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Supporters of various national teams across the globe are already&nbsp; packing their bags, updating their passports &amp; booking flights to South Africa for next Summer’s World Cup Finals. With their beloved nation’s automatic qualification secure, they’ve only the stress-free decision of which player’s replica kit their going to wear during their teams opening match left to decide. Ahh’ the bliss of yet another major tournament qualification under your belt &amp; the return of club football (thank God), what could be better?
But not every supporter of International football will share the same feelings as those of the supporters of England, U.S.A., Brazil, Italy, Germany &amp; hey, even Argentina (to name a few). What becomes of the frowning countries set to compete in Europe’s 2nd place playoffs? – more specifically, FIFA’s recent controversial decision to seed all 8 of the remaining countries. Of course what this means for “smaller” nations is the likeliness they’ll face a historically “bigger” nation in their quest for glory in South Africa.
Recently, Ireland International &amp; Manchester City shot-stopper-extraordinaire Shay Given lambasted FIFA for their convenient, late decision to” nudge” some of the struggling giants into the Finals. 
“I think it’s pretty disgusting to be honest. Before a ball is kicked, these things should be made clear”. 
“The smaller nations should maybe put up more of a fight because it is not fair”. 
Does Given have a point?
As it stands, the remaining 8 countries are as follows:
Portugal, Greece, Slovenia, Russia, Bosnia, Ukraine, France &amp; Ireland.
In my estimation, the top seeds will probably be awarded to France, Portugal, Russia &amp; Greece (Greece could get a seed in my opinion due to their success in Euro 2004), with maybe Ukraine sneaking in at the behest of either Russia or Greece.
Now that we know who’s involved, is this process remotely fair? Does Given have a point in his remarks? As an England supporter, I had to endure their abysmal failure during Euro 2008 qualification &amp; the subsequent tournament without my beloved 3 Lions. Why? Because they weren’t good enough. All teams involved have the same amount of opportunities to gain points throughout the qualification process without favoritism coming into play. Euro 2008 ended up being an incredible display of attacking football &amp; each match I watched was a footballing joy. England are now a better team for all their past failures. The point in this is that if you’re not good enough, you’re not good enough. Plain &amp; simple.
Now I realize what you’re thinking, &amp; yes you’re right. These teams were good enough (for 2nd place) &amp; deserve their shot. I agree, but why not let all 2nd place teams be equal? Why separate them &amp; show favor to bigger footballing nations? Given is right in my opinion. A World Cup without Cristiano Ronaldo is a travesty, I get that. But a World Cup without an Ireland or Bosnia because other teams were shown favoritism is equally wrong. How epic would a 2-leg playoff affair between France &amp; Portugal be for neutral football fans? Imagine that! All the marbles are on the line with 2 very successful footballing nations giving everything they’ve got to reach the Finals. It’s unfortunate, but we’ll probably never get to experience it.
What are your thoughts? Take a second to leave an answer below &amp; we’ll see what the brilliant readers of EPL Talk think about it. Enjoy your football.

Are The European Playoff Seeds Fair?

Are The European Playoff Seeds Fair? - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_11984" style="width: 254px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-11984" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-11984" src="/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/gibbs.jpg" alt="K. Gibbs - The Boy&apos;s a Bit Special" width="244" height="393"></figure></div>K. Gibbs - The Boy&apos;s a Bit Special</div>
The England U21’s continued their qualification campaign for the 2011 European Championships v. Macedonia Friday at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry. The match featured Premier League &amp; Championship talent from the (young) Three Lions &amp; ended up being quite an exciting &amp; high scoring 9-goal affair.
Stuart Pearce favored Newcastle striker Andy Carroll &amp; Arsenal’s Theo Walcott partnering up front with a 5-man midfield consisting of&nbsp; Tom Cleverley &amp; Kieran Gibbs on either flank, with Danny Rose, Jack Rodwell &amp; Jack Wilshire filling out the middle. Pearce settled with 3 at the back consisting of Micah Richards, James Tomkins &amp; Michael Mancienne covering Scott Loach in goal.
After a slow opening 9 minutes, Andy Carroll had England’s first real chance when Tom Cleverley crossed from the wing – Carroll almost nipped in with a header before a Macedonia defender cleared the danger. The next 10-12&nbsp; minutes were all England as the English midfielders linked up well with each other &amp; smoothly passed the ball around the pristine pitch.

