Since the season is basically over - especially for fans like me backing sub-par teams (Roma, your 2011-12 campaign is dead to me) - here's a running list of hot summer friendlies around the USA I've noticed over the past couple of weeks:
Philadelphia Union vs. Schalke 04
May 9 @ 7:30pm (ET)
PPL Park, Chester, PA
Portland Timbers vs. Valencia
May 23 @ 7pm (PT)
JELD-WEN Field, Portland, OR
Houstan Dynamo vs. Valencia
May 31, 7:30pm (local time?)
BBVA Compass Stadium, Houston, TX
Philadelphia Union vs. Aston Villa
July 18 @ 7:30pm (ET)
PPL Park, Chester, PA
Seattle Sounders vs. Chelsea
July 18 @ 9:30pm (ET)
Qwest Field, Seattle, WA
Toronto FC vs. Liverpool
July 21 @ 4pm (ET)
Rogers Centre, Toronto, ONT
Chicago Fire vs. Aston Villa
July 21 @ 7:30pm (CT)
Toyota Park, Chicago, IL
Chelsea vs. PSG
July 22 @ 7pm (ET)
Yankee Stadium, New York City
AS Roma vs. TBD
July 22 @ TBD
Chicago, IL
Portland Timbers vs. Aston Villa
July 24 @ 7:30pm (PT)
JELD-WEN Field, Portland, OR
LA Galaxy vs. Tottenham
July 24 @ TBD
The Home Depot Center, Carson, CA
AS Roma vs. Liverpool - The Underachiever's Shield 2012
July 25 @ 6:30pm (ET)
Fenway Park, Boston, MA
Chelsea vs. MLS All-Stars
July 25 @ 8:30pm (ET)
PPL Park, Chester, PA
AS Roma vs. TBD
July 28 @ TBD
New York City
Trophee Des Champions - France's Community Shield
League winner vs. Lyon (cup winner)
July 28 @ 3pm (ET)
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
Liverpool vs. Tottenham
July 28 @ 1pm (ET)
M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD
Chelsea vs. AC Milan
July 28 @ 6pm (ET)
Sun Life Stadium, Miami, FL
DC United vs. Juventus
July 28 @ TBD
RFK Stadium, Washington, DC
*yet to be finalized
New York Red Bulls vs. Tottenham
July 31 @ TBD
Red Bull Arena, Harrison, NJ
LA Galaxy vs. Real Madrid
August 2 @ 10:30pm (ET)
The Home Depot Center, Carson, CA
Juventus vs. Real Madrid
August 5 @ 8pm (local time?)
Sam Boyd Stadium, Las Vegas, Nevada
*possible rematch on August 8 @ Yankee Stadium, New York City
That's all I have for now. I will update this list when I hear further dates have been announced. Please comment below on other games I failed to mention!
Showing posts with label Juventus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Juventus. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 8, 2012
Thursday, April 26, 2012
Juventus Shocked & Awed
Juventus players, staff, fans and mascots (old ladies?) were shocked and awed yesterday, when Marco Borriello, the man who once scored goals, finally scored another goal. Bravo, Marco. Bravo.
Photo Credits:
Associated Press
Goal.com
Yahoo! Sports
Sunday, April 22, 2012
Soccer Gods Dislike Me Today
After some thought, I have come to the conclusion that the Soccer Gods chose me to dislike, effectively ruining my Sunday. Here's what happened:
My enthusiasm was high this afternoon, as the first important football match of my weekend approached - Roma, my team, versus rivals Juventus. A crucial match for both sides - Juve vying for the Scudetto, Roma for Europe - what could be better?
Nothing, until reality struck: the Old Lady tamed the Lupi, taught them how to give paw and scalded them for licking their own butts. A 4-nil drubbing in a match that should have meant just as much to Roma as it did Juve. Hats off to the Bianconeri for being absolutely brilliant all match long, but they were aided in their efforts by a dysfunctional Roma performance.
Here's what went wrong: Roma Coach Luis Enrique had the tactics and line-up wrong from the get-go. I'll admit, Daniele De Rossi has been effective at center back over the past few games, but with Gabriel Heinze available and the issue of Juve's playmaking midfield at hand, DDR should have started in the midfield in an effort to stunt Juve's midfield movement before their attacks heated up. As a result of De Rossi's missing presence in front of the back four, the Juve midfield titter-tattered their way through the likes of Fernando Gago, Marquinho and Simone Perrotta to arrive with some serious space in front of the defense. Furthermore, Enrique decided to leave out Francesco Totti, who was coming off a huge performance against Udinese and was ready to give his all in a rivalry match that always means something to him.
