tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-85492741215359459312024-03-13T14:13:43.908-04:00the Detroit Soccer BlogSoccer news and media from Metro Detroit and around the World. -D³D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-46126886148510092602013-05-04T18:20:00.000-04:002013-05-04T18:21:28.411-04:002013 Detroit Soccer Schedule<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Here's a composite schedule of Detroit City FC, Michigan Bucks, and FC Sparta Michigan<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-00GCv8KtLu0/UYWJAj6N60I/AAAAAAAAAdM/qTv3noCbIgo/s1600/1detsched.2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-00GCv8KtLu0/UYWJAj6N60I/AAAAAAAAAdM/qTv3noCbIgo/s1600/1detsched.2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"> </a></div>
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<br />D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-48016375963558930362012-11-06T14:28:00.002-05:002012-11-12T17:55:17.859-05:002013 NPSL Expansion<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L26CwFSrRIg/UJhldErYk-I/AAAAAAAAAWs/Y5evFdCW1SY/s1600/npsl.logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-L26CwFSrRIg/UJhldErYk-I/AAAAAAAAAWs/Y5evFdCW1SY/s320/npsl.logo.jpg" width="249" /></a>Let's make it official.<br />
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The Great Lakes Conference of the NPSL is expanding. While conference realignment has taken the Greater Binghamton Bingos to the Northeast Division of the Atlantic conference, the Great Lakes Conference gains two new members. In addition to <strong>Detroit City FC</strong>, <em>AFC Cleveland</em>, <em>Erie Admirals</em>, and <em>FC Buffalo</em>, the conference will be contested by new boys <em>Zanesville</em> and the locally maligned <strong>FC Sparta Michigan</strong><br />
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The addition of another 4th division club to the area, where there hasn't really been much demand for more teams at that level beyond City and the Bucks, has caused a bit of frustration and distrust towards the league. The thought is plainly one of exploitation; they see how well followed City is and they must be looking to cash in on a region with that passion for the game.<br />
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<br />
I got in contact with the NPSL Chairman Andy Zarovich to get the lowdown on how a club could conceivably enter the league as an expansion team.<br />
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<em><strong>"The process to become a new member works this way. An interested group contacts the league and then receives a prospective new member information package. This package outlines information about the league, the minimum requirements for membership and the requirements for application."</strong></em> </div>
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The deadline for expansion applications for the 2013 season was October 31 2012, with a <a href="http://www.prlog.org/12015325-growth-continues-for-national-premier-soccer-league.html" target="_blank">presser</a> coming out on November 3 revealing the applicants who had been successfully approved to join the NPSL. In that press release the league officially announced the arrival of Ferndale-based FC Sparta Michigan and southern Ohio outfit Zanesville Athletic to the Great Lakes Conference. They followed that up with another <a href="http://www.prlog.org/12015411-zanesville-ohio-gets-npsl-team-for-2013.html" target="_blank">release</a> that said just about the same thing but in a different order on November 4. Continuing on with the expansion process:</div>
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</div>
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<strong><em>"Upon receiving an application, business plan and facility agreement from a prospective new member, a new member committee reviews the material to ensure that all items required for application are there. After this is met, the material is reviewed by the existing NPSL conference members where the prospective new member would be. For example, the existing members of the Great Lakes conference review the business plan, application, and facility agreement of prospective new members for their conference. As a matter of professionalism, the information contained in those documents is held confidential within the conference. Discussion and votes are held by the conference members. If the existing conference approves, then the applicant becomes a new approved member of the NPSL. This is one of the great features of the NPSL, allowing existing members the decisions on their respective regional and conference expansion."</em></strong></div>
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It's great that the league calls for the members of a conference to weigh in on whether or not a team can join. This may not be novel in terms of professional sports leagues, but it's good to see in such a large and amorphous organization like the NPSL. Rather than holding an unwieldy vote amongst all owners, bringing the decision down to the local level allows the conference clubs to tell the league and prospective teams if it's prudent to even allow another club into the fold. Rapid growth is not the entire source of success.</div>
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What is unknown at this time is who among the GLC specifically voted to approve each of the 2 new franchises, and if the decision was unanimous in either case. There is a specific question that I find myself wondering, and it's a question that we may never have answered:</div>
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<strong>Did Detroit City approve the membership of FC Sparta?</strong></div>
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They certainly had the chance to vote down a local rival with the potential to steal away a portion of its fan base. The tepid response to the new club by Detroit City fans indicates that this largely won't be the case. Was this all a ploy by the league to get some more money?</div>
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If City did approve, could the proximity of a new club be a factor in approving the new local rival? After all, it's cheaper to charter a bus to go a few miles uptown rather than all the way out of state.</div>
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Is it possible that the other 3 members of the GLC wanted to see the area weakened with greater local competition for both talent and fans? If the voting doesn't have to be unanimous, then that could certainly have been the case.</div>
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How much of the decision making is done over the course of these meetings, and how much (I hate to use the term) lobbying goes on between clubs? Is the process of voting more of a formality?</div>
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Is this all just paranoid bullshit?</div>
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I can answer at least one of those questions,</div>
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It's official.</div>
D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-68976577429972778802012-07-21T01:04:00.002-04:002012-07-21T13:35:20.916-04:00Michigan Bucks 2012 post-season<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.soundersu23.com/imgs/home/PDL-2012ChampionshipLogo.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" id="il_fi" src="http://www.soundersu23.com/imgs/home/PDL-2012ChampionshipLogo.png" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Check out the full playoff schedule <a href="http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/home/645448.html">here</a></td></tr>
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<br />
As the summer soccer season in Metro Detroit draws to a close, the final event in the area at the highest current level of league competition is the United Soccer Leagues PDL Conference Championships. The Bucks finished in first place of the Great Lakes Division, the Central Conference, and the entire 73 team PDL. Winning 13 of 16 and only losing once, the Bucks enter the playoffs as the regular season PDL Champions.<br />
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Leading the league with 46 goals scored and tying Carolina Dynamo and the Thunder Bay Chill for least goals conceded with 10, the Bucks have proven themselves as a force to be reckoned with. Keeper Adam Grinwis set the bar for PDL keepers with a league best .444 goals against average and Tommy Catalano tied for most assists with 12. Add the victory over MLS' Chicago Fire in the US Open Cup, and you have a very productive season that demands respect. <br />
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Though wary about past misfortune as the 1 seed in the tournament, the team is focused on advancing to the final, potentially on their home pitch. Per the <a href="http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/home/645448.html">USL</a>: <em>The Conference Champions will meet in the national semifinals on the weekend of July 27-29 at two host locations to be determined. The PDL Championship will be played on Saturday, August 4 at the home of one of the semifinal winners.</em><br />
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If the Bucks were to advance to the final-final, they could make the argument that as the regular season champions that they would deserve the right to host the final. If the league had a set of requirements for the size of the venue or type of field, that argument could potentially be challenged. August 4 is still a ways off and the Bucks would have to win both this Saturday at home against <a href="http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2012/13598684.html#STATS">Real Colorado Foxes</a> and again the next day in the Conference Championship. <br />
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The Foxes won 8, lost 4 and drew 4 in the regular season, with a goal differential of 0; 19 scored and 19 conceded. Finishing second in the Heartland Division, behind 13-2-1 <a href="http://www.thunderbaychill.com/">Thunder Bay Chill</a>. The Chill hail from Western Ontario off the northern coast of Lake Superior, and are partnered with MLS affiliate Toronto FC. They will play fellow Canadian club and Great Lakes Division runners-up Forest City London in the late game Saturday. <br />
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The Battle for Ontario will determine the Bucks' potential opponent for Sunday's final, however one opponent certainly looks more difficult than the other. While a hard fought season paid off with a playoff spot for the Canadian club, the Bucks were still able to do the double against Forest City in the regular season, holding on 1-0 at home and snatching victory away 2-1 with a spot kick. Thunder Bay Chill finished the regular season 1 point behind the Bucks with 40, 12 more than Heartland's 2nd placed RC Foxes. Apart from the Bucks, the Chill are also the only club this season in the PDL to have a 100% winning record at home. Should both teams meet in the conference final on Sunday, the Bucks will look to tap into that run of home form yet again.<br />
<a href="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTb_GlPzMvqJZYDajhNq2uwnhONwYXgiSnOXKQM1MC37yvcCshwJw" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="rg_hi uh_hi" data-height="151" data-width="120" height="151" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn1.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTb_GlPzMvqJZYDajhNq2uwnhONwYXgiSnOXKQM1MC37yvcCshwJw" style="height: 151px; width: 120px;" width="120" /></a><a href="http://cerebra.ca/commercial/fury/opponenticons/Thunder_Bay_Chill.GIF" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="120" id="il_fi" src="http://cerebra.ca/commercial/fury/opponenticons/Thunder_Bay_Chill.GIF" style="padding-bottom: 8px; padding-right: 8px; padding-top: 8px;" width="140" /></a><br />
