Hey everyone, I am back, safe and alive. Eight days away, flights across the country, and jet lag have been mine. I am pretty much recovered, and ready to go again... but not today.
I just got back from the first soccer I played in a week. The mist was hanging heavy in the air, the grass was wet, the mud was flying, but I felt like I could run forever. Nothing fights quitting cigarettes like exercise.
In case you missed it, someone else was flying around a pitch today battling it out. Manchester United bit the dust. Barcelona flew high. Highlights follow:
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Death in the Family
Hey ya'll, I have to head out of a town because of a death in the family. I will check back with ya'll in exactly one week.
Don't forget to go vote for the All-Star game. Remember that you should totally vote for David Beckham and Schellas Hyndman.
Don't forget to go vote for the All-Star game. Remember that you should totally vote for David Beckham and Schellas Hyndman.
Wednesday, May 13, 2009
In the Year 2000 – MLS Edition
Welcome to a very special Advantage Played with three special guests, Bruce Arena, Preki, and Nick Garcia
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
Chivas Guadalajara will no longer be now as Guadalajara, but Chivas Mexico.
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
An army of robotic David Beckham’s will hold crossing camps for MLS players.
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
Major League Soccer will no longer allow the throwing of streamers, only the throwing of Toronto FC Fans.
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
The Major League Soccer players union will decide that 12 thousand dollars a year is no longer enough and will demand higher pay.
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
In a shocking reversal, Major League Soccer will remove the salary cap and the English Premier League will impose one.
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
The English Premier League will decide that they are jealous of All-Star games and start one of their own. They will invite San Jose to be the first opponent.
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
Soccer will overtake baseball in popularity, but the shocking rise of handball will usurp them all.
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
Don Garber will officially decide just one Don is douchy and change his name to Don Don “Don” Garber
Add Your Own
Hey this is fun, give it a shot!
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
Chivas Guadalajara will no longer be now as Guadalajara, but Chivas Mexico.
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
An army of robotic David Beckham’s will hold crossing camps for MLS players.
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
Major League Soccer will no longer allow the throwing of streamers, only the throwing of Toronto FC Fans.
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
The Major League Soccer players union will decide that 12 thousand dollars a year is no longer enough and will demand higher pay.
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
In a shocking reversal, Major League Soccer will remove the salary cap and the English Premier League will impose one.
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
The English Premier League will decide that they are jealous of All-Star games and start one of their own. They will invite San Jose to be the first opponent.
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
Soccer will overtake baseball in popularity, but the shocking rise of handball will usurp them all.
In the year two thousand. In the year two thousaaaaaaaaaaand.
Don Garber will officially decide just one Don is douchy and change his name to Don Don “Don” Garber
Add Your Own
Hey this is fun, give it a shot!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
The Philosophy Behind Advantage Played
Have you ever wondered why I format and write like I do? Well probably not, so this only counts as a half update. I wrote a guest blog post over at my buddies blog that focuses on the internet, marketing, and usability.
Go check out the Advantage Played philosophy.
And here is some soccer so this does not totally bore you.
Another RSL Commerical
FCD Juniors
Go check out the Advantage Played philosophy.
And here is some soccer so this does not totally bore you.
Another RSL Commerical
FCD Juniors
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Running Away With It: CD Chivas USA
Another weekend of games gone by, another group of mixed results for most Major League Soccer teams. This weekend (8th – 10th) saw three ties that held leaders and the teams chasing the leaders in place.
DC 3 Toronto 3
Highlights
New England 1 Chicago 1
LA Galaxy 1 Seatle 1
A round of Wednesday games saw two more ties. While DC United held onto the top of the East and KC decided they would rather muck around in mediocrity than step to the top, both teams could not muster the quality to grab the season around the neck and throttle it.
Despite Real Salt Lakes earlier demolishing of New England, it is obvious they still have a lot of room for growth. RSL is one of my favorite teams to watch. Jason Kries has gathered a diverse and likable group of players who play a fun and attractive style of football. However, they cannot find the key to footballing success, consistency.
Consistency with Consistent Injuries
There is only one team so far this season who has embraced consistency, even in the face of adversity. In case you haven’t noticed, there is a paradigm shift in progress. Despite injuries to key personal that could have been used as an excuse for failure, Chivas USA threatens to run away with the Supporter’s Shield before the season has even really started.
But Graham you say, isn’t it way to early in the season to say that? There are so many games to play, drama that is bound to unfold, and 100 degree surfaces still to play on. Of course you are right, but Chivas is setting up to go where no Major League Soccer team has gone before.
An Unlikely Hero in Goal
I admit it. I’ve asked “Snack” Zach Thorton if he remembered to wear his training bra to a Wizard’s game. But Zach has answered my questions with a display of skill and guile that I did not see coming. He lost 15 - 20 lbs during the off season, is training in crazy new ways, has come out of the gates fit, lean, mean, and playing in a way I never believed he could.
With six shutouts, Zach is leading Chivas to the top. He has kept Chivas 5-0 at home. Best of all, he has only allowed three goals in the first nine games, a league record.
Preki: He Knows What He’s Doing
I previously featured an article on Preki in which I praised his past and his future. He’s not letting me down. Preki has been in Major League Soccer for a long time and he understand how to work within the system. Preki succeeds where coaches like John Carver fail.
