FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com/media/feedlogo.gif FanHouse http://www.fanhouse.com en-us Copyright 2008 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Cuauhtemoc Blanco Never Has to Worry About the U.S. Open Cup Againhttp://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/31/cuauhtemoc-blanco-never-has-to-worry-about-the-u-s-open-cup-aga/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/31/cuauhtemoc-blanco-never-has-to-worry-about-the-u-s-open-cup-aga/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/31/cuauhtemoc-blanco-never-has-to-worry-about-the-u-s-open-cup-aga/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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What happens when the punishment someone gets is pretty much what they wanted in the first place? We can ask Chicago Fire midfielder Cuauhtemoc Blanco -- or, as MLS commissioner Don Garber called him, the "Mexican David Beckham" (Stay classy, Don!) -- about that, now that he's been banned from the U.S. Open Cup for a minimum of two years and six matches for punching Clyde Simms in the gut during Chicago's quarterfinal loss to D.C. United. The incident is shown toward the end of that video.

I suspect MLS is pleased as, uh, punch that Blanco has gotten out of Open Cup duty, thus allowing the league to save one of its biggest assets for league matches only. Besides, it's not like MLS wants anyone to watch the Open Cup, right?

(H/T: Unprofessional Foul)

 

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]]>cuauhtemocblancousopencupDavid J. Warner2008-07-31T17:00:00 00:00Once Again, It's a Revolution Vs. Dynamo Finalhttp://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/once-again-its-a-revolution-vs-dynamo-final/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/once-again-its-a-revolution-vs-dynamo-final/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/once-again-its-a-revolution-vs-dynamo-final/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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So far, we've learned two things from Superliga:

1.) When they care, the New England Revolution and the Houston Dynamo are the two best knockout competition sides in MLS.

2.) If you can read lips, you can see that Mexican players know at least two words in English, and they aren't very nice.

More than words were thrown, however, at the end of the Revolution's 1-0 win over Atlante tonight. Atlante ended up getting five, count 'em, five red cards, including three in post-match scuffle with Revs players. Jay Heaps was shown a red for retaliation -- try to contain your glee, Duke haters -- seconds before he was shoved to the ground by Atlante goalkeeper Federico Vilar, whom cameras spotted throwing punches the fracas after he got his red.

After order was mostly restored, Vilar allegedly told a Telefutura reporter something to the effect of, "This is a country where you can buy everything, even a game and the refs." As if it were the refs who magically guided Shalrie Joseph's clinical header into the net in the 30th minute, or the refs who made Matt Reis so dominant in front of goal. This is a country where Federico Vilar is now Spanish for douchebag.

 

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]]>SuperligaDavid J. Warner2008-07-30T23:40:00 00:00Jerry Richardson Has His Finger on the Buttonhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/jerry-richardson-has-his-finger-on-the-button/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/jerry-richardson-has-his-finger-on-the-button/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/jerry-richardson-has-his-finger-on-the-button/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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If you weren't certain that this was a do-or-die season for Carolina Panthers head coach John Fox and GM Marty Hurney, this should remove all doubt. Pro Football Talk -- you know, the blog that hates Jake Delhomme -- is reporting that Richardson will not extend the contracts of anyone in the front office or scouting department beyond the 2008 season.

In short, he's secretly replaced everyone's regular coffee with the threat of a pink slip. Let's see how they respond.

The key here for Richardson? He won't have to buy out anyone's contract if he decides to make changes. He can just sweep everyone out the door and throw a ton of cash at, say, Bill Cowher, or someone else who can find more than two starters from 16 2nd- and 3rd-round draft picks.

So if the Panthers don't make the playoffs this year, you'll see a sudden uptick in the unemployment rate in Charlotte next January. Of course, given that draft record, some scouts might be gone regardless of what the team does this season.

(H/T: 850 the Buzz)

 

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]]>JerryRichardsonJohnFoxMartyHurneyDavid J. Warner2008-07-30T11:40:00 00:00The Messi Mess: Why South Americans Care So Much About Olympic Soccerhttp://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/the-messi-mess-why-south-americans-care-so-much-about-olympic-s/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/the-messi-mess-why-south-americans-care-so-much-about-olympic-s/http://olympics.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/the-messi-mess-why-south-americans-care-so-much-about-olympic-s/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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Barcelona FC is doing everything in its power to keep Lionel Messi out of Beijing.

