» Ana

Bye bye LA Sol. Hello F.C. Gold Pride

Ana — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 20:21:29 +0000

The Women’s Professional Soccer League here in the US is going into its second year, and things are not going nicely for some. LA Sol, last season’s most popular team, got shut down because they could not find any owners to… uh… own the team. Yeah, that bad.

The league had to dispense all LA Sol’s players last Thursday, including Brazilian superstar Marta, who now gets to play for F.C. Gold Pride (hey, you lose I win right?).

From NY Times:

Marta is expected to boost the team’s bottom line, too. Nancy NeSmith, a part owner of F.C. Gold Pride, said that Marta, the four-time FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year, will help the team sell sponsorships and tickets at its new, smaller stadium at Cal State, East Bay.

“Our plan is to sell out every game,” said NeSmith, who added that the phones started ringing in the team’s ticket offices as soon as Marta’s acquisition was announced. “If we get into a smaller stadium and sell out, the demand grows and the sponsorship grows.”

Sounds reasonable. As long as there is steady growth, the league can survive. There is no way women’s football will grow from night to day in the US or anywhere else on the planet. And we have to agree that this is a great opportunity for Gold Pride. Not so much for Marta.

Photo: Brazil new away kit for World Cup 2010

Ana — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 21:57:50 +0000

Quite nice huh?

via globo.com

Dunga very close to defining who will play in South Africa

Ana — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:27:41 +0000

Yesterday Dunga (and his loyal soldier Jorginho) called the squad to take on Ireland on March 2nd, the last friendly match before Dunga calls the final players who will play the World Cup in South Africa. No surprises, really. Ronaldinho is probably staying out even though he’s been doing well in AC Milan. ~~Punk~~ Robinho is likely to stay in even though he does absolutely nothing for the national team except for a goal every 2 years.

Here are the lucky lads:

GOALIES
Julio César (Inter Milan)
Doni (Roma)

OUTSIDE MIDFIELDERS
Maicon (Inter Milan)
Daniel Alves (Barcelona)
Gilberto (Cruzeiro) — really???
Michel Bastos (Lyon)

MIDFIELDERS
Gilberto Silva (Panathinaikos)
Josué (Wolfsburg)
Felipe Melo (Juventus)
Kaká (Real Madrid)
Ramires (Benfica)
Elano (Galatasaray)
Julio Baptista (Roma)
Kleberson (Flamengo) — really? ~~manager’s money~~

DEFENDERS (awesome choice!)
Juan (Roma)
Lúcio (Inter de Milão)
Luisão (Benfica)
Thiago Silva (Milan)

FORWARDS
Robinho (Santos) – no comments
Adriano (Flamengo)
Nilmar (Villarreal)
Luis Fabiano (Sevilla)

Photo: New England’s away kit

Ana — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 15:13:30 +0000

Oh 1966… England’s only World Cup title came in that year. So why not find inspiration in the shirt used by that team? England’s new away kit is very similar to the one used by the Queen’s squad in 66. Very nice indeed.

Oh sheits… World Cup 2010 will bankrupt me!

Ana — Mon, 08 Feb 2010 21:07:37 +0000

I am starting to plan the trip to South Africa. Fun fun fun!

Brazil will play first two games in Johannesburg (Korea DPR and Ivory Coast) and then off to Durban (to play Portugal). All that is very exciting… until you actually start bumping into prices. I already have the tickets to follow Brazil… but that is not even the beginning of my headaches.

A plane ticket from JFK (I am in New York) to Johannesbourg goes for about 2k… not a joke. I heard some people saying $1300 so if you are one of the blessed ones who have found it at that price please share the goods. Hotels are not even an option unless I become part of the Hilton faimily (or the Marriot family? Or Bill Gates family?), or something… So looking at home rentals will be another 3k at least.

Car? 800 dollars. If they don’t up the price just because it is World Cup time.

Just… awesome…

Yep… I better start making some serious money!

Photo: New Corinthians Shirt

Ana — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 20:12:29 +0000

Ok for a third option. Not my favorite whatsoever. What do you think?

Pompey set to go offline

Ana — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:57:55 +0000

It is hard to imagine a worse season than the one Portsmouth are suffering at the moment. The extravagant and irresponsible excesses of recent years are unravelling by the day as the club careers towards financial meltdown.

