a far from jolly Gregg Bakowski in the pod to look back on Liverpool's capitulation and the rest of the action from the weekend in the Premier League. Also in the podcast, we look at what's going on in Spain (clue: it's going to be a 'delicious' finish to the season) and in Italy (glory for Juventus, overshadowed by some horrific violence elsewhere), and we round up the final day drama in the Football League.

We're finally getting some FFP action. Manchester City face a £49m fine and a wage cap for breaking the rules. Their Champions League squad might be reduced to 21 players. Will it matter?

We liked Antonio Conte has a player. He was a hustling type of guy, not overly skillful but always on the go trying to influence matches. He's brought that same ethic to his managerial style, and it works. Here's how Conte revived Juve.

37 Days! BBC Sport, with the help of European football expert Andy Brassell, is taking a weekly look at happenings from across the world of football and what impact they could have on the tournament in the summer.

That, friend, is it for today. Keep it tite.

Onward!

-SSN
Posted by The Editor at 10:50 AM 2 comments
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