Amazing Brace for Rooney On The Weekend

In a game where Manchester United never looked unsettled, Wayne Rooney had a typical striker's game with a poacher's finish and an un-saveable penalty against West Bromwich Albion:

Mario Balotelli Went To A Strip Club Because He Can

Mario Balotelli was caught at a Liverpool strip club early last Friday morning ahead of Man City's home match against Bolton on Saturday. And though Balotelli started and scored a goal in the 2-0 win for his side, he was still reportedly fined £250,000 for breaking the club's curfew policy.

Mario now realizes that he made a mistake that night, but more because he would've been angry if his girlfriend went to a strip club than because he violated curfew.

From the Players Association:
"I didn't do anything wrong at the [strip] club," he told Gazzetta dello Sport. "But I understand that if she [his girlfriend Raffaella Fico] had gone with her friends to a strip club, I would have been very angry. "If you love a woman, you can avoid causing that pain. That was my first mistake. The second was to go two days before a game." On whether he has received a £250,000 fine by City for breaking the curfew, Balotelli said: "I still don't know. I must talk with [the manager Roberto] Mancini."

So, to clarify, the fact that Raffaella Fico was one of former Italian prime minister Silvio Berlusconi's "bunga bunga girls" and that she reportedly tried to auction off her virginity for €1 million doesn't seem all that upsetting to Balotelli (or Fico for that matter), but going to a strip club with friends is something to get very angry about.

Full story:
http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/mario-balotelli-sorry-breaking-man-city-curfew-mostly-170144843.html

English premier League Highlights; Week of 1/14

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/video?vid=e6c50e38-b4ba-467b-a550-8f874d29424d" target="_new" title="">PL: Weekend Round Up</a>

MLS Superdraft Brings A Superstar Name To The League

Rooney scores at this year's MLS combine in Florida

Let me clarify ... the 2011 MLS Superdraft brought the brother of a superstar. John Rooney, younger brother to Manchester United and England striker Wayne Rooney, was selected by the New York Red Bull in the second round of yesterday's draft (he was the 25th pick overall).  What's ironic is that John came to the US to separate himself from his brother's reputation and make a name for himself.  I wonder if he had any idea that he would be drafted into the media hotbed that is NYC, alongside other superstars like Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez?  Not exactly the escape he was potentially planning (too bad Kansas City couldn't offer a spot, he could have fallen off the face of the Earth).

“I never expected to be going to the New York Red Bulls. It’s a dream come true for me,” said Rooney, a 5-10, 176-pound midfielder. “They’re probably one of the more well-known MLS teams in England. The league’s a great league, everyone knows the league, and the Red Bulls are such a big club. I never had a clue they would pick me.”

Rooney had been playing in the lower levels of English soccer but was looking for a clean start, away from the shadow of his oft-troubled brother. He trained with Seattle and Portland last summer but decided to come to the MLS Combine last week and show what he could do.

“We know what it’s like to play in the lower divisions in England,” Red Bulls general manager and sporting director Erik Soler said. “The guy is 20 years old. He did well in the combine in a different environment. We think we can develop him.

“It tells something about him when he goes into the combine. It can’t be easy for anybody to have a big brother like that with all the expectations. The fact that he chose to go and show himself off, to sit here and wait for 25 picks, we think it tells a little about the player. We don’t know him that well, but if things run a little bit in the family it might be surprisingly good for everybody.

“We liked what we saw. It’s a $43,000 risk. It’s not a huge risk.”

Like Wayne Rooney, John Rooney came up through the Everton youth system. But while Wayne shot into the Everton lineup as a teenager, John ended up at Macclesfield Town in England’s League Two. He has been looking for a change ever since.

“That’s the whole idea of me coming out here. I just want to build on my own career,” Rooney said. “There were some teams that took a look at me in England but I came over and trained with Seattle and Portland in August. It was just a great experience. I’m looking forward to getting started.”

Turkish Futbol Legend Uses Facebook Instead of His Agent

Well not really of course. Tuncay Sanli, famed Turkish attacker and current Stoke City bench warmer, has taken to Facebook to prove to that at 28 he still has plenty to offer the world of futbol. Stoke are currently in 11th position in the English premier League, and manager Tony Pulis has given Tuncay little room to prove his worth this year. In a last gasp effort to sell himself in the January transfer window, Tuncay has posted a self-promoting top 10 goals video on his Facebook fan page.  Will the suitors come calling for the well seasoned Turkish star?  Only time will tell.  Check out the full video here:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=132529883476777&oid=114568821937280&comments

The Handshake That Didn't Happen

Following up on the Wayne Bridge - John Terry saga, Bridge expectantly skipped the Chelsea skipper's hand in the pre-match routine. I think my favorite part is actually Craig Bellamy looking away in disgust when he approaches Terry....

Bill Simmons' Addresses International Soccer In A Recent Mailbag

Great, great analysis here from ESPN's acclaimed Sports Guy in a recent "Mailbag" column where Simmons addresses reader emails...

Q: I am a die-hard soccer fan living abroad and agree with your theory that international soccer could take off in the States. But not everyone listens to your podcasts, so could you please make the same case in one of your columns so everyone can see it? I think it's important. Thanks and cheers from the UK!
-- T.J., Leeds, England

SG: Sure. I'll do it in five short paragraphs and 500 words total. The theory goes like this …

1. Americans enjoy watching the best (fill in any sport). We are elitists. That's why we like the Olympics, that's why we enjoy any finals, that's why we watch Wimbledon and the Masters, that's why we don't care about sports like the WNBA, MLS or arena football as anything other than a niche sport. International soccer plays into this. It's the best of the best. Hell, we even liked "The Best of the Best" even though Eric Roberts was the biggest star in it.