<strong>Conference Semifinals - Saturday, July 21</strong><br />
Real Colorado
Foxes at Michigan Bucks, 6 p.m. ET<br />
Thunder Bay Chill vs. Forest City London,
8 p.m. ET<br />
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<strong>Conference Championship - Sunday, July 22</strong><br />
Semifinal
winners, 6 p.m. ET<br />
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<a href="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSYZ5FThDNLU6Qe2spN_wCcWcVz2hfpZNMwHoC0YgP_Or7cX-f2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" class="rg_hi uh_hi" data-height="240" data-width="184" height="200" id="rg_hi" src="https://encrypted-tbn2.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSYZ5FThDNLU6Qe2spN_wCcWcVz2hfpZNMwHoC0YgP_Or7cX-f2" style="height: 240px; width: 184px;" width="153" /></a></div>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-7991606399853410002012-07-15T18:14:00.000-04:002012-07-15T18:37:33.547-04:00Michigan Bucks to host Central Conference Playoffs<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EgvBdZC4Wm0/UAM7HNDOC8I/AAAAAAAAAVk/dPL_pPrxr7E/s1600/IMG-20120715-00200.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EgvBdZC4Wm0/UAM7HNDOC8I/AAAAAAAAAVk/dPL_pPrxr7E/s320/IMG-20120715-00200.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">63' - Zack Steinberger nets the Bucks' 3rd goal</td></tr>
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The Michigan Bucks concluded their season in style, breezing past 9-man River City Rovers 4:0 on Sunday. The Rovers are the only team all season to inflict a defeat on the Bucks, and the result of the match was essential for River City's playoff hopes. <br />
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The Bucks win means that they will host the Central Conference playoffs next weekend
beginning with their first match against the Heartland Division’s number two
seeded Real Colorado Foxes. The defending Central Conference champion Thunder
Bay Chill will take on the winner of the <place w:st="on"><placetype w:st="on">River</placetype> <placetype w:st="on">City</placetype> </place>/ FC
London match which takes place on the 17th.<br />
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The match began with a number of threatening chances from the Bucks. They opened the scoring in the 14th minute off a free kick on the flank of the box. Tommy Catalano put the ball in perfectly for Stew Givens, whose header was cleared off the line. The rebound of the clearance fell onto the head of defender Kevin Cope, who hit the ball home past the keeper. Ten minutes later the ref realized that she had lost her yellow card and was able to find it on the pitch.<br />
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River City was able to set up a free kick opportunity on the edge of the Bucks' box. The chance was well saved by Adam Grinwis, who then blasted a lofted ball down field to find Tommy Catalano on a counter-attacking run. River City's keeper Matt Soyka charged out to stop Catalano, who pulled the ball away at the last minute, drawing both a penalty kick and red card for the Rovers keeperStew Givens coolly converted from the spot in the 35th minute to make it 2:0.<br />
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At halftime, the Bucks organization honored central defensive midfielder Nate Boyden with the Paul R. Scicluna Memorial Trophy. The trophy is awarded every year to not just the best player on the field, but to the player who best exemplifies the Bucks organization itself. This year's winner was justly picked; despite this being his first year with the Bucks, he is a full time graduate student at the University of Michigan, as well as a volunteer assistant coach. Speaking a few words at half time to the crowd, he thanked the fans for their support and confirmed the team's desire to win a PDL National Championship<br />
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The second half showed a renewed fierceness from River City, with greater tenacity in their challenges in order to make up for being a man down. The aggression was a bit much, however, in the 59th minute, when River City's Peter May went in recklessly on Tommy Catalano in the open field. Team mate Stefan St. Louis took exception to the foul and initiated a pushing match with the player, before member of each team intervened. River city were then reduced yet another man down to 9, with the Bucks' St. Louis earning a yellow card for his reaction<br />
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The Bucks would maintain possession throughout much of the remaining half; River City only had 2 true chances in the final 45 minutes. In the 63rd minute, Zack Steinberger and Anthony Grant linked up in the Rovers box, with Steinberger able to slice home the Bucks' third goal. The Bucks would continue to threaten with close chances from the likes of Simon Omekanda, Seb Harris, Anthony Grant, and Nermin Crnkic.<br />
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The Bucks had a number of chances that only required a single touch to turn them into goals. Most of them came from a break down the right flank, followed by a low slotted pass across the box. While many of these were close but unsuccessful, Matt Bahner was able to find Nate Boyden's strong pass in the 87th minute to finish the match off at 4:0.<br />
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14' <strong>Goal</strong> Kevin Cope<br />
33' <strong>Red Card</strong> Matt Soyka<br />
35' <strong>Goal</strong> Stew Givens (PK)<br />
59' <strong>Red Card </strong>Peter May,<strong> Yellow Card </strong>Stefan St. Louis<br />
63' <strong>Goal</strong> Zack Steinberger (Anthony Grant)<br />
87' <strong>Goal</strong> Matt Bahner (Nate Boyden)<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
Stefan St. Louis<br />Nermin Crnkic Zack Steinberger Tommy Catalano</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Simon Omekanda Nate Boyden </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Nate Robinson Kevin Cope Seb Harris Stew Givens</div>
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Adam Grinwis</div>
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<br /></div>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-56546655775474651042012-06-30T17:38:00.003-04:002012-07-20T23:15:34.881-04:00Reasons why Americans hate soccer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9wIM39KnDY/T-9zCrKAgRI/AAAAAAAAAVU/lqeYO6hE6u0/s1600/fukrs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-l9wIM39KnDY/T-9zCrKAgRI/AAAAAAAAAVU/lqeYO6hE6u0/s320/fukrs.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Recently, Detroit City FC and its supporters have been getting a good amount of attention through various media outlets, namely <a href="http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120630/METRO01/206300358">this Detroit News article</a>. While the reporting has been good for the soccer community, the response of the masses largely hasn't. People in the Metro Detroit area and America in general seem to feel very strongly against the beautiful game, so let's sum up some of the main reasons why.<br />
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<b>It's boring:</b> Having to pay attention for a whole 45 minutes at a time is hard for some people in the age of ADD America. The only way people will sit through a 4 hour baseball game is if you keep stewards coming to them to keep them fed and having fireworks after the game.<br />
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<b>Diving:</b> Understandable, but still debatable. Drawing fouls is a common part of basketball, so why should it be any different in soccer? There are no time outs or tv commercial breaks aside from halftime, so being able to stop the play and start again is a key strategic facet of the game. Let's be clear - I'm not defending the embellishments that we see from certain players, but to say that drawing a foul is a reason not to like a sport is simply ridiculous, considering how often it happens in the other American sports.<br />
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<b>Racism/xenophobia:</b> Yes, Americans are still racist and xenophobic (which means you don't like for'ners). Soccer is largely supported by ehtnic minorities in the states, and is seen as something alien by many. Could anti-soccer sentiment be an offshoot of the immigration debate and concern over the rising Latino population of the US?<br />
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<b>To make a statement:</b> I'm still not sure what this statement is, other than "there are things that I don't care about, let me tell you about them". If you really didn't care about soccer, you wouldn't feel the need to talk about it. Ever.<br />
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<b>It's not a "real" sport:</b> Neither is poker, auto-racing, or the activity known as "fantasy sports"<br />
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Anti-soccer enthusiasts in America don't know what it feels like to be absolutely passionate about something, only to have the majority of people around you not only disagree, but who go out of their way to bring you down a peg because of what you like. So let's make them feel the same way.<br />
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<b>Football fans:</b> Your sport is based on Rugby, a REAL man's sport that doesn't use pads or have the lengthy artificial breaks in between plays that you need. Admit it, you need those breaks because it's hard carrying 300 pounds of fat 2 yards at a time. You have instant replays that the officials get wrong roughly 50% of the time, despite a mass of video evidence at their disposal. You claim your sport is rough and tough, but you have rules that protect players from roughness. You need 52 men to play 11 positions. Your players wear spandex and touch each others' butts just about every play, but you think soccer is gay. Football is a thug sport, where your coaches cheat their way to the Superbowl, and your teams pay players to injure other players, thus disrupting their livelihood.<br />
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<b>Baseball fans:</b> Your sport is based on book keeping and resembles a math story problem. Your players wear dress slacks. It's one of the select few sports where a fat man can be considered athletic, not because of his speed or skill, but because he can hit stuff hard. Your players use more accessories than a fashion show. One of the most exciting moments is watching an old man kick dirt at another old man. Steroids don't even help to make your sport more exciting, and when a player gets caught using them, they don't even have to disprove that they ever took them. Your games are so long you have a point two thirds of the way through each game designated for getting up and stretching.<br />
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<b>Basketball fans:</b> Your players are overpaid and went on strike for more money during one of the worst financial crisises in history. There's 4 teams in your entire league that actually garner interest, primarily because of the egomaniacal children that play for them. People only care about March Madness because of sports gambling; nobody gives a shit about Kansas University for the academics. People only ever cheer if a 7 foot tall player does slight hop and places the ball directly into the hoop. Your sport is fixed.<br />
