December 25, 2009

Merry Christmas, links




Happy holidays to you all, my gifts to you are a few links. Enjoy.


100 Great Photos of the Decade
Martin Lipton's look back at a turbulent decade at SW6
Top 10 Quotes for 2009
Top 20 Football Boots of the Decade
Top 10 Worst Kits of the Decade

Oh, and this little clip is my choice for goal of the decade. This one for me was and still is one of the most stunning goals in history. Exquisite, graceful, it is the reason from the beginning I fell in love with the beautiful game.

December 24, 2009

My excuse is...

Well really, don't got one. To be blatantly honest, with the past two weeks I've had finals, family coming from all over, and now I am in Canada. And you know, I swear I sat in front of my screen getting ready to post something new, and fell asleep. That is my dedication to the freepressmachine that I am running here.

But don't you think for a second that I could leave. Oh pashaw, on the contrary. The last couple days I guess I've been slowly recuperating, but so much has been happening in the world of footy. I've not only got to recharge my brain, but also wrap it around crap like Landycakes heading for failure, Mancini in, everybody and their mother's 10-best lists, blah blah. And I've had some time to think about the recent going-on's, so I'll be back with two words about Hughes leaving.

In any case, while I SAY I'll be back, here's a class interview with everyone's favorite cock.

December 10, 2009

On the move

A move for Lando is on the cards, as today Everton confirmed their loan bid for the USA striker and captain.



I like this potential move, as it will give him some international league experience to compliment his trial experiment at Bayern. However, the obvious question is, will he fit in any better with injury strapped Everton? They could definitely use the extra firepower and sturdiness that Landon would provide.

Edit: Rumors are that he's signed already. Now, to what terms did MLS sell it's soul?

December 8, 2009

Shenanigans...

Acts of sillyness like this, they go by another name. Ladies and gentlemen, I give you the beautiful face of Jimmy Bullard... covered in underwear.



You know, this may or may not become a reoccuring theme here... but I think I've got enough clips to last us through his knee injury. Until then, to health!

December 7, 2009

Backwards Pass: Ra-ooooooooooo-l

I stole this from DT, but this is too fantastic not to share.



If you understand Spanish, enjoy. If you understand body language, watch as Raul melts into non-existence as during Madrid's win against Almeria, Pelligrini goes back and forth of calling up Raul. First he tells him to warm up, but then Ronaldo's penalty is scored. Then Pelligrini looks as if he is calling on Raul, but is instead calling on Diarra. Finally, Pelligrini subs in Drenthe, at which point Raul knows there are no more substitutions, and "no mas que hablar".

Poor guy.

Do you believe in conspiracy? Grab some hot cocoa, get ready.

Argh, so much to write and say, about everything. I feel like football goes through phases when nothing exciting happens and then out of nowhere South Africa becomes relevant.

First, let me start  by saying again, great draw, amirite? I said before that I would come back and hash out this interesting little Group C. And I am going to be straight for the first time, and just come and out say it. I am an American, and as we get closer to June 13th, this may or may not become more apparent. In any case, I won't be sympathizing with an English perspective of the E(ngland) A(lgeria) S(lovenia) Y(anks) group.




The Sun has never really been an accurate predictor of even the weather (if they've ever been ballsy enough to do that), but I'm fairly certain most of England, and maybe the rest of the world, will feel similarly. But let me just point out, that despite the obvious "Oh well, it'll be England - Germany in the next round" statements, there are a number of eerie coincidences that might make a 9/11 conspiracy theorist wary.

A couple months back, the new kits for World Cup teams were starting to get leaked. The following somehow surfaced on the interwebs, as supposed USMNT kits for South Africa.




It's a pretty good looking shirt, but even better is that it was designed as a tribute to the 1950 US team that went to the World Cup Finals in Brazil.




When I first saw this, I didn't even think to question what was so special about these guys. I vaguely remembered a movie made about it, or something odd like that, but like most sports history it was too far away for me to care.

Recently, I decided to dig a little deeper. Turns out that in the 1950 World Cup finals, the third World Cup appearance by a hugely underfavored yanks and the first ever appearance by an English team, the USMNT and England were drawn in group play. In Belo Horizante, the US beat England 1-0 in what is considered one of the greatest sports upsets in history. That entire team was inducted into the USSF Soccer Hall of Fame. The manager of that team, Bill Jeffrey, was a legend himself, coaching his entire life and dying of a heart attack on the field in the middle of team training.

