Prem Picks

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November 28, 2008

Extra stuffing

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Anyone like that old chestnut -- what day is it in England on the Fourth of July? Well, apply that to Thanksgiving. Let that be my ultra-lame excuse for no witty lead-in to the game guesses this weekend. At least Sunday features a double-header of must-watch games. Ok, one little kernel...does Tim Howard invite his Everton teammates over for a big roasted turkey? Click to continue reading...

November 21, 2008

Yanking around

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It should come as no surprise that when I finally received my December issue of 'FourFourTwo' rating the mag's top 100 players in the world, there was nary an American to be seen. I'd wager a safe bet that aside from Aston Villa keeper Brad Freidel there wasn't a Yank within sniffing distance. Maybe that will change when Landon Donovan sets the Bundesliga on fire with his receding hairline, Click to continue reading...

November 14, 2008

Back from the wastes

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So, yeah, I finally beat "Fallout 3", which was all-consuming my day-to-day activities. As my friend Doyle allegedly said, if the game was a drug "grind it up and smoke it." In its wake something is going to have to fill my addictions, hopefully it'll be the wide world of soccer. As luck would have it, I'll probably have to cover a high school soccer state championship Saturday morning instead Click to continue reading...

November 7, 2008

Endurance challenge

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Consider this question, which would take more of a toll on your body over the long haul: a) Running into a brick wall once a week for four months? b) Running a marathon once a week for 11 months of the year? Naturally, neither are that tempting a proposition. You'd think the marathon option would be more appealing, but not when your factor in the idea of joint pain and that occasional heart Click to continue reading...

October 31, 2008

Weekender

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David Bently 40-yard volleys? Papa Bouba Diop handballs? Hull City crashing back to the stratosphere? Yeah, for some reason the Premier League saved some of its best stuff from the middle of the week and here in the states -- the middle of the day on a work day. Thanks Richard Scudamore, thanks a lot. Click to continue reading...

October 24, 2008

My own worst enemey

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(Not that Christian Slater NBC show.) Liverpool and Chelsea. Chelsea and Liverpool. Thought it seems like this is the 4,210th time the two storied English clubs have played in the last four years, it's only the 20th time since the 2004-05 season, including in the Champions League each season. Is it as tedious as 'Freddy v. Click to continue reading...

October 17, 2008

Digi digi

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Please, before anything else, make note of Figure 1 below: So yes, you can conclude that Wednesday I purchased the amazing "FIFA 09" for XBox 360. Use the diagram to help decide if you should make the purchase. Let me just run down the quick game modes you get: 1. Team vs. Team (offline/on line) 2. Click to continue reading...

October 3, 2008

Give me a break

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"Give me a break, give me a break ... break me off a piece of that ... applesauce." -- Andy "Drew" Bernard Enjoy your club soccer this weekend, because we're headed for a drought without another international break looming in seven days. Instead of whining about the dreariness of international qualifiers. Click to continue reading...

September 12, 2008

Back where we belong

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God I am happy that club soccer returns around the globe this weekend. No sense knocking internationals. Due to their inherent infrequency they do create drama and plenty to write about, but the games themselves can be so ponderous. For fans of the Premier League there are two big games this weekend. Click to continue reading...

August 22, 2008

Round 2 Legit to Quit

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No lengthy preamble today, aside from it's fun to watch the England national team continue to struggle. Good times. Also, gotta love ESPN2 scheduling the Galaxy/Fire match Thursday night, barely 24 hours after said England friendly, hence a certain Beckham fellow (and Landon Donovan) couldn't play. Maybe television will finally get MLS to honor FIFA dates. Click to continue reading...

August 15, 2008

Let's roll

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Print this out and save for May to let me know what a clueless jackass your humble writer is. (Sorry guys this post was accidentally scheduled to publish on Saturday, oops.) 20. Stoke City -- Anyone got a good Harry Potters pun at the ready? 19. Hull City -- In Windass we trust. 18. Fulham -- I know Brian McBride and Andy Johnson, you're no Brian McBride. Click to continue reading...

May 9, 2008

The end of the innocence

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Well folks, this be it. After a long, strange journey that began all the way back in August 2007 our Premiership season terminates Sunday. Maybe, at this point, the best thing that can be said about the season is that going into the last round of matches, five of the final 10 count for something on the last day. Click to continue reading...