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<b>Hockey fans:</b> Your sport went away for an entire season and the entire country didn't even care or notice. If the Red Wings had a history of losing like the Lions, nobody would follow them. Visibility is so bad at your events that you need a special light to tell you if your team even scored. Your sport is for toothless tough-guys with posture problems. Just admit it, you only go for the fights. <br />
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<b>NASCAR fans:</b> I don't use small enough words to really get down on your level, so here's a ball, try not to hurt yourself.<br />
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<b>Golf Fans:</b> ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ ZZZZZZZ<br />
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Soccer fans are the best fans there are. Anyone who has been to a match overseas or south of the border will tell you about the atmosphere and how that regular season game was louder than any championship final here. Go to any regular season sporting event in Detroit and you're at just that; <i>an event</i>. People dont go for the game, they go to take the girlfriend or the family out. They go to woo that client and leave early to beat traffic. They get up and go to the bathroom 3 times a game because of all the breaks inserted into play. They go because they're not expected to do anything. People are more excited to do the wave than to pay attention to the game, and it shows. You can't even get fans to applaud good play that doesn't involve a point being scored.<br />
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Face it, you're lazy and uninteresting people and you follow slow sports because your brains just don't fire off synapses fast enough any more. You care more about refreshments and accomodations than supporting your local teams. Sure, you buy the gear, but if you cared about your city you wouldn't feel the need to hate on a local team and the sport they play. You make me embarassed to be a Detroit sports fan.D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-64865218663047398742012-06-24T12:02:00.004-04:002012-06-24T14:44:03.569-04:00Detroit City FC 1:1 AFC Cleveland<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EGjafPQH69A/T-dEc0s3tyI/AAAAAAAAAUk/S1XVLB6VwbQ/s1600/DSCN3957+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="126" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EGjafPQH69A/T-dEc0s3tyI/AAAAAAAAAUk/S1XVLB6VwbQ/s400/DSCN3957+-+Copy.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
City dropped two points, perhaps deservedly, in the final match of the 2012 Rust Belt Derby.<br />
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A new record crowd of 1,743 were on hand to see Detroit take on rust belt rival Cleveland at home. This match swung from one side to the other throughout. Much of the possession was contested throughout midfield, and turnovers were the norm in the run of play. City threatened numerous times in the form of Cyrus Saydee and Stefan St. Louis, but were unsuccessful in converting their chances. <br />
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Le Rouge were lucky to get a goal off a bit of sloppy defending, with Keith Lough finding Stefan St. Louis for the finish in the 23rd minute. Le Rouge produced a number of shots in the first half, but would go into the locker room at halftime in the lead 1-0.<br />
<br />
The second half saw a shift in Cleveland's tactics, going to 3 at the back and 4 in midfield. This effectively clogged ball movement in the middle, forcing Detroit to rely on wing play and switches. The closest chance near the end of the match was Keith Lough's try from above the 6 yard box. Having broken down the right wing, and around the fullback, Cleveland's keeper rushed out to gather the ball. Lough tucked the ball across the box from near the rear touch line, hopped the keeper, and lashed one towards the net, only to have it cleared off the line by a Cleveland defender. A minute later, Cleveland broke down the right flank and slotted one low past the keeper in the 86th minute. Goal scorer Thomas Schmitt ran over to the Detroit fans and taunted them, and was predictably met with missiles.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QZ-5bC65OYo/T-dD087yEtI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/hEvKuXtKjOg/s1600/DSCN4038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-QZ-5bC65OYo/T-dD087yEtI/AAAAAAAAAUQ/hEvKuXtKjOg/s320/DSCN4038.JPG" width="320" /></a>The match would end drawn at 1, and Cleveland were presented with the Rust Belt Derby trophy at the conclusion. The result is somewhat disappointing, in that Detroit could've scored at least 1 more goal with the chances they had. Le Rouge needed a win to match Cleveland's 7 points in order to win the Derby. The draw kept them in 2nd place with 5 points, with Cleveland in 1st on 8. It was a bittersweet moment for the inaugural season of not only Detroit City but also the Rust Belt Derby, losing it in the last match at home. But what is football without the passion and the drama.<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
City remain in first place of the Great Lakes Conference, 3 points above Cleveland who are a game behind.D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-2178557161481909482012-06-21T22:11:00.001-04:002012-06-25T18:02:48.377-04:00Michigan Bucks 5:0 Cincinnati KingsThe Bucks returned to their scoring ways on Thursday night, racking up 5 against the Cincinnati Kings. Despite each side maintaining equal possession for the first 20 minutes, it was the Bucks who were able to convert first; Tommy Catalano puts a corner kick from the left side into the right position for Justin Sass to deliver a rising header in the 19th minute. <br />
<br />
A minute later, the Bucks nearly converted on a fast break turnover immediately following kick-off. The pressure would pay off only minutes later, with the Bucks forcing a free kick on the left flank. Similar to the first goal, Tommy Catalano sends in a high cross, this time meeting up with the other centerback, Kevin Cope, who was unmarked as he raised up and headed home for the Bucks second goal. Michigan continued to threaten in the first half, with Stefan St. Louis rising to almost head the ball out of the keeper's hands, and later nearly flicking a fast ball with one touch over the keeper.<br />
<br />
The Bucks continued their plan of attack through pressure in their offensive end. This paid off in the form of Nermin Crnkic forcing a turnover near the left edge of the box. He turned inside towards the 18 and across goal, firing home the Bucks' 3rd goal in the 61st minute. Later, in the 65th minute, Sebastian Harris would collect a throw in and send a low pass in to Tommy Catalano on the right corner of the penalty box, who had no problem hitting in the Bucks' 4th on the 65th minute.<br />
<br />
Cincinnati's biggest threats of the match came from a volley at goal in the 67th and a free kick outside the box in the 86th, which was hit into the wall. Constant pressure from deep midfield in the form of Nate Boyden would lead to the break down the left side. A few balls back and forth, and Nate slotted a pass from Kenny Uzoigwe into the net a minute into stoppage time.<br />
<br />
The match finished 5:0, with the Bucks extending their 2012 regular season unbeaten streak to 9/9 and their current win streak to 5 wins in a row. Although a game ahead, the Bucks sit in 1st place of the PDL Great Lakes Division, 8 points clear of 2nd placed River City Rovers. <br />
<br />
<br />
Box Score<br />
19' Justin Sass (Tommy Catalano)<br />
23' Kevin Cope (Tommy Catalano)<br />
61' Nermin Crnkic<br />
65' Tommy Catalano (Seb Harris)<br />
90+1' Nate Boyden (Kenny Uzoigwe)<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Nermin Crnkic (76' Kenny Uzoigwe) Stefan St. Louis (45' Anthony Grant)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Josh Steinberger (68' Bim Ogunyemi)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Tommy Catalano (76' Miche'le Lipari) Matt Bahner (68' Adam Hintz)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Nate Boyden</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Nate Robinson (72' Steven Miller) Sebastian Harris</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Kevin Cope Justin Sass</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sean Teepen</div>
<br />D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-22347169910664701162012-06-21T18:21:00.004-04:002012-06-21T18:21:46.005-04:00EURO 2012 Predictions, part 2Welp, it's time to grade my EURO 2012 Group stage predictions. I predicted the following winners and runners up:<br />
Group A: Russia, Poland<br />
Group B: Germany, Netherlands<br />
Group C: Spain, Croatia<br />
Group D: England, France<br />
<br />
In actuality the groups finished like this:<br />
Group A: Czech Republic, Greece; 0%<br />
This group demonstrated that a percieved powerhouse in Russia is just as vulnerable as an underdog like Greece, especially when considering the rules concerning who advances to the knock-out stage in the event of a tie on points. I think the difference in the method used in this tournament compared to the World Cup threw a few people for a loop, myself included. But hey, what's football without a range of permutations for a team's future on the last day of play.<br />
<br />
Group B: Germany, Portugal; 50%<br />
Germany were widely favored to win this group and they didn't disappoint. 3 wins in 3 matches is admirable, but this isn't the free-scoring Germany from the 2010 World Cup. Each of Germany's 3 wins was by a single goal, and when considering the wide range of offensive talent that the Germans possess, this team has underperformed up to this point. Germany is of a special class of nations that can win 3 in 3 and be considered underperforming.<br />
The Netherlands, my pick as runners-up, had a dismal showing considering they were knocking on the door of the world title just 2 years ago. Portugal demonstrated that they are more than just Cristiano Ronaldo + 10, and while it may be a stretch to call them underdogs, they did very well for themselves to emerge from the Group of Death after falling to Germany in a close 1-0 match.<br />
<br />
Group C: Spain, Italy; 50%<br />
Unless you're a fool for crazy odds and big returns, you probably picked Spain to go through on top of their group, as they should have. The defending European and World champions may have been expected to advance without a hitch, and while drawing Italy wasn't the worst result for them, it could have given the Spanish players the motivation they needed to buckle down for the tournament. <br />
Italy, despite the ongoing match-fixing controversy going on in their domestic league, gave a good acconut of themselves in the three matches. Had they dropped the point in either of their ties they risked being eliminated.<br />
<br />
Group D: England, France; 100%<br />
While much can be said about hometown moxy, football pillars England and France were clearly the favorites to go through in this group. Sweden's Zlatan Ibrahimovic may have scored what could be the goal of the tournament (latching onto a wonderful Seb Larsson cross with a leaping volley), but good form a group does not win. Apparently neither does goal differential.<br />
<br />
Total: 50%<br />
Not my usual 60% when it comes to handicapping matches, but it could have been (slightly) worse. I guess I should stick to the Premiership<br />
<br />
