It's nice to be back. Being able to blog again hopefully, regularly gives you a feeling that's difficult to describe; one of blogginess. Or perhaps, should I not be too happy to be blogging when I really ought to be having a life? Who knows! On to the preview... We visit Villa Park today, with [. Click to continue reading...

Open thread again... I'll add my two pence worth when I can. Till then, rant away. Oh my, Rory Delap can throw, can't he?! "Man Utd v Stoke: Preview" was originally published at Red Rants - Manchester United Blog. Click to continue reading...

Open thread folks: all links to streams, discussion on possible lineups, rants, frustration, optimism (blind and realistic), all go here. Possebon is expected to return to the starting lineup alongside a host of other young prospects. Evans should get a run out too, and there is a good chance of getting to spot Manucho. Click to continue reading...

It's early kick off time at the Emirates, and United's meeting with the Gunners couldn't have come at a better time. Arsenal have been in underwhelming form yes, I know, form matters little during a game of this magnitude while United have been kicking up a few gears in the league whilst also [.. Click to continue reading...

First of all let me thank the majority of Americans for making a good decision. Hope's now in the air. So, I suppose, when I wake up tomorrow, I'll see my taxes halve, and my gas bills cut down a notch. Oh. Anyway, good to see a President who sounds intelligent. But enough of the political [...] Click to continue reading...

I despise mid-week games. One, work schedules (and time difference on this side of the pond) make it difficult to catch the action on a work day. Two, it gives about three days from the weekend prior, to regroup and play. But a player pocketing about 90k a week shouldn't complain these days and that's [. Click to continue reading...

Early kick off it is today, which means an early morning game for me. But more interesting things have happened over the past few days in the lead up to this game well considering there hasn't been any updates on this site lately, there has been enough happening that deserved a mention. So let's touch [. Click to continue reading...

The whole season comes down to 90 minutes at The Dick tomorrow night. Win and the Rapids host Chivas USA in the first round of the playoffs next weekend and lift the Rocky Mountain Cup. Lose or draw and watch FSL celebrate their first ever playoff berth on our field and they take the Cup back home with them. Click to continue reading...

The Rapids are out in LA-LA land for their second leg of a 2-game stand against the LA teams. Sunday they play Chivas USA at 1pm MDT, and the fans will be at the British Bulldog like normal.

Here's the injury report:

OUT: GK Justin Hughes (R shoulder); MF Christian Gomez (R ankle); DOUBTFUL: MF Pablo Mastroeni (L knee)

DISCIPLINE:
Suspended after 1 more yellow card: Pablo Mastroeni, Colin Clark, Nick LaBrocca
Suspended after 2 more yellow cards: Conor Casey

My lineup prediction:

Bouna Time! Click to continue reading...

... if said world is England. Suddenly the boy can do no wrong and he's the darling of everyone concerned. Moreover, England is suddenly a world beater. Such hubris is not very difficult to build these days at least sections of the English press never fail to disappoint in this regard. But let us make [. Click to continue reading...

The Rapids are out in LA-LA land for their first leg of a 2-game stand against the LA teams. Sunday night they play the Galaxy at 6pm MDT, and the fans will be at the British Bulldog like normal.

Here's the injury report:

OUT: GK Justin Hughes (R shoulder); PROBABLE: FW Tom McManus (L knee)

DISCIPLINE:
Suspended: Conor Casey
Suspended after 1 more yellow card: Pablo Mastroeni, Colin Clark, Nick LaBrocca
Suspended after 2 more yellow cards: Conor Casey

My lineup prediction:

Burpo
Kimura - Ihemelu - Petke - Harvey
Cooke - Pablo - LaBrocca - Clark
McManus - Peterson

In today's Post Smith says that Petereson and McManus will start for the missing Casey and Cummings. Click to continue reading...

Blackburn away has always been a little tricky. At the moment they are above us in the table, and one would hope this is only an aberration. Today is the day to set things right as we attempt to scale the heights of the league table, before the players depart towards their international sojourn. Before previewing [. Click to continue reading...

The Rapids host the Dynamo in their next-to-last home game of the season tomorrow night at the Dick. Kickoff is at 7pm, tailgating starts at 5.


Here's the injury report:

OUT: GK Justin Hughes (R shoulder); DOUBTFUL: FW Tom McManus (L knee)

DISCIPLINE: Suspended after 1 more yellow card - Pablo Mastroeni, Colin Clark, Nick LaBrocca

My lineup prediction:

Burpo
Kimura - Gibbs - Petke - Harvey
Cooke - Pablo - Ballouchy - Clark
Casey - Cummings

Smith has been pretty consistent about his lineups and its been working, so I see no reason to expect saignificant changes. Click to continue reading...

OK, so I was walking, not running, but still. And the tree was way bigger. Karma for saying we won't make the playoffs? Maybe. But enough administrative make-fun-of-the-blogger stuff... Before my near-fatal accident (kidding), I remember something about us playing a game tonight. Luckily, the DVR is armed and ready. Click to continue reading...

Fergie was in particularly non-cooperative mood with the press, basically telling the English media to fuck off. He cites the misquote (that Chelsea were too old for the title) in South Africa as a reason why they won't hear from him again. Of course he had to attend the pre-match conference according to UEFA rules, [. Click to continue reading...

A quiet few days later, United return to a Premier League game that's at home. The start has been gruelling for us with the injuries and the fixture list, among a few reasons, but if Fergie's prophecy that we'll be fine by October is to ring true, today would be a game we [...] Click to continue reading...

The Rapids are in New York (Well, actually New Jersey) tomorrow to face the Red Bull New York Red Bulls. Colorado is barely holding on to the final playoff spot with only 5 games to go , leaving them little room for error.