2. The games zoom along: no commercials, no sideline reporters, no corporate tie-ins, no four-hour games like in baseball, no "takes 20 minutes to play the last two" like in the NBA. You can sit down for a soccer game and say, "I'm going to spend the next two hours watching this and then I'm going to do something else." Like watch more TV.

3. Give credit to ESPN for committing air time in non-Cup years to elite international soccer tournaments like the UEFA Cup. I know that's how I started paying more attention. If you like sports, you cannot NOT get caught up in the level of play, the maniacal crowds, the intensity and tension and everything else. It's impossible.

4. Widescreen TVs make it easier to see the field; HD makes it easier to see faces and numbers (and the grass looks green and vibrant); and better camerawork (and also more cameras) make the games more intimate. Now you feel like the players are flopping right onto your living room rug! Just kidding, soccer fans. Seriously, settle down. Jokes.

5. International soccer never took off here for the simple reason that American sports fans had trouble following anything they couldn't attend in person and/or watch on television at their leisure. Now? We're turning into a sofa culture; since it's more expensive to go to games, many of us find it just as rewarding to stay home, save money and watch games on a nice TV. Throw in the Internet, DirecTV, fan blogs and everything else and you really can follow soccer from across the Atlantic.

That's why, over the next decade -- starting with the World Cup in 2010 -- I predict international soccer takes off to a modest degree in America during the '10s. Not to compare everything to "The Godfather," but for America, the NASL was Sonny (exciting, impetuous and ultimately self-destructive), the MLS is Fredo (weak) and international soccer is Michael (the heavy hitter who was lurking all along). That's how this plays out I think.

Hleb Regrets Leaving Arsenal

Last week I talked about how hard it is to be a Arsenal fan, since we lose al of out top players. One player on that list was Alexander Hleb, the Belarus international whom we lost to Barcelona. Well today, everyone and their mother is reporting that Hleb regrets the move, citing Arsene Wenger as a father figure to him....

Former Arsenal winger Alexander Hleb has expressed his disappointment and regret at ever leaving the North London club.

The Belarus international moved to FC Barcelona in order to win more trophies, but failed to establish a regular place in the side.

Hleb said: "When you mostly sit on the bench, winning titles brings very little joy, while getting to the last eight of the Champions League with Arsenal was unforgettable.

"I regret my move from London, but unfortunately nothing can be done about it now.

"For me, Wenger was like a father. I consider him one of the best managers in the world.

"For such a boss one wants to die on the pitch. Arsène managed to create a smashing team with a wonderful atmosphere inside of it.

"I have no doubts that if Arsenal had the same budget as Barcelona, the Gunners would be among the three best clubs on the planet."

Why It's Hard To Be An Arsenal Fan

For all those football fans out there, this rant is for you...

I've been supporting Arsenal of London since I was 12. For more than a decade of support, I've watched them go from the immortals in the '03-'04 season where they went undefeated in the Premier League, to where they are now; the least dangerous of the Big Four. You look at the players of the team, and you ask how it is that they are continually battling for 3rd and 4th position in the hardest league in the world? Well it's because they continually sell off a major star who regularly provides impact. Thierry Henry to Barcelona, Alexander Hleb to Barcelona, and now the impending sale of Emmanuel Adebayor to Manchester City. With every step we take forward with some 19 year old phenom, we drop a proven professional on the way.

In a similar respect to the US national team, there is a point when the youth experiment ends, and you develop a cohesive mix of young stars, crafty veterans, and a handful of next level super stars. The latter group is imperative for a team like Arsenal, who have continually floundered in recent years behind the likes of Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea. The coming year will be unbelievably tough for manager Arsene Wenger should they lose Adebayor to the Blues at Man City. I pray the Robin van Persie and the teenagers at the Emirates can fill in his large boots.

Wayne Rooney's Top 20 Premier League Goals

20 minutes long yes, but an amazing compilation from one the world's top strikers....

Rooneys.Top.20

Creativity Online Presents 'Umbro: Tailored By England'

An unbelievably cool video from Creativity Online presents the English's football team's new look for South Africa 2010. The development of the kit, or uniform to Yanks, goes through the same process as would a fine suit. A great deal of input from Fabio Capello, the England manager, as well as players Rio Ferdinand, Wayne Rooney, John Terry and others, all contributed to what will be one of the mnore recognizable kits in the year leading up to the next World Cup. An amazing process for a company and footballing nation with unparralleled history in the sport.

Usain Bolt Making Cristiano Ronaldo Faster?

If what The Sun is reporting is in fact true, tthen there isn't a defender in the world who has a chance to defend Ronaldo, as if they had one to begin with.

CRISTIANO RONALDO has signed up the fastest man on Earth to help boost his deadly pace.
Olympic 100m champ Usain Bolt asked the Manchester United star for a signed shirt and Ron sent a message back saying he wanted a favour in return.

So footy-fan Bolt - who set a world record 9.69 seconds winning his Beijing gold last year - is planning a trip to Manchester for a training session with Ronaldo.

The Jamaican’s agent Ricky Simms said: “It’s definitely going to happen.

“We’ll sort something out when Usain comes to Europe to compete this summer.”

Why I Love English Premier League Football

It's fans like this that make me love English Premier League football, ahem, soccer to the American's in the room. Despite the fact that I'm a Gooner and support Arsenal, this Chelsea fan is top class comedy.