Bill Archer Blog

My previous comments notwithstanding, I wanted to pass this along. I'm not going to waste a lot of time commenting, but I thought an update was appropriate

As predictably as rain in October, the FAI today formally appealed to FIFA for a replay of the Ireland/France match that was won on an admitted Thierry Henry handball.



I understand the impulse, and sympathize with the motives, but if you can sit through this entire video you're a far braver man than I, or...

Since John (see below) is on the Thierry Henry story, I'm taking a pass on it, for two reasons:

First, because we really don't need two posts on the same topic and second because, frankly, there's just nothing to say. The referee is directly behind Henry and so has no chance to see what occurs. The linesmans' view is blocked, so ditto.

Soccer is a lot like life: it's unfair. Your heart breaks for Ireland, who've gotten the shaft in this whole deal from Day One, and after 500 or so years of misery you'd think the Irish could catch ONE break in something but I guess that's...

While it isn't going to remind anyone of Super Bowl week, ESPN has started a fairly substantial promotional campaign leading up to Sunday's MLS Cup game, with loud,
splashy, quick-cutting spots flickering across flat panels in bars, lounges and airports even as we (figuratively) speak.

Of course one of the featured elements is advertising the appearance of David Beckham, which is hardly surprising, since using Chris Wingert as the marquee attraction isn't likely to set the viewing meters ablaze.

(Speaking of which, have you seen the re-cut of the famous California...

Right about now is probably a good time to start yet another serious discussion of finding a better way to determine a winner in a soccer match of enormous magnitude besides the dreaded PK shootout.




Someplace else.

Not that I'm a fan of the thing - far from it. It's just that the gut punch delivered to the Fire and their fans last night after 120 minutes of emotion, drama and desire seems worthy of something more than just another tedious discussion of the rules of the game.

For now, well, this stuff is why we hold playoffs: Have a...

Pity poor Don Garber.

No, not because he has to put up with reporters all the time; he handles himself pretty well amongst the unwashed, freeloading, neck-plastic wearing keyboard bangers of the world:


But so far, the Conference Championship weekend, one of the biggest TV ratings grabs of the MLS season, has been, if not a disaster then the next best thing to it.

(Yes, I'm taking pity on those of you who didn't sit up half the damned night waiting for Southern California to...

*UPDATE: Germany cancels Saturday friendly vs. Chile

Germany and the world footballing community are in shock this morning at the news that Hanover 96 captain and German national first choice goalkeeper Robert Enke apparently committed suicide yesterday by stepping in front of a speeding train.

German police sources have confirmed that a suicide note was found. Details have not been released.

Enke, who suffered a long, frustrating series of injuries over the years, including a recent bacterial infection, was still dealing with the loss of his two year old...

The morning after a team gets knocked out of the playoffs there's always a good deal of finger pointing, blame seeking and what-iffing.

As dutiful, diligent, longtime fans of the Beautiful Game, we all know perfectly well that blaming a loss on any one play or one call is simply unfair.

What about this or that pass or this or that shot or this or that run that someone did or didn't make? Soccer consists of 90 minutes of opportunities - taken and missed - and the fact that so many games are low-scoring or no-scoring affairs demonstrates just how tenuous the whole deal...

ESPN is running a college soccer feature this morning.

But before the nice folks in the various BigSoccer forums concerned with such topics get too terribly excited about NCAA womens' soccer finally getting the serious recognition it so richly deserves, they might want to take a look at the segment:


The player in question is one ELIZABETH LAMBERT who is apparently on a one-woman crusade to prove that thuggery is not an entirely male province.

I'm thinking there's a...

Normally, we try not to give rank stupidity a link, for obvious reasons.

In this case though, if I did not, people would claim I was making it up.

So here you go:

MY LINK OF THE YEAR.

I am forever indebted to BS loyalist "evangel" for passing along this article which, I admit, I read several times because I couldn't believe that it was not a parody.


Of course, there's also the realm of self parody, like when a certain blogger whom Aaron had SOME THINGS TO SAY ABOUT the other day breathlessly passes along the shocking, almost...

Over the next few days bloggers far and near are going to be offering up their opinions on the MLS Year End Awards nominations.

The main reason for this isn't that they honestly care that much. Almost no one really does.

But for a blogger - and I know whereof I speak - this provides one of the "automatic topics", like the traditional six part "Preseason Preview" or more recent "Playoff Preview", whose main value is to relieve the author of the nerve wracking chore of coming up with something to write about.

...