The Wonderbread Express Rides

Fabulous night in Seattle last  night for the last regular season game for Sounders FC in their inaugural season, with a come-from-behind 2-goal resurgence to nab the 2-1 victory over red hot FC Where's Waldo?

The comeback was fueled by the scoring prowess of slow white guys Nate "SloJack" Jacqua and Brad "Porkchop" Evans.True to form, SloJack worked his ass off, but looked fairly impotent all game, drawing the inevitable derogatory comments from Section 119...and then he scored, of course. Evans also got a fair bit of stick from our group, mainly for impersonating The Invisible Man in the midfield...and then he scored the winner.

So, this post is for you men of The Wonderbread Express. Slow white guys (Including myself here, too), we salute you!

In its entirety, the game was quite fantastic. Sounders started off with energy and purpose; they looked like a team that realized it hadn't won for its home fans since early July. A couple of offsides violations nullified good runs and a nice goal from Evans. But completely counter to run of play, FC WW? midfilelder Atiba Harris was allowed to run the ball to the edge of the 18 and take a low, driving shot that neatly beat Keller to the far post. The air went completely out of the balloon at this point. The fans were shell-shocked. The players stunned.

The sounders players carried that torpor into the second half. It wasn't until the 60th minute that the team began to show signs of life. After Porkchop threw a Dallas defender to the ground and drew a yellow card, the team looked like it had regained some sense of determination. Freddie Ljungberg played prominent in both goals, driving the ball deep to the endline before sending through a cross that Montero just missed and Jacqua, as the lucky, wide open recipient, couldn't fail on, and the score wad equalized in the 64th minute.

Ljungberg's work effort got another cross through, in the 84th minute, that Evans, making a nifty nearpost diagonal run, flicked over the keeper's hands for the winner.

Bring on the playoffs!

Sounders Play For Silverware Tonight

It's on in DC, baby. Keeping my fingers crossed that the Sounders of early season form show up.

The Eduardo Saga winds on with UEFA deciding that of all the countless divers in CL games over the past decade, the diminutive Croatian is the Johnny Dillinger of "simulation." Bullpucky. Someone in UEFA is sleeping with Celtic management. Joe Guarr points out the sheer hypocrisy of it spot on. You can't single Eddie out. If UEFA wanted to do something against diving they have to be consistent. Anybody want to bet that Eddie's 2-match ban will be the sum and total of their "campaign" against diving? Yeah.

Arsenal's response sums it up:

Arsenal says it is "deeply frustrated by the perfunctory and apparently
arbitrary process that UEFA has followed in this instance."

Speaking of frustrating, Abu Diaby Doo is keen to get past his "silly mistake." Silly Mistake?! If that helps you move forward and actually play consistent, winning football, then it's a silly mistake, my friend...

...but in my book it's one of the dumbest moves I've seen in football. Ever. Well, other than a similar play in a U16 girls game last year, but those are girls, not professional footballers. Anyhow, my point is that Abu needs to set a high bar for himself in getting past the silly mistake. Dude needs to not only remind people of Patrick Vieira, he needs to become Patrick Vieira (ca. 2004), terrorize opposing players with his defense, nail pinpoint passes upfield to ignite the attack and, oh yes, SCORE!

When he does these things consistently, I will remove the Abu Diaby Doo label from him.

Start The Fire, We Found Ourselves A Diver!

There you have it, from no less a football authority than Le Profeseur, Eduardo is a witch and the football purists (and whinging Celtic supporters) are engaging in a witch hunt! Run, Eduardo, Run!

Anyways, bring on the big pile of ManUre! Go Gunners!

Sore Losers?

Celtic want to see Eduard punished for his PK-winning dive, which transformed the Hoops' eventual Champions League aggregate loss a 5-1 affair rather than a much tighter 4-1 loss. It's nice to see the Scottish team so righteous on this point. I'm sure they'll be the first to turn in any divers past and present on their own squad, right? Or, maybe this is just sour grapes?

I'm not for the dive. I think it's an ugly part of the game that takes away from the quality of football. However, it would be wrong to approach this on a case--by-base basis, depending on when teams complain loudly about a particular player.

Instead, the EPL (and the SFL, for that matter: watch out Bhoys!) should implement a consistent system for detecting and punishing players committing egregioius diving. I would like to see video review of all matches, and offending players (and there'd have to be some criteria established for what constitutes a serious diving infraction) given a 1 or 2-game suspension. Something like that would be liable to reduce diving to a minimal level.

But pick on our boy Eduardo just 'cuz the Celtic are hurting over being thoroughly outclassed by Arsenal over 180 minutes of football? That'd be wrong.

Huskies Start Their Season With the Win

My daughter and I went to Husky Soccer Stadium to watch the ladies begin their 2009-2010 season with a 2-1 win over Seattle U. We were a few minutes late to the game and Seattle had already scored. The Dawgs were sleepwalking through the first half so I can only imagine how they were scored on. They picked up the tempo towards the halftime and outshot SU 11-4 with a few very close calls.

The 2nd half was not really a contest. The Dawgs superior athleticism and skill easily brought the equalizer and they never took their foot off the pedal as they scored the game winner with about 30 minutes left, I think. Could've scored more, as well. Good start to the season!

Arsenal Win At Parkhead

It may have looked lucky, the way Arsenal scored two goals in a 2-0 Champions League match against Celtic, but the outcome was deserved by an Arsenal side that played smart and patient football and created dangerous attacks.

The Bhoys worked hard throughout the game, and created a few chances of their own, but were largely outclassed by Profeseur Wenger's Acedemie de footbal. The first goal, a free kick that bounced off defender William Gallass' back as he tried to duck out of the way, was certainly lucky. The second, although an own goal off Captain Gary Caldwell, was the result of another dangerous Arsenal attack and a dangerous cross from Abu Diaby.

Vermaelen continues to impress. Having a smart, tough central back in the game makes me happier about Arsenal than at any time in recent memory. Both Song and big Nick look like different players (and I mean that in a good way). I've started calling Nick the anti-Jacqua (you Sounders fans know what I mean).

Two away goals put the Gunners in the drivers seat in this pair of matches. All they have to do is hold on at Emirates and they're back into the Group Stage. The Gaffer warns against complacency. Go Gunners!

Two Wins in One Day! Me Like.

Arsenal Rings in the New Season With a Bang (and 6 goals!)
Well, Arsenal's first effort of the new season has me stunned. The Gunners poofed around for 20 minutes or so, then unleashed an onslaught of offense that was helped in no small measure by absolutely incompetent and unconscious defending from Everton.

Denilson got the Gunners going with a killer curving shot that left Tim Howard with nothing to do but leap after it, for appearances sake. Even better the shot came from some tidy, patient short passing from RVN to Cesc and then the young Brazilian.

American Timmy Howard was given lots of practice to look hapless, thanks to defenders who just decided that defedning on set pieces was sooo beneath them. Newcomer Thomas Vermaelen notched the 2nd goal of the game and the first in his Arsenal career, with a deadly accurate inswinging free kick. To be charitable, Tim Howard would've had trouble on his hands, even if Vermaelen had been marked. But he wasn't.

...of course, it was difficult for Joleon Lescott to defend well, what
with City boss Mark Hughes chasing him all over the pitch like a
lovelorn stalker.

The new defender was impressive on both sides. I have to say that I was delighted at his performance and am actually thinking positively about our central pairing of V and Gallass. Granted, Jo ain't DeeDee Dogbreath but Vermaelen had him chained and shackled and read the game extremely well.

Gallass bagged the third goal, on another unmarked set piece. And then young Fabregas snared a brace before Eduardo, a late substitute got his first EPL goal (the easiest of goals, at that) in over a season. Nice to see the lad score and am hoping for lots from the rehabbed striker. He looked sharp and hungry in the spare minutes he had on the pitch.

Not much you can say in a runaway game like this. Everything was going our way. This wasn't a scrap and battle with Chelsea, or Liverpool, so I'll take it for what it is: a very nice way to open what will be a long and challenging season. However, I can't for the life of me remember who that tall, shaggy fellow was that used to ply the front line for us...

