Some News for Wed Apr 22

NOTE: Upon proofreading todays episode I realize that I do a lot of ass-kissing. Therefore I am looking for a sponsorship deal with Chapstick.


I need to start off today by giving a ginormous thank you to my friend Paul Demko who does the blog Bunky County. During my hiatus from du Nord he let me hone my chops on his blog whenever I wanted to, without any restrictions. He is a great writer, and even better dude and deserves your affection. Read it everyday, and I promise your skin will glow like never before.

dN

In the past couple of years I have been on record with the prediction that the USA would host the World Cup in 2022, and win it! Yes, win it. Now I would like to update that prediction. The team will be coached by Jose Mourinho. Mark it down, put it in a time capsule, and dig it up in 13 years to see if I am a genius or a jackass. (I think we already know that answer.)

dN

Get on the Twitter feeder today: dunord

dN

Great picture of Bruce Arena right after his shitty defense gave up yet another easy early goal against San Jose. Thanks to my man Rubio for this image capture! Priceless. (Mmmmmm, Wendy's!)













dN

MLS Week 6 Matches get started a little sooner than usual:

-Wed Apr 22
Toronto v Chivas - 6:30pm Central on Direct Kick
Venue: BMO Field, Toronto ON
-Thu Apr 23
Kansas City v New York - 7pm Central on ESPN2
Venue: Community America Ballpark, Kansas City KS

dN

Adam Spangler has the best soccer site on the web: This Is American Soccer. He doesn’t mess with the silly day to day stuff like I do. He goes for the deep vein. That vein that can render you dead in seconds if damaged. He tells full stories. Remember his 5 Parter on Clint Dempsey last year? Best American soccer writing of '09, hands down.

Today he brings us the story of another American prodigy who has yet to settle down at a place he can call home. This is Devann Yao. A precious talent, with quite the tale.

dN

Our main man Frank Dell'apa at ESPN Soccernet tells us about the big numbers of players coming to MLS from Africa, and how that number is expected to grow a lot over the next several seasons. His local team, he's a Bostonian, the New England Revolution has done as good a job as any recruiting in Africa.

dN

Kartik Krishnaiyer, the maniac from South Florida, must work 27 or 28 hours a day, 9 days a week to crank out the volume of soccer verbiage he does. IE. Major League Soccer Talk and the accompanying podcasts. Not to mention he has a full time job on top of this. Makes me feel lazy and whiny for burning out. I also consider Kartik to be a FIF - friend in football.

This is his brand new labor: The Kartik Report

dN

I sent an email to my pal George Tanner in Denver at Colorado Soccer Now asking him why the Rapids have goalkeeper Matt Pickens and centerback Cory Gibbs riding the pine. Here is his response:

Pickens: back spasms
Gibbs: groin

End of story.

dN

Luis Bueno writing for the Press Enterprise tells us all about our new fave Chivas USA player Chukwudi Chijindu, he of recent goal scoring fame!

dN

US Open Cup Qualifier Tonight

-Wed Apr 22
DC V Dallas
Venue: RKF Stadium, Washington DC

dN

Simon Evans on the Reuters Soccer Blog tells about his recent trip to see the current soccer culture in Miami. Great stuff here. Thanks to KK for the heads up.

dN

Got a twitter from Shaq yesterday - He is studying to be the Po-Po when his playing days are done. Howdy Sheriff!

dN

Dan Loney does a Q & A with Seattle Sounders GM Adrian Hanauer - the man who brought the team from USL First Division to MLS.

dN

Chris Harris of EPL Talk and Kartik Krishnaiyer of Major League Soccer Talk interview Keir Radnedge, "the former editor of World Soccer Magazine and an author of more than a dozen books including The Complete Encyclopedia of Soccer." Listen or download here.

dN

CONCACAF Champions League

The Finals for the inaugural season of the CCL kick off on Wednesday night. I have no idea who the favorite is.

First Leg
-Wed Apr 22
Cruz Azul v Atlante
Second Leg
-Wed Apr 29
Atlante v Cruz Azul (-)

I will repeat what I wrote the other day - Luis Bueno on his blog The Touchline gives us the lowdown on how this first leg will shake.

dN

Coupe de France

American Carlos Bocanegra and his team Rennes have advanced to the French Cup final! Hooray Beer! Les Rouges et Noirs has not made it this far in the Cup race in 38 years! They will take on a team from Ligue 2 for the glory.

Semifinals
-Tue Apr 21
Grenoble 0-1 Rennes
-Wed Apr 22
Toulouse 1-2 En Avant Guingamp

Final
-TBD
Rennes v En Avant Guingamp

dN

My friend Sean the Faux Ruskie will not let me get away without heaping praise on his boy Andrei Arshavin who banged home 4 goals for Arsenal yesterday in EPL action, as they drew 4-4 at Liverpool. If the Arse could find defenders/goalkeepers as good as Andrei they would be unstoppable!

dN

After being found guilty of their fans chanting something like "a black Italian does not exist" at Inter's Mario Ballotelli, Juventus will have to play their next home game in an empty stadium.

dN

CONCACAF U17 World Cup Qualifying
All games played in Tijuana Mexico

Group A
3 USA +5
1 Honduras 0
1 Canada 0
0 Cuba -5
Group B
Costa Rica
Guatemala
Mexico
Trinidad & Tobago

Group Stage:
-Tue Apr 21
Honduras 1-1 Canada
Cuba 0-5 USA
-Wed Apr 22
Guatemala v Costa Rica
Mexico v Trinidad & Tobago
-Thu Apr 23
Honduras v Cuba
USA v Canada
-Fri Apr 24
Costa Rica v Trinidad & Tobago
Mexico v Guatemala
-Sat Apr 25
Canada v Cuba
USA v Honduras
-Sun Apr 26
Trinidad & Tobago v Guatemala
Mexico v Costa Rica

Semifinals:
-wed Apr 29
A1 v B2
B1 v A2

Final & 3rd Place:
-Sat May 2

dN




















dN

Stolen from the New York Times today (in an article on creative ways to finance your business): "Cologne has been selling chunks of a Web portrait of Lukas Podolski to help finance the cost of acquiring him from Bayern Munich."