Here's the injury report:

OUT: GK Justin Hughes (R shoulder); QUESTIONABLE: FW Tom McManus (L knee)

DISCIPLINE: Suspended after 1 more yellow card - Pablo Mastroeni, Colin Clark
Suspended after 2 more yellow cards - Nick LaBrocca

My lineup prediction:

Burpo
Kimura - Gibbs - Petke - Harvey
LaBrocca - Pablo - Ballouchy - Clark
Casey - Cummings

Today's Denver Post is reporting that due to fighting the flu and a less than 100% hamstring Cookie won't start but will be available on the bench. Click to continue reading...

The magnitude of the situation has been spelled out by pundits and fans alike. SAF recognises the importance of not falling nine points behind Chelsea. Win today and we'll be three points behind with a game in hand. Lose and we'll be you guessed it nine points behind; not a situation one might [. Click to continue reading...

More than you ever wanted to know about your blogger: Why am I posting this alleged "preview" when it's almost noon? For the first time in years I stayed up until the wee hours in a (ultimately futile) attempt to finish this (highly recommended) novel.

So I'll keep this brief.

Galaxy game preview.

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King George III, In a letter to Lord North, 1774

Tomorrow the Rapids, led by an Englishman, attempt to do what George and North could not, quell the Revolution. Its a critical game for the Rapids playoff hopes, a loss here puts them in a hole with a tough upcoming schedule. Kickoff is at 7pm at The Dick and the supporters groups will be tailgating in Lot AA beforehand. Click to continue reading...

We return to Old Trafford after the misadventure in Anfield to meet the Yellow Submarines (as they are called) with several points to prove. It's a strange thing having to prove points that is when we are the defending English and European champions. But let that not mask the fact that whilst we [. Click to continue reading...

The Colorado Rapids will attempt to something they have yet to do this season tomorrow, win back-to-back games. Unfortunately they have the best road team in the league, the Chicago Fire, coming to the Dick. This will be the first appearance by Mr. White (aka Cuauhtemoc Blanco) in Denver as a member of the Fire. Click to continue reading...

For United, there are seven games - and a possible 21 points - left in this year's edition of Major League Soccer's regular season. The team sits tied for fourth place with the New York Red Bulls and is 11 points back from first place Columbus, nine behind New England (who have played one more game) and six behind Chicago.

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At long last we get to some real footballing action. United travel to Anfield with a rather good record in recent times. In pre-match trash talk, the Spanish waiter had a little dig at our club's spending although, for some reason, it seems to escape his attention that he himself has spent about £200m since [. Click to continue reading...

Two tired and/or banged up teams desperately needing points to stay in the playoff hunt stagger into Gillette Stadium at 4 p.m. today live on ESPN2 as Chivas USA visits the New England Revolution.

Chivas USA forward Alecko Eskandarian is suspended for the game.

Brief game preview here.

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Thanks be to the soccer gods for finally kicking Comcast in the ass and bringing my internet service back to life!  In the meantime, I've managed to miss covering the best soccer the Quakes have played all year.  It has been positively awe-inspiring, jaw-dropping... i'm running out of adjectives here. Click to continue reading...

Hello there Offside reader. I'm having a hard time waiting for Sean/Ian to write about the Quakes because, well, the Quakes are winning and everybody always likes to write about their team when their team is winning. Also, it does appear playoff hopes are not completely dead and I'd like to take a [. Click to continue reading...

The Rapids are in Dallas tomorrow night for the ESPN2 game. Kickoff is at 6:30pm and the supporters clubs, along with this author, will be at the British Bulldog to watch the game. This is a must win game for the Rapids, not only for their playoff hopes but also to prove that the team still has some pride. Click to continue reading...

Today is 07/08 season hangover day. A day where we play a game to prove we are better than a team that didn't qualify for the Champions' League. To be honest, I don't get the point of a Super Cup. It's not really super, whether we win it or lose it. Playing the UEFA Cup [...] Click to continue reading...

Bill Shankley could have been talking about tomorrow's game when he said those words. The Rapids travel over the Continental Divide on their annual trip to SLC. Not only are the Rapids playoff chances at stake, but the Rocky Mountain Cup could be decided tomorrow night. The Rapids currently have a 3 point lead in the competition with only 2 games to play, so a win tomorrow means the Cup comes home to Denver. Click to continue reading...

It's bank holiday Monday as United travel to Fratton Park in what has proven to be a tricky encounter in recent times. Last season Paul Scholes' opener was cancelled out by Benjani's equaliser giving us a 1-1 draw. It was one of the wretched few games that kick started, what turned out to be, a [...] Click to continue reading...

Warning: Tommy from Quinzee uses bad language in video. And in the link I just gave. A few weeks back, I might have agreed with Tommy. But does anyone find the irony in the near empty stadium behind that "MLS = Joke" sign? Enough with rubbing salt in wounds. Lets move [...] Click to continue reading...

Two former opposing players are now opposing coaches.
Photo by Juan Miranda

The still stunned LA Galaxy (6-8-5, 23 pts.) faces still injury-ravaged Chivas USA (6-8-4, 22 pts.) live at 8 p.m. (pre-game show starts at 7:30 p.m.) on ESPN2 with, um, fourth place in the Western Conference on the line.

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We return to some real footballing action today with the Community Shield against Portsmouth although pseudo-real could be a better word as the real action begins next week. But before we move on to the preview of today's game a brief word on some early morning bollocks. The News of the World, as is their [. Click to continue reading...

First off, the U.S. Women defeated Japan 1-0 overnight at the Olympics.

USC's Amy Rodriguez got her surprise first start of the Olympics over Natasha Kai. Here's Coach Pia Sundhage on why she made the move:

"The reason for A-Rod instead of Kai was her speed. That was crucial when we looked at the way Japan plays.

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