My surprise of the game? Young Nick "Look, my shorts are staying on" Bendtner. With the injuires to the squad, Le Profeseur, put the lanky Dane on the right outside mid. He hustled on both sides of the ball. He was a monster for the Everton defenders to handle. He held posession when needed. He passed and linked up with his teammates and for all I could tell, looked like a man who might begin looking like more than 6 foot 5 inches of potential. Good game, Nick!

Sounders Actually Score!
335 minutes of scoreless Sounders soccer?! Has it really been that long? Wow. Well, a David Beckham WTF moment, and a red card, put the Rave Green in the drivers seat and set up a Steve Zakuani score, on as pretty a set-up play as you'll see. Fredy Montero played a smash and grab ball to the roof of the net in the 2nd and that was all that was needed for the Sounders to leave LA with a 2-0 victory and leapfrog the Galaxy into 2nd place.

Now, I'm going to rain on the parade. The Sounders didn't look all that good throughout the game, even with the man advantage. In my mind, they didn't work very aggressively, showed too much content with a 1-goal lead, were sloppy with their passing, and a host of other sins.

They're going to have to get a lot better, if they want to survive the last months of the season and all the road games that they've got. Still, coming out of LA with a win and 2nd place is a good day!

Two final thoughts:

1) LA was the hottest team in the MLS? Wow, they looked bad. If this is one of the MLS' best, we've got deep problems.

2) The MLS refs are nuts. Yes, Beckham's red card was deserved. That could've been a leg breaker. But the 2nd yellow on Marshall was a silly ref biting on what wasn't even a good dive by Landon Donovan. Look at the replay. That dive makes some of Montero's play-acting look positively Shakespearean. And while Eddie Lewis did strike at James Riley's head, it was the weakest of punches ever thrown. Give him a yellow card and a week's free lessons at the nearest self-defense course.

Sports Drinks Or Not Sports Drinks

Are Sports drinks appropriate for kids? If they're serious athletes, the answer is yes...but only during competition.

“When kids do intense exercise in the heat for numerous hours, I
would encourage the use of sports drinks,” says Douglas Casa, an
associate professor of kinesiology at the University of Connecticut and
the lead researcher for most of the sports camp studies. “They will
likely drink more of a flavor they like as compared to water, and will
benefit from the carbs and electrolytes.”


But that ‘yes’ has clear and definable limits. “Sports drinks are
only appropriate in the context of sports, and I mean serious sports,”
emphasizes Nancy Clark, a registered dietician and sports nutritionist
in Boston

No one suggests that, outside of fields or courts, sports drinks are
wise. “These are not health foods,” Clark says. “They’re fancy sugar
water. You see kids having them with their pizza at lunch. That’s not a
good idea.” Sports drinks have been linked with obesity and tooth
decay. They’re also expensive

Henry's Here! Henry's Here!

Only, like, my favorite player in the entire world!

And, Arsene Wenger continues to play hardball with Bordeaux over Manouh Chamakh. Bordeaux senses that Arsensal is desperate for an Adebayor replacement and are jacking their asking price up. Wenger ain't playing. Does this guy have testicules, or what?!

"I like Chamakh, he is a forward that attracts me, but I already
have (Theo) Walcott, (Nicklas) Bendtner, (Robin) Van Persie, (Andriy)
Arshavin and Eduardo. I am in no rush.

"My offer seems fair to
me, taking the market into account. Chamakh would be good, but there
are other options should we wish to pursue them."

That Was Ugly

Talk about a game with no redeeming quality in it for a Sounders fan! The 4-0 drubbing at the hands of the lowly SJ Quakers was ugly all around. The Sounders to a man seemed to have nothing in this game.

How bad was it? It was so bad that by the 2nd goal, I could no longer complain about the refereeing and the horrible decision for a straight red card on Sounders James Riley. In fact, at the end of the game you'd be hard pressed to complain about the ref. The Sounders were so off-stride today that they wouldn't have stayed in it even under the best of refereeing.

How bad was it? You couldn't tell the Sounders were playing down a man for most of the match. I don't mean that in a good way.

Fortunately, Time Magazine didn't watch this game. Bring on Barca. And Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi better play!

Rumbling Into The Season At Emirates...

Adebayor gone to City. Now, Toure follows him. Arsene has some extra $40 million pounds to flash around in search of reinforcements, but the question is, whether he will open the club's wallet.

David Young argues that, while Toure was a good player for the Gunners, the move is a shrewd one, banking a nice profit for a player who is on the downhill swing of a good career.

As sad as it is to see the Ivorian go, it has to be said that in cold,
hard business terms £16m looks to be a very decent price for a defender
who has arguably lost a bit of his edge over the past couple of seasons
and is now heading towards the wrong side of his peak years - and
considering that he was bought for a mere £250,000.

The question of course, is now what, or rather whom? Rumours abound that Arsene is pursuing Brede Hangeland, maybe even Patrick Vieira. Wouldn't the last one be interesting? Even if all it did was save #4's career from an ignominous end in White Hart Lane, it'd be worth it.

Back on the US West Coast, my Sounders FC are down in San Jose to play the Quakers. New signing Leo is with the team but won't likely play at this time. It sounds as if Sigi will use Leo to finally solidify the left back spot. Though Tyson Wahl has played decently of late, the position needs strengthening. The sight of a left back with the ability to bring the ball up, the way right back James Riley does, should give MLS opponents jitters.

Toure Next to Take The Man City Money Bus?

It looks like Kolo Toure, Arsenal's exceptionally gifted but oft-inconsistent centre back is ready to cash in on the Light Blue Largesse and sign with Mark Hughes' side. If one of the two had left, I was hoping it would be Will.I.Am Gallass, but it appears these dreams, too, shall be dashed this summer.

At Least Henry Knows What Loyalty Is (Even After One Has Signed With Barca). The former Gunner skipper says he would never tell Patrick Vieira, or anyone (presumably this includes Stretch the Wonder Striker) to sign for Tottenham.

And in news that warms the heart of any Gunners fan, whilst simultaneously boosting tenfold our hopes for next season, Nicklas Bendtner has decided to stick with Arsenal. Good on ya, Nick. Now, if you can just (in order) learn to shut your big trap, score those sitters, run and work hard, and keep your trousers on,  you'll be the big time player you think you are in no time.

Another One Got Away

Anyway you look at the game Saturday afternoon in Seattle against the Chicago Dive, this should've been a win and 3 points at home. The Rave Green created many good opportunities, including 2 crossbar-clangers, 2 goal-line clearances and a point-blank shot on goal, following a Nate Jacqua header that should've scored (and probably would've on any other day). And yet, the result was the club's first scoreless draw in its history.

I can't say the Sounders dominated this game, but they controlled it. We worked the ball down both sides of the field, throughout, and maintained a pretty consistent level of posession. Like Tuesday's cup game, it seemed that we just couldn't buy a goal. Chance after chance came up just wide, just over, or saved one way or another. And yet, after Tuesday, I had confidence that we were going to score.

Nate Jacqua continued his hard work up front. Though, he ended up shooting blanks, I felt he had a good game. He was denied by some good goalkeeping. He did a lot of little things off the ball (he was first to the ball to clear a dangerous corner in the dying minutes) and he did a good job posessing the ball and linking with Montero and the midfield.

Steve Zakuani's speed caused the Chicago defense trouble all game long. Unfortunately, when he did get into shooting position, his shots were pretty tame. Maybe he's tired after three games in a week, but we need better shots from #11.

Alonso. It's great to have him back. Watching him rip posession from guys twice his size is just a treat.

Freddy Ljungberg had a solid game, but loses 2 points in my book: one for shooting straight at the keeper when the goal was there for the taking (Arsenal men have to do better than that), and secondly for getting ejected from the game. Yes, the ref was an asshole, but Freddy put us in a hole just minutes after we'd gotten a man advantage. Just walk away, Freddy. Yes, there is injustice in getting carded for a dive, while Cuahtemoc Blanco is treating the pitch like an Olympic-sized dive pool, but Freddy did dive, and not very convincingly.

