The Beautiful Game (pt 8)

Hasteinsvollur, Iceland

Photo: thebesteleven

US U20s O for Peru Tourney

Remember all those good feelings as the US U20 team won the Milk Cup earlier this summer? Yeah, well forget about it.

Rongen took a team with many, but not all of the same players to Peru to get some more international experience. The result?

USA 0 Paraguay 5
USA 0 Colombia 2
USA ? Peru ?

Well, at this point, if I were a mathematician, I'd say, USA 0 Peru 1. So what exactly happened?

How to Not Save a PK

Thanks to theoriginalwinger and one of their readers on this. If you are going to block a pk, or even score for that matter, play the whistle and don't think you are that great until the play is dead. Want a good example?



Video: Bladitubetv

He Gone!

Anyone familiar with Chicago sports will recognize the line, "He Gone!" Basically, the subject of the comment was unceremoniously dumped, caught out, etc. In this case, Carlos Quieroz is gone.

Just days after a 4-4 draw with Cyprus and a 1-0 loss to Norway in Euro 2012 qualifying, Quieroz was released by the Portuguese Football Federation.

Now, granted, the insulting of doping officials also had something to do with it, but with 2 years left on his contract, he's out. No word on a severance package, but considering the state of players/coaches lately and the lack of federations and teams to sign 'smart' packages, we here at TSI expect the payout to be somewhere in the $2-3mil range.

A replacement coach search is to begin immediately and they hope to have him installed by their next international match on October 8th.

Photo: Zazzle

This Wasn't In Coerver Drills

Now, any player I've ever coached will tell you that I won't yell if you take a shot, any shot, inside the box. The problem during this ADO v Feyenoord match is the guy got greedy and still didn't shoot. I think I'm going to call him up and let him have it, even if it was pretty damn funny.



Video: oo0Dutchfuty0oo

Start Your Bets On The Next England Manager

Wow, lot of shockers today. First John Daley announces he won't run for re-election in Chicago (been forever since a Daley wasn't in charge in some capacity there) now Capello states he will retire from England after Euro 2012.

Guess he didn't want any more opinions on his Capelloindex.

The FA has already stated that their next manager will be an Englishman. So who's it going to be? 'Arry Redknapp (3/1)? Hodgson (20/1)? Hughes (25/2)? (all on Paddypower.com)

Going to have to wait to find out, but if whoever it is doesn't produce in 2014, to quote Han Solo, "this is going to be one short trip..."

Photo: News of the World

Gerard Houllier Is Your New Aston Villa Manager

Gerard Houllier, is in. The new AV and former Liverpool (he won the FA Cup, UEFA Cup, and League Cup all in 2001 with 'pool)skipper was most recently the French Football Fed's Technical Director.

He definitely fits the bill in AV's search. Former EPL coach, check, foreign cache, check, proven record, check.

Given the fact that the market for available head coaches was relatively bare at the moment, this appears to be a good pickup.

So what's the downside? Well, he's the same guy who sold Brad Friedel to Blackburn from Liverpool back in 2000. Who knows what that will mean for the US stopper, or young Eric Lichaj.

Houllier does have a tendency to like to remake his teams as well as making a big name signing or two, so we'll have to wait and see when the winter market opens up, or baring any big names being available, then next summer.

Photo: The Offside

Defoe Out For 6 Weeks

Luckily, Spurs have Pav, Crouch, Keane, Dos Santos and some guy named VdV (I kid)... Coming off the pitch with a slight limp after putting 3 up on Bulgaria, Defoe found out he has some damaged ankle ligaments.

This is the same guy that put off surgery for a groin injury, not two weeks ago, to help Tottenham on it's CL campaign.

I guess when your body tells you to take a break, you take a break or it breaks you. Jermaine, if you are listening, get it all fixed up and healed up, then come back ready to play. Sure, you'll miss most of the CL group stage, but rather that than be the next Woodgate for Spurs.

Photo: Daily Mail

Bebe Scores in U21 Match

Portugal and Macedonia played a U21 match the other day. Bebe got some field time. Yeah, and since you have seen this guy play about as much as SAF, here is a highlight of the goal he scored in the game.



Yeah, I'm not impressed either. Keeper should have wrapped that up because that was not a good shot on goal. The boy better step up if we are going to stop riding him and Man U for the $10mil purchase of a guy who was for sale last summer break for a mere $500K and did nothing to increase that value other than snowjob Man U.

Video: jaimenewcomb

Euro 2012 Qualifier Wrapup and Spain Loses

Wondering how your team did?

Turkey 3 - Belgium 2 (Turkey: Altintop, Senturk, and Turan Belgium: Van Buyten 2)

Kompany gets a red in the 64', and proceed to give up two, but Van Buyten did well to score with a man down.

