Mesut Ozil has more control with his gum than you do with a soccer ball

Since moving to Arsenal almost two months ago things have gone well for Mesut Ozil and even better for the Gunners. It's not a tough line to draw between Arsenal being in first place (no really!) and the signing of the young German to play at Emirates Stadium.

The cameras caught the midfielder showing off during a pregame warm up with some of his skillful footwork.



I dare anyone to try that and come anywhere close to getting it in your mouth. In fact record it and send us the videos.

I would show you the video of myself trying this but 18 packs of gum later it was just too embarrassing to face my own lack of anything resembling skill.

Video via TheRightyGeorge

The new Levski Sofia coach had a really crappy first day at work.

The first day at a new job is always stressful. There's nothing worse than fumbling around an unfamiliar office looking for supplies, having to have lunch with people you don't know, and being left out of the newest office gossip.

The one thing you usually don't count on for your first day is to be attacked and stripped partially nude when you're introduced to everyone. Welcome to the first day of Ivaylo Petev's first day as the new coach for Levski Sofia. The fun starts about the :45 mark.



What could Ivaylo have possibly done to upset his new team's fans before he ever even coached a game? Supporting the enemy it seems. Story via Reuters

Levski, the 26-times Bulgarian champions, turned to Petev after sacking Serbian coach Slavisa Jokanovic following a mediocre start to the season but the Sofia-based club’s fans believe his allegiance lies with CSKA.

“I have no sympathy to another Sofia club, you can check it out,” said Petev.

In an interview with local media in June, however, the 38-year-old, who led Ludogorets to two consecutive league titles, said he was a CSKA fan, adding that this had never stopped him being uncompromising against his favourite team on the pitch.

 I guess feeling awkward at the water-cooler doesn't seem like such a big deal now.

Bomb goes off in front of Panathinaikos Supporters Group HQ

 

And you thought MLS Supporters Group drama was bad.....

via AP

A bomb has exploded outside the Athens offices of a fan club for the premier league Panathinaikos football club, damaging the building and several nearby parked cars but causing no injuries.

The explosion occurred in the early morning Friday outside the office in the central neighborhood of Petralona. The blast shattered windows of nearby stores and homes.

There was no immediate information on what the explosive device consisted of.

Panathanaikos, one of the oldest Greek clubs, has a long standing feud with fans of Olympiakos, who's fans are widely viewed to be behind the bombing. The derby between these two clubs is referred to as "The Derby of the Eternal Enemies" and has a long history of violence between the two groups of fans.

Go see all the hatred for yourself at forzainterforums.com.

I think Samir Nasri is stoned.

I know that as a teammate sometimes you have to say nice things about people you play with because you don't want to be a dick. Saying that your goalkeeper couldn't cover a U16 team wouldn't really go over well in the locker room regardless of how true it is. So I guess Samir Nasri was just trying to play nice guy when he said something laughable about his teammate Joe Hart.

Samir Nasri has insisted that his Manchester City teammate Joe Hart is still one of the world’s top five goalkeepers -- despite a spate of mistakes.

Nasri ....remains confident that Hart should be ranked alongside the likes of Bayern’s Manuel Neuer, Juventus’ Gianluigi Buffon and Tottenham’s Hugo Lloris as the game’s finest.
He said: "Yes, I think it's Neuer, Joe Hart and maybe Hugo Lloris because I play with him in the national team. Then Buffon too. [Iker] Casillas doesn't play anymore but for me Joe is in the world's top five -- easily."

 Don't get me wrong Joe Hart is no slouch but TOP 5 IN THE WORLD?!?!?

Apparently Samir Nasri wasn't paying attention when Manchester City got embarrassed by Bayer Munich, and even more embarrassed by Hart's atrocious keeping job.

Who would you have in as the top 5 net-minders in the world playing right now?

Story via Richard Jolly.

Greenpeace embarrasses UEFA in the middle of a Champions League game

Greenpeace is known for their sometimes extreme measures of protesting what they see as the destruction of the environment. Recently their hippy hard-ons have been focused on targeting groups that are drilling in the Arctic for oil and gas, mainly Shell Oil and , Russian state gas and oil company, Gazprom.

Whether it's climbing the tallest building in Western Europe, embarrassing Shell Oil at the Belgian Grand Prix (this one is actually really funny), or getting themselves charged with Piracy for trying to scale a Russian drilling rig, these guys (and gals) don't give up.

The groups latest hijinks? Interrupting a Champions League match by repelling into St. Jakobs Park in Basel Switzerland with a giant protest banner against Gazprom.

Why this game? I'm guessing that it has to do with Basel's opponent, Schalke, and the Champs League being sponsored by, you guessed it, Gazprom!



Normally I would think this is hilarious but I think this brings up some major security questions for the home side. Mainly, HOW THE HELL DID 8 PEOPLE WITH FULL CLIMBING GEAR AND A GIANT BANNER GET ON TOP OF YOUR STADIUM ROOF WITHOUT ANYONE NOTICING?!?!?!?!

