NSC

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November 8, 2008

A few things...

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Sorry for flaking out for a couple of days, but I've been dominated by an exquisite neck/headache since Thursday night. Now that I can look at a computer screen for longer than seven seconds at a time, it's time for a rally... #1 - US Soccer has opened up fan nominations for five Best of 2008 categories, including (ahem) Best Soccer Blog. Click to continue reading...

November 4, 2008

A few things...

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Go vote! That is all. #1 - All together now... "Charlie Davies can't stop scoring." Yup, CD made it a dirty dozen for the season, good enough for fifth best in the Swedish top flight, with a hustle header on Monday night. See it here (media player link). #2 - I still have a Top 5 List ready to go, and you have my solemn word it will be up later today. Click to continue reading...

November 2, 2008

Coming soon!

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I rarely get a day off, but yesterday would essentially count as one for me. Oh, I did some work and watched a couple of matches, but mostly I was a lazy bum. I will shortly post an MLS playoff video roundup (a ka the Yura Movsisyan Show). You can also expect a new TOP 5 List, but that likely will have to wait 'til tomorrow. Click to continue reading...

October 28, 2008

So ummm...

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This dog ate my homework and... No, really, I lost my interwebs last night for a good while. Then, when it came back, I saw Sean had posted a talk with Frank Simek. I wanted to let that hold the top for a spell, so I crashed out. My MLS playoff Top 5 List and this week's Who likes Goals? are coming today. Click to continue reading...

October 26, 2008

MLS Playoff Pairings

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Here is the set-up for the MLS Playoffs, which kick off Thursday. The higher seed (and first leg visitor) is listed first. The pairings are listed as if in brackets, with the top half being the Eastern road to MLS Cup. Columbus v. Kansas City Chicago v. New England Houston v. New York Chivas USA v. Real Salt Lake I will put some horse race odds on my Top 5 title favorites in the morning. Click to continue reading...

October 22, 2008

A few things...

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Eight days until my true love returns... #1 - Well, it seems David Beckham is going to spend a few months on loan with AC Milan starting in January. I'm not sure how I feel about this yet, but at least now maybe I can actually get a recorder to his face for the first time in ages. Between all those years in the Prem and his oft-limited MLS availability, I'm shooting for an exclusive. Click to continue reading...

October 21, 2008

A fair question.

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It was hardly the first time I'd been asked, but my friend's matter-of-fact query as to how I could profess "fan-ship" for my club (Ajax Amsterdam) and my two live-and-die-with national teams (the U.S. and the Netherlands) in my blog/column writing and claim to remain unbiased when it comes time to report news. Click to continue reading...

Who likes goals? Part Deux

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A quick annex post: check out the sweet turn leading to a delicious curler inside the post from Hammarby's Charlie Davies last night. I'll bet he wishes the season wasn't going to end in four games... hmmm... I guess I'll ask him next time we talk. And I still have not located a clip from Ryan Guy's hat trick for St. Click to continue reading...

October 18, 2008

Please stop breathing so loud.

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Yesterday was my roommate Pierre's birthday. We had a party here. I rarely drink alcohol. I drank a lot of alcohol last night. It was a very, very good party. I shall return... slowly. - Greg Seltzer Click to continue reading...

October 16, 2008

A few things...

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Float like a butterfly and sting like a bee, a great man once said... #1 - The MLS expansion bid deadline has passed, with seven cities filing in time. Being a St. Louis boy, obviously I will be rooting for their inclusion in the league, which many observers will agree is overdue. MLS Talk scribe Kartik Krishnaiyer makes his plea (dig that sweet stadium rendering! Click to continue reading...

October 14, 2008

A few things...

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Sean should be back in the tubes of an interweb later on tonight, but for now I'll hit ya with some quick jabs of my own... #1 - FC Barcelona is all set to unveil a bid for an MLS club in Miami. Get all of the details (well... all they will tell before Wednesday's press conference) here. #2 - Ladies and gentleman, I give you the overreach of the century (which need I remind is less than a Click to continue reading...

October 9, 2008

The big scoop! Or not so much.

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Here's the deal: Sean lost his interwebs over in Ireland and I'm thinking I still need a good night of sleep before I recover my brain from the OG old dirty bastard, influenza deluxe. I hereby vow tomorrow to finally drop that Top 5 World Soccer Rules I HATE, and am planning to do a U.S. v Cuba LIVE on Saturday. Click to continue reading...

October 7, 2008

A few things...

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I'm movin' slow and runnin' on fumes... blasted flu!!! By the way, as I laid in a tomato soup/toast/lozenge of soup stupor trying to sleep two nights back, I came up with this joke: Since a French person got me sick, does that mean I have Freedom Flu? Shut up, I thought it was funny. #1 - Before the bug got me, I got Chivas USA ace Sacha Kljestan on the phone. Click to continue reading...

October 2, 2008

A few things...

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I'm still without net at home, but on the move today anyway. Ah, the joys of complimentary WiFi... #1 - Just in the nick of time, a rundown of today's UEFA Cup action involving Americans. I was going to do another Standard v. Everton LIVE, but I'm not making any promises until the tech comes out to fix whatever the connection problem is at home. Click to continue reading...

September 29, 2008

A few things...

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I'm sleepy, so let's not dillydally... #1 - The weekend Americans Abroad goal roundup won't take long this time around, but at least somebody broke the drought. For the second straight Danish Cup match, Randers FC attacker Lee Nguyen lit the lamp. Check out his opportunistic marker here. A pair of homies in Norway's second fight picked up assists: Nybergsund's Joe Lapira and Haugesund's Cameron Click to continue reading...

