Bleacher Report - Articles by John Houmes

Arsenal & Tottenham Hold Key to Liverpool & Man U Title Hopes

John Houmes — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 13:20:44 -0400

After Liverpool's draw at home against Arsenal on Tuesday and Man U's victory over Portsmouth yesterday, the title is the Red Devils' to lose. While Liverpool have an edge in goal differential, United sit three points above Liverpool in the tables and have a game in hand.

Translation? Out of their six remaining matches, Manchester United must either lose two or draw three in order for Liverpool to have a shot at the title. Liverpool must also win out the rest of their matches. The good news for Liverpool is that Man U still have one eye on the Champions League.

Counting the match against Arsenal on Tuesday, Liverpool and Man U have three common opponents left. The other two are Tottenham and Hull City. While Hull will likely be a walk in the park for the EPL's two top teams, the matches against Tottenham and Arsenal could prove to play a key part in the title race. In fact, Arsenal already have been a key player in the title race when they stole a point at Anfield.

Manchester United take on Tottenham at Old Trafford on April 25, four days before playing Arsenal in the Champions League semifinals at home. Tottenham's form is good of late, grabbing 13 points in their last six EPL matches, while Man U have grabbed 12 points.

Arsenal will travel to Old Trafford a second time on May 16 for an EPL matchup. This will be Man U's second to last EPL match, and Arsenal's third match against Manchester United in 17 days.

If Man U advances in the Champions League, could Arsenal take revenge and grab three points at Old Trafford? The Gunners are hot right now, and it would be difficult for Man U to win two out of three matches.

The downside for Arsenal is that they also play Chelsea at Emirates on May 10, meaning that the Gunners have five matches against other Big Four opponents in 25 days.

Chelsea's chances at the title slipped out of their hands in their 0-0 draw against Everton on Wednesday.

Liverpool's only other hope for Man U to drop points would seem to be Manchester City, who travel to Old Trafford on May 10. City's form has been okay, but they have been known to step up against United. City lost 0-1 against United earlier this year but beat them twice last season, including a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford. A win for City at Old Trafford is a long shot, but a possibility.

Liverpool will end their season this year the same way they did last year, at Anfield vs. Tottenham. Liverpool won last year. But if Man U drops points and the title race comes down to the last match of the season, will Robbie Keane be looking to prove himself when he returns to Anfield, or will he want the team he supported as a lad to take their first EPL title since his childhood?

The title race is leaning significantly in Man U's favor, but it isn't over yet. The key players in the race may not be Man U or Liverpool, but their common opponents from north London: Arsenal and Tottenham.

Remaining schedules

Manchester United

April 25: Tottenham
April 29: Arsenal (CL)
May 2: @ Middlesbrough
May 5: @ Arsenal (CL)
May 10: Manchester City
May 13: @ Wigan
May 16: Arsenal
May 24: @ Hull City
May 27: Champions League Final

Liverpool

April 25: @ Hull City
May 3: Newcastle United
May 9: @ West Ham United
May 17: @ West Brom
May 24: Tottenham

Champions League Draw Preview

John Houmes — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 02:44:50 -0500

The group stage is over and the draw speculation has begun:

Is it better to have won the group or been the runner-up?

Is Real Madrid a good draw amidst all the transition they've had, or will they recover by February?

Is it better to draw a team that a club has played several times, or someone that they've played less?

The draw takes place a week from today, December 19th at 12pm CET, in Nyon. The rules for the draw are simply:

1) A club can't draw someone from their same association. (No Liverpool/Arsenal or Barca/Real Madrid).

2) A club can't draw the other club to qualify from their group.

3) Group winners can't draw group winners, and group runners-up can't draw group runners-up.

4) The knock-out round is February 24/25 and March 10/11. Group winners will play the last leg at home.

Following are the groups with winners, followed by the runners-up:

Group A: Roma, Chelsea.

Group B: Panathinaikos, Inter Milan.

Group C: Barcelona, Sporting Portugal.

Group D: Liverpool, Athletico Madrid.

Group E: Manchester United, Villarreal.

Group F: Bayern Munchen, Olympique Lyon.

Group G: Porto, Arsenal.

Group H: Juventes, Real Madrid.

Who would you feel good about your club drawing? Who scares you? Why? Comment with the club you support, who you would like to draw, and who you would like to avoid. For your convenience, all possibilities for each club are listed below.

Arsenal: Barcelona, Bayern Munchen, Juventes, Panathinaikos, Roma.

Athletico Madrid: Bayern Munichen, Juventes, Manchester United, Panathinaikos, Porto, Roma.

Barcelona: Arsenal, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Olympique Lyon.

Bayern Munchen: Arsenal, Athletico Madrid, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Real Madrid, Sporting Portugal, Villarreal.

Chelsea: Barcelona, Bayern Munchen, Juventes, Panathinaikos, Porto.

Inter Milan: Barcelona, Bayern Munchen, Liverpool, Manchester United, Porto.

Juventes: Arsenal, Athletico Madrid, Chelsea, Olympique Lyon, Sporting Portugal, Villarreal.

Liverpool: Inter Milan, Olympique Lyon, Real Madrid, Sporting Portugal, Villarreal.

Manchester United: Athletico Madrid, Inter Milan, Olympique Lyon, Real Madrid, Sporting Portugal.

Olympique Lyon: Barcelona, Juventes, Liverpool, Manchester United, Pananthinaikos, Porto, Roma.

Panathinaikos: Arsenal, Athletico Madrid, Chelsea, Olympique Lyon, Real Madrid, Sporting Portugal, Villarreal.

Porto: Athletico Madrid, Chelsea, Inter Milan, Olympique Lyon, Real Madrid, Villarreal.

Real Madrid: Bayern Munchen, Liverpool, Manchester United, Panathinaikos, Porto, Roma.

Roma: Arsenal, Athletico Madrid, Olympique Lyon, Real Madrid, Sporting Portugal, Villarreal.

Sporting Portugal: Bayern Munchen, Juventes, Liverpool, Manchester United, Panathinaikos, Roma.

Villarreal: Bayern Munchen, Juventes, Liverpool, Panathinaikos, Porto, Roma.

Some interesting possible matchups:

Manchester United/Real Madrid: The two titans could draw each other, but will this be a conflict of interest for Cristiano Ronaldo?

Barcelona/Arsenal: rematch of the 2006 finals, but with Thierry Henry on the other side.

The matches that can't happen, but we wish they could:

Chelsea/Inter Milan: Wouldn't it be great to see Jose Mourihno return to Stamford Bridge?

Liverpool/Juventes: Though they played in the quarter finals the year Liverpool won it all in Istanbul, it seems another match-up might help further heal the tragedy of the Heysel disaster.

Roma/Manchester United: I'd rather just have them get it over with in this round, than see a blow-out in the quarter finals for a third year in a row.

Be sure to leave your thoughts...

Serbia and Montenegro Play for Water Polo Bronze as Montenegro and Serbia

John Houmes — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 04:33:46 -0400

In 1991, the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia began to disband during a series of violent wars. Croatia, which would become a water polo super power, became an independent state during this time, but two republics stayed unified as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia.

In 2003, Yugoslavia was renamed the State Union of Serbia and Montenegro. In early June of 2006, Montenegro and Serbia declared their independence from one another.

But just over a week later, Serbia and Montenegro, still a unified team despite the recent political division in their country, would compete in the FINA Water Polo World Cup in Budapest.

The team would win the gold medal in a 10-9 overtime match against the Hungarians, who were playing at home. A year earlier, they had defeated Hungary 8-7 in Montreal to claim the FINA Men’s World Water Polo Championship. In 2004, the team won the silver medal at the Olympics.

On Sunday, the Serbians and the Montenegrins will again play for water polo hardware, this time in the 2008 Olympic men’s water polo bronze game. But they will not fly their unified Serbia and Montenegro flag, pictured above. In this match, they will meet as opponents.

Serbia has outscored their opponents 64-53 in seven Olympic matches, while Montenegro has only allowed 44 goals while scoring 65.

Montenegro lacks depth in their rotation, but they have given solid performances such as their 10-10 tie with Hungary in the preliminaries. The Montenegrins beat Croatia by one goal in the quarterfinals before losing to Hungary in the semifinals.

Serbia lost to Croatia 8-11, one of the two team’s common opponents, in the preliminaries. Montenegro and Serbia's other common opponent was Spain, whom Montenegro beat 12-6 in the preliminaries. The Serbs beat the Spaniards 9-5 in the quarterfinals, but lost to the U.S. 10-5 in the semis despite winning the preliminary match with the U.S. 4-2.

The United States will face Hungary for the gold medal. The Hungarians have won the last two Olympic Games, while the U.S. was ranked ninth in the world coming into Beijing.

U.S. Women Lose Water Polo Gold to Netherlands

John Houmes — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 11:41:18 -0400

With 26 seconds left in the match and her team tied at eight with the United States, the Netherlands' Danielle de Bruijn scored her seventh goal in the gold medal match. The last two U.S. shots were blocked in the final seconds, clinching the Netherlands' victory.

