STOP EVERYTHING YOU ARE DOING!! HOLD THE PRESSES!!!!

HOLD EVERYTHING, WEST HAM have done it. The deal to sign Carlitos "Apache" Tevez and Javier Mascherano is complete for WEST HAM, and it isn't a loan deal as we originally thought, THESE ARE PERMANENT CONTRACTS!!!!! I don't know how they did it, but here is a quote from the Hammers website, "The transfers represent a massive coup for the Hammers, who have beaten off some of Europe's biggest clubs to secure the services of the duo." I say good for you Hammers, You did something that ManYoo, Chelski, and International Arsenal couldn't do. The Hammers had the inside track on the two Argentinians because they are owned by the same company that owns Corinthians, but I digress. Look for the Hammers to win the UEFA cup now and definately qualify for the Champions league next season, thats right Hammer fans, CHAMPS LEAGUE football @ Upton Park.

Welcome to the Prem, DaMarcus

Damarcus Beasley is on the move, and it is a loan move to Man City. City are looking up after beating arsenal and Beasley now gets his chance in the prem. I hope he makes the most of it

You've gotta be kidding me

Alright, I know that my 4th place in the EPL prediction is changing quicker than a Truman's body composition (oooooh burn), but all that was before I read espnsoccernet this morning. Ok here it goes... According to the man himself... Carlos Tevez, along with his international teamate Javier Mascherano are both heading to London. Now there is a plethera of teams in London so let me ellaborate. Arsenal...NO. Chelski...Not even close. Ok here it is...WEST HAM. According to espnsoccernet, "Tevez and Mascherano are expected to join the east London club on a season-long loan and a permanent deal next summer is possible, either at Upton Park or elsewhere." WHAT!!!!!! This is crazy. I want to know how they can afford this, but regardless, these two Argentinians could push the Hammers to a major trophy this year, but it DEFINATELY secures them 4th place in the league, regardless of what Redknapp does at Pompey. My top three are still the same though:
1. ManYoo
2. the Liverpudlians
3. Chelski
4. one of our esteemed bloggers favorite teams: the HAMMERS

Sir Alex...HOW COULD YOU LET TEVEZ GO TO THE HAMMERS...You've gotta be kidding me, somebody wake me up from this nightmare. Don't get me wrong, I like the Hammers, but where are the Reds on this one man. If West Ham could have secured the services of Tevez and Mascherano, both of who supposedly interest Fergie, then Man U definately could have secured the same loan deals and signed both of them to permanent deals when the season closes. Well, West Ham finally have a World Class striker (no offense to their current crop of Zamora, Teddy "AARP" Sheringham, Dean Ashton and Marlon "Shit the Bed" Harewood) and a dominant midfield force in Mascherano. I guess Hammers would be willing to part with reo-coker now, but why would Man U want Reo-Coker over Mascherano? I will bring this post to an end by saying that this has been the most frustrating offseason/transfer window EVER for Manchester united, and they gave up Marcos Senna because they thought they could get Hargreaves, and they have neither now. They pissed off Senna by completely dropping interest as soon as Hargreaves illegally declared his desire to play for United, and now have no chances of signing the Brazilian-born Spaniard. I still have Man U winning the league, but they BETTER do something in the January window or else, in the words of Donny Greens, they are "F#$%*D." Great...just Great

American-born Italian International...WTF man, WTF

Things just got a little brighter on Tyneside. Giuseppe Rossi has been loaned to Newcastle until January 1st 2007. Sir Alex Ferguson says that this move will give Rossi some "invaluable 1st team experience." This is just a stall move by Newcastle while trying to get Michael Owen healthy again. The Rossi-Martins tandem will be one of the fastest strike pairs in all of England, but they both have a lot to prove. Rossi is the main reason that Sir Fergie let Ruud Van Nistel-Joy go to Los Galacticos de Madrid. If you can put that much faith (30+ goals a seasons worth) in an unproven AMERICAN-italian, then he must be worth his weight in salt. This also gives Ferguson some time to see if Alan Smith can move back to striker. Glenn Roeder must have a very bright outlook on the first half of the season, and Rossi will see some European action in the UEFA cup; which doesn't disqualify him for playing for Man U in the Champions League upon his return because they are different competitions. So all in all I think that this is a great move for both clubs and both gaffers can be pleased with it.
P.S. Man U really need to pick up CARLITOS TEVEZ and sell Louis Saha, because Rossi will be ready upon his return from the Tynside

transfer gossip...great

Ok, so the trasfer deadline has come and gone and my boy Stephen Appiah is doomed to Fernerbache for at least a few more months Appiah plays the same holding middy role that Hargreaves plays, and Appiah is BETTER. So why didn't Sir Fergie try to get him

