FOOTBALLS ARE ROUND!

2006-02-08T07:08:00.000-08:00

I've moved the blog to http://roundfootballs.davewalker.org, so please update your bookmarks, blogrolls, RSS aggregators, and notes on the fridge.

I HATE THE OFFSEASON

2006-02-07T22:28:00.000-08:00

I haven't posted since NOVEMBER!Ugh. Let's see what's going on:Despite the fact the stupid Groundhog saw his shadow (or didn't - I always forget which is good and which is bad), MLS training camps have started. That and Easter are the true signs of hope that winter is finally over.Another good thing: I'm getting married next Wednesday (15 February), and the honeymoon coincides with the

FC DALLAS: OUT

2005-11-02T10:05:00.000-08:00

Now what am I going to do?

Stream of Consciousness: FCD v Colorado - Conf. Semis, 2nd Leg

2005-10-30T20:44:00.000-08:00

I just don't even know where to begin. I could just barely bring myself to write this column. There are words that describe this defeat. "Crushing", for instance, seems to work nicely. "Nightmare" springs to mind as well.The Cid and I, along with her son John, made the trip down for the game. It's John's first professional soccer match, though he himself, at age nine, is already a goal scorer in

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: SAN JOSE v FCD 9/24/05

2005-09-25T12:46:00.000-07:00

The first minute almost gave me a heart attack. An early goal would be a disaster. Ok, not a disaster . . . I don't want to bandy that word about lightly given the events of the last few weeks.We'll see this week if the absence of EJ and The Lil' Fish is still a good luck charm for us. Well, to be realistic, luck doesn't enter into it, I know; it's just a turn of phrase. It has more to do with

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: FCD v GALAXY SEPTMEBER 21 2005

2005-09-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

The fuego is back. The swagger is back. Back heels, shots at impossible angles, shoving people off the ball like they were children, nutmegs, scoring late goals instead of runnng to the corner. All that. We are bad***es again, just like in the spring.Some days, it would have been better to stay in bed. I was having a day like that. Until 7:30. Then Kevin Hartman started having a day like that. I

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: FCD v RSL SEPTMEBER 16 2005

2005-09-22T13:48:00.000-07:00

Before I begin the Stream proper, here (at no extra charge, these observations will not appear on your bill), are a few notes from the glorious mid-week road trip to the US Open Cup Semifinal match:* Not since the British scored 22 against the French at Trafalgar has a team ever needed a win worse than the Hoops did Wednesday night. It was a gritty, if not beautiful performance. You could tell

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: FCD v DC UNITED 9/10/05

2005-09-10T22:46:00.000-07:00

One is tempted to do some research on the plot of land whereon sits Pizza Hut Park, to determine whether it was at one time an Indian burial ground or something. But casting aside all talk of a curse, the last couple months have not been good. I think tonight is our night to get off our summer schneid, put a few onions in the sack, and get this train back on the tracks (to mix a few metaphors

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: COLUMBUS V FC DALLAS

2005-08-20T16:41:00.000-07:00

Like you, I was transfixed by the compelling battle between Roger Federer and some guy named Robby Ginepri on ESPN2 this afternoon. Not since Tony Trabert beat Ken Rosewall back in '55 at the US Open have I seen such a display of tennis. Such was the intoxicating specter of this clash of titans that I nearly forgot that the kickoff of the Dallas-Columbus match was being delayed.Yeah, right.Anyway

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: FC DALLAS v METROSTARS

2005-08-09T06:25:00.000-07:00

PART I: BEER, SOCCER, AND VISITS FROM UNCLE LAMARSo, I hit the road at 4:40 Friday afternoon in my tan '05 Chevy Cavalier rental ('cause that's how DJ rolls), heading to Big D for the 24-hour tailgate leading up to the opening of Pizza Hut Park and what should have been a jackslapping of the Metrostars (but we'll get to that later).After taking a solid hour to get clear of Norman (about 30

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: FC DALLAS v METROSTARS (Part II)

2005-08-09T06:22:00.000-07:00

PART II: HOT HOT HEAT, RED PLASTIC HATS, AND A GAME FOR THE AGESAround 4:00 am I had plunked down my sleeping bag on what was probably the only patch of non-soccer-field vegetation within a mile radius of PHP, and was hunkered down nicely, sleeping like the proverbial log. All the sudden, around 8:00 in the morning, I have this awful nightmare. I dreamt there was a mad Scot running around the

