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Tuesday, 26 January 2010 13:06 |
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For those of you who don't know who Charlie Davies is, you soon will. He is a forward for the US Mens National Team who was involved in a car accident back in October that killed another driver. In all reality, Davies is lucky to even be alive today. When the story first broke, there was much discussion on how long he would be out of the game and what impact his absense would have on our World Cup hopes. Well, toss all of that out of the window. Ives Galarcep wrote an update on Soccernet today detailing the amazing recovery Davies has made to this point.
He writes:
Just how amazing? The multiple broken bones in his leg, face and elbow have healed. So has a torn posterior cruciate ligament in his left knee, and he has recovered from bladder surgery, which left a foot-long scar on his stomach. He has regained the 15 pounds he lost after enduring six surgeries following the crash, and is days away from undergoing his final surgery associated with the accident, a procedure to remove a bone, plate and screws from his left elbow. After a week to recover from that surgery, Davies expects to be back training with Sochaux by the end of February.
"The World Cup is easy for me to be back for," said Davies. "I want to get back to France, and I don't want to just get back -- I want to be good.
If that alone isn't amazing enough, he continues:
Today, Davies looks very much like he did before the accident. The swelling in his face that was so evident during his interview with ESPN last November has subsided, though a shorter haircut reveals the scar he has from ear to ear arcing over the top of his skull. That scar came after doctors peeled his face off down to his chin in order to repair the multiple fractures that left his facial bones a shattered mess.
Yes, he had his face peeled off and today looks normal. Let that digest for a second.
His presense in the US lineup adds more firepower and more options for a team that struggled to score goals in World Cup's past. I fully expected the worst so this is a huge bonus not only as a person but as a fan of the game. |
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Friday, 04 December 2009 14:29 |
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Group A: South Africa, Mexico, Uruguay, France
Group B: Argentina, Nigeria, Korea Republic, Greece
Group C: England, USA, Algeria, Slovenia
Group D: Germany, Australia, Serbia, Ghana,
Group E: Netherlands, Denmark, Japan, Cameroon
Group F: Italy, Paraguay, New Zealand, Slovakia
Group G: Brazil, Korea DPR, Côte d'Ivoire, Portugal
Group H: Spain, Switzerland, Honduras, Chile
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Monday, 23 November 2009 09:57 |
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I could go into an in-depth commentary on the game but let's be honest, you won't care anyway. I will though use this space to toss out a fact that is just another reason why Americans won't take this league seriously on a mass scale. RSL limped into the playoffs as the number 8 seed...with a losing record (11-12-7). In a pigskin dominated society, we don't even like when college teams with .500 records make bowl games, much less those with losing records. It's just the feeling that the game is too watered down and parody has gone too far. The fact that David Beckham was on the other side of the loss does bring a little joy but overall, a team with a losing record has zero business competing for a title in any league. |
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Last Updated on Sunday, 22 November 2009 21:12 |
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Thursday, 19 November 2009 13:34 |
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With France stealing one of the final spots from Ireland, the list of qualifiers is now complete for Johannesburg 2010. Ireland has filed an official request to replay the game but when that gets denied (and it will), this will be the final list.
Qualifiers
Africa
53 teams, 5 +1 places After two preliminary rounds, 20 teams play in five groups of four. The group winners qualify for the FIFA World Cup.
- Algeria (ALG)
- 2009-11-18
- Cameroon (CMR)
- 2009-11-14
- Côte d'Ivoire (CIV)
- 2009-10-10
- Ghana (GHA)
- 2009-09-06
- Nigeria (NGA)
- 2009-11-14
Asia
43 teams, 4.5 places Australia, Japan, Korea Republic and Korea DPR qualified directly for South Africa 2010, while Bahrain was victorious in a play-off against Saudi Arabia and now plays in an intercontinental play-off against New Zealand for the last ticket in Oceania/Asia for the FIFA World Cup.
