tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-217355392011-11-27T19:51:19.900-05:00Twentysomething American, distracting herself from law school by obsessing about 1) Liverpool FC, 2) the England national team, and 3) Steven Gerrard. Also developing a bit of a crush on MLS. <br><br> "Don't tell my wife, but I think I love you. We would just sit around and watch footy all day, every day."Amandanoreply@blogger.comBlogger1971100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-14601395674774516442009-10-15T21:02:00.003-04:002009-10-15T21:07:41.051-04:00

Okay, so I'll be honest -- this is basically dead because I realized I didn't have a whole lot original to say. I have a lot more fun posting pictures and links and short little snippets of commentary.You can find those things here:TwitterNeeds More Kittens [Tumblr]This is staying up, but I'd be surprised if anything of substance is posted again. It's been fun, though.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-50740749690379746732008-11-13T17:40:00.000-05:002008-11-13T17:41:38.949-05:00

Amandanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-28152632065897897092008-11-12T16:24:00.002-05:002008-11-12T16:32:18.988-05:00

Just a heads-up, y'all. My crush on the Columbus Crew continues, and shows no signs of abating. (This crush seems especially focused on Robbie Rogers and Brad Evans, but that's really neither here nor there, is it?) Anyway, because Columbus picked this season to also be a good team, they are in the MLS Eastern Conference final, which I will be liveblogging at this very location tomorrow

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-81343543431174957062008-11-10T16:54:00.004-05:002008-11-10T17:04:07.014-05:00

Video courtesy of The Offside Rules.Yes, Danny Cepero scored a record-setting goal against my team. Yes, he just eliminated Houston (and therefore Geoff Cameron and Stuart Holden) from the playoffs. But that boy is cute, and that's all there is to it. Well, that plus my well-documented weakness for keepers. Done and done.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-82108499739712713332008-09-21T13:16:00.003-04:002008-09-21T13:26:51.141-04:00

Via Ballhype:I'm sorry, I would have commentary, but I'm too busy flailing at the cuteness of it all.I do have to say, I like this version of Beckham a lot better than the one who bitches at refs and gets calls he doesn't deserve. Not that I'm bitter about the DC/Galaxy game last night. I've been watching a lot of MLS lately, both because Liverpool have been so utterly uninspiring and because I

Amandanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-89608561473332808262008-09-03T10:01:00.002-04:002008-09-03T10:02:38.863-04:00

I am guest-blogging today at This Is Extra Time. I don't think I'm gonna cross-post, but if y'all want to know my thoughts on ... random hot players, head over there.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-51981776566002419052008-08-14T23:26:00.003-04:002008-08-14T23:31:32.963-04:00

Actually, two questions: 1) When did Rogers get that tattoo, and 2) what the hell is it a tattoo of? I mean, I think it's probably better than Feilhaber's crooked Latin or Daniel Agger's ... everything and the kitchen sink, but man. If I can't see it, I can't judge it. Bah.Also, um, nice abs, kid. As Sarah said, he must work out.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-33907658476141452452008-08-14T00:25:00.002-04:002008-08-14T00:27:07.386-04:00

1. Robbie Rogers is not a defender.2. Very few men can successfully wear a white beret. Specifically, only Benny Feilhaber and Maurice Edu.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-1509687436569367222008-08-09T09:13:00.003-04:002008-08-09T09:16:56.938-04:00

This post is still necessary.Call me the cranky feminist of the soccer blogosphere, but things like the comments on this post are fucking vile, and disrespectful of all women, let alone soccer fans. If y'all wanna have a frat party, is the internets really the best place for it? Much harder to tap a good keg online, I have to say.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-30611720000006920502008-07-19T00:24:00.003-04:002008-07-19T00:31:56.989-04:00

Yeah, this time the radio silence has been for a good reason -- the bar exam is less than two weeks away, and I am pretty much constantly studying. But I had to post about this, because Kaka to Chelsea for 80m pounds? That's 100m euros, and I don't even want to calculate how much that is in dollars. Leaving aside the question of if they need him, good lord, that's a huge number. Think he'd

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-32420947901222654552008-07-07T20:01:00.004-04:002008-07-07T20:28:42.498-04:00

18-year-old footballer breaks news of transfer on Facebook. Honestly, I'm a little surprised this hasn't happened before. (Though I think Alecko Eskandarian may have announced his transfer to, like, Real Salt Lake on Facebook. But that was at least one trade ago, and it's MLS.)Speaking of Real Salt Lake, I present the first in an occasional series, called Hot MLS Coaches. Part One: Jason

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-77891654956875155302008-06-29T14:01:00.002-04:002008-06-29T14:08:53.969-04:00

Once again, I will be joining forces with This is Extra Time to liveblog the final. Apparently Ballack's fit, but Villa's out, so I have to call this for Germany. I hear you can never count them out.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-73943891942364389402008-06-22T14:26:00.002-04:002008-06-22T14:28:44.961-04:00

