DISQUS

The second half was definitely a 45-minute long anxiety attack. Jeez that was tough to sit through. But well worth it.
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I'm no Landon fan, but the guy was immense yesterday.
I don't know what's inspiring this transformation, but the guy played harder than anyone else yesterday. How often was he defending in the box during the second half, covering Spector's sorry ass time and time again? How many times was he the calm one in the midfield, keeping possession at key points of the game to disrupt Spain's continuous runs into the U.S. half of the field?
Donovan was the man of the match, without question. Tim Howard was a close second, but it was Donovan's match. Too bad he didn't score; would have been just.
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Great post. It's time for the U.S. to grow up. Ultimately, firing Bradley depends on your expectations. http://bit.ly/kWyNi

Exciting days to be a Real Madrid fan, but honestly, did this Galacticos strategy work before? Meshing all these egos, money and playing styles into a cohesive unit; that's near impossible.
http://startingeleven.blogspot.com/2009/06/kaka...

Klinsmann is the only thing keeping him there; I can't see the fan base or management taking this seriously.
http://startingeleven.blogspot.com

Arsenal hasn't been able to hold a lead or sustain a strong start for many years. Why should this season be any different?
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Those '70s teams with Dalgleish and Co. were my first exposure to English football. Tremendous memories.
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Agreed NY, Spurs have no players. No players = no chance.
http://startingeleven.blogspot.com/2008/10/star...

I think the idea is interesting, the execution in this case? Not so good.

Fox Soccer has the show on Tuesday nights where fans of the respective clubs call the game and I think that's brilliant and for the most part it works as a fun night of television.

Nick and Barton were OK, but it was odd to listen to. It was almost like there were technical difficulties with the feed and these guys were filling air time. At least ESPN fakes it well with Derek Rae and Tommy Onion Bags.

Fans can certainly boo at will; why not? Shame on you if you're not a discerning fan who is a bit cynical when the home team isn't to par. Now whether Cole deserved it or not is another question, but one thing is for sure--these guys are well compensated and they need to suck it up and deal with the adversity. They're not endearing themselves to the fans by publicly whining.
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Excellent post, Platini's hatred for England is blinding his good judgment.
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Instant analysis of the draw here: http://startingeleven.blogspot.com/2008/08/cham...

Big Fil is just giving the people what they wanted. Chelsea fans complained--a lot--about Mourinho's coaching style, yet he did nothing but win. We'll see how Scolari's attacking philosophy translates into silverware.
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Spot-on with your comments on ESPN. Adrian Healy and Derek Rae were tremendous on play-by-play, and Andy Gray sold the whole package. There was no condescending explaining of the rules, no nonsensical analysis or glamor shots of stars in the audience. Unfortunately, ESPN has to shore up its studio lineup. Rob Stone is awful, ditto for Tommy Onion Bags and Julie Foudy, well, no amount of makeup is going to cover up that growth on your eyebrow--especially in HD!

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This is nothing new for American viewers, even as far back as 40 years!
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Lovely behavior from a top-tier team in a second-class league. Good riddance.
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Kudos indeed to ESPN for its coverage. Seedorf aside, I thought it was a quality broadcast. The pre-game and halftime spots were quality and Rae is a solid play-by-play guy. He's not smarmy, nor condescending--and yes, they were on-site.
http://startingeleven.blogspot.com

Here's hoping John Terry isn't defined by his miss. He's a classy, tough player who didn't deserve to be put in that spot. Drogba is a selfish fool who owes his teammates, the club and the fans more than a red in the final minutes of extra time.
Penalties are the worst way to settle such an important game, but the drama and storylines were intense.
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John Terry is a classy man, and a tough honorable player who deserved better. Drogba is a selfish fool who put his club in this spot. This won't define John Terry.
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Defense wins championships; making a one-goal lead stand up in a cup final is an art form.
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I had Liverpool-United 1-2, but I should have known better given the fact that Rafa cannot coach domestically. His short attention span suits the CL much better apparently.
United are fitting champions, and you have to love the symmetry of yesterday's win with Ronaldo and Giggs book-ending the victory.
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Sporting is no pushover in this tournament; they're playing well in Europe, have been since the start. Though they're out of it in Portgual, they're alive in the Portuguese Cup and have something to play for here clearly.
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I agree on three of your four picks. I don't see Arsenal getting by. Liverpool and Arsenal will play three times in that week and Arsenal needs all three matches, while Liverpool can rest players in the domestic match. That's a big edge; either way, the managers earn their money that week.

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