<strong>So, what will happen in the upcoming matches? </strong><a href="http://betterbracketmaker.com/#!/c128ae6993ef4"><strong>Here are my picks</strong></a><br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QtvlEFLht6k/T-OZ1Cjw_hI/AAAAAAAAATU/tCvirakbcco/s1600/euro12.brack.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="99" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QtvlEFLht6k/T-OZ1Cjw_hI/AAAAAAAAATU/tCvirakbcco/s640/euro12.brack.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Click to enlarge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<strong>My favorites from each squad:</strong><br />
Czech Republic: Petr Jirácek<br />
Portugal: Cristiano Ronaldo<br />
Spain: Iker Casillas<br />
France: Samir Nasri<br />
Germany: Mario Gomez<br />
Greece: Giorgios Karagounis<br />
England: Steven Gerrard<br />
Italy: Andrea Pirlo<br />
<br />
<strong>My Big Upset: Portugal over Spain.</strong> Cristiano Ronaldo is finally showing that he can turn in performances on equal par for his country as he does for his club. Clearly he's not the only elite player for Portugal, but he is certainly the talisman that all eyes are focused on. As I said in part 1, I feel like Spain could be in for a shock. Granted, they could come out and completely destroy France, Portugal, and whoever they face in the finals, but my gut tells me that this rivalry could send shockwaves through the tournament with such a result.<br />
<br />
<br />
<strong>My favorite to win: Germany.</strong> This is a team bordering on greatness. They're good in competition, but a string of 3rd place and runners-up finishes for the players on the international and club level to me signal a hunger. Not just for the glory, but for pride. If this current crop of German players fail to take home a trophy having fielded a similar team in the past 4-6 years, they could be considered to be the best team never to win it all.D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-9461760260028639682012-06-16T22:45:00.001-04:002012-06-17T02:12:00.760-04:00Detroit City 3:0 FC BuffaloLe Rouge made a record crowd of 1,429 proud by coming away with a win over FC Buffalo on the Saturday before Father's Day. <br />
<br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EKf2SRdHiMs/T91EPQBtWyI/AAAAAAAAASs/hwdbrR2N168/s1600/DSCN3946.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EKf2SRdHiMs/T91EPQBtWyI/AAAAAAAAASs/hwdbrR2N168/s320/DSCN3946.JPG" width="320" /></a>Detroit dominated both on offense and defense and created numerous chances, finishing the night 3:0. The game took on a chippy feel early, with numerous hard fouls and tough challenges. Joey Dillon came off, his arm in his shirt like a sling after falling and being stepped on. Despite the rough match, Detroit was able to keep their cool, denying Buffalo good chances on net for much of the game and constantly pressing on the attack. Numerous fast breaks saw 2 City attackers keeping 4-5 Buffalo defenders on the back foot and scrambling to cover. <br />
<br />
The Detroit win and Binghamton's 2:0 win over AFC Cleveland puts Le Rouge into first place of the NPSL Midwest-Great Lakes Division on 16 points, with a goal differential of 13 (20 for and 7 against).<br />
<br />
Scoring Summary:<br />
19' Keith Lough (Knox Cameron)<br />
69' Dave Dwaihy (Kyle Bethel)<br />
90' Kyle Bethel (Keith Lough)<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Starting XI</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jeremy Clark</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Nick Lewin Kofi Opare (62' Zach Schewee) Adam Bedell Josh Rogers </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Spencer Thompson Joey Dillon (31' Latif Alashe, 77' John Timm)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ezekiel Harris (62' Dave Dwaihy) Cyrus Saydee (79' Jon Evans)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Keith Lough</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Knox Cameron (45' Kyle Bethel)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-74566525709959177702012-06-15T23:35:00.001-04:002012-06-16T00:39:50.764-04:00Michigan Bucks 1:0 Forest City London, 6/15/12<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qZsf9TmOf34/T9v7SMozwnI/AAAAAAAAASY/Mq-bVbX-Kh4/s1600/IMG-20120615-00165+-+Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="146" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-qZsf9TmOf34/T9v7SMozwnI/AAAAAAAAASY/Mq-bVbX-Kh4/s320/IMG-20120615-00165+-+Copy.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">The Bucks are unbeaten at home in PDL play in 2012</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">It was a tight game Friday night as the Michigan Bucks hosted Canadian side Forest City London. Coming into the match, the Bucks sit in 1st place in the PDL Great Lakes Division, 5 points ahead of 3rd placed London. With a game in hand and 2 points over 2nd placed River City Rovers, the Bucks had, in this match, an opportunity to pull away from the pack.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The match opened with pressure by the Bucks on the counter-attack, which paid dividends when Steven Miller set up Scott Caldwell for a goal in the 10th minute. The Bucks did well to break up attacks in their defensive third and to keep London on their heels with offensive pressure. They began the match in a 4-1-2-1-2 formation, but shifted during the second half to a 4-2-3-1.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The best chance London had came in the 62nd minute, only to be denied by Adam Grinwis as he came up with a great diving penalty save. While they did threaten on occasion, London would rue their missed opportunities and inability to overcome the gridlock created by the Bucks in the run of play. This, however was not an easy match for the Bucks, their closest opportunity in the second half coming from a free kick; Bim Ogunyemi curls one over the wall, which hits the far post and falls out the Catalano on a run from the free kick fake - his rebound shot, hard and low, is cleared off the line by a scrum of London defenders.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The night ended 1:0 in favor of the hosts. They now sit in 1st place on 19 points, 5 points clear of 2nd placed River City Rovers. Despite the loss, Forest City London remain in 3rd on 11 points, 1 point above Hamilton FC RAGE. The Bucks will face the Toronto Lynx Tuesday the 19th and the Cincinatti Kings Thursday the 21st, both 7:30 @ Ultimate Soccer Arenas.</span><br />
<a href="http://pdl.uslsoccer.com/standings/index_E.html"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Check out the PDL standings here</span></a><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #e69138;"><strong>Michigan Bucks:</strong></span><br />Adam Grinwis- Stew Given, Sebastian Harris, Kevin Cope, Nate Robinson - Chad Barson - Tommy Catalano, Nate Boyden - Scott Caldwell - Steve Miller, Stefan St. Louis </span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: #073763; font-family: inherit;"><strong>FC London:</strong></span><br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Reece Richardson - Joshua Hughes, Rene DeZorzi, Chris Dillon, Geraldo Garza - Tyler Hemming, Thomas Owens, Gary Ogilvie - Martin Lange, Bryan Da Cruz, Denver Spearman</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Goals: <span style="color: #e69138;"><strong>10' - Scott Caldwell (Steven Miller)</strong></span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Substitutions: <strong><span style="color: #e69138;">53' Steven Miller <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">↔</span><o:p></o:p>
Bim Ogunyemi; 60' Stefan St. Louis </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #e69138;">↔ Anthony Grant; 71' Nate Robinson </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #e69138;">↔ Justin Sass, 79' Nate Boyden </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #e69138;">↔ Zach Steinberger, 83' Anthony Grant </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #e69138;">↔ Simon Omekanda, 87' Tommy Catalano </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="color: #e69138;">↔ Kenny Uzoigwe</span> // <span style="color: #073763;">53' </span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #073763;"><span style="color: #073763;">Geraldo</span> Garza <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">↔ Lucas Almeida</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="color: #f1c232;"><strong>Yellow Cards:</strong></span> <strong><span style="color: #e69138;">Nate Robinson, 59'</span> // <span style="color: #073763;">Rene DeZorzi, 69'; Tyler Hemming, 71', Gary Ogilvie, 78'</span></strong></span>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-3495983969632631482012-06-09T14:14:00.001-04:002012-06-09T14:23:55.751-04:00EURO 2012 Predictions, part 1<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5J6GGOWGDmE/T9OT0fLNycI/AAAAAAAAARw/5_5Gv4Sgq44/s1600/euro.logo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-5J6GGOWGDmE/T9OT0fLNycI/AAAAAAAAARw/5_5Gv4Sgq44/s1600/euro.logo.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">With the tournament underway, here's my predictions for the group stage winners and runners up. At the conclusion of the group stage I'll grade my predictions and estimated bracket, and make a second prediction as to how the knockout stage will play out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My group winners and runners-up:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial;"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="border-collapse: collapse; width: 323px;"><colgroup><col style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></col><col style="mso-width-alt: 1828; mso-width-source: userset; width: 38pt;" width="50"></col><col style="mso-width-alt: 3072; mso-width-source: userset; width: 63pt;" width="84"></col><col style="mso-width-alt: 2230; mso-width-source: userset; width: 46pt;" width="61"></col><col style="width: 48pt;" width="64"></col></colgroup><tbody>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"><td class="xl65" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt; width: 48pt;" width="64"><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;">group</span></strong></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 38pt;" width="50"><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A</span></strong></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 63pt;" width="84"><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;">B</span></strong></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 46pt;" width="61"><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;">C<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></strong></td><td class="xl65" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; width: 48pt;" width="64"><strong><span style="font-family: Calibri;">D</span></strong></td></tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"><td align="right" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Russia</span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Germany</span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Spain</span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">England</span></td></tr>