UNDERAPPRECIATED QUALITY

2005-07-29T02:15:00.000-07:00

In case you didn't know, one of the best soccer reads of any week during the MLS season is THE ALL AMERICAN XI, a collaborative effort among an elite group of BigSoccer posters to pick the best homegrown footballers of the week. It's witty, informative and good fodder for chit-chat around the water cooler. Or, it would be, if any workplace in this country had more than one soccer fan in it. But I

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: REAL SALT LAKE v FC DALLAS

2005-07-24T12:40:00.000-07:00

The greatest team in the world is back on the field after a disappointing loss last week. But let's not talk about that, shall we? Besides, I know what you're thinking. You're thinking, "Ah, it's just Real Salt Lake, c'mon, it's like a training session, no sweat". Yeah, well, tell it to the Revs, who got knocked off by an even worse expansion team Friday night in LA. There are no

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: NEW ENGLAND v FC DALLAS

2005-07-17T16:37:00.000-07:00

Finally . . . FINALLY!Finally, the best team in MLS gets a televised game, after about a month of being neglected. I don’t get that at all, but since I’ve already ranted and raved about it in this space earlier in the season, I will, for now, forbear.Besides, tonight is a night of joy! I’m back in the mix, doing what I do best: watching the boys and making smart-alecky comments. We all have our

MLS NOTES: WEEK 12

2005-06-20T08:57:00.000-07:00

• The midweek matchups were entertaining and surprising. The DC v Chicago game was a seven goal barn burner (the entertaining part), while Colorado defeated Los Angeles 1-nil (yes, that would be the surprising part).• The two least likely scorers in the Chicago v KC game were Jim Curtin and Preki, and they both scored. Jim Curtin, well, because he’s Jim Curtin (no disrespect to Jim, who is a fine

MLS NOTES: WEEK 11

2005-06-13T22:00:00.000-07:00

· In my view the most exciting thing about the Columbus/Colorado match was the news from Waldo and Stoner that Conor Casey may be coming to MLS. He’d be a good fit for his hometown Rapids, and apparently the manager at his German club, Mainz, is threatening to cut him if he plays in the Gold Cup for the USMNT. Welcome home, I say.· Columbus won the game on a PK, off of a verrrrrry

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: CHICAGO v FC DALLAS

2005-06-13T20:32:00.000-07:00

The Football Club are wearing the silver road kits, and Brian Haynes is in the booth with Brad Sham. Both these things are pretty cool, in my book. Dave Dir, Brad's usual partner, is in Holland helping Sigi Schmid with the U20 National Team, who got off to a grand start, beating Argentina 1-0 in their first match.The folks in Section 8 sound great, giving the match a very European feel. Loud

GREAT ARTICLE ON MODERN GOALKEEPING

2005-06-07T13:38:00.000-07:00

Sir Alex Ferguson needs to read this, understand this, and live this.You can just enjoy it.

KASEY!

2005-06-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

USSOCCER.COM COVERAGE OF US/COSTA RICA

2005-06-06T09:10:00.000-07:00

Good video and good articles about the Costa Rica match on ussoccer.com. Do check it out.

NEW BLOG

2005-06-05T01:52:00.000-07:00

I'm adding the Hexagonal Blog to the links list. Mr. Hamilton is following the CONCACAF quest for Germany, and doing it in fine fashion. Dave sez: Check it out.

MLS NOTES: WEEK 10

2005-06-05T01:39:00.000-07:00

• Things didn’t look good early on for the Westerhof era at Chivas. It took 1:30 for the goats to give up their 25th goal of the year. The Fire are tough to beat this season when they score first. Martin Zuniga wasn’t at fault, but I’m going to blame him anyway, because I want to see Guzan get his spot back.• But before Mr. Vergara could fire his 2nd Dutchman of the year, Antonio Martinez (whose

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: ReAL SALT LAKE v FC DALLAS

2005-06-04T21:34:00.000-07:00

Jason Kreis almost puts one in before two minutes are gone. I had to physically stop myself in mid “YES!” after I remembered he’s not our guy anymore.Well, in a sense, Jason will always be “our guy”; just not tonight.Another good chance in the 4th minute for RSL. What do they think this is? We’re FC DALLAS! You can’t . . . it’s just . . . I . . . you . . .Never mind. It is a home game for them,

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: USA v COSTA RICA

2005-06-04T20:53:00.000-07:00

First ever qualifier for Salt Lake City. They've gone all out, putting a nice grass field down at Rice-Eccles Stadium. They even had the sense to put the turf down early enough to let it grow together and get some roots. Well done, indeed.Whoa! Early goal for the USA! Landon Donavan belts a shot from just inside the penalty area. No chance whatsoever for Álvaro Mesén. Early scoring is not a

