Long Hiatus

Been a while since I've been here - getting burned out from the World Cup - trying to post a bunch of junk and failing miserably. Just too many things going on at work/home/etc.

There's been so much going on that I've wanted to comment on over the last month or so (LFC.TV's 100 PTSTK, new LFC signings, games, Schummacher, and a of course a bunch of politics) but just not having the time!

Ultimately I've dragged in a friend from work to give me a extra pair of eyes (and hands) to keep this blog more regular, a Robin for my Batman or perhaps more appropriately: "Fiber" for my "Bowels"!!!

I couldn't convince him to switch his handle from SuperCoolPete (a reference from Reservoir Dogs he assures me and not some "pimped up" name) to Slurpee, but I'm close to convincing an old friend to take on the task.

SCPete (who is the one who first told me about the whole 'blogging thing') also has some blogs that are even more poorly served than my meager attempts, so we're talking about intergrating some of that.

Slurpee's insisting that he wants to blog on animation, sci-fi and more tech stuff, (is it a wonder he's okay with keeping the anon. "Slurpee") so that might have to be added later.

Further to that we welcome anyone else who wants to join our eclectic tribe: male or female, neo con or nutty leftie!!! You'll have to be a regular in the comments though - so we get to know you a little better, and no there won't be any a "Hunk of the Day", so if that puts off some of you ladies then so be it.

I'm still toying with the idea with doing a crash course with CSS so I can make this all a little more manageable, but since time is already short, we'll probably muddle our way through this for now.

When will this all start up again I'm not sure, but hopefully before the end of the month, and then bring on the roughage and get this working with more regularity!

2MarsBars

Latest Score: Argentina - Germany

Well it's another one of those games where I don't care too much who wins. Mostly because I hope England will make the finals and I'm sure that either of these two will be there also.

I guess Argentina has the edge, we've done well against the Germans in recent years (although winning against them in Germany would have a lot of symitry with '66). However, Argentina's always been one that the English love to hate, ever since Dirty Diego's goal in '86 and then intensified after Simone's theatrics in '98.

Personally I can't stand Maradona, he may have been a good player once, but he was always a cheat and a druggie loser. So dispite what he recently said about Rooney, just the fact that he's there as a cheerleader would make it twice as sweet if England beat them.

Of course losing to them would be a disaster - I'd rather go out to Brazil or France than go through that.



Into overtime now - I hope it goes all the way to penalties, it's always horrible to lose on penalties, and little pride to progress on a win on penalties.

Vodka for Stiffs

When I die I want to donate my body for medical research. So long as it's the hospital where this video is taken.

Of course I'd need a stiff drink of Vodka first (NSFW)

GYKO :: Get Your Kit Off

There's one thing that I love about the World Cup season (other than, of course, the footie) and that is the parade of women scantally dressed or body painted in football kits.

Click on the above image to see the all of Monika Vesela pics (definately NSFW).

What the Chinese Watch...

...when they fail to make the World Cup.

They may not have qualified for the world cup, but that didn't stop the people at Esquire's Chinese Edition putting on a pretty tasty spread. I've got to say I'm not into women's footie, but this I could look at all day:



Some pretty tasty tackles too:



More pictures here.

Still Hope

I’ve been asked a lot lately by my American friends and colleagues if it is all over now for the USA at this year’s World Cup.

The simple answer is no! …However qualifying for the knock-out rounds will be tricky.

On paper the USA were in the second hardest group in the tournament (Group C had the honour of being named this year’s “Group of Death”) but with Serbia’s capitulation at the hands of its group’s top two teams, the USA’s group (E) inherited the mattle and the “honour”! As if to prove this point, Group E is the only one where all four teams can still qualify and no team has secured moving on to the next round.