Portsmouth’s Premier League odds already make grim reading, but a clutch of incidents this week have left the club on the edge.

The start of the week actually brought good news, with the Premier League partially lifting the club’s transfer embargo, allowing them to sign players on loan and on a free transfer. Ghana striker Quincy Owusu-Abeyie signed on loan to lighten the gloom.

But as the week progressed things took a downward path. It was revealed that talks had taken place with Spurs over the transfer of Younes Kaboul and Amir Begovic. Portsmouth have a threadbare squad as it is so further player sales would put their ability to name a full match day squad into doubt. But with debts of £60 million the bills have to paid somehow and it looks like further player sales are the answer.

However, these talks took place without the knowledge of boss Avram Grant or chief executive Peter Storrie. The talks were handled instead by Daniel Azougy, the Israeli lawyer employed by the club’s owners to look after Portsmouth’s finances, despite his convictions for fraud and obstruction of justice in Israel. Angry at their exclusion both Grant and his chief executive might resign with Storrie admitting his position was untenable.

It gets worse.

An email was sent to club staff warning that their wages may not be paid on time for the fourth time this season and a humiliating week was capped when the club website being taken offline by the clubs digital partner due to unpaid fees. It returned after a few hours when a new payment plan was agreed but the damage to the clubs flagging reputation had been done.

The south coast club face a winding up petition on February 10th and given the events of this week it is hard not to see them becoming the first Premier League side to fall into administration. A sad sorry tale of a club mismanaged from top to bottom, Pompey have not heeded the lessons of Leeds United’s excesses ten years ago.

Their FA Cup triumph in 2008 was supposed to have heralded a great new era for the club. Instead it may be the last major trophy the club will ever win.

The football odds suggest Portsmouth will be playing Championship football next season, but they might not last that long.

Photo: Germany’s New Away Kit

Ana — Thu, 28 Jan 2010 18:53:26 +0000

Nice? I like it. Like the main one better though!

Premier League is taking shape

Ana — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 18:58:05 +0000

image: AP

With more than half the season gone the table has finally settled down and we now know who will be competing for what in the coming weeks.

At the foot of the table crisis club Portsmouth have crammed a decade’s worth of problems into this season alone, and not just on the pitch. With all the uncertainty off it they understandably sit dead last and I can’t see them moving any higher. Their football odds show just what a poor state the team is in.

Above them it looks like a five way tussle between Bolton, Burnley, Hull, Wolves and West Ham. I think the Hammers have enough quality to pull clear but there is also boardroom uncertainty at Upton Park, so the January transfer window could be crucial for them. Hull and Wolves are my tips to slip back down.

The likes of Wigan, Stoke and Blackburn are unlikely to trouble the top half of the league anytime soon, but I feel they should be able to keep their heads above water.

At the other end of the table it is proving to be one of the most fascinating seasons in years. The big four cartel could be broken for the first time in five years, with Man City, Spurs and Villa all vying for 4th spot as Liverpool struggle. Behind them Birmingham and an ever improving Fulham are proving to be the surprise packages of the season. The Champions League might be a step too far, but a spot in next season’s Europa League is not an unrealistic aim for these clubs.

At the very top it has become a three horse race, with Arsenal hitting form at just the right moment. A win at home to Bolton on Wednesday will see them overtake Chelsea at the summit, just a month after falling 12 points behind them following a 3-0 home defeat by Carlo Ancelotti’s men.

At Old Trafford Manchester United are looking more vulnerable than they have done in some time. Without Ronaldo, who was their jewel in the crown, a lot of pressure has been heaped on Wayne Rooney and while the England star is delivering he is getting precious little support. Meanwhile injuries at the back mean United’s defence has been unusually porous this season. A fourth straight title might be beyond Fergie’s current crop and the Premier League title betting reflects this.

With no clear distance between the sides fighting it out at the top and bottom it is still all to play for at either end of the league, meaning it could be one of the closest and most exciting Premier League seasons yet. Just don’t ask me to predict the outcome.

Ronaldinho back to being amazing?

Ana — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:14:30 +0000

Seriously, I cannot believe this guy. Is the World Cup really the only thing that motivates him to do what he just did yesterday? Whatever it is… I like it. Watch below all the goals from AC Milan 4 – 0 Siena.