Just “brilliant” from Gomez. With just a yard out, its a damn miracle that he can missed the ball and scooped it way high over the post. Pure Genius, never in this world you will find another player like him. Oh, come on, even a 7 year old can tap the ball in from one yard out. Shame on you, Mr Genius.

Joachim Low must be jumping up and down like a monkey in the dugout.

Another hilarious thing about this match is the battle of both coaches and do you know whats the best thing about it?

Both of them were immediately sent off by the referee to the stands! Immaturity at its very best.

In such a crucial game to qualify for the quarter finals, why didn’t the coach start with Milan Baros? He is the pinnacle of Czech Republic’s attack and probably the fastest sprinter in the whole team. Pure idiocy.

The Czech manager choose to play Koller for the whole game. Are you blind? Can’t you see that Koller could not cope with full 90 minutes with his age? You have two great strikers - Baros and Sverkos and you choose not to play them. How blind and stupid can you be?!

Just look at the magnificent chance Koller had above. We can clearly see that he doesn’t have the pace to carry the ball all the way to the goal post and execute the shot. Substitute Baros with Koller in this situation and the Czechs will most probably be ahead.

And look at Peter Cech’s ultimate blunder….

Best Goalkeeper in the world as quoted by many websites and magazines? Ya right!

Czechs deserved to lose and I am happy that they did. Congratulations to Turkey for their determination and spirit in hanging on and finishing it with a cool manner when it matters most.

Useless Peter Cech, I am sure you as the ‘best’ goalkeeper in Europe can’t believe that you let in 3 goals in a single game eh? Ha ha

1. My eyes nearly freaking popped out when I saw Gomez in the starting lineup again! Who the hell is this Gomez anyway? I don’t know but all I know is that he sucked BIG TIME in this tournament.

Why the hell did Joachim Low put in Mario Gomez in his lineup again after such a under par performance from Gomez against Poland? It’s pure stupidity to put Gomez to partner Klose upfront. By doing this, Podolski is moved to the left wing, rendering him useless in that position. He is much better when he partners with Klose upfront because after all, they are the striker brothers of Germany. See, he scored a goal that gave a glimmer of hope to the Germans after he is moved forward following Gomez’s substitution.

Why not just move on with what’s already working rather than trying to bloody act smart by putting the useless Gomez to partner with Klose? The chemistry is just not right.

2. Substitution came too late to get rid of the useless Gomez, who can’t even pass the ball right. If Schweinsteiger were to come on earlier or featured in the starting lineup, the red card incident probably wouldn’t happened. It happened because the Germans were chasing the game and Croatian players were denying them intelligently, fueling more frustrations and anger.

3. Defence. What god damn defence are the Germans having today? There was completely ZERO understanding between the whole back four and Lehmann. The Germans should consider themselves lucky for not getting an atrocious scoreline with a elementary school kids defending quality. If a defence like this were to go up against team like Portugal or Spain, consider this a 5-0 game or more. They better fix this issue before the next game or we might see a surprised underdog in this group!

4. Ballack should cool down his damn head. Feeling angry, frustrated and annoyed doesn’t really help yourself or the team. We can see clearly that his temperament affects his performance in this game, making pointless tackles, arguing with referee and passing the ball straight to the opposition.

On another day, I am sure the Germans would have beaten Croatia if they play their cards right but too bad, the Croatians really deserved their historic win today.

Flame me or whatever, I just feel like ranting after watch the appalling German performance. One thing positive though, Podolski’s goal was a screamer!

Croatia: 8/10 | Germany: 3/10

Final Score: Croatia 2-1 Germany

Luis Felipe Scolari came into the world on the 9th of November 1948 in the city of Passo Fundo, Rio Grande Do Sul, Brazil. In his time as a player, he was a defender for the following teams in Brazil: Aymore-RS, Caxias, Juventude, Novo Hamburgo, and CSA. His list of teams that he has managed since 1982 has been exhaustive and includes: CSA, Juventude, Brasil de Pelotas, Gremio, Goias, Kuwait, Al Qadisiya, Criciuma, Al Ahli, Jubilo Iwata, Palmeiras, Cruzeiro, Brazil, Portugal, and as of the end of Euro 2008, Chelsea.