Let's see if Spain can avoid their usual routine of playing well in the group and then choking at the earliest possible opportunity. My guess: probably not. Italy's defense is kinda weak, but Spain is Spain. Here's hoping.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-4058785888015513182008-06-17T14:38:00.001-04:002008-06-17T14:42:36.599-04:00

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-49779667920833866642008-06-16T20:58:00.004-04:002008-06-16T22:01:37.436-04:00

Sexism in sports blogging: A Q&A. You should all read this. I think the soccer blogosphere (god, I hate that word) is actually a little better about all this than some other sections of the sports blogging world -- seriously, there are sites that I can't even read because they're so overtly misogynist. But I'd be lying if I said that the need some blogs feel to preface every Euro liveblog (or

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-61288240022843771652008-06-15T23:58:00.003-04:002008-06-16T00:15:06.027-04:00

*pours one out for Alonso and Riise*Okay, it's probably Riise's time to go. But Alonso? I'm actually sad about that. Mascherano's awesome and all, but I think you want some cover at that position, especially since Mascherano tends to get cards pretty regularly. But I'd say starting at Juventus is probably better than bench-warming at Liverpool, especially if you're still young, so. It makes

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-27656484560700163952008-06-15T14:34:00.002-04:002008-06-15T14:56:12.522-04:00

This time, though, not a Euro game, but the other game today. The one that no one cares about -- United States v. Barbados, in the first leg of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying. The United States is on a three-game scoreless streak, but to be fair, their last three opponents were England (FIFA ranking: 9), Spain (4), and Argentina (1). Barbados is currently 142nd in the world. I'm predicting a

Amandanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-66696130378386648922008-06-14T11:30:00.002-04:002008-06-14T11:33:07.256-04:00

This time, it's Spain v. Sweden. I think I've given up and I'm cheering for Spain, even though they'll inevitably let me down. But I'm a Liverpool girl, so I have to cheer for Torres and Xabi in the off-season, too, apparently.Anyway. You can follow the blog here or at This I Extra Time, and like before, you can comment as well. Yay technology!

Amandanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-16250416518934724792008-06-13T14:00:00.003-04:002008-06-13T14:05:50.260-04:00

Just a quick heads-up to everyone: I will be co-liveblogging France v. Netherlands over at This Is Extra Time. Head over there to read our play by play and post your own comments! If I can figure out how, I'll post the blog over here.ETA: Oh, look. I am brilliant.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-18644118934839209192008-06-07T11:20:00.002-04:002008-06-07T11:42:05.289-04:00

Is here. This one features a little less discussion of naked footballers and a little more discussion of who we think is gonna win the whole thing. Like I said before, it was a lot of fun to do, and I actually learned some things (like, you know, what Samir Nasri looks like).

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-11753047069203611212008-06-07T00:02:00.002-04:002008-06-07T00:11:53.669-04:00

Can be found here. As the link title may have suggested, this is actually a roundtable discussion with some awesome women who are also soccer bloggers. It was a blast to participate in, and I hope it's entertaining (and maybe even useful). Part Two to follow tomorrow. And I think I've decided to cheer for Spain. Though I still think Germany will win it all. They're just so efficient.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-80186064529904658912008-06-04T18:13:00.003-04:002008-06-04T18:51:03.357-04:00

So, This Is Extra Time and I co-hosted a liveblog of the US/Spain game. However, because I am a dingbat, I didn't think to post the link here so y'all could follow it live. We'll just call this a ... I don't know. Almost-live blog.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-9365646942493156562008-06-02T10:12:00.003-04:002008-06-02T10:19:36.023-04:00

Welcome back, Mr. Mourinho. I hate to say it, but it's been kind of boring this season without you. I look forward to seeing you stylishly sulk on the touchline in Italy next year. Now maybe take Lampard and Drogba with you? Thanks.Dear Sven: I think you might have actually deserved better than this. The McClaren years (year?) made you look good in retrospect, and really, City were never

Amandanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-70752178951554815482008-05-29T18:09:00.004-04:002008-05-29T18:13:30.537-04:00

Yeah, okay, England won. But Michael Bradley upset Frank Lampard, and really, that's all I ask these days. Bonus points to Baby Bradley for wearing black shoes with the black socks and shirt. I respect a boy that knows basic principles of color coordination.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-4105044044538789482008-05-27T20:16:00.003-04:002008-05-27T20:34:37.774-04:00

Um, finals and graduation and moving back home meant something had to give, and apparently it was everything related to soccer in general and this blog in particular. I would promise to do better, but I just started my bar review course this week, so I'm pretty sure that'd be a lie. I'll do my best, though, and hey, at least it's the off-season?...Oh right, Euro. With England out, I'm not sure

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-10442057016829511552008-04-20T15:09:00.003-04:002008-04-20T15:35:09.630-04:00

