The Stone Cold Lock » Soccer

Thierry Henry France Handball cheats way into World Cup over Ireland

Rob — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 04:40:32 +0000

In the midst of sports stories, this is probably the story of the week in which France Stiker Thierry Henry using his hand to score and putting France into the World Cup over Ireland. FIFA “gods” and governing body should do the right thing and replay this match. This is not the way things should go. Perhaps FIFA should look into a replay system. Futbol matches usually go pretty smoothly but sometimes you run into these situations that it is so obvious to everyone else but on the field the calls are botched.

Boo to Thierry Henry, boo to France. You dont want to win this way. You dont want to be linked to a handball for the rest of the year leading up to and after the World Cup 2010. Give Ireland another chance. FIFA do the right thing and let the game be decided fairly.

If you havent seen the video of it here it Thierry Henry’s handball

If you were France you should be ashamed just like the”hand of god” my Diego Maradona, that should have never happened but in this case again it was so blatant.

David Ginola gives his take on CNN

Soccer Sucker Punch BYU New Mexico Women’s Soccer

Rob — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 18:09:41 +0000

We didnt realize that women’s soccer would be like a smack down on a friday night. Elizabeth Lambert took the game to another level with succer punches to the back and some hair pulling. Lamber wins the Stone Cold Lock sucker punch award. Talk about having a bad day. Something just gets on your nerves and you just take it out on others. We know the feeling but we would never take out on the field or even in a professional environment. However it is good entertainment, now she is all over the Internet, You Tube, and featured on ESPN Sportscenter.

David Beckham headed back to AC Milan

Rob — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:07:01 +0000

With the MLS season headed into the playoffs, David Beckham confirmed today that he will be joining AC Milan in the January transfer window. The LA Galaxy do have a chance at winning the MLS Cup. I havent done the research but it would be quite a feat if Beckham were to win Championships in different countries and different leagues.

David Beckham is where he belongs, playing in Europe. In my opinion in a soccer professional career the progression from Englsh Premier League to the Spanish La Liga to the Italian Series A league is a good soccer career. Beckham should have never went to the MLS, playing for the LA Galaxy. Beckham should have stayed at Real Madrid or sign with a Series A team bypassing the MLS. The MLS was like practice to Beckham, he could have took a summer off and gotten healthy that season when he transferred.

Today the fanfare has gone. The Beckham craze in America has gone. Relax MLS fans you can now get tickets to see the LA Galaxy again. Playing in the Italian A series helped Beckham get his spot back on England’s National Team not his play in the MLS.

The truth may never come out as to why Beckham signed with the MLS. The deal was lucrative, very lucrative. The MLS is a money losing league. Beckham alone could not have made it profitable. You can all the names you want, but if the quality of play in the MLS still stunk then you still cant put money in the pockets of MLS owners.

For the MLS, improve the quality of play. Not the names. Good for Beckham, I admit I am a fan. I hope to see him succeed again and bring England back into contention for the World Cup in 2010. To win an MLS Cup and then some silver in the Italian A Series or a Champions League title, would probably put Beckham above the top. A championship is a championship even if it is the MLS.

US Qualifies for World Cup 2010 Does any one care?

Rob — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:20:32 +0000

The US Men’s National Team (USMNT) qualified for the FIFA World Cup in 2010, woop-dee-dooo! It still amazes me that soccer has not blown up in the United States being that is it so popular around the world. US Soccer has a fan base, well mayber perhaps not US Soccer, but soccer in general. On Saturdays and Sundays in some pubs in the Washington DC area there are fans waking up early to catch English Premier League games. On week days when there are UEFA Champions League games in the afternoon, there are small gatherings.

But does anyone really care about the US qualifying for the 2010 World Cup. This is nothing against Charlie Davies, I wish him a speedy recovery, but if he wasn’t seriously injured in a car accident the US vs Costa Rica would have gone unnoticed. It was a fairly meaningless game for the US. Costa Rica had something riding on it so did other teams.

I saw this video today about the Honduras fans celebrating after they qualified for the 2010 World Cup, startling difference than in the United States.

You wont see this from a New Yorker dancing down 5th Ave in their underwear.

