With all due respect, IMO you seem to have a very narrow view of the events that took place. I don't disagree with the fact that LA choosing Real Madrid over us was very smart from a business standpoint. HOWEVER, the way it appears they led on our club prior to the ultimate cancelling of the match was appalling. To repeat what I said above, Albion had every indication that they were coming to L.A. to play the Galaxy from AEG. The club had gone through the trouble of arranging visas, booking flights and offering trips to supporters to L.A. While there may have been no signed contract, why did Albion feel confident enough to advertise the trip on their site? They must have had some sort of positive response from L.A. What I would like to know is a timeline from the point Real Madrid contacted Galaxy/AEG and when those two clubs had begun negotiations. Because these things don't just happen overnight. Couldn't the Galaxy have let Albion know that there was a possibility they might have to cancel due to another club? Why did Albion have to wait until L.A. announced the Real match on their site to the PUBLIC to learn that their match would be cancelled? WHY didn't Galaxy tell Albion the day WBA announced the "California trip" on their Web site (almost a week before the Real announcement) that such an announcement was premature? If Galaxy were more honest in their discussions with WBA, if they had made it CLEAR was a possibility they might be playing another club instead, perhaps then a different match with San Jose or Real Salt Lake could have been arranged. Perhaps AEG tried to use San Jose as an alternate arrangement after the fact, but it probably would have been tough for WBA (or fans who bought up those package trips) to make those extra arrangements. While I am a loyal American who wants MLS to succeed, I hope the FIFA powers that be come down hard on Galaxy/AEG for allowing this situation to happen.
First day of preseason, TWO wins. Not bad... Well, back to what this thread was intended for... Both of West Bromwich Albion's 'split squads' earned wins as Bryan Robson got the chance to most of the returning players, the new lads and some of the reserves/promoted youth team players in action at League Two Cheltenham and non-league Telford. Darren Carter and Steve Watson and Richard Chaplow made their Albion debuts at the New Bucks Head, where Albion thrashed Telford 0-6. Chaplow, Carter, Kevin Campbell and reserve players Rob Elvins and Stuart Nicholson (two goals) scored for the Baggies. Later in the afternoon, Chris Kirkland made his debut as the 'other half' of the squad beat Cheltenham Town 0-2 at Whaddon Road. Geoff Horsfield and Lloyd Dyer scored for Albion.
And just who are AEG and L.A. Galaxy in the footballing world? If this is the way they treat "friendly" matches, they are certainly going all out to enhance their reputation on the world scene. Hopefully they will get a good footballing lesson from Real when they play them.
Most Brits wouldn't know any US football teams if they bit them on the arse, but this is just typical of the "big money" approach to football nowadays. Maybe we should change the whole concept of football from "The beautiful game" to "The financial game".
Well, the 'new rumour' floating around is that Albion will be going to the Iberian Peninsula for a pre-season tour... According to some reports (I got this off the BOING list) Albion are trying to sort out friendlies with Portuguese club Benfica and Spanish Primera Liga side Sevilla. If that rumour is true, that would make three Iberian clubs Albion would face in the pre-season, including Atletico Madrid at The Hawthorns on 7 August. Any chance we could squeeze in Real Madrid as well?
What I mentioned above was posted today on the Albion site, and I think these fixtures have actually been confirmed this time round. Sevilla on 20 July, Benfica on 22 July. Of course, Real won't be in Spain when Albion are there, because they'll be here in California.
Albion beat MK Dons this evening by a single goal this evening at the National Hockey Stadium in Milton Keynes. Geoff Horsfield scored in a match in which each side created quite a few opportunities. Junichi Inamoto and Zoltan Gera saw their first appearances for the Baggies after their appearances in the Confederations Cup for their respective countries.
inamoto is useless now he can even to manage to score...i still like him though...puckerup dude i want some results...west brom better get some results for the upcoming season
Oh dear. It seems we lost 3-0 at Crewe Alexandra. For some reason it always seems as though Dario Gradi has always had Albion's number going back to when we were in the same division. Sounded like a pretty dire performance, though, to give up all three goals before the half-time break.
Cut & pasted from the Albion official site: ALBION (4-4-2): Kirkland; Watson, Moore, Gaardsoe, Robinson; Chaplow, A Johnson (Inamoto HT), Carter, Dyer; Campbell, Earnshaw. Subs not used: Kuszczak (gk), Nicholson, Forsyth, Hodgkiss, Smikle. A bit worrying as our three new signings played the full 90. No Greening or Wallwork in midfield. The match report lists Inamoto of all people as 'Albion Starman' so he must have been half-decent even if he failed to score.
Sevilla beat Albion this evening by a single goal to nil. Couldn't listen to the match, so I'm not sure what happened. Luis Fabiano scored the lone goal of the match for the home side.
Albion suffered a 5-0 humiliation at the hands of Benfica Friday night. The Portuguese champions' rout was fuelled by a hat-trick from Brazilian winger Geovani, and two more from Helio Roque and Simao. Meanwhile, it seems Albion pre-season plans are again being manipulated by outside forces. But it's the opposite problem this time: an EXTRA fixture. Apparently a match scheduled for this Monday against Sporting Lisbon was arranged by the company that organised Albion's tour. Bryan Robson expressed surprise and disappointment, but has agreed to 'do the honourable thing' (unlike a certain club here on the West Coast of the United States) and play in the fixture, pending approval from the FA.
After an Iberian tour that had produced no wins, Albion got back on track this afternoon with a win at Cardiff City. In the 14th minute, Nigerian international Kanu had his first goal in an Albion shirt in... er, how many matches has it been? Not nearly enough goals, in my opinion. Thomas Gaardsoe also put away an equaliser for Albion in the 71st minute. Rob Earnshaw returned to Ninan Park for the first time since Albion bought him last season, and former Pompey loanee Diomansy Kamara made his debut for Albion, coming in as a sub for Jonathan Greening. Jason Koumas, who will spend the season on loan with the Bluebirds, made his Cardiff debut, as did former Albion defender Darren Purse.
West Bromwich Albion 2 - Atletico Madrid 0 Albion produced a decent end to the pre-season with a 2-0 win over Madrid's "other" team. Kevin Campbell got the Baggies' first goal, and Diomansy Kamara slotted home a penalty near the death for his first goal in Albion colours. A stingy Albion defence, good goalkeeping by Chris Kirkland and a couple of poorly taken Atletico chances led to the clean sheet for the Baggies.
Perhaps Zoltan is a bit of a chameleon, as he looks a bit like Liam Neeson in this picture... http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/050426/8/ajxe.html But then he looks more like a younger Mandy Patinkin in this picture... http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/050403/8/a3u8.html
Doesn't matter...he's a great player...he and Cahill were the bargain basement signings of the year last year, and they play on my 2 favorite English teams!