If Portsmouth do get Appiah in January, Pedro Mendes recovers from that year-long ban worthy tackle, and the Democratic Republic of Congo trickster Lomano Lua-Lua (whose name is just as cool as Shittu) returns to full health, then they could be poised to make a late run and possibly a Uefa cup spot, because that forth spot for the Champs league is already on Lockdown by West Ham.

A little more transfer gossip: Apparently there is going to be a tug of war between Arsenal and Man U for the signature of Carlos Tevez, whether it happens between now and the end of the transfer window or the start of the new one, it will happen. I just hope Fergie doesn't do something stupid and sign Trezeguet instead. He is garbage, and Man U already have a French striker, so GO GET TEVEZ!!!!!!!!

P.S. LEO MESSI IS THE SHIZNITTLE BAM SNIP SNAP SAP and BARCA are unstoppable with him, Eto'o and Dinho on the field @ the same time. It turns out that the Ronaldinho/Rijkaard rift was completely made up, and probably by some Madridista, you gotta watch those f'ing madridistas. Sevilla showed that the impenetrable force that is Barcelona is penetrable by way of counter attack. This is so because Barcelona doesn't have a holding midfielder (they let him go to Bayern Munich, so now they have two holding midfielders in Van Bommell and Hargreaves). Without Van Bommell, all Barcelona has is attacking midfielders. If they can fix this in the January window, then they should win the league just fine, but if not, look for los Galacticos de Madried or los Xotos de Valencia to win the league due to Barcelona's lack of a defensive mentality, especially in the midfield.

Don't mess with Messi

After Sam's lovely focus piece on Rio Ferdinand, I was obligated to follow up with my own tasty bit, this one on my favorite teenager in football, Mr. Lionel Messi. All you need to know is that this kid plays internationally for a perennial powerhouse in Argentina (where they call him the second coming of some guy named Maradona), and plays his club footy for the Champions of Europe in Barcelona. And when you have the likes of Ronaldinho, Samuel Eto'o, and Frank Rijkaard practically raising you on the football pitch (he's been in Barca youth development since he was 13), then you are destined for great things. I know it's way too early to even talk about it, but him and Carlos Tevez are going to go apeshit in South Africa 2010. Dude's also got a sweet Euro-mullet.

Portsmouth!?

When I started this footy blog I never in my wildest dreams thought I'd ever write about Portsmouth FC, and yet here I am, three games into the Premiership season, with Pompey staring at me with seven points and no goals allowed. The obvious question on everybody's mind is where the hell did this come from? I'm here to say, like the rest of you, that I have absolutely no idea.

Whatever manager Harry Redknapp has his boys beleiving in, it's working. Because not only can Portsmouth claim to be the only Prem team to not concede a goal, they also boast its top scorer, ex-Arsenal striker Nwakwo Kanu. And assuming their keeper, David "Calamity" James, doesn't have a relapse and go into meltdown mode like seasons past, then I'm here to say that Pompey might have what it takes to finish in the top six and qualify for Europe before it's all said and done.

Just look at their roster: Kanu is a gem, and will score 25 goals this season without breaking much of a sweat; Sol Campbell, despite the slandering he's received from the British press the past year, is a more than serviceable defender and an absolute beast on set peices; Glen Johnson is a stud defender, regardless of his age and immaturity; and midfielder Pedro Mendes, if and when he ever wakes up from that nasty challenge from Ben Thatcher, is an all-around solid midfield maestro.

It's not the Portsmouth of recent years, this much is certain, because when you see the players Harry has assembled you realize these guys aren't a bunch of slouches. They can play--and perhaps more importantly--play well with each other. Amazing how quickly a team can gel when they're winning games, so now the question is how long can they keep it up? With Calamity James between the posts, it's only a matter of time before the winning is going to stop, or atleast slow down, so it oughta be interesting to see how Redknapp and Co. respond when the going gets tough. I'm here to give them my full endorsement for a top six finish, I just hope there's still room on the Pompey bandwagon.

