Manchester United Punt MLS All-Stars; Chicharito Opens Account

Manchester United handled the MLS All-Stars in Houston Wednesday night.  The crowd of nearly 80,000 didn't have to wait long, as Federico Macheda jumped on a poorly-defended ball and scored in the 25th second.
Macheda scored just ten minutes later, then the floodgates opened.
The United masses were happy to see new signee, Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez score on his debut in the second half.  Sir Alex must have been happy to see his young upstarts score, as Tom Cleverley broke the bag as well. 
The final score of 5-2 could have been different, with both sides having chances to score, but in the end the  Reds overwhelmed the All-Stars.

Here are a few photos:

Federico Macheda is congratulated by Nani on his first goal

John O'Shea

Tom Cleverley celebrates his goal

Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez opens his account with the Reds

And celebrates in front of a sold-out crowd in Houston

Man United Has Universal Appeal!; Houston Pics

Manchester United are currently in Houston preparing to play the MLS All-Stars tomorrow night.  While in the Lone Star State, the Reds took in some local sites, including the Johnson Space Center.

Here are a few pics of their visit:

Group Shot

Edwin van der Sar

VDS, Sheasy, and Giggsy

Shuttle Shot

New keeper attire for Tomasz

The sign at Reliant Stadium

Edwin, Corry, Javier, Tom, Wes, and Berba cheer up a girl at the Texas Children's Hospital Cancer Unit

Darren Gibson joins in with players at the MU Soccer Schools Clinic

Javier "Chicharito" Hernandez (front right) joins his new teammates in practice

Nemanja Vidic Agrees to New Long-Term Deal; Roo is Next

So much for the idiotic Spanish press who insisted that he was already signing with Madrid.  AS, and Soccernet were right there with Marca in reporting he was keen to leave Manchester:

from soccernet:
Nemanja Vidic has put an end to months of speculation about his future by agreeing a new "long-term" contract with Manchester United and Wayne Rooney could be next, chief executive David Gill has confirmed.
Vidic was reported to be unhappy * with life in Manchester and has been the subject of prolonged speculation, with Real Madrid and AC Milan both thought to be admirers of the Serbia international.
But Vidic will continue to play a key role under Sir Alex Ferguson next season after the club revealed an agreement has been found to extend a contract that still had two years left to run.
Gill told MUTV: "I am very pleased to confirm that we agreed terms with Nemanja three or four weeks ago on a new long-term deal with the club.
"We sat down with Nemanja and his advisor at the end of last season and started discussions. They broke up when Nemanja went away to the World Cup, but resumed when Serbia were knocked out.
"It's yet to be signed - the paperwork is now being sorted by our lawyers and being checked by Nemanja's advisors. He's still away on holiday but the plan is that when he gets back the papers will be signed.
"We've shaken hands on it and we're confident it will all be signed and sealed in early August. It's great news for Manchester United and great news for Nemanja and the fans.
"There was a lot of speculation about Nemanja's future, but in my view it's been the media drumming some old stories. They certainly didn't come out of the Manchester United camp and I'm confident they didn't come out of Nemanja's camp.''
Vidic joined United from Spartak Moscow for £7 million in January 2006 and after a period of acclimatisation established himself as one of the finest defenders in the Premier League.
His partnership with Rio Ferdinand helped United secure successive Premier League title wins in 2007, 2008 and 2009 - with Vidic named in the PFA Team of the Year on each occasion - and he also enjoyed Champions League success in 2008.
Ferdinand wrote on his Twitter account: "Love that Vida is staying, great news for our club!" ****

On Thursday, Ferguson was reluctant to give any assurances over Vidic's future but the Scot will now be delighted to have kept the defender out of the clutches of some of Europe's biggest clubs
Gill has also confirmed that United will seek to open contract talks with Wayne Rooney once the player links up with the club following his holiday. Rooney has been given time off following England's World Cup campaign in South Africa. His current contract expires in 2012.
"The current intention is to meet with Wayne and his advisors when we're back from tour and he's back from holiday with a view to sorting out a new deal for him," Gill said.
"It's clear from what he has said and what the club have said that both parties are very keen to sort things out and secure his long-term future at United. Given his desires and what he means to the club we're very confident that can be achieved." [end story]

* the months of speculation was fomented by soccernet and their "sources," along with the other twits of the footy press world, Marca, and AS.

