Erotic Rug Burn News

From Steven Goff's blog, Soccer Insider: After DC United rookie Guy-Roland Kpene (Ivory Coast) scored during a drill, Ben Olsen shouted out, "That a boy, Drogba!"


The latest wild-ass rumor soaring around MLSville is that Mexican legend & extremely hated (by USA fans) man Cuauhtemoc Blanco is in negotiations with the Chicago Fire! I would love to see him in MLS! The league needs a villain really bad, cuz Clint Mathis just isn't cutting it. On the other hand it would be a million times better if Cuauh was 5 years younger, cuz he is getting pretty damn old and useless.
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We now have details on the USA v China match in San Jose California that was announced yesterday. The game will be played at Spartan Stadium, home to the old San Jose Earthquakes, on Saturday June 2. Kickoff is 3pm central time and the game can be viewed on ESPN2 as usual.
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'Member back about 4 years ago when DC United were playing a preseason match v American University and DC's Hristo Stoichkov savagely tackled an AU player and broke the kids leg quite badly? Well, the kid is now suing the team and Stoichkov for $10 million dollars. I feel really bad for the kid, but I don't see how you win a lawsuit stemming from an injury incurred in the run of play. Maybe a smart reader can clue the rest of us in. From the Washington Post.
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Frank Giase of the Newark Star Ledger proves that getting former USA coach Bruce Arena to go off on US Soccer president Sunil Gulati is one of the easiest things in the world to do these days. Arena also has words on Eric Wynalda. I like it.
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Bernardo Fallas of the Houston Chronicle looks at what the Dynamo must do to succeed in their Champions Cup match Thursday.
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Ives Galarcep at the North Jersey Herald calls MLS BORING! He actually used different words than that, and unlike me, he explains what he means.
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Columbus keeper Jon Busch is the victim of the salary cap and has been cut loose by the team before Thursday's deadline when all teams must be under the wage ceiling. Busch has missed the last two seasons due to nasty knee injuries. Defender Chris Leitch was waived as well. From the Columbus Dispatch.
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Jimmy Conrad is going to sign a new 4 year contract with Kansas City, pretty much ending the speculation of him heading to Europe.
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Holy Cow! The Chicago Sun Times with an offseason Fire article! Midfielder Brian Plotkin says he wants to play more! Who doesn't buddy. Be good in practice and you will see the pitch. Make an impact when you get into the game and you will see more time. That's it. It's not a magic formula. Oh, but you do have to be talented enough too. Don't get me wrong about Plotkin, he is not complaining, just saying what he wants. Cool. Go for it.
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Colorado has a guy training with them who goes by the name of Rambo!
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Coming soon - now with a charming video clip!
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Paul Gardner at the New York Sun gives his thoughts on MLS's Designated Player rule.
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I completely agree with Andrea Canales when she says the USA should give preference to the Gold Cup over Copa America next summer. From Soccer 365.
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Jonah Freedman and Greg Lalas at Sports Illustrated give us a photo-essay of their 15 most important Americans in Europe right now. Nice pics.
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Potential USA coaching candidate Gerard Houllier, currently at Lyon, is rumored to be the favorite to head the Australian team.
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Yanks Abroad is reporting that USA U20 midfielder Robbie Rogers has been released from his contract at Dutch club Heerenveen. The story says he is headed home to an MLS team. Which one?
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The draw for the U20 World Championship will be held on Saturday in Toronto.
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USA Women's team stars Mia Hamm and Julie Foudy have been elected into the American Soccer Hall Of Fame. Obviously well deserved. Let me ask this question though - Of the 141 voters for the Hall of Fame, only 137 of them voted for Mia Hamm, so who are the idiots who did not? I really hope word gets out who didn't vote for her so we can all mock them.
-Marc Connolly at the US Players Assoc site says Joe Max Moore should have been on that list too.
-And what about Joy Fawcett ferchrisakes.
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Jeff Carlisle of Soccernet looks at the financial status of the nearly ready to re-launch women's pro soccer league in America. There are some really interesting names involved here. Not the least of which is Peter Wilt.
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From Charlie Walters "Shooter" column in the St Paul Pioneer Press today: Part of Chicago's bid to host the 2016 Olympic Games apparently includes early soccer matches at the (University of Minnesota) Gophers' campus stadium, planned to open in 2009. Thanks to Jimmy Legs for sending this to me.
