Yank The Boro: An American Up Teesside

[Chief Rum]

SUNDAY, July 27, 2003

The Heat Is On

Boro Embarrass Themselves With Loss At Esposende

ESPOSENDE, Portugal-- The temperature on the pitch at kickoff was a sweltering 33 degrees Celsius. The seat of interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta's pants might get hotter, though, if his squad keeps playing this way.

The Boro lost 2-1 to a team with much less talent than them Saturday before a thriving 5000-fan-filled Campo Padre Sá Pereira stadium, wacthing as a second half score propelled the home team to a stunning come from behind victory.

Esposende, a lower division Portuguese club, got the key score from defensive midfielder Mário in the 65th minute. Mário pounced on a rebound from Boro keeper Carlo Nash and blasted it into the lower right corner.

The rebound came off of a corner kick in which winger Carlos Viana beat out defensive midfielder Franck Queudreu in the air and headed a close shot at the goal. Nash interposed himself in front of it, but was unable to recover after giving up the rebound.

"It was a tough break for Carlo," Kieta said. "That was just a tough shot to stop. He made a great step on the header. Our defense needs to work on keeping our guys in the net out of those situations. Beat out that header, clear out that rebound. They have a long way to go."

The two sides traded a goal apiece in the first half.

The Boro got on the board first in the 31st minute. Forward Malcolm Christie and defender Gareth Southgate played keep away along the left sideline before Southgate sent in a centering pass near the outside of the box. Defensive midfielder Danny Mills beat out Esposende forward Rossi in the air and headed it on to left winger Stewart Downing standing at the corner fo the box. Virtually unchecked, Downing charged into the penalty area and blasted the ball past young goalkeeper Nuno.

It didn't take long for Esposende to respond. In the 36th minute, defender Filipe Edgar got a header off of a corner kick. The ball bounced off of Mark Schwarzer's hands and over his head into the net for the equaliser.

Neither offense set records today, with 11 total shots recorded. The Boro had just five, although all five were on goal.

Downing got the Man of the Match award, despite being on the losing end.

"Stuart has really thrust himself into the picture right now at wing," Kieta said. "I would be foolish not to play him more often. At this point, I would say it would be very difficult to send him back to the reserves."

Esposende lost their starting goalkeeper early in the match. In the 8th minute, Filipe, 19, landed awkwardly on his leg and hurt his knee. After the match, it was revealed Filipe had torn knee ligaments and would miss three months. Nuno came in to replace Filipe.

Middlesbrough gets just a short break. They play Portuguese Superleague club Braga on Monday.

Other Boro Notes

The English Football Association deadline for submitting squad numbers was Saturday.

Kieta said there were no conflicts of note, and the numbers were sent off on time.

The manager said Schwarzer received the Number One jersey, but that that should not be taken as an indication of which goalkeeper will be the starter when the regular season begins.

"I still haven't come anywhere close to making up my mind," Kieta said of the preseason battle between inclumbent Schwarzer and Machester City transfer Carlo Nash.

[Chief Rum]

SUNDAY, July 27, 2003

Gold Cup Shakes Up U.S. Team

Team Manager Arena Gets Canned After Loss To Brazil

KANSAS CITY, United States-- United States national team manager Bruce Arena was removed from his position Saturday after his team lost in the Gold Cup final to world power Brazil.

"Coach Arena has not moved the team forward as much as we feel they should be at this point," read one portion of a United States Soccer Federation press release announcing the move.

The move is particularly shocking given Arena's success in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, and in a solid run in the Gold Cup.

Last year under Arena's leadership, the United States reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup, the most prestigious international competition in football. They were considered one of the four best sides in the Gold Cup competition and did not finish lower than expected in reaching the final.

The United States, ranked 10th in the world by FIFA, hasn't been so well-regarded as it is now since prior to World War Two.

Last year's World Cup run ended with a tough loss to Germany, while Saturday, the United States fell to the current World Cup holder in Brazil, 2-1.

"I am shocked," Arena said. "I had no idea my job was on the line here. You would like to think our great play in the Cup last season would have given me some leeway."

Arena said he had no hard feelings, and that he wished his players and his country well in future football endeavors.

The USSF said it will begin searching for a replacement immediately.

Moving the entire situation into the sublime, the United States lost the Gold Cup final on a bizarre scoring play from Brazil's defender Roberto Carlos--who scored from the other side of the pitch!

