Bookable Offense

Monday Mailbag - 12 Feb 2007

2007-02-12T20:30:00.000-08:00

Do you have a case of the Mondays? We have the cure! It's the Monday Mailbag!

Aaron in Princeton, NJ: I thought the US was lucky to get the 2-0 win over Mexico last week. I know it was only a friendly to begin with, but are people reading too much into this victory?

Brian: Was the US lucky to beat Mexico? Absolutely. The Americans were poor in possession and out-classed in midfield. But they held firm defensively and scored a timely goal early in the second half that clearly swayed the game in their favor. I wouldn't say their win was undeserved. We've known for years that the Mexicans are superior to the Americans in terms of skill. But the US just won't accept anything less than victory over their rivals to the south on American soil. I think there's some truth that the Americans have gotten into the heads of the Mexicans.

I don't think people are reading too much into this win. A win is a win, and the US can feel good about that. And while both teams played most of their top players, it's still a friendly and doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

Peter in Chicago, IL: Do you think winning the Premiership or the Champions League will be enough to keep Cristiano Ronaldo at Man U? Mourinho, Lampard, and Terry at Chelsea?

Brian: It would appear that Cristiano Ronaldo is this season's Thierry Henry. Speculation has run rampant since midseason that Portuguese winger would be headed to Barcelona this summer. It didn't help Man Utd's cause when Big Phil Scolari chimed in, supporting the rumored move. When it comes to Ronaldo, I don't think a trophy will be the deciding factor. It'll probably come down to money and if he wants a return to the Mediterranean lifestyle. Remember, he left his favored boyhood club Sporting Lisbon at a young age to join United, so Red Devils fans shouldn't think loyalty will be a huge factor in his decision.

As for matters in West London, things are far more interesting. The lack of respect shown to Jose Mourinho by Chelsea owner Roman Abrahmovich has been a massive blow to the "Special One's" ego. In disrespecting Mourinho, Abrahmovich risks alienating players who are extremely loyal to the Portuguese coach like Terry and Lampard. Terry and Lampard might be more loyal to Mourinho than to the club itself these days. Even a Champions League medal couldn't keep Mourinho at Porto. I don't think winning one this term will be the deciding factor to keep him at Chelsea either. It should be an interesting summer in West London, especially if the Blues fail to win a major trophy.

Mike in Frosinone, Lazio, Italy: What's up with the lack of coverage of Calcio Italiano on your blog? The Italians proved that they were the best soccer players in the world just six months ago, yet finding coverage of their teams on your site is like finding a needle in a haystack. Posts about Serie A or Serie B are few and far between, and if by some miracle they are mentioned, the analysis rarely goes beyond the top few teams. How about paying some attention to the battle for fourth place by the Bluceleste (you probably don't know, so I'll tell you - that's the nickname for Lazio). How about keeping a tab on one of the best forwards in the world, Fiorentina's Luca Toni? Alberto Gilardino (who can forget his violin-playing celebration last summer) leads Serie A in goals, but has yet to make an appearance on bookable offense. How about a discussion of Massimo Oddo's transfer from Lazio to AC Milan? I guess I shouldn't be surprised by the anti-Italian bias on your site. After all, when the "Azzurri" captured the most revered title in soccer and became the "Campioni Del Mondo" last July 9, Bookable Offense was nowhere to be found for 16 days. Perhaps, to alleviate this bias, you guys can engage Jon in San Diego to provide some occasional coverage of Calcio Italiano (even though he's a Roma fan)?

Brian: Fair enough, Mikey. Bryce and I will certainly take your criticism under advisement. Clearly, our blog has an English- and American-tilted bias. A major reason for that is because the EPL and MLS are the two most prominently featured leagues on television here in the US.

In regards to the World Cup, we updated the site nearly everyday. Since I had picked the Italians to win it all, you'll see in our archives that I kept a pretty keen eye on their progress. You'll see also I'm quite an admirer of Luca Toni as well.

As for your comments about Serie A, I'll gladly resume coverage once it proves to be a fair and competitive league. I can't respect a league and a culture that embraces cheating and has a general disrespect for basic sporting principles we value and expect as sports fans. I applaud efforts to rid the Italian game of corruption. But clearly, as we have seen in the last month, there are still problems in the game and in Italian society as a whole. Football is just a game. It's not an excuse to go fight your neighbors in another city. I have a tremendous amount of respect for guys like Cannavaro, Zambrotta, Maldini, Costacurta, and Totti who play the game the right way. But until the Italian authorities and the Italian people decide to fix the game once and for all, it will be very difficult for me to take Serie A very seriously around here.

Jerome in Birmingham, England: This England squad is just rubbish - a disgrace. How long must we wait for the FA takes action and sacks McClaren? Do they really want us to long for the days of Sven?

Brian: I have to agree with you, Jerome. It's gone from bad to worse on the England front. Sure, it was a friendly. But the display against Spain last week was dreadful. McClaren clearly isn't the answer. England are going nowhere with him in charge. At this rate, the English might not even be in Austria and Switzerland in 2008. There was once a time when I carried on and on about the Three Lions. But these days, they play more like kittens. Wake me up when The FA hires a real manager.

Kelly in Boston, MA: I know Beckham coming to MLS is the big story, but if you were running the Revs, who are some players you would target to bring in? Thanks, and don't forget to support Clint at Fulham!

Brian: Thanks for writing, Kelly. We especially appreciate the support our female readers. If you're referring to an overseas player, I don't think we should be asking who the Revs should target as much as we should ask who would be willing to come to the US to play. Edgar Davids and Luis Figo have been two names thrown around lately. We won't really be able to know potential options until the European season ends in May. Some older players very well maybe out of options on the continent then and could be headed to North America. But if nothing happens, fear not, Kelly. The Revs have locked up Bookable Offense favorite Taylor Twellman to a long-term extension!

Photos courtesy yahoo.com. Send in your questions for the next journey into the mailbag!

Weekend Mailbag- 27 January 2007

2007-01-27T19:04:00.000-08:00

Some of our readers have noticed that the mailbag hasn't been attended to in far too long. With that in mind, let's power through some of our reader emails.

Leonardo in Seal Beach, CA: I'll go with the obvious question - Beckham to MLS? What do you think?

Bryce: I think there are different levels on which this move will ultimately be evaluated. In pure footballing terms, few people expect Becks to lift the LA Galaxy or Major League Soccer to respectability on the global scale. There will not suddenly be calls for the inclusion of MLS teams in the Champions League. He should, however, immediately be the most effective one-footed, defensive liability of a midfielder the league has ever seen in its illustrious eleven-year history.

That being said, the exposure alone for the league will provide a much needed boost. Just the fact that people all over the world now know the United States (and now Canada) have a soccer league is significant. Shirt sales all over the Beckham universe are more than just a feather in the cap for Commissioner Garber and Co. or a partial return on the investment of Mr. Anschutz. It's important for developing the league - convincing a promising Latin American player to join MLS will be much easier if he can see the potential for playing time and exposure to media coverage - assuming of course that it doesn't end up bankrupting everyone involved.

Nigel in Dunston, England: Did you happen to watch the Tottenham vs. Newcastle match last Sunday? What a match! Quite possibly the match of the year! Tottenham was playing brilliant football in the first half. And then what a comeback by Toon!

Bryce: Nigel, I have to say, you made my day with this email. I have to put that as my early favorite for match of the year.

Obafemi Martin's equalizer was one of the finest strikes you'll see this season that isn't scored by Matthew Taylor. The only thing prettier than that finish was Nicky Butt's celebratory dance after the match-winner.

Teddy in Madison, WI: What do you make of these rumors of a spat between Abrahmovich and Mourinho at Chelsea? There are stories coming out now how he wasn't even consulted on the Mikel, Kalou, and Sheva signings last summer. Could we see "the Special One" leaving Stamford Bridge?

Bryce: This just in: Mourinho is more than welcome to take over Newcastle United (No offense Glen).

But seriously, it does indeed seem that there is some truth to these rumors. It has been reported that Abrahmovich is set on Mourinho's replacement already (Ancelotti in Milan is being mentioned for some reason), and certainly, not spending any cash during the transfer period when they are in such obvious need of a central defender and striker (Kalou has underperformed more than Shevchenko) has to be disconcerting.

Were Mourinho to leave, the real question would then become which of his players would choose to leave with him (a la Ricardo Carvalho and Paulo Ferreira from Porto). John Terry has apparently indicated as much already.

I don't know how much of this rift stems from the aforementioned summer signings and how much it has to do with not doing any and everything within the billionaire owner's power to keep the (arguably) best coach in the country happy. Jose obviously wants some love and respect from the one guy that still is in a position to deny him anything. I think this comes down to two giant egos battling it out for supremacy at Chelsea.

If he does walk, he automatically becomes the hottest commodity in the global coaching circuit since Graeme Souness became available....

Pablo in Sparks, NV: Almost four weeks into the winter transfer period, what's been the best new signing so far?

Bryce: Ashley Young will not go down as the best signing this winter. I am willing to say that on record.

I like what West Ham has done, although they had enough pieces in place to be well above the relegation zone. Vincenzo Montella's arrival at Fulham on loan from Roma has looked like a very positive move for the Cottagers and might have the biggest impact on the second half of this season.

Chase in St. Louis: I love your site! I know this isn't soccer-related, but I hear you guys are big karaoke stars. Give me five songs that should be in my rotation these days. And what's your biggest piece of karaoke advice you can give me? Keep up the good work!

Bryce: Well, to be honest, Chase, this is a difficult question to field without knowing a bit more about your particular brand of vocal stylings.

My only advice would be to make sure you know your material from start to finish- don't be that guy that only knows the chorus- it's just never a good thing.

And as for your rotation, I can't really comment for the reasons listed above. I will instead list a top five favorite performances I have personally witnessed.

5. "Like a Prayer (Death Metal style)" - Hilary and Mike
4. "Mrs. Jones" - Moses
3. "Getting Jiggy Widit"- Brian
2. "Loveshack" - Dean and Tiff
1. Whatever song Brian and I were singing when that chick rubbed my face in her boobs

And with that, I'll ask you to please direct your questions to us here.

Pics courtesy of The Washington Post, ESPN.com, guardian.co.uk, and froschkoenig

In Case You Missed It...

2007-01-23T09:49:00.000-08:00

There was an epic contest in North London this past Sunday as Arsenal battled back to defeat league leaders Manchester United. The first half was a bit slow, but things sure did pick up in the second half. Here are the highlights:

Courtesy: youtube.com

Match Diary - Liverpool v Arsenal, FA Cup 3rd Rd

2007-01-06T08:56:00.000-08:00

Welcome, boys and girls, to another edition of our wildly popular match diaries! It's a rare day at home on a Saturday for Brian, and what better way to enjoy his new TV and please Bookable Offense fans everywhere than with some running commentary. Today, we'll chronicle the most delicious of the FA Cup 3rd Round matches: Liverpool v Arsenal, live from Anfield.

For those of you unfamiliar with our match diaries (and if so, shame on you), here's how it works: I'll chime in with my thoughts and comments while watching the game on television. It's as simple as that. I'll post updates at halftime and at the end of the match. So, sit back, relax and enjoy...

Pre-match: As we prepare for kickoff, we're treated to a lovely feature on West Ham legend Sir Trevor Brooking, and now the requisite flashback to the 2001 FA Cup final between Arsenal and Liverpool. That's followed by some propaganda as to why the FA Cup is the most special cup competition in the world. Hmmm, keep dreaming, lads. Here are our lineups:

Liverpool: Dudek; Finnan, Agger, Carragher, Riise; Pennant, Alonso, Gerrard (c), Luis Garcia; Crouch, Kuyt (subs: Reina, Aurelio, Hyypia, Gonzalez, Bellamy)

Arsenal: Almunia; Eboue, Toure, Senderos, Clichy; Hleb, Flamini, Gilberto, Rosicky; Henry (c), Van Persie (subs: Poom, Djourou, Hoyte, Baptista, Walcott)

Liverpool's playing its top lineup, with the exception of Dudek in goal over Reina. Arsenal bring us a bit of a surprise with Eboue and Senderos in defense, and not a whole lot of width in midfield. Cesc Fabregas is suspended and will not play.

The Kop is in full song. We're ready to go...

1st Min: The Reds kick us off and we're under way. Liverpool in home red, Arsenal in their yellow/black change strip.

3rd Min: Liverpool controls much of the early possession, and the Kop treats us to a good, old fashioned card trick! How very 1950s Rose Bowl of you, Kop!

5th Min: I think it's pretty safe to assume that Liverpool will score goals today. Almunia in goal, and Senderos and Eboue in defense don't instill a whole lot of confidence in Arsenal supporters.

8th Min: Hmmmm, and why did I pick this match to do a diary? Good question. Not much action in the early going. So, let's ponder a question. What will Liverpool do when Sissoko returns from injury? Surely he is the finest defensive midfielder. Do they move Gerrard back out to the right? Gerrard is so much better in the middle. It's no coincidence that Liverpool's recent good run has come with Stevie G. in the middle of the park. You've got to keep Gerrard in the middle, right? Yes. Glad we settled that.

12th Min: After some good sustained possession, Arsenal gives it away and Gerrard charges down the field. He attempts a daisy-cutter from about 50 yards that isn't so pretty. Ambitious, to put it nicely.

14th Min: Liverpool is really up for this one. They've yet to break down Arsenal's dodgy defense. But we'll give Arsenal credit for playing a 4-4-2 today, something Arsene Wenger doesn't do too much in the post-Vieira era for big away games.

17th Min: Corner for Liverpool after a nice attacking run by Pennant. It's short, and Arsenal aren't troubled.

18th Min: I don't know about you, but I'm ready for someone to take a shot on goal. I did pay $15 for this game. Entertain me!

19th Min: It's becoming abundantly clear that Arsenal really miss Fabregas in midfield. He's the engine that runs the Gunners' attack. Not a whole lot of possession without him. Although Rosicky is nearly put through on net before Dudek scoops up the through-ball.

20th Min: Hey, Sir Alex is in the house! Did he have to pay $15 to watch as well? Somehow I think not.

24th Min: The ball falls to Luis Garcia in the box, but Senderos knocks it away. We almost got a shot on goal! It comes back in for the other Spaniard, Xabi Alonso, and he's booked for diving in the box. Tsk, tsk.

27th Min: Kuyt sends in a great cross from the right, and Almunia palms it away. Almunia made that look far more difficult than it needed to be.

28th Min: Hey, we've got a shot! The ball falls to Crouch on the edge of the box, and Crouch sends it over the bar. Meanwhile on the other end, Hleb has a shot blocked in the box. Things might be picking up.

29th Min: Eboue tries to bring the ball out of defense, gets grabbed by Luis Garcia, and then pokes Luis Garcia in the face. Was it accidental? Good question. Fun stuff.

31st Min: Yellow for Senderos for one of his trademark poorly timed tackles on Crouch. William Gallas, where are you?

32nd Min: Henry and Van Persie have barely gotten a touch in the first half hour. If this keeps up and Wenger is feeling adventurous, I hope we'll see Baptista and Walcott. Some width and power in midfield would help.

34th Min: Yellow for Clichy after a high boot on Carragher.

35th Min: Yikes. Toure makes life difficult on himself, nearly giving the ball away in the box. Corner for Liverpool, it comes out to Alonso about 35 yards from goal. He hits a cracker that goes just wide. Good shot.

37th Min: GOAL for Arsenal!!! And wow, what a goal. Arsenal counterattacks beautifully. Hleb sends a beautiful ball to an on-rushing Rosicky about 20 yards out, and he fires one past Dudek. He curled it to the top left corner. No chance for the goalkeeper. Typical Arsenal. Beautiful stuff. Arsenal is a goal to the good, all against the run of play.

39th Min: Arsenal has a bit of confidence now and are keeping some possession. Clichy goes on a slaloming run down the left, but his final ball is poor.

43rd Min: Good possession from the home side leads to a free kick just outside the box for Liverpool. It's a good position for a left footer like Riise. This should be a good chance for Liverpool. Riise takes, and the wall blocks it. Corner for Liverpool, but Almunia comes out to grab it.

45th Min: GOAL for Arsenal! That's 2-nil now. Rosicky again. Henry plays a little pass to the Czech midfielder, who dodges past two Liverpool defenders, creates space, and fires it in low and right past Dudek. Wow. The defense that's been so stellar at home is looking very ordinary.

45+ Min: Eboue nearly creates a 3rd for Arsenal after a great run into the box. Liverpool looks nervous in the back.

Half Time: Well, I'm glad now I spent the $15 to order this match. The first half hour was a bit of a snooze. But then Arsenal began stringing passes together. Hleb and Rosicky link up beautifully. Once Rosicky began drifting into the middle, Arsenal played much better.

As for Liverpool, the Reds have yet to get a shot on target. They've had the lion's share of the possession, but haven't done anything with it. Crouch and Kuyt have been anonymous. Gerrard has yet to really impose himself on this game. And that stout Liverpool defense sure didn't look too good on that second Arsenal goal.

The teams are back out. Let's start the second half, shall we?

46th Min: Arsenal kicks us off. 45 minutes to go in this one. No changes for either side.

47th Min: The ball falls to Luis Garcia in the box, but his shot is blocked. Liverpool have come out looking to press the action.

48th Min: Did you know that Arsenal has never lost an FA Cup tie with Gilberto Silva in the lineup? Speaking of Gilberto, I think we can attribute Gerrard's anonymity to the Brazilian's stellar play in midfield.

49th Min: Pennant sends in a teasing cross, but Kuyt can't head is effort on goal. Again, good play to start out the 2nd half by Liverpool.

55th Min: More of the same, with Liverpool putting a lot of pressure on the young Arsenal defense. The fullbacks are streaming forward. We're probably going to see another goal in this game.

57th Min: Arsenal counterattacks and Van Persie's shot from a tough angle is saved. Corner to Arsenal. It's short and poor, and Liverpool regains possession.

59th Min: Just a reminder, fans. These two teams will meet again at Anfield at midweek in a Carling Cup tie. Expect to see a lot of our favorite youth and second team players in that one.

60th Min: Here comes Aurelio on for Riise. Interesting move, since Riise is quite good at getting forward. But Aurelio is much better on the ball.

63rd Min: Arsenal pour forward on a counterattack. Henry passes to Van Persie, whose touch lets him down. Corner to Arsenal. Dudek collects.

65th Min: Here's a fun one. Eboue comes in late on Luis Garcia, and then he falls down injured like he's the victim. It doesn't work, and the Ivorian right back picks up a yellow card. His theatrics are not an endearing part of his game.

66th Min: Corner for Liverpool. The crowd is really getting worked up. Eboue mysteriously goes down injured again. I think it's time for Hoyte to come on. Yep, here comes Hoyte. Eboue is great at going forward, but the lad needs to grow up a little and cut out the crap.

67th Min: Question of the day: Does the FA Cup still matter? It's got a great history. But in the grand scheme of things, it doesn't have the same prestige at the Champions League or the Premiership these days. Email us and let us know what you think.

71st Min: GOAL for Liverpool! There's the equalizer. Pennant sends in a fabulous corner, and Senderos can't get to Crouch in time, who heads to Kuyt. The Dutchman deflects it in past Almunia. Game on!

72nd Min: Julio Baptista comes on for Van Persie. We've got a ballgame on our hands, kids. Liverpool wholly deserved that goal. They've been dominant and dangerous in the 2nd half. Clearly they've learned that runs down the wing and crosses are the way to challenge the youthful Gunner defense.

74th Min: Great chance from a tough angle by Aurelio. Nearly an equalizer. It's getting hard to keep up now.