Despite repeated reminders from FIFA that clubs must release players under the age of 23 for the Olympics, Barcelona is refusing to let Messi, 21, play for Argentina, claiming that Olympic soccer not a FIFA-sanctioned event and that FIFA has no right to demand any player's release. The Spanish superclub plans to take its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport this week while taking Messi with them on their American tour.

Barca isn't the only one holding players back. Two German Bundesliga clubs, Werden Bremen and Schalke 04, are defying a FIFA order to release under-23 Brazilian stars Diego and Rafinha for the Olympics. They plan to go to the CAS as well.

By contrast, Liverpool was under no obligation to release Javier Mascherano, 24, for the Olympics, but they did anyway, and Messi has made it clear that he wants to join Mascherano in Beijing and win the gold for Argentina.

This begs the question: why do these Brazilians and Argentinians care so much about Olympic soccer, which certainly doesn't have the prestige of a World Cup or even a Copa America? They care because, as the BBC's Tim Vickery points out, it was the Olympics that put South American soccer on the map -- and begat the FIFA World Cup.

 

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]]>BarcelonaFIFAWorldCupLionelMessiDavid J. Warner2008-07-30T10:35:00 00:00The Messi Mess: Why South Americans Care So Much About Olympic Soccerhttp://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/the-messi-mess-why-south-americans-care-so-much-about-olympic-s/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/the-messi-mess-why-south-americans-care-so-much-about-olympic-s/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/30/the-messi-mess-why-south-americans-care-so-much-about-olympic-s/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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Barcelona FC is doing everything in its power to keep Lionel Messi out of Beijing.

Despite repeated reminders from FIFA that clubs must release players under the age of 23 for the Olympics, Barcelona is refusing to let Messi, 21, play for Argentina, claiming that Olympic soccer not a FIFA-sanctioned event and that FIFA has no right to demand any player's release. The Spanish superclub plans to take its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport this week while taking Messi with them on their American tour.

Barca isn't the only one holding players back. Two German Bundesliga clubs, Werden Bremen and Schalke 04, are defying a FIFA order to release under-23 Brazilian stars Diego and Rafinha for the Olympics. They plan to go to the CAS as well.

By contrast, Liverpool was under no obligation to release Javier Mascherano, 24, for the Olympics, but they did anyway, and Messi has made it clear that he wants to join Mascherano in Beijing and win the gold for Argentina.

This begs the question: why do these Brazilians and Argentinians care so much about Olympic soccer, which certainly doesn't have the prestige of a World Cup or even a Copa America? They care because, as the BBC's Tim Vickery points out, it was the Olympics that put South American soccer on the map -- and begat the FIFA World Cup.

 

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]]>BarcelonaFIFAWorldCupLionelMessiDavid J. Warner2008-07-30T10:35:00 00:00Could The Panthers Carry Six Receivers?http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/29/could-the-panthers-carry-six-receivers/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/29/could-the-panthers-carry-six-receivers/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/29/could-the-panthers-carry-six-receivers/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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Remember a few months ago when we were joking about how deep the Carolina Panthers were at receiver? It seemed silly, didn't it? After all, this team's wideout corps has been Steve Smith and the Droptastics for the last three years. Where are all these receivers going to come from?

Apparently, from nowhere. Reports out of camp are that Jason Carter, a former Texas A&M QB-turned-receiver who was on the Panthers' practice squad last season, is making big noise in camp, catching everything thrown his way -- including passes that third-string QB Brett Basanez is intentionally throwing several feet over Carter's head. As Basanez told the Charlotte Observer: "I make him look good. We work on that all the time."

Does Carter's emergence create a dilemma for the Panthers at receiver? We can assume Smith, Muhsin Muhammad and D.J. Hackett will make the cut, but what about the guys behind them? Dwayne Jarrett is reportedly much improved this year, and Ryne Robinson is still the designated kick returner, so replacing him with Carter seems highly unlikely. John Fox isn't the kind of team to carry six receivers on the active roster. If Carter continues to impress, would Carolina cut or trade someone else to make room for him? Or does the inevitable D.J. Hackett injury leave Carter plenty of room?

