Soccer from the Pundit

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Setbacks for Chelsea and Liverpool
2007-09-16 12:30:00
Rafael Benitez stood by his decision to bench his big stars after his side were held a goalless draw against Portsmouth. The absence of Steven Gerrard, Fernando Torres and Markus Babel left Liver pool struggling to find its rhythm. Nevertheless, Liverpool maintain their unbeaten start to the season.Portsmouth were unlucky to draw the match as Jose Reina first-half penalty save denied them the three points. The Spaniard was instrumental in preventing an embarrassing loss for Liverpool.Overall, chances were few and far in between. Not even after the arrival of Gerrard and Torres in the second half could Liverpool overturn the result.Meanwhile, Chelsea were left to rue a controversial offside decision in their goalless draw against Blackburn. The Blues thought they had taken the lead in the 58th minute when Salomon Kalou slotted home, but they were to be denied by a dubious offside flag as Blackburn held on for a point.Chelsea had found the going tough at first but, having found their r...

Manchester scrape by with a 1-0 win against Everton
2007-09-16 10:55:00
Manchester United were lucky to seal a win against Everton . After draws with Portsmouth, Reading and Manchester City, it managed to return to winning ways with 1-0 victories against Tottenham and Sunderland.In this match, the same thing happened. The football wasn't pretty. Missing were the fluent passing and attacking brilliance of last season. But call it what you like, sheer luck or the winner's mentality, it is three points in the bag, so no complains there.Much was expected of Cristiano Ronaldo as he returned after a 3-match suspension but he did not have significant impact on the game, possibly due to the fact that he was played out of position by slotting into a striker's role like Tevez.It looked like a lost cause until the goal from Nemanja Vidic as Alex Ferguson has exhausted all his attacking options. Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes were throw into the fray and between Nani, Tevez, Ronaldo and Saha, none of them could muster a goal. It was up to a defender to breach Everto...
More About: Manchester , Vert , Chester

Monaco Rare Coin Dealer
2007-09-15 06:12:00
For the uninitiated, investing in rare coins seems incomprehensible. There are already enough investment opportunities like stocks, real estate, funds to deal with, so where is the spare cash to splurge on rare coins?But there are advantages to holding tangible assets. Firstly, rare coins offer significant profit potential above the price appreciation of the underlying metal in the coins. From 1982 to 1989, there was a 600% appreciation and in today's terms, a return to previous highs will yield 300%.There are limited supplies of rare coins available but increasing demand for those coins. As such, rare coin pricing is not so dependent on the fluctuations of gold and silver prices, but more on the scarcity of the coin and collectors' interest.If you are interested in building a world class rare coin portfolio with exceptional appreciation potential without bursting your budget, you have to come to Mona co Rare Coin . They have been the specialist in precious metals investments for ne...
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Ballack Not For Sale
2007-09-15 03:37:00
Speculation about Ballack's future has been rife since he was left out of Chelsea's squad for the UEFA Champions League.Real Madrid coach Bernd Schuster revealed this week that he had tried to sign Ballack over the summer, and added that 'the door was not closed' on a move for the German. However, Kenyon has told Europe's top clubs that Ballack will not be going anywhere when the transfer window reopens. "We should kill that one, not just for now but for January," said Kenyon."Any suggestion of a transfer in January is rubbish. That is just something that is not helpful to the player or the club and we should concentrate on the facts."Peter Kenyon maintains that Ballack's ankle injury was the sole reason for his omission from the Champions League squad. "There have been no discussions. The decision to leave Michael out of the squad is purely medical. "There is no confusion, absolutely no confusion. The situation is very clear, he's injured. He's been injured for close to ...
More About: For Sale , Sale , Lack , Alla

Should England Persist With This Team for Euro 08?
2007-09-13 15:07:00
Guus Hiddink's men were supposed to dismantle the make-shift England 's team and gave McClaren a lesson in soccer. Turns out that England demolished the Russians with a 3-0 result instead.Once again, Gareth Barry gave a credible performance and the long-awaited return of Michael Owen has rekindled England's hopes of a major trophy since 1966. The worry that Owen's poacher's instinct and accuracy in front of goal were eroded by his injuries has dissipated over the last week as the goals start flowing.Rooney will have to prove that he is still the premiere choice after he returns from injury as the Owen-Heskey combination now looks very good on paper. However, remember that the David-Goliath pair-up was used before and can be ineffective when the opponents got to studying and exploiting the weakness. A rotation involving all three strikers, with Peter Crouch making cameo appearances, will be a much better option.Micah Richards was effective in blocking the Russian's attack down t...
More About: Euro , Team