There were some strange substitutions. LeToux for Zakuani. I felt Zak still had energy. Taking him off, just subbed speed for speed. Better to take off Montero, who largely wasn't involved (at least productively) after the 80th minute. Taking Jacqua off with a few minutes left also seemed odd. He was the only striker working hard at that point and he's proved he has the grittiness to grind away for 90 minutes until he scores. That, and with a man down, his height in the box was important in defending set pieces.

Tyrone Marshall did not play and I think that hurt us. Jhon Kennedy Hurtado has been inconsistent in recent games, particularly in marking runners up the middle of the box. Marshall seems to have better anticipation, and I think he pairs more effectively with Patrick Ianni.

And now, the ref. Disappointingly, I have seen some of the worst refereeing in my life in this first MLS season of the Sounders. Inconsistency, inability to control a game, unwillingness to prevent the diving and stalling tactics that suck the entertainment and enjoyment out of a match, and complete lack of concept of how to manage a game. Referee Baldomero Toro was all these things and more. Not once did he caution Chicago for their consistent, repeated diving, stalling the play on Sounders free kicks, or their own re-starts. Every kick Blanco is standing right in front of the ball. In 70 percent (I guesstimate) of the plays in which Blanco is challenged by a Sounders defender, he falls. Coincidence? Old age? Come on!

And then he awards Chicago a golden free kick outside the 18 in the final minutes of the first half off a horrible dive by Blanco (knocked off both feet by an inconsequential touch by a Sounders defender). When Freddy tries to get the same (and yes, it was a dive, but its consistency I'm on about here), he's carded and ultimately ejected.

Toro made some correct calls, but never in any consistency to amount to game management. And what's with the halftime conference with Blanco? That didn't look good at all.

And here's another problem with the MLS. While the game was exciting, the last 5 minutes were frustating and boring because of the time-wasting antics of Chicago. Seattle wanted to get on with it and try to score, but we had another plethora of on-field "injuries." As a fan, I find this really disappointing and un-entertaining. There are few teams in the MLS that play with the attacking style of the Sounders. Too many of them play the plodding, grind-it-out style. Throw the time-wasting antics in and you've got a problem for a league trying to build a fan base.

In England it's ok to be a Bolton or a Tottenham. You don't have to be exciting or particularly good because you've got decades of tradition and football's supremacy as a professional sport. In the MLS, you have a nation to conquer. They're not going to do it by asking people to pay $50 a seat to watch a bunch of men rolling around on the ground as the stretcher parade runs off the sidelines and back.

Stay Classy, ASHcOLE

Good old, Cashley Hole. He may have been a decent defender in his day (prime, well nigh past), but keeping his ugly maw shut has not been one of his skills.

Sounders Get Title Shot in US Open Cup

Words are elusive at this late hour, after a dramatic, scintillating 2-1 Sounders FC win over Houston Dynamo at Starfire this evening. I am just going to soak up the blissful feelings and put words to the game later. Seven thoughts, though, in free-form...

1. This was a classic, match for the ages. And this team isn't even 1 year old!


2. I will not ever slag Nate Jacqua again. He played 120 minutes of gutsy, workhorse football and scored the equalizer that noone else seemed willing to score.


3. Freddy Montero. Getting better.


4. Subbing in Alonso made the difference in my opinion. He still gets my vote for Club MVP.


5. Houston sucks.


6. Tonight's referee may have been the worst yet.


7. Ahhh....victory!


8. Shot at silverware in our first season. Nice. Very nice.

Will John Terry Be In Seattle Saturday?

'Cuz it's looking like he won't be in London come August 15 when Chelsea open the 2009-2010 season against Hull City (Opinion on Hull's Phil Brown being his own worst enemy). Man City, that great, new vacuum cleaner of high wage players, is desperately trying to suck up the England and Chelsea Captain, the man dubbed "Mr. Chelsea." Analysis here.

I worry about how the Swede will take this development, should it develop?

Robbo Robson offers his usual snarked up, slightly brilliant commentary on the sky blue cash floating through the EPL.

Nonetheless, I'm looking forward to seeing JT Saturday. Maybe I should get him a parting gift?

On The Rise...

Rave Green is on the rise in the table and in the ESPN Power Rankings (which I've never paid attention to before, but since I found it and it has us #2 in the MLS...well, what the hey...).

Green'ers know that we've got a very good squad. The MLS is finding out, as well, not only as we beat top teams like Houston, but also with our all-stars. Kasey Keller and Freddie Ljungberg. With the rest of the squad yet to be named, expect at least one more Sounder to be named, likely Fredy Montero. I'd also vote for Alonso (for reasons previously stated) but his games missed due to injury will likely nix that. I also think that Tyrone Marshall and Jhon Kennedy Hurtado would both be great adds. Their defense has been oustanding all season long.

Does this guy play for the KC Lizards, BTW?

The Sounders are putting in a bid for the US Open Cup final. This is a great move. If the Sounders do win the July 21st game against the Dinamo then there will be thousands of Green'ers looking for tickets to watch their team compete for the first silverwware in club history! Hopefully, that means Qwest Field...

Over in the EPL, Treasure Chest City has swooped Carlito away from SAF. Not to worry, SAF, you still have the Immovable Object (aka Berbatov). But what's this? TCC is also sniffing around Adebayor? Le Profeseur must keep the tall Togoese striker!

Craziest transfer rumour of the season: Tottenham in talks with former Arsenal Captain Patrick Vieira??!! Insane. Doesn't he know that making such a move would alienate tens of thousands of Gooners? Perhaps, more importantly, it would squeeze the life and credibility out of what was a terrific career. Stay tuned to see if there is anything to this.

Sounders Win (Without Me)

I'm on vacation in San Diego, so I missed the Saturday afternoon game with Houston, which Seattle put away 2-1. More here & here.  Sounders are looking good in the table, just 3 points behind the Dynamo. After a great start, a muddling middle of the season, the Rave Green are on fire again.

It's also nice to see Steve Kelley trying hard to cover the Sounders from time to time, here waxing poetic about the front line tandem of Jacqua and Montero.

The huge speed bump to the MSL that is PGE Park looks to have finally been cleared, with a deal reached between Portland and the Timbers' owner (the City Council still has to apply its rubber stamp). Much as I dislike things Portland, it'll be good to have the Timbers in the league. The Sounders need a mortal enemy, a derby rival, and we'll get two, with the Timbers and Vancouver.

I'm looking forward to seeing Chelsea, Saturday, when we return!

Sounders Win US Open Cup Quarter...

A quickie before I go away...on vacation. Between that and daughter's soccer tournament, I squeezed in a trip to Starfire  to watch the Rave Green battle KC Buzzards for the US Open Cup Quarters. Sounders controlled much of the match, missed many a gilt-edged opportunity, while allowing for a few scary KC chances, but ultimately prevailed 1-0 when Seba slotted in a deserved penalty kick in the 89th minute.

Buzzard Franken-keeper Kevin Hartmann claims the PK play was another of Fredy Montero's deap sea dives, but from where I was standing (I had a a good line of sight on the play), it sure as hell looked like a foul. I thought the ugly bugger should've been handed a red card for his troubles.

Fredy certainly took a few dives. Who can blame him? After watching the BUzzards dive all game long, he probably felt he should test the water.

Anyhow, great game. Eletric intensity at Starfire. Sounders were after this one all game long and did well to secure victory before OT. More here from Jose Miguel Romero. The right team moves on to the semi-final match against Houston.

I'll miss the next game (not even sure I can get it on TV!), but will be back in the stands for Chelsea and the US Open Cup semis.

Go Sounders FC!

Random Posts

Stephen Colbert announces soccer's arrival in the states.

Daniel Harris notes that Real Madrid's spending spree is loony and quite possibly threatening to world soccer...but MLS as a sane alternative model?

