Manchester United - The Changing of the (Defensive) Guard

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 15, 2014 -

Well at least a small part of history repeated itself. Roma offered 25 million for Salva. I again countered with 65 million dollars.

Unfortunately, King didn't get hurt (I say unfortunately because I hate the incongruity with history - however, I have to play him if healthy or risk pissing him off.)

[Eaglesfan27]

OOC: Sorry for the delay, but roomservice just delivered a delicious steak from Benton's. Anyway, I'm going to get to finish at least one game before I go back to studying (I studied on the plane and at the airport for about 7 hours today.)


Aug 16, 2014 -


We used the same lineup except I rested Adriano (as initially intended) and I started King at striker.


1st minute: Chivu passes it down the left sideline to Downing.. Downing passes to Barbosa in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0! Barbosa scores in his debut!

12 minute mark: Downing centers it to King by the far post.. he heads it.. good save by the keeper.

22 minute mark: Downing tripped Serhat.. Yellow card for Downing.

25 minute mark: Hitzlsperger shoots from 25 yards out.. past Howard.. we get lucky as it hits the crossbar.

28 minute mark: Schreurs argues an offside call.. he gets a yellow card.

35 minute mark: John has a breakaway.. shoots from 10 yards out.. upper left corner.. Howard tips it over the bar.


Halftime: 1-0 lead. They have over 22,000 fans here today.

48 minute mark: Joaquin with a 5 yard shot.. Howard saves it!

61 minute mark: Ortega on for Djemba and McFadden on for King (just a bit out of position.)

71 minute mark: McFadden gets it at midfield.. passes it long into the box to Barbosa.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper saves it cleanly.

82 minute mark: Barbosa steals it from a defender.. dribbles into the box.. blasts a shot into the upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.

90 minute mark: Howard with a trio of great saves..


Game over. 1-0 win. The margin wasn't as big, but at least we still got our win. I still feel like an idiot for getting to plug in the computer. At least dinner was delicious.

We were outshot 17-12 (9-5 on target in our favor)

Barbosa wins MoM in his debut! 10 for form, 15 of 20 passes, 5 key passes, 0 tackles, 1 of 6 headers, 2 interceptions, 10 runs, and 1 goal.

Oh well, time to go study for a few hours.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 17, 2014 -

Roma have withdrawn their bid for Salva

Newcastle paid 12.5 million to sign Jozef Adam from Blackburn. He is a good striker but very slow. Again, I don't think this is a very good signing for a serious EPL team.


Mark van den Boogaart, Wes Brown, and Darren Fletcher were selected to the EPL Team of the Week.


Aston Villa have offered 4 million plus 30% of next sale for Paul Kelly. Paul has potential, but at 22 he hasn't really shown much of that potential. I counter with 6 million. If they agree, I will be glad to move him.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 20, 2014 -

Newcastle spent 16.5 million to sign 23 year old Spanish striker Ignacio from Mallorca. Ignacio isn't going to win too many foot races, but at least he can beat a turtle. He also is a great finisher and a great target man. I think is a much better signing for them.

The Champions League groups were drawn, and I must say I'm not particularly happy with my grouping. I will be in Group G with Milan, Paris, and Trabzonspor.


We've been given 4.8 million for participating in the Champions League Group Stage.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 21, 2014 -

Chelsea have spent 21 million dollars to sign Nicky Platt from Leverkusen. Nicky is a 26 year old striker who is SLOW. He is a great leaper though and a good header. I still think this is an interesting signing that I wouldn't have made.

Bolton are interested in signing David Harper from me. I let them know I will sell him for 5 million dollars.

Aston Villa withdrew their offer for Paul Kelly.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 23, 2014 -

Arsenal have paid 50 million dollars to sign 24 year old Italian Striker Mauro Di Mauro from Marseille. Remember, this is the kid that helped one of the EPL Teams (Everton?) do very well a year or two ago. Mauro is my ideal of a terrific striker and I would have gone after him if that was a need. He is lightning fast, he is agile, he has a great first step, great dribble, and he can finish with the best of them. I've very sad to see Arsenal get him as he should be a big boost for their team.

[Eaglesfan27]

Aug 25, 2014 -

Today we travel to play Aston Villa in an EPL Match. Aston Villa has had a rough start to the year. Jermaine Jenas is playing VERY well early, but he is getting precious little support from his strikers. Luke Moore has been average at best early. He clearly has the talent to play much better. Jhon Jairo Mosquera has been horrible as a second striker. Mourad Meghni is the leading scorer with 2 goals. Chris Miller and Steven Taylor are playing well along the defensive line. Paul Lancaster is unhappy that he isn't getting to start enough games, but he is scheduled to start against us.

We are 4-5 favorites.

It's raining with temperatures in the 50's.


GK: Adriano (I want to get him some work and aid his development this year)
DL: Schmidt
DC: Salva
DC: Marchetti
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Fletcher
MC: Djemba
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Howard
S2: Lucio
S3: Barbosa
S4: Godoy
S5: King

[Eaglesfan27]

15 minute mark: Salva starts the counter attack.. short pass to Fletcher.. Fletcher with a superb pass the length of the pitch practically.. it stops just outside the box.. Adriano races to it.. the keeper races to it.. Adriano wins the race.. dribbles to the right of the keeper.. fires it into the open net! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

18 minute mark: Meghni dribbles into the box.. fires a shot.. upper right corner.. Adriano dives.. saves it.

20 minute mark: Jenas shoots from 20 yards out.. upper left corner.. Adriano catches it cleanly.

23 minute mark: Djemba gets a yellow card for tripping Meghni.

26 minute mark: Jenas passes to Mosquera in the box.. he fakes left.. dribbles right.. Adriano backpedals.. Mosquera with a blistering shot.. upper right corner.. Adriano dives.. it is by him! GOAL. 1-1 game. Mosquera scores his 1st of the season.

32 minute mark: Meghni with a corner kick.. to the near post.. Arzu outjumps Boogaart.. heads it.. into the upper left corner.. GOAL. Down 2-1.