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: DC UNITED v DALLAS

2005-05-28T19:38:00.000-07:00

As he promised, Brad Sham used the phrase “The Football Club” three times during the opening segment of FSSW’s telecast. It sounded very good. Very good indeed. Brad is best known as the voice of the Dallas Cowboys (they play American football, I’m told), yet he brings a high level of professionalism to all his soccer work; attending practices, keeping current on personnel issues; he’s very much

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: USA V ENGLAND

2005-05-28T14:54:00.000-07:00

So, we give up a goal in the 4th minute. No big deal. I bet Bruce is smiling inwardly, even. We need to see how tough the boys are right now, going into the next round of qualifiers. What better way to find out than to go down a goal early?It was a beautiful free kick goal by Kieran Richardson, in his first ever start for England. He was a big part of West Brom’s survival in the Permiership this

UNBELIEVABLE

2005-05-25T14:37:00.000-07:00

Well, if I live to be a hundred, I don't think I'll ever see a more amazing football match.The UEFA Champions League Final between Liverpool and AC Milan is one for the ages. First of all, Liverpool weren't even supposed to make it to the championship game in Istanbul (not Constantinople). They limped in to the competition, placing 4th in the English Premier League last season. This meant they

MLS NOTES: WEEK 8

2005-05-23T08:48:00.000-07:00

Jay Heaps: Shame on you for the horrific dive you took Saturday. You got Ibrahim sent off, and it was barely even a foul, much less cardable offense. Did Coach K not teach you better than that at Duke? Frankie Hejduk scored a brace against ReAL Salt Lake. This marks the first time in the history of this website that the words "Frankie Hejduk scored a brace" have ever been typed. Remember last

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: CD CHIVAS USA V FC DALLAS

2005-05-23T07:05:00.000-07:00

Some combination of stress, ennui, and/or depression caused me to conk out before the game started Sunday evening; so here I am at 4:00 Monday morning, watching the Tivo, trying to clear the cobwebs out of my head. It must not be working, because I thought I just saw Aaron Pitchkolan score a goal in the first minute of the match. I gotta get a cup of coffee. That can't be right, can it?Yep.

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: SAN JOSE v FC DALLAS

2005-05-15T15:18:00.000-07:00

I couldn’t tell what kind of reception Richard Mulrooney got from the San Jose crowd, but if there’s any justice, all 1,000 people there would have stood up and cheered the man for his service to the EarthQlash.The good news for the first half is that we didn’t come right out and concede a goal within the first five minutes, as has been the pattern for a few weeks. Scott Garlick is sharp as usual

MLS NOTES: WEEK 7

2005-05-15T15:10:00.000-07:00

Break up the Revs! Undefeated, the Revs? I’m not a theologian, but I’m fairly sure this is one of the seven signs of the Apocalypse mentioned in the book of Revelation. Unfortunately, young Freddy didn’t have as dominating a game this week for DCU. You could see the frustration on his face, especially when he was taken out of the game. Don’t worry kid, if you have a game like last week’s only

MLS NOTES: WEEK 6

2005-05-08T19:19:00.000-07:00

Injuries seem to be the story for Metrostars this weekend. Djorkaeff, Agoos, and Wolyniec all out of the starting lineup. Gaven is playing, but his broken finger is never going to heal the way he keeps hitting the ground. I’m sure a few goals would help relieve the pain a bit. John Doyle did the coaching duties for San Jose against Metros, as Dominic Kinnear was dealing with a family emergency of

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: WIZARDS v FC DALLAS

2005-05-08T09:25:00.000-07:00

Before I can even come up with a witty introduction paragraph, the Boys are down 1-nil. Sasha Victorine heads in a corner kick. Scott Garlick got a hand to it but not enough to keep it out. I HATE IT when we’re behind before I can even get a witty introduction paragraph written.Although this week it may be just as well, as I’m not feeling particularly witty. It has something to do with there only

NEW BLOG

2005-05-02T11:23:00.000-07:00

Do check out . . . off the post!The writing is as cool as the name.

MLS NOTES: WEEK 5

2005-05-01T14:33:00.000-07:00

Things aren’t looking good for Chicago, and The Revs look like the Fire used to look. Clint Dempsey scored a GOTY candidate in the midweek match between these two teams of reversing fortunes. The Fire just look listless, and Zach Thornton must pine for a nice bottle of Portuguese Madeira. The only folks who are in form at Soldier Field these days are the rabid and loyal fans of Section 8.

