Post-game recap later. Couple thoughts beforehand:
1) According to critics, Dax McCarty had a better-than-average game last night v. Cuba. I would tend to agree. I hesitate to applaud, however, because he still looks raw to me. He has more stamina than anyone else on the pitch and enough pace to stem a budding attack and get the job done, but his field awareness and defensive tactics leave much to be desired. Dax ran touchline to touchline harassing the Cuban wingers, but he was infringing on his teammates marks and generally pulling the midfield out of shape. I want to see more composure and pitch intelligence from the lad before I sing his praises.
2) Avram Grant should be fired. Chelsea is coming apart at the seems. As my primary piece of evidence I call to the stand one Mr. John Terry, who has seen more than his fair share of press exposure recently. It seems like every other day now he's in the press with some quotes about team chemistry and the squad's relationship with the management, defending the players and lashing out at critics. Some might say that he is merely fulfilling his role as captain, and I can hardly argue with that, but the fact is that Terry feels the need to step into that kind of role and to singlehandedly keep the team aright. John Terry will never beg for anything, and damn right he shouldn't-- so I'll do it for him. For the love of Wayne, someone fire Grant. With Mourinho at the helm, the only things Terry needed to concern himself with were the organization of his defense and what the hell he was going to do after the game. Now he's bearing the weight of the entire squad on his shoulders and it breaks my heart. Let's have a real manager back again. I'd even let Rijkaard have a crack if he were so willing.
See you in 45.
Showing posts with label Chelsea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chelsea. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Match Recap: Chelsea 2-1 Wigan, FA Cup
With this win, Cup holders Chelsea are through to the final to play either Sheffield Utd or Manchester City.
Today's Chelsea was a decent side and the result was always to be, but due to the injury crisis and ACN absences it is now painfully evident where Chelsea's weaknesses are and a good possession side will be able to exploit them with ease. A matchup in the final with Man City could prove be one of the most thrilling of the season.
----------
Chelsea ratings (out of 10):
Cech - 7
Stopped all but the most spectacular of chances. Looks like his dependable old self again.
Bridge - 4
Got upfield well but wasn't communicating well with either Cole or Carvalho. Ivanovic might be making his debut quickly.
Alex - 6
He's no Terry but he'll do. Did his level best to organize the back line and showed good anticipation by stepping up and quelling some potentially dangerous buildups around midfield.
Carvalho - 6
Between him and Alex I feel confident in our center defense. They can be relied upon.
Belletti - 4
Guilty of slow thinking and too many touches. Nearly the victim of his own mistakes on more than one occasion. Not an inspiring performance.
J. Cole - 7
Very troublesome on the wing. His bursts of flair and creativity are very encouraging. Cole's performances on the pitch might prove to be decisive throughout the coming weeks.
Makelele - 5
I can't tell whether he's off form or just slowly losing his game as time goes on, but either way, a below-average Makelele is still a crucial presence for Chelsea on the pitch. He could work a bit better with Carvalho and Alex.
Sidwell - 4
I'm not comfortable with any midfield lineup involving Sidwell. He just doesn't have the vision and awareness you'd like to see out of a player in his role. Damningly, he failed to pressure the service which led to Sibierski's wondergoal.
Wright-Philips - 6
You definitely want him on the pitch, but I feel he's underperforming. Scored the winning goal but could have made the Chelsea bench a bit more comfortable earlier on if he wasn't so wasteful with his touches in the final third.
Malouda - 5
Anelka's immense presence up top effectively forced Malouda out of the game. He wanted to relegate himself to the wings but found Cole and SWP there already. Isn't a true winger and therefore couldn't find his place in the game. I wonder how he'd do in a central position, either as a Ballack-type a-mid or a Jaime Moreno-type withdrawn forward. I also wonder how J. Cole would do in those roles, for that matter.
Anelka - 8 (MotM)
Grabbed his first goal and first assist in only his second appearance for the club. Consistently broke Wigan's back four and was a constant threat the entire game. Anelka looks well to me, playing with a style and presence very similar to Drogba's. In that sense I can't help but feel I'm witnessing the work of Drogba's replacement. If he preserves this kind of form throughout the coming weeks, he might just become Chelsea's #1.