Baseball Equipment For Your Kids
2007-09-13 13:09:00
It is difficult (and unsafe) to play a game of baseball without the proper equipment. For a start, you will need bats, gloves and helmets; once you have adorned yourself with all these stuff, you are ready to rock.When choosing a bat, be sure that it is not too long for you. A general check is to place it on the floor and the bat should come up to your waist. As you practice swinging, get a feel of the weight. You do not want a pendulous bat as it may affect your swing and even result in injuries. Neither can it be too light as you will not be able to deliver power shots.Make sure the grip is comfortable too, this is important as you may be holding on to the bat for hours in a training session, and you do not want to drop the bat when striking the ball.Base ball helmets are also essential. You will be glad you are wearing a helmet when faced with a pitcher with an errant throw. Helmets come in all sizes and colors. Pick one that you like but it should not be too big that it slips for...
More About: Kids , Equipment

NFL Jersey from Franklin Sports Team
2007-09-13 01:21:00
Soccer has never managed to catch on in America. For now, it seems that the women's team is dominating the world rather than the men. However, the situation for football is vastly different; it is already one of the most popular sports there. There is an enormous fan base, and it involves all age groups.Like soccer, football fans also love to show pride in their favorite teams, and what better way to let the world know what team you follow than to buy a NFL jersey.What is the attraction of a jersey? Well, you wear the name of your favorite player, it is like getting into the thick of action when you sport a piece of clothing worn by the professionals on the field. This makes jerseys one of the most popular items sold in sports stores.If you think only men are buying NFL jerseys, you are wrong. These days, women are not losing out in the support of their football idols. You will have noticed many women turning up at football games. Not surprisingly, more and more sports merchandise...
More About: Sports , Team , Jersey , Ports , Franklin

Afterthoughts on England vs Israel Match
2007-09-10 18:00:00
For Steve McClaeren's 13th match in charge of England , it is anything but unlucky for him. England coasted to a 3-0 victory over Israel . I wouldn't say that he has scored a tactical victory, it is more like circumstances forcing his hand and the set-pieces falling into place for him.With injuries to Wayne Rooney, David Beckham, Owen Hargreaves, Frank Lampard, Gary Neville, Ledley King, Aaron Lennon, Johnathan Woodgate and Wayne Bridge, he has his back against the wall and can only call on Gareth Barry.Fortunately, the Aston Villa captain turned out to be a revelation against Israel. His slick partnership with Steven Gerrard may have finally solved England's midfield troubles. If McClaren is not sleeping during the match, he should have realized that Lampard and Gerrard's partnership since 2004 is a failure and both players cannot be in the same team together.I think based on this performance, Barry should be featuring prominently in the rest of the qualifiers, even if Lampard re...
More About: Match

Arsene Wenger Stays On at Arsenal
2007-09-08 16:21:00
For Arsenal fans who are crapping their pants on the imminent departure of their manager, they can heave a sigh of relief. Wenger has made a strong commitment to Arsenal by putting pen to paper on a three-year contract extension till 2011.The contract had been due to expire at the end of the season and Wenger's future had been cast in doubt since the controversial departure of former vice-chairman and close friend David Dein in April.Wenger told the club's official website www.arsenal.com: "My heart is tied to this football club so signing a new deal was always my intention. Arsenal is the club of my life. I have been entrusted with complete freedom to implement and execute my plans on what will make the team successful and that means I have a responsibility to the fans to deliver silverware and also a responsibility to the players to help turn our potential into prizes.""This club has deep-seated roots and a tremendous heritage and it is my aim to uphold these important values an...
More About: Arsene Wenger , Stays

Low Cost Health Insurance
2007-09-06 01:13:00
Are you shopping for insurance on the net? Take a look at this web site(2insure4less.com); it provides low cost health insurance to consumers nationwide.The site is simple to use with clearly stated buttons like Auto, Home, Life, Health and so on. No problem for those who are computer illiterate. Once you have selected a particular area, you then enter some basic information and the site immediately displays a list of possible quotations for you to select from.In addition, they also want you to make the best informed decisions on insurance. There is a comprehensive learning center with articles, tips and tricks for saving money.If you’re a website owner with a readership based in the US you might want to consider signing up for the Affiliate program which has some attractive payouts.As I have been looking for homeowner insurance rates, I clicked the icon and filled up the form. The site then informs that the agents will contact me shortly.Some of you may not want to discuss insura...
More About: Insurance , Cost , Health Insurance , Low cost

