Thursday, June 29, 2006
ESPN Responds to Criticism
Tokyo Toffeeman, an EPL Talk reader from Japan, sent me this very interesting link about ESPN's response to the criticism it has been receiving regarding its coverage of the World Cup.Read the piece here.
Most newspapers typically have ombudsmen who are supposed to answer complaints and comments from readers (or, in this case, viewers). They're supposed to be objective, but in this particular example, it's obvious that George Solomon knows little about the game.
Sure, he makes some good points, but Solomon's belief that "the quality of the five announcing teams, led by Dave O'Brien and Marcelo Balboa, has been solid" is completely far from the truth. Either he hasn't been watching the matches, or he knows nothing about soccer. Note that I do believe the commentating has improved after its atrocious beginning, but it's still below par for the world's greatest sporting tournament.
Meanwhile, Scanlan's retort that BBC broadcasters don't know the players as well as ESPN commentators do is completely outrageous.
If you have comments or questions regarding ESPN's coverage of events such as the World Cup, you can send them to ESPN here.
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Questions for Jeremy St. Louis
Next week, I'm interviewing Jeremy St. Louis for a future episode of the EPL Talk Podcast. The Canadian sports broadcaster appears nightly on Fox Sports World Report, which is shown on Fox Soccer Channel at 10pm ET.If you have any questions you've been dying to ask him, please let me know and I'll do my best to squeeze them in!
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Get Ready For An Amazing EPL Talk Interview
I had the absolute pleasure of interviewing Seamus Malin this evening, probably the most famous American soccer commentator ever. Malin, who was born in Dublin, had several amazing stories to tell, and gave some great insight into things that I never knew about him such as what Premiership side he supports (and has supported for 50 years since the days of the old First Division).
No matter where you live in the world, the interview will definitely interest those of you who love the sport of soccer. And thanks to everyone for submitting your ideas of interview questions!
The interview with Malin will be released Sunday night. If you haven't subscribed to the EPL Talk Podcast yet on iTunes, go ahead and do it today. Or you can subscribe to the RSS feeds on the EPL Talk Podcast page, so you can download episode 14 as soon as it's available. The EPL Talk Podcast is the only soccer interview show on the Internet.
No matter where you live in the world, the interview will definitely interest those of you who love the sport of soccer. And thanks to everyone for submitting your ideas of interview questions!
The interview with Malin will be released Sunday night. If you haven't subscribed to the EPL Talk Podcast yet on iTunes, go ahead and do it today. Or you can subscribe to the RSS feeds on the EPL Talk Podcast page, so you can download episode 14 as soon as it's available. The EPL Talk Podcast is the only soccer interview show on the Internet.
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Wide Awake In America
We're one day away from the Quarter Finals stage of the World Cup and the excitement is reaching a fever pitch among soccer fans around the world, including America. Tomorrow's Germany against Argentina match would have been a perfect World Cup Final, but sadly one of those great teams will be leaving the tournament tomorrow.Italy should walk over Ukraine, making it an Italy versus Germany semi-final. I don't feel Argentina has what it takes to overcome the attack-minded German team.
England must rise to the occasion tomorrow to defeat Portugal. I believe they have what it takes, but it'll mean Rooney and Lampard having to play the games of their lives in order to ensure a semi-final match between Brazil (sorry French fans).
Despite all of the fanfare about this weekend's matches, my Dad brought me back down to earth yesterday. He's not a football fan, but he lives near me in South Florida. He said "You realize that most people don't know the World Cup is on right now, right? It's nowhere in the news, and most of the people on the American talk radio shows are discussing how soccer will never make it in America."
It's true, but I've reached the point where I don't care anymore about them. Thanks to the Internet, we no longer have to depend on American media in order to see coverage of matches or find out the scores. As long as there's room for Fox Soccer Channel, GolTV and Setanta, and the Internet doesn't blow up, I'm a happy man.
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Scolari Made The Right Decision
Imagine what if Scolari had accepted the England job before the World Cup? If you remember, the FA wanted Scolari to agree to the job before the tournament began and to start his new position immediately after the World Cup.
In hindsight, what a good decision this was by Scolari and what a poor decision by the FA. Otherwise, Scolari would have gone into the match this Saturday managing Portugal, but knowing that he would be taking the England job after the World Cup. All hell would have broken loose in the Portugese press as I'm sure they would have insinuated that Scolari might have wanted England to win the match.
In hindsight, what a good decision this was by Scolari and what a poor decision by the FA. Otherwise, Scolari would have gone into the match this Saturday managing Portugal, but knowing that he would be taking the England job after the World Cup. All hell would have broken loose in the Portugese press as I'm sure they would have insinuated that Scolari might have wanted England to win the match.
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Wednesday, June 28, 2006
Soccer Broadcasting Legend to Speak with EPL Talk
One of the benefits of being a regular reader to this blog is to you get to learn about what's going on behind the scenes at EPL Talk.For example, I just got confirmation that I'll be interviewing soccer broadcasting legend Seamus Malin tomorrow night for the next episode of the EPL Talk Podcast.
Malin has worked on numerous World Cups before and has been a champion of soccer going back to the New York Cosmos days.
So, here's your chance to get involved in the EPL Talk Podcast! Tell me what questions I should ask Malin and if there's anything specific you'd like to hear from him. I welcome your input.
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Tuesday, June 27, 2006
Catching Up On Premiership News
If you haven't had a chance to keep up on all of the Premiership news during the past 30 days, you're excused. After all, our eyes have been busy watching 2-3 World Cup matches a day.
So, to bring you up-to-speed on some of the Premiership headlines, here they are:
So, to bring you up-to-speed on some of the Premiership headlines, here they are:
- Eidur Gudjohnsen was signed from Chelsea by Barcelona
- Liverpool has signed Craig Bellamy from Blackburn Rovers
- Everton bought Andy Johnson from Crystal Palace
- Man City picked up Paul Dickov from Blackburn
- Robert Pires has left Arsenal and joined Villarreal
- Man City has signed holding midfielder Dabo from Lazio (a replacement for the injury prone Claudio Reyna, perhaps?)
- Chelsea's Jiri Jarosik has joined Celtic
- Portsmouth has signed Chelsea's Glen Johnson on a one-year loan deal.
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Where Have All the Heroes Gone?
Only seven games remain in the World Cup. Yet many of the heroes we were expecting to see on the big stage haven't showed up:Rooney, Henry, Ronaldinho, Messi, Ballack, Van Nistelrooy, Toni, Tevez, and Donovan.
The players getting the headlines instead seemed to be Klose, Podolski, Zidane, Rodriguez, Rosicky, Torres, Muntari, Frei and Amoah.
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World Cup Losing its Fizz?
Seven of the eight second round matches have been played, with just this afternoon's France versus Spain match left. But out of the seven thus far, how many of them have been entertaining and had you sitting on the edge of your seat? For me, it's been just one and that was the Argentina against Mexico match.
Sweden was a dissapointment against Germany, England's win was necessary but not exciting, Portugal against Netherlands looked like a rugby match, and yesterday's Italy versus Australia and Switzerland versus Ukraine matches were snoozefests.
Today's Brazil against Ghana match was disappointing because the Africans kept on wasting their chances in front of goal. In fact, I have the same complaint about all African teams in the World Cup this year. Angola, Ivory Coast and Togo all could have progressed if they improved their shooting skills.
