I HEART DirecTV, EPL on FOX on Sunday

DirecTV Still The Way to Go in Huntsville

A few years ago, I posted a study on which Huntsville area TV package provides the most soccer for the discriminating fan.  Since that post nearly two years ago, the landscape of soccer on TV has changed a little bit; FOX networks showing EPL and Champions League; NBC and NBC Sports (Versus) soon to show MLS matches; and Sentanta is replaced by FOX Soccer Plus.  However, my recommendation remains the same.  DirecTV is the soccer lovers choice here in Huntsville.

Note:  The development of soccer on the Internet is a greatly welcomed addition to soccer viewers choices.  From MLS Matchday Live, ESPN3.com, foxsoccer.tv, and the various reliable (and nefarious) live streams of matches across the globe adds literally hundreds of additional choices to the soccer fan's menu.  I won't attempt to describe these here, but they are still a viable option for someone looking to view matches on the cheap.

So, here's some update info for soccer on TV in Huntsville.

Leagues/Competitions: Networks

American MLS: ABC, ESPN2, FOX Soccer (FSC), FOX Soccer Espanol (FSE), MLS Direct Kick, RSNs, (2012: NBC, NBC Sports)
English EPL: FOX, FSC, FSP. FSE, RSNs,
Italian Serie A: FSC, FSP, FSE
Spanish La Liga: GolTV, DirecTV LaLiga Channels
German Bundesliga: GolTV
Brazilian Pulista Championship: GolTV
Columbian League: GolTV
Australian A League: FSC
Scottish Premier League: FSP
Mexican MFL: FSE, GolTV, Univision, Telemundo
UEFA Champions League: FOX, FSC, FSP, RSN, DirecTV Europa Channels
UEFA Cup: GolTV, DirecTV Europa Channles
Copa Libertadores: FSE
Concacaf Champions Cup: FSC, FSE
World Cup/Friendlies: ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNClassic, FSC, FSP, FSE, GolTV, Univision
American USL/NASL: FSC
NCAA Soccer: CBS CS, FSC, ESPN2, ESPNU, RSNs

To catch all of this soccer action here are the packages you need.

DirecTV Premier Package: Includes FOX, ABC (WAAY), ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPN Classic.

DirecTV Sports Pack Package: Includes the major Soccer related channels like Fox Soccer Channel, Fox Sports Espanol and GolTV. Also included are the regional sports networks (RSNs) and others channels that show the occasional Soccer match or two (ESPNU, CBS College Sports, etc.)  This package also includes at no extra charge the DirecTV Europa Channels (480-489) and Spanish LaLiga (477-479) channels which show all of the Champions League and Europa League matches including a mix channel to watch them all simultaneously.  If you've not seen this Mix Channel in action, you are missing out.  I often record the games with Americans and watch later.   IT ABSOLUTELY ROCKS!

DirecTV's Europa Mix Channel is Awesome!

*FOX Soccer Plus: This is a channel that DirecTV offers that is not included in the Sports Pack and used to be called Setanta. You must pay an extra $15 a month for the channel.  It broadcasts EPL matches, SPL, Italian Serie A, and English 1st division matches. I personally don’t think it is worth the extra money, and that's probably why Sentanta went out of business.  I suppose if I followed a certain team in one of those competitions, I might reconsider. 

MLS Direct Kick: This is the best deal around. For a once a year fee of $70, you get all of the MLS matches not shown on ABC, ESPN2, FSC, or Telefutura including play-off games. That’s over 200 games a year. This is how I watch my beloved DC United.

So, as you can see, there is plenty of soccer to be seen, if you know where to get it. 



FOX54 To Show ManU-Chelsea on Sunday

Keeping with the soccer on TV theme of this post,  FOX54 will air the Manchester United-Chelsea match at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday.  The local over-the-air FOX affiliate will show the tape delayed match that will originally air on FOX Soccer earlier in the day.  The match-up of EPL giants will go up against prime NFL broadcasts including the Chargers-Patriots game over on WHNT.

It will be interesting to see if any casual gridiron fans will be turned to the dark side by this game.  I feel conflicted about this for a couple of reasons that are well put by Jason Davis at Match Fit USA.    And then again, maybe I'm just afraid that my love of the game will be overtaken by bandwagon jumpers.

This isn't the only broadcast of EPL matches this season.  There will be at least two more broadcasts in the next two months.  As always, I'll let you know when they do.

