Hahaha!!  I called, but Fergie didn't have anyone willing to step up and process my order.

"We started the game brightly. We were confident and we could have been in front," Ferguson said. "We had the ball but didn't use it very well. ... We defended fantastically all season but they were two shoddy goals.

"We didn't play as well as we can, but they are a good team. We have to give them credit. Xavi (Hernandez) and (Andres) Iniesta can keep the ball all night. They made it very difficult."

1.  The move by Et'o to embarrass Vidic was not "shoddy".  Leaving Messi unmarked for a header in front of goal was shoddy.

2. Xavi and Iniesta "can keep the ball all night" if no one bothers to pressure them, like in the 2009 CL Final, for example.

Better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.

-jk3

(Alfred Lord Tennyson)

Darn it...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/8071284.stm

Here is a photo of me I never posted after the 2006 World Cup in Germany.  There I was minding my own business, when suddenly a few guys from Ghana pleaded with me that they had too many injuries and they needed me to join their roster.  I couldn't say no, but I never thought I would score the winning goal with a bit of real quality . . .  Here's the proof:

That wasn't Photoshop, my friend.  Look again.

So, today I heard the first four teams to qualify for the 2010 Men's World Cup, besides South Africa which has an automatic berth as host country: <drum roll>Netherlands, Japan, South Korea, Australia</dr>.  Credit to the Aussies, who were the last team to qualify in '06 and amoung the first to qualify in 2010.

Not sure how other nations faired today, but the U.S. rebounded from a dismal performance at Costa Rica Wednesday to defeat a good team from Honduras today in Chicago.  I was dismayed by some of the poor play in the first half, but the first ten minutes of the second half showed me we can play tough and possess with quality.  I have yet to watch the rest of the 2nd half, but apparently we got the result we needed to keep us on track for a visit "Over There" in SA next year.  "Cause the Yanks are Coming! The Yanks are Coming! The Drum's rum tumming everywhere!"

Johnnie get your gun, get you gun, get your gun,
Johnnie show the Hun, you're a Son-of-a-Gun,
Hoist the flag and let her fly
Like true heros do or die
Pack your little kit, show your grit, do your bit,
Soldiers to the ranks from the towns and the tanks,
Make your Mother proud of you and to Liberty be true.

Chorus:
Over There, Over There
Send the word, send the word,
Over There
That the Yanks are coming,
The Yanks are coming,
The drums rum tumming everywhere
So prepare,
Say a Prayer
Send the word,
Send the word to beware
We'll be over, we're coming over.
And we won't be back till it's over over there!

Copyright © 1917 by Leo. Feist, Inc., New York

Gotta be Sami's.  What a palace!

Manchester United have performed an incredible about-turn on Cristiano Ronaldo    by accepting a world record £80m bid from Real Madrid for the Portuguese    winger.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd /5503288/Manchester-United-accept-80m-bid-for-Cristiano-Ronaldo-from-R eal-Madrid.html

I think they pay for goal scoring ability.

I's pick Stevie over Ronaldo if I was building a 2009 all-star team.  Tommy Smith gave his top five on ESPN two days ago, and I thought he was all wet. 5. Rooney 4. Inietsa 3. Kaka 2. Ronaldo 1. Messi.  The midfield drives the team.

Whoa ho... US 1 - 0 ITL

But, a long way to go.

1-1 Rossi for the Azuri.  A left foot cracker.

I wonder why the Mancs sold him to Villareal.

Iechyd da! John
20:46 15/06/2009 BST

2-1 for Italy.  de Rossi.  Not the best of goals but it beat the clumsy defender and outstretched Howard…

About 15 min to go.

Iechyd da! John
21:00 15/06/2009 BST

I thought the U S play was pitiful in the second half.

Only consolation is two Italian goals were scored by somebody 'born in the USA'.

Didn't get to see the game, but I appreciated the updates.  We went down to ten men vs. Italy the last time we played them.  We pulled off a draw that day in Germany at the WC, but playing down a man is not a good way to battle the Italians.

Saturday 15th May - FA Cup Final

SATURDAY 22nd May, 2010 -   Champions League Final (Madrid)

The Prem League fixtures for 09/10 are out in 9 hours (10:00 am BST)

Iechyd da! John
01:05 17/06/2009 BST

Egypt 0-3 USA

And thanks to a Dossena own goal, the USA made up the 6 goal goal-difference to qualify for the seim-finals!

But Liverpool Spain will be much more difficult opponents!

Iechyd da! John
22:53 21/06/2009 BST

But all their players will be there (except the magnificent JC)

Spain

Reina, Arbeloa, Alonso, Torres, Riera

England

Gerrard

Johnson (new signing)

Italy

Dossena

Brasil

Aurelio

Lucas

Cavalieri

Argentina

Mascherano

Insua

Netherlands

Kuyt

Babel

France

Ngog

Plessis

Morocco

Nabil El Zhar

&c. &c…

Iechyd da! John
21:37 22/06/2009 BST

johnk3 wrote:

 

Whoa Ho USA... again.

Excellent!  Full marks for a great display of well organised and fully committed football!  And well taken goals from Altidore and Dempsey.

And as usual, the US of A managed with only 10 players!  Who's next for a red card!!

So, who d'you fancy in the final on Sunday at 19:30h BST - Brasil or South Africa?

Iechyd da! John
23:06 24/06/2009 BST