Friday, February 27, 2015

Spurs & Liverpool Out of Europe, More Crowd Trouble, Weekend Previews, League Cup Final, QPR Movie, Sex at the Valley



Ugh. Sorry, folks. There was some snow yesterday, and when it snows in the southern United States, people lose their shit. This loss of shit resulted in schools being closed and SSN Staff refusing to make their way to SSN Headquarters. They are weak and will be disciplined.  Anyway, you probably are well aware of Arsenal doing an Arsenal and completely embarrassing themselves. They lost to Monaco 1 - 3. In the other Champions League match on Wednesday, Atlético Madrid lost in Leverkusen. Now that we're up to speed, let's move on.

In Europe's secondary club competition, winners included Inter, Zenit St. Petersburg, Ajax, Besiktas, Fiorentina, Sevilla, Everton, and Roma. Losers included Tottenham, Liverpool, Celtic, Bilbao, Salzburg, Guingamp, and Feyenoord. Yes, more woe for English clubs in Europe. As you might expect, The Fourth Estate is having a field day (see more from Ronay and White below). Regardless, here's your lot from yesterday's fun:

Fiorentina 2 - 0 Tottenham: James Riach at the Stadio Artemio Franchi
Fiorentina 2 - 0 Tottenham: Three Thoughts
Besiktas 1 - 0 Liverpool: Andy Hunter at Ataturk Stadium
Besiktas 1 - 0 Liverpool: Three Thoughts

Woop!? Are Inter Milan finally turning it all around? Richard Hall investigates. Right. Richard Williams has an article about a film called R’Story. Apparently, it's about QPR fans. Check it out.

Dynamo Kiev fans fight...amongst themselves.

We've not had a The Joy of Six is far too long. Appropriately, ahead of Sunday's What's In Your Wallet Final Clash at Wembley, it's...League Cup Final Goals!

And with that, we'll delve into the action in England and Wales this weekend. The Premier League (Manchester City vs. Liverpool looks tasty) and the League Cup Final are on deck:

League Cup Final: Preview
League Cup Final: Key Battles

What the hell else is going on out there? Well, for one, Dunkin' Donuts executives made a big massive offensive error. Idiots. Charlton Athletic have an interesting way of promoting a pitch rental scheme. Six at the center circle? Uhhh, really? 

On that note...

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 12:04 PM 0 comments

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Football Suspended in Greece, Barcelona Beat City, Juventus Edge Dortmund, Cannavaro Sentenced to 10 Months in Prison, Arsenal vs. Monaco, Bayer Leverkusen vs Atlético Madrid, Marina Hyde on Qatar

Stay classy, Feyenoord...

Hey Hey Hey! Hump Day! The two matches yesterday were quite good. Barcelona's total football was a joy to behold, Messi missed a penalty (twice), and Juventus showed some mettle in Turin. Here's all the loot from all of that:

Manchester City 1 - 2 Barcelona: Phil McNulty at the Etihad Stadium
Manchester City 1 - 2 Barcelona: Barney Ronay at the Etihad Stadium
Manchester City 1 - 2 Barcelona: Three Quick Thoughts
Manchester City 1 - 2 Barcelona: Five Talking Points
Juventus 2 - 1 Borussia Dortmund: Report
Juventus 2 - 1 Borussia Dortmund: Three Quick Thoughts

Dude. Don't swim in your pool if the cops tell you not to. Former Italy captain Fabio Cannavaro and his wife did just that, and he's been sentenced to 10 months in the slammer! Yikes!


Looks like SI has something called, "Under The Crest." Grant Wahl is trying to figure out Chelsea's identity. Hmmm. Looks like a stupid piece to try to garner more U.S. interest. You decide.

Oh, Qatar 2022. What a shit show you've become, and you're still years away. The always astute Marina Hyde is the latest to provide some perspective on the insanity.

Two more matches today, peeps. Look to London and Leverkusen for the ties. Here's all your preview information:

Arsenal vs. Monaco: Preview
Arsenal vs. Monaco: Preview II
Bayer Leverkusen vs Atlético Madrid: Preview
Bayer Leverkusen vs Atlético Madrid: Preview II

And finally...they can't even play anymore in Greece. Yes, it's come to that...