Halftime: Down 2-1. They have over 42,000 fans here today.


46 minute mark: Downing passes to Rooney in the left corner of the pitch.. he crosses it over the defenders to Schreurs in the right half of the box.. Schreurs shoots.. upper right corner.. great save by the keeper.

55 minute mark: Barbosa on for Downing and Godoy on for Djemba.

70 minute mark: Lancaster stops a pair of shots by Rooney.

74 minute mark: Schreurs passes to Godoy.. he shoots from 5 yards out.. great save by Lancaster.

84 minute mark: Barbosa has a magical dribble past three defenders.. he looks like Downing back in his prime.. he fakes out a fourth defender on the edge of the box.. centers it to Rooney.. Rooney shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-2.


Game over. Tough tie. 2-2 game.

We each had 8 shots. We each had 7 shots on target.

Despite coming on at the 55 minute mark, Barbosa wins MoM! 10 for form, 13 of 14 passes, 4 key passes, 0 tackles, 1 of 1 headers, 13 runs, 1 foul drawn. That is impressive for 35 minutes of work. I guess he has proved I have to give him more time at left wing and not just striker (where he isn't even rated)

I can't help but wonder if starting Adriano in goal was a bad choice. I'm going to give him another game for his confidence now.

[daedalus]

That's a rough group on Champie's League.

Woohoo! The great Power Outage saved Arsenal 21M!!!

Except then we spend 50. At least it's suppose to be a good signing.

I say we stage a footrace between Platt and Ignacio.

[Eaglesfan27]

Yeah, I hate the power outage changed history, but oh well

I kind of like Arsenal as my main villain anyway

Anyway, time to play one game before I go swim and try to go to bed.

[Eaglesfan27]

12 minute mark: Schmidt shoots from outside the box.. 25 yards shot.. strong curving shot.. upper left corner.. past the keeper.. it hits the crossbar.

22 minute mark; Ortega passes to King in the box.. he heads it back to Ortega.. Ortega shoots.. it hits a defender.. deflects to Barbosa in the left half of the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0. Barbosa does it again.

31 minute mark: Skjaerback passes to Lazovic in the box.. he fakes out Salva.. shoots.. upper right corner.. Adriano dives.. gets a hand on it.. but it still goes in! GOAL. 1-1 game.


Halftime: 1-1 tie. We have over 70,000 fans here today.



59 minute mark: Parker on for Cook.

66 minute mark: King crosses to McFadden by the far post.. he heads it.. over the bar.

75 minute mark: Godoy on for Cook and Alfonso on for Wood.

87 minute mark: Ortega passes to Barbosa in the box.. he is tackled before he can shoot.

90 minute mark: Barbosa crosses it to the far post.. Godoy heads it.. over the bar.


Game over. 1-1 tie

We outshot them 10-7 (4-2 on target)

Barbosa won MoM, 9 for form, 20 of 27 passes, 2 key passes, 2 of 4 tackles, 1 of 6 headers, 11 runs, 5 fouls drawn, and 1 goal.

[Eaglesfan27]

Oops.. I forgot to post the preview I had typed up. Oh well, we just tied Sunderland 1-1 despite being at home

That tie will drop us back into 2nd place.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 1, 2014 -

Liverpool's Benoit Grange is upset that he isn't getting first team football. The 21 year old keeper wants to be traded if he doesn't get some starts soon.


The board is delighted with my performance.


Helder Barbosa has won the EPL Player of the Month Award! Wayne Rooney came in 2nd, and Mourad Meghni of Aston Villa came in 3rd.


Antonio Ortega has won the EPL Young Player of the Month award. Sean Brady of Everton came in 2nd, and Chris Miller of Aston Villa came in 3rd.


Chelsea's Mane has won the EPL Manager of the Month. I came in 2nd, and Steve Coppell of Fulham came in 3rd.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 3, 2014 -

The following international roundups all apply to European Championship Qualifying Play:


Salva played brilliantly for Italy but they still tied Belgium 2-2.


John O'Shea played poorly, but Ireland tied the Ukraine 0-0.


Zdenek Grygera had a goal for the Czech Republic in their 5-0 win over San Marino


Cristian Chivu played very well in Romania's 2-1 win over Andorra.



James McFadden had Scotland's only goal in their 1-0 win over Germany.


Mark van den Boogaart played well for Holland in their 2-0 win over Slovenia.


Mickael Schmidt played well for France in their 0-0 tie with Norway.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 6, 2014 -

Today we play Charlton at home in an EPL match. Charlton is doing suprisingly well so far in the EPL. Their offense is almost non-existant but their defense has been very good. Alan Harrison is the leading scorer with 3 goals and he is a good midfielder. No other player has more than 1 goal, and only 2 other players have a goal. Rob Morgan has had a rough year so far at the striker position. Andy Gibson, Manuel Mariotti, and Dudu Paraiba have been dominating for the defense. Stephan Andersen has also played very good in goal.

We are 1-6 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the mid 40's.


GK: Howard
DL: Ferdinand (Schmidt is tired from his international game)
DC: Lucio
DC: Marchetti
DR: Brown
ML: Downing
MC: Parker
MC: Djemba
MR: Godoy (Schreurs and Ortega just played in international matchs)
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Cook
S3: Barbosa
S4: King
S5: Cahais

[Eaglesfan27]

7 minute mark: Ross McCormack elbows Lucio.. yellow card for McCormack.

10 minute mark: Downing passes to Djemba in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. wide left.

11 minute mark: Downing with a corner kick... to the near post.. Adriano heads it.. into the upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0! Adriano is having a great start to the season.

23 minute mark: Parker intercepts it at midfield.. passes it to Rooney.. Rooney with a sharp pass into the box.. Adriano gets to it.. he fakes out the keeper.. dribbles right.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0! Adriano doubles his talley.

