CommentaryEnglandNews The Wormburner: A Whole Lotta Questions (Fantasy Football, Draft)July 9, 2019 — by Rob Kirby
BrazilCommentaryHistoryPhotographyThe AmericasWorld Cup Dictators and Soccer: The Junta, Argentina 1978, Disappearings, Match Fixing and Early Deity Era Maradona (Argentina)July 11, 2014 — by Rob Kirby
CommentaryHistoryItalyLong ReadsNews Dictators and Soccer: Popes, PR and the Vatican Soccer Sin BinMay 17, 2013 — by Rob Kirby

main

CommentaryEnglandGermanySpain

What We Watched This Weekend: Borussia Bundesliga Shocker, Dempsey Hat-Trick, USMNT in Phoenix, Super Sunday in Spain & England

January 23, 2012 — by Suman

Balotelli-Parker.jpg
We've semi-regularly tried to post a Friday "What to Watch this Weekend" (WtWtW) viewing guide. Starting today, we'll aim to bookend that with a companion "What We Watched this Weekend" (WWWtW) summary--pulled primarily from weekend email chatter among the CultFootball crew, maybe spiced up with some video highlights. (If you'd like to contribute, hit us up with a message on Twitter or a comment/wall post on our Facebook page as you're watching matches over the weekend--or just comment here on the site. Our comment sections have been mostly lying dormant since that initial burst of activity and enthusiasm following our launch for the 2010 World Cup--see the "most popular" list in the right side-bar--but we're working on a resurrection.) Using this weekend's "WtWtW" posts as an outline (atypically, there were three this weekend, one each for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday), here's what we watched: Friday, Jan 20 Germany,Borussia Moenchengladbach 3

Read More

CommentaryEngland

Can Arsenal Please Disown Piers Morgan?

January 23, 2012 — by Rob Kirby — 3

wanker.jpg
Come on everybody, channel your inner Piers Morgan. Throw your hands up in the air, aim for the hills and run with abandon. Just don’t forget to unlock your wrists, so that the sprint for the horizon seems that much more fueled by pure terror. And remember to shrill. Wayne Rooney, his sidekick hair transplant and his nefarious Mancunian buddies traveled to the Emirates on Sunday. As everyone knows Manchester United won 8-2 in the last (cataclysmic) matchup. They won 2-1 this time. Rooney had scored six goals in his last six appearances against Arsenal in all competitions. Over the years, he scored his first Premier League goal against Arsenal, as well as his first Premier League goal for Man United, his 100th Premier League goal and his 150th goal for Man United in all competitions. Everyone feared the big bad Roondog. But this time he let Antonio Valencia and

Read More

AfricaCommentary

The Ivory Coast’s Year, This Year?

January 22, 2012 — by Rob Kirby

elephant-280_847916a1.jpg
The Ivory Coast won their first match of the 2012 African Cup of Nations today, a 1-0 defeat of Sudan with Didier Drogba scoring the lone goal. Shockingly, Gervinho rocketed a few over the crossbar. And he's usually so clinical... Curious as to their current FIFA ranking and who else might likely put up a fight against the Elephants, I looked it up. Learning that they rank 18th internationally didn't surprise, but the fact that only 5 other African countries make up the top 50 did. Current FIFA rankings: 18 Côte d'Ivoire    26 Ghana    32 Algeria   36 Egypt    43 Senegal    45 Nigeria Then I looked up the past few winners of the cup. 2010, Egypt. 2008, Egypt. 2006, Egypt. 2004, Tunisia. Egypt? For three tournaments running? More current Ivory Coast players have played for Arsenal in the past two years than I could even name on the Egypt national team. Actually,

