July 5, 2009

VIDEO: Those Q's are burning!

July 4, 2009

Happy 4th of July!


Enjoy it!

July 3, 2009

VIDEO: Soccer and Kellogg's vintage ad


Gotta love this find by Dirty Tackle.

Bad year LINKS

DMB has admittedly had the year from hell (fell out of favor at Rangers and floundering at the national-team level).

He's chalking it up as an off year and vows to come back strong.

That would be lovely.

Now the links:
  • C-Ron calls his former league too physical. [Daily Mail]
  • FIFA won't act on Iran retirements/bans/stuff. [Yahoo!]
  • Jermaine Jones nearly USMNT ready. [AP]
  • Trials and tribulations of two prodigies. [SI]
  • Adriano's number mystery solved? [Futbolita]
  • VIDEO: Lady slam. [Dirty Tackle]
  • Overhyping of Darius Vassell. [Off the Post]
  • U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. [WV Hooligan]
  • Joe Cole's wedding suit sabotaged. [The Spoiler]
  • VIDEO: Top 10 Confed. Cup goals. [101GG]
  • Cheryl Cole in her birthday suit. [The Sun]

VIDEO: ESPN talking soccer

1. Kickin' it with A-Hop


2. Chatting with Jozy

Soccer down south

Admittedly, I don't pay much attention to club soccer in South America.

Here's one post to make up for it all.

Congratulations to Ronaldo-led Corinthians for winning the Brazilian Cup.

Oh, and pay attention to Estudiantes (Argentina) and Cruzeiro (Brazil) in the Copa Libertadores final.

That's all I got.

Just a spoonful of transfers...

...helps the medicine go down.Everyone hates those Spanish transfer bullies these days.

Cisse holds back on his outfit

I think I could pull that off.

No chance. That is crazy.

VIDEO: United goes to school


Nothing like a little Asian tour to help fill the pocketbooks.

Nice work dudes.

Young innocent Ronaldo

Great find by Futbolita. Looks to be a youth soccer ID card.

How far he's come...

New racism deterrents

UEFA tightened up the rules a little bit and came out with some new guidelines for the next inevitable bouts of racist behavior in European football:
  • Step 1: Have the PA announcer demand an end to it.

  • Step 2: Pick up the ball and stop the game for 5-10 minutes and send the teams to the locker rooms.

  • Step 3: Abandon the game.
Sounds good, except all the racists now know they can chant their garbage through step two...

Sounders FC sign Leonardo Gonzalez

He's a 28-year-old left back from Costa Rica.

He won't join Seattle until after representing his country in the Gold Cup -- which could be though most of July.

I'm excited. An upgrade at left back could make this team that much more dangerous.

Good move. Of course, we expect nothing less from the front office.

VIDEO: Impressive, stupid own goal


Oh man. Idiot. Schmuck. Klutz. Putz.

Not a committed defensive effort
there.

Michael Owen a Red Devil?

Reports and rumors abound that the wandering soul Michael Owen is headed to Old Trafford.

Great news for the 29 year old.

Not so much for Manchester United fans. He certainly won't make many forget about Ronaldo or Tevez...

Definitely a shocker.

Gold Cup callups

In case you were wondering who the lucky seven would be, wait no longer.

Turns out these guys -- all Confederations Cup veterans -- will probably be on selective duty, and participate in camps located close to their club teams.
  • Jozy Altidore
  • Jonathan Bornstein
  • Conor Casey
  • Ricardo Clark
  • Benny Feilhaber
  • Brad Guzan
  • Sacha Kljestan
Not too overwhelming, but it'd be nice to nice these guys get some more time every now and then.

July 2, 2009

Nate Jaqua gets sued

I'm not gonna add any commentary on this one as yet. Here's the information via Courthouse News Service:
PORTLAND, Ore. (CN) - A woman says Major League Soccer player Nate Jaqua sexually assaulted her when she was attending the University of Oregon on a soccer scholarship.

On July 1, 2007, the college soccer player and other members of the team met Jaqua at the popular college hangout Rennie's Landing, according to the woman's lawsuit in Multnomah County Court.

Jaqua, whose real name is Jonathan Jaqua, discussed the differences between college and professional soccer with the plaintiff and her friends, the lawsuit says. The plaintiff says she trusted Jaqua because of his Major League status.

At midnight, she headed home alone, but says Jaqua insisted on walking with her for several blocks.

That's when Jaqua attacked the plaintiff and "subjected her to a brutal, forcible sexual assault," the lawsuit claims. Jaqua allegedly penetrated her vagina and anus with his fingers and penis, and then ejaculated and urinated on her.

The plaintiff says she had to quit the soccer team because of her memories, is afraid to be alone and is scared of men.

Represented by Randall Vogt, she demands $10 million in damages.

Jaqua has played for Los Angeles Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo. He currently plays with the Seattle Sounders.
Another report from The Register-Guard:
Seattle Sounders FC forward Nate Jaqua is being sued by a former University of Oregon women’s soccer player who alleges that the former South Eugene High standout sexually assaulted her near campus in July 2007.

The former UO player is seeking at least $55,150 in economic damages and $5 million in noneconomic damages from both Jaqua and the MLS’s Houston Dynamo and Los Angeles Galaxy, where Jaqua played during the 2007 season, according to the suit filed in Multnomah County Circuit Court on Tuesday.

The suit alleges that Jaqua met the woman and several other players at a campus bar and then offered to walk her home before assaulting her outside the UO Pioneer Cemetery.
Some of the soccer blogosphere is on this one already. Check out Unprofessional Foul and The Offside Rules for other stuff.

VIDEO: Oldie but goodie tackle


Pies brings back a vintage clip for us all to enjoy again...

About to pop LINKS

Mr. Torres is seconds away from being a daddy it seems.

I have a feeling he won't be naming him Oguchi, considering that 'shut-down job' Gooch put on him last week.

Let's get to the links:
  • All Nations Cup coming soon in Seattle. [SSE]
  • Real Madrid's de la Red -- the guy that mysteriously collapsed last season -- is ruled out of next season. [ESPN]
  • MLS newcomer rankings. [Center Holds It]
  • A cold reception awaits Beckham. [Bloomberg]
  • VIDEO: Linesman in girls game gone wild. [Dirty Tackle]
  • Preki goes after the refs? [L.A. Times]

VIDEO: Stephen Colbert talks soccer

1. First his own rant



2. Alexi Lalas joins him

Michael Owen gallery

The Guardian readers were too good with this one. Three placers this time.

3. Bronze medal


2. Silver medal


1. Gold medal