Subs:
Ferreira - 4
Didn't have much time to make a positive impact but committed several poor touches which almost cost us.
Pizzaro - NA
-----------
Notes:
- Wigan's pitch looks awful, though I do seem to recall a certain pitch at a certain Bridge against Barcelona in the 05-06 Champion's league which looked awfully similar.
- As far as I can tell, Anelka has been onside every time they've called him off. He has sublime timing.
- Wigan's real chances have all come from the wings just outside the final third-- Wright-Philips and Cole aren't connecting well enough with Belletti and Bridge. Fortunately Wigan hasn't had good service and Heskey doesn't have the physical presence to deal with Alex.
- Malouda is useless. I wonder what a young, hungry gun like Sinclair wouldn't do to open up Wigan's back line for Anelka.
- Chelsea seems to have no intention of working through the center of the pitch. Makelele is busy at the back and Sidwell seems incapable of being the two-way conduit. So then who? I can't help but imagine what Michael Bradley would be doing that Sidwell isn't.
Enjoy. =)
Today's Chelsea was a decent side and the result was always to be, but due to the injury crisis and ACN absences it is now painfully evident where Chelsea's weaknesses are and a good possession side will be able to exploit them with ease. A matchup in the final with Man City could prove be one of the most thrilling of the season.
----------
Chelsea ratings (out of 10):
Cech - 7
Stopped all but the most spectacular of chances. Looks like his dependable old self again.
Bridge - 4
Got upfield well but wasn't communicating well with either Cole or Carvalho. Ivanovic might be making his debut quickly.
Alex - 6
He's no Terry but he'll do. Did his level best to organize the back line and showed good anticipation by stepping up and quelling some potentially dangerous buildups around midfield.
Carvalho - 6
Between him and Alex I feel confident in our center defense. They can be relied upon.
Belletti - 4
Guilty of slow thinking and too many touches. Nearly the victim of his own mistakes on more than one occasion. Not an inspiring performance.
J. Cole - 7
Very troublesome on the wing. His bursts of flair and creativity are very encouraging. Cole's performances on the pitch might prove to be decisive throughout the coming weeks.
Makelele - 5
I can't tell whether he's off form or just slowly losing his game as time goes on, but either way, a below-average Makelele is still a crucial presence for Chelsea on the pitch. He could work a bit better with Carvalho and Alex.
Sidwell - 4
I'm not comfortable with any midfield lineup involving Sidwell. He just doesn't have the vision and awareness you'd like to see out of a player in his role. Damningly, he failed to pressure the service which led to Sibierski's wondergoal.
Wright-Philips - 6
You definitely want him on the pitch, but I feel he's underperforming. Scored the winning goal but could have made the Chelsea bench a bit more comfortable earlier on if he wasn't so wasteful with his touches in the final third.
Malouda - 5
Anelka's immense presence up top effectively forced Malouda out of the game. He wanted to relegate himself to the wings but found Cole and SWP there already. Isn't a true winger and therefore couldn't find his place in the game. I wonder how he'd do in a central position, either as a Ballack-type a-mid or a Jaime Moreno-type withdrawn forward. I also wonder how J. Cole would do in those roles, for that matter.
Anelka - 8 (MotM)
Grabbed his first goal and first assist in only his second appearance for the club. Consistently broke Wigan's back four and was a constant threat the entire game. Anelka looks well to me, playing with a style and presence very similar to Drogba's. In that sense I can't help but feel I'm witnessing the work of Drogba's replacement. If he preserves this kind of form throughout the coming weeks, he might just become Chelsea's #1.
Subs:
Ferreira - 4
Didn't have much time to make a positive impact but committed several poor touches which almost cost us.
Pizzaro - NA
-----------
Notes:
- Wigan's pitch looks awful, though I do seem to recall a certain pitch at a certain Bridge against Barcelona in the 05-06 Champion's league which looked awfully similar.
- As far as I can tell, Anelka has been onside every time they've called him off. He has sublime timing.