- Australia (AUS)
- 2009-06-06
- Japan (JPN)
- 2009-06-06
- Korea DPR (PRK)
- 2009-06-17
- Korea Republic (KOR)
- 2009-06-06
Europe
53 teams, 13 places The European qualifiers began in August 2008, with 53 teams playing in nine groups on a home and away basis.
- Denmark (DEN)
- 2009-10-10
- England (ENG)
- 2009-09-09
- France (FRA)
- 2009-11-18
- Germany (GER)
- 2009-10-10
- Greece (GRE)
- 2009-11-18
- Italy (ITA)
- 2009-10-10
- Netherlands (NED)
- 2009-06-06
- Portugal (POR)
- 2009-11-18
- Serbia (SRB)
- 2009-10-10
- Slovakia (SVK)
- 2009-10-14
- Slovenia (SVN)
- 2009-11-18
- Spain (ESP)
- 2009-09-09
- Switzerland (SUI)
- 2009-10-14
North, Central America and Caribbean
35 teams, 3.5 places Twelve teams are contesting Round 3 of North, Central America and Caribbean qualifying. The top two from each of the three groups will advance to the final hexagonal stage, from where three sides will qualify directly for South Africa 2010 and the fourth-placed team will take on the fifth-placed finisher in South American qualifying for a place at the world finals.
- Honduras (HON)
- 2009-10-15
- Mexico (MEX)
- 2009-10-10
- USA (USA)
- 2009-10-10
Oceania
10 teams, 0.5 places
New Zealand won the Oceanian qualifying section and will now play off against the side who finish fifth in Asian Zone qualifying for a place at South Africa 2010.
- New Zealand (NZL)
- 2009-11-14
South America
10 teams, 4.5 places The qualification format, which involves a league system with teams playing each other home and away, kicked off in October 2007. The top four go through by right, with the side finishing fifth going into a play-off with the fourth-placed side from the North, Central America and Caribbean Zone.
- Argentina (ARG)
- 2009-10-14
- Brazil (BRA)
- 2009-09-05
- Chile (CHI)
- 2009-10-10
- Paraguay (PAR)
- 2009-09-09
- Uruguay (URU)
- 2009-11-18
Host Country
As a host of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Cup™, South Africa automatically qualify for the tournament.
Source - FIFA |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 19 November 2009 00:44 |
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Friday, 06 November 2009 10:20 |
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The Arsenal's European championship clash against AZ Alkmaar brought a lot of good news for Arsene Wenger and for the fans all around the world.
First, they are almost on the verge to qualify for the knockout stage in the champions league and second, their wonder boy Samir Nasri ( France ), verstile midfilder Thomas Rosicky(Czech Republic) and a speedish Theo Walcott (England) are back on the field which boasts the teams moral and the chances to grab major titles this season, immensly.
 Thomas Rosicky(knee injury) and Theo Walcott(knee and back problem) did not feature in more then 6 games for Arsenal this season along with Nasri who broke his leg in the trainning season in Austria before the start of this season are fit and raring to go and he (Nasri)proved it by creating many chances in the midfield and scoring a brilliant goal against AZ Alkmaar. 
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Last Updated on Thursday, 05 November 2009 21:56 |
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Tuesday, 03 November 2009 10:21 |
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Arsenal has suffered a surprise blow because their experienced left back Gale Clichy will be out for at least a month due to a stress fracture in his back. The news was reveled by the Arsenal Manager before Arsenal champions league clash with AZ Alkmaar.
Arsenal already has a long list of injuries and Clichy's injury can hurt them in some way or another. Even though Arsenal Manager believes in youth, he was a bit hesitant to put pressure on Kieran Gibbs to play all matches in Clichy's absence.
Arsensal's injury list:
Gael Clichy
Johan Djourou
Denilson
Theo Walcott
Nicklas Bendtner
Armand Traore
Jack Wilshere
Carlos Vela
Lukasz Fabianski |
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Thursday, 29 October 2009 06:32 |
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RED or DEAD
Last night Liverpool fell to the might of Arsenal in 2 - 1 defeat that would have seen them progress to the quarter finals of the Carling Cup, Rafa released his young guns thinking they could handle what the first team couldn’t a few weeks previous.The big question that all fans are now asking of the club was it a mistake or a game plan by the manager??
