The Sports Frog

So Luke Steele has, by nearly all accounts, been standing on his head to help Barnsley defeat both Liverpool and Chelsea to keep the hopes of FA Cup glory alive for the English Minnow. The thing is, Steele is not a full member of Barnsley's team. He is in fact a West Bromwich Albion player, on loan to Barnsley (imagine if the Browns sent Brady Quinn to the Vikings for a few weeks late in the NFL season). West Brom is another lower level team vying for the FA Cup in this upside down year.

The way that loans typically work is that the loan team will often continue paying a portion of the wages for the player so that the player can get playing time that he would not be getting with the current sqaud. Typically it's a developmental thing with younger players who want first team action (Steele was well thought of in recent years as a youngster with Manchester United). Well, West Brom will let Steele continue playing for Barnsley, but with a couple of provisions:

West Brom have been subsidising Steele's wages during his first month with Barnsley because of their financial situation.

Given the lucrative rewards Barnsley have reaped from their cup run, Albion would now want their Coca-Cola Championship rivals to pay Steele's wages in full should the loan be extended.

They would also be looking for Steele, who has 15 months left on his Baggies contract, to join Barnsley on a permanent basis in the summer as part of the agreement and would be willing to grant him a free transfer.

Of course, there may be a provision as well that prevents Steele from playing against West Brom. It doesn't seem like this would be the case, otherwise I doubt that they would have much issue with a simple loan extension. The other Goalkeeper on Barnsley's squad, Tony Warner, is Cup-Tied, meaning he cannot play in the FA Cup for them as he already played in that competition this term with Fulham. If a deal cannot be worked out, Barnsley will be scrambling for a keeper who hasn't played in the FA Cup.

Maybe then it would be time to call and see if Sir Alex Ferguson would want Ben Foster to get a little game time in the FA Cup semis on April 5th. Foster may still be between the sticks for the Man U first team at that time, however.

Or at least the one with the best top portion. All four of the English Premier League teams in the Champions League have advanced to the Quarterfinals of the event. It marks the first time four teams from one country have made the final eight.

I'm not positive that the bottom of the EPL could compete with those teams at the bottom of the table in other leagues (Derby would struggle in the A-League, I think), but when you see that a team that isn't even in the CL beat Chelsea to win a domestic cup, that shows that there is some quality outside the Big Four as well.

Imagine that there was some North American football tournament, where all the professional teams got together and played one-off games until one team stood alone. There would be a pretty decent chance that you'd think the winner would be one of the top NFL teams.

Then imagine that the Final Four was the Saskatchewan Roughriders, the Edmonton Eskimos, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats, and the Tennessee Titans. That would be pretty unrealistic, wouldn't you think?

It's pretty close to what happened in the competition the English call the FA Cup. Three of the teams remaining in the competition come from English Football's second level. The remaining Top Flight team is one that is capable of a good performance but will ultimately fall short of being a real threat for the league title.

Portsmouth will undoubtedly be the favorites to claim the Cup, but I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to see one of the lower division teams lifting the silverware and claiming a coveted spot in the UEFA Cup in doing so.

I guess this is why you play the games.

remind yourself that you aren't getting strange packages and death threats.

Anti-Semitic death threats have been sent to Chelsea boss Avram Grant in a package containing a mysterious powder, police said today. The club's training ground at Cobham, Surrey, was sealed off after a member of staff opened the package yesterday. A note addressed to Grant claimed the powder was lethal.

A police source confirmed that the note to Grant, 52, included the words: 'You are a back-stabbing Jewish b******. When you open this letter you will die a very slow and painful death.'

Death threats of a sexual nature were also made to Grant's wife, Tzofit, a well-known television personality in the couple's native Israel.

Thanks to the now singular Sabo for the linkage.

Now have a go at Chelsea!

After surprising Liverpool over the weekend, Barnsley will now face holders Chelsea in the FA Cup Quarter-Finals, at home no less. While a tilt against Bristol or West Brom might have seen the Tykes with a better chance of advancing to the semis (those two non-EPL sides will face off for a spot in the last four), the Barnsley staff is relishing a big day against another top team.

'I'm very pleased, it's fantastic to draw Chelsea at home. We wanted a home tie and to get Chelsea is brilliant,' Davey said on Sky Sports.

'In the last round against Liverpool 6,000 Barnsley fans came to Anfield - now we can fill our stadium against another fantastic, world-class team. It's a good reward for beating Liverpool in the last round.'

If you're wondering how good this team really is, consider that they ousted Blackpool along the way. There is little doubt that Barnsley will soon challenge the European Giants for continental supremacy.

Cardiff and Sheffield United are also still alive among the non-EPL sides, though Sheffield will need to win their replay against Middlesbrough to progress.

I came late to Manchester United fandom. I started following soccer during the 1994 World Cup, then ramped up significantly during the 2002 edition as the US Men's Team put on a good show in Korea. At the time, the internet was still learning what it would be, as strange as that sounds. Most teams had some sort of web presence, but Man U's was far and away the most comprehensive. There was free audio of gamedays, and listening to streaming games made it much easier to follow a team five time zones away. The site also offered a vast section on the history of the club. Even as a newcomer, the tradition of Manchester United seemed to shine through.

Today marks the 50th anniversary of a devastating plane crash where 23 people lost their lives, eight players from the Manchester United First team included. The Busby Babes, so named for their relative youth and their performance under the tutelage of Sit Matt Busby, will forever be remebered, as an official ceremony will commemorate a portion of Old Trafford to those lost in Munich this day in 1958.