- Wigan's real chances have all come from the wings just outside the final third-- Wright-Philips and Cole aren't connecting well enough with Belletti and Bridge. Fortunately Wigan hasn't had good service and Heskey doesn't have the physical presence to deal with Alex.
- Malouda is useless. I wonder what a young, hungry gun like Sinclair wouldn't do to open up Wigan's back line for Anelka.
- Chelsea seems to have no intention of working through the center of the pitch. Makelele is busy at the back and Sidwell seems incapable of being the two-way conduit. So then who? I can't help but imagine what Michael Bradley would be doing that Sidwell isn't.
Enjoy. =)
Friday, August 24, 2007
Abramovic Could Be Gone Soon
Just thought I'd pass this along.
My best friend Sergei just got back Stateside from his annual trip home to see his grandparents. He came with interesting news: word on the streets in Russia is that Abramovic is distancing himself from the club and is already moving on, focusing instead on other personal interests.
If you think about it for a minute, this makes good sense. All those rumors you heard about a row between Mourinho and Abramovic, all those rumors you heard about Ballack and Shevchenko leaving, Mourinho switching to more "attractive," wing-based footy... It all makes sense.
Realize this: Abramovic' portfolio is so much bigger than Chelsea that it makes our splendiferous splurges (read: SWP, Sheva, Ballack, Boulahrouz) look like chump change. He doesn't need Chelsea, and now that Chelsea is financially stable and turning a profit once again, Chelsea doesn't need him. Notice that our transfers are more financially sound and some have even paid for themselves (e.g. Sidwell on free transfer, easy money for Ben-Haim and Pizarro, Robben away for a big fee, Belletti on the cheap). My friend Sergei's words are only rumor, but they make complete and logical sense.
Chelsea is still evolving and this renaissance, begat in 2004, will still be termed the Abramovic Era for awhile yet, but Sergei's words confirmed my suspicions that Mr. Abramovic' days with the Blues are slowly coming to an end.
Enjoy.
My best friend Sergei just got back Stateside from his annual trip home to see his grandparents. He came with interesting news: word on the streets in Russia is that Abramovic is distancing himself from the club and is already moving on, focusing instead on other personal interests.
If you think about it for a minute, this makes good sense. All those rumors you heard about a row between Mourinho and Abramovic, all those rumors you heard about Ballack and Shevchenko leaving, Mourinho switching to more "attractive," wing-based footy... It all makes sense.
Realize this: Abramovic' portfolio is so much bigger than Chelsea that it makes our splendiferous splurges (read: SWP, Sheva, Ballack, Boulahrouz) look like chump change. He doesn't need Chelsea, and now that Chelsea is financially stable and turning a profit once again, Chelsea doesn't need him. Notice that our transfers are more financially sound and some have even paid for themselves (e.g. Sidwell on free transfer, easy money for Ben-Haim and Pizarro, Robben away for a big fee, Belletti on the cheap). My friend Sergei's words are only rumor, but they make complete and logical sense.
Chelsea is still evolving and this renaissance, begat in 2004, will still be termed the Abramovic Era for awhile yet, but Sergei's words confirmed my suspicions that Mr. Abramovic' days with the Blues are slowly coming to an end.
Enjoy.
Sunday, August 12, 2007
European Recap: Weekend thru 08-12-07
Short takes from the weekend's European action.
Chelsea 3-2 Birmingham
- Shaun Wright-Phillips and Florent Malouda are two crucial pieces of Chelsea's attack. They both figure to have a brilliant season with the Blues this campaign. Sidwell could also make a decisive impact this season should he make the most of his minutes coming off the bench.
- Essien keeps the long bombs coming. He's petitioning the powers that be to reconsider the timing of the African Nations Cup this January; I think he can feel the positive momentum Mourinho's building for the season. Let's hope someone sees the wisdom in holding the tournament over the summer.
- It makes me happy to see that Malouda and Pizarro not only scored on their league debuts, but turned to celebrate with the fans immediately after. Good sign of morale, that.
- Cech is still struggling to regain his status as a world-renowned keeper and I've got to think that we won't really see him back to normal until at least the midpoint of the season.