I fully expect UEFA to throw the book at FC Basel for this complete and utter breakdown of security that led to a major embarrassment for UEFA and one of it's biggest Champions League sponsors.

Video via donggaBasel

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Did Walsall Twitter troll Wolverhampton after a win?

The first Black County Derby since 2003 was played this week with the away team Walsall FC ending Wolves unbeaten home streak with a 1-0 win. Everyone loves a good derby win but teams don't usually go this far in gloating.

Special thanks to @farnell81 for the screen capture as the tweet was deleted promptly from @WFCOfficial. Immediately following the deletion Walsall FC issued this statement on their official Facebook page:

Walsall Football Club would like to apologise unreservedly to Wolverhampton Wanderers and their supporters for the offensive Tweet that appeared on the club’s Official Twitter Page – @WFCOfficial – last night.

Our Official account was hacked at 22:36 last night and a derogative and frankly disgusting Tweet was published. As soon as the club’s Communications Team, who were at Molineux for the fixture, were made aware of the Tweet, it was deleted and an apology issued.

Walsall Football Club are taking this matter very, very seriously. A full investigation will be launched.

Walsall FC do not condone this type of behaviour and when the culprit is identified the club will be taking the strongest course of action.

Usually I view accounts that claim hacking as the reason for an offensive tweet with a HUGE grain of salt but this one would seem to be a legit hack. Was it tacky? Yes. Was it offensive? Yes. You know what else it was though? Hilarious. I'm not even sure what what "..dingle bastards." means but I think everyone should try to somehow work this insult into a conversation today. Let me know how it turns out!

Jay N

FC Copenhagen won't sell you Champs League tickets if your name doesn't sound Danish.

Are you a fan of FC Copenhagen? (DUH!!) Want to go see them play at home in the Champions League? (What fan wouldn't?!?) Have a last name that doesn't "sound Danish"? Then you can take your ass to the visitors seats! Story via ESPNFC.

The Danish side have been drawn against Galatasaray, Juventus and Real Madrid in Group B of the Champions League, but supporters, according to newspaper Ekstrabladet, have been angered by a new club policy.

It is claimed that, for "security reasons", fans with non-Danish sounding names who bought three-match packages for their home games have seen the tickets cancelled.

"Safety is always our main concern when it comes to events at Parken (stadium). Therefore we make every effort to ensure that fans of our guests only have access to the away section," FC Copenhagen club secretary Daniel Rommedahl is quoted as saying by Reuters.

To be fair the story does go on to say that fans can call the Front Office and work the issue out if their last name doesn't happen to end in "en". No seriously almost all Danish people's last names end in "en". Go see for yourself.

Regardless of whether you can work out the confusion with the team or not, on the surface this seems like a really bad PR move. But then again would anyone be talking about FC Copenhagen otherwise? Is this actually a genius PR move hidden in slightly xenophobic stereotypes? .....touche FCK. Touche.

Jay N

We're Back!!!!

Yeah I know it's been 6 months since I've posted anything. It was a much needed break and I'm ready to get this dumb little site kicked off again for the six of you that will read it. Any one interested in becoming a contributor shoot me an email at jaytheblogger@yahoo.com! Stay tuned folks I'm going to be posting stuff on a semi regular basis again.

Jay N

CONCACAF Gold Cup schedule and venues released

CONCACAF has announced the venues for the 2013 Gold Cup starting in July and they made sure the US plays their 3 group games in the whitest cities they could possibly find.

They play Belize July 9th in Portland, Oregon, Cuba on July 13th in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Costa Rica July 16th in Hartford Connecticut. Conversely they made sure that 2 of Mexico's 3 games are in cities where there isn't a huge Hispanic population (Seattle, WA and Denver, CO). Great job CONCACAF!! We really appreciate all the help you can give us. What was Cleveland booked?? Wait...what was that? The US ARE playing in Cleveland?!?!? Oh....I see.....well.....  Is it just me or does Cleveland seem like an odd place to hold a soccer game? Or really anything for that matter.

Via AP

CHICAGO -- The final of this year's CONCACAF Gold Cup will be played at Chicago's Soldier Field on July 28.

Solider Field also hosted the 2007 final of soccer's regional championship of North and Central America and the Caribbean.

CONCACAF announced the tournament schedule Wednesday, with quarterfinals at Atlanta's Georgia Dome on July 20 and Baltimore's M&T Bank Stadium the following day, and semifinals at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas, on July 24.

The United States is in Group C in the first round and will play Belize at Portland, Ore. (July 9), Cuba at Salt Lake City (July 13) and Costa Rica at East Hartford, Conn. (July 16).

Mexico is in Group A and plays Panama at Pasadena, Calif. (July 7), Canada at Seattle (July 11) and Martinique at Denver (July 14).

You can find the full schedule and list of venues here.

Jay N

Balotelli places an order for the greatest statue ever?

And really why shouldn't this be immortalized in bronze?

This story was just too good to pass up.

Via Football Italia:

Mario Balotelli has commissioned a life-size statue of himself to stand in his Brescia home. “He’ll be immortalised in the pose after a goal.”