Eight United players were among the 23 people who lost their lives on 6 February 1958, when BEA flight G-ALZU crashed on the third take-off attempt after re-fuelling in Germany on the way back from a European Cup success at Red Star Belgrade.

Sir Matt Busby's side - back-to-back English champions and well positioned for a hat-trick attempt - arguably were on course to become the best-ever United team.

The players who died in the crash were Geoff Bent, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Duncan Edwards, Mark Jones, David Pegg, Tommy Taylor and Liam Whelan.

In addition to the Manchester remembrance, a short ceremony, organised by supporters, will also take place at the memorial site in Trudering, on the outskirts of Munich.

Sir Alex Ferguson weighs in with his thoughts, and Phil Holland writes a tremendous piece that is well worth a read if you are at all interested in soccer history. Then head to The Swamp, where phirahnas has started a thread for more thoughts on the tragedy.

In the third round of the FA Cup, nine premiership teams were undone, either by their top flight companions or by a team from a lower division. This weekend, at least three more will go home as several top teams face off. Arsenal take on Newcastle, Tottenham play Manchester United and Wigan host Chelsea.

Liverpool face Havant & Waterlooville, a team from the SIXTH division of English football. This would be like the Indianapolis Colts playing some team of ex-high school players in a Turkey Day game in the mud at the local high school.

Eight games on the docket will see a non-Premiership team through to the fifth round. The draw will have a lot to say about who gets further as a lower tier side, but it's a good bet that at least a couple of teams from outside the top league in England will live to see the sixth round, at the least.

UEFA is going to probe the 8-0 victory Liverpool posted over Besiktas due to a suspiciously high amount of bets that were placed on a large victory.

"German newspaper Sueddeutsche Zeitung has claimed there was unusually high levels of betting on a high-score victory before the game.

The paper suggested Besiktas players could have been targeted by Asian betting syndicates ahead of the game which saw the Reds romp to a record win thanks in part to Yossi Benayoun's hat-trick.

UEFA's director of communications, William Gaillard, has so far only confirmed an InterToto Cup clash between Makedonija and Cherno More is being officially investigated but admits a number of other games are under suspicion."

Sueddeutsche Zeitung. Sounds like something that should happen in the privacy of one's bedroom.

The World Cup is going to Brazil in 2014, and that's not a prediction of the winner. It will be played in Brazil for the first time then. It is anticipated that the building and renovations needed to host the cup will cost more than $954 Million Canadian dollars.

It wasn't much of a battle for the rights, however, as Brazil was the only country making a bid to host the 2014 edition.

Landon Donovan is the American Player of the Year? Are you having a laugh? Are you serious?

For what? For taking a lot of penalty kicks? For coming back from Europe to play against easier competition in MLS? For missing out on the US national team's toughest tournament? For sucking out loud for the last-place Los Angeles Galaxy?

I get that the award is based only on international play. But he skipped Copa America to inflate his stats in the Gold Cup against inferior competition. And guess what? Almost all of his goals came on penalty kicks ("PKs" for the idiots).

This is unreal. Clint Dempsey, Tim Howard, Damarcus Beasley, and probably Carlos Bocanegra all deserve that award four times before Donovan deserves it once. Yet it is Donovan who has won it four times.

Why? Well, there are two clear reasons why:

1) The quality of soccer writing is so poor in this country that he is the only name the writers recognized on the ballot.

2) He is the American face of MLS and there was some heavy politicking going on to make sure he won the award to help market the league.

Only, as usual, the clowns in charge of MLS missed the boat. American soccer fans hate Donovan. And they are smart enough to know he has not had what could be considered close to the best season.

Grant Wahl, in the name of Pele, please call out your brethren. Reach out. Educate them. Explain to them that they are just plain dead wrong here. This is embarassing. A typical read can be found at ESPN by Andrea Canales, who hands Donovan the award without any comparison to the other nominees. Even otherwise smart writers like Nick "Employee of MLS Partner Fox" Webster is trying to sell this.

Pay up, lads.

That being said, I find this to be an interesting concept of fundraising untapped in the States. Asking pro athletes to donate one day's wages to a good cause? I like it.

Atletico Mineiro defender Coelho was suspended 120 days for taking out Kerlon, the Brazilian striker who likes to run at defenders while heading the ball repetitively with his head. The tackle was a bit harsh, but a four month suspension seems like overkill.

I guess in Brazil, when you mess with the seal dribbler, you pay the price.

Have all the Chicken Littles of the world, myself included, been dead wrong about this? Have we been once again duped by the British tabloids? Well, if Didier Drogba returns to the pitch this weekend, it certainly appears that way.

Avram Grant shockingly announced that his star striker was healthy enough to play again (read: he doesn't hate me anymore) and would suit up this weekend against Fulham.

I hope this is not the case. Not because I want Drogba to be injured (I doubt he truly is), but because a Chelsea in chaos is much more fun to watch than the united squad Andriy Shevchenko has asked for.

So did Drogba change his mind about Mourinho's departure, or did Roman Abramovich make a phone call to, ahem, convince his striker that both he and his family would be better off with Drogba on the pitch?

If you read The London Guardian, there is clearly a source (or sources) at Chelsea that believe that Chelsea Captain John Terry played a central role in the ouster of Jose Mourinho. Terry, who earlier this summer in contract negotiations wanted a clause in his contract that guaranteed that he'd be the best-paid player on the team for the duration of his stay, apparently didn't want to play in a recent Champions League tie. And then refused to speak with or acknowledge his manager at halftime. And that ultimately led to the board determining that Mourinho had lost the backing of the squad.