RCU Recap; CFC Into US Open Cup, Will Face Pittsburg Riverhounds; Worst Miss Ever?

RCU Back From Open Cup, Focus on League 

After a weekend testing their mettle in Open Cup qualifying, Rocket City United turns its focus back to league play where they sit in third place with 7 points after 4 matches.  Their opponents this Saturday will be the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves who currently trail RCU by one point, despite playing an extra match.  Gates open 6:30 PM and kick off is 7:30.  Members of the YMCA get in for half off!


RCU will host a meet the team event at the Little Gym in Providence and Jones Valley on Friday at 4-6PM. 

CFC Qualifies for US Open Cup

Chattanooga FC qualified for the US Open Cup by beating the Atlanta Silverbacks Reserves 1:0 in the finals of the NPSL Southeast Region qualifying tournament.  CFC will now travel to Pittsburgh to face the USL Pro's Riverhounds (who I saw play last month in Charleston) in the opening round of the US Open Cup on June 14th.  If CFC should pull off the upset, they would take on the winner of the Dayton Dutch Lions vs Richmond Kickers match in the 2nd round. 


Worst Miss Ever?!

Holy moly!  I've seen (and had) bad misses before.  But this miss is so bad!!!

RCU Open Season, NPSL News, and FOX Soccer Night In America

RCU Open Season in Knoxville On Saturday

  Rocket City United hits the road tomorrow to open the 2011 season against one of three new teams in the Southeast Region, the Knoxville Force.  The Force will play their inaugural game in University of Tennessee's Regal Stadium.  Don't expect a beautiful game during this one.  Neither team will be at full strength and each will likely try to grind out a results until their full complement of players arrive in the next few weeks.

Video of RCU Coach Gerry Cleary on the Season Opener vs Knoxville Force

RCU has made seats available on the team bus for fans who would like travel to the game.  This is a unique experience in sports and any fan interested should contact Director of Operations Jan Henner for more details.


BTW, here's a nice league-wide season preview from the Wisconsin Soccer Central website.


NPSL In Talks with Jamaica's Premier League Clubs

NPSL Technical Director Matt Driver will participate in the International Alliance Symposium hosted by the Jamiacain Premeier League Clubs Association.  "The mission is to have the top U-21 players from both of our leagues have access to different markets, different stages to play on," says Driver.  Hmm, I wonder what this is about.  A player sharing scheme?  An international competition between the leagues? 


Chattanooga FC to Host DC United U-23s

Chattanooga FC has announced that they will host the DC United U-23 team at Finley Stadium on July 23rd at 7PM eastern.  DCU's U-23 is coached by the legendary Jaime Moreno and features the DC Metro areas top college prospects.  The teams met last year at RFK stadium in Washington with the DCU defeating the eventual NPSL Finalists 3:0. 


FOX Soccer Night in America

FOX Soccer Channel has rebranded its weekly MLS broadcast into Soccer Night In America, and it will begin with the Portland Timbers v Philadelphia Union match on Friday night at 9PM.  Also, as part of the festivities for those without FSC (Hello, Knology customers!!!) MLS is offering access to the 2011 MLS Matchday Live online streaming service for free for all of this weekend's matches. 

Concussions in Soccer Take Toll

There is a secret in soccer that is rarely discussed. This time, I'm not talking about FIFA corruption.

OK, I'll tell you.  Soccer can be a dangerous sport.  If you play the game long enough, you are going to get your bell rung.

Knocking heads while challenging for a header, taking a driven shot or pass to the noggin, and hitting your head on the ground after a fall happen all the time in competitive soccer.  Sometimes these mishaps lead to concussions or brain injuries.  But it's time to take note.  Recent studies have indicated that multiple concussions may lead to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or Lou Gehrig's disease.   This is scary stuff. 

Inside Minnesota Soccer has an excellent post that every player and coach should read immediately, before another game.

If you don't feel like clicking on the link, here are the symptoms to watch out for if you suspect a concussion:

• Confusion, foggy/groggy feeling, sluggish
• Dizzy, poor balance
• Sensitivity to noise or light, blurry vision
• Headache, feeling of pressure
• Poor memory: can’t remember what they ate earlier that day, the score of the game, what happened, etc.
• Poor coordination and concentration
• Nausea/vomiting

If any of those symptoms appear, do not let the player continue playing!  They should be checked out by a doctor ASAP.