Here’s how the table currently stands:

Win Draw Loss GF GA GD Pts
Italy 1 1 0 3 1 +2 4
Czech 1 0 1 3 2 +1 3
Ghana 1 0 1 2 2 0 3
USA 0 1 1 1 4 -3 1
(GF = Goals For, GA = Goals Against, GD = Goal Difference)

With 3 points given for a win, 1 point for a draw/tie and 0 for a loss, a quick glance at the above table makes it clear that a fair number of permutations could happen. The only thing we can know for sure before the games are played is that the USA CANNOT claim top spot, other than that anything else can happen.


With all that said, what then do the USA have to do to qualify?

First and foremost the United States have to win against Ghana, without that simple result, no permutation can save them - anything less and the US will go home. However, in order to qualify for the next round the other game (Italy v Czech Republic) must go their way.


Here’s how it breaks down:
(These all assume a USA win against Ghana)

• Scenario 1: Italy win.
  Result: The USA qualify second (irrespective of the score lines)
  

• Scenario 2: Italy draw with the Czechs.
  Result: If this happens, the USA must win their game by a certain number of goals. That number can change depending of the what type of draw the Italians have (e.g. a ‘0-0’ or a ‘3-3’). Below are the score lines that the USA will need to secure to move on:
  
• Italy 0 – Czech Rep 0
  USA need to win by four goals (e.g. ‘4-0’, ‘5-1’, ‘6-2’, etc.)
• Italy 1 – Czech Rep 1
  As above.
• Italy 2 – Czech Rep 2
  This is where it starts to get a little tricky. The USA have to win by 4 goals, but score at least 5. So ‘4-0’ will see them go home, but ‘5-1’, ‘6-2’, etc. will see them advance.
• Italy 3 – Czech Rep 3
  The USA have to win by 4 goals, but score at least 6. So ‘4-0’ & ‘5-1’ will see them go home, but ‘6-2’, ‘7-3’, etc. will see them advance.
• And so on…
  

• Scenario 3: Czech Republic beat Italy.
  Result: If this happens, the USA must still win their game by a certain number of goals, or the Italians lose by a certain number. Essentially there needs to be a swing of 5 goals (with at least 3 of those scored by the USA to avoid the “coin-toss”.) Once again, below are the score lines that the USA will need to secure to move on:
  
  (Italy v Czech Republic score, followed by various USA v Ghana scores needed.)
  0-1 = 4-0, 5-1, 6-2, etc.
  1-2 = 5-1, 6-2, 7-2, etc.
  0-2 = 4-0, 5-1, 6-2, etc.
  2-3 = 5-1, 6-2, 7-2, etc.
  1-3 = 4-0, 5-1, 6-2, etc.
  0-3 = 4-0, 5-1, 6-2, etc.
  

What are the odds of any of this happening?

Well the high score lines are unlikely, but an Italian win and a win for the USA is certainly possible. The USA’s loss and the Ghana’s win against the Czechs don’t truly give as an indication how the game will go. The Czech team that played us was very different to the one who played Ghana, likewise the USA team that played in the first game were a shadow of the one that played Italy. Likewise Ghana will be missing both of their goal scorers through suspension.

Results: Italy will probably beat a weakened Czech Republic, and the USA if they play to their potential should dispose of Ghana.

It’s still a long shot, but yes there is hope...

Group B - Half Time

England are on top with a great goal from Joe Cole, which could've been doubled with shots by Lampard and Rooney. England have played better despite Gerrard being on the bench (rested on 1 yellow card). The weather (i.e. the heat, or lack thereof) is playing a big part of that for sure. the bigger news, perhaps, for England though is that Owen went off injured after just 4 minutes, with Crouch coming on. Expect to see Theo Walcott at some stage as Sven must surely not want to risk having Rooney play the whole game.

Meanwhile Trinidad's hopes are fading after giving up a goal to Paraguay. They now have to do the unlikely and put 3 goals past the South Americans and hope England hold their lead - there are other permitations, but they are just as unlikely as this one.