<tr height="20" style="height: 15pt;"><td align="right" height="20" style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black; height: 15pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Poland</span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Netherlands</span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Croatia</span></td><td style="background-color: transparent; border: 0px black;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">France</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This would set up the following bracket. I have a feeling we're going to see a number of matches with extra background. I think that England could see Croatia and look at the opportunity as a chance to get revenge after missing out in the last tournament because of a last day qualifying loss to the same team in 2008. I could also see mighty Spain going down in the Semi-finals similar to the 2009 Confederations Cup loss to the United States. Russia will be a strong contender in this tournament, with a number of their players hitting a good run of form while at the same time being put into a group of teams that could struggle to match its level of play. Germany remain my pick for the winner barring any injuries to key players my top two being Philip Lahm and Mesut Özil. If these two can stay healthy throughout the tournament they have the potential to truly exert their will on the game. Both will be hungry after lackluster Champions League results and late tournament exits internationally.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pby681nUcDU/T9OLUPhVGjI/AAAAAAAAARk/B4hFDCNgdRY/s1600/2012.EURO.pre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="299" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Pby681nUcDU/T9OLUPhVGjI/AAAAAAAAARk/B4hFDCNgdRY/s640/2012.EURO.pre.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We'll see how accurate this brash decision of mine was on June 19th. Who's your pick?</span><br />
<br />
<br />D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-3422416537394560732012-06-03T11:39:00.002-04:002012-06-03T11:39:46.009-04:00My 2012 Premier League Awards<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong>2012 Premiership Top XI</strong><br />
Hart</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Walker Terry Kompany Evra</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Clint Dempsey Juan Mata David Silva Gareth Bale</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
Robin Van Persie Sergio Aguero</div>
<br />
Here are who I picked as my top players for each general position. These are the players who consistently performed throughout the season to be the best at their position both in their respective teams as well as in the league. I think that Manchester City followed through well on their goal of winning the Premier league. Having the best players will do that for you.<br />
<strong>Best Goalkeeper in 2011-12:</strong> Joe Hart, <em><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Manchester City</span></em>, 17 clean sheets, 27 goals conceded<br />
Honorable Mentions: Krul (15), Friedel, Szczesny, Vorm (13) <br />
<br />
<strong>Best Defender in 2011-12:</strong> Vincent Kompany, <em><span style="color: #6fa8dc;">Manchester City, 15 clean sheets, 3 goals, </span></em><br />
Honorable Mentions: Kompany, Terry, Walker, Clichy // Assou-Ekotto, Lescott, Vermaelen, Evra,<br />
<br />
<strong>Best Midfielder in 2011-12:</strong> David Silva, <span style="color: #6fa8dc;"><em>Manchester City,</em> </span><span style="color: black;">6 goals 16 assists</span><br />
Honorable Mentions: Dempsey, Mata, Bale, van der Vaart, Sessegnon, Walcott, Nani<br />
<br />
<strong>Best Forward in 2011-12:</strong> Robin Van Persie, <em><span style="color: red;">Arsenal</span></em>, 30 goals<br />
Honorable Mentions: Wayne Rooney (26), Sergio Aguero (22)<br />
<br />
<strong>Best Transfer:</strong> Papiss Cisse, <em>Newcastle United</em><br />
With 13 goals in 12 appearances since his transfer from SC Freiberg in the January transfer window, Cisse has proven an invaluable asset for Newcastle's fast and high powered offensive machine.<br />
<br />
<strong>Biggest Disappointment:</strong> Joey Barton, <em><span style="color: blue;">Queens Park Rangers</span></em><br />
For a man who tweets about himself being the best English midfielder, Barton's wrecklessness has proven to be his greatest weakness. The 12 game suspension he picked up as a result of lashing out at a number of Manchester City players in the last match of the season. Forces outside his own play determined which teams faced the drop, but he's lucky not to have been a catalyst in QPR's relegation.<br />
<br />
<strong>Best Role Player:</strong> Clint Dempsey, <em>Fulham</em><br />
So much has been said this season about Clint Dempsey. He's one of the top two outfield American players, and the best player abroad. He holds the record for goals in the Prem by an American (50) and got 23 goals in all competitions in 2012, and tied Emanual Adebayor with 17 goals in the Premier league. He's clearly one of the best players at Fulham FC, and he'll be looking for a new club. I'm very interested to see who would try to pick him up as well as the price that they would have to pay for the American. The valuation of the best American abroad could say a lot about the valuations of all American players.<br />
<a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/grant_wahl/05/24/us.scotland.preview/index.html?sct=sc_t12_a0">Check out Grant Wahl's interview with Deuce at si.com</a><br />
<br />D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-77553196840823827242012-05-31T19:15:00.004-04:002012-05-31T19:15:57.375-04:00Bucks 3:2 Fire<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T4peCQzrRgM/T8f7fZv9f_I/AAAAAAAAAQc/tMXU813pdpE/s1600/DSCN3711+(2).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-T4peCQzrRgM/T8f7fZv9f_I/AAAAAAAAAQc/tMXU813pdpE/s320/DSCN3711+(2).jpg" width="320" /></a><em>The following is from Sports Illustrated's U.S. Open Cup 3rd round recap:</em></div>
<h3>
Michigan 3, Chicago 2</h3>
"PONTIAC, Mich. (AP) -- Nermin Crnkic's extra-time goal gave the Michigan Bucks a victory Tuesday night over the Chicago Fire of the MLS in the third round of the U.S. Open Cup.<br />
<br />
The Bucks of the USL Premier Development League took a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute when Tommy Catalano beat Chicago goalkeeper Paolo Tornaghi. Michigan outplayed Chicago for most of the first half, but the Fire tied the game on Corben Bone's goal in the 28th minute.<br />
<br />
Federico Puppo's shot from the edge of the box in the 51st minute gave the Fire a 2-1 lead, but Nate Boyden's header forced extra time in the 78th minute.<br />
Crnkic hit the winning goal in the third minute of extra time."<br />
<br /><br />Read more: <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/soccer/05/29/us.open.cup.galaxy.railhawks.ap/index.html#ixzz1wUYe2rou" style="color: #003399;">http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/soccer/05/29/us.open.cup.galaxy.railhawks.ap/index.html#ixzz1wUYe2rou</a>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-73056806948751208982012-05-29T10:33:00.002-04:002012-05-29T10:50:29.365-04:00U.S. Open Cup - Bucks -v- Chicago Fire, Major League Soccer<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w_wLmRnPFs4/T8TbbgwjVaI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/TLnIPvR3j1U/s1600/buckfire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="271" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-w_wLmRnPFs4/T8TbbgwjVaI/AAAAAAAAAQQ/TLnIPvR3j1U/s320/buckfire.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Finally in the big leagues. 7:30 Eastern, 6:30 Central<br />@ Ultimate Soccer Arenas - <a href="http://www.ultimatesoccerarenas.com/map.html">directions here</a></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Last Tuesday the Michigan Bucks upset USL-Pro 3 side Pittsburg Riverhounds 1-0. In the 90th minute, the Bucks were awarded a penalty, which was converted by the reigning PDL defender of the year, Stew Givens. With the victory, the Bucks advance into round 3 of the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup. The third round is where top tier (MLS) clubs come into the mix, and the Bucks have landed midwest rivals, the Chicago Fire. <br />
<br />
The Chicago Fire have won the trophy 4 times; 1998, 2000, 2003, and 2006. 4th placed in the East and with the 9th best overall record in the league at 5-4-3. The Fire's form seems to be rather up and down this season, with a slight edge in their home match-ups by (3-1-2 home, 2-3-1 away). Their most recent 7 matches are as follows: L W D W L W L.<br />
<br />
Their most frequent games demonstrate how their stengths and weaknesses. In a home match against FC Dallas the Fire won off a penalty deflection, however the shot was taken by a player who had encrouched into the box before the kick. Despite what you might say about officiating, they fought back to win a close match, which shows determination. An away trip to the Buck's sister club the Columbus Crew May 26th demonstrated how a defensive minded team can stifle their approach. They have the ability to split teams open and work a set play to their advantage, but smart defense can step up and extinguish their attack. The Bucks can't let up on defense for a moment or the Fire will surely take advantage. Despite Chicago resting a number of key players, the MLS side will be analyzing its depth for players to step up against the lower league team.<br />
<br />
This quote was taken from the <a href="http://www.chicago-fire.com/news/2012/05/fire-fall-2-1-columbus">Chicago Fire's website</a>, in regard to the away match @ Columbus.<br />
<em>"For the second consecutive season the club covered the cost of travel for over 600 supporters to board 10 buses and make the seven hour journey to invade Crew Stadium"</em><br />
Whether or not this will happen today is at this point unknown, but it is likely that there will be Chicago fans there. Hopefully the Bucks can tap into the Detroit City fervant fans and show them how we do in Michigan. A win over a side from the highest of domestic leagues in one of the most interesting American sports tournaments, coupled with passionate support of the local teams is one of the most crucial part of demonstrating to Major League Soccer that the city can sustain a football franchise.<br />
<br />
<br />
Ticket information here (if there are any tickets still available, that is):<br />
<a href="http://www.buckssoccer.com/TicketInformation/index_E.html">http://www.buckssoccer.com/TicketInformation/index_E.html</a><br />
<br />
<em>Don't shout Fire XX XXXX</em><br />
<em>You'd be a liar XX XXXX</em><br />
<em>You must be Joking XX XXXX</em><br />
<em>They're not even smoking XX XXXX</em>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-20477003994691845912012-05-26T22:57:00.001-04:002012-05-26T22:58:08.084-04:00Detroit City FC 3:0 Erie Admirals, 5/26/2012, Match Action<iframe width="635" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/IRiwriVbD08" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-86195935224096316342012-05-26T22:55:00.003-04:002012-05-26T22:55:50.402-04:00Detroit City -v- Erie Admirals. Goal Highlights, 5/26/2012<iframe width="635" height="480" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/-JgoY-nqxF8" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-83231288844077473602012-05-18T19:05:00.007-04:002012-05-18T20:47:17.122-04:00Michigan Bucks (PDL) -v- Chicago Fire (MLS)?<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S29x8nhHIKc/T7baxSSWspI/AAAAAAAAAQE/M5rkSD3Fa7o/s1600/DSCN3442+-+Copy.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="203" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-S29x8nhHIKc/T7baxSSWspI/AAAAAAAAAQE/M5rkSD3Fa7o/s640/DSCN3442+-+Copy.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stefan St. Louis spotting</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br />With a resounding 6-0 victory over Boca Jersey Shore, the Michigan Bucks are looking to keep that form going in their next two matches - first May 19th, the home PDL season opener against the <strong>Chicago Inferno</strong> and then away @ the <strong>Pittsburg Riverhounds</strong> for the U.S. Open Cup 2nd round on May 22nd. Should the Bucks win away to the PDL side, they would then advance to play a home match against <strong>MLS</strong> side <strong>Chicago Fire</strong>. While the Bucks have a strong record against Chicago Fire's reserves, a top tier team is an opportunity for the players to really showcase their skills, turn some heads, and maybe even go out there and win at home. Considering the support Detroit City got on their opener, bringing an MLS side to town could tip the scales for the Bucks in terms of fan support. While the result is far from certain, there is another issue that could come up in the event that the Bucks do make it that far: capacity</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The following is a statement was put out in a Michigan Bucks newsletter.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<em>"Since the announcement came down from US Soccer on Thursday, we have had calls from all over (including the Chicago fans) asking about ticket prices and information for May 29", said <strong>Sherwin Connell</strong>, Bucks Director of Operations. </em><em>"We have made it clear that there will be no announcement of tickets until there is an official game to announce. But seeing that there are only six days between when we would find out the result of next Tuesday night's match and the actual game on May 29 we are preparing to be able to make tickets available to our loyal fan base at least 24 hours prior to tickets going on sale to the general public. If the game is going to happen, we are committed to making sure our hard core fans will not be kept out of this match that would certainly be a sell out." Ultimate Soccer Arena's intimate setting is great for fans to be right on top of the action, but can only seat around 2,000 fans for such an event.</em></div>