The breakthrough came in the 22nd minute as 2 of the talented Arsenal youngsters linked up – Danny Rose crossed from central midfield to Cleverley on the right wing who then slotted diagonally to Walcott. Walcott (barely on side) beat the Macedonia keeper by centering to Kieran Gibbs who easily headed past the lone Macedonian defender whose attempt to clear off the line failed. Walcott to Gibbs, 1-0 England.
England doubled their lead just 7 minutes later in the 29th when Jack Wilshire took England’s first corner of the match – his quality ball in found Michael Mancienne outside the near post who flicked on just in front of the England Captain Micah Richards who headed past right in front of the keeper – poorly defended by Macedonia in the end, but quality play by England. (A situation that would repeat itself a few more times over the course of the match.)
Macedonia made it a game in the 41st when Cleverly conceded a free kick just outside &amp; to the right of the box. Macedonia’s Muarem took a low free kick straight towards the England goal that seemed to trickle in past 2 England players &amp; past the keeper – a very soft goal conceded by Scott Loach &amp; surly not the way Pearce wanted to end the half.
20 year old Zavon Hines replaced Walcott after the break who was said to have suffered from a dead leg. The 2nd half featured more of the same from England, who dominated possession with their organized 5-man midfield. 3 minutes after the restart, Andy Carroll received a brilliant long ball from Kieran Gibbs but could only manage a strike that found the side netting.
Surprise to England supporters came in the 53rd&nbsp; minute when Macedonia’s #10 Ibraimi fired home the equalizer from a routine long ball. It was route 1 football from the visitors, but Mancienne was to blame for going to ground seconds before Ibraimi struck. 2-2, but not for long. Seconds later, Andy Carroll struck off a header provided from Kieran Gibbs – Gibbs now assisting one after his earlier score. 3-2 England. Neither defenses looking very confident.
Solidifying that last statement came in the 58th when the aforementioned Gibbs, whilst attempting a clearance from the inside of his own penalty area, sliced a Macedonian corner into the back of his own net. Gibbs now with a hand in 3 goals. 3-3, England knocked back yet again.
You knew it was coming, England’s 4th of the night came from Zavon Hines in the 67th when Tom Cleverely put Hines through 1 on 1 with the keeper. Hines slotted home straight through the keepers legs. A well taken finish from Hines on his debut.
England continued to press deep into the night &amp; missed numerous chances before catching their 5th from Carroll in the 87th who finished neatly turning back towards goal to elude a Macedonian defender. It’s fair to say Macedonia were shocking in defense most of the night &amp; England may have played a bit down to their competition in conceding 3 goals. England’s 6th came from Hines again well after the contest had been decided. Hines drilled a volley past the keeper from a neat, chipped ball from Carroll who was on a hat trick himself, but fed the debutante from inside the box. 6-3. Done &amp; dusted.
Friday’s qualifier comes just over 3 months after England lost in stunning fashion to Germany in the Euro 2009 final&nbsp; in Sweden, 4-0. The defeat in the final &amp; tonight’s victory raises the question: what’s wrong with the U21 back line? Did Pearce underestimate the Macedonian attack, or overestimate the quality of his 3 defenders to back up Loach in goal?
Whatever the answer, England’s&nbsp; U21’s dominated the majority of&nbsp; possession playing organized football (going forward) &amp; did well creating numerous chances in front of a weak defense. The match never felt like a stunning display from England much at all throughout the night. It was a sloppy goal fest when the whistle was blown after 4 added minutes of stoppage time. Plain &amp; simple, England won a match they should have won. But can they beat teams that posses more talent &amp; quality than (no offense to them) lowly Macedonia? Can England overcome a full-strength Germany, France, Spain, Italy or Netherlands in a Semi-Final or Final away from home? Pearce fielded a team Friday that included only 4 starters from that dreadful final in late June. Does he know what his current best 11 are?
The current Senior squad has been playing brilliant, smart, effective &amp; (most importantly) winning football under Fabio Capello. But in the next 3-5 years, many players on the current U21 roster will have a chance to prove themselves on the Senior level. Will Pearce be the one to take the U21’s over the summit of the next European Championship? Will he one day realize his dream of taking the helm of the National side? Only time will tell. For now though, England fans can enjoy putting 6 past an opponent &amp; the endless dreams that rest upon the Senior squad come next Summer.

