Nick Against the World (92 Viewers)

[swag]

I know, it's awful.

Is A Season With Verona a better book than the Miracle Of Castel Di Sangro (which I in fact really liked)?

Hard to say. I think I liked Verona a touch better, because the author was more likeable and seemed to be, ahem, shall we say, "more intelligent" than his Castel di Sangro counterpart. Not to mention a hell of a lot funnier.

Verona is more a story from an Anglo fan from the outside, but in the curva and on road trips -- many of which are hilarious and colorful. Sangro is more the story of an Anglo who became an interloper in small town politics and the team locker room. Both offer different perspectives.

Both offer interesting perspectives of players known today -- from back then. Camo, Mutu, Gila, Bonazzoli, etc. in Verona. Spinesi in Sangro -- which is shocking for what he did last season, given the humble beginnings of his story.

In the end, the author of Sangro turns out to be a hemorrhaging anal wart. But it's still a good book.

I never understood the bashing The Miracle Of Castel Di Sangro got. The only thing which was at times annoying was that the author obviously wasn't a born and bred football fan. Explaining the offside rule etc. was a bit stupid . Then again, that is also why he has that raw enthusiasm.

The author was the analog to the invited dinner guest who trashes the hosts, sticks his fingers in the polenta and smears it on all the dining room artwork, uses the tablecloth to wipe his ass after taking a dump in the salad bowl on the table, and then wonders why everybody hates him.

Jem is my boy, Andrew is my babycake, and Seven is my anal plug.

Can I be your hemorrhaging anal wart? (I'm afraid Pado has pictures. )

So who's showing the Copa America? I read somewhere that Telemundo had rights to it and then I read Gol TV

Telemondo and the whole TV española crew. I think Thursday is both Brazil-Mexico and USA-Argentina. Should be good coach squatting material.

 

Buy on AliExpress.com

[Jem83]

swag

 

[Vinman]

what the fuck is this shit-





from yahoo.com

Are you experienced? Americans won't be at Copa America

By NANCY ARMOUR, AP National Writer
June 22, 2007

CHICAGO (AP) -- DaMarcus Beasley remembers fans tossing a chicken head at him as he readied to take a corner kick. Carlos Bocanegra was unnerved when he climbed on the bus and saw armed guards.

Away games can be a nerve-racking adventure for the U.S. soccer team, and there's no way to prepare besides playing them. What better place than Copa America, the South American championship?


Coach Bob Bradley went heavy on youth in his 22-man roster released Friday. There's no Beasley, Bocanegra, Landon Donovan or Clint Dempsey. In their place are 16 players with 10 or fewer appearances for the national team, including three who've never played a game. Fourteen players are under 25, the youngest being 20-year-old midfielder Eddie Gaven.

"It'll definitely be a good learning experience for players who haven't been in that situation," said goalkeeper Kasey Keller, by far the veteran of the Copa America squad.

"You have to start somewhere," Keller said. "Much better than in the first stage of (World Cup) qualifying."

The Americans begin play Thursday in Venezuela against Argentina, which is ranked fifth in the world and is bringing its best players. The United States plays Paraguay on July 2, followed by Colombia three days later.

"Copa America is going to be a great opportunity for our younger players to gain invaluable experience at the highest international level," Bradley said. "This group has many of the faces that could play a role in 2008 and 2009 when our focus turns to our ultimate goal of qualifying for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa."

This is a time of transition for the U.S. team. Claudio Reyna, Brian McBride, Eddie Pope, guys who were seemingly around forever, are gone. The 37-year-old Keller has dropped behind Tim Howard, and Donovan and Beasley qualify as the "old men" of the team.

A new generation of players is jockeying for positions and playing time, and those whose places are secure are adjusting to new faces around them. It's a delicate process, and there is little time to waste with World Cup qualifying beginning in a year.

"We've got good young talent," Keller said. "What we need to do now is start getting to where you know what team is on the field. Let's make sure Michael Bradley plays two or three seasons in a row as a starter."

