While thses brown bags are reserved for Curtis’ and Zack’s lunches, once West Brom gets going in the EPL this season their fans might find them useful to cover their faces.
Anyways, EPL previews continue at Goalmouth Scramble and the Tony Meola show continues to get closer and closer.
Also, lookout for yours truly to make his debut on Goalmouth Scramble sometime next week.
Our favorite podcast is back at it. This time Tom is back with Curtis and the two discuss Tom’s trip to Germany during the Euro 2008 final in which he soaked up all of the local flavor during Europe’s most prestigious tournament.
The duo also break down Aston Villa’s chances in the upcoming EPL season. Is Tom still hopeful Villa can hold on to Gareth Barry? Check it out.
Our favorite podcast, Goalmouth Scramble, is back at it and this time Curtis dives in with two feet to tackle the issue of loyalty in the sport. Is there even any? The Francesco Totti’s and Ryan Giggs’ of the world are the exceptions, not the rules. No longer do players stay with one club their entire careers. So rarely do superstars come up with a powerhouse club, and even if they do it’s no guarantee they’ll stick around for a career. The richest and biggest clubs can buy any player they want, which creates a high-priced mercenary system to do one thing: win matches and trophies. Clubs may boast about their histories, but those were built on homegrown talent, not on what could be bought. They say money talks and in the world of soccer it certainly does where we know where the real loyalty lies; the almighty dollar (or pound or euro or whatever currency you use).
Also in store, more EPL previews. This time a look at Arsenal and Middlesbrough.
Also, more news regarding Goalmouth Scramble and Soccer Manager for all of the fantasy fanatics out there.
Enjoy!
During a recent Under-9 soccer match at the local Parks and Recreation complex a grown adult male verbally abused the match official, according to eye-witnesses. At 8:09 a.m. last Saturday, Ronnie Teague, the presiding referee, had just started the match between the Krazy Kickers and the Super Lizards when he heard Daniel Kelmeth arrive on the sidelines shouting bizarrely graphic threats on his life.
Flaunting all conventions of sportsmanship and sideline courtesy which normally accompany youth soccer, Mr. Kelmeth lambasted Mr. Teague with a stream of verbal attacks few at the scene could see coming. Many other soccer parents in attendance reported their dismay and confusion at the nature of Mr. Kelmeth’s tirades at the respected match official.
“Refs are just kids doing their jobs,” a fellow spectator said, “and the kids are just want to have fun playing soccer. I guess I just don’t understand why he’s so upset, I mean my kid sucks, but he’s better than [Dan] Kelmeth’s kid.” Many other parents reported being confused by Mr. Kelmeth’s outbursts, referring to the respectful and nurturing atmosphere which always surrounds youth soccer.
Seeming to ignore the fact that it is physically impossible for the eight-year-olds on his team to play soccer on the level of his expectations, Mr. Kelmeth refused to drop the issue, making the 14-year-old referee the target of his insults throughout the match. These odd verbal attacks became most pointed after Mr. Teague would blow his whistle for a foul.
Mr. Teague reported feeling especially threatened when he heard Mr. Kelmeth shouting obscenities and insults which apparently included, “no-talent dummy,” “stupid-ref-who-can’t-even
The young match official does not plan to take any official action against Mr. Kelmeth, citing the threats of physical violence and the “really sweet” Sony PlayStation 3 owned by Scott Kelmeth, Daniel’s 15-year-old son.
It now appears like the buck-toothed one is 90 percent sure of landing in Milan next season. While nothing is set in stone yet, it seems that the allure of AC Milan’s prestige and history of won Ronaldinho’s favor over the pounds (that’s money, not what he would be adding to his bulging waistline with a diet of fish and chips and lager) at Manchester City.
Although we’re not sure who the winner is in this situation.
Yes the transfer of Ronaldinho is a big deal (now the tabloids can focus on the ridiculous talk of Adebayor being worth 30 million pounds-more on that in a different post), but City should count itself lucky to have lost out on this transfer.While snagging Ronaldinho would have brought City a certain cachet, it also would have brought it the frowning face of the equine-inclined Brazilian. Deemed surplus at Barcelona, Ronaldinho has ceased to be an attacker who put fear in defenders and set them on their heels. Instead he became content with fancy flicks and his movement on the field decreased while his belly increased.
Maybe it really is just fitness holding him back; if that’s the case then Milan has a steal on its hands because if a fit Ronaldinho means a return to his form two seasons ago then Serie A defenders had better look out. Sadly this is doesn’t seem likely. Now combine that with where he will fit into Milan’s scheme on the field. History has shown us that he and Kaka don’t exactly bring out the best in each other on the pitch, and Kaka is not going anywhere. Now add in Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Mathieu Flamini, Massimo Ambrosini and Clarence Seedorf and the midfield looks pretty crowded (similar to Barcelona). Ronaldinho is not an out-and-out striker so putting him up top will not play to his strengths or help the squad (even if Filippo Inzaghi is Milan’s top striker).
