Missed During The Holiday Blitz: Bradley Calls 25 To Camp
I actually meant to post this info last week, but with the holidays, I failed to do so. Better late than never and hell, camp started yesterday anyways, so I’m not that late with the news.
U.S. Soccer coach Bob Bradley called 25 players into the first camp of 2009, a head of a friendly later this month versus Sweden & CONCACAF World Cup Qualifier versus Mexico in February. This camp has a real “MLS” feel to it, but expect many of these players to be replaced by our European players, if not for the Sweden fixture, then definitely by the Mexico match. I wouldn’t mind some of our younger players getting a cap versus Sweden, but Mexico is far too important to “experiment”.
The squad features 20 MLS players, including Brian Ching, Chris Rolfe, Kenny Cooper, Eddie Gaven, Robbie Rogers & Sacha Kljestan, who may be heading to Europe very shortly himself. The squad also features 4 European Players (Danny Califf, Charlie Davies, Clarence Goodson & Troy Perkins) as well as one player who is currently out of contract (Matt Pickens). Nine of the players, if selected to play versus Sweden, could get their first national team cap.
US Soccer-January Camp
GOALKEEPERS: Jon Busch (Chicago Fire), Will Hesmer (Columbus Crew), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF), Matt Pickens (out of contract)
DEFENDERS: Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland), Sean Franklin (Los Angeles Galaxy), Cory Gibbs (Colorado Rapids), Clarence Goodson (IK Start), Chad Marshall (Columbus Crew), Chris Wingert (Real Salt Lake), Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)
MIDFIELDERS: Geoff Cameron (Houston Dynamo), Brian Carroll (Columbus Crew), Ricardo Clark (Houston Dynamo), Eddie Gaven (Columbus Crew), Stuart Holden (Houston Dynamo), Jack Jewsbury (Kansas City Wizards), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Robbie Rogers (Columbus Crew), John Thorrington (Chicago Fire)
FORWARDS: Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Kenny Cooper (FC Dallas), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Chris Rolfe (Chicago Fire)
You can follow the lead up to the Sweden friendly on January 24th by visiting the U.S. Men’s National Team Blog or via USSoccer.com. I will have a preview up when we get a bit closer. The match will air live on Fox Soccer Channel & Galavision at 8:30 pm Eastern. The friendly will be held at The Home Depot Center in Carson, California.
Wasps Cruise Past Quins
24-18 may seem like a fairly close final score, but in my opinion, the Wasps victory over Harlequins was never really in doubt. The boys dominated play throughout the match. The win gives Wasps 4 league wins on the season and they move up one spot to 8th in the table. Harlequins remain 6th in the table.
Danny Cipriani scored on 3 penalty kicks and converted London’s lone try, scored by Chris Bishay. Bishay, who came through the Wasps Academy, scored what I believe to be his 3rd try with the first team.
The London Wasps return to action next weekend, as they travel to Bath. Bath is coming off a heart breaking loss to Leicester Tigers.
In Magners League play, Ulster pulled off a huge upset, traveling to and defeating Munster 37-11. In doing so, Ulster became the first Irish team to defeat Munster at Thomond Park since 1995.
Guinness Premiership Results
Gloucester-22 Saracens-16
London Irish-48 Newcastle-8
Northampton-30 Bristol-8
London Wasps-24 Harlequins-18
Leicester-24 Bath-22
Worcester vs Sale (Postponed)
Magners League Results
Ulster-37 Munster-11
Ospreys-16 Cardiff-12
Scarlets-29 Newport-Gwent-24
Glasgow-25 Edinburgh-20
Leinster-26 Connacht-18
Fulham Draw Kettering Town In Round 4
The ping pong balls were kind to Fulham this morning, on paper anyways. Blue Square Premier side Kettering Town FC will host Fulham on the weekend of January 24th in the 4th Round of the FA Cup.
Taking on a non-league side is the perfect draw if you are a Fulham supporter, however, it could also end up being a huge upset if we were to lose. Given the fact that Kettering will be the home team, this does make me feel a tad nervous. Kettering play at Rockingham Road, with a capacity of 6,170 (1800 seated). You know the home supporters will be up for this one and the place will be rocking. Granted, Fulham aren’t Chelsea or Man U, but for a club of this size to host any premier side will be huge.
In the 3rd round, Kettering Town knocked off fellow non-league side Eastwood Town 2-1. Fulham defeated Championship side Sheffield Wednesday by the same score, thanks to two goals by Andy Johnson.