<br />
More importantly, fans who attend Saturday's 7:30 home game against the Chicago Inferno at <a href="http://www.buckssoccer.com/USA/index_E.html">Ultimate Soccer Arenas</a> in Pontiac will get an access code. This will allow them to purchase tickets 24 hours before general admissions. I urge anyone who would want to see the Bucks the play the Inferno to go to Saturday's match after the Champions League, and get that code. Heck, why not check out the <a href="http://www.ultimatesoccerarenas.com/upper_90_pub.html">Upper 90 Pub</a> for the game.<br />
<br />
You should probably buy tickets to the games <a href="http://www.buckssoccer.com/TicketInformation/index_E.html">online</a> up to the day before, because they're only $6, compared to $10 at the door. I picked up the season pass for $35; while it doesn't cover Cup matches, if I go to all 8 home games it's less than $5 a game. <br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: lime;">Buck up</span></strong>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-87611333615608444712012-05-16T18:31:00.001-04:002012-05-16T18:31:10.683-04:00Asst. Coach Cale Wasserman on DCFC's fansThe following is an email sent by associate head coach for Detroit City, Cale Wasserman, on the fans and the atmosphere they create. We are honored to honor you, Rouge;<br />
<br />
"I just wanted to send an email out to you briefly, My name is Cale Wassermann, I am the Associate Head Coach for DCFC. You can also pass this message along to all the loyal supporters you are in touch with. The atmosphere you guys created on Saturday night was somet<span class="text_exposed_hide">...</span><span class="text_exposed_show">hing that does not happen many places, it was top notch. Most of our players, even ones that played at Top Division 1 teams and have played from PDL and Semi-Pro teams around the country said they have never seen an environment like that, let alone played for fans like that who were there to cheer them on.<br /><br /> This environment you have created has made these players feel honored (Coaches as well) to work hard for you guys. I am excited to get to training this week because I really think the players understand they are a part of something special and that is thanks to you and all the loyal supporters.<br /><br /> Buffalo had a small group but couldn't get close to what you guys have created, keep up the good work!<br /><br /> Thank you and we look forward to seeing you and hearing you on the 26th!<br /><br /> Regards,<br /> Cale Wasserman"</span>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-49317911954128320942012-05-14T22:10:00.001-04:002012-05-15T00:05:08.975-04:00Champions League Final - My Bold Prediction<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8cfA9mQmwig/T7G5LzJGQjI/AAAAAAAAAO8/j9bvu_shOBQ/s1600/allianz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8cfA9mQmwig/T7G5LzJGQjI/AAAAAAAAAO8/j9bvu_shOBQ/s1600/allianz.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-8cfA9mQmwig/T7G5LzJGQjI/AAAAAAAAAO8/j9bvu_shOBQ/s400/allianz.jpg" width="400" /></a>With the Champions League Final this Saturday, the pre-match hype is increasing as the match gets closer. Both teams have faced problems with their respective domestic leagues, and this is the last chance to mark the season as a success. These teams have both had to overcome a number of obstacles to reach this far, and despite their respective setbacks, they both should prove a strong threat for one another for different reasons. <br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">Home Town Favorites</span></strong><br />
Bayern is under immense pressure to win this one at home in the Allianz Arena. This is the first time that a club has hosted its own UEFA Champions League final, and there is a high expectation that being at home gives <em><span style="color: red;">die roten</span></em> a mental advantage. At home during the regular season, Bayern have drawn once (0:0, FSV Mainz 05) and lost twice (both 0:1, Borussia Dortmund & Borussia Mönchengladbach). Despite their great home form, the club is surely bitter about losing the Bundesliga title and Deutscher Pokal to Borussia Dortmund, and this final is the club's last chance to mark the season as a success.<br />
<br />
Bayern will be without key defensive support due to suspension. <strong>David Alaba</strong> - a wildcad who primarily filled in at left back this season, <strong>Holger Badstuber</strong> - the German youth who has grown to be a stalwart defender for the Bavarians, and <strong>Luiz Gustavo</strong> - an explosive central defensive anchor, are all out because of yellow cards. The fate of center back <strong>Daniel Van Buyten</strong> is still up in the air; he played in a reserve match, but is that enough match fitness for him to start in the final? With <strong>Philip Lahm</strong> sure to start at fullback, the opposite flank could fall to <strong>Rafinha</strong>, <strong>Diego Contento</strong> or <strong>Danijel Pranjic</strong>. Next to <strong>Jerome</strong> <strong>Boateng</strong> we may see central defensive midfielder <strong>Anatoliy Tymoshchuk</strong> or a newly returned <strong>Daniel Van Buyten</strong>. Fucking drams<br />
<br />
Having been to the final in 2010 and being soundly beaten by Inter 2:0, Bayern hope to learn not only from their mistakes but from their time as a team together. The bulk of their current team was together for that loss, and it will be interesting to see how this match compares to the former with the addition of Franck Ribéry to the lineup. <br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: #3d85c6;">Last Chance Blues</span></strong><br />
Finishing in 6th this season following the departure of <span dir="auto">André Villas-Boas. His replacement, Roberto Di Matteo, has enjoyed reasonable success, but the coming match will not be without pressure. While he was able to steer the club to an FA cup victory (2:1 over Liverpool), victory is vital should he hope to step up into a full-time position as manager.</span><br />
<br />
The suspensions of <strong>John Terry</strong>,<strong> Branislav Ivanovic</strong>,<strong> Ramires</strong>, a<strong>nd Raul Meireles</strong> weakens Chelsea in two of the areas where they're the strongest: the center of the pitch and the attacking third. The potential absence of <strong>Gary Cahill</strong> and <strong>David Luiz</strong> could greatly hinder Chelsea's defensive resilience. Di Matteo in his second leg match against Barcelona at one point had 6 men back to break up Barça's rapid ball movement. Any team that can take down a giant of the game like Barcelona should never be counted out, but do they have all the right pieces to win this match?<br />
<br />
Finally, for Chelsea, the result of this match could mean a great financial setback. Last season, finishing in the quarter finals brought the club in almost <a href="http://www.uefa.com/MultimediaFiles/Download/uefaorg/Finance/01/66/11/07/1661107_DOWNLOAD.pdf">€45 million</a>. With the season over and Chelsea out of the league via qualification, the Blues' only chance to remain in the competition next season is to win it all. Their league setbacks could come back to haunt them should they fail to complete this task. <br />
<br />
My bold prediction is as follows: <strong><span style="color: red;">Bayern will win the match. It will be a scrappy contest, with the deciding goal coming from a penalty kick. Final Score: 3:2</span></strong>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-6320695912014644942012-05-13T13:55:00.000-04:002012-05-15T00:10:32.164-04:00Detroit... we have ultras<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="450" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/EQ89FlZMMW0" width="600"></iframe>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-74680818389979043692012-05-11T20:14:00.003-04:002012-05-11T20:14:57.201-04:00We have a schedule!<a href="http://www.detcityfc.com/schedule/">The Citizens have released the game times of all home games.</a> Lets see how that schedule looks...<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OdShPdYa154/T62rGgZlenI/AAAAAAAAAOw/JlIUuz_52Ks/s1600/detsched.2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="587" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-OdShPdYa154/T62rGgZlenI/AAAAAAAAAOw/JlIUuz_52Ks/s640/detsched.2012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-18852738632349875792012-05-01T00:39:00.001-04:002012-05-02T19:10:27.430-04:00Detroit City & Michigan Bucks season schedule<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hDZz6ePE00k/T6G-si-EStI/AAAAAAAAAOA/VWP9QHFlT6s/s1600/detsched.2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hDZz6ePE00k/T6G-si-EStI/AAAAAAAAAOA/VWP9QHFlT6s/s1600/detsched.2012.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Times Subject to change. Detroit City FC times to be determined</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-47774325350212946902012-04-26T18:51:00.000-04:002012-05-14T22:49:27.124-04:00Introducing: the Rust Belt Derby<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kiIbbZJ4Xv0/T5nOjevUpgI/AAAAAAAAAME/GrpQ0ib1mpo/s1600/rustbelt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="278" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kiIbbZJ4Xv0/T5nOjevUpgI/AAAAAAAAAME/GrpQ0ib1mpo/s320/rustbelt.jpg" width="320" /></a>Our very own Detroit City FC supporter's group, the Northern Guard, have come together with supporters groups from Buffalo and Cleveland to create les Rouge's very first rivalry series: the Rust Belt Derby. Here's how it works: <br />
<br />
Each team will earn <em>Derby Points</em> based on the result of each match; <em>3 for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss</em>. At the end of the season, the team with the highest total of derby points will take home the <em>Rust Belt Derby Cup</em>. In the event of a tie, teams will gain a derby point for each goal scored in the series, and lose a derby point for each goal conceded. Everything I've read so far about Detroit City FC has only made me like the club more. Let's hope the Spirit can bring home that rusty cup for the inaugural season of both the team and the competition itself.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<strong><span class="fbUnderline">The matches for the Rust Belt Derby</span></strong><br />