This all puts Milan in a quandary. Bring over the Ronaldinho, just a couple of years removed from being the world’s best player, and now find out he might not even be needed. We also don’t buy the change of scenery argument because Ronaldinho is 28, rich beyond belief and the signs of content in him have already begun to show. The fire and joy he brought to matches has dimmed only to spark in a moment of beauty, like a bicycle kick, to remind us all of what he once was. Milan has had success with Brazilians, but this was one they should have taken a pass on.
At least once the transfer is completed we won’t have to hear incessant Ronaldinho talk until he starts to regularly find a comfy spot on the bench.
Our favorite podcast is back with a new episode and a new guest. This time around Goalmouth Scramble begins breaking down the upcoming English Premier League season by getting forecasts on Fulham, Sunderland and Newcastle United. The insight is brought to you by Curtis and John Conner. John spent the spring semester in London on an internship with Fulham. Now he’s back and sharing his firsthand knowledge of how the beautiful game gets down in England. Also in store is the Scramble’s first giveaway, so keep those e-mails coming and keep posting comments with your thoughts on the podcast and the blog.
With Euro 2008 wrapped up “Goalmouth Scramble” has decided to check its crystal ball and see what 32 nations will make it to South Africa in 2010 (assuming the country can pull everything together to host the event). Will England rebound under Fabio Capello and not be an embarrassment to the beautiful game? Who has the toughest qualifying road and what are some surprises we might see along the way. All is revealed by Curtis on the latest “Goalmouth Scramble” podcast.
Now that Euro 2008 is over, “Goalmouth Scramble” jumps feet first into the murky transfer rumors of summer while following up on the championships with a breakdown of the Top 10 busts at Euro 2008.
Personally we at SoccerProse have our own picks for who did and did not show up in Austria and Switzerland. Here’s our picks. Let us know what you think of these and what Curtis and Trader Dick picked.
1. France-One French player was too hard to choose. The entire squad stunk, nuff’ said.
2. Mario Gomez-Terrorized the Bundesliga, but looked lost in front of the goal at the Euro’s.
3. Greece-Another full squad inclusion, but really the defending champs were probably the worst team of the championships.
4. Luca Toni-The giant Italian looked off his game and failed to replicate his domestic form.
5. Petr Cech-Like the ball, Chelsea’s netminder lost his grip in the argument to be considered one of the world’s best with his late-game collapse against Turkey.
6. Miroslav Klose-Scored two goals, but was largely invisible up top for the Germans.
7. Cristiano Ronaldo-A bit harsh maybe, but when you score 42 goals domestically and are considered the world’s best player you need to be the best player on the field each game for your country, which he wasn’t (that honor goes to Deco). Also, need more than tying for the team lead with one goal.
8. UEFA-Setting the brackets up to possibly pit rematches of group stage games before the final is boring and ridiculous.
9. Old players-The championships were not kind to players north of 30 as youth ruled supreme. Unless you’re a goalie, the demands of a tournament schedule does not aide older players. Michael Ballack and Marcos Senna proved the exception.
10. France-Really, they were that bad.
If you like fantasy sports, especially fantasy soccer, the latest edition of “Goalmouth Scramble” is for you.
Curtis Stelzer and Micah Bolton delve into the the world of SoccerManager, the world’s largest soccer sim game. Curtis and Micah debunk the nine most common myths of the game and add their insight into the best ways to become a successful manager.
So jump in the game and check out the world of fantasy soccer at “Goalmouth Scramble.”
If reading about soccer isn’t enough for you, head over to www.soccerpro.com/goalmouthscramble and check out the newest soccer podcast where your soccer addiction can further be satisfied.
“Goalmouth Scramble” will cover every topic in the soccer world, including in-depth discussions on league roundups, transfer rumors, current issues in the game and fantasy soccer discussion.
“Goalmouth Scramble” made its debut last week with host Curtis Stelzer, a former professional soccer player for nine years, and jumped right into the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer-saga. Other podcasts highlighted the Euro 2008 Championships and the world’s largest online soccer sim game at www.soccermanager.com.
Brought to you by SoccerPro, “Goalmouth Scramble” delivers intelligent, insightful commentary and will also feature a rotating mix of guests and special guests, including former U.S. men’s national team goalie Tony Meola, U.S. women’s goalie Hope Solo and ESPN writer Jerrad Peters.
This podcast delivers the goods for your soccer cravings. So check it out and let “Goalmouth Scramble” know what you think.