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:50 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Manchester City vs. Barcelona, Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund, Paolo on Parma, Winter World Cup



Oooooo. Manchester City vs. Barcelona. That should be nice, right? Get to that TV at 2:45 EST this afternoon (Fox Sports 1 USA) and soak it all in. Here are some previews of today's Champions League matches:

Manchester City vs. Barcelona: Preview
Manchester City vs. Barcelona: Preview II
Matthew Stanger: Messi back to his best 
Juventus vs. Borussia Dortmund: Preview
Juventus vs. Dortmund: Preview II
Adam Bate: Are Dortmund back?

Over in Italy, Inter Milan beat Zola's Cagliari side 2 - 1. Here are Five Key Points from that island encounter. Napoli also won. Here's a panino.

Scribe Time! Travel the globe! Well, sadly, today it's just Europe...


Where? Italy. Who? Jonathan Jurejko. What? Time is running out for Parma

Where? Germany. Who? Andy Brassell. What? Stuttgart starting to lose hope at the bottom

Where? France. Who? Julien Laurens. What? Wenger's reunion with Monaco dredges up unpleasant memories

Where? Italy. Who? Paolo Bandini. What? Parma’s downfall pains a city and its people 


Oh, this is fabulous: Burnley boss Sean Dyche breaks down Jose Mourinho's 'four moments'. Take that, Jose! Paul Parker's got more on Chelsea here. He (rightly) claims that Chelsea will never be champions off the pitch with The Special One in charge. And how about this? Can we just stop talking about referees altogether? Thank you.

Podcast! This week it's...AC Jimbo is back, back, back - and on today's Football Weekly, he's joined by Barry Glendenning, Paul MacInnes and Nick Ames to laud Liverpool, bravo Burnley and salute Spurs as we look back on the best and worst of the weekend in the Premier League. Plus, we look forward to Manchester City's visit from Barcelona in the Champions League with Sid Lowe, as well as the second legs of the Europa League's round of 32. Finally, we get nostalgic for the Football Italia days as we ponder the fate of poor old' Parma, who find themselves well and truly on the brink.

Bloody hell. In an (failed) attempt to save face, it looks like SPECTRE FIFA will hold it's Qatar World Cup during the "winter." Idiots. Idiots. Idiots. Anyway, Owen Gibson is on hand to off the when, why and what of a winter Qatar tournament. And Dan Roan is wondering if conditions have improved for all the laborers imported by Qatar to make the stupid thing happen.

On most Tuesdays, we visit with Gabriele Marcotti for his musings. This Tuesday is no different. Today, Gab's gabbing about...Barca no longer control their Liga fate; Mourinho's siege mentality; Parma woe.

And finally...The Athens Derby, or, The Eternal Derby, turned chaotic over the weekend. Enjoy the mayhem.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:45 AM 0 comments

Monday, February 23, 2015

Premier League Madness, Barcelona Lose at Home, Another Goalfest for Bayern, Parma's Problems


Whoa Nellie! Another doozy of a weekend of footy, eh? Barcelona lost at Camp Nou, Matic lost his head at Stamford Bridge and Chelsea lost two points, The Special One went off the tracks on Sky Sports, Joey Barton did an excellent Joey Barton imitation, Bayern Munich scored six goals, Spurs got a late penalty miss/follow-up from Big Daddy Kane to snatch a point from West Ham, Liverpool slid past Southampton in a deluge at St. Mary's, there was too much rain to play the Genoa Derby, and Manchester United lost at Swansea. Attack!