Half-Time Results:

• England 1 - Sweden 0
• TNT 0 - Paraguay 1

England v Sweden - Second Half:

• 51 mins: Goal 1-1 - Markus Allback equalised for the Scandinavians. Could England, yet again, fail to beat Sweden!? A draw at least will see them top, but a win will give the team more confidence.
• 56 mins: Ferdinand off in place of Sol Campbell. An odd subsitution unless Rio is injured or Sven wants to give Sol some playing time. Perhaps the critism about Ferdinand not going in for the tackle has made Errikson think that he needs the more aggressive Campbell against these Swedes.
• 69 mins: Interestingly Sven brings on Gerrard for Rooney, resting the play that he must and bringing on an aggresive midfielder. Of course if anyone can take control of a game, Gerrard can. Of course he must be careful (along with Lampard) not to get a yellow. Sven thinking must be that he wants to try for the win, but by having the midfielder he wants to sure up the game for at least a draw. Some good desicions here - is this the same Sven!?
• 76 mins: Hargreaves joins Gerrard and Lampard with a yellow card.
• 85 mins: GOAL 2-1 - It pays off as Gerrard heads in the ball from a Joe Cole cross. The man is just pure legend!
• 90+1 mins: Goal 2-2 - Aaarrgggghhhhh! Right at the death Sweden pull one back. England look destined to never beat Sweden! Surely the last goal of the game and unsurprisingly scored by that man Larsson.
  
• Full-Time: The game ends 2-2, and both teams go through to the next round (although with Trinidad being 2-0 down against Paraguay that was always going to be the case), with England taking top spot. Yet again Sweden avoid defeat to England and Sven will probably be the happiest man in the stadium, however, a lot of that must be down to Steven Gerrard who is now the leading goal scorer for England, perhaps resting Lampard for the next game might be a good idea.
  
  So England go on to face an impressive Ecuador team on June 25, while Sweden will have to beat the hosts a day earlier to make it to the quarter-finals.
  

Group A - Final Word

Well I was wrong: Germany destoryed Ecuador, keeping a clean sheet to boot, while Poland saved some face by despensing with Costa Rica.

Costa Rica now sit rock bottom with 0 points and -6 goal difference, they'll have to hope for a heavy loss for the Iranians or Togo to avoid going into the record books as being the worst team (statistically) in this year's World Cup. Germany and Ecuador can now sit back and see who they will be facing in the next round; England or Sweden for Ecuador, while Germany have to possibility of also facing Trinidad.

Final Round

Eight teams have qualified for the last 16 from 6 groups (all with 6pts), while seven teams have already been eliminated from 5 groups (all with 0pts), but no team has yet won their group. This means that there are still 17 teams fighting for the place in the last 16, a fight that begins today with Group A and Group B (featuring England) and going on until Friday.

In group A Germany and Ecuador have already qualified, so all that is left to decide is who is going to finish top and have the 'supposedly' easier game in the last 16 knock-out round, while Poland will be playing Costa Rica to see who avoids ending up with the group's wooden spoon.

In group B England are already through, but need at least a draw against Sweden to claim top spot, while Sweden need at least a draw to guarantee qualifying for the next stage. TNT will need to beat Paraguay and hope that England with a net goal difference of +3. Meanwhile Paraguay will want to avoid the wooden spoon by beating Trinidad.


My Predictions:

• Group A:
  Ecuador will beat the home team, exposing the German's weaker defense.
  Costa Rica will rediscover the form that put two goals past Germany in the opener while Poland will go home with the heads held in shame.
  
  
• Group B:
  As much as I want England to win we just don't seem to be able to beat Sweden, so a draw or a loss is most likely. However, with Rooney playing from the start, I'm hoping that it will kick start this England team and give us a resounding victory.
  As for TNT, I'm hoping they can upset the South Americans and pull off a win (together with an unlike England mauling of Sweden) will see the islanders qualify ahead of Sweden - nice! More likely though Paraguay will win regaining some pride.
  

Games with World Cup Footie Themes

Ever been stuck at you computer for hours on end playing that stupid bejewelled game - where here's a footie version, just in time for the world cup.

