The Daily Sweeper (August 1)
By Tom Dunmore • Aug 1st, 2008 • Category: Links • 9 responsesLet’s hope the FA throw the book at Joey Barton, if only to keep him on the sidelines and off our televisions for a while.
North America
- Soccernet takes a look at MLS scouting: it’s pretty clear this is an area that most teams need to invest more in, as the league grows and the obvious talent pool is stretched ever thinner.
- Portland are officially seeking an MLS expansion franchise. Go Timbers!
- The Superliga semis got a little ugly, as The Offside wraps-up. As Kenn.com points out, an all-MLS final isn’t quite the ratings draw a final featuring a Mexican team would have been, with the Revs ready to lose to Houston once again in a final.
- Red Bull park is delayed again. Surprised?
- Is a third young USMNT-eligible player about to declare for another country?
- Dave’s Football Blog asks the question no other blog will dare — “Bill Belichick’s sex tape or Paul Jewell’s sex tape — which makes you more eager to gouge out your eyes with a rusty nail in the hopes of never, ever having to catch a glimpse of it?”
Europe
- Two Hundred Percent looks at the birth and survival of the English Football League, the “venerable institution which has time and again confounded its critics, both inside and outside of the game, and, in spite of the cultural domination of the Premier League and the Champions League, continues to thrive as one of the most watched football tournaments in Europe.”
- Fifa.com rounds-up a night of few surprises in the Uefa Cup.
- Thaksin Shinawatra’s legal struggles go on in Thailand, with his wife now facing prison time.
Worldwide
- South African football is not faring too well, with World Cup 2010 approaching rather too fast. Benni McCarthy pins the blame on those running the team, saying they pick players based on club status rather than merit: “It’s more about who you play for or who you are rather than your form when the national team is selected.”
- Pakistan’s Premier League season kicks-off this week, but Goal.com says it has “no credibility.”
- And the second tier of Indonesian football kicks off this weekend.
- Sepp Blatter is backtracking on his “slavery” comparison.
Photo Daily
Mascots in the J-League.
Photo courtesy of dillo-h.com on Flickr, via the Pitch Invasion photo pool.
Tom Dunmore is the editor of Pitch Invasion.
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I was just coming over to link you to that story, TD…thanks for the love! I’m glad to see that the ball is finally rolling on MLS to PDX, regardless of the other possible speedbumps, I have faith that Merritt will be able to get the job done and get Soccer City USA into the top flight US league.
Oh, and TD, 8/7/2008 @ 8pm (PDT) Portland Timbers vs. the Shi…ahem, the Seattle Sounders is being shown on FSC. This is the last regular season USL meeting between the two sides and the end of the best soccer rivalry in the US (at least, for now barring playoffs and possible US Open Cup games). You should check it out…we have quite a few special surprises planned.
Thanks as always for the hard work on the site!
The competition is fierce, Cap Ap, but I hope you fans can help by pushing the cause as much as possible as I’m sure you will (though I have, in the past, heard from Timbers fans who prefer to remain outside of MLS). I will definitely look out for the Sounders game, too. Is it in Portland?
Yep, from beautiful PGE Park in scenic Portland, OR…it may sound a bit like rose colored glasses, but I feel pretty good about our MLS chances. In my opinion, the only real competitor cities are Vancouver and St. Louis. I’m not overly concerned about Montreal (too many weird stadium/ownership issues), NYC2 (already a team there/amount of time and money it’ll take to get the stadium situation squared away), Las Vegas (Ha!), Ottawa (Ha!), and Atlanta (props to the ‘Backs, but I don’t think they’re going to be ready for 2011). I’m hoping that St. Louis’ll get derailed by the same stuff that hurt them on the last go around or that Vancouver’ll have lots of difficulties on the stadium front and that’ll allow us to get in. Or, alternately, we just get in on merit, but I don’t have much faith in that with MLS, at this point. Also, I think Merritt knows what he’s doing and may have an ace or two up his sleeve but that just may be wishful thinking.
Of course, there’s been talk here about people not wanting to leave USL, but that’s a vocal minority. I’m concerned that it may be MLS or nothing, eventually…if Vancouver and Sh*ttle are gone, then who are we going to play in the west? Minnesota!?! The travel costs will kill us.
Well, it comes down to Portland city governement first, so we’ll have to cross that bridge first…
Barra Brava supports MLS to PDX 2011!
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3079/2730962935_bea3849c30.jpg?v=0
8pm PDT Tonight! Fox Soccer Channel
The Pride of the Northwest, the Portland Timbers face their hated rival, the Seattle Sounders. Tune in for the NE Derby!
Rose City ’til I Die!!
Stupid E being next to W.
NW Derby!
Damn, I forgot to tape this. If you happen to know of a link to download the game (torrent or whatever), feel free to send it my way at tom [at] pitchinvasion.net. Would like to see it.
I think there’s some talk of that on our board…if I can hunt one down, I’ll send it off to you.
No luck on that torrent, TD….but I have something even more exciting (well, at least, to me)…
http://www.mlstoportland.com