Hi, my name is Amanda, and I am a Columbus Crew fan. Because I'm a glory-hunter. No, I am not from Columbus. Nor have I ever visited there. Mostly I think I love teams who will inevitably let me down, and with Columbus currently leading the Eastern Conference, there's no way they're not gonna disappoint me by the end of the season. So, I admit it. I am an MLS fan. Specifically of a team

Amandanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-17549468391396244162008-04-15T21:41:00.002-04:002008-04-15T21:52:07.049-04:00

Dear Mssrs. Hicks, Gillett, Parry, and Benitez: Shut up. All of you. This has been going on for far too long, and really. You couldn't stop attacking each other in public for a day? Not even this week? Gross. I don't care who's right anymore, I just want you all to stop talking and go away. Maybe go on vacation together. I bet y'all could work something out then. And if not, at least the

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-67833528781147566342008-04-07T16:16:00.002-04:002008-04-07T16:29:41.213-04:00

This is the greatest post ever. Kickette and Go Fug Yourself combine for commentary on WAGs. Brilliant and hilarious.An interview with Galaxy defender Julian Valentin. I liked him at the u20 World Cup this summer, and even though he went to the wrong ACC school, I've got to respect anyone who takes a boot to the face, gets stitches, and then gets upset that he can't return to finish out the

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-70226887250040132902008-04-04T13:42:00.005-04:002008-04-04T18:33:12.913-04:00

I guess this is the only way West Ham is going to win the league, though. They've fixed it now, but for a while, West Ham was leading the MLS Western Conference.(Thanks to Goalscoring Robot.)

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-4696952716556011932008-04-04T12:46:00.004-04:002008-04-04T13:05:26.080-04:00

So, a combination of Wednesday afternoon classes and being too poor to afford FSC means that the only game I've managed to watch live this week? Chicago Fire - New England Revolution. And I don't even like either of those teams, and the ESPN2 broadcasts aren't the same without Eric Wynalda doing his drunk-uncle routine, but you know, sometimes you go with what's there. It did make me realize

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-28384286702219695322008-04-01T09:25:00.001-04:002008-04-01T09:28:13.793-04:00

Okay, does anyone know why this video will play the ad before, but not the actual content? I've been able to watch ESPN videos before, but not this one, it seems.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-35952711301985655822008-03-29T13:18:00.002-04:002008-03-29T13:25:49.476-04:00

Derby relegated.Honestly, I'm a little surprised that it took this long. I guess they still have something to fight for -- beating Sunderland's points total from 2003 in order to not be actually the worst team ever to play in the Premier League. They'd need 20 points to do that. They currently have 11. Good luck, boys. It's pretty clear you'll need it.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-81149656283489403962008-03-26T11:15:00.002-04:002008-03-26T11:23:24.966-04:00

New away kit? Thumbs up. When I first saw this, I thought it was navy blue, but it looks like it's actually black, which is just fine with me. I'm not the hugest fan of the random red collar thing, but I can live with it. And really, anything is better than the new home kit. It's kind of nice to see them getting away from red, white, and blue; while I understand it's patriotic and I'm sure

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-86770459989930020832008-03-10T15:44:00.001-04:002008-03-10T15:46:09.595-04:00

The YNT blog hates me. Dudes, not my fault you got scooped on the final Olympic qualifying roster.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-57974264068451461632008-01-31T22:53:00.000-05:002008-01-31T23:02:05.892-05:00

So, say you were one of the U23 players who decided to get pedicures today. Yes, that's the U23 men. Put yourself in those guys' shoes. (The blog doesn't name names, but my guess? Sacha Kljestan.)Here's my question: you're most likely an MLS player, which means you're probably about to start the preseason. Why, then, would you decide to get your feet all smooth and pretty when you'll be

Amandanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-56296593620237267822008-01-30T11:17:00.000-05:002008-01-30T11:39:31.381-05:00

But that's not hard, because this shirt is FUG. I've defended the fashion choices of the USMNT in the past, but this thing? No. No no no. Every girl knows that horizontal stripes are almost uniformly an awful idea. While I'm all for pinstripes, these are not pinstripes. This is a collar-less version of the rugby shirts my brother used to wear. When he was five. Put a collar on it, and

Amandanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-5623066115063915072008-01-28T14:21:00.000-05:002008-01-28T14:23:48.930-05:00

I know I should care about the African Cup of Nations, but I don't.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-27128174238887373772008-01-23T21:05:00.000-05:002008-01-23T21:11:40.396-05:00

What she said.I'm sorry for the silence over here, but with how Liverpool's playing and all the behind-the-scenes drama has been too depressing to write about. I fully expect whatever bizarre and fully-rotated squad Rafa puts out to lose to Havant & Waterlooville. Because that'd really be this season in a nutshell, wouldn't it?So on a lighter note, pictures of the Liverpool costume Christmas

Amandanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-42593406771820891702007-12-31T12:07:00.001-05:002007-12-31T12:56:37.653-05:00