The Dutch scored four goals in the first four minutes of the match, three of them coming from de Bruijn. The U.S. answered, scoring five out of the next six goals to tie things up at halftime. Four of those U.S. goals came off of power plays.

In the second half, the Netherlands scored two, followed by two from the U.S.

The Dutch scored on a power play with 5:47 left in the fourth period, but the U.S. answered 30 seconds later to tie things up again.

With less than a minute left, the Dutch drew an exclusion foul and went into a power play situation up one player on the U.S.

The Dutch placed the ball in the hands of de Bruijn, who shot past U.S. goalie Betsy Armstrong and into the back of the net.

The Olympic gold medal continues to elude the world champion U.S. women's team. Captain Brenda Villa tried to remain optimistic after the match:

"...we've received three medals at three Olympics…it's a disappointment…but we have to be happy that we've got a silver medal."

U.S. archrivals Australia won the bronze medal over Hungary in a penalty shoot-out. The teams remained tied after the second over-time period. Australia missed their first and second penalty shots, but netted the next three to better the Hungarians two.

Montenegro Advances Past Croatia and into Water Polo's Final Four

John Houmes — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 09:06:06 -0400

Croatia came into today's quarterfinal match as the top ranked men's water polo team in the world. Montenegro entered as European champions and first-time Olympic competitors. Their country became an independent state only two years ago when they separated from another water polo power, Serbia.

Croatia had the advantage of depth on the bench and a high-powered offense. Including their one loss to the United States in preliminary play, the Croatians had outscored their opponents by an average of five goals (6.75 goals if the loss to the U.S. is not counted).

Montenegro's advantage was psychological. They had defeated the Croatians in the European championship one month prior and had tied the 2000 and 2004 Olympic champions, Hungary, in preliminary play.

The Croatians were outscored 3-1 in the first quarter. In the second, Croatia blocked a five-meter penalty shot blocked to give them some momentum.

Montenegro scored first in the second period, followed by a Croatian goal on a power play. But Montenegro's Nikola Janovic scored to put his side up 5-2.

Then Croatia's two-meter man, Igor Hinic, took over. The 6'6", 238-pound Hinic scored two goals in 80 seconds from in front of the goal, both without the help of a power play. The half ended with Montenegro up by one.

Montenegro scored in the early part of the third quarter. But as the number of Montenegran players earning two exclusion fouls grew (three is the limit), Croatia tried to get the ball back into Hinic at two-meters. The Croatians hoped Hinic would draw some more exclusion fouls from Montenegro, causing ejections from their thin squad.

But Montenegro held off the Croatians for the entire third period, which included three Croatian power play opportunities.

Montenegro entered the fourth quarter with four players having two exclusion fouls. Milan Ticic quickly received his third foul and was ejected.

Croatia scored on the ensuing power play to put them within one, but Vladimir Gojkovic scored his second goal on a counter attack a few minutes later to put Montenegro up 7-5.

Croatia scored on another power play, and attempted to isolate Hinic to draw fouls on ensuing offensive sets. Another Montenegro player received his third exclusion and was ejected.

Montenegro played solid defense in the closing minutes and the Olympic newcomers were able to stop a Croatian pass into two-meters in the closing seconds to win the match.

Montenegro will advance to play Hungary, who had a bye in the quarterfinals, again in the semifinals. The two teams tied at 10 when they met in the preliminaries. Montenegro was three of eight on their power plays.

In the other men's quarterfinals, Serbia handled Spain 9-5 and will play the United States in the semifinal. The United States was defeated by Serbia 2-4 in the preliminaries, but still managed to win their group over the Serbs and receive a bye for the quarterfinals.

If Serbia and Montenegro win their semifinal games, the two countries that were formerly one nation would face off each other in the gold medal match.

Women's Water Polo: Late Goal Propels Team USA into Finals

John Houmes — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 09:15:54 -0400

With one minute left in the match against archrivals Australia, U.S. women's water polo captain Brenda Villa scored to put her team ahead by one and a step closer to the gold medal game.

The teams had started the second half tied at four before the U.S. women scored three unanswered goals. Then Australia's Bronwen Knox scored on a power play before Brittney Hayes scored on a U.S. power play to end the third period with the U.S. up 8-5.

In the fourth period, Australia started to gain momentum. Gemma Beadworth scored to put her team within two. The U.S. was awarded a five-meter penalty shot, but Aussie goalie Alicia McCormack, who saved 15 out of 24 in the match, blocked Natalie Golda's shot.

McCormack passed the ball to her team as they countered up the pool. Kate Gynthere received the pass on the top of the perimeter and shot and scored before Golda could recover back to play defense.

Only up by one and in the latter part of the fourth quarter, U.S. fans tried to rally the women by chanting, "U.S.A! U.S.A." Despite the crowd's enthusiasm for the U.S., the Australians continued to play solid defense.

With 2:27 left, Australia was awarded a power play and Kate Gynthere scored her third goal. Tied at 8-8 with under a 1:30 left in the match, the U.S. was awarded a power play. Up six women to five, captain Brenda Villa scored her third goal to give the U.S. a one-goal lead with a minute left.

The Aussies had their final possession with 12 seconds left, but their last second shot was deflected and landed softly into the hands of U.S. goalie Betsy Armstrong as time expired.

The U.S. women, who are the current world champions, will face the Netherlands in the gold medal match on Thursday.

The Australian side, defending gold medal champions from Athens, will face Hungary to compete for the bronze medal.

Olympic Spirit Calls for Fans to Respect the "Peculiar Sports"

John Houmes — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:57:56 -0400

On a vacation home from college, I had decided to attend a water polo match to see my high school Alma Mater play.

I was currently playing water polo at my university, but had played summer club polo with some of the high school guys, and came out to support them.

As I walked along the pool deck to head to the parking lot after the match, a thick high school student arose next to me from his seat in the bleachers.

With a scowl on his face he muttered to himself, "Water polo isn't a sport."

I could feel the blood bubble in my veins.

My inner monologue took over: "What?! Not a sport? Why I'd like to let that meathead set two-meters and try and score on me. I'd clobber him so hard he'd be limping all the way back to the football field."

Though I knew the only place this guy had ever been swimming was in the ball pit on the McDonald's playground, I was insulted by his assertions about my sport.

How could he have the gall to say that water polo isn't a sport?

Did he know about the hours my teammates and I had spent in the pool?

Did he know what it is like to sprint swim 20 meters, then battle for position for 20 seconds in ten feet of water, then sprint swim back 20 meters only to begin the wrestling match again?

He obviously didn't, and he had no clue what he was asserting.

But a few days ago, as I was flipping the channels between Olympic events, I found myself scowling inquisitively at the screen.

There was a woman, looking like she was dressed for a foxhunt, complete with an Abe Lincoln top hat, and riding a horse.

My inner monologue took over again: "Horses? That's not a sport. The horse does all the work. Does he get a medal too?"

Now, the last time I went riding several years ago, the horse did have to do most of the work to lug around my 200+ pound frame.

But how quickly I forgot that riding that horse took endurance, poise, and strength that I did not possess.

There I was, showing the same ignorant disrespect that I had received years prior.

Often, we scowl at other sports, because the equipment looks unfamiliar.

One sport uses a horse that jumps over fences; another uses a shotgun on an outdoor range, while still another uses 10-meter diving boards and a diving well.

Besides unusual equipment and playing surfaces, here are a few others things that lead us to claim that a certain event is not a sport: unfamiliar rules, the appearance of a low need for physical exertion, the simplicity of the strategy, the weird lingo used, and probably most influential, the exposure of the sport or similar sports in our own cultures.

A country's culture only has so much room for a variety of sports.

There is a limited amount of "sport space," as Andrei Markovits and Steven Hellerman call it in their book Offside: Soccer & American Exceptionalism.

When two or so sports take up the majority of a culture's sport space, it is hard for other sports to gain enough momentum to move beyond mere participation and into being part of the dominant culture.

Our claims that something is not a sport has more to do with what is accepted as sport in our own culture than it does with accurate research and participation of a particular sport.

While many in the world would not hesitate to put Beach Soccer on the list of Olympic events because it is a derivative of Soccer, which occupies their sport space, many Americans would scowl.

But how does the world feel about Softball?

Aren’t that what people play on weekends while they stuff hot dogs and guzzle beer in between innings?

This assertion would be obviously inaccurate.

American women, as well as men, see Softball as a completely respectable and competitive derivative of America's pastime.

The Olympics call for more from us than snap judgments about sports, as well as other people, that is unfamiliar.

The Olympic spirit is certainly about national pride and attempting dominance in our sport, but it is also about crossing barriers into strange territory and having a spirit that is willing to learn.

As you watch athletes dive in unison from 10-meters in the air, run up and down a blue playing surface, paddle through surging whitewater, and grimace as they grapple their opponents, watch with curiosity— and respect.