May 2, 2008

Penultimate-y

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Given 24 hours, maybe I was a little short on Chelsea's win over Liverpool Wednesday. As good as Didier Drogba was, his antics are just too much to stomach. Hopefully he enjoys all the high fashion shops and hair salons in Milan next season. Rooting for Chelsea is simply impossible. It's like cheering for U. Click to continue reading...

April 10, 2008

The last stand

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Has anyone ever made the comparison between the Arsenal cannon club badge and the piece from the board game Risk? Obviously that doesn't mean anything, though the thought of Arsene Wenger trying to rally his 19th century army around a cannon as a battle rages is an apt picture for this weekend when Arsenal travels to Old Trafford with its once promising season left on life support. Click to continue reading...

April 4, 2008

Prime timing

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Blast this lousy Smarch weather. What is the deal with New England weather. Ok, so let's start with a one-time imponderable question which kept me up at nights during my years in high school during the mid to late 1990s -- which was a better comedy, "The Simpsons" or "Seinfeld." (Let's just say these days Jerry and George don't age too well. Click to continue reading...

March 28, 2008

Have Mersey

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Quick-fire weekend Premier League picks on a weekend highlighted by the Merseyside Derby and perhaps some clarification in the relegation struggle. Saturday * Birmingham City v. Manchester City -- Considering Bolton -- one point behind in the table -- plays Arsenal, this is a chance for Brum to get a little distance above the trapdoor. Click to continue reading...

March 21, 2008

Eggy wegs

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Grab those Cadbury Creme Eggs, kids. It's Easter weekend and it's a great slate of games. Hoppity hop! Saturday * Tottenham v. Portsmouth -- (Live, Setanta 8:45 a.m.) Oddly enough this is the game with the least juice to it, unless you consider Jermain Defoe returning to White Hart Lane juicy. Sol Campbell might not even play, so to me, it's pulp -- even with Pompey fighting for a place in Click to continue reading...

March 19, 2008

How the west was won

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If I hadn't deleted that ugly, cumbersome graphic from the sidebar you would have been able to see that today's Premier League make-up fixtures are of the utmost importance on the 2008 title race. It's not outlandish to think that when people look back, today's the day the title could be decided, or at the very least let's put a star next to it. Click to continue reading...

March 7, 2008

Pressure drop

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With a shortened slate of Premier League games, why not take some time and examine some players on each team that have seen the wheels fall off in 2007-08. In other words, what the hell happened? Arsenal, Gilberto Silva -- Always an oxymoron, along the lines of an ugly Swedish supermodel, the rare flairless Brasilian went from a deputy captain in Theirry Henry's absence to the wasteland, err, Click to continue reading...

February 29, 2008

Odds and ends

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Couple odds and ends: * MLS goes to Philly. Cue the Rocky music. It's hard to find any downside here. It creates a nice Northeastern corridor with DC, Philly, New Jersey and New England, so away fans can actually go to some matches within reasonable distance. Now, if only the league were to wisely move Kansas City to St. Click to continue reading...

February 22, 2008

Show me ...

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Sorry, no rambling preambles today. Just straight picks. Enjoy either way, as we play the Feud. (Admittedly, I'm no Richard Dawson.) Saturday * Birmingham v. Arsenal -- (Live, Setanta, 7:45 a.m.) Is this a trap game for the Gunners? Do the former Gunner-youngster Seb Larsson and Fabrice Muamba get revenge? Click to continue reading...

February 1, 2008

Fun at the bottom

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Everyone loves a trainwreck, right? That's why all those gossip mags, rags and trash are able to find new Brittney Spears crap to recycled and feed to the proles every night. Perhaps thats why I turn my nose up at all that crap, but can't get enough to the fight for English soccer clubs to maintain top-flight status and all the money that comes with it. Click to continue reading...

January 29, 2008

Midweek magic

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Midweek Premier League games today, so let's make like Rodney Dangerfield -- dance! Couple quick hitters before the midweek guessing game: 1. Appears US backup keeper Brad Guzan gets his pick between Celtic and Aston Villa. Guess you can't go wrong with either one. Celtic offer the direct chance to play in the Champions League, which should be the apex of any player's career. Click to continue reading...

January 11, 2008

Back in schwing

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"Aye yo." -- Omar Little. Ok. This will not be about "The Wire." Instead, this is more of a welcome back to normality in the world of football (soccer) from the last few weeks. There's a couple 'in the news' topics to discuss before getting into the weekly PL picks. Enjoy. AFRICAN CUP OF NATIONS -- Do you hear that whining? Click to continue reading...