Germany 6 - Azerbaijan 1 (Germany: Westermann, Podolski, Klose 2, Badstuber, Sadygov (OG) Azerbaijan: Dzahvadov)

England 3 - Switzerland 1 (See article below for highlights)

France 2 - Bosnia 0 (France: Malouda, Benzema)

Netherlands 2 - Finland 1 (Netherlands: Huntelaar 2 Finland: Forssell)

All the scoring was done by the 19th minute, including Huntelaar's 2nd goal, a pk.

Sweden 6 - San Marino 0 (Sweden: Ibrahimovic 2, Kallstrom, Simoncini, Granqvist, Berg)

England v Switzerland Euro 2012 Qualifier Highlights

England wins 3-1. Goals from Rooney, Bent and Johnson... Not a bad showing, but we know how they'll turn it around in the Euro Group stage...



Video: Todayfoot

Liverpool Considering Mortgaging Players and Stadium, Again

Wow, how hard up are Hicks and Gillett (Liverpool's two majority owners)? Well, so desperate that they have considered mortgaging their players and stadium to refinance loans with Royal Bank of Scotland so as to make their ~£297 million in loans/fees that they have run up since purchasing the team once this summer and have talked of trying again this month.

Now, granted, the EPL has approved the possible takeover by RBS on October 6th should Liverpool not make it's deadline so they won't go into administration like Portsmouth did last year (administration would result in a point deduction and usually spells relegation), but this has to be bad. This has become an ongoing joke for them as Liverpool has failed to make transfer money available, has lost one of their best coaches in decades and now seem likely to lose owners.

Beasley Scores In Friendly

Damarcus put one in against Czech side FK Mladá Boleslav (who back in 2006/07 were in Uefa Cup action) in a 3-0 win for Hannover in friendly action.

Beasley played the first half before coming off and Hannover's website talks about his play as warranting inclusion in the starting 11 for this coming weekend's match against Leverkusen.

I don't expect that to happen, but don't be surprised to see him coming off the bench for a little action late in that game.

Photo: Hannover 96

FIFA Investigates Sale of ~7000 English Fans' Passport Info

Um, oops. Looks like FIFA is in a little trouble. Apparently, ~7000 English fans' (including a former Swedish PM) passport info was sold on to the black market for possible use in future ticket fraud. FIFA, of course, denies that it was their fault and blame a "rogue" employee.

No what isn't surprising, is that Match Hospitality, the ticket sellers for the 2006 WC, are run by a Blatter, more specifically, Sepp Blatter's nephew, Phillipe. Match Hospitality holds the exclusive rights to sell tickets for the 2010 WC and 2014 WC. That contract was awarded 3 years ago.

So, wait, 2006 WC info should be out of the system and shouldn't be floating around FIFA, right? I mean, look, the contract was awarded in 2007, a year after the 2006 WC in Germany. Well, don't count FIFA out. They obviously like to keep stuff in house, especially since the bid for the ticket rights was a closed bid (no one saw the bidding amounts) but it went surprisingly to a Blatter, who conveniently enough has an office across the way from FIFA HQ. Hmmm. Don't bet that FIFA doesn't have your info if you've bought tickets from them in the past 6-10yrs. And the odds aren't too good for you if you think they'll just keep your info all safe and private either.

I seem to remember the disclaimer by FIFA when I purchased tickets for the 2006 WC along the lines of "your info is private and will not be shared with anyone without your permission". Somehow, I don't think they'll lose a case or class action against them if someone sues.

Photo: Stingtalk

Sebastian Lletget Signs Pro Contract With West Ham

So what did you do on your birthday?

If you're Sebastian Lletget, you signed a pro contract that was several years in the making this last Friday.

For now he'll be playing with the reserves team, but should something change, he is under 21 and having played with West Ham's youth development for more than 3 years, he'd count as a "home grown" player and doesn't count against the 25 man roster cap.

He won't be playing up for now, but this is a good move considering he has fellow American, Jonathan Spector on the 1st team at West Ham as well.

Here at TSI, we don't expect an imminent USMNT call-up, but, this can only be a good harbinger for our future team.

Photo: West Ham United

France Wins and Loses

Over the weekend, Domenech was officially fired from the technical advisory board to the FFF. Why it took so long, who knows, but he is still expected to receive close to $2.3mil in severance (not sure how gross incompetence earns that, but I blame the French for not writing that clause into the contract).

And the bad news... well, for some. Belarus came to France to open up 2012 Euro qualifiers and walked away with an 86' goal. Enjoy (when you aren't getting annoyed by the "under" excited french announcer who keeps making nasal noises of disgust):



Video: Shivdes123

Ecuador 2-1 Mexico

From Guadalajara, the first game ever from Estadio Omnilife. Mexico's goal was actually an Ecuador own goal, so technically Ecuador scored three goals, Mexico zero. But, check out the first goal scored in the first minute by Ecuador's Christian Benitez (formerly on loan with Birmingham City, now back with Santos Laguna of, you guessed it, Mexico). Mexico's goal was last touched by my main man Chicharito Hernanadez before Ecuador defender Luis Checa deflects it into his own net.



Univision Highlights: TheAlemagno92