32 minute mark: Steve Gardner gets a yellow card for tripping Rooney.. he argues the call.. he keeps arguing.. he gets a second yellow card.

42 minute mark: Downing dribbles past two defenders.. crosses it long to the far post.. Adriano with a diving header.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0! He has his hattrick!



Halftime: 3-0 lead for us. We have over 70,000 fans here today.



58 minute mark: Parker passes to Rooney in the box.. he fakes right.. dribbles left.. around the keeper.. shoots.. upper left corner! GOAL!!!! 4-0.

60 minute mark: King on for Adriano, Barbosa on for Rooney, and Cook on for Djemba.

Rooney and Adriano each get standing ovations as they come off the pitch.



Game over. 4-0 win.

We outshot them 17-0 (8-0 on target)

Adriano wins MoM, 10 for form, 7 of 10 passes, 1 of 1 tackles, 3 of 7 headers, 1 foul drawn, and 3 goals.

Downing and Rooney also had 10's for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 7, 2014 -

Chris Taylor has come into my office and told me that he is very unhappy with not being part of the 1st team. I decide to transfer list him.


Sep 8, 2014 -

Brown, Ferdinand, and Parker were all selected to the EPL Team of the Week.


Sep 9, 2014 -

As I prepare to face Milan in a Champions League match, I realize they have acquired one of my favorite players (who was sold before I arrived at Manchester United) Cristiano Ronaldo.

[Eaglesfan27]

sep 10, 2014 -

We've been made 3-1 favorites to win the Champions League!

Real Madrid is second at 5-1, Valencia is 6-1, Milan is 7-1, Arsenal is 8-1, and Barcelona is 9-1.


(I think I have time for one more game before I go catch my first in person MLS match!)

Today we play Milan on the road in a Champions League Group Match. They have a masterful team led by an amazing keeper in Andreas Isaakson. New acquisition Cristiano Ronaldo is playing the left wing masterfully so far (I'd really like to reacquire him but he is 29 already and isn't worth his value at this point.) Fernando Torres is a very good striker. Fabian Estoyanoff is quick and skillful at the other striker position. Fabricio Coloccini and Frank Wolf work together well for the defense.


We are 5-4 favorites.

It's windy with temperatures in the 60's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Marchetti
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Fletcher
MC: Djemba
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Brown
S3: Ortega
S4: Barbosa
S5: Lucio
S6: McFadden
S7: King

[Eaglesfan27]

7 minute mark: Ronaldo with a great dribble into my box.. passes to Torres who is 10 yards out.. he shoots.. over the bar.

12 minute ark: Ronaldo dribbles past Boogaart.. past Salva.. into the left half of the box.. passes to Silberbach.. he shoots.. lower right corner.. Howard dives.. it's past him! GOAL. Down 1-0.

34 minute mark: Schmidt starts the counter attack.. long pass to Rooney.. he is breaking away.. dribbles around the keeper.. whistle.. offside on Rooney.

37 minute mark: Ronaldo passes to Torres in the box.. Torres fakes out Marchetti.. shoots.. upper left corner.. Howard dives but misses it.. GOAL. Down 2-0.


Halftime: Down 2-0. They have over 85,000 fans here today.


72 minute mark: Downing passes to Adriano.. he passes to Schreurs in the right half of the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper saves it.

We aren't doing much, I decide it is time to bring in subs.. Lucio on for Marchetti, Barbosa on for Downing, and King on for Adriano.


Game over. 2-0 loss

We were outshot 14-6 (7-5 on target)

Cristiano Ronaldo won MoM, 9 for form, 19 of 20 passes, 1 key pass, 1 of 3 tackles, 6 of 10 headers, 4 interceptions, 10 runs, 1 foul drawn, and 1 assist.


(Time to save and go to the soccer game! )

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 13, 2014 -

Today we travel to play West Ham in an EPL match. West Ham is currently 12th in the EPL. They have a new keeper who is keeping them in matches with truly spectacular play. Vlada Avramov is a 35 year old veteran who is still on top of his game and playing VERY well for them. Dickson Etuhu is providing their meager offense from the midfield. Conor Casey, the American Veteran, is having a very poor start to the season. Matthew Naylor is also doing poorly at the other striker position. Richard Duffy and Giuseppe Campisi are playing strong defense. Neil Danns is doing ok on the right wing.

We are 1-2 favorites.


It's sunny with temperatures in the 50's.


GK: Howard
DL: Chivu
DC: Ferdinand
DC: Lucio
DR: Brown
ML: Barbosa
MC: Wood
MC: Parker
MR: Ortega
SC: McFadden
SC: King

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Djemba
S3: Godoy
S4: Stevanovic
S5: Grygera

[Eaglesfan27]

17 minute mark: Chivu with a great pass into the box.. King gets to it.. shoots from 10 yards out.. great job by the keeper to get in front of it.

21 minute mark: Danns passes to Casey in the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. Howard dives.. pushes it over the bar.

44 minute mark: Danns passes to Casey just barely inside the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. Howard dives.. pushes it over the bar.


Halftime: 0-0 tie. They have over 35,000 fans here today.



46 minute mark: Ortega passes to King in the box.. he shoots from 12 yards out just right of center.. over the bar!

56 minute mark: Barbosa with a stupid dribble out of bounds. I'm disappointed with the lack of offensive fire against this weaker team. I tell the guys to open it wide up.

66 minute mark: Ferdinand gets called for bodychecking Casey in the box! Penalty shot awarded! Campisi steps up.. he looks confident.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL. Down 1-0. That is his first goal for West Ham.

We are getting dominated by an inferior team. We aren't playing like ourselves.

I'm putting Stevanovic on for McFadden who is playing pathetically, Godoy on for King who is playing poorly, and Djemba on for Wood who is playing well but is tired.

72 minute mark: Ortega passes to Stevanovic in the left side of the box.. Stevanovic shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper dives.. pushes it over the bar.

75 minute mark: Djemba passes to Ortega in the right side of the box.. he shoots.. wide left.