Peter Berlin: EPL Notes
Chelsea 1 - 1 Burnley: Paul Doyle at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea 1 - 1 Burnley: Three Observations
Swansea City 2 - 1 Manchester United: Joe Lovejoy at the Liberty Stadium
Swansea City 2 - 1 Manchester United: Three Observations
Crystal Palace 1 - 2 Arsenal: Jacob Steinberg at Selhurst Park
Crystal Palace 1 - 2 Arsenal: Three Quick Observations
Manchester City 5 - 0 Newcastle: Chris Bevan at the Etihad Stadium
Tottenham 2 - 2 West Ham: Dominic Raynor at White Hart Lane
Tottenham 2 - 2 West Ham: David Hytner at White Hart Lane
Tottenham 2 - 2 West Ham: Three Thoughts

We noted above that Barcelona lost at home this weekend. Here are Five Things We Learned in La Liga, and here's a wee review. More tomorrow from El Sid.

The rain in Italy falls mainly in Genoa...

Over in Italy, no go in Genoa, and although Totti scored for Roma, they fell further behind Juventus. Matches today in Serie A include Napoli vs. Sussudio and Cagliari vs. Inter. More tomorrow with Paolo. He'll also give us more insight into the sad situation at Parma.

Since we're in Europe, how about a European Team of the Week? Lovely. Wait. Massimo Maccarone?!?!


Look! Arsenal play Monaco on Wednesday. Here's a great piece on Arsene Wenger's time in Monaco. What a coincidence.

Back to the EPL for a second: How to replace the near-indispensable Nemanja Matic? Yes, how will Chelsea do it?

That's a nice run for a Monday. We'll see you tomorrow with scribes and Champions League previews.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 10:51 AM 0 comments

Friday, February 20, 2015

Europa League Fun, Idiots in Rome, Southampton vs. Liverpool, Tottenham vs. West Ham, Sampdoria vs. Genoa, Winter World Cup 2022

Feyenoord "fans" in Rome...

There goes another one, folks. Snow, frigid temps, ice, all that crap. Makes it easier to watch matches, though, don't it? Sadly, some Feyenoord "supporters" weren't as interested in watching their team face Roma as they were in trashing the Eternal City. Idiots.

Meanwhile, good on Chelsea for responding to what their "fans" did in Paris. It's nice to be able to agree with The Special One every once in a while...

Back to the action on the pitch, though, right? Tottenham vs. Fiorentina was a dandy. End to end stuff with a cracker from Soldado. It finished 1 - 1. James Riach was at White Hart Lane and filed this report. Over at Anfield, Super Mario snatched the ball from Jordan Henderson and converted the penalty kick to give Liverpool the win over Besiktas. Andy Hunter was at Anfield and filed this report. Over in Bern Lukaku grabbed a hat-trick and Everton cruised past Young Boys. We think Mike Whalley was at Stade de Suisse. Regardless, he filed this report. Celtic vs. Inter Milan looked like it was fairly exciting. That finished 3 - 3. Here's a review of all of yesterday's fun.

It all begs the question: Does a run in the Europa League damage a team's chances in the Premier League?

Take a look at this. It would appear that Spurs will be able to build a new stadium now that Archway Sheet Metal Works has had (and lost) its day in court. Will a new ground allow Tottenham to be London's next big power, or will it be West Ham instead? Either way, Jim White thinks Pochettino is the perfect man to lead Spurs into the future.

After a bit of a break on behalf of the FA Cup, the Premier League will resume normal service tomorrow. Here's your prep:


We should tackle the other top leagues in Europe while we're at it. Germany? Ja. Italy? Sì. Spain? Sì


Good Week? Bad Week? Who had which?

And finally...it looks like 2022 in Qatar will be in the winter. That'll be interesting. Enjoy the weekend.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 12:15 PM 0 comments

Thursday, February 19, 2015

Champions League, Europa League, More on the Paris Racism

Good Day! The matches in Europe yesterday were a bit flat. Real Madrid brushed aside Schalke without much fanfare, while Basel and Porto drew 1 - 1. Here's some info on everything Champions League:

Real Madrid 2 - 0 Schalke: Three Points
Basel 1 - 1 Porto: Three Things We Learned

Liverpool have improved of late. Why? John Brewin takes a look.

David Conn's piece hadn't hit the webs when we focused on the behavior of the idiots in Paris yesterday. He's too good a scribe to leave out. Here. And, look! Old SSN Pal Jeff Bradley (yes, Bob's brother) has an article, as well. He's concerned about the growing U.S. supporter culture and hopeful that fans can maintain some perspective. More? Here: Football and racism: An inconvenient truth.