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: FC DALLAS v Real Salt Lake

2005-04-24T06:33:00.000-07:00

So the first time Carlos Ruiz went to ground tonight, in the 3rd minute, he got right up. He’s learning about America, the man is.After that blatant foul, Richard Mulrooney beat our old friend D.J. Countess like a drum on the resulting fee kick. We’re getting off to fast starts at the venerable Cotton Bowl this season. It was a beautiful curling free kick from about 20 yards out; over the wall

MLS NOTES: WEEK 4

2005-04-24T06:28:00.000-07:00

Another disappointing game for Metrostars. A bad giveaway for Chicago’s goal, a missed PK following a sublime pass by Djorkaeff to feed Wolyniec to get the penalty. I know people are already calling for Bob Bradley’s head, but I don’t see it. Give it time. It’s a good team, a good coach; they just haven’t hit their stride yet. Add some fresh injury problems, and it’s not looking bright for the

NEW BLOGS

2005-04-21T09:42:00.000-07:00

Ramblings of a Soccer Junky, by Eric.Du Nord: News for Futbol Fans, by MigWe like 'em, we read 'em, we links 'em. The staff of Footballs are Round (which is to say, me) says check 'em out.

MLS NOTES: WEEK 3

2005-04-18T09:16:00.000-07:00

The painted over football lines at Rice-Eccles stadium in Salt Lake didn't look all that good on television, but I think it's the thought that counts. Good crowd for the RSL home opener. Not a great game in Salt Lake, but the one goal was pretty well taken. Diving headers always look cool. Always. Youri Djorkaeff looked pretty good for Metrostars. His first two or three touches were brilliant,

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: CHIVAS V FC DALLAS

2005-04-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: Chivas v FC DallasThis is some serious old school Stream of Consciousness this week. I’m without a computer tonight, as I’ve lent out my laptop to a friend for a business trip (his laptop, I kid you not, was eaten by his dog). So I’m writing with pen and legal pad, and will have to either go to Kinko’s or find a loaner to word process this thing and then send it on to

I DON'T HEART HEARTS

2005-04-10T19:33:00.000-07:00

You know, sometimes I ponder "Hmm, which soccer team do I hate most, in all the world?"Sometimes it's ManU, because they're like the Yankees, and I hate the Yankees.Sometimes it's Chicago, because, well, I'm a Dallas Fan.Other times, I really hate the Galaxy. No elaboration needed.Then again, whenever we play Mexico, they seem like a pretty good pick.The question has now been settled for all

MLS NOTES: WEEK 2

2005-04-10T19:19:00.000-07:00

I didn't get to see every game, of course, because, ahem, Dallas/Colorado and DC/Chicago WERE NOT TELEVISED!!What's up with that, I don't know. But I know I don't like it.Anyway, here are the, somewhat abbreviated, first notes for the 10th MLS Season.I’ve never seen San Jose play so agreesively as they did against Chivas today. Early on, it wasn’t necessarily an organized, effective agression, as

MLS PREVIEW

2005-04-06T06:27:00.000-07:00

[Editor's note: okay, I know this is a bit late, so sue me. At least it was written in time, and published on time (on 3rd Degree), I just forgot to post it here.]DJ's FIRST ANNUAL MLS PRE-MIERE PRE-SEASON PRE-VIEWFasten your seatbelts, we’re about to take a whirlwind tour of the ’05 MLS season, team by team.Now friends, a lesser man might organize a column like this with some boring traditional

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS DALLAS v CHICAGO (BRIMSTONE I)

2005-04-06T03:54:00.000-07:00

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS – ROAD TRIP EDITION – DALLAS v CHICAGO 4.2.2005I arrived at the Sooner Fashion Mall in lovely Norman, Oklahoma at 3:30 pm to park my aging pickup truck and rendezvous with my great friend and infamous Chicago Fire fan, Mike Segroves. A better road trip companion you will never find. We headed south on I-35, hoping to make it to the Cotton Bowl in time for some tailgating

NEW SOCCER BLOG

2005-04-06T03:02:00.000-07:00

Brand-spanking-new to cyberspace, We Call It Soccer is high quallity soccer bloggage. It gets the much coveted (?) Footballs Are Round blogroll spot.

