Category Archives: round up

ten words or less #73

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Sir Alex Ferguson

as we say goodbye to one of the legends of the game, i can’t help but hope the door hits him on the way out.

Ever since the rumors of his imminent retirement in the early portion of the week, I’ve toiled in vain to write the perfect opus for Sir Alex’s career. Yet with all that is being penned on the great Scotsman in the time since, it’s been hard to find not only a unique angle… but also an appropriate way to express my feelings towards Ol’ Red Nose. On one hand, I have mountains of respect for a man that’s won more titles than entire leagues of clubs combined, has managed to adapt his game several times over to match the prevailing playing styles of the time, and has corralled egos larger than your average Walmart Super Center. On the other hand, I hate Fergie for his influence over the FA, the fear he invokes in referees, and the times he’s pried away Tottenham’s best players.

So since I’ve been unable to tap out an appropriate homage to the greatest manager I’ll likely ever see, I’ll do the next best thing and link to the best piece I’ve read about him so far. And that’s how I’m starting off the latest edition of TWOL.

Fair well, Fergie. Here’s hoping you have a long and lovely retirement… and that Moyes drives United to hell in you absence.

Even receiving a hairdrying invokes respect for Fergie. – sportsjournalists.co.uk

Hey… this looks familiar! - theoriginalwinger.com

Kobe Bryant’s new kicks looked to on-pitch inspiration. – thebeautifulgear.com

The Vatican not only has a league, Americans boss it. – wsj.com

Despite erratic form, I still love me some Benny Assoun-Ekotto. – guardian.co.uk

American soccer re-imagined… a familiar design for Over-the-Rhine.
- pcgdstudios.com

Nike’s updated R9′s will hit you right in the 90′s. – nikeinc.com

Stellar MLS art: For Cub and Country. – behance.net

Cool… until they use it to buy Bale next year. – theoriginalwinger.com

One of the most important debates in American soccer. – mlssoccer.com

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ten words or less #72

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What a week it was for football.

it was such a scintillating week of soccer that it literally caused the crew’s scoreboard to burst into flames.

Spain, long the kings of European club and international soccer, was humbled over the course of two nights in Germany. The shock waves of the thorough beatings received by Barcelona and Real Madrid are still reverberating a week later as we head into the return ties in Spain. Meanwhile, the Premier League saw not only a champion named, but also two sides doomed to relegation. The race for the top four in England also remains interesting, with Spurs and Arsenal seemingly trying to trip out of each others’ way nail down the last slot. The Columbus Crew’s scoreboard caught on fire shortly before its team did in a 3 goal victory over DC United for the Black and Gold. And the biggest news? I scored a hat trick in my coed indoor match midweek. Earth-shattering stuff, right?

So with all of the madness that went down last week, it would have been easy to miss an interesting story or two along the way. As we edge our way towards yet another week guaranteed to be full of even more twists and turns, have a read through some of the best content I gleaned from the web over the last week that might have gone under the radar.

An infographic explaining the NASL’s new Indy Eleven‘s name. – indyeleven.com

One small step for Pittsburgh, one giant leap for USSoccer. – theshinguardian.com

Meanwhile in Sweden, they’re paving over pitches. – whoateallthepies.tv

So Blackburn should be in the Champions League final, right? - espnfc.com

My future child will have a ball in its crib. – si.com

Honestly, I’d have a hard time fairly judging a Gooner. – guardian.co.uk

Nike have something crazy in store for us. – soccerbible.com

Bravo, Dirty Tackle: a marvelous bit on the Suárez bite. – dirtytackle.net

College athletics losing it’s luster… and not just in soccer. – sbnation.com

Though he’s bat shit crazy these days, nothing but respect. – youtube.com

ten words or less #71

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Champions League Tifo at Borussia Dortmund

believe it or not, the reason dortmund fans put up this awesome tifo was to use the dude’s giant binoculars to see when my last TWOL post was.

It’s been weeks since I put out my last Ten Words or Less, which I suppose is a good thing for you readers considering that means I’ve been dropping original content for you instead of shoveling you content from other sources. But that doesn’t change the fact that I feel like I’m neglecting the long-running links post. Or the fact that some of the links I had originally collected for this have since become irrelevant.