After the draw, I attempted to figure out of Fulham have ever played Kettering Town (via SoccerBase.com, a great historical source) in the past and could find no record of a previous meeting. I’m confident Fulham can advance to the 5th round as long as Roy puts out a reasonably strong side. However, anything can happen in the FA Cup, as was proven last season when Barnsley defeated Liverpool in the 5th round. Still, how big would it be for Fulham to reach “The Final 16″ of the FA Cup?
Don’t expect this one to be televised though, especially when you see some of the other 4th round ties.
FA Cup-4th Round (Weekend of January 24th)
Liverpool vs Everton
Southampton/Man Utd vs Tottenham
Hull/Newcastle vs Millwall/Crewe
Sunderland vs Blyth/Blackburn
Hartlepool vs West Ham
Leyton Orient/Sheff Utd vs Charlton/Norwich
Cardiff vs Arsenal
Portsmouth/Bristol City vs Histon/Swansea
Chelsea/Southend vs Ipswich
Cheltenham/Doncaster vs Aston Villa
West Brom/Peterborough vs QPR/Burnley
Torquay vs Coventry
Kettering Town vs Fulham
Watford vs Leicester/Crystal Palace
Derby County vs Nottingham Forest
Birmingham City/Wolves vs Middlesbrough
Fulham Advance To The 4th Round
Andy Johnson had a huge day for The Whites as Fulham earned not only their first road win of the season, but a spot in the 4th round of the FA Cup by defeating Championship side Sheffield Wednesday 2-1.
Danny Murphy assisted on Andy’s first goal in the 12th minute. The Owls would tie it up in the 21st and the match would remain tied 1-1 until the 88th minute, when a hard charging Johnson would find the top corner of the net with a cracking shot.
This was a fantastic victory for Fulham, who are now unbeaten in their last 10 when you include league fixtures. Last season, Fulham were bounced out of the FA Cup in the 3rd round, so advancing to the 4th round this season proves to me that this squad will not need to worry about relegation this season.
Fulham return to league action next Saturday with a home match versus struggling Blackburn. Blackburn have a Monday FA Cup date with Blyth Spartans before heading to the Cottage. The FA Cup 4th round draw will be held tomorrow. Here’s hoping Fulham can draw a lower league side.
FA Cup-3rd Round Results & Upcoming Fixtures
FRIDAY
Tottenham-3 Wigan-1
SATURDAY
Hartlepool United-2 Stoke City-0
Portsmouth-0 Bristol City-0
Fulham-2 Sheffield Wednesday-1
Derby-4 Forrest Green-3
West Ham-3 Barnsley-0
Middlesbrough-2 Barrow-1
Hull City-0 Newcastle-0
Chelsea-1 Southend United-1
Nottingham Forrest-3 Manchester City-0
Cardiff City-2 Reading-0
Ipswich-3 Chesterfield-0
Charlton Athletic-1 Norwich City-1
West Brom-1 Peterborough-1
Torquay-1 Blackpool-0
Millwall-2 Crewe-2
QPR-0 Burnley-0
Leicester City-0 Crystal Palace-0
Arsenal-3 Plymouth-1
Kettering Town-2 Eastwood Town-1
Everton-1 Macclesfield-0
Watford-1 Scrunthorpe United-0
Sunderland-2 Bolton-1
Coventry City-2 Kidderminster-0
Liverpool-2 Preston North End-0
SUNDAY
Gillingham vs Aston Villa (8:30am Eastern-Fox Soccer Channel)
Southampton vs Manchester United (10:30am Eastern-Setanta Sports)
MONDAY
Blyth Spartans vs Blackburn (3pm-Fox Soccer Channel)
WEDNESDAY (Matches Postponed Today)
Birmingham City vs Wolverhampton
Leyton Orient vs Sheffield United
Histon Town vs Swansea City
Cheltenham vs Doncaster
3rd Round Replays-January 14th
Bristol City vs Portsmouth
Newcastle vs Hull
Southend United vs Chelsea
Norwich City vs Charlton
Peterborough vs West Brom
Crewe vs Millwall
Burnley vs QPR
Crystal Palace vs Leicester City
Fulham Fans: Listen To The Match Online
Just a quick post to remind Fulham supporters living in the United States that today’s FA Cup 3rd Round fixture between Fulham & Sheffield Wednesday is available via the FulhamFC.com website.
To listen live, CLICK HERE.
Fulham are up 1-0 following a goal from Andy Johnson in the 12th minute, with an assist to our captain, Danny Murphy. We will have post match coverage as well as results from all the FA Cup ties today.