Sweden was a dissapointment against Germany, England's win was necessary but not exciting, Portugal against Netherlands looked like a rugby match, and yesterday's Italy versus Australia and Switzerland versus Ukraine matches were snoozefests.
Today's Brazil against Ghana match was disappointing because the Africans kept on wasting their chances in front of goal. In fact, I have the same complaint about all African teams in the World Cup this year. Angola, Ivory Coast and Togo all could have progressed if they improved their shooting skills.
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Monday, June 26, 2006
England Rides Lady Luck
Having been seeded into the easiest group of the 2006 World Cup, England has continued to ride lady luck during this tournament. Consider the following:Against Paraguay, it was an own goal. Versus Trinidad and Tobago, it was a goal line clearance by Terry and a header by Crouch that should have been ruled out because of a blatant hair pulling.
The Swedes, meanwhile, hit the woodwork a couple of times and could have won the match. Then against Ecuador, there's the infamous Ecuador shot that was deflected against the crossbar after the brave sliding tackle by Ashley Cole.
Has there been a luckier team this tournament?
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Semi Final Matchups Becoming Clearer
After the final second-round matches conclude Tuesday, only eight World Cup matches remain (and that includes the meaningless third-place match).
Could we be destined for the following semi-final matches? Italy against Germany, and England versus Brazil? Or do you fancy Argentina versus Ukraine, and Brazil against Spain?
If England do manage to beat Portugal on Saturday, get your doctor's note ready. England would play their semi-final match on Wednesday, July 5th at 3pm ET -- presumably against Brazil.
Could we be destined for the following semi-final matches? Italy against Germany, and England versus Brazil? Or do you fancy Argentina versus Ukraine, and Brazil against Spain?
If England do manage to beat Portugal on Saturday, get your doctor's note ready. England would play their semi-final match on Wednesday, July 5th at 3pm ET -- presumably against Brazil.
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Question for American World Cup Viewers
I'm curious. If you're an American fan and you're following the World Cup, what team are you supporting now that the US is out of the tournament? Are you watching the matches just for the enjoyment of it, or do you find yourself rooting for a team such as England? If so, why? Is it because you also follow the Premiership?
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Sunday, June 25, 2006
Nick Geber Interview Now Available
The ever interesting and brutally honest Nick Geber from Fox Football Friday and World Soccer Daily is the latest addition to the EPL Talk Podcast.
Geber discusses the state of World Cup commentators, whether he has any regrets regarding The 2 G's and The Treble leaving the World Soccer Daily Radio Network, what type of impact the US dropping out of the World Cup will have on soccer in America, his most memorable moments on World Soccer Daily, and much much more.
The EPL Talk Podcast is the world's only soccer interview show on the Internet. Listen to the show right now, and be sure to subscribe if you haven't done so already.
Geber discusses the state of World Cup commentators, whether he has any regrets regarding The 2 G's and The Treble leaving the World Soccer Daily Radio Network, what type of impact the US dropping out of the World Cup will have on soccer in America, his most memorable moments on World Soccer Daily, and much much more.
The EPL Talk Podcast is the world's only soccer interview show on the Internet. Listen to the show right now, and be sure to subscribe if you haven't done so already.
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Britannia Rules The Waves
It wasn't pretty. They didn't play the best, but the win was what was important.How many times have we heard that this World Cup about England? But it's true. The gutsy performance was what was needed to ease the England team through to the Quarter Finals of the biggest tournament in the world.
I watched the match with my mates at The Kings Head Pub in Sunrise, Florida. A packed-out crowd of approximately 50 people ate their traditional English breakfasts, downed several pints and joined me in ecstasy as Beckham scored that killer free kick in off the post.
I posted a few photographs from the pilgrimmage to The Kings Head here (sod it, but the battery ran out, so I wasn't able to take as many snaps as I would like).
Portugal beckons at 11am Saturday, and Scolari's men will be missing Deco and Costinha after being ejected in the rowdy Netherlands match. Cristiano Ronaldo is also doubtful. The luck, right now, seems to be going England's way.
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Saturday, June 24, 2006
Rodriguez Volley Gives Argentina the Edge
What an unbelieveably sensational goal by Argentina in extra time by Maxi Rodriguez. A beautiful chest trap, and a scintillating left foot volley into the corner of the net.There are still 16 minutes to go in the match. Can Mexico pull one back to go into penalites?
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How Does Univision Compare?
While watching the Argentina against Mexico match, here are just a few of the differences I noticed between Univision's coverage of the match versus ABC/ESPN:1. The crowd volume on Univision is much louder.
2. You can hear the passion, excitement and joy so much more with the Univision commentators as opposed to John Harkes and JP Dellacamera.
3. The picture looks better on Univision.
4. Although the ABC/ESPN top-of-the-screen graphic showing the score of the match is much larger and more prominent than the Univision one, I prefer the look-n-feel of it compared to the Univision one.
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Argentina v Mexico: Best Yet?
Without a doubt, this has got to be the best match of the World Cup thus far. In the first 10 minutes, there've been two goals (Argentina 1-1 Mexico). The pace is frenetic. The crowd is loud and passionate. This is what the knock-out games are all about. Fighting for your country, pride and victory.
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ABC and ESPN
I'm not sure which is worse. With ESPN partnering with ABC for the World Cup coverage in America, does this drag the ABC name through the mud? Or is the other way around?
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ABC Drops Another Clanger
I have to admit that ABC commentator Dave O'Brien's work is improving as each match unfolds, but the man is as passionate as a dead fish.Perfect example was one of the key moments of today's Germany against Sweden second-round match. With Germany leading two-nil in the early stages of the second half, Sweden went down the flanks and attacked. Here's exactly what O'Brien said, in his deliberately slow and monotonous tone:
"Ibrahimovic breaking away, nice pass into the box. And there will be a whistle and a foul inside that box. Finally a call going against Germany in the second half."
What!? This was a penalty! Not simply a "foul inside [the] box." O'Brien was so understated and unethusiastic in calling the penalty. In fact, the word "penalty" wasn't even mentioned by O'Brien until Marcelo Balboa chirped in a few seconds later. TV viewers watching ABC, handicapped by only what we can see on the screen, weren't even sure whether it was a penalty (until Balboa made the call). And I wonder, I really wonder, whether O'Brien realized that a "foul inside that box" equals a penalty in the rules of soccer.
Unbelievable!
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Doubts About England Selection
I have severe concerns about Sven's selection for tomorrow's match against Ecuador. He's essentially fielding a 4-5-1, although actually it's a 4-1-4-1 with Rooney up front, and a midfield comprising Beckham, Gerrard, Lampard and Cole. The back four will be Cole, Ferdinand, Terry and -- unbelievably Owen Hargreaves. Michael Carrick, meanwhile, will play in front of the back four.Why would Sven put Hargreaves in defence over Jamie Carragher? Hargreaves is a versatile player, but typically plays in midfield as he did against Sweden (and played his best game for England). Carragher is solid and has enough skill to stop Ecuador's attacks down the left wing.
I don't have a good feeling about this formation and the player selection. Rooney needs support up top. Lampard and Gerrard haven't played well together this tournament. Beckham is a ghost. Joe Cole has been spectacular, especially against Sweden. In fact, based on present form, I'd rather have Hargreaves play in the center of midfield than Lampard, who has been awful this tournament and has been silent for Chelsea for ages.