 

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]]>DJHackettDwayneJarrettJasonCarterMuhsinMuhammadRyneRobinsonSteveSmithDavid J. Warner2008-07-29T10:45:00 00:00Robbie Keane Moves to Liverpool for £19Mhttp://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/28/robbie-keane-moves-to-liverpool-for-19m/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/28/robbie-keane-moves-to-liverpool-for-19m/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/28/robbie-keane-moves-to-liverpool-for-19m/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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It's hard for me to imagine Robbie Keane wearing something other than a Tottenham Hotspur kit. He's been the heart and soul of that team for the last six years. When he did that little dance after Spurs won the Carling Cup Final, he looked like he would be at White Hart Lane for life.

Yet there he was at Liverpool's training ground, completing his physical and coming to terms with another club. Like every other big-name Premier League player, Keane wanted Champions League action, and he wasn't going to get it with Spurs. So the club has granted him his wish today and sold his contract to Liverpool for £19 million.

Keane's move breaks up one of the best strike partnerships in the league, and chances are Dimitar Berbatov could leave, too, if another club meets Spurs' hefty asking price. It's kind of amazing to see this club sell off its two best forwards just as Juande Ramos finally addresses the club's midfield and back line issues, but it seems this sort of thing is standard practice at White Hart Lane. Without Keane and Berbatov, Ramos will likely face a huge struggle to win anything more than another bid to the UEFA Cup next year.

 

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]]>LiverpoolRobbieKeaneTottenhamHotspurDavid J. Warner2008-07-28T15:10:00 00:00Carolina Means Business With This Whole Power Running Gamehttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/28/carolina-means-business-with-this-whole-power-running-game/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/28/carolina-means-business-with-this-whole-power-running-game/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/28/carolina-means-business-with-this-whole-power-running-game/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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It's not enough that the Carolina Panthers' offensive line looks bigger every day, what with Travelle Wharton bulking up, 340-pound Toniu Fonoti opening camp as the starting right guard -- 325-pound Keydrick Vincent will work with the first team today -- and 330-pound Jeff Otah already being regarded as a freak of nature and reportedly pancaking Tyler Brayton multiple times during his first NFL practice. (Center Ryan Kalil, who weighs only 299 lbs., might be nicknamed "Tiny" before training camp is over.)

No, the Panthers are going one step further. They've brought in Natrone Means, former Tar Heel and San Diego Charger, to mentor Jonathan Stewart and make him ... well, just like Natrone Means.

GM Marty Hurney worked for the Chargers when Means ran over his opponents to the tune of 1,350 yards during his breakout 1994 season. Hurney didn't have to look far to find Means, either -- he's spent the last two years as the offensive coordinator at West Charlotte High School.

If you don't remember Natrone Means, check out the video of him after the jump. If Stewart turns out anything like Means, the Panthers will definitely be in business.

 

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]]>David J. Warner2008-07-28T13:00:00 00:00Man United Pays £32M to End Tevez Sagahttp://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/28/man-united-pays-32m-to-end-tevez-saga/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/28/man-united-pays-32m-to-end-tevez-saga/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/28/man-united-pays-32m-to-end-tevez-saga/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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We're never really going to know who owned the player rights to Carlos Tevez when he arrived at West Ham United in 2006. The East London club insisted he was a fully registered player, while stories persisted that Media Sports Investments and their sleazebucket owner, Kia Joorabchian, still owned his economic rights, which would have been a violation of Premier League rules.

That's not the case anymore. The Guardian is reporting that Manchester United paid £32 million to make Tevez's loan from West Ham permanent, officially sweeping one of the most sordid stories in Premier League history under the rug.

That transfer fee is a record for an English club, eclipsing the £30M that Chelsea wasted on Andriy Shevchenko. Perhaps that cash was better spent on Tevez, who's only 24 and who scored 19 goals in 39 games last season. Some have suggested there are better potential strike partners for Wayne Rooney -- and Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly has a list -- but Rooney and Tevez played well together last season and could remain the Red Devils' first options up front for years to come.

Perhaps the only question now is whether the record fee for Tevez might hasten the sale of everyone's favorite brown-and-serve winger, Cristiano Ronaldo. Real Madrid, however, has reportedly given up on CR7 and is only thinking about Cesc. (UPDATE: Cesc isn't thinking about Madrid.)

 

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]]>CarlosTevezManchesterUnitedDavid J. Warner2008-07-28T11:00:00 00:00Kolo Touré Has Malaria: Where's Bill Gates When You Need Him?http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/27/kolo-toure-has-malaria-wheres-bill-gates-when-you-need-him/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/27/kolo-toure-has-malaria-wheres-bill-gates-when-you-need-him/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/27/kolo-toure-has-malaria-wheres-bill-gates-when-you-need-him/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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When Bill Gates got hitched and became a philanthropist, he and his wife decided to use his billions to try and eradicate several persistent diseases. Somewhere at the top of the list: malaria, which is still prevalent in many parts of Africa.