**** NO MANCHESTER UNITED PLAYER HAS AN OFFICIAL TWITTER OR FACEBOOK PAGE, as was reported just this week by United.  Wonderful sources, soccernet! *rolls eyes*

No Friendly for the French Flops

France World Cup squad suspended for friendly

By Soccernet staff

New France coach Laurent Blanc has taken the decision to suspend the entire 23-man squad which took part in this summer's failed World Cup campaign for next month's friendly against Norway.

Les Bleus' campaign ended in failure and controversy, as they managed only one point and one goal from three games in Group A and were left in disarray when the squad refused to train two days before their final game against hosts South Africa.
A number of senior figures had called for sanctions against the perceived ringleaders of the protest - but Blanc proposed to exclude the whole party at a meeting with the French Football Federation's (FFF) federal council, who ratified the decision.
A statement on the FFF website read:

''Laurent Blanc met this Friday, July 23, with the federal council, to whom he presented his staff and his sporting project. He also proposed to the federal council, who accepted, not to retain for the friendly against Norway, on Wednesday August 11 in Oslo, any of the 23 players officially selected by the French Football Federation for the World Cup in South Africa. Laurent Blanc will release the list of players retained for this match against Norway on Thursday August 5 at 11.30.''

The strike, on June 20, came after Chelsea forward Nicolas Anelka was sent home from the tournament following a heated exchange with then coach Raymond Domenech at half-time during the defeat to Mexico on June 17.
Captain Patrice Evra accused a ''traitor'' within the party of leaking details of Anelka's foul-mouthed rant to the media and of destabilising the squad, and was then seen arguing with fitness coach Robert Duverne at the start of the scheduled training session. Duverne stormed off the training ground and the squad headed for their bus and refused to train, leaving Domenech to read a statement to the press on their behalf.
Former France defender Lilian Thuram and Marcel Desailly called for Evra to be banned from national team duty over his part in the insurrection, and departing federation president Jean-Pierre Escalettes took a similar stance on Anelka. But Blanc said upon his unveiling as Domenech's successor: ''It is not for me to decide on sanctions. I am not the bogeyman. If I consider they are the best players in their position, I will take them.''

Earlier, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris admitted the decision of the squad to strike during the World Cup was ''completely stupid''.

''We acted as a team,'' Lloris told L'Equipe. ''To strike was the decision of a squad who felt lonely, who believed that no-one had stood up for them and who had a message to convey. We went too far. It was a very awkward decision, a big mistake. It was completely stupid. But there were so many problems.''

Lloris has now vowed to work with his team-mates to help repair the damage.
''We all want to improve the image of Les Bleus,'' he said. ''We must make all possible effort, give everything. It's important for us. We must go back to basics - respect for the jersey, of course, the team and the institution of France.

''There are generations rich in potential and a new coach. It must start with a good foundation. We have a great desire that what happened in South Africa should not happen again, that there should be no self-destruction like that any more.'' 

[end story]

Again, Laurent Blanc should have been brought in BEFORE the World Cup and none of this would have happened.  The French blundered horribly in keeping Domenech as "coach."  He had no respect from anyone.

According to keeper Hugo Lloris, a pack of idiots

United Youngsters Slip by a Pesky Philly Union

Yesterday the Reds continued their pre-season tour of the States in a meeting with the Philadelphia Union of the MLS.  The Union, who are languishing one step up from the bottom of the Eastern Conference, gave the former EPL champions a run for the money. 
Sir Alex chose to begin the first half with the Reserves starters, Macheda, Obertan, Welbeck (who was on loan last year), Cleverley (also on loan), Fabio da Silva, and buoyed them with Scholes, Giggs, Kuszczak, Brown, O'Shea, and Jonny Evans.
United came very close to scoring several times in the first few minutes with Welbeck and Obertan combining, but at the half mark the score was still 0-0.  Giggs seemed very peeved at a few youngsters (Macheda especially) when they wouldn't listen to his direction and wasted long balls that turned into goal kicks.

