photo credit: wonker
This Tuesday, Arsenal will play host to FC Porto in the UEFA Champions League second match aggregate battle.
THE PAST
FC Porto is basically the Man U or Real Madrid of Portugal and the club has won 24 league titles in their existence. In fact the team has recently had such a nice run that the last time they didn’t win the league title was in 2004/2005. And when it comes to tournaments the Portuguese squad doesn’t exactly disappoint either. FC Porto has won the domestic cup 18 different times and the Champions League title twice. The last time the club won the honor was in 2004 when Jose Mourinho was the coach. It was his last year in Portugal before heading to Chelsea. Read more... (323 words, 4 images, estimated 1:18 mins reading time)
Liverpool’s chances to qualify for next season’s Champions League took another hit with a its first-ever loss to Wigan.
The loss left Liverpool in sixth place in the Premier League with 48 points, one behind Tottenham and Manchester City.
Hugo Rodallega was the hero for Wigan, scoring after a giveaway by Dirk Kuyt. The three points for Wigan moved them up to 14th place and four points clear of the relegation zone.
Liverpool boss Rafa Benitez, as expetced, was not happy after the game saying: Read more... (166 words, 2 images, estimated 40 secs reading time)
Another week and another huge game for the Arsenal. This time it is in the Champions League as Arsenal try to overcome a 2-1 deficit and defeat Porto to move into the quarter-finals.
Arsenal will have to do it the difficult way, without inspirational leader Cesc Fabregas who will miss the game due to a hamstring injury, as well as William Gallas who will also miss the game due to a calf injury.
But the good news for Arsenal is that Sol Campbell has recovered from the groin problem that kept him out at the weekend, and with Arshavin, . But with Arshavin, Nasri and Walcott all fit, Arsene Wenger will have a good squad to pick from. Read more... (578 words, 2 images, estimated 2:19 mins reading time)
photo credit: asco
THE PAST
South Africa has never made it past the first round of the World Cup and the hosting nation has only played in two in their existence. For decades South Africa was suspended from playing in the event by FIFA. The nation had a law that black and white players could not be on the same team and this prohibited them from being allowed to play in the event for many years. But the club played in their first World Cup match in France in 1998 and the following 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan. They did not qualify last World Cup though in Germany. Read more... (328 words, 4 images, estimated 1:19 mins reading time)
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones just spent a fortune. How much money you ask? Try 1.2 billion dollars.
Mr. Jones broke open the mega piggy bank because he believes in the old Kevin Costner theory from the film Field of Dreams:
If you build it; they will come.
Jones believes that by giving the fans a never-before-seen stadium the fans will lineup in never-before-seen attendance records. In fact Jerry’s new pad in Dallas can fit over 100,000 people into the venue comfortably which is roughly over two times any other NFL stadium’s capacity. Read more... (297 words, 3 images, estimated 1:11 mins reading time)
photo credit: gordonflood.com
Yes, we’re doing this again, but I finally have it figured out…
Ok, so this thing with Fabio Capello is getting out of hand. Now Alex Ferguson is in the middle of this mayhem because Rooney hurt himself again in the English friendly with Egypt.
Now, here’s where I think we have some seriously backwards thinking. Fergie says that Fabio Capello isn’t to blame for Rooney’s injury because Rooney should have “taken care of it himself”. Ok, so what was Rooney supposed to do? Tell Capello–a maniac–that: Read more... (374 words, 4 images, estimated 1:30 mins reading time)
photo credit: esivesind
1) Kevin Nolan of Newcastle United
Nolan leads his first place side in goals scored this season and the forward is also among the best in the league this year with 11 goals. He will not lead the league in the stat, but his club is the best in the division.
2) Pete Whittingham of Cardiff City
Whit leads the league in most goals with 16 and his club has a solid shot at making it to the top division next season. He could finish the season with around 25 total goals scored. but I’m sure he would give it all away for a spot in the Premier League next year. Read more... (275 words, 4 images, estimated 1:06 mins reading time)
photo credit: Jonathan Gill
Things are look “up” in Red Country…
Rafa Benitez says that Liverpool can’t really take any more slip-ups if they want to finish in 4th place in the EPL and vault themselves into the Champion’s League next season. He makes a good point, but perhaps now I think he has realized the error of his ways and decided to make this as positive as possible.
He knows–I think–that all the griping earlier in the season just made things harder and Torres talking about needing more playmakers was completely worthless. Read more... (332 words, 4 images, estimated 1:20 mins reading time)
photo credit: ph-stop
Arsenal-Burnley
I think it is pretty safe to say that Burnley is the coldest club on the top tier right now and in fact they have only won a single match since October in league play. Over that span the club has lost to Portsmouth, the Wolves, and even Reading in the FA Cup. This week things should not get any easier as they take on the third place Gunners squad. It looks like Burnley is all but a guarantee to join Portmsouth next year on the second tier of English football. Read more... (273 words, 4 images, estimated 1:06 mins reading time)
Bolton midfielder Stuart Holden will be sidelined for up to six weeks after breaking his right leg in the U.S.s’ 2-1 loss to Holland yesterday.
Holden was hurt from a bad tackle by Nigel de Jong that somehow did not even earn the Dutch player a yellow card.
The U.S. Soccer Federation issued a statement Thursday saying that Holden was “recklessly tackled.” The USSF said the bone was the fractured was his fibula.
The 22-year-old Holden had started Bolton’s last two matches after leaving Major League Soccer’s Houston Dynamo to sign with the Premier League club in the January transfer window. Read more... (220 words, 4 images, estimated 53 secs reading time)