Match Report: U21 Euro 2011 Qualifier England v. Macedonia

Match Report: U21 Euro 2011 Qualifier England v. Macedonia - World Soccer Talk

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As we enter into another International break, many Hammers fans will quietly be asking themselves that exact same question. Inspired by Nick Frost’s (Shaun of the Dead, Hot Fuzz, Spaced) twitter feed over the weekend, I quickly realized what a passionate yet disheartened bunch the Hammers supporters are this year. West Ham have made their worst start to a season since the 2002/03 season, a season that witnessed their inevitable relegation. They currently sit 19th on just 5 points without a win since the opening day of the season. Before the season began, all facts pointed to a more successful season than last year’s 9th place finish. For my money, the Hammers show promise &amp; could be one of the best 19th place teams I’ve ever seen. They seem like a team that’s on the brink of “clicking”, a team that only needs that little bit of “something” to push them on. Maybe some renewed team spirit, or maybe the International break will provide a much needed mental rest. I just don’t get the feel that they’ll be anywhere close to the bottom 3 come late May.
Certain variables are definitely in favor of “the Academy”, Zola just turned 1 year old &amp; seems poised to build on last season’s top 10 finish. The several-month pursuit of kinetic Italian striker Alessandro Diamanti finally ended in favor of West Ham with Diamanti ready to “give everything to the supporters”. 20-year old Jamaican International Zavon Hines looks to be the quickest man on the pitch with the ball at his feet. During West Ham’s 3-2 loss at Uptown Park to Liverpool, Hines made Liverpool veteran Jamie Carragher look like a red-faced old man gasping for air. West Ham also boast multiple England Internationals with the solid Matthew Upson, the pacy &amp; strong Carlton Cole &amp; quite possibly England’s next #1 in Robert Green.
So what gives?
West Ham are definitely a few years &amp; a few hundred million pounds away from an assault on the Top 4, but 19th? It’s not just their schedule either. Losses to Spurs (albeit by a terrible give away by Carlton Cole that set up Defoe), Liverpool &amp; Manchester City seem in line, but a 0-0 away to Blackburn, a 1-0 away to Wigan, &amp; a lucky last grasp Junior Stanislas deflected-equalizer in stoppage time to salvage a point at home this past weekend all poise the question: Will West Ham come out of this?
I think (&amp; hope) so. West Ham under Zola play organized, attacking football, &amp; with their recent additions, look set to maintain their brand of positive forward-thinking play. They attack with pace (Diamanti, Hines) &amp; strength (Cole). They have solid experience in midfield with Scott Parker, Julien Faubert, Valon Behrami &amp; the impending return of Kieron Dyer from injury give them creative options &amp; poise going forward. It’s early days yet regardless of what’s happened for the first month &amp; a half of the season. I still believe the Hammers have some part to play in the upper half of the Premier League table.
The West Ham staff &amp; players will definitely have a lot to ponder &amp; plan over the next week &amp; a half during this International break. 3 very difficult fixtures await them upon the reappearance of the Premier League: away to the deafening Britannia with Stoke City – home to 6 goal stunners Arsenal – &amp; away to ambitious Sunderland. These 3 matches take West Ham through October, but will they take the Hammers out of the drop zone?
Feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts, opinions or tactical ideas concerning West Ham’s slow start &amp; good luck Hammers supporters for the rest of the season.