Liverpool 2 - TNT 0

Not sure what to say about this game that hasn't already been said below. Only two goals against a team that should have been well beat. Ultimately the record will show:

• England
  Played: 2
  Won: 2
  Conceeded: 0

But the truth is that we were dire and anyone watching the game will no longer feel that England have any right to call themselves one of the favourites. Hopefully Sweden will draw again and England will, almost undeservedly, claim top stop in the group. More likely Paraguay will go one step further than TNT and beat Sweden meaning England will need at least a draw against the Scandinavians to secure the top slot (i.e. no resting of key players and no experimenting.)

Brazil v England

It's just before the England v Brazil match. Ronaldinho goes into the Brazilian changing room to find all his team-mates looking a bit glum.

"What's up?" he asks."Well, we're having trouble getting motivated for this game. We know it's important but it's only England. They're sh*te and we can't be bothered."

Ronaldinho looks at them and says "Well, I reckon I can beat them by myself-you lads go down the pub."

So Ronaldinho goes out to play England by himself and the rest of the Brazilian team go off for a few jars. After a few pints they wonder how the game is going, so they get the landlord to put the teletext on. A big cheer goes up as the screen reads "Brazil 1 - England 0 (Ronaldinho 10 minutes)".

He is beating England all by himself!

A few pints later and the game is forgotten until someone remembers "It must be full time now, let's see how he got on." They put the teletext on. "Result from the Stadium 'Brazil 1 (Ronaldinho 10 minutes) - England 1 (Lampard 89 minutes)." They can't believe it; he has single-handedly got a draw against England!!

They rush back to the Stadium to congratulate Ronaldinho. They find him in the dressing room, still in his gear, sitting with his head in his hands. He refuses to look at them. "I've let you down, I've let you down."

"Don't be daft, you got a draw against England, all by yourself. And they only scored at the very, very end!" "No, no, I have, I've let you down ... I got sent off after 12 minutes"

England v Trinidad & Tobago - Half-Time

England have dominated much of the first half of this game, with Carragher getting a lot of the ball, more than abily standing in for the crocked Neville. However, 62% of possession and 13 shots on target have still now enabled England to score a goal. There have been some terrible misses, like Crouch's on 44 minutes when he volley's well wide instead of taking control of the ball and placing his shot.

TNT end the half by giving England a scare by going close to openning the scoring. Thankfully, John Terry was on hand to clear from the goal-line.

Better stuff still in hope for from England, who may choose to introduce Rooney at little sooner than expected.

An ominous statistic is that England have failed to score in the second half of their last eight World Cup games!

Second Half:

• 56 mins: Another yellow card Trinidad (that's 5 now), you've got to wonder if this really the right kind of game that you want to bring Rooney back into.
  
  
• 58 mins: Well the Swede's run out of ideas and has given into pressure by replacing Owen (who just missed a guilt-edged header) with Shrek.
  
  More perplexing though is that Jamie Carragher has been replaced by Aaron Lennon - I guess the Swede does have ideas...just bad ones!
  
  
• 64 mins: Lampard becomes the first Englishman to enter the book, recieving a yellow for a tackle from behind on Sancho.
  
  
• 70 mins: Another shot, this time by Beckham, which takes England's tally to 17, with their possession increasing to 65%. Still they have nothing to show for it and have just twenty minutes left (plus stoppage-time) to avoid a humilliating result.
  
  
• 75 mins: Sven makes his final substitution taking off Joe Cole and replacing him with Steward Downing.
  
  
• 80 mins: Ten minutes left and Sven is really being caught out for what he is - we'll be well shot of him after this World Cup - just die coaching decisions.
  
  
• 81 mins: Shouts of "Ole!" from the crowd as the ball is being played around with great one-touch football....by TNT!
  
  Do we have to wait until after we are out to fire a coach!?
  