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CONCACAF Champions Cup - The 2nd leg matches are this week. With first leg scores included:
Wed Feb 28
-Marquense v Pachuca (0-2)
-Guadalajara v W Connection (1-2)
Thur Mar 1
-Houston v Punterenas (0-1)
-DC v Olimpia (4-1)
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Copa Libertadores - here are the week's matches:
-Tue Feb 27
Toluca - Bolivar
Banfield - El Nacional
Gremio - Cucuta Deportivo
-Wed Feb 28
Necaxa - Audax Italiano
Sao Paulo - Alianza Lima
Internacional - Emelec
Velez Sarsfield - Nacional
-Thur Mar 01
America - Libertad
Boca Juniors - Cienciano
Santos - Defensor Sporting
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Luis Bueno's weekly Mexican league wrap up from LA Soccer News: Jordana 7 Rewind
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The Mexican fans in San Diego want to have themselves some Blanco. From Mark Zeigler of the San Diego Union Tribune.
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Mexican coach Hugo Sanchez has called in a much more adventurous & less experienced team (a lot more young players and none of the foreign based players) for their game v Venezuela on Wednesday night. But there are still a few key domestic players not on this roster because Pachuca & Guadalajara are both in the Champions Cup that night, while Toluca, Necaxa & America are all in the Libertadores this week, so he only called a few from those teams. Here is the roster:
G:
Sergio Bernal (UNAM)
Jose de Jesus Corona (UAG)
Guillermo Ochoa (America)
D:
Joaquin Beltran (Necaxa)
Israel Castro (UNAM)
Jose Antonio Castro (America)
Joel Huiqui (Cruz Azul)
Fausto Pinto (Pachuca)
Johnny Magallon (Guadalajara)
Emilio Hassan Viades (Toluca)
M:
Fernando Arce (Morelia)
Cuauhtemoc Blanco (America)
Gerardo Galindo (Necaxa)
Andres Guardado (Atlas)
Israel Lopez (Cruz Azul)
Juan Carlos Medina (Atlas)
Carlos Morales (Toluca)
Ramon Morales (Guadalajara)
Manuel Perez (Atlas)
Gerardo Torrado (Cruz Azul)
F:
Juan Carlos Cacho (Pachuca)
Francisco Fonseca (UANL)
Francisco Palencia (UNAM)
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FA Cup replay's this week:
-Tuesday
West Brom v Middlesbrough
Reading v Man United
-Wednesday
Blackburn v Arsenal
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Rob Hughes of the International Herald Tribune writes about the currently faded Argentine golden boy Juan Roman Riquelme. Who's next to step on the big stage?
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Bundesliga leaders Schalke have lost their midfield playmaker Lincoln for 5 games after he was red carded for punching a Bayer Leverkusen player in the face. Foolish boy.
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The African Football Player Of The Year will be announced on Thursday.
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Ghana is hosting next years African Cup of Nations. And Angola has been announced as the host of the 2010 ACN.
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The Gaffer from the excellent EPL Talk website sends his invitation to all of us to submit questions for Watford's American defender Jay DeMerit who will be interviewed this coming Monday for the next episode of the EPL Talk Podcast. Questions can be posted to the Premiership Community page of EPL Talk. The latest podcasted interview is with former Premiership referee Jeff Winter. Check it out now.
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Ken The Keeper gives us an update on his beloved Italian club: Fiorentina won again last weekend and climbed from 11th to 7th place in Serie A. Toni and Mutu both scored again in a 2-0 win over Empoli. They would be in 3rd place now if not for the 15 point deduction. And fans are now allowed back into the stadium in Florence.
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I don't spend any time thinking about Italian club Cagliari, and I doubt very many of you do either, but a prime clue as to the why they never have any success in SerieA could be due to the fact that they just fired another coach, which makes it 26 coaches in the last 14 seasons. So much for stability. Someone close to the owner of the team might suggest that he seek out some form of mental health counseling for his affliction.
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Over the past few weeks I have added several new weblogs to the Fellow Freaks list over there in the right hand column, and I would like you to take special note of some of them today:
-WVHooligan
-The Red Bulls-Eye
-Socca Critics
-Since 96
-Red Bull Rising
-Jen Chang
-If This Is Football
-Galaxyhopping
-Boleiro
-Because I Think Way Too Much About Soccer
-BC Pangie