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Friday, June 23, 2006
World Cup Breather Before Second Round Begins
The World Cup seems to be in fast forward. It was just yesterday that the US succumbed to Ghana after an absolutely appalling penalty decision. But life goes on, and the US -- unfortunately -- didn't deserve to make it through to the next round anyway. Playing a 4-5-1 formation and bringing on Eddie Johnson in the 60th minute is not going to win you games. Mr. Arena.
It's a Friday night here in the US of A, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to this weekend's matches. I'll be catching the Germany vs Sweden and Argentina vs Mexico matches at local pubs here in the South Florida region, and watching the England vs Ecuador at the illustrious Kings Head Pub in Sunrise, Florida. I'll be snapping pictures and sharing them here on this blog.
To be honest, the last few days of the World Cup have been anti-climatic, but it's no surprise. In those crucial third matches of the first round, teams will be more conservative in order to secure their place in the next round.
The second round, however, is a whole new competition and the knock-out stages is as the name suggests. Get ready for a weekend of scintillating football. We'll be watching it with you around the globe, at the same time.
It's a Friday night here in the US of A, and I'm thoroughly looking forward to this weekend's matches. I'll be catching the Germany vs Sweden and Argentina vs Mexico matches at local pubs here in the South Florida region, and watching the England vs Ecuador at the illustrious Kings Head Pub in Sunrise, Florida. I'll be snapping pictures and sharing them here on this blog.
To be honest, the last few days of the World Cup have been anti-climatic, but it's no surprise. In those crucial third matches of the first round, teams will be more conservative in order to secure their place in the next round.
The second round, however, is a whole new competition and the knock-out stages is as the name suggests. Get ready for a weekend of scintillating football. We'll be watching it with you around the globe, at the same time.
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Thursday, June 22, 2006
D-Day For America, Part II
It all comes down to this. One game, which will define the 2006 World Cup for the US Team. Lose or draw, and the US team will be considered a disappointment. Win, and hope that Italy beats Czech Republic, and it's a huge success for the US national team.
One win, that's all we ask for. One goal could do it. Fingers crossed.
One win, that's all we ask for. One goal could do it. Fingers crossed.
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Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Don't Forget About the Premiership
Blink and you may miss it, but tomorrow the English Premiership will be releasing their schedule for the 2006/2007 season. As soon as it's available, we'll post the opening day fixtures on the EPLTalk.com homepage.
Who will Chelsea play on the opening day? And who will Reading, Sheffield United and Watford square up against? I can't wait!
Who will Chelsea play on the opening day? And who will Reading, Sheffield United and Watford square up against? I can't wait!
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England's Problem
England's first-half performance against Sweden yesterday was their best 45 minutes for as long as I can remember. But, as so often happens in football, it was a game of two halves.During the second half, England's defence fell apart -- especially for Sweden's comical second goal. But the biggest problem for me is their right wing. Historically, the weakest spot in an England team has always been the left side, but with Ashley and Joe Cole, England finally have their answer.
Watching yesterday's match, most of the pressure from England came down the left wing or through the middle. The right, other than crosses floated in by Beckham, was practically non-existent.
The answer is Aaron Lennon, who has the speed to attack down the right flank and give England width. Sven needs to find a way to get Lennon in the starting line-up, otherwise England will probably go home after the second round (or, more likely, the quarter finals -- especially if they meet the Netherlands, as I predict).
The problem for Sven is where to put Beckham. Thoughts?
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Tuesday, June 20, 2006
World Cup Quarter Finals: 'What If' Scenarios
Now, what if? What if England ties or beats Sweden today? Germany would presumably play Sweden, and England would play Ecuador. If both Germany and England would win those matches, here's my prediction of who would play who in the Quarter Finals of the World Cup:
Friday, June 30, 11am ET:
Germany v Argentina
Saturday, July 1, 11am ET:
England v Netherlands
To make this possible, Argentina would have to beat Mexico in the second round, and the Netherlands would have to defeat Portugal.
The possibilities are mouthwatering!
Friday, June 30, 11am ET:
Germany v Argentina
Saturday, July 1, 11am ET:
England v Netherlands
To make this possible, Argentina would have to beat Mexico in the second round, and the Netherlands would have to defeat Portugal.
The possibilities are mouthwatering!
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England Ready for Sweden
The stage is set for England. All they need is a draw against Sweden to guarantee first place in Group B, which means they would play Ecuador on Sunday morning (11am ET)
If England loses this afternoon, they'll play Germany on Saturday morning (11am ET). Based on Deutschland's performance this morning against Ecuador, the Germans look unstoppable. Even though Ecuador lost 3-0, they still look very dangerous (especially their midfield and dribbling skills).
My prediction: England 0 - 0 Sweden.
If England loses this afternoon, they'll play Germany on Saturday morning (11am ET). Based on Deutschland's performance this morning against Ecuador, the Germans look unstoppable. Even though Ecuador lost 3-0, they still look very dangerous (especially their midfield and dribbling skills).
My prediction: England 0 - 0 Sweden.
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Monday, June 19, 2006
BBC Five Live Interview Now Available
Great news. I was interviewed tonight by Rhod Sharpe for BBC Radio Five Live's show, Up All Night.You can listen to the interview right here, right now.
Let me know what you think of it!
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Interview with BBC Radio Five Live
If you're free at 9:30pm ET tonight (2:30am UK time), tune in to BBC Radio Five Live! They'll be interviewing me and playing some excerpts from the EPL Talk Podcast interview with Sean Wheelock.
The interview will be immediately followed by a piece on Ricky Gervais from The Office fame.
The interview will be immediately followed by a piece on Ricky Gervais from The Office fame.
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Recap of interview with BBC World
Just completed an interesting interview this morning on live TV for BBC World's "My World Cup" show. The host, Adnan, asked me about the US performance in the Italy match, how the coverage has been thus far on TV, and whether there are a lot of immigrants who play for the US national team.For those of you who don't have BBC World, I explained that the coverage in the US regarding the World Cup has been very similar to England's performance in the World Cup. It started out terribly, but it's starting to get much better.
I remarked that the US result against Italy was fantastic, much better than their opening 3-0 loss to Czech Republic, and that these days most of the US players playing for America are American-born and bred such as Landon Donovan.
If you have access to BBC World TV, you can watch the show again at 1330, 1630 and 2130 GMT today.
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Sunday, June 18, 2006
Welcome Five Live Listeners
For those of you visiting the EPL Talk Blog for the first time, here's a quick rundown of some of reasons to explore the site (and hopefully keep on returning):
- EPL Talk Blog. Updated daily, the blog gives you insight and observations into the World Cup and English Premier League. It especially caters for those die-hard soccer fans who watch their matches via TV or the Internet. Bookmark the blog today (or add it to your RSS reader).
- EPL Talk Magazine. Issue number two was just released with more than 30 pages of topics that aren't covered anywhere else, capturing the mood and experience of what it's like to watch the greatest sports league in the world. It's a free download, and don't forget to subscribe so you're the first to be notified when the new issue becomes available.
- EPL Talk Podcast. Listen to the only soccer interview show on the Internet. Every Sunday night, a new interview is released with a different soccer celebrity (commentators, radio hosts, podcasters, soccer analysts, soccer video game producers, and more).
- EPL Talk Web Site. The site features the latest news on the English Premier League, in addition to the league table, links for your club, fixtures and listings of when the Premiership is on TV and the radio.