Fortunately, in the pro game, MLS has taken the dangers associated with concussions seriously from the early years of the league.  They've led the sports entertainment industry by enacted standard testing for concussion symptoms for years. 

Unfortunately, these types of steps haven't prevented players form being effected by the injuries.  The this list of MLS players who have been forced out of games or even forced to retire as a result of concussions reads like an all-star line-up.  Alecko Eskandarian, Josh Gross, Ross Paule, and Taylor Twellman are former USMNT players who have had their careers cut short by concussion related symptoms.

Eskandarian retired due to concussion syndrome.

Eskandarian told the Bergen Record last year, "I'm a soccer player through and through. If I could play, I would. Being an athlete my whole life, shutting it down is the worst type of torture.  At the same time, this is my brain. It's not a hamstring or an ankle. I don't care how tough you are. This about living a good life after soccer, as well. It's really unpredictable. There's no guarantee and you're forced to think about these things."

USMNT player and Columbus Crew star defender Chad Mashall is currently sitting out of preseason training and missed the recent CONCACAF Champions League match and will miss tonight's second leg because he had failed a concussion test after taking a shot to the head in practice.  He is expected to be back in time to play in this weekend's friendly in Chattanooga.

This is also a personal issue for me.  I've been playing the game for almost 35 years.  I'm certain that I've had at least 2 concussions in my playing career and it's likely that I've had more than that.  I once knocked head while challenging for a header and I knew immediately something was wrong.  The all white uniform I was wearing looked florescent yellow to me.  BAD SIGN!  I told my coach to take me out of the game right then.  Unfortunately, I was back playing the next day.  The other time, I was kicked in the head during a scrum in the penalty area.  I played the rest of the match and don't remember a thing about it.  NOT GOOD!

As a result, I keep an eye out on the concussion syndrome developments in the media.  It's not looking good for me there, I must admit.  I don't see any really overt problems, and I've always had the minor memory issues.  Then again, I can only remember two actual concussion events in my career.  So, maybe I'm not destined for ALS.

SI Reporter For FIFA President

Grant Wahl, the Sports Illustrated soccer reporter and author of the Beckham Experiment, has decided enough's enough with the lunacy at FIFA.  He's decided to challenge Sepp Blatter in the run for the FIFA presidency.  No, really.  He's serious. 

Grant Wahl for FIFA President

He's running on a pretty great platform.  If elected, he will:

• Instant replay for all close calls on the goal line
• Referees for the World Cup will be chosen on merit alone with no limits per country
• Referees will also be required to address the media post-game to explain calls
• Yellow cards will not be automatically given to players taking off their shirts to celebrate goals
• FIFA transparency by releasing all FIFA documents to the public
• FIFA presidential term limits of two four-year terms
• Eliminate FIFA's sexism by appointing a woman to General Secretary position

Unfortunately, he needs a country's soccer federation to nominate him for the election.  That may be pretty hard to do, unless he can find a country that isn't afraid of the FIFA machine politic to stick their neck out and put his name forward.

Wahl running for FIFA President

Any ideas which country would be willing to help "cure the Blatter infection"? 

Soccer Trick Shot Video

Last week, the interwebs were abuzz about a UConn's second-string quarterback's trick shot video in which he displays his throwing ability by hitting targets from various distances.  Well, not to be outdone, Lassi Hurskainen, a gifted goalkeeper from UNC-Ashville has posted his version of a trick shot vid.  There are some slick skills here.  Enjoy.

Lassi Hurskainen Goalkeeper Tricks

If I were the Bulldogs coach, I'd be pulling this kid out of goal to take any free kicks in the attacking third.

UPDATE:  This guy really likes Lassi's video.  :)

RCU Travel To Chattanooga To Face New Champs

Rocket City United will make their way up Route 72 to Chattanooga tomorrow night for their regular season finale where they'll take on the newly crowned NPSL Southeast Region champion in front of a raucous crowd expected to reach nearly 4,000 at Finley Stadium.  Chattanooga FC locked up the title with a 3:2 win over Pumas last weekend and booked their ticket to the NPSL Final Four to be hosted by RCU at the Madison City Schools Stadium from July 29-31 .

Chattanooga's hopes of an NPSL championship took a major hit, however, as star forward Chris Ochieng suffered a broken ankle during training Thursday night.  Ochieng has been a big part in the success of CFC this year scoring 5 of the Blue's 15 total goals.  The team will now have the RCU match and an exhibition match against MLS club DC United's Under 20 squad to work on the strike partnership of local Chattanooga players Luis Salazar and Ivin Espinal before the NPSL Final Four.

