A Great Day For England-Based Yanks And Butt Jokes
Now I know I woke up pretty early to watch Aston Villa play Manchester United this morning, but I don't think I'm halucinating.
Still, it feels as though I must be since ESPN the Magazine has now run footcer related stories two issues in a row! On the front cover of the August 29 issue is the sub-headline, "Peace on a Mideast Pitch." While it's not the actual cover story like David Beckham was last issue, there's a five page story on the lone Muslim member of the Israeli men's national team.
It's a human interest story to be sure, but it beats nothing.
This was also the issue that the feedback came in from the Beckham story. The letters that ESPN the Magazine chose to run two negative letters and a letter from a Beckham fangirl. However, they chose to run the letters as the lead story in The Post. One quote they pulled simply said the following:
I'd like to flash his news. There is a growing portion of the population that does care about footcer and ESPN the Magazine is realizing that through the feedback they receive.
Still, it was as if ESPN was trying to say to the footcer crowd, "sorry guys, this is the reaction we get, better luck next time." I'd just like to say to the editors (of course they don't read this), "buck up little campers the time will come in about five years when you'll be selling magazines because of footcer and not in spite of it."
---
Maybe I'm being optimistic but I think I have the right to be today because it was a huge day for Americans in England today.
Leading the way in the Colaship were midfielder Bobby Convey and goalie Marcus Hahnemann in a 5-0 thrashing of bottom dwelling Millwall by their Reading team. Convey had the first two goals of the match before being pulled in the 57th minute.
Add this to his performance against Preston North End with an assist on the first Reading goal and he's putting together quite a season (as is Hahnemann who is averaging 0.50 goals against a match with three clean sheets). Reading sits in first place in the entire Colaship with a 3-1-0 record and a +9 goal differential.
So if anyone else is looking for a Colaship team to follow, don't say I never gave you anything. :)
Myself I'm sticking with Preston North End even though they lost 1-2 to Sheffield United today and are wallowing in 18th place just ahead of perennial losers like Brighton, Cardiff City, and Millwall on four points in four matches.
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But the United State success doesn't end with Convey. Eddie Lewis scored his first goal for Leeds United (which proved to be the game winner) in a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton. This win actually snapped a 21-game unbeaten streak by Wolves and knocked them off the league's pedestal (making room for Reading) and vaulted Leeds into 5th.
---
In the Premiership, similar good tidings were had by the Yanks. USMNT captain Claudio Reyna didn't score for Manchester City but his team did win 2-1 at Birmingham City.
I hate the other City but the match was fascinating to watch if only because any match involving Nicky Butt is fun (hence why he's on my fantasy team). The classic line from the commentary today was, "Butt has a minor groin injury, that's why he came out."
How can English presenters keep a straight face? :)
David James (not an American and neither is Nicky Butt) managed to keep it together and Butt's goal (yes, Butt was the one who knocked it into the crease) wasn't really his fault.
One other point of silliness happened in this match when Claudio Reyna was subbed out. The midfielder subbed in for him in the 72nd minutes was Sun Jihai of China. Look at that. Now there's even outsourcing in the world of footcer replacing American goods with Chinese. :)
---
Meanwhile, Blackburn goalie (and former United States national team member) Brad Friedel nearly pulled off a clean sheet against Fulham (look at me putting a positive spin on my favorite team losing).
But who broke it up?
None other than Arlington Heights, IL native Brian McBride. :)
About the only United States citizen who had an awful day today was Carlos Bocanegra who wasn't even selected for Chris Coleman's bench for the Cottagers. But, I'm sure with Convey and Lewis doing well in the Colaship this year, some second division team looking for a central defender will give Boca a nod.
Now if it's Reading, I'll have to become a fan since no team in any English division has ever had three Americans on a roster at once to the best of my knowledge and, well, they would then deserve it. :)
Still, it feels as though I must be since ESPN the Magazine has now run footcer related stories two issues in a row! On the front cover of the August 29 issue is the sub-headline, "Peace on a Mideast Pitch." While it's not the actual cover story like David Beckham was last issue, there's a five page story on the lone Muslim member of the Israeli men's national team.
It's a human interest story to be sure, but it beats nothing.