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Interview with Sean Wheelock from BBC Five Live
I had the pleasure tonight of interviewing Sean Wheelock live from Germany for the latest episode of the EPL Talk Podcast. Since 1996, Wheelock has been a soccer correspondent for BBC Five Live and many of you may be familiar hearing his voice on the popular "Up All Night" show (if you haven't listened to it before, it's a must-hear show).
Sean is in Germany as a commentator for XM Radio and is also working for the BBC.
Listen to the very interesting podcast interview right now. Plus, you can hear how you can win a copy of World Soccer Winning Eleven 9 and an EPL Talk T-shirt.
The interview with Nick Geber, meanwhile, will be released next Sunday night (June 25).
Sean is in Germany as a commentator for XM Radio and is also working for the BBC.
Listen to the very interesting podcast interview right now. Plus, you can hear how you can win a copy of World Soccer Winning Eleven 9 and an EPL Talk T-shirt.
The interview with Nick Geber, meanwhile, will be released next Sunday night (June 25).
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Not Every Englishman is Following The World Cup
Cash Peters is one of the funniest persons on radio today. You may have heard his interviews on Marketplace (from NPR) or on BBC's Five Live.
I thought it'd be interesting to interview Peters regarding the World Cup or what team he supports (he is English, after all). Here's his hilarious response (see below). For more Cash Peters, go here.
I thought it'd be interesting to interview Peters regarding the World Cup or what team he supports (he is English, after all). Here's his hilarious response (see below). For more Cash Peters, go here.
Oh, I'm sorry to disappoint you, but I have absolutely zero knowledge
of, or interest in, sport of any kind. I didn't even know the World
Cup was happening until a customer service guy I was on the phone to
at American Express asked me out of the blue if I knew how Ghana were
doing, and I thought, 'What an odd thing to say'.
So unfortunately I'd be wrong for your podcast. But good luck with it
anyway.
Best
Cash.
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Alternative to ABC/ESPN Commentary
The Sun newspaper from England is streaming the World Cup matches live via Internet audio (including the current Australia versus Brazil match). Just click on the link below:
- The Sun newspaper (England)
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Saturday, June 17, 2006
Brave US Draw Keeps Hopes Alive
Maybe it is the Group of Death after all? With the US's ugly but valiant draw against Italy, all four teams in Group E now go into the final match with a chance to make it through to the next round.
The Americans finally showed the passion they were severely lacking in the Czech match. All of the players on the US squad gave 100% and throughly deserved the point.
Now going into the final match on Thursday, the US has to hope that Italy beats the Czechs and that the US can beat Ghana. The Africans, based on their two performances thus far, are going to be very difficult to beat.
What a day. For a few images of the pub where I watched the match today, go here. (Note: I was hoping to snap more pictures to share, but I was so caught up in the match, I didn't get a chance. Next time...).
The Americans finally showed the passion they were severely lacking in the Czech match. All of the players on the US squad gave 100% and throughly deserved the point.
Now going into the final match on Thursday, the US has to hope that Italy beats the Czechs and that the US can beat Ghana. The Africans, based on their two performances thus far, are going to be very difficult to beat.
What a day. For a few images of the pub where I watched the match today, go here. (Note: I was hoping to snap more pictures to share, but I was so caught up in the match, I didn't get a chance. Next time...).
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Nailbiting stuff
Ghana 2 - 0 Czech Republic in the 86th minute. Could this be the first shock upset of the World Cup?
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D-Day For America
It's the 33rd minute of the Czech Republic against Ghana match, and the Africans are deservedly one nil in the lead. There's alot of time to go in the match, but this bodes well so far for the US. Note that we're still waiting to see a shock upset in this World Cup. Could this be the day?Of course, 3pm ET this afternoon is the biggest US match in years when they play the mighty Italians. This will be a defining moment for US soccer, and we'll get to see what the US team is made of. Watch the EPL Talk Blog later as I'll be adding pictures of US fans either celebrating or drowning their sorrows in a local British pub.
During the EPL Talk Podcast interview with Nick Geber (to be released tomorrow, June 18th), I asked Nick what type of impact will America experience if the US gets knocked out of the first round. Listen to this answer, and several other interesting topics tomorrow on the EPL Talk Podcast.
Thinking back to this past Monday's US loss against Czech Republic, it's sad but the result was probably the best thing that could have happened in terms of the ESPN/ABC coverage of the World Cup. From that point on, the ESPN/ABC crew has been improving its coverage, making fewer mistakes and not hyping the US as much, but instead giving a real-world analysis of this team that has so much promise, but has been unable to show that where it matters, on the pitch.
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Thursday, June 15, 2006
Important Notes From The Gaffer
1. Want to win a free copy of the World Soccer Winning Eleven 9 video game for PS2 or XBOX? Go ahead and download a free copy of the EPL Talk Magazine, and enter the trivia contest that's mentioned in the issue. So far, no one has answered the questions correctly this week, so you have an excellent chance of winning. Hurry. Contest ends Sunday.
2. We're also giving away an EPL Talk T-shirt this week, but no one has answered that trivia question yet either. Just download the Max Bretos interview from the EPL Talk Podcast to find out what the question is.
3. Don't faint, but the ABC/ESPN World Cup coverage is improving. Less mistakes are happening, fewer stupid comments are being made, and the broadcasters have finally figured out that the US Men's National Team weren't all they were cracked up to be.
4. Just completed a very interesting interview tonight with Nick Geber from World Soccer Daily. Subscribe to the EPL Talk Podcast via iTunes or from the podcast page to make sure you get the new episode as soon as it's released on Sunday night.
2. We're also giving away an EPL Talk T-shirt this week, but no one has answered that trivia question yet either. Just download the Max Bretos interview from the EPL Talk Podcast to find out what the question is.
3. Don't faint, but the ABC/ESPN World Cup coverage is improving. Less mistakes are happening, fewer stupid comments are being made, and the broadcasters have finally figured out that the US Men's National Team weren't all they were cracked up to be.
4. Just completed a very interesting interview tonight with Nick Geber from World Soccer Daily. Subscribe to the EPL Talk Podcast via iTunes or from the podcast page to make sure you get the new episode as soon as it's released on Sunday night.
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Put Your Tracksuit Back on Walcott
Phew! Theo Walcott was five minutes away from starting for England in their next match. If Sweden hadn't scored in the 85th minute to beat Paraguay 1-0, the result of Tuesday's England v Sweden match would have been meaningless for England, and Walcott would have been certain to play.Now both England and Sweden can tie on Tuesday. If so, both teams will go through and England will be top of the group.
But, think about this scenario:
Before England play their match against Sweden on Tuesday, they'll know the result of the Germany against Ecuador game from earlier that day. Therefore, both England and Sweden will know what it'll take to play either the host country or Ecuador in the next round.
So if Ecuador end up in first place in Group A, will England lose on purpose to ensure that they won't have to play Germany in the next round, and play Ecuador instead? What do you think??
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England Unconvincing In Win Against TNT
England made it through to the second round of the World Cup by their skin of their teeth, after a tense win against Trinidad and Tobago.The addition of Aaron Lennon and Wayne Rooney was the difference for England, after they entered the game around the 56th minute. Instantaneously, the England team as a whole picked up the speed of the game and passed the ball around a lot faster. Lennon, based on his contribution today, has to be a starter for England, but Sven doesn't have the balls to drop Beckham.