The Milan and Italy striker has already become famous for his audacious style choices, including a camouflage Bentley.

“I received the commission, but have never actually met Balotelli, so I am working from photographs,” local artist Livio Scarpella told Il Giornale di Brescia newspaper.

“I presented various sketches, but Mario wanted to be immortalised in the pose after a goal: muscles in evidence and an expression to challenge the opponents.”

This seems to be the pose he adopted after scoring the second goal against Germany in the Euro 2012 semi-final.

“I imagined him as an athlete from ancient times. The statue will be between the classic and pop style, in platinum and coloured bronze with the eyes made of precious stones.”

YES, YES, and more YES!!!! Can I get a miniature made of this you think?

Here are some other options I think Mario should consider:

But really he should just get this pose done!:

It's dangerous to be a Spurs fan!



                                                                                                    Photo: Paul Gilham

 Three months after 7 Spurs fans were injured in Lazio, Italy prior to a Europa match, a similar attack happened to another group of Tottenham fans last night in Lyon, France.

Via AP

LONDON -- Three Tottenham fans were injured after being attacked at a pub in Lyon by about 50 masked thugs ahead of a Europa League match against the French club.

Tottenham said Thursday that arrests were made relating to the incident that occurred late Wednesday at the Smoking Dog, a pub popular among British people in the French city.

"Three fans sustained minor injuries and received prompt medical assistance," Tottenham said.

...Like French club Paris Saint-Germain, Lyon has a far-right contingent among its fans, some of whom form part of a group called "Bad Gones."

Full story here.

Damn!!! Listen if your a Spurs fan and you want to travel abroad to support your team.....don't. The saddest part is that these attacks seem to be related to anti-Semetism. For those who don't know Spurs has a large Jewish fan base and the team and fan's often take abuse from opposing teams (especially in European tournaments) based on this fact.

I would say FIFA should do something to curb this but.........c'mon. Let's be real here.


Jay N

"Key element" in match fixing probe arrested in Italy

I would like to think this is what the police took Suljic to jail in.

It seems that Italian police have arrested what they have called a "key element" in the match fixing probe that Europol (sounds like a cheap trashy strip club in Prague) says could involve as many as 680 matches across Europe, Asia, Africa, and Central and South America.

Via Associated Press:

MILAN -- Suspected soccer match-fixer Admir Suljic was taken into custody Thursday after landing at Milan's Malpensa airport on a flight from Singapore, Italian police said.

Suljic is wanted by judicial authorities in the city of Cremona investigating a massive match-fixing case that has already brought the arrests of more than 50 people, with more than 150 under investigation.

Police said Suljic had been on the run since December 2011 and was considered a "key element" in the Last Bet operation. Police added that he spent significant time in Singapore in close contact with the alleged fixing organization's chiefs.

Full story here.

Very odd that Singapore won't do anything to arrest this Dan Tan. Isn't that the same country that publicly canes people for spitting? And could they not come up with a better nickname than Dan Tan?? It just seems lazy.

Or maybe you DON'T want a ride in the Lambo.....

Jay N

Robbie Rogers, Homophobia, and Where We Go From Here

Robbie Rogers. Photo: PA

I've spent the better part of the last few days trying to figure out how to write about Robbie Roger's courageous decision to come out. And I think it makes sense to take address this in three parts: 1) Robbie's words; 2) The reaction from fans and the international soccer community; and 3) Homophobia in the game and where we go from here.

Robbie's Words
My first reaction to reading Robbie's statement (you can read it in its entirety here and I would highly recommend that you do so before continuing on) was complex: I was incredibly proud of him for choosing to share his life openly with us all; I was saddened for him that he'll be stepping away from the game that he loves and has helped make him who he is; I was scared that the reaction would be so negative and toxic that it would cause him greater pain; I was excited that maybe, just maybe, we're entering into a new space where players are able to genuinely speak about and be themselves. But mostly, I was hopeful for Robbie...that he'll be able to find some peace and security amidst all of the craziness that has come about (and will continue to arise) because of his decision to be unspeakably brave. And I want to let his words stand on their own, because they are powerful. Here's how he ended his post:

Now is my time to step away. It’s time to discover myself away from football.  It’s 1 A.M. in London as I write this and I could not be happier with my decision. Life is so full of amazing things. I realized I could only truly enjoy my life once I was honest.  Honesty is a bitch but makes life so simple and clear.  My secret is gone, I am a free man, I can move on and live my life as my creator intended. 

The Reaction from Fans and the International Soccer Community
This weekend has made me unspeakably proud to be a football fan. It has made me unspeakably proud of so many of the players that I admire on the pitch because they've shown compassion and class and respect off of it for one of their own (and they've made it clear, too, that Robbie is one of their own). The Seattle Sounders released a video in support of Robbie, with players and coaches offering words of encouragement and solidarity. MLS released a statement of support and posted a video of several of Robbie's former teammates praising him and standing with him. People from US Ambassador to the United Nations (and soccer mom) Susan Rice to actor Zachary Levi posted words of encouragement and support on Twitter. The Huffington Post's article also includes a great gallery of support from his fellow USMNT players and other soccer stars tweets...and that's not including the support he received from the USWNT, including Ali Krieger and Abby Wambach.