Sounders Sign a Left Back, Arsenal Signs Noone

Sounders gaffer Sigi Schmid may have agreed with me that we need to shore up the left back position. Tyson Wahl is not quite the answer. So, the Sounders have signed Costa Rican defender Leonardo Gonzalez, apparently for that position, though he has versatility to play at different positions. My guess is left back.

There's nothing happening this weekend with the Rave Green. Next game is the US Open Cup quarterfinal against the Kansas City Lizards at Starfire Tuesday night. Brad Evans got the call up to join the US team this weekend at CONCACAF qualifying at Qwest. Let's hope he gets some quality field time.

I'll be watching youth soccer this weekend (God help me!).

Also in the MLS, Landon Donovan puts out a big, flaming welcome-home-bastard message for LA Galactico teammate David Bowie...er, David Beckham. I can't keep all these superstars apart. Say what you want about Becks, but at least we have an answer to the trivia question: "What was the MLS's most expensive mistake?"

Oh, and over at Emirates Way, the team's signing activity has hit a fever pitch, with absolutely noone being signed in the last week. It is rumoured though, that an aggressive steroids program has doubled the strength of midfielders Cesc Fabregas and Theo Walcott. This rumour has been quasi-confirmed with Walcott besting Portsmouth striker and professional circus tent pole Peter Crouch in a best-of-seven arm wrestling contest (though Walcott later lost to Crouch in the Robot Dance competition).

Arsenal Finally Get a Center Back

Gunners sign Belgium defender Thomas Vermaelen from Ajax.

Hopefully, he's the steel we need in the spine of the defense (and hopefully, this means the woeful Will.I.Am Gallass is on his way out.).

Vermaelen looks like an assassin. I like that...

The Drought is over. Let the Streak Begin!

It's been seven long games and five weeks since we've seen a W in the color Rave Green. And like the last one, it came against a really inept San Jose side, this time a 2-1 win at Qwest. Ten thoughts about last night's match.

1. Freddy Montero is a marginal factor on the team. Aside from the goal he scored (which was a nifty piece of quick feet to control and slot it home with nanoseconds of opportunity), he was a negligible factor. contemplate the goal he created for San Jose with his give away in the middle of the area, and he was a wash. Sigi has to get this guy on track or start someone else.
   


2. Le Toux deserves to start. Nate Jacqua's suspension gave what a lot of SEattle fans have been asking for, Le Toux starting in place of the Big Slow. The Frenchman did not disappoint. His speed was a huge factor. He got the ball behind the SJ defense numerous times and showed he can actually posess the ball on the front line. He deserves another chance against a better defense.
   


3. Alonso for Vice-MVP? Ozzie came on in the 75th minute and immediately made our midfield look like, well, a midfield again. He harried EQ'ers out of posession and gave us lateral posession and distribution to the side channels, something we haven't seen since he left. If Keller is our MVP, Ozzie is Vice-MVP.
   


4. Ljungberg still has the killer form. Hey, he was rusty on the missed PK. When he got 1-v-1 with SJ's keeper, it was like watching an orca close in on a cuddly, baby seal pup. You knew what was coming.
   


5. Ljungberg deserved man of the match honors and I thought he had another strong game. But, he needs Alonso, who frees him up to move upfield.
   


6. If you're a season ticket holder and everyone in the seats around you look unfamiliar, you are probably in the wrong section. A corollary to this is don't blindly follow The Swede.
   


7. Levesque should get more minutes. I thought he showed great energy, determiniation and work rate. He hid, however, commit the MLS defensive dive-in of the year. I don't think I've ever seen anyone dive in that badly outside of U-8 soccer.
   


8. Anti-French comments are hard to resist (and I don't think poorly of France). When Le Toux gave up on a ball I'm sure he could've gotten to, I turned and said, "He really played that like a Frenchman, declaring surrender too early."
   


9. Tyrone Marshall and James Riley are money, baby! I'll be happy when Hurtado is back, too.
   


10. When Zak, Ljungberg and Te Toux are running at a defense, good things are going to happen. Let's keep working these guys into the offense.

Gunner of the Month: Samir Nasri

It's that time of the month again, Gunner Time. Looking at the page on my Arsenal FC calendar on the wall, it looks like newcomer Samir Nasri is the man. Though short in stature, the Frenchman is willing to mix it up with the big boys, and is not afraid to take the shot when he sees the goal. With his lightning quick skills on the ball, think of #8 as a Hleb with balls and heart.

Sigi Won't Say it But I Will...

...MLS officiating sucks! It's uneven at best. The fact that one team has 5 red cards after 12 games, and it's not LA, well, somethings wrong...

Sigi's Gotta Right This Ship...

During the first half, The Rave Green enjoyed near complete control of possession...and near complete lack of shots on goal. Chivas gets one chance and a goal, thanks to some sloppy defending (Hey Patrick Ianni, that man running down the middle towards goal, that's your man!). When we did get good chances we were inventing all sorts of crazy angles over and around the goal.

Right now, we're the gang that can't shoot straight.

We were the better team, and we let the goats snatch it away from us. The goes 0-1 to the Goats. Tough Loss.

Here's an idea. Let's try a game with Seba starting at striker and F-Tero watching from the bench. I know it won't be the next one, as Seba will probably fill in for the red-carded SlowJack.

Draws Do Not Suck

Let's make this real clear. First off, ties are actually draws (games are matches, the field is the pitch, and refs are still assholes). But, draws do not suck. five blood draws in a row, however, that sucks! Let's win one Sounders!

Mmmmm, Vanilla!

On the way home after the game, I had a huge hankering for ice cream so I stopped at the store. In honor of goal scorer and (official) Man of the Match Nate (SlowJack) Jacqua, I bought and consumed an entire pint of vanilla ice cream. The Rave Green'ers came away with their 5th straight draw in a 1-1 game that really could've gone either way.

Five games. Five draws. One win in eight matches. Has the rest of the MLS caught up with us? Wadda ya think? Not only that, but the problems are mounting:

Our forwards aren't linking up and aren't giving defenders much to worry about. The midfield is a muddle, a lot of running around with little to show for it and we are sorely in need of a left fullback that can also play defens, while modeling a rave green jersey. 

Shortly before half I turned to Jon and said "what happened to the team that started the season? This team looks bad." The Sounders were unfocused and uninspired in the first half and deserved the 1-goal deficit that Columbus hung on them with Moreno's header. They came out in the 2nd half slightly less uninspired, but with not much else going for the green. When SlowJack scored - a beautiful volley out of the air, off Freddie Ljungberg's hopeful over-the-head kick - it still seemed against the run of play.

Nonetheless, I will say this, the goal was brilliant. In an instant, all of the unease the game had caused me, exploded into ecstasy. I even made Jon applaud the Big Slow. The game got pretty exciting for a stretch and even looked like the Sounders might have a chance to score a winner. Things got bizarre then when a pass back led to an extended debate in front of the goalline, 2 yellows against Columbus and a fruitless goal attempt by the Sounders. The obligatory red card and Sounders ejection was issued against Tyrone Marshall, who apparently had retaliated against his mark for something.

When the whistle sounded the end of the game, I wasn't sure how to feel about the game. We certainly did enough to lose, had every right to win had we finished, and didn't do too badly to draw, all things considered. But after five in a row, the shiny luster is coming off the event of a draw.

More on the game. Jose Romero's blog. Quotes from Sigi. Team news and more about the strange goings on at the Xbox Pitch last night. David Falk calls it like he sees it, and he sees it ugly.

A $50 reward has been issued for any clues to the whereabouts of midfielder Steve Zakuani.

Also, ensuring that Jon has a quality midfield to root for at Chelsea, the Blues inexplicably sign reputed footballer and midfield stationary object Michael Ballhack to a long-term deal...maybe Roman just has so much money they overlooked the fact that the guy can't play in the EPL.

Barca Wins and the Off-Season Begins

Glad to see Barca win the Champions League over the New York Yank...er, I mean the US Treasury Departme...darn it, I mean Manchester United. I'm still watching the game on DVR, so I won't comment (and hey, thanks to Comcast for screwing up the progam listing so that I missed the first 16 minutes! You guys rock (and yes, I'm being sarcastic)), but Phil McNulty has some interesting analysis (as always) on the match.