Weekend Rugby On Setanta Sports
I originally decided to subscribe to Setanta Sports since that network would be my only source for rugby in the United States. More specifically, the only way I would be able to watch the London Wasps!
For whatever reason, live fixtures have been few and far between this season, as Setanta chooses to focus more on soccer than rugby. Thankfully, I can watch some live rugby this weekend, including my beloved Wasps (on delay, but better than nothing).
As mentioned, my highlight this weekend will be the Wasps taking on Harlequins at Adams Park. When the two clubs met earlier this season, Quins took it 32-10. Wasps head into this fixture in 9th place in the Premiership, while Harlequins are in 6th. Last season, Wasps were in 10th place in the league at one point, only to go on a late season run, making the playoffs and eventually winning the Championship. If we are to repeat that feat, we must get cracking now. In my world, Sunday’s fixture is a must win for the Wasps. Danny Cipriani is expected to start this week. Rumor has it that he may be moved soon, perhaps to Saracens. I hope Danny gives the club a reason to retain his services. The Wasps will be missing Tim Payne, Tom Palmer, Joe Worsley & Josh Lewsey this week, which will be a bit of a blow.
Setanta Sports: Rugby This Weekend
FRIDAY
9:30am: Glasgow vs Edinburgh (Live-Magners League)
SATURDAY
3am: Leinster vs Connacht (Delayed-Magners League)
2:25pm: Munster vs Ulster (Live-Magners League)
SUNDAY
8:25am: Leicester vs Bath (Live-Guinness Premiership)
2pm: Wasps vs Harlequins (Delayed-Guinness Premiership)
FA Cup: 3rd Round U.S. Coverage
The 3rd round of the FA Cup kicks off this weekend throughout the United Kingdom and once again, there will be several hours of coverage here in the United States. Unfortunately for me, I will be unable to watch Fulham take on Sheffield Wednesday, which absolutely sucks. Here’s hoping FulhamFC.com offers “Gentleman Jim’s” call via their website. They do for normal league fixtures but I’m not sure about the FA Cup.
Setanta Sports
FRIDAY
2:30pm: Tottenham vs Wigan (Setanta Sports-Live)
SATURDAY
9:25am: Macclesfield Town vs Everton (Setanta Sports-Live)
9:55am: Hull City vs Newcastle United (Setanta Xtra-Live)
12:15pm: Hull City vs Newcastle United (Setanta Sports-Delayed)
SUNDAY
10:30am: Southhampton vs Manchester United (Setanta Sports-Live)
Fox Soccer Channel
SATURDAY
10am: Forrest Green Rovers vs Derby County (Live)
12pm: Preston North End vs Liverpool (Live)
SUNDAY
8:30am: Gillingham vs Aston Villa (Live)
MONDAY
3pm: Blyth Spartans vs Blackburn (Live)
HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!
TryGol.com’s Top 25 of 2008: #5-#1
TryGol.com’s Top 25 of 2008: 5-1
#5: Shane Williams- There’s a reason why Welsh winger/scrum half Shane Williams was named the IRB International Player of the Year. All he did was dominate…plain and simple. He helped lead Wales to the 2008 6 Nations Championship & Grand Slam. Shane scored 6 tries during the competition, which was tops. And a long the way, he became the all time leading try scorer for Wales. You can claim Bryan Habana is a great winger, but the best in that position is Shane Williams. His side step move is awesome and nobody can find open spaces like this man. He’s 31 years old, so I’m not sure how much longer he will be in top form, so enjoy his play while you have a chance.
#4: Landon Donovan- 2008 will go down as Lando’s most memorable in a USA kit. Back in January, Landon passed Erik Wynalda to become USA’s all time leading goal scorer. He currently has 37 goals and no active U.S. player is even close. Did I mention he’s only 26? He followed that up on June 8th earning his 100th cap versus Argentina. Did I mention he’s only 26??? He scored 20 goals this season for the LA Galaxy, earning him the MLS Golden Boot award. Did I mention he’s only 26???? At the age of 26 (did I mention that?) and still in his prime, he’s set to join Bayern Munich on a loan deal through March. Want my prediction? He won’t be coming back to MLS, he’ll stay with Bayern. I know many of you hate him for some reason, but face facts…he’s talented, he has a hot wife and he has more money than you. Don’t hate the player, hate the game.
#3: I’m On Setanta Sports- The show made its debut in late 2007, however, it became a hit in 2008. Each week, “The Special One” appears on Setanta Sports with his two side kicks (”It” aka Sven & “The Boy” aka Wayne Rooney). The show runs for about 5 minutes but you’ll laugh your fat ass off for the rest of the day. If you don’t have Setanta Sports, don’t worry, all episodes are uploaded by multiple people at YouTube.com and if you’ve paid attention here, I post each new episode as well. I’m On Setanta Sports…It’s Fantastic!