Seems a bit far-fetched to me. But where there's smoke, there's often fire. And Terry's teammates, who are in the locker room every day, apparently didn't think so:

"On Friday, several first-team regulars apparently took their captain to task during a 50-minute team meeting called by Terry in the aftermath of Mourinho's dismissal. Ashley Cole, Didier Drogba and Florent Malouda are believed to have accused him of not doing enough to keep Mourinho at the club."

And Mourinho blames him as well, as he sent Terry a text message to that extent after leaving by mutual consent. The craziest part about this whole story has got to be Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich doing his best George Steinbrenner In His Prime impression:

"In front of the entire Chelsea team, but while Mourinho was occupied with press conference duties, the Russian billionaire decided to hand out an impromptu tactics lesson to Michael Essien.

Employing striker Andriy Shevchenko as translator, he instructed midfielder Essien, player of the year last season, to hit passes wide rather than through central areas where the Norwegians had compressed play."

The best part about that story might be the fact that Shevchenko is probably the biggest bust in the entire world right now. So Essien not only has to listen to the owner of his team berate him in front of the whole squad, but he gets to hear it through the mouth of one of the worst performers on the team.

Whether Avram Grant wants it or not, this is a nickname that will stick with him.

Today's game at Manchester United is not the easiest first test for Chelsea's new manager.

This will be especially true given that Didier Drogba is essentially on strike throwing a temper tantrum over Jose Mourinho's sacking, and it's hard to keep up with Frank Lampard's excuses for being off the pitch.

Everyone in England will be watching to see how the players respond to him. Maybe he can teach Sheva how to run again.

The Special One may be on his way out of Chelsea. A sad day for Blues fans, as well as anyone who follows English football, if he does leave for good. Swamp soccer contest winner vinlakers22 is all over it here.

With the disasters of Sheva and Ballack, the public bickering from Lampard, the club's inability to bring on Danny Alves, the injuries to Terry and Lamps, and now this, we may be watching the Chelsea empire crumble before our very eyes.

From 100% Injury Rate:

"It seems that Sir Alex Ferguson (yes, that means he's a knight), who is the manager of Manchester United, was on his way to attend a 9/11 charity event in London on Monday to raise money for families of those killed in the terrorist attacks......when he was attacked by a man at a train station. According to The Mirror, the guy was "yelling football-related abuse." Oh you classy English soccer fans. You couldn't possibly be more subtle.

A British Transport Police spokesman confirmed that the 65-year-old manager suffered leg injuries. Sir Alex, however, still attended the event. Why? Because he's a f*cking soldier, that's why. No, seriously I salute him for attending the event."

How would other EPL managers have handled the situation? My theories:

- Arsene Wenger, being French, would have volunteered all his money, credit cards, and the French mainland immediately, even though the guy seemed to be interested only in assault.

- Jose Mourinho would have called a press conference to complain about how the incident merited a direct red card and that these kinds of things never happen to Man U.

- Rafa Benitez would have tactically outwitted the criminal.

- Roy Keane would have killed the guy with his bare hands, assuming that the attacker was a 15-year old kid.

And people say soccer is boring.

Imagine if Manny Ramirez invited Daisuke Matsuzaka and Hideki Okajima over to his mansion for an all-night romp with a bunch of prostitutes that involved everyone walking around in the nude, group sex, spanking and more. And then one of the girls called up Bob Ryan and gave him every imaginable detail. And then the Boston Globe put it on the front page.

Well, the equivalent of that just happened in England, where Cristiano Ronaldo - arguably the best player on earth - welcomed new teammates Nani and Anderson to Manchester United by treating them to an orgy with the call girls of McKenzies Escort agency based in Leeds (you can google their website yourself).

And lest some of you question the authenticity of the story of a bunch of working girls, or for that matter, The Sun, these ladies took some pics with their cellies. And Juliana Baltrusch, one of the girls, gave a tell-all exclusive to The Mirror, which includes bits like this:

"Before I knew it I was kissing Ronaldo and my hands were wandering all over his body. I was in heaven and you could tell he was turned on.

"Yasmina and Hollie were bumping and grinding with each other and rubbing themselves against the men."

""He led me back inside the main house, pulling off my soaking wet bra and pants on the way.

Continue reading "The Manchester United orgy" »

T.J. Simers has never been one to pull punches or wait to see how something turns out before judging it. And David Beckham's injury list has left the door wide open for criticism, regardless of your level of interest in the success of soccer in America. So, T.J. Simers, walk through that door!

"The bloke is already a joke, and a case could be made, if anyone really cared, that Beckham's a thief -- stealing millions."

"First impressions linger, and Beckham has hardly made one. He has done nothing locally to sell the sport, although Leiweke disagreed, citing the five hours Beckham met with the media his first day here, including an interview with 'Al Jazeera English.'"

There's more if you follow the link including Beckham's tight underwear and Simers' concern over his ability to conceive and get sidelined with jock-itch. Nothing is below the belt for T.J.

The transfer window in England closes tomorrow, and while it would seem like there should be a flurry of action, the seas have been relatively calm this morning. Bolton pulled off a coup by signing highly-skilled striker Nicolas Anelka to a long-term deal.

So now everyone's favorite target appears to be Tottenham's Jermaine Defoe. Chelsea, Villa and Pompey are all reportedly in on the spare Spurs striker. If Redknapp misses out on Defoe, he might chase Barcelona's Eidur Gudjohnsen.