When the US qualified for the World Cup the game wasn’t even televised. It was on closed circuit TV. You have to go to “authorized” bars to watch the game. You also had to pay a $20 cover. What fan would do that to watch Connor Casey score a goal. Who is Connor Casey? Exactly. Americans would rather watch the college football game of the week on ABC.

If a team wins a Super Bowl, you might get this kind of Honduran like celebration. If a team wins an NCAA basketball championship the campus might get crazy like the video of the Hondurans celebrating. If the Lakers win the NBA Championship you would see a parade the next day. Instead the US win and qualification gets no respect. I would put US Soccer and the World Cup in America atleast at the level of a college winning a championship in softball. The softball championship would atleast be televised on National television.

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Im not sure what how to end this post. I guess you can consider this a call to action. Is the US Soccer team popularity going to grow leading up to the World Cup probably not. You may see a spike when the World Cup starts, however, since the World Cup will be played in South Africa there will be a time difference. Who is going to leave work to watch the games? This blogger will. But then again, I am not your ordinary fan, I do wake up early on Saturdays and Sundays to catch EPL games, I do leave work to go catch some Champions League games. Even if the US wins the World Cup which I doubt they will, the sport and the US Men’s National Team will still not be as popular as the likes of players from other countries in their home countries. Simply put it Americans will always be caught up with Kobe, Lebron, Peyton, and Favre. There is no time for Donovan, Altidore, and Davies.

MLS Salaries – Do you make more than a MLS Soccer Player?

Rob — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 04:30:55 +0000

Every year I like to pat myself on the back. I know that I make more than a “professional athelete”, an MLS player no less. You can probably call it the “More Low Salaries” league. It is amusing to go down the roster team by team to see how much an MLS player makes in salary. Some of these players dont make more than minimum wage. Seriously? When is it time to get a real job. Time to don that suit and tie on like the rest of us. I dont like to toot my own horn but I do make more than about 75% of the players.

Here is the list of MLS player salaries – see for yourself and see if you make more than them.

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I can recall the story of former DC United Goal Keeper Troy Perkins being a mortgage broker on the side while he was the starting goalie for DC United. Perkins made around $45,000 a year. In 2006 Perkins was the MLS goalkeeper of the year and an all-start.

I guess it is all about enjoying your job, no matter how much it pays. Believe me i’d rather be an MLS player making minimum wage than working at a 9-5 job. The groupies are better and you can probably get the hook-up at bars. You cant get that at the office, I can barely get the help desk to fix my computer.

Dimitar Berbatov Manchester United vs Sunderland Goal of the Year

Rob — Sat, 03 Oct 2009 21:00:05 +0000

Dimitar Berbatov of Manchester United had a brilliant goal today vs Sunderland as Manchester United played Sunderland to a 2-2 tie. Berbatov’s goal is perhaps the goal of the year. A nice semi-bicycle strike or falling down as it seems that carried the ball into the goal. No way else to describe the goal. Definitely one of the better goals this year so far.

Check out the video goal highlights of Dimitar Berbatov’s goal against Sunderland.

Get your Dimitar Berbatov Soccer Kit Jersey today with Free Shipping with Orders of $100 or More! Use code: 1FALL100

Was signing Cristiano Ronaldo worth it for Real Madrid

admin — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 00:58:52 +0000

As my colleague Alex wrote – On a Roll- Fernando Torres vs Hull City Video Goal Highlights I have a player who I believe is even hotter than Fernando Torres (on the field of course) you may have heard of him, Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo has already became the first player ever to score in all of his first four games for Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo continues to add to his goal total with another two goal performance for Real Madrid as Madrid defeated Marseille 3-0 in their Champions League Matchup.

Was the £80m transfer fee worth it for Real Madrid? So far the signing of Kaka and Ronaldo has paid huge dividends for Real Madrid. You may say that it doesn’t show the true testament of the La Liga Spanish league because of the level of competition. La Liga is often a two team race for the top of the table so of course teams like Barcelona and Real Madrid will have the best players because of their deep pockets.

So you look for the competition in the UEFA Champions League. Of the four Spanish teams Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Sevilla are all at the top in the group stages. Atletico remains at the bottom of their group. The English Premiership League teams also have three teams at the top of the group stages, while Liverpool had a stunning loss the other day.

