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Football Analysis

Welcome back Paul

Welcome back Paul

For much of November, Paul Ifill looked like a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. Many had theorised about the reasons for Phoenix's sluggish A-League season and the finger was often pointed at Ifill and his inability to recreate his stupendous form of last season. It looked ... 30 Nov 2010

Brazil, Norway, and Man-Fielding Equatorial Who?

Brazil, Norway, and Man-Fielding Equatorial Who?

Four groups, nine stadiums, 16 teams, 32 matches: we now know the 2011 Women's World Cup draw, with Australia set to take on Brazil, Norway, and the team I'll now forever know as 'the Man-Fielding Equatorial Who'. The hallowed draw moment took place at 5.45am AEDT in host city Frankfurt this ... 30 Nov 2010

Love And Other Catastrophes

Love And Other Catastrophes

Imagine you've had a really bad week at work. By Friday, all you really want to do is hit the pub or go home and hide. Instead you have to get up in front of an audience and discuss what went wrong (without swearing or blaming anyone). Such is the lot of the professional footballer ... 30 Nov 2010

Losing that winnin' feeling

Losing that winnin' feeling

The major trend of this year in Australia has been one of indecision and the inability to claim outright victory whether it is in politics or on the sporting field. It is rather ironic then that the team in the A-League that sports the name of Victory is now suffering from that same malaise. ... 29 Nov 2010

Fighting for our field of dreams

Fighting for our field of dreams

Whatever the outcome of Friday's World Cup announcement I hope we can finally dispense with the gag-inducing civilities afforded the AFL. The code's talking head Andrew Demetriou - surely a mob enforcer in a former life - is possibly feeling a little antsy with D-Day fast approaching. Sensing ... 29 Nov 2010

Beckham Beckham Beckham...

Beckham Beckham Beckham...

David Beckham slid unnoticed into Newcastle last week. You would have to have been looking really hard to notice this unheralded event. Yeah right. OK, the bloke came, he ran around for 90 minutes and over 23,000 people were there watching. It's easy to be cynical about it. I heard last week ... 29 Nov 2010

A-League Awards Week 16

A-League Awards Week 16

ONE of the unquestionable advantages of the extended A-League calendar is the sheer number of games the ever hungry Australian football fan can now access and consume on a weekly basis. Indeed, for the first time since the inception of our competition, I feel as if mid-week football has now ... 29 Nov 2010

Bad Reputations

Bad Reputations

I know every fan of every team in the league has a right to have a go at the officiating in the league from time to time (Yes Perth Glory you would be one of those due to the exhibition at Dairy Farmer's Stadium), however there is an ugly trend developing in the Roar games this season and i'ts ... 29 Nov 2010

Last-Gasp Goals Turn Matches On Their Heads

Last-Gasp Goals Turn Matches On Their Heads

W-League Round 4 Wrap: Last-gasp goals turned Round 4's W-League matches on their heads, with never-say-die efforts being rewarded. While David Beckham entertained in their hometown, Newcastle Jets ventured south to take on ladder-leaders Sydney on Saturday, with most fans and commentators ... 28 Nov 2010

Boring, boring Gold Coast

Boring, boring Gold Coast

It's been a little while since my last blog, thanks to school I've had my time occupied with studying and assignments. Yay. Luckily I haven't missed any home games, mainly due to the lack of them, thanks FFA! But I wrote about that last time, and this blog, I'm worried more about something that ... 27 Nov 2010

Hundreds And Thousands And M&Ms

Hundreds And Thousands And M&Ms

It will be the least publicised and worst attended century notched up in Brisbane this week but that doesn't lessen the enormity of Massimo Murdocca's achievement before 6,000 fans on Wednesday night. For those that have missed it in the hype surrounding the commencement of yet another Ashes ... 27 Nov 2010

Hoping the Mariners Roar this weekend

Hoping the Mariners Roar this weekend

This weekend's game at Bluetongue Stadium against red hot Roar could have been tarnished by the actions of the FFA months ago. This game is a real test for the Mariners and on the surface looks like a red hot matchup. However with both the Mariners and Roar having played so many games in the ... 26 Nov 2010

Sandgroping Glory

Sandgroping Glory

We West Aussies are a pretty parochial bunch. Not quite as redneck as Queenslanders, but nowhere near as pretentious as Sydneysiders or inner-city Melbournite fashionistas, we’ve carved out our own little docile, laid-back, conservative and socially backwards niche on the ... 26 Nov 2010

No Pencilled-In Picks For W-League Or Women's World Cup

No Pencilled-In Picks For W-League Or Women's World Cup

With three rounds under our season three belts, we're (sadly) already a quarter of the way through the season. And with players taking the pitch each week knowing that they're playing for a W-League championship and, potentially, a spot in the Matildas squad for the 2011 Women's World Cup, the ... 26 Nov 2010

The ugly peoples game

The ugly peoples game

As a blogger that tries (mostly unsuccessfully) to stay in touch with the thoughts and wants of all Australian Football supporters and pundits, I did something that I've never done before in the history of the A-League a few of weekends ago. I attended a match not involving my own team as an ... 25 Nov 2010

The Weapons of Mass Destruction Return.

The Weapons of Mass Destruction Return.

Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise. Surprise and fear, fear and surprise. Our two weapons are fear, surprise and ruthless efficiency. THREE. Our three weapons are fear, surprise, ruthless efficiency and an almost fanatical devotion ... 25 Nov 2010

Oh Danny Boy

Oh Danny Boy

Oh Danny boy, the pipes, the pipes are calling... So, Danny is ditching Uncle Sam after what can only be called a frustrating time with DC United. Despite showing some good goal scoring form with the club, Danny just lacked the chances to make a good fist of it. This leaves Danny with the ... 24 Nov 2010

A Tricky Pitch-uation

A Tricky Pitch-uation

I used to think Viteszlav Lavicka's choice to put the sprinklers on pre-home games was silly. Turns out I was the silly one; he may have actually been saving players from sustaining serious injuries (although this may not have been his aim). Sure, he has to compete with multiple NRL teams, the ... 24 Nov 2010

Why Ronaldo needs Messi

Why Ronaldo needs Messi

The diminutive Argentine's hat-trick was enough to send Lionel Messi and his Barca side to the top of both the goalscoring charts and the La Liga table this weekend, but only for a matter of hours before rivals Real, with another hat-trick from their own superstar, Cristiano Ronaldo, returned to ... 23 Nov 2010

Running Out Of Juice

Running Out Of Juice

Defenders are the rhythm section of a football team* : when they play well too often they go unnoticed but one error and the harsh light of scrutiny suddenly falls upon them. Although he has had a fantastic season, poor old Wilko is bound to be tormented by replays of his unfortunate mistake ... 23 Nov 2010

Sydney Continue to Soar

Sydney Continue to Soar

W-League Wrap: Canberra and Melbourne called it even, Sydney continued to soar, and Brisbane Roar returned to their winning form in round three of the W-League. Two goals at either (and extreme) end of the match saw cold-climate counterparts Canberra and Melbourne call it even over the weekend. ... 22 Nov 2010

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