Arsenal supporters would like the Gates Foundation to work a bit faster, please. Center back Kolo Touré contracted malaria while visiting home in the Ivory Coast and is expected to miss the start of the season. You can hear the Gunners switching to Mac now, can't you?

While some like to call malaria "the gift that keeps on giving," Touré is not contagious and has a very treatable form of the disease, so he could be back in action by early September. That's good news for Arsenal, who are already fearful of losing key players on the transfer market. The last thing Arsene Wenger needs is to lose even more players to diseases that Gates and his billions haven't gotten rid of yet. Barcelona is doing its part to help, though -- which is the least they can do, considering their dogged pursuit of Emmanuel Adebayor.

 

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]]>ArsenalDavid J. Warner2008-07-27T12:15:00 00:00MLS' Expansion Strategy: If You Can't Beat Them, Get Them to Join Youhttp://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/27/mls-expansion-strategy-if-you-cant-beat-them/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/27/mls-expansion-strategy-if-you-cant-beat-them/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/27/mls-expansion-strategy-if-you-cant-beat-them/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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Last week at the Major League Soccer All-Star Game festivities in Toronto, MLS commissioner Don Garber suggested that the league might expand further into Canada. Steve Nash is putting together a bid to launch an MLS club in Vancouver, while Liverpool co-owner George Gillett, who also owns the Montreal Canadiens, is teaming up with Montreal Impact owner Joey Saputo to lift the Impact from USL to MLS.

There's a subtext, however, to this northern expansion talk. Montreal and Vancouver both have fairly successful clubs in the USL First Division. In fact, the inaugural Canadian Championship featured both the Montreal Impact and the Vancouver Whitecaps, as well as Toronto FC. The winner of that six-game home-and-away series would get a CONCACAF Champions League bid.

Guess what? That bid went to the Impact, who clinched the Canadian Championship with a 1-1 draw at Toronto last Tuesday. Then, just one day after MLS loses the Canadian bid to the Champions League to a USL club, Garber is talking about bringing both of Canada's USL cities into MLS.

Convenient, eh?

 

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]]>David J. Warner2008-07-27T11:20:00 00:00Jaguars' Williams Joins Porter on PUP Listhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/jaguars-williams-joins-porter-on-pup-list/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/jaguars-williams-joins-porter-on-pup-list/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/jaguars-williams-joins-porter-on-pup-list/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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Only one day into training camp, David Garrard appears to be running out of targets.

Reggie Williams sprained his right knee late last week and has been placed on the Jacksonville Jaguars' Physically Unable to Perform list. He joins Jerry Porter, who had surgery on his ailing hamstring last week, and tight end George Wrightster, who's still struggling with a knee injury, on the list.

Losing your projected #1 and #2 receivers before camp even gets started can't be good. Still, Garrard has plenty of potential starters in camp, including Troy Williamson, Dennis Northcutt, Mike Walker, John Broussard and tight end Marcedes Lewis. The real question now is which players can step up and claim starting jobs -- even if it's just in the preseason, because it will show everyone else just how much depth the Jaguars really have at receiver.

Look for Walker and Williamson to get a lot more attention in the coming weeks. The last thing this team wants to do is depend on Dennis Northcutt over the long haul.

 

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]]>JerryPorterReggieWilliamsDavid J. Warner2008-07-26T15:00:00 00:00Matt Jones Should Give One More Apologyhttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/matt-jones-should-give-one-more-apology/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/matt-jones-should-give-one-more-apology/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/26/matt-jones-should-give-one-more-apology/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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Two weeks after police in Arkansas arrested him for possessing cocaine in the back of a truck, Matt Jones apologized to the Jacksonville Jaguars for his actions.

"I'm embarrassed for Mr. and Mrs. Weaver, coach Del Rio and my teammates, and even the fans of Jacksonville. It's not good, but I really can't comment on it right now until all the things are settled in the courts and everything."

With that apology out of the way, Jones' next step is to apologize for being such a crappy receiver. I'm sure a few folks in Jacksonville wish he'd be embarrassed for them after the ball bounced off his hands in the end zone a few times. The Jaguars did spend all that money on Jerry Porter for a reason.