75th Min: Arsenal have dropped into a 4-5-1 with Baptista on now. He's playing as an attacking midfielder. Henry is alone up front.

79th Min: It's now the Arsenal defense that looks unsure of itself. The Gunners desperately need some possession to settle down. But you really have to admire Liverpool's fight. An equalizer is by no means out of the question.

83rd Min: The Reds are still dominating in terms of possession, but haven't threatened Almunia in the last few minutes.

84th Min: GOAL for Arsenal! And this one is all Henry! Arsenal wins the ball in midfield. Henry gets it at the center circle, and passes it to himself about 30 yards away out wide to the left. He slaloms past 2 defenders as he moves towards the middle and sneaks it under Dudek to put Arsenal up 3-1. Just when you've forgotten how truly brilliant Henry is, he does something like that. Wow. That was sick. That should be the game.

88th Min: The captain is coming off for Arsenal. Theo Walcott is coming on to replace Henry, who still looks winded after that brilliant run that led to Arsenal's third goal.

90th Min: The Arsenal supporters are reminding us that "There's only one Arsene Wenger." And the Kop replies with "You'll Never Walk Alone." You have to give them credit for their good spirit even as they crash out of the FA Cup.

90+ Min: Corner comes in from Liverpool, and Senderos almost puts it in his own net. Yikes. When he's bad, he's bad. Gallas, please?

90+ Min: Why didn't we see Bellamy today? Why have him in the squad if you're not going to use him. This game was begging for him.

90+ Min: The ball is deflected to Kuyt, whose low shot is saved. Close.

90+ Min: Free kick for Liverpool from 30 yards out. Aurelio hits it into the wall. Less than a minute to go.

Full Time: There's the whistle. A famous win for the Gunners, and a surprisingly bad showing defensively by the Liverpool defense. Arsenal's season of inconsistency continues, with brilliant play against top opposition on the heels of a shocking loss to Sheffield United last week. For Liverpool, it's all about the Champions League now. And they'll get their chance at revenge against the Arsenal reserves in the Carling Cup.

Thanks for joining us today for our match diary. Stay classy, boys and girls.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com. Write us at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Midweek Mailbag - 19 December 2006

2006-12-19T22:37:00.000-08:00

The holiday season is upon us, and what better gift to give our readers than a holiday edition of the mailbag. Brian will have the honors this week. As always, these are real questions from real readers. Enjoy the festivities.

Miles in Yonkers, NY: Wow! What an upset at Upton Park. Do you think Curbs will be the difference and keep West Ham out of the relegation zone? Does this loss mean Mourinho is in Manchester United's head?

Brian: The surprise of the weekend was certainly West Ham's inspiring victory over Manchester United on Sunday. The Hammers' defense was absolutely superb, with young American Jonathan Spector looking particularly good. Rooney was non-existent (when Rooney is bad - which has happened on more than one occasion this term - you can't even tell he's on the pitch). And captain Nigel Reo-Coker's goal was the result of a beautiful piece of patient attacking football (although I'm not convinced Marlon Harewood actually picked out Reo-Coker's run). Inspiring stuff on Curbs' debut, but will it be enough to keep the Hammers out of trouble? West Ham certainly has the talent to steer clear of the relegation zone, but the key will be squeaking out points away from Upton Park. West Ham has zero wins, only one point, and has scored but two goals away from home this year.

As for Man Utd's side of the story, this was the Red Devil's first hiccup in quite some time. Chelsea is grinding out wins every week, just about. A two point lead can be erased in a single weekend. With the fixtures coming hot and heavy, Chelsea might catch Man Utd within the next two weeks. The Special One's club got through their toughest stretch of the season (Man Utd, Bolton, Arsenal, Newcastle) in even better shape than before it started. The game to keep an eye on is the New Year's Day tilt at St. James' Park. If a resurgent Newcastle United takes points off the Red Devils, we could have a tie atop the table for the new year.

Joanie in Grand Fork, ND: Did you see (Tivo) the Club World Cup final between Internacional and Barcelona? Were you surprised by the outcome? Does it mean anything about the true strength of European soccer that they can't seem to defeat the Copa Libertadores winners?

Brian: Joanie, our friends at Fox Football Fone-In were posed the same question today, and I agree with their answer 100%. This game is a glorified exhibition. While Barca did field the big guns (thanks to FIFA pressure, no doubt), to expect a team in the middle of a club and European game to travel halfway around the world and care about what happens in an exhibition game is asking a bit much. These kinds of games matter much more for the South American teams taking part, since they get their one shot at a big European power. I wouldn't read too much into this result.

Trent in Alexandria, VA: The transfer window is creeping closer. Which teams across Europe will be the busiest shoppers and sellers?

Brian: January is always an interesting time. However, the high prices and possibilities of players being cup-tied usually prevent big moves. It's a little too early to start throwing names around, but I'll pick a couple of teams to look at, Trent. In Italy, I'd expect AC Milan to "double down" and bring in a defender and a forward. That team has been ravaged by injuries this season and needs help in the Champions League and to avoid relegation in Serie A. Also look for Roma to bring in a money forward (although not a big-money forward). Fiorentina could be a seller, and teams may want to try to bring Luca Toni on board.

In England, Newcastle will look to bring in a forward. I was going to pick West Ham as a seller, but with a new big-money owner and a new manager, they may want to right the ship. Also look for the teams sniffing at a Champions League place in England, such as Bolton, Portsmouth, and Tottenham, to look at making moves. Big Sam has been openly courting David Beckham in recent weeks. And you know, if anyone could rescue Becks' career, it might just be Big Sam!

Jim in Tucson, AZ: Any reactions to the Champions League draw?

Brian: I was very satisfied with the draw. We have some really compelling match-ups. The two heavyweight contests will be Barca-Liverpool and Madrid-Munich. Liverpool absolutely must draw or stay within one goal of Barca at the Nou Camp, and the same could be said for Bayern at the Bernabeu.

The most compelling ties will be Inter-Valencia and Roma-Lyon. Lyon is my sleeper to win the whole thing this year. That team is quietly scary. The most exciting tie will be Celtic-Milan. Celtic Park will be electric for that first leg. There's something magical about that ground in European play. And let's not forget the Special One going back to his old stomping grounds in Porto. Good stuff all around!

While we're at it, here are my predictions. Winners are in bold:

PSV v. Arsenal
Real Madrid v. Bayern Munich
Lille v. Manchester United
Celtic v. AC Milan
Internazionale v. Valencia
Porto v. Chelsea
Roma v. Lyon
Barcelona v. Liverpool

Bryce in San Jose, CA: Were you aware that Newcastle United has already won more silverware than Arsenal this year? How you like them Intertoto apples!

Brian: The Inter-what? You win a trophy for that? I thought you just got a nice little ribbon like when you make the best apple pie at the county fair. By the way, sources tell me you need a new razor for Christmas. Let's hope Santa leaves one in your stocking and you clean yourself up a little bit.

Photos courtesy yahoo.com, imageshack.us, wikimedia.org. Bryce is up next. Send your letters to him. Happy Holidays!

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

2006-12-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

What a week it has been already in the footballing universe. Big results in midweek Champions League and EPL action, stunning developments surrounding the future of US soccer, and of course, far too many ugly incidences on and off the field. Think of this as a quick review of the week that has been.

The Good

I would be labeled a narrow-minded gushing Newcastle supporter if I started this section by praising them for a dramatic come-from-behind victory on Wednesday night at St. James' Park, so I'll first mention even a neutral observer would have been wildly entertained by the Magpie's battle with visiting Reading.

In a match that certainly did contain good, bad, and ugly elements, Glen Roeder's men showed impressive resolve to storm back to win after a trademark quick collapse, this time despite taking an early lead.

Goal-scoring hero (that's just scary) Antoine Sibierski gave the home side the lead with a simple headed finish from a Nol Solano cross in the 23rd minute. James Harper grabbed two quick goals before the break in demoralizing fashion. A wicked rebound on a partially blocked shot left 'keeper Shay Given with no chance on the first, and a bit of sloppy play allowed Harper to uncork the second not long after. Worst of all, however, was the jig Harper did with someone on the Royals coaching staff after the first goal. Thankfully, this is not as of yet available on youtube.

Second half strikes from Martins and Emre brought the Toon all the way back, got them a much needed three points, and saw them leapfrog to the astounding heights of 15th in the Premiership table. It didn't look to be their day before those strikes as Celestine Babayaro was being jeered by the home supporters and Sibierski had a second clear goal wiped away for no reason.

The Other Good

For most fans here in the States, the Champions League coverage this week featured the Barcelona/Bremen and the Man U/Benfica matches. The first twenty minutes of the match at the Nou Camp was certainly bad, ugly, and terrifying for Werder Bremen fans, but boy did they make Barca look good. The defending champs were all over the German side from the outset and were relentless in their quick strikes. Only blown chances prevented this match from being truly lopsided, but the field of 16 should be on notice: the champs aren't going anywhere quietly.

As for yesterday's match at Old Trafford, I would have to describe the first half of that match as the most entertaining I've seen in quite some time. Benfica needed a win on the road, Manchester only needed a draw, which you would think would lead to a rather defensive approach from the Red Devils unless they somehow found themselves behind. That's exactly what happened on Benfica's first shot on net in the 27th minute. Manchester had dominated possession up to that point and were hurt on a quick counter attack. Nelson's strike was a thing of absolute beauty. Forced to chase the game at that point, Sir Alex's boys were relentless in their pursuit of an equalizer. It came just before the stroke of halftime on a powerful header from Vidic. In the second half, United's pressure quickly tipped the balance of the game in their favor, but it was a truly exciting match in that opening 45 minutes.

The Bad

Bob Bradley?

Are you kidding me? What's going to become of Chivas USA? Please tell me he will maintain control of the Goats, for God's sake!

OK, maybe that isn't the real reason I am not very excited about Bob Bradley being named the next US men's national team coach. As opined here and half the known universe, Juergen Klinsmann was the ideal candidate for this job. It was reported earlier this week that he had accepted the position, then word came out that no deal was done just yet, and now finally today he released a statement stating that he will not be taking the job.

Well, crap.

The second best we've got is Bob "My Mission in Life is to Coach Every Team in MLS" Bradley? What happened to Jose Peckerman? Carlos Queiroz and Gerard Houllier? Mia Hamm?

That last one might not have been circulated as much, but she was my idea. I know she is busy these days, what with carrying our first child and all, but I digress (oh right Nomar, you think she's got nothing to do with you on those road trips?).

The only thing I can hope for is that this interim position will only last as long as it takes for Juergen or someone else with some clout, to get on board in 2008 at the latest to have the team ready for the World Cup in South Africa. I just hope it won't already be too late. Hopefully Gulati and the rest of the US Soccer Federation took enough notes on what Juergen would do and can pass out red, white, and blue wristbands with WWJD written on them to keep the organization moving in a positive direction.

Still, a bad day for US Soccer.

The Ugly

The ugly portion of this week comes from reports of violent incidents across Europe. There was the bruhaha between Spurs and Middlesbrough players on Tuesday night resulting in red cards and possible disciplinary sanctions against both clubs, a former Man United player stabbed nearly to death in a bar, and the disturbing (if not particularly well-written) piece on the state of Italian football appearing on ESPN.com this week.

Clearly, not all is right in the world. All the more reason to bring back what is good, pure, and beautiful in the game we all love.

And that is exactly why Mia Hamm should be the next coach of the US men's international team.

Pics courtesy of hanscomfamily.com, intheknow.co.uk, soccernet.com, hooligan.epp6.com

Special Edition Mailbag - 4 December 2006

2006-12-04T16:09:00.000-08:00

With Brian taking pot shots at me and my club, I felt it was time to dig into the ol' mailbag to see if I couldn't exact some revenge. These are all real emails sent by real readers. Let's have a look.

Ricardo in Plano, TX: Greetings! Big week of Champions League action ahead of us, wouldn't you say? There's a chance that Barcelona, Roma, Arsenal, and Manchester United might not make the final 16! Who will make it, and who won't? Any chance the defending champions don't make it?

Bryce: As Brian broke down in his Arsenal-centric Free Kicks, the Gunners are one of a few big name clubs in danger of not progressing to the knock-out stages. Let's look at this one day at a time.

Tuesday features two games that have real implications. The most widely publicized match is Bremen traveling to the Nou Camp needing "just a draw" to advance at the expense of the defending champions. Messi and Eto'o are both still out for Barca, which puts more pressure on that one Brazilian guy, who I hear is still pretty good. In fact, I believe he is sometimes known as "Ronaldinho Gaucho", which should sound familiar to our faithful readers who took notice of Brian's annual college soccer tidbit. The Gauchos of UCSB rode their luck to an NCAA championship, so look for the spirit of the Gauchos to carry the Catalan giants to all three points and a ticket to the next round.

In Group D, Roma could be headed for the UEFA Cup should they lose at home to Valencia and Shakhtar Donetsk were to travel to Greece and defeat Olympiakos. Too many road victories needed on Matchday Six. Roma will get through to the round of 16.

The Wednesday night matches also feature plenty of compelling match-ups. Benfica will be traveling to Old Trafford trying to duplicate last year's elimination of Manchester United. Last season, however, they pulled off the upset with a win in Lisbon. Despite the Red Devils back-to-back losses in Champions League play, both of those matches were away from the Theatre of Dreams and with Sir Alex feeling perhaps a bit overconfident. With Rooney firing on all cylinders again, Ronaldo who never ceases to be in top form these days, and a defensive back four that make the days of Wes Brown and John O'Shea seem like ages ago, the current EPL leaders should get at least a share of the spoils - their only need to worry would be if they approached the game looking for a draw. If they play to win, they'll be in.

Group G looks ominous for a certain club from North London. First, the good news for the Gunners: a draw on the road would be enough to see them through, and the only chance of them being knocked out would be if Arsenal lost and CSKA Moscow were to win on the road. But now for the good news for the rest of us: Porto are not to be taken lightly at any venue, let alone the Dragao with Champions League survival on the line, and CSKA Moscow have finished their domestic season and are completely focused on going to Hamburg to take three points from one of the only two clubs in the competition yet to win a single point. There will be plenty of scoreboard watching on Wednesday night, I'll say that.

Brian in Los Angeles, CA: Bryce, we all know how much you love to rip on Arsenal. I would get joy out of seeing my pal's favorite team fail too if I was a Newcastle supporter. But all jokes aside, I'd be interested to see what you have to say about the Gunners' troubles with consistency the past couple of seasons. What is keeping Arsenal from being on par with Manchester United and Chelsea, and what steps do you think they need to take to compete for EPL titles again?

Bryce: Honestly, there is a lot to like about the talent assembled in the Gunners' locker room, as much as it pains me to admit it. I think last year's run in the Champions League and the occasional flashes of brilliance from the side demonstrate without a doubt that talent is certainly not what his lacking on this club. But, I would point to three things that still bug me about this version of Arsenal.

First of all, this is a team still rebuilding. There are a lot of young, exciting faces in the line-up that have been brought in and given prominent roles. Some weeks, everything flows together perfectly and the young and old faces blend seamlessly, and it looks like the Gunners of their championship form. What is missing, it seems to me, is a true sense of their own identity. It looks like they are playing dress up, and occasionally pulling it off, but they might be guilty of attempting to carry out the (recent) old Arsenal tradition at all costs. Cesc has to be like Vieira, Van Persie has to be like Bergkamp (when he is actually quite like a Duke University Lacrosse player), Hleb has to be like Pires, etc., etc. I say let them develop their own identity.

The second obvious factor which stems from this first point is the gaping hole left by Patrick Vieira as team captain. I don't see the kind of leadership you expect at a club of that stature. Is Henry ever going to be as good of a captain as John Terry? Are you kidding? Maybe Gary Neville doesn't knock your socks off either, but the Red Devils have fewer youngsters and new faces. This transition period for Arsenal would be much smoother if they had stronger leadership from their captain, and surely their next captain will have to be chosen for reasons other than a remarkable goal scoring record.

The third major reason for Arsenal inconsistency, at least from what I have seen as a neutral, (not so-) impartial observer, is Arsene Wenger's insistence that his club score pretty goals. Pretty goals they definitely score, no question about that. But what is missing are the ugly goals that make the difference between dropping points and keeping pace with the big guns. Didier Drogba has been on fire this entire season, but not all of his goals have been pretty (although some have also been breathtaking). Until the Gunners find more ways to score goals (with their heads for instance...), I think they will be too reliant on pretty goals to really challenge Chelsea and ManU over the marathon that is the EPL season. Maybe that's why last year's Champions League run makes sense- fewer games to rue missed opportunities.

Just my two cents.

Steven in Mission Viejo, CA: It's looking more and more like Jurgen Klinsmann will soon be named US National Team manager. While we may soon have a big name manager, I'm still worried about the current talent pool. The failure at the World Cup had a lot to do with the inability of our players to compete physically and talent-wise with our opposition, and not just with coaching issues. What are your thoughts? I'd hate to see the Argentina and Brazil B-teams beat up on us at Copa America this summer!

Bryce: As much as it has been said, it still bears repeating: not advancing out of group play at the World Cup is not the end of the world. 16 teams advance. Sometimes good teams don't even qualify for the World Cup (Scotland has missed the last two!).

That being said, I do think Jurgen Klinsmann would be the perfect fit for US Soccer and could make a huge difference in player development here in the States. More and more Americans are going abroad and playing in England, Holland, and Germany, which is great. Do the kids making the journey to Denmark's lower divisions really help themselves or US Soccer? Probably not. Pretty soon the likes of Sunil Gulati and his new national team coach will be devising ways to get the most out of the existing MLS and college structures, while at the same time maximizing the opportunities for talented Americans to play in the top leagues in the world. Klinsmann will have the insight, connections, and experience to help guide his players into appropriate development opportunities in Europe, but whoever is placed in the coach's position should also have an advisory role with MLS to help improve the league's structure (especially since it is about to over-expand again).

In the end, a coach like Klinsmann could help the culture of player development on a national level in significant ways. I just wish they'd make the friggin' announcement already.

The other key development is the US national team's involvement in the Copa America. I hate to break it to the Gold Cup organizers, but our players don't play in many meaningful games against world class international opponents. A big part of developing our players will be fielding them against stronger competition more often at both the club and international levels.

Noah in Duluth, MN: Bryce, are Newcastle going to get relegated? That would be pretty funny if that happened, eh? Michael Owen says he'll be back - yeah, back in time for bus rides to Ipswich and Coventry!

Bryce: Noah, Noah, Noah. First of all, you should know that our recent run of good form is only the tip of the iceberg. In typical Newcastle form, the Magpies are a little slow coming out of the starting blocks. No biggie. We've got a monster run in us that will see us finish in the top half of the table. Not good enough for a club of Newcastle's stature, but given the injury list that at one point or another has contained, or still does contain, the names Owen, Ameobi, Given, Parker, Dyer, Emre, Solano, Duff, Carr,N'Zogbia, Milner, Moore, Babayaro, and Bernard to name a few, Glen Roeder shouldn't be tarred and feathered just yet.

Second, the same can not be said for you after than relegation joke. Duluth aint that big, pal. You'll know when I find you.

Cesare in Hoeboken, NJ: Who will win the Scudetto? I think it's down to two teams: Inter Milan and Roma. Inter has the firepower, but they always choke! Just you watch. What do you think? Caio!

Bryce: If ever "choke" were the optimal term, it would have to be for a blown Scudetto on the part of Inter this season. This title was practically gift wrapped by the match-fixing scandal and subsequent point deductions for Milan and Juventus (among others, of course), which leads to the obvious question of how much the directors of Inter paid to the authorities to frame all those other clubs.

