Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas is widely considered the best young midfielder in the world and one of the world’s top midfielders in general. This video should not only give Arsene Wenger nightmares, but serves to show how cool under pressure the young one is.
Honestly, would the Cleveland Cavaliers let LeBron James do this?
As we have said many times before, all of us at SoccerPro.com are fans first. We are lucky enough to know some people that have some connections in Europe – and these are just a few of the things that have been rumored to happen over the summer. […]
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While the first legs of the UEFA Champions League semifinals did not pack many goals, there were still plenty of fireworks in England and Spain.
First, Liverpool squandered multiple chances to put an underwhelming Chelsea side away. Without the heroics of goalie Petr Cech and a few uncharacteristic misses from Fernando Torres, Liverpool could have had three goals. An unfortunate John Risse own-goal at the match’s death (Why didn’t he try to clear the ball with his RIGHT foot????) gave a precious away goal to the Blues.
Liverpool will need to score at Stamford Bridge next week and most likely walk away with a win to secure its place in the finals for the third time in four years. Chelsea however does not lose at home and Liverpool’s attack suddenly becomes allergic to the goal at the Bridge.
Still it’s Avram Grant making the decisions for Chelsea and Rafa Benitez has become a tactical genius in European competitions. So, the pick is still Liverpool, but it’s on unsettled confidence.
Meanwhile, a certain Portuguese winger trying to lay claim to the best player in the world title muffed a penalty that could have given Manchester United a precious away goal at Camp Nou. Ronaldo has already vowed to score at Old Trafford next week and with the way he has played this season I wouldn’t want to bet against it.
Barcelona did show that it still has something left in the tank this season and is not washed up yet. Barcelona has the talent to send United packing still. However, the pick is still United.
As I walked along Matt Busby Way I saw it. Just there, creeping up over a few buildings. As I continued my walk with an ever increasing pace the football cathedral began to cut an even more ominous figure into the Manchester skyline.
Before I knew it, I was standing at the giant doors of the famed Old Trafford, the Theatre of Dreams and the home of Ferguson’s Red and White Army, Manchester United. I had finally made it, and my pilgrimage was nearly complete.
I then spend the next several hours perusing through the Manchester United mega-store, and after forcing myself away I made it up to the museum where I stood in awe at the trophies and exhibits. I even had my picture taken with the Premier League trophy won by United last year.
After another two hours the moment finally came, when my time was called and my tour of the Theatre of Dreams began. I was mesmerized the entire time, as I walked amongst the memories made in that stadium, sat in the same locker room where the likes of Roy Keane, Eric Cantona and George Best once sat and where Giggs, Scholes, Rooney and Ronaldo still do.
After the tour, I just kind of ambled around the streets of Manchester for a bit, trying to soak it in before what was to come.
I rose early the next morning and made my way back to the grounds in hopes of getting a ticket, which after a bit of haggling I was able to obtain. So there I was, watching and waiting for the whistle that would commence the war of Manchester United and Arsenal.
I sang and cheered the entire game as United scrapped for a victory thanks to a Ronaldo penalty and punishing Owen Hargreaves free kick, and after the whistle I stayed as long as I could stand it, still trying to soak it all in.
It was an adventure that I wont soon forget, and one I encourage everybody to experience.
Cheers!
Here in America, March and its NCAA madness passed, but for football fanatics the real final four is about to begin.
When Tuesday, April 22 rolls around it will begin the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League and pit four world titans against each other. Never mind the fact that three of the four play in the same league, it is a great time of the year. With the top leagues in Spain, England, Italy and even Germany seemingly wrapped up as the final matches play out, there is no certainty in the Champions League.