Luis Felipe Scolari has been known to have a domineering effect on the players and teams. It is expected that Luis Felipe Scolari and Sir Alex Ferguson will be providing the entertainment with each victory given the personality of the both managers. This has yet to be seen but what could be said was that in September 2007, Portugal was playing against Serbia in the Euro 2008 Qualifier when Scolari punched Ivica Dragutinovic [the Serbian Player] with a left hook after receiving a slap in the hand from him. It is this discipline that has helped the teams he managed including Portugal to reach depths that were never imagined. In fact, he is the recipient of awards such as the FIFA World Cup for Brazil in the year 2002 as well as Copa Do Brasil, Copa Mercosur, Copa Sul-Minas, Recopa Sudamericana, Copa Libertadores, Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, Campeonato Gaucho, Campeonato Alagoano, and Torneo Rio- Sao Paulo.

I would like to wish Luis Felipe Scolari the best of luck in his new found position as Manager of the Chelsea FC since he deserves it.

I was listening to the game between Spain and Russia for the Group D Classification of Euro 2008 using the Windows Media Player in my computer. Spanish Radio and Television did the live coverage and it was the equivalent of being there. I wanted Spain to win in order to bury all of the comments of the so called pundits who underestimate Spain. Another reason was recent football history. During the beginning of 2008, an English Team played an exhibition game in Moscow. It was before, during, and after this exhibition game that hooligans from Russia started verbally and physically assaulting the English Football [Soccer] supporters. It was a surprise that Russia was not expelled from the European League or FIFA. The game itself was great and exciting.

FIRST HALF

The First Half started with a Spain which was forward looking and triumphant. Spain had possession of the ball and the game. David Villa surprised the spectators with his first two goals of the game. In the first goal, Villa took advantage of an opening in the Russian Goal Post to score his first goal. In the second attempt, David Villa kicked the ball between the legs of Igor Akinfeyev to score the second goal. It appears that David Villa was the dominant force in the First Half in the Spanish Victory over Russia. During the game, there were comments from the pundits of the Sports Forum of the BBC about signing Villa for Liverpool or Arsenal.

SECOND HALF

Spain started the second half with David Villa giving a headache to Roman Shirokov and scoring a third goal in the process. Unfortunately, Russia woke up from its lethargy in order for Roman Pavlyuchenko to score its first goal. Regardless, Spain was able to recover from this setback with David Villa assisting Cesc Fabregas in scoring a forth and final goal for Spain to the chagrin and surprise of Igor Akinfeyev. All of attempts at substitution by Russia resulted in negative results while Spain had little or no need of such substitutions. It was one of the greatest games and upsets.

TOTAL

Russia played a disorganized game and was unable to recover from the volley of goals by David Villa. Spain with Villa, Fabregas, and Torres were able to show the world that Spain is the team to deal with in Euro 2008. Spain was organized, disciplined, and to the point in its football [soccer]. Spain now has to prepare for its games against Greece and Sweden.

Spain 4-1 Russia

Principal Player: David Villa

Argentina and the United States of America will be remembered as having performed disastrously in spite of the substitutions. Both teams had their shares of bookings with the Argentine Team receiving a Red Card for their Unsportsmanlike Conduct. Argentina and the United States also attempted to score goals only to miss the goal post or have the ball kicked over the goal fence. Both teams were disorganized in their plays, attempts at cross, corner kicks, and penalty kicks. The Euro 2008 Match between Croatia and Austria was more organized than the half hearted attempt of the United States of America and Argentina.

If there was anything positive that came out of this game, it was the fact that the goalkeepers of both teams were able to deflect the ball in order to avoid the goal. Another piece of good news was that Landon Donovan was able to have his one hundredth cap in this game. Regardless, Argentina and the United States of America will have to sit down and think about their future in the 2010 World Cup since both teams have lost some of their luster.

Maybe the United States of America and Argentina can learn from Mexico and its victory over Peru which occurred in the same day and was transmitted live by the US Latin Television Station Telemundo [which is also part of the NBC Empire]. Mexico was able to score four points with the tenacity, organization, and discipline while Peru stood by helplessly. Mexico had total domination of the ball and the game. Mexico appeared rejuvenated after the changes in managers and game plans. Mexico appeared to be playing like a real football [soccer] team. Mexico deserves all of the praise and glory in its game against Peru. Of the four countries that have been mentioned in this Battle of the Americas, Mexico has a serious chance of classifying in the World Cup 2010 which will take place in South Africa.