He can chase all he wants, but now that Samuel Eto'o will miss at least the next two months, it's hard to see Barca letting Gudjohnsen walk. UPDATE: The Swamp's Grits corrects me.

Harry Redknapp has openly stated that he will allow newly-signed striker David Nugent walk to Derby if he wants to. Nugent, formerly of the scum that is Preston North End has yet to decide what to do, but he probably increased his value by scoring a goal in Porstmouth's Carling Cup win over Leeds.

Newcastle fans were apparently yelling anti-Islamic chants towards Middlesborough striker Mido throughout most of the game this past weekend. Just how offensive they were is difficult to ascertain since no one will print them anywhere. But generally speaking, picking on someone because of race, religion or gender is a nasty mean-spirited way of going about it.

The FA is looking into the story, though Boro are not filing a formal complaint. Maybe because they're embarassed that 3,000 away fans could make enough noise to be heard so loudly and clearly. Mido scored a fine goal in the fixture, and was then given a yellow card when he went up to the Newcastle section and put his fingers to his lips multiple times to shush them (pictured above). At the time, he seemed out of order. But given the chanting that was inaudible in the TV broadcast, I'd rather have seen the yellow go to the Newcastle bench.

Mido is, generally speaking and regardless of race, a jackass of the highest order. That being said, there's no place for this type of crap in professional sports. As this green Yank understands it, the famous singing and chanting in English football has often been of the low-brow variety, with one of the more famous and popular chants questioning Mr. Beckham as to which orifice his wife prefers during intercourse. And racist songs, while not nearly as common as they are in other countries or as they used to be in England, stil pop up a few times per season.

Hopefully, "the lads" can move into this century soon and find funny things to sing about besides the color of one's skin or religion. For starters, Mido is a fat whining crybaby who has never live up to his promise. Let's sing about that instead.

The crowds at New York Red Bulls games are atrocious. They technically average around 11,000 per game, but the "real butts in seats" number is probably a fraction of that.

This weekend, with the L.A. Galaxy in town, New York drew almost 67,000 people. And those in attendance were treated to a very American-friendly score of 5-4. The same effect has occurred in DC and Toronto. When Beckham didn't play in New England, the crowd wasn't there.

This should help to silence the critics a bit. Yes, it's his first time around the league. So maybe the Beckham Show will get old. But if he keeps playing like he has been - and he is playing hurt right now, so there's no reason to think he won't improve - the crowds will stay up.

What was the effect of 50,000+ additional fans at a Red Bulls game? Between tickets, concessions, souvenirs, and parking, it could easily be in the $3 million range of profit. For one game. And that's just gameday revenue. That doesn't include the real profit, like advertising at the park or the television rights. TV networks are in a tizzy to show Beckham. You can see him play live on no less than six different channels. And the MSG network purchased the rights to show the Red Bulls game again in 60-minute replay format.

It's far too soon to determine whether this is just a nice bump for MLS, or the beginning of a long climb towards respectability for the league. But early signs are good. And the anti-soccer crowd that was screaming "I told you so" when Becks was hurt and missing games - and yes, I'm looking directly at Jay Mariotti's Well-Shaped Eyebrows - is notably silent.

"That's why I'm here." - OK, they're only immortal to people who have watched way too much Star Wars, but still, this is why David Beckham is here:

At the very least, that is what we're be told so that David Beckham is never far from the headlines. Still, it is expected that the English star will play major minutes in tonight's game against DC United.

"I think I can play at least half a game tomorrow, which is important for me,' Beckham, 32, told reporters on Tuesday after taking part in his first training session with the Galaxy at the Home Depot Center.

'It's important for the team that I at least get on the pitch and help contribute. It was good to get out on to the field today and have a bit of practice.

'This is my first time, since I arrived, to be out on the training pitch and it felt good.' "

Beckham went on to say he is about 70-80%. What? I know that, much like when there is a hotshot rookie QB waiting in the wings that fans clamor to see him on the pitch, but more often than not that proves folly. Tim Couch or Carson Palmer? Easy decision (It burns...it burns!). SO if I am the Galaxy, I would protect my investment and only put Becks out there when he's fully fit.

As an aside, much was made of Posh taking full advantage of the move to L.A. to do TV, announce a Spice Girls reunion, etc, so that some thought that she was as much a driving force behind the move as any footballing reason. If Roy Keane had his way, footballers wouldn't be such wimps.

Wayne Rooney's hairline fracture will see him miss several games but the Man U staff is not letting anyone know just how many. Can Man U recall Alan Smith?

John O' Shea has certainly shown the willingness to play anywhere, and by playing up top Sunday, I can't think of any position at Old Trafford that he hasn't played. That's not to say he's a good option. Ronaldo can play in a depressed role behind a lone striker and be more than serviceable, so here's hoping that Carlos Tevez gels with the Portuguese winger sooner rather than later. While I like them, the thought of having to rely on Ole Solskjaer and Louis Saha is frightening.

If Man U are forced to rely on those two, it will be Man U fans in the depressed role.

Everton have been throwing around the cash lately. First, by signing Leighton Baines, and now making a move for Yakubu from Boro. Ten million pounds is a nice haul, but the major issue for Middlesbrough if they lose their top striker is exactly who will score goals.

Roy Keane is keeping busy as the transfer window closure is in site, setting an all-time record by spending nine million pounds for the services of a goalkeeper. Craig Gordon from Heart of Midlothian and Scotland will now step in between the posts for the Mackems.