Read More

EnglandPreviewScheduleSpain

What to Watch This Weekend: Super Sunday

January 22, 2012 — by Suman

Keown-VanNistelrooy.jpg
It’s Super Sunday due to the two big EPL North London-Manchester games, but there's also a couple interesting La Liga matchups and an relevant Eredivisie matchup today: Super Sunday, Jan 22 Netherlands, Alkmaar-Ajax (8:30amET ESPN Deportes, ESPN3.com): A league meeting between two teams in contention for the Eredivisie title (AZ Alkmaar).  This will be the 3rd meeting between the two sides in just over a month--first there was the already-infamous pitch invasion at Amsterdam Arena in December, and then the replay in front of 20,000 Dutch schoolchildren last week. Most eyes, however, will be on England, with the two North London teams taking on the two Manchester teams ("a tale of two cities" if you will): England, Manchester City-Spurs (8:30amET FSC): 1st vs 3rd, with City still atop the table and Spurs hot on their heels in 3rd. We liberally excerpt from our man John Lally's PoliticalFootballs preview post: Manchester City still have their 100% home record

Read More

EnglandPreviewSchedule

What to Watch This Weekend: Random Saturday Selections

January 21, 2012 — by Suman

Oriol-Romeu-Chelsea.jpg
None of today's matches are necessarily must-see; but if you must watch some football, here's what we recommend: Saturday, Jan 21 England, Norwich-Chelsea (7:30amET ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, ESPN3.com): Norwich (and Swansea) have attracted attention as newly-promoted sides that have fought their way into the top half the table.  So this could be a tricky fixture for Chelsea--especially as Drogba has left for the African Cup of Nations.  On the other hand, maybe this will finally be the match that Fernando Torres scores for the Blues?  More successful Spaniards in the side have been the young Juan Mata (from Valencia) and the even younger Oriol Romeu (from Barcelona). The Guardian's Dominic Fifield has an interview with Romeu in today's paper: "Oriol Romeu likes 'hard football' and feels at home at Chelsea: The new boy at Stamford Bridge believes he is more of an English player than a typical product of Barcelona."  Excerpts: Five months into his

Read More

CommentarySpainVideo

Further Thoughts on Copa del Rey Clásico

January 20, 2012 — by Suman — 1

Pepe-acting.jpg
We watched Wednesday's Clásico in its entirety with spirited company at WoodworkBK.  We had the sense then that Barcelona slowly took control after the early goal by Cristiano Ronaldo, and that Pepe was terrible.  Watch this extended highlight clip, which should reinforce the conclusions that (a) Barcelona completely dominated after about the 25' mark, and (b) Pepe was a complete embarrassment--and not only for the already-infamous Messi hand stamp: Real Madrid v Barcelona by vynylr
Acting!
Pepe actually hurt Madrid with his play, and his theatrics yesterday matched those of Busquets last spring. He got that an yellow (~16') for a gratuitous and cheap foul on Busquets deep in Barcelona's half, and should have got a 2nd yellow for either his playacting at 64' after Cesc outplayed him for the ball (listen to the Sky Sports commentators), and then of course the handstamp at 67'. So really

Read More

GermanyPreview

What to Watch This Weekend: Moenchengladbach-Munich Today

January 20, 2012 — by Suman

Rolls-Reus.jpg
After a month's hiatus (due primarily to an extended internet-free trip to India--see below), we're back with a TV guide to the weekend.  As usual, we provide US TV listings with ET kickoffs, since that's where we reside. For our non-US readers, we've included a link to livesoccertv.com for each match. Check back in over the course of the weekend, as we'll post our Saturday and Sunday selections.  But since our first selection kicks off in less than an hour, we're posting now: Friday, Jan 20 Germany, Borussia Moenchengladbach-Bayern Munich (2:30pmET GolTV): A good matchup in the Bundesliga’s Friday Night Lights offering.  They’re just returning to action this weekend in Germany, after the longest holiday break in Europe.  In fact, Bayern Munich took a little training trip to Asia earlier this month--some training and a friendly match in Doha, followed by a friendly in India--and they happened to land in Delhi

Read More

Newer PostsOlder Posts