December 31, 2007

For the record

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Quick, quick, quick today. Been away from a computer, and thusly, the world of football for four days. Guess I missed a flip-flop at the top. Go figure. Doubt too many people are wrapped up pre-New Years, but here are the picks for Jan. 1 and Jan. 2, which are the final games before this weekend's FA Cup stuff. Click to continue reading...

December 20, 2007

Ho ho ho

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Santa Claus, Pier Noel, Saint Nicholas, Sinterklaas... Annual Gift Man, etc. It's that time of year. The year when the English soccer/football fixture lifts go cuckold bananas as they cram as much holiday cheer as they possibly can for the blokes on Boxing Day. (Possibly my favorite commonwealth holiday aside from Picnic Day in Australia's Northern Territory. Click to continue reading...

December 14, 2007

Showcase showdown

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Got your Plinko chips? Have any spare gigantic wheels lying around? Perhaps you've got Bob Barker on ice. ... Ok, enough references to daytime televised game shows. For fans across the globe of the Premier League, this is a ginormous weekend. Hell, this is the weekend. Sunday gives us Liverpool v. Click to continue reading...

December 7, 2007

Vacuum at the top

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As the calendar creeps toward 2008, a thought occurred to me: which soccer team is the best in the world right now? Who was the best in 2007? The answer: sort of like the 2007 NCAA football season, nobody. Whereas it was easy to identify the year's top players: Kaka, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, finding the team of 2007 isn't as simple. Click to continue reading...

November 23, 2007

Leftovers

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With Thanksgiving and everything, this is going to be the pure nitty gritty for a Friday post. No digital gravy today, sorry. Saturday Newcastle United v. Liverpool -- (Live, Setanta 7:30 a.m.) Who is more depressed, Magpie fans for the overall general malaise or Steven Gerrard right now? ... Newcastle 1, Liverpool 1 Arsenal v. Click to continue reading...

November 9, 2007

Ruud boys

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Slagging off MLS is easy. Really easy. Yet when the league does something right, it bears mentioning. Thursday night's Eastern Conference Playoff Final wasn't half bad -- highlighted by a hell of an overhead, bicycle kick by everyone's favorite player Taylor Twellman. Not on the level of Zidane's left-foot volley against Bayer Leverkausen in the 2002 Champions League final, but still damn Click to continue reading...

November 2, 2007

Showcase showdown

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Fresh off the NFL's foray into London comes a game in England that the majority of people living in the country would prefer to watch -- Arsenal v. Manchester United. Oddly enough, a super-showdown occurs in America this weekend as well, no not Chivas USA v. Kansas City in the MLS playoffs, Patriots at Colts. A invertible good vs. evil match-up. (For insight on that, flip on ESPN and watch Click to continue reading...

October 26, 2007

Upstairs, downstairs

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First, a moment's silence for Martin Jol...we hardly knew ye. (Wonder if his sacking was met with Journey's 'Don't Stop Believin'' and a sharp black fade out?) Composed? Ok, let's move onto the main story of the week, the clash of unbeatens: Liverpool v. Arsenal, Anfield, noon (EST). There are storylines galore here, let's look at a few of them. Click to continue reading...

October 19, 2007

Back in the swing

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Anyone out there happy as that the International break is over? Don't think I could handle another game as disjointed as the USMNT vs. Switzerland. But hey, a win is a win. Still, I'll maintain my theory that many Americans treat the National Team as their defacto club team. It's very difficult to form as emotional a bond to an MLS side or a club from Europe you've never seen in person. Click to continue reading...

October 5, 2007

True value

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The post from Wednesday got me on a lists kick. Admittedly, they're easy, cheap (heat) and allow me to mark out for players that I favor. (Again to clarify, the list of top Americans was based on current club status, not international play or past merits.) For a while I've had list lingering idea of exploring the idea of the "skipper." The inspirational player that can rally a team sort of like Click to continue reading...

September 28, 2007

Cheifly speaking

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Unless you're living under a rock (or Iraq, zing!) you probably noticed a little game called "Halo 3" came out this week. I don't even really like the game and I made sure to buy it. In fact most of the civilized world probably found a way to hook up with Master Chief and the Arbiter. At this point, I'd guess when it's all said and done over a billion people will own the game. Click to continue reading...
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