On the Eve of the new Season...

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
clearly the only reason manusa would EVER lose is because of paid off refs

Obviously you're an ignorant knobhead when it comes to the beautiful game…if a person from LIVERPOOL is saying the ref was biased against MANCHESTER united, then there must be a strong case for it. Not to mention it was already proved that Italian football is corrupt from top to bottom.

Nobody said he was paid off, just biased.

both manure fans on this board gave the 'refs are biased/paid off toward italy' before the match was even paid, and you didnt even watch it yourself. you took the readymade excuse because a liverpool fan told you it was so. cmon now

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
both manure fans on this board gave the 'refs are biased/paid off toward italy' before the match was even paid, and you didnt even watch it yourself. you took the readymade excuse because a liverpool fan told you it was so. cmon now

Actually, I was talking about the ref in the Bayern match, not the Man U match, and I said it mostly out of the horrible call in the 84th minute. I'm always suspect about blatantly bad calls late in the match.

I certainly didn't think the ref in the Roma match was paid off, but I certainly didn't think he did a fair job either, especially in the first 30 minutes or so. I for one, was actually pleased when Scholesy was sent off, because he was the last person on United's squad (as usual)to realize the ref was calling United much tighter than Roma, and was consistently giving away free kicks inside 25 yards. I figured a 0-0 draw was better than 3-0 Roma on free kicks. Such a pleasure to get that away goal with 10 men!

i dont like blaming refs for losses in any sport. but i'm not going to feel sorry for a side that's going to win the prem, is still in the fa cup and the cl and has lost twice in 3 months. mank makes fun of me anytime i bring up my side, so of course i'm going to zong him when he complains about refs in a match he didnt even watch, not to mention that man u got a not-terrible result

Hey…no worries….I give it and can sure as hell take it. :)

In all seriousness though, all English teams get a rough time in Europe from the refs, because we play, well, the man's version of the game. What is not even a foul in the premiership is a yellow card offense in Italy because you caused Totti's tailor made jersey to crease or something.

you'll get no argument on that from me

Friday, April 6

12:10 Man City v Charlton (Setanta)
2:30 Everton v Fulham (FSC)

Saturday, April 7

7:45 Chelsea v Spurs (Setanta)
10:00 SheffU v Newcastle (SetantaX)
10:00 Arsenal v West Ham (Setanta)
10:00 Reading v Liverpool (FSC)
12:15 Pompey v Man U (FSC)
2:15 Wigan v Bolton (FSC)

Monday, April 9

7:30 Watford v Portsmouth (Set)
10:00 Newcastle United v Arsenal (Set)
10:00 Fulham v Manchester City (FSC)
12:00 Aston Villa v Wigan (FSC)
2:30 Bolton v Everton (Set)
3:00 Charlton v Reading (FSC)

Finally get to see a game with filled with great Americans on FSC in the Everton v. Fulham game.

Kroenke buys stake in Arsenal

By PAT GRAHAM, AP Sports Writer
April 5, 2007

AP - Apr 5, 3:31 pm EDT

DENVER (AP) – Colorado businessman Stan Kroenke bought a 9.99 percent stake in London's Arsenal soccer team from the British television network ITV.

Kroenke, a real estate developer who owns the Denver Nuggets, the Colorado Avalanche and the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer, said Thursday that he also entered into "conditional arrangements" with ITV involving the sale of ITV's 50 percent share in Arsenal Broadband Limited.

The total value of the deals would be approximately $128.1 million, Kroenke's company said in a statement.

A spokesman for Kroenke Sports Enterprises wouldn't comment on whether Kroenke would attempt to buy Arsenal outright down the road.

"It's always been our policy not to speculate on any investments," said Paul Andrews, executive vice president and chief marketing officer for Kroenke Sports. "We hold pretty tight to that policy."

Kroenke Sports announced in February it had formed a marketing alliance with the Arsenal club to exchange business, commercial and marketing information, and share coaching and training philosophies.

"We really have a tremendous amount of respect for Arsenal and the way they manage their team," Andrews said.

Andrews said the marketing alliance led to Kroenke's interest in Arsenal.

"It's fair to say he was impressed with them and made this investment due to the respect he gained in that process," Andrews said.

Andrews wouldn't comment on whether the Rapids planned to change their name to Arsenal.

When the marketing alliance was announced, Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger insisted it did not mean Kroenke was buying the London team.

"(The deal) is not for a takeover," Wenger said in February. "There are enough Americans in the league now."

Kroenke, who is also a co-owner of the St. Louis Rams, is the latest American businessman to invest in a European soccer team.

Tom Hicks and George Gillette Jr. recently completed their takeover of the Liverpool soccer team. Hicks owns baseball's Texas Rangers and the NHL's Dallas Stars, and Gillette owns the NHL's Montreal Canadiens.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers owner Malcolm Glazer controls Manchester United, and Cleveland Browns owner Randy Lerner took over Aston Villa this season.

The Rapids will open the MLS season Saturday against D.C. United in Dick's Sporting Goods Park, a new 18,000-seat soccer complex in the Denver area that includes 24 lighted fields and is one of the largest soccer parks in the world.

Updated on Thursday, Apr 5, 2007 6:18 pm EDT

With their stadium sponsored by a known sporting goods store why don't they call themselves the "Denver Dicks"

Why do I hate it when they refer to teams such as "the liverpool soccer team" or 'London's arsenal soccer team", but it's intersting Manchester United need no description. :)

Tuesday, Apr 10

2:30 Man United v Roma (ESPN2)
5:00 Valencia v Chelsea (ESPN Classic - Delayed)

Wednesday, Apr 11

2:30 Bayern Munich v AC Milan (ESPN2)
5:00 Liverpool v PSV (ESPN Classic - Delayed)

Fans clash with police at Man Utd

Police quickly calmed the situation
Police and Roma supporters have been involved in a minor scuffle outside Old Trafford ahead of the Champions League match against Manchester United.

"There are lots of security personnel and extra police cars and vans around the stadium," he said.

"It has been classified as a Category C match which is the highest alert there is for a match at Old Trafford. It is on a par with a home match against Liverpool."

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/6538695.stm

I'm sure uefa will find a way to blame the English team even though the united fans are still in the pub.

Anybody see the full text of the interview with Eric Wynalda that got him a 2 week suspension?

Awesome.

Part One

Part Two

WOW! Smudger starts is first match in 15 months…a big game to get a start but if anyone has passion it's Alan Smith. Smith and Rooney up front is enough to make any defense nervous.

3-0 3-0 Only 20 minutes gone, and here's me at work. I hope some kind soul on this board is recording it on dvd and will take pity on poor old mank stuck here in 'rainy'…yes 'rainy' west palm beach!! I'll pay for postage.

And Mourinho is losing!!

A good day all round really. 4-0 up at halftime and Morono 45 minutes away from elimination.

wow, just wow

haha, i just checked the score and came right here

i blame the refs ;)

Surprising what happens with an impartial ref!

I've got live text going on three different websites and the ref has not been mentioned once on any of them.