Peres: "U-21 tournament in Israel will be safer than London" Yeah except not.

"No really! Trust me!"

Platini must have forgotten that London hasn't had rockets raining down it since World War II, making this the most laughable comment since Yakubu said he didn't do it for the money.


Via AP-JERUSALEM -- Israel President Shimon Peres has guaranteed that the 2013 European under-21 championship will be safer in Israel than it would be in London.

Peres and UEFA President Michel Platini were adamant Thursday that having the tournament hosted by Israel next summer is the right choice.

Peres is confident the event will proceed smoothly, saying, "When you come in June, it will be more secure and tranquil than a football game in London."

Platini is proud Israel is the host, despite receiving "many letters" opposing the bid. On Wednesday, he attended the under-21 draw in Tel Aviv and a Europa League game in Haifa to assuage skeptics after a bus bombing that wounded 27 people in Tel Aviv last week.

He says, "Football is a beautiful thing for peace.

So yeah..... If you haven't already seen it please go and check out the E:60 piece done about one Israeli clubs supporters group. I understand that these fanatics are just tiny part of the soccer culture in Israel. I think the more important thing is to understand that they are also only a tiny part of the safety problem and that there are much worse things to worry about security wise.

I don't know how I would feel if I was a player, especially from an Arab/Muslim country. I know that FIFA likes to march to the beat of their own drum and do whatever is THEY want to do, common sense be damned (i.e. Qatar World Cup?!?!?!?!), but this just seems risky. If anything bad happens to any team this whole thing is going to blow up in Platini's face in a really bad way.

As bad of an idea as this is: We get it MLS! You want another NY team.

There's some sort of cheesy mafia "Don" joke to be made here but I think I'm just

going to let this one go.

My thoughts after the article.......



Via Associated Press-NEW YORK -- Major League Soccer Commissioner Don Garber says the league is at "the finish line" in negotiations with New York City to acquire land to build a stadium in Queens that would become home for the league's 20th team.

Garber says MLS hopes to have the team start play in 2016 at a 10-acre site in Flushing Meadows-Corona Park and spark a rivalry with the New York Red Bulls, who play at a 25,189-capacity stadium that opened in 2010 at Harrison, N.J.

"We believe that this second team in New York will help create an opportunity to break through the clutter in this market of almost a dozen professional sports teams," Garber said during a telephone conference call Monday.

"There are 13 million people in this city," he said, also including some of the suburban population. "Many of them love the game. We need to give them all an opportunity to stop for a moment and pay attention to Major League Soccer, to pay more attention to the Red Bulls, to pay attention to this 20th team and create very, very special moments for soccer in the New York metropolitan area."

After starting with 10 teams in 1996, expanding to 12 and then contracting to 10 in 2002, the league added a second Los Angeles team in 2004 with Chivas USA and launched its 19th this year in Montreal.

Garber said the Red Bulls do not have the right to block a second team in the market. New Red Bulls sporting director Jerome de Bontin told Fox this month that an additional team probably was premature.

"I'm not at all concerned about Jerome's point of view. I think it's just part of being new," he said. "We've had the full support of Red Bulls ownership."

Garber said possibilities for expansion beyond New York include Atlanta, Orlando, Miami and Minneapolis.

As for the two existing teams still hoping for new stadiums, Garber said: "I believe there is new momentum down in D.C. There seems to be a more focused approach, the New England Revolution are hoping for a downtown venue. "We are looking for public support up in that area because of just the cost of developing a project."

Garber said the New York market is the one area that David Beckham doesn't have the right to buy into. Beckham, who will play his final game for the Los Angeles Galaxy this weekend, has the right to purchase an expansion team as part of the contract he signed when he left Real Madrid and signed with the Galaxy in 2007.

An initial deal with the city is only one of several steps needed before stadium construction could start.

"There's a lot of work that needs to happen to finalize our agreement with New York City over our use of the land and our ability to lease that land to build a stadium," he said. "I do believe that we will resolve that shortly. I can't put any timetable on that, but we are at the finish line. Once we are there, we've got to go into a formal approval process that all developers have to go through in New York City. That will take some time. We need to reach an agreement with the city, with the local community and with the state of New York on replacing the land that we will be utilizing for the stadium."