Women's Water Polo: USA Edges China in Shootout

John Houmes — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 02:31:34 -0400

The heavily favored U.S. Women's Water Polo team came into yesterday's preliminary match as current World Champions, and looking to start the long road to the Gold Medal game.

China's squad entered the Yingdong Natatorium excited to play their first Olympic match ever. With no one over the age of 21, the Chinese had nothing to lose.

Natalie Golda opened up the scoring for Team USA before China answered with two goals in the next two minutes. The U.S. leveled it up by blocking a shot on a Chinese power play, and by an overpowering goal from Kami Craig at the two-meter position.

In the last minute of the first quarter, Teng Fei and Natalie Gold would score for China and the U.S. respectively to head to the second quarter tied-up at three.

China scored two goals to start the second quarter. They were followed by two more goals from the U.S., the second a Natalie Golda rocket launched from the top and into the right corner of the goal.

Goalie Betsy Armstrong blocked a close-range Chinese shot from 2-meters out. On the ensuing possession, Brittany Hayes pumped faked a shot, then lobbed the ball over the goalie's far shoulder and into the net less than a minute after Golda's score.

With 3:13 left in the 2nd half and down by one, China substituted their goalie. Teng Fei then scored a minute later to even the score before Natalie Golda sent another stunner into the goal from the top.

The U.S. suffered an exclusion foul, and China scored on the power play. But with 14 seconds left in the half, Brittany Hayes scored from the right wing off of a pass from U.S. Captain, Brenda Villa, to put them up by one.

In the third quarter China's starting goalie, Yang Jun, substituted back in to guard the net. But the U.S. welcomed her back to the pool by scoring, followed by a goal from China, then the U.S. again, followed by another China score.

China's Goa Ao scored her second and third goal of the match in the beginning of the fourth quarter to give China their first lead since the first part of the second quarter. But Cami Craig quickly scored her third goal on a U.S. power play to make the match even at 11.

With 3:32 left, Lauren Wenger scored off a pass from Brenda Villa during a power play to put the U.S. up by one. Thirty seconds later, the U.S. caught a break when China missed on a 7-meter shot after a penalty, but the U.S. turned the ball over on their next possession due to a poor shot.

Brenda Villa blocked a shot from China, but they recovered the ball and shot again. The U.S. caught another break as the ball bounced off the goal post. The U.S. took another poor shot during their next possession, and China recovered and set up their offense.

With one minute on the clock, the U.S. played sharp defense, not giving the Chinese any option but to force a weak lob towards the goal with the shot clock running down.

The U.S. set up on offense and Brenda Villa kept possession calmly, not allowing her smaller opponent to come near the ball. With the shot clock running down, Villa passed the ball off and the U.S. swam back into defensive positions.

The U.S.' shot clock expired and China called time out to make the most of their last opportunity to tie the game again.

When the whistle resumed play for the last seconds, China tried to draw a foul, but the U.S. played disciplined defense, and the clock expired while the Chinese were still looking for a shot.

In the U.S.' 12-11 victory over China, there were five lead changes and the score was tied at eight different points. Natalie Golda lead all scoring with four goals, and Kami Craig scored three times.

While this made for an exciting match, it was the first time the U.S. had allowed a team to score in the double digits in eight years.

The U.S. tallied six exclusion fouls resulting in Chinese power plays. A power play occurs when a player is excluded from play for 20-seconds due to the degree of aggression of the foul. Exclusion fouls happen multiple times a game (it should not be thought of as basketball's technical foul), but on a player's third exclusion foul, they are dismissed from the match.

The U.S. only allowed one goal while they were a man down. This either means they were playing solid defense, or that the Chinese were inexperienced in power play situations. But while their man-down defense was strong, the U.S. allowed nine goals from open play (the tenth was a penalty shot). The U.S. will have to tighten up their defense while decreasing the number of their exclusion fouls if they hope to advance all the way to the Gold Medal game.

The U.S. women face Italy on Wednesday.

Men's Water Polo: Azevedo Leads USA Past China

John Houmes — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:43:32 -0400

While most eyes were focused on the China vs. U.S match-up on the basketball court, Yingdong Natatorium prepared for the same match-up in the pool. Seventh-place finishers from the 2004 Olympics, the U.S. water polo squad looked to take an early victory in a Group B prelim match.

Lead by Tony Azevedo's two scores, the USA ended the first quarter up 3-1.

China scored twice in the second quarter to even the score at 3-3.

In the last minute of the second quarter, the US called a time-out to take advantage of a power play situation and regain some momentum before halftime. Tony Azevedo scored his third goal during the power play to put the US up 4-3 at halftime.

Azevedo scored his fourth goal on a lob shot over goalie Wei Ching three minutes into the third quarter. Three minutes later, Layne Beaubien scored his second goal for the US on a power play, putting them up 6-3.

China had the final word in the third quarter as Wang Beiming scored in the last minute from the top right to lessen the US's lead, 6-4.

Team USA wrapped up a victory in the fourth quarter as goalie Merrill Moses blocked a shot by the Chinese on a power play, Tony Azevedo scored on a penalty shot, and the Chinese threw away a ball on another chance at a power play.

Jessie Smith scored in the last thirty seconds to give the U.S. an 8-4 win over China.

Team USA scored four of their eight goals on power plays. China was not able to convert from any of their power play opportunities.

Tony Azevedo ended up with five goals. U.S. goalie Merrill Moses had 11 saves and was an impressive force.

Wang Beiming lead the Chinese side with two goals.

All of the U.S.'s goals, besides Azevedo's penalty shot, were scored from shots outside the 2-meter position. If the U.S. is going to step up against tougher teams, like their Group B competitors Serbia and Croatia, they will have to work on their scoring from 2-meter man, Ryan Bailey.

The 2-meter position is much like the center in basketball. Bailey sets up 2-meters away from the goal with his back facing the goalie. He attempts to recieve passes and quickly turn and shoot or backhand the ball into the net. Establishing this will allow the perimeter shooters to be even more effective.

The U.S. faces Italy on Tuesday.

Men's Basketball: USA Tops China by 31

John Houmes — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:12:07 -0400

The United States/China basketball match-up in the Group B prelims was one of the most anticipated events of the Beijing Olympics.

With basketball's extreme popularity in China, the Chinese's love of NBA stars, and billions of Chinese swelling with national pride as Yao Ming lit the Olympic torch at the opening ceremonies, NBC commentaries suggested this matchup could be the most-watched basketball game of all time.

While the Chinese were seeking to gain national pride by establishing themselves in the basketball arena, Team USA—dubbed the "Redeem Team"—were seeking to regain national pride after their lackluster performance in the 2004 Olympics.

Yao Ming opened the scoring in the first quarter with a three-pointer. The first few minutes were an even matchup of scoring. Team USA did not gain momentum but for a moment in the later part of the first quarter. China's four out of six three pointers kept them in the game, despite their five turnovers. The quarter ended with the U.S. up 20 to 16.

China continued to rely on the three-pointer in the second quarter, netting four out of ten from behind the arc. But the U.S. grabbed the momentum in the second quarter.

Kobe Bryant delivered a finger roll alley-oop to LeBron James that resulted in a James dunk. James was fouled, but missed the free throw. On the ensuing inbound pass, China turned the ball over to Bryant and attempted another alley-oop to James. LeBron missed the dunk, but Team USA continued to widen the gap in the score despite sloppy play.

Bryant traveled with two seconds left in the second quarter, but the U.S. ended the half with a 49 to 37 lead over China. The U.S.' man of the first half was LeBron James, who tallied 11 points, three assists, four rebounds, and two blocks.

Despite Yao Ming's stunning opening three-pointer, he only scored twice more, but did grab six rebounds. Yao's greatest contribution was the attention he got from the U.S. defense, which opened up the perimeter for the Chinese to score 24 of their 37 points from the three-point line.

Team USA was 20 for 24 from inside the three-point line, but one for 12 from beyond the arc. The second half started off with few points due to fouls, turnovers, and blocks from both sides. There were only four points scored in the first four minutes of the third quarter.

But the U.S. picked up the pace and gained their largest lead to that point (17) after a turnover resulted in a LeBron James dunk. Soon after, James hit a three-pointer from the corner to give them an 18-point lead, then flew in to grab a missed Chinese shot.

China then suffered a scare when Yao Ming limped off the court, checking his ankle, after a Dwyane Wade lay-up.

The quarter wound down with Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade dunks. The U.S. outscored China 25 to 11 in the third quarter, taking a commanding 74-48 lead. James and Wade led third-quarter scoring with seven points each.

Yao Ming came back on the court in the fourth quarter, forcing a bad shot by the U.S. in the key then dunking after he was left standing wide open in the key. Ming was substituted out with about five minutes left in the fourth quarter, and left the court to the cheers of Chinese fans.

China gained some momentum halfway through the fourth, scoring 10 unanswered points to shave the U.S. lead to 25. Ming stood and cheered from the bench, his clenched fist raised in the air.