But seriously, right now the gap is 4 points, but Roma has played one more game at home, which they happened to lose to the leaders from Milan. Inter has also already defeated AC Milan "on the road," as well as third place Palermo and fourth place Catania Calcio. They have already gone through the worst of their schedule. Unless they get distracted by bribery scandals or a Champions League run, Inter should have too much talent to let the Scudetto escape them.

Thanks for the emails everybody. Don't forget to get your questions to us here.

Pictures courtesy of fc-barcelone.com, fcporto-poland.com, 4thegame.com, fotball.aftenposten.no, usinmagine.com, and soccerline.co.kr.

Free Kicks - 4 December

2006-12-04T09:34:00.000-08:00

If Arsenal Stinks, Then What About Tottenham???

It's been no secret that Arsenal has been struggling of late. Regular readers are I'm sure overly aware of Bryce's joy in Arsenal's recent misfortune. On the heels of consecutive losses to Bolton and West Ham to cap off a dreary November, the Gunners welcomed rivals Tottenham to Emirates Stadium on Saturday. After a horrid start to the season, Spurs had rebounded in November and managed to climb away from the likes of Newcastle at the bottom up to mid-table. Without an "injured" Thierry Henry on Saturday (more on that later), certainly this was Spurs time to take points off their bitter rivals, right?

Well, not so fast. I guess you could say that order was restored in the universe at least for one afternoon, as Arsenal put quite a whooping on their North London rivals. Emmanuel Adebayor opened the scoring by beating the Tottenham offside trap, and stand-in captain Gilberto slotted home two penalties in a 3-0 win that saw Arsenal return to 3rd place. While no one knows which Arsenal team will show up in this weeks pivotal games against Porto and Chelsea, at least everything was right again for one day.

Video: Adebayor scores for the Gunners

But Where Was Thierry?

As previously mentioned, Arsenal captain Thierry Henry missed the North London derby. The official explanation given is that Henry is suffering from a neck injury. However, sources report that manager Arsene Wenger is instead benching his off-form superstar for a few weeks, using injury as an excuse to keep the British press from blowing the situation out of proportion. The Sun newspaper (which Bryce refused to read when I bought it in Europe - what a snob!) reported last week that there was a rather nasty "bust up" between the manager and his star forward when Henry learned he would not be playing against Tottenham. Henry certainly looked healthy enough while celebrating Arsenal's goals on the sidelines. So what's going on?

Henry has been terribly off-form all year. Perhaps his body has not recovered from last year's gruelling campaign, which included a run to the Champions League final and World Cup final. Or perhaps he has grown complacent at a club that has coddled and catered to him, and now that he's committed his future to Arsenal he's taken his foot off the gas just a bit. He has scored seven goals this term (two from the penalty spot), but has not been his normal dominant self. He has drifted out of games more than usual, and is not linking up well with his partners up front. With Arsenal's inconsistent form and perceived lack of leadership (Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira, where are you?), one could argue that his value as a captain could be questioned.

Arsene Wenger has given Henry a free pass his entire career. Could he finally be getting tough with his captain? It's been suggested that Henry was benched, not injured, for the games he missed in September at Hamburg and at Manchester United (both Arsenal wins, coincidentally). And evidence - Henry playing 90 minutes at midweek at Fulham - suggests he is well enough to play now. Will he get the message? Or are Arsenal, who looked as good on Saturday than at any other point all season, better off without Henry?

Win or Go Home

Four of Europe's top teams, including both of last year's finalists, a former champion, and the second best team in Italy, all could be out of the Champions League by midweek if results don't go their way. Seldom has the Matchday 6 had such drama. But by day's end, we will know if the likes of Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Roma will make it to the knockout stages.

For Barcelona, it's simple: win, or go home. If Barcelona does not take three points from Bremen, the reigning champions will not be defending their title come Matchday 7. Arsenal top their group, likely will need at least a draw at Porto to move on. Man Utd also need a draw at home against Benfica. Roma's qualification for the Round of 16 is in doubt with talismanic captain Francesco Totti missing Tuesday's game at home against Valencia. Roma likely will progress with a draw, but that will be no easy feat against Valencia. Chances are that at least one of the four will not make it past Matchday 6. Who will it be?

The Mighty Gaucho

We rarely talk about college soccer in the United States here at Bookable Offense. But I have a special place in my heart for the UCLA men's soccer team. I got my break as a sports writer covering the team while in college, which also doubled as my first real exposure to soccer. So really, without the exposure and fondness I have for the UCLA men's soccer team, this very website that you know and love might not exist!

This past weekend, the Bruins (that's UCLA's mascot, for our international readers) attempted to win their fifth national title and record 100th athletic championship for the university at the College Cup. With a team of mostly freshman and sophomores, it was a big surprise that UCLA made it to the College Cup this term. But in snowy, frigid St. Louis, the Bruins put a whooping on fourth-seeded Virginia 4-0.

That set up an all-Southern California showdown on Sunday against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. I never knew there were many Argentine cowboys in the Santa Barbara area, but we'll take their word for it. The Gauchos were an even bigger surprise to make the title game than the Bruins. But unseeded UCSB took an agressive approach with the talented Bruins. The Gauchos dictated the tempo, got an early goal, and then stayed agressive. UCLA could barely muster a shot, and their forwards got zero service. The result was a deserved 2-1 victory, the first for the UCSB program. Congrats to the mighty Gauchos!

And that will do it for any mention of collegiate soccer for another year!

Pics courtesy yahoo.com. Video courtesy youtube.com. Send your emails to bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Six Days and Twelve Games

2006-11-27T21:40:00.002-08:00

After a weekend of exciting fixtures and key results across the globe, the footballing world more or less had a day off on Monday (my apologies to the hardcore Serie B and 2nd Bundesliga fans). But over the next six days, there will be important matches - local derbies, cup ties, potential relegation battles, as well as top of the table duels - and this guide will let you know where to keep your attention focused between now and Sunday afternoon.

Tuesday
1) The first match deserving your attention will be at Vicarage Road where Watford will host fellow relegation zone inhabitants, Sheffield United. These two newly promoted clubs have found life in the Premiership anything but easy, and through 27 games have combined for a meager 19 points. That would only be good enough for 11th in the table due to a goal differential of -20. Pitted against each other in what has to be considered a must win game for both managers, there should be plenty of fireworks.

Verdict: Adrian Boothroyd's men have only lost once at home in all competitions this season, and that was to Man U back in August when player of the month Ryan Giggs put the Red Devils back on top in the second half of a very competitive match. Watford wins 2-1 and Sheffield United are forced to seek consolation in their next match up.

Wednesday
The midweek fixtures in the Premiership keep the attention focused in England, as two matches in particular deserve a closer look.

2) Bolton's form had been woeful since their last league win on October 22nd before trouncing the visiting Gunners at the Reebok over the weekend 3 to 1. The win moved them to third in the table and feeling good about the production coming from their three-headed attack of Anelka, Davies, and El-Hadji Diouf. Next into town will be another London club and defending champions, Chelsea.

After a much-deserved equalizing goal from Ricardo Carvalho saw the Blues keep within three points of league leaders Manchester United, Chelsea, much like Sam Allardyce's men will be hard pressed not to fall victim to the dreaded let down game. Spirits were certainly higher for the boys from Bolton following their three point scalp of Arsenal, but Jose Mourinho's men must also guard against a lackluster display on Wednesday.

Verdict: Chelsea has proven to be almost ceaselessly mentally prepared for every challenge set before them with Mourinho at the helm. Allardyce also seems to find ways to get enough good results from a less than jaw-dropping squad sheet to keep his club in the top half of the table. This one ends in a draw, 1-1.

3) The other enticing Wednesday fixture in the Premiership is the first London derby between Fulham and Arsenal this season. While this match doesn't bring the same heated rivalry as their respective duels against closer neighbors Chelsea and Tottenham, this game will still be worth keeping an eye on.

Neither club has shown marked improvement over inconsistent league form from last year and seem to be stuck in similar funks again in this campaign. Which Gunners club will arrive in West London: the same side that lost at the City of Manchester Stadium, or the squad that won at Old Trafford? And after last year's success at Craven Cottage and nearly hapless attempts away from home, Fulham are still looking for any modicum of consistency. Will Chris Coleman send out the same bunch that beat Everton at home, or will their evil twins who lost to Reading this weekend rear their heads again?

Verdict: In an upset and a healthy dose of wishful thinking, I'm looking for the home side to squeak out a win, 1-0.

Thursday:
Enough of this Anglophile stuff.

4) Besides plenty of action in the UEFA Cup, tonight's big match up in the pits Pachuca of Mexico against Colo Colo of Chile in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final. Despite playing at home, Pachuca will be at a slight disadvantage heading into the match. Due to the domestic league playoffs, the club is scheduled to play Toluca the night before. Assuming they field entirely different lineups, it will be interesting to see which game is given precedence. It is still hard to imagine how the schedulers could create such a headache to begin with, but what can they do?

Verdict: Without knowing who will be available to suit up for the home side, a certain amount of the home field advantage is certainly forfeited. Colo Colo has been far from intimidating away from home in domestic play, but very efficient in the tournament. I think the Chileans will get the all important away goal, but the first leg will end in a draw, 1-1.

Friday:
5) If you like local derbies, Friday's big showdown is for you. Sporting Lisboa will be hosting cross-town rivals Benfica at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in the Portuguese capital. A win for the hosts would move them to the top of the table heading into the weekend, whereas a win by the visitors would pull them within six points (and they will still have a game in hand) of current leaders, Porto.

Verdict: Simao will get a cross into the box for Nuno Gomes, who will head the ball down for the hard-charging Angolan substitute, Mantorras, whose left footed drive will wrong-foot Sporting 'keeper Ricardo and end up the match winner. Benfica wins, 3-2.

Saturday

The biggest day of action this week features two intriguing derbies, a death match, and three top of the table clashes.

Derbies
Local rivalries will be rekindled when 6) Tottenham Hotspur travels for the first time to the Emirates Stadium and 7) Porto plays host to Boavista in Portugal.

As for the real London derby, Spurs have been playing good football of late at White Heart Lane, but their away form has been dreadful all season. And as pointed out earlier, Arsenal have been far from reliable (did I mention the draw at home to Newcastle followed by a loss to Bolton?), regardless of locale. I think both clubs will remember how to play their best game when they take the pitch on Saturday.

Verdict: Just because I really, really hope it comes true, I'll say Tottenham wins in a wild one, 3-2.*

*This result could change on account of mysterious food poisoning or some other form of unsportsmanlike conduct on behalf of Arsenhole.

In the other cross-town clash, I don't see Boavista managing anything better than a share of the points. Now, if it were a contest for the coolest stadium, I might give them a slight edge. But the Dragao is pretty amazing in its own right. And when it fills up on Saturday, the home supporters will walk away winners. 2-1, Porto.

Death match
Let's just say for the sake of argument, that I am correct and Watford defeats Sheffield United on Tuesday. That would make 8) United's next match against last place Charlton all the more pivotal. Losing two relegation battles in one week would surely spell doom for Neil Warnock and company. Charlton are hoping to find some positives after the departure of Iain Dowie (besides the obvious benefit of the departure of Iain Dowie). A share of the points against Everton was a good start, but this match will tell us a lot about the future of both of these clubs in England's top flight division.

Verdict: With one team potentially coming off a loss and playing desperate football and the other coming in with more self-belief under a new manager, these two rather unimpressive sides will cancel each other out. Darren Bent continues scoring, but so does Rob Hulse, and it ends 1-1, helping neither side reach safety.

Top o' the Table
In Germany, title contenders 9) Werder Bremen will play hosts to the surprising Hertha Berlin, while down in Mexico, 10) Club America will take on Guadalajara in the second leg of their semifinal playoff, and way out East, 11) first place Urawa Reds will host second place Gamba Osaka in Japan.

Bremen have managed to surface near the top of the Bundesliga through the first 14 fixtures as well as position themselves to escape the Group of Death in Champions League play at the expense of title holders Barcelona. They play an attractive style of football and are loaded with top class talent. They will be playing host to the capital club that hasn't won a ton on its travels yet, but has consistently found ways to earn points.

Verdict: Bremen prove to be a cut above Hertha and win convincingly, 2-0.

Down in Mexico, Saturday's game will be the return leg after Wednesday night's game in Guadalajara (second leg fixtures are just more exciting, I think). It's anyone's guess what the result midweek will be.

Verdict: You gotta like the Goats, right? Usually, I'd say yes, but I think America's superior away form will give them the leg up heading home for the rematch. 3-2 aggregate.

When it comes to J League clashes, anything involving traveling to Saitama Stadium
is perilous business. Urawa have not lost at home this season, in no small part due to their fanatical supporters, and I just don't think Gamba will have enough to get the job done.

Verdict: I like the Reds chances of locking up another league title with a convincing effort against their nearest challengers. 3-1 Urawa.

Sunday

The best match on the 3rd will be 12) Toluca at home against Pachuca, who will come in drained after the first leg of this semifinal series as well as the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final. How much energy and focus the visitors can muster will be something to keep an eye on.

Verdict: There is simply no way Toluca should let this match up slip away from them. Three games in five days should leave their opponents fatigued and given the nature of those games, banged up as well. I like Toluca to run away with this one, especially with Pachuca's primary concern being the Copa final. 4-2 on aggregate.

And that my friends is how the next six days are going to shape up (give or take a few UEFA Cup games, mind you.) Enjoy!

Pics courtesy of 4thegame.com, some Urawa supporter, spurodyssey.com, slbenfica.pt, bbc.co.uk, aljazeera.net, and mweb.co.zw.

Weekend Mailbag - 17 November 2006

2006-11-17T21:15:00.000-08:00

Hey, look who we found out back digging through the rubbish bins! It's Brian, back from the dead. Let's dust him off with a few questions from the mailbag. Who knows, if he gets through this unscathed, he might actually start posting something of interest on this website again. As always, these are actual questions from actual readers...

Daniyal in Chu, Kazakhstan: Hello. I hope you like very much read this mail. I can say, we Kazakh peoples much happiness with new film by famous television star, Borat. But today, our Kazakh football team were slaughtered like daughters touched by different family in place of romance. What will world think of Kazakh peoples without very success and making World Cup? Thank you.

Brian: Daniyal, it's great to hear from you. Welcome to the internet, and welcome to Bookable Offense. Please come visit us anytime. We've been down with the Kazakhs ever since Nabby's rookie season. People here in U.S. and A. are very interested in your country thanks to your ambassador of peace, Borat. High five!

Unfortunately, your Kazakh football team must feel like they got kicked in the khrum after this week's loss to the Portuguese. While there's really no shame in losing to Portugal, your country has two points after five games, and has only managed to score one goal. While apparently it's ok to score with one's own sister in your country, perhaps you should encourage your forwards to try scoring in the opponent's goal.

If there is one silver lining, I don't think you need to worry so much about the world's perception of your country if your football team does not make Euro 2008. We already have a wonderful view on all things Kazakh thanks to our friend Borat. Chenquieh!

Chester in Longford Mills, Ontario, Canada: Hey guys! Unbelievable finish to the MLS Cup Final, eh? But what I am thinking aboot is the upcoming MLS expansion draft. Who would you take if you were running Toronto FC?

Brian: Chester, I'm sorry you didn't catch Bryce's turn with the mailbag since most regular readers know my thoughts on MLS these days. I will say that the MLS Cup Final was quite a riveting contest. Everyone loves extra time goals. Nice to see the former San Jose Earthquakes win title number 3.

It's also encouraging to find a person actually excited about professional football coming to Canada. Since you took the time to write, I'm humor you with a thoughtful response.

Toronto FC is allowed to take one player from each team. Not accounting for that mettlesome salary cap, here's who I would take: C.J. Brown (Chicago), Matt Taylor (Chivas), Jordan Harvey (Colorado), Ezra Hendrickson (Columbus), Greg Vanney (Dallas), Nick Rimando (DC), Craig Waibel (Houston), Tyson Wahl (Kansas City), Paolo Nagamura (Los Angeles), Daniel Hernandez (New England), Chris Henderson (New York), and Andy Williams (Salt Lake).

Peter in St. Pete, FL: What was the most surprising result this week in the international fixtures? I can't believe Germany was held to a draw by friggin Cyprus!

Brian: Friendlies don't matter. I've been saying it for years, and no one will listen. Germany only could muster a draw against lowly Cyprus. Big deal. The German team won't even get together again until February and doesn't have a competitive match until the end of March. So what happens on a random Wednesday in November does not matter. Ask me again in March.

Stacy in Memphis, TN: Hi, my question is for Brian (We met at that wild Playboy party). I know what a big England supporter you are, and I was just wondering what you thought of Wednesday's friendly in Holland after their two previous disappointing. And Brian, call me....

Brian: These kinds of emails make me blush. Stacy, it was lovely meeting you and I'm glad you found me here on the web. Seldom does one meet such a lovely lady at a party who is double jointed and can talk football. I hope you made it back to Memphis in one piece.

Again, I don't put much stock in friendlies. But we learned a few things from England's draw with Holland. First, 4-3-3 does not suit the English. It never has, and it never will. What McClaren is trying to do is beyond me. 3-5-2 against the Croats, and now 4-3-3? Don't change your formation to match your opponent. Stick with what the English do best, the 4-4-2, and make them adapt to you. Second, it's evident that there's something wrong with Frank Lampard when he puts on the England shirt these days. I don't know if he's pressing too much, or perhaps he's being exposed without Makelele behind him, but he's been woeful for England in the past year. Third, don't screw around with the defense! Put four in the back - any four, really, since English defenders are the best in the world - and go with it. Last, without any dynamic dribblers in midfield, England must use speed to overcome that deficiency.

Photos courtesy smh.com.au and yahoo.com. Send in your questions to bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Free Kicks - 11 November 2006

2006-11-11T10:38:00.000-08:00

No Excuses

I was going to come up with some sort of clever line to explain my absence over the past few weeks by pointing a finger at Newcastle's awful form and how I didn't want to have to think about it or face the taunts from Brian and all our favorite readers, but there really is no excuse. Jobs, the "real world", blah blah blah. It's been too long, and it won't happen again. Unless I am sent to cover the World Cup again.

As for the state of affairs on Tyneside, somehow, it's either Graeme Souness' fault, or possibly Freddy Shepherd's (just ask the boys at NUFC.com). The truth is, this team stinks. Thir d from the bottom after today's results in the EPL is simply not good enough. Maybe going after Martin O'Neil would have been better than bringing back Glen Roeder. Maybe securing the services of Jonathan Woodgate or another central defender would have made a difference (keeping Boumsong was not an option). Maybe things would be different with a healthy Michael Owen.

The truth is, something is fundamentally wrong with this club. Yes, Harper has often looked bad filling in for Shay Given, but the problems with this team are more often than not the central pair in front of the 'keeper, and not the man between the posts. Given certainly erased a huge number of errors last year, but counting on the last line of defense to win games every week just won't cut it on this level.

The other problem has been finishing chances. While things aren't quite as bad as Wayne Rooney's "finishing" (in quotes because it hardly qualified) against Blackburn today, putting the ball in the back of the net has been a huge problem. The fact that Sibierski has been singled out for praise by the manager raises any number of questions about the Toon "strike force" (ditto).

Something needs to change, and fast.

Is it Over Already?

Tomorrow afternoon on ABC, literally hundreds of viewers will tune in to see the MLS Cup championship match in Frisco, Texas. The game pits two-time bride's maids New England and two-time winners in a previous life, Houston, in what could prove to be a well-played, entertaining affair. However, given the Revolution's recent finals performances, it could turn out to be a slowed down slug fest.