And how cool is it that I'm going to see the European Champs play my Sounders FC in Seattle?!

And now it's the off-season, and Chelsea and ManUre (and nouveau riche ManCity) will begin spending like drunken sailors on shore leave. Chelsea already rumoured to be all over Bayern's Franck Ribery, a player I value highly. Hopefully, the Big Blues Machine won't ruin him.

And I've been saying for two seasons that Arsene Wenger needs to buy a new stud center half...I was hoping for someone older than my youngest daughter. Keep trying, Arsene.

Flu Pandemics and Cybercrime Pandemics

Perhaps I'm taking a little license to characterize cybercrime as a pandemic, but it is clearly global, easily transmitted and acquired, and it doesn't look like anyone knows how to stop it right now. This article from New Scientist made me clutch my wallet a little tighter.

Shifting to illness of the viral kind, the NYT reports that the World Health Organization is bowing to pressure from certain countries (I can't tell you their names, but their initials are U.S.A. and E.U.) and will rewrite its pandemic rules to de-certify our crazy Swine Flu as a pandemic.

The always-excellent Debora McKenzie summarizes the mismatch between the current pandemic rules and the existing situation with the Swine Flu, and sheds light on why W.H.O. is feeling the heat. As MacKenzie points out, the 1918 Pandemic, as most do most flu pandemics, began with a milder initial wave - much like the current Swine Flu - before going all aggro and killing tens of millions of people.

Colorado Recap and Arsenal Run Smash & Grab Operation

Let's start with the Arsenal game. They're up 4-1 on the Kotters from Stoke City at half time, who appear to have thrown in the towel early on this one. The Gunners have a clutch of Arsene's young Gunners in the line-up, including a goalkeeper I've never heard of before. Vito Mannone? My sources are telling me that he's a kid wearing an Arsenal Jersey that Arsene saw outside the stadium prior to the game. I'm not able to verify that yet, but lets pretend that's the case.

Anyhow, Arsenal is enjoying 75% posession and has 16 shots on the Sotters' goal, to 3 for the gang from Choke City. Arsenal has already switched to the 5-pass rule (the team has to make 5 consecutive passes, including to Eboue, who is on the bench, before shootign).

Key question: Will Arsene let RVN play goal in the 2nd half?

Now, on to my boys in the Rave Green jerseys...

Bottom line is that we took a point on the road with the 2-2 draw, against a key conference rival without Ljungberg, Porkchop (Evans) & my season MVP, Alonso, who went down in the first minute.

There are three keys to this game.

1. Kasey Keller. His goal was under assault. He must've thought he was starring in a remake of 300. The Persians just kept coming in waves. Keller made 2 of the nicest saves you'll see anywhere. In honesty, at times I've wondered whether Kasey is worth the Sounders FC hype. Yup. He is.


2. James Riley. One of the most outstanding players for Sounders this season, he was our only offensive spark, providing the runs down the side channel and the crosses that turned into our scores. That pass to Montero that set up the equalizer was a gem. And he wasn't bad at defense, either. Rapids ran riot down the right side, but had very few successful attacks on Riley's side.


3. Peter with the really awkward last name. It's going to take a few games for me to get the pronunciation right, or at least, not obscene. I thought Vagenas solidified a midfield that was in shambles from losing Frederik, Porkchop and Ozzie. He did what was needed to keep a lid on things through the middle, and worked very hard to complicate the Rapids' attacking plans. He was really unfortunate to cause the deflection for the OG, but was hustling back to defend on a play where the Rapids had once again sliced open our defense.

Also, worth note.

Fredy Montero had his best game in some time. Not a great game, but more energy and he figured in both goals. The first goal was just a nice run and persistence to take the easy deflection.

Gary Smith made a huge mistake taking Cummins out of the game. He shredded us all game long. Once he was out, a lot of air left the Rapids' river raft. Maybe he was hurt or tired, but that felt like a real momentum shift there, and we had great chances to steal the win after the speedy striker left.

Cummins and Casey are a great strike pair. They are an example of what an MLS front line should look like. Montero and SloJack are no comparison. In fact, while SloJack scored the equalizer, it was a sitter. Other than that, I thought he looked pretty pedestrian. Is it me, or is he reacting rather than anticipating his runs?

Nonetheless, our front line scored the goals, so all's to the good.

Oh, and Arsenal have beaten Croak City, 4-1. And it doesn't appear to be even that close. They finish 4th. Whoopee.

I took a look at some stats. Arsenal finished with 68 goals for. The top 4 all had 68 or more goals. The difference, though, came in goals against. Arsenal allowed 37. No top 3 team allowed more than 27. Hmmm. Where do we need to get stronger? How about a stud center back and a man's man holding midfielder?

The Double Whine Post

The bossman reiterates his reiteration of his commitment to the club, but says:

"Criticism I accept with respect. Disrespect I don't accept.

What sport does he think he's in, tennis? Although, I've disagreed with Le Professeur more and more in recent seasons, I don't like the disrespectful stuff. That being said, it is football. You kind of have to grow a pair and grow some extra dermis and move on.

Somewhere else in London, all you can hear is whine, whine, whine. Oh, and Lucky Guus wishing that UEFA would make do his "big apology." Really? Big apology? Why not ask Didier to make a big "F***ing" apology??

Drama, Gunner Style

Arsene defuses the drama over his supposed flirtation with Real Mess. Nothing to worry about, says Le Profeseur.

Meanwhile, the Sounders are banged up, bruised and beaten. Evans looks to be out awhile and Frederik is still suffering from his head wound. This has all the makings of a rough patch.

Sounders Give Dallas A Clinic

Seriously. The hype going into last night's game in Jabba-The-Hut Park in beautiful Dallas, was that FC Dallas with only 1 win in the season, was not very good. For 20 minutes, Dallas showed what bad MLS soccer can look like. Then, the Sounders took over and our boys in the Rave Green showed that they knew a thing or two about playing the kind of awful, uninspired, soul-sucking football that has caused grown men to swear off the game and take up pottery. A 1-1 draw has never looked this unappetizing.

Seriously. They were that bad. The best thing I can say about that game is that its 90 minutes of my life that I'll never get back. Of course, if it involved watching that game again, I don't want those 90 minutes back. Give them to someone whose looking for a reason not to live.

OK. Got that off my back. On the positive side, they did pick up a vital road point in one of the least hostile MLS arenas in the MLS. They withstood the relentless jeering and taunting of the hundreds of rabid Dallasites (?). The fact that they were all wearing Drew Carey glasses could not have helped.

Actually, I have to note that the fans were really getting into the game. After all, it was Drew Carey giveaway night. Sensing the possibility of a shock win, the fans realized that if the team actually beat the Sounders, FC Dallas would give everyone a Drew Carey suit to match the ugly glasses. Hey, its Dallas. There's no accounting for taste.

Let's see. I don't want to get too down on the boys. This was a team effort. But our forwards stink right now. I have to believe that both Nate Jacqua and Fredy Montero are better players than what we've seen the last 2 - 3 weeks. Jacqua, combingin a lack of speed with a lack of effort to make runs is not a good combination. Fredy, combing speed and talent...with a lack of effort to make runs, is producing about the same thing.

Good on Jhon Kennedy Hurtado for scoring his first goal as a Sounder. And on his birthday! Other than El Presidente, the rest of the team needs to go to finishing school.

If the defense hadn't fallen asleep in first half stoppage time, this still could've been 3 points against the league's easiest opponent...Remember Chris, its not 90 minutes of your life wasted...its 1 point and that's good.

Bring on the Hoops (really, the Hoops?!)

Sounders are in Dallas today to face a sorry FC Dallas team that I find out is called The Hoops. Sorry, boys, there's only one Hoops, its Celtic FC. You guys could be called the Whoops, though. That name is available.