- Don't know Birmingham and don't much care to learn, but ex-Juventus midfielder Kapo is gun for putting that lefty past Cech at such an angle. No windup at all, just smacked it standing completely erect and put it on in. We'll see him later in the season, I'm sure.
Rangers 2-0 St. Mirren
- Dominant victory in which DaMarcus Beasley was a key component. He's really dangerous in the SPL, a real force to be reckoned with. And after hearing all these reports of his abuse on the pitch, I really think he'll develop as an international presence as well. This trial by fire with the Light Blues will toughen him up for the more physical matches. Italy, England, and Germany are names that immediately come to mind, but we'll cross those bridges if and when we get to them.
- It's interesting to see that with the Gers, Beasley has the freedom to work out of the center of the pitch and apparently it suits him well. Beasley could easily surpass Donovan as America's #1 midfielder if his SPL campaign finishes as it's started.
- Stepping back a bit to view the overall performance, Barry Ferguson and Danny Cousin did well to put Rangers in the lead. St. Mirren's poor keeper stood little chance against the onslaught: Both goals were scored from inside 10 yards.
- Good service from the back line and good orchestration from the midfield are evidence that the Teddy Bears (no joke, check Wikipedia) have built a quality side during the off season. Expectations are rising.
FC Bayern 3-0 Rostock
- You wouldn't expect much less from a lineup that includes Klose, Toni, Schweinsteiger, van Bommel, and Ribéry. Bayern Munich is pure class and utilized all of it to dismantle the visiting debutantes.
- I predict that Ribéry will score one of the top ten Champions League goals this season simply because he has a beautiful way with dead ball situations.
- Heath Pearce made an admirable start to his first Bundesliga season, but I think he should perform better once he's had a month to adjust. On the other hand, Rostock's offense has to learn to penetrate these Bundesliga defenses; one month could be all it takes to permanently sabotage their 07-08 top-flight campaign. Let's hope they learn their lesson sooner rather than later.
Manchester United 0-0 Reading
- This result is flattering; United were abusing the Royals' defense.
- Hahnemann won MotM for his heroics at the back to earn Reading the draw.
- Convey is still recovering from his injury.
- Rooney's foot fracture is very concerning to a good many England supporters.
Arsenal 2-1 Fulham
- Holy sh*t-- van Persie punished the net.
- Healy was gifted that goal, though props for being on top of Lehmann.
- Dempsey had 45 minutes to make an impact but couldn't. Brian McBride was ineffective all match.
- In spite of Fulham's impotent offense, Bocanegra did very well to hold van Persie down the whole match. Good to see that he's asserting himself at the top of a stacked defensive lineup that includes Paul Konchesky, Philippe Christanval, Aron Hughes, and Chris Baird. Too bad Hleb played him like a puppet for a last-gasp winner. We'll see what Lawrie Sanchez thinks of his performance when the Cottagers host Bolton on Wednesday.
Chelsea 3-2 Birmingham
- Shaun Wright-Phillips and Florent Malouda are two crucial pieces of Chelsea's attack. They both figure to have a brilliant season with the Blues this campaign. Sidwell could also make a decisive impact this season should he make the most of his minutes coming off the bench.
- Essien keeps the long bombs coming. He's petitioning the powers that be to reconsider the timing of the African Nations Cup this January; I think he can feel the positive momentum Mourinho's building for the season. Let's hope someone sees the wisdom in holding the tournament over the summer.
- It makes me happy to see that Malouda and Pizarro not only scored on their league debuts, but turned to celebrate with the fans immediately after. Good sign of morale, that.
- Cech is still struggling to regain his status as a world-renowned keeper and I've got to think that we won't really see him back to normal until at least the midpoint of the season.
- Don't know Birmingham and don't much care to learn, but ex-Juventus midfielder Kapo is gun for putting that lefty past Cech at such an angle. No windup at all, just smacked it standing completely erect and put it on in. We'll see him later in the season, I'm sure.
Rangers 2-0 St. Mirren
- Dominant victory in which DaMarcus Beasley was a key component. He's really dangerous in the SPL, a real force to be reckoned with. And after hearing all these reports of his abuse on the pitch, I really think he'll develop as an international presence as well. This trial by fire with the Light Blues will toughen him up for the more physical matches. Italy, England, and Germany are names that immediately come to mind, but we'll cross those bridges if and when we get to them.