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Back to my question was the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo worth it? In my mind yes. In five games he has scored five goals. That pace would put him at 34 goals for the season. In his season last year with Manchester United he tallied a goal total of 18. In his previous year he topped the table with 31 goals. This maybe Cristiano Ronaldo’s most productive year. Goals are good however the true test is winning titles. You can have the top scorer but in the end you will have to look at the Cups that are achieved. We will keep track of Cristiano’s progression and see if indeed the transfer works out. Manchester United has started slow but are now at the top of the table in the premier league as well as gaining six points in their UEFA Champions League group stage.

Cristiano Ronaldo Real Madrid vs Marseille Goal Highlights:

Kaka Goal (Pen)

Ronaldo 2nd Goal

Arsenal at a Crossroads?

Alex — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 17:53:44 +0000

Heading into their Champs League contest with Olympiacos tonight, at Emirates Stadium, Arsenal’s grip on top flight football seems more tenuous than ever. They have been plagued by a failure to win big matches dating back to last year when blown out in Champs League vs Man U, while having already lost to Man U and Man City this season. The gripes over Arsene Wegner’s failure to spend money and criticisms of captain Cesc Fabregas diminishing returns on the field as of late, are growing louder. Arsenal still play the most stylistically pleasing soccer of any club in the world when they are motivated and more importantly at full strength, however, I can’t think of another squad that consistently is trying to fill gaps due to injury issues, or having to mute locker room squabbles. Perhaps clubhouse harmony is less an issue now that Adebayor is gone. Health will continue to be a determining factor in the team’s success though, with Nasri, Walcott, Rosicky, and Arshavin havng all missed substantial chunks of this season already. Given his fitness history, it’s most likely only a matter of time too before Van Pierse turns up lame.

Arsenal have clearly generated some stellar performances in 2009-10, including the opening day EPL thrashing of Everton on the road. A further upside is that Arsenal are relatively young, with serious talent still emerging from its youth system, and sprinkled throughout first team and reserve side. Jack Wilshere, Aaron Ramsay, Carlos Vela, and Fran Merida Perez will all make their impact felt soon enough. Yet, will Arsenal fans be patient enough to once again sit through another maturation cycle of promising but inexperienced youngsters, taking their lumps more often than not, while the club continues to slip further down the EPL table and risk missing out on Champs League competition?

Carlos Tevez Class Act vs Douche Bag Emmanuel Adebayor

admin — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 16:15:56 +0000

Sometimes its good to see class acts like Argentinean soccer play Carlos Tevez. After scoring twice against West Ham in Manchester City’s September 28, 2009 3-1 victory, Tevez refused to celebrate. The man who has been regarded for almost single handedly keeping West Ham from relegation three years ago. When Tevez returned to play Manchester United, he again, refused to show any ill will toward his old team after Manchester City took the lead. That is a class act, respect and be humble to where you started.
On the other hand you will look at a guy like Manchester City’s Emmanuel Adebayor. After Adebayor scored against his former team he raced the length of the field to taunt the Arsenal fans. Sparking a riot in the stands. In that same match he proceeded to stomp nick Robert Van Persie his former teammate in the face.

Tevez held out his hands in apology to the Hammers supporters and the Hammers fans respected that.

Carlos Tevez Brace Leads The Way

Alex — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 21:16:47 +0000

Having just finished watching Man City’s 3-1 dismantling of West Ham, there is no doubt City is going to push hard for a top 4 domestic finish and the coveted Champs League spot. While not playing Robinho, Adebayor, Stephen Ireland or Micah Richards tonight, City still fielded a line-up chalked with talent at every position, moving the ball around as if they have played together for years now. Yeah, they spent an obscene amount of cash in the off-season, but unlike Real Madrid which still strikes me as somewhat vulnerable across their backline, City is strong all over the field. With Tevez squandering a few sitters early, City should have won by 4 or 5 tonight. Regardless, City is serving notice that the race for the EPL top four will be more contested than ever.

Video Goal Highlights from the Manchester City vs West Ham match on September 28, 2009.