Michael Redd hit his third three-pointer of the fourth quarter in the last minute to put the US up by 33. China scored once more, and the final was Team USA 101, China 70.

Dwayne Wade lead the U.S. with 19 points. Lebron James ended the game with 18 points and six rebounds. Yao Ming scored 13 points, but was four from 13 from the field.

Team USA's next game is Tuesday against Angola.

MLS: Let's Get Some Originality

John Houmes — Tue, 29 Jul 2008 08:01:31 -0400

I don't want to complain. Major League Soccer has plenty of things going well for them right now.

Their all-stars just defeated another EPL club. The popularity of soccer in America is growing. And they're looking to expand with two more teams sometime soon.

I don't want to stomp on their parade, but before they give those two new teams a name, let me be honest...I find the names of the MLS teams somewhat annoying.

Why? Well, the names are completely unoriginal. In a sport where a team can be named Vasco de Gama, Red Star Belgrade, or Sheffield Wednesday, the MLS club names are just annoying.

Am I splitting hairs? Well, maybe, but hear me out first.

MLS gets a little schizophrenic with some teams following the typical American format for a club (city followed by nickname - Los Angeles Galaxy, Chicago Fire, etc) while others get a cheesy copy of a European club name (Real Salt Lake for Real Madrid, DC United for Manchester United or Newcastle United).

The problem with this is that world football offers a completely unique opportunity to name your team. There are no rules. You can name your club whatever you want. They should have copied Europe's style of naming their clubs, instead of copying their exact names.

It really doesn't even make since to have the Spanish word Real, or Royal in front of Salt Lake. What is royal about it? Or DC United, when their hasn't been any uniting going on? Okay, so maybe they play in the capital of the United States, but you get my point?

So if I was to change the names, here are a few I'd switch around:

New England Revolution to Revolution 1776 - It's the year the year of the declaration of Independence. It just sounds cooler. I know it sounds like the Philadelphia 76ers, but if you don't like that, you could change it to Revolution 83 (1783 is when a treaty was signed to end the war).

Kansas City Wizards - I like the allusion to the Wizard of Oz and Dorothy being from Kansas, but I would just change it to Wizard FC or Wizard.

Chicago Fire to Fire FC - again, just sounds cooler.

Toronto FC & FC Dallas - love it. Just keep 'em the way they are.

Club Deportivo Chivas USA - love it as well.

San Jose Earthquakes to Terremotos - It is Spanish for earthquakes.

Colorado Rapids - their stadium, Dick's Sporting Good Park, is near a river called River Platte, so they could be named that. Just kidding..okay, any suggestions?

Real Salt Lake to Great Salt Lake FC - the new name is nothing spectacular, but at least its not a blatant copy cat.

What about it? How would you rename the other teams?

What city do you think should get the two new expansion team in 2011, and what would you name them?

EPL Fantasy Football: Tips On Winning

John Houmes — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 01:42:29 -0400

So you're ready for the upcoming premier season, and you're already scouting out whom you're going to pick for your fantasy team. Here are a few tips to help you out:

1) Decide what you're playing for

Do you want to win your league, or are you just having fun? If you're just having fun, go ahead and pick your favorite players. If you want to win, keep reading

2) Read the rules of your league

It sounds simple, but taking the time to see what gets you points might help you select one player over another. The Premier League's website game, which this author played last year, favored midfielders.

They scored points for goals, assists and conceding zero goals, while strikers received no points for being on a team with a clean sheet and defenders just didn't score a lot of goals. This gave the midfield players a chance to bring in the points.

3) Don't assume the stars are the best…crunch some numbers

Team 1

Edwin Van de Sar (G), Jamie Carragher (D), Frank Lampard (M), and Wayne Rooney (F)

Team 2

Robert Green (G), Joleon Lescott (D), Ashley Young (M), and Roque Santa Cruz (F)

Which team would you rather have?

Last year, the second team scored 140 more points than the first. As the season progresses, don't hold onto to someone just because they're a star. Only keep them if they're bringing home the bacon.

4) Find the value players

Picking a star assures your team will get a chunk of points. But if the league has a salary cap, and most do, picking three or four stars will drain the bank and you'll end up with no-names for the rest or your squad.

List out the players you're looking at in each position. Then divide their points from last season by their cost. You'll find out how much bang you're getting for your buck.

While Fernando Torres had 193 total points, his cost is listed as 12 (million pounds), making his point per million pounds as 16.08.

Compare that to Benjani Mwaruwari who scored only 150 points, but whose cost is seven million pounds, making his point per million pounds a much higher 21.42. Benjani is a much better deal and gives you more points for your buck.

I put together a "good-value team" based solely on players having the highest points per value at each position from last year, and their fantasy point total was higher than other teams I put together with a few superstars. This seems to be because two above average players generally score more than one superstar and one no-name.

5) Be Wary of:

- Chelsea's Midfield: With Lampard, Ballack, Cole, Kalou, Essien, Malouda, Wright-Phillips, and now Deco joining the squad, the Blues are going to be strong in the middle of the pitch. But this might spread the fantasy points out too much between the rotation.

Use the tools listed above to figure out who is the best deal, or select two Stamford Bridge midfielders to make sure you get points from them.

- Ronaldo: By far, he was the highest scoring fantasy player last year with 283 points in the Premier League websites fantasy game. The second was Cesc Fabregas with 205. But with Ronaldo out for the first part of the season with an injury, it might be worth picking him up later in the fall.

6) Who is the new Derby County?

Last year, it was worth dropping some good players on your team and picking up some players from whatever club was playing Derby County that week. Will Stoke City, Hull City or WBA be the new Derby County? If so, make some switches to rack up the points.

7) Pay attention to scheduling
Sometimes a club will play two real matches on the same fantasy week and their players will get points from both matches. Keeping your eye out for this on the schedule can double one of your player's points.

That's all of my strategy I'm revealing. I'm going to start a Bleacher Report Premier Fantasy league. If you've been part of the Bleacher Report World Football community for awhile and are interested in joining, leave me a message on my profile page.

Euro 2008: Round One Wrap-Up

John Houmes — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 02:13:06 -0400

Things are far from being determined in each of the groups in the Euro 2008 tournament.

Rankings will change, and it is no time for leading teams to get arrogant. But if the group stage was to end today, here's how the quarter and semi-finals would look:

The winner of Portugal/Croatia would play the winner of Germany/Czech Republic in the Group A & B match-ups.

The winner of Netherlands/Sweden would play the winner of Spain/France or Romania in the Group C & D match-ups.

Here are some highlights and lowlights from the first matches:

Who had the best individual performance?
David Villa, Spain—The striker lined up next to Fernando Torres and netted three in Spain's victory over Russia.

Who had the most impressive team performance?
The Netherlands—They had a few strokes of luck, but Ruud Van Nistleroy and his Dutch teammates scored three and kept a clean sheet against the world champion Italians.

Who had the best goal?
Zlatan Ibrahimović, Sweden—Verse reigning European champs, Greece, Ibrahimović had a fantastic strike in the 67th minute. There have been prettier goals, but this one was the best because Ibrahimović had just missed a beautiful header earlier in the match, had taken a kick to the groin, and put his team ahead and ended a two and a half year international goal drought with this strike.

Which team gave the most disappointing performance?
The Italians. They couldn't catch a break, and I think lots of folks thought the Dutch would give a good performance. But a three to nil loss left us wondering if the world champions are headed towards an early exit from the tournament.

Who were the most missed men?
Italian captain Fabio Cannavaro (injury) and Russian strikers Andrei Arshavin (suspension) and Pavel Pogrebnyak (injury).

What was the most controversial call?
Ruud Van Nistelroy's goal verses the Italians.

With an Italian defender apparently injured after being knocked out of bounds by his own goalie, Ruud poached near the goal and chipped one in. But did the defender being out of bounds make Ruud on-side or off-side?

ESPN's analysts spent an afternoon debating the call. UEFA has publicly said that they support referee Peter Fröjdfeldt's call. The goal was the first for the Netherlands and added to the momentum of their three to nil win.

Which host team, Austria or Switzerland, has a better chance of making it to the quarterfinals?
Japan.

What is the must see match up of Matchday two?
Stick with the group of death… Netherlands and France on Friday. The Dutch are in form and France will need to get at least a draw to stay towards the top of Group C.

UEFA Bans FC Porto From Champions League

John Houmes — Wed, 04 Jun 2008 02:52:42 -0400

The eyes of the Portuguese have been focused on their national side, with the European tournament right around the corner. But the Portuguese club champs, FC Porto, have managed to steal some headlines today.

UEFA announced Porto would not be allowed to compete in the 2008/2009 UEFA Champions League.

Porto had been accused of bribing referees in domestic matches during the 2003/2004 campaign. They were fined a reported €150,000 by Professional Portuguese Football League and were deducted six points.