88 minute mark: Chivu is called for obstructing Powell in the box.. penalty awarded.. Edman gets the penalty shot.. shoots right at Howard. Easy save!


Game over. We just got our butt kicked on the road 1-0. Our team morale is plummeting and I need to get the ship righted quickly.

We were outshot 21-13 (8-6 on target)

Their keeper, Vlada Avramov, wins MoM.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Craig King injured his calf and will miss about 2 weeks.

Helder Barbosa twisted his knee and will miss about a week.

James McFadden suffered a rib injury and will miss several days.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 16, 2014 -

Lucio was selected to the EPL Team of the Week.

Rio Ferdinand dislocated his shoulder in training today. He will miss at least 3 weeks.


Sep 19, 2014 -

We had a horrible draw in the 3rd round of the English League Cup. There were plenty of L2 and L1 teams left, but we will play Aston Villa on their pitch.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 20, 2014 -

Today we play Leeds at home in an EPL match. They are in 11th while we are in 3rd. Their team is led by a tough defense. Frazer Richardson is a 31 year old defensive midfielder who is strong quick, and usually has good positioning. Gregory Maury is their leading striker and he has excellent physical ability but is having a rough year so far. Hopefully, we aren't his breakout game. At the age of 29, Zander Diamond remains a decent centreback. So far, he has played great (well above his normal ability.) Jason Brown is a 32 year old keeper who has relied on excellent positioning to play very well. He isn't the best at acrobatic saves, but good fundamentals serve him well.

We are 1-2 favorites, and I consider this a must win game.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 50's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Lucio
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Fletcher
MC: Djemba
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: O'Shea
S3: Parker
S4: McFadden
S5: Marchetti

[Eaglesfan27]

8 minute mark: Schreurs had a good cross heading towards Adriano, but their defender headed it back over the endline before it reached him.

13 minute mark: Djemba passes to Schreurs in the right side of the box.. their defender stops Schreurs before he can pass or shoot.

18 minute mark: Djemba gets a yellow card for a trip on Shane Paul.

28 minute mark Rooney with a great through ball into the box.. Adriano has it.. shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper blocks it.

37 minute mark: Long pass from Djemba to Downing just inside the left half of the box.. Downing dribbles towards the goal.. shoots.. upper left corner.. into the side netting.

44 minute mark: Boogaart passes to Fletcher who is just inside the box.. he shoots.. lower left corner.. inches wide left.


Halftime: 0-0 tie. We have over 91,000 fans here today. I tell the offense to open it up more.


62 minute mark: Parker on for Djemba.

68 minute mark: Downing crosses it to the far post.. Adriano jumps.. the keeper jumps.. the keeper gets the ball.

77 minute mark: Parker gets a yellow card for holding Maury's jersey.

McFadden on for Rooney who is very tired, and Marchetti on for Lucio who is tired.

80 minute mark: Downing with a corner kick to Parker in the middle of the box.. he heads it.. upper right corner.. the keeper blocks it.

83 minute mark: Downing crosses it to the far post.. Adriano heads it over the bar.

86 minute mark: Downing crosses it to Fletcher by the near post.. he heads it.. the keeper pushes it over the bar.


Unbelievable. 0-0 tie. We just couldn't get our offense clicking.

We outshot them 12-1 (6-1 on target)

Their keeper, Jason Brown, won MoM.

[Eaglesfan27]

Sep 23, 2014 -

Today we play Trabzonspor from Turkey in an EPL Match. They have a decent team, but it is not too talented. Their best player is striker Sezer Ozturk who has 4 goals in 8 appearances. Yildiz Emrah is their best defender. Hasan Ilker is an okay keeper.

We are 1-2 favorites.

It's overcast with temperatures in the 40's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Salva
DC: Cahais
DR: Brown
ML: Downing
MC: Fletcher
MC: Cook
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Godoy
S3: Schreurs
S4: Marchetti
S5: McFadden
S6: Parker
S7: Barbosa

[Eaglesfan27]

7 minute mark: Downing with a long cross to Adriano.. he heads it.. the keeper blocks it.. Cook has an open shot from the rebound.. he shoots.. a defender deflects it back.

37 minute mark: Howard starts the counter attack.. long pass to Adriano.. he heads it to Rooney.. Rooney has four guys between him and the net.. he dribbles past two defenders.. shoots from 25 yards out.. curving shot.. it sails between the two defenders.. curls.. into the upper right corner! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

40 minute mark: Yusef passes long to Hassan.. he has a breakaway.. dribbles into the box.. Howard backpedals.. he shoots.. Howard blocks it.


Halftime: 1-0 lead. We have over 68,000 fans here today.


64 minute mark: Downing passes to Cook just outside the box.. he shoots.. it hits the left post and bounces wide.

Marchetti on for Cahais, Schreurs on for Ortega, and Barbosa on for Rooney.

76 minute mark: Schreurs passes to Adriano outside the box.. he passes to Downing in the left half of the box.. Downing shoots.. upper left corner.. it hits the crossbar.

79 minute mark: Downing steals it from a defender.. passes to Barbosa.. he dribbles into the box.. shoots.. lower right corner.. the keeper dives.. it is past him! GOAL!!!! 2-0! Barbosa with another goal.


Game over. 2-0 win. Their keeper played better than I thought he would.

We outshot them 12-7 (8-3 on target)

Downing wins MoM, 9 for form, 13 of 19 passes, 1 of 4 tackles, 1 of 4 headers, 1 interception, 16 runs, 2 fouls drawn.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post match Info:

Wes Brown injured his knee and will miss about a week.


Sep 27, 2014 -

Today we travel to play Norwich which is currently in 18th place in the EPL. We are currently in 4th. Norwich is having problems with their offense and defense. Greg Halford and John Arne Riise are the only defenders playing well. Enrico Colombo isn't playing particularly well in goal. Michael Collins is playing well in the midfield, but no one else is. Eddie Johnson (not THAT Eddie Johnson) is their leading striker, but he only has 2 goals.