Edwin Van der Sar, who was watching from the sidelines, commented to the MUTV crew that he thought "the manager is probably giving them an earful right now so it's best that I'm out here."  The pundits were sure that Sir Alex would change the starting XI after a lackluster start, but he made no changes at halftime and the youngsters were given another runout.  Shortly into the second, though, after no goals came about, SAF brought in the big guns starting with Berbatov, Fletcher, Rafael da Silva, and new-signing Chris Smalling entering the fray.  Corry Evans (Jonny's brother) made his debut as a first-teamer as well. 
Jonny Evans (who had secured a starting spot last season with Rio's injury) made two superb blocks that should have been goals.  Perhaps SAF was getting a tad nervous, although he remained calm on the bench. 
He didn't have to wait long as the Union got sloppy at the back in the 76th and Danny Welbeck jumped on a loose ball, passing wonderfully to Obertan, who knocked it home.  Berbatov rattled the crossbar with a turnaround shot and Giggs was denied a penalty after being blatantly blocked in the area.
It didn't matter as the Union could not muster anymore chances and the Reds walked away with the victory.
Most would say that United should have won 10-0, but the MLS has come a long way in recent years and they are also in the middle of their season, while the Reds are still trying to amp up their fitness for the beginning of the EPL season.
The Reds will travel to Kansas City to play the Kansas City Wizards on Sunday at Arrowhead Stadium.

Tom Cleverley

Kiko Macheda battles with a Union player

Gabriel Obertan sprints away after scoring the only goal

Out From Ronaldo's Shadow

by Ben Hibbs, Manutd.com

It would be unfair to burden Nani with quite the same expectation of emulating close friend, countryman and former United team-mate Cristiano Ronaldo upon his return from the World Cup in 2006. But there is a definite sense that United's Portuguese winger has turned a corner in his development and will press on to become a truly top player this season.

He has lived with comparisons to Ronaldo ever since he arrived at Old Trafford. They are different players (perhaps only slightly, but crucially) and different people too. Ronaldo is an extrovert (Never! Really?), while Sir Alex Ferguson last season described Nani as "a shy boy".
The circumstances after this World Cup are different, of course. The backlash from England’s World Cup exit in Germany suited Ronaldo's me-against-the-world characteristics: he already responded to getting kicked in games by dusting himself down and going again, but his experience post-World Cup 2006 was the ultimate crunching challenge – and the way he dealt with it was the making of him as a player. His performances between 2006 and 2008 were earth-shatteringly good.

For a start, Nani didn’t play in the World Cup in South Africa this summer. A collarbone injury put paid to any involvement in the tournament. It's a shame because I personally believe that Nani would have announced his arrival on the game's most global stage as one of the competition's stars. But the disappointment at being denied that platform, I am sure, will only spur him on this term. Plus, you could put forward a legitimate case that he was United’s best player in the final few months of last season, scoring four goals in his final seven outings of the 2009/10 campaign.
United assistant boss Mike Phelan said in an interview earlier this year that "the penny has dropped" with Nani. His performances in the second half of last season showed maturity, vastly improved decision making, consistency, and an ability to influence key games – he was outstanding against Bayern Munich at Old Trafford (scoring twice), and got the crucial goal against Tottenham in the league. Most importantly, he looked like he was really enjoying his football. That's bound to bring the best out of any player.

There's an expectation at United that demands excellence without compromise. The manager sets the tone, the players are fully aware of it, and the fans hold them to it. It's a justified unwritten rule, after all, this is a club at the top of its sport and there can be few concessions for quality. But for the individual there is a period between showing potential as a teenager or a young player, and becoming a regular first-team player who produces consistently week in, week out. Patience is a virtue for Sir Alex, but sometimes fans can be a little less forgiving.
Darren Fletcher got a tough time from some sections of United’s support during this middle-stage of his development. But he came through that and is now regarded by many as the team's most important midfielder, first-choice above Scholes, Carrick, Anderson, Giggs and co. Nani, it seems, has emerged from a similar period in his progression, and that's why this season he is such an exciting prospect. We could get our first glimpse of him ahead of the new season against Philadelphia Union on Thursday (KO 00:30). The new season can’t come quick enough for him because this could be the year Nani fully emerges from Ronaldo’s shadow.

Sir Alex is a Genius!!!

When Sir Alex Ferguson stated last summer that Karim Benzema was not worth 35 million pounds, he couldn't have been  more correct.
Benzema's supposed brilliance (although he was left off a sub-par French National Team), and subsequent purchase by impulse buyers Real Madrid has turned sour for the La Liga wannabes.
His involvement with Franck Ribery in an underage prostitution scandal has now ended in him being formally charged by the French for underage solicitation, which carries a jail term of three years and a fine of 40,000 euros.