I understand the manager's thoughts of needing to rest certain players, given a midweek game on the horizon, but at this point of the season and the position Roma is in, all games and all points are critical. The best team needs to be fielded, no matter what - no excuses. This is one of several occasions I think Luis Enrique has actually lost Roma the game.
Ironically, game number two of my day brought a similar result and effort from my hometown team, NYRB. In what should have been a cagey grudge match (NY and DC have somewhat of a rivalry) the Red Bulls failed to understand the concept of defending, just like Roma! These two dismal performances from teams I love were so coincidental, that I think the Red Bulls must have watched Roma earlier in the day and took notes on how to roll over. Imagine my disgust at the 60 minute mark seeing the scoreline 4-0 and thinking "hmmm, this reminds me of the Roma game since it is the exact same horrible scoreline."
What went wrong: Pretty much everything. The defending was horrible: players who were introduced into the starting 11 - Lade & Palsson - didn't really click with the rest of the group. In turn, the defense was pretty scattered and individual, rather than what you would expect from a group of professionals. Simple clearances were botched and nearly every set piece was neglected. Moreover, offense was hard to come by and when the Bulls did get something going, DC transitioned quickly to surprise their shaky defense. Overall, it was a terrible effort in a game the Red Bulls could have won.
Mother always said there'd be days like these.
Juventus 4 - 0 Roma
My enthusiasm was high this afternoon, as the first important football match of my weekend approached - Roma, my team, versus rivals Juventus. A crucial match for both sides - Juve vying for the Scudetto, Roma for Europe - what could be better?
Nothing, until reality struck: the Old Lady tamed the Lupi, taught them how to give paw and scalded them for licking their own butts. A 4-nil drubbing in a match that should have meant just as much to Roma as it did Juve. Hats off to the Bianconeri for being absolutely brilliant all match long, but they were aided in their efforts by a dysfunctional Roma performance.
Here's what went wrong: Roma Coach Luis Enrique had the tactics and line-up wrong from the get-go. I'll admit, Daniele De Rossi has been effective at center back over the past few games, but with Gabriel Heinze available and the issue of Juve's playmaking midfield at hand, DDR should have started in the midfield in an effort to stunt Juve's midfield movement before their attacks heated up. As a result of De Rossi's missing presence in front of the back four, the Juve midfield titter-tattered their way through the likes of Fernando Gago, Marquinho and Simone Perrotta to arrive with some serious space in front of the defense. Furthermore, Enrique decided to leave out Francesco Totti, who was coming off a huge performance against Udinese and was ready to give his all in a rivalry match that always means something to him.
I understand the manager's thoughts of needing to rest certain players, given a midweek game on the horizon, but at this point of the season and the position Roma is in, all games and all points are critical. The best team needs to be fielded, no matter what - no excuses. This is one of several occasions I think Luis Enrique has actually lost Roma the game.
DC United 4 - 1 New York Red Bulls
Ironically, game number two of my day brought a similar result and effort from my hometown team, NYRB. In what should have been a cagey grudge match (NY and DC have somewhat of a rivalry) the Red Bulls failed to understand the concept of defending, just like Roma! These two dismal performances from teams I love were so coincidental, that I think the Red Bulls must have watched Roma earlier in the day and took notes on how to roll over. Imagine my disgust at the 60 minute mark seeing the scoreline 4-0 and thinking "hmmm, this reminds me of the Roma game since it is the exact same horrible scoreline."
What went wrong: Pretty much everything. The defending was horrible: players who were introduced into the starting 11 - Lade & Palsson - didn't really click with the rest of the group. In turn, the defense was pretty scattered and individual, rather than what you would expect from a group of professionals. Simple clearances were botched and nearly every set piece was neglected. Moreover, offense was hard to come by and when the Bulls did get something going, DC transitioned quickly to surprise their shaky defense. Overall, it was a terrible effort in a game the Red Bulls could have won.