So, before the draw had even happened, the kits had been decided (or at least leaked). But now, after the draw, it's been made so much better. A little less than 60 years later, England will again be playing the United States, again with hugely differing expectations and odds. To say the US will be underdogs is only a confirmation of your mental sanity. It's just odd how history has a way of repeating itself. Karma? Or vindication?

If that doesn't get your juices flowing, how about this...




There is a possibility of Landon facing off against lover-turned-hater-turned-lover Becks this summer. You have to admit, these boys have gone through a lot together now. Drama, fighting, gossip, and a loss in the finals. Injury woes, travel, bad haircuts and balding heads. What doesn't break it only makes it stronger, and you can bet that these brothers cannot wait to face each other. Wait, Beckham won't be playing? But they look so happy together on FC Hollywood...




Not that I am a sick freak who enjoys watching personal meltdowns, but come ON, this could be better worse than Rooney and Ronaldo. I don't doubt for a second that the World Cup brings out the best and worst in teammates. It's only the fact that Landon is sitting on top of the finest game of his life, and Beckham is getting ready to choose between the paths of 'has-been' and 'legend'. Both have a lot on the line this summer.



So, a personal rivalry spanning the Atlantic, and another history lesson to be taught in remedial summer school.

You still aren't excited by this tie? OK, what about the fact that there's this World Cup, but then there's 2018?



After watching that you have to stop to think. Wait. What? England, the footballing nation, has to put together a three minute instructional video telling you why they want to host the finals? You know, the UK never really understood technology and the changing times...

Which is why when you see this, you have to be impressed. The US committee may not have Becks, but we have Drew Carey and Harry Kissinger. I think Drew Carey alone got the quarter of a million votes on the petition.

It may or may not be a stretch, or even related in the least bit, but you know it just as well as I do. If the US beats England on June 13th, and even gets past the group, the US 2018 bid becomes that much more legitimate. The same goes for if England win, the English media will ride that horse until it's dead, reaffirming English football superiority. The fact is that even if the match itself has nothing to do with hosting the finals, this summer's performance will be sitting in the back of Sepp Blatter's head.

It's great though that for something as big as the World Cup, there are still people who think the BCS championship game is fairer than the World Cup draw. Not saying it's rigged... but how can one match and one game mean this much?

Of course, it can only be this special if you want it to. Like a paranoid schizophrenic who finds hidden meaning in everything, this match won't just be a score line. I can't help but see all the small details building up to such a fantastic fixture. This draw is on it's way to being historical.

December 5, 2009

Two losses on the trot





What can be said about Chelsea now, after the quiet, yet loud, losses from Blackburn and now Citeh. Today's loss (or should I say missed penalty by Lampard) comes after an extremely noisy week of positive press out of Stamford Bridge. First Ray Wilkins saying Ancelotti breeds invincibility, Terry saying this is the year Chelsea win EVERAYTHANG, and most surprising of all (and much to the chagrin of a former Portugeezer) Ricky saying Ancelotti's record breakers are even stronger than they've ever been before. And then they just go and lose and prove that more money beats less money.

In any case, this loss will most likely be only a small hiccup come spring. I don't expect things to change too drastically. In fact, the win will probably buy Hughes another day of air, and maybe two or three more strikers.

December 4, 2009

OH MY GOD

I am salivating, jittery, shaking, and about ready to poop my pants.



 

Can you believe this draw? I don't even know what to say, thank you oh magical World Cup.

I cannot wait until next summer. Your thoughts on the draw? Give me some time to recollect my brain and my chin from the floor, I'll be back with a better reflection of what this draw truly means.

December 2, 2009

How can you not love this guy?

Oh Jimmy Bullard, shenanigans, always shenanigans.





Now this guy, I don't know what you can tell him, but I guess he took it well enough to allow nearly 3 million views already. At least he followed it up with quite a cheeky dipper.

Pots are set

Friday friday friday, the draw for the World Cup Finals will be going down. The seedings and draw pots have been set and decided.

The seedings were based off of the October rankings, and not the playoff matches. There is a bit of room for potential "Oh shit" groups, with France and Portugal missing out on seedings. I'll get back later this week with a look at what the final groups will be.

In the mean time, do you ever feel that the Irish are too often misunderstood? Studs up!
And American-abroad Danny Califf is coming home to Philly. Good signing for this startup team.