I love watching Chivas play. They have a team filled with young, smart sharp shooters. As they win, they build up MLS in the eyes of Hispanic soccer fans. Their success is good for everyone (except when you play them).
Now if only Kljestan hadn’t grown a molester mustache.
Yes that's totally Kljestan and not an image search results for molester mustache
DC 3 Toronto 3
Highlights
New England 1 Chicago 1
LA Galaxy 1 Seatle 1
A round of Wednesday games saw two more ties. While DC United held onto the top of the East and KC decided they would rather muck around in mediocrity than step to the top, both teams could not muster the quality to grab the season around the neck and throttle it.
Despite Real Salt Lakes earlier demolishing of New England, it is obvious they still have a lot of room for growth. RSL is one of my favorite teams to watch. Jason Kries has gathered a diverse and likable group of players who play a fun and attractive style of football. However, they cannot find the key to footballing success, consistency.
Consistency with Consistent Injuries
There is only one team so far this season who has embraced consistency, even in the face of adversity. In case you haven’t noticed, there is a paradigm shift in progress. Despite injuries to key personal that could have been used as an excuse for failure, Chivas USA threatens to run away with the Supporter’s Shield before the season has even really started.
But Graham you say, isn’t it way to early in the season to say that? There are so many games to play, drama that is bound to unfold, and 100 degree surfaces still to play on. Of course you are right, but Chivas is setting up to go where no Major League Soccer team has gone before.
An Unlikely Hero in Goal
I admit it. I’ve asked “Snack” Zach Thorton if he remembered to wear his training bra to a Wizard’s game. But Zach has answered my questions with a display of skill and guile that I did not see coming. He lost 15 - 20 lbs during the off season, is training in crazy new ways, has come out of the gates fit, lean, mean, and playing in a way I never believed he could.
With six shutouts, Zach is leading Chivas to the top. He has kept Chivas 5-0 at home. Best of all, he has only allowed three goals in the first nine games, a league record.
Preki: He Knows What He’s Doing
I previously featured an article on Preki in which I praised his past and his future. He’s not letting me down. Preki has been in Major League Soccer for a long time and he understand how to work within the system. Preki succeeds where coaches like John Carver fail.
I love watching Chivas play. They have a team filled with young, smart sharp shooters. As they win, they build up MLS in the eyes of Hispanic soccer fans. Their success is good for everyone (except when you play them).
Now if only Kljestan hadn’t grown a molester mustache.
Yes that's totally Kljestan and not an image search results for molester mustache
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
How To: Watch Soccer Online
There comes a time in everyone’s life who is either in college, doesn’t have the money to pay for multiple TV packages, or is just too damn lazy, that they want to watch some soccer online. Yes this may mean that you have to watch a game in quality so low the ball disappears into the certain parts of the grass and you have to guess where it is by where the pixilated players are perusing.
But that’s soccer on the internet. Sometimes there is no option but to go online to a place that combines the joy of information with the fun of typing (thanks Jon Stewart). As a former poor college student and now as a young professional still too poor to afford a nice TV and some expensive extended cable there is only one choice: the internet.
Here are the four primary methods of watching games.
MLS Direct Kick
There really isn’t a better deal than MLS Direct Kick. 20 dollars for a full season pass gets you hundreds of games. I love being able to spend a whole Saturday parked on my couch switching from game to game. Sure there are downsides. At times, Direct Kick is incredibly frustrating and annoying. Your team is about to play and for no reason and with no notice the game isn’t there.
Instead of communicating, Direct Kick just takes down the “Watch Live” links and laughs inside their Major League Baseball dugout as Big Soccer goes crazy and fans try to enjoy a game by reading match trackers.
Take advantage of Big Soccer going crazy when the game doesn’t work. Visit both teams in game thread. There is a 90% chance someone will post a link where you can watch it.
Justin.tv
Justin TV really is the bomb. If you can’t find a game or it is blacked out on MLS Direct Kick go to Justin TV and search for a team name. Sure you’ll have to listen to the game in Spanish in grainy vision but most of the time that’s waaay better than the American announcers.
Veetle
Now here is a high quality option. Veetle.com is a high quality streaming service that uses very little bandwidth. I am amazed by how good these games look. There is usually a 24/7 stream of Fox Soccer Channel available as well as spotty coverage of Sentanta sports. Warning: some of these stream seem to have been taken down recently. Keep watching the space though.
Myp2p.eu
I used to visit Myp2p.eu all the time to get live game schedules. They have great links to pretty much every live sport and live game ever. These links almost all use 3rd party streaming tools. You will have varied luck. It’s free of viruses though, and great for international and rare soccer. Oh and if you like rugby they have 24/7 rugby channel.
Mininova
I don't have the time to watch English Premier League games but I still like to follow along with the rest of the world. That's why every weekend I take two hours to watch Match of the Day and Match of the Day 2. Match of the Day summarizes all the EPL play in just an hour. They do a great job of being droll and still serving up a great review show. Follow my tweets and I'll send you the mininova links every Saturday and Sunday if I'm not too drunk.
Monday, May 4, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
How to Motive Goalkeepers
People are greedy. Goalkeepers in particular. Especially those who drive big SUVs. Threaten to lots of dents in it and watch them save two balls at once.
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