We are 1-3 favorites.

It's raining with temperatures in the 50's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Salva
DC: Marchetti
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Fletcher
MC: Parker
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano
S2: Djemba
S3: Ortega
S4: McFadden
S5: Grygera

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute: Downing passes to Rooney left of the box.. Rooney passes it to far post.. great pass. . Adriano heads it.. at a sharp angle.. into the upper left corner! GOAL!!!! 1-0! That is Adriano's 10th goal of the year already.

26 minute mark: Rooney dribbles into the left side of the box.. dribbles towards the keeper... Rooney tries to pass to Adriano.. the keeper partially blocks it.. Rooney races around the keeper to get the ball.. fires it into the upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0! Wierd goal for Rooney.

43 minute mark: Fletcher passes o tDowning.. he passes to Rooney in the left half of the box.. Rooney shoots a sharply angled shot.. upper right corner.. it hits the right post.. bounces in! GOAL!!!! 3-0.


Halftime: 3-0 lead for us. They have 24,000 fans here today.



50 minute mark: Howard stops a long range shot from Collins.

58 minute mark: Downing passes to Rooney in the left side of the box.. Rooney fakes left.. goes right.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 4-0! That is Rooney's hattrick.

60 minute mark: McFadden on for Rooney and Djemba in for Fletcher.


Game over. 4-0 win for us

We outshot them 11-5 (6-4 on target)

Rooney wins MoM, 10 for form, 9 of 12 passes, 1 key pass, 1 of 2 tackles, 1 of 4 headers, 3 interceptions, 7 runs, 1 assist, and 3 goals.

Downing also had a 10, Adriano had a 9 for form.

I'm going to praise Rooney in the media after this performance.

[SirFozzie]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Today we play Trabzonspor from Turkey in an EPL Match. They have a decent team, but it is not too talented. Their best player is striker Sezer Ozturk who has 4 goals in 8 appearances. Yildiz Emrah is their best defender. Hasan Ilker is an okay keeper.

I ASSUME that is a CL match and you just had a brain freeze

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Barry Parker injured his groin and will miss about 2 weeks.


Oct. 1, 2014 -

Boogaart, Downing, and Rooney were all selected to the EPL Team of the Week.


The board is pleased with my performance as manager.


Stewart Downing has won EPL Player of the Month. Wayne Rooney came in 2nd, and Jorge Pina of Southampton came in 3rd.


Bolton's Phil Gardiner has won the EPL Young Player of the Month. Gavin Murray of Leeds came in 2nd, and Sean Brady of Everton came in 3rd.


Chelsea's Mane has won Manager of the Month. Tony colbert of Liverpool came in 2nd, and Bruce Arena of Aston Villa came in 3rd.


Adriano's curling shot against Charlton on the 6th won Goal of the Month.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

I ASSUME that is a CL match and you just had a brain freeze

Yes, that was a pre-massage brain freeze. I'm now post-massage and feeling great!

[Eaglesfan27]

Oct 1, 2014 -

Today we host Manchester City in an EPL match. We are in 3rd while they are in 7th. Rob Davis is a 27 year old midfielder who is having the best season of his career and is really playing with great authority. He is a wonderful passer. Andrew Davies and Gary Borrowdale are tackling hard and playing strong defense. Damien Delaney is still a great leader for the defense. Said Boutahar is playing well at the left wing position. Giorgio Rossini is a 22 year old striker who leads the team with 3 goals.

We are 4-6 favorites.

It's overcast with temperatures in the high 40's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Lucio
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Fletcher
MC: Djemba
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Grygera
S3: Barbosa
S4: King
S5: Marchetti

[Eaglesfan27]

20 minute mark: Arenas stops a flurry of shots from my team. I really hate that keeper.

32 minute mark: Our midfielders pass it back and forth.. finally Downing passes into the box to Fletcher.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0! That is Fletcher's 1st of the year.



Halftime: 1-0 lead for us. We have over 91,000 fans here today.



59 minute mark: Downing passes to Rooney in the left side of the box.. he passes to Adriano in the right side of the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper blocks it.. he blocks two more rebound attempts as well.

62 minute mark: Downing passes it to Rooney in the left side of the box.. he draws two defenders.. passes it between them to Fletcher.. Fletcher is in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner! GOAL!!!! 2-0! Fletcher with 2 goals!

King on for Adriano and Barbosa on for Downing.

77 minute mark: Rooney gets the ball at midfield.. passes it long to King just outside the box.. King shoots.. lower left corner.. the keeper dives.. it is past him! GOAL!!!! 3-0! That is King's first goal of the year. That should help boost his low morale.


Game over. 3-0 win for us.

We outshot them 14-2 (10-0 on target)

Fletcher wins MoM, 9 for form, 28 of 30 passes, 2 key passes, 3 of 3 tackles, 2 of 2 headers, 1 interception, 2 runs, 2 fouls drawn, and 2 goals.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

WOW! My trainer thinks Downing needs more rest. I guess age is starting to catch up with him.

Eric Djemba Djemba strained his neck and will miss about a week.

[Eaglesfan27]

Oct 4, 2014 -

Today I coach England in a European Championship Qualifying Match against Moldova. Moldova is an average team that we should beat easily.

We are 1-10 favorites!

It's sunny with temperatures in the 50's.


GK: Paul Robinson
DL: Steve Turner
DC: Ben Bennett
DC: Robert Morris
DR: Glen Johnson
ML: Stewart Downing (I know he needs rest, but Joe Cole is really starting to age badly and we don't have many options at left wing.)
MC: Nigel Reo-Coker
MC: Michael Wood (wierd that I don't use him on Manchester that much, but I actually think he is one of the best English Midfielders)
MR: Christopher Eagles
SC: Wayne Rooney
SC: Craig King

S1: Paul Lancaster
S2: Owen Hargreaves
S3: Jamie Cook
S4: Jermain Defoe
S5: John Terry
S6: Joe COle
S7: Mark Tucker

[Eaglesfan27]

2 minute mark: Downing passes to Rooney in the left side of the box.. he centers it to King.. King shoots.. blistering shot.. upper right corner! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

13 minute mark: Downing dribbles past two defenders.. passes it to Rooney who is by the endline.. Rooney shoots.. a powerful shot.. parallel to the endline.. it curves.. into the upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

22 minute mark: Downing crosses it to the far post.. Eagles heads it.. into the upper right corner! GOAL!!!! 3-0.