- It's interesting to see that with the Gers, Beasley has the freedom to work out of the center of the pitch and apparently it suits him well. Beasley could easily surpass Donovan as America's #1 midfielder if his SPL campaign finishes as it's started.
- Stepping back a bit to view the overall performance, Barry Ferguson and Danny Cousin did well to put Rangers in the lead. St. Mirren's poor keeper stood little chance against the onslaught: Both goals were scored from inside 10 yards.
- Good service from the back line and good orchestration from the midfield are evidence that the Teddy Bears (no joke, check Wikipedia) have built a quality side during the off season. Expectations are rising.
FC Bayern 3-0 Rostock
- You wouldn't expect much less from a lineup that includes Klose, Toni, Schweinsteiger, van Bommel, and Ribéry. Bayern Munich is pure class and utilized all of it to dismantle the visiting debutantes.
- I predict that Ribéry will score one of the top ten Champions League goals this season simply because he has a beautiful way with dead ball situations.
- Heath Pearce made an admirable start to his first Bundesliga season, but I think he should perform better once he's had a month to adjust. On the other hand, Rostock's offense has to learn to penetrate these Bundesliga defenses; one month could be all it takes to permanently sabotage their 07-08 top-flight campaign. Let's hope they learn their lesson sooner rather than later.
Manchester United 0-0 Reading
- This result is flattering; United were abusing the Royals' defense.
- Hahnemann won MotM for his heroics at the back to earn Reading the draw.
- Convey is still recovering from his injury.
- Rooney's foot fracture is very concerning to a good many England supporters.
Arsenal 2-1 Fulham
- Holy sh*t-- van Persie punished the net.
- Healy was gifted that goal, though props for being on top of Lehmann.
- Dempsey had 45 minutes to make an impact but couldn't. Brian McBride was ineffective all match.
- In spite of Fulham's impotent offense, Bocanegra did very well to hold van Persie down the whole match. Good to see that he's asserting himself at the top of a stacked defensive lineup that includes Paul Konchesky, Philippe Christanval, Aron Hughes, and Chris Baird. Too bad Hleb played him like a puppet for a last-gasp winner. We'll see what Lawrie Sanchez thinks of his performance when the Cottagers host Bolton on Wednesday.
Sunday, August 5, 2007
Van der Sar Denies the Blues: Chelsea (0) 1-1 (3) ManU
I didn't see the match, so my word is reduced to hearsay, but for all intents and purposes, Ives, both Daryl from The Offside and Andy from The Offside: Chelsea, and BlueChampions are as good as my word.
From what I hear, Mikel was shaky, Malouda was brilliant, Cech is slowly and surely recovering his astounding form of two years ago, Tal Ben-Haim looked a natural Blue, Giggs is aging gracefully, and van der Sar was a revelation.
From what I hear, Mikel was shaky, Malouda was brilliant, Cech is slowly and surely recovering his astounding form of two years ago, Tal Ben-Haim looked a natural Blue, Giggs is aging gracefully, and van der Sar was a revelation.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Injured Terry Scores Again: Chelsea FC 1-0 LAG
Florent Malouda took a corner kick, Galaxy cleared it poorly, Joe Cole slaps one into the box, the ball smacks Kalou's knee right at Terry's feet and he snaps one lefty onto the far post. Joe Cannon never stood a chance.
--------------
Other notes:
- Beckham's made his debut. Can things start dying down now?
- Florent Malouda brings a whole different dynamic than Arjen Robben. No more the fancy dribbling onto a defender's foot, no more the sprawling and complaining. I was seeing a lot of creative service from the left side (Malouda, Ben-Haim) and a lot of hopeful shots from the right side (Joe Cole)
- Who still wants to let Andriy Shevchenko go? Keep that guy around, he's class. We've already spent the money-- now let's let him play for what he's worth.
- I'm surprised Drogba didn't get on the scoreline -- should've, except for the offsides call.
- Ben-Haim wears his uniform like it's 1995. Untuck your jersey and pull your shorts down a bit, son.