Mother always said there'd be days like these.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Ibrahimovic: I'm Sick Of You
Incredible efforts at Ajax garnered the attention of many leading clubs around Europe. Hilarious interviews after matches endeared fans to the tall Swede's tough, yet playful style:
The cool-talking Ibrahimovic was a delight at this point of his career. Seeing a player sensibly spar with a prying journalist is always enthralling.
At Juventus, Ibra rose to stardom. His flicks, tricks and flashy goals drew the attention of the world audience. Moreover, he arrived in a top league and immediately made an impact, scoring 16 goals while leading the Old Lady yet another title. Check out the scope of his dope skills during one of Nike's Joga Bonito clips prior to World Cup 2006:
That had to be Dubble Bubble! Ibra's tenure at Juve was cut short due to the Calciopoli scandals, which lead to his move to Inter.
In the Serie A post-Juve fallout, Inter was evil. They were essentially the Yankees of Calcio, scooping up every serious star in the wake of the scandals, one being Ibra. His dominance continued at Inter, winning three titles and securing Capocannoniere honors - top scorer in Serie A - in his final year.
 |
| Ibra silences San Siro boo boys and lets them know to shut up |
Barcelona probably could have done without the services of Ibrahimovic. Even after a strong start, it was evident the striker did not fit into Pep Guardiola's system. After the fact, we have learned (through Ibra's biography) about severe problems Ibra had in the locker room. He seemed like the bad kid in school who always acted up in class. To him, Guardiola was not in control, while no one questioned Messi or Xavi. To Barca, he was polluting a good ecosystem. For a person with this sort of ego, I am sure authoritarian problems hit hard. The result: a summer move back to Italy with city rivals AC Milan.
Fortifying his complete lack of care for Inter, Ibra traded over to city rivals AC Milan a year after departing the Nerazzurri. In Italy, this is a serious dis to fans. This move dovetailed into the Swede's current over-the-top arrogance. He was always kind of a jerk, but while in Rossoneri, he has never failed to anger me. His track record:
Constant red cards jeopardized Milan's title winning efforts towards the end of last year.
Fighting to the death with American man-machine Oguchi Onyewu.
An infamous kick on a teammate during training:
Another kick, this time on Antonio Cassano, after winning the Scudetto:
A well placed slap against a Napoli player last month put him in the doghouse.
A temper-tantrum post Champions League progression vs. Arsenal.
And most recently, a spat with a reporter resulted in Ibra asking her "What the F*ck are you looking at??" followed by a headband throw:
What is wrong with this guy? Have years of success made his ego boil over? Maybe it's because he looks like Zorro right now? I used to admire the hard man attitude, but as of late, it just seems excessive.
To conclude this rant, I offer you a hilarious video dissecting Ibrahimovic's attitude via the Barcelona tensions with Pep Guardiola:
Photo/Video Credits:
world-football-report.blogspot.com
blogs.reuters.com
Youtube
Wednesday, November 9, 2011
Happy Birthday Alessandro Del Piero!!!!
To the player who drew me to the sport of soccer all those years ago: Happy birthday Alessandro Del Piero! The 37 year old has inspired the world with his play - and hair - for many fruitful years. Tanti auguri!
Check out this compilation video Juventus made in honor of their capitan:
Though I would like to applaud Juve for their efforts, I can't help but be fed up with the Old Lady. Happy birthday Del Piero...enjoy the bench. And oh yeah, you're done after this year. Juve let their most important player in history know they are not re-signing him at a Board of Directors meeting. Not man to man. Not anything out of the ordinary for an extraordinary player. Shameful and classless.
But you know what, Del Piero pushes on. All the while, he has displayed the most professional attitude possible, fortifying the belief that he is one of the classiest footballers in the game. For his humble attitude, uplifting spirit, and goal against Germany in the semis, I wish this special, special player a buon compleanno!
Check out this compilation video Juventus made in honor of their capitan:
Though I would like to applaud Juve for their efforts, I can't help but be fed up with the Old Lady. Happy birthday Del Piero...enjoy the bench. And oh yeah, you're done after this year. Juve let their most important player in history know they are not re-signing him at a Board of Directors meeting. Not man to man. Not anything out of the ordinary for an extraordinary player. Shameful and classless.
But you know what, Del Piero pushes on. All the while, he has displayed the most professional attitude possible, fortifying the belief that he is one of the classiest footballers in the game. For his humble attitude, uplifting spirit, and goal against Germany in the semis, I wish this special, special player a buon compleanno!
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