Timmy Seeks Redemption; Sir Alex Seeks a Clue

2005-02-26T11:08:00.000-08:00

I'm watching ManU v Portsmouth this morning. For today, at least, Tim Howard gets back to first team football for United. Mostly, we are led to believe, because Roy Carroll screwed up against Real Madrid in the Champion's League last week. But did he really? I saw the game. The shot that beat Carroll was hard, and, more importantly, it was a knuckleball. Anyone who's played in the goal will tell

Stream Of Consciousness: FA Cup Special Edition

2004-12-05T11:41:00.000-08:00

Stream of Consciousness: Hinckley United v Brentford – FA Cup 2nd Round Apart from an FC Dallas match, or a USA World Cup match, there is no better soccer to my way of thinking than an FA Cup match featuring a huge underdog. Take Hinckley for instance. Tiny town, non-League club (Conference North, to be precise, which doesn’t even have a parallel in American sports, I don’t think,

New Aussie Soccer Blog

2004-11-16T16:18:00.000-08:00

I'm happy to add Stephen's A-League blog to the links list . Beginning in August the A-League, sponsored by Hyundai, will be the new First Division league down under.

Football Notes

2004-11-15T13:50:00.000-08:00

Here's how loaded Real Madrid are: Michael Owen has to settle for coming in as a sub. That's a bit too much talent. Spread it around, boys, huh? Fox Sports World is showing early rounds of the FA Cup again this year. Kudos to them for that. Peter Nowak is the only man in MLS history to lift the cup as both player and manager. Several regulars on BigSoccer made the front page of the

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS: MLS CUP SPECIAL EDITION

2004-11-15T13:44:00.000-08:00

If not for the Sauron-like presence of Dema Kovalenko, I’d be rooting unreservedly for United today. As it is, I can only muster the hope that DC will win while Dema finds himself shamed by an early red-card. Which, for that whack-job, is always a distinct possibility. JP Dellacamera opined that the presence of Adidas uniforms on both teams was part of the 10 year deal with MLS. I’m pretty

2004-10-18T11:07:00.000-07:00

Well, here's the last Stream of Consciousness of the Burn Era, over at 3rd Degree, as usual. The boys played hard, but couldn't find a winner against the Earthquakes. C'est la futbol. Of course, that loss not only marked the end of the season, but the end of the Burn; they're now officially FC Dallas. I'm a little sad about the end of the Burn. Not as sad as Mutiny or Fusion fans were when their

2004-09-23T19:23:00.000-07:00

Go check out Jimmy's new blog dedicated to College Soccer. Start with this excellent post about the resurgence of UNC-Greensboro. UNCG was a Division III power in the mid-80's, and is climbing up the ranks of D-I.

2004-09-06T07:59:00.000-07:00

Stream of Consciousness: Colorado v Dallas Brought to you, as always, by Buzz and the good folks at 3rd Degree

2004-09-06T07:56:00.000-07:00

Stream of Consciousness: The Road Trip Edition

2004-08-11T23:40:00.000-07:00

Week 19 Notes: Kyle Martino scored the goal Saturday that everybody has been waiting for him to score. It was bold, opportunistic, and deadly in its finish. On a team that’s begging for a leader, he should be it. He’s a big bundle of unfulfilled potential, and if he keeps it up he’ll be a star we’ve been expecting him to be. And, if you combine it with the finishing touch that Buddle has found

2004-08-08T11:51:00.000-07:00

My latest Stream of Consciousness match report, at 3rd Degree.

2004-07-29T21:27:00.000-07:00

My latest Stream of Consciousness. Brought to you, as always, by Buzz and all the good folks at 3rd Degree.

2004-07-29T21:25:00.000-07:00

Week 18 Notes After Steve Jolley was subbed out of the game against DC last week, the word was that he’d tweaked his back while doing his Kreis-like back flip goal celebration. The Dallas folks wouldn’t really say one way or the other, but Coach Colin Clarke subsequently banned any further goal celebrations that involve leaving the ground and doing any sort

2004-07-25T08:53:00.000-07:00

Week 17 Notes: There’s no sense in me commenting on the COL/CMB game when Dr. Chuck has already said it all:NO BALLS AT ALL NO BALLS AT ALL WE PLAY IN A LEAGUE THAT'S GOT NO BALLS AT ALLThat's what I'd be singing if I was at Mile High today.Three things define this match:The seeming willingness of Hankinson to accept a draw from the get-go. I mean,

2004-07-25T08:51:00.000-07:00

Latest Stream of Consciousness Match Report, over at 3rd Degree.

2004-07-20T12:38:00.000-07:00

Week 16 Notes: D.J. Countess starts in place of Henry Ring for Chicago. Someone explain this to me. I’m just going to assume, to preserve my own sanity, that Ring has a knock or just needed the rest; maybe a family emergency of some sort. My already tenuous sense of order in the universe demands that it be one of those things. Clint Dempsey is going

2004-07-12T02:18:00.000-07:00

Week 15 Notes: • After being gifted with a 94th minute PK against Dallas Wednesday night, Landon Donavan had the nerve to say, “Someone high up doesn’t want us to win”. Uh-huh. Riiiiight. Did one of those faceless, nameless higher-ups tip Jeff Cassar that you were going left side with your PK attempt? It sure looked like he knew which way you were going. • A combination of injuries and

2004-07-08T05:48:00.000-07:00

My Latest Steam of Consciousness Match Report. Over there at 3rd Degree.