Then again, perhaps I'm being too harsh. I mean, I still won my fantasy league two seasons ago despite drafting Jones -- thank you, Maurice Jones-Drew -- and really, Jones has bigger problems right now than his inability to catch a ball consistently.

Previously at FanHouse:
Those Weren't Matt Jones' Drugs, He Was Just Holding Them in the Backseat of a Truck
Jaguars' Matt Jones Arrested, Police Say He Possessed Cocaine

 

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]]>MattJonesDavid J. Warner2008-07-26T14:10:00 00:00Report: Toronto Gets Chad Barrett for McBridehttp://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/report-toronto-gets-chad-barrett-for-mcbride/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/report-toronto-gets-chad-barrett-for-mcbride/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/report-toronto-gets-chad-barrett-for-mcbride/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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Last week, when MLS threatened to step in and broker a deal that would allow former Fulham striker Brian McBride to finish his career with the Chicago Fire, I said that either Chicago or Toronto FC was about to get the shaft.

Well, last night during the MLS All-Star Game, commissioner Don Garber said that the deal was done, and Soccer By Ives is reporting that Toronto will get forward Chad Barrett, a superdraft pick and allocation cash.

So yeah, TFC got the shaft.

Chad Barrett might have five goals in 16 MLS games so far this season, but judging by his performance in Olympic qualifying last March -- when he couldn't score in a brothel with a back pocket full of Benjamins -- Barrett probably isn't the long-term answer for TFC's scoring woes. It's a wonder that Toronto didn't even try to convince McBride to come play for them this season.

I still think the rules that made this deal necessary are ridiculous and that McBride should have been considered a free agent, but at least he will get his wish to finish his career in his hometown. The Fire won't get McBride, though, until after the Olympics.

 

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]]>BrianMcBrideDavid J. Warner2008-07-25T14:10:00 00:00Harvey Still Unsigned as Jaguars Open Camphttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/harvey-still-unsigned-as-jaguars-open-camp/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/harvey-still-unsigned-as-jaguars-open-camp/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/harvey-still-unsigned-as-jaguars-open-camp/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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Until last night, speculation in Jacksonville was that Reggie Hayward and Paul Spicer, the Jaguars' veteran defensive ends, would be battling ghosts for their jobs -- kind of like Pacman, except, y'know, not like that Pacman.

As of this morning, there's only one ghost left. The Jaguars' second-round pick, Quentin Groves, signed a four-year deal last night, just in time for the start of training camp today. That leaves former Florida star Derrick Harvey as the team's last remaining unsigned rookie.

I imagine Harvey's agent is continuing to remind the Jaguars that they gave up almost half of their draft to get their paws on Harvey, who was picked 8th overall and is expected to add some youth to their pass rush. However, the signings of 6th-overall pick Vernon Gholston and 10th-overall pick Jerrod Mayo might speed up the process of getting Harvey signed and in camp.

Harvey has given no indication of an extended holdout here, so don't expect one. He could easily be signed and ready to go by tomorrow's first practice. Then Hayward and Spicer can really start worrying about their jobs.

 

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]]>DerrickHarveyQuentinGrovesDavid J. Warner2008-07-25T10:55:00 00:00Rob Stone Makes a New Friend in Torontohttp://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/rob-stone-makes-a-new-friend-in-toronto/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/rob-stone-makes-a-new-friend-in-toronto/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/rob-stone-makes-a-new-friend-in-toronto/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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The MLS All-Stars pulled out a 3-2 victory over West Ham United last night in Toronto, but the real highlight of ESPN's otherwise annoying coverage of this game -- who else misses Andy Gray? -- might have been Rob Stone's encounter with Bitchy the Hawk, who keeps the seagulls away from BMO Field. For a man who fearlessly throws streamers back at Toronto FC fans and bites into the world's hottest peppers, he's awfully skittish about a bird. Then again, they must have named that hawk after Didier Drogba for a reason.

Actual highlights of the game itself, including two goals from Dean Ashton and an MVP performance from Cuauhtemoc Blanco, are after the jump.

(H/T: Awful Announcing)

 

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]]>David J. Warner2008-07-25T10:15:00 00:00Jaguars Training Camp Battle: The Receivershttp://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/jaguars-training-camp-battle-the-receivers/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/jaguars-training-camp-battle-the-receivers/http://nfl.fanhouse.com/2008/07/25/jaguars-training-camp-battle-the-receivers/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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Training camp is finally here and FanHouse breaks down the most important position battles heading into the season, team by team.