The good news just keeps on flowing out of Newcastle. First, Joey Barton is hurt. Then Michael Owen suffers his monthly. Then the rumours that Obafemi Martins may be leaving for Arsenal or Chelsea. And now comes the news that top-flight keeper Shay Given is out as well. James Milner had better be careful shaving tomorrow morning.

Arjen Robben's quotes in the Spanish press are sure to anger his supporters at Chelsea: "Of course Madrid's interest makes me happy. But for now I can not say much more because Chelsea will not let me tell you more until there is an agreement between the two clubs. It's better that they talk about it and solve this ... I know some people are waiting for me. I would like to send a message to the Madrid fans, but I can't until my future is sorted. If it gets sorted, I'll be glad to send the people a message." Blues fans will be praying that Shaun Wright-Phillips develops a finishing touch over the next few days. Though if Robben's sale facilitates the arrival of Danny Alves, I don't think many people will be complaining.

And here's a nice column on the 10 best summer transfers from Kevin McCarra at the Guardian.

Those well-shaped eurobrows belong to Jose Enrique, the newest member of Newcastle United's reworked backfield.

In other Magpie news, everything is going as planned. The green is in great shape, they've put a fresh coat of paint on the stadium, and Michael Owen is hurt. So, now the season is officially ready to begin.

Barcelona has come out and publicly stated that the club is not interested in selfish twit and overrated shottaker, Frank Lampard. Meanwhile, Handsome Frank's agent denied that his client rejected an offer to make him the highest-paid player on the Blues. Negotiations can be rough on both sides, but the crap he pulled last month when he was publicly and sincerely saddened that Chelsea didn't love him enough was sickening.

At the same time as the Lampard negotiations, Lampard's midfield partner is ailing and trying to deny rumors of a move to Real Madrid. Michael Ballack may want to stay, but after getting offseason ankle surgery without telling the club - and then missing the club's muy importante American public relations tour because the surgery was botched - Chelsea could kill three birds with one stone if they did ship him out: 1) make a lot of money on a player they didn't pay for, 2) soothe Frank's ego, and 3) free up money to bring in Danny Alves.

Meanwhile, homeless people are playing a lot more soccer in America than David Beckham these days.

Credit to the London Mirror for the Simpsons tribute in honor of the start of the EPL season. See if your favorite team's manager is represented:

Sorry we're a little late to the game on this, but we'd be remiss if we didn't acknowledge the incredible victory for Iraq's soccer team in the Asian Cup. Now, this isn't the World Cup, but with quality sides from Australia, Japan, and South Korea. And a respectable Saudi Arabian team, Iraq were not supposed to be a factor.

This is especially true given the fact that this team was patched together, and didn't even have a training ground inside its own country. What was even more heartwarming than the victory itself was the manner in which the majority of Iraqi people came together, regardless of religion or race, and celebrated.

Per the excellent LA Times piece by Alexandra Zavis written after the Iraqi team clinched a spot in the finals:

"Thousands poured into the streets Wednesday when Iraq's team edged South Korea to clinch a coveted spot in Sunday's final against Saudi Arabia ... Shiite and Sunni Muslim friends who can no longer visit each other's neighborhoods, for fear of being shot, found each other again amid the throngs who were dancing, drumming and spraying each other with water and party foam ... In a shady Baghdad alley Friday, four friends rehashed every detail of the semifinal won 4-3 on penalty kicks after a 0-0 tie in regulation ... The four -- a Shiite, two Sunnis and a Christian -- plan to meet ... again for Sunday's final."

"The team's mixed makeup and its ability to beat the odds has been an inspiration to the fractured nation. Its Brazilian coach, Jorvan Vieira, had only two months to prepare the squad. Players had to shuttle between their local clubs and national practices in neighboring Jordan; some received death threats, or had loved ones kidnapped and killed."

Nice to see some good news from that country for once. I guess we'll have to wait and see if the President decides to use the Iraqi soccer victory for political fodder again.

Broken foot. Surgery required. Out for six weeks at least.

This was pretty much the most predictable injury of all time. Any Toon fan knew Joey Barton would end up on the trainer's table. Not only is Newcastle snake-bitten by injuries to the point that pretty much everyone they sign gets hurt, but this is soccer karma for the signing of a well-known jerk.

Glenn Roeder doesn't deserve credit for much after last season's results, but I will give him credit in that he never used injury as an excuse for their bottom-half finish. This despite what was inarguably the most injured side in the Prem.

P.S. Michael Owen, you know him as the team's best player who missed pretty much the entire season last year after getting hurt playing for England, is also hurt again.

"Grayson warns clubs off striker"

Simon Grayson will NOT be selling Scott Vernon, thank you very much.

Thanks to the former Sabo!^2 for the link.

A few weeks ago, I was in Ireland in the city of Galway out on the town in search of a proper pint and a bit of traditional Irish music. I settled in at a pub and struck up a conversation with a nice British couple, Brian and Mary, who had moved to the area not too long ago from what they originally described as "near Manchester" in England. Brian was a big lad, and you could tell from the way he carried himself that he knew how to "hold his hands up" if it came down to it.

Being a fan of football, I asked whether it was City or United for them, and it was Rooney and his Boys in Red that they supported. But they indicated that their favorite team was the local boys from their hometown. I asked where that might be, expecting to hear a small village in the middle of nowhere. And the response was, "Blackpool ... have you heard of it?"

