Even more to come...

English FA Cup

Middlesbrough 2, Manchester United 2

In a relatively even game, Manchester United almost bowed out of the FA Cup to a hard-working Middlesborough. Young and industrious Lee Cattermole and Dutchman George Boateng got the goals for M'Boro, while Wayne Rooney scored early and Cristiano Ronaldo saved Man U's Treble-driven asses with a penalty kick in the 68th minute. Man Utd played this game without Van der Sar in goal and Louis Saha up front. Gareth Southgate had his team, however, playing inspired football making Man Utd's survival a long ordeal.

MID: Cattermole (45), Boateng (47)
MAN: Rooney (23), C. Ronaldo PK (68)

Spanish Primera Liga

Real Madrid 3, Barcelona 3

This was Lionel Messi's game. No question, he single handedly kept Barca in this game. Especially when crap defender Oleguer (will a Barca fan tell me why he's on the pitch?) was sent off right before the half-time whistle. Even before that though, the score was 2-2 by the 28th minute with Messi and Ruud Van Nistelrooy trading goals back and forth. The game was certainly extremely pacy and dominated by individual skill and harsh physicality. The scoring pattern of Messi and R.V.N. was broken in the 73rd minute by young Uruguayan defender Sergio Ramos. He powered a header blindly to far post hitting the cross-bar and in. Messi was not to be done, however, as he eluded three Madrid defenders in a Maradona-esque fashion and buried far post a hard shot past Iker Casillas. All this in injury time.


RMD: Van Nistelrooy (5, 13), Sergio Ramos (73)
BCA: Messi (11, 28, 90)

Italian Serie B

Brescia 3, Juventus 1

Hah. I love this.
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*Michael Bradley got on for the last 5 minutes of Heerenveen's clash with RKC Waalwijk. My sources say he didn't have much of an impact.

*Delran grad and former South Jersey stud-ess Carli Lloyd is lighting up the international fields with the U.S. Women's National Team. At the Algarve Cup, Lloyd has two goals in two games. These games weren't 10-0 wins against Chinese Taipei either. One was a 2-1 win over China and a 1-0 win over Finland. Congrats Carli. The USWMNT play next on Monday, March 12th against Sweden.



*Another local player, Monmouth grad Hugh MacDonald was just signed by the New York Red Bulls. I could be wrong but I think this will be Monmouth U's first player in the MLS.


*John Terry, a Chelsea mainstay, has apparently asked for a 9-year extension to his contract. He wants a pay raise from 67 thousand pounds weekly to 121 thousand pounds weekly which is what Michael Ballack and Andrei Shevchenko earn. If you're comparing return on investment I'd say John Terry has an arguement, but that would give a central defender 60 million pounds over 9 years (roughly $120,000,000 or $13,333,333 /year). Good luck with fielding that request Peter Kenyon.

*According to Jesse's Toronto FC blog, TFC is in the process of finalizing the signing of Andy Welsh. 23-year-old outside midfielder Welsh has apparently fallen out of favor at Championship-side Sunderland. Roy Keane ain't keen on him (I'm sorry).

*Go here for a great interview with D.C. United's new back-up goalkeeper Jay Nolly.

*35-year-old French star Lillian Thuram apparently could be on his way to Fulham this summer. If you think Fulham has a strong American connection, their French connection is bigger. Steed Malbranque (now gone to Tottenham), Louis Saha (now at Man Utd), Sylvain Legwinski (now at Ipswich), and all plied their trade with Fulham. French internationals Frank Queudrue and former Marseille back Philippe Christanval still do. Clearly it has something to do with the fact that Jean Tigana, a French manager, coached the team from 2000 to 2003 before Welshman and former player Chris Coleman took over. Regardless, here's the source.


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* In other news, CASA Select beat PCOM today 4-3. Sloppy at times, with flashes of brilliance, it was certainly a good session. You don't appreciate the game soccer until you feel your body after a 2 hour game on a field with a strong resemblence to quicksand. Thanks to Cannons FC for putting that together.

* Next weekend is the start of the CASA Soccer League season, check out www.phillysoccer.org and instead of the Team of the Week this Wednesday I will be previewing the season. Sunday, March 18th, is the first competitive game of CASA Select. It will take place in Bridgetown, DE at the Sussex Technical High School. CASA Select will play Xelaju for the La Quetzalteca Trophy. Some time at the end of the week, there will be a preview of that game as well as a roster breakdown of CASA Select. Meanwhile, if anyone has played this so-called Xelaju, please share the wisdom.