(As a small side note, I'd like to publicly thank Chris Kluwe (and not just because he plays for my Minnesota Vikings) and Carlos Bocanegra (Captain America, I salute you!) for making it clear that coming out doesn't have to be a reason for leaving the game)

If you want to feel better about the world, search Twitter for @robbierogers. The fact that 99.99999% of the responses have been not just positive but welcoming, embracing, and supportive will make you feel a little bit better about humanity and a lot better about the state of soccer as a sport.

Homophobia in the Game and Where We Go From Here
I want to push back on one thing in all of this. While, yes, combating homophobia in football is vital and necessary, there seems to be a lot of assertion (see the PFA exec's comments here for example) that things won't change unless players come out while still playing the game. Fighting prejudice is the responsibility of EVERYONE, not just the players it happens to impact. If only Kevin-Prince Boateng had walked off during AC Milan's match a while back, it would be a different story; the fact that the entire team took a stand and walked off is important. All of us in the soccer community, whether we are players or fans or coaches or executives, have a responsibility to those of us who may happen to be gay or bisexual or pansexual or whatever. We ALL have to fight against discrimination. That means challenging the perception of orientation and gender presentation being linked with athletic ability (see Michael Becker's comments about the German NT at the 2010 World Cup for an example of how NOT to talk about orientation and gender presentation as they relate to athletic ability). We need to challenge the assumption that to be gay is to somehow be less than or unmanly or somehow othered in a way that reduces a person's ability to contribute to a team.

While it's not clear whether Robbie is choosing to step away from the game in order to figure out who he is away from it or because he was unsure about playing after coming out, we should all be clear that those are two separate issues and we shouldn't assume that he is retiring solely because he came out. That seems to be the assumption on the part of many; perhaps it is the case and perhaps it is not. Either way, something needs to change. And, as Grant Wahl pointed out on Twitter, he says he's stepping away, not retiring.

While there are no openly out players in the German Bundesliga, many German footballers have been public in their support of any player who wants to come out (and others, like German captain Philipp Lahm, have expressed dismay that it's not a safe enough environment yet). Given the outpouring of support and respect from players and the league in the US for Robbie, it's clear that the momentum is going in the right direction. Yes, there is homophobia in the game. There's homophobia everywhere. But that's all the more reason for all of us to work to combat it. We can't put it all on the shoulders of one or two individuals, expecting them to come out and bear the burden of being the name and face of this issue; we all need to be the name and face behind this issue. MLS clubs need to continue to support their players and need to start to take public stands against discrimination in all its forms. FIFA talks a lot about racism; they need to start talking about homophobia. And all of us who love this game need to work actively to change the game's culture. That might mean we put ourselves in situations where we challenge the language of others at matches or that we work with our club to do outreach within the LGBTQIA community or that we offer our knowledge and skills and expertise to our clubs to help educate players and coaches and other fans. But it means that we need to all work together, because this isn't just a problem that impacts the players like Robbie who are brave enough to share their story with us; it is a problem period whenever anyone is not able to be fully themselves and pursue the career that they love.

Want to get involved? Join the ranks of Red Card Homophobia. Ask your local club to join in the Red Card Homophobia campaign with photos like these Ajax players. Write letters to the editor in support of Robbie that also challenge the idea that gender presentation, sexual orientation, and athletic ability are somehow linked. Tweet about it. Blog about it. Support local LGBTQIA clubs and leagues and encourage your local MLS team to play friendlies with local LGBTQIA clubs. Talk about it. Because together, we can make a difference.

Bex is a PhD student in Social Ethics whose research focuses on the social ethics of professional club soccer. A die-hard Bayern Munich fan, she currently lives in Denver and also writes as part of the FC Hollywood team. You can follow her on Twitter @beckella.

FIFA to use goal line tech at WC '14

The missed call that changed it all.

Ever since Frank Lampard's disallowed goal at WC 2010 FIFA has been making an effort to develop and test goal line technology to ensure the English have nothing to complain about when they under-perform again in Brazil at WC 2014. Ha! Who am I kidding? The English will always find something to complain about.

Sepp Blatter and the bureaucratic fools at FIFA have worked quickly to ensure these serious mistakes never happen again. It's shocking that they can move so quickly to make sure technology gets developed but to hell with doing anything real about racism in the game. OK sorry... I'm not even going to step on that soapbox right now.  The point is that FIFA have officially come out and said that they will be using the new technology at World Cup 2014 in Brazil.

 Via Associated Press:

ZURICH -- FIFA committed Tuesday to using goal-line technology at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, and could have four systems competing for selection.

FIFA said it is now seeking tenders from companies which want their system to be used at the Confederations Cup in June and next year's World Cup.

Interested GLT companies will be invited to join an inspection visit to the Confederations Cup venues, currently scheduled for mid-March, with a final decision due to be confirmed in early April," FIFA said in a statement.