To read more about the "big league signing" of Madrid's last summer, click this link:

                                        Benzema is a loser

A Sad Realization in Bordeaux; Ronny's Life is Sad

While the lazy la liga players are vacationing, most of the footy clubs are back to business, including Bordeaux.  The Ligue 1 team started training last week and it was very difficult not to see number 29 in the photo mix.  He is firmly ensconced in his current team, Arsenal (who are training in Austria ahead of their match tomorrow).
The sadness arises from the realization that there will definitely not be any Chamcuff photos to publish this year on my blog.  I was hopeful that Arsene Wenger would see the light and purchase Yoann from Bordeaux.  I'm sure Yoann would be more than happy to vacate the former Ligue 1 champions, as his favorite manager, Laurent Blanc, has vamoosed to the French National Team position. 
Just recently, Marouane Chamakh (the Cham part of Chamcuff) said he would be delighted if 'Cuff joined his new team.  But all of that hinged on the sale of Cesc Fabregas to the current La Liga champions, Barcelona (his native land and former academy trainers).  Cesc seems to be staying put, unless a last-minute Hail Mary on Barca's part will convince Wenger to release his recent World Cup champion from the squad.  I would put those chances at a negative 100.
But to placate the female fans on here, fear not...I have photos of 'Cuff to brighten my blog, put a kick in my step, and give me hope that the season will bring many more like them!

Playing a friendly

Oh Chammy...'Cuff will miss you

In training with Bordeaux

Yes, Yoann, your abs are lovely

A Sad Commentary:
The recent revelation that rocked the footy world in which one Cristiano Ronaldo revealed that "with great excitement and emotion" he had become a father, has taken a sad turn for sure.  His cryptic announcement via Facebook and Twitter (how tacky) stated that the mother wanted to be anonymous (no doubt paid a large pile of euros to do so), and that there would be no further comment on the issue.  His naivete knows no bounds.  Releasing that non-informational tidbit is liking dangling fresh meat in front of an emaciated lion.  The result is that he has been hounded on his vacation in New York (with lingerie model in tow...no doubt to increase her workload), and then the paparazzi followed him to Vilamoura, Portugal in the Algarve to hopefully get a glimpse and the million-dollar shot of his new son, named...are you ready?  Cristiano Ronaldo Jr.
I don't have to tell you that Cristiano has been accused many times in the past of being egocentric, arrogant, and selfish.  Many men name their children after themselves, so I can't blame him for that one, but his recent antics with the press warrant a comment from me.
He lives in a world full of publicity.  His meteoric rise to the top at United (and subsequent fall from it in Madrid) made him a household footy name.  His good looks (questionable to some) made him an obvious choice for Nike, Armani, and others to showcase their products on a hot body.
His family have benefitted from his golden foot so much so that they are apparently in forgetfulness mode about their roots.  His mother recently stated (according to a Portuguese rag mag) that the child doesn't look like his birth mother, but rather has the genes of Cristiano and HER!!
The Aveiros are a case study in rags to riches.  Although Cristiano has admitted the poverty level of his upbringing (which has endeared many to him), his mother has obviously forgotten that she used to scrub toilets for a living.  She also told this magazine that Cristiano had given the birth mother 15 million dollars so that when "Cristianinho grows up he won't know his mother was poor."  *mouth agape*
I suppose the Aveiros will tell the little one that they are attorneys, doctors, and financial analysts and quit those jobs to be people of leisure on Cristiano's dime.
Their latest gaffe, in my opinion, has been bristling at the amount of attention heaped on their Vilamoura hideaway (which is in plain sight) since the "private" announcement on the world's two largest networking sites that Cristiano had become a father (although he had no discernible relationship with the one-night-stand-mother).  This is the part I have a real problem with.  They have forgotten that if it weren't for the media's interest in one Cristiano Ronaldo and his football abilities, that they would still be scrubbing toilets and making coffee at the local coffee shop, rather than wearing Prada, Armani, and toting the latest color of Birkin bag.
They are quite comfortable in being seen by the press when it suits their liking; opening a new CR7 store, Cristiano accepting awards (which he hasn't done since he played for United), blabbing to the press about anything and everything to do with Cristiano, etc.  If Cristiano speaks to the press they all make a point to come out of the house so as to be photographed although they "don't like the intrusive nature of the press."
Cristiano's latest tirade at the press while peeking over the gate of his "hideaway," went something like this:
"I am very happy to be a father but your presence here makes me sad.  You are upsetting the children who are here.  I can't be comfortable with you here and you are making the children uncomfortable."  The same children, mind you, that they parade in front of the press at every chance.
I will leave you with a pic of Cristiano enjoying his new fatherhood while in Vilamoura.  You will see that his maturity is matched by his bad attire while he gives the press two thumbs up at his new fatherhood!  I'm sure little Cristianinho will be so proud when he sees this photo!   