Because of this, the 2003-2004 European club champs do not meet UEFA's Article 1.04 (d) of the Champions League regulations.

This article states that no club can be engaged in "an activity aimed at arranging or influencing the outcome of a match." Porto has three days to appeal.

The club was eliminated in the first knock-out round of the Champions League last season by Schalke. They had topped Liverpool, Marseille, and Besiktas, to finish at the front of Group A.

European Football... Its Time for a Salary Cap—Part Two

John Houmes — Sun, 18 May 2008 07:38:37 -0400

As I've been watching the Premier League archives recently, I've grown frustrated. Don't get me wrong. I love watching great matches from the '90s and earlier this decade. What frustrates me is that I don't see anything new.

The archived matches are either Man U destroying some team by six goals; two clubs playing that are no longer in the top flight; or two of the Big Four battling it out. While these matches are interesting, the repetition gets old.

I would love to be watching archives and say, "Oh, yeah. This was the season that Portsmouth and Tottenham battled it out for the title," or "this was the match where West Ham put Chelsea out of a Champions League spot."

Unfortunately, unless there are some changes, it doesn't look like we will ever be able to say these words.

In part one of this article, I called for a salary cap to be implemented in European football to topple the daunting empires that rich clubs have in their domestic leagues. This would make the leagues more exciting, as other teams would be in the title race more consistently and there would be a wider variety of clubs represented in the European tournaments.

There would still be dynasties in the domestic leagues, but it would look more like the Champions League. In the past ten years, no club has lifted the European Cup more than three times and seven different clubs have claimed the title.

Compare that statistic to five different champions in Serie A, four different champions in La Liga, and only three different champions in the EPL in the past 10 seasons.

A salary cap would diversify the domestic league champions. This second instalment of the salary cap articles will focus on the general implementation for a salary cap:

Hard salary ceiling: I believe a limit should be put on the maximum clubs can spend on players. It would be great to see it standardized for each domestic league, so that each club is limited in the amount it could spend on players.

It should be low enough that some bigger teams would have to really scale back their spending, but high enough so that some smaller clubs who just don't make the big money wouldn't be able to spend that much anyway.

UEFA institutes the cap: If the European governing body started the cap for European play, it would force the domestic leagues and governing bodies to think about implementing a cap as well. If they didn't, it would force clubs to have a higher-paid domestic squad, and a lower-paid European squad to meet UEFA salary standards.

For instance, a team like Chelsea might have to keep a few of their higher-paid players off their European squad to meet UEFA's cap, but those players could play in the domestic league.

Obviously, it would be easier for the domestic governing bodies, like England's Football Association, to partner with UEFA on the salary cap from the beginning, but if that didn't happen, this would be a way to force the domestic leagues to follow UEFA's lead. No one is going to want to have "two squads."

Having UEFA involved would keep all the players from leaving one domestic league to go to another, because the cap would be standardized throughout Europe.

Ease into it: UEFA and the domestic leagues should make the salary cap standardized after three years, but require that teams cut their spending each season until it is implemented. This would keep teams from radically having to shift their payroll in a matter of months. For instance, this season clubs could spend up to 200 percent of the salary cap, next season they could spend 150 percent of the limit, 125 percent the year after, then they'd have to meet the cap in the fourth season.

The Euro, the Pound and Taxes: Complaints have been voiced against a salary cap because of the difference in currencies. It really wouldn't be difficult to set a standard each season. If the cap was set at 50 million Euros, then EPL teams could spend up to 39,812,731 Pounds according to today's exchange rate. UEFA would also have to look at taxation in each country and account for clubs like AS Monaco, who play in a low-taxed principality.

Complaints may rise that this is starting to get too complicated, but if there are a group of guys who are smart enough to figure out the UEFA coefficient, then I don't see why a team of mathematicians couldn't construct a system for this.

Relegation and lower leagues: If UEFA could implement a salary cap for each domestic league's top flight teams, they could then suggest a certain percentage drop off to the domestic governing body for each descending league.

Just as an example, UEFA could set a 50 million pound spending limit for the Premier League. Then the FA could allow 60 percent of that for the Football League Championship, 40 percent for Football League One… etc.

If a team were to be relegated, they would be able to keep their previous season's salary for one year. It makes no sense to make a relegated club scramble over the summer to cut their costs, when they might return to their previous league through promotion the next season.

If, however, the club was not promoted back after one season, then they would be forced to meet the new salary cap for the coming season.

Consider this some of the basics of what a European football salary cap could look like. In the third article, we'll examine some possible regulations for players and clubs.

European Football... Its Time for a Salary Cap—Part One

John Houmes — Sat, 17 May 2008 09:12:37 -0400

In 1994, the National Football League (American Football) introduced a hard salary cap limiting the amount of money each team could spend on players. Since then, the NFL has had over 84% of its teams finish at least one season with one of the top six records in the league.

Since the English Premier League's inception two years earlier, under 30% of the total clubs that have competed in the EPL have finished a season ranked in the top four.

(Because the NFL has more teams, the NFL top six is comparable to the EPL top four. See bottom for more info)

Interpreted? A far wider variety of NFL teams have ended up at the top of the league at the end of the regular season than clubs have in the EPL. In the NFL, almost everyone has at least had a chance to be in the top pack.

The deep pockets of the top clubs in the English Premier League have allowed them to be consistently dominant for too long. You have noticed this too. There have been recent articles about owners hounding other team's players to sign with their club, speculation about restructuring divisions to allow smaller teams to have a chance, and the absorbent amount of money that footballers are played.

There is a solution to all of this:

European Football needs a salary cap.

Ludicrous you say? I agree. But it is not as crazy as the fact that only four EPL teams have won the title in 16 years. Compare that to the NFL, where since the implementation of their salary cap, twelve different teams have ended the regular season with the best record in the league.

When you mention salary cap and European football in the same sentence, people are ready with criticisms and questions:

What about players who will leave one league that has a salary cap for another league without a salary cap?

How does relegation fit in with a salary cap?

How do you regulate salary caps in different countries that use different currencies?

Should UEFA partner with the Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and other domestic leagues on the cap? Or should they just do it on their own?

These are all difficult questions that will take a lot of thinking and some creative maneuvering, but I do believe there are answers and solutions to them.

Over the next week, I will be examining what a salary cap would look like in European football. I'm interested to hear what problems and possibilities you foresee.

In part two of this article, we'll look at what the basic structure of a salary cap in Europe might look like.

Note on statistics: I am only including the NFL regular season records in these statistics and not counting the playoffs. This is because the playoffs allow a team with a worse record to upset a team with a far better record, much like in the FA Cup.

Looking at NFL team's end of regular season record is more comparable to the EPL season, where playoffs do not exist. When two or more NFL teams had the same record at the end of the season, I have used the EPL's goal differential rule to rank tied teams.

The top six out of 28-32 teams (top 18.75%-21.4%) in the NFL is comparable to the EPL's top four out of 20-22 clubs (Top 18.1%-20%). The NFL had 28 teams in 1994, but has 32 now. The EPL had 22 teams in 1992, but now has 20.

Twenty-seven out of 32 teams that have competed in the NFL since 1994 have ended up in the top six at the end of the regular season. Forty total teams have competed in the English Premier League since 1992. Only 11 have ended up in the top four.

Relegation does mess with this statistic a little bit, but only eight clubs that are in the league now have ended up in the top four. So the best percentage we could give the EPL is 40% of the teams finishing in the top fifth of the league, compared to the NFL's 84%... and we're still giving the EPL two more years than the NFL.

Liverpool: Memories From This Season

John Houmes — Tue, 13 May 2008 06:17:31 -0400

Liverpool supporters have many highs and lows to reflect on from this season. Here are 21 memories, listed in chronological order that I will think of when I remember the 2007-2008 Liverpool campaign:

Signing Torres – In July of last summer, we were excited about getting Torres. He was excited about coming to Anfield, and we were all ready for the new campaign.

Gerrard still has the magic - Steven Gerrard nailed an 87th minute curling free kick to put Liverpool up 2-1 against Aston Villa at Villa Park (Aug 11). It gave the Reds a win in their first EPL game.

This Spaniard might be really good - With Chelsea's Tal Ben Haim nipping at him, Fernando Torres slid one past Petr Cech on a counter in the first half. Liverpool would draw against Chelsea (Aug 19) at Anfield after Frank Lampard converted a controversially awarded penalty, but we got a glimpse of Torres' talent.

Is Derby this bad? - Alonso had two, Babel had one, Torres had two and Voronin had one. The Reds outed Derby six to nil at Anfield (Sept 1). Ouch. Yes, Derby was that bad.

Torres first hat trick…it’s a fluke – facing Reading (Sept 25) in the Third Round of the Carling Cup, Torres netted three times to add on to Benayoun's 23rd minute goal. But we didn't expect it to happen again. After all, it was Reading…in the Carling Cup.