Mourinho Predicts that Premier League will be close
2007-09-04 14:33:00
It is a very humbling experience to read of Jose Mourinho 's assessment of the Premiere League over the weekend. I mean, since he came onto the soccer scene, it is always other people's fault for Mourinho, so when he gives credit to others, we better sit up and listen.Mourinho has predicted that the Premier League will be closer than ever this season due to the improvements in several clubs, one of which is Aston Villa.His comments were prompted by a crashing defeat to Villa - a miserable hunting ground for Chelsea as Mourinho has yet to taste victory after three previous draws. Defeat cost Chelsea the chance to regain top spot in the table from Liverpool, who were the last side to defeat the Blues in the league back in January.Nevertheless, the Special One could be right. Proof of the competitive nature of the league comes from the fact that only Derby are yet to collect a three-point haul this season, while Manchester City are just a point from the summit having lost back-to-back...
More About: Close , Premier league , Predict

Wireclub.com Review
2007-09-04 14:03:00
If you want to increase your network of friends, hop over to Wireclub.comThe site offers a free blog and other free services such as dating and chatting. With over thousands of members (and still increasing), you should have no problem finding a friend who can share the fun and joy in your life. Maybe you can even meet the special someone through their chat service.The sign up process with wireclub is easy and you can start personalizing your profile for public viewing as soon as your registration is done.Look at the options available: General Chat, Dating Chat, Singles Chat, Sports Chat, Local Chat, and Music Chat which are the primary listed chat rooms. There are no limitations as to how many groups you can participate in. You can also create your own free chat rooms and use their instant messaging system to connect with your existing contacts and new friends.With so much to offer at no cost, Wireclub.com is the place to be!
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Saha put United back on track
2007-09-01 11:01:00
The summer transfer window closed and Manchester Unit ed failed to sign Dimitar Berbatov of Spurs and Bolton's Nicolas Anelka. This has left a glaring absence of quality strikers in Ferguson's lineup for the new season.The champions have struggled so far without Rooney and the suspended Ronaldo, managing just three goals in five Premiership games.Fergie admits Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's retirement this week was totally unexpected and is a big loss to the team, especially after releasing strikers Alan Smith and Giuseppe Rossi. But he is far from panicking."Ole's situation did create a problem for us because we thought he was on the way back when Smith and Rossi left but you have to get on with it," he said."We haven't scored too many, I agree. It is unusual considering the number of chances we are creating. But there are not a lot of goals around in the Premiership this season at all. However, we do still need more of cutting edge to our game."Now is as good a time as any for Louis S...
More About: Back , Track

Wenger staying on at Arsenal
2007-09-01 06:53:00
Arsene Wenger is happy with the team he has built so far, and he has no intention of leaving the club just yet. That is a huge relief for Arsenal fans especially since the departure of Thierry Henry.To be frank, Arsene has done a fantastic job without splashing crazy amount of cash in the transfer market. By grooming precocious talents like Cesc Fabregas, Robin van Persie and Kolo Toure into international stars, he has won over detractors with his reputation in spotting unpolished gems.So far, it has been a smooth start for Arsenal with an unbeaten league run and they have easily qualified for the Champions League group stages. And Wenger's recent comments may just be the slap in the face for Alex Ferguson who has spent an enormous amount of money for mediocre results."Nobody knows for how much longer people will continue to pump 40, 50 or 100 million pounds into football every year without natural resources and any dividends being paid back," Arsene said."There are many ways to wo...

Review of BackupHistory.com
2007-08-29 17:11:00
For most people, understanding the history of computer data backup may seem like a meaningless affair and they have better things to do than to look back into the past. That makes the treatment of historical data important as visitor's attention span in the site will be short.I have to say that BackupHistory.com has done a pretty good job though. The history of data backup was summarized in a concise and interesting manner. How it evolves from punched cards (yes, it was the first digital storage device) and magnetic tape reels to floppy disks, CDs, flash drives, Blu-ray discs to the emergence of network technologies with complex systems for remote backup storage.Towards the end, in their afternote, they also gave readers a timely reminder that made me realize that I too should be doing more backup than what i have done in the past, which is, once in a blue moon.Considering that 70% of business people have experienced data loss due to accidental deletion, disk or system failure, vir...
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Manchester United 1-0 Tottenham
2007-08-27 13:56:00
Manchester Unit ed eked out a 1-0 win over Tottenham with a spectacular 30-yard goal from young Portuguese talent Nani. This result put an end to their short spell in the relegation zone and lifted them to a respectable 10th spot in the league table.For a while, it didn't seem that they will be able to do so...An unconvincing display and two second half penalty appeals from Tottenham have a lot of United's fans crapping their pants. Tottenham was not able to capitalise on the abundant chances and have only themselves to blame."Manchester United were there for the taking. They didn't look comfortable or confident. Maybe we lacked a bit of cutting edge." Jol responded in an interview.Poor Martin Jol, with only 1 win from 25 matches, even the staunchest of his supporters will not bank on him qualifying for the Champions League and retaining his job. However, not all is lost as the signings Martin Jol made during the off-seasons looked promising. Berbatov was in the thick of action an...
More About: Manchester United , Manchester