In addition, MLS is negotiating with the Mets to use the parking lots adjacent to Citi Field.


Was anyone else as confused as I was that Don Garber thinks that by ADDING another pro team in New York that will somehow make it easier to cut through the noise of a saturated market of pro sports teams?  

I think that New York could support another MLS franchise but I wonder is this is the best market to expand into. And by that I of course mean a market that MLS is ALREADY in.
In my opinion Minnesota or a Florida team would do much more to expand MLS not another New York team. 

I understand that the New York market is huge but teams such as Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids have proven that MLS can be a success in a small market. Why not put a team in Florida or Minnesota? Why not open your brand access to more people.  

It just feels like Garber and MLS are dead set on a second team in New York and nothing will dissuade them. C'est la vie!




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Bocanegra injury update

A little something for the 3 women that pay any attention to his blog. You're welcome ladies.

Well the news doesn't seem to be any worse than any of us expected it to be. His fitness won't be 100% by February but Boca is a seasoned veteran who hopefully won't be incredibly effected by this.




Via AP-SANTANDER, Spain -- Spanish club Racing Santander says U.S. defender Carlos Bocanegra will be sidelined for six weeks because of a muscle tear in his left leg.

Bocanegra was injured during the United States' 2-2 draw with Russia on Nov. 14.

Bocanegra is playing for Racing in Spain's second division on loan from Scottish side Rangers.

He shouldn't miss any time with the American national side, set to resume play against Honduras on Feb 6.

Di Matteo sacked.....really?

Wow that was fast. I really don't understand how you can fire a coach while sitting 3rd place in arguably the hardest league on the planet. I guess winning the most prestigious club tournament in Europe doesn't buy you any breathing room at all. Di Matteo wasn't perfect but damn.....

So I want to hear from you guys about who you think will replace RDM at Chelsea.

I'm not so sure about whether Guardiola would WANT to coach for Abramovich and the thought that Chelsea would give Rafa a shot to me is silly. 

What do you think guys???

Via AP-LONDON -- Six months after guiding Chelsea to an unlikely Champions League title, Roberto Di Matteo was fired Wednesday with the team on the brink of becoming the first defending champion eliminated from the group stage.

Di Matteo, who was hired on a permanent basis in June, was dismissed a day after a 3-0 loss to Juventus in Turin left Chelsea's title defense in tatters.

Chelsea also is struggling in the Premier League, having picked up just two points from its last four games to fall to third place.

"The team's recent performances and results have not been good enough and the owner and the board felt that a change was necessary now to keep the club moving in the right direction as we head into a vitally important part of the season," Chelsea said in a statement.

There was no immediate announcement on a replacement for Di Matteo, but former Liverpool and Inter Milan coach Rafa Benitez has been heavily linked with the job. Pep Guardiola, currently on a break from coaching after leaving Barcelona at the end of last season, will also be a contender.

"The club will be making an announcement shortly regarding a new first team manager," the statement said.
Chelsea was in disarray when Di Matteo, then an assistant coach, took over from the fired Andre Villas-Boas in March, initially on a temporary basis. The Italian brought together squabbling factions within the squad and led the team first to the FA Cup title and then the Champions League, beating Barcelona in the semifinals and then Bayern Munich in the final.

Di Matteo, with his typical coolness, was also praised for the way he handled a racism case involving John Terry that engulfed the club. Chelsea is in the middle of another racism incident, having accused a Premier League referee of abusing one of its players.

However, Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich has showed his ruthless edge following the team's first disappointing run of results this season. Di Matteo's successor would be the ninth manager under the Russian billionaire since he bought the club in 2003.

Chelsea is in third place in Group E behind Shakhtar Donetsk and Juventus with one match left. The Blues next face Danish club FC Nordsjaelland, but they could still be eliminated even if they win depending on the result of the other game.

In the Premier League, Chelsea had been leading for much of the season but now trails Manchester City and Manchester United.

"The club faces a difficult task ahead in qualifying for the knockout stages of the UEFA Champions League as well as maintaining a strong challenge for the top of the Premier League while competing in three other cup competitions. Our aim is to remain as competitive as possible and challenge strongly on all fronts," Chelsea said.

Chelsea's next game will be a home Premier League match against Manchester City on Sunday.

The 42-year-old Di Matteo is a Swiss-born Italian who played for Italy's national team and also served as a midfielder for Chelsea. After his retirement, he went into coaching and led both the MK Dons and West Bromwich Albion before joining Chelsea's backroom staff.

"We will never forget the huge contribution he has made to this club's history," Chelsea's statement said.

Benitez has been out of work since being fired by Inter in December 2010. Although experienced, the appointment of Benitez would raise eyebrows given his trademark defensive approach. Abramovich is widely known to prefer his team to show a more attacking style, demonstrating this by spending heavily on attacking midfielders Oscar, Eden Hazard and Victor Moses in the close season.

THE BIGGEST SOCCER NEWS EVER!!!!

Alright, alright I MAY have over sold this story a tiny bit, but as a Celtic fan this gives me a little chubby. Wait...I didn't mean little.....I mean you know not in size......I mean not that it's.....never mind.

Snoop says he wants to buy into Celtic and to get Beckham to play for them. Yes I do realize neither one of these things will probably ever happen but it's still awesome to think about. 

I know there's a "green" joke to be made here but as you know I'm so much better than that.


Via ESPN News-Snoop Lion might take his love of soccer to a new level.

The hip hop star, who earlier this year changed his name from Snoop Dogg, told the Daily Record that he is considering making a financial investment in Glasgow Celtic after watching the team beat Barcelona recently in Champions League play.

He said Celtic's victory over Barca showed that the team is "a big deal" and he admires the passion of the club's fans.

"I haven't really thought how much (he would invest). I don't need to run a soccer club but enough of a percentage to get me on the board so I can be heard," he told the newspaper.

He is a noted soccer fan and is one of the official spokesmen for EA Sports' "FIFA 13" video game.

He said he asked David Beckham about the club and even said he'd try to lure the current Los Angeles Galaxy star to the team if he buys in.

"I asked my man David about Celtic and he was like, 'Yeah, teams don't come much bigger.' I would try and sign him up for a season but he is pretty happy over here," he told the newspaper.

"L.A. is home for him and his family now -- but I would have to at least make that offer to my boy. We have lunch when we can, so next time, you know, I am going to speak to him about it. Never say never," he told the Record.



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Violence at an Argentina game??? I'm shocked!

Anyone want to go see a game in South America?? No??? OK but you guys don't know what you're missing!

Neymar should play in the NFL

Not to take anything away from his obvious amazing skills and clearly bright future but this miss is BAAAAAAAAD.

This marriage is going to be fun to read about in 6 months

This is going to go so well.....

OK so I'm a HUGE Hope Solo fan. Yes, I AM one of those guys. In fact I get very irritated at the fact that I can't get a men's XXL Solo jersey. (Please get on that Nike!)  But I don't kid myself about the type of person that Solo seems to be. I say "seems" because I've never personally met her, although for the record Hope I don't mind married women. Anyways, Solo is known to be a hot headed, opinionated woman. (Again Hope for the record I like crazy...I mean opinionated women.) Mix in a hot headed woman with a former NFL player with a rap sheet that includes DRIVING INTO A NURSING HOME(!!!!!!!), and I think we should all just sit back and wait for the implosion.  Don't get me wrong I hope that everything goes great for the happy new couple......I just don't expect it to.


Via ESPN News-U.S. women's soccer team goalkeeper Hope Solo and former NFL tight end Jerramy Stevens were married Tuesday, according to reports, after an altercation that left Stevens in jail and their wedding plans up in the air.

KING5.com in Seattle reported Solo and Stevens were married Tuesday night in a small ceremony near Snohomish, Wash. Only close family and friends were in attendance, with one of Solo's friends describing the wedding as "beautiful," the station reported.

Dave Mahler, a sports-talk radio host on Seattle's KJR, also tweeted: "Confirmed: Jerramy Stevens and Hope Solo were married tonight. Events of yesterday morning didn't change plans. Sounds like more facts comin."

Stevens was arrested early Monday for fourth-degree domestic violence assault but was not charged. He was eventually released when a Kirkland Municipal Court judge ruled there was no evidence connecting him to an assault.

Kirkland police said the case was still under investigation, and charges could be brought later if prosecutors and police find other evidence, a police spokesman told The Associated Press.

Stevens, 33, and Solo, 31, applied for a marriage license Nov. 8, according to King County records.
In the police report, Stevens said he and Solo had been arguing over whether they would live in Washington or Florida after the marriage.

Solo appeared in the courtroom Tuesday but left without saying anything to reporters, according to KING-TV.

Police in Kirkland responded to a disturbance at a home around 3:45 a.m. Monday involving a physical altercation between eight people during a party, said Kirkland Police Lt. Mike Murray.

He said officers contacted several people in the home who appeared intoxicated and didn't cooperate with police, but determined based on information and observations that there was probable cause to arrest Stevens for investigation of fourth-degree assault. Murray didn't identify the alleged victim, but court records show it was Solo, who received a cut to her elbow.

Court documents show that Solo's 34-year-old brother, Marcus, called 911, and that he and Solo told officers there was a party and blamed the disturbance on two to three unknown men who were at the party. Marcus Solo told police he used a stun gun on one of the men, who left the party before police arrived, according to court records.

According to court documents, a police officer found Stevens, "who appeared to be hiding," lying between the bed and the wall in an upstairs bedroom. Stevens told officers he was sleeping on the floor and didn't hear the fight. The officer saw signs of a fight, and dried blood on Stevens' shirt.

The officer noted in his affidavit for probable cause for arrest that he arrested Stevens based on his admission that he argued with Hope Solo, the injury to her elbow, signs of a fight in the bedroom where Stevens was found, and blood on Stevens' shirt.

One 32-year-old woman was taken to the hospital for treatment of a hip injury, and another man suffered multiple bumps, scrapes and contusions, Murray said.

"If officers find that an assault may have taken place, then we have to make an arrest on who we determine is the primary aggressor," Murray said.

Stevens was selected with the No. 28 pick of the 2002 draft by the Seattle Seahawks after playing at the University of Washington. But he also was involved in incidents away from football that included reckless driving charges for crashing into a nursing home.

He was mostly a first-round bust with the Seahawks, except for the 2005 season when he started a career-high 12 games and had 45 receptions as the Seahawks won the NFC championship.

He also was arrested on reckless driving charges in 2003 in a Seattle suburb and in 2007 when he was charged with driving under the influence in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Stevens' most recent arrest came in 2010, while he was playing for Tampa Bay; he was arrested the night before a game for possession of marijuana. He was released almost immediately by the team.

Information from The Associated Press is included in this report.



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Ibrahimovic is ridiculous

OK so I've seen some really bad ass goals over the years but this bicycle kick from Zlatan Ibrahimovic may be the most amazing goal I've ever seen. As if being beaten 3-2 wasn't bad enough for England Ibra decides to get his 4th of the game and does it in style.  As great as Joe Hart may be this clip will follow him around forever. Even the England coaches can't believe it.

Chelsea may be hypocrites....maybe...definitely

I'm so glad Mark Clattenburg gave me a reason to use this picture.

Via AP-Chelsea went public for the first time Tuesday with detailed racial abuse allegations against a referee, insisting there was no misunderstanding and that its players heard Mark Clattenburg use the word ''monkey'' during a Premier League match.

Chairman Bruce Buck opted to end Chelsea's public silence on the claims that raises new concerns about football's fight against racism despite ongoing investigations by the English Football Association and police into the events during last month's match against Manchester United.

The European champions have been criticized for lodging a complaint with the FA while still backing captain John Terry, who has just served a four-match ban for racially abusing an opponent.

But Buck said in an interview with the London Evening Standard that Chelsea had a duty to report the allegations after black midfielders John Obi Mikel and Ramires said they heard the offending word.

''Suppose we had tried to sweep this under the rug and said to the various players, `Look, it's not a big deal and the press are going to be all over us, maybe you want to reconsider,''' Buck was quoted as saying in Tuesday's edition of the paper. ''If that had leaked out, we would've really been crucified.''

Buck is sure the allegations are not baseless, amid suggestions the players might have misheard Clattenburg.

''I spoke to the players involved, either because they were allegedly the recipient of that abuse or had heard it, three separate times,'' the American lawyer said. ''I asked them if they could be mistaken. I asked them if they might have heard `Mikel' instead of `monkey.' I thought I had covered that base.

''Looking into the players' eyes, I could see they were unhappy but no player or staff demanded that we file a complaint. They gave us their statements. The decision was made by us, the Chelsea management.''

The decision was taken without considering how it would be connected to Terry's ban for racially abusing Queens Park Rangers defender Anton Ferdinand last year yet still retaining the captaincy.

''The press seem to juxtapose `our support' of John Terry and what's going on here, and looking at us as being a bit hypocritical,'' Buck said. ''We have to divorce the John Terry situation from this. From our perspective, the latest situation was pretty straightforward.

''We have an obligation to report what may be misconduct. We did that, in good faith and not maliciously.''

Chelsea's complaint against Clattenburg has been criticized by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who said he doesn't believe the allegations. United won the match at Stamford Bridge 3-2 with Javier Hernandez scoring from an offside position after Chelsea duo Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres had been sent off.

''The reaction has been very unfair,'' Buck said. ''We weren't interested in any confrontation with the referee or anybody else, had no thoughts of revenge on the referee. He made two obvious mistakes (sending Torres off and allowing Hernandez's goal) which changed the tide.

''I felt we had the moral high ground, so I didn't really feel that bad about the defeat or have that feeling in my stomach.''

Clattenburg has not refereed since the allegations arose, although he resumed training on Monday with other topflight officials.

A decision is set to be made this week about whether the FA will charge Clattenburg. The police investigation was prompted by a complaint by the Society of Black Lawyers.


Photo: Getty Images

Altidor, Chandler, and some guys you've never heard of make up USMNT roster

I guess it's nice to see Jozy Altidore back in the lineup.... I don't know...  If you don't produce for the national team you shouldn't get picked regardless and let's be honest Altidor does NOT produce for the US. He never creates chances like he does for AZ.  He always seems to just be standing in the box waiting for a pass to his feet. I sure hope he can show a glimmer of what he has shown for his club.

I am glad to see that Chandler has finally made up his mind. He brings allot of talent to a back line that's not getting any younger.  Will be nice to see him in a US kit for good. Of course we'll have to wait until February to make sure he gets locked in.

Via ESPN-CHICAGO -- Jozy Altidore is getting another chance, and so is Timmy Chandler.

A month after coach Jurgen Klinsmann dropped Altidore from the roster for a pair of critical World Cup qualifiers, the forward was among the 20 players selected for Wednesday's exhibition at Russia. Altidore is one of the Americans' top scoring threats, but Klinsmann had been unhappy with his performance over the past year in games and practices.

"Obviously he was left out of the last games ... because of the way he played in Jamaica and maybe a couple other things from the previous months that I wasn't so happy about," Klinsmann said Monday. "I mentioned it to him, and now having him back in the group gives us an opportunity to talk through that stuff and also to see his total commitment on the field."

Altidore, who turned 23 last week, has 12 goals in 15 games this season for AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands and is second in the Dutch league with nine. He also has 13 goals in 51 international appearances.

But he was ineffective in home-and-home World Cup qualifiers against Jamaica in September and has not scored for the U.S. since an exhibition at Slovenia last November. He arrived late at the May-June camp when his club cited FIFA regulations and blocked him from reporting on time.

