Daily news roundups

Daily round-up: Embarrassing from a man’s point of view

No big deal, but you can start referring to your favorite Philly soccer blog as your favorite award-winning Philly soccer blog from now on. PhillySoccerPage beat off competition from Philly Soccer Firm and Manchester United (even Nani’s dive in the box didn’t influence the judges) to win a 700 Award for Soccer Contribution to the Community. PSP editor Dan Walsh gave a rousing speech which we will now print in its entirety: “Um… thanks. I, um, eat the microphone? Rawrgh. Ok, so… Thanks, bye!” It took me two hours to write that because I was tearing up just thinking about it. And yes, we named the trophy Australian Fred. Photos at the bottom.

Time to vote for your UEFA Team of the Year. You should not vote for Mark van Bommel. Also, what is Branislav Ivanovic doing here? If you are an Atletico Madrid fan, you will love Quique Sanchez Flores qualifications for coach of the year: March/April: Uses away-goals rule to maximum effect to eliminate Sporting, Valencia and Liverpool to reach the Europa Cup final. In other words, this guy will soon be managing Liverpool.

Martin Jol has left Ajax by mutual consent. The 54 year old Dutchman was in his second season managing the famous club but felt he could not meet the high expectations laid upon him after a successful 2009-10 campaign. Tottenham Hotspur fans will remember Jol as the manager they fired as part of a master strategy of bringing in Juande Ramos to destroy the club so that ‘Arry Redknapp would come save them.

Champions League wraps up today and tomorrow, and with most of the knockout qualifiers are already set many teams are still trying to secure first place in their group. Tottenham needs a win to ensure first place over Inter and Schalke (really?? Schalke? Huntelaar and Raul Schalke?) need to bring home all three points to stay in front of Lyon in Group B. Manchester United has not been scored on in Champions League this year, so Valencia has a tough test ahead of them if they want to leapfrog the English.

I know what you’re thinking: Goalies are crazy. Why has it been so long since the round-up covered a terrifying goalie kidnapping/forced abortion/morder story? Well, good sir, your wait is over! Former Flamengo goalie Bruno da Souza was given a jail term by a Rio court after being found guilty of kidnapping and beating his pregnant girlfriend. da Souza is still on trial in Belo Horizonte for the murder of said girlfriend. The former star goalkeeper’s wife is also a suspect in the murder trial after she was found nursing the dead girlfriend’s recently birthed child. I’ll let that sink in.

Clemente Lisi gives a rundown on the two teams joining MLS next season. Am I the only one rooting for Bright Dike to become a superstar?

Notre Dame’s women’s soccer team beat Stanford to take home the College Cup. Stanford had not lost all year and, actually, had only lost one game in the past two seasons (last year’s Championship. Ouch.) The only thing that could make this better for Notre Dame would be a breathless recap in the South Bend Tribune. Oh, there it is.

Manchester City is loaded with talent. And Wayne Bridge. But with talent also comes egos. Bolton’s Kevin Davies was none too kind in his assessment of City. “When there is not much contact and they go down screaming, it is embarrassing from a man’s point of view,” Davies told the Manchester Evening News.

Junji Ogura, President of the Japan Football Association, said that allegations of corruption in FIFA by British news media definitely influenced the outcome of the World Cup 2018 voting. Because if anybody in your country does anything wrong, FIFA will hold everybody accountable. So apparently allegations of corruption influence how FIFA chooses its World Cup hosts. Let’s go through a very, very short list of things that apparently do not influence FIFA’s decisions: 1) A long and consistent history of journalists being killed when they report on the government, 2) Making homosexuality illegal, 3) An undemocratic government whose leader ousted his father, 4) Logic.

Australian Fred tells Ed his worst tequila story

Eli and Australian Fred: Best friends, and a devastating ping pong team.

Mike was so excited he tried to swallow Australian Fred whole. He was later spotted in a dark alley muttering, "My precioussssss"

Nicolae confirmed that Australian Fred was, in fact, solid unobtanium.

Dan, Mike and Ed watch Australian Fred extend his thumb war victory streak to eleven.

Australian Fred in a rare moment of quiet contemplation.

2 Comments

  1. Hodgson wants Dempsey at Liverpool is news I think.

    Congrats on your award- keep up the good work.

  2. I abstained from all “Liverpool wants…” news after reading that Ronaldinho might be headed to Anfield. Once that shark had been jumped there was no going back.

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