Poor performances in the Group Stage – After a draw at Porto (Sept 18), a loss at home verse Marseille (Oct 3) and a loss in Turkey to Besiktas (Oct 24), we were worried that our Champion's League hopes were slipping away.

Great performances in the Group Stage – A total turnaround. In the next three games of the group stage, we outscored Besiktas (Nov 6), Porto (Nov 28), and Marseille (Dec 11) by a total of 16-1. It was highlighted by an eight to nil trouncing of the Turks at Anfield. Crouch, Benayoun, Gerrard, and Torres all had three goals each during this three match run. In our guts, we knew it could turn around…and it did.

Torres and Gerrard substituted – Against Reading (Dec 8), Gerrard and Torres were taken out in the 60th and 71st minute while we were still in the EPL title hunt.We lost 3-1 and controversy arose around Benitez's decision, but it made a little more sense after we won at Marseille a few days later (see above).

Too Many Draws – In late December and January, we drew to Man City, Wigan, Luton Town, Middlesborough, and Aston Villa, as well as loosing to West Ham. We were in a slump.

Barnsley???? – In the 93rd minute, Barnsley captain Brian Howard scored against a sloppy Liverpool defense to knock the Reds out of the FA Cup (Feb 13). It typified where we’re at and made us feel like the season was going down the tubes. We needed another turn around.

Another hat trick? Is Torres the real deal? – Fernando Torres took in his second hat trick again Middlesborough (Feb 23) at Anfield. We thought Torres was good, but maybe he was great.

Another hat trick! Torres is the real deal! – Torres netted three again verse West Ham at Anfield (Mar 5). His armband proved he was a Red, Torres, Torres! You'll Never Walk Alone it said, Torres, Torres!

Taking Down Inter – Two goals in the last 10 minutes put us up 2-0 at Anfield (Feb 19) verse Inter. It gave us the confidence to go to San Siro (Mar 11) and leave with a three to nil aggregate after Torres drilled in a beauty (celebration pictured at top).

Hot Streak – From Mid February to Mid March, we won seven in a row (Inter, Middlesborough, Bolton, West Ham, Newcastle, Inter and Reading). Torres scored nine, and we outscored our opponents 18-4. It was the turnaround we needed after the Barnsley loss at home.

The English Road – On March 14, we drew Arsenal for the second round of the knock-out stage. We were excited and yet gulped as we realized that if we beat Arsenal, we'd probably have to face Chelsea. And if we handled Chelsea again, we'd probably have to face Man U.

Mascherano's Red – We had hoped that the focus of our trip to Old Trafford (Mar 23) would be a draw or win, but instead it was Javier Mascherano being dismissed in the 44th minute by referee Steve Bennett. The debates began…

Solidifying Next Year's Champion's League Spot – It looked like fourth place, and the final English Champion's League spot were up for grabs when we went into the hometown derby with Everton (Mar 30). But after Torres scored early, we took away a victory and never looked back again at fifth place.

The Last Ten Minutes of the Arsenal Series – We were on the pitch for 270+ minutes with Arsenal in a seven day period (April 2, 5 & 8), but the last 10 minutes turned out to be the most exciting. Adebayor scored in the 84th minute at Anfield to send Arsenal to the next round. But then, Babel was taken down in the box and awarded a penalty. Stevie G became a hero again as he sank the penalty in the 86th, then four minutes later, Babel sealed the deal by finding the net on a breakaway.

El Nino hits 30 – Fernando Torres netted his 30th goal of the season vs. Blackburn (Apr 13) at Anfield. He was on his way to working into the list of guys who shook the Kop.

Another Chelsea Semi-Final – This tie (April 22 & 30) both elated us and ripped our hearts. I will remember Riise's agony, Drogba's dominance, Torres sullen look, overtime at the Bridge, Lampard's mother, and his penalty shot.

Finishing Strong – With a win at Anfield against Man City (May 4) and a strong second half showing against Tottenham (May 11), we ended the season on a good note.

We had lots of ups and downs this campaign. The ownership controversy is not mentioned intentionally. There are more important things to remember.

I'm disappointed that we didn't win anything because we definitely had the talent and opportunities to win some hard wear. But next year holds promise.

With Torres netting 33 total and working well with Gerrard, and with up and coming guys like Babel, I think we'll make a run at the EPL title.

John Arne Riise: You'll Never Walk Alone

John Houmes — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 07:23:41 -0400

Three minutes and forty seconds into the four minutes of injury time at the end of the match, Anfield erupted into the chorus of You'll Never Walk Alone. Up one to nil on Chelsea and with mere seconds left on the ref's watch, Liverpool looked set to head to Stamford Bridge next week with the upper hand.

The commentator had just finished saying "Liverpool have taken what appears to be the first step in the direction of Moscow here", as the clock showed 94:01. And at the moment, Chelsea's Kalou crossed the ball towards Pepe Reina's keep.

In front of the goal lurked Nicholas Anelka and Didier Drogba, defended by Martin Skrtel and John Arne Riise. The ball curved towards Riise, who was positioned in front of Anelka. Riise ducked down towards the ball and attempted to head it back in the direction of Kalou.

Then, the unthinkable happened. The ball ricocheted off Riise's head and past Pepe Reina into the goal, leveling the score. All Pepe could do was stand there.

The Kop was quieted. Chelsea fans erupted.

Riise lay face down for a moment, then picked himself up. It had happened so quickly. The situation was surreal. It was hard to believe it actually happened until it was confirmed by the look on Riise's face. He began walking towards midfield and looked up to the supporters.

But before the TV commentators had had a chance to analyze the scene, the true spirit of Liverpool came forth. At 94 minutes and 33 seconds, Anfield again began to sing You'll Never Walk Alone. It wasn't as loud as it had been 20 seconds before, but it was there.

And that is why I love Liverpool. There was disappointment. There were sinking hearts. But there were no boos. Only hope in their hearts.

As we look ahead to rematch Chelsea, I want to commend the fans, the players and especially John Arne Riise.

To those on the pitch: you played with heart. I appreciate the support that Gerrard, Carra and Kuyt have voiced for Riise.

To other supporters: this is the moment where we must truly live by the spirit of Liverpool. This is the moment where we show that we are actually about what we sing that we are.

To John Arne Riise: with two prolific goal scorers in your area, you defended with heart, taking a dive to keep the ball safe in the final seconds. It could have happened to anyone. We are there with you…

You'll Never Walk Alone.

Liverpool-Arsenal: The Series, Part Two

John Houmes — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 08:35:27 -0400

Over the course of seven days, Arsenal and Liverpool will face-off three times:

Wednesday at the Emirates for the first leg of the Champions League quarter-finals, Saturday again at the Emirates for an important Premier League match, and finally Tuesday at Anfield for the quarter-final second leg.

In Liverpool-Arsenal: The Series, Pt. 1, we examined what interesting aspects of these clubs that this series might reveal.

This article will look at factors that might affect the outcome of these three matches.

The Experience of the Squads

Both of these squads carry the strength of recently reaching the Champions League Final.

Ten of Liverpool's starters from last years Champions League Final squad are playing with the club this year, and eight played in the 2005 European victory in Istanbul. Six of Arsenal's starters remain from their 2006 Champions League final loss to Barca.

Those players from both squads who were there for their team's loss in the Finals will have a good perspective as the tournament enters the quarters.

Arsenal is a younger squad. This series will prove to be a stressful one for the players, especially if the first two matches split or are draws.

Obviously, Arsenal is seasoned in Europe. They proved that at San Siro. But the issue here is whether Liverpool's experience will prove to be an advantage in light of Arsenal's youth.

The Leadership of the Captains

Aside from their recent slump, Arsenal have faired quite nicely this season at home and abroad under first-year skipper William Gallas.

But bear in mind that Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has lifted both the FA Cup and CL Cup, winning them both by leading his team to come from behind victories.

Of course, Gallas has won the EPL twice with Chelsea. Again, the question is not whether Gallas is experienced or a worthy captain, but whether Steven Gerrard's experience and leadership will trump his, and how much difference that will make in this series.

The Vibe of the Stadiums

This week, the Emirates will be buzzing. Playing two matches there will be an obvious advantage for the Gunners.

TV commentators affirm the uniqueness of Anfield every time night falls and the Reds take the pitch to face a European opponent.

While magical might be a strong word, even Rafa seems to understand its unusual aura.

"Playing the second game at home could be very positive for us because, always when we play at Anfield, it is an inspiration to us. When you play against a good team the small details can make the difference."

The Kop will be ready for their lads to come home. And I believe the third match will be the one that determines and defines the series.

Aggregate goals

Last year, Arsenal had Liverpool's number, beating them 3-0 (EPL) at the Emirates, 3-1 (FA Cup) and 6-3 (Carling), both at Anfield. Then the Gunners travelled again to Anfield, where Liverpool handed a Henry-less Arsenal a 4-1 defeat. The squads drew 1-1 earlier this season at Anfield.

Will the CL matches be determined by aggregate goals… or even a shoot-out?