USA 0-0 Argentina

Peru: 0/10

Croatia and Austria played the first game of the Group B Division before an audience of fifty thousand people in Austria. Since I was unable to listen to the game via the BBC on my Windows Media Player [taking into account that the BBC transmits these games to the domestic population], I listened to the French Language Station of Swiss Radio and Television in order to enjoy the game. I wanted to see if Croatia could continue its current course in football [soccer] that started in the World Cup 1998 after its victory over Germany. It was the victory of Croatia over Germany [compared with David killing Goliath] in 1998 that helped Croatia receive recognition in the football [soccer] world. Austria did not want to be far behind since they are the host country. In fact, Arnold Schwarzenegger once started as a football [soccer] player before changing to weight lifting, and immigrating to California.

THE ACTUAL GAME WITH COMMENTARIES

Croatia started the game well with a goal within four minutes by Luca Medic. Unfortunately for Croatia, it was more like attempting to maintain its one goal advantage. It would have been better for Croatia if Eduardo Ad Silva would have been able to participate but his injuries prevented him from doing so. Croatia lacked coordination and discipline accompanied by the inability to take advantage of the errors of the Austrian Team. Croatia had its shares of bookings and substitutions which made the situation worse. Croatia has to organize its team and play better if it wants to make an impressive presence in Group B. I have my doubts since Germany will probably win the Group B Division after its impressive two to zero victory over Poland.

Austria appeared more like a comic football [soccer] team than a serious contender. After hearing and seeing the performance of the Austrian National Team, it is not a surprise that Austria is in Ninety Second Place just below Mozambique in the FIFA Classifications. Austria had many opportunities to equalize but were unable to capitalize on them. Sebastian Prodl and Joachim Stedfest did not measure and coordinate their attempts at a goal and failed miserably. Emanuel Pogaretz proved himself to be a bad sport by assaulting one of the members of the Croatian National Team. While Pogaretz received the yellow card, he should have been expelled. Prodl and Saumel also received yellow cards for their impressive anti professional behaviour. It appears that maybe Arnold Schwarzenegger should coach the Austrian National Team in the future. He could organize the team in the same vein California has been organized.

Austria 0-1 Croatia

Player of the Moment: Luca Modric

After the opening game of Euro 2008 in Basel, Switzerland with the victory of the Czech Republic over the host country Switzerland, Portugal played its opening game against Turkey in Geneva, Switzerland. The game was transmitted live via Shortwave and Internet Radio by RDP Internacional [The External Services of Portuguese Radio and Television]. During an interview, Luis Felipe Scolari [the Coach of the Portuguese National Team who is from Brazil] was willing to recognize the strength of the Turkish National Team and was willing to be content with either a 1-0 victory for Portugal or a draw. The events that transpired showed otherwise.
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FIRST HALF

The Portuguese and Turkish National Teams used the first half to attempt possession of the game. It was a mark of brinkmanship in which the Turkish Team blinked and Portugal took possession of the game within the last ten minutes of the first half. The Turks were no match for the onslaught that was to follow.

SECOND HALF

Portugal continues with possession of the ball and the game with the Turks attempting to play a football that was weak. Portugal continued its consistent offence with the first goal by Pepe after an exchange of the ball with Nune Gomes. There were some members of the Turkish National Team who were playing violently to the point that Kazim Richards, Zan, and Sarioglu were booked. Aurelio deserved a red card for his violent kick to the left leg of Nani leaving a profound gash. Regardless, Raul Meireles helped Portugal get its revenge by scoring a second goal just before the game ended. With the goal by Meireles, Portugal deserved its victory.

REVIEW

Luis Felipe Scolari either on purpose or because of the nerves underestimated the Portuguese National Team. Portugal played a clean, disciplined, and honourable game. Portugal played with dignity and with tenacity. Portugal deserved its victory. Turkey on the other hand played with little desire except to impose pain on members of the Portuguese National Team. The bookings were not sufficient and I insist that Aurelio should have been sent off. At the present rate, Portugal and the Czech Republic will be the top teams in Group A with Portugal winning in the Group. Everything hinges on how Portugal can defeat the Czech Republic and Switzerland. RDP Internacional [The External Services of Portuguese Radio and Television deserves high honours for its exceptional coverage of the first game by the Portuguese National Team in Euro 2008.

Portugal 2-0 Turkey

Portugal: 10/10
Turkey: 0/10
Principal: Nunes y Raul Meireles

After a jubilant opening ceremony, the Swiss were ready to go out with all guns blazing and it wasn’t that bad for them till the stroke of half time.

Just minutes before half time, the person who holds the biggest key in winning this match ended up injured. Alexander Frei leaves the field in tears following a knee injury.

However, the bad luck didn’t ended there for the poor Swiss players and fans.