One option would be to drop Lampard (who has been playing awful for England recently) and move Beckham to the middle and let him float, while Lennon attacks on the right and Gerrard controls the middle of the park.
England will hope that Paraguay gets a point against Sweden this afternoon, which will guarantee England first place in the group and will make their match against Sweden on Tuesday meaningless.
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World Cup Player to Watch: Part Eight
By The ScoutSpain - Carles Puyol
The 28 year-old defender is the captain and inspirational leader for his club team FC Barcelona. For the Spanish national team, Puyol also plays a big leadership role. Having come up through the ranks at the Catalan club, Puyol achieved a dream this season by winning both La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.
To say Spain has underachieved in recent tournaments would be unnecessarily polite. They have disappointed time after time despite vast resources of talent to draw upon. In 2002, UEFA voted him the top Right Back in Europe and his play at the World Cup earned plaudits from many analysts. Though knocked out in the quarter-finals of the 2002 tournament, Puyol gained valuable experience playing in a back four that included legends Fernando Hierro, as tough a tackler as you could ask for with technical skills to match, and Miguel Nadal who also played for FC Barcelona.
While not the most technically skilled player, Puyol has evolved into one of the smartest and most versatile. He has sufficient pace and physical strength to operate effectively at either centre-back or right-back. He is a tough but fair tackler, has good tactical sense and is difficult to beat one-on-one. Spain opened strong with a 4-0 win over Ukraine and Puyol was again rock-solid in defense. He also managed to combine with striker Fernando Torres on one of the best goals of the tournament. After making a powerful, determined run up the middle of the field, Puyol played some lovely one-two with Torres who finished things off with a superb low strike. If Spain are to finally fulfill their promise, Puyol will need to repeat his 2002 performance and so far it looks like he even improve upon it.
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Wednesday, June 14, 2006
World Cup Player to Watch: Part Seven
By The ScoutBrazil - Lucio
As the focus is always on the ultra-skilled attacking players of the Brazilian side, their defense rarely gets talked about. Lucio (his full name is Lucimar Ferreira da Silva) is Brazil's best defender and one of the world's greatest stoppers. He plays his club football for Bayern Munich and is a veteran of the national team having played every minute of the 2002 World Cup.
The Brazilian defense is often criticized and former national team defender Roque Junior reportedly got so fed up during the 2005 Confederations Cup that he angrily confronted one of the country's best-known television commentators after a practice session. I think some of the criticism is unwarranted as there is no defense that is consistently unbreachable but if there is a weak point of the Brazil team, it is on the defensive side of the ball. However, when the Samba Boys are knocking the ball around with impunity, getting it off of them to create an attack can be a mammoth task.
In the past Lucio was considered a loose cannon after being involved in bust-ups with teammates on several occasions but that attitude seems to be behind him and he has quietly become the rock that steadies the Brazilian defense. He is the prototype for a modern centre-back, a blend of size and skill that few in the world can rival. His vision on the ball is exceptional and though he has been prone to the occasional defensive lapse, this has diminished as he has gained experience. Lucio and his partner Juan have a huge task on his hands keeping the Brazilian defense solid as there are concerns about the age of Cafu and Roberto Carlos.
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World Cup Player to Watch: Part Six
By The ScoutCzech Republic - Tomas Rosicky
My pick from Group E will seem opportunistic but I had selected him prior to the 3-0 victory over the US. Tomas made headlines prior to the World Cup with a big money transfer to Arsenal from German club Borussia Dortmund. Just 25, Rosicky already has vast club and international experience and won a Bundesliga title with Dortmund in 2002.
His instincts and footballing skills are likely inherited from father Jiri, a celebrated player in the former Czechoslovakia national team.
Rosicky is an attack minded midfielder and during the qualifiers for Germany 2006, scored seven times in 12 games. Whether he is cutting open defenses with his precision passing or a marauding run, Rosicky's strength is in the attcking end of the game. He lacks the strength or size to win balls in the middle of the park but when in posession is highly effective. As his two goals against the US showed, his shooting and finishing ability are world-class. This array of abilities that let him orchestrate play has earned him the nickname of "Little Mozart".
However, consistency has been a problem for Rosicky and like countryman Milan Baros, his best performances have often come while playing for his country and not his club. He goes through spells of brilliance and periods where he appears uninterested.
The Czechs will hope that his form holds as his creativity will be vital to their progression in the tournament.
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Tuesday, June 13, 2006
28 down, 4 to go...
By this time tomorrow, we'll have seen all 32 teams play their opening match. Right now, the only teams we haven't seen play yet are tomorrow's Spain versus Ukraine, and Tunisia versus Saudi Arabia.What's interesting is that there hasn't been any team that has looked like a definite champion. Brazil weren't firing on all cylinders today. Italy and Holland had to labor to get their wins. England looked uninspiring in the second half. France looked dismal. The Czechs were on fire, but against a weak opponent. And Germany has a lot of defensive headaches to cure.
Out of all of the teams, Argentina look the most impressive. That said, they too had defensive issues in their match (against Ivory Coast). There's still a long way to go, but so far Argentina has to be the favorite with Brazil a close second.
Thoughts?
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World Cup Coverage in America, Day 5
ABC/ESPN's coverage was better today, probably because Dave O'Brien and Marcelo Balboa took the day off. JP Dellacamera did a fine job, as did the team of Adrian Healey and Tommy Smyth.
Some points regarding today's coverage:
- ESPN's World Cup Live was better today partly because Landon Donovan fan club president Alexi Lalas was absent. Eric Wynalda was as smug as ever.
- Finally. ESPN showed live footage of both national anthems, this time for the Brazil vs Croatia match.
- ESPN, don't show the team line-ups during the match. Do it before hand, please. During the Brazil match, we missed the team's first attempt on goal because a quarter of the screen was blocked by the on-screen graphic.
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World Cup Player to Watch: Part Five
By The ScoutFrance - Franck Ribéry
In the 23 year-old, we are featuring another attacking midfielder player. My next profile will be a defender, I havent forgotten about that side of the game, I promise! :)
Ribery currently plays for Olympique Marseille but is being pursued by some of the top European clubs including Manchester United, who have already bid £9 million for his services. Ribery has largely played in Ligue 1 but did enjoy a successful loan spell, which included winning the Turkish Football Cup, with Galatasaray. This season he was part of the Marseille side that were the runners-up in the Coupe de France and progressed to the final 16 of the UEFA Cup.
Looked upon by some as the new "Zizou", Ribery has actually had praise heaped on by the legendary Zinedine Zidane. Zidane has said that Ribery is "someone that will stand out" and "will become someone important in football". Ribery has tons of pace and is comfortable operating on either flank has the potential to be the next big French player and could be the man to fill the Zidane's playmaking role on the national team.
French coach Raymond Domenech had been reluctant to select and play Ribery but changed his mind and it should pay off as Ribery will add pace and should torment defences with his dribbling skills and passing ability. He will likely play in a withdrawn strike role in support of Thierry Henry. Les Blues will need Ribery to inject new ideas into their attack for them to avoid a repeat of 2002 when the crashed out of the tournament at the group stage without scoring a single goal.
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Soccer America Drinks ABC/ESPN Kool-Aid
This World Cup is exposing two different camps in the US. On one side, you have the those broadcasters and media who are "in bed" with US Soccer, such as ABC, ESPN and Soccer America.On the other side, you have those who are willing to say it like it is such as GolTV, EPL Talk, World Soccer Daily, The 2 G's and others.