A Rio runs through it

While Manchester United continue their march to the Premier League title this year, a shaven-head Rio Ferdinand takes the field and anchors the defense. This isn't the first time that Rio has gone au natural, but it is at the expense of the raw Marley locks that he rocked during the tour of South Africa this summer (see above). But whether he is cornrowed, shaved, or bald, he is still one of the best defenders in the world, despite the rare occasion of a slip up. He has been rock solid for United this year so far, and survived the scare of the metatarsal that has rocked England before. So in the little town of Manchester, one thing is a constant, A Rio always runs through it.

Not inside my 18

At school I schlep to watch games at Savannah’s Scottish pub, Molly McPherson’s. Polished wood floorboards usually creak, to announce its only customer. Fans flutter flags and stir the simmering heat of mid-evening Savannah, which creeps in behind me. Voices of British announcers drift through surround sound speakers. As the lads trickle inside to sip on pints the maroon and violet of Barcelona scarves color few necks in a row. The European Champion’s league telecast was the object of our affection. A few months ago I sat scrawling words similar to these in an arduous attempt to hammer out a journalism piece: which relayed my passion and reverence for the game. But, an article which carried an informative yet stern tone as to the current state of U.S. footy affairs.

Where are the nail-biting fans or dedicated supporters packing into the armpit of pubs and sports bars? Can our beloved footy float in the sea of America’s most popular sports? At Giants stadium, for example, the cost of parking, $10.00, exceeds the cost of admittance to a Metrostars game, $8.00. Ian Ng, a college freshman, lent me some insight, “I don’t like soccer as much as football, basketball or baseball…I like American sports better. Football, basketball and baseball were created in America. Soccer is not an American sport because many other countries play it.” Acceptance must hinge on shoe deals and advertising schemes, for big business has reduced this nation to the state of a selfish and ignorant child.

Not one to hold my breath for the rumor-mill, Beckham printed on the back of a L.A. Galaxy uniform might revive footy from its dismal stateside existence. A wave of change could follow Beckham’s entrance into Major League Soccer; reminiscent of Pele’s influence when playing for the New York Cosmos. Maybe the USL and other professional leagues should sit down with the M.L.S. and sew together a cohesive fabric for promotion and relegation within a new system. In truth, doubt’s shadow looms over future prospects in America; grassroots support at the youth level just isn’t what it could be.

In the wake of this summer’s World Cup it seems most of the polity have slipped into or have never left a state of mental submission. Comedian politicians, stock market flux, fixed apr mortgage rates, or prescription drug refill dates have caught Americans in their usual mire of narcissism. Thankfully the EPL begins anew.

A thought to close: During memorable road trips along Jamaica’s western coast, my brother Stephen and I saw more fields and playable pitches adorned with posts, barrels, and players than witnessed our entire lives growing up in Atlanta, Georgia

Meet Sambo

Alright, Sam here, and with my first post, I am going to shed some light on a few subjects. First of all, THERE IS NO PROBLEM BETWEEN ROON AND RONNY. If the first game of the season against Fulham is any sign of things to come, watch out Chelski.

For my next point I would like to tell all home fans of any team that Man U comes to play this year that booing Ronaldo is a bad strategy. In case you didn't watch the world cup, he thrives on it. It makes him play that much better.

Third, I would like to call for Ben Thatcher of Man City to face a year long ban for his horrendous challenge on Pedro Mendes of Portsmouth. This challenge caused Mendes to spend a night in the hospital after having a seizure, and the referee only busted out a yellow card. The FA need to send a message that these kinds of challenges are unnaceptable, and thankfully the referee has been taken off of the list of Premiership Officials.

Speaking of unnaceptable, I would like to ask Bayern Munich to remove their heads from their ass and let Owen Hargreaves make his dream move. Up until the world cup, I wasn't a fan of Hargreaves, but after the cup, I (and the Gaffer Sir Alex) have come to realize that Hargreaves would be a vital asset to Man Utd. Bayern Munich just have to accept the fact after 9 years, Hargreaves needs and deserves a new challenge .

And lastly, I would like to comment on the Champions League draw. Chelski beware. Barcelona will beat Chelski both matches, and Werder Bremen are no pushovers, Miroslav Klose can strike anywhere at anytime. Man Utd can now extract some revenge on Benfica, and Inter finally have the tools to move deep into Europe. Who will win? If I had to guess now, I would say Barcelona wins it again over an English team in a classic.----- Sam out

Get used to it

I know it's early, but has anyone looked at the top of the table recently? Man U has eight goals for to just one against. Ruud Van Who?