--------------------------------
And just in case you missed it, Bryant Gumbel's won himself some admirers for being spot on about American-brand soccer:
--------------
Other notes:
- Beckham's made his debut. Can things start dying down now?
- Florent Malouda brings a whole different dynamic than Arjen Robben. No more the fancy dribbling onto a defender's foot, no more the sprawling and complaining. I was seeing a lot of creative service from the left side (Malouda, Ben-Haim) and a lot of hopeful shots from the right side (Joe Cole)
- Who still wants to let Andriy Shevchenko go? Keep that guy around, he's class. We've already spent the money-- now let's let him play for what he's worth.
- I'm surprised Drogba didn't get on the scoreline -- should've, except for the offsides call.
- Ben-Haim wears his uniform like it's 1995. Untuck your jersey and pull your shorts down a bit, son.
--------------------------------
And just in case you missed it, Bryant Gumbel's won himself some admirers for being spot on about American-brand soccer:
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Chelsea To Play 'Creatively' In The Coming Season
I've just been informed that Mourinho is going to flout the critics this coming season by playing some creative football. The evidence to qualify his words? Check out this truthiness:
Club America 1 - 2 Chelsea - SSN
Uploaded by FootballHeaven
Malouda notches a goal and an assist in his first match wearing blue.
I'll chalk this up to his skill as an individual, but what really stood out to me, watching those goals, was some excellent team chemistry. And that's why the rest of the Premiership still regards Chelsea as the team to beat in spite of their pointed lack of summer spending. For a player such as Malouda to come into a team and gel so quickly is nothing short of transfer genius from Jose Mourinho. I'll say this: when world-class stars convene on a pitch, it is not always an attractive thing; what makes or breaks the team is how they cooperate. And it would appear that Chelsea FC is cooperating supremely well.
(And let me just say, it really does me some good to see Chelsea celebrating as a team, as a whole team, Malouda included. CFC is a real, total, complete goddam team and I love it. Well, that, and it's just damn funny to see John Terry try something remotely like samba.)
Mourinho's promised that he wants to play some creative (read: attractive) football in the coming season. And, get this, he's issued it as a warning to Michael Ballack. Apparently the style of football Mourinho wants to play, and specifically the formation he wants to play it with, doesn't suit Ballack's imposing physicality and technical prowess.
Rofl.
But really, with world-class wingers like Florent Malouda and Joe Cole and Solomon Kalou, playing a style of play which favors the wings makes plenty of sense.
Can't wait to see it once the season starts.
Club America 1 - 2 Chelsea - SSN
Uploaded by FootballHeaven
Malouda notches a goal and an assist in his first match wearing blue.
I'll chalk this up to his skill as an individual, but what really stood out to me, watching those goals, was some excellent team chemistry. And that's why the rest of the Premiership still regards Chelsea as the team to beat in spite of their pointed lack of summer spending. For a player such as Malouda to come into a team and gel so quickly is nothing short of transfer genius from Jose Mourinho. I'll say this: when world-class stars convene on a pitch, it is not always an attractive thing; what makes or breaks the team is how they cooperate. And it would appear that Chelsea FC is cooperating supremely well.
(And let me just say, it really does me some good to see Chelsea celebrating as a team, as a whole team, Malouda included. CFC is a real, total, complete goddam team and I love it. Well, that, and it's just damn funny to see John Terry try something remotely like samba.)
Mourinho's promised that he wants to play some creative (read: attractive) football in the coming season. And, get this, he's issued it as a warning to Michael Ballack. Apparently the style of football Mourinho wants to play, and specifically the formation he wants to play it with, doesn't suit Ballack's imposing physicality and technical prowess.
Rofl.
But really, with world-class wingers like Florent Malouda and Joe Cole and Solomon Kalou, playing a style of play which favors the wings makes plenty of sense.
Can't wait to see it once the season starts.
Thursday, July 12, 2007
I Actually Didn't Want to Post Tonight...
... but I'm realizing that in this fickle game we call blogging, one day missed is all it takes to fall greivously behind.