For example, this is what Ridge Mahoney from Soccer America magazine said in his article from this past Friday regarding World Cup coverage in the States:
"Any fan who gets all agitated about announcers while all 64 matches of the world's greatest sporting event are being shown live without commercial breaks is way too wound up about secondary matters."
Is he stupid? The commentary can make or break a game. And this World Cup we have plenty of choices such as Univision and Setanta to turn to. We shouldn't be bowing to ABC and ignoring their glaring mistakes just because they're showing the matches.
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Monday, June 12, 2006
For Your Reading Pleasure
If you've caught the World Cup fever and want to take up a few more notches, be sure to download issue two of the EPL Talk Magazine, the free soccer magazine that's available for you.Read interesting articles about experiencing the World Cup in the United States, collecting Panini football stickers, saying farewell to Highbury, previews of 2006/2007 Premiership jerseys, what EPL teams have the most players on the World Cup squads, five interesting facts about Manchester United and much more in 35 pages of content.
Download it today (and be sure to subscribe so you're notified as soon as the next issue becomes available).
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GolTV: Analysis From The Heart
If you're sick of the sugar-coated World Cup Live show by ESPN and want some real analysis by soccer experts, give GolTV from Germany 2006 a try -- every night at 8pm ET on GolTV.The show features honest analysis and feedback from hosts Ray Hudson, Lindsey Dean and Phil Schoen. These are experts who obviously care about the game and aren't afraid to throw some punches. The first few minutes are from the Spanish broadcasters, but no worries, it's dubbed into English.
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Relief for Depressed U.S. Fans
The new episode of the EPL Talk Podcast is out, and it features a great interview with Max Bretos, the lead play-by-play commentator at Fox Soccer Channel.During the interview, Bretos discusses his first memory of a World Cup, what advice he has for the ABC/ESPN commentators, Fox Soccer Channel's new show Ticket to Germany, and more -- including an interesting revelation about what Bretos likes to do outside of work.
Download it today, and while you're at it, listen to episodes one through 10. New episodes are added every Sunday night.
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ABC/ESPN Coverage Does US No Favors
It hasn't been a good few days for the United States. While many die-hard soccer fans have had to wince at the weekend's World Cup coverage from ABC, the situation was made worse today by ESPN's sycophant World Cup Live pre-show and a heavy 3-0 loss against the Czech Republic.Before the Czech game, ESPN's World Cup Live team of Rece Davis, Alexi Lalas, Eric Wynalda and Julie Foudy hyped up the US team by naming them US's "finest team" and their "best team in history." Come on people, you're supposed to be objective!
Especially criminal was how ESPN showed the US national anthem being played before the match, and the second it was over, the broadcaster broke to commercial thereby skipping the Czech anthem completely. That was a slap in the face to Czech fans in North America, and non-partisan soccer viewers.
During the match, US lead commentator Dave O'Brien did better than he did during yesterday's Mexico vs Iran match (when O'Brien, again, appeared to "slow down" the tempo of the game with his slow and deliberate commentating).
ESPN drolled out too many statistics throughout the 90 minutes of the US match and, to make matters worse, the trivia facts were displayed as on-screen graphics blocking the bottom portion of the screen during important moments of the match.
This afternoon's defeat is a wake-up call for the US and for ABC/ESPN. Let's see how they respond on screen and on the field in the coming days.
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World Cup Player to Watch: Part Four
By The Scout
Portugal - Cristiano Ronaldo
I've had the opportunity to watch this player in action quite a lot over the last couple of season, both with his club Manchester United and for country as they made it to the finals of the Euro 2004 tournament. Blessed with incredible speed and agility, the 21 year-old winger is one of the most athletically blessed players in world football. Deceptively strong and good in the air, there is very little that Ronaldo cannot do when his mind is focused.
Therein lies the problem with the young Portugese sensation. It often appears that he is content with performing tricks and stepovers rather than creating goals for his teammates or for himself. He is gaining a reputation as an individualist and has already had clashes with Red Devils teammate Ruud Van Nistelrooy over what Ruud deemed "selfishness" with the ball. Another problem is that Ronaldo can be easily put off by physical play. He has kicked out or cynically tackled opponents after being bumped or taken off the ball.
When he is focused and working for his teammates, there are few players that are more exciting to watch. Pace, precision passing, close control and able to produce thundering shots with either foot, his talent is enough to make almost anyone green with envy. He produced mixed results in the opening match against Angola and much to his displeasure, he was replaced after an hour for the more defensive minded Costinha. Ronaldo created chances but failed to finish and after being one of the top scorers in World Cup qualification, he will need to bear down and produce a sharper effort in the upcoming matches to take Portugal deep into the tournament.
Portugal - Cristiano Ronaldo
I've had the opportunity to watch this player in action quite a lot over the last couple of season, both with his club Manchester United and for country as they made it to the finals of the Euro 2004 tournament. Blessed with incredible speed and agility, the 21 year-old winger is one of the most athletically blessed players in world football. Deceptively strong and good in the air, there is very little that Ronaldo cannot do when his mind is focused.
Therein lies the problem with the young Portugese sensation. It often appears that he is content with performing tricks and stepovers rather than creating goals for his teammates or for himself. He is gaining a reputation as an individualist and has already had clashes with Red Devils teammate Ruud Van Nistelrooy over what Ruud deemed "selfishness" with the ball. Another problem is that Ronaldo can be easily put off by physical play. He has kicked out or cynically tackled opponents after being bumped or taken off the ball.
When he is focused and working for his teammates, there are few players that are more exciting to watch. Pace, precision passing, close control and able to produce thundering shots with either foot, his talent is enough to make almost anyone green with envy. He produced mixed results in the opening match against Angola and much to his displeasure, he was replaced after an hour for the more defensive minded Costinha. Ronaldo created chances but failed to finish and after being one of the top scorers in World Cup qualification, he will need to bear down and produce a sharper effort in the upcoming matches to take Portugal deep into the tournament.
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Sunday, June 11, 2006
ABC: Another Big Co*k-Up
ABC's Day 2 World Cup coverage, I believe, was appalling. Sure, Marcelo Balboa misspoke and said "Michael Beckham" during the England match, but that was an unfortunate slip.But what I was more pissed off at was lead commentator Dave O'Brien. First off, his manner of speaking is very slowww and monotonous (great for baseball). It felt like he slowed down the game even when the action on the field was like pinball.
Second, O'Brien was clueless. He referred to Beckham's cross, which led to the own goal as, quote, "a rocket" and later "a screaming shot." Sorry ABC, but it was a mild cross, not a bullet.
Third, the man babbles on about stuff which has no relevance to the game (i.e. weaving in references to basketball about Paulo Wanchope). Concentrate on the match. We don't want to hear nonsense.
Fourth, and finally, don't talk down to us. Towards the end of the match when Balboa said that Crouch had to be careful when he got his first yellow card, and Balboa went on to say that if he received a second yellow card that Crouch would have been sent off. Duhhhh! Then O'Brien had the cheek to add that if Crouch would have been sent off, England would be down to ten men.
Obviously ABC has decided that the target audience for matches is the uneducated American soccer fan (I mean that in the nicest way, ie someone who hasn't watched the match before). That's bloody ridiculous. ABC were taking their name (i.e. A..B..C..) way too seriously!