In the meantime, RCU will travel up to Finley Stadium hoping to remain unbeaten against CFC, but will face a Chattanooga team that is intent on changing the recent history.  “Rocket City is consistently a tough opponent for us,” CFC coach Brian Crossman told the CFC website. “We’ve never beaten them before, so our guys are pretty motivated for this one.”

If you've never gone to an RCU away match, this would be the one to attend.  RCU's traveling contingent will be meeting prior to the match at the Big River Grille (222 Broad St. next to the aquarium) for food and drinks at 5:30pm Eastern.  If you can't make it to Chattanooga, you can follow the action on Chattanooga's ESPN affiliate, 105.1 The Zone.  Follow the link and click the the listen live button to hear John Moran and myself join a true radio professional, Nick Bonsanto, call the came.  The game kicks off at 6PM Central.

Finely Stadium before kick-off.  Big-time atmosphere!

Finley Stadium is the best atmosphere in the NPSL with a rowdy bunch of supporters who consistently sing and beer stands in the seating area to provide the consumer a view of the action while they wait to be served.  Chattanooga leads the league in attendance, averaging over 3,000 per match and would like to get over 5,000 for the RCU match.  Chattanooga's NBC affiliate WRCB a nice little video of what you can expect at the game on Saturday.

Tuesdays With Messi and A Soccer Lesson

Joe Knows Greatness

SI sportswriter Joe Posniak writes a very interesting post on his blog about the genius of Messi.  Despite describing himself as a non-soccer person, he makes some very interesting observations about soccer.

"I measure soccer against the sports I have grown up loving, and it seems to me that that soccer — a bit like baseball — is defined by failure. Most corner kicks don’t find a teammate’s head. Most crosses into the box are too long or too short or turned away. Most shots are not aimed for the upper right-hand corner. Most runs end up being stuffed a long way from the goal. Most goals are the result of a staggering blunder — either by the defenders or the goalkeeper or the linesman who missed offside or awarded a shaky penalty kick or gave a free kick in a dangerous place. One somewhat cynical soccer commentator told me that what I need to understand is that every single goal, even the most brilliant of them, is the result of an error somewhere along the way. I suppose there are pitching coaches who would say the same thing about home runs."

He goes on to say this about Messi...

"Messi simply does things — little things and big things — that other players here cannot do. He gets a ball in traffic, is surrounded by two or three defenders, and he somehow keeps the ball close even as they jostle him and kick at the ball. He takes long and hard passes up around his eyes and somehow makes the ball drop softly to his feet, like Keanu Reeves making the bullets fall in “The Matrix.” He cuts in and out of traffic — Barry Sanders only with a soccer ball moving with him — sprints through openings that seem only theoretical, races around and between defenders who really are running even if it only looks like they are standing still. He really does seem to make the ball disappear and reappear, like it’s a Vegas act."

It's interesting to me that a guy who doesn't really follow soccer that closely, can recognize the greatness of Messi so easily. 


Tuesday's Soccer Lesson:  Dive Like C. Ronaldo

Here's a funny little video of a coach teaching his players the "Cristiano Ronaldo".  Enjoy!

The Cristiano Ronaldo

World Cup Etiquette: Ask First! Then Talk!

If you've followed soccer in the USA for any time, you've probably recorded a match shown live while you were at work. The idea is that you would go home and watch the match later. But sometimes that just doesn't work out right.


Imagine that you run into a fellow soccer buddy at the water cooler or supermarket or pick-up game. He screams out, "Did you see that goal by..." or "Awful stuff from the goalkeeper on that one..." That, typically, leads to your face flushing with anger, then frustration, then curiosity.

You hold back the curses, and only say, "Actually, I haven't watched it, yet. I recorded it to watch after work." That's followed by apologies on both sides and a split-second decision by you on whether the tidbit of intelligence shared with you was enough to ruin the viewing experience. If it isn't, nothing more is said. If it was a major detail of the match, you'll ask about the rest of the match, and just scan the recording you have at home unhappily.

However, the situation described above DOES NOT HAVE TO HAPPEN!!!

Why? Why?! Why didn't you ask if I've seen the game, yet???!!!

Let's all take a vow, as World Cup soccer fans, to not speak a word about any game until we have asked the crucial question, "Have you seen the game, yet?"