The United States brought its best players to the CONCACAF Gold Cup, where the Americans will play rival Mexico on Sunday for the title. But with the U.S. team going straight from Chicago to Venezuela and European-based players having only a few more weeks before their training camps start, Bradley opted for youth in South America.

Only eight players from the Gold Cup are on the Copa America roster, Keller being the most recognizable name. Keller, who played his 100th game for the United States on Thursday night, also is one of only four players on the roster who was at last summer's World Cup. Defender Jimmy Conrad, midfielder Ben Olsen and forward Eddie Johnson also played in Germany, with Keller and Conrad the only two to start.

Thirteen players on the Copa America roster have been on a world championship roster -- but at the youth level. Midfielder Justin Mapp started five games for the United States at the 2003 World Youth Championship and scored the game-winner that put the U-20s in the quarterfinals.

Benny Feilhaber, Sacha Kljestan, Lee Nguyen and Gaven, all midfielders, and defender Marvell Wynne were on the U-20 team that made it to the knockout stage of the 2005 World Youth Championship. The team the Americans beat in their opening game? None other than Argentina.

But there's a big difference between playing a bunch of teenagers and a squad that has Lionel Messi, Juan Roman Riquelme and Carlos Tevez.

"It's good," Beasley said. "For one, you're playing against some of the best teams in the world. Second, you get experience playing away from home when people are not with you.

"They've done it at the youth level, but it's not in front of 60,000 fans," he said. "That'll only help in (World Cup) qualifying."

The roster:

Goalkeepers: Brad Guzan (Chivas USA), Kasey Keller (Borussia Moenchengladbach, Germany)

Defenders: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Bobby Boswell (D.C.), Dan Califf (Aalborg BK, Denmark), Jimmy Conrad (Kansas City), Jay DeMerit (Watford, England), Drew Moor (Dallas), Heath Pearce (Nordsjaelland, Denmark), Marvell Wynne (Toronto)

Midfielders: Kyle Beckerman (Colorado), Ricardo Clark (Houston), Benny Feilhaber (Hamburg SV, Germany), Eddie Gaven (Columbus), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Justin Mapp (Chicago), Lee Nguyen (PSV Eindhoven, Netherlands), Ben Olsen (D.C.)

Forwards: Charlie Davies (Hammarby, Sweden), Herculez Gomez (Colorado), Eddie Johnson (Kansas City), Taylor Twellman (New England)

it almost makes me think that US soccer "management" thinks their starters will get punk'ed down in South America

If the USA wants credibility with our NT, then they should have first teamers go down there and make us proud, because winning the Gold Cup only means that you can beat Mexico

 

[Bjerknes]

what the fuck is this shit-





from yahoo.com




it almost makes me think that US soccer "management" thinks their starters will get punk'ed down in South America

If the USA wants credibility with our NT, then they should have first teamers go down there and make us proud, because winning the Gold Cup only means that you can beat Mexico

Hmm. I don't know exactly what to think. In some ways giving the youngsters quite an experiance is certainly a good thing, as these youngsters won't play against such competition in anything other than a World Cup. But then again, Bob Bradley didn't include some key youngsters in the squad, including his own son who's one of our best young talents. We will be killed by Argentina with the squad we will bring to Venezuela, so egg will be on our faces once again.

I don't know what to think really. I suppose it will be a good experiance at a tournament we really have no chance of winning anyway. But no Dempsey? That pisses me off.

 

[Bjerknes]

Just got back from the bar and I'm not drunk. It sucks when you get to the point that a forty and seven beers doesn't get you drunk. Actually, it's pretty sad. Kids don't hang out with Burke and me.

 

[Seven]

Hard to say. I think I liked Verona a touch better, because the author was more likeable and seemed to be, ahem, shall we say, "more intelligent" than his Castel di Sangro counterpart. Not to mention a hell of a lot funnier.

Verona is more a story from an Anglo fan from the outside, but in the curva and on road trips -- many of which are hilarious and colorful. Sangro is more the story of an Anglo who became an interloper in small town politics and the team locker room. Both offer different perspectives.