I watched the Sweden match on 'mute.'
And I watched the Argentina match on Univision, which was a MUCH better package. The build-up was there (ie national anthems, and the hype before the match), which is severely lacking from the ABC coverage (for the England match, the coverage started literally a second before the kickoff began).
Plus, with Univision, even though I don't understand Spanish very well, the commentators were far more passionate and exciting to listen to.
I may have given up on ABC/ESPN. What do you think? Am I wrong? What are your opinions regarding the commentating thus far?
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Saturday, June 10, 2006
Day Two of The World Cup Experience
Day two is over, and it's been a long day. More than 126 miles in the car, tooling around South Florida watching World Cup matches in different locales rather than at home. Here are some of my experiences and observations.For the England versus Paraguay match, I made the 40 mile trip to The Kings Head Pub in Sunrise, Florida. With a plateful of fried sausages, eggs, bacon, mushrooms, chips (and more) on my plate and a pint of Strongbow cider in hand, my five mates and I were eager to see what England were made of.
Like many of you, I was disappointed with the performance. The first five minutes couldn't have gone better with an own goal and the Paraguay goalkeeper being substituted. But after that, the English team lacked the killer instinct to finish off the game. The second half performance was dour. England seemed to play more like the defensive Italy of old, and conjured up a lacklustre one-nil win.
Next up was a search for a Trinidadian pub in the Lauderhill region of South Florida, which turned up empty. So my mate and I ended up at Tootsies Cabaret in Miami Gardens. The Sweden versus Trinidad and Tobago match was equally uneventful. The TNT defense doing a remarkable job of holding off the Swedish team.
For the Argentina versus Ivory Coast, I watched the match at a friend's party near downtown Miami. With the humidity reaching high levels, it seemed like the perfect place to watch the South American team. The Argentines looked extremely impressive and the day ended with a scintillating match as opposed to the earlier games. Argentina's defense looks shakey, but they should cruise through to the second round buoyed by that win.
By the time I returned home, 12 hours after I left this morning, I was knackered but on a high.
How did you experience the World Cup matches, and what were your thoughts on what you saw? Do tell.
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Friday, June 09, 2006
World Cup Player to Watch: Part Three
By The ScoutSerbia and Montenegro - Nikola Zigic
While no one is a lock to advance, there are two groups that will prove more difficult to emerge from than the others. Group E with Italy, USA, Ghana and Czech Republic squads has been dubbed a "group of death". Vying equally hard for that title is Group C, which features Argentina, Netherlands, Serbia and Montenegro and Cote D'Ivoire.
While Argentina and Netherlands are the glamour sides of the group, Serbia and Montenegro have the potential to be the dark horse team of the tournament. They possess an organized and physically intimidating back four that only allowed a single goal in 10 WC qualifying (conceded in a 1-1 draw with Spain).
Offensively and visually, the focus is on 6' 8" giant Nikola Zigic, who will be counted on to provide goals and create chances for others. An old-school centre-forward, his main strength is obviously in being a target man for long aerial passes and crosses into the box. There is no doubting his heading ability as he wins almost everything knocked his way but he also possesses solid passing skills and can unleash a long range bomb when called upon. (For evidence of this check out this video of his performance against AS Roma in the UEFA Cup).
Zigic played for Red Star Belgrade during this past season and his play caught the eye of a number of bigger European clubs including West Ham, Marseille and Hamburg. Zigic has played the bulk of his club football in Serbia & Montenegro, except for an unsuccessful loan spell at French club Saint-Etienne in 2002-03.
Zigic is often compared to Czech Republic target man Jan Koller and I feel the comparison is a very good one. Like Koller, Zigic is deceptively skilled and gives his coach the ability to play different formations knowing that Zigic will get the job done whether as a lone target man or knocking down passes for national team strike partner Mateja Kezman.
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For Those About To Skip Work, We Salute You
Tried listening to the BBC Five Live live broadcast from work a few minutes ago to listen to the Germany v Costa Rica match, but alas -- for those souls outside of the UK, like me -- the Beeb doesn't have rights to broadcast the match overseas.Probably the worst place in the world to follow the World Cup is the East Coast of America. The weekday matches are on at 9am, Noon and 3pm ET... right through our workday. At least the people on the west coast of America can catch the 6am PT match before heading to their 9-5 job.
I'm curious. How are you watching the World Cup? Are you playing the "don't talk to anyone and don't log on to the Internet" game where you'll watch the matches on tape tonight? Have you found a boss that's willing to let you watch it? Do tell. I and the rest of the readers would be interested in hearing from you.
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Thursday, June 08, 2006
Required Reading for World Cup Fans
There's no better time to be a football fan than right now. On the eve of the World Cup, the choices of what to watch and read are almost endless.
For example, you' have to read this one about the battle between Adidas and Puma, and how it's split a German town in two, literally. Or, how about a very interesting twist (I promise) on Wayne Rooney's broken bones? Even if you're sick of hearing about Roo, this story will open your eyes.
Two more great examples of BBC Sport coverage.
For example, you' have to read this one about the battle between Adidas and Puma, and how it's split a German town in two, literally. Or, how about a very interesting twist (I promise) on Wayne Rooney's broken bones? Even if you're sick of hearing about Roo, this story will open your eyes.
Two more great examples of BBC Sport coverage.
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World Cup Player to Watch: Part Two
England - Paul RobinsonBy The Scout
With all of the fuss and furor surrounding young Mr Rooney's metatarsal, as well as coach Sven Goran Eriksson's tactics and team selection, little focus has been paid to one of the main sources of recent English failures at the big tournaments -- goalkeeping.
Going back to 2002 when David Seaman had to shoulder a lot of the blame for the quarter-finals loss to Brazil. Seaman was caught drifting off his line and misjudged a long-range Ronaldinho free-kick, which was ultimately the decisive goal in the match. David James was less than impressive at Euro 2004 and had some shaky performances in qualifying for the current World Cup. The final straw appeared to be his conceding all four goals during a 4-1 loss to Denmark in a 2005 friendly, he was summarily dropped as the number one keeper after
being widely criticised.
Taking over the number one position is the relatively young Spurs keeper Paul Robinson. Robinson came up through the ranks at Leeds United and gained valuable experience during the 2000-01 season with Champions League starts against Besiktas, Barcelona, Real Madrid
and Lazio. After Leeds was relegated from the Premiership, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur and assumed the number one duties from U.S. international Kasey Keller.
While far from the most physically imposing keeper, Robinson is 6' 3" with great leaping ability, is an exceptional shot stopper and makes many purely reactional saves. Will his athletic gifts and extensive scouting of other teams shooters improve England's chances and give
them hope of winning a match should it come down to penalties? Sven and millions of English fans are counting on it.
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Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Add an EPL Talk T-shirt to your Wardrobe
Manchester United fan Justin Franklin fashions the EPL Talk T-shirt.
Interested in getting your own? Listen to the EPL Talk Podcast interview with Soccer Shout to find out how you can win one.
Interested in getting your own? Listen to the EPL Talk Podcast interview with Soccer Shout to find out how you can win one.
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Fox Soccer Channel Enhances Web site
While Fox Soccer Channel won't be broadcasting any of the World Cup matches, the soccer network is busy providing coverage to you.On TV, the channel debuts a new program starting Thursday, June 8th at 8pm ET (and broadcasting each night throughout the tournament at that same time). Ticket To Germany will provide daily news, analysis and highlights from Germany with hosts Bobby McMahon and Max Bretos.