Will West Ham be O.K.?

Will West Ham be O.K.? - World Soccer Talk

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Are Premier League fans seeing the second coming of Louis Saha? The former first team Manchester United striker scored the only goal in a match carried by ESPN2 in the States in pristine HD this past Saturday- a match that produced just 1 goal, but some great saves from keepers on both sides. The Everton man &amp; former French International netted his 7th goal in all competitions of the season Saturday at Portsmouth to earn the blue side of Merseyside their first away points of the season – a much needed 3 points for Everton after an early, slow start. In the 42nd minute of a match with chances coming on both sides, it was Johnny Heitinga who found Saha with a long ball – Saha won it in the air over Younes Kaboul &amp; quickly struck past David James in the Pompey goal. The lone strike was enough for a 4th straight Everton victory.
Great news to Toffee supporters is the re-acquired form of Saha who spent a lot of time in the past 4 years injured at Manchester United. After his stint with the current champions, Saha came to Everton in late 08, for an undisclosed fee &amp; signed a 2 year pay as play deal-one similar to that of Michael Owen’s at Manchester United (is Owen another player on the verge of rediscovering top form in the premier league?). At the time of his transfer to Everton, Saha was not match fit but had an overall semi productive year with the Toffees mostly coming off the bench &amp; scoring 8 goals in 29 appearances in all competitions. No one should forget Saha’s opener in last May’s FA Cup final against Chelsea when he bagged the fastest goal in FA Cup history – a stunner in 25 seconds.
It’s been a quick start for Saha in the 09-10 campaign thus far. He’s made 7 appearances &amp; scored 7 times in all competitions &amp; sits 6th with 4 goals in the league. Can the now 31 year old Saha keep on his current form &amp; help Everton crack the top 4? Will he ever be able to replicate the form from his first full season in the Premier League with Fulham scoring 32 goals in 48 appearances? Most importantly, can Saha stay match fit &amp; avoid the injuries that’s plagued him on &amp; off for the last few years?
What’s known is that if Saha can stay match fit, he’ll be a hand full for opposing defenses with his skill in the air, pace off the ball &amp; silky smooth finishing abilities. With a healthy Saha contributing goals, Everton should be there or thereabouts by the end of the season. Here’s hoping he can stay fit as he’ll surly impress Premier League fans throughout the season if he does.