Full story here.

New contributors and a whole new way of looking at the game!

I'm very excited to announce that a we're bringing in a few contributors to help wake this site up! We're going to be branching into new types of subject matter written by people much more intelligent and knowledgeable than myself. Still footy oriented obviously but we're going to be looking at the game from many different angles.

I want to take this site to a new level of analysis and commentary and I have a really good feeling that the people we're bringing in will do just that.

Check back here on Monday for the beginning of a whole new Soccer Nut Blog!!

Jay N
Editor
@FCJayBird

Ever wanted to write? Then help!!

OK so I know that I said I would be posting more often on here and I promise you all that I have tried. However between work (the one that actually pays me) and the 9,000 other things I have going on I haven't been able to keep the site up like I have hoped.

I am looking for anyone interested in helping out and posting stories here at Soccer Nut Blog. If you've always wanted to get into sports writing or you've written before PLEASE shoot me a message to jaytheblogger@yahoo.com.

Ideally I would like to bring on a couple of people, one of which I would really like to be a female (so I don't always look like a misogynistic asshole). Again, if this is something you are interested in get in contact with me and we can continue to grow the site. Please forward, re-tweet, or share this post so that as many people as possible get to see this.

Thanks!

Jay N

Follow us on Twitter!!

Please follow us on Twitter at @SoccerNutBlog for all the most recent news and updates. You can also follow my personal account at @FCJayBird. And please follow our contributors Emily O'Brian Ainsworth at @ComradeM and Vince Sumbry at @vsumbry.  Thanks so much for reading!

Jay N

Hey look another "Something awful happened at Beitar Jerusalem" story



Photo Credit: Flash90



I know I post a lot of stories about racism on here, but seeing as I'm a bleeding heart liberal (or as my father calls me, Communist) I feel that these ignorant acts need to be highlighted and those responsible publicly shamed.

This isn't the first time I've written about Beitar Jerusalem, and their infamous La Familia supporters group, on here. For those not familiar with Beitar, La Familia, and the generally racist attitude of a large portion of their fan base please go check out the E:60 piece that ESPN put together. It's eye opening to say the least.

As you saw in an earlier post from me that there has been an uproar among the Beitar hard liners over the clubs intentions to sign two Chechen (read: Muslim) players. Well today comes the news that the clubs front office was firebombed by some of it's own fans. (editors note: WHAT?!?!?!?!?!?!)

Via Associated Press-

JERUSALEM -- The offices of the Beitar Jerusalem soccer team were set on fire early Friday in an apparent arson attack, police said, a day after four of the club's fans were charged with anti-Muslim chanting at a recent game.

The attack also followed an announcement by police that they would begin deploying undercover units and beefing up police presence at games to track down those fans involved in racist chants.

Full story here.



A fireman standing in the smoke and fire damaged
Beitar front office. Credit



I've resolved myself to the fact that, as a sports fan from America, I will never be able to fully understand caring so much about a team/hating another race of people so much that I would set my favorite teams front office ON FIRE!!!!! I'm not stupid enough to say that racism and idiocy don't exist in American sports (I'm looking at you Philadelphia...), however the fervor and complete lack of any common sense that seems to run rampant through a small portion of fans of the game of soccer overseas, doesn't come anywhere close to anything we have here in the States.

Yes, there have been many instances of American fans from opposing teams having violent confrontations having sometimes fatal results. However, things like the complete segregation of opposing fan bases in stadiums and dozens of police lining the aisles to keep people apart is something that the common American fan can't imagine and I for one hope they never will.

Jay N

@SoccerNutBlog
@FCJayBird

FIFA sort of punished Hungary and Bulgaria for racism....sort of

"But we printed pamphlets!! This will solve the problem!"

Despite all of the "initiatives" that FIFA have started to tackle racism (FARE, Anti-discrimination Days, Give Racism the Red Card, etc) and publicly stating that racism is a problem and must be tackled, soccer's governing body continues to hand down soft penalties to clubs and countries that abuse opposing players.

Today from the Associated Press:

ZURICH -- FIFA has upheld sanctions imposed on Hungary and Bulgaria for anti-Semitic and racist behavior by fans, and says both teams will play World Cup qualifiers in empty stadiums next month after rejecting appeals by both soccer associations.

FIFA says both "have both been warned to their future conduct."

Hungary fans racially abused Israel's team at an exhibition game in August in Budapest.

Hungary will play neighboring Romania behind closed doors on March 22.

Bulgaria fans made monkey chants at a black Denmark player during a World Cup qualifier in Sofia in October. Bulgaria next plays at home against Malta.

FIFA fined Hungary $43,400 and Bulgaria $38,000.

Both countries can appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Oh wow! One game behind closed doors?!?!?! A $43,400 fine?!?!?! Well I'm sure that will definitely show these countries and their fans that you're serious.

This is a joke. A sick and ignorant joke that FIFA tries to play every time there is a well documented case of racism.

Do you want to fix the problem Sepp? Here's what you do: Eliminate a country from qualifying tournaments or the ability to play in qualifiers or dock a club 10-15 points. Let's see how quickly Hungary MLSZ (their FA so to speak) do something about anti-semitic chants when there is a chance they won't even be able to attempt to qualify for the World Cup, or how quiet La Familia becomes when Beitar Jerusalem get relegated because of anti-muslim chants and violence.

Paltry little fines and closed door games do nothing to quell racist chants. It never has and it never will. Until the old men at the top of FIFA understand that there will never be a solution. Give the FA's a reason, a real reason, to be proactive about quashing racism in their fan base. If you make an example of one team I promise you'll start seeing big and drastic steps taken by countries and clubs alike.

USMNT roster for match against Honduras released

So we FINALLY got the US Men's National Team 24 man roster this morning and there are some interesting choices heading to Honduras.

Full roster here.

Most surprising to me are the addition of the two Brad's. I like the addition of Brad Davis to the midfield(even if ht does play for Houstank). He was one of the few players who impressed me in the Canada game and with Donovan clearly not in the plans for the US anymore, a replacement is going to be needed. I don't think he'll start over Zusi but he's a nice choice off of the bench for Klinsmann.

Brad Evans is another story in my opinion.  He was lack luster in the Canada game and while he's had some nice moments with the Sounders I'm just not sure how he fits in with this team.  I just haven't seen a lot out of him and I'm not sure he'll see much, if any, playing time during this Hex. I have a feeling he's only gotten the call up due to the injury of Brek Shea. Of course, believe it or not, I am wrong on occasion.

I'm glad to see that Timothy Chandler is coming back into the fold for the United States.  I know he was holding out hope for a shot at the German National Team but personally I'm glad he didn't get it. Having him tied up for the future will provide a big benefit for the USMNT over the coming years. With the defending core growing younger and younger I expect Chandler to be a staple on the back line for the foreseeable future.

One Klinsmann choice that continues to baffle me is the inclusion of Jose Torres. I get that JK wants to include more Hispanic players in his squads but what has Torres ever really done for the USMNT? His play has never been stellar and I can't ever remember him doing anything spectacular. Maybe those of you who follow Liga MX can fill me in on his performance for Tigres. Maybe I'm missing something.

It's nice to see Sacha Klejstan getting some well deserved credit for his great play in Belgium. I've always been a fan of SK and I'm looking forward to (hopefully) seeing him paired up with Michael Bradley in the deep midfield. Klejstan is a great player with superb linking ability and between he and Bradley the US has a very potent distribution network in the middle of the field. I'm hoping he gets the start but we'll have to wait and see. 

Don't forget to check out the match on beIn Sports on Wednesday at 3 pm CST.

I would love to hear from you guys about what your opinions of the roster are.

European match fixing linked to Singapore crime syndicate

The sports world has had an influx lately of fallen hero's, PED accusations, and fake girlfriend stories.  It's hard these days to have any faith in any sport or sports star. 

Well the news doesn't get any better today after Europol has said that at least 380 European matches, including World Cup qualifying, Euro 2012 qualifying, and UCL games, are under investigation for match fixing, all orchestrated by Singapore based crime syndicate.

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- A wide-ranging match-fixing investigation has uncovered more than 380 suspicious matches -- including World Cup and European Championship qualifiers and two Champions League games -- and found evidence that a Singapore-based crime group is closely involved in match-fixing.

"This is a sad day for European football," Rob Wainwright, head of the European Union police organization Europol, said Monday, referring to the sport Americans call soccer. He said the investigation uncovered "match-fixing activity on a scale we have not seen before."

The probe uncovered (euro) 8 million ($10.9 million) in betting profits and (euro) 2 million ($2.7 million) in bribes to players and officials and has already led to several prosecutions.

Full story via Associated Press here.

If you can't trust Italian football then what can you trust? I guess next you're going to tell me that there's racism in European football as well.


Illustration by Daniel Bejar

European transfer window closes-MLS players on the move.

So the transfer window closed for much of Europe yesterday and as always it was a fun one (except for some FC Dallas fans.).

Queen's Park Rangers made so many moves, and rightfully so, it's been hard to keep track with everything. They loaned a lot of guys out and brought a lot more in.  It's going to be fun seeing Harry Redknapp can keep QPR, and all of the money they've spent, in the EPL at the end of the season.

There were also two high profile MLS players that made the leap to the EPL. Kei Kamara to Norwich City (this made my girlfriend happy) and Brek Shea to Stoke City (this made my girlfriend sad), both transfers occuring in the last two days of the window.  For those of you who are FC Dallas fans, or follow MLS closely, the Brek Shea transfer saga was an up and down rollercoaster. The drama went from "He's definitely leaving!" to "Wait, no he's not!" to "Well damn.....he left.".

As I don't follow Sporting Kansas City as closely as FC Dallas I'm not sure if they Kamara transfer caused as many ripples in KC as Shea's leaving did in DFW.  Of course Sporting have depth at forward to cover the lose of Kamara, where as Dallas is very thin on the wings now with only Jackson and Castillo and no one really behind them. Either way SNB wishes them both good fortune in the future.