Nice...I'm sure Nike are proud

None of his friends were invited this year so CR had to take his own photo...

Sir Alex Proposes a Winter Break for EPL

Sir Alex Ferguson has called on the Football Association and the Premier League to do more to assist England in preparing for major championships. Speaking exclusively to ESPN, the Manchester United manager also challenged Wayne Rooney to improve on his spectacular form of last season, as well as stating his belief that the forthcoming Premier League title race is wide open.


With inquests continuing into England's lacklustre showing at the World Cup, Ferguson lamented the continued absence of a mid-season break from the English football calendar (which would need the approval of the Premier League) as a major contributing factor to the struggles of Fabio Capello's side.
"(The FA) has to give the country the best possible chance of doing well in the World Cup and because of the nature of our game and because of the demands from television to have a programme every week, the idea of a winter break, which I was first talking about 30 years ago in Scotland and have done since I came down to England, nothing has happened about it," Ferguson said. "They must realise that, going into the World Cup, they have handicapped their team."
One of the major reasons for England's struggles in South Africa was the failure of Rooney to replicate the form he showed last season for his club. United's No. 10 found the net 34 times in all competitions but, for the second consecutive time, went goalless at a World Cup.
Despite his disappointing summer, though, Ferguson believes that Rooney's football intelligence will continue to develop, a quality which will see the 24-year-old surpass his 2009-10 achievements in the upcoming campaign as he moves towards totally fulfilling his potential.
Ferguson said: "He had an improvement in terms of his timing and movement in the penalty box and his positioning was improved from the previous season. He got us over 30 goals and if he does that again and adds a little bit to his game then that is what we expect.
"The boy has got an incredible armoury of talent and what we have to do is to wait for that maturity. We also do nurture it and try to advise and coach in a fashion which will improve his game. But the most important thing I think he needs now is maturity and, when he gets that, I think you will see the complete footballer."
United's run-in last season stuttered following an injury to Rooney in a Champions League tie versus Bayern Munich in March. The knock was the latest in a string of setbacks that befell United and Ferguson is hoping the club's treatment room is much quieter during the weeks and months ahead:

"Every year we say the same thing - all the managers say the same thing - 'We should be okay as long as we don't have too many injuries'. It is part and parcel of the game unfortunately that you have to legislate for injuries. Last season, we started off with cover right along the back four in all positions but we ended up with Neville, O'Shea, Vidic, Ferdinand, the two Da Silvas, Brown all injured and most of them at the same time. It put a tremendous strain on us."

To date, the only new arrivals at Old Trafford during the close season have been Chris Smalling and Javier Hernandez and there have been suggestions that Ferguson's squad requires further strengthening. However, the United boss is confident that his squad, as it is currently constituted, is capable of challenging for honours.
"I think we have an outstanding chance because what people are not recognising in Manchester United at the moment is the developing nature of the team, i.e. the younger players that are coming through, who have been at the club for maybe two or three years, are now starting to emerge and will become very good players."
Though he is looking ahead with confidence, missing out on an English record 19th title last season clearly still rankles with Ferguson, who pinpoints incidents in both encounters with the eventual champions as being the key factors in United coming up short.
Ferguson said:

"I think the Chelsea games, if you take those in their own right, I think there were two or three decisions against us, refereeing decisions, that killed us in both games. We only needed one point, if we had drawn one of the games we would have won the league. But some years you get that and maybe next year it will be our turn to get breaks and you do need that bit of luck."