Shoreline native George John, a man so blessed as to be born with not one, but two first names, will be in the starting lineup for the Whoops. James Riley thinks that the game will be like my Nana's Tea Party. I'll be watching on HD from the climate-controlled comfort of my entertainment room.

Go Sounders!

Yay, We're Undefeated (Today)!

I'm just trying to get in the spirit of the New Arsenal Era, the one where Le Profeseur tells us to not expect major silverware. Instead, we need to delight in the small achievements. Like being undefeated in the EPL for 21 games (before getting our asses restructured with a boot (first by ManUre, then by Chelsea) as we challenged for not being 5th in the league.

So, with the new perspective in mind, I salute the glory of today's result: we have stymied the mighty ManUre from defeating us (while, of course, allowing them the small pleasure of winning the league trophy on their home ground), while creating a mini-unlosing streak that we could conceivably stretch to 2 games, if we go on to not lose to mighty Stroke City next week.

Seriously, there'd be days I'd take a nil-nil draw at Old Spofford, but today ain't it.

Go Gunners! Bring on the next season...

Ozzie Rocks The Sounders Midfield

The Times has fallen into a nice rut of padding the mid-week lull between Sounders' games with an article or two about a player, or some other interesting look behind the scenes of the Rave Green Machine. (Boy, I know that sounds dumb, but I'm gonna keep using it. Rave Green For Life, G!)

Anyhow, Thursday they had an article looking at Osvaldo Alonso, who has to be considered as both Sounders' MLS Rookie of the Year candidate and MVP. Ozzie puts the steel in Sounders midfield, despite being a liddle guy. He is a fierce competitor, always at work, always battling. I love watching this cat play.

Now, I have to work tomorrow, so I am going to miss both the Sounders-LA Galactic Mistake game and the Arsenal-Chelsea Lately match. So, when I return from work I have got to figure out how to present 4 hours of footie on the telly as a Mother's Day present. Send your suggestions to me ASAP.

Champions League thoughts:

You can gripe all you want about the refereeing, but Chelsea players should've been taught by now that you never leave the game in the ref's hands. They left on the field some audacious opportunities to make it 2-0. Here's another thought: champions win games. Whiners whine.

The Arsenal-ManUre game was painful. For 7:32 I thought we had a chance. After that, it was clear that Arsenal inhabits a select middle cushion between the top 3 of the EPL and the gathering hordes below of completely awful teams pretending they belong in the top flight. Monsieur Wenger, It is time to climb back up to the top...

Sounders Return To Winning Ways

After a 2-game losing streak, Seattle returned to the Xbox pitch and to its winning ways in putting away a pesky, but ultimately lesser team, San Jose Earthquakes with a 2-0 scoreline.

Goals came from Steve Zakuani, heading home in the 42nd, and Brad Evans, poking the ball through a hole in the Swiss Cheese SJ goalkeeper Nick Cannon, in the 55th.

 But man of the match award went to John, who helped bring both goals about by 1) going to the bathroom in the 42nd minute and 2) going to buy beer in the 55th minute.

Also, playing an important role in the game was Seattle net-meister Kasey Keller, who set a record of scoreless minutes (hmmm, sounds like a certain large target wearing rave green...)

The insertion of Zak into the starting lineup pleased many fans who've been calling for the #1 draft pick to get game time ahead of Pink Shoes LeToux. Zakuani was a threat throughout the night. It seemed every time he touched the ball he was burning Equake defenders and tearing off goalward. His goal was the result of some determined heading off a Ljungberg free kick. I believe Marshall knocked it into the mix and Hurtado headed it far post where the lone Zakster had a relatively easy task of heading downward into goal.

Large, lumbering white man, Nate Jacqua, has been receiving quite a bit of (deserved) criticism for his play and he was less than inspiring Saturday: ignoring shot opportunities, ignoring runs...Nonetheless, SlowJack did create the 2nd goal by bamboozling the defender with his stumble-bumble dribbling then laying off to Brad Evans who nutmegged Cannon.  The Wonderbread Express dominates again!

Methings the Seattle crowd is getting quieter as the season goes on. There were even several people in our section that actually wanted to sit in the 2nd half! If only those yahoos with the plastic horns would shut up. At one point, the big screen exhorted the crowd to chant the Sounders chant. No takers. People would rather blow on their horns. What would Freud say about that?!

The game was not an entirely positive experience, however, as the match was almost ruined by a drunk Chelsea fan who sat next to me and kept yammering about Freddy Montero being the new Cristiano Ronaldo. Making matters worse, all game long, he kept raving about his favorite Sounder, Nate "SlowJack" Jacqua.

Yeesh, go back to Chelsea, mate.

Major Freakin' News

So, this comes across my email late last night as a breaking news (emphasis mine) from CNN:

-- Ashton Kutcher is first to reach 1 million followers
in Twitter contest with CNN.

Really? News? Edward R. Murrow was just placed on spin cycle....

Semis! Semis! Semis!

A surging, confident Arsenal FC put Villareal down 3-0 at Emirates earlier today, sending the Gunners into the Champpions League semifinal for only the 2nd time in the club's history. Arsenal will face their old friends Manchester United in a home & away set beginning March 5th at home.

Winger Theo Walcott, who was a terror down the right side all night long, got the scoring going in the 9th minute with a Thierry Henry-like chip over Villareal keeper Diego Lopez. After the goal, the Gunners poured through the Villareal defense like water through a sieve. It looked like a 2nd goal was imminent, but Emmanuel Adebayor could not find the touch and the game went to the half with Arsenal up 1 in the game and 2-1 Aggregate.

After the half, the Yellow Submarines looked sharper and began to build pressure on the Arsenal goal, though to be fair didn't create any real shots. Fill-in keeper Lukas Fabianski was brilliant throughout, particularly in sweeping up any through balls that penetrated deep.

The Villareal tide, though, was stemmed in the 69th minute when RVN and Adebayor took advantage of a slack defense and the lanky lad from Togo pushed the ball past Lopez and initiated what may be one of the lamest line dances in recent memory.

The game really got out of Villa's hand in the 69th minute when a dodgy foul in the box led to a shot from the dot and Sebastian Eguren got a red card for and an early shower. RVN lasered the penalty home and the 10-man Spanish side could only mope as Arsenal passed the ball around in what looked like a training ground exercise.

It's Chelsea Saturday in the FA Cup Semi and then Liverpool on Tuesday. The last month of the season is shaping up to be a corker!

Sounders Battled Valiantly With 10

Let me get this out of the way early on: Kansas City sucks butt. Seriously, this is not a good MLS team. This game felt like Arsenal V. Wigan (which by the way Arsenal won 4-1, after spotting the Wigs a goal and a couple of good chances) or Arsenal v. West Ham.

Our players looked better on the ball, sharper of mind and faster. Our defense looked capable, we had an offensive strategy that consisted of something slightly more sophisticated than the ol' NASA moon launch.

But, when we lost Keller on the red card and went to 10 men, well, if we got out of Large Tele Co Stadium with a 0-0 draw, then that'd be a fine evening. But...But...winning streaks are made to be broken and with a first-year team doing the unthinkable, Kansas City was probably just one of many teams that wanted to see a stop to the Sounders' precocious ways.. Anyways, the result was a 1-0 loss, with Sounders battling a man down for 65 minutes.

The first half, before and after Keller's ejection was largely scrapping for posession, with a few build-ups here a few coutners there. But after Sigi had a chance to chat with the guys at halftime, Sounders came out with their ears pinned back. Man, they took it to the Lizards of KC like the man-advantage was reversed.

I counted 4 excellent chances on goal, any one of which would've won the game. Montero rattled the woodwork on a free kick, had a point-blank open goal taken away by a lucky leg stab from a defender (created, BTW, by incredible hard work from Nate Jacqua to keep a lost cause inbounds and then feed Montero), Evans had a shot, and I think Jacqua had a go somewhere in there.