The Reemergence of Louis Saha

The Reemergence of Louis Saha - World Soccer Talk

<div id="attachment_11105" style="width: 390px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><div><figure class="external-image"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-11105" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-11105" src="/wp-content/uploads/2009/09/manchester-derby.jpg" alt="Mancunians divided, Feb. 10, 2008" width="380" height="250"></figure></div>Mancunians divided, Feb. 10, 2008</div>
(While we all catch our breath from the Champions League,…)
Sunday, the 20th of September, 2009 marks (by my estimation) the 154th Manchester Derby. Also by my estimation, this weekend’s match is quite possibly one of, if not the most important match the 2 clubs have ever played against each other.
No one can forget the infamous Dennis Law relegation match of 1974 when Law, (a former United player, &amp; United legend) then a City player, “back-heeled” United into the 2nd division. To City’s dismay, United made the climb back up the very next season. All wasn’t lost for United.
In the ’07-’08 Premier League season, City completed the double over United at Old Trafford on the day commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Munich air disaster. United went on to win the League &amp; European Cup double that season while City mustered a 9th place finish &amp; qualified for the now deceased UEFA Cup-albeit by the Fair Play ranking system. The clubs were still quite far apart in terms of ambition.
Throughout the 150+ matches the 2 clubs have played since the late 1800’s, more important fixtures exist from both side’s point of view. The point here is that for many years, City have been miles away from United in domestic &amp; European football. They’ve lacked the ambition &amp; winning pedigree United have possessed. That is, until now,..
For those living under a rock for the last year, the takeover of Manchester City was completed by the Abu Dhabi United Group in September of last year for 200 Million pounds. Over the summer, City spent 120 million euro on experienced players &amp; full internationals from England, Togo, Paraguay, The Ivory Coast &amp; Argentina. The sum spent was more than any other club in the premier league. City fans across the world quickly considered United’s ambition matched.
United currently sit 2nd in the table &amp; considering the form of Wayne Rooney, Nemanja Vidic, Darren Fletcher &amp; Patrice Evra, United look set to challenge Chelsea for their 4th straight league title.
Close behind (with a 100% record-having played 1 less match) sit high flying, (away fan taunting), Manchester City. With the new additions to the first team, City seem more than ready &amp; able to match their cross town rivals &amp; attempt an assault on the Big 4 of the Premier League. Wayne Rooney &amp; Emmanuel Adebayor are 2nd &amp; 3rd respectively in Premier League scoring this season. With the recent suspension of Adebayor by the FA, the Togolese striker joins 3 other attacking options for City on the bench. Robinho, Roque Santa Cruz &amp; Carlos Tevez are all out. City will have to rely on Craig Bellamy &amp; Benjani Mwaruwari up front if they are to breach United’s sturdy defense. The match at Old Trafford on Sunday looks set for an incredible atmosphere.
So, who’s it going to be?
Both clubs are coming off big wins &amp; solid starts to the season. City passed their first Big 4 test last weekend with flying colors in the odd, but highly entertaining match against Arsenal. United continued their hoodoo spell over Tottenham in London with a dominating performance. I’ll keep my predictions &amp; passions at bay for now, but am definitely expecting a great match.

The Most Important Manchester Derby?

The Most Important Manchester Derby? - World Soccer Talk

Is football hooliganism in the U.K. more prevalent than ever?
In an age of astronomical transfer fees, CCTV, better policing methods, higher ticket prices &amp; all-stadium seating, one would think not. Aren’t we always led to believe that football in the U.K. has emerged triumphantly out of the dark ages of the 70’s &amp; 80’s? It seems that in the Premier League, more supporters are concerned with winning the league, catching that last European spot, or avoiding relegation. Are the lower leagues in Britain contributing to more unruly fans? Where is the problem originating from?
According to a recent podcast from BBC’s 5 Live Football Daily, the aforementioned variables did in fact contribute to a decline in the “English disease”. It seems there’s less &amp; less trouble in stadiums, but in turn, there has been more trouble outside stadiums, in city centers &amp; on trains. Chief Constable Andy Trotter of the British Transport Police spoke on the subject during the 09/02/09 broadcast. “I don’t think it’s ever gone away, we’ve just suppressed it“. Trotter also states “more arrests each year“, &amp; “it’s gotten worse each year, for the last five years“. The number of football related arrests last year was 838.&nbsp; That’s a pretty staggering number &amp; up from 600 the previous year. Trotter also confirms these incidents are not isolated &amp; stated incidents span from Scotland to Plymouth. He’s most concerned with the nature &amp; number of incidents with reports ranging from racial abuse &amp; sexual assault to public urination &amp; the smashing up of train carriages. He sums it up simply with, “we arrest more than ever, yet the behavior still seems to go on“. Some point to the lingering recession as cause for the behavior, but Trotter thinks otherwise. “ I think it’s something about lack of control”.
Whatever the root of the problem is, the fact of the matter is that there is still a blight on the face of football in the U.K. Problems still occur every weekend up &amp; down the country by people not policing themselves &amp; drinking too much. “We’ll continue to cope“, Trotter reluctantly states.
But a question soon surfaces as to where the finger ultimately gets pointed. Who’s problem is this? There are considerable costs in policing football these days. It’s hard &amp; expensive to control. Far more police are needed in football than are required in other sporting events &amp; more police are needed across the country to assure safety. In a day &amp; age where everyone’s budgets are under intense scrutiny, who foots the bill for the increased police presence? Is this football’s problem, or society’s?
Police continue to see a trend in hooligan firms communicating via the internet to organize large scale brawls at or near train stations &amp; it’s the police who currently have to foot the majority of the bill to fight against the violence. There’s another battle raging though, police are asking the clubs to contribute around 10 million pounds more per year to help out. Clubs feel they’re already paying enough tax as it is &amp; are already relying more on stewards to help police inside grounds than officers at matches.
Also included in the 5 Live broadcast was Chairman of Hull City FC Paul Duffen. Duffen took the stance that the people who participate in this kind of behavior cannot realistically call themselves football fans. “How on earth can you blame football for the vices of society?”- Duffen pointedly asks. He went on to take the stance that tax payers should cover the cost of additional policing because it’s ultimately tax payers who cause the trouble.
Is it time for football to step in &amp; help pay (more) for the cost of additional policing outside of grounds &amp; on transports? Or should clubs only be responsible for what takes place inside their grounds? What’s the root of unruly &amp; violent behavior in the U.K.? Can everything be blamed on the drinking-yob-culture?
Whatever the answer is, these people cannot expect to be taken seriously as football fans. They may support a club, but the second their behavior turns to destruction &amp; violence, they forfeit their right to the beautiful game. At this point, they’re mindless thugs. As an American trying to find his place in world football, I can assure anyone not from this country that most average Americans still associate football in England &amp; the U.K. with hooliganism. The actions of these mindless people continually take the game a step back at home &amp; abroad.