2004-07-07T09:49:00.000-07:00

Week 14 Notes: • The Rapids made a beautiful comeback to beat Metrostars 3-2 on Wednesday. Once again a kid we’ve never heard of comes out of nowhere to score a brace of goals, too. This kid Cila was sharp. The looks on the faces of both Tim Hankinson and Bob Bradley when Cila hit the winner in the 89th minute were just priceless. Hankinson looking like Ed McMahon had just handed him the

2004-07-04T13:48:00.000-07:00

Another Missed Opportunity I knew I shoulda put a thousand bucks down on Greece!

2004-07-03T10:39:00.000-07:00

I heart the A-League I thoroughly enjoyed FSW's A-League matchup Friday night. Milwaukee hosted Seattle in a well played, hotly contested game. Very fun to watch. Not only that, the announcing combination of Sean Wheelock and Kenn Tomasch puts every other duo working American soccer these days to shame. If you've never read Kenn's Threesixone soccer magazine, do so now. He's without a doubt the

2004-06-27T20:34:00.000-07:00

WEEK 13 NOTES • I still think Amado Guevara is a punk, but he is one talented, deadly-finishing, quality punk. He and Ruiz both should have SAG cards, but dogonnit they’re good. • Wow. Just wow. Eddie Gaven became a man tonight. He scored two goals in the first half against the Galaxy. The first was extremely well taken, composed, clinical, a thoroughly professional, top-notch goal. The second,

2004-06-27T10:03:00.000-07:00

Stream Of Consciousness The lasest SOC match report is up, thanks again to the good folks at 3rd Degree.

2004-06-23T15:00:00.000-07:00

The other day, I professed ingnorance on why the Atlanta A-League team might be named "Siverbacks". I received a nice note from Marty, giving some background on the name: I'm sure that unless you're from the southeast(and maybe even unless you're from the Atlanta area...), that you probably WOULDN'T know why our team is called the Silverbacks. It actually IS relevant to Atlanta, in a way. The

2004-06-21T09:59:00.000-07:00

WEEK 12 NOTES: • Danny Califf is back in the lineup for Los Angeles this week. He got burned on the first Metrostars goal, but having said that, most of LA’s defense this year has consisted of scoring in bunches and having Kevin Hartman in goal, so this is can only be a good thing in the long run. • It was a much maligned young American player who got the ball rolling for Metrostars today,

2004-06-21T09:58:00.000-07:00

My latest STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS match report at 3rd Degree.

2004-06-11T18:35:00.000-07:00

Cool! The A-League is back on Fox Sports World. I'm watching the second half of the Syracuse Salty Dogs at home to the Atlanta Silverbacks. First off, let's talk about these nicknames. Salty Dogs - now this is a really stupid name, but, I give them high marks, nay, I give them my eternal gratitude, for not spelling it "dawgs". That's just more than I can bear. Also, the official name of the

2004-06-11T18:07:00.000-07:00

I can't even begin to tell you how much I hate this Edmond won’t get MLS team 2004-06-11 By Francsico Ojeda The Oklahoman (used without permission under the fair use doctrine . . . so sue me) A Major League Soccer expansion franchise won’t come to Oklahoma in 2005. And it could be a long wait before one might be considered. The two-year process of attracting a pro soccer franchise to Edmond

2004-06-11T10:35:00.000-07:00

Burn v Revs Match Preview If you're a Burn fan, you must read James Fougerousse's weekly Behind Enemy Lines column. He breaks down the next opponent and gives us an idea what to expect. He's a seriously talented writer. If you're not a Burn fan, read it anyway, just because it's good.

2004-06-10T21:59:00.000-07:00

Boca beats River Plate in "brawl" marred game I added quotation marks to "brawl" because it was more like a grade-school slapfight. The Boca 'keeper was bleeding from the nose and cheek . . . from scratch marks. I kid you not, a River player grabbed Abbondanzieri's face and raked his nails across it like a little girl might. I hope this is not indicative of the general state of Argentinian

2004-06-09T03:16:00.000-07:00

The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup kicked off this week. This is one of the oldest soccer competitions in the world, this being the 90th time the cup has been contested. Last years's Winners, Chicago Fire, look to be favorites again, but you certainly can't count out any of the MLS sides. For that matter you can't really even count out a few of the A-League sides, most notably Rochester. For

2004-06-08T11:55:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm sick, but I'm not THIS SICK. 180 bones? I went this route instead, for a mere $15. The online Euro2004 package is a happy median between paying through the nose for PPV and waiting 3 to 5 days for rebroadcasts on FSW. With the online package, you get the entire game a mere 90 minutes after full time. Even though we're talking about an online video feed, not television, it's not bad for

2004-06-07T02:14:00.000-07:00

Stream Of Consciousness Match Report at 3rd Degree.