Both offer interesting perspectives of players known today -- from back then. Camo, Mutu, Gila, Bonazzoli, etc. in Verona. Spinesi in Sangro -- which is shocking for what he did last season, given the humble beginnings of his story.

In the end, the author of Sangro turns out to be a hemorrhaging anal wart. But it's still a good book.



The author was the analog to the invited dinner guest who trashes the hosts, sticks his fingers in the polenta and smears it on all the dining room artwork, uses the tablecloth to wipe his ass after taking a dump in the salad bowl on the table, and then wonders why everybody hates him.

The author of Castel di Sangro was a bit of an arrogant type in my eyes. Probably a teacher or something, who felt he needed to talk about ethics. That combined with the fact he didn't know the first thing about Italian football can be really annoying. Then again, it's hilarious at times, especially when he offers the coach to make use of his tactical brain.

 

[sateeh]

hey Andy, Burke if you guys are watching the MLS... How is Fred doing for DC United ?

 

[Vinman]

hey Andy, Burke if you guys are watching the MLS... How is Fred doing for DC United ?

didnt the 25 year old Adu go to Salt Lake ???

 

[Enron]

Sure did.

 

[Bjerknes]

Everybody watch the Gold Cup Final, Mexico vs. my boys going on right now. Hopefully we'll give these taco lovers another good beating.

Landon Donovan is a pussy with that little hand-kissing repitition before the match starts. How about you stop kissing fleshy objects and go back to Germany, little overrated wanker. And while you're at it, give Dempsey the armband.

Soldier Field is of course half Mexico today, perhaps even more. And in actuality, every time Dempsey is touching the ball the crowd boos him. It's like we're playing at the Azteca right now. Our fans need to step it up and boo the team that has the greatest chance of being illegal.

Fuck Rafa Marquez, I hope he gets injured.

 

[Bjerknes]

hey Andy, Burke if you guys are watching the MLS... How is Fred doing for DC United ?

I've only seen a few matches thus far because I don't have the DC sports channel up here at school, but from what I've seen he's been doing okay. DC United has looked rather awful this season as a whole and Fred has played most of the matches I believe. I saw him play at RFK a couple months ago but don't remember much... I was a little too drunk. Wouldn't be surprised if I'm banned from RFK as well.

 

[Bjerknes]

After further review, Soldier Field is 99% Mexican.




The other 1% is a horrendous stench of tequilla and taco sauce.

 

[Bjerknes]

I wish we had a player such as Marquez though. Despite him being a little unclassy bitch of a player, he still has loads of quality. And despite my hate for him, I'd take him at Juventus as he would come from Barca at a pretty cheap rate.

I say this as Marquez wins two straight headers off of Mexican corners.

 

[Bjerknes]

Fucking shit defending, 1-0 to the Illegals.

 

[Enron]

That Castillo guy is sickness and we have Brian Ching up top. Doesn't look good for us.

 

[Bjerknes]

Yo Enron I'm trying to call your house, give me a call when you can.

 

[Enron]

Everybody watch the Gold Cup Final, Mexico vs. my boys going on right now. Hopefully we'll give these taco lovers another good beating.

Landon Donovan is a pussy with that little hand-kissing repitition before the match starts. How about you stop kissing fleshy objects and go back to Germany, little overrated wanker. And while you're at it, give Dempsey the armband.

Soldier Field is of course half Mexico today, perhaps even more. And in actuality, every time Dempsey is touching the ball the crowd boos him. It's like we're playing at the Azteca right now. Our fans need to step it up and boo the team that has the greatest chance of being illegal.

Fuck Rafa Marquez, I hope he gets injured.

Donavan isn't Captain, Bocanegra is. Bradley at least got that right.

 

[Enron]

Yo Enron I'm trying to call your house, give me a call when you can.

Call me back in like 2 minutes.

 

[Bjerknes]

I love beating Mexico. Such satisfaction.

 

[Enron]

It's a good feeling. Too bad we're going to get owned by Argentina.