I had heard of it indeed. The fact that I had heard of his town was enough for Brian to buy me a pint. But when I told him that I too was a Seasiders supporter, and that I had a Blackpool Wembley 2007 t-shirt back home in the States, I might as well have been a doctor announcing to him that his baby boy was born and healthy. What proceeded was a long night of me trying to keep pace with Brian as we drained pint after pint and talked about Blackpool's most unusual and triumphant season.

It turns out that, not only had Brian been a lifelong resident of Blackpool before moving to Galway, but that he had also run with the Blackpool Firm for a good many years, though he considers himself quasi-retired as of now. One look at this fellow was all you needed to take him at his word.

More after the jump ...

Battle of the L.A. Galaxy superwives.

In case you were under the assumption that all the soccer players in MLS are excited about the arrival of David Beckham, I thought I'd highlight a quote from one of the players - in fact, one of his teammates - that sheds light on the likelihood that not everyone has caught Beckham-mania:

"It would be kind of a nice gesture if he came in and just splashed the locker room with cash for some of the younger guys ... It'll be interesting to see how he integrates socially into the team. A lot of us hang out together, and when he's invited, will he want to come out? Will he bring the kids? Will he bring Victoria? We're fun to be around, so I think he'll get pulled into that if he wants to."

The italics are added, and the quote is from the always-excellent Grant Wahl.

So who wants Beckham to give away some of that money to his teammates? You know? Just throw some wads of cash at the guys. Doesn't even need to be US Dollars. It could be British pounds for all we care.

That would be Landon Donovan defining passive aggressiveness. For the record, Donovan is among the elitely paid in MLS. He's not getting Beckham money, but then again, he didn't sell 250,000 jerseys upon the announcement that he'd be coming back to MLS from Germany. And he's nicely into seven figures between salary and endorsements. If I were one of his teammates, I'd love for Donovan to make it rain in the clubhouse, or at least, you know, maybe talk less and score some more goals.

As subtle as a fart in church.

At any rate, the experiement is on. Actually, I am probably an interesting test case. I am very aware of MLS, but rarely if ever watch it. I watch every US National game that is on, and have even taken to watching the U-20 US National team with interest. I will occasionally slow down when flipping through the channels when an EPL game is on. I am, at best, a casual soccer fan, but I am now, legitimately I think, a fan. Which is a very different circumstance from 10 years ago.

So, now that Beckham is here, will I change my viewing habits and seek out, at least, LA Galaxy MLS games? (Grant Wahl, as always in this area, is all over this point here). I think I will. At least the first few. MLS has bought itself a trial period with a significant number of folks with this move. And probably imported millions of fans of Beckham to care about Galaxy games.

All in all, well worth the move, particularly for a guy who, in the last six months, has shown a LOT more gas in his tank than people thought a year ago.

The Danny Alves-to-Chelsea move appears to be gaining steam. Alves' agent has come out and said that the Sevilla star is interested in wearing blue. This is a critical move for Chelsea to keep up with Manchester United's ridiculously good offseason.

"Sven-Goran Eriksson has reportedly held talks with Arsenal star Freddie Ljungberg in a bid to hijack his Fiorentina move." This would be a fine signing for Man City, who need to find some type of punch on offense after the departure of Joey Barton.

Michael Owen rejects talks that he'll be leaving Newcastle, despite the reported nine million pound buyout clause in his contract. What a loyal lad! But could it also have something to do with the appearance that no one seems to want him? In other Magpie news, Habib Beye wants to stay in France, Big Sam has told his old club to step off their pursuit of Charles N'Zogbia, and Aldo Duchser is coming in for a tryout.

Arsenal added French defender Bacary Sagna to their backline. The 24 year-old has 87 appearances under his belt, making him a very well-seasoned youngster, and Arsenal should get his prime years.

Depending on who you believe, Marlon Harewood either is or is not headed to Birmingham. Paying around four million pounds for a 27 year-old English striker who has shown that he can score goals at a fine clip will be a damn good piece of business for whoever does sign him.

Nice column by Paul Doyle in today's Guardian about the possibitlity of Deco coming Tyneside. Doyle sums up why the Geordie Army should be ecstatic if the Portuguese superstar decides to head north, even if it is mostly for the money:

"Sure, Deco does ugly things like dive and bitch, but he also does beauty like few other footballers can. His touch is a miracle cure for claustrophobia, making tiny spaces appear ample; his passing a panacea for predictability; and his shooting a lethal injection. He invents new possibilities in an instant, slays opponents in a second. And for all his art, Deco's no fancy dan. He has steely substance. His strength on the ball recalls Maradona and Zidane and he, rather than Ronaldinho, has usually been the driving force of Barça over the last two years, as he was for Champions League-winning Porto before that and as he remains for his adopted Portugal."

So, in other words, he's like Emre to the 10th power. No one doubts his skill. But one other important effect a Deco signing would have on the EPL that Doyle does not get into is that it would send the signal that there's a new big club in town. Right now, with few exceptions, there are four clubs where world class talent lands in the Prem. Those four (Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool) are pretty much the sole possibilities when an international superstar is considering a move to the UK.

Once in awhile, a second-tier club like Newcastle sneaks in Obafemi Martins or Tottenham lands Berbatov or West Ham nabs Carlos Tevez, but as we are seeing this offseason, with all three of those players strongly rumored to be heading to one of the Big Four clubs, those can end up being short-term rentals.

If Ashley lands Deco, it will not be to sell him in a year. It will be to send a message to his loyal fanbase, to the other EPL sides, and to international players and agents. That message is that Newcastle is willing to pay for the services of the best.