While I would prefer more diversity with the final participants, they have all done their parts to secure passage thus far and are deserving of their places. Without any further adieu, lets see who will make it to Moscow for the final. […]
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We here at SoccerPro are soccer players first, fans second, and businesspeople third. In that order. The owners are not businessmen who decided to open a soccer store because it would be a good cash-flow opportunity, they are lifelong soccer players who opened a soccer store for love of the game and to provide the finest soccer equipment with first hand knowledge. Years of professional and amateur playing experience as well as an avid (and sometimes work-disrupting) fan culture gives us a unique advantage only we can pass on to the fellow player or fan looking for the right soccer gear.
We also recognize the importance of the soccer blogging community, the fan buzz and interest it creates, and the tension it can build. Not to mention the entertainment soccer bloggers can provide!
With our soccer background in mind, we set out to learn what the soccer playing community has to say about soccer blogs. Bloggers talk about other bloggers all the time, which is wonderful, but we here at SoccerProse were asking ourselves the deceptively critical question: To which soccer blogs do real soccer PLAYERS look for entertainment and insight into all aspects of our beloved game?
In order to hear that all important voice and tally the soccer player vote, we figured there’s no better way than to give away a pair of soccer shoes in exchange! And why not give away the players’ most popular shoe, the Nike Mercurial Vapor IV ?!
The players and fans have spoken and these are their favorite soccer blogs. Let the link juice flow.
We would like to thank all who entered the contest, congratulate the two Vapor winners and especially thank all the bloggers who responded to the contest so well!
Most Popular Soccer Blog:
Sniffing The Touchline
blowing it up the arse of the beautiful game…..
http://sniffingtt.blogspot.com/
Other Heavy Hitters:
(in no particular order)
Soccer By Ives
Spanning the world of soccer with an American voice and a Jersey flavor
http://www.soccerbyives.net/
The Offside Rules
Spilling red wine on soccer’s social fabric since 2007.
http://theoffsiderules.blogspot.com/
du Nord
for futbol fanaticos
http://www.dunord.blogspot.com/
This Is American Soccer
Adam Spangler’s baby
http://www.thisisamericansoccer.com/
From College to the Pros
The US Soccer Ladder
http://collegetopros.blogspot.com/
The Offside
Looking at club football from leagues around the world.
http://www.theoffside.com/
Red Rants
Manchester United Blog
http://redrants.com/
Arseblog
an Arsenal blog (in no way connected with Arsenal football club… repeat to fade…)
http://arseblog.com
Pitch Invasion
exploring football culture around the world.
http://pitchinvasion.net/
The shameless plug award goes to:
SoccerProse
www.SoccerProse.com
A soccer blog for soccer players, fans, parents, and coaches.
Spineless and soulless thanks go to the corporate mama-teat:
www.SoccerPro.com
The Authority for Soccer Gear and Training!
(huge clearance sale going on right now, by the way)
Once again, congratulations to the winners!
Barring a major stumble in the Bundesliga’s final seven games, Bayern Munich, which is nine points clear at the top, should reclaim its spot at the top of German football.
After last season’s disappointing fourth-place finish and a ending up being on the outside looking in on Champions League action, the club reloaded to make sure its dip did not last long.
In came Franck Ribery, Luca Toni and Miroslav Klose. Bayern had built a squad that could compete not only in Germany, but seemingly against any side in Europe. However, winning the Bundesliga is not enough, that was merely expected.
Playing in Europe’s second-tier tournament, the UEFA Cup, Bayern must complete the double to reestablish itself as one of Europe’s most powerful side. It would be a sign that Bayern took its fall to heart and is reaffirming itself as Germany’s top club.
Schalke 04 had a nice run in the Champions League before falling to Barcelona, but to match the firepower, depth and skill of Europe’s top sides will take Bayern’s doing.
So you can see why tying Getafe and giving away an all important away goal in the 91st minute could be so troubling to Bayern. Getafe is currently in 11th place in La Liga and has a minus-2 goal differential. A draw at home on April 10 would see Getafe through to the semifinals and send Bayern home with only the Bundesliga to hang its hat on for the season. If Bayern make it through the possibility of facing Russian side Zenit St. Petersburg awaits and then either Rangers, Sporting, Fiorentina or PSV in the finals. Not exactly a murders’ row of European greatness.