But after all that, the 9 field players got tired. You could see it in their body motions. They were flagging a bit, and the Liz started bringing posession into our half. I thought it was time to bring Zakuani in to freshen up our midfield, but Coach didn't insert him into the formation until after Davey Arnaud scored. I thought the keeper's positioning was a bit weak on the shot, but the opportunity was created by soft defending that was certainly caused by fatigue.

Even after the goal, though, the Sounders kept pressing and came close to equalizing. While the result was their first loss, this didn't feel like a loss; more like a moral victory and the Lizards escaping Seattle with a fortunate result. They won't win a ton of games this year...that is, unless they get the man advantage throughout the season.

The Sounders, on the other hand, will win plenty more games, despite this setback.

Sounders Trump Arsenal!...

...in this post. On the road at Toronto, the upstart fledglings from Seattle decided to continue with their winning ways, pasting a 2-0 win on Toronto FC, whose supposed "best fans in the league" spent a lot of time standing around with their arms folded (judging by the 20 minutes of the game I've watched so far!!).

Sounders found a goal from Freddie Ljungberg 15 minutes in, when the speedy Swedey played a give and go with forwrd Nate Jacqua and completely bamboozled the Toronto defense. Finding himself 1 v 1 with the keeper, Ljungberg was not about to miss and his clinical finish broke his Sounders' duck and put the visitors up. Newcomer (hey, they're all newcomers!) Steve Zakuani rounded out the scoring with a goal I have yet to see. (gonna watch the rest of the match when the visitors have left).

Toronto Coach Greg Carver was not amused:

"Every single one of (the players) I was disappointed in,"
Carver said. "I'm making no excuses, I'm not going to defend
anybody today."

No kidding coach; neither is your defense.

Wadda ya know. Gang Green is 3-0-0 and leading the league.

Oh, and Seattle's fans are the best in the league!

Arsenal's match was not televised so I'm going on the Internets. Emmanuel Adebayor and Cesc Fabregas returned to the lineup after lengthy injuries. Ade scored 2 off of Cesc's 2 assists. Welcome back, boys. I daresay we missed you! Final: Gunners 2 - Manners 0

Montero? MSL Player of the Month

That's right. March 22nd nobody knew the kid from Colombia. But after 3 goals and an assist in two games - and generally looking like he owned Qwest Field and any defender that stepped on it - Freddy Montero is the MSL Player of the Month. Well deserved. This kid's a talent.

The Sounders have assembled a team that mixes young talents like Montero with solid veterans. Defender Tyrone Marshall anchors a back line that has yet to surrender a goal. According to the article, Marshall is also a positive force in the locker room. That's sure to be a key to the season as the games progress and the Sounders encounter adversity - let's face it, they ain't going to go 30-0-0.

Next up. Toronto. Wherever that is...

Arsenal: Listen to RVN!

Will they or won't they? As long as I've been a Gooner (admittedly, recent times - since 2003), there's been nothing as constant in the club as the speculation over the future of certain star players, and even those of lesser quality. Cesc Fabregas a popular target of departure worries. New Arsenal Chief Exec Ivan Gazidis says the Spaniard will stay.

Meanwhile, RVN - in my books, Arsenal's best player this season - says he is not worried about money when it comes to his contract negotiations. He just wants to see the club show a commitment to getting the players that will enable EPL and Champions League success.

"Financially Arsenal's last offer is fine, but that isn't everything for me. It's about my ambitions and how they can be fulfilled," he told Uefa's Champions Magazine.

"In the last four years I've only won one prize, the FA Cup, and that is too little. I want to push through to achieve more," he said.

Let's hope RVN's attitude can lead to just that...and perhaps, keeping the club's best pizza tosser at the Emirates.

300 Miles for 3 Points

Yakima was fun. 300 miles to travel for 3 points. I got out of my car in Ellensburg to pump gas and was blown away by a 200-MPH wind. The family found me in Prosser. I was also attacked by rabid tumbleweeds, but I've had my shots, so that was ok. It was all good in the end, though, as the 3 points were enough to secure second place in the division for the team.

Meanwhile...It's berfday time for Facebook, sayeth the NYT, and the 5-year old is struggling under the weight of competing expectations among its users. While there are growing pains, there's no doubting the site's growing popularity. Advertisers certainly take note:

Facebook’s approach is to invite advertisers to join in the
conversation. New “engagement” ads ask users to become fans of products
and companies — sometimes with the promise of discounts. If a person
gives in, that commercial allegiance is then broadcast to all of the
person’s friends on the site.

A new kind of engagement ad, now
being tested, will invite people to vote — “what’s your favorite color
M&M?” for example — and brands will pay every time a Facebook
member participates.

“We are trying to provide the antidote for
the consumer rebellion against interruptive advertising,” says Sheryl
Sandberg, Facebook’s chief operating officer and Mr. Zuckerberg’s
business consigliere.

...And while I usually don't pay any attention to Rush Limbaugh...oh, hell, I still don't. But he's the lead in to James Safire's CSI: On Language treatment of the word orgasmic.

Sounders Take Salt Lake

Last night's game was def' a bittersweet experience. My seatmates called earlier in the day, inviting me to the game. But wait! My in-laws just arrived in town from Hawaii. Moral quandary? Well, no, not really. But I watched the game on DVR later that night, knowing I could've been there.

It was a much different game than their star-crossed opening win, but the result was still a W for the expansion Sounders, winning 2-0 vs. a burly, bruising Real Salt Lake at The Q. Where New York had been content to chase Seattle boys around the pitch, and watch Freddy Montero play at will, RSL had a game plan to get up in the faces of the Sounders and knock 'em over if they had to, in order to slow them down.

Freddy Montero, in particular, received a round thumping in the early parts of the 1st half.

Despite the defensive tactics, Seattle's midfield began to take the game over after 10 minutes and wave after wave of Sounders attacks broke on the shores of Salt Lake. 17 minutes in the boys from XBox found the back of the net. Steve Zakuani was able to break down his defender, and poke a ball straight at Nate Jacqua. The big lunk was right in front of the goal and all he could do was get his knee up to meet the ball and score.

Despite the lead, RSL took over the game for large stretches. The early goings of the second half was so heavily dominated b the opponents that I began to wonder if there was a heavy wind for that half of the field. Keller came through with good saves, and Lady Luck declared herself a fan of the Green FC.

Everyone knew Freddie Ljungberg was coming on in the 60th minute, however it looked like a brilliant tactical decision, as Seattle was flat. Freddie's energy and veteran presence made a big difference, stemmed some of the momentum and began building more attacks for the Green. In the 72nd, the other Freddie declared the game over with a really nice long-range strike that had the keeper thinking of some shots he'd seen, I don't know, perhaps in youth soccer. Whatever he was thinking of, by the time he'd figured out the direction of Montero's blast there was nothing to do but jump up and wave at it, as if it were a Metro bus speeding by.

Nothing like a 2-0 record and Might Mo' as the Sounders fly off to Toronto for the club's first road game.

Go Sounders!

Sounders Vs. Salt Lake Tonight

The Sounders take their expansion-year model on the pitch for the second game of the season, against the Saltshakers of Salt Lake at Qwest Field. I'll be watching this one on TV, since Jon has the tix.

Go Sounders!

Of course, if I had an airline ticket to Oakland, I would cash it in and avoid going to this festival, which I have to admit, makes me cringe, just thinking about it.

International Break Diaries, Part I

Since we're not close enough to the actual World Cup, I'm still not grooving on the WC international breaks. Give me my, EPL!

This first one is a tad bit biased, just the teensy-bit one-sided, from Online Gooner, but I have to say it's completely spot on and incontrovertibly correct. Phil Brown is a wanker.

...his failure to deliver results in the second
half of the season and his lack of managerial experience (his spell at
Derby was an unquestionable disaster) identify him as a rank novice who
should conduct himself with far more decorum.

Hull,
Premiership fledglings, have proved themselves to be most distasteful
to all Gooners and their anti-football attitude epitomised by the
horrible Brown should lead all Arsenal fans to rejoice in the delights
of Arsene, Arshavin and Arsenal.

