Other Stuff

Ed has a good piece on Thierry Henry already up so I won't harp on too much further on the result itself. I am biased, he's one of my 3-4 favorite players of all time. At this moment, I feel more pity for him than I do anything else.

Instead, I want to focus on the true cause of Ireland's injustice yesterday, soccer's continued refusal to institute any kind of replay review system. FIFA's constant harping against replay review becomes more and more insipid by the day. I do not understand how a billion dollar business like soccer could allow its major events to be tainted by the...

This week the Premier League rejected a proposal by the Bolton chairman to include Celtic and Rangers in a two-tiered Premier League with the Guardian saying that 14 clubs voted against it.

There are two ideas here that want to handle separately. First is the Celtic and Rangers problem. Clearly, they have outgrown the SPL and its financial limitation, chiefly television rights fees. From their perspective, I can completely understand their attempt to go anywhere in search of the cash to match their clearly lofty ambitions. But, from the Premier League's perspective, it doesn't...

I’ve always said that one of the realistic options for the disaffected USL owners was to leave and then just setup their own league away from the USL umbrella. Today, that appears to be what has happened, with everyone bailing on Francisco Marcos and the USL. I have not been following this all that closely, but where does this leave Portland, who has one more year to go before they join MLS. Vancouver, who also joins in 2011, is part of the new league? Of course, it’s also unclear what the other non-breakaway club (Austin, Cleveland, New York, Puerto Rico, Rochester and Tampa Bay) plan on doing....

I am making my way through Soccernomics and as you might imagine, I am liking it very much. I am going to be writing about it in pieces rather than in an enormous thesis-length review. I don't think the book is perfect, but I think the authors do a very good job at shining a very different light on the sport.

Much, much more to come.

So, I found this bizarre moment from the J-League over on the Guardian's website. It shows Grampus Eight Manager Dragan Stojkavic "scoring" a great goal as he half-volleyed a rolling ball into the net from in front of his bench. It's a great strike, to be honest. Then the referee marches over and sends him off, which does seem like a bit much.

Finally, this clip is from a Japanese show that looks as if the show producers watched Fox Football Phone In and went, "Ah ha! That's exactly how to do a soccer show. Get a fanboy or two, dress them like idiots...

Dean Windass, the Dick Trickle of English soccer, has retired, leaving a hole in the hearts of immature men (like me) everywhere who cannot help but giggle at the mere mention of his name.

There is hope for us yet though, as he is set to obtain his coaching badges and has his eye on management.

By the way, in the annals (hehe) of funny sounding names, I am told that back during the Cold War, there was a Bulgarian foreign ministry functionary named Yanko Wagadogoff....

So ESPN's gone out and signed Martin Tyler to be its no. 1 commentator for the 2010 World Cup.

Good. He's a very good, if slightly ubiquitous, commentator. He won't embarrass ESPN like Jack Edwards, Dave O'Brien or Marcello Balboa and he'll make a lot of US World Cup viewers very happy.

That said, I don't want him doing US matches. That role should remain JP Dellacamera's. He has done an outstanding...

Good news for soccer fans as Cox Cable has picked up ESPN360 just in time for folks to be able to watch the FIFA U20 World Cup. Service starts for viewers (including me) on September 30th.

ESPN360 shows all kinds of soccer including the Bundesliga, La Liga, Dutch League, Football League, Portuguese League plus FIFA tournaments like the U20's and, if my memory serves me right, the Confederations Cup.

If this sounds self-serving, it's because I live in Fairfax County, VA, a longtime Cox-"owned" region, so I am very happy with this news.

For some years now, DC United's Screaming Eagles and Barra Brava have set the standard for pre-game tailgating in MLS.

As a DC fan this season, I've learned to appreciate the "smaller things" in soccer my soccer experience as opposed to actual goals, talent, or even effort out of my home town team. These things include a rare nice day in amongst the rain and staggering humidity, standing in a part of RFK that doesn't collapse, watching the opposition's coach make moves and adjustments that indicate a degree of tactical knowledge...

Help me name this car

Recently I bought my first new car, a bright blue 2009 Hyundai Elantra Touring. It replaced my old Honda Accord, which I had named Otto the Auto. My new Hyundai currently lacks a clever name, which is why I come to you, clever denizens of Bigsoccer for help naming my new car.

Here was my best attempt: "Kim Jong Wheel." Eh, it works better if you say it out loud.

What do you think...