In an ideal world, this game wouldn't be happening because DC United won the Supporters Shield for the best regular season record (see my MLS prediction in a Weekend Mailbag from April), which should determine the league winner. That, and the Dynamo would still be named the San Jose Earthquakes and they would have been properly viewed as the best team in MLS history since the dominant DC United teams of yesteryear.

However, since the game must be played, looking back at my predictions back in April, I still think New England will come out victorious. I like their depth and possession game, as well as the fact that they didn't stab anyone in the back and move the team during the off-season to some god-forsaken pollution monster in Texas. As much as I would like to see certain players in Orange lifting the trophy again, I would much rather not let their fans experience victory. Ever.

Eme Ve Pe

In other MLS news, Christian Gomez of DC United was crowned league MVP after turning in 14 goals and 11 assists for the Supporters Shield winners. The Argentinian midfielder (think Peckerman would like to reconsider that final World Cup roster now? Me neither.) was a dominant force, despite not being the league's fastest or flashiest player. He is just a crafty distributor and wily veteran with a nose for goal. iFelicitaciones!

Becks on Tap?

Could next year's league MVP be another foreign import? With contract talks with Real Madrid stalled while soon-to-be Sir Becks fights for a chance to remove those splinters from his backside by getting back in the starting eleven, rumors are circulating that the LA Galaxy are preparing to make a bid for David Beckham's services next season. If ever a player would fit in in Hollywood, Becks is certainly it. While I thought Red Bull would be more likely to arrange to break MLS salary rules to bring his services to New York, there would be something fitting about the former England captain landing in LA. It remains to be seen how long it would take him to realize that not having a center forward to speak of to cross to might affect his output, but if he were really willing to join MLS, would the quality of play really be an issue anymore?

The Old Lady Creeps Back to Life

And lastly, despite the point reductions for match fixing and signing Jean-Alain Boumsong, Italian giants Juventus are well on their way back to Serie A. With the point reduction reduced to 9, Del Pierro and Company are only 2 points behind first place Piacenza. It looks like talk of the Turin club's demise was a bit overzealous. In fact, AC Milan appears to be having a more difficult time adjusting to life with their point reductions in the top flight, as they currently sit in 16th place.

Pictures courtesy of revsnet.matchnight.com, football.guardian.co.uk, washingtonpost.com, and afrogoal.com.

Goals of the Month - September

2006-10-03T10:58:00.000-07:00

Thanks to our good friends at footballingworld.com for the video clip. I especially like the fifth goal...

Free Kicks - 29 September

2006-09-29T21:19:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-25T21:44:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-19T17:54:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-18T22:18:00.000-07:00

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...

2006-09-18T11:38:00.001-07:00

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

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

Weekend Mailbag - 17 September 2006

2006-09-17T20:37:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-15T12:26:00.000-07:00

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

2006-09-05T22:09:00.000-07:00

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.

Bookable Offense's Exclusive 2006/07 EPL Fashion Review

2006-08-26T21:29:00.000-07:00

Welcome ladies and gentlemen to Bookable Offense's 2006/07 English Premier League Fashion Review! As we all know by now, this is one of the most anticipated columns of the year. You can go anywhere to read an EPL season preview. But fans come here, to Bookable Offense, to see this year's new trends in football kit fashion! There are 19 teams that will finish behind Chelsea this year, but who will look good doing it? We'll tell you.

Well go team by team and look at the latest in kit fashion. We'll rate each team on a scale of one to five, with five being superb. We could use a simple number or stars to display our ratings, but instead, we'll use fashion icon and washed-up former England captain, David Beckham! Here we go...

Arsenal

Fitting we should start with a classy bunch like the Gunners! Arsenal returns this year to its traditional red shirt with white sleeves. The Nike shirt is similar to the design Brazil sported at this summer's World Cup with a raised collar. Gold accents down the sides make for a nice touch. New sponsor Emirates Airlines takes center stage on the new shirt as well headline billing at Arsenal's new stadium. The away kit remains the same (except for the sponsor change), with yellow and grey being the primary colors. There are rumors of a blue and black third shirt coming soon, but we've yet to see it.

Rating: 5 Beckhams, of course.

Aston Villa

Much like their performance on the pitch, Villa have always come up a bit short in terms of kit design. We like their support of non-mainstream kit designer Hummel. But for whatever reason, West Ham always seem to do a lot more with the exact same colors. The stripes down the sides are interesting, but distracting. The away kit is dull. We prefer the yellow bumble bee away kits from last year. One thing we are in favor of is the sponsor, 32Red, an online casino.

Rating: 3 Beckhams

Blackburn Rovers

There's always been a lot to like with the Blackburn kit. The blue and white halves to the shirt are unique and distinctive. The red lettering on the backs can be a bit difficult to read. But we're willing to with that. Besides, it's easy to point out Robbie Savage even from the upper tier. We don't like the red away kits. It seems like half of the teams in the EPL wear red. We don't need more red. Again, we like the Bet24 sponsorship, but their logo makes it appear that every player is number 24.

Rating: 3 Beckhams

Bolton

Simplicity has always taken precedence at Bolton. The Wanderers return with the same white home kit from last year. This term, Bolton takes a page out of Arsenal's book from last year and comes out with a classy maroon away kit. We like it! Reebok returns as the title sponsor. With adidas' recent acquisition, it will be interesting to see if Bolton follows suit with Liverpool and makes the switch to the three stripes (and new name for their stadium) next term.

Rating: 4 Beckhams

Charlton

The Addicks quietly are entering their seventh consecutive season of Premiership football. To mark the occasion, Charlton has unvieled perhaps its sharpest kit yet. Their home kit has gone from just another red and white kit to a sharp, distinguishable uniform with the addition of white panels across the shoulders. It's a nice touch. The white and black away kit is also a real winner. The results may be mixed on the pitch this year at The Valley, but the Addicks will look good whatever the outcome.

Rating: 5 Beckhams

Chelsea

The defending champs make the switch from Umbro to adidas this year. While the Umbro kit basically became a blue and gold version of the England kit, we are even more disappointed with the lack of creativity that adidas displays with this effort. Sure, you can only do so much with solid blue. But couldn't they have kept the lovely gold accents from last year? The away kit, which Chelsea could have made up some serious creativity points with, is a rather drab solid white. Are they Chelsea or Greece? It's hard to tell.

Rating: 2 Beckhams

Everton

After a shocking 4th place finish two seasons ago, Everton looks to bounce back from a subpar year on the pitch and in the dressing room. The Toffees unvielded a respectable Umbro kit. Unfortunately, once again Umbro has proven to be either too cheap or too lazy to come up with anything that's drastically different from the template they use for the England kit. We like the white ring around the collar, but that's the only feature worth noting. The white and grey away kit is unremarkable as well. Bonus points for keeping Chang Beer as a sponsor, even though none of us in the office have tried it.

Rating: 3 Beckhams

Fulham

We have always been big fans of the Fulham kit. Sure, it's white. But we've always liked how they've been able to incorporate their secondary colors - red and black - to make a really nice kit. This year, we aren't so sure. Fulham switch from Puma to a company called Airness. Airness' logo features a panther or cougar of sorts - nothing at all like Puma's logo, right? On the home kit, the black framing in the front reminds us too much of Nike's 2002 World Cup uniforms. Fulham has yet to release their away shirt, but we're guessing it'll be red or black. The sponsor remains Pipex, which we think is a British ISP. We miss the Pizza Hut days of old.

Rating: 2 Beckhams

Liverpool

Like Chelsea in blue, there's only so much you can do with solid red. But call me a traditionalist, but Liverpool has always done red right. That is until this year. Liverpool made the switch from Reebok to adidas with mixed results. The three stripes take away from the solid red look just a bit. And the shirts are just another cookie-cutter version of adidas' World Cup kits, complete with the three stripe numbers on the Champions League shirt. We are coming around on the all-yellow away kits. The red is subtle and complements the yellow nicely. Remember kids, subtlety is key.

Rating: 3 Beckhams

Manchester City

Call me biased, but I've always loved a solid-colored shirt with a different colored sleeves. City's new Reebok home kit is a real winner. The normal sky blue shirt is accented with white sleeves. We like it! The away shirts a little too much like Arsenal's, but we're OK with that. You might be the second team in Manchester, but you are first when it comes to looking good. Well done, City.

Rating: 4 Beckhams

Manchester United

New owners, a new sponsor, and new home and away kits this year for the Red Devils. There are a few subtle changes to the Man Utd home kit. There's little, if any, black on the red home shirt. The club crest is now on a badge, similar to what Nike did with Holland's home shirts. The away kits go from awkward blue back to simple white and black. Classy and simple. The one complaint is the logo of new sponsor AIG. If anyone has a more plain and boring logo, I haven't found it.

Rating: 4 Beckhams

Middlesbrough

'Boro's kit has always been a bit unspectacular. With so many red-kitted teams in the EPL, it's easy for the Middlesbroughs and Charltons of the world to get lost in the shuffle. 'Boro has tried to distinguish itself in recent years with a white stripe across the chest and black numbering. It is a nice touch to stand out a bit in the sea of red. The away kit changes from solid blue to solid white this year. It's not a very creative change.

Rating: 3 Beckhams

Newcastle

At the risk of seriously stroking Bryce's ego, Newcastle United has always had one of the best kits in the whole world. After all, they pioneered the vertical stripes look at so many teams around the world have copied. The Magpies haven't changed much over the years, and that's a good thing. This year's kit features wider striping and white panels on the side. While it might be change for the sake of change, it still works. We also love the away kit, which is maroon (always a sharp color on the pitch) with blue sleeves. Well done, Newcastle.

Rating: 5 Beckhams

Portsmouth

Portsmouth's kit has always been pretty sharp. Sure, it screams a little too much "French national team" (oddly, many English would prefer that Portsmouth left England and became part of France). But no one else in England does blue, white, and red as well as Pompey. Then again, no one else in the EPL is wearing blue, white and red. This year's home kit isn't much different from those in the past, save white stripes around the shoulders. Sadly, Pompey loses points with a rather drab white kit. You can do better than that, lads.

Rating: 4 Beckhams

Reading

Loyal readers will know that I've been talking up the Royals here for the last few weeks. So do you expect me to critcize their kits? Of course not. Reading is the only team in the EPL to feature horizontal stipes. We like anything unique, so count us among the fans of the Royals inaugural EPL kits. Plus, we've always been big Puma supporters around these parts. And if you've learned anything from this articile, it's that we like maroon on the pitch. So the away kit is also a real winner. Let's hope we see Reading in the EPL for years to come.

Rating: 5 Beckhams

Sheffield United

The Blades are back in the EPL and taking over Sunderland's role of "red and white striped shirt team that will be relegated after one season." And with their away kit, Sheffield United has also taken West Brom's role of "white and black striped shirt team that will be relegated as well." Hmmm, things aren't looking good for the Blades, are they?

Rating: 3 Beckhams

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs had one of the best kits in England last year. White shirts with navy blue sleeves and blue shorts? With a kit that sharp, Spurs belong in Europe. When we heard Tottenham was switching to Puma this year, we had high hopes for an even better kit. So what did they do? They switched to a plain...white...shirt. Yawn. And what's with the new blue rooster on the badge? That'll teach us to expect too much coming from those clowns at White Hart Lane. OK, so we like the away shirt. But the damage has already been done.

Rating: 2 Beckhams

Watford

Well, we might as well not mince words. We aren't expecting much out of the Hornets this year. Quite frankly, it's still a shock that they even won a spot in the Premiership. While their stay in the top flight might not be long, it'll certainly be memorable. That's because you can't help but notice the shockingly bad yellow and red kits. If Watford is going for the cartoon superhero look, mission accomplished. The only saving grace is the respectable all-navy blue away kit. Unfortunately, since Watford's primary color is yellow, we won't be seeing it really much at all this year.

Rating: 1 Beckham

West Ham

The Hammers returned to the EPL in style last term with an impressive ninth place finish and a UEFA Cup spot to boot. That accomplishment alone will earn you some style points. West Ham returns with its standard maroon shirt with sky blue sleeves. It's traditional, it works, and it's better than Aston Villa's version of the same shirt. We also like the solid navy blue away kit, which is a big improvement from the white away kit. Bonus points are awarded for an appropriate sponsor, JobServe. I'm all for encouraging those lazy East Londoners to get off their butts and find their next dishwashing job.

Rating: 4 Beckhams

Wigan

We end our survey with a look at the Latics. What is a Latic, by the way? It's short for athletic, as in Wigan Athletic. Ingenious. The blue home kit is pretty simple. We're not so sure about the shoulder pad effect created by the white shoulders and sleeves. We like the navy blue away kit. But we've been seeing a lot of navy blue away kits here recently. Apparently navy blue is in this season.

Rating: 2 Beckhams

Photos courtesy nndb.com, yahoo.com, shop.avfc.co.uk, rovers-store.com, cafc.co.uk, chelseamegastore.com, evertonfc.com, mcfc.co.uk, kitbag.com, shop.mfc.co.uk, shop.nufc.co.uk, football.co.uk, readingfc.co.uk, sufc.co.uk, tottenhamhotspur.com, watfordfc.co.uk, and jjbsports.com. Send us your fashion dos and don'ts at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Weekend Mailbag - 25 August

2006-08-24T13:14:00.000-07:00

It's that time again, faithful readers. This week Bryce takes a turn delving into the old mailbag to answer your emails.

Frank in West Sacramento, CA: Chelsea lost on Wednesday! Can you believe it? Maybe they aren't invincible after all?

Bryce: Skeptics of the demise of the Stamford Bride dynasty will point out that last season Chelsea lost 3-0 in the same fixture without damaging their title defense in the least. Maybe they have even improved, they might say.

I on the other hand, think this is a sign of things to come. Like others who will eventually come around to see the light, I believe this Chelsea squad faces issues unlike any previous incarnation in the Chelski era. While not at the heart of the issue as of yet because of the injury to Michael Ballack, I don't think they can defend as well with this lineup as they have in the past - not for lack of talent, but rather, a disgusting overabundance.

The club is intent on playing four in the back, that much is certain. That leaves six field players to be selected from Schevchenko, Drogba, Robben, Cole, Lampard, Ballack, Makelele, Essien, Diarra, Wright-Phillips, and Mikel (unless they make any more signings in the next week). If Schevchenko is utilized as a lone striker, the five positions in midfield must feature Lampard and Ballack in the middle where they are both most effective. Two of their wingers, say Robben and Cole, can then line up to attack out wide as we are accustomed to seeing. That leaves one spot left over for Makalele to play in front of the back four.

The goals should certainly be more forthcoming this season with such an attack-minded team. The problem is, the lineup leaves gaping holes on defense between the wingers and the fullbacks. Without a more balanced shape in midfield, Chelsea will be much more vulnerable to counter attacks, as even the great Makelele cannot be asked to cover that much ground.

They might yet still straighten the ship before the season is lost, but look for Chelsea to concede more goals and let more than these three points slip away.

Ronnie in Bloomington, IN: Bryce, I liked your gutsy Liverpool pick for the EPL title. However I see a few problems for the Reds. They haven't been able to win away from Anfield consistently under Benitez. Also, how do you balance a midfield with so many stars: Gerrard, Garcia, Alonso, Sissoko, Zenden, Riise, Pennant, Gonzales, Kewell - the list goes on. Your thoughts?

Bryce: As far as winning on the road, there is simply no excuse for a team of such talent to have problems with the likes of Sheffield United. Blame it on the fixture congestion if you must. But yes, everything else that can be said is meaningless if they can't improve their away form.

And for your second point, this problem does look at first glance exactly like the problem Chelsea is facing that I have just been bemoaning. The key difference for me however, is how they are able to interchange parts, but also maintain their form. Sissoko and Alonso when both fit will usually anchor the midfield, as ball winner and distibutor respectively. This pushes Gerrard out to the right side as he is now accustomed to under Benitez. On the left, the likes of Kewell, Pennant, and Riise all make for tantalizing options depending on the opponent. Most importantly, they present a much more balanced team. A Mark Gonzalez or Luis Garcia can be brought in for extra attacking muscle, but the cover provided by the rest of midfield makes a huge difference.

What I think should have more punters and pundits considering the Pool's chances this season is the drastic upgrade to the strikeforce which seemed to single-handedly hold them back at times for enormous stretches last season. Crouch, Bellamy, Kuyt, and Fowler should be a much more potent attack. And I certainly don't see midfield congestion being an issue for this club considering its fixture schedule.

Gunther in Las Vegas, NV: What are your impressions of the Bundesliga? I am sad to see the league become more of a selling league than a buying league. The days when teams like Stuttgart, Dortmund, or Leverkusen could compete for honors seem to be over and only Bayern Munich has a deep squad. What do you guys think?

Bryce: Danke schön für deine Frage, Gunther. I am still gaining my sea legs in the opening weeks of Bundesliga action, but would love to share my thoughts. Aside from following the action in the papers, I also attended the Hertha - Hannover match last weekend and left with some lasting impressions.

First, the good:

1) They sell beer at the stadium by the liter. For children and the elderly it comes in half-liter cups as well. Needless to say, this makes for a spirited atmosphere. I would like to know where the one-liter option was during the World Cup, but whatever.

2) The Olympiastadium was the third stadium I've seen since my arrival, but only the second home to a Bundesliga club (Leipzig has two lower-division teams which share its stadium). All three were nice, but the Olympiastadium was amazing. It is home to so much history, from Jesse Owens' name on the list of gold medalists and the Marathon Gate, to the site where Zidane went postal during last month's World Cup final, and it makes for an unforgettable football-watching experience. While Berlin is home to arguably the league's finest stadium, all of Germany's World Cup venues received glowing reviews from fans all over.

3) While many outside fans consider the Bundesliga to be a one-team league (like the rest of Europe's domestic leagues of late), Werder Bremen is quietly playing entertaining, attacking football and could threaten to win its second title in 4 years this season. Bremen isn't the largest club or the wealthiest, but for several seasons now their brand of attacking football has led to goals a plenty. Unfortunately, they have just been drawn into the Champions League "Group of Death" with Barcelona and Chelsea, so they might find themselves in the UEFA Cup before too long. But after their win against Leverkusen last weekend, they appear to be the main challengers to Munich's crown. I look forward to seeing Miroslav Klose continue his magical form as well as the team's new creative sensation, the Brazilian Diego.

4) I am a big fan of supporters singing songs for their clubs. While not exactly "You'll Never Walk Alone," it was impressive to hear the Hertha supporters greet their players for the opening home match of the new season. Far surpassing that however, was the song I learned on the subway ride home. Loosely translated (OK, directly) translated as "Take the Lederhosen off the Bavarians," it's a lovely little diddy everyone sings after a win, regardless of the opponents. It's a song directed at Bayern Munich, but everyone feels good singing it on any occasion. Fantastic.

Second, the bad:

1) As much as I enjoyed my first trip to the Olympiastadium, there were only 37,000 or so other spectators there with me. What's to complain about? That makes for a stadium a little over half-full, and this was the home opener for Berlin's biggest club on a beautiful, sunny afternoon. And it is sadly the norm when the opponent doesn't draw in additional spectators. While other teams continue to play in front of packed stadiums, roughly 1% of the city of Berlin's population found the game worth attending. They missed an incredible performance, loads of cheap beer, and a 4-0 victory. It's a shame.