Hooliganism: Did It Ever Go Away? Who Foots The Bill?

Hooliganism: Did It Ever Go Away? Who Foots The Bill? - World Soccer Talk

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Raise your hand if any of the following criteria apply to you:
<ul>
<li>have you been a football supporter for ten years or less?</li>
<li>have you “picked” a top European club to follow?</li>
<li>do you currently reside in one of the 50 States that make up this fine country?</li>
</ul>
If you answered Yes to any or all of these questions, you very well may be eligible to also have a “2nd team”. (You also may be a spoiled American football supporter, don’t worry, it’s O.K.)
In an American sports landscape dominated by everything but soccer (it’s getting better, I know), Americans who have taken the plunge &amp; leapt head first into world football have formed a close knit, underground, almost snobbish movement in the last five years. With the acquisition of soccer friendly channels, satellite &amp; cable companies have provided just as many matches on any given Saturday morning as the same Saturday morning across the pond. The American top-European club-supporting soccer fan is not a rare breed. But what it definitely is, is a lucky breed. Foreign to (99.9% of) us American soccer snobs are the years &amp; years of heartache, defeat, relegation, promotion, “yo-yo-ing”, administration &amp; something many probably haven’t even heard of, the old first division.
Most of us Yanks catch the football cold from 1 of about 10 or 11 top European clubs across the continent. Don’t worry my European friends, after we pick a top club who’ve just won a league &amp; cup double, the majority of us do a pretty good job of respecting the club &amp; culture that we’ve adopted. We spend days, weeks, months, even years immersing ourselves in history, tactics, formations, rules &amp; laws, &amp; a few of us even learn a song or two. Of course the lingo sets in soon after. We just can’t contain ourselves, beers become pints, bars become pubs, soccer becomes football, the field becomes the pitch, cleats become boots, jerseys become kits, &amp; on &amp; on. But the reason for this article, &amp; the one true variable that distinguishes American &amp;&nbsp; European or British supporters from each other, is the bias that euro-centric football fans are born into. Now, before you send me hate mail, I do realize that not everyone has this so called bias. I’m sure there are Spurs fans born in Manchester, or City fans born in London. I do not speak in absolutes. What I am saying, for the most part, is that you’re either born Red or Blue in Merseyside. There are no other options (same goes for Manchester). I just can’t possibly imagine there are many Arsenal-friendly English lads residing right around the corner from White Heart Lane. In the States, well, you’d be surprised.
Plain &amp; simple, (&amp; a beautiful thing) we have to pick a team. Sure the small minority of us stick out a few years of mid table mediocrity, or season after season of just a decent League Cup or FA Cup run, but we have it pretty darn good in this country, we usually pick the best teams. There’s little to no aggro between fans, there’s rarely a problem with football-related violence &amp; there’s plenty of footie to watch every week from all of Europe’s top clubs (without having to pay an arm &amp; a leg for it). We have the incredible ability to swoop in on a top 4 team during a winning season &amp; no one gives us flack for it. What more could a fickle football supporter ask for? Answer:
The lovable 2nd team.
Why you ask? Well, because we can, we love winning teams. Uncle Randy won’t slate us for rooting for two different teams in the same day. I have a mate who is a Liverpool fan, but almost always pulls for Manchester United as long as they aren’t playing Liverpool.
Why is this?