Now, that being said, it should still be considered a longshot that Deco ends up in black and white stripes. Both Milan clubs are reportedly hot on his trail. And Ashley will likely have to overpay to get his services. But the fact that this is even a rumor is borderline unfathomable. And it is a definite change in doing business compared to only a few months ago.

Newcastle has emerged as surprise bidders for Barcelona's Deco. This shocker started to spread yesterday afternoon, and is gaining steam in the press this morning.

Arjen Robben to Real Madrid seems destined to happen. For my money, that is a perfect fit. In firing Fabio Capello despite the fact that he won La Liga, maybe they'll head back to the days of overpaying for big-name players who don't fit into a team concept. Robben epitomizes that.

Liverpool has reportedly upped its offer for Ryan Babel, and now there's 13.5 million pounds sitting on the table. Maybe Babel and Torres will combine to form Tom Hicks' Liverpool version of the A-Rod signing.

Arsenal is set to activate Obafemi Martins' buyout clause. The Oba Era at Newcastle was fun while it lasted (a whole year). Thanks to the clever businessman who used to run this club, a whopping three million pound profit can be expected. I suppose it's better than nothing. You Gunners can be prepared for the striker with the best work rate in the EPL. Period.

Aston Villa is prepared to bid 8 million pounds for Jermaine Defoe. If Tottenham was the buyer instead of the seller, why do I get the feeling the price would be twice as high? Have Spurs finished spending their Carrick booty yet?

Sheffield United is after Celtic's Thomas Gravesen, Newcastle and Liverpool are both after Gabriel Heinze, and Khalid Boulahrouz appears headed to Sevilla on the cheap.

You have probably already seen it, but if not, make sure to check out his recent footie mailbag with observations on the US outing in Copa America, the play of Freddy Adu in the U-20 World Cup, and a nice discussion on the trick box that MLS put the national team in with regard to the squad it could take to Copa, among other observations.

Wahl remains a supreme pleasure to read, for both the very casual and the very informed US soccer fan.

While we're here, I got a chance to watch the U-20 game last night between the US and Brazil, and am still processing the stunning 2-1 US victory over one of the pre-tournament favorites. Not only is the US comfortably through to the knockout stage with a 2-0-1 record, but Brazil is now teetering on the brink of elimination.

There appears to be some world class talent on the horizon for the US.

The United States has absolutely owned Mexico in games played in the United States over the past decade or so, but the Nats had never rallied to win a game against the Mexicans since FDR was president.

Until yesterday.

The U.S. scored two second-half goals and earned a 2-1 victory to win the Gold Cup, the continental championship of soccer in North America, Central America and the Caribbean.

Since 2000, the U.S. is 8-0-1 against the Mexicans at "home". (Snarky use of home in quotes since any non-World Cup qualifier in the U.S. tends to have a sizable pro-Mexico crowd, yesterday's game included.)

What does the victory mean? Well, it's important psychologically for the Nats heading into World Cup qualifying next year. It's possible they won't face Mexico again until the final hexagonal in 2009 and even if the squad will be different in two years, continuing the success against the Tricolores on U.S. soil is important.

It also qualifies the U.S. for the Confederations Cup in 2009, which will provide a nice tuneup for the World Cup against some elite teams in some of the stadiums used for the World Cup.

It also provides some momentum heading into Copa America, even if the team heading to Venezuela is markedly younger and more inexperienced than the Gold Cup squad. Up first? Argentina on Thursday. So Bob Bradley had best enjoy that undefeated record while he can.

Really, some real treasures in there sometimes.

Like this collection of cheerleaders etc. from Mexican soccer games.

Like say, this one:

Hey now.

That would be the rear end, or lack thereof, of the wife of the soon-to-be best soccer player on this continent.

The Superficial has Posh Spice down pat:

"I find it difficult to believe women actually want to look like her. Yeah, she's skinny, but she barely looks human anymore. I could put together a more natural looking person with some brooms and some tape."

As far as I'm concerned, she's tailor-made for LA.

Many more photos over at his site "after the jump."

- Could Carlos Tevez really be staying put at West Ham? This would be absolutely shocking, especially given how freely the Hammers have been spending, or trying to spend, this offseason. Benfica midfielder Manuel Fernandes and Barcelona striker Eidur Gudjohnsen are today's rumoured Hammer targets. This would be phenomenal for English football, as anyone who watched him put the team on his shoulders and save them from relegation saw a star player forming a bond with hardcore fans. It'd also be nice to see a side outside of the so-called Big Four keep such a highly sought after player.

- Newcastle and Pompey are both after Sevilla striker Freddy Kanoute. Come on, you Magpies!

- Arjen Robben wants to get paid, preferably by Real Madrid. Chelsea isn't feeling that vibe. The Dutchman has turned down two contract offers from the Blues in the space of a week.

- Looks like Bolton won't be keeping keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen. Not only are the Villains after the talented stopper, but Roy Keane wants to make 'him a Mackem (scum) as well.

- Ludo Giuly has been linked prominently with no less than seven teams from three different countries.

- Another American owner in the Prem?

- Marco Materazzi to Tottenham? That's the rumor. I went to the airport yesterday to exchange some money (golly gee, that American dollar is strong), and the guy behind me made a joke in very broken English about me exchanging dollars for Euros, while he did the opposite. I asked where he was from and he said Italy. I shook my fist at him, sucked my teeth, and disapprovingly said "Ma-te-ra-zzi." He laughed and made the gesture of heading in a goal and gleefully said "Materazzi!" Gotta love the international language.