2) Trying to watch a game on TV here is next to impossible. Almost every game is only available through a satellite or premium cable service. The provider for this season has changed, so establishments with the old set up can show Champions League matches, but not Bundesliga games. If they want to show Bundesliga matches, which they evidently don't, they have to subscribe to the new service. Basically, life was much easier during the World Cup when everyone and their grandma had all the games on. Maybe not showing games on TV helps gets fans in seats in other cities....

3) You're right Gunther, after the tremendous success as World Cup hosts, many people thought it would be a boost for the domestic league and that new faces would come ply their trade in the Bundesliga. On the whole, more big name players have gone in the opposite direction. That being said, clubs have also been able to hold onto stars that might otherwise have been tempted away from big-spending foreign clubs. Sure, they lost Ballack and Rosicky for example, but having the resources to keep players like Klose and Hargreaves is also a good sign of financial stability and hopefully continued success for the league.

Taylor in Mansfield, MA: I hate to say "I told you so," but the US sure was a flop in Germany. There was no creativity, no consistency, and no one who would shoot! Where does the US team go from here? Do you expect US Soccer to make a run at Klinsmann?

Bryce: I fully expect the US Soccer Federation to do everything in its power to have Jürgen Klinsmann take over as full-time manager before the end of the calendar year. If they can't pursuade him, don't be surprised if the job goes to DC United manager Peter Nowak. Both men would bring a different approach to the team and could bring in some very different faces to represent the Stars and Stipes in the coming few years.

Many of the familiar faces have already announced their "retirements." As if Eddie Pope really needed to tell us he wouldn't be playing for the US again....That being said, the old guard will need to be replaced somehow. I think the next wave of American players are more likely to feature creative, attacking midfield players that might alleviate some of your concern.

The continuing development of DeMarcus Beasely and Bobby Convey will be huge. Also look for Beasely's teammate at PSV, Lee Nguyen to begin getting chances with the USMNT. Freddy Adu will eventually have to be introduced into the lineup, and Clint Dempsey should also see increased playing time. There are a lot of things to like about this young group of players (especially if the can push Landon Donovan out of the picture).

The one name I would add to the mix as a holding midfield player is Ricardo Clark. He is a tough tackler and great distributor of the ball from the back of midfield. If he continues to develop and eventually make his move to Europe, he could become a fixture in the US side for years to come.

With all that in mind, I think the US should make a return to Copa America next summer in Venenzuela and field the following starting eleven with an eye towards the future:

Tim Howard; Corey Gibbs, Oguchi Onyewu, Jonathan Spector, Heath Pearce; Clark, Convey, Beasley, Dempsey; Eddie Johnson, Brian Ching.

Spots on the bench for:

Jay DeMerit, Adu, Michael Bradley, Bobby Boswell, Conor Casey, Nguyen, and either Reis or Guzan in net.

All of these guys should be moving to clubs in Europe ASAP if any coach is going to have a chance at competing with the best countries in the world.

And yes, I realize that few coaches would leave out Donovan, but I have given up on him. I want someone capable of taking on the real world, not just Real Salt Lake (and yes, I get bonus points for the clever MLS-pun).

Anthony in White Plains, NY: England sure did look good against Greece! Should we be excited about the McClaren era, or was this result due to the ineptitude of a clearly struggling Greek squad? What do you think is England's best Starting XI in the post-Sven era?

Bryce: Well Anthony, I think the answer lies somewhere in the middle. Yes, England looked sharp in their first outing sans Becks and Sven. And yes, the Greeks made life very easy for them as well. But, overall, it is a great start and few will complain about McClaren's debut friendly result. The big stink will come when we see anything less when the Euro 2008 qualifiers begin.

As for my ideal England Starting XI, I will refrain from naming injured or retired players (Why Alan? Why?), and stick to who is actually available for club and country right now. The 'keeper and most of the back four remain unchanged for me: Robinson, Cole (assuming he starts playing for someone), Terry, and Ferdinand are locks. Given the Neville injury, Luke Young gets the job at right back. In midfield, I would play Joe Cole on the left, Lampard and Hargreaves in the middle, and Gerrard out right. Rooney and Crouch would partner up top, but I would love to see Dean Ashton play alongside the Manchester United youngster in the coming months to see what he can do.

That also leaves a ton of good options to come in off the bench to provide a change of pace when necessary. Brian, I'm sure, would take the time to reiterate his desire to see more speed on the pitch, but I'm still not convinced you can sacrifice a Lampard or Gerrard for an Aaron Lennon for 90 minutes. 20 to 30 I can live with, but anything more right now would be a crime.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com and thethao.vietnamnet.vn. Thanks for the emails, keep 'em coming. And don't worry, the EPL Fashion Review is almost here!

6th Annual EPL Preseason Awards Prediction Spectacular

2006-08-18T10:09:00.000-07:00

With the start of the Premiership season just hours away, we invite our readers to learn all about what is going to happen over the next ten months with our latest EPL Preseason Awards Prediction Spectacular. Brian and Bryce take turns looking into the future of what is to come this season in England.

Most Surprising Team

Bryce: Building on last season's remarkable display of resiliency and key new faces brought in this summer, Portsmouth will play well enough to land itself in the top half of the table. Kanu, Calamity James, the oft-forgotten Glen Johnson, and Sol Campbell bring confidence and experience to the defense and the creative attacking options that Harry Redknapp recruited in the January transfer window will continue to click for Pompey. Any time Portsmouth aren't involved in a relegation battle, people should be surprised.

Brian: Last year, we were getting "Wiggy" with it with Wigan Athletic's outstanding mid-table performance. This year, I expect similar results out of Premiership newcomers Reading. While no one expects the Royals to be competing with the Chelseas and Liverpools of the world, Reading has the players, the manager, and the boardroom support to finish mid-table and well clear of the relegation zone. Expect young midfielders Steve Sidwell and Bobby Convey to turn a lot of heads this year.

Most Disappointing Team

Brian: Tottenham Hotspur was one win away from Champions League football last term. This year, Spurs will be many wins away from the world's premier club competition. Losing Michael Carrick, the engine that ran the midfield, is a tremendous blow. Ledley King has had trouble recovering from injury problems. There are concerns up front; Mido is gone, Jermaine Defoe is too inconsistent, and Dimitar Berbatov is unproven. With a thin squad and UEFA Cup football this term, the games will come quickly for Spurs. That could lead to some Premiership struggles in 2006/07.

Bryce: Seeing more faces leaving the dressing room than steady replacements coming in means Bolton face a tough task in maintaining their level of consistancy under Sam Allardyce. Out are Okocha, Nakata, and Jaidi, all first-team regulars at the Reebok. And in? Why, the commanding presences of Abdoulaye Meite, Idan Tal, and Quinton Fortune, of course. They did manage to hold onto captain Kevin Nolan, but it looks like Bolton are in for a big dip in points come May.

Best New Signing

Bryce: While much has been and should be made of the man he is replacing, Craig Bellamy, new Blackburn man Benny McCarthy will prove to be a fantastic signing for Rovers. A proven goal-scorer and winner across Europe, the South African will bring scoring punch to help replace the pace and feistiness of the Welshman and keep Rovers in the hunt for more European football next season. Already a £4 million profit after the sale of hispredecessorr, don't be surprised if McCarthy tops Bellamy's goal total of 13 EPL goals of last season as well. A close challenge could come from new Everton man and England hopeful Andy Johnson.

Brian: If Liverpool had one major weakness last season, it clearly was goalscoring. Enter Craig Bellamy. The Welsh striker has resurrected his career and reputation after a successful stint with Blackburn, and now will get to lead the attack at Anfield. When his head is right, Bellamy is one of the most consistent scorers in the EPL. With Steven Gerrard and Xabi Alonso feeding him and Peter Crouch drawing defenders away from him, Bellamy might have his best season yet.

Worst New Signing

Brian: We love Sol Campbell here at Bookable Offense, but what exactly is the logic behind his move to Portsmouth? Campbell, pushed by the younger and hungrier Philippe Senderos, saw the writing on the wall at Arsenal. But when he asked out of his contract this summer, it was with the understanding that he wanted to move abroad. While the English would like to tell you that Portsmouth is a foreign country, Pompey isn't playing in La Liga or Serie A this term. What Campbell hopes to accomplish at an obscure, bottom-of-the-table club isn't exactly clear. At this point of his career, he's injury prone and his head and his heart don't exactly appear to be into football anymore.

Bryce: Since I can't find anyone important with the last name of Thompson anywhere in the league, I'll instead point to everyone's favorite target at one point in life, Emile Heskey. Everyone loved Wigan and manager Paul Jewell last season, but throwing 5.5 million quid to Birmingham for the goal-less wonder? I can't say I agree with the gaffer this time and it just might be the kind of purchase that jeopardizes the club's chances of sticking around the Premiership for a third season.

Best Young Player

Bryce: As boring as it is to say, I still think a motivated Cristiano Ronaldo will end up being the young star of the season. Motivated to win back the support of Man U supporters following his "alleged" involvement in Wayne Rooney's dismissal at the World Cup, the young Portuguese star should be an inspired force in the Red Devil attack. With an ever-increasingly strengthened midfield to feed the exciting winger, he should get plenty of chances to create for himself or even the other kid on the team, Mr. Rooney himself.

Brian: While I'm very excited to see what Steve Sidwell will do at Reading this year, it's hard to name a more talented young footballer on the planet right now than Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas. The 19-year old added "World Cup star" to his CV this past summer. This will mark his third year as an Arsenal regular. If last year's magical Champions League run showed us anything, it's that Fabregas is as valuable to the Gunners' success as Thierry Henry. Expect Fabregas, who has taken Patrick Vieira's old number 4 shirt, to take up more of a leadership role and pick up his goalscoring rate in the season ahead.

Player of the Year

Brian: They say it usually takes a foreign player at least a year to settle in the Premiership. That won't be the case for Andriy Shevchenko. If there's been one knock against Chelsea during the Abramovich-Mourinho era, it's that the Blues have played a slow-it-down, defensive style of football. That won't be the cast this year with Sheva leading the charge. Shevchenko is that rare striker who sets up just as many goals as he scores. He's among the best in the world, and his play could possibly elevate Chelsea even higher.

Bryce: I feel it necessary to preface my following statements with this: if there were a manager of the year award, it would wind up in the hands of one Rafa Benitez. That being said, the player of the year will not be wearing the blue of Chelsea, but instead will be wearing red. That man will be Steven Gerrard. With the new firepower in the form of Bellamy and Dirk Kuyt brought in to accompany the robot-dancing, head-on-a-broomstick Peter Crouch, opposing defences will be even more vulnerable to the class, power, and determination that so absolutely defines the play of the Liverpool captain. Watch for even bigger and better things from Stevie G this campaign.

And the Winner Is...

Bryce: This season I think the gap will be closed for two reasons. Number one, Mourinho seems intent to fundamentally change the style and system of the Blues' play. It will take time for the team to adjust and learn how to play with such a crowded and offensive-minded midfield. Number two, it does not take a psychic to predict that the focus of this year's efforts for the boys from the Bridge will be to win the Champions League. Winning in Europe and winning the ten-month marathon of the Premiership are two distinct tasks. With the new weapons at his disposal, I think the Rafa Revolution will bear fruit come May for Liverpool.

Brian: While I think they won't have it wrapped up by Christmas this year, it's hard to pick anyone but Chelsea. I think Liverpool, Arsenal, and certainly Manchester United will give the Blues a run for the money this year. But as long as Abramovich is throwing is rubles around like Monopoly money, the title is Chelsea's to lose.

Champions League

Brian:
2. Manchester United
3. Arsenal
4. Liverpool

Bryce:
2. Chelsea
3. Manchester United
4. Tottenham Hotspur

Relegation Zone

Bryce:
18. Aston Villa
19. Sheffield United
20. Watford

Brian:
18. Charlton Athletic
19. Sheffield United
20. Watford

Final Thoughts

Brian: Bryce is either trying to be cute with his pick or is sipping on too much smuggled absinthe from across the Czech border. While Liverpool will be improved, the Reds, much like Arsenal, concede too many goals and go through too many bad spells on the road to be considered true threats. No one will score on Chelsea. That's why you can't pick against them. With Cech in goal and anchors like Makelele and Essien in midfield, plus a bolstered attack with Ballack and Sheva, you can't pick against the Blues. Watch out for Man Utd. Sir Alex quietly has built a young, stubborn, hungry squad at Old Trafford.

Bryce: With the close of the transfer window still almost two weeks away, things could still be shaken up a bit even at the top of the table. The futures of William Gallas, Ashley Cole, Jose Antonio Reyes, Marcos Senna, Mido, Pascal Chimbonda or even Owen Hargreaves could all tip the balance for one club or another in the battle for Champions League play next year. When the transfer window closes (and Newcastle finally has a new striker) the fog should clear a bit more on this season. At least this year it should be a contest.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com, viewimages.com, icnetwork.co.uk, and originalabsinthe.com. Do you disagree with our football experts? Tell us what you think by emailing us here.

Weekend Mailbag - 12 August

2006-08-12T16:30:00.000-07:00

The ever-popular "Weekend Mailbag" is back! After our summer holiday, Bryce and Brian are back to answer your probing football questions and give you, the reader, a forum to voice your thoughts on the world of football. Send in your questions and comments for our next mailbag! Today Brian steps up to the penalty spot. Unlike David Trezuguet, he always comes through in the clutch. As always, these are actual questions from actual readers...

Anuj in Milpitas, CA: Looks like Steve McClaren really wants to shake things up with the England squad. I applaud his decision to drop pretty-boy Beckham, but I'm afraid he'll get recalled for Euro 2008 qualifiers. Do you think Becks is out of the England squad for good? What are your impressions of McClaren?

Brian: I was pleasantly surprised to see Beckham dropped from the England squad. Let's be honest here. Beckham hasn't delivered the goods in an England shirt since his marvelous free kick against Greece in 2001. That was five years ago. Since then, Becks has been hopelessly off the pace, a defensive liability, and nothing more than a free kick specialist. We all know about my man-crush on speedy, skillful wingers. Becks has never been one of those. While Sven is crying in his Chianti in Tuscany right now, I am pleased and hope that McClaren follows suit and starts Aaron Lennon in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. Sven's team of stars didn't work. It's time for England to field a proper football team.

Roger in Des Moines, IA: Brian, given the fact that you're an Arsehole fan, where do you think Ashley Cole would rank on the list of all-time villains should he complete his move cross town to Chelsea?

Brian: Let's watch our language around here, Roger. Cole is just another egotistical, selfish athlete who puts himself above any loyalty towards a team that nurtured him and gave him his big break. It's all sad, really. Was Cole underpaid? Yes. But that doesn't mean it's OK to personally arrange a meeting with Jose Mourinho and Peter Kenyon. And, once you get caught, it's not OK to go around whining about it and blaming your current employer that you've been fined. The whole situation reeks of unprofessionalism. With that said, I think the Cole saga reveals a big problem facing Arsenal. English players do not feel comfortable at Arsenal. Arsene Wenger reminds us that he doesn't check the passports of his players. But Arsenal is an English club, and unless it creates an environment that's more conducive for English players, you can expect a lot more Flaminis, Fabregases, and Toures then Lampards, Gerrards, or Carricks at the Emirates Stadium.

Betsy in Tempe, AZ: Who's your money on in Italy this season, Inter or Roma? Or do you think Milan can pull it off? Or should the question really be, "Who's giving the referees the money this year?"

Brian: It would take a minor miracle for Internazionale to NOT win the Scudetto. In the past month, Inter has added Crespo, Ibrahimovich, Vieira, Dacourt, Cesar, and Grosso. And last time I checked, that Adriano cat still wears blue and black. Yikes. But Inter is famous for choking, and despite the eight point penalty, I expect AC Milan to be in the running for the Serie A crown. As for Roma, I'm afraid the giallorossi just doesn't have the depth to compete. With guaranteed Champions League football and soon-to-be 30-year old Francesco Totti, I had hopes that Roma would spend some cash to bolster its squad. But that hasn't happened. So expect the Scudetto to end up in Milan this next spring, one way or another.

William in Glasgow: Aye. What does Bryce know about Hearts? Can he even name one of their players? People in Edinburgh don't even like Hearts.

Brian: I'm with you on that one, William. Funny how Bryce starts getting all excited about Hearts once some Russian gazillionaire buys the team and they start winning. Isn't Clan Campbell from up in the Highlands? What about Inverness, Bryce? It's looking like Hearts participation in the Champions League will be short lived. Whether or not Bryce's interest in the team also is short lived remains to be seen.

Photos courtesy yahoo.com, deadspin.com, and home.debitel.net. It's good to be back. If you want to take Brian to task or just see your name on the internet, send in a question to our mailbag at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Free Kicks - 7 August 2006

2006-08-07T04:22:00.000-07:00

After several weeks of life in hiding, Bryce has returned to the world of Bookable Offense just in time to get the ball rolling with Brian as the new European seasons begin. Today, Bryce will be sharing some of his reflections on the World Cup experience and some thoughts on recent developments in the world of football.

Back from the Depths
It has been a long month since the World Cup final here in Berlin. Here is my advice for anyone going to South Africa in 2010:

Don't plan on updating your blog very often. Things are hectic, internet connections aren't always what you're used to, and well, when you're there, that's the important thing. Soak it up, and look for Steve Nash on the day of the final.
Don't break your camera. Better yet, don't break your girlfriend's camera.
Wait to buy your official merchandise until after the tournament ends. Hard to beat 75% off and it only requires staying an extra two weeks. Highly recommended. I'm up to my ears in Goleo gear. They're practically giving the stuff away....
If you get the chance, sell a ticket or two for anything after the group stage. I'm not proud about this one, but selling my ticket to the Germany/Argentina match paid for most of my trip this summer - and it was the cheapest ticket available (55 euros). On a side note, I was offered the chance to trade the same ticket for an England/Portugal ticket, but that would have been impossible for me to sell - it would have been worth twice as much on the street, but I could never have turned down the chance to watch that match. Watching England lose on penalty kicks in person again probably would have made me jump in front of a train anyway, so I did the right thing. At least that's what I keep telling myself.
One out of every three Englishmen you meet on trains has a gigantic England flag that is too large to get through security. I find this fascinating, but I suppose it doesn't constitute advice in any form, so just ignore it.
Definitely make an effort to chat with fans from different countries. Going to Fan Zones (or even better in Germany, beer gardens) and chatting it up with drunken Ukrainians or Angolans is half the fun.

I'll leave you with that and get on to some more pressing matters.

Troubleski?
It appears that all might not be right with two-time defending Premiership champions Chelsea, despite another summer of blockbuster signings. While the loss to the MLS All-Stars this weekend might not be a cause for panic, the injury to Joe Cole, the unsettling William Gallas situation, and the ongoing Ashley Cole saga are distractions, if not outright concerns. Hernan Crespo, who was never given a fair shake under Jose Mourinho, has left for Internazionale, and Didier Drogba is rumored to be unsettled at the club. With less than two weeks to go before the start of the Premiership season and the impending closing of the transfer window, Mourinho will need to right his ship in a hurry.

#9 Wanted
Speaking of transfer window issues, what the world is taking Newcastle so long to sign a new striker? Without the injured Michael Owen (lets just assume permanently and not fool ourselves) or the retired Alan Shearer, the Magpies have one out and out striker on their roster, Shola Ameobi. Technically, Albert Luque played some striker in Spain, but if he plays, which is a big if, it will most likely be as a left-sided wing player opposite Damien Duff. Even with a surplus of serviceable midfielders, Newcastle simply can't play with Ameobi as the lone striker forever. Luring a big name player will be more difficult without the draw of Champions League play, so don't be surprised if the Toon end up with less than an A-List striker, despite their obvious need. Here's hoping for an early end to Big Al's retirement....