Simple, he has no built in bias for Manchester United. He wasn’t raised on a history of competition between the two cities. Unless an American visits <a title="Wikipedia" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liverpool_F.C._and_Manchester_United_F.C._rivalry" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a> on a regular basis, they’ll have no real idea of the years &amp; years of ill feelings between the 2 sets of supporters, or more specifically, citizens of the respected cities. We know that twice a year the teams make up two of the most important games in English football &amp; we know they don’t necessarily like each other. However, not many of us know why? Most of us know nothing of the competition between the two north-west cities during the industrial growth of the late 1800’s &amp; early 1900’s &amp; the subsequent competition for supremacy that followed. Of course the rivalry, like that of Celtic/Rangers &amp; others, dates back to well before football. Some will say the root of ill feelings is bigger than football. That’ll be left to another debate. Of course the origin of the feud: The city of Liverpool &amp; it’s shipping &amp; exporting port v. Manchester’s knack for manufacturing. The rest is history.
To Americans, both teams share an incredibly rich &amp; winning pedigree. To us, that pedigree equals a very appealing sports team to invest in. Why hate one or the other? Why wish bad omens to Torres or Rooney? They’re both world class athletes at the end of the day. Would an Englishman laugh at me if he knew I was friendly towards another club either from England or some other top club in Europe? Would he try to suppress my right of being a football fan?&nbsp; I truly believe if more so-called football fans in Europe showed a little more respect to the sport of football itself, we could kiss the dark days of hooliganism &amp; football related violence goodbye. The events of West Ham/Millwall of a few weeks ago would only be a nightmare in our worst dreams. I realize I’m a young, somewhat naive American, but at the end of the day, I just want to spread the passion &amp; love I have for the beautiful game,…
Enjoy your football wherever you find it &amp; whoever you support. Never apologize to anyone for your passion, just be able to defend it.

Your 1st & 2nd Team: An Americans Right to Pick & Choose

Your 1st &amp; 2nd Team: An Americans Right to Pick &amp; Choose - World Soccer Talk