There's more European action today. It's in the form of Europa League matches. We know, we know, but there are a few decent ties out there. Liverpool host Besiktas, Spurs face Fiorentina, Everton and those Young Boys, Celtic vs. Inter... Here's the lowdown on Europe's secondary competition.

Copa Libertadores is underway down in South America. Here's a wrap of what's happened so far.

Back in Europe, what's up with The Zlatan and PSG? Ace scribe Jonathan Wilson claims they are killing each other's buzz.

OK! That's fine for now.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:02 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Idiots in Paris, Champions League, Scribes



There's really no other place to begin today but in Paris. Some individuals with two legs attempting to pass as human beings proudly displayed their idiocy. Here's the fallout:


Geez. Anyway, they actually played two games in the Champions League yesterday. They were both draws. Here's your lot.

PSG 1 - 1 Chelsea: Three Observations
PSG 1 - 1 Chelsea: Five Talking Points
PSG 1 - 1 Chelsea: Five Things We Learned
Shakhtar Donetsk 0 - 0 Bayern Munich: Report
Shakhtar Donetsk's 0-0 Bayern Munich: Three Quick Thoughts

European play continues today with Schalke vs. Real Madrid and Basel vs. Porto.

We were closed yesterday and missed Scribes. We know it's already Wednesday, but these guys are too good to pass up.



Where? Brazil. Who? Tim Vickery. What? All eyes on Sao Paulo as 2015 Libertadores groups kick off


Where? Italy. Who? James Horncastle. What? Inter's Mancini returning club's sense of historical importance

Falcao. He's been rather shit at United, no? Chris Bevan is wondering if his time is already up. Sticking with United, Wayne Rooney is purported to have apologized for his dive the other night. What a guy.

That'll do. Back on the horse.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:13 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, February 17, 2015

We're Closed

Unbelievable. We get a dusting of snow, a little ice, and nobody shows up at SSN Headquarters. It's a big day, too! Scribes, the Champions League returns, Rooney dives again, and much more!

Oh, well. We'll try tomorrow.

Onward.


Posted by The Editor at 10:31 AM 0 comments

Monday, February 16, 2015

Bayern Hit Eight, Atlético Madrid Lose, FA Cup, The Zlatan Tats, Cologne "Fans"


Happy Monday! No huge upsets in the FA Cup over the weekend. Bradford continued their fine run, but considering the opposition was Sunderland, it's not too surprising. In Spain, Atlético Madrid fell off the pace after a loss at Celta Vigo. City rivals Real were victorious against Deportivo La Coruña, but didn't look particularly impressive. Meanwhile, Messi went nuts again, and Barcelona slotted five past Levante. In Germany, Borussia Dortmund are out of the Drop Zone after a win, and in Italy, well, blah. Juventus and Roma both drew, Milan were poor, you know the scenario. Let's get to it.

Crystal Palace 1 - 2 Liverpool: Three Observations
Derby County 1 - 2 Reading: Richard Rae at the iPro Stadium
Aston Villa 2 - 1 Leicester City: Stuart James at Villa Park
Arsenal 2 - 0 Middlesbrough: Amy Lawrence at the Emirates Stadium
Arsenal 2 - 0 Middlesbrough: Three Observations

We haven't done The Big Interview in a while. Frankly, there haven't been too many subjects of interest. Not so this week. It's everyone's favorite Patrick Stewart look-a-like, Arjen Robben. Sticking with German football, Kirsten Schlewitz has this love letter to the Bundesliga. She likes goals, apparently.


Spain. We need a bit more on that. Here are Three Things about Real Madrid's win, and here are Five Things We Learned in La Liga this weekend. More tomorrow with El Sid.

How weird is this? Bizarre scenes at Borussia Moenchengladbach's stadium. Idiots.

More oddness, this time courtesy of SSN Favorite, The Zlatan. He scored against Caen and removed his shirt to reveal several tattoos. Here's the story.

There's one more FA Cup match this week. It goes down tonight. Preston North End vs. Manchester United. Here's your preview.