If it was a mistake the fans can forgive and in time forget, but if it's a game plan this then leaves the loyal fans in the KOP with great dismay as in recent times Rafa's game plans have failed, the question now is what’s next for the once most powerful club in the world, the fans need silverware that with every game seems to be fantasy,,,,,,
Pete Kop,,,, |
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Last Updated on Thursday, 29 October 2009 06:48 |
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Monday, 21 September 2009 17:30 |
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You and I can grab a cold one after the summer softball league. Apparently that isn't the policy in the Bundesliga. Stuttgart goalie Jens Lehmann made an embarrassing mistake in a loss to Cologne and decided to go do what any of us would have done...drown his sorrows (actually he said it was a charity appearance but I digress). Well now he has been demoted from the first team and won't travel to the team's next game.
Can you imagine if this happened in the US???? What if Pacman wasn't allowed to make it rain? What if Plax couldn't go out and swiss cheese himself? What would Jeff Reed do if he couldn't throw a few back and abuse towel dispensers? |
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Friday, 28 August 2009 07:25 |
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Well the field is finalized after Arsenal beat Celtic to secure a spot in the European tournament. After a quick look, I give the "Group of Death" to Group C. Anytime you have the premier teams from Italy and Spain, it's not going to be a cake walk. A trend I did notice is that the Premier League teams received a fairly favorable draw here.
Chelsea have some quality teams in Porto and Atletico but they should be fighting for second spot in the group. APOEL is a team out of Cyprus making their first appearance in the tournament.
Man U seem to have an easy route but Sir Alex is taking a step back after looking at the travel schedule. They travel to Istanbul then home for Man City followed by a trip to Liverpool four days after going to Russia.
Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez also seems happy with the Red's draw. "You know in the Champions League there will always be difficult games and tough teams to play against. The important thing as always is that the travelling isn't too bad, we don't have too far to go for any of the games. We're just looking forward to starting the competition now."
Arsenal fullback bacary Sanga like his teams chances. "We can reach the final and win it. Two years ago we played in the quarter-finals, last year we reached the semi-finals now we have to get to the final and maybe we can win it. We are not scared of any team. I think we can win it."
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Group A
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Bayern
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Juventus
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Bordeaux
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Mac. Haifa
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Group B
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Man United
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CSKA Mos.
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Besiktas
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Wolfsburg
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Group C
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AC Milan
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Real Madrid
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Marseille
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FC Zurich
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Group D
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Chelsea
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FC Porto
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Atl. Madrid
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APOEL
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Group E
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Liverpool
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Lyon
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Fiorentina
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Debreceni
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Group F
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Barcelona
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Inter Milan
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Dyn. Kiev
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Rubin Kazan
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Group G
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Sevilla
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Rangers
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Stuttgart
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Uni. Urziceni
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Group H
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Arsenal
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AZ Alkmaar
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Olympiakos
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Standard
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Wednesday, 05 August 2009 12:46 |
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In a great bit of news for Chelsea fans, the striker signed a new three year deal that will keep him playing in Stamford Bridge until 2012. There has been much speculation over the past few months as to whether he would stay in London with the Blues'.
"I have decided to extend my contract with Chelsea for two extra years and I am very happy and proud to continue to wear the blue of Chelsea until then," he told Chelsea's website.
"I love the club, I feel good here and I want to continue to win titles with them. I stay because I am ambitious to pick up lots more trophies, regain the Premier League title, win cups, it's for this that I have extended my time at Chelsea.
"But my number one objective is to win the Champions League. I am convinced that this year we can go to the end and finally lift this trophy. I'd like to take advantage of this message to thank the Chelsea supporters who have always encouraged me with fervour as well as all my fans.'