27 minute mark: Eagles dribbles past two defenders.. crosses it long to Downing.. he dribbles into the box.. shoots.. upper left corner... GOAL!!!! 4-0.

40 minute mark: Eagles dribbles down the right sideline.. crosses it to the far post.. Rooney with a diving header... into the upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 5-0!


Halftime: 5-0 in front of our home crowd of over 77,000 fans

Tucker on for Rooney and Cole on for Downing.

48 minute mark: Tucker steals the ball from a defender.. dribbles into the box.. shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!! 6-0! Tucker scores on his debut. I think he is going to end up a very impressive striker. Not surprising, since he is starting for Real Madrid regularly.

65 minute mark: Cole passes to Tucker in the left side of the box.. Tucker with a spin move past two defenders.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 7-0.

74 minute mark: Cole dribbles past two defenders.. crosses it to the far post.. King dives.. heads it.. into the upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 8-0.

75 minute mark: Hargreaves on for Eagles.

88 minute mark: Cole passes ot Reo-Coker.. Reo-Coker heads it to Tucker who is by the left post.. he shoots from 5 yards out.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 9-0! Tucker has a hattrick in his debut!


Game over. 9-0 win for us.

We outshot them 19-1 (13-0 on target)

Craig King won MoM, 10 for form, 11 of 11 passes, 1 key pass, 1 of 1 tackles, 3 of 9 headers, 2 interceptions, 3 runs, 2 fouls drawn, and 2 goals.

Tucker and Downing also had 10's for form. Every starter besides the keeper had a 9 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Other European Championship Qualifying results:

29 year old Mark van den Boogaart played well for Holland, but they lost to Russia 1-0.

Zdenek Grygera had a great game for the Czech Republic and they beat Northern Ireland 3-1.

Cristian Chivu played well in Romania's 2-0 win over Finland.

Scotland beat Bosnia 2-1. Fletcher had an assist in the game and McFadden had a goal.

Dalibor Stevanovic had an assist for Slovenia in their 2-0 win over Kazakhstan.

Helder Barbosa had 2 assists in Portugal's 4-0 win over Iceland.

Mickael Schmidt had an assist for France in their 3-0 win over Israel.

John O'Shea played well for Ireland in their 1-1 tie with Turkey.

[Eaglesfan27]

October 5, 2011 -

Stewart Downing suffered a strained ankle yesterday and he is going to miss at least a week, including our crucial match against Arsenal in 6 days.


I've called up 22 year old John Hall to the international team. Perhaps he is finally ready to become a star for the international team.


Steve Turner who played left back for me last game can also play left wing and he thanked me in the press for allowing him to get his 1st cap. I gotta say, I like the kid's style.

[Eaglesfan27]

Oct 6, 2014 -

John Terry was injured and I had to pick a replacement on the English Squad. Fortunately, Wayne Dunn is freshly headed from his injury and I call him up.


Boogaart and Fletcher were selected to the EPL Team of the Week.

[Eaglesfan27]

Oct. 8, 2014 -

Today England travels to play Greece in a European Championship Qualifying match. Greece has a respectable team with a strong defense led by Efstathios Tavlaridis and Antonis Rikkas. Striker Giorgos Matzios has been quite effective. Kistas Kanakousakis is a good keeper.

We are a 4-6 favorite.

It's supposed to be sunny with temperatures in the 60's.


GK: Paul Robinson
DL: Owen Hargreaves
DC: Ben Bennett
DC: Robert Morris
DR: Glen Johnson
ML: Steve Turner
MC: Nigel Reo-Coker
MC: Michael Wood
MR: Christopher Eagles
SC: Mark Tucker
SC: Wayne Worthington

S1: Paul Lancaster
S2: Billy Jones
S3: Jamie Cook
S4: Jermain Defoe
S5: Wes Brown
S6: Joe COle
S7: Craig King

[Eaglesfan27]

19 minute mark: My midfielders pass it back and forth.. finally wood passes to Eagles in the right edge of the box.. he shoots.. over the bar.

25 minute mark: Eagles takes a corner kick.. sends it to the near post.. Worthington heads it.. into the upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.


Halftime: 1-0 lead for England


Cole on for Turner who is tired.

53 minute mark: Reo-Coker is hurt. I put Billy Jones on for him.

62 minute mark: Joe Cole with a corner kick.. to the near post.. Ben Bennett heads it.. GOAL!!!! 2-0! That is Bennett's first goal for England.


Game over. 2-0 win.

We outshot them 12-7 (4-2 on target)

Worthington won MoM, 13 of 16 passes, 2 of 3 tackles, 7 of 14 headers, 1 interception, 2 runs, 2 fouls drawn, and 1 goal.

[Eaglesfan27]

Oct. 11, 2014 -

Jamie Cook injured his groin and will miss about 2 weeks.


Today we travel to play Arsenal in an important EPL Match. We are in 3rd and they are in 8th. Arsenal is led by new star striker Mauro Di Mauro who already has 9 goals in just 8 games with Arsenal. Striker Lukas Podolski is doing better with a great threat alongside him and he has 6 goals. Right winger Salomon Kalou remains a good assist man. Left winger Hatem Ben Arfa isn't doing as well as he did with Liverpool but he is still a good player. Michael Smith and Joseph Yobo are playing good defense. Arsenal has a new keeper this year. Yes, they have acquired Jesus from his previous team. Jesus is having a bit of a rough start, but he does have 4 clean sheets in 13 starts.