- First, it was Steve McLaren having to swallow his pride and invite David Beckham back into the England squad. Only to watch him emerge as his team's best player. And now Real Madrid have attempted to buy Becks back from the L.A. Galaxy. But neither the club nor the player were interested in entertaining Madrid's offer. Damn, that one has to sting, Capello. The world-famous powerhouse of Real Madrid vs. MLS, and Becks is choosing to cross the ball to Landon Donovan instead of Ruud Van Nistelrooy?

- Memo to Sir Alex Ferguson: If you would like the services of Carlos Tevez, please bring a briefcase to the guy with the egghead filled with 40 million pounds. That 25 million pound offer? Pathetic. And the same goes for you, Barca.

- 40 is the magic number, apparently. Real Madrid, having been rejected for Alexi Lalas, aren't stopping to lick any wounds. A 40 million pound offer for Kaka is rumored to be in the works.

- Sam Allardyce has come out and flat-out admitted that he would be powerless to block the exit of Michael Owen from Newcastle United. The buy-out amount is supposed to be nine million pounds. It was an awful contract to sign, but it's not clear what Allardyce's motivation is. It's not his style to play the weakling, so this could be interpreted as an invitation for the big clubs to come calling for the talented, but F-R-A-G-I-L-E, striker.

- Roy Keane is buying at Sunderland. Greg Halford? Reading hardly knew ye.

- It looks like Phil Jagielka will be heading to Everton for four million pounds. It would actually be a return to Everton for the versatile 24 year-old, who played for the youth squad earlier in his career, only to be released.

- Lyon have informed Florent Malouda that he's going to the highest bidder. In the queue are Liverpool, AC Milan, Juventus, and Arsenal.

- Birmingham is offering six million for Egyptian striker Mido. As far as moody, inconsistent, overrated strikers go, Mido sits at the top of the heap. That's easy money for Tottenham.

A pretty good showing by US Men's Soccer yesterday in the Gold Cup. Nothing fabulous, but three points are three points. This is especially true given that Guatemala played a scandalous brand of soccer, cheating at every available opportunity in the worst possible way. Dives, elbows, cleats, shoves, and grabs were the order of the day. In short Guatemala's attitude going into yesterday's game on the pitch was similar to the attitude the United States government has taken towards Guatemala historically: we'll beat you to a pulp, take what we like, and you'll like it. And the referee in the soccer match played the role of the rest of the world, turning a blind eye to everything.

A few observations:

- Clint Dempsey and Taylor Twellman play well together. When the stakes get higher and the competition gets tougher, and the US needs to score more than one to win, these two have to be on the pitch together. And I would aruge they should throw Eddie Johnson on the pitch as well.

- Bob Bradley needs to work on his game management and Oguchi Onyewu needs to work on his temper. Gooch was embroiled in a battle with the slimiest player I've ever seen on the pitch, Carlos Ruiz. He was yellow-carded, unjustly. And from that point on, he played out of control and visibly frustrated. It was clear to anyone, even idiotic sports bloggers, that Gooch needed to come off the pitch. The US were defending a 1-0 lead, and Guatemala were attacking and the ref was letting Ruiz do whatever he wanted. It was only a matter of time before Onyewu received his second yellow, which he promptly did, earning an ejection. All of this happened with Jay Demerit on the bench.

- When Demerit got into the game, he was by far and away the best American defender. If he doesn't start from here on out, it will be a travesty.

- The match took place in Southern California, and the crwod was rabidly anti-American. I can only imagine the level of hatred that the crowds in Copa America take towards the yonger, less experienced team when the matches begin in Venezuela.

- The good news: Landon Donovan was stripped of captaincy, and played well enough. He certainly showed some fight for the first time in awhile. The bad news: Carlos Bocanegra was the captain, and he may have had the worst day on the pitch apart from Onyewu. The worst news: Who else is there on this team who could be named captain?

While I'll fully admit to a Newcastle bias, it's a strange day when almost all the major soccer transfer rumors are related to the Mags one way or the other:

- Newcastle look to be bringing in Joey Barton and sending out Scott Parker. They'll be getting a more talented player for less money, but they're losing class and gaining a headache. Evidence of this can be found in reports that the Magpies won't sign Barton unless his contract includes a clause "to protect the club if he is jailed over the incident with Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo."

- Bolton and Everton are insisting that their star strikers, Nicolas Anelka and Andy Johnson, are going nowhere. If Bolton are wise, they're just trying to jack up the price of Anelka. Allardyce got a good amount out of him, but now that he's gone, Anelka can be more trouble than he's worth without a strong manager. But in the case of Johnson, I absolutely believe it. And were I an opposing manager, I would not be keen on spending a load of dough on a transfer for the diminutive striker. Making a move like that is just screaming for an injury-related bust.

- Bolton and Wigan are both hoping to land Antoine Sibierski. If he does sign with the Wanderers, he'd be pairing with Anelka, who is a friend and fellow Frenchman. That might settle Anelka's wandering eyes in regards to a transfer to Manchester United.

- Wigan have inherited Newcastle's nightmare of a centerback, Titus Bramble. Get ready for 89 minutes of solid play and one minute of complete and total meltdown. The problem with that one minute is that the opposition tends to put one in the back of the net while Bramble watches the imaginary butterflies above his head.

- Alan Shearer has declared that David Beckham is still too good to be playing for Major League Soccer: "I don't know if David is regretting going to Los Angeles Galaxy. But he's better than that standard, without a shadow of a doubt." I find it amusing that people think of Beckham's move to the Galaxy as a soccer-related move. He did not sign with the Columbus Crew. He is in Hollywood.