Bayern Vulnerable?
Not much has been made of the preseason tournament here in Germany that saw Werder Bremen trounce defending Bundesliga champs Bayern Munich in the final, but it might be a bad omen for the defending champs. Losing their best player in recently shorn new Chelsea recruit Michael Ballack leaves a big hole in midfield. Their biggest addition this summer was World Cup young star Lukas Podolski, but with Roy Makaay, Roque Santa Cruz, and Claudio Pizarro among others already on the books, striker was far from a position of need. The pursuit of Ruud van Horsieface made even less sense for the same reason. We'll be able to tell as early as this Friday when Bayern opens the Bundesliga season against Dortmund if they'll be able to keep the good times rolling, or if troubled times are ahead.

Jambos Juice
It would be a crime not to at least get in a word about the hot start for SPL title-contenders Hearts. Not only have they handled their first Champions League qualifying tie with success, but they recently dispatched defending champions Celtic to move to the top of the Scottish table after two weeks. Rangers have already drawn and with the victory over the Hoops, the Jambos are in pole position in league play and are soon off to Athens to continue their European campaign. Here's wishing the lads continued success.

Don't forget to check out Brian's upcoming Fall Fashion Review and our EPL Pre-season Post-season Awards Spectacular.

Until then, stay classy, planet earth.

Pics courtesy karstadquelle.com, yahoo.com, telegraph.co.uk, and kassiesa.com. Now that Bryce is back from the dead, send him (and Brian) an email at mailto:%20bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Free Kicks - 25 July 2006

2006-07-25T20:37:00.000-07:00

Bookable Offense is Back
After a two week break following our daily coverage of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, we're back with semi-regular updates throughout the summer as we prepare to embark on the 2006/07 season. The English Premier League kicks off play in less than four weeks, boys and girls. We'll have full coverage of what's going on in the transfer market and previews of the upcoming season. The mailbag will return, so send in your questions for Brian and Bryce on anything and everything relating to the world of football. And we'll once again bring you our most anticipated preseason feature, "Fashion Corner," where Brian will take a look at this season's "must haves" and "don't bothers" in the world of football kit fashion. Let's let the good times roll.

Final World Cup Thoughts
Well, what can we say that already hasn't been said? The Italians were worthy champions. The Azzurri have the best defense in the world and clutch players who came up big when it counted. Like most finals, this one was not the most eye-pleasing as far as football matches go. But it was tense and relatively well played. The French outplayed Italy in midfield for most of the contest. But Italy got stronger as the game went on. By the end of the game, France's four most dangerous players - Vieira (injury), Ribery, Henry (exhaustion), and Zidane (lunacy) - were off the pitch and even though it would go to penalties, Italy always looked to be the winner. It was no surprise that David Trezuguet, one of the most overrated players in the world, missed his kick. Still, making the finals was an impressive and surprising accomplishment for the unfancied French. Despite Zidane's madness, France can hold its head up high. The same can't be said for the dire English or overrated Brazilians. This World Cup might be remembered for big disappointments and poor officiating than it will be for the good things. But let's give a hand to the Germans, who put on a good show both on the pitch and off.

Italian Hangover
It looks as if the final verdict in the Italian match fixing probe is in. While the punishment for the four teams involved - Juventus, Fiorentina, Lazio, and AC Milan - was not as harsh as many had hoped, the message has been sent. Juventus likely will have at least a two year battle back to top-flight football and a three-year wait until European play. Fiorentina and Lazio will find it nearly impossible to compete for the Serie A crown next year and will have a serious challenge to get into Europe next term. Milan got a slap on the wrist. But you can bet they won't try anything sneaky in the near future. The good news is that teams that played straight and fair like Internazionale, AS Roma, and Chievo will be in the Champions League this term. As for the weeks ahead, we likely will not see many players leave the teams remaining in Serie A. But the sell off at Juve has already begun. Thuram, Emerson, Cannavaro, and Zambrotta are already gone. Look for all of Juventus' foreign-based stars - Trezuguet, Vieira, Ibrahimovich, Mutu, etc. - to move on. The jury is out if Italian stars Buffon or Del Piero will leave, or if Pavel Nedved will retire. Expect a very active August in the Italian transfer market.

Goodbye to a Legend
Arsenal said hello and goodbye all in one special day this past Sunday. As the classy English team opened its state-of-the-art, self-funded stadium, the team said goodbye to Dennis Bergkamp with a testimonial match. Simply put, Bergkamp is one of the classiest players the game has ever seen. Many in England credit the likes of Bergkamp and Eric Cantona for rebuilding English football in the 1990s after the five-year English ban from European football and opened the door for the world's best players to come to England. At Arsenal, Bergkamp is a legend. He has played a vital role in all of the club's success in the past decade and helped return the team to among England's elite. On a personal note, Dennis Bergkamp is one of the main reasons I'm a football fan. At the 1994 World Cup in the USA, Bergkamp's class and skill left a lasting impression on me that led me to becoming a football fan years later (not to mention an Arsenal supporter). There's only one Dennis Bergkamp, and he will be missed. Here's a little something to remember him by:

Transfer of the Week
The award for Transfer of the Week goes to Newcastle United, who swooped up exciting Irish winger Damien Duff for a paltry £5 million from Chelsea. Duff is a world class player and has consistently been Chelsea's best wing player the last three seasons. Chelsea made a mistake for letting him go, and the Magpies are the beneficiaries. If Newcastle fancies itself as a contender for a spot in the Champions League, they'll need to pick up more players in Duff's class. Newcastle has done a good job in recent years of signing good midfield players. Now only if they had a clue as to how to find defenders and forwards. If so, Bryce might actually have a proper football team to cheer for.

Pictures courtesy yahoo.com and sportcentral.ie. Video courtesy youtube.com. Email us at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Will They Be Partying in Rome or Paris on Sunday Night?

2006-07-07T21:46:00.000-07:00

We started with 32 less than one month ago. After the final whistle on Sunday evening in Berlin, only one team will be able to call itself the best in the world.

France and Italy have both taken unique paths to the final. But both very much have earned their places in the showpiece game.

There are many subplots that the media will focus on heading into this game. It will be the final bow for Zinedine Zidane and many of France's golden generation which won the 1998 World Cup and Euro 2000. Italy has rallied in the face of ongoing scandal back at home. With wins, both teams will solidify their places in history. A win for France would be their second, and one for Italy would be an astounding fourth.

But who cares about that stuff, right? The focus should be on the pitch. And there are many intriguing things to watch on Sunday.

Expect a defensive battle and not many balls reaching the back of the net. Italy's strength is in the back. Gigi Buffon has shown us repeatedly in this World Cup that he is the best keeper in the world. The Italian defense has not conceded a goal to an opposing player in this tournament (the only goal being an own goal against the US in the group stage). Fabio Cannavaro is one of the top three centerbacks in the world. He has not made a single mistake this entire tournament.

France is also solid defensively, although their strength comes from their pair of world class defensive midfielders, Claude Makelele and Patrick Vieira. The French defense is rarely tested because of the superb play of France's imported holding midfielders.

Italy may play into the hands of the French defense. Italy prefers to attack up the middle as opposed to down the wings. If Italy continues this trend, they could have a lot of trouble getting the ball to Luca Toni and getting quality scoring chances.

Likewise, France may be trouble getting the ball up to Thierry Henry. In the first half against Germany, the Italian defenders gave Germany's midfield too much space to operate, and the Germans generated some good attacks. In the second half, Italy put the clamps down on the German midfield, and Italy began to take control. If Italy doesn't defend deep, Zidane and Ribery won't have much room to operate.

So, does than mean we're in store for a defensive yawner? Perhaps. Both teams play with a lone striker, which often leads to a clogged midfield and not a lot of pretty football. But fear not, for we have enough skilled players on the pitch to create some magic.

Zinedine Zidane was frustrated and ineffective in France's first two games at this World Cup. He sat out their third due to suspension. Since returning in the Round of 16 against Spain, he has been as good as he's ever been. Most remarkably, he has finally struck up an understanding with Thierry Henry.

Francesco Totti has had a quiet World Cup for Italy after making a remarkable return from a broken leg. Still playing with screws in his ankle, Totti hasn't made fans stop and notice him on the pitch. But it's pretty easy to tell from watching Italy when Totti is on the pitch and when he is not. When Totti is out there, the Italian forwards see a lot of the ball. When he's not, they are largely invisible.

So, the Zidane and Totti match-up will be key on Sunday. Whoever is more dominant is likely to come out the winner.

We've established that it'll be a defensive battle and that the two playmaking stars are key. That's not rocket science, true. But they are important to this game nonetheless.

Who will win, you ask?

Well, I really can't see Italy's defense failing now. The Azzurri have a poor track record in the past of blowing leads late because of their defensive mentality. But this is a different Italy team. The Italians have been very good late in games at controlling the ball. And this may be the most dominant Italy defense in decades. Henry can be neutralized by Cannavaro.

The French defense will be tough to penetrate, but if Italy can move the ball down the wings or over the top of Makelele and Vieira, they can get chances on net.

It'll be tight, but the score will be:

Germany 2, Portugal 0

Oh, you meant the final?

Italy 1, France 0

Enjoy your party on Sunday night, Rome.

Pics courtesy fifaworldcup.yahoo.com and yahoo.com. Of course Brian is picking Italy. He picked them to win the tournament a month ago! Let him know what you think at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Sorry England Go Home

2006-07-03T18:27:00.000-07:00

It turns out I was right all along.

I didn't want to be right. In fact, in a moment of madness I went out on a limb and predicted a semifinal finish on this very website before the tournament. But we could all see this in the making months ago. There was simply no way that England was going to make it past the quarterfinals at World Cup 2006.

It wasn't going to happen with two injured forwards.

It wasn't going to happen with a horribly unbalanced midfield.

And it certainly could never happen with Sven Goran Eriksson in charge.

The sad part is that England could be so much more. This generation has legitimate talent and real stars. The defense is absolutely world class. There are international stars who have done it on the big stage like Wayne Rooney and Steven Gerrard.

But when The FA decided to keep Sven on as a lame duck in the aftermath of the fake sheikh affair, England's World Cup fate was signed, sealed, and delivered.

We knew after Euro 2004 the Sven wasn't the man to get England over the hump. Now, don't get me wrong, Sven should be credited for rebuilding England into a credible team in the aftermath of the Hoddle and Keegan disasters. But, Sven's last big win was over four years ago against Argentina. His only other noteworthy win was the historic 5-1 drubbing of Germany in 2001.

Since then, he has lost or tied every major competitive match in a big tournament. He couldn't beat Sweden in 2002 or 2006. England looked a class below Brazil in its quarterfinal loss in 2002. He blew a game that was won against France at Euro 2004. And most notably, he's been knocked out of the last two major tournaments by a less talented, but better coached Portugal team.

It's not just the results, but how Sven's decisions played a key role in England being unable to compete with the world's elite.

Sven has absolutely no clue how to balance a midfield to save his life. Cole, Lampard, Gerrard, and Beckham are all very good players. But they do not make a midfield, particularly on the international level. Beckham adds nothing down the right. He has no speed, no skill on the ball, and can't beat opponents. He can do little else than deliver a good ball on set pieces. Lampard and Gerrard, for all their greatness, can't play together because they are far too similar. Both are good passers and decent scorers, but neither is a ball winner, a defensive stopper, or a true playmaker. Oddly, it's the most recent addition, Joe Cole, who most belongs in this midfield. I've been making this point about the midfield until I've turned blue in the face. But I knew it was a worthless fight because Sven wouldn't change.

Sven's answer this tournament was to switch to a 4-5-1 in the knockout rounds. This was lunacy, and I said as much. You lost too much by having only one forward. And Wayne Rooney was horribly wasted as a lone striker, particularly when you consider that he was not 100% fit. If anything, his red card against Portugal was the result of him trying to do too much due to the frustration of not getting the ball for the better part of three matches. Owen Hargreaves, who Sven brought on in midfield as a holding player, was superb and his play against Portugal justified a starting spot. But the answer would have been to play him in favor of Beckham or Lampard, not Peter Crouch.

England did not score a single goal from open play while in the 4-5-1 formation, which was a very predictable outcome. In making the formation switch, Sven added nothing to make England more dynamic. In fact, he made his team more defensive, more pensive, and less likely to score. England's entire approach to goalscoring was getting lucky on set pieces. You aren't going to win tournaments doing that.

England, of course, had a puncher's chance at beating Portugal when the game went to penalties. But if you look at the players England had on the pitch at the end of 120 minutes, you couldn't feel good about the Three Lions' chances. Beckham was out with an injury, which was probably a blessing. But also out were Rooney, of course, due to his dismissal, and Owen, who was injured earlier in the tournament. That left Lampard and Gerrard as the only reliable penalty takers - and both missed! But why was there not another scorer on the pitch? Sven took off Joe Cole earlier in the match. Also off was Aaron Lennon, who came on as a sub and inexplicably was taken off in favor of Jamie Carragher in extra time. Theo Walcott, the 17 year old prodigy Sven surprisingly picked in the squad, was unused all tournament. Other options like Darren Bent and Jermaine Defoe were left home.

If this sounds familiar, it's because Sven also made a mess of his squad and substitutions during the Euro 2004 penalty loss to Portugal. At least in that shootout England gave the impression that it might actually try to win it. This time around, after Lampard missed the first kick, England was done. You could see it on the faces of the players.

But the truth of the matter is that England was done before the World Cup even began. England was a shambles this entire tournament. They played horribly against Paraguay and won due to an own goal. They were fortunate to beat Trinidad and Tobago late in the game after 80 terrible minutes. England blew a late lead and once again couldn't beat Sweden. It took a fortunate free kick goal to beat Ecuador. And England never came close to scoring against a weakened Portuguese team.

So, where does England go from here? That's a great question. Step one is balancing the midfield and reverting to a 4-4-2. It's time to have a holding midfielder and a speedy, skilled winger down the right. If you look at the last four at the World Cup, all four teams have a balanced midfield.
But it might be a moot point. Remember, new manager Steve McLaren has been Sven's right-hand man the last five seasons. Why should we think that things will be any different with McClaren in charge? As long as we see our pal Posh in the stands and her man Becks on the pitch, England are going nowhere fast.

Photos courtesy yahoo.com. Where does England go from here? Let us know at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Cup Crazy - 3 July

2006-07-03T17:21:00.000-07:00

Brian looks ahead to the semifinals as the World Cup turns into Euro 2006...

Europe Reigns Supreme
The home cooking must be good in Europe. World Cups in Europe tend to be parties just for those on the continent, and such is the case at this World Cup. Italy will take on Germany tomorrow in a game that could go either way. Germany didn't look nearly as potent offensively against Argentina in the quarterfinals. But they turned out a gutty performance and got better as the match progressed before winning on penalties. Italy, after a few close calls, turned it on in the second half and beat Ukraine soundly to reach the semifinals. Italy has the edge defensively, while Germany's attack has been much stronger throughout the tournament. I like Italy to come out on top, but never count out the hosts. In the other match-up, surprise semifinalists France will take on Portugal, who survived an ugly game with England. France is improving with each game and are the clear favorites, especially with Portugal coming off of two grueling games against Holland and England. Regardless, both games should be compelling.

Tomorrow's Predictions
I struck out with a couple of my predictions in the quarterfinals. Let's see if I can get back some credibility:

Italy 2, Germany 1
France 1, Portugal 0

Goodnight now.

Photo courtesy fifaworldcup.yahoo.com. Email us at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Cup Crazy - 29 June

2006-06-29T18:41:00.000-07:00

Day 21 was our second day without football during this World Cup. But fear not, because we're back in action tomorrow. Brian looks ahead...

Allez Les Bleus!
Apparently they are old men no more. It took them four games, but France has finally arrived at this World Cup, disposing of Spain 3-1 in the final Round of 16 game on Tuesday. I made no secret that I did not like France's chances in this World Cup. But over 90 minutes, and particularly in the second half when the dominated, France was the better team. On the flip side, I have been touting Spain's chances all month. I even had them going to the final. But playing in a game where the loser went home, Spain just couldn't cut it. The sad part is that Spain reverted to using a player who has never produced for them before - Raul. Why play Raul over David Villa? It really makes no sense. Spain will be left crying in its sangria. But the French can break open a bottle of Louis Roederer to celebrate its tremendous achievement. Things won't get any easier - Brazil is next.

Money Time
It's been said before that a tournament doesn't truly begin until we reach the quarterfinals. Well, the quarterfinals are upon us. And we have some tremendous match-ups. Germany vs. Argentina is a coin flip. Argentina has been the best team at this World Cup. But the hosts have been playing tremendous football and their attacking spirit has been a joy to watch. Italy will be heavily favored over Ukraine, but don't count out Sheva. He knows the Italian team better than anyone. England and Portugal will be a very physical battle. The first goal could be the only one we see. Brazil will be facing an inspired French side. Don't count out France. This is the last hurrah from the last of the 1998 team, and they want to keep the party going as long as possible. As for what I think will happen...

Tomorrow's Predictions
I hate to alarm our readers, but I will be viewing the quarterfinals in San Diego and might not make it to a computer afterwards. So, let's get in our predictions for all four games:

Argentina 2, Germany 1
Italy 2, Ukraine 0
England 1, Portugal 0
France 1, Brazil 1 (France wins on penalties)

Goodnight now.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com and fifaworldcup.yahoo.com. Join our very own Brian Thompson at the Princess Pub in San Diego, CA to view Italy vs Ukraine! Email us at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Cup Crazy - 27 June

2006-06-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

Our faithful correspondent was moving to a new location today, which means we'll have to postpone "Cup Crazy" for today. But fear not - "Cup Crazy" will return soon. Unfortunately, this man and his Spanish compatriots will not be returning...

Pic courtesy yahoo.com Email us at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Cup Crazy - 26 June

2006-06-26T17:12:00.000-07:00

Day 18 saw one of the favorites just squeak into the quarterfinals and our very first game decided on penalties. Brian, who always shoots low and right, shares his thoughts once again...

Tottigol!
Italy were fortunate to earn a spot in the quarterfinals with a 1-0 win today over Australia. The goal came off of a somewhat controversial penalty in the 93rd minute when Lucas Neill fell in the box and inadvertently tripped up Fabio Grosso. Totti, who did not start the game due in large part to his inconsistent form after returning from injury, confidently stepped up to the spot and slotted home the winner. It was a cruel way to lose for the Socceroos. Australia was not as attack-minded as they were in their previous three games, but they played smart football. With Italy a man down due to Marco Materazzi's red card early in the second half, Australia was in much better shape heading into extra time. But thanks to the penalty and the goal from Totti, extra time never happened. Italy struggled troughout, even with 11 men, to control the tempo of the game. The midfield seemed a bit lost without the talismanic Totti. Toni and Gilardino had a few good chances, but didn't get much service. Del Piero was largely anonymous. But at the end of the day, it's the Azzurri that will be going on to the quarterfinals. After years of not getting the breaks, Italy finally did and took full advantage.