This was also the issue that the feedback came in from the Beckham story. The letters that ESPN the Magazine chose to run two negative letters and a letter from a Beckham fangirl. However, they chose to run the letters as the lead story in The Post. One quote they pulled simply said the following:
"News flash, America doesn't care about soccer." - David Suart of Phoenix, AZ.
I'd like to flash his news. There is a growing portion of the population that does care about footcer and ESPN the Magazine is realizing that through the feedback they receive.
Still, it was as if ESPN was trying to say to the footcer crowd, "sorry guys, this is the reaction we get, better luck next time." I'd just like to say to the editors (of course they don't read this), "buck up little campers the time will come in about five years when you'll be selling magazines because of footcer and not in spite of it."
---
Maybe I'm being optimistic but I think I have the right to be today because it was a huge day for Americans in England today.
Leading the way in the Colaship were midfielder Bobby Convey and goalie Marcus Hahnemann in a 5-0 thrashing of bottom dwelling Millwall by their Reading team. Convey had the first two goals of the match before being pulled in the 57th minute.
Add this to his performance against Preston North End with an assist on the first Reading goal and he's putting together quite a season (as is Hahnemann who is averaging 0.50 goals against a match with three clean sheets). Reading sits in first place in the entire Colaship with a 3-1-0 record and a +9 goal differential.
So if anyone else is looking for a Colaship team to follow, don't say I never gave you anything. :)
Myself I'm sticking with Preston North End even though they lost 1-2 to Sheffield United today and are wallowing in 18th place just ahead of perennial losers like Brighton, Cardiff City, and Millwall on four points in four matches.
---
But the United State success doesn't end with Convey. Eddie Lewis scored his first goal for Leeds United (which proved to be the game winner) in a 2-0 win over Wolverhampton. This win actually snapped a 21-game unbeaten streak by Wolves and knocked them off the league's pedestal (making room for Reading) and vaulted Leeds into 5th.
---
In the Premiership, similar good tidings were had by the Yanks. USMNT captain Claudio Reyna didn't score for Manchester City but his team did win 2-1 at Birmingham City.
I hate the other City but the match was fascinating to watch if only because any match involving Nicky Butt is fun (hence why he's on my fantasy team). The classic line from the commentary today was, "Butt has a minor groin injury, that's why he came out."
How can English presenters keep a straight face? :)
David James (not an American and neither is Nicky Butt) managed to keep it together and Butt's goal (yes, Butt was the one who knocked it into the crease) wasn't really his fault.
One other point of silliness happened in this match when Claudio Reyna was subbed out. The midfielder subbed in for him in the 72nd minutes was Sun Jihai of China. Look at that. Now there's even outsourcing in the world of footcer replacing American goods with Chinese. :)
---
Meanwhile, Blackburn goalie (and former United States national team member) Brad Friedel nearly pulled off a clean sheet against Fulham (look at me putting a positive spin on my favorite team losing).
But who broke it up?
None other than Arlington Heights, IL native Brian McBride. :)
About the only United States citizen who had an awful day today was Carlos Bocanegra who wasn't even selected for Chris Coleman's bench for the Cottagers. But, I'm sure with Convey and Lewis doing well in the Colaship this year, some second division team looking for a central defender will give Boca a nod.
Now if it's Reading, I'll have to become a fan since no team in any English division has ever had three Americans on a roster at once to the best of my knowledge and, well, they would then deserve it. :)
posted by incendiarymind at 12:42 PM
7 Comments:
Don't forget that McBride and Friedel were teammates in Columbus, either!
And I've heard people say that Rafa wants a centre-back in Liverpool, and Boca needs out of Fulham, so why not have Boca go to Merseyside. Of course, I am sure that Rafa's looking to get someone who can stick with a Prem team, and Boca's not looking like that. Then again, maybe a change of scenery could help Boca.
As both a Fulham fan and a Fire fan, I can say with no reservation that Bocanegra is nowhere near good enough to play defense for Liverpool. Now, I'm not saying he's not good enough to play in the Premiership but Liverpool has one of the best defenses in the league and Boca would be a step behind that well oiled machine.
On the ESPN thing, every time we're allowed to peer into the likes of editors at SI and ESPN, we hear "Oh, there are lots of soccer fans here." There's usually at least one soccer reference in every issue of those mags these days, which is slowly making a huge difference.
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Best wishes.
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