Poor, poor Chelsea

Thursday evening in Monaco was UEFA's Champions League group draw, which saw title holders Barcelona put in the same group as their perennial nemesis (and mine) Chelsea. What amazes me here is that two time defending EPL champs Chelsea aren't even included in the top pool of clubs UEFA uses to seed the group phase. So despite their $200 million roster and back-to-back EPL trophies, the Blues still aren't considered a top seed in Europe's eyes. Now they have two fixtures with the unstoppable force that is Barcelona just to make it through to the round of 16. And we all know how Chelsea has fared against the Catalians the last two years: o-fer

The way it works is UEFA uses a formula to evaluate and seed the 32 teams that make the Champions League draw, based on domestic record, strength of domestic league, and international record over the last five years. Now I know Chelsea haven't had near the success in Europe as their counterparts Liverpool and Arsenal (both of which were included in this year's top pool), but give them credit where it's due, because they've been wiping the floor with both of those clubs when it comes to the Prem. I hate to praise them, but let's face it, Chelsea have dominated English football recently.

The U.S. knows all about getting a bum rap when the lottery balls are bouncing (see World Cup draw, with the U.S. a 9th seed and the top 8 seeds getting placed in seperate groups--how'd that end up working out for us?), however the point is that Chelsea have been assembled for the sole purpose of winning Europe, and they have yet to make even the semis. That's not to say they stopped caring about domestic ties--although anyone watching them against Middlesborough would argue otherwise, what a pathetic final fifteen minutes!--but at this point, owner Roman Abamovich desperately wants to own the only trophy that has yet to grace his cupboard, the Champions League. And guess what? The world's 49th richest man is going to have to wait another year, 'cause either Barca repeats or Inter Milan is going to bring home the hardware, you heard it here first.

To see the official Champions League group draw, as well as the four pools of clubs UEFA used in the lottery, see the following page: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=340368&cc=5901

The coolest name in the Prem

Danny Shittu
Defender
# 17
Watford FC
Nigerian International

EPL top four predictions

Let's face it, the English Prem is the toughest football league, top to bottom, in the entire world. The best players (outside of Barcelona), the best fans, the coolest managers, and by far the most exciting brand of football. La Liga is no joke, don't get me wrong, but as far as quality goes--and quality means everything when it comes to top tier footy--Spain doesn't have it outside of their top six or eight clubs. And even that's being generous. Germany and Italy have both fallen off the face of respectability as far as I'm concerned. Go a season without scandal, then we'll talk.

Everyone likes Chelsea but me. I like their players, but only as individuals, not as a unit which wears blue and reeks of the New York Yankees. Did you know Bin Laden is a Chelsea supporter? So is the guy from North Korea. I'm not making this up. I think they're loaded at every position, but for me to pick them at the top goes against everything I stand for. Let's not forget this is the team that lost to the MLS Allstars in July. That's just inexcusable. So as much as I want to see Reading or Tottenham win the Prem, these are realistic predictions so I'm going with another often loathed squad, Manchester United.

Anyone who wants to argue I'd like you to see the ninety minutes they put in versus Bolton yesterday. Goodness gracious, they are going to score more goals then any team in the league, including the 40 (that's right, forty) that Rooney's good for. Second will be Liverpool, in a title chase that comes down to last few fixtures of Spring, followed by Chelsea third and Tottenham inching past rivals Arsenal for fourth. I implore you to give me your four, especially if you don't have Chelsea in your top two. Call me crazy but isn't it ok to not like a team based on their philosophies? Alright then, come on you Reds!

Play beautiful, my brothers

Welcome to our footy blogspot. The articles posted here will be written, for the most part, by a group of American kids who spend their weekends waking up a 7:00 AM and watching live footy all morning. We know the players, we know the game, we know the culture, and none of us will ever, ever refer to the beautiful game as soccer--it's footy and that's a promise. Somebody needs to let the public know that there are Americans who give a damn, because based on our recent World Cup performance, even our players and coaches don't know what the hell is going on out there. That's why we're here; partly to help resuscitate whatever kind of footy pulse this nation had, but also to spread the gospel, so to speak, on a worldwide scale. It is our hope that those who visit this site appreciate what we're trying to do here, and, if you're feeling up for it, leave us a few thoughts of your own. Or else you're liable to end up like this poor chap on the right.