4-5-1 + 4-5-1 = 0
Not a pretty contest, but still a hard fought one today with Ukraine battling Switzerland for the right to play Italy in the quarterfinals. Both teams cancelled each other out by playing 4-5-1 formations. The midfield was congested all game, and neither team was able to break out on the attack. Predictably (although I didn't predict it), this game was scoreless after 90 and still scoreless after 30 minutes of extra time. So, we went to penalties for the first time at World Cup 2006. Andriy Shevchenko, Ukraine's golden boy, missed the first kick (not a good record from the spot in the last year or so, Sheva). But his teammates, and some terrible spot kicks from the Swiss, bailed Sheva out and Ukraine went on to win the shootout 3-0. While the shootout provided great drama for we casual observers, it was far too much for the Ukrainian manager to watch - he actually walked down to the tunnel because he couldn't bear to watch. Fortunately for him, Ukraine is now on to the quarterfinals in a successful maiden voyage at the World Cup.
Tomorrow's Predictions
I got the first blemish on my Round of 16 scorecard, as I picked the wrong winner between Ukraine and Switzerland (although I did say it would go to penalties). Let's see what we have tomorrow:

Brazil 3, Ghana 1
Spain 2, France 1

Goodnight now.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com and fifaworldcup.yahoo.com. Send your emails to bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Cup Crazy - 25 June

2006-06-25T22:01:00.000-07:00

On Day 17 we saw a coach get it all wrong and get away with it and a referee get it all wrong and ruin a good football match. Brian tries to get it right, but we'll let you be the judge...

Thanks, Sven
England, once again looking completely lost at times, were lucky to squeak by Ecuador today with a 1-0 victory in the Round of 16. What handicapped England more than anything was a bizarre switch to a 4-5-1 formation that saw the inclusion of Michael Carrick as a holding midfielder and Wayne Rooney as the lone striker. As I predicted yesterday, this is the worst way to use Rooney, who was completely neutralized save a good 5 minute spell late in the second half. Rooney is a marvelous footballer, but he is wasted as a lone forward. Rooney needs to get the ball early and have support up front. The answer would have been to drop either Gerrard or Lampard in favor of Carrick and keep two up top, but Sven hasn't the stones to drop one of his stars. So instead, England played 45 minutes of terrible football, followed by a half of hoping to get a set piece that it could convert on and get bailed out. That's what happened, when Beckham scored on a trademark bender in the 60th minute. So, Becks bailed out Sven this time. But that's not going to happen against better competition. There is no speed in the starting XI. There's no speed or skill down the right flank. Gerrard and Lampard can't dribble, so England can't create anything up the middle. It's all sad, really. The 4-5-1 can only work if you have two very fast and skillful wingers. Sven starts one on the left in Joe Cole, but the gentleman taking up space on the right flank doesn't fit the bill. Before the tournament, I said that with Sven in charge, the quarterfinals were as far as England could go. In the "Prediction Spectacular," my sentimentality led me to picking a semifinal finish. I hope that's the case. But due to Sven's cluelessness, it looks like my original prediction might come true.

Red Card the Ref
I love England, but they are terrible for me to watch. They always make me nervous, and the unpleasant football doesn't help things. So all day I was looking forward to watching Portugal and Holland lock horns so I could see a real football match. Unfortunately, my plans were ruined thanks to referee Valentin Ivanov, who decided that today would be the day that he made himself the center of attention by handing out 16 yellow cards and expelling four players. Ivanov's performance was disgraceful, particularly when you consider the importance of this game. Knockout round games between two powers like Portugal and Holland will always be combative. The ref needs to be strict, but not turn the game into a farce. Unfortunately, Ivanov lost the plot and the game was a shambles. It's too bad because the game started brightly, with Maniche scoring on a beautiful strike in the 23rd minute. Both teams would have their chances, but then Ivanov's power play ruined the second half. The Dutch had a lot of possession, particularly when they were up a man, but had few good scoring chances. Notable in this game was that Ruud van Nistelrooy did not start nor did he come on as a sub in a game that was crying out for his dominance in the six-yard box. Ruud had been criticized for his poor play in the group stage, but was this a time to make a point? Heavens no. Unless we find out he was mysteriously injured. Dutch coach Marco van Basten made a serious miscalculation in benching van Nistelrooy. The Portuguese will be moving on, but at a cost. Deco and Costinha will not be available in the quarterfinal against England due to the red cards they picked up today, and Cristiano Ronaldo is a doubt after coming off in the first half in with a thigh injury. Advantage: England? We shall see.

Tomorrow's Predictions
Two for two again today. Let's see if I can keep it up:

Italy 1, Australia 0
Switzerland 2, Ukraine 2 (Switzerland wins on penalties)

Goodnight now.

Pictures courtesy yahoo.com. Hop Suisse! Send us an email at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Cup Crazy - 24 June

2006-06-24T22:44:00.000-07:00

Day 16 saw the beginning of the knockout rounds. Would we see any surprises? Brian will let us know!

Today's Action
So, due to some technical difficulties, we lost our lengthy "Cup Crazy" update today. Quite a shame, because we had some good stuff. You'll have to take my word on that one. But we were treated to an extremely exciting Argentina-Mexico match that many didn't think we'd get. We saw the goal of the tournament from Maxi Rodriguez. And we saw the Germans soundly defeat the Swedes to set up an epic quarterfinal in Berlin. Our sometimes-contributor Bryce Campbell will be in Berlin to soak up the action.

Swedish Fan of the Day
It would be quite a shame if we didn't pick our Swedish Fan of the Day for the final time. With Sweden's elimination today, our final recipient is Helga from Lund. There are a lot of disappointed Swedes out there today, but Helga is there to lend a bosom to cry on. We appreciate her compassionate spirit. Welcome, Helga!

Don't Screw This One Up, Sven
We can't help but be disturbed about lineup changes that our sources are telling us about heading into tomorrow's England-Ecuador game. It's rumored that Sven will switch to a 4-5-1, with Carrick in as a holding midfielder and Rooney alone up front. This is nothing short of absurd. England is a 4-4-2 team. Sven is clearly too afraid to drop any of his midfield quartet, so he's bringing in a holding midfielder at the expense of a striker. Using Rooney as a lone striker is a complete waste. Rooney is at his best as a half-striker where he can come back to midfield to get the ball early. He's not the Crouch type who waits up front for long balls all game long. This move has disaster written all over it. I hope I'm wrong, but we shall see

Tomorrow's Predictions
I was two-for-two today, but mixed up the scorelines. I probably won't get it right, but why not give it a go?

England 2, Ecuador 0
Portugal 1, Holland 1 (Portugal wins on penalties 5-4)

Goodnight now.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com and fifaworldcup.yahoo.com. Send in your thoughts to bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Cup Crazy - 23 June

2006-06-23T20:46:00.000-07:00

It's Day 15, the official half-way point of World Cup 2006. By day's end, we'd know which 16 teams would be moving on, and which 16 would be going home. Brian looks at today's events and looks ahead to the Round of 16...

Today's Best
One spot in the Round of 16 was up for grabs in Group H today. Spain had already qualified and played an entirely changed team of reserves in its victory over Saudi Arabia today. But in the other contest, Ukraine and Tunisia both had a lot at stake. Tunisia needed a win, while the Ukrainians only needed a draw. The Ukrainians did one better, with a second half penalty winner from Andriy Shevchenko. After a poor start at this World Cup against Spain, Ukraine has rebounded (albeit against weaker opposition) and is looking increasingly dangerous heading into the next round. Over in Group G, there was a lot more at stake, with Switzerland, South Korea, and France all battling for two spots in the Round of 16. All France needed was a two goal victory over lowly Togo, which meant that both the Swiss and Koreans had to go for all three points in their battle. After a slow start, France finally did find the back of the net twice. Patrick Vieira, celebrating his 30th birthday, scored a goal and set the other one up. In the other contest, the Swiss took the initiative with a first half goal, and then added a fortuitous goal in the second to end up as Group G winners.

So, How Did We Do?
We're down to our final 16. Before we look ahead to the games, let's see how Bryce and I did with our predictions:

Brian's Picks:
Sweden vs Poland
Argentina vs Mexico
England vs Germany
Portugal vs Holland
Italy vs Croatia
France vs Tunisia
Brazil vs US
Spain vs Switzerland

Bryce's Picks
Germany vs Sweden
Argentina vs Iran
England vs Ecuador
Ivory Coast vs Portugal
Italy vs Japan
France vs Ukraine
Brazil vs US
South Korea vs Spain

As far as predictions go, Bryce and are average at best. We both picked 12 of the 16 teams, but only correctly picked two of the match-ups. Not bad, but not great. This is our first time at doing it. We'll live up to the "expert" tag next time, I promise.

Looking Ahead
After a lot of surprise teams in the final 16 at World Cup 2002, I was of the thinking that normalcy would be restored at this World Cup and we'd see a lot of European and South American teams would do well. That ended up being the case. 10 of the 13 European teams made the Round of 16, and three of the four South American teams made it. From parts elsewhere, Mexico (CONCACAF), Australia (Oceania), and Ghana (Africa) were the only others to crash the party. Clearly, there's a difficult half of the draw, and an easier half of the draw. The tastiest games in the Round of 16 look to be Germany-Sweden, Portugal-Holland, and Spain-France. We could be in for some epic quarterfinals, with potential games between Germany-Argentina, England-Portugal/Holland, and Brazil-Spain. Italy has the easiest draw of any of the major contenders, with Australia in the Round of 16 and then the winner of Switzerland-Ukraine. But as we know, nothing is easy at the World Cup and we'll always see a few surprises. Good times ahead of us the next few weeks!

Tomorrow's Predictions
It's time to take a stab at predicting knockout games. Let's see what I can come up with:

Germany 2, Sweden 1
Argentina 2, Mexico 0

Goodnight now.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com and fifaworldcup.yahoo.com. How with the knockout stages play out? Let us know at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Cup Crazy - 22 June

2006-06-22T22:13:00.000-07:00

Day 14 was full of drama with spots in the Round of 16 up for grabs. Those who took the initiative and attacked were rewarded, while those who did not went home. Brian explains to our faithful readers...

We Have Lovely Parting Gifts for you Backstage...
We start, of course, with the Americans today, who really just weren't good enough at this World Cup. The United States and whine and moan all it wants about the phantom penalty called on Onyewu late in the first have that eventually put the game out of reach. But Ghana outplayed the Americans and belong in the Round of 16. The Ghanians have played excellent football throughout this World Cup, and congratulations to the Black Stars for their remarkable achievement. But we can't help but be disappointed with the manner in which the Americans are exiting this World Cup. Key players just didn't show up. Among them: Donovan, Beasley, Reyna, McBride, Pope, and Onyewu. The most disappointing of that lot was Donovan, who was completely out-classed in this World Cup. Landon, you might be the best in the MLS, but on the big stage you simply can't cut it. American coach Bruce Arena also deserves a lot of the blame. Arena's preparation for this tournament turned out to be disastrous. In three warm up matches, Arena played three different line-ups and three different formations. No one - including the team - knew who would start for which formation he'd use until the day before the first game against the Czech Republic. The 4-5-1 was disastrous. The US couldn't, or refused to use one of its best assets - it's speed. There was no penetration up the middle. And when the chips were down, there just wasn't the sense of desperation needed to win. There are some talented players in the US system. Now US Soccer has four years to try to get it right. I wish them luck, but don't have much faith after what I've seen the last two weeks.

Forza Italia
Excellent performance from the Italians today, who deservedly won 2-0 over the Czech Republic. The Czechs started well, but Italy scored in the 26th off a Materazzi (on for the injured Nesta) header against the run of play. After the goal, Italy played confidently and effectively, and the Czechs never seriously threatened despite eight shots on net. Italy killed off the game late with a Pippo Inzaghi goal, taking advantage of being a man up after Jan Polak was sent off just before halftime. For the Czechs, this turned out to be a disappointing World Cup after a bright start. But injuries, age, a suspect defense, and lack of depth did in the Czechs. The Italians, playing increasingly better football, now have a favorable draw in the Round of 16.

And in Group F...
After getting a bit of a scare in the first half, Brazil coasted to a 4-1 win over Japan today to wrap up the top spot in Group F. Brazil will face Ghana in the Round of 16. That made the other contest, Australia-Croatia, a battle for second place. Croatia needed a win, while the Aussies could settle for a draw. Croatia landed the first punch early with a beautifully taken free kick in the second minute. But what you have to love about the Socceroos is their tenacity and willingness to fight back. Australia came back from the early goal, and another goal early in the second half to get the tie and a first-ever trip to the Round of 16. The historic goal was scored by Harry Kewell, who of course was my pick as "Key Player" for the Aussies. Australia only knows how to play one way - attacking at full speed. That should make their Round of 16 battle with Italy one not to miss.

Brazilian Fan of the Day
Time once again to find our Brazilian Fan of the Day. Lots of strong candidates today, but only one winner. Actually, we're all winners. We don't know the name of this mystery lady, but we love that her underwear is peaking over the top of her pants. We don't know much about her besides that. That's enough for us:

Tomorrow's Predictions
The first round comes to a close tomorrow. Here's what's going to happen, in my expert opinion:

Ukraine 3, Tunisia 1
Spain 4, Saudi Arabia 0
Switzerland 1, South Korea 1
France 2, Togo 0

Goodnight now.

Photos courtesy yahoo.com and fifaworldcup.yahoo.com. Send those emails to bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Cup Crazy - 21 June

2006-06-21T21:41:00.000-07:00

Day 13 was a tad predictable, but we're just brimming with anticipation for tomorrow's action. Brian's excited, and you should be too...

A Bit of a Snooze
Not much drama today in either Group C or Group D. In Group C, we already knew that Argentina and the Netherlands were going through. It was just a matter of who would finish first and who would be the runner-up. Both teams rested key players, including Crespo and Saviola for the Argentines and Robben for the Dutch. The game finished scoreless, but it was certainly one of the more entertaining 0-0 games one could hope to see. Argentina was attacking throughout, and van der Sar had to make a few superb saves. The Dutch finally turned it on late in the game, but neither team found the back of the net. In Group D, there was a bit more drama. A Mexico loss and an Angola win by a three goal margin would have seen the Africans move into the Round of 16. Even without Deco, Pauleta, and Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal outplayed the stagnant Mexicans over 90 minutes. In the other game, Angola made things mighty interesting when they took a lead over Iran, but the Iranians equalized late in the second half. It then became clear that the Mexicans, despite looking just awful so far in this World Cup, would finish as group runners-up. So, all in all, not much excitement today.

As for Bryce...
Our very own Bryce Campbell attended the Angola-Iran game today. Tomorrow he'll be taking in USA-Ghana. Look forward to his first-hand accounts when his German computer cooperates or when he sobers up. If you are attending, keep your eyes open for the Bookable Offense California state flag!

Looking Ahead to the Round of 16
Today's results gave us two very intriguing match-ups in the Round of 16. Argentina, so far the best looking team in this World Cup, will play Mexico, who are quite lucky to be in the Round of 16 considering their uninspiring play. But Mexico has talented players and could prove to be a bit of a banana skin for the Argentines. Stranger things have happened. On the other side of the bracket, we'll have a Euro 2004 semifinal rematch with Portugal and Holland. This should be one of the best games in the Round of 16. Portugal hasn't been very exciting, but they've been extremely effective and Big Phil will have them well prepared. Holland is of the same ilk, playing effective, winning football. Whoever's stars show up for this game - Cristiano Ronaldo and Deco for Portugal, Robben and van Nistelrooy for Holland - will likely be the winner.

Tomorrow's Predictions
I got three out of the four results correct today - another respectable day. Tomorrow is a tough one for me. I have an obvious bias, which you'll see in one key selection. I don't even want to preview said game because I'm just too nervous about it. Anyways, here are the predictions:

Italy 2, Czech Republic 0
USA 2, Ghana 1
Croatia 1, Australia 0
Brazil 2, Japan 0

Goodnight now.

Pics courtesy fifaworldcup.yahoo.com and california.form-a-corp.com. Email us at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

We Finally Found Bryce

2006-06-20T22:22:00.000-07:00

When we decided to send Bryce to Germany, it was with the expectation that he'd get the most out of his World Cup experience and update us frequently here at Bookable Offense. Well the updates have been scarce, and now we know why. He really is getting the most of his World Cup experience. Well done, my friend. If only one of us gets to go to Euro 2008, it's my turn and I want to borrow your shirt.

Photo courtesy yahoo.com. Email: bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Cup Crazy - 20 June

2006-06-20T14:46:00.000-07:00

It's Day 12 and we've moved on to the final games in the group stage. Not many surprises today, but still plenty of talking points. Brian likes to talk, so away he goes...

Hosts Prove Me Wrong - At Least So Far
No, I'm not talking about finally finding a very attractive German girl in the crowd, but rather the good play of the German team. Going into this World Cup, I wasn't shy about the fact that I didn't fancy Germany in this tournament. So far, I have been dead wrong. Granted, they were given an easy group. But they haven't just won their games, but they've played with an attacking flair we've rarely seen in a German side. The defense is still suspect, but they've improved since making a few giant blunders against Costa Rica. I didn't think Klose could duplicate his World Cup 2002 performance, but he's playing even better now than he did in Japan and Korea. What's most impressive about this team is the play of the midfield. The Germans are steady on the ball, pass well, and can attack down the middle or down the wing. Today, Ecuador never really threatened the Germans, and the hosts coasted to a comfortable 3-0 win. Well played, Germany. Now, can you make it count in the Round of 16?

Can Ecuador Bounce Back?
The Ecuadorians had been coasting in this tournament until they were soundly beaten today by Germany. The big question now is if Ecuador can bounce back against one of the favorites, England, in the Round of 16. Ecuador rested leading scorer Augustin Delgado today, and he'll be raring to go against the English. If Ecuador has one main weakness, it's in midfield, where they have trouble at times stringing passes together. The English are even worse at that, so don't write off Ecuador to make the quarterfinals.

More Unimpressive Stuff from Group B
England and Sweden played to a 2-2 draw today that highlighted both teams' weaknesses than showed off their strengths. England played its best football of the World Cup in the first half, but that's not saying much. Owen Hargreaves did well for himself in the holding role, and having a holding midfielder seemed to stabilize the England midfield. Lampard again was dangerous, and Joe Cole once again was the best player in an England shirt. His goal in the first half was sublime. Once again, the attack down the right was non-existent, as Beckham was marginalized to just set piece duty. Rooney, in his first start, was ineffective, although he didn't get much service (he did throw one heck of a temper tantrum after being subbed out, however). Owen might be lost for the tournament with a knee injury, and his replacement Crouch didn't do much. Worryingly, England gave up two bad goals from set pieces. Becks forgot to mark Allback, who scored on a free header. Late in the game, Sweden equalized when Terry and company misplayed a throw in. So, lots of room for improvement for the Three Lions. Sven dropped the ball by not inserting Walcott or Lennon once Owen got hurt. But we've come to expect that from Sven. As for Sweden, they should be very tough for the Germans to break down. The one big question is if they can create enough scoring chances. Hopefully they'll have Ibrahimovich back - he was missed today.

Swedish Fan of the Day
Again, not many candidates today. But our winner today is Elsa from Malmo. While we're generally in favor of less clothing on our Fan of the Day, we like any gal who can take some guff from drunken English fans and smile through it. Welcome to Bookable Offense, Elsa!

Early Thoughts on the Round of 16
We've already got some intriguing matchups. England and Germany will be glad to avoid each other. The English have a potential banana-skin in front of them with Ecuador. Ecuador has been dangerous in front of goal, albeit against lesser opponents. England has yet to show that it can play a complete game. This one could be a nail-biter. Germany-Sweden should be an excellent affair. The Swedes are a very difficult team to beat, and will not be intimidated by the hosts. The key for the Swedes is being able to absorb the German attack and catch the German defense on the break. Predictions to come this weekend.

Tomorrow's Predictions
A so-so day for me today. I picked both of the games no one cared about, but missed on Germany-Ecuador and Sweden-England. Let's see if I can do better tomorrow:

Iran 1, Angola 1
Portugal 2, Mexico 0
Cote d'Ivoire 2, Serbia-Montenegro 1
Argentina 3, Netherlands 2

Goodnight now.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com and fifaworldcup.yahoo.com. Write us at bookableoffense@gmail.com. Don't forget to send in your questions for our mailbag!