2004-06-06T22:44:00.000-07:00

Welcome 3rd Degree, Dr. Chuck, MatchNight, and The Harfang's Perch to the link list.

2004-06-06T22:36:00.000-07:00

The Harfang's Perch: World Cup Qualifying for Dummies You MUST read this post if you have any interest at all in whether or not the United States qualifies for the next world cup. You'll not find a better summary of what it takes to qualify from our region (CONCACAF) in any publication anywhere.

2004-06-06T17:43:00.000-07:00

Week 10 Notes: • I’m not changing my fantasy soccer lineup any more this season, save for injury or National Team callups. Pat Noonan and Damani Ralph BOTH stabbed me in the back by putting up hat tricks as soon as I benched them. I feel somewhat Sir Alex Fergusonish with my newfound ability to get players to perform by benching them, but I don’t get near the payoff SAF does. • I will of course

2004-05-30T18:45:00.000-07:00

Week 9 Notes • No TV coverage of Chicago v Colorado? What if Freddy Adu shows up? Then nobody will see him! And that would be a disaster! What’s going on here? Attica! Attica! • Peter Lorre has been reincarnated and is playing soccer in New England under the name Clint Dempsey. This is odd, because, while he was undeniably a great actor, Lorre had no game whatsoever. I’m a bit surprised People

2004-05-29T10:43:00.000-07:00

Crystal Palace v West Ham United (First Division Playoff Final) 29 May 2004 I don't follow West Ham United. I don't follow Crystal Palace. I don't even really follow English 1st Division Football. Yet, I just paid 20 bucks to watch the 1st Division Playoff Final on PPV. Why would I do that? I'm not made of money, ya know? I'll tell you why. First, I'm an addict. I love soccer. Soccer, it has

2004-05-23T21:44:00.000-07:00

WEEK 8 NOTES • I should begin accepting payments from MLS players, based on my flawless record in fantasy soccer. It seems that by benching players on my roster, I consistently cause them to immediately start scoring. Recent examples: o Troy Dayak’s (rare) goal a few weeks ago? I did that. o Damani Ralph finally getting’ off the shneid in week 4? Yep, me. o Noonan’s first

2004-05-22T22:02:00.000-07:00

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS MATCH REPORT Kansas City Wizards v Dallas Burn, 22 May 2004 Kansas City are missing Igor Simutenkov and Preki, which is a lot of their offense. Josh Wolff is always dangerous, and Klein can score when necessary. One thing they don’t lack is Defense; they’re leading the league in that department. Oh great, just what we need. Eric Quill needs to start scoring. Maybe I’ll

2004-05-15T21:02:00.000-07:00

Week 7 Notes • Columbus Crew stadium isn’t Wembley, but from where I sit it looks like a beautiful place to watch football. It was rainy in Columbus today, and the team is in a slump (to put it as kindly as possible), but the box score says 16,000 people were at the match. Is that accurate? They were celebrating the fifth anniversary of the opening of CCS, but on television, it looked pretty

2004-05-15T19:49:00.000-07:00

STREAM OF CONSCIOUSNESS MATCH REPORT Dallas v San Jose, 15 May 2004 Brad Davis started off the match doing the things everyone’s been complaining he doesn’t do enough of. Controlling the ball, beating people on the wing and getting in dangerous crosses and passes. Burn nearly score twice in the first minute. Not that I’m superstitious or anything, but we’ve done much better when the opponent

2004-05-08T21:12:00.000-07:00

WEEK 6 NOTES: • 7,700 in New England. 6,700 in Big D. That is depressing. You can’t blame the weather, you can’t blame March Madness, you can’t blame Yankees/Red Sox, you can’t blame it being the middle of the week, you can’t blame the Freemasons, the Trilateral Commission, the Illuminati, the damn liberals in Congress, or George Bush or Donald Rumsfeld; you can’t even blame it on the bossa nova