I also don't want to forget Andy Najar's move from DC United to Anderlecht in Belgium.

Go here to see ESPNFC's complete transfer list.

Tell us what your favorite/least favorite moves of the window were.


Jay N

Beitar Jerusalem fans arrested for anti-Muslim chants. No one who knows this team was surprised.

Beitar Jerusalem is famous for never signing a Muslim player into their ranks. In fact they are the only club in the Israeli Premier League never to do so. The team's largest supporters group, known as La Familia, has wielded it's power and protested (sometimes violently) any move to sign any Muslim player to the team.  When the team attempted to sign Nigerian, and Muslim, Ibrahim Nadalla in 2005 the fans mobbed the player and forced him to leave the team. 

The team is so notorious that ESPN E:60 did a piece on the team that you can view here.

Now comes the announcement that the team will sign two Chechen players to deals. Can anyone guess how that went?


Via Associated Press-JERUSALEM -- Israeli police have arrested three soccer fans for chanting anti-Muslim slogans at a game while protesting the Beitar Jerusalem team's intention to sign two Muslim players.

Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld says two suspects were fined and banned from the stadium for the rest of the season. The additional suspect was scheduled to appear in court Sunday.

Fans unfurled signs alluding to the team's unofficial tradition of not signing Arab or Muslim players. Beitar fans have been punished in the past for similar behavior.

Parliament speaker Reuven Rivlin, himself a Beitar fan, told Army Radio the slogans were akin to a team in Germany banning Jewish players. He spoke on International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Team owner Arkady Gaydamak told Army Radio he was determined to sign two Chechen players.


Photo by Nir Neidar

21 sentenced to death for involvement in Port Said tragedy

In starting this little blog of mine I wanted to have a place where I could post interesting stories from around the world of soccer and hopefuly make people laugh with little one liners and silly jokes I make in commentary about the story.

The problem sometimes is that just because a story is interesting it doesn't mean it's always funny. This story is one of those moments. The Port Said tragedy is just that: tragic. Like Hillsborough, Accra Stadium, Ibrox, and all horrible footy related tragedies before it, the entire soccer world is affected.


Via Associated Press-Cairo-An Egyptian court has handed down death sentences for 21 people accused of taking part in soccer violence last year that killed 74.

In the courtroom, families of the deceased wailed in disbelief and raised their hands in the air shouting ''Allahu Akbar'', Arabic for God is great.

The judge said in his statement read live on state TV that he would announce the verdict for the remaining 52 defendants on March 9.

Among those on trial are nine security officials. The soccer melee on Feb. 1, 2012 between Port Said's Al-Masry fans and Cairo's Al-Ahly fans was the world's deadliest soccer violence in 15 years.

As is customary in Egypt, the death sentences will be sent to a top religious authority, the Grand Mufti, for approval.

Swansea locks up their scoring gold mine for 4 more years

Michu has done nothing but score since his arrival in Wales.

With 16 goals in 28 appearances Michu has arguably been the the best pick up for an EPL team this year save for RVP at Man U.  It was most certainly an amazing find for Swansea. Many, including myself, wondered if Swansea could even stay out of relegation this year after Brendan Rodgers and Gylfi Sigurðsson both left the club after their success last year.

Now Swansea fans have even more to be happy about as the club announced that Michu has signed a four year extension.

Via ESPN FC:

The Spaniard, 26, has been a sensation since signing from Rayo Vallecano in the summer for £2.2 million, scoring 16 goals in 28 appearances and helping Michael Laudrup’s side to ninth in the Premier League.

And his decision to commit his future to the club will be seen as another important stride forward by the club who stand on the brink of reaching a major cup final for the first time in their history on Wednesday night.

“It was an easy decision for me,” Michu told the club’s official website. “I am living a dream here at Swansea."

 Photo Credit: Kevinvegas

We're back with a flying nut kick! You're welcome.

Hey guys!!!! I know it's been awhile since I've updated the site. My sincere apologies. I've been so busy with work and my writing over at bigdsoccer.com that I just haven't been giving SNB it's due attention. 

Well I'm here to say that's going to change. I'm going to make a serious effort to get back to bringing you the hard hitting journalism you've come to expect from The Soccer Nut Blog. OK really it's just re-posts, funny videos, and half naked people but you get what I'm saying.

To get back into the swing of things here's a great video from the Africa Cup of Nations tournament the other day of the Ethiopian 'keeper giving the Zambian player a flying kick to the balls. It's good to be back!

Beckham makes an announcement....that Beckham will make an announcement

It's going to be WAGS all day here on SNB.

Yeah the title says it all. No one has anything but conjecture about where Beckham is headed.

Paris Saint-Germain is my guess but you never know with these things.  He's still in great shape and would be a huge help for a lot of teams not to mention the media coverage.  I would be shocked if he went to China as it now seems both Anelka and Drogba want to get the hell out of there. 

Where do you guys think he's headed?

