All-Purpose, Never-Ending Soccer Thread

I listen to the podcasts when I can -- they are very good. The Guardian hates, hates, hates American soccer and never fails to rip us a new one.

I'm bummed, I have to miss Saturday's RBNY-KC game. Of course, the game isn't even on local TV and is on FSC on tape delay.

 

Sorry to hear that Webster. I was hoping you'd come over for a beer.

 

Which would be off-putting, except for the fact that they rip everyone else, too (especially England!). You could sense Barry Glendenning's glee as he was doing the MBM commentary today for the latest Eng-ur-land debacle.

The Three Kitties and the Tartan Army were disappointing today. Ireland is decidedly less bad than they were Saturday.

 

Of course, when I added that last sentence, I hadn't counted on John O'Shea and his astounding ability to make a mess of things.

 

In a development that should surprise exactly no one, Robbie Keane gacks a free header, which would have given Ireland a win in its last international at Lansdowne Road, wide.

They still won't qualify, but at least the performance was better. Staunton can count on a regular paycheck for at least a few more weeks.

 

England drops a qualifier to Croatia 2-0!!

 

Is there a more overrated athlete on the planet than John Terry? He whiffed on more than one header that imperiled England at the WC, and then there he is Wednesday, misjudging a ball floated over the box that turns into a soft goal for Da Silva.
Looks to me like Beckham wasn't the problem.

 

My precious Scotland fell on the road to the Ukraine and a referee bent on calling the game in their favor. Oh so sad.

 

I feel for Robinson. Nothing he could have done about that own goal on the bad bounce.

And I was quite amused by the Borat ads on the sideboards as the ball rolled into the net.

 

Robinson's howler (I have been watching too much English soccer).

 

That goal should be blamed on McLaren, whose first couple months as England coach make one long for Sven.
Playing 3-5-2 on the road at Croatia was an abomination. The ball that goofed on Robinson was one of about 6,332 back passes for the English, who could get no traction with Steven Gerrard on a card suspension and Carrick and Parker both invisible for the entirety of their stays. Why the hell he didn' play Shawn Wright-Phillips with Gerrard out, I'll never understand.

 

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How's about that?