If the answer to that question is "yes" and there is no one within earshot that has not seen the game, feel free to discuss the crappy play by the English center half, or the idiotic substitution from the USA coach, or the blatant dive from the Italian forward.

If the answer to that question is "no", say no more. Do not say one word about the game! Any minute detail could ruin the match for your buddy. The next time you see him, you'll be able to gab about whatever you'd like with him, but right now you need to shut up.

It's just good World Cup etiquette.

Speaking of the WC, you may not have to miss those live games after all.

Univision will be streaming all matches live and for FREE on their website. So, you don't have to miss the games live. You can watch at work, if your firewall doesn't block it. Just remember not to scream "Goooooooooooooooal!" when Andres Cantor does. :)

Enjoy the World Cup. Remember your good manners and ASK FIRST!!!

World Cup Stuff: My USA Jersey, Fantasy Tips, Econonmics, USA v England Ref, The Onion Article

Just Doing My Bit for the Cause


So, here's a photo of the new USA jersey I recently had personalized. It has the name and number of Joe Gaetjens, the scorer of the USA's lone goal in the 1950 World Cup upset over England. I'm hoping it brings us some good luck on Saturday.


World Cup Fantasy Tips

As this WC nears, I’ve been getting deluged by friends who don’t follow the international game closely for tips to help them win their WC fantasy league. Whether it’s a player based fantasy challenge or a team you-pick-em game (always pick Brazil, if possible), read up to help you pick your winners.

Who’ll win the World Cup? Check the economics.

NPR is has a very interesting story on a Goldman-Sachs study on how the economics of a country affects its FIFA rankings and likelihood of winning the World Cup. Brazil and Argentina are the outliers here, because they are always good.


Uh-oh! Ref for USA v England is card happy

"Yeah, I get to send someone off!"

Carlos Simon of Brazil has been named the referee for the USA v England match on Saturday, and boy does he like reaching for the cards in his pocket. Expect to see more flashing yellow than a construction warning sign. Here's the breakdown of the World Cup 2006 games he worked.

Italy vs Ghana (5 Yellow Cards)

Spain vs Tunisia (8 Yellow cards)

Germany vs Sweden (1 Red Card, 5 Yellow Cards)

Oh, and one other interesting tid-bit about Mr. Simon. He was recently suspended by the Brazilian Federation for six weeks for “perceived errors.”


What has two thumbs and loves soccer? This guy!

My work cube: Wait! Could this article be about me?

The Onion cracks me up. They’ve done it again with this hilarious article about the USA’s only soccer fan. Are you that guy in your office?

World Cup: USA v England Watching, WC Finals Goalscorers,

Where are you watching the USA v England match?

So, it's a little under two weeks away from the big match. How do you plan on watching the match?

A good buddy of mine is an American soccer geek of English descent and is hosting a few hundred of his closest friends for the match at his home. He's created a soccer pub in his basement for the match including a bar , multiple TVs, and multiple kegs of English and American brews to choose from. Too bad he lives a 13 hour drive from Huntsville.

Fortunately, Jacob at Southern Soccer has the scoop on at least one viewing party hosted by Sportspave and the International Society of Huntsville at the Station 2 at Bridgestreet. They'll be hosting viewings of each US group match and selected matches in the knockout rounds, including the semifinals and final.

Are you having/attending a watch party? Are you planning on going to a sports bar to catch the action? Or are you going to watch at home so you can scream "Gooooooooal!" and "U-S-A, U-S-A!" in the privacy of your living room?

As you know, we, at the PWT-blog, are still trying to identify a true soccer bar in the Huntsville area, and we expect to review a few more places prior to the big match. So, keep an eye out for prospective establishments.


I Scored A Goal In The World Cup Finals

Geoff Hurst, who scored three goals in the 1966 World Cup Final, is one player featured.

ESPN has an amazing web series called "I scored a goal in the FIFA World Cup finals". In it, they interview nearly every living player who scored in the World Cup finals from 1950 through 2006. It's great entertainment and an terrific history lesson.

Two more weeks! I'm starting to get impatient.

Just saw this awesome comercial for the England vs USA match on ESPN.

ESPN commercial for England vs. USA

I better calm down a bit or I'm going to bust a gasket. The game is still two weeks away!

BTW, according to Sports Illustrated, the USA will play Brazil after the World Cup on August 10th in the USA. Perhaps we'll get to see a newly crowned World Cup champion team up close and I'm talking about the USA (wink, wink!).