For the three matches, I predict an aggregate of 5-5, with Liverpool advancing to the semis in the Champions League.

What do you think?

What will the aggregate goals be for the entire three match series?

Who will advance to the semi-finals?

I'd be interested to hear your predictions…

Liverpool-Arsenal: The Series, Pt. 1

John Houmes — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 13:52:51 -0400

Over the course of seven days, Arsenal and Liverpool will face-off three times:

This series will reveal some interesting aspects of both clubs.

Arsene and Rafa, the strategists

It is hard to catch a smile on the faces of Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger or Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez. Both carry their poker faces well, even when they're ahead in a match.

Wenger has an obvious advantage in playing two of the three matches at the Emirates. If Liverpool scores an away goal in the first-leg CL match at the Emirates, then Benitez has an advantage in playing the last CL match, and probably the deciding one, at Anfield.

This three match series offers a unique chance for us to see Wenger and Benitez strategize likes generals, as they can fix their eyes on three consecutive battles with one enemy. Look to see whom they start each match, how they substitute players, and if they capitalize on their opponent's weaknesses in successive matches.

Is Liverpool made for Europe?

"Come on," you say. "Give me a break. I'm tired of hearing about how many times Liverpool have won the European Cup. When are they gonna win the EPL?"

You raise a good point. But I'm talking about what drives the heart and soul of this club, not if winning European Cups is better than winning the EPL.

After Steven Gerrard drilled a 20-yard shot in the final moments to solidify a two-nil win over Inter Milan, defender Jamie Carragher commented that his captain "is made for the Champions League."

Some have said similar things about Liverpool itself. The Reds can transform into a different team when they are pressed against the European elimination wall.

We saw the turnaround in the last match of the 2004-05 group stage, when they plowed their way to the Finals against AC Milan. In that match, they were three goals down in the first half to Milan, until Steven Gerrard orchestrated an amazing comeback that ended with Liverpool as Champions of Europe.

The turnaround has happened again this season, when after three straight CL matches without a win (1 draw and 2 losses in a row) and facing possible elimination in the group stage, Liverpool became a different team. Starting with their second game verse Besiktas, they won their next five CL matches, outscoring their opponents 19-1.

While one may argue that they should have been playing that gloriously the whole time, that's not the point. The point is that the heart of this team beats for Europe. Even Arsenal acknowledges it.

Last year, Arsenal eliminated Liverpool from both the FA Cup and League Cup. Liverpool will be ready for a non-EPL rematch with Arsenal this year, especially since it involves Europe.

This series will reveal again how much Liverpool's European passion really matters.

Arsenal's priorities are…

"Mr. Wenger, you can pick one of these matches to win, one of them to draw, and one to lose."

That would add an intriguing twist to these matches, but we're allowed no such pleasure. While we know the stigmas about Liverpool's priorities regarding Europe, reading between the lines may help us see where Wenger and Arsenal's are.

At this point, Arsenal have only an outside shot at the EPL title. But after the recent comeback against Bolton, we see they still have some fight and they are not giving up on the outside shot in the EPL.

The Gunners sit six points behind Man United, but aren't too worried about dropping below fourth. Arsenal have five EPL matches left after facing Liverpool on Saturday. One of those matches is at Old Trafford not even a week after the Liverpool series ends.

Will Arsenal throw out all the stops in Saturday's Liverpool match, hoping they can win Saturday, AND at Old Trafford AND that Man U will stutter before the season's end?

Or will they focus their attention on the Wednesday and following Tuesday Champions League matches?

Here's Part 2:

Liverpool-Arsenal: The Series – Part 2

Liverpool Drama: Javier Mascherano, George Gillett Rock the Boat

John Houmes — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 06:02:23 -0400

Along with the advancements in the Javier Mascherano saga, the attention of Liverpool supporters has also been on George Gillett Jr's statements about co-owner Tom Hicks.

Gillett said in an interview that he can no longer work with Hicks, and that selling the club to DIC would be a good move for Liverpool FC.

"Lord knows DIC have the means with the oil prices going up every day that money was not even an issue. I think they would have been very responsible owners. But making that not possible or difficult didn’t endear (Hicks) to the fans," he said.

Hicks has refused to sell his shares to Dubai International Capital for £400 million.

Regarding his own shares of the club, Gillett said:

“The fans don’t want him to have even one share of my stake in the club, based on what they are sending to me."

I'd say so. Gillett reported he received death threats from fans who told him not to sell the club to Hicks.

While death threats are...well...a little extreme, one can understand the sentiment as it seems like supporters have been dragged through a three-act tragedy. Selling all the share to Hicks would only add another act.

The progression with Javier Mascherano comes as he has admitted his guilt today to the FA's charges of improper conduct. He could receive an additional two-match suspension.

Mascherano is already sitting out Liverpool's match verse rival Everton this weekend.

The midfielder has requested a personal hearing with the FA. Manager Rafael Benitez said there are lawyers working on the case, hoping that he will not be penalized simply to be made an example of.

Mascherano was fined two weeks wages by the Liverpool office.

It is believed Liverpool's defense will focus on at least three aspects:

1) previous cases set a precedent for a lesser penalty (Adebayor)

2) Liverpool's monetary fine of Mascherano is sufficient punishment.

3) Liverpool's disciplinary record has been very good this season. It was their first red card of the season in EPL play. The Reds rank third in the EPL's Fair Play Table, behind Man U and Tottenham.

Rafa also commented on Mascherano's apology:

“We were talking, and the player has apologized for his reaction after the sending off. He knew after the game he made a mistake, it's clear. Now we are waiting for the hearing," Benitez said.

"Javier is a fantastic professional and he knows he made a big mistake. He apologized to his teammates and the supporters, and he has now apologized to the referee."

Mascherano's hearing will be April 3rd.

With a hometown derby this weekend minus Mascherano, and a tough three-match series against Arsenal coming up, Liverpool supporters have a lot on their mind without worrying about Gillett and Hicks' cat fight...and by extension the future of Rafa.

Supporters have been tired of the drama for sometime now. The quicker Gillett and Hicks are out, and the sooner Mascherano is back in, the better. Gillett's words seem appropriate:

“What I do know is that the fans and the fabled history of this club deserves better, and we are going to do whatever we can to prove that."

FA Extends Deadline for Javier Mascherano

John Houmes — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 09:59:21 -0400

Because of his participation in international play with Argentina, the FA has added 24 hours to Javier Mascherano's deadline to respond to the charges against him.

The Argentine midfielder was participating in his country's 2 to nil win over African champs, Egypt, in Cairo.

Mascherano will now have until 6pm on Friday to admit guilit, plea innocent, or ask for a hearing. But the disciplinary hearing has been moved up one day, to April 3rd.

Just to recap, Mascherano has no idea why he was booked, no goals in the match vs. Egypt, and no chances of getting out of a longer suspension. Just keeping you updated.

For more on the Mascherano story:

Javier Mascherano On Trial With FA: Benitez Seeks Discussion

FA Backs Steve Bennett, Charges Javier Mascherano with "Improper Conduct"

EPL Crackdown: Mascherano Deserved His Redcard

European Transfer Rumor Mill

John Houmes — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 12:36:29 -0400

What is a day without some good transfer rumors?

Spanish newspapers Marca and Sport have reported that Barca might be showing Ronaldinho the way to the door of Camp Nou. They are apparently tired of his poor play and late night partying.

Barca denies these "divorce" claims. But leaks to the Spanish papers said that Barca was already making plans in a meeting yesterday. As the report goes, Camp Nou president Joan Laporta is pondering paying the rest of Ronaldinho’s contract and letting him go on a free transfer.

While long-time Ronaldinho fan Roman Abramovich would try and woo him to his Chelsea club, the Brazilian is said to prefer AC Milan.

The rumors from Italian sources are a little different: the Brazilian will make a summer move to Inter Milan. They claim Nike, who is the sponsor for Ronaldinho, as well as Barca and Inter Milan, will pay for the transfer fee.

Critics think Ronaldinho would manage better in Italy than in England.

Inter boss Roberto Mancini is also rumored to be on his way out at Milan. Jose Mourinho has been reported to be on Inter’s short list for a new manager. But if The Special One isn’t allowed full control of signings, rumors are that the name Rafa sits right below Mourinho’s.

Evidently, Inter thinks it can lure Rafael Benitez while his future is uncertain at Liverpool. The "Rafa to Inter" rumor is the least widespread at this point.

If Frank Rijkaard were to leave Camp Nou this summer, El Mundo Deportivo and Marca report that Rafa is supposedly at the top of Barca’s replacement list, with Mourhino at second.

With Mourhino out of a job, it is easier to see him in Italy or Spain. While the move with Rafa is certainly a possibility, much will depend on how Liverpool fares in the Champion’s League, if they qualify for Europe again next year, and if the team changes ownership.

Those are a lot of "ifs", but what's a good transfer rumor without them?

