The Soccer Thread (IV)

Winning the League Cup is probably their best shot (although, hey, Harry won the FA Cup with half those guys a couple years ago). But I still think getting into the Europa League is overrated. It just creates more problems than it's worth, especially with the Thursday fixtures.

Everton got stuck playing Thursday-Sunday-Tuesday last week. Why their League Cup tie couldn't have been moved to Wednesday is completely beyond me.

 

Looks like I'll be going to MLS Cup in a couple weeks.

My roommate won a contest through Best Buy and gets the following:

4 round-trip tickets to Seattle
3 nights hotel (2 rooms)
4 tickets to the game (including VIP amenities, field access)
4 tickets to MLS Awards Banquet the night before the game
4 2010 season tickets to the MLS team of his choice (too bad we live in the southeast)
$150 gift card to MLSgear.com

Still can't believe this happened.
Hopefully Chivas USA will make it so we will have something to root for. Of course my best friend wants the Galaxy to make it so I can meet Beckham. Sucks for my roommate that DC is not in the playoffs and has no chance of being in the final. He went in 2007 (in DC) in hopes that they would make it. Instead he got New England vs. Houston.

 

I was at MLS Cup last year, in LA, because RBNY made it. That was one damn good time that almost included my arrest.

Meanwhile, the USkNT (aka U-17) is playing tomorrow morning at 10 am against Italy. That should be some fun!

 

Alan Curbishley won his case against West Ham.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/8340584.stm

Stan Kroenke is edging even closer to having to put in an offer on Arsenal.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/business/8339679.stm

 

Have a great time!
Hopefully, you'll be rooting against the Columbus Crew.

 

Scrum with the Hudson Street Hooligans?

 

Nah. The Riot Squad setup an after-game BBQ in a public park. They had kegs and plenty of tacos to hand out. Peter Wilt even showed up. There was bike jousting (I was not foolish nor drunk enough to try that).

The problem was that parks close down at sunset and when they do, cops swarm in from all sides. If they see you grabbing another beer from the keg, like I was doing, they nabbed you. I only found that out a bit later as a few friends were put in the back of squad cars.

I think the reason I wasn't hauled off was that I was helping to clean up the mess in the park.

 

Fucking Man. U.

They're down 3-1 in the 80th minute, and by the time I get done with a 15-minute radio interview, the bastards tie it on a Scholes goal in the 84th and a fucking own goal in stoppage time.

Smoke and mirrors with that bunch this year.

 

Redknapp's a dipshit. LOVED hearing him talk on and on about Spurs controlling the first 42 minutes of that match when they created literally zero chances and put literally zero shots on target in that stretch.

 

I posted this in another thread, but it bears reposting -- the Man United method of keeping extra time:

 

The US gets a lucky break with an Italy handball in the box but cannot capitalize. Sure enough, Italy is able to come down the field several minutes later and score to take the lead.

Interestingly enough, I think the USA is playing better than their Italian counterparts.

 

It's a shame the U.S.'s finishing has been awful in this game. Between the PK and the shot off the bar, McInerney should have two. And they've carried a lot of the play in the second half. Instead, it's 2-1 Italy in the final 20. Palodichuk has been outstanding.