I'm pretty sure he's talking about Liverpool for the stats-obsessed "big team." And yeah. What he said. I don't know a whole lot about baseball (except drinking in the stands is fun), but it seems like positions are a lot more defined there than they are in soccer -- you have strikers making saves and defenders taking shots pretty much all the time in soccer, and I don't think you have

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-30528081672501641692007-12-19T22:42:00.000-05:002007-12-19T22:45:01.763-05:00

I love Sid Lowe. That's really all I've got today. We're not talking about the Carling Cup. Or the Premiership. Most pointless blog post ever, I know.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-47857022886045659342007-12-10T13:26:00.000-05:002007-12-10T13:27:36.251-05:00

I knew I spoke too soon about England being competent.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-57900121902539947372007-12-06T12:46:00.000-05:002007-12-06T13:16:52.032-05:00

...I shouldn't jump the gun on declaring them competent, I guess, if past history is anything to go by. (Scolari and Hiddink, anyone?) But at least they seem to be looking at real candidates this time. I'm kind of surprised at myself, but I tend to think Mourinho's a good choice. I loathed him at Chelsea, but I think he might be good for England. If that team needs anything right now, it's

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-51802260923750730122007-12-05T09:38:00.000-05:002007-12-05T09:53:59.446-05:00

Liverpool's game against Besiktas may have been fixed. (Though not by Liverpool, it seems.)Um, wow. I mean, odds are that whatever investigation is done won't be finished before the Champions League ends this season -- assuming Liverpool can make it to the knockout stages anyway. ("Odds are" was probably a bad choice of words there, huh?) I know this is all pretty idle speculation at this

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-36595433820394309182007-11-28T13:19:00.000-05:002007-11-28T13:44:55.042-05:00

I guess this takes him out of the running for England. Though I guess you can't really transfer players on a national team, so maybe he was never in the running to begin with.As Footie Girl said: "Next week: The exclusive revelation that Jose Mourinho is a bit conceited!"(And yes, presumption of innocence and all that. I'm just saying.)

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-43852873124000999332007-11-26T14:01:00.000-05:002007-11-26T14:26:05.238-05:00

So, I'm new to the whole MLS thing, in that I only started watching games over the summer. And now it's the off-season, and players are moving all over (DC to San Jose to Columbus, for one), and I am so confused. Anyone want to explain the MLS transfer market to me? In small words?

Amandanoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-33636064410097339322007-11-26T08:43:00.000-05:002007-11-26T09:40:14.509-05:00

Between travel and Thanksgiving, my post about England, Russia, Israel, and Croatia is pretty much entirely moot now. England only needed a draw against Croatia (who had already qualified) at home to make it to Euro 2008. They couldn't do it, McClaren got fired, and now no one wants the job. I have to say, I'm not surprised by any of this. England lucked out that Israel won on Saturday to

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-58277921953770750522007-11-19T14:33:00.000-05:002007-11-19T14:39:42.735-05:00

Via Dan Loney:It must be the semicolons. I like semicolons.Posts about the internationals from this weekend and MLS Cup are forthcoming. But I'm currently in the middle of a marathon paper-writing session, so this is the best I can do right now. Sorry, y'all.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-64176326492237670822007-11-16T09:17:00.000-05:002007-11-16T09:28:05.292-05:00

I'm fixing to head out to DC, but some quick things before I hit the road:I redesigned the blog. This also involved editing my blogroll; I had to take off some dead links and I added some new blogs that I've been reading recently. (How did I not know about Soccer Insider until now?) If you were on there before and I dropped you, leave me a comment.Mourinho to New York? I won't lie, this would

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-55871695019753757532007-11-15T11:22:00.000-05:002007-11-15T12:01:52.997-05:00

Because, kids, the MLS Cup is this weekend, and your humble blogger is going. This is actually my first MLS game ever, and even though I don't care much for either of the teams, I'm excited to go. I'm actually sort of going in as a neutral; I'm from Texas and all, but most Texans don't claim Houston as their own, and Boston's winning everything else this year, so I don't want to see them win

Amandanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-22229771154772767602007-11-13T15:16:00.000-05:002007-11-13T15:21:48.281-05:00

Alexi Lalas and his incredibly tiny and adorable Yorkie.What is it with super-masculine managers and Yorkies? First Mourinho, now Lalas. I love Yorkies, but aren't they a little, well, girly for that type of guy? If I were that dog, I'd be worried about Lalas accidentally stepping on me. Dude's tall, is all I'm saying.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-64054988607767152612007-11-09T10:52:00.000-05:002007-11-09T11:11:42.498-05:00

With an international twist this time, since we're coming up to the last round of Euro qualifiers.McClaren recalls David Beckham. Because for a must-win game against Croatia, you totally want an oldish midfielder that has barely played a game since he went to MLS. If anyone ever doubted that McClaren is completely out of ideas, this should be all the proof you need.The US named their roster for

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-38707526929628889992007-11-06T17:23:00.000-05:002007-11-06T17:25:19.683-05:00

