The Soccer Thread (Version 7.0)

What was it, four Premier sides down to lower division teams this weekend. Norwich, Spurs, QPR and Liverpool, right?

 

What happened?

 

I was gonna let Bubbler have his moment, but Leeds beat Spurs.

 

MARCHING ON TOGETHER!

 

I didn't watch the Leeds match live, I just watched on DVR. The good thing from my perspective was that Leeds beat Spurs straight up. Both goals were legit and there was no bunkering down until injury time. Neil Warnock didn't even substitute until then.

The bittersweet part was that it was Brad Friedel in goal for Spurs. He's my all-time favorite American keeper, so I hated that he was beaten twice ... in both cases he was left helpless by his defense.

My mancrush on Leeds RB Sam Byram is cemented. He won't be at Leeds long (he's coveted by several EPL teams), but he was fantastic today, often marking Gareth Bale one-on-one. So, believe it or not, was El Hadji Diouf. And the much derided Luke Varney.

Great moments have been hard to come by for Leeds, so I'm savoring this one! Manchester City is next (my daughter's favorite club ... our first household derby), so I'd better enjoy it while it lasts.

The full draw:
Huddersfield/Leicester v Wigan
MK Dons v Barnsley
Oldham v Everton
Luton v Millwall
Arsenal v Blackburn
Manchester City v Leeds
Manchester United v Reading
Middlesbrough v Brentford/Chelsea

Edit: Byram signed through 2016 today. Nice!

 

AS Roma battles Bologna to a draw.

Roma! Sempre sesta!*



*Now actually 7th.

 

Bubbler, I thought that Friedel could have done better on the second goal. He seemed a shade too close to the near post, given the position of his defender and I thought he could have gotten a hand on the shot.

 

Probably, but the Spurs defense left him exposed.

 

No doubt -- they were awful on both goals.

 

Messi is now 8th in La Liga history for goals scored. It is very realistic that he will be in second place by this time next year and will be on pace to break the all time record by the end of the 2013-14 season.

 

Just watched the recording of the Arsenal-Brighton game from yesterday. When you look in the soccer version of the Urban Dictionary and see "Arsenal," this is the game that will come up.

Two stellar goals from the suddenly awakening Olivier Giroud, each answered by two stunningly horrific goals: one off a corner in which six Gunners went to sleep and Ashley Barnes cruised through and headed the ball home past an out-of-position Szczesny and the other because that utterly useless POS Andre Santos failed to prevent a cross that Per "I'm 6-6 and play like I'm 5-6" Mertesaker somehow let get through to Leonardo Ulloa.

Then, Theo Walcott prevented a replay by blasting home a deflected goal in the 85th minute. Drive home safely.

The FA Cup is the only silverware my Gunners have a legitimate shot at this year, so it would behoove Wenger to actually take it seriously and make sure Santos doesn't see the light of day in any further games that actually mean something. Have I said how much he sucks?

The Gunners get Scouser Army Wednesday. Hey Webster... Oldham? Really?

 

Webster? Are you thinking of twoback?