World Soccer Scene from Seattle

There has been quite some controversy over the standard of refereeing in MLS this season. Some of it merited, some of it fueled more by the natural desire of every football fan to massage away the pain of a bad result. Message boards have been bombarded (including our comments section) and fans have been outraged. Even Sounders FC coach Sigi Schmid has felt compelled to make the occasional comment about referees although we had to drag it from him!

So we talked to an assortment of fans, officials and players, including Taylor Graham (r), and asked them three questions:
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Kevin Stott will Get to Meet
an Old Friend again
When the referee blows his whistle to signify the end of the MLS Cup Final between Real Salt Lake and Los Angeles Galaxy, it will end a remarkable year of top flight football in the Emerald City. We can now reveal that the official who will bring it all to an end is Kevin Stott. Although no-one at MLS would confirm this, very reliable sources would not deny it either. Stott has appeared just once this year at Qwest taking charge of...

Farewell and Thank You, 2009 Crew

The consequences of last night’s elimination of Columbus Crew from MLS 2009 are still being considered. Last night, unfancied Real Salt Lake completed a double over the Ohio side with an unlikely 2-3 second leg win at Crew Stadium. The first fall-out of the Crew’s elimination will be to rekindle the debate, if it ever died, whether sufficient reward and recognition is given...

The 2009 MLS quarter finals are all at the half way stage and there isn’t a single tie that people will be able to unanimously pick the winner. Two of them were drawn, in Seattle and Los Angeles, and in the other two, home sides grabbed the narrowest of victories.

To complicate things a little, there isn’t really a significant home advantage in the Chivas USA/Los Angeles Galaxy fixture as both sides share the same stadium, and obviously neither is going to be suffering any of the downsides...

Liverpool and Inter Need to Reverse Trends

The UEFA Champions League becomes interesting today, and by interesting, we mean the chances of big clubs being eliminated grows to the point where this drudge of a six match stage becomes possible. UEFA changed from a simple knockout format for two reasons. One was to artificially create more games for the top sides to generate...

Columbus Set to Sail Through, but other MLS Sides in Peril

Sides from the Primera División de México lead all four groups and all but Toluca have already qualified. Toluca would have to lose at home by at least four goals though to miss out, and even then CD Marathón would have to win by eleven. So it’s safe to say all four Mexican clubs are through, and the real battle is who will join them in the last eight. The odds look reasonable for just one of the three...

Liverpool v Lyon Preview

Olympique Lyon meet Liverpool today in a UEFA Champions League match which under normal circumstances would be merely one of a clutch of mouth watering ties on the CL calendar.

Both lost at the weekend, both lost games which captured headlines around the world, but at that point, their two stories diverge in very different directions.
Liverpool lost 2-0 to Serie A club Fiorentina. This could be explained away by a defeat in the most difficult match in a four team Champions League...

England to Let Fans Choose Man of the Match as Beckham Fiasco Raises Doubts over his Selection for SA




Give Us Your Full 30!

In the wake of the furore at David Beckham being awarded the man of the Match Award for his half hour cameo against Belarus, the FA have decided to allow the fans to vote on the man of the match award.

Controversy...

Seattle Sounders became the first expansion side in 11 years to move into the post season following their thrilling 2-3 win in Kansas City. All the sides who had started the day on 36 points won their games to set up a fascinating finish to the season next weekend. Toronto, DC United and FC Dallas were all one bad result away from elimination and all pulled the proverbial magic rabbit out of the hat. DC United's win was especially surprising as they beat the league leading Columbus...

Sounders FC have made the MLS play-offs in their inaugural season after a 2-3 win in a thrilling match at Community America Ballpark. Tyrone Marshall, Roger Levesque and Nate Jaqua scored the goals as Sounders did their very best to throw away a game they had already done enough to win.

With these three points, Sounders take their total to 44 and become the first expansion team to make the post season since Chicago Fire in 1998. There is certain to be a celebratory atmosphere...