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May 9th, 2008

ESPN Euro 2008 Schedule Announced

By: chris | Comments Add Comments

espn181.jpgThis will be the first year the European Championships are broadcast live in the United States, on that miniature network called ESPN (or something), which is a fairly newsworthy happening for a country trying to further immerse itself in the beautiful game.

Most of the games will be on ESPN2, with a few more thrown at ESPN and ESPN Classic (most of the games will be on ESPNDeportes as well). The mack daddy, ABC, will get the final, along with a random quarterfinal game. Strange setup from the network, but who’s to argue with the world’s leader in sport? Not I.

And make sure to use your Euro 2008 wallchart when the time comes.

The schedule, for your viewing and bookmarking pleasure, is after the jump.
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Category Category: Tournaments

May 8th, 2008

Daily Dose.: 5.8.08

By: chris | Comments Add Comments

Stuff to read while you rob someone who just took your picture………


Category Category: Daily Dose
May 8th, 2008

Tim Wiese Kicks Ivica Olic in the Head. And Gets Away With It

By: Daryl | Comments 1 Comment

Oh yes he did.

As spotted on the ever-excellent Bundesliga Offside, this is Werder Bremen keeper Tim Wiese’s challenge on Hamburg striker Ivica Olic during the Bundesliga’s northern derby yesterday. You think maybe those feet are a little high? He basically did the crane on Olic’s head.

And no red card. Weise stayed on the field, made a string of saves and apparently sent a long kick upfield for Hugo Almeida to score the only goal of the game. The win means Bremen will definitely finish in the Bundesliga top three (Champions League spots) while fourth place Hamburg will have to settle for the UEFA Cup booby prize.

But wait, there’s more. Visit Bundesliga Offside to read Weise’s impressively selfish postmatch quote, or visit our German speaking friends at FANartisch.de to see a slightly troubling still image of Wiese’s boot introducing itself to Olic’s face.


Category Category: Bundesliga
May 8th, 2008

Photo of the Day: Upended

By: Laurie | Comments 1 Comment

messi-pepe.jpg

“Upended” is a not a bad description here, both for what’s happening to Leo Messi in the photo and for what Real Madrid did to Messi’s team, Barcelona, in yesterday’s game.

Full story on the game and it’s implications here.

(Photo: Denis Doyle/Getty Images)


Category Category: Spain La Liga
May 8th, 2008

“Quarantine” for British fans Heading to Moscow?

By: Laurie | Comments Add Comments

russian-police.jpgLast month before the France-England friendly in Paris, I had the thrill of being sardined into a Metro train heading out to the stadium as several drunken English fans launched into off-key renditions of, among other things, “God Save the Queen.”

It’s a good thing the ride was short, because by the time we got to the stadium French tempers were starting to fray.

Fans traveling to away matches always have the potential to cause fireworks with the natives. Russia recognizes this, and they’re doing everything possible to eliminate the possibility in the upcoming Champions League final in Moscow. England fans heading to Russia will face a virtual “quarantine” designed to keep them apart from the locals.
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Category Category: Champions League
May 8th, 2008

End of an Era at Barcelona

By: Daryl | Comments 3 Comments

Wednesday was an unhappy night for Barcelona. In a semi-low key El Clásico at the Bernabéu, Barcelona’s players had to give newly crowned champions Real Madrid a guard of honour. And then they lost 4-1.

Samuel Eto’o missed the game through suspension after picking up a yellow in the 6-0 win over Valencia last Sunday, and it’s been suggested he got carded on purpose, so as to miss last night’s game. Cowardly if he did, but remember that Eto’o famously shouted “Madrid, cabron, saluda al campeon” (do your own translations) into a microphone at the Nou Camp after Barca won the title in 2005, so no wonder he wasn’t keen to be part of Madrid’s guard of honour.

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Category Category: Spain La Liga
May 8th, 2008

Emilio Gets Promoted to Designated Player

By: Laurie | Comments 1 Comment

luciano-emilio.jpgI think this is a first.

Luciano Emilio of DC United, MLS Golden Boot winner from 2007, has just been promoted from Regular Guy on the Field to Designated Player.

You know. Designated Player. The one-per-team spot (unless you’re the LA Galaxy) that generally goes to high-profile foreign players who can not only perform on the field but improve the Butts-in-Seats factor. In general, these players tend to be older, and they also tend to have already established themselves and created a fanbase in another country. Obvious examples: Chicago Fire’s Cuauhtemoc Blanco and LA Galaxy’s David Beckham.
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Category Category: MLS
May 8th, 2008

That 1.7 million’s Not a Bribe! It’s for Chocolate and Candies!