World Cup Nonsense

We're about three weeks from the World Cup and all sorts of media coverage of the teams and the event is ramping up. Not all of it is good, though.


Terrible Article Alert

In normal circumstances, any coverage is good coverage, but as Steve Davis notes in this article, sometimes you wish they didn't even bother. "Left tackle"?!! Are you serious?


What's With The Accents

I'm no jingoist, but I am in total agreement with Bruce from the DuNord blog when he says,

"Why are we going to have to put up with English announcers calling the USA v England World Cup game??? Did I move or something and don't know it yet? Am I the only one who cares about this? I am really pissed off about having to listen to these guys. I just might prefer Dave O'Brien.

If you have listened to this crew doing UEFA Champions League games all year long on Fox Soccer Channel you will have by now realized that they only know about player and coaches in the English Premier League or have been in that league in the past. During the Bayern Munich v Lyon semifinal it was obvious they knew nothing about either team except for Arjen Robben cuz he had been at Chelsea.

Mark my words, people in the USA are going to have a melt down when they realize what we have to put up with from the "Worldwide Leader in Sports.""

Those Silly Germans

Here's a silly little Southpark style World Cup video out of Germany. Enjoy!

Gimme Hope Joachim

Here's the translated lyrics provided by 101 Great Goals.

The Portuguese have the best players; The Brazilians are pretty fast; The Spaniards have not lost three years; But we have the most beautiful hotel.

The Ronaldinho has the best technique; Ronaldo has the best physic; David Beckham has a foot of steel; But Jogi Löw has the most beautiful hairdo.

Gimme hope, Joachim gimme, hope, Joachim!; Gimme hope, Joachim, for the World Cup!; Gimme hope, Joachim gimme, hope, Joachim!; Hope for South Africa …

The Koreans have nimble legs; The Mexicans have a hard shot; The French have a good man in goal; But we have the largest bus …

The Danes strengthen with the protein; The Serbs toil half dead; The Argentinians torture in the jungle camp; But Jogi smears Nutella on his bread …

Gimme hope, Joachim gimme, hope, Joachim!; Gimme hope, Joachim, for the World Cup!; Gimme hope, Joachim gimme, hope, Joachim!; Hope for South Africa …

The Greeks are once again tip; And Switzerland wins outnumbered; The Dutchmen are back with it; But still brings us Jogi ‘Cup …

UNA FC, Forbes.com, and Buddle vs Gomez

UNA Students Establish A Soccer Club

University of North Alabama FC was established last fall. Yep, that FC as in Futbol Club. UNA students AJ Santos and Loic Dimithe established the club as an outlet for UNA students to play the sport they love. UNA does not have a men's soccer program, but UNA FC hopes to take on other collegiate club teams soon. UNA FC is recognized by the University and is open to male and female students of all skill level players, the best of which will fill out the competitive roster.


My Favorite New Soccer Website, Forbes.com. Huh?

Forbes.com has been publishing some very interesting articles in the past week. The first is a very detailed article on ESPN's coverage of the World Cup. Later this week, it published its list of most valuable teams. Included on that page are links to other interesting rankings, such as highest earners list of players and soccer's billionaire owners.


Buddle vs Gomez

Both Edson Buddle and Herculez Gomez are tearing it up as the World Cup approaches. With the thin talent pool in that position on the US National Team, there peaking at just the right time to catch Bob Bradley's eye. Here's a video of their recent goals, along with some highlights of Alejandro Bedoya who is also a contention for a spot on the team.

The Dillema Of Watching Live vs Recorded: A Story Of The 1999 UEFA Champion's League Final

This week's UEFA Champions League semifinals and this post from the blog, A More Splendid Life, got me thinking about the peculiar situations soccer fans in the US go through when attempting to follow the UEFA Champions League matches. Having to decide whether to skip out on work/school to watch a match live is tough enough, but attempting to record the match and then avoiding all information about the result of the match has become nearly impossible. Any shred of evidence regarding the match could be crucial, as you'll read below.


In his post, Richard Whithall described his attempt to watch the 2005 Champions League Final between Liverpool and AC Milan and how a misguided glance at a newspaper effected his viewing pleasure. This particular final was famous for the fact that Liverpool stormed back from a 3:0 halftime deficit to lift the trophy with 3 second half goals and a shootout victory. As Whithall describes, avoiding soccer game information was much easier to do just a few short years ago. It used to be all you had to do was avoid your friends who knew you are a soccer fan but hadn't learned the etiquette of not talking about a game that someone may want to watch later. But that was before the advent of smart phones, ESPN/FSC news tickers, and blogs like the one you are reading now.