Manager Jacob Kuhn eager to turn things around, brought in experienced Hakan Yakin and young forward Vonlanthen. In my opinion, Vonlanthen’s introduction didn’t really helped the team but instead worsen things.

First, he got a booking with just seconds after coming on and then due to his experience, he smashed the ball blindly on Czech’s post in what could be the biggest chance for the Swiss to get back in to the game.

The best is yet to come ….

In a surging Czech attack, the Swiss defenders thought it was a complete offside but the referee and linesman think likewise. Václav Sverkoš got the magnificent goal.

Then came our Czech controversy hero, Tomáš Ujfaluši. He deliberately handled the ball with his hand in an attempt to clear a dangerous pass by Switzerland in front of the referee. The referee failed to see it and to make things worst, our young substitute striker smashes the ball against Peter Cech’s underside crossbar.

In another incident, Ujfaluši tried to handle the ball with his hand again but I don’t think this one deserves a penalty.
Lady luck just won’t smile on the host nation today.

Final Score: Switzerland 0-1 Czech Republic

Hughes’s shot at the big time?

Mark Hughes has managed Blackburn but despite managing now a top 10 club he has never been able to spend millions of pounds or manage in front of over 40,000 people each week. Now he will have to cope with the pressure’s of a club like Manchester City as he will manage in front of nearly 50,000 people and with a large budget. There’ll be no room for failure after Sven had a good season last season guiding Man City back into the Top 10 and qualifying for the Uefa Cup. Hughes is on a hiding to nothing but it says something about his character when he’s leaving the safety and stability of Blackburn Rovers for the unpredictability of working with Thaskin Shinawatra the Manchester City owner. Hughes nows that if he fails with Man City then all the good work he did with Blackburn will be damaged but should he succseed then he’ll be started to be regarded as one of the best British managers and may in a couple of years (should he do well) have Man Utd and Chelsea looking at him as a future manager.

However now onto the money. For the first time in his managerial career Mark Hughes will have cash to splash. At Blackburn he proved his ability to get good bargain deals in the transfer market with the signings of Roque Santa Cruz and Christophe Samba for small amounts of money. However now armed with Shinawatra’s millions he will be asked to go out and spend big in the hope of turning Man City into a top six team and then in the long run a top four team. Who will Mark Hughes attempt to buy though. No doubt with Shinawatra’s help they will do their best to entice Ronaldinho to the club but the Brazilian playmaker is unlikely to make the move due to the fact that Man City cannot offer him Champions League football. Mark Hughes may then look at his old team Blackburn and David Bentley will be a target for him, He will also try desperately to hold onto defender Richard Dunne but should he go Mark Hughes will be forced to pay a lot of money for a quality centre back. Finally Mark Hughes will want to offload some of the dead wood with perhaps Bojinov just one of many that will leave this summer.

Whatever happens this summer Mark Hughes has seen that Shinawatra has big plans for this club. He will be expected to finish in the top six especially if he spends millions of pounds while a good run in the Uefa Cup will also be demanded by the controversial owner. Mark Hughes has taken a big risk in leaving Blackburn for the City of Manchester Stadium but it was perphas a risk he felt he needed to take to futher his managerial career. If you ask me Shinawatra should never have sacked Sven -Who has now gone to manage Mexico- but Mark Hughes is a good replacement and he may be able to take Manchester City far in both the Uefa Cup and the Premiership. Whatever happens it will be another interesting year at Manchester City. Shinawatra however must give Hughes time because you cannot just keep on sacking and appointing managers.

Where do Blackburn go now?

Blackburn have announced that they will not rush in their search to appoint a new manager but who are the contenders for the job? Sam Allydarce who left Newcastle in January is just one possible candiate however there’s been numerous rumuors. Paul Ince (who has been linked with a move to Leicester) is another target after managing to lead MK Dons into League One as the divisions champions. Dick Advocaat the ex Rangers and Holland manager has also been linked with a move to Blackburn following the fact that his team were able to win the Uefa Cup but the Dutch coach despite wanting to manage in England is likely to wait for a team with european football offer him a job and he has the support of the people in Russia including the new Russian leader. However the person that I think that Blackburn should seriously consider is Kenny Dalglish.