So now that you’re done buying a shirt from the brand new WSOTP Shop, I figured I’d get things back to normal with a freshly updated edition. And if you’re looking for original content, I’ll probably have something else for you before the weekend. In the mean time, enjoy some of my favorite links from around the world of football from the last week or so.

Terrible April Fools joke, but a great idea for real. – qatarliving

A refreshing dose of clarity from Spurs’ wordsmith, Spooky. – dearmrlevy.co.uk

Sexiest Puma shirt they’ve put out in quite a while. – football-shirts.co.uk

The first supporters to ever fly to an away match. – inbedwithmaradona.com

Abou Diaby: the man-made of glass. – talksport.co.uk

Chelsea’s creepy blue man group kit launch. – youtube.com

A very well executed dead horse beating. – regista-blog.com

Those poor globe-trotting scouts have it awful. – guardian.co.uk

One designer’s line inspired by retro soccer design. – hypebeast.com

So, bicycle soccer actually exists. – kckrs.com

ten words or less #70

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USA vs Costa Rica World Cup Qualifier

if this excellent promotional poster doesn’t get you amped up for tonight’s USMNT match… i don’t know what will.

It’s been a busy week here at WSOTP. This is my fourth post in less than a week, which has to be a blog record. Hopefully everyone’s been eating it up.

But as you might expect, the events that have dominated my attention over the last few days have to be crucial the upcoming pair of US men’s national team World Cup qualifiers. In the lead up for that, I’ve been busy promoting watch parties in Dayton, OH, as well as helping others to find bars/parties to watch those matches all over the country by promoting the WSOTP Soccer Pub Atlas (And be sure to peep the sidebar to check it out yourself). And of course, I’ve been obsessing over the match-ups themselves.

Anyway, if you’re anything like me, and you are impatiently waiting for tonight’s kickoff, here are some of my favorite links from around the interwebz over the last week to help keep you entertained until then.

The Free Beer Movement suddenly becomes a Middlesborough fan. – dirtytackle.net

I’m not sure how, but AVB’s brilliance is still underestimated. – thescore.com

I would get married again just to have this cake. – facebook.com

Will anyone call this third party ownership if it happens? – mirror.co.uk

Consider yourself a dedicated fan no longer. This is dedication. – guardian.co.uk

This would be so nostalgic. – phillysoccerpage.net

I might need to update my isolated pitches list. – inbedwithmaradona.com

Ole Gunnar Solskjær is so meta. - kckrs.com

Club president quits post to take the pitch… and score. - eluniverso.com
Warning: Spanish.

If you’ve got $20 to burn, why not learn to design kits. – skillshare.com

ten words or less #69

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Tottenham's Gareth Bale celebrates scoring against Arsenal

look at the joy and elation on every single face in this photograph. including the face of one gareth frank bale.

While I don’t want to gloat over Tottenham’s North London Derby victory on Sunday, I am going to bask in the glory of that victory for just a moment. I want to marvel at Gareth Bale — while we still have him, at least. Can I also shine a spotlight on André Villas-Boas, who so many had doubted, decried and dismissed for a recall of his predecessor before he had even had a chance to prove himself? And too, maybe I should take a second to apologize to Daniel Levy, the man I often attacked during Spurs inactivity during transfer windows. Because right now, sitting in third after a 12 game run that’s gone WTWWWTTTWWWW, I’m feeling pretty good about Spurs.

Though with a tricky trip to Anfield to face a surging Liverpoolside at the weekend — not to mention a Europa League match against our old friends Inter in the midweek — things could go off track quickly if Spurs get too far ahead of themselves. So if for no other reason than to get my mind out of the clouds, here are some of other links to keep me from daydreaming of greatness quite yet.

One reason why Bale is taking the world by storm. - guardian.co.uk

Soccer once had the mighty MLB shaking in it’s boots. – twitter.com/pothunting

This USMNT 2002 photo shoot will haunt your dreams. – nytimes.com

Stylish playmaker prints to hang on your wall. – behance.net

Commitment to a soccer publication can change your life. – inbedwithmaradona.com

Brian Phillips’ intriguing take on El Diego’s past and present. – grantland.com

Alexi discusses football corruption, simulation on the Colbert Report. – colbertnation.com

Berba’s talents are literally endless. – dirtytackle.net

Can’t complain about not being able to watch games anymore. - giltedgesoccer.com

Alright… who wants to get me this? - whoareyadesigns.com

ten words or less #68

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Cristiano Ronaldo's headed goal against Manchester United

ronaldo was literally jumping through the roof over all of the football on tap during this stretch of the year.