I had a similar experience to Whithall's during the famous Manchester United v Bayern Munich Champions League final in 1999. I had recorded the game and had successfully avoided all signs of the result except that I had somehow learned that the game ended in regulation. I don't remember how I knew that it ended without overtime, but it was the one piece of intelligence that I was unable to avoid in the hours between the live event and my date with my couch and the videotape. This one bit of info would change the way I took in the match.

Now, as you may know, I am a huge Bayern fan, and after Bayern took the a sixth minute lead on a Mario Basler free kick and successfully thwarted all ManU attacks for 84 minutes, I was elated... until seconds after the fourth official indicated 3 minutes of added time. Shortly into the added time, on a ManU corner, after a series of scuffed shots and failed clearances, Teddy Sheringham scored typically lucky late ManU goal, and the realization of what would soon take place from my video tape filled me with doom. You see, ManU had seized all of the momentum and I knew there was no way Bayern would come back from that goal. Fortunately, I didn't have to wait long for the second goal, that I knew was coming, as a few seconds later, Ole Gunnar Solskejaer roofed a into the goal from three yards off another ManU corner.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer inserts the dagger in my soul and the ball in the net

I sat dumbfounded on my couch and was certainly upset about the loss, but in retrospect, I'm thankful that I did not watch the game live and had discovered that the game ended in regulation. It was easier for me to handle the dejection of that last minute loss by having the somewhat deterministic knowledge that no other result could have occurred. If I had viewed that match live, it would have been much more painful to have maintained a shred of hope that Bayern might weather the ManU storm to get into extra time and score the winner or survive to PKs. That sense of hope would have been annihilated by the sucker-punch of that second ManU goal. That is the sort of pain I can do without, thank you very much...

Fortunately, UEFA has helped eliminate the work versus soccer decision faced by the US soccer fan by deciding to hold this year's Champions League Final on a Saturday (May 22nd on FOX54 at 1:30PM). It's up to you now to clear your schedule for that afternoon, so you don't have to play the game of attempting to hide from the results.

Short, Tall, and Xavi

Despite my declaration that I would no longer be doing this sort of thing, it only took a week before I felt the need to share some of the most interesting (in my mind) links out there. This may become a weekly thing. We'll see.

The Tall and the Short of It

Peter Crouch, tall (6' 7"). Jermain Defoe, short (5' 6").

One of the things I love about soccer is that it is an equal opportunity sport. Soccer is a skill-based sport much like baseball used to be before the home run era began. In soccer, you don't really gain any advantage with size, a player's success depends more upon his smarts and technical ability. So, you can be a short guy and and still tower above your peers on the field (pun intended). Conversely, in gridiron football, basketball, and now in some respects baseball, a player's success greatly depends on size or strength. The Spoiler has compiled it's list of the best short players ever, and not to be left out, the Best Eleven has compiled a list of active tall players.


Xavi, I Think I Have a Man Crush

Is Xavi the real Messi(ah)?

After a spree of multiple goal games, there has been a ton of talk about Barcelona forward Lionel Messi's ranking as one of the best players of all time. While there is no doubt that Messi is immensely talented, I have to wonder how much of his recent success is due to one particular teammate, Xavi. I mean, just look at how Messi dissapoints for Argentina, where there is no Xavi to retain possession and provide the defense-splitting pass onto Messi running in behind. I was floored when I heard some of the stats coming out of the recent Champions League tie that Barca won over Arsenal. During the two matches against Arsenal, Xavi attempted 244 passes, completing 229 for a 94% accuracy rate. That's more passes than the entire Arsenal midfield combined, and Arsenal is known for their "keep it on the floor and knock it around" style! In last week's El Classico match against Real Madrid, the man had 60% of the possesion himself and both goals were sparked by Xavi passes. Amazing!

Announcers Get It Wrong? Say It Ain't So

There's a new blog on the block. Friend of the Perfectly Weighted Through Blog, Darrell, who is a certified referee, has become increasingly frustrated with the outright ignorance of the rules that so many TV commentators have. Over the years, Darrell and I have had many conversations complaining about controversial talking points of games broadcast over the weekend and how time and again the announcers calling the game explained the sequence wrongly.