  
• 83 mins: GOAL! (England 1 - TNT 0) Crouch saves Sven's hide by netting off a cross from Captain Beckham. That strike doubles the amount of goals scored in the whole of Group B!
  
  The goal will go someway to releiving the fans, but don't expect them to be happy after 90+ minutes!
  
  
• 90+1 mins: GOAL! (England 2 - TNT 0) Gerrrard joins his Liverpool team mate on the scoring sheet with a fantastic left-footed shot into the upper-left corner giveing Shaka Hislop no chance!
  
  
• FULL-TIME: That's full-time and England have made it into the next round by the skins of their teeth. the 2-0 goal-line is barely respectable with both goals coming in the last 7 minutes. Still at least they suceed where Sweden failed.
  

FIFA World Cup - Germany 2006 Highlights

Highlights of some the first group games in this years FIFA World Cup finals:

Ablett to Cross Back Over Stanley Park?

The Liverpool Echo's Chris Bascombe reports:

Gary Ablett has emerged as a shock new candidate for the vacant Liverpool reserve manager post.

The former Anfield and Goodison defender, who's spent recent years working with the Everton Academy and reserve sides, is among several top names being considered for a switch across Stanley Park.

Numerous high profile candidates have arisen in recent weeks, including several former players such as Gary McAllister and Mauricio Pellegrino (please no!).

Manager Rafa Benitez has limited his quest for a coach to candidates with an understanding of the traditions of the club, which is why, as an ex-Red working in the region, Ablett's name is currently under review.

Should Liverpool press ahead with an official approach for Ablett, it would be the second time in his career he's made such a move between the Merseyside giants, having also swopped loyalties during his playing career.

A regular in Kenny Dalglish's title winning team of 1988 and 1990, Ablett was sold to Everton by Graeme Souness in 1992.

After a distinguished playing career, which also included a stint at Birmingham City and a spell playing in the United States, Ablett moved into coaching and has been a key member of David Moyes' back-room team.

Ablett certainly has the coaching talent required to make the step-up, and would seem particularly well suited to a job which is now more about developing young talent than dealing with high profile names on the fringe of the first team.

Ablett also recently completed the distinguished UEFA 'A' coaching licence, having first joined the Goodison set-up in 2002.

Whoever gets the job will take on part of the role left by Paco Herrera, who has now officially left the club.

The scouting role vacated by Herrera has now been filled by former Valencia coach Eduardo Macia, who has now arrived on Merseyside to begin his duties.

I've only one point to add to this: surely Pellegrino is not an option, how does he fit into the who is a "candidate with an understanding of the traditions of the club" - he was barely at the club and hardly played.

Surely if this is the way to go look towards The Kaiser. Rather than let Hamann leave for Bolton, let him stay on as a player/coach. I can really see Hamann becoming a decent coach and think he would be great doing that at Liverpool, perhaps taking over from Rafa when The Magician decides to move on/retire.

Folwer: Credit the England Players not the Coach

Robbie Folwer believes that if England go on to win the World Cup it will in spite of Sven Gn Erikson's coaching, not because of it.

Fowler told the Liverpool Echo:

You can't escape the feeling that something isn't right and that must come down to the manager. I've nothing personal against Eriksson - despite playing under him for a few years, I barely know him - these are just concerns I know many fans have.

I would love nothing more than to see England triumph in Berlin on July 9 yet can we rely on Eriksson to make the right decisions at the right times when the competition enters the knockout stages?"

Fowler was also bemused by some of the tactical decisions made by Eriksson during the Paraguay match.

Michael Owen might have had better games than he had in Frankfurt but, even still, the decision to substitute him was a curious one. Michael is a world-class player and a world-class finisher who is always likely to get you a goal out of nothing.

He has just had 17 weeks off with a broken foot and is fighting his way back to fitness and needs all the minutes on the pitch he can get. Why, then, drag him off when England were in control and retreat into a defensive shell?