By: Daryl | Comments 7 Comments

Cluj vs SteauaHats off (if you’re wearing one) to Romanian champions CFR Cluj. The team won Romania’s Liga 1 yesterday, beating Universitatea Cluj 1-0 to claim the first championship in the club’s history and the first team from outside Bucharest to take the title in 17 years. Even better it looks like they’ve somehow managed to win in the face of monumental corruption.

Cluj’s title rivals were Steaua Bucharest, owned by a certain Gigi Becali. The same Gigi Becali who tried to put a bounty on Cluj’s head by offering money to any team that took points off them.

And, by sheer coincidence I’m sure, a group of Steaua staff members and a Universitatea player were in a Cluj restaurant awaiting the result yesterday. With 1.7 million euros in cash.

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Category Category: World Football
May 8th, 2008

You, Sir, Are Up For Review!

By: chris | Comments 1 Comment

svennis.jpgNormally those words aren’t a positive sign. Not for Sven-Goran Eriksson, who must’ve interpreted this as music to his slightly overgrown ears. Or maybe it’s complete bollocks. April ended with rumors that Thaksin Shinawatra would be releasing Sven from his duties as Manchester City gaffer this summer, probably due to the club plateauing after its shit-hot start to the season. Well he hasn’t been sacked, according to Chair Thakky, which is probably good news. Svennis is, however, up for review.
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May 8th, 2008

Scudamore Running Scared of Blatter’s 6+5

By: Daryl | Comments 10 Comments

Richard Scudamore attacksSeems unfair to blame one man for everything that’s wrong with an entire league. But I’m going to do it anyway, because chief exec Richard Scudamore seems to have made it his mission to personify the arrogance of the English Premier League. I’m still struggling to believe anyone had the balls to suggest game 39. But with that insane little attempt to milk even more money out of the Premier League, Scudamore earned himself a powerful nemesis named Sepp Blatter.

And now it’s Blatter’s turn to strike back. The FIFA boss seems pretty damn serious about his 6+5 rule (max of five foreigners in any starting eleven) that he’ll bring to the FIFA Congress at the end of May. And he’s got Scudamore sweating, because 6+5 would pretty much spell the end of Scudamore’s famous-foreign-footballer packed version of the Premier League.

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May 7th, 2008

Daily Dose.: 5.7.08

By: chris | Comments 3 Comments

Stuff to read while your police chief accidentally shoots himself in a firearm safety class………


Category Category: Daily Dose
May 7th, 2008

Vote: What Should This Type of Goal Be Called?

By: Daryl | Comments 6 Comments

A few days ago, we attempted to name this move that Stefan Gislason pulled off to score for Brondby. We got a decent response with quite a few suggestions. So they’re collected below in poll format (along with an “other” space where you can type in any new suggestions.)

Vote for you favourite, and once we have a clear winner it’s going into The Offside dictionary to be used for all time.


Category Category: Polls
May 7th, 2008

Man Utd vs Chelsea, and Barack Obama vs Hillary Clinton

By: Daryl | Comments 16 Comments

Barack Obama Man Utd Hillary Clinton ChelseaWe don’t do politics on The Offside, but we love a good analogy. And it was recently suggested to me that the Premier League title race between Man Utd and Chelsea is a mirror image of the US Democratic Primary between Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

Basically Man Utd = Barack Obama. Both are out in front by a narrow margin and can just about smell victory. But both are under pressure from a rival who refuses to quit.

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May 7th, 2008

No Need For Real Players Anymore

By: chris | Comments 1 Comment

That’s it, ladies and gents. It’s only a matter of time before Big Bucks Abramovich is swooping down in his helicopter and he’s buying up the best robots money can buy.

This is Goalias. He’s a robot designed by the University of Stuttgart in the mold of a goalkeeper (presumably after the home team’s Champions League run). Goalias is a cardboard cut out placed on a running track attached to video cameras and all sorts of fancy equipment which, as you can see, can track the path of the ball. First player to test it out was Mario Gomez. The robot saved half of Mario’s shots, which isn’t much more than the goalkeepers of the Bundesliga can say.

[Spotted on mCalcio]


Category Category: World Football
May 7th, 2008

Photo of the Day: When Swedish Women Score

By: Laurie | Comments Add Comments

swedish-womens-nt.jpgFor the men, Euro qualifying is long over and the finals are right around the corner. For the women? It’s still all about qualifying.

Here we have the Swedish women celebrating after scoring a goal against Italy in today’s Euro 2009 qualifying match.


Category Category: Photo of the Day
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