With the score knotted up at 1-1, Brazilian keeper Rogério Ceni of Brazil's National First Division Sâo Paolo moved the ball short on a goal kick to defender Alex of Santos. Alex moved it on to Carlos, who plays for Primera Liga power Real Madrid. Carlos was near the right sideline and a good 25 feet from the half line when he unleashed a sharp pass toward Sâo Paolo striker Luìs Fabiano, who was charging toward the box. He and Chicago Fire defender C.J. Brown both fought for the high pass, but missed it. The ball bounded on untouched toward the American net, catching American goalkeeper Kasey Keller offguard near the front endge of the box. The Tottenham keeper rushed back to try to reach the pass, but fell just short before the ball bounced in for one of the odder scores in recent international memory.

The score proved to be critical, as Brazil held on for a tough 2-1 victory.

Both Brazil and the United States got off to fast starts in the final Saturday.

In the 4th minute, midfielder John O'Brien, who is contracted to Dutch power Ajax, took a strong run down the right sideline before making a nice pass toward the box and forward Eddie Lewis. Lewis, who plays for the First Division's Preston North End, sent a nice corner over to the left of the box, where midfielder Robbie Russel of Norway's Sagndal blasted the shot in before Ceni could cover the length of the net.

Brazil got it right back, though. In the 6th minute, winger Mancini of Serie A power Roma dispossessed O'Brien near the right sideline and had a nearly clear bead in on the American goal. Mancini rode in hard toward the right of the box, drawing out Keller. Mancini struck a precise high angle shot that caught the far side of the net, just past the hard charging Keller.

Keller was still almost speechless after the match about the bizarre deciding goal.

"I can't believe it," he said. "You have to be kidding me."

He refused to comment further.

Arena, who had yet to be terminated, defended Keller by saying it was one of the "quirkiest" plays he has ever seen in the sport.

"[Keller] was right where he needed to be to defend a possible run by Fabiano," Arena said. "That play was just ridiculous. They say when you're good, luck tends to help you. Well, Brazil is the best in the world, and they certainly got lucky today."

[GoldenEagle]

(Out of character)

CM has never got the algorithms right on the firing of national team managers. The Gold Cup is not an important cup and no US manager would ever be fired right after losing 2-1 to Brazil.

Arena has been the best manager in U.S. history and probably could never get himself. It does not seem like a complicated formula to write. Maybe I am wrong though.

[Chief Rum]

SUNDAY, July 27, 2003

Stanic To Retire After Season

ALDERSHOT, England-- Croatian forward Mario Stanic announced Saturday that this season will be his last in football.

The 31-year-old Chelsea winger's announcement comes as a mild surprise given his relatively young age. He is already retired from international football, though, and many believe he will be playing for the Chelsea reserves this season, an ignomious end for a formerly well-regarded player.

"I have had a good, long career," Stanic said. "It is time. I don't feel I can accomplish much more than I have, and there are good, young players waiting to start their careers in my place."

Stanic appeared in 18 matches with Chelsea last year, scoring four goals. In three seasons, Stanic's play with the first team has been sproadic. He has scored seven total goals in 57 matches since he came over to the Premiership squad from Serie A club Parma.

Stanic has scored 87 goals in 321 matches in his 15-year career. His best season came in 1995-96 with Belgian bpower Club Brugge. He scored a career-high 20 goals in 30 matches that season.

Stanic also appeared in 49 matches for his native Croatia, scoring seven goals in international play.

Stanic, born in Zagreb, Yugoslavia in 1972, played his first professional football with then Yugoslavian club Zeljeznicar Sarajevo, now located in Bosnia & Herzegovina, in 1988-89, when he was just 15 years old.

He stayed with Zeljeznicar for four seasons, finishing off with his best season there in 1991-92, scoring 11 goals in 21 matches.

Following the 91-92 season, Stanic began to bounce around Europe, playing with Croatian First Division Dinamo, Spain's La Liga Two side Sporting Gijón, and Portuguese power Benfica in successive seasons.

Stanic came into his own in 1995 with Club Brugge, and had seven goals in seven matches in his second season with the Belgian club before he was bought by Serie A side Parma.

In four seasons with Parma, the forward scored 19 goals in 76 matches of rotation duty. He joined Chelsea in 2000.

English Football Notes

Southampton has succeeded where Leicester City had failed.

The Premiership side has come to a transfer agreement with American striker Kenny King of the Cleveland River Fire, two weeks after the striker spurned Leicester's interest.

Southampton has applied for a work permit for King, 26. The English Football Association said it would consider the matter on August 9.

Two weeks ago, Leicester City approached the River Fire about King but were rebuffed by the striker. At the time, King said he was too content to leave the lower division American club, