Free Kicks - 29 September

Chicago's on Fire
Did you see Chicago defeat the Galaxy Wednesday night in the final of the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup? No really... did anyone else watch?

I have to say, I was fairly impressed. I haven't been around to see much MLS action this season (and while technically, the match did not fall within the parameters of MLS play as such, it did feature two of the league's clubs), but the Fire and Galaxy played surprisingly attractive football for much of the 90 minutes.

Chicago came out attacking from the onset. Justin Mapp (those of you who watched might think I am drinking the Max Bretos-koolaid) was a dominant force for the hosts in the opening 45 minutes, playing a huge role in both of the Fire's first half goals.

LA came out and got a goal back in the early goings of the second half and were pushing forward for a leveling goal before Tony Sanneh was picked out on an unmarked run out of the back for the Fire. The former-US international placed a perfectly weighted ball onto the foot of the late substitute Thiago for the final blow in the 88th minute.

Good fan turn out in Chicago, and Toyota Park (must be nicknamed "the Parking Lot," right?) looks like a terrific venue. High marks all around. And look out for the Fire to continue their "hot streak" (get it?) and make a run at winning the double this season.

Thoughts on Match Day Two
Right, right, that other competition.

Left Black and Blue
Meanwhile, in Champions League play, with a slightly larger world audience, Inter Milan suffered their second consecutive defeat in the competition. After losing in Lisbon to Sporting on Match Day One, their troubles were doubled by their disastrous result at home to Bayern Munich. Red cards for Ibrahimovic and Grosso were each followed by goals for the visiting German side, who now lead the group with the maximum six points. The one consolation for Inter was Sporting being held to a draw by Spartak Moscow, keeping second place within sight. The Milan side head the domestic table right now, but they may find themselves with nothing but Serie A fixtures to concern themselves with if things don't turn around quickly.

Making a Messi of Things
Werder Bremen played hosts to defending champions Barcelona, and looked on pace to grab a much needed full-three-point result before a last minute equalizer from the Catalonian giants. Lionel Messi came on as a substitute and snatched a share of the points for Barcelona after what would most fairly be described as an uninspired display. They will need to do much better against Chelsea when they meet up on Matchday 3. More importantly, they will now have to deal with the loss of super-striker Samuel Eto'o for possibly three months. Your heart goes out to them - they have to make due with Javier Saviola, Messi, or Eidur Gudjohnsen.

Meanwhile, Bremen's chances of advancing to the knock-out stages just got that much slimmer. Look for them to take out their frustrations with two straight matches against Levski Sofia.

Good News for British Football
Perhaps taking some of the glare off the recent allegations of a vibrant "bung culture" (Can't they just say "bribery" like decent people?), all of the British sides in the Champions League brought home three points from their European fixtures this week. Celtic, Manchester United, and Arsenal all won on Tuesday, followed by Liverpool and Chelsea on Wednesday.

Peter Crouch's second goal against Galatasaray merits special praise. The man is simply unstoppable right now, for club or country. With Kuyt heating up as well, the Pool could be in for a very strong campaign, both home and abroad. Of course, if Didier Drogba continues to score goals every time he makes contact with the ball, it might not matter what the Liverpool strikers can muster. That was the softest hat-trick I have ever seen, but take nothing away from his other finishes of late (eg his match winner against Liverpool).

UEFA Cup Winners and Losers
Right, that other, other competition.

Mostly More Good News
British clubs earned mixed results in Thursday's matchups across Europe. Tottenham, Newcastle, Rangers, and Blackburn will all be in the draw next week. West Ham, who continues to lose matches of every sort since winning big on transfer deadline day at the end of August, were bounced by Palermo 4-0 on aggragate. Northern Ireland side, Derry City, also saw their run in the competition come to a close against PSG and their distracting mascot, as did Hearts.

The Big Hertha
German clubs will probably count themselves the biggest losers with both Hertha Berlin and Schalke going out this week. Now only Leverkusen and Eintracht Frankfurt remain. Adding to their embarrassment, neighboring France and Holland will each see four clubs into the next round.

Como se dice, "This is too easy?"
All four clubs out of La Liga are moving on to the next round after a series of convincing wins. Last year's winners, Sevilla, look to be back on pace for another good run at the title, and they will be joined in the mixing bowl for next week's draw by Espanol, Celta Vigo, and Osasuna. With Barcelona, Valencia, and Real Madrid all looking likely to advance to the knockout stages of the Champions League, the battle for self-proclaimed "best league in Europe" could be quite a competition this season between La Liga and the Premiership.

What to Watch For

Saturday
This weekend's schedule has interesting fixtures across the board. Right here in the land of MLS, Los Angeles and Chivas will battle for bragging rights at the Home Depot Center, and hopefully end the Galaxy's playoff hopes (just unbiased information). And in a potential MLS Cup Final preview, Houston will host DC United in what should be an entertaining affair - unless both teams view it as a meaningless game against a potential opponent in the final and decide not to show their hands. Better watch the game at the Tool Box just to be safe.

In England, Chelsea will host Martin O'Neil's surprising Aston Villa side at the Bridge in what should be a test for how legit the Villans are. Skeptics point to a favorable schedule landing them near the top of the table, but there are no easy games in the Premiership - except against Sheffield United or a club managed by Graeme Souness.

And, as pointed out in our award-winning Around the World in 14 Days series, Guadalajara will be hosting America down Mexico way in what promises to be a clasico.

Sunday
The other EPL weekend fixtures include ManU hosting Newcastle and two teams competing in Bizarro World, Spurs and Portsmouth. The Magpies will travel to Manchester with the availability of Shola Ameobi in question and on-loan Rossi unavailable due to the terms of his stay in Newcastle. Either Albert Luque will be released from the dog house, or more likely, Glen Roeder will send out the always intimidating pairing of Martins and Sibierski. Yikes.

And as for Tottenham hosting Harry Redknap's crew, not many would have predicted the opposite swing in results for these two clubs. Many, like Brian, rightly predicted some hiccups from Martin Jol's men after overachieving last season, but being positioned at the wrong end of the table was not seen coming by anyone other than Arsenal fans. Pompey are also surprising for the opposite reason- actually near the top of the table even with David James in goal. Unreal. Should be an interesting spectacle when these two teams (and alternate universes which they now occupy) collide.

The Madrid Derby should also supply some fireworks. Both sides are off to solid starts and have big goals for the campaign. Points at the expense of their cross-town rivals will be cause for much celebration for one side of the city.

Also keep an eye out for the Boca Juniors vs Velez Sarsfield match up in Buenos Aires.

Until next time, stay classy, Planet Earth.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com. Email us at mailto: bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Weekend Mailbag - 25 September 2006

Well, it might not be the weekend anymore, but these questions all came in before today, so we're sticking to the title. Complaints can be sent to our legal department.

Ricardo in Miami, FL: Things aren't looking good for David Beckham. First he was dropped from the England squad, and now he's lost his place in the Real Madrid starting XI. Do you think his days as someone we should care about are done?

Bryce: Well, that depends on whether we are talking about football or fashion and tabloids. Could Becks return to the Three Lions? Probably not without a fantastic season in Spain, or more likely, catastrophic injuries ending the seasons for several players ahead of him in the pecking order under new England boss Steve McClaren. The Euro 2008 qualifying campaign is a total success thus far, so it looks like Mr. Posh will be on the outside looking in for some time.

Will that change the circus that surrounds him? It's possible. If his exlcusion from the national side and drop in minutes for Real begin to hurt shirt sales for the Spanish giants, that new contract he is supposedly about to sign could be delayed, reduced, or withdrawn altogether. They are never hurting for talented players, and if they would rather sign the next big thing than hold onto the outdated model from several seasons ago, it could spell the end for Becks. That trip to the New York Red Bulls could come sooner than he had hoped....

Unfortunately, his fame will mean his personal life will still be disected at every turn by the media, even during his decline from footballing relevance.

Ronnie in Uniondale, NY: I'm liking Lyon. I think they can make a real deep run in the Champions League. They might be the best team in the world outside of Italy, Spain, and England. What do you think?

Bryce: I think they have a very strong case and belong in that conversation for sure. Clearly the class of France despite losing big-time talent like the Essians and Diarras of the world, Lyon already have staked a claim to the top spot in Ligue 1 and are looking for their sixth straight title. Their league dominance should allow them to concentrate on the Champions League and they are definitely poised to make a deep run.

There are simply not many weaknesses with Coupet in net, Cris, Abidal, and Squillaci in defense, Juninho, Kallstrom, and Malouda in midfield, and Fred, Govou, and Wiltord all as options up top. They bring a lot of experience and success from both club and national side matches, and have proven that they are unfazed by big name competition (ask Real Madrid).

As for the best team outside of Italy, Spain, and England, I imagine some folks in Bavaria might care to throw Bayern Munich's name into the conversation. Aside from the reigning German champs, there isn't much company in that debate right now.

Larkin in Lake Oswego, OR: Is Portsmouth for real? Or can we expect them to come back down to earth?

Bryce: Harry Redknap has definitely gotten the best out of his squad in the early goings in the EPL season. As I mentioned in our Preseason Awards Spectacular, I thought Pompey would surprise a few folks and find themselves in the top half of the table come May. No one thought they would be battling for top spot with Chelsea at the end of September.

I think they will eventually come down to Earth, but enjoy a fantastic ride for their supporters and perhaps mirror the season of Wigan last year. Early top of the table success, followed by a slow drift back down and ending just outside the spots for European competition. A ticket to next year's UEFA Cup would be a terrific campaign for Portsmouth.

I think the same can be said for Aston Villa, who is surprising me even more than Pompey.

Jordan in Cupertino, CA: I've noticed a lack of MLS coverage on your site lately. I know you guys were bummed when the Earthquakes left San Jose. I was too. Are there any reasons why we should still care about MLS?

Bryce: Yes.

As Earthquake fans, we should be excited about the eventual return of the team under the ownership of Lew Wolff. The current A's owner purchased the right to field the Earthquakes franchise in the future and is presently seeking suitable grounds for a new stadium. As reported nationally by Jeff Carlisle, now that he has given up on ever bringing the A's to San Jose, prospects are brighter for the 'Quakes. That land just south of HP Pavilion that the city just purchased sure would work nicely for a new soccer stadium, and that what the folks at Soccer Silicon Valley are working on.

As soccer fans, we should be excited about the young talent in the league, the coming expansion to Toronto and elsewhere, the stadiums being completed and constructed across the league, the return of Bruce Arena to the coaching ranks, the sight of Landon Donovan not making the playoffs in LA, and even the rumors about making the switch to a single-table league.

Are there still issues and things that need to be changed? Absolutely. But the league is stronger and healthier than any other American sports league just over a decade old, and that has to be encouraging.

Jacques in Torrance, CA: Arsenal rules! Bryce sucks!

Bryce: Congratulations, your linguistic display would already make you the best English-speaker on the team.

Luke in Greenwich, CT: Any upset specials I should take to my bookie for this week's Champions League games? I'm thinking Benfica can beat Manchester United. Your thoughts?

Bryce: Benfica proved strong enough to beat ManU last year in the Champions League, so it would not be unprecidented. After two disappointing results in their last two outings in domestic play and a Matchday 1 win at home with Celtic, Sir Alex's squad certainly looks vulnerable.

I could also see Copenhagen getting a good result from their trip to Glasgow in the other match in this group. They were good enough to dump Ajax out of the competition in the last qualifying round and earned a point against Benfica, so the Hoops must guard against a post Old Firm derby letdown.


Pics courtesy yahoo.com. Do you have your own questions you like to ask? Email us here at Bookable Offense.

Around the World in 14 Days - Part II

Bryce is finally tackling the question of what you should do with all the money in the world and time to watch soccer matches anywhere in the world. His only rules: money is no object, jetlag aint no thang, only one game per country, one game per team, and no Arsenal involvement of any kind.

Click here for a look at Part I.

Day 8 - Tuesday, 26 Sept.
Benfica vs Manchester United in Portugal

It's Champions League Match Day 2, and while the trip to Romania for Steaua Bucuresti against Lyon was tempting, an early autumn visit to Portugal sounded even better. Benfica beat the visiting Red Devils in Lisbon on Match Day 6 last season to knock Sir Alex and his men out of Europe, much to the delight of United FC supporters, and well, just about everyone besides the Glazer-supporting red half of Manchester. Can Benfica repeat the magic? Will you witness Wayne Rooney finally score another Champions League goal (you know who was good at that was that Ruud van Something or Other....)?

Grudge matches are just good fun.

Games missed: Steaua vs Lyon, Arsenal vs Porto, and Lille vs AC Milan.

Day 9 - Wednesday, 27 Sept.
Werder Bremen vs Barcelona in Germany

How about a trip to northern Germany for more Champions League action? This match should tell us if Bremen have a fighting chance of competing in Group A with Barca and Chelsea. Klose and Co. are in need of a solid, bounce-back performance after a tough 2-0 loss in London on Match Day 1. The defending champs come in after cruising at home against Levski Sofia, looking to cement their position at the top of the group standings before their impending showdown with Chelsea. Will the desperate German side have enough to contain the (dare I say) improved side from Catalonia?

Good thing you'll be there to find out.

Games missed: Inter vs Bayern and Valencia vs Roma.

Day 10 - Thursday, 28 Sept.
PSG vs Derry City in France

In this match, the famed and (once) fancied Parisian side takes on the upstarts from Northern Ireland in the second leg of their UEFA Cup tie. To give some context for how greatly these clubs differ in stature, Derry City will be playing in a stadium that fits roughly 8 times as many fans as the Brandywell back home. After holding the French side to a scoreless draw in the first leg, Derry City will be looking for an upset special and a miraculous trip into the next round of the competition. And even if PSG blow them out, you're still in Paris, right?

Games missed: Palermo vs West Ham and Celta Vigo vs Standard Liege.

Day 11 - Friday, 29 Sept.
NEC Nijmegen vs SC Heracles in Holland

After a wonderful trip to the French capital, what could be better than visiting the oldest city in Holland? That's right, Nijmegen is considered the oldest city in the Netherlands, having celebrated its 2,000th year in 2005. I may not be a mathematician, but that's pretty old. And if that isn't enough to have you jumping on that KLM flight from Charles De Gaulle (and then that train ride from Amsterdam) a little early, how about this mind-blowing bit of trivia: Nijmegen is also purportedly the home of Karl Marx's mother, AND Eddie and Alex van Halen (I don't know how to verify either of these claims).

Did I mention the stop over in Amsterdam?

Games missed: Dortmund vs Hannover and Newcastle Jets vs Perth Glory (a very close second choice).

Day 12 - Saturday, 30 Sept.
Guadalajara vs America in Mexico

Admit it. You've always been a little curious what goes on down there in the one league with a more confusing league table and playoff system than MLS. And what could be better than checking out this duel between two of the biggest clubs in Mexico?

Chivas (the lesser-known sibling of MLS' Chivas USA) of course feature Mexican national team regulars Omar Bravo and Oswaldo Sanchez (he was that other guy on the FIFA 2005 box in North America). They will be hoping to stymie the mercurial and controversial Cuauhtemoc Blanco, undoubtedly the best Mexican footballer not to make the trip to Germany last summer.

Games missed: Los Angeles vs Chivas USA (it pains me to think of missing the Battle for the Toolbox, but I haven't seen the "other" Chivas play yet) and not much else.

Day 13 - Sunday, 1 Oct.
Real Madrid vs Atletico Madrid in Spain

When Barcelona comes to town, it captures the attention of half the city. But in this local derby, there are no impartial bystanders. Real have brought in new faces (Reyes, van Nistelrooy, Cannavaro, Emerson) but still face the same problems (Lyon 2 - Real 0) in the Champions League. Will their new look squad translate to a return to the top of La Liga?

Atletico was also busy this summer, and most importantly, successfully fought off suitors from around Europe for the services of their young striker, Fernando Torres. Expect them to give their local neighbors all they can handle in the marquee match-up on a busy day of futbol in Spain.

Games missed: ManU vs Newcastle and Boca Juniors vs Velez Sarsfield.

Day 14 - Monday, 2 Oct.
Adelaide United vs Sydney FC in Australia

It's the last leg of the journey, and you've been teased enough by the mention of all those other intriguing fixtures Down Under. And while there's still no Dwight Yorke in Sydney these days, this game has several good things going for it: a few hours before and after the game in lovely Adelaide and a chance to take advantage of all the events surrounding "Small Business Month" happening in the city in October (I hear the free tax basics seminar is to die for), another cool stamp for your passport, and a seat for the pivotal battle for sole possession of third place in the league table.

I don't know about you, but I've got goose bumps.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com, castoroise.free.fr, terra.com, tankage.com, exzooberance.com, Bryce's Van Halen library, and Brian's personal collection. Care to share your thoughts on the itinerary? Email us about your ideas or your dream trip, either real or imaginary, here.

Around the World in 14 Days - Part I

A lot of readers write in to ask two questions. Number 1 is, "Where would you go watch games this week if we had all the money in the world?" Number 2 is, "How soon can you post something non-Arsenal related?"

In order to satisfy both of these legitimate inquiries, I have set out a schedule for the next two weeks of the ultimate football-watching experience. I have, however, laid some ground rules.

One, money is no object. Two, jetlag is no object. Three, only one game per country. Four, only one game per team. Five, no Arsenal games.

So let's take a look at the perfect way to spend the first half of the ultimate two-week experience.

Day 1 - Tuesday, 19 September
Colo-Colo vs. Bolognesi in Chile

I had to start the dream trip off with a jaunt down to South America. This match features one of Chile's best supported clubs, taking on a rising power in Peruvian football in the Copa Sudamericana. I know what you're thinking: Who wants to see one of Jonny Walker's old teams take on spaghetti sauce in the Latin equivalent of the UEFA Cup? Try thinking about a 24-time league winner and one-time Libertadores winner taking on spaghetti sauce.

Well, at least with the early flight the next morning, you won't have time to wonder what the hell you're doing there.

Games missed: Round 2 of Carling Cup in England, Round 3 of Scottish Cup, and Nacional vs Libertad in Montevideo (if it had been Penarol, I'd have been all over it).

Day 2 - Wednesday, 20 Sept.
Roma vs. Inter in Italy

Do I have your attention this time?

This fixture pits the two leading favorites to win the Scudetto against one another and is packed with stars. Can Totti be contained by Cambiasso and Vieira? Can Ricardo Faty (real name) please make an appearance for Roma? Which of Inter's strikers (Ibrahimovic, Crespo, Adriano, Julio Cruz, and Alvaro Recoba) will start and test Alexandre Doni in net, and can they get what looks to be a dominant offense rolling against the capital city side?

Wow. Can't wait.

Games missed: Liverpool vs Newcastle, more Carling and Scottish Cup, and Corinthians vs Vasco de Gama.

Day 3 - Thursday, 21 Sept.
Flamengo vs Cruzeiro in Brazil

Two teams with rich histories, and a stadium with even more history. Maracana in Rio de Janeiro is a legitimate cathedral of the game. Said to have once held 200,000 fans for matches, the home of Flamengo is known for having an incomparable atmosphere. It was built for the 1950 World Cup (won by Uruguay against Brazil in the final) and will be a central feature of the upcoming campaign to host the tournament again in 2014. Complete with its own museum and footprints of famous national team stars in the pavement out front, you won't forget a trip to Maracana any time soon.

Games missed: El Nacional vs Universidad de Sucre (hard to pass on seeing the University of Sugar in action, but you have to make tough choices in this exercise) in the Copa Sudamericana and the New Zealand Knights vs Sydney FC (without Dwight Yorke, there isn't the same pull, you know?).

Day 4 - Friday, 22 Sept.
Estudiantes de la Plata vs Independiente in Argentina

Since we're already down that way, why not jump over to the home of Los Pincharratas to see Juan Sebastian Veron and Co. take on Independiente? Estudiantes are already six points off of the pace set by Boca Juniors, and will desperate for a good result against a team above them in the table. Independiente is one of the most storied teams in South American soccer with 7 Copa Libertadores trophies proudly on display. These two squads should put on quite a show- not bad for a Friday night fixture.

Games missed: Borussia Monchengadblach (too hard to spell) vs Dortmund and NAC Breda vs Willem II Tilberg.

Day 5 - Saturday, 23 Sept.
Celtic vs Rangers in Scotland

In terms of local derbies, the Old Firm never seems to disappoint. The chance to see these two perennial powers battling at Celtic Park is just too good to pass up.

While Hearts have thrown their hat into the ring as of late for control of the Scottish Premier League, this fixture still has the makings of the deciding factor between which Glasgow power will wind up on top come May.

Warning: Not for the light-hearted, leave the women and children at home.

Games missed: Liverpool vs Tottenham and Lyon vs Lille.

Day 6 - Sunday, 24 Sept.
Kashima Antlers vs FC Tokyo in Japan

Despite the funny name, or maybe because of it, Kashima boasts some of the best fans in the J League. The atmosphere against FC Tokyo should be incredible. Each club features two members of Japan's World Cup team and always play in front of spirited supporters. For some historical perspective, Kashima was formed in 1991 as a founding member of the new J League, and already a year later the team announced its official song (couldn't find a link), which propelled the club to its first title the following season. In fact, in the next ten seasons, they only had three trophy-less campaigns. FC Tokyo has had nowhere near as much success- in all likelihood do to its apparent lack of an official song.

Games missed: Newcastle vs Everton and Barcelona vs Valencia (but think about the sushi and sake before the game in Japan).

Day 7 - Monday, 25 Sept.
Portsmouth vs Bolton

Literally the only game in town. I don't know what else to tell you. At the time of writing, Pompey leads the Premiership (that is not a typo). And you've always heard nice things about the South East coast, right? Maybe Anelka will throw his first tantrum or Sam Allardyce will tell us who he is talking to every day with that ridiculous headset of his. Actually, in light of recent allegations in the BBC investigation, we now know that Big Sam is bribing his way up the table!

The worst news is, due to rule three, this is the only stop in England....

Games missed: Atlanta vs New Orleans on Monday Night Football.

Stay tuned for the second half of the trip....

Photos courtesy yahoo.com, scotweb.co.uk, teamtalk.com, and Bryce's personal collection. Get in on the good times at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

In Case You Missed It...

This just in: that Fabregas kid is pretty good...



Video courtesy youtube.com. Comments: bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Weekend Mailbag - 17 September 2006

With Arsenal's 1-0 victory over Manchester United today, one of us at Bookable Offense headquarters is a happy camper today. To celebrate, Brian will take a dip into our mailbag. As always, these are actual letters from actual readers. Enjoy.

Gary in Tuscaloosa, AL: Can y'all believe Lyon put a lickin' on Madrid again this week? If that sure wasn't the biggest surprise of Matchday 1, whatcha reckon was?

Brian: Do you think that Mahamadou Diarra would like to reconsider his move from Lyon to Madrid right about now? Fabio Capello has made a lot of changes in terms of personnel at Madrid, but if Matchday 1 is any indication, it's the same old Real Madrid. Lyon won 2-0, but it easily could have been 5-0 if not for some miracle saves from Iker Casillas. If Juninho isn't the best player not playing in Italy, Spain, or England, I don't know who is.

I'd say that the result was only a mild surprise. A bigger surprise was Sporting Lisbon handing Internazionale a 1-0 defeat. Inter is as stacked as they come, and to hold that team scoreless is an accomplishment. Dyamo Kyiv getting spanked at home against some team called Steaua is also a bit of a shock. Anything can happen in Europe, especially this early in the year before teams start hitting their stride.

Chester in Melbourne, Australia: G'day mates. Krikey, can you blokes believe the bad news from this week? West Ham losing in Europe and twice in the EPL after their big transfer deadline signings? What's wrong with Alan Pardew's men?

Brian: We've seen this kind of thing happen before, Chester. A team will put together an unexpectedly magical year, and then fall flat at home and in Europe the next term. It happened last season with Everton, and it's also happened to Leeds and Ipswich (remember them?). Unfortunately for those on the East End, it's looking like the Hammers are falling victim to this trend this term.

It's a bit surprising that West Ham has started so poorly. In fact, things are looking so bleak that they might be done in Europe after just two games. But maybe we were expecting too much. Remember, West Ham only made it into Europe on account of their FA Cup final appearance, not because they were a top-6 team. While we were all expecting big things from the Argentines, we have to remember that they are only 22 years old, have been there less than a month, and have never played outside of South America before. Plus, with a year of Premiership football under their belt, they aren't going to catch anyone by surprise anymore. And, let's not forget the bad karma that was created with the very shady circumstances of their Argentine acquisitions. You reap what you sow, Chester.

James in Orlando, FL: How is it possible that the defending MLS champions can fail to make the playoffs in the following season without making huge personnel changes? And since when is Landycakes alone not good enough to drag a team into the top 4 in the conference?

Brian: MLS? What's that?

Stewart in Cheyenne, WY: Hey guys, long-time reader, first-time writer. If Manchester United and Chelsea both win this weekend, will they deliver knockout blows to early strugglers and potential title challengers Arsenal and Liverpool?

Brian: Stewie, I'm happy to answer this one. By the time we reached for the mailbag today, we know that the answer is a resounding "no!" I think we'll see mid-table teams take points off of all of the top contenders this term. Liverpool is struggling and doesn't look close to breaking out of its funk. Man Utd should be a contender, but will likely go through some rough patches with a young team and some depth issues up front. Chelsea seems to be hitting its stride, which could be bad news for everyone else. But watch out for Arsenal! Their next four games are against Sheffield Utd, Charlton, Watford, and Reading. The Gunners aren't out of it this year, Stew.

Paco in Guadalajara, Mexico: Did you hear about Riquelme retiring from international duty for Argentina this week? iQue rididiculo! What could drive away such a talented young player?

Brian: Good question, Paco. With Riquelme playing for a smaller club in Villareal, you'd think he'd want to keep playing for Argentina to make up for the lack of European football. But you have to remember the one knock on this guy his whole career - he doesn't like the big stage. Perhaps he's tired of the pressure and wants to live in obscurity at his small Spanish club. Or perhaps he just wants a break until 2008 or 2009, and he'll then make a triumphant return.

This might be a good thing for Argentina. Riquelme is one of those odd half-strikers or attacking midfielders that teams sometimes rely on too much. Entire systems and gameplans are built around players like him since they are so rare and influential. But in international play, when teams have so little time to figure each other out, this can be a bad thing. Argentina should build around Messi and Tevez up front, pack in 4 midfielders behind them, and try to actually win a World Cup without Maradona.

Photos courtesy of our pals at yahoo.com. Send in your questions for our next mailbag to bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Free Kicks - 15 September

Brian returns from obscurity to give us his thoughts on the latest news in the world of football. Hide the women and children.

Showdown Sunday
The Premier League has gifted us a delicious set of fixtures this Sunday. The highlights, of course, are the early contest at The Bridge between Chelsea and Liverpool, as well as the late contest at Old Trafford between leaders Manchester United and Arsenal. The four best teams in England all in action against each other? That should be enough to whet the appetite.

The Chelsea-Liverpool rivalry in the Mourinho-Benitez eras has been hotly contested. Liverpool is the only EPL team that has been able to cause the Blues fits in recent years. Neither team has played its best football this term. But the Reds look to be struggling even more than Chelsea these days. Liverpool was humiliated against Everton last week. Benitez responded by making six changes at midweek against PSV Eindhoven in the Champions league, including the benching of Steven Gerrard, Sami Hyypia, Xabi Alonso, and Luis Garcia. While Liverpool did finally keep a clean sheet, they also couldn't put one past the PSV keeper. Chelsea has struggled to adjust to its new midfield of stars. But after an early blip against Middlesbrough, the Blues have quietly been improving in recent weeks. They soundly defeated Werder Bremen, a quality team, at midweek. Prediction: Chelsea 2, Liverpool 0.

In the other big matchup, we have struggling Arsenal visiting the Red Devils. On the surface, these are two teams headed in different directions. Man Utd has taken 12 points from four games, while Arsenal is an unfamiliar 17th place in the league table. But perhaps a reversal of fortune is in the cards. Arsenal has played well despite the lack of results. Middlesbrough's lone goal last week game on their only shot of the game. The Gunners scored an impressive victory at midweek against Hamburg without Thierry Henry, who is out with a foot injury. Man Utd struggled through its game with Celtic. Rio Ferndinand, in particular, looked dreadful. With Henry out and Robin van Persie also a doubt, expect young prodigy Theo Walcott to get his full Premiership debut. Can Walcott do something spectacular on the big stage? In one man's biased opinion, absolutely. Prediction: Arsenal 1, Man Utd 0.

Say It Ain't So
Disturbing news surfaced today in the United States, where the AFP is reporting that Sven Goran Eriksson is under consideration to replace Bruce Arena as US manager. You have to be kidding me, right? The guy who did absolutely nothing with the most talented generation of English footballers in decades? I thought the idea here was to move US Soccer forward, not backwards. Jurgen Klinsmann is also a candidate, however reports say he is asking for $2 million a year. The most the US spent previously on a manager was $600K for Arena. Memo to US Soccer: pony up the cash for Klinsmann! Another intriguing candidate is former Argentina manager Jose Peckerman. However, as we saw in the World Cup quarterfinal against Germany, Peckerman bungles lineup choices much in the same vein as Eriksson. But at this point, I'm in the "anyone but Sven" camp.

Call in MI6
Once again, Chelsea is in the news for all the wrong reasons. News surfaced this week that listening devices, or "bugs," had been planted in Jose Mourinho's favorite Portuguese restaurant in London. Yes, this was the very restaurant were Mourinho was rumored to plot the Ashley Cole raid from Arsenal. Many Chelsea first teamers also dine in the restaurant. Coincidence? Well, as soon as the authorities let us know about Tottenham's alleged bad lasagne from last May, perhaps they can give us the skinny on this latest case of intrigue.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com and malefirst.co.uk. Email us at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Free Kicks - 5 September 2006

Transfer Deadline Winners and Losers
With the passing of last Thursday's transfer deadline, we now know who will be playing where for at least the next four months. First, Bryce takes a look at the last-minute shopping success stories.

1. West Ham United
How do you begin this conversation anywhere else? The signings are still somewhat shrouded in mystery. First, questions immediately surfaced about the exact nature of the financial picture involved in both the signings of Tevez and Mascherano from Corinthians. Second, the deals have also been tied to the suspected take-over bid coming from a mysterious front-company or Russian or Georgian (the other one) tycoon. The fact remains that these two 22 year-old Argentinians have world-class talent and immediately make the Irons one of the most interesting sides in the Premiership. What happens next is anyone's guess.

2. Tottenham Hotspur
While starting very slowly out of the gate, Spurs went out and took care of business before the Thursday night deadline. They started by bringing back the talented Egyptian striker Mido on a permanent move from Roma. They then finally took Steed Malbranque off Fulham's books to add more bite to their midfield after the departure of Michael Carrick for Old Trafford earlier in the summer. And, they not only kept Korean full-back Lee Young-Pyo after his flirtations with Roma, but also pried Pascal Chimbonda away from Paul Jewel at Wigan. All in all, they added incredible depth and talent to an already impressive roster.

Other teams with successful dealings included Arsenal, who managed to ship out two want-aways and brought in more talented replacements in the form of William Gallas and Julio Baptista. Too bad about that Theo Walcott signing last season and the return of Justin Hoyte from his loan spell, or Wenger would finally have cleaned the London club's roster of all of its pesky English players with Ashley Cole finally being moved to Chelsea.

And who were the biggest losers you ask?

1. Newcastle United
As much as it pains me, the Magpies head this list. In need of a dependable, healthy striker and a proven, reliable (and prefereably central) defender, Glen Roeder only managed to bring in Rossi on loan, Sibierski from City, and an old favorite, Olivier Bernard who was without a team. While their earlier signings of Martins and Duff were top class and their list of targets was impressive, the Toon didn't do nearly enough on the last day of the transfer window.

Rossi is a great talent, but giving important minutes to the traitor (imagine Rossi partnering McBride in Germany last summer...) will only come back to haunt them when he returns to Old Trafford a more complete player in January. Sibierski should not see the pitch for this team barring anymore injury concerns, while Bernard does little to solve the problems in central defense these days. Maybe newly out of contract Diego Tristan and Lionel Scaloni in Spain would make for good priorities now.

2. Manchester United
Most Red Devil supporters are deservedly pleased with their start to the new campaign, but I think they let themselves down in the transfer market. Their last minute flirtations with Owen Hargreaves cost them Marcos Senna, who would have been a bargain and great addition to their central midfield. Shipping Rossi out for four months makes sense, except he could have played valuable minutes for ManU just as easily with only Saha, Rooney, and Solskjaer available for striker duties. Alan Smith might, repeat, might return to duty soon, but will he and Soskjaer hold up? Sir Alex Furgeson has compiled a terrific squad, but he should have been shopping for an additional striker and midfielder, and he came up short this time.

Now let's all go feel sorry for him.

Euro Qualifiers

After the first major weekend of qualifiers for the 2008 tournament being cohosted by Austria and Switzerland, there have already been some major surprises.

Group A
Poland continued their recent run of bad form from the World Cup and lost to Finland in front of 17,000 home fans. With Portugal widely considered the favorites to win the group, Serbia now appears to be in good shape in its fight for the second tournament berth, especially if they get a favorable result against the Poles on Wednesday. The day's other matchups include Portugal against Finland and Belgium looking to add to its single point with a trip to Armenia.

Group B
Italy somehow managed to be held by Lithuania to a draw in Naples in its first competitive match since winning the World Cup in Berlin in July. If it were a basketball game and ties were suddenly allowed, this story might make sense. But if Italy are to find their form, they best do it fast as they next head to Paris to play France on Wednesday. Other Group B hopefuls, Scotland and Ukraine will be watching that game very closely.

Group C
There were not any surprising results in this group yet, but it looks likely to be one of the most hotly contested of them all. Bosnia-Herzegovina, Norway, Greece, and Turkey will be battling to the final whistle before anything is decided in this group. They will continue to feast on the smaller sides in the table on Wednesday. The first major showdown in this group doesn't come until October when Norway and Greece face off.

As a side note, the Norway vs Hungary match provided perhaps the best and worst goals of the weekend. Morten Gamst Pedersen's volley was a thing of beauty, while the team's fourth goal from Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer was absolutely bungled by the Hungarian 'keeper.

Group D
The first clash of big name teams happened this Saturday when Germany beat Ireland on a deflected shot in Stuttgart. After their World Cup disappearing act, the Czech Republic went back to work and handled Wales before their midweek reunion with Slovakia. The other game this week pits San Marino against the Germans. Good luck, lads.

Group E
A few people might have heard that England played against Andorra this weekend. Despite not being properly covered by the news media, the Three Lions put on the show most supporters expected - OK, all supporters. The two teams likely to be fighting to join England in Austria and Switzerland are Croatia and Russia, and they face off this Wednesday. Croatia will be decidedly underhanded however, after three squad members were dismissed for breaking camp to go clubbing over the weekend.

Group F
Spain, Iceland, and Sweden all started their Group F campaigns with important victories in their opening matches. Fellow finals hopefuls Denmark head to the land of Bjork on Wednesday to take on Eidur Gudjohnsen and company. Latvia, who famously qualified for Euro 2004 (I even met a Latvian - it was awesome), will be attempting to get away from the minnows of Northern Ireland and Liechtenstein at the bottom of the table, but will have to wait until the October fixture dates.

Group G
Nobody is playing like they have an interest in winning this group. Heavy favorites Holland defeated Luxembourg just 1-0 this weekend to move to the top of the table after a lackluster performance. Romania collapsed in the final ten minutes to concede two goals and a draw to Bulgaria, while Belarus and Albania finished at the same 2-2 scoreline. Slovenia begins its campaign on Wednesday against Bulgaria, who will be forced to play without new Tottenham striker Dimitar Berbatov due to injury.

Kiss of Death
Finally, it is now quite evident that appearing on this site has dissastrous effects for some teams and players. Call it the Sports Illustrated or Madden Football jinx of blogs. To be certain, if you appear on these pages, you do so at your own risk.

For example, over the past few weeks:

Last weekend, when asked about a potential spoiler for the annual Bayern Munich coronation next May, I put in a plug for the red hot Werder Bremen, who promptly went out and lost to Schalke after a dismal display. Sorry about that.

In the same posting, another reader asked about the future of the US Men's National Team. I took the opportunity to single out Ricardo Clark for praise. The next day he was sent off with a straight red card in the Houston loss (it wouldn't have happened if they had stayed in San Jose).

Before the start of the EPL season, I predicted among other things a Champions League finish for Spurs, who promptly went out and lost two of three. I take full responsibility for that one. I now assume that after praising their efforts in the transfer market that Malbranque will not recover from his surgery and that Mido and Chimbonda will immediately revert to their selfish, distruptive ways and spoil the team's season even further.

I also predicted a first-place finish for Liverpool in the same article, only to see them held in the first week to a draw by Sheffield United. Ouch. I'm still not ready to take full responsibility for that one.

Worst still was my shout out to Hearts in Scotland, which not only got me taunted in a follow-up mailbag, but also quickly saw them dropped from the Champions League and into the UEFA Cup. The good news is, they are still at least sharing a piece of first place in the early goings of the SPL.

But, at least Brian has proven the bigger spoiler so far, having touted Arsenal so heavily (as always) only to see them occupying the 17th spot in the table. Oh, to have that last beyond the next round of matches. A boy can dream, can't he?

Pics courtesy whufc.com, yahoo.com, and the Bookable Offense archives. Cooler heads remind our readers that Arsenal will be just fine now that The Beast is loose! Send us mail at bookableoffense@gmail.com.