"He's an important player for us," Klinsmann said. "He's fighting his way through the Dutch league and doing well there, and we hope he brings the same energy into our group."

With the game in Krasnodar, a city near the Black Sea, and Major League Soccer in the midst of the playoffs, Klinsmann opted for a mostly Europe-based roster. He left off veterans Clint Dempsey and Steve Cherundolo, and called in up-and-comers Juan Agudelo, Mix Diskerud, Josh Gatt and Joe Gyau.

But perhaps the biggest surprise was the return of Chandler. The German-American defender played in eight exhibitions for the U.S. in 2011 but spurned invitations for World Cup qualifiers, which would have tied him to the U.S. team. That led many to question his commitment to the Americans, a suspicion Chandler said he understands. But he said in an interview with USSoccer.com that he had thought long and hard about his decision before accepting his latest call-up, and is ready to be a part of the U.S. team for the long term.

"All I can say is that I am clear in my head about the commitment moving forward," Chandler told the website. "This was about me being ready to accept the responsibility of being a part of the national team and everything that goes with it, and now I am ready. ... I am in 1,000 percent."

Klinsmann said he was "thrilled" to have Chandler back with the Americans.

"With his dual citizenship and having a choice, it's a big, big decision," Klinsmann said. "He knews now that once he makes the final decision, that's going to be his life. So I don't want to put any pressure in a situation like that."

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Tim Howard (Everton, England), Sean Johnson (Chicago), Nick Rimando (Salt Lake)

Defenders: Carlos Bocanegra (Racing Santander, Spain), Geoff Cameron (Stoke, England), Timmy Chandler (Nuremberg, Germany), Maurice Edu (Stoke, England), Clarence Goodson (Brondby, Denmark), Fabian Johnson (Hoffenheim, Germany)

Midfielders: Michael Bradley (Roma, Italy), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg, Norway), Josh Gatt (Molde, Norway), Joe Gyau (St. Pauli, Germany), Jermaine Jones (Schalke, Germany), Sacha Kljestan (Anderlecht, Belgium), Danny Williams (Hoffenheim, Germany)

Forwards: Juan Agudelo (Chivas USA), Jozy Altidore (Alkmaar, Netherlands), Terrence Boyd (Rapid Vienna, Austria), Herculez Gomez (Santos Laguna, Mexico)


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Yakubu says he didn't do it for the money....yeah sure

I'm conflicted as to how to feel about what Yakubu is saying here. 

Via ESPN FC-Guangzhou R&F striker Yakubu has insisted that the Chinese Super League deserves to be taken seriously and again denied that he moved east because of the lucrative wages on offer.

Yakubu, 29, left Blackburn Rovers for Guangzhou R&F in June, scoring nine goals in 14 appearances as the club finished seventh in the table in his debut season.

The Nigeria striker, much like fellow China-based stars Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka, has been accused of joining the country's football revolution for financial gain rather than a sporting challenge - but he has rejected such claims.

"I've only been there six months, but it's more like a year," Yakubu told BBC Sport. "People are quick to disrespect the Chinese league, but when you get involved you'll find out the football is really good.

"You can't compare it with England, but the Chinese players love to pass the ball around and things are getting better there.

"I played in England for more than 10 years and had nothing to prove to anyone. If people say I went to China to make money, then it's up to them.

"I love playing football, and I think the time was right to move to a different place. For me, the chance to help develop the league is a great honour. Hopefully, I can win something with the club next season."

Yakubu did, however, admit that he still pines for English football at times, saying: "Of course, I'm going to miss England - I lived there for more than ten years. Leaving was a little bit difficult, but I think I made the right decision.

"I still watch the Premier League games on television, so it's not like I'm crying to go back to English football. I had the best time of my life there, but it was time to move on in another direction."


OK so as a fan of a league (MLS) that took getting stars like David Beckham to make the world pay attention I get it. But on the real....... C'mon man. Let's not play like you left the most prestigious and competitive league out there (EPL) to go to China for the excitement and adventure. You went for the cold hard cash.