5-13-12 Buffalo v Detroit<br />
5-18-12 Cleveland v Buffalo<br />
5-27-12 Buffalo v Cleveland<br />
6-8-12 Cleveland v Detroit<br />
6-16-12 Detroit v Buffalo<br />
6-23-12 Detroit v Cleveland</div>
<br />
<br />
I think what die-hard football fans will be wondering is: Should we pronounce it 'derby' or 'darby'?<br />
<br />
Check it out on the official page here: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rust-Belt-Derby/294015504014614">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rust-Belt-Derby/294015504014614</a> <br />
<br />
Allez Rouge!D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-53809455425070218582012-04-09T10:54:00.001-04:002012-04-14T13:18:03.970-04:00Euro 2012 Kits - Champ and ChumpHere's the full range of kits for EURO 2012. Let's take a look at the groups, and I'll tell you which ones are my Champ and Chump. Bear in mind this is what I think of the kits, not their respective nations' performance.<br />
<br />
Group A<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CZurXHDKdEY/T4LuwdE0lOI/AAAAAAAAALM/DcedUwzoVYE/s1600/GroupA.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CZurXHDKdEY/T4LuwdE0lOI/AAAAAAAAALM/DcedUwzoVYE/s1600/GroupA.12.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This group share a number of the same colors, so deciding a favorite based on color scheme is a bit arbitrary.<br />
Champ: Czech Republic - Puma always makes sleek and classy kits, and these incorporate the proper amount of secondary color accents without overpowering the base color<br />
Chump: Poland - Nike, as we'll see, is in a color band phase. This kit is similar to Brazil's last kit, and it always reminds me of a big minus sign. I also feel that they should have dropped the PZPN logo, the release of which was a grand spectacle just some time ago. Clearly they want to get their money's worth, but I've always liked the Polish shield better, and it should've stood in for the robot football.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div> Group B<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ef7VhbQLR3c/T4LuyJ5Y2mI/AAAAAAAAALU/ydqsulTd3QY/s1600/GroupB.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ef7VhbQLR3c/T4LuyJ5Y2mI/AAAAAAAAALU/ydqsulTd3QY/s1600/GroupB.12.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This group brings a number of teams with classic looks together, and this is going to be a tough one.<br />
Champ: Netherlands home / Germany Away - The Oranje's home strip is always going to be in orange for the rest of time. Taking that into account, it may be difficult to try different variations, and I think the dark orange slices in the jersey make this Nike's best kit this year. Germany gets props for reviving the green away kit, and of all the kits this year, I want to get this one the most.<br />
Chump: Denmark - Denmark has failed to impress in their last few kits, so I don't have high expectations for their kits. That being said, this shirt looks like it's a knock-off adibas. The patterns and colors on the home kit are too busy, and the away kit has no character. Top that off with a lame logo and you have the worst kit of Group B. </td></tr>
</tbody></table> Group C<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mazdpVkisSk/T4LuzS76sDI/AAAAAAAAALc/DJ7POsWp_zs/s1600/GroupC.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mazdpVkisSk/T4LuzS76sDI/AAAAAAAAALc/DJ7POsWp_zs/s1600/GroupC.12.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group C is certainly this year's group of death, considering the skill of all the teams<br />
Champ: Spain - Spain's jerseys always remind me of some kind of royal regalia. They mix colors and patterns well, and they have a very cool crest. I'm not sure how I feel about the digital sash, but on television those generally blur well enough to pull off the effect.<br />
Chump: Ireland - While I like the crest, I can't say the same for the rest of the kit. The stripes aren't bad but the kit is ruined by the out of style tribal fat numbers. They don't compliment their kit's style well at all.</td></tr>
</tbody></table> Group D<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-51XRMkHz2wg/T4Lu0GVZ0AI/AAAAAAAAALk/rsIWY6vfuDA/s1600/GroupD.12.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-51XRMkHz2wg/T4Lu0GVZ0AI/AAAAAAAAALk/rsIWY6vfuDA/s1600/GroupD.12.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Champ: England - This kit is a mix of football kit and golf outfit.<br />
Chump: France - While the away kit is a step in the right direction, I won't say the same for the home kit. The stripes will always remind me of a stereotypical Frenchman, with a beret, striped shirt, moustache, and neckerchief. </td></tr>
</tbody></table><a href="http://www.thescore.ie/football-fashion-check-out-the-kits-for-all-16-teams-at-euro-2012-408480-Apr2012/#slide-slideshow1">http://www.thescore.ie/football-fashion-check-out-the-kits-for-all-16-teams-at-euro-2012-408480-Apr2012/#slide-slideshow1</a>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8549274121535945931.post-76927995847618248102011-08-02T23:04:00.000-04:002012-02-09T23:18:58.034-05:00Down with Sepp <span style="font-family: Calibri;">With the international debt crisis looming closer and closer over the horizon, many governments have been desperate to find new sources of revenue. There is one private international organization that is not in such dire financial straits; in fact quite the opposite. FIFA, the world’s governing body on soccer earns billions of dollars every year, although not always to the benefit of the rest of the world. In the climate of global economic duress and corporate administrators operating like selfish aristocrats, there exists a need to reign in groups that gouge their clients and utilize corrupt business practices. Their current publicity campaign titled “Fair Play” may be meant to apply to the game itself, but in the boardroom the fact is that, economically and politically, they don’t play fairly. FIFA is the world’s governing body on soccer, and thus should be a transparent organization committed to strengthening the game and its profile world-wide. Despite its humble origins, FIFA has often been beset with controversy and corruption, leading to a sense of distrust towards the group amongst the fans, coaches and players alike. The world’s most popular sport deserves administrators who are passionate about the game rather than passionate about profit. The inclusion of more advocates for the game involved in its administration, transparent business practices, the technological improvement of officiating, and fair and open elections are changes necessary to preserve the remaining credibility of not just FIFA, but of the game itself.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Soccer has been played in many forms since as early as the eighth century and professionally started with a very humble background. The 1860’s saw the formation of the first football association and unified rules of play. The need arose for a single governing body for soccer in the early 20<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> century as the popularity of international match-ups grew. On May 21 1904, FIFA was formed in Paris with the aim of bringing together national associations for tournaments and competitions. While it began as a small organization, it has today become much more influential both economically and politically. The organization is run by the President who is elected by the FIFA congress, the body made up of appointed representatives from each of the 208 member countries’ respective football associations. The congress also elects the general secretary as well as the FIFA executive committee, which is made up of 8 vice-presidents and 15 members. Of all the current members of the FIFA executive council, only 4 members played soccer at any level. Together, this group is responsible for the regulation of the sport of soccer world-wide, and the implementation of rules as well as many tournaments and events. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> FIFA is most renowned for holding the World Cup, one of the most popular international sporting events in the world. The selection process for each tournament’s host nation is a vote put to the 15 member FIFA executive committee. Candidates are eliminated in successive rounds until there is only one bid left. There have been a number of claims that the selection process is unfair, corrupt, and an extension of world politics. Furthermore, there have been numerous <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">allegations over the years that money is paid to members of the executive committee in order to obtain their vote, or that promises of votes fail to materialize. There have been suggestions from member associations that the FIFA congress should vote for the host nation rather than just the executive committee. </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Mali Football Federation president Hammadoun Kolado Cisse echoed this idea, saying</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> "[w]e should give the responsibility of deciding who hosts the World Cup to the FIFA General Assembly," continuing, "If every country can vote on who hosts the event, that will cut down on corruption because you can't corrupt 208 federations</span>." (BBC.com, 18 May 2011). In 2011, FIFA broke with tradition and held the vote for both the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bids simultaneously. It has been suggested that there were trades of votes amongst the bidders, establishing a “you vote for me, I’ll vote for you” atmosphere. The winners emerged as Russia in 2018 and Qatar in 2022. Many complaints were filed against FIFA and the executive committee by the bidding countries, England in particular, claiming that the movement of money influenced the selection of the two hosts. Today, a number of members of the FIFA executive committee, including North America’s soccer federation head Jack Warner, have been suspended in relation to bribery accusations and the bid selection process. Despite these opening problems, there are surely more to follow for both hosts and guests in the lead up and execution of the tournament.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> The business practices of FIFA are often criticized based on their high profile and rather strange agreements they come to with host nations. FIFA is often lauded for its donations to charity, but this praise is often lost in a cacophony of financial criticism. FIFA, as the proprietor of the World Cup, uses this great sporting event as leverage for them to utilize a business model where they and their sponsors have privileged access to certain areas. The distance can vary based on the location, but generally within 2 miles of the official game stadiums only the products of the sponsors of that tournament are allowed to be served, essentially phasing out all competition. To top this rather monopolistic practice off, the host nation and FIFA reach an agreement wherein FIFA is exempt from paying taxes in that nation completely in return for letting that nation host the tournament. In this day and age when governments are struggling to turn a profit and pay their bills, the world’s most popular sport essentially makes an exclusive profit from the tournament. Minus the percentage that the sponsors and stadium owners receive, the remainder of the revenue they take in from ticket sales, food, refreshments, and licensed apparel goes back into the FIFA coffers in Zurich. In the years leading up to a tournament, FIFA also reserves the right to disobey local labor laws in order to expedite the building of stadia and surrounding venues. The price a nation pays for hosting the tournament is truly a gamble, in that it is uncertain if unaffiliated businesses, hotels, and the like can make up for this massive tax exemption based on the number of visitors the tournament will draw. While these tournaments don’t cripple a nation’s economy, they have the potential to cause serious disruption. In the case of South Africa’s 2010 tournament, 2 of the brand new stadiums specifically built for the tournament, whose sites saw protests against the conditions for the workers, are in danger of closing due to the lack of local fans that are able to afford a ticket. This blatant profiteering is reprehensible considering FIFA’s status in the world as the head of its most popular sport, as their actions suggest motives that are anything but popular in nature.