September 28, 2008

Technical difficulties?

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I admit it... that used to be me every time the ol' PC started going goofy and I had no clue how to make it stop. I'm not what one would call overly computer savvy. I know computers like I know cars - I know only what I've had to fix. But today, as I continued to struggle for techno-normalcy for the second day in a row, I thought of some recent sage advice from my dear friend Ami: "Just say. Click to continue reading...

September 22, 2008

Donovan welcomes Bayern interest

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Do you want the 411 on LD? Then ya gotta go to AC. With Bayern Munich supposedly interested in expanding their market to the U.S. and apparently insisting only the best 'Nat will do, Landon Donovan finally admits he would be open to a move back to Germany after all. NSC pal Andrea Canales gets the story from every angle over at Soccernet. Click to continue reading...

A stand-up guy: Steve Coppell

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It's time to inaugurate what I hope will become a busily regular theme post here at NSC by saluting Reading manager Steve Coppell for his comments in the aftermath of the wacky 2-2 draw ably described by Sean in the previous post (with exclusive remarks from Watford's Jay DeMerit, no less). Sometimes, we get so caught up criticizing that we forget to honor the good guys. Click to continue reading...

September 19, 2008

A few things...

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Friday Friday, busy busy busy, thanks for your patience and patronage... #1 - I realize today's Cut breaks the F-bomb rule. Please forgive me, but it's Friday, and like Glenn Close in Fatal Attraction, the Replacements will not be ignored. Just pretend you didn't hear it if you must. #2 - And we have another note on the bounds of good taste: it seems an amateur footballer in Germany, one Click to continue reading...

September 17, 2008

Who likes goals?

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Let's take a quick gander at some of the Goal of the Week candidates from around the globe in another new NSC series post debut. Enjoy... MLS Dutch Eredivisie Serie A -- I'd have to vote for O'Brien, Granqvist & Zarate. I will post others when I find them. - Greg Seltzer Click to continue reading...

September 15, 2008

Welcome to the proper

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With the Champions League group stage and UEFA Cup first round set to begin, let's go over the European matches this week involving Americans and their clubs. Jozy Altidore is not on Villarreal's roster for Wednesday's daunting Champions League trip to face holders Manchester United in their Group F opener, so stateside fans will sharpen focus on UEFA Cup matches. Click to continue reading...

September 10, 2008

A few things...

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Having slept obscenely late to prepare for tonight's USMNT v Trinidad & Tobago World Cup qualifier, it's time again to take a quick lap around the soccer world before some niiiice yoga... #1 - An overly cute French girl brought me homemade food out of the blue... that's right, suckas! She aimed right for my tummy, which tells me she's a smart one. Click to continue reading...

September 6, 2008

A few quick programming notes...

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It's another busy day, but after not posting yesterday (wanting to give our guest proper top billing time), I thought I'd give a look-see into the next few days... #1 - To steal from Jeff Foxworthy: if you don't groove to today's Cut of the Day, you might have mental or hearing problems. Seriously, it's easily one of the best 100 cuts ever recorded, so get up and dance. Click to continue reading...

September 2, 2008

Set... phasers... on relax

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Do as the captain says, or everybody gets it. The silly season is over for now, and it's time to put focus back on the game. Expect to see "A few things... " completely bereft of transfer talk later in the day. In fact, I'm sure you'll see NSC's voice tilt back away from news chases and back towards gonzo fun without losing sight of the bouncing ball. Click to continue reading...

August 25, 2008

A few things...

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It's just another manic Monday... #1 - My weekend roundup of Americans Abroad is up here. #2 - This weekend's American goalscorers, for those in a rush at the moment: Joe Lapira of Norwegian second flighters Nybergsund hot his seventh of the season and first since June 8th to key a rally for a 2-2 draw In the same league, Alta defender Jay Needham opened his account from an early corner kick Click to continue reading...

August 23, 2008

This is Gooch Talk... you're on the line, caller.

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Spurred by a question from NSC reader Ryan in one of the comments, I decided to give an update on what I have gathered from the Gooch situation to this point (though I'm hoping to learn more this week): I can say with 98% certainty that nothing will happen until Standard plays the second CL leg against Liverpool on Wednesday. Click to continue reading...

August 21, 2008

A few things...

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It's been a crazy day, and I got a late start due to rising from 4-6 a.m. to watch the USMNT squeak another "Boring, Boring Arsenal!" victory - and not the fun, sarcastic kind. Anyway, here we go... #1 - Our U.S. ladies had an uphill struggle against Brazil until the final whistle, but an extra time Carli Lloyd rifle job was all they'd need to claim a third Olympic gold medal in four tries (and Click to continue reading...

Developing a better American Abroad

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It's time for another guest post, this time from NSC reader Michael Laborde, who has own take on the Michael Bradley transfer saga, albeit with a broader point. Take it away... The Prem is my favorite soccer league in the entire world. It was the first league I started watching and it was my introduction into the world of professional soccer on the international level. Click to continue reading...

August 20, 2008

A few things...

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As always, we move with ninja quickness... #1 - On a personal note, I'd like to wish my mother and my recent college graduate sister very happy birthdays. Yes, that's right... they share a birthday, which is the reason 14 or 15-year old Greg wasn't allowed to go see Def Leppard on an August 20th. I love you both, have a great celebration! Click to continue reading...

"Wat is er aan de hand?"

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No, NSC hasn't suddenly switched languages. The title is Dutch slang for "What's goin' on?" - a question being asked thousands of times daily by impatient stateside fans that can't figure out why the Eredivisie season kickoff is rapidly approaching with Michael Bradley still in a Heerenveen uniform. Click to continue reading...