Without a shadow of a doubt, mid-February has to be one of my favorite portions of the entire footballing calendar. The major European leagues are entering the home stretch of their seasons, with the races for final league places really heating up. The Champions League knockout stages have kicked off, presenting us with loads of truly world class football to admire. Add in a sprinkling of World Cup qualifiers here and there, and factor in that MLS First Kick is just around the corner, and you can start to understand why I’m so infatuated with a month normally hated by most American fans.

But with so much soccer to take in, my very A.D.D. brain often has a hard time digesting it all. Which means my efforts to pump out full-length postings becomes infinitely harder. I’ve probably started a dozen new drafts in the last week; my guess is only around a third of those will end up seeing the light of day.

So while I strain out the garbage and identify the gold in my writings, I present you with a sampling of my favorite links from the last week. Bon appétit.

All goal line technology implementations handled by just two officials.
- bigdsoccer.com

How “what could have been” in Manchester was derailed. – inbedwithmaradona.com

Jorge Campos-inspired posters remind me of the 90′s. – behance.com

For a few Nigerian prostitutes, it’s time to pay up. – dirtytackle.net

This Genoa centenary shit just exudes retro awesome. – footballshirtculture.com

Screw? Loose. Other shoe? Waiting to drop. – guardian.co.uk

I love soccer and dinosaurs. I don’t love them together. – kckrs.com

Just five minutes playing in Turkey… Drogba gonna Drog. – youtube.com

The official MLS #TrueColors posters are (mostly) pretty sweet. – facebook.com

See: Move to capitalize on Indian market exposure. – nikebiz.com

ten words or less #67

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Monday in the middle of February. Everybody’s favorite day of the week in everybody’s favorite month. And though we’ve had some unseasonably warm temperatures here in the Midwest, the depression caused by lack of exposure to sunlight during the winter has seemed more palpable this year compared to last.

Real Madrid vs Manchester United Champions League

ronaldo and rooney are just two of the high-profile names squaring off this week. if you can’t get excited about that, go see a doctor. (Image courtesy of the BBC).

But fear not, football fans: there’s cause for your spirits to perk up this week. Champions League resumes, with a zesty marquee match up between Real Madrid and Manchester United to cure your wintertime blues. Europa League also picks back up, and though I’m understandably looking forward to Spurs’ tie with Lyon, several other intriguing matches are also on tap. And with the Premier League and others reaching the final third of the season, a full slate of pivotal matches to the relegation races and European places are also in the cards.

Though if you’re still suffering from a case of the Mundays even with such great soccer around the corner, below are some excellent links from the last week to help brighten your mood.

Spectacular custom subbuteo art: Hazard’s Ball Boy Incident. - subbuteo-art.blogspot.com

Gazza continues his slide down his sad slippery slope. – mirror.co.uk

Not always the norm, but a worrying prospect for players. – theuniondues.net

Nike’s marketing department strikes gold once again. – thebeautifulgear.com

Oh look, he’s not dead. - soccerbyives.com

I’m fast becoming a fan of Dortmund’s İlkay Gündoğan. – youtube.com

Wait… is it really that easy to get press credentials? – kckrs.com

Murdered out. - footballshirtculture.com

It seems like Sergio Ramos is finally growing up. – guardian.co.uk

Guess which club’s manager is against financial constraints. – soccerlens.com

ten words or less #66

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Tottenham's Clint Dempsey celebrates scoring against Manchester United

deuce earned his stripes against united once again.

From this American fan’s perspective, the long holiday weekend that’s just passed us by was quite a good one.

Saturday’s fixtures were chock full of goals, averaging just over three and half per match. Then on  #EpicSunday2 (© Fox Soccer Channel) with an entertaining Gunners loss to Chelsea and a gutsy, come-from-behind draw for Spurs against Manchester United. And with a whole additional day to recover after spending Sunday at the pub watching it all go down — not to mention being able to squeeze in a few hours of skiing on Saturday night — I would be hard pressed to design a better weekend for myself.