#2: Todd Clever’s “Try Of The Year”- USA Eagle Todd Clever had a great year. First off, the man will finally get paid properly for his chosen profession, as he will join the Lions in the upcoming Super 14 rugby season in South Africa & the Golden Lions for the Currie Cup competition. Sure, the Rand sucks compaired the the U.S. Dollar, but its better than getting paid next to nothing in the States. Money is fine and good, however, what I remember most is Todd’s mind blowing try versus Wales at the 2007 USA Sevens Tournament. In fact, I gave Clever TryGol.com’s “Try of the Year”, so you know it was pretty special. Wanna see? CLICK HERE.
#1: Fulham’s Great Escape- Words alone won’t do #1 justice. I’ll let this You Tube video describe the magic that was Fulham’s Great Escape. COME ON YOU WHITES!!!
And that’s it, TryGol.com’s Top 25 of 2008. What will 2009 have in store? I can’t wait to find out.
TryGol.com’s Top 25 of 2008: #10-#6
TryGol.com’s Top 25 of 2008: 10-6
#10: Roy Hodgson- Yeah I know, technically Roy took over the Fulham job on December 30th of 2007. However, the bulk of his magic was performed in 2008. Roy took over a team that was in the drop zone and would not only lead them out of relegation in May, but as 2009 begins, Fulham now sit 9th in the Premiership table. If Fulham continue their current form for the rest of this season, Hodgson must be considered a candidate for “Manager of the Year.”
#9: Wasps Win Guinness Premiership- At one point last season, Wasps were in 10th place. In fact, it took some end of the year magic just to make the playoffs. Even though they struggled at times last season, once they made the playoffs, the boys dominated. They would defeat Bath 21-10 in the semifinals and in May, defeated Leicester Tigers in the final 26-16 at Twickenham. Danny Cipriani had a break out season, piling up 192 points. Tom Voyce lead the Wasps with 8 tries. This season the Wasps are once again struggling near the bottom of the table. Can they pull off another magical 2nd half of the season run and repeat as champs?
#8: Welsh Response To The Haka- New Zealand would make a fall tour stop at the Millennium Stadium to take on 6 Nation Champs Wales. The All Blacks would perform their traditional “haka” and afterwards, Wales held their ground and simply stared down the All Blacks. It was a very emotional moment and got me very hyped for the match. New Zealand would go on and win 28-9. You can view the “confrontation” by clicking HERE.
#7: The Golden Girls- After leaving the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup empty handed, the #1 U.S. Women were looking for redemption at the 2008 Summer Olympics. Things got off to a rocky start for the Americans, as Norway would score a huge 2-0 upset in the first match of group play. The ladies would rebound and win their group. The U.S. would defeat Canada & Japan in the knock out stage to set up a re-match Brazil for the gold medal, who eliminated the U.S. from the 2007 FIFA Women’s World Cup in the semifinals. USA keeper Hope Solo was dominate in the gold medal match and Carli Lloyd would score the winner in the 96th minute as the U.S. would win 1-0 and claim another Olympic championship for U.S. Soccer.
#6: Clint Dempsey’s Double Versus Chelsea- Wait a minute, didn’t this just happen? You’re damn right it did and yet, it deserves a place in our Top 25 of 2008. Clint Dempsey ended last season with 6 goals for Fulham but let’s face facts, he struggled. He would start the 2008-2009 season riding the bench, which caused him to second guess his place with Fulham. Rumors began to swirl that he would be looking for a transfer, despite the fact that he had just received a contract extension. Maybe Clint didn’t fit in Roy’s future plans. However, Clint remained patient and ultimately, re-gained his spot in the starting 11. Once there, he has played like a man possessed. He’s scored 4 goals, including his first versus Portsmouth that secured a draw & point for Fulham. However, his most memorable moment of 2008 came last Sunday versus Chelsea. The Texan would score twice in the game, matching Frank Lampard’s effort. The critical goal came in the 90th minute, as Simon Davies launched a corner into the middle of the penalty area and Clint Dempsey rose higher than everyone else, sending the ball into the back of the net and sending Craven Cottage into a frenzy. Clint once again secured a point for Fulham, this time against an arch rival who happened to be sitting 2nd in the table. Clint has a knack for the dramatic. Remember his first Fulham goal? That came in May 2007 versus Liverpool and secured Fulham’s spot in the Premiership for the 2007-2008 season.