Add to that, the excitement of knowing that ex-Arsenal assassin Freddy Ljungberg is going to see action tomorrow, though the tickects are with Jon this weekend (aaaargh!). Go get 'em, Freddy & stay healthy.

Whelan to Ashley: You Dirty Tot!

Wigan's Dave Whelan takes Newcastle owner Mike Ashley to task for the Toon troubles that have the once proud club on the brink of Championship football. All correct, in my mind, but here's a scathing comment:

"You can't get a Tottenham fan buying Newcastle and letting people thinks he
supports them.

"It's not right, there's no pride left in the club.

Ouch! Don't know whether that's a bigger swipe at Ashley or Spurs fans.

Freddy Montero

Short profile of FC Sounders striker Freddy Montero. The piece notes that his one-year contract will likely see him bought by a bigger, non-MLS club. I wouldn't be surprised to see Freddy go somewhere in Europe. Enjoy him while you can.

Sounders Create Some Noise In Debut

Just got back from Qwest Field, a raucous, charged atmosphere, as 32,000 football (soccer) fans cheered their new Seattle Sounders FC on to a smashing 3-0 victory over the New York Red Bulls, last year's MLS runner-up. (more here & here)

Although they struggled to posess in the first 5 minutes, the newbie Sounders quickly clawed their way into the game with quick, aggressive play in the midfield and an attacking third that looked as dangerous as they were quick. When they scored early, the Sounders were off to the races.

Young Colombian Freddy Montero became the first Sounder to score in the MLS, with a well-placed ground roller just past the Red Bull keeper's outstretched hand. Montero bagged a brace with a 2nd goal in the 75th minute. By that point, Sounders had a 2-0 lead, based on Brad Evans 24th minute nutmegger on the soon-to-be hapless NY stickminder.

This was a great game, a great atmosphere, and a great start to what I think is going to be a great team that is starting a new tradition of top-level football in Seattle. I can't wait for the next home game!

After having watched EPL for so many seasons and becoming a fan by remote of Arsenal FC, it is really nice to have my own home team to cheer and to watch live. Sure, it ain't EPL. Sounders are not Arsenal, but hey, based on what I saw tonight, they ain't bad. In fact, they're fun to watch.

Arsenal Spit in Hull's Eye

Well, not really. But a dramatic, come-from-behind 2-1 win to push the Gunners into the FA Cup Semis is marred afterward by accusations that former Manchester United pizza delivery boy spit at (towards? near?) a Hull City assistant coach. While one hopes this is not true, it certainly wasn't a bigger crime than the incessant whining afterwards of Hull's Phil Brown, a former coaching genius (back in the early start of the season, when his team was winning) who seemed to believe that the loss was down to Arsene's steely intimidation of the ref crew. Yeah, buddy, we get all the calls.

On to the semis!

Arsenal Blast Blackburn

Today's match at Emirates with Blackburn brought a surging Arsenal side that swamped the visitors in a 4-0 drubbing. NewGunners Andrei Arshavin opened his Arsenal account with a first half goal (and possibly one earlier, though the official game stats are blaming it on an andrei Oijer OG), and former booboy Eboue scored two late goals to complete the spanking.

It was nice to see Arsenal rampaging again - and scoring! Hopefully, this is the beginning of a late season rally.

Arsenal To Take On Roma

The Gunners face a big match tomorrow, lacing up against AS Roma in Italy. The lads will have to do it without Emmanuel Adebayor, who is continuing to battle fitness issues in his recovery from a hamstring pull.

Fortunately, Arsene Wenger has some lads who look dangerous around the opponents area. Eduardo and Carlos Vela created two nifty goals in Sunday's demolition of Burnley. In my book, Eduardo ought to be getting lots of match time. He looks ready to play and appears to be as close to in-form as he was just before his leg break January before last. This lad's a goal scorer and we need one.

I also think young Vela should be on the pitch, certainly before Miss Nick Bendtner, who owns a horror show of misses for a player so young.

Money Game is Looking Profitable

The latest financial reports are in and Arsenal's profits continue to rise. Unbeknownst to many fans Arsenal actually make 500,000 pounds every time Nick Bendntner misses a wide open shot that any other human being would be expected to knock in.

Eduardo's The Man!

Arsenal's Eduardo Da Silva completed an almost year-long comeback by netting 2 goals in the Gunner's complete 4-0 demolition of wannbe contenders Cardiff City in the 4th round FA Cup replay. Cheers and beers to the speedy Brazilian (I know, he's a Croat now) forward who suffered a resoundingly horrific injury (I'm sweating just thinking of it) in January 2008 against Birmingham. Let's hope Eduardo is the spark that can reignite the Gunner's fading fill-in-the-blanks hopes for this season.

Arshavin In:Arsenal Just Beat the Deadline

Arsene got his man. Gallass is still here. We still need some steel in the middle of the pitch and backline. A step in the right direction when a few leaps are what is required.

Is He or Isn't He?

Conflicting reports about whether Andrei Arshavin is a Gunner, though it seems likely that's the result of the last minute contract gesticulations. We have to wait until someone shovels the sidewalks in London before a final FA ruling confirms the move. The soap opera season continues...

Transfer Deadline Up in the Air

The question on everyone's mind (well, Gooners, at least) is whether Andrei Arshavin will come over to Arsenal or not.

Heavy snow is falling across England, leading to the resked of Arsenal's Cardiff City match.

The transfer deadline may be moved as well. After all, you wouldn't want Arsense trying to push a wheelbarrow of cash towards Zenit St. Petersborg in this weather,would you?!

Oh, and Arsenal failed to see the other side of the goaline when playing the WHammers on Saturday. An enervating 0-0 draw was the result. Boring, boring Arsenal?

This, despite something like 70% posession and 20+ shots goalward. Adebayor, continuing his blubbering form of late, had an uncontested header that he aimed directly at the keeper.

Arsene, do you need any help pushing the wheelbarrow?

Oh, and David Dein crawled out from whatever cave he's been hiding in to state the obvious (to everyone but Arsene it seems). He added:

"Neener neener neener."

Scoreless Draw at Ninian Park. Replay Time!

The Cardiff City footballers hold the Gunners to a scoreless draw at Ninian Park and force the replay at Emirates.

Dave Jones' team, beaten finalists last season, really took the game to
Arsenal in the opening half, playing with a desire absent in their more
illustrious opponents, and the high-flying Championship side should
have taken at least one of their chances.

I'm getting a wee bit tired of seeing the game reports where Arsenal is portrayed as less hungry than the other team. What's up with this team? There are other football clubs than Liverpool, ManUre and Chelsea to play!

Eduardo Ready for Return

Good news for a team that can really use some good news, as pretend-Croatian Eduardo is ready for return. Meanwhile the team faces Cardiff in an FA Cup clash.

Arshavin What He's Havin'

More rumblings of a possible Arsenal swoop for Zenit St. Petersburg middie Andrei Arshavin. No word yet on whether he will withstand the physicality of the English game.

One foreign player who has had no trouble adjusting, is Arsenal fullback standout Bacary Sagna. I did not realize that about his brother passing away last year prior to the Stamford Bridge match. What a poignant moment for the right back.

Belated ManU-Chelsea Ramblings

The ManU-Chelsea match did not disappoint. Both teams went at it like heavyweight prizefighters trading blows.

Meanwhile, Arsenal got a badly needed 3 points over a Bolton team set up to defend. The Gunners outshot Bolton something like 14-2, but only found the net in the 84th minute thanks to a quick stab at the ball by Nick Bendtner (who had just come on the pitch), after a good set-up by RVP's cross.

According to Goal.com, while Arsene's tight-fisted ways may be angering Gooner Nation, Le Professeur is ensuring the club will avoid the financial crises that will afflict other EPL clubs.

Interesting tidbit:

and even Roman Abramovich, who has personally bankrolled Chelsea since
2003, is said to be contemplating the choice between selling his £200
million yacht or selling the Blues. Abramovich's losses on the Russian
stock exchange mean manager Luiz Felipe Scolari can’t splash out this
January, while 15 scouts have been sacked.

What a problem to have!