With the start of the MLS season recently, Darrell decided to call out these announcers publicly on his new soccer blog called American Soccer Announcers Exposed. Darrell is now the self acclaimed "Dogger of Bad Commentary", and has had it with TV soccer announcers who consistently get the facts wrong.

As you may know, I do a little TV commentary myself. So, I'll be firmly in the ASAExposed cross-hairs, and will have to make sure that my comments are legit or I'll find myself sliced and diced by my man Darrell.

Alabama High School Finals To Be Streamed By Raycom Media

The Alabama High School Athletics Association has signed an agreement with Raycom Media to live stream the state's Soccer Finals as part of a comprehensive 3 year agreement to broadcast a variety of the AHSAA's sporting events online and live/tape delayed over the air broadcasts. Raycom has streamed several AHSAA events this year via their broadcast TV station websites including WAFF 48 here in Huntsville. The AHSAA Boy's and Girl's Soccer Finals will be held in Huntsville this year on May 7 & 8.

MLS Season Starts Tonight!

The 2010 MLS season starts tonight, and it looks like they've also launched the new MLSsoccer.com website to coincide. As always, I'm super psyched about the American 1st Division this year, and so is league commissioner Don Garber. As Jacob stated so well in his post yesterday over at SouthernSoccer.com, it may not be the best league in the world, but it's our league.
Now, I'm not one to prognosticate, but if you're into that sort of thing, there are a ton of articles previewing the season. With a league like MLS, that is designed specifically for parity, I find that it's absolutely futile to try to predict what will happen. So, sit back, enjoy, and let the season unfold.
As I said yesterday, a good way to see this weekend's games is Direct Kick (it's free preview weekend!), but I've also signed up (for the first time) for the league's online streaming service, called MLS MatchDay Live. That way, if I'm not in my living room in front of my TV, I can still catch the action on my laptop. Sweet!

Which United?, MLS 2010 Begins Thursday, and Soccer Maps

Cause United is the greatest football team...

...As the song goes. But which United? Rocket City United? DC United? Well, the Best Eleven blog has put together a list of clubs from around the world that use the moniker. And the list is long... From Kicks United in Anguilla to Zimbabwe's Monomotapa United, there are over 100 clubs in worldwide professional soccer who claim to be United.

In the early days of soccer, a club that had been formed from two or more previous clubs were then called "United", but the success of big clubs like Newcastle United have spawned teams with the nickname around the globe. In recent years, clubs like RCU and DC United have chosen the name to indicate a united community behind their team.

Interestingly, the Best Eleven list does not include the US minor leagues of which we could add Reading United, West Texas United, and Hollywood United from the PDL to our very own Rocket City United.


MLS Kicks Off Thursday Night

Having signed the CBA with their players (more details here), MLS will now be free to kick off the 2010 season on Thursday night as the expansion club Philadelphia Union will travel to Seattle take on the Seattle Sounders on ESPN2 at 8:30 PM Central Time.

Personally, I'm very excited about this season. There are several exciting foreign players who will be bringing a terrific level of play to the league. The Best Eleven blog has some videos of some of the higher profile additions. They get me so pumped for the season.

As always, I'll be catching the action on the league's Direct Kick package that shows nearly all of the games on my TV at home. This season I may also go ahead and sign up for the MLS live streaming service also. Jacob at Southern Soccer has the goods on the full slate of MLS matches on TV this weekend which will all be shown for free on the Direct Kick's free preview weekend. Check them out!

Soccer Geography

MLS/USMNT Players Produced by State

I have a fascination with maps. So when I found these two maps recently, I spent quite a bit of time analyzing them.

The Pitch Invasion blog created a terrific map of the US with the number of pro players (MLS or USMNT) per state. Hmm... Alabama is the largest state by population without a single professional in MLS. We're gonna have to do something about that.

The second map appears on Jason Davis' blog for FourFourTwo.com called The Real American Football. It's a simple MLS franchise location map, but what struck me is the grouping of the 4 franchises in the eastern I-95 corridor. They're close enough to create a real traveling fan contingent that you see in European football. With two teams in northwest entering the league from the Pacific NorthWest in 2011 (Portland and Vancouver), there might also be a traveling fan culture brewing there, too. Could this be the start of a new traveling fan phenomenon in MLS?

2010 MLS Franchise Locations

I wasn't the only one struck by that thought, as Jason Davis also penned an article today about the stadiums being built in the Northeast and Pacific Northwest and how it can affect fan culture for MatchFitUSA.