So, without further ado, here's a summary of today's news:
- No Open Cup glory this year, either: the Harrisburg City Islanders defeated DC United reserves 1-0. (Anyone else find the phrase "City Islanders" funny?) Here's D and BDR for good measure.
- Goff says that Namoff still looks injured, but Kpene looks like he might be ready come Saturday.
- @ Chelsea FC: Boulahrouz is gone. Alves might be coming.
- Uruguay's U-20's are just as sore as their senior MNT.
- Another Yank abroad? Dutch side HFC Haarlem is auditioning U-SanFran product Conor William Chinn.
- No, I'm sorry, but Eddie Johnson won't be heading to Derby County in the fall.
- Another gem from MLS Underground: Altidore, not Wolyniec, is drawing interest from Celtic.
- Orgasmical: Leo Messi continues to seduce the world.
- Beckham is coming. He'll be on vacation through the weekend, but after that, he's all ours.
And that about sums it up. I don't know how duNord does it so often.
Good night.
So, without further ado, here's a summary of today's news:
- No Open Cup glory this year, either: the Harrisburg City Islanders defeated DC United reserves 1-0. (Anyone else find the phrase "City Islanders" funny?) Here's D and BDR for good measure.
- Goff says that Namoff still looks injured, but Kpene looks like he might be ready come Saturday.
- @ Chelsea FC: Boulahrouz is gone. Alves might be coming.
- Uruguay's U-20's are just as sore as their senior MNT.
- Another Yank abroad? Dutch side HFC Haarlem is auditioning U-SanFran product Conor William Chinn.
- No, I'm sorry, but Eddie Johnson won't be heading to Derby County in the fall.
- Another gem from MLS Underground: Altidore, not Wolyniec, is drawing interest from Celtic.
- Orgasmical: Leo Messi continues to seduce the world.
- Beckham is coming. He'll be on vacation through the weekend, but after that, he's all ours.
And that about sums it up. I don't know how duNord does it so often.
Good night.
Thursday, July 5, 2007
Chelsea Signs The Duck?
Finally I get to post about my Chelsea. I was waiting for some good news (Robben leaving is not good news, and Lampard isn't any better) and this news seems good enough:
Chelsea may have signed young Brazilian standout Pato, depending on whether Goal.com are making educated guesses or not. Consensus is that Chelsea are the frontrunners in the race to sign this kid; whether terms were accepted is yet unclear.
Pato is currently on national duty with the Brazil U-20's in Canada, who face a resurgent US squad on Friday, July 6th. I hear he's got quite an ego about himself.
This is good. This is great. My problem is, compared to Torres and Anderson and Nani, all of whom could actually make an impact on the club in the coming season, I'm not sure Pato will be helping anyone lift a trophy until he's at least 19. But this gives me hope; between Kalou, Mikel, Sahar, and The Duck, Chelsea in the 2010-11 season will be amazing.
In other Chelsea news, Robben is still probably going to leave, Lampard is still probably going to sulk, Chelsea might sign Chimbonda because Alves is too expensive, Alex is coming home, and everyone still considers Chelsea a juggernaut with the ability to take home another Premiership title. I'm still probably going to pray for Euro glory, however.
Chelsea may have signed young Brazilian standout Pato, depending on whether Goal.com are making educated guesses or not. Consensus is that Chelsea are the frontrunners in the race to sign this kid; whether terms were accepted is yet unclear.
Pato is currently on national duty with the Brazil U-20's in Canada, who face a resurgent US squad on Friday, July 6th. I hear he's got quite an ego about himself.
This is good. This is great. My problem is, compared to Torres and Anderson and Nani, all of whom could actually make an impact on the club in the coming season, I'm not sure Pato will be helping anyone lift a trophy until he's at least 19. But this gives me hope; between Kalou, Mikel, Sahar, and The Duck, Chelsea in the 2010-11 season will be amazing.
In other Chelsea news, Robben is still probably going to leave, Lampard is still probably going to sulk, Chelsea might sign Chimbonda because Alves is too expensive, Alex is coming home, and everyone still considers Chelsea a juggernaut with the ability to take home another Premiership title. I'm still probably going to pray for Euro glory, however.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