Can the real Manchester step out?
2007-08-26 14:43:00
If the league title is decided tomorrow, Manchester United could be facing relegation as they are currently lying in the second last position. A bit of a topsy-turvy since Manchester City is sitting sweetly in second spot.For the younger fans, they are going to have a hard time remembering when United was so far down the table. Let's do a little recap then.The Red Devils were last relegated in 1973/74 season along with Norwich and Southampton. Bounced back immediately in 74/75, finishing third the following season 75/76. The lowest they ever dipped was 13th in 1989/90. That was the year Liverpool last won the top league.There is no doubt that Alex Ferguson is under immense pressure and his recent rant on boardroom 'hangers-on' for the high number of managerial casualties in the English game could be a way of shifting some of the scrutiny away from his team's performance.For that matter, Martin Jol is in an even more precarious position after meeting with chairman Daniel Levy ...
More About: Real , Step , Chester

Halloween Costumes from NFLUniformSet
2007-08-25 02:16:00
Halloween is a day when you go around dressed in costumes and go door-to-door to collect sweets, fruit, and other gifts (trick-or-treating). It is among the favorite holidays which my kid enjoys. It has a special allure for them, i guess a major reason that makes Halloween so wonderful is that you can dress up as any fantasy you want and have your persona accepted.Popular classics like transforming yourself into a Disney character, a fairy princess or a sexy witch and casting a spell over all who see you, or Frankenstein and company for the boys. Usually the scarier the better!If you are still undecided on what to buy for your kids this time round, why not consider a NFL uniform set by Franklin Sports for a Halloween costume? Dressing up doesn't have to be in fanciful or absurd outfit, it is possible to look good and different in sports Halloween Costumes too.NFL Uniform Set has a large variety and sizes of Halloween costumes. Your kids will enjoy wear...
More About: Halloween , Ween , Allo

Owen gives McClaren goal promise
2007-08-24 15:34:00
Steve McClar en is really in a hot seat these days. Recent results have not been encouraging and with next month's crucial Euro 2008 qualifiers against Israel and Russia looming, add to that the injuries to Wayne Rooney and suspension of Peter Crouch, he is in desperate need of quality strikers.He can "bank on" Michael Owen though as the striker has insisted that he will be back to his best in time to score the goals that will help save Steve McClaren's job.McClaren desperately needs Owen to recapture the form that made him one of Europe's most feared strikers. Israel and Russia are certain to take a defensive approach and they would be happy with a draw at Wembley and it is Owen who will shoulder the burden of providing England's cutting edge.Owen's performance against Germany, in the midweek 2-1 defeat, will hardly have filled McClaren with confidence. For a striker who hasn't scored a club goal since December 2005, he looked rusty in front of goal and squandered two chances...
More About: Goal , Promise

Soccer Nets and Equipment
2007-08-24 13:36:00
After i purchased a Soccer Goal from SoccerGoalzInc recently for my kid and he is absolutely hooked on it, i will like to give more information on the product.The kit, when fully assembled stands at 6 ft high by 12-ft wide with heavy-duty galvanized steel tubing. Not much problem assembling as the precision locking pins make it an easy and secure affair. Frankly speaking, you can't really go wrong with the setup if you use all the parts, it is nearly idiot-proof. No tools required except your hands, me and my son took all of 20 minutes to get everything in order.The soccer net is an all weather 4" x 4" PE net suitable for tournament level play. Most nets are made with twisted polyethylene material, which is very durable, in either 2 mm or 4mm. For older kids, it is advisable to use 4mm net else it is apt to break more easily after a few sessions.If you have a backyard soccer area you can find soccer nets on the cheaper side as you will not be using them with the same type of force ...
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