One could argue that the Jacksonville Jaguars' Super Bowl aspirations bounced off Dennis Northcutt's hands last January. David Garrard completed 64% of his passes last season, but it seemed like it should have been much higher, because the Jaguars' receivers dropped so many passes. That's just one reason why this team spent $30 million on Jerry Porter.

That said, Porter will miss the preseason while recovering from hamstring surgery, so its up to the remaining receivers to show that they know how to catch -- which might seem like a tall order when photos like this and this keep popping up. Those photos, however, didn't stop the Jags from taking a flyer on Troy Williamson, who reportedly looked great in minicamp. Still, that was minicamp. How will he fare in actual games?

Reggie Williams' job might be the safest after his breakout season last year. Despite catching only 38 passes, he had career highs in yards per catch (16.6) and touchdowns (10), and he has the size every coach loves. He and Porter are projected to be the starters.

So what other targets does Garrard have?

 

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]]>2008TrainingCampBattlesDavid J. Warner2008-07-25T08:00:00 00:00Giorgio Chinaglia Is the New Tony Sopranohttp://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/giorgio-chinaglia-is-the-new-tony-soprano/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/giorgio-chinaglia-is-the-new-tony-soprano/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/giorgio-chinaglia-is-the-new-tony-soprano/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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Remember Giorgio Chinaglia? The Italian soccer star who came to play with the New York Cosmos in the 1970s and proceeded to make everyone from Pelé on down hate his guts? "Every time I breathe, I insult someone," he once told David Hirshey. "If a dog chokes on a bone around here, they blame Chinaglia."

It seems Chinaglia left more than a few choking dogs in his wake this week in Italy. He's wanted on extortion and insider trading charges after allegedly trying to influence the share price of Lazio, a publicly traded Serie A club where Chinaglia made his name in the 70s, so that it could be sold to a consortium that reportedly used laundered money supplied by the Naples-based Camorra crime syndicate.

Yes, Lazio, a club that was docked points in 2006 in a match-fixing scandal, was almost sold to the mafia. That's just how doomed Jose Mourinho's mission of saving Italian soccer really is.

Chinaglia, who currently lives in the New York, denied the charges in a satellite interview on Italian television. He reportedly went out with his family and ate onion rings after the interview.

 

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]]>GiorgioChinagliaDavid J. Warner2008-07-24T12:00:00 00:00Could MLS All-Star Team Survive in Europe?http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/could-mls-all-star-team-survive-in-europe/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/could-mls-all-star-team-survive-in-europe/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/could-mls-all-star-team-survive-in-europe/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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The Major League Soccer All-Star Game kicks off tonight in Toronto, and the best players in MLS, all of whom are in mid-season form, will face a mid-table Premier League club (West Ham United) just starting its preseason. The All-Stars will probably win -- just as they did against Celtic, Chelsea and Fulham in the last three All-Star Games -- and MLS will hold it up as an example of how their players can compete in any league in Europe.

Of course, this is nonsense. No MLS club could survive the Premier League season, because no club is deep enough or talented enough to handle it. (I could explain why, but I'd be repeating myself.) Plus, playing a team still in preseason mode is much easier than playing team in midseason form. That's why MLS hasn't won a CONCACAF trophy in eight years.

It does bring up an interesting question, though, which I will pose to you, FanHouse readers -- if this All-Star team was its own club, how would it fare in Europe?

 

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]]>David J. Warner2008-07-24T10:30:00 00:00This Might Be the Harshest Yellow Card Everhttp://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/this-might-be-the-harshest-yellow-card-ever/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/this-might-be-the-harshest-yellow-card-ever/http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2008/07/24/this-might-be-the-harshest-yellow-card-ever/#commentsDavid J. Warnerby David J. Warner

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Spartak Moscow defender Radoslav Kovac took out a pitch invader last week with a time-honored technique -- stick a leg out there and take him down. It was the soccer equivalent of a James Harrison body slam and, surprisingly, just as effective.

And what was Kovac's reward for helping security get that wanker off the pitch? A yellow card. Seriously, justice has not been served.

(H/T: Unprofessional Foul)

 

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]]>David J. Warner2008-07-24T09:45:00 00:00