Kenny Dalglish is a bit of a Blackburn legend having managed the club to Premiership success in 1995. He took them from a lower division through to the Premiership and then to winners. He also led Liverpool to league title succsess but despite this he has not been in management since 1999 and should he return it would likely only be a short term one. Therefore my advice would be to appoint Kenny Dalglish as manager and should he wish to return to football appoint him on a 12 month contract with Alan Shearer as his assisstant. This way Alan Shearer would be able to get experience from working with an experienced manager like Kenny Dalglish and then in 12 months he could become the manager of Blackburn with him being a bit of a legend there. Kevin Keegan has done a decent job since his return to Newcastle and perhaps bringing back ex-managers can work it seems to have also worked at Rangers with Walter Smith leading the club to a domestic double and a european final. Dalglish can do the same and his managerial record is very very good.

Matchreporter

Hristo Stoichkov was a Striker who rose through the ranks in Bulgarian Football [Soccer] to become a manager. Hristo Stoichkov also played as a left attacker and winger who was able to surprise people with his free kicks, penalty kicks, and crosses. Hristo Stoichkov came into the world in the town of Plovdiv, Bulgaria on the Eighth of February in the year 1966. While Hristo Stoichkov has his detractors secondary to his temper, it is important to concentrate on the life and career of the National Hero of Bulgaria.

Hristo Stoichkov started his career in football [soccer] with the the Maritsa Youth Club from 1976 to 1982. I remember hearing some of the games from the Maritza Youth Club on my shortwave radio. Radio Sofia had broadcast news about the rise of Stoichkov in Maritza Youth Club. The female announcer [in English] had announced a bright future for Stoichkov. I remember hearing the broadcast in January 1977 during the Cold Weather Spell in Ohio when everything was closed and the only window to the outside world was the Shortwave Radio with the Football [Soccer] Games. Hristo Stoichkov continued his career in football [soccer] playing for teams such as Hebros Harmanli, CSKA Sofia, Parma, FC Barcelona, Al Nassr, Kashiwa Reysol, Chicago Fire, DC United while receiveing awards such as the 1994 FIFA Golden Boot, Golden Shoe, Golden Foot, Bulgarian League Top Scorer, European Footballer of the Year, and UEFA Winners Cup Top Scorer. He also played for the Bulgarian National Team during his exciting football [soccer] career. His record was two hundred and fifty seven goals within five hundred and forty eight appearances.

He was coach of the Bulgarian National Team from 2004 to 2007 but had differences with players such as Stiliyan Petrov and a poor performance at the Euro 2008 Qualifiers which lead to his resignation. Hristo Stoichkov attempted to coach the Celta de Vigo only to have the team end up at the bottom ranks of the Spanish Second Division. Hristo Stoichkov was sacked by the owners of Celta de Vigo for this performance.

In closing, I remember having a coin from Greece which had a Phoenix rising from the ashes. I have the feeling that Hristo Stoichkov could the same thing and surprise the football [soccer] world. I wish the best for Hristo Stoichkov.

Roberto Mancini becoming manager of Chelsea FC appears to be a possibility but that depends on the goodwill of Roman Abramovich who is also looking at other candidates. Another factor is that Abramovich is not a football person; he wants money and what is worth his money. Abramovich cared less about Mourinho and was willing to sack Grant in spite of the declarations by Grant about a special friendship. Since Abramovich?s best friend is the all mighty money, Roberto Mancini or any manager will have to perform exceptionally well unless he wants to go the way of Mourinho and Grant.

The Great One or Jose Mourinho has been the Midas with the Golden Touch for Chelsea as well as other teams. Mourinho will most likely bring with him from Chelsea Drogba and Lampard to play in Inter Milan. Drogba has expressed his disgust with the way Mourinho was treated by Abramovich and with Grant gone; he will probably follow Mourinho to Inter Milan. Drogba could even offer Inter Milan his experience from previous teams including Chelsea. Lampard may stay in Chelsea or may go to Inter Milan. Lampard’s attitude would depend on what Abarmovich could offer him compared with an offer from Inter Milan.

After reading comments about how Mourinho will spend his time in Inter Milan, I have the feeling that while Inter Milan will receive him warmly. While I would have preferred AC Milan signing The Great One Jose Moreno, Inter Milan is willing to accept a person of high stature such as The Great One Jose Moreno in order to improve their fortunes in future games. Inter Milan would be making a mistake in not learning from Moreno and eventually the Chelsea Duo of Dogma and Lampard. Inter Milan would even have a difficult time advancing to any future UEFA Championship League if it treated Mourinho the same way that Mancini was treated. Again, the fates of managers and coaches are determined by owners who know nothing about football [soccer] but know the word and mechanism of cold money.