FA Backs Steve Bennett, Charges Javier Mascherano with "Improper Conduct"

John Houmes — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 07:26:30 -0400

Today, the FA officially charged Javier Mascherano with improper conduct.

A statement from the FA read: "The charge relates to his reaction towards referee Steve Bennett after being sent off against Manchester United on Sunday, March 23.

"He has until 6pm on Thursday to respond. The case will be heard by a regulatory commission on Friday, April 4."

Mascherano has the option to accept or refute the charge. He can also ask for a personal hearing.

FA Chairman Lord Treisman commended Bennett, saying: "I thought he had done what I would like to feel referees will do - which is to have the bottle to do what is necessary."

Mascherano will already miss the Everton/Liverpool match this weekend in serving his automatic one-game suspension for the red card. The number of matches could be extended to two more, depending on the outcome of Friday.

If the charge is sustained after Friday, Mascherano will miss Liverpool's EPL matches against Arsenal and Blackburn. The penalty would not extend to any UEFA Champion's League games.

for more on this story from earlier today:

Mascherano On Trial With FA; Benitez Seeks Discussion

Javier Mascherano On Trial With FA: Benitez Seeks Discussion

John Houmes — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 03:07:27 -0400

Members of the FA will meet today to watch the Javier Mascherano incident from Liverpool's Sunday visit to Manchester United. The Argentine midfielder was handed his second yellow card in the first half by Referee Steve Bennett after he protested a yellow card given to Fernando Torres.

In light of recent episodes of disrespect towards referees, Liverpool fear that the FA may make an example out of Mascherano and his behavior. Ashley Cole exhibited disrespectful behavior towards referee Mike Riley in Chelsea's match against Tottenham last week and Watford captain John Eustace had an incident earlier in March.

The Merseysiders are expecting Mascherano to be handed a charge of misconduct and a possible three-match total suspension under Rule E3.

Mascherano received his first yellow card in the 11th minute. In the 44th minute, Bennett flashed Torres a yellow and Mascherano jogged towards him to question the call. Javier still pleads innocent, claiming he "asked the referee what was happening."

"I did not swear, I was not aggressive and I did not confront him. When he showed me the second yellow card and sent me off I could not believe it."

While Mascherano had ample room to plead his innocence until that point, his following behavior stripped him of receiving much sympathy. He relentlessly made attempts to get to Bennett, held back by teammates and eventually Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez himself.

Rafa later reported that he had to tell Mascherano, "Listen, it's finished."

Steve Bennett reported that Mascherano was aggressive after receiving the card and failed "to leave the field in a timely manner". Liverpool said he was off the field within 30 seconds.

Yesterday, the FA suspended John Eustace an extra match and fined him £1,500 for taking 63 seconds to leave the pitch after being sent off verse Stoke earlier this month.

Rafa told Liverpoolfc.tv that wanted to sit down with referees chief Keith Hackett to find a 'solution' to Sunday's controversy. There has been no report as to whether this meeting has happened.

It is unlikely that the FA will critique anything that Steve Bennett did. Doing so would only further disrespect for referees and their judgment. We will have our question answered about the length of Mascherano's suspension, but we will be left to continue the discussion on our other questions:

Did Javier deserve the second yellow card? Was he really just asking a question? In light of recent episodes of disrespect towards referees, was Mascherano made a patsy by Bennett to make a point? Was there a second gunman in the grassy knoll?

Whatever happens to Mascherano today, and whatever we think about referees and their recent decisions, we can be certain that players will think twice before confronting refs in a disrespectful manner.

Update to this story

EPL: In Form Defoe to Sit Out White Hart Return

John Houmes — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 12:06:38 -0400

Christiano Ronaldo?

No.

Fernando Torres?

No.

Adebayor, Keane or Benjani?

No. Keep going down the Premier League’s leading goal scorer list.

Berbatov? Santa Cruz? Yakubu? Tevez?

No, no, no and no.

Nicolas Anelka? Jermaine Defoe? Steven Gerrard?

Stop. Go back one.

Defoe?

Yes, that’s the one.

With most focused on the Ronaldo and Torres’ goal race, Super Sunday’s big match-ups, the EPL title race, and the CL quarter-finals right around the corner, Portsmouth’s Jermaine Defoe is doing quite well for himself, and few may be noticing. He sits casually at number 11 on the Premier League’s leading scorers list with ten goals.

Today Defoe was jettisoned into the spotlight when it was announced that he will have to sit out in his return to White Hart Lane. Defoe was signed on the last day of the transfer window on loan from Tottenham Hotspur.

The deal was made permanent shortly after. Evidently, when a player is signed on loan, then permanently moves to the club, he cannot play against the club he left during that same season. At the time, Portsmouth thought the rule only applied to goalies.

It is too bad for the in-form Defoe, pictured above as a Spur, and for Portsmouth, who will have to face Tottenham this Saturday without him. Since the departure of Benjani Mwaruwari to Manchester City earlier this year, Defoe has scored six times in his last six EPL matches. Two of the goals came off penalty shots.

While it is disappointing for the striker, he still has plenty to look forward to. Defoe was just named as a striker for England in the friendly against France next week. Portsmouth sits comfortably in the UEFA Cup qualification race in the EPL. And April 5th, Pompey match up again West Bromwich Albion in the FA Cup semi-finals.

Fernando Torres Goal Streak: Did Rafael Benitez's Rotation Work?

John Houmes — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 08:15:30 -0400

Supporters were ready to strike. Strikers were supportive. The boss didn't spend much time defending himself. This season, Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez's striker rotation policy has been in question.

After signing Atletico Madrid striker Fernando Torres for £26.5m, Benitez calmly kept him on the bench enough for Reds supporters to get fidgety. Through the revolving striker door with Torres were Peter Crouch, Dirk Kuyt, and Adriy Voronin.

Rafa's reasoning? Rotation keeps his strikers fresh late into the season. It also probably inspired them to give extra effort to earn more pitch time.

Whatever his motivations, one started to get the feeling that Rafa was changing strikers so often that they were forgetting whom they were playing next to. No duo had enough pitch time together to gel.

Benching Torres also seemed like a waist of cash.

While Rafa's rotation has been under fire as recently as their February 16th FA Cup loss to Barnsley, Liverpool's revolving striker door seems to have come to a halt. Saturday's one-goal performance against Reading was Torres' seventh consecutive start. Kuyt is starting consistently enough for us to notice (eight out of the last nine matches) and is earning a reputation for getting the job done.

Voronin has been injured. Crouchie has been coming in for Torres at the end of matches.

Here in the later part of the season, Fernando Torres is as fresh as ever, scoring in his last 4 matches, netting 9 goals in the last 6 matches, and adding 2 hat tricks in 3 matches.

Lead by Torres' barrage of goals, Liverpool have outscored their opponents 18-4 in his last seven starts. The Merseyside outfit are on a hot streak that could carry them solidly into European qualification in the EPL and volley them into the semi-finals of the Champions League.

We're left scratching our heads and asking questions:

Can anyone stop Torres? Is the hot streak a product of the rotation policy? Did Benitez know exactly what he was doing the whole time?

There's no way to be sure right now. But there will be plenty more evidence to examine in the next three weeks, as Liverpool takes on Man United at Old Trafford, 5th placed Everton at Anfield, and Arsenal three times in a row.

Champions League: Little Chance of All-England Quarterfinal

John Houmes — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 06:09:51 -0400

After four English Premier League teams qualified for the next round of the UEFA Champions League, Sir Alex Ferguson proclaimed that the EPL is simply the best. Despite the historic hype surrounding the quarterfinals open draw, the probability is very small that these four will all be matched against each other.

After scouring probability websites, reading up in Champions League chatrooms, and emailing a mathematician, I was unable to figure out the exact probability that Arsenal, Chelsea, Manchester United, and Liverpool would each draw one of the others.

But the probability is small, definitely less than 10 percent.

Most of those who had taken a stab at it had mistakenly assumed in their calculations that the EPL teams would be drawn first. Without boring the reader, the calculations must focus on the numerous combinations of ties that are possible, accounting for drawing home and away as well.

If Dr. Math is right, there are 1,680 possible results for tomorrow's open draw.

Chances are much better that two EPL teams will play each other and the other two will be matched against one of the other four teams from Turkey, Spain, Italy, or Germany. This brings up an interesting question:

If two England clubs are matched in the quarterfinals, will they have met before in European play?

UEFA.com reports that the only European meetings have been Chelsea vs. Liverpool twice in the semifinals (2004-05 and 2006-07) and group stage (2005-06), and Chelsea vs. Arsenal once in the quarters (2004).

This leaves Man U as the only kid who hasn't been in a big-time European fist fight with the other lads on the block. I'm sure they'll do fine no matter whom they draw.

With Roma eliminating Madrid in the first knockout round and Barca being an old hat at the Champions League, Fenerbahce and Schalke would definitely make for the easiest tie—although they have shown that they can throw a punch or two.

Whatever happens in the draw tomorrow, it will show for an exciting quarterfinals.