2004-05-08T15:06:00.000-07:00

Stream of Consciousness Match Report Dallas Burn v LA Galaxy 8 May, 2004 For the first time this year, Dallas put pressure on the opposition in the first five minutes of the match. I’m not complaining, mind you, just observing. Something you hardly ever see on the first Burn goal in the 6th minute. A goal off the short corner! Ronnie runs on to a ball played into the right side of the box by

2004-05-02T20:33:00.000-07:00

Because I’m a soccer geek par excellence, and because I have no life to speak of, I spend time doing stuff like looking through the All Time MLS Player Register and coming up with lists like this. Therefore, without further Adu (yeah, sorry), I give you my “MLS All-Time All-Star Name Team” Most Common Surname: Rodriguez (5) Runners-up: Alvarez, Moore, Thomas (4). Clark, Gomez, Henderson,

2004-05-01T18:58:00.000-07:00

Week 5 Notes * Eddie Johnson got robbed twice in the first half of the Crew/Burn game. Once by Jon Busch (who, despite the Crew's abysmal start, is a terrific keeper), and once by the referee. Two nearly identical headers a minute apart. The first one parried brilliantly by Busch, the second deflected by Busch, hitting the underside of the crossbar and then either a) just barely going in, or, b)

2004-05-01T17:15:00.000-07:00

Colin Clarke=Sir Alex Ferguson? One of the early stories in MLS this season is the resurgence of Dallas Burn. Let me float an idea about why that is. The big difference for Dallas this year is that Colin Clarke has options. Like all great teams (ahem), the Burn are now in a position where very good players will be sitting on the bench on any given week. This is a good thing. Another manager you

2004-04-25T18:06:00.000-07:00

Week 4 Notes: • Freddy got a yellow card. He is soooooo grounded. • Henry Ring! Three shutouts in four games. Are you kiddn’ me? • Man, the Earthquakes are a big ol’ bag of can’t finish. • Nobody in the league screams at a ref quite like Tony Meola. • Robin Fraser got a yellow card for colliding with Carlos Ruiz on a 50/50 ball. Ruiz flopped and fell like Warren Beatty in the final scene

2004-04-24T19:40:00.000-07:00

Let me just reiterate the fact that Yahoo! Sports SoccerPass is the greatest thing in the history of mankind. As long as it stays free, that is.

2004-04-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

Stream of Consciousness Match Report Dallas Burn v Kansas City Wizards 24 April, 2004 Rematch of the Exhibition match in Edmond, America two weeks ago. Diego Walsh with a good shot in the second minute. Good start for KC. The grass at the Cotton Bowl looks like pool felt as usual. Greatest field in the league. Eddie Johnson got pulled down in the box in the seventh, but got no call. Eddie

2004-04-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

Week 3 MLS Notes: • New England’s Rusty Pierce has improved his game. He’s playing defense instead of just whackin’ folks. • The best part about this time of the season is the utter absence of football lines on the fields. • DeWayne DeRosario with an early “Goal of the Year” candidate for San Jose. Flying side volley; very fancy. Adin Brown with an uncharacteriscally weak clearance which

2004-04-17T19:32:00.000-07:00

Stream of Consciousness Match Report Chicago Burn v Dallas Burn 17 April, 2004 Good save early on by Scott Garlick. I’ve always liked Garlick, but it took me a while to get used to him in Dallas, especially since I considered D.J. Countess one of the best young keepers in the league. Garlick has tons of experience, especially in big games, and I’m now comfortable with him in goal. Burn back on

2004-04-17T15:11:00.000-07:00

Freddy Watch 17 April, 1 af The kid is getting better each week. His growth is exponential, not arithmetic (I don't really know what that means, but it sounds really smart). Things he did better today: 1. Won important 50/50 balls in midfield 2. Beat defenders one-on-one to make the cross. 3. Played more physically. Actually, that consisted of knocking the Assistant Referee flat on his back.

2004-04-10T15:18:00.000-07:00

Henry Ring now has two shutouts in two games for Chicago. D.J. Countess is probably the best second string keeper in the league, and looks to be staying that way. Now if the Fire would just, you know, SCORE . . . In other news, I went to the Dallas/KC exhibition in Edmond, Oklahoma today. They played to a 1-1 draw, with Bobby Rhine scoring for Dallas, and Diego Gutierrez scoring for Kansas

2004-04-03T20:05:00.000-08:00

Opening Day Notes: • Joselito Vaca (“Little Joe Cow” to those in the know) had a terrific game for Metrostars tonight. He never really hit his stride with Dallas, but it was clear that he had tons of talent. I’m glad to see he’s found a better fit in New York. • Jon Busch kept the Crew from getting drubbed in the first half of their game with Metrostars. Not with great saves so much as good