I once had negative thoughts about Avram Grant after Abramovich replaced The Great One Mourinho with him. Grant did not even have a license to coach in the Premier League but was able to coach a team of great prestige such as Chelsea because of the blessing of Abramovich. My thoughts after this news has been one of sympathy for Grant as well as for Mourinho. My thoughts do not extend to Abramovich since in my opinion, he speaks the langauge of money and for him money is more imporant than anything in the world.

Avram Grant was just a person who was placed in circumstances beyond his control and told to either sink or swim. Avram Grant was able to get Chelsea into second place in the UEFA Championship League, Premier League, and the Carling Cup. Avram Grant was unable to find time to obtain his license to coach in the Premier League and was under pressure to perform. In the end, Chelsea was in second place and Abramovich was as angry as Shinawatra was to Eriksson. It was inevitable that Grant was going to be sacked and I feel sorry that he was used, abused, and then discarded like the toy that was acquired by a self indulgent and arrogant boy who thought nothing about anyone except himself.

I hope Chelsea finds a coach who is willing to lead a team but not allow himself to be humilliated by an arrogan owner. I also hope Abramovich would find a way to sell his earnings in Chelsea and return to Chutokha. If Abramovich does not like being Governor of an Autonomus Region in Russia, I hope he can find happiness in an island in the middle of the ocean with his money and a mirror so he can glorify himself twenty four a days.

Is there a solution for the Houston Dynamos to save what remains of the season? Unless there is a last minute miracle in which the Houston Dynamos wins every game, the Houston Dynamos squandered all of its opportunities to become the first MLS Team to win the MLS Cup three times in a row. The reasons are again multiple and sounds like a broken record or CD [Compact Disc] which is: the lack of discipline, coordination, organization, as well as the presence of a complacent attitude, and the knack for committing professional suicide. The Houston Dynamos have proved that they were no match for the San Jose Earthquakes as well as the New England Revolution. It is a tragedy that the Houston Dynamos have reached to this level. It is hoped that this analysis is wrong in the weeks to come as the Major League Soccer Season progresses to the finals. It is also hoped that the United States Soccer Team could prove to be a stimulus for the Houston Dynamos with its victories. Again, the words tend to escape from my mind as I see what is happening to the Houston Dynamos. My biggest fear is what will happen when Michael Ching leaves the Houston Dynamos. After Michael Ching, the Houston Dynamos will be condemned to live under the nostalgia of past victories and what could have been done. The solution is simple for the Houston Dynamos and consists of returning to the formula that gave them the two victories in a row in 2006 and 2007.

Maybe the Houston Dynamos can win three in a row if they win in the MLS [Major League Soccer] in 2009, 2010, and 2011. First and foremost, they have to get their act together and try to salvage what remains of the 2008 MLS [Major League Soccer] Season.

11th May 2008 at the JJB Stadium and legions of loyal traveling supporters packed into the away end of Wigan Athletics’ ground witness their club, Manchester United lift their 17th League title in the club’s history, only one prestigious league trophy from Liverpool. Sir Alex Ferguson’s men had to combat a late title surge by Avram Grant’s invigorated Chelsea outfit that scrambled from fourth place to second and only 90 minutes away from claiming their third league title in the last five years.

Manchester United though have fully deserved their title and have been easy on the eye compared to the more unorthodox, long ball system deployed at Chelsea and the continuous inconsistencies at troubled Liverpool who are plagued with a bitter battle behind the scenes as Gillett and Hicks, the American duo who bough the club last summer, continue to wage their war of words following a relationship breakdown. Arsenal, who in February looked favourites to win the Premier League, are now suffering post-title challenge crisis as Mathieu Flamini departs to AC Milan following the end of his Arsenal contract and likewise with the possibility of Belarus international Alexander Hleb who could head off to Inter Milan paying off the rest of his contract after the “success” of Andrew Webster. Indeed the situation at Arsenal is rather worrying for fans of free-flowing and entertaining football with Arsene Wenger suffering a third trophy less season sparking rumours circulating that the Frenchman may leave the Gunners after another season and with his status quo aimed at a tight wage budget where Emmanuel Adebayor earns a third of what Fernando Torres gets paid at Liverpool means that the Togo international could also depart in the near future makes it a problematic situation with Cesc Fabregas, widely considered to be Arsenal’s best player. Ambition is certainly needed at the Emirates if Wenger is to continue challenging Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool for top honours.