That"s your lot to start the week. Scribes and Champions League tomorrow!

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 10:19 AM 0 comments

Friday, February 13, 2015

The FA Cup Fifth Round, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A, Cairo Massacre


Put that one in the books. Another week is gone and we're lucky enough to have some matches to view this weekend. It's nice when there is stuff happening during the week, though. There were some good ones on Tuesday and Wednesday. Anyhoo, let's jump into it, beginning with the next round of the FA Cup.


Why is the Premier League so popular? Many reasons, really. Richard Williams writes that one of them is the promise of drama in the technical area.

The battle for the Champions League is tight this year. Michael Cox looks at each competing club's chances for the coveted third and fourth spots.

Bundesliga? Preview. La Liga? Preview. Serie A? Preview

Football's rich owners are destroying the game. Duh.

We noted earlier in the week that football and violence had tragically come together yet again, this time with multiple deaths in Egypt. Today, The Guardian's Patrick Kingsley reports from Cairo with additional information and background.

Action will resume in Argentina soon. Sam Kelly is on it, thankfully. There have been some format changes. More Superclásicos!


We've always had a soft spot for Xabi Alonso. He seems like a good guy and plays the game in a very attractive manner. That's why, today, we'll link to his dream Champions League XI.

And finally...there was this nice little piece in The Atlantic recently about how Messi and Ronaldo are the greatest soccer players in history. No argument here.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:36 AM 0 comments

Thursday, February 12, 2015

Chelsea Leave It Late, Messi, Suarez, Neymar Coming Into Ominous Form, Villa Sack Lambert, Venezuela

Good times at The Bridge...

Hello, hello, hello! The midweek action is done and it's time to revisit all the fun whilst looking ahead to the weekend. In the Premier League, Chelsea continue to set the pace, this time thanks to a late and dramatic Will.I.An winner that went through 38 sets of legs before sliding past Timmy Howard. But, wait! Did Ivanovic bite McCarthy?! Ahem.

Elsewhere, Manchester United were awful yet won, James Milner boosted Man City, nobody could score in the Southampton/West Ham match, West Brom beat Swansea, Palace and Newcastle drew, and Messi, Iniesta, and Piqué scored to lead Barcelona past Villarreal. They've now won 10 straight in all competitions. Let's do it.

Chelsea 1 - 0 Everton: Daniel Taylor at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea 1 - 0 Everton: Three Quick Points
Stoke 1 - 4 Manchester City: Jamie Jackson at the Britannia Stadium
Stoke 1 - 4 Manchester City: Three Observations
Manchester United 3 - 1 Burnley: Paul Wilson at Old Trafford
Manchester Untied 3 - 1 Burnley: Three Observations
Manchester United 3 - 1 Burnley: Five Things We Learned
Crystal Palace 1 - 1 Newcastle: David Hytner at Selhurst Park
Southampton 0 - 0 West Ham: James Riach at St. Mary's

Paul Lambert.

As expected, Aston Villa have parted ways with Paul Lambert. Yep, you guessed it: You're Fired. It's deserved, it must be said. Villa have been shit, and they've been shit while looking ugly. And Yank Abroad Brad Guzan has kept it from being, really, really ugly. As Phil McNulty puts it, "no goals and dull football." Indeed.

As noted above, Barcelona won their Copa del Rey semifinal first-leg match at Camp Nou last night. Villarreal were the victims. Here's a report. According to Andy Mitten, Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Neymar are coming into some ominous form, and that's not good news for their rivals.

Hey! Look at this! Tim Vickery has a piece out today on football in Venezuela. Apparently, it is improving. Good to hear.

Shitty Headline of the Week: Bradley saddened by Egypt's latest soccer tragedy. Thankfully, the article is better. Bird wrote it.


Here's a fun little article on Liverpool. They're the best team in England. Sort of.

And finally...is The Special One good for the Premier League?