Minus their World Cup participants, United are currently in Philadelphia having won their opening pre-season fixture 3-1 against Celtic in Toronto last Friday. Ferguson is pleased with the way his squad is preparing for the new campaign, using techniques that have changed markedly since his early days as a manager.
"It was basically a different type of running, for instance. We used to do 1200m and 800m runs way back when I first came to the club. Now, the most we will run is, maybe, 200m. That is a massive change but the results are quite emphatic in the sense of it is the right direction we are going in. Sports science has changed a lot of things and I think a lot of it has been for the good."
Following matches against Philadelphia Union and Kansas City Wizards on Wednesday and Saturday respectively, United will take on the MLS All-Stars in Houston on July 28. A friendly in Mexico against Chivas Guadalajara follows two days later before Ferguson's men return home to complete their preparations for the Premier League opener, against Newcastle on August 16.
United have twice kicked off seasons, in which they would ultimately win the Premier League, with home games against the Magpies. To repeat that trick, Ferguson's side will have to overcome a list of rivals for the trophy which is arguably longer than it has been for some time.
Indeed, Tottenham's qualification for the Champions League has led some to suggest that the era of the 'Big Four' - United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool - may be over. As he prepares to try and increase his tally of titles as United manager to a dozen, Ferguson is well aware of the growing threat to the established order.
"I can see the progress that Spurs have taken. I can see the progress of Everton and Aston Villa and Manchester City, particularly, who have enormous amounts of money to spend. You can see a far more competitive table at the top. So, all in all, I think you can expect a battle to be in the top four which then increases the competition to win the league."

United Win First Friendly of Pre-Season

Dimitar Berbatov opened the scoring for Sir Alex Ferguson's side at the Rogers Centre, only for Georgios Samaras to equalise for Celtic after a foul by United new boy Chris Smalling.
However Welbeck and Cleverley both found the target as the Glasgow side ran out of steam after playing on Wednesday when they lost to Philadelphia Union. Scotland midfielder Darren Fletcher was handed the captaincy, with centre-back Smalling named in the team following his arrival at Old Trafford from Fulham.
United, who had been training in Chicago for four days before the game, made a bright start. Paul Scholes released Gabriel Obertan in the second minute but his cross was intercepted by goalkeeper Lukas Zaluska. Then Fabio skipped away down the left and showed good skill to deliver the ball into the area, only for Darren O'Dea to head clear. United kept up the pressure and Obertan dragged a shot wide in the 10th minute before Berbatov headed over the bar.
Celtic again found themselves on the back foot 19 minutes later when Rafael scampered forward. He picked out Obertan perfectly but the French winger was wasteful, his cross-cum-shot evading Berbatov. The Bulgarian striker was further frustrated in the 30th minute when his effort went the wrong side of the post. However Berbatov got his reward four minutes later - a cool finish after a superb first touch following a cross from Mame Biram Diouf. Celtic went close to drawing level in the 43rd minute, only for Charlie Mulgrew's shot to rattle the outside of the stanchion.
Substitute Darron Gibson could have extended United's lead a minute into the second half but blazed his shot over the bar. Celtic responded and Samaras thought he had equalised in the 49th minute after stepping off the bench. He got in front of goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar and headed firmly into the net but was ruled offside. Back came United and Diouf was bundled over by Mark Wilson in the 'D' seven minutes later. However Gibson's free-kick came back off the wall.
Smalling then saw his shot blocked thanks to an instinctive save from Zaluska before conceding a penalty. The new recruit was penalised for a challenge on Celtic's new recruit Joe Ledley in the 61th minute and Samaras equalised by finding the roof of the net with his spot-kick. Celtic were growing in confidence and Marc Fortune smashed in a shot after 75 minutes that Van der Sar did well to parry.
However United regained the lead in the 79th minute with Berbatov setting up Welbeck and the substitute slid the ball home. It was a good moment for Welbeck who ended the season injured after a loan spell at Preston. His immediate future remains unclear as Sunderland have already declared an interest in taking him on a similar deal.
Cleverley then added a third four minutes from time in front of a crowd of 39,139 after his 20-yard shot took a deflection off O'Dea and left Zaluska stranded.

Dimitar Berbatov spoke after the match about the first match of the pre-season.

United's starting XI against Celtic in Toronto...2 guys in the front row look identical! (haha)

Jonny Evans marshals the backline

Gabriel Obertan fights for the ball

Giggsy and Diouf congratulate Berba for scoring (Diouf assist)

Uh, yeah...I can score!

Thierry Henry Gives Red Bulls a Hand :)

Thierry Henry, who has exhausted his welcome in Europe, is going to give the United States a try...