Cup Crazy - 19 June

2006-06-19T22:37:00.000-07:00

Day 11 saw the a new team take the lead in Group G, the Ukrainians show they are, in fact, not weak (Seinfeld reference, kids), and the Spanish take a punch but bounce back to win the fight. Brian explains...

Swiss Don't Miss
Switzerland and Togo surprisingly put on quite a show during the early game today. In a real up-and-down game that kept both keepers very busy, Switzerland made the better of their chances in front of net and beat the Togolese 2-0. With the win, Switzerland is now tied with Korea atop Group G with four points. However, the Swiss currently hold the tiebreaker advantage due to goal differential. This sets up an epic contest between the two group leaders on 23 June. With France only two points behind the leaders and heavily favored to beat Togo, both Switzerland and South Korea will really be going for it in order to come out group winners and avoid Spain in the Round of 16. If France wins by two goals, a tie won't be good enough for the Koreans. Expect a lot of drama on Friday.

Ukraine Puts it Together
Well played, Ukraine. Sure, you were playing the clearly inferior Saudis. But you beat them like you were supposed to. And now you have all the momentum going into your final group game against Tunisia. A win and the Ukrainians, despite being mauled in the opener against Spain, will make the Round of 16. Shevchenko rebounded from his quiet performance in against the Spanish and was the dominant force we all know he can be. Expect Ukraine to keep the good times rolling, beat Tunisia, and make the Round of 16 where they will have a great chance to beat whoever comes out of Group G.

Muy Bien
We don't have to like Luis Aragones. He's a pretty deplorable dude. But he's one hell of a coach. After getting 45 subpar minutes from his starters, Aragones made all the right moves in the second half in bringing on Fabregas, Raul, and Joaquin. The impressive thing about these moves is that Aragones made them very early in the second half. He took the initiative and didn't wait to see if his stuttering starters would figure it out. Raul and Fabregas came on to start the second half, and Joaquin came on soon after. It was apparent in the first half that Spain wasn't playing well in midfield. The attack down the wing was non-existent, save a few runs from fullback Sergio Ramos. And not much was being created in the middle of the park. Fabregas, at age 19, was absolutely superb, creating a chance for Raul when his shot was saved and bounced to the Real Madrid captain. And how about my boy Fernando Torres (Arsene Wenger, please spend whatever it takes to get this lad)? Torres is a breakout star in this tournament. Remember, if he wins the Golden Boot, you heard it here first.

Tomorrow's Predictions
Did I really say that Ukraine would draw with Saudi Arabia? What was I drinking last night? OK, so I missed there. But I got the other two, including a correct guess of the score in the Switzerland game. Here's what's gonna happen tomorrow:

Ecuador 2, Germany 2
Poland 2, Costa Rica 0
Paraguay 1, Trinidad and Tobago 0
England 2, Sweden 1

Goodnight now.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com and fifaworldcup.yahoo.com. Shout, shout, let it all out: bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Postcard from Berlin - 19 June

2006-06-19T08:42:00.000-07:00

Willkommen zum Fußball

BERLIN - Well, actually, they call that game Tischkicker, but whatever. The Welt Meister 2006 is definitely off and running here in Germany and the place is football crazy. What the untrained eye might miss in this picture is a church advertizing that it will be showing all the Germany matches. I'm planning on checking it out tomorrow night for the showdown with Ecuador.

I apologize if my absence has been a cause for concern for our readers. I assure you that I am safe and sound, and most hours of the day, sober. It has already been a wild ride these past ten days here in Berlin. So without further ado, here are some of the highlights.

What I've been Doing

The Fan Fest, or "Fan Mile" as they sometimes refer to it here in the German capital, is an outstanding place to take in a game as well as interact with other supporters. Teams which draw bigger crowds at stadiums obviously do the same thing at the public screenings, so the magnitude of the game and fan base go a long way towards determining the turnout.

My favorite match so far that I have taken in at the Fan Fest was definitely the Holland-Serbia and Montenegro match. There is just something to be said about watching football with large crowds of Dutch supporters. While Robben appeared to be the only player worth mentioning during the German broadcast, there were plenty of orange hats, shirts, pants, shoes, gloves, lion costumes, etc., worth a peek on what was a very hot afternoon.

I've been taking in most matches a bit closer to Bookable Offense World Cup Headquarters at local bars. My favorite bar had to be the Irish pub where I took in the England-T&T near-debacle with close to a hundred other Three Lions supporters. Ater that match, my biggest concern was that Sven would be encouraged by his substitution pattern by Crouch's goal. Why is Ashley Cole out there? I mean really. At least Carragher was involved in a positive way from time to time.

Other Match Notes

I don't care to speak about the events of 12 June 2006 ever again. I'm serious.

Another match I will discuss is the Germany-Poland match. While the Germans left it late to say the least, they certainly decided to party quite late into the next morning as well. As I mentioned after their opening victory over Costa Rica, the celebrations were timid and reserved at best. After Oli Neuville's late winner, the whole city seemed to erupt.

Cars were honking, people were screaming, graffiti was scrawled on walls, and no one but the heaviest sleeper was able to get some rest at a decent hour. Such was the country's joy in advancing to the next round, which shows how realistic most fans really are about the Germans lifting the trophy for the fourth time.

But really, is anyone not scared about playing Argentina at any point in this tournament? They just made a very good defensive team look like Malta.

Oh, and something has to be done about those Ukraine uniforms. I could have sworn there were ten men dressed as Wolverine out there against Spain last week. Didn't work too well for them either. Word has it that they are blaming the frogs near their hotel in Potsdam, but I would have a little chat with that equipment manager.

What's on tap

Now that it is almost time for the deciding matches of group play, my coverage will really begin to kick in. I will be in Leipzig on Wednesday to take in the Angola-Iran match. While my decision to pick the Iranians to advance now looks quite foolish, the Angolans can still do me a favor and knock Mexico out should both results go the right way.

Then, the next day I will be making the long and treacherous journey to Nuremberg to watch the US take on Ghana in a match to decide which team will continue forward in this tournament. I am hoping for an Italian victory over the Czechs (obviously tired from that thrashing handed out by their hardy opponents in their opening match) and a narrow victory for the Stars and Stripes. That being said, Eddie Pope will probably be in charge of driving the team bus that day and drive them off a cliff.

Lots of action coming up, and we'll bring it to you all.

Pics courtesy fifaworldcup.yahoo.com and Bryce himself. Keep your eyes open this week at the Iran-Angola and USA-Ghana games for Bryce and his flag. Email us at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Cup Crazy - 18 June

2006-06-18T21:08:00.000-07:00

Can you believe that we're already 10 days into the World Cup? Today's highlights included another unimpressive, yet effective performance from the defending champs and the 1998 champs stutter once again. Brian pontificates from our world headquarters...

Not Exactly Joga Bonito
The scoreline might have been 2-0, but Brazil was far from dominant in its victory today over Australia. The Socceroos battled the favored Brazilians step for step in the first 45 minutes. Brazil had trouble breaking down the Aussie defense and were poor in possession. On 49, Australia's defense gave Ronaldo and Adriano too much room, and Adriano slotted home a low strike past keeper Mark Schwarzer. After Brazil took the lead, it was Australia that took the initiative and pressed for an equalizer. Dida made a couple of brilliant saves, including one on Harry Kewell. Brazil put the game away for good in stoppage time when the uniquely named Fred added a second goal. Brazil has a few reasons to be concerned. Ronaldinho, who is forced to come back to midfield much more with Brazil than he does with Barca, has not been able to take over games. The Brazilian defense is suspect and is perhaps only bailed out by the excellent defensive play of Emerson and Ze Roberto. And the biggest problem of the all - literally - is the ineffectiveness of Ronaldo. After two worthless performances, surely it's time to drop him in favor Robinho. But like England, Brazil has earned six points from two subpar performances. As for the brave Aussies, they will control their own destiny. A win against Croatia on 22 June will take the Socceroos to the Round of 16.

Brazilian Fan of the Day
Another Brazil game gives us another chance to find out Brazilian Fan of the Day! We didn't get as many quality entries today as we did after the Croatia game. But we still found a worthy winner with Ana from Salvador. Ana enjoys music, dancing all night, and partying in the sun. We love her energy! Welcome to Bookable Offense, Ana!

In Other Group F News...
Japan and Croatia tied 0-0 today in Nuremberg. That's all I have to say about that.

Les Vieux Hommes Stumble Again
After a rather dull 0-0 draw with Switzerland last week, France stumbled again today with a 1-1 draw against the plucky Koreans. Les Bleus did their best Italian impersonation, going into a defensive shell after scoring an early goal. Once again, the French midfield was poor. Zidane, who will not play in the group finale due to yellow card accumulation, was marginalized. Vieira and Makelele showed again that they are too similar to play together. Give South Korea full credit for battling to get an equalizer late in the game. This game was not without controversy, as what appeared to be a Vieira goal was ruled to have not crossed the goal line midway through the first half. Despite the questionable decision, the French have no one to blame but themselves for their cautious, unimaginative play. Coach Raymond Domenech deserves blame for not introducing game-changers like Saha or Trezuguet into the proceedings. France very well may need help to make the Round of 16 now. The group-leading Koreans are now in excellent shape, only needing a draw against the Swiss to make the knockout stages.

How Does This Happen?
Bryce and I first noticed this at Euro 2004. We saw it again today. The question begs to be asked: How in the world does one sneak a live rooster into a football match? The French may not be showing much creativity on the pitch, but they are in the stands!

Tomorrow's Predictions
Not a great day. I got the Brazil result, but missed on the other two. Tommorrow's games aren't necessarily crowd pleasers for we neutrals, but we'll still get in on the predictions:

Switzerland 2, Togo 0
Ukraine 1, Saudi Arabia 1
Spain 3, Tunisia 0

Goodnight now.

Photos courtesy fifaworldcup.yahoo.com and yahoo.com. Drop it like it's hot at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Cup Crazy - 17 June

2006-06-17T21:45:00.000-07:00

Day 9 saw Group E turn into utter chaos and the Portuguese look more and more like a contender. Brian continues his yeoman's work with another fabulous edition of "Cup Crazy"...

Italy Drops the Ball
Saturday's bizarre 1-1 draw between Italy and the United States obviously generated a number of talking points. I could easily focus on the impressive underdog performance from the shorthanded US team. But it's hard to give too much credit to a team that didn't have a single shot on goal and still has not had one of its own players score a goal. The Azzurri could have taken a stranglehold on this group with a win over the nine-man American team. But now there's a chance that Italy could be on the outside looking in if the results don't go their way. But what a crazy game. The US received two very harsh red cards. The Americans did a great job of frustrating the mighty Italians. In fact, the American midfield outplayed Italy's for long stretches before they went a man down. If not for an over-zealous referee, who knows what could have happened. But the red cards - one of which Italy's Daniele De Rossi rightly received in addition to the two questionable ones the US received - were all part of the drama in what many are calling the most exciting game to date at this World Cup. Both goals were suspect. Eddie Pope, who didn't have one of his better games, was clearly at fault on the Gilardino goal. And Zaccardo's own goal was bizarre. Give the Americans credit - they did not lay down for the Italians and put up a fight they can be proud of (in contrast to their feeble performance last Monday).

Black Stars are the Stars of the Day
What a day for Ghana! The debutantes scored a shocking win over the Czech Republic. After looking like world beaters last week against the Americans, the Czechs looked like the old, shorthanded, overrated team that I suspected they'd be today against the Black Stars. Once again, a very early goal turned the tide of a match. The Czechs looked desperate for the entire match after a second-minute stunner from Asamoah Gyan. The Czech Republic's offense was in trouble, as we suspected, without injured stars Jan Koller and Milan Baros. The defense, untested against the US, looked vulnerable. And the midfield, so dominant a week ago, was outplayed for most of the game. With Vratislav Lokvenc picking up a yellow card, the Czechs will be without their top three forwards for their game against Italy. But the bigger story today is the inspired play of Ghana. What a midfield the Black Stars have! The nation of Ghana should be very proud of its football team tonight. And what a day we'll have in store for us next Thursday. With all four teams needing wins, expect some serious fireworks. Good stuff, kids. Good stuff.

Making Sense of Group C
Today's results made a mess of Group C. There are far too many scenarios of how things could play out. But we'll try to make it simple. If Italy wins, they'll win the group. If Ghana or the Czech Republic win their games, they're in the Round of 16. For the USA to make it, they'll need to beat Ghana and get Italy to beat the Czech Republic. If there are draws, a number of circumstances can play out that are just too confusing for our simple minds. Regardless, next Thursday will be mighty interesting!

Yay, Port-u-gal-la-le!
While they weren't dominant, the Portuguese were certainly effective with a respectable 2-0 victory over Iran today. With the win, Portugal needs only a draw with Mexico on 21 June to win Group D. What remains to be seen is if winning the group is actually beneficial, since the Group D teams will match up with the Group C teams - Argentina and Holland - in the Round of 16. The Portuguese benefited today from the return of the mercurial Deco and inspired play from Luis Figo and Cristiano Ronaldo. What's gone largely unnoticed is the excellent play by Portugal's back line, which has yet to surrender a goal in two games. A convincing performance against the stuttering Mexicans will go a long way in preparing the Portuguese for a tempestuous showdown with either the Argentines or the Dutch.

Tomorrow's Predictions
So, not a great day as far as predictions go. After correctly predicting a 2-0 Portugal win over Iran, I missed on the Ghana-Czech Republic game and the USA-Italy game. Let's see if I can do better tomorrow:

Croatia 2, Japan 1
Brazil 2, Australia 0
France 1, Korea 0

Goodnight now.

Pics courtesy of fifaworldcup.yahoo.com. Send your emails to bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Cup Crazy - 16 June

2006-06-16T21:50:00.000-07:00

Day 8 saw the cream rise to the top in the "Group of Death" and an African first-timer bravely pick up a point. Brian shares his thoughts...

The Argentines Make Their Case
Absolutely breathtaking stuff from the Argentines today, who demolished Serbia and Montenegro 6-0. They are making a mockery of Group C, the so-called "Group of Death," with their solid display against Cote d'Ivoire and now this massacre of Serbia-Montenegro. Five different goalscorers beat the "Fantastic Four" - the much heralded Serbian defense that only gave up one goal in 10 qualifying games. While no one was writing them off, Argentina certainly was not one of the main recipients of all of the pre-World Cup buzz. Well now they are making us stand up and take notice. If anyone thinks this team isn't capable of winning the title, they are sadly mistaken.

Van Persie and Company Keep the Pace
While they've done it without the same amount of fanfare as Argentina, the Netherlands is also making a case to come out of Group C as the group winners. The Dutch put together a solid performance to beat Cote d'Ivoire 2-1 today. Robin van Persie hit a perfect free kick on 23, and Ruud van Nistelrooy added a second four minutes later. The Ivorians made a game of it with a goal shortly before the interval. But the Dutch were always firmly in control and Edwin van der Sar was rarely tested. The Elephants are going home, but they played gallantly in this World Cup and would have challenged for a spot in the Round of 16 if they were in any other group. As for the Dutch, they now have an epic contest on 21 June against Argentina to determine the Group C winner (and likely avoid Brazil's half of the draw).

Didn't See This One Coming
It was very surprising today to see Mexico and Angola finished scoreless. Mexico attacked throughout, but couldn't put one past Angola keeper Joao Ricardo. Things got a little dicey after Angola's Andre was sent off with about 10 minutes left. But Mexico, who clearly missed their target man Jared Borgetti, couldn't come up with a response. Portugal can put a strangle-hold on this group with a win tomorrow against Iran.

Tomorrow's Predictions
I missed on the Mexico-Angola game today, but picked the other two results. Here's what's coming up tomorrow:

Portugal 2, Iran 0
Czech Republic 1, Ghana 0
Italy 3, USA 1

Goodnight now.

Sorry for the abridged version tonight, friends. Pics courtesy fifaworldcup.yahoo.com. Give me a shout at bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Cup Crazy - 15 June

2006-06-15T23:21:00.000-07:00

Day 7 saw a South American team not named Brazil or Argentina make some noise, another lackluster display from one of the favorites, and a potential elimination-saving goal from a certain underwear model. Brian explains...

Not Pretty
Let's not mince words - England was very, very lucky to survive today's game with Trinidad and Tobago and come out with a 2-0 victory. For the first sixty minutes, England once again was dull, boring, and out of ideas. Michael Owen is so bad right now it's painful to watch. The midfield was not linking up well. No one was running. Gerrard was invisible. But with a half hour to go, Sven made the two best substitutions of his England career. He brought on Wayne Rooney and Aaron Lennon. Rooney didn't do much while on the pitch, but the impact he had on those around him was evident. England suddenly had its confidence back. Short passes were being played from midfield instead of the usual long ball misery. Lennon, on the other hand, was superb. He was dangerous and fast down the wing. Beckham, dropping to a right fullback role, could sneak in behind Lennon and make crosses without much pressure. In fact, Crouch's goal came from just this type of play, with Lennon beautifully heading back a tough pass to an open Beckham, who crossed perfectly to Crouch. So far, the only dynamic play England could create was with the Cole brothers down the left. With Lennon, the Three Lions were dangerous down the right. I like what I saw. Football is about new ideas and new tactics. Long balls won't win you a World Cup. Quick, dynamic wingers, however, can.

Go Freddie Go
Sweden, like England, is counting its lucky stars tonight after winning it late against Paraguay. The Paraguayans battled tough throughout. The Swedes weren't nearly as dominant in attack as they were against Trinidad and Tobago, perhaps due to the injury and subsequent removal of Zlatan Ibrahimovich. But in the end, it was who else, but Freddie Ljungberg, who rose to the occasion, heading home the winner in the 89th minute. Say what you want about Freddie and his dip in production the last two seasons. But the guy is a battler and a big game player who comes up with big plays when it matters most. We're all set now for the winner-take-all game to decide Group B between Sweden and England on 20 June.

Swedish Fans of the Day
One of our new favorite features is our "Brazilian Fan of the Day," which we will bring to you after every Brazil game. Along those same lines, I think it's time we find the "Swedish Fan of the Game" after every Sweden game. We had a number of finalists, and there were just too many to choose between. So today, they are all winners. Enjoy.

Here are my new friends Greta, Inga, and Matilda posing for the camera.

Here's my pal Kerstin. We met a few years back at Ikea.

Frida and Charlotta sure are crazy! Watch out for those two.

Making It Count
Ecuador made Bryce come out smelling like roses once again by validating their 2-0 victory over Poland with a 3-0 win over Costa Rica today. The win moves Ecuador into first place in Group A on goal differential and sets up a showdown with Germany to decide the group winner on 20 June. Ecuador is quickly getting the distinction of being the team no one wants to face (hey, didn't some people think the US would be that team?). All three Ecuadorian forwards scored today in their decisive win over the Ticos. For the Ticos, it's another disappointing early exit in a World Cup. One can only wonder if they'll ever get over the hump and get back to the Round of 16, which they last did in 1990.

Tomorrow's Predictions
No gloating this time, I promise - but I was 3-for-3 today, and correctly guessed the scores of the England-T&T game and the Sweden-Paraguay game. Not bad. On to tomorrow:

Argentina 2, Serbia-Montenegro 0
Holland 1, Cote d'Ivoire 0
Mexico 2, Angola 1

Goodnight now.

Pics courtesy yahoo.com and fifaworldcup.yahoo.com. Get in on the fun at bookableoffense@gmail.com.