<div><figure class="external-image"><img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-10490" src="/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/World-Soccer-Daily-logo.jpg" alt="World-Soccer-Daily-logo" width="300" height="300"></figure></div> (Can a simple name change effect results?)
Last Friday, August 21st, 2009 was in my opinion a small step back for football in this country. The controversial day marked the end of&nbsp; World Soccer Daily, the only daily football talk show in America. The sense of community that I &amp; so many other American European football fans found at WSD will truly be missed. Cohen decided to walk away after he admitted to being “a wee-bit frightened” by some of the “threats” he &amp; his family received. The outpouring of sympathy from WSD loyalists could soon be heard from Kentucky, U.S.A., all the way to Sheffield, South Yorkshire. Many of you are probably aware of the “debatable” comments that host Steven Cohen made in April concerning the disaster at Hillsborough some 20 years ago. (For full story, visit The Gaffer: <a href="http://www.fit.am/107">http://www.fit.am/107)</a>
What ensued after the comments was a full fledged boycott led by the Liverpool FC New York Supporters Club. A successful one at that. Some of the sponsors that pulled funds were Heineken, Ruffneck Scarves, FourFourTwo &amp; Fado Pubs. Chances are Cohen may have gone slightly too far with his opining, ( his dislike for all things Liverpool was well known) but at the end of the day he was simply practicing his right of free speech on the show he built from scratch with Poker enthusiast &amp; Liverpool supporter Nick Geber. Like him or not, since 2002, Cohen &amp; Co. have been more than instrumental in bringing football to the masses on the daily Sirius show &amp; via a heavily downloaded iTunes podcast. WSD’s core audience in the early days were mostly the hardcore underground football fan &amp; the random expat. However, in the last year or so, the show has continued to grow by leaps &amp; bounds with the increasing popularity of the beautiful game Stateside. Cohen was the voice of soccer in this country, many looked up to him &amp; co-host Kenny Hassan because they had no where else to turn. Only in the last few years has it become easier to support a major European club in this country. Goodbye to the days of expensive PPV &amp; lackluster coverage, hello Fox Soccer Channel &amp; Setanta.
Last Friday, August 29th, 2009, with only one week off the air, Cohen &amp;&nbsp; Hassan returned with a 15 minute promo under the new moniker World Football Daily. During the brief introduction of the new show, the lads promised to bring to the masses a changed direction resulting in a “revolutionary” way of presenting football conversation in this country. An “Interconnected world town hall meeting every day”, was promised by Cohen, who hopes listeners will utilize the online software application Skype-which allows users to make voice calls over the internet. The audience-driven model will now be a monthly subscription based show &amp; mostly rely on the internet crowd, pod-casters, U-streamers &amp; massive/already established core audience to make the show successful. The show even hopes to fly out a fan to co-host once every few months. Cohen admitted to being hounded by Hassan in the hours &amp; days immeaditely after WSD’s demise to re-start a fan-driven football talk show. Cohen also stated in the 15 minute sneak peak on Friday that his family was instrumental in his decision to re-brand &amp; continue on. Heart-broken fans didn’t have to wait long. The show returns Monday, August 31st with what will be it’s last free show. The very next day the show returns with it’s first attempt at the new subscription based model.
What’s your initial reaction to the re-branded show starting on Monday? Does Cohen owe more penance to the Liverpool FC Supporters Club of NY, or more specifically, the families of the 96? Will a subscription based model work in an age of digital downloading &amp; file sharing? How important has Cohen’s voice been over the last seven years?
I believe Cohen has a responsibility to continue with a show in this country. Again, love him or hate him, he’s been an important figure in this country &amp; can continue to provide credible guests that can offer insight into the game we love like no other outlet. Experienced professionals like Tim Vickery, Robbie Earl, Andy Brassel, Misha Sher, Phil Ball &amp; Sean Wheelock are just a few of the experts that have delivered incredible insight in the past. (Readers must not forget the great EPL Talk Podcast as well. There are other great shows in this country in addition to WSD.)
With ESPN’s long-reaching hand now in the world football cookie jar, the popularity of our sport in the states to the mainstream American sports audience is officially on the precipice of explosion. With ESPN providing HD broadcasts, Premier League &amp; La Liga rights, &amp; World Cup 2010 right around the corner, us football fans stateside are in for an exciting next few years. Here’s hoping football gets the credibility it deserves as a sport in the country. We’ll take all the help we can get.

World Soccer Daily Reborn As World Football Daily: Will It Survive This Time?

World Soccer Daily Reborn As World Football Daily: Will It Survive This Time? - World Soccer Talk

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