There is no doubt that he will be needed if Chelsea is going to make a run at the top of Premier League this year. |
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Sunday, 02 August 2009 10:06 |
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After much consternation I think I've chosen my team. I've just recently caught the soccer bug and have been watching ALOT of soccer, I'd say around 2 games a day. I really started getting into it after watching the Confederations Cup and the US MNT run to the finals after a miserable start.
Like every kid in America, I played soccer growing up, all the way through HS. I love everything about the game. So many people say it is incredibly boring, I of course disagree. The incredible level of talent of players like Beckham, Landon Donovan, Didier Drogba and others make it a beautifully flowing and exciting game. Im just begining to learn the nuances of the game.
Being a new fan of European soccer, I figured I should choose my team. I have never been the kind of fan to just choose the best team at the time and follow them, hence my love for the hapless Buffalo Sabres. I have chosen Chelsea of the English Premier League. Granted they are one of the "top four" powerhouse teams of the EPL, they are not ManU. I was leaning toward Fulham, due to their having what was a whopping TWO american players, Clint Dempsey and Carlos Bocanegra along with others in the past, however Bocanegra left for France. I have chosen Chelsea and will keep you all posted!!! |
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Last Updated on Monday, 03 August 2009 16:56 |
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Thursday, 23 July 2009 11:18 |
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Another top U.S. player may be heading overseas if Livorno boss Aldo Spinelli has anything to say about it. The Italian club returns to Serie A after relegation in recent years and landing the LA Galaxy's Donovan would be a big win. Spinelli claims to have been in discussion with Donovan's agent and sponsors to figure out how to time a deal. ''I think at this point it will be done for next season only, seeing as the sponsors don't want the player to leave America now,'' said Spinelli. It would be an interesting twist due to the fact that Donovan could face off against AC Milan's David Beckham, who he recently ripped in a new book. I think this is another great bit of news for US Soccer. Even though Livorno is at the bottom of the league, the exposure received from playing in a top European league is priceless. |
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Friday, 10 July 2009 09:05 |
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After an improbable performance in the Confederations Cup by the US Mens National Team, American players are starting to get noticed by some of the bigger European sides. The French newspaper L'Equipe is reporting that forward Charlie Davies may be close to signing a four year deal with French Ligue 1 club Sochaux.
The former Boston College star has spent the last three seasons with Sweden's Hammarb where he racked up 21 goals.
This is an exciting prospect for American soccer fans. Davies is going to be a star for Team USA and getting to play on a regular basis in one of the better European leagues will only improve his stock. |
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Last Updated on Friday, 10 July 2009 11:24 |
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Wednesday, 24 June 2009 16:36 |
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I'll just list the recent histories of the teams that played today and you tell me the team that won. Team #1 Ranked #1 in the world Hasn't lost since 2006 Their roster of 23 players includes 22 who closed out their 2008-09 season with clubs that qualified for either UEFA Champions League or Europa League. Team #2 Ranked #14 in the world Has been struggling with lesser competition from small island nations. Only four players were with clubs at the end of the season that qualified for European tournaments. Have a guess? What a showing for the US mens team today in South Africa as they shocked the world with a win over top ranked Spain. Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey each scored goals as the Americans advance to play either Brazil or South Africa in the finals of the Confederations Cup. "I can't explain it any more than you can," U.S. goalkeeper Tim Howard said. "Sports is funny sometimes, but when you put your mind to something, you can achieve it." Despite being outshot by 29-9, the Americans stacked the box on defense and got a foot on most shots headed towards goalie Tim Howard. Altidore got the scoring started in the 29th minute on a deflected ball and a bad directional guess by Spanish defender Carles Puyo. Dempsey slammed the door in the 73rd minute on another ball in the box that Spain failed to clear. Today proved that when you get the ball into the goal area, things are going to happen. I had to wonder in the first half if the US could keep up the pace for 90 minutes but that is exactly what they did. I had zero faith in this team moving out of the first round when I saw the schedules a few weeks ago. After losing two of their first round games, they were all but dead but a freakish series of events got them to the semifinals. Today was a great day for soccer fans and has hopefully restored some luster that has been missing from Team USA. |
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