Via Sky Sports-According to a report from England's Press Association, David Beckham will make a decision on his future next week after receiving 12 formal offers from around the globe - but the former England captain is not expected to return to the Premier League.

Beckham has been made offers from Europe, South America, North America, South Africa, Russia, China and the Middle East - though it is understood not from Qatar.

It is expected that Beckham, whose contract with Los Angeles Galaxy ended before Christmas, will sit down with his advisors next week and go through the offers in detail.

The 37-year-old is viewing his next move as potentially his last as a player and those close to Beckham say he is attracted by the prospect of playing at a high level or in an environment where his presence would have a similar impact as when he first moved from Real Madrid to the Galaxy.

For those reasons, the chances of him joining a club involved in a relegation fight or one mired in mid-table appear remote, and would rule him out of joining QPR or West Ham, who have both been linked with the midfielder.

A report on Wednesday said an offer of a two-year deal had been made by Qatari officials, but it is understood that has not been received by Beckham's representatives.

There could be some Qatar involvement via Paris Saint-Germain, however, as the French club are effectively owned by the Qatari government. They are also still in the Champions League, which would be attractive to Beckham.

Another options would be for Beckham to take a big-money move to China or Russia, as Didier Drogba, Samuel Eto'o and Nicolas Anelka have all done in recent months.



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Wesley Sneijder is headed to Turkey...or maybe not

I thought Sneijder's wife Yolanthe Cabau van Kasbergen is a lot nicer to look

than Wesley. You're welcome.

The more I write about the sport of soccer the more I realize that the soccer media make up about 80% of all transfer/exit rumors. What I take by reading this is that Inter have agreed to terms with Galatasaray but Sneijder has not.

With so many big name clubs (with money) "interested" in him why Galatasaray? My guess is one of several things, if not all of the above: a.) Galatasaray was the first to put a decent offer on the table, b.) Galatasaray offered up the most money, or c.) Inter is trying to punish Sneijder for not staying with them by sending him to a less prestigious club.  Don't get me wrong Galatasaray isn't some tiny club but it's certainly NOT Manchester City or Manchester United. This feels to me like a punishment type transfer and I'm not buying the BS reasons Inter gives for not playing Sneijder.

Via Press Association-Wesley Sneijder has been handed a path out of Inter Milan after president Massimo Moratti Wednesday confirmed an offer from Galatasaray has been accepted.

The Turkish side revealed on Tuesday that it had entered in talks for the unsettled midfielder, who has not played for Inter since September amid a public standoff over a proposed pay cut to his contract at San Siro.



In case you didn't get the point earlier.

The rift could now see the Holland international leave for Galatasaray, which has reportedly offered $13.08 million as well as agreeing to meet the player's demands.

"Galatasaray's offer satisfies us. Now it depends on the player," Moratti told Sky Sports. "We would be happy if he decided to stay on our terms."

Sneijder has reportedly been asked to accept a $2.62 million pay cut to his annual salary with the Nerazzurri.

Inter head coach Andrea Stramaccioni has, however, maintained the the 28-year-old's continued absence from his first team is solely a tactical decision.

Sneijder has reportedly attracted the interest of Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham, as well as ambitious Ligue 1 outfit Paris St Germain.

Only earlier Wednesday, Sneijder's agent, Soren Lerby, denied Galatasaray's claims that it had started talks, telling De Telegraaf: "Every day there is a new club linked with Wesley.

"For that reason I have decided not to answer any more questions."

A statement on the Turkish club's official website, galatasaray.org, read: "Galatasaray announces it has begun negotiations with FC Internazionale for the transfer of Wesley Sneijder. The public will be informed of developments."

Sneijder joined Inter in August 2009 after winning the Primera Division with Real Madrid during a two-season stint in Spain, going on to claim the Champions League trophy, Serie A title and Coppa Italia at the first time of asking before reaching the World Cup final with Holland, only to lose out to Spain.



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Brazilian prostitutes get ready for the World Cup by learning English

And here is the first of the many "Prostitutes are gearing up for the "insert big tournament name here" stories" that will come out from here until the World Cup. I have nothing really to say about this other than good for you ladies. It sounds like a smart investment.

Via Associated Press-SAO PAULO -- Prostitutes in one of Brazil's biggest cities are beginning to sign up for free English classes ahead of this year's Confederations Cup and the 2014 World Cup.

Cida Vieira, president of the Association of Prostitutes in the city of Belo Horizonte, said Tuesday that 20 have already signed up for the courses and she expects at least 300 of the group's 4,000 members to follow suit. The association is organizing the classes and seeking volunteer teachers.

"I don't think we will have problems persuading English teachers to provide services for free," she said. "We already have several volunteer psychologists and doctors helping us."

She said classes are expected to begin in March and last up to eight months.

"It will be important for the girls who will be able to use English to let their clients know what they are charging and learn about what turns them on," Vieira said by telephone.

"And for the same reasons we are also thinking of offering free French and Italian classes," she added.

Prostitution is legal in Brazil.

Belo Horizonte's 62,000-seat Mineirao Stadium will host three matches of the Confederations Cup and six games of the World Cup.

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