Online, meanwhile, Fox Soccer Channel has made significant changes. They've added blogs for Nick Webster, Bobby McMahon, Jamie Trecker and Oliver Hinz. Plus, they've added functionality that allows you to create your own World Cup blogs. Check mine out at http://blogs.foxsports.com/The_Gaffer
In addition to the blog feature, the enhanced Foxsoccer.com site also features an impressive interactive World Cup map.
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World Cup Player to Watch: Part One
Germany - Lukas PodolskiBy The Scout
This player is an obvious but a very necessary choice. Having
just turned 21 recently, Lukas is now set to star for Germany at this year's World Cup. He spent last season at FC Cologne but after they were relegated from the Bundesliga, he was sold to Bayern Munich this summer for a rumoured fee of between 10 and 11 million euros. The clean-cut striker is one of the top 20 players in terms of commercial appeal and already has an extensive list of endorsement deals including Axe body spray and Adidas, who have created a Podolski line of boots -- the LP-10s.
Though born in Poland, Podolski grew up in Germany and came up through
the FC Cologne youth academy. Podolski is a smaller forward but his
low centre of gravity makes him tough to knock off the ball and he has
terrific vision and predatory instincts in front of goal. Prinz Poldi,
as his fans have dubbed him, has scored 12 times in 24 international
appearances. German national team coach Jurgen Klinsmann has been
working to get the team playing a quick transition game, with an
emphasis on attack. Podolski's pace and skill will be a critical
component if the system is to succeed. Podolski, along with talented
midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger and defender Robert Huth, represents
the future of German football.
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Tale of Two Countries in America - Divided by Soccer
The Guardian newspaper ran an interesting article about America and the World Cup yesterday.
In it, reporter Steven Wells revealed the interesting split between those die-hard soccer fans and the mainstream. Interestingly, I wrote a similar piece for EPL Talk Magazine (which was just released last night and is a free download).
If you live in America, both articles are a must-read.
In it, reporter Steven Wells revealed the interesting split between those die-hard soccer fans and the mainstream. Interestingly, I wrote a similar piece for EPL Talk Magazine (which was just released last night and is a free download).
If you live in America, both articles are a must-read.
The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
New Soccer Radio Network Launches
In interesting news, Graham Bell and Gazza Richards from The 2 G's have launched their own new soccer radio channel entitled Champions Soccer Radio Network.The 24/7 station is available as a streaming broadcast over the Internet at http://www.the2gs.com
The network is currently airing The 2 G's, The Treble and select EPL Talk podcasts. The 2 G's and The Treble were previously on Steven Cohen and Nick Webster's World Soccer Daily radio network.
If you haven't had a chance to listen to The 2 G's show yet, this is a perfect opportunity. Richards is a former QPR player, while Bell is a former referee. Both of them, along with producer Diana Germano, have a great rapport on the radio and it's definitely worth listening (which is summed up in their tag line: 'Real talk, Real fans, Real football.')
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Monday, June 05, 2006
Americans Get a Taste of ABC World Cup Programming
If you blinked, you may have missed it, but this past weekend ABC showed two World Cup shows to get Americans excited about the World Cup.The first, "American Soccer's Ten Greatest Moments," might sound like a joke to most readers outside the US, but much of the content was focused on the US women's national team and their World Cup and Olympic medals.
The second show, "The Drive To Germany," gave a preview of the US squad and included interviews with Bruce Arena and star players such as Kasey Keller and Landon Donovan.
The two shows gave us a taste of what we can expect during the World Cup. While the production value was good, the content was sugar coated to put the US team in as good a light as possible. No room for opinionated soccer analysts here.
Former US player Alexei Lalas hosted both shows and did a fine job. The pace of the shows seemed like a lazy weekend afternoon rather than the energetic tempo of a program such as the "EPL Review Show" from Fox Soccer Channel.
Overall, though, ABC is definitely getting better. They still have a long way to go before they're totally respected by die-hard soccer fans (and that day will probably never come if they don't allow counterpoints).
The question is, though, did ABC achieve their objective with these shows which was to get American sports fans interested in the World Cup and the US story? We'll find out real soon!
The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!
Tenth Episode of the EPL Talk Podcast
The tenth episode of the EPL Talk Podcast is now live featuring an interesting interview with soccer podcast-afficionado Phil McThomas from Soccer Shout.Phil, and his co-host Tony, have been making a lot of progress recently and have even been featured in the Sunday Times of London and on BBC Radio's Five Live.
Interestingly, Phil gives us his background on supporting Middlesbrough and watching the team go one game from extinction, and how the team has progressed to the point where they are now (i.e. avoiding relegation).
Plus, we get to hear from Phil how he started Soccer Shout, what the show is about and much more. Definitely worth checking out the interview and listening to the podcast at http://www.soccershout.com I thoroughly recommend it.
The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!
Saturday, June 03, 2006
Welcome BBC Web Site Visitors
If you're visiting this blog from the link at the BBC's web site (so far, that's 36% of you), welcome aboard. While the focus of the EPL Talk blog is on the English Premiership League, we'll also be covering the World Cup this summer.Let me take this opportunity to also introduce you to the EPL Talk web site, podcast and magazine.
The EPL Talk Podcast is the only weekly soccer interview show on the Internet featuring interviews with soccer celebrities such as former Newcastle United player Ray Hudson, and soccer analysts and commentators such as Bobby McMahon, Phil Schoen, Steven Cohen, Graham Bell and others.
The EPL Talk Magazine is available for free in the form of an online magazine. The publication gives you a behind-the-scenes look at the Premiership, and is definitely a one-of-a-kind magazine. The second issue is due out any day now and will be a World Cup preview issue, so be sure to subscribe today so you'll be notified as soon as the issue becomes available.
Meanwhile, be sure to visit EPLTalk.com, which has all of the Premiership news, fixtures, table, chat and links all on one page.
By the way, this is my 100th post to the EPL Talk Blog in just a few months. So keep on coming back for some interesting insights, observations and news about the Premiership and World Cup.
The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!
Friday, June 02, 2006
Chelsea Raise The Bar Before 2006/2007 Season Begins
When the Premiership season concluded on May 7, many people (myself included) were commenting how next season will be a four horse race instead of two. Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United are worthy contenders for the 2006/2007 title.How quickly things change. With Chelsea's acquisition of Shevchenko and Ballack, the west London outfit has raised the bar without even kicking a ball. For Arsenal, Manchester United and Liverpool to compete against such class is a very tall order.
Of course, the season isn't over before it's even started. But if Mourinho can slot the Ukrainian and German into his team and improve on last year's performance, then Chelsea will be even tougher to defeat. The real question for Chelsea is whether they have what it takes to win the Champions League.
The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!
Thursday, June 01, 2006
What World Cup Jersey Are You Wearing?
We're now less than eight days away from the opening match of the World Cup.If you haven't had a chance to buy the World Cup jersey of your team yet, there's still time. Visit the World Cup Shirts site, which features the official 2006 jerseys from most of the countries participating.
In addition to the World Cup jerseys, there are also T-shirts available and other rare World Cup collectibles.
The EPL Talk Blog has moved. Be sure to visit epltalk.com and update your bookmarks!
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