Joyeaux Noel

just like Ligue A and La Liga, we're out.
Happy Holidays and a Merry New Year.














just get the sink picture out of here

The "everything but the kitchen sink" post

Okay, I lied, this post has everything including the kitchen sink. This post will cover a lot, so bear with me.

A. Champs League reaction: So i went 4-12 on matchdays 11 and 12 to bring my overall total for the group stage to 53-43 and a 55% accuracy rating. Now, being able to predict 96 matches with a 55% accuracy rating isn't bad, but it isn't really good either. Mark my words though, it will improve in the knockout rounds. Of the 16 teams left in the Champions League, Lille is the only team that can't win. Based on form in the group stage, I would say that Lyon is the favorite, with ManYoo, Bayern, Inter, Barca, and Real Madrid possible winners.

B. FREDDY ADU HAS BEEN TRANSFERRED...to real salt lake. He will start every game he is available there, but the team sucks. This is a bad move for Freddy, but there is nothing he can do about it because his contract is owned by the MLS. If Manchester United do rescue him, good for him; but all inklings from the British press are that Sir Alex just didn't see enough from him to splash the cash that would be required to buy MLS's golden boy.

C. No more Alan Pardew- Okay, so I was wrong about West Ham. Look for Sven Goran-Erikkson or Alan Curbishley to take the reigns. Now that they are completely out of the top 4 picture, I am giving you my new top 4 prediction. Unfortunately, it seems that it is probably going to be the usual suspects:
1. Manchester United- THE CHAMPS
2. Chelsea
3. Liverpool
4. Arsenal

D. The Fifa World Club Championships are upon us, and it doesn't seem to have a lot of luster, maybe because Max Bretos is the commentator, but I digress. However, there could be surprises. Liverpool was supposed to win easily last year, but fell to Sao Paulo in the final. I don't see that happening to Barcelona. They should win it in a walk. So give me Internacional (Brazil) vs Barcelona in the final. Barcelona will win, but don't sleep on the Brazilians.

Goodnight Sweet Prince

West Ham axe skipper Alan Pardew, claiming to have a replacement set up in time for the January transfer window. Where are all my contributors who had West Ham finishing in the top four? Gone but not forgotten.

US Soccer: Explain Yourself

Somebody needs to tell me why we failed to sign the best free-agent coach on the market, Mr. Klinsmann. Sunil Gulati, President of U.S. Soccer, has somehow let out guy go without the slightest inclination why. I am deeply disturbed by this development as I was sure Klinsmann would be a Yank and thus our team would be on the track to respectability....this is obviously not the case. It's now the second week of December and we still don't have a coach. This is not a good sign if you're a fan (or worse, a believer) in US Soccer.

Here's the deal:

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=394971&cc=5901

Stone Cold Lead Pipe Locks for Matchday 12

The last day of group play is upon us. Here are your predictions:





Madrid over Kiev in a cakewalk
Lyon over Steaua
Celtic over Copenhagen to win the group
Milan beat Lille
AEK over Anderlecht at the Constant Vanden Stock
CSKA Moscow defeat Hamburg to set up...
UPSET ALERT-Porto over Arsenal, knocking them out of the Champions League
and in the match of the day... MANCHESTER UNITED break Benfica's spirits by getting out of the gates quickly and winning the match handily.

Show up or get shown up

It's win or go home time in Europe's top football competition, so let us cut to the chase and get to the sure-fire analysis.

I like PSV in a big way over Bordeaux. This is probably my lock of the day.

Liverpool only need a tie to secure top place in thier group, but they get the win instead, beating Galatasaray 1-nil.

Spartak Moscow is dreadful away from their synthetic frozen pitch back home, and they get it handed to them at Sporting Lisbon.

Valencia at Roma will be a good contest, but Roma need the win to secure the knockout round and Valencia's already through...got to give the nod to the more desperate club here, Roma 2-1.

Shakhtar Donetsk at Olympiakos is my rubber-bullet special of the day. I think they're actually handing out comlimentary body armour and gas masks for the first 5000 supporters. Olympiakos has nothing really to play for whereas Shakhtar has a chance of survival with a win and a Roma loss, but they don't get te result here. Shakhtar and Olypiakos play out to draw, and after the game supporters from both sides will get shanked in the achilles and likely assaulted with tear gas in the streets of Athens.

Internazionale at Bayern will be the match of the day, regardless of what people are saying at the Nou Camp. Both of these squads have been playing their best football of the season and now meet to decide who wins group B. As much as both of these teams want a result, I don't see it happening. Draw along the lines of Lyon at Madrid last matchday...something wild like 2-2.

Chelsea will probably not field a first-team squad but still name the score against a dreadful Levski Sofia squad. Chelsea wins 3-nil.

Finally we come to Barca hosting Werder Bremen, the ESPN2 featured match of the day. I've like Barcelona to win this competition from the outset but they really haven't impressed during the group stage. If they do manage to pull off this win, it's going to be an absolute battle for 90 minutes. From what I've seen of this squad, and given there's no Messi and Eto'o, I can't feel good about Barca's chances. Yet somehow I can't stay away. Give me Barca 2-1 over Werder, which I'll acknowledge up front is a decision made with my heart and not my head. I do, however, feel good about this game going over the 2.5 goal mark. That 2-1 scoreline is going to win this match for someone, I'm just hoping it's the boys in blue.

Enjoy the matches and come back tomorrow for more knowledge.

Stone Cold Lead Pipe Locks for Match Day 11

Here are Match day 11's picks
Inter Milan over Bayern Munich in Bavaria
Sporting Lisbon tie Spartak Moscow
Liverpool over Galatasaray with a strong performance from Dudek in goal
PSV over Bordeaux (Mendez, you are making me look bad. Score already)
Olympiakos over Shakhtar
Roma beat Valencia at home
Chelsea destroy Levski at the Bridge. Poor, poor Levski. However, Lampard doesn't get any goals because he couldn't hit a barn door with a machine gun.
and, in the match of the day:
Barcelona over Werder Bremen in a barnburner at the Nou Camp. Werder Bremen go on to win the UEFA Cup

HENRIK LARSSON TO JOIN MAN UTD IN JANUARY!

Chelsea have just been guaranteed second place or worse, because the man who singlehandedly won Barcelona the Champions League last year is joining Man United on loan. This is the perfect move for Manchester United and it gives Larsson, 35, one last gasp at greatness. This will not only propel United to win the league, but it also gives them a proven Champions League threat and makes them a top contender (if they can qualify out of the Group Stage). Larsson can play as an all out striker or on either wing. If United go into January with the lead in the league, then the second half should be a cakewalk with a proven commodity like Larsson in your ranks. I could not be happier with this move. You can read more about this from our esteemed colleagues at ESPN Soccernet.