Bayern Munich is a name associated with greatness and it needs to win the UEFA Cup to help make sure it stays that way.
Starting May 28, 2008 we are going to know a lot about the United States Men’s National team.
Why is this date important? It marks the first of three friendly matches against teams in the Top 11 of the FIFA World Rankings. The first one will be against England at the new Wembley Stadium. England is currently ranked 11th in the world. You can catch it on ESPN Classic and see how the Americans fare against an England side that missed out on Euro 2008. This could definitely not be England’s full A side but either way it will be a test for the U.S. Having this game in Europe is great as well because historically we have not done well on European soil. This gives a chance to gain more experience away from home which is vital in World Cup qualifying and World Cup play. Read More »
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Ok, I admit it. I was wrong about Fenerbahce, very wrong indeed. A few posts ago I predicted that Chelsea would just stomp all over the Turkish powerhouse, and well that just didn’t happen.
The game was not one sided, but Chelsea just didn’t look in it. The Turkish side however, was bustling around the pitch, creating chances and thus, they came away with the victory.
This game begs many questions.
Does have Fenerbahce have what it takes to actually win the Champions League?
Why not? They certainly showed tonight that they can play with anybody, but in order for them to win the next game and continue on to the semi finals, they need to concentrate on winning the next game, and nothing more. If they take this tournament one game at a time and not worry about their next opponent there is no reason why the clock has to strike midnight on Fenerbahce’s ball.
So what about Chelsea?
This is by no means a done deal. There is still one more game to play, and this time it is on Chelsea’s turf. Home field advantage won’t be enough though. Chelsea will have to play like they actually respect Fenerbahce now, and they will have to concentrate and playing good solid soccer and sticking some goals in the back of the net.
I personally can’t wait for the game next week, and I hope all of you tune in to see if Fenerbahce can fit their foot in the glass slipper.
Cheers!
Christ Appears to Faithful Follower, Scores Match Winner
Match Report: Israel 2-1 U.A.E.
(Jerusalem) Israel apparently have prayer to thank for their recent victory over the United Arab Emirates.
A thumping header in the dying seconds by Jesus of Nazareth saved Israel from an international friendly draw as they prepare for Euro 2008, UEFA’s prestigious European competition being held this summer in Austria and Switzerland.
After descending from the right hand of God, the savior to billions of Christians world wide took up the captain’s armband for Israel and nodded home the decisive goal with authority from a curling Aviram Baruchian cross.
Yossi Ben-Cohen, Israeli midfielder and outspoken Christian said through a translator, “Before the game I thanked God for my life and family and I prayed that He would be with us through this match […] that He would help us win. Thanks to Jesus eternal love, I have peace in my heart and thanks to His strength in the air, we got our goal and a win.”
Following the final whistle Jesus elaborated on His strangely intimate relationship with Ben-Cohen and His miraculous intervention in the match saying, “My eternal love is with [Ben-Cohen] and before he was made in his mother’s womb, I knew him, but I figured his passing would be better by now.” Jesus continued, “It’s atrocious, man, I mean he gives the ball away SO easily, and he’s been training for about 18 years now. I mean, I’ve watched him. Surely God’s chosen people [Israel] can find a better holding midfielder?”
The multi-sided and complex debate over Jesus’ divinity continues to overshadow the U.A.E.’s offical appeal to FIFA for Israel fielding 12 players.
Neutral fans watching the game are dubbing the Bethlehem native’s 89th minute strike as the “Hand of Allah” wonder-goal.
Match Summary: Israel 2-1 U.A.E.
Saeed Al-Kas (pen 7′)
E. Barda (57′)
J. Christ (89′)
Substitutions:
Hilal Saeed for Ahmed Mubarek, 46′ (tactical) Omer Golan for Amit Ben Shushan, 62′ (tactical) Tal Ben Haim for Jesus Christ, 90′ (calf strain)