But this “Title Race” which was only between two clubs yet nonetheless enthralling due to the last day race of it all has thrown up a question. Newcastle United manager, Kevin Keegan, questioned the excitement of the Premier League and considered it “dull” and “predictable” even going as far as saying Newcastle were “a million miles away” from joining the Big Four of the Premiership which is sure to motivate Mike Ashley on coughing up transfer funds for the outspoken Geordie to spend this summer. Premier League chairman, Richard Scudamore immediately leapt to the League’s defence by stating “I don’t think anyone in their right mind seriously thinks it is boring,” despite overlooking statistics which indicates that Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool have finished in the top four on four occasions in the past five years which underlines Scudamore’s blatantly biased statement. In European tournaments England have been represented fairly well especially in the Champions League semi finals where England have had three representatives out of four in the past two years which is an amazing achievement in modern times yet this simply makes the rich richer and the other teams in the Premiership poorer highlighted by eleven points separating Everton in fifth from fourth place Liverpool.

In conclusion, it is acceptable to highlight the title race in a positive light and indeed has been an unusually exciting end to the season yet the gap between the Big Four and the rest of the Premier League is forever widening and it is unlikely to see a newly promoted side gain a top five finish like Ipswich Town did so memorably in the 2000/01 campaign. Looking at the top six in the Championship this year I cannot see Stoke City or any of the Play Off teams avoiding relegation. As for the top four… expect Manchester United, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool to make up the top four again. In that order.

Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids played in the Battle for the West for first blood and a first place berth in the Rocky Mountain Cup. The Battle for the West took place in Commerce City, Colorado at Dick’s Sporting Goods Stadium before a public of Eleven Thousand Four Hundred and Fourteen. The Battle for the West was transmitted live by ESPN on the fifteenth of May 2008.

FIRST HALF

It was an intense first half with Real Salt Lake and the Colorado Rapids in possession of the game with both teams blocking any attempts at goals. In the heat of the moment, Chris Wingert of Real Salt Lake received a booking for a reckless foul within twenty six minutes of the game. Regardless, Real Salt Lake had many opportunities that were lost such as the one in which Wingert attempted a cross that was deflected by Coundoul, an attempt by Williams to goal although it was far from the net, and Deuchar attempting to head the ball down the net but having it blocked by Kimura. Beckerman attempted another goal but was blocked by Coundoul
The Colorado Rapids attempted to score with Cummings attempting to kick the ball down the net after a corner kick by Christian Gomez only to have it deflected by Rimando. The First Half continued into the Second half with no score.

SECOND HALF

The Second Half continued in intensity with attempts by the Rapids and Real Salt Lake to score only to have near misses. It appeared that everything was going to remain the same and predictable when Omar Cummings with some help from Colin Clark and Hercules Gomez scored the first goal of the game for the Colorado Rapids at Sixty Five Minutes. The crowds at Commerce Park, Colorado were at a fever pitch and this encouraged a goal by Christian Gomez on the basis of a penalty kick at Eighty Three Minutes. It was too late for Real Salt Lake to make up for lost ground as they lost their opportunity to classify for First Place in the Western Conference of Major League Soccer [MLS] or the Rocky Mountain Cup. The Last Few Minutes of the Battle for the West left Real Salt Lake exhausted and in agony while the Colorado Rapids were exhausted but celebrating a hard earned victory.

VERDICT

Both teams have shown themselves to be the best in the field. Unfortunately, Real Salt Lake made many mistakes that cost them any chances for First Place in the Western Conference of the MLS. Of course, the attempts of Real Salt Lake in scoring a goal were the equivalent of crashing a car against a wall with the Colorado Rapids blocking every move. The Colorado Rapids on the other hand were able to break free from any attempted grip by Real Salt Lake in order to give the last twenty five minutes of the game some much needed excitement. The Colorado Rapids were more organized and efficient.

Player of the Match: Omar Cummings

Real Salt Lake: 3/10
Colorado Rapids: 7/10

Tommy Burns came into the world in Glasgow Scotland on the Sixteenth of December in the year 1956. At an early age in 1973, he signed with the youth club Mayhill before beginning his career with Celtic. It was in Celtic that his career took off. From 1975 to 1989, Tommy Burns scored fifty two goals in three hundred and fifty two league appearances. I remember hearing one of the Celtic Games with Tommy Burns making an appearance on my Shortwave Radio and almost had to feel bad since I was in the University during my Final Exams. Regardless, it was great hearing the Celtic Game. It was also during this period that he made eight appearances for the Scottish National Team from 1981 to 1988.