Darn right, kids. I just hope they didn't use up all their goals in this match. They'll need at least one or two more for Porto and Marseille.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-26813611260887954332007-11-06T10:15:00.000-05:002007-11-06T15:14:52.339-05:00

It's time to get your act together, kids. Well, really, the time to have gotten your act together in the Champions League was a couple of months ago. Being bottom of a group with Besiktas, Marseille, and Porto is an absolute embarrassment. As is the fact that Liverpool have yet to win a game against any of those teams. I don't think Liverpool are going to win anything this season -- http://

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-81187677312149200572007-10-24T13:10:00.000-04:002007-10-24T13:34:41.082-04:00

WAGs are inspirational and good role models. As far as I can tell (and I don't really understand the British educational system), getting GCSEs is basically the minimum level you have to do to finish school, right? So this is like calling people good role models for graduating high school. Which is, I guess, better than not finishing high school, but really, is that all we expect of women? Oh

Amandanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-60890149798137047492007-10-22T16:22:00.000-04:002007-10-22T16:27:00.521-04:00

Oh, thank god.Should have happened right after the World Cup, but better late than never. I would have liked them to have a replacement lined up. Everyone remembers the clusterfuck after Arena got dumped, right? Not that I'm anti-Bob Bradley, but still. That was a lot of drama no one needed, especially after the keeper drama.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-10738211120399009262007-10-22T08:13:00.000-04:002007-10-22T08:39:06.451-04:00

But I am going to DC next month for the MLS Cup, so I have been paying a little more attention to the playoffs than I normally would be (i.e. more than zero). I'd like it to be a DC/Chivas final, but since they have the best regular-season records, it probably won't happen. Anyway. So I was reading about the Columbus/DC game, and came across this quote: Both goals came from the 20-year-old

Amandanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-77161453532296595312007-10-16T13:03:00.000-04:002007-10-16T13:15:02.210-04:00

Honestly, if England did this, they might get me to care about them again.Um, yeah, I'm still alive. Sad to say, I don't have anything stunning to report. Liverpool don't seem to be into it this season, which makes it hard for me to care that much. I'll get excited for the Everton game this weekend, but they drew at Birmingham and lost to Marseille, and ugh. The only change I'm seeing this

Amandanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-33253759595928218512007-09-28T00:19:00.000-04:002007-09-28T00:22:32.998-04:00

Frustrated with the sports blogging world today, so I'll just say I wish this were real.Oh, and also, if I hear another comment about how lame women's soccer is, yeah. It'll be way too soon. And I'll think you're an asshole.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-81032137018460657222007-09-23T21:36:00.000-04:002007-09-23T21:39:33.138-04:00

I have to say, I'm loving the Chelsea implosion. It's probably setting me up for all kinds of bad karma when Rafa leaves Liverpool (whenever that may be), but god, what a little bitch John Terry is. Seriously.Midway through the first half Rosenborg scored, after Miika Koppinen beat Terry at a set piece. When Mourinho then directly criticised the centre back's defending at half time, Terry

Amandanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-22086916541514493972007-09-20T12:54:00.000-04:002007-09-20T12:57:49.777-04:00

Goodbye, Mourinho. I guess this means Rafa wins? (And I'm pretty sure it means Chelsea's out of the title race this season.)And if I didn't love the Guardian forever, this slideshow would seal the deal.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-59216727750656376532007-09-10T13:32:00.000-04:002007-09-10T13:47:35.362-04:00

A few blogs I've been meaning to link, but haven't. Because I'm lame. But I really enjoy making lists in HTML, so here we go.First of all, a newish women's soccer blog, Kickster. British, and seems to be in the Who Ate All the Pies family of blogs. Georgina Turner, who I've missed a lot at The Guardian, is writing there, and so far I really like it. It's one of my perennial resolutions to

Amandanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-31882097468928075882007-09-10T08:14:00.000-04:002007-09-10T09:06:35.455-04:00

England 3 - Israel 0. I'm not feeling the England love lately, and I had an elsewhere to be, so I didn't watch this one. (Remember how I said school was kicking my ass this semester? Still true.) Since I was absolutely convinced that England weren't going to qualify, though, this is kind of good to see. And it's especially good to see Michael Owen score again, especially when he doesn't break

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-54920880147930896402007-09-05T10:44:00.000-04:002007-09-05T10:52:26.948-04:00

So, Footie Girl is currently pestering me to update, and I admit it's long overdue. My problem, along with the start of school completely kicking my ass, is that Liverpool are top of the table for just about the first time since I've been following them, and I don't really know what to say, to be honest. Torres isn't choking, we're beating up on newly-promoted teams (and Villa), and ... I

Amandanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-79486300693032220432007-08-17T15:31:00.000-04:002007-08-17T15:47:52.391-04:00

Liverpool/Chelsea this weekend. While this almost always means a lackluster game, it always means managerial sniping. Which was fun a few years ago, but guys, seriously. Just kiss already. You know you want to. That said, though, "Abramovich has done a really good job"? BURN.England squad named for Germany friendly. Calling up injured players because you don't want to try new things? It's

Amandanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-76866584620081778752007-08-14T20:47:00.000-04:002007-08-14T21:10:14.158-04:00

Apparently Rafa's a trendsetter.I'm surprised they're even giving odds on Torres growing a mustache. Skinny thing that he is, I sort of doubt he can grow stubble, let alone a full-on goatee.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-3470077515871899822007-08-12T14:09:00.000-04:002007-08-12T15:06:06.403-04:00

So, if soccer is on ESPN, I'll pretty much watch it. For most of the good stuff (at least until the Champions League starts), you have to go to FSC or Univision, but I want to encourage ESPN to show soccer, so I watch the random internationals and MLS games. It's all good, but I've decided my favorite part is the halftime "other soccer news" report that ESPN News does. The value of this isn't

Amandanoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-46063255264207719992007-08-10T17:08:00.000-04:002007-08-10T17:22:29.704-04:00

Some guy named Beckham came on as a sub for the Galaxy last night. Apparently he's kind of a big deal? I watched this game, and it was ... a typical MLS game, really. Except for the part with the opposing fans taking pictures of the Galaxy subs warming up. And the Beckham-cam.The season starts tomorrow, and Xabi Alonso is happy with the squad. Right now, I am too, but another opening-day

Amandanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-10883363241678152652007-08-08T21:59:00.000-04:002007-08-08T22:20:36.729-04:00

Once again, Sven asks the questions, I answer them. Including where I would get a Liverpool tattoo, for all you pervs reading. And so there's actual content here, I'm not sure Rafa's goatee is the answer to all Liverpool's problems. I think it's mostly a fairly harmless midlife crisis.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-41511291264057630292007-08-05T22:23:00.000-04:002007-08-05T22:29:00.466-04:00

It's supposed to be a friendly, boys. Not a fight. I shouldn't be this amused, but I am. I kinda love my dirty little team.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-31971446499254011452007-07-23T11:44:00.000-04:002007-07-23T11:45:36.287-04:00

United Dong longs to prove critics wrongThe bored Soccernet headline writer strikes again!

Amandanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-27272878831267138672007-07-20T13:08:00.000-04:002007-07-20T13:32:51.415-04:00

Liverpool win their fourth preseason friendly. Interesting, though, that (I believe) Torres hasn't scored yet. Hopefully this is just him taking a little bit of time to warm up.Dudek's really going to Real. I have to say, I don't understand this deal at all. I know he was basically the Cup keeper last season, but he didn't really do well when he did get to play. Whatever; he's finally gone.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-318906134169402922007-07-18T14:21:00.000-04:002007-07-18T14:26:26.537-04:00

Quiz time! Here we see:a) a farmer-tan conventionb) the US Copa team

Amandanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-11794751601069252612007-07-16T09:55:00.001-04:002007-07-16T12:06:54.985-04:00

Yes, Footie Girl and I are doing it again. Yes, we realize that the Premiership is already pretty much back in season, with friendlies and summer tours and meaningless cup competitions. But like everyone always says, the season's not over till Argentina choke in a major way, so here we are. Some of the categories have changed since the last time -- different season and all that. Anyway. With

Amandanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-14553757402580246832007-07-16T09:41:00.000-04:002007-07-16T09:45:49.626-04:00

Railhawks beat Chicago Fire 1-0 to advance to Open Cup quarters. Aw. Good job, boys. Maybe I can actually make it to the game next time. This one doesn't sound like it was much of a thriller, but knocking out the holders is always a pretty sweet feeling. Just ask Arsenal about that FA Cup match.Sorry, y'all, this is what you get when Liverpool's boring me. (Babel's a good signing, but I

Amandanoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-26703499552497185192007-07-09T19:22:00.000-04:002007-07-09T19:30:18.395-04:00

This is lame, but odds are I'll watch.And, really, train a camera on Zidane for an entire game and you've got yourself an art film, so who knows. Let's call it nationally broadcast installation art. Who knew ESPN was so pomo?Well, and also, I can't mock Chelsea if I don't watch them. So there's two reasons.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-79982931638724041062007-07-06T13:25:00.000-04:002007-07-06T13:44:30.144-04:00

Sid Lowe (in Spain) looks at Torres' move to Liverpool. I've pretty clearly missed the boat on commenting on this transfer, but I'll just say I'm refraining from judgment until the season starts, at least. It's nice to see us get a more traditional striker, and I've liked him internationally, so I'm optimistic.Speaking of transfers, Cisse's going to Marseille for good. It's about damn time, I

Amandanoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-14904803713782327812007-07-05T14:53:00.000-04:002007-07-05T15:06:09.384-04:00

Because instead of writing about the Torres deal (thumbs up!) or Rafa's new facial hair (thumbs down!), I'm being forced to defend the US's team selection for Copa America. Note: this is not defending their performance, because I can't do that. They lost concentration and allowed Argentina back into the game, and their finishing was absolutely dire against Paraguay. But those were both

Amandanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-2852006172931025042007-06-28T09:56:00.000-04:002007-06-28T10:06:25.316-04:00

(What can I say -- I'm sick to death of the "managerial merry-go-round" headlines. Let's change it up a bit.)Uh. I don't dislike Coleman, but. What? I'm not sure this was the best decision for Sociedad.And speaking of bad decisions... Not that I love Capello, but this is weird. And seems like an odd way to reward someone for winning the league. Not in the most stylish fashion, true, but

Amandanoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-83313197733767244562007-06-25T22:30:00.000-04:002007-06-25T22:35:21.821-04:00

Dorkiest national team ever? Signs point to yes. But stuff like this makes me wish more teams had Youtube channels. (And before any of y'all say anything, I totally love Benny Feilhaber for his mind.)Anyway, enjoy winning, boys. Just don't get used to it. Copa America will be rough.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-10783056567821215812007-06-24T19:58:00.001-04:002007-06-25T07:17:32.347-04:00

First, the bad news. Charlton are shutting down their women's team. The justification is supposedly that they need the money because the men were relegated. And that may be their reason, but it doesn't make a lot of sense regardless:Despite their relegation, Charlton will receive parachute payments of £11million a year for the next two seasons, while the impending sale of Darren Bent to

Amandanoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-1355323762640917542007-06-19T12:14:00.000-04:002007-06-19T14:42:18.609-04:00

Because nothing is happening in Liverpool's off-season (in that we have not bought anyone at all, really), and all I seem to be able to talk about these days is uniforms and the US national team, today I bring you an article about both. Now, this really annoyed me more than it should have, and I'm not entirely sure why. I'm, at best, a casual US fan, and even then it's during off-summers when

Amandanoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-77970553485025993932007-06-15T14:46:00.000-04:002007-06-15T15:01:25.321-04:00

Steven Wells defends American soccer. And in the Guardian, no less! I would like to co-sign everything he said. (And, really, isn't it long past time everyone got over the word "soccer"? I'm officially sick of that discussion.)The Stevens Report finally comes out. Wait, Bolton's dirty? I am shocked.Daniel Agger wins goal of the season for Liverpool. Apparently the fans are immune to shots

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-14109327699480807972007-06-14T12:58:00.000-04:002007-06-14T14:45:20.291-04:00

First of all, hi to Soccerblogs and Seven Guys Short! I've been using Soccerblogs for a while now, and Seven Guys Short is new to me, but I wish I'd been reading sooner.Second, the Premier League released the fixture list for the upcoming season. Here's Liverpool's schedule (pending Champions League qualifiers, cup replays, and, as always, life-threatening fog.) This is nice, in that it puts

Amandanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-10247736405651062212007-06-07T12:01:00.000-04:002007-06-07T12:24:08.423-04:00

First of all, this is a pretty nice little article about the Carolina Railhawks from the local indie weekly. (Named, cleverly, the Independent Weekly.) I'm going to my second USL game tomorrow night, and it's good to see them getting media coverage. The Triangle seems to love its minor league sports, and hopefully that'll hold true for soccer as well. Also, like I mentioned before, that game

Amandanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-62655860179903819852007-06-06T20:48:00.000-04:002007-06-06T23:05:41.033-04:00

Chelsea's new away kit has been leaked.See, all you Liverpool fans complaining about their new kit? It could be worse. It could have all those weird little squiggles, and be neon yellow. (Though it will be useful if Chelsea's team-bonding activity this season is deer hunting.) I guess this is the advantage to not being owned by Abramovich -- I doubt Hicks or Gillett care what colors Barcelona

Amandanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-62012476804681642632007-06-04T11:36:00.000-04:002007-06-04T11:42:29.687-04:00

Steven and Carra sign until 2011.So this is what a summer without endless speculation over Gerrard's future at the club feels like. I could get used to this. Seriously, though, I'm glad they signed so quickly. I never really thought either of them were going anywhere, but with the ownership changes and all that, it's still nice to see this. Now if they could just get Alonso's contract sorted,

Amandanoreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-15241115543166098322007-06-04T09:44:00.000-04:002007-06-04T15:51:04.155-04:00

US 4 - China 1. I know this doesn't really matter, and I know that China's lower than Jamaica in the FIFA world rankings, but still. I watched this game, and y'all, the US national team is really growing on me. It helps that a lot of the "name" players were committed to their MLS clubs for the weekend -- leaving aside the issue of MLS not releasing players for scheduled international breaks, I

Amandanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-36245572732925327032007-05-31T09:31:00.000-04:002007-05-31T10:08:07.703-04:00

So, I know these have been leaked for a while, but Liverpool officially launched their new away kit today. I've seen a lot of complaining about it, and I have to say, I don't get it. The red things on the top don't really bother me -- and really, has everyone already forgotten we're coming off of a season in which this monstrosity was the away kit? White isn't the most exciting color, I guess,

Amandanoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-58377168671591068242007-05-27T12:34:00.001-04:002007-05-27T22:50:24.762-04:00

Okay, I guess I have to talk about this, huh? Over at Sven's, I predicted Milan 2 - Liverpool 1. God, I hate being right.Even with that, though, I think we did a lot of things right. I was a little dubious when I heard that we weren't planning on man-marking Kaka, since he's pretty much the conduit for all of Milan's attacks. But the zonal marking worked really well, especially in the first

Amandanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-63966343026083202882007-05-22T22:05:00.000-04:002007-05-22T22:18:12.060-04:00

I know, short notice and all, but if anyone's in or around Cary, North Carolina tomorrow, Dave of Dave's Football Blog and your humble blogger will be joining many others (hopefully) at The Hibernian in Cary to watch the Champions League final. Make an excuse at work and come on out! Hell, that's exactly what I did. Hope to see you there!

Amandanoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-10074856829869465972007-05-21T09:45:00.000-04:002007-05-21T10:29:58.364-04:00

So, I was thinking about doing a Champions League final preview over here, and then I realized I'd already done one. Being Sven rounded up some of the best Liverpool bloggers around (and me) to give their thoughts on the season and the upcoming final.You can read the whole thing here -- I was especially interested to see how much agreement there was between us about some things. Anyway, it's a

Amandanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-89982400307442830192007-05-19T23:40:00.001-04:002007-05-19T23:45:56.283-04:00

I guess this is what you do when you don't have a cup final to prepare for. Fine by me, though I do have serious issues with the choice of belt. Also, who thinks Miss Simpson knew that Arsenal even existed before this very moment? Anyone? She's from Texas, and I know for a fact they don't have that kind of football down in Plano.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-5856705870531397742007-05-16T22:15:00.000-04:002007-05-16T22:34:22.671-04:00

I'm not at all surprised that he owns a Yorkie.I mean, if you're going to get arrested over a dog, shouldn't it at least be something bigger than a purse? That commentator who described him as the Paris Hilton of the Premiership probably didn't know how right he had it, what with the arrests and the ridiculous choice of pets and all. Though at least Jose doesn't flash the paparazzi. Er, yet.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-38889724400506959432007-05-14T21:09:00.000-04:002007-05-14T21:13:24.635-04:00

The actual article isn't that interesting, but I love the picture. Apparently Jose and Sheva have decided to settle things through a stubble contest. First to a full beard gets to stay at Stamford Bridge....Hell, I'd like to see it.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-84124384260855163842007-05-11T18:10:00.000-04:002007-05-11T18:55:40.222-04:00

A short conversation with Being Sven earlier this week reminded me that I've been meaning to post about soccer podcasts for a while now. Even though it's almost the end of the season, there's no time like the present. I listen to three sports podcasts on a regular basis -- I used to listen to World Soccer Daily, but it was just too much. I'm sure there's more out there that I should be

Amandanoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-14516332119242299692007-05-11T11:35:00.000-04:002007-05-11T12:17:20.328-04:00

Aw. Bye, Robbie.I wish I'd been a Liverpool fan back when he was in his prime; seeing highlights isn't quite the same thing. I guess if the fans call you God, you must be doing something right, though. I'm happy he was able to come back to Liverpool for a second time, especially since his exit the first time was so nasty. This was never going to be a long-term deal, though, and Liverpool

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-20253644965453795122007-05-09T20:34:00.000-04:002007-05-09T21:19:18.078-04:00

I might be in love with a USL team, y'all.I mean, this was like their fourth game ever, so there's not a lot of history there, but they were pretty awesome. And by that I mean mostly they were adorable. (No, I don't know what a Railhawk is.) This was pretty clearly the Chivas B-team, in that I didn't recognize a single player's name, but it was really a good time. It was raining off and on

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-62168560302504355032007-05-04T20:31:00.000-04:002007-05-04T20:39:30.578-04:00

Dear English Premier League:YouTube is the best advertisement for your sport in several decades. Leave it alone.Sincerely,an American fan too poor for Fox SoccerI can almost get trying to shut down the streams; that's the entire game, in real time, and a much bigger violation. But highlights? There are entire shows, both here and in England, based around sports highlights. If you want people

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-22635128566099055572007-05-01T23:29:00.000-04:002007-05-01T23:56:08.204-04:00

Liverpool 1 - Chelsea 0 (Liverpool advance on penalties, 4-1). Like I said, slightly more coherent thoughts. It still hasn't sunk in that they've somehow managed to get past Chelsea again. (Though, really, every time John Terry cries after playing us, a little baby angel gets his wings.)That wasn't the most outstanding game I've ever seen; if I were a neutral, it may even have been boring (and

Amandanoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21735539.post-62086456210361992032007-05-01T18:04:00.000-04:002007-05-01T18:06:13.681-04:00

GET IN YOU REDS. More coherence later tonight, probably. But right now all I can do is flail. I love you, boys.

Amandanoreply@blogger.com1