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=808925&sec=global&cc=5901

Manchester United's New Kit Unveiled!

http://www.manutd.com/default.sps?pagegid={F9E570E6-407E-44BC-800F-4A3110258114}&newsid=6650712&page=2

Giggsy In America?

Manchester United is currently on the US tour to warmup before the EPL season begins.  Veteran midfielder and captain Ryan Giggs was interviewed about his post-United plans.  Giggsy has one year left on his contract (which was extended a year) hinted that he might try MLS in the twilight of his career.

He told USA Today,
""Being in America you have a great lifestyle, good for raising a family.  The play is getting better. I still have a year left with Manchester United. After that maybe. May be I will be too old."

United's tour begins with a match against Celtic in Toronto on Friday night before further tour matches against Philadelphia Union, Kansas City Wizards, the MLS All-Stars and Chivas Guadalajara.
Giggs, who has made 838 appearances for United, scoring 155 goals, knows the team faces some stern tests in the coming weeks.
He said: "MLS has grown and the success of the USA in the World Cup can only have helped football. We want to get our fitness. It is a good opportunity to get our rhythm against good competition."

World Cup: It's Finally Over

Well another World Cup has come and gone, with Spain taking the crown.  Didn't get to watch, as I was flying today.
Was a little surprised to see the five yellow cards in the first half, but then saw the flying karate kick to Alonso's chest and then understood why. 

I've always said that your best game was your last game.  Many times in the NCAA Basketball tournament a team will put up incredible numbers during a game and then lose the next match.  I think the World Cup is the same.  It truly is the survival of the fittest.
I don't think many are surprised that Spain made it to the final match and won.  Maybe after their loss (they become the first team to lose their first match and win the Cup) people were doubting their high ranking, but they pulled it together when they had to.
I'll admit that I was pulling for the Netherlands.  I'm not a big fan of the Spanish team but they did win fair and square.
Now poor Cristiano will have to listen to his teammates brag about their WC medals.  Of course that's ALL they have to brag about, because their club team is...manure.

I'm so happy that the club season will be starting soon so we can get back to sanity!

FIFA came out yesterday and made a ridiculous statement:  The referees for the WC were a "big success."

I'll let you ponder that...

World Cup: Final Set

Well...I missed that one.  I picked the Dutch to move on against Uruguay, but the 0-1 Germany/Spain result was very surprising to me.
The German scoring machine being blanked, when averaging 4 goals per game, seemed wrong.

I'm not a fan of Spain's team so I will cheer for the Dutch to win it. 

World Cup: The Oranje Send Uruguay Packing

I didn't get to watch today's match, but I was happy with the result.  The last South American team is gone.  So much for it being "their World Cup."  When you have that many teams in the final eight and none of them reach the final...doesn't say much for them.

Here is a rundown of the match. 

For tomorrow?  I'm predicting that Germany "adios" the Spaniards.  No team has shown the kind of goalscoring ability that Die Mannschaft have.

Score?  3-1 Germany.

Laurent Blanc: "Change Your Attitude or Au Revoir!"

PARIS -- New France coach Laurent Blanc was "outraged" by the behavior of certain players during the World Cup debacle and plans to rebuild the national team with only players he can trust.

Blanc inherited a team devoid of confidence, as Raymond Domenech's troubled six-year reign ended with rifts and infighting after the team went on strike at a training session shortly before its World Cup ended in the group stage.

"What bothers me is that, after the World Cup, a new coach should be able to lean on a hard core," Blanc said on Tuesday at his first press conference. "This hard core is not even a melon's pip. ... My task is to find a hard core within this team."

Blanc plans to meet with players shortly so he can sort out who forms a part of his future plans.
"I can't act like nothing happened in South Africa, it wouldn't go down well. I followed the events, as you all did, with a lot of sadness," Blanc said. "I was outraged by certain behavior ... it's a delicate situation, there are certainly meetings to be had."
The 44-year-old Blanc's first game is an away friendly against Norway on Aug. 11, followed by a Euro 2012 home qualifier against Belarus on Sept. 3.
"Of course I will speak to those concerned. We will speak about the future, and about what happened in South Africa," he said. "I will make my choices, and perhaps among my choices there will be a sporting punishment that means certain players who were present in South Africa are not among my choices."
Blanc is fully aware that the climate is so bad that he is immediately under huge pressure.