We are 6-4 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 50's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Salva
DC: Marchetti
DR: Boogaart
ML: Barbosa
MC: Fletcher
MC: Djemba
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Godoy
S3: Alfonso
S4: King
S5: Cahais

[Eaglesfan27]

7 minute mark: Salva misplays a ball giving Mauro a breakaway, but Schmidt got back and tackled him.

10 minute mark: Reyes shoots from 25 yards out on a free kick.. Howard gets lucky as the ball hits the crossbar and bounces back to him.

11 minute mark: Boogaart starts the break with a pass to Adriano in the middle of the pitch.. Adriano passes to Rooney just outside the box.. Rooney dribbles between their two centrebacks.. into the box.. shoots.. lower left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

15 minute mark: Rooney dribbles into the left side of the box.. draws two defenders.. passes to Schreurs.. he shoots.. the keeper blocks it.. Rooney gets the rebound.. shoots from 5 yards out.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0. That is Rooney's 10th of the season.
17 minute mark: Michael Smith gets a yellow card for a hard tackle on Rooney.

22 minute mark: Howard stops a flurry of shots with two very acrobatic saves.

28 minute mark: Boogaart with an excellent play on Podolski.

44 minute mark: Michael Smith trips Adriano just outside the box.. Smith gets his second yellow card.. he is ejected!

They pull Podolski off and bring in another defender.


Halftime: 2-0 lead for us. Arsenal has about 60,000 fans here today.


52 minute mark: Crisp passing up the pitch from Salva to Djemba.. to Rooney just outside the box.. he splits the centrebacks.. dribbles into the box.. shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!! 3-0! Rooney has his hattrick.

67 minute mark: King on for Rooney and Godoy on for Schreurs.

82 minute mark: Howard stops a flurry of shots.

92 minute mark: King gets it at midfield.. long pass into the box.. Adriano gets to it.. shoots.. lower left corner.. Jesus dives.. saves it.


Game over. 3-0 win on the road. This is more like it

We were outshot 14-11 (7-6 on target)

Rooney wins MoM, 10 for form, 14 of 17 passes, 1 key passes, 1 of 7 tackles, 3 of 8 headers, 1 interception, 6 runs, 3 fouls drawn, and 3 goals.

Howard and Boogaart both had 9's for form. All other starters had an 8.

[Eaglesfan27]

Oct 13, 2014 -

Boogaart, Djemba, and Rooney were all selected to the EPL Team of the Week.


Oct 14, 2014 -

Today we host Paris in a CL match. Paris is 7th in the French First League, but they have plenty of talent. In particular striker, Coro is very good. Coro is 31 years old, but he is still a skilled player who has 7 goals and 4 assists in 11 starts. Lorik Cana is a 31 year old midfielder who is EXTREMELY skilled but slow. Steeve Elana is their 34 year old keeper who can still be tough to beat, but he is not so good at one on ones. Hopefully, we can get him in a few of those tonight.

We are 4-5 favorites.

It's overcast with temperatures in the 40's.


GK: Adriano (I know I'm taking a huge chance, but I need to start developing him...)
DL: Schmidt
DC: Lucio
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Barbosa (Downing is still injured)
MC: Fletcher
MC: Djemba
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Howard
S2: Brown
S3: Parker
S4: Wood
S5: Marchetti
S6: Ortega
S7: King

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute: Schmidt starts the counter attack.. long pass to Barbosa in the left corner of the pitch.. he passes to Rooney who is in the 6 yard box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. great positioning by the keeper to stop that.

11 minute mark: Brilliant dribble by Barbosa into the left side of the box.. he draws two defenders.. passes to Fletcher who shoots.. over the bar.

19 minute mark: Adriano stops a flurry of shots.

23 minute mark: Djemba passes to Rooney in the box.. he shoots.. the keeper blocks it.. the rebound bounces to Fletcher who immediately kicks it into the open left portion of the net! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

36 minute mark: Barbosa picked up a minor injury, but it appears he can continue.



Halftime: 1-0 lead for us. We have over 76,000 fans here today.



50 minute mark: Barbosa passes it to Rooney in the left half of the box.. he blasts a powerful curving shot towards the upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. somehow gets his finger tips on it to block it.

60 minute mark: Barbosa passes it to Djemba in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0! Djemba's 1st goal of the year.

64 minute mark: King on for Adriano who is tired, and Ortega on for Schreurs.

65 minute mark: Barbosa fakes out two defenders.. dribbles into the left half of the box.. draws over another defender.. fires a very sharp pass to Fletcher.. he heads it.. into the upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0!

75 minute mark: A flurry of passes between my midfielders ends with Barbosa passing it through the box to Djemba in the center of the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. it hits the left post.. and bounces in! GOAL!!!! 4-0! That is Djemba's second.

78 minute mark: Barbosa with a corner to the middle of the box.. King kicks it on the half volley.. into the upper left corner.. that was a powerful shot.. it's by the keeper before he can react.. GOAL!!!! 5-0.

88 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past two defenders... crosses it to the far post.. Ortega with a diving header.. GOAL!!!! 6-0! That is ortega's 1st of the year.

90 minute mark: Barbosa gets the rebound of a shot by Fletcher.. quickly passes it to Ortega by the far post.. Ortega hits it on the half-volley.. into the upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 7-0! Ortega with his second goal, and I think that is Barbosa's 5th assist. He is making GREAT passes.

92 minute mark: Barbosa fakes out two defenders.. passes to Fletcher in the middle of the box.. Fletcher shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.


Game over. 7-0 win!

We outshot them 24-4 (19-3 on target)

Helder Barbosa won MoM, 10 for form, 24 of 26 passes, 2 key passes, 1 of 2 tackles, 3 of 4 headers, 30 runs! 6 fouls drawn and 6 assists!

Fletcher and Djemba each had 10's for form and 2 goals.

Rooney and Ortega each had a 9. Every other player had an 8.

