Archive for December, 2009

Very Nice, Readers!
Fan Culture

Very Nice, Readers!

Soccer fans everywhere anxiously await the second half of the season. January arrives with a new transfer window: a month-long binge in the footy speak-easy, where clubs gamble on high-priced additions who are all described as The Missing Piece (did Afonso Alves really cost Middlesbrough over 10 million pounds?). It’s […]

Legal Handballs
English Premier League / Fan Culture

Legal Handballs

Last week, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger commented that throw-ins may be the wrong way to restart play from the sidelines. Wenger argues that the throw-in gives an unfair advantage to teams who feature long throwers, noting that soccer is a game played with the feet. The Arsenal manager somewhat obliquely […]

No rules on soccer-specific stadiums
MLS / Union

No rules on soccer-specific stadiums

When it comes to Major League Soccer stadiums, the rules have changed. No longer must you bring a soccer-specific stadium to the party to get a team. You don’t need grass. You needn’t even control multipurpose revenues from non-soccer events, which was once a precursor to gaining an expansion team […]

Daily news roundups

Soccer news roundup

Some soccer news from the weekend: DaMarcus Beasley comes back to earth with an injury, while Maurice Edu returns to the field, USA Today reports. D.C. United to hire Curt Onalfo as head coach, according to the Washington Post and Soccer by Ives. David Beckham is in Milan, everyone reports. Stop the presses! Americans Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard […]

MLS / Union

The Union – Behind the Bench

With the addition of Goalkeeping Coach Rob Vartughian on December 17th, the Philadephia Union now has what many would consider to be a full coaching staff. This seems like an appropriate time to take a closer look at the men behind the bench. Piotr (Peter) Nowak – Head Coach – […]

Fan Culture

My Team of the Decade

The end of the decade brings with it a lot of really annoying end-of-the-decade lists.  Everyone from the Guardian to Soccernet to the guy from your indoor team is compiling their world football team of the decade.  While these carefully selected lists include some of the greatest players ever to […]

Daily news roundups

Daily news roundup

Some Christmas Eve soccer news for you: U.S. captain Carlos Bocanegra benched on his French team?  Soccer America says so after he sits out again. The Los Angeles Galaxy sign three Brazilians on loan, SI reports. The latest on the Red Bulls’ coaching search from The New York Times. DaMarcus […]

MLS / Union

White in talks with Union

Jeremiah White has been in contact with Philadelphia Union this week but is also considering moves elsewhere, Soccer365 reports. White, who played his high school ball in the Philadelphia area, has been tabbed as a potential starting winger for the Union should he move to Major League Soccer. He parted […]

English Premier League

The Grinch that runs Spurs?

Not the freshest of news, but certainly timely for the holidays: The North London football faithful were debating Harry Redknapp’s angry reaction to news that Robbie Keane and the boys had flown to Dublin for a holiday party after Redknapp had expressly forbidden such jaunts. Why so down on celebrations? […]

Soccer news roundup
Daily news roundups

Soccer news roundup

Some soccer news worth reading: The Portland Timbers unveil plans for renovating a minor league baseball stadium for use by their 2011 Major League Soccer expansion team. The USL team already plays in the stadium. The expansion would add seats, but it might also bring turf. MLS confirms seven Generation […]