Fowler also criticised Eriksson's deployment of club-mate Steven Gerrard. The Liverpool captain has been an inspiration for Liverpool forcing Liverpool to victories with his attacking style and scoring important goals. However, for England, Erikson has him playing a much more reserved role.

I can't understand why Eriksson doesn't allow Stevie to do for his country what he does so magnificently for Liverpool. Think of all the midfielders playing in the tournament and then try to name two or three better than Stevie. Almost impossible.

I just can't fathom why Eriksson continues to place so much defensive responsibility on him.

None of this stuff is really anything new, many fans feel Erikson lacks tactical knowledge and is not getting the best out of his England squad. Calling up Walcott was just one more perplexing decision by the Swede. The problem really lies, however, is when England look short they are just instucted/encouraged to revert back to a long-ball game that rearely works at the top level.

Erickson inherited one of the best squads England has ever had, I would think only Graham Taylor would be worse. Let's just hope that they players pick up things themselves and tackle the games the way they KNOW they should be handled.

SHC (World Cup Edition) :: Magdalena Wrobel (POL)

Poor old Poland, a humiliating loss in the first game to Ecuador made worse by a lose to neighbours and home nation Germany, add to the fact that they were holding their own until the 75 minute when they were forced to play out the final 15 minutes with only ten men. Cruelly the winning goal was scored in injury time, leaving the Poles all but out of this years World Cup (a win by Ecuador against Costa Rica tomorrow will confirm that).

Still console yourselves with being the homeland and birthplace of one of the most beautiful women in the world as I give you Magdalena Wrobel representing Poland in this years Super Hot Chick - World Cup Edition.

USA 0 - Czech Republic 3

• In the USA this game was as the battle between the second best team in the World (Czech Rep) and the fifth (USA) - thanks once again to our belovedly inacurate FIFA rankings!
• The rest of the world saw it as a game that the USA must try to at least draw to have any realistic chance of getting through a group that also includes the experienced Italians.

Ultimately the American's found themselves down by two goals by the end of the half (which would probably have left and Yankee new to the WC perplexed as to how two 'closely' matched teams could not at least be drawing). Even without goal scorer (and Euro '04 Golden Boot winner) Milan Baros (injured), the Czexh Republic have a squad worthy of challenging this year and goals by two of their stars the ever reliable Jan Koller after 5 minutes and another by the up-and-coming Tomas Rosicky ten minutes from half-time.

Joy for the Czechs undoubtly disappeared, however, when they saw their talisman stricker stretched off the field just before half time. One must think that the Czech will be hoping that if Koller isn't fit for their next game then Baros will be.

With Vratislav Lokvenc on for Koller there may have just been a little hope in the USA team who were having the lion's share of possession. However, the USA only having one shot on goal to the Czechs four it was inevitable that the Eurpoeans would add to their tally, and Rosicky scored his second on 76 minutes. At this point a draw was beyond all possibilities and damage control took over; goal difference could play a big part in this group if the USA manage a draw with the Italians, and 3-0 would be the biggest goal difference in the tournament thus far.

The US, however, fell flat and ended the game without a goal. On the other hand, the Czechs start the group well and will be pleased with a strong win, that will instill confidence and give them a great chance to top this group. Rosikcy joins the quartet of Bravo (MEX), Cahill (AUS), Klose (GER) and Paulo Wanchope (CRC) at the top of the forwards wable with his brace. Their only concern now, however, will be the extent of the injury to Koller and how many (if any) games he will miss.

Match Photos: 1 2 | Highlights Video | Virtual Replay

Match Reports:

• FIFA
• Sporting Life
• BBC

+10

I love this Ad, it's one of the best out there at the moment, there are some additions to it which I'll try to post later.


Here's the second one, I love how Jose gets on the professionals' cases when they mess up. The first vid, where he puts Defoe in goal, puts smiles on the players faces, but I love his save in the second vid. Only one question though, if you have Platini and Beckenbauer, why not the two greatest players that have lived: Pele and Dalglish!?