[Eaglesfan27]

Oct 18, 2014 -

Today we host Everton in an EPL Match. We are in 2nd while they are in 11th. Everton is led by the strong play of super youngster Sean Brady who plays some right back and some centreback. Left winger Andy Reid has been great, but he is injured for this game. Henrik Lantz is a 25 year old striker who uses excellent speed to make himself a dangerous scoring threat. He has 6 goals in 8 starts. Cristian Zaccardo is a 32 year old right winger who still has a decent skill level. Ceiran Hutcheson is a good enough keeper who is playing erratically this year.

We are 4-6 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 60's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Marchetti
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Barbosa
MC: Fletcher
MC: Djemba
MR: Schreurs
SC: McFadden
SC: King

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Adriano
S3: Grygera
S4: Downing
S5: Ortega

[Eaglesfan27]

Brady is doing an excellent job of shutting down Barbosa.

43 minute mark: Schmidt throws it into McFadden.. he heads it back to Barbosa.. Barbosa with a great pass between three defenders to Schreurs who is just outside the 6 yard box.. Schreurs shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.


Halftime: 1-0. Boring first half with us converting our only real scoring opportunity. We have over 78,000 fans here today.



56 minute mark: Barbosa passes to King in the right side of the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.

63 minute mark: Ortega on for Schreurs.

72 minute mark: Salva starts the counter attack with a pass to McFadden at midpitch.. he passes to King.. King dribbles into the box.. shoots.. lower right corner.. inches wide right.

75 minute mark: Everton gets a good breakaway, but Howard comes up with an acrobatic save.

79 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles up the left side of the pitch.. passes it to McFadden in the left side of the box.. McFadden shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper blocks it.. Ortega gets the rebound.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.


Game over. 2-0 win for us.

We each had 6 shots. We had 4 shots on target, they had 1.

Barbosa wins MoM, 9 for form, 19 of 21 passes, 3 key passes, 0 tackles, 2 of 13 headers, 3 interceptions, 10 runs, 3 fouls drawn, and 1 assist.

[Eaglesfan27]

Oct. 21, 2014 -

Today we travel to play Aston Villa in a League Cup 3rd round match. Aston Villa is 3rd in the EPL and they have a talented team. Fortunately, their two best midfielders Arzu and Mourad Meghni, are both injured. However, new left winger Chris Cohen is a 27 year old with great passing ability who is doing very well this year. Jermaine Jenas is playing like a rejuvenated player who is on top of his game. Daniel Bierofka is playing very well on the right wing. Luke Moore is doing well from the striker position. Leo Franco has used is 36, but he has great athleticism and continues to play well and has 6 clean sheets in 11 starts.

We are 4-5 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 50's.


GK: Howard
DL: O'Shea
DC: Marchetti
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Fletcher
MC: Parker
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Djemba
S3: Alfonso
S4: King
S5: Grygera

[Eaglesfan27]

5 minute mark: Parker passes to Fletcher up the pitch.. he passes to Rooney in the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper saves it.

12 minute mark: Downing dribbles down the left line.. beats two defenders.. crosses it to the near post.. Adriano with a header.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

31 minute mark: Downing dribbles down the left line.. centers it to Adriano in the middle of the box.. Adriano traps.. shoots.. upper right corner.. blistering shot.. the keeper dives.. brilliant save to tip it over the bar.

34 minute mark: Downing gets a yellow card for a trip on Bierofka.

35 minute mark: O'Shea gets a yellow card for a hard tackle on Jenas.



Halftime: 1-0 lead for us. They have over 42,000 fans here today.



50 minute mark: Howard with three saves of a flurry of shots.

55 minue mark: Mosquera passes to Moore in the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. Howard partially blocks it.. Marchetti clears it before it crosses the goal line.

57 minute mark: Moore shoots.. Howard blocks it.. Moore shoots the rebound.. Howard blocks it.. Bierofka has the rebound.. shoots it into the upper left corner. GOAL. 1-1 game.

62 minute mark: Downing dribbles past a defender.. crosses it to far post.. Adriano heads it.. upper right corner.. the keeper gets his finger tips on it to tip it over the bar.

71 minute mark: Alfonso on for Downing and Grygera on for O'Shea.

78 minute mark: Howard stops a long range shot from Dalmat.

82 minute mark: Alfonso passes to Rooney just left of the box.. he dribbles between two defenders.. sharp pass to Adriano by the far post.. he hits it on the half-volley.. the keeper blocks it.


End of regulation. Gulp! I thought this was going to be a replay.. oops.. it's extra time. Glad I didn't use my 3rd sub yet.


91 minute mark: Alfonso with a corner kick.. to the near post.. Adriano witha powerful headers.. the keeper barely tips it over the bar.

Schreurs with the next corner kick.. to the far post.. Adriano heads it.. into the upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. it's past him! GOAL!!!! 2-1.

101 minute mark: Marchetti gets a yellow card for tripping Moore just outside the box.


Halftime of extra time.


I put Djemba on for Fletcher who is tired. I move Djemba into a more defensive midfielder position.

106 minute mark: Luukonnen passes to Moore in the box.. he shoots from 10 yards out.. Howard blocks it!

116 minute mark: Schreurs passes into the right side of the box for Adriano.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. great save by the keeper.

119 minute mark: Dalmat dribbles into the left side of the box.. shoots a powerful banana shot.. upper right corner.. Howard dives.. catches it cleanly!

120 minute mark: Leo Franco comes forth to join their corner kick attack.. Howard punches the ball out to Rooney just outside our box.. Rooney shoots down the length of the pitch.. long slow shot.. it is floating.. floating.. their players aren't going to catch it.. it is online.. it drops in front of the goal.. and rolls in! GOAL!!!! 3-1!


Game over. 3-1 win

They outshot us 24-20 (16-14 on target in our favor)

Howard wins MoM for his 13 tough saves. 10 for form.

Adriano also had a 10 for form.

Salva, Boogaart, Downing, and Rooney all had 9's for form.