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:03 AM 0 comments

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Super Mario Returns to Lift Liverpool Over Spurs, Arsenal Hang On, Villa In Trouble, QPR Stun Sunderland, More Mid-Week EPL, Copa del Rey



We have reached what is known in some circles as Hump Day. There were matches yesterday (see above) and there will be matches today. Yesterday's big news was that Mario Balotelli scored a goal. In the league. For Liverpool. To defeat Tottenham. Shocking, really. Let's get to it.

Liverpool 3 - 2 Tottenham: Phil McNulty at Anfield
Liverpool 3 - 2 Tottenham: Andy Hunter at Anfield
Liverpool 3 - 2 Tottenham: Three Quick Points
Arsenal 2 - 1 Leicester City: David Hytner at the Emirates Stadium
Arsenal 2 - 1 Leicester City: Three Observations
Arsenal 2 - 1 Leicester City: Five Thoughts
Hull City 2 - 0 Aston Villa: Richard Gibson at the KC Stadium
Sunderland 0 - 2 Queens Park Rangers: No light at the end of the tunnel for Sunderland

Louis van Gaal's bizarre response to accusations of playing the long ball have us headed for this: Top 10 Premier League Manager Meltdowns. Cue Kevin Keegan, duh. Oh, look! Everyone wants a piece! This piece is called, "When Premier League managers show the strain under pressure."

Not content with what's been rolled out about the Madrid Derby, Graham Hunter continues to wonder just how Diego Simeone gets it done.

Sticking in Spain, the Copa del Rey returns hoy. It's Barcelona vs. Villarreal. Go.

Right! Today's EPL matches. Here we go:

Chelsea vs. Everton: Preview
Southampton vs. West Ham: Preview

Julien Green. Remember that Yank Abroad? He's not doing so well over in Hamburg. Speaking of Yanks, Brian Strauss has an in-depth look at what's up with USMNT gaffer The Diving German.

And finally...who will make the Champions League from the Premier League?

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:06 AM 0 comments

Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Mid-Week EPL, Scribes, Goals of the Week, Podcast, LVG Fights Back

I am...The Zlatan!

Hi! We've got tons to get through today, so we're going to jump right in. Matches. Today. Of Import. Go.

Liverpool vs. Tottenham: Preview

Looks like Big Sam got under LVG's skin with his long ball United comments. Really, Louis?

Tuesday Funtime = Scribe Time


Where? Germany. Who? Andy Brassell. What? Wolfsburg bagged a bargain in signing Kevin de Bruyne


Where? South America. Who? Tim Vickery. Again? Yes. OK. What? Messi, Neymar, Sanchez: In search of South America's next star.



How about a European Team of the Week? How about Goals of the Week?

Podcast! This week: Oi oi. On today's Football Weekly, AC Jimbo is joined by Jacob Steinberg, Barry Glendenning and Owen Gibson to analyse all the weekend's Premier League action and look ahead to an exciting midweek round of games. We start at Spurs, fresh from their Harry Kane-inspired derby win against Arsenal. They next travel to Liverpool in a battle of the top four pretenders, while the Gunners are looking to bounce back against Leicester, whose manager Nigel Pearson went slightly postal on Saturday. Be afraid. Elsewhere, we hear Jonathan Wilson's final report from Equatorial Guinea after he witnessed Ivory Coast finally getting their hands on the Africa Cup of Nations trophy, and we've even got time for Sid Lowe to tell us about another hammering for Real Madrid at the hands (feet?) of city rival Atlético.

 Marcotti is musing. This week it's Real Madrid's woe, Barry's fairy tale, Chelsea stay grounded, Barca surge. Gab on, Gabby.

What else? AC Milan are struggling. And that, friends, is bad for Italian football.

And finally...Alex Morgan with a sick move.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 12:12 PM 0 comments

Monday, February 09, 2015

At Least 25 Dead in Egypt, Atlético Madrid and Tottenham Win Derbies, Everton & Liverpool Draw, USA Defeat Panama

You know, there was a ton of great football this weekend, but when you wake up on Monday morning to this bullshit, it kind of ruins things. Let's take a moment.