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> When it comes to sports in general, one of the common controversies that arise is errors in officiating. There are examples of failures in the officiating of games in just about every World Cup, yet while similar problems seem to come up every 4 years, there is little actually done to remedy them. There is a debate going on right now about the use of technology such as instant replay and microchips implanted within the ball for detecting if it crosses the goal line. The main arguments against new technology aiding in game decisions is half based on logic and half on technophobia. The first reason for FIFA shying away from these technologies is because there are a number of nations that can’t afford it, and they go on to argue that if you can’t implement it at the lowest level, then it shouldn’t be done at the highest. The second part of the argument against technology is that it takes the game away from people and turns it into, as UEFA chief Michel Platini put it, PlayStation football. This side argues that people aren’t perfect, and the game should reflect this through its chance and unpredictability. These arguments are keeping soccer from advancing like so many other international sports have. Basketball, hockey, and American football officiating have been greatly improved with the introduction of video replay, as would soccer. There shouldn’t be a need for a sporting administrator to have to hold a press conference and apologize for a team not getting the right result based on the calls that were made, when they had the opportunity to change to rules of the game in the first place. The only talk of a referee should be about how, at times with the help of a 5<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> official in charge of replay analysis, they got it right. The fact that the FIFA president is more open to apologizing for results rather than actively attempting to fix problems before they occur demonstrates but one of the ways that the current head of FIFA is failing at his position.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> There are a number of criticisms of FIFA’s president Sepp Blatter, each building on the idea that this man is only making his organization look worse through his actions. Blatter has courted criticism and scandal before, mainly in the form of bribery allegations. As a spokesman for FIFA, Blatter has put his foot in his mouth on more than one occasion. In 2004 Blatter suggested that women players’ uniforms should have lower cut tops and shorter shorts to create a more feminine aesthetic, much to the insult of female players everywhere. On the topic of gay fans that might attend the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, a nation where homosexual activity is illegal, Blatter said jokingly that gay fans should refrain from any homosexual activity while there. If his words and business deals weren’t making him a big enough target for criticism, his actions are the icing on the controversial cake. At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, Blatter was noticeably absent at the award ceremony. The president of FIFA is supposed to hand out medals to the winning and losing team, as well as the trophy to the winning team captain at the end of the World Cup final. There is wide speculation that Blatter was upset that Italy had won over France, despite his claim that he left for fear of being whistled and jeered. The fact that he was derelict in his duties in one of the biggest sporting events of the year for personal reasons demonstrates his selfish attitude towards the game and FIFA itself. During the 2018/2022 World Cup selection vote, Blatter demonstrated his bias towards Europe, insisting that the 2018 World Cup would be held in Europe despite being there in 2006, and that any bid from outside that area would have its chances at subsequent tournament bids damaged in the eyes of the FIFA high council. The most controversial event involving Blatter was his election to a 4<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">th</span></sup> term as FIFA President. After the selection of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup hosts, many associations and journalists alike accused FIFA’s voting process of being unfair and full of backroom dealings for votes. The only other candidate for the 2011 FIFA presidential election, Mohammed bin Hammam, was forced to withdraw before the election due to allegations fielded against him in connection to bribery and his successful 2022 Qatar World Cup bid. He was not the only other person, however, that sought to run against Blatter.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> In 2011, Sports Illustrated soccer journalist Grant Wahl decided that enough was enough; he would run for the FIFA presidency. With a large fan base and a strong soccer journalism background, Wahl set out to secure the nomination of one of the 208 national associations. He labeled his campaign the people’s campaign, running on the ideas of opening up FIFA’s financial records, changing the host selection process, and bringing in video replay in order to keep the game’s credibility high. Truly a fan’s advocate for the game, he only needed the nomination of one of the 208 member nations in order to be on the ballot. In the time leading up to the 61<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> FIFA congress, Wahl got into contact with and lobbied many national football associations trying to acquire the one nomination he needed. According to Wahl, the national associations rely on FIFA’s financial support, and that opposition or criticism can lead to politically motivated denial of this money. At the 61<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></sup> congress, Wahl met with an unnamed source who was the head of a World Cup winning association. When asked why the US federation, the home association of Wahl, his response was simply "They fear the negative reaction down the road from Blatter and FIFA." (SI.com, 1 April 2011). Wahl goes on to explain that “nominating a candidate for FIFA president would be a public declaration -- subject to negative blowback from Blatter and Platini -- while the actual vote on June 1 is a secret ballot. ‘We would be more likely to vote for you in the election than to nominate you,’ he told me. ‘Nominating you is impossible.’” Essentially what kept Grant Wahl from gaining a nomination, despite support from fans around the world as well as tacit support for him from various associations, was fear – the fear of losing out on the money FIFA has. Wahl was also facing adversity due to his nationality: American. Since he wasn’t from Europe, nor was he from a soccer super-power, he was considered to be doomed as an outsider. The political games countries must play in in order to gain financial support are one of the biggest problems with the organization today. Wahl got in touch with three time South American player of the year Elías Figueroa who planned to run on a transparent business practice platform himself. Surprisingly, Figueroa was unable to get the nomination of his own association, which he was the president of. “If you're wondering how impenetrable and fear-inducing FIFA's ruling hierarchy is, imagine this: The Chilean FA refused to nominate the greatest player in its nation's history. Think about that for a second. If Figueroa couldn't do it, it shouldn't be surprising that I couldn't either.” The idea that an association won’t nominate a good candidate because of the potential backlash in the event that candidate loses is the ultimate corruption of democracy, and goes against the concept of fair play.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Despite the good FIFA may do, there is a need for a drastic overhaul in order to correct the existing problems. To hope for all of these things to happen is rather naïve when considering the way in which the business world actually works. We must, as fans, hold on to the naiveté that the game can go back to its simpler and more humble origins. That passion for the game that lets us imagine a system without corruption is the biggest thing missing in modern soccer, and by extension modern economics as a whole. Clearly there is a problem with this organization, and considering the clout it has there must be a solution. First, we should consider that the majority of the members of the FIFA congress, executive committee, and even the President himself are not and were not ever players. While a professional athlete may only have the training to play their game, the administration of that game behind the scenes should be undertaken at least by people with a background in the sport itself. Bringing in businessmen who only see the large financial gain from this international sports conglomerate in the modern climate of financial misdealing is setting the organization up for failure and corruption. A reform of the way the game is officiated at the highest level is well past due, and FIFA’s top rule makers keeping their heads in the sand on the issue only makes things worse. Since FIFA is a world body, they owe it to their sport’s fans to be more open in terms of information about the inner workings of the organization. The use of capital and political leverage for the gain of a few is the exact opposite of fair play. Without an open playing field, fans will eventually be turned away from the game they are so passionate about.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt; text-align: center;"><u><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Works cited<o:p></o:p></span></span></u></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">"BBC Sport - Mali Want World Cup Voting Change." <i>BBC News - Home</i>. 18 May 2011. Web. 04 July 2011. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/13437411.stm>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN;">"FIFA.com - About FIFA." <i>FIFA.com - Fédération Internationale De Football Association (FIFA)</i>. Web. 18 July 2011. <http://www.fifa.com/aboutfifa/index.html>.</span><span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span lang="EN" style="color: black; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Wahl, Grant. "What Happened When Grant Wahl Ran for FIFA President - Grant Wahl - SI.com." <i>SI.com</i>. Sports Illustrated, 4 May 2011. Web. 04 July 2011. <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/grant_wahl/04/01/fifa.candidacy/index.html">http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2011/writers/grant_wahl/04/01/fifa.candidacy/index.html</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>D Cubedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03980504443929600265noreply@blogger.com0