So with some bigger things around the corner still needing some attention and final polish, this seems like the perfect time to share some of my favorite links from the last week.

The European Transfer Market: Visualized. - transferwindow.info

Greeting fans through your car sunroof isn’t the best idea. – theoriginalwinger.com

Il Fenomeno finally get’s his move to England. – guardian.co.uk

Well look who’s decided he wants to play this year. – lagalaxy.com

Footballer lowered into a well to save a little girl. – dailymail.co.uk

Ferguson has bigger issues than Zeki Fryers move to Spurs. – espnfc.com

Like Rapinoe, I wish more USWNT players would move abroad.
- prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com

Ronaldinho get’s his own, footie-themed Bollywood Space Jam. – indiaglitz.com

If MLB ran soccer teams… their kits could be AWESOME. – kckrs.com

Adu now looking for his 9th club in 9 years. – soccerbyives.com

ten words or less #65

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Thus far, 2013 has been a whirlwind. As with most years, there’s been the expected absurdity that accompanies the holiday season to keep me busy: the annual cornucopia of fixtures, plus the ensuing avalanche of (faux-)headlines that is the January transfer window.

inter milan's wesley sneijder

the only person who’s had a busier start to 2013 than WSOTP is wesley sneijder’s agent.

But, unlike previous years, things have been especially crazy around the imaginary WSOTP office during this already hectic time of year thanks to the eclipsing of a number of major milestones for the blog. First, I had the privilege of having my first ever article published by legendary blog In Bed With Maradona. Next came the announced partnership with the stalwarts at the Free Beer Movement. And then piggybacking off of that, over the last week I’ve seen the WSOTP Soccer Pub Atlas get further attention from at least three major MLS blogs… which has left me buried in pub submissions.

If it sounds like I’m complaining, I’m not. If these were problems, they’re good ones to have. And thanks to the vast increase in exposure for the blog I’ve also seen an influx of new followers and likes from the social media channels. And if you happen to be one of the n00bs, don’t think I’m just a “soccer bar specialist” — as if that kind of specialization actually exists. I also write a bit, too. So make sure to check back regularly to read my musings on the world’s game.

So as I put some finishing touches on my next original treatise, let me kick the new year off in truly lazy fashion by sharing a few of my favorite links from the last week.

Sign this petition to end USSF support for Sepp Blatter. – theshinguardian.com

Kevin Prince Boateng takes a stand… and might walk away. – guardian.co.uk

“He eats other chairman sprinkled on his morning corn flakes.” – dearmrlevy.com

Want to find and watch an old match? Check this out. – reddit.com/fullmatch

A theory explaining why Gooners are the way they are.
- beardedgeniusofftwitter.tumblr.com

Is Baines just good, or good because he’s at Everton? – espnfc.com

Ben Olsen is a D.C. icon. – kckrs.com

My new year’s resolution to read more books got easier. – forbes.com

Checkout any time you like, but you can never leave. – dirtytackle.net

The true centennial crest for US Soccer. – thebeautifulgear.com

ten words or less #64

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christmas soccer

what… this isn’t how you celebrate your christmas every year?

No matter what your beliefs, as the oft-played song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”. But while most might label it as such because of the presents, the family gatherings or the excessive amount of eating and drinking that often accompanies the holiday season, my reasoning is a little different: football, football and more football. Between three full sets of match days in a fortnight and the upcoming January transfer window, there’s enough soccer on tap to feed the needs of even the most ardent footie fanatic.

So to help kick things off, I’ve prepared my latest TWOL posts to help get you in the mood for the insanity.

Most leagues put up nets to protect fans, not players. – bbc.co.uk

Should we start sounding the death knell for GolTV? – philly.com

Lone Udinese fan travels to Sampdoria, shown excellent time. – football-italia.net

“The oldest extant professional U.S. soccer footage.” – freebeermovement.com

Apparently, Neymar has a thing for Disney princesses. – dirtytackle.net

The reasons behind Timmy Chandler’s USMNT indecision. – inbedwithmaradona.com

This might explain some of the shit writing on Goal.com. – guardian.co.uk

Get me this, and I might start drinking hard liquor. – theoriginalwinger.com

Who’s better: EPL or La Liga? It’s not even close. – blog.paddypower.com

This kid is… what’s the word… deluded. – reddit.com/soccer