*************************


OK. On to the soccer. The weekend knocked off with a bang at White Hart Lane. Harry "Big Daddy" Kane continued his rich vein of form as Spurs defeated Arsenal 2-1. SSN Staff barely had a chance to catch their breath before Atlético Madrid turned the Vicente Calderón into a fiesta grande with a 4-0 thrashing of city rivals Real. Elsewhere, it was honors even on Merseyside, Blind saved United's blushes at the death at the Boleyn Ground, Juventus cruised past Milan, The Zlatan scored to rescue a point for PSG, Hull held Manchester City at the Eithad, and Ivory Coast won the African Cup of Nations. As is customary, we'll begin with the Premier League, where there is a ton of great stuff to get through.

Tottenham 2 - 1 Arsenal: James Riach at White Hart Lane
Everton 0 - 0 Liverpool: Phil McNulty at Goodison Park
Everton 0 - 0 Liverpool: Paul Wilson at Goodison Park

Everton 0 - 0 Liverpool: Three Thoughts
Aston Villa 1 - 2 Chelsea: Chris Bevan at Villa Park

West Ham 1 - 1 Manchester United: Barney Ronay at Upton Park
Manchester City 1 - 1 Hull City: Jamie Jackson at the Etihad Stadium

The African Cup of Nations is over and Ivory Coast actually won the damn thing! Here:

African Cup of Nations Review: High & Lows of the Tournament
Ivory Coast 0-0 Ghana (9-8 on penalties): Report
Ivory Coast 0-0 Ghana (9-8 on penalties): Highlights

Diego knows...

Holy Toledo! Atlético Madrid spanked Real Madrid, yo! Guillem Balague says that Atlético were "perfect." El Sid Lowe was on the scene and filed this report. More? Here are Five Things We Learned in La Liga over the weekend, including the fact that Barca are now favorites for the title. Yes, the title race is on!

Over in Italy, Juventus continues to dominate Serie A. They had little trouble with struggling Milan. Elsewhere, Inter (!), Napoli, and Roma won. Here's a wee wrap. More tomorrow with Paolo.

Uhhhh...no.

The United States Men's National Team played a match over the weekend. Indeed. Tis true. The opposition was Panama, and it all went down in L.A. Carson at the Stub Hub. Here's some information on how it all played out. And here are Three Things We Learned.

Banners in L.A.





And finally...it's come to this in Brazil.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:32 AM 0 comments

Friday, February 06, 2015

Violence Mars Ghana Win, Merseyside Derby, Madrid Derby, North London Derby, Sid Lowe on Bale

Shit hits the fan.

And a very pleasant Friday to you! Not so pleasant in Equatorial Guinea, where Ghanian fans were attacked by the host country's fans during Ghana's 3-0 win. Good grief. Ghana will now face Ivory Coast in Sunday's African Cup of Nations final. Nick Ames was at Nuevo Estadío de Malabo and filed this report.

Let's move away from that sad nonsense and focus on the positives of the weekend. Derbies. Rock and Roll! Off to the Premier League we go...

Tottenham vs. Arsenal: Preview
Tottenham vs. Arsenal: Five Questions
Everton vs. Liverpool: Preview

Over in Madrid, Gareth Bale's been getting stick from the fans. Sid Lowe claims that the Bernabéu booing is not as deafening as the debate that has followed. Bale's Real face Atlético tomorrow, and Guillem Balague reckons Atlético are the favorites. It's certainly a must-win for them. Here's a preview of the match (10:00 a.m. EST on beIN Sport USA). Sticking with Spain, how about Top Five Madrid Derbies? Eh? Eh?

Over to Germany. Bundesliga Weekend Preview. Can Wolfsburg challenge Bayern for the title?!


Chelsea nabbed Juan Quadrado from Fiorentina during the window. Let's take a closer look at the Colombian, shall we?

Over in France, in Ligue Uhhhhhhhhhh, it's first vs. second as Lyon host PSG. Beware The Zlatan!


Serie A. Italia. Calcio. Weekend Preview? Done and Done. 

That'll do it for the week, Peeps! We'll see you Monday with all the fallout from the weekend's action.

Onward!!

-SSN

Posted by The Editor at 11:23 AM 0 comments
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