In 1989, Tommy Burns transferred to Kilmarnock where he scored sixteen goals in one hundred and fifty one appearances. During his time in Kilmarnock, the team was promoted from the Scottish First Division. It was in Kilmarnock where he excelled as a player and manager until events in 1994 which lead to a dispute between Celtic and Kilmarnock lead to his return to Celtic as a Manager. During his tenure at Celtic, he was able to win the Scottish Cup for Celtic and the Runner up Position for the same team in the Scottish Premier Division and Scottish League Cup. Unfortunately, Celtic sacked Burns and he ended up working with Newcastle United and Reading before returning to the Scottish National Team and Celtic in the 2000’s.

He managed to work in various positions with the Scottish National Team and Celtic before retiring from the Scottish National Team in order to focus all of his energy for Celtic. Unfortunately, his body was tired and he had to face the struggle of skin cancer. He faced this last battle with Skin Cancer with the utmost dignity until he departed from our world. Tommy Burns, we will miss you and thank you for giving us the best in Celtic Football.

FIRST HALF
The First Half was a game that was uneventful with both teams attempting to possess the ball and the game. Both teams had the opportunity to score but either the ball missed the net or went over the net. One of the biggest events of the first half was the antics of one of the players called Reyes. Reyes received three bookings [yellow cards] for antiprofessional behaviour before being expelled [finally] for assaulting a player from the opposing team. After the expulsion, the first half ended with little ceremony and decorum.

SECOND HALF
The Second Half was a continuation of the agony that existed in the first half. Again both teams attempted to score and failed in the process. Both teams made errors that were not taken advantage of and one of the players called Rodallega received a booking [yellow card] for tripping over an opposing team player. In the end, there was no goal but Necaxa and Atlas were awarded a point under a global classification. Necaxa was able to advance to the quarter finals of the Mexican League but to advance without having goaled or attempted to play a great football [soccer] is a disgrace.

CONCLUSION
Both teams did not play a football that merited much attention and there were no players that were able to rise above the others in this game. Both teams did not take advantage of the weakness of the other and it appeared that both just simply played to get the game over with. Necaxa was able to advance to the quarter finals but this happened without a goal. If Necaxa is serious about winning the Mexican League Championships, it would have to be strong and attempt to win every game. Necaxa has the possibility of winning every game but it must show the world and the Mexican League that it is made of steel.

Necaxa 0-0 Atlas
Necaxa: 0/10
Atlas: 0/10

New England Revolution has the same owner as the New England Patriots [Robert Kraft] and has had five coaches since its beginning such as Frank Stapleton, Thomas Rungen, Fernando Clavijo, Walter Zenga, and Steve Nicol. Many of the alumni who played for the New England Revolution such as Alexi Lalas, Joe-Max Moore, Mike Burns, Walter Zenga, Raul Diaz Arce, Leonel Alvarez, Eric Wynalda, John Harkes, Wolde Harris, William Sunsing, Adin Brown, Jose Cancela, Clint Dempsey, Pat Noonan, Andy Dorman, and Jose Manuel Abundis have gone to other careers and teams.

While they have had their largest win against the Colorado Rapids in Gillette Stadium on the eighteenth of September 2004 and their largest defeat against the Chicago Fire on Soldier Field on the twenty second of September 2000, they have had impressive records such as the most goals [91] by Taylor Twellman, the most assists [59] by Steve Ralston, and the most minutes [16,749] and games [188] played by Jay Heaps. Taylor Twellman has had the most shots with 510, as well as two hundred and ninety two shots on goals, three hat tricks, fifteen multi goal games, and twenty six game winning goals.

The New England Revolution has been the recipient of many awards such as being the runner up to the MLS Cup in the years 2002, 2005, 2006, and 2007. Other awards that the New England Revolution received were the MLS Supporters Shield as Runner Ups in 2005 and the US Open Cup as Runner Ups in 2001 and Champions in 2007. The New England Revolution has also participated in the CONCACAF Champions Cup by advancing to the first round against Ajaleunse in 2003 and 2006 as well as the CONCACAF Champion’s League in 2008, and the 2008 Superliga against Chivas USA, CF Pachuca, and Santos Laguna.

In the current MLS Season for the year 2008, the New England Revolution has had four victories, three defeats, and one draw. With the 2008 Season progressing [especially after signing Chris Albright, Spencer Valentino, Matt Britner, Spencer Wadsworth, Kheli Dube, Mauricio Castro, Argenis Fernandez, Brandon Tyler, Sam Brill, and Chase Hilgenbrinck], it remains to be seen whether the New England Revolution can maintain momentum and win games so as to win the MLS Cup Trophy. My best wishes to the New England Revolution.