"Everyone wishes me luck. I get the impression I'm heading toward suicide, or the guillotine," Blanc said. "I hope this climate will change with results."

Blanc has some key decisions to make, and little time.
Federation official and former international Lilian Thuram -- Blanc's teammate at the 1998 World Cup and at Euro 2000 -- has already said defender Patrice Evra should never play again for France because he was the captain who led the strike.
Evra was stripped of the captaincy by Domenech and dropped for the final game against South Africa, which France lost 2-1.

Blanc intends to speak with Evra, and others like Franck Ribery, Thierry Henry, William Gallas and Eric Abidal -- reportedly the five main instigators in the mutiny -- before deciding whether he picks them again.
"There are very few people who can tell you what really happened. I think I know a few of them," he said. "And knowing them well, I think if I have a meeting with them, they will tell me what really happened."
Blanc insists only those "with the right mentality and team spirit" will be chosen as he rebuilds the team and designates its new leader.
"It's possible that the captain changes in every match in the games to come," he added.
Domenech's team completely fell apart in the space of a few days at the World Cup.
The problems started when sports newspaper L'Equipe published details of Nicolas Anelka's expletive-filled rant at Domenech the day after France lost 2-0 to Mexico in their second group match.
Anelka was sent home, and the next day the entire squad sat on the team bus, refusing to train in protest at Anelka's dismissal. The bizarre images, including one French official storming off and screaming he was "ashamed," were shown live.
"What shocked me the most, what disappointed me the most, was the behavior of the squad during the public training session, 48 hours before a match," Blanc said. The decision to strike "was thought through and badly thought through."
Evra also had a lively altercation with the team's fitness coach, and Domenech -- shunned by his own players -- had to read out a letter on behalf of his players explaining their strike.
France went out for the second consecutive tournament without winning a game, after its humiliating first-round exit from Euro 2008.
Given the players' fall from grace, Blanc demanded a new attitude.
"People will have to show a certain amount of humility," he said. "At a certain point in time our national team could say 'We're going to the European Championship to win it' ... I don't think we'll even be in the top 10 FIFA rankings now. We will need to be a bit humble, given that we're in a total rebuilding phase."
In a thinly veiled swipe at Domenech, Blanc insisted France must stop isolating itself. Domenech's training camps were held far away from the public eye, with no interaction with fans.
Blanc replied with a firm and blunt "no" when asked if he had spoken to the unpopular Domenech since taking over.

"I don't envisage a team living behind closed doors, cut off from the world," Blanc said. "I think football has to open itself up. In other sports it happens, and the results are good. We should be able to do it. We have an effort to make."

[end story]

This is why I have said countless times that Laurent Blanc should have been brought in BEFORE the World Cup.  I admire him as a coach and he seems like a decent person.  Bon Chance, Laurent!

World Cup: The Semis are Set

South American teams, who started the week in great shape for the World Cup with four teams among the remaining eight, have been decimated in the last few days.
First Brasil was sent packing in a shockingly-bad match, then Paraguay lost to Spain in a close match.  Argentina was humbled by Germany 4-0, and the lone survivor is Uruguay, who won against a ten-man Ghana. 
Ghana has come under fire by many news organizations for their appalling display of cheating tactics (wasting time, diving, etc.)  They did this against the United States in their final 16 game.

Who will win the Cup?  Well, I would put my money on Germany.  A team has to score goals to win, and the Germans have been the only team to consistently score those goals...eight in their last two matches. 

The Germans will face Spain for their semi, and Uruguay will faceoff against the Netherlands.

Big News about a New Aveiro

Cristiano has announced on twitter and facebook:

It is with great joy and emotion that I inform I have recently become father to a baby boy.

As agreed with the baby's mother, who prefers to have her identity kept confidential, my son will be under my exclusive guardianship.
No further information will be provided on this subject and I request everyone to fully respect my right to privacy (and that of the child) at least on issues as personal as these are. [end statement]

Privacy?  This baby will be the most photographed child in Spain!  This is obviously something that has taken him by surprise as he has sworn in many interviews (and those by his mother) that he wanted to wait to be married and have children until after he was 30.
Unfortunately for Baby Boy Aveiro, the newshounds will figure out who the mother is and plaster all the news everywhere.  I think many people who have followed Cristiano's career and life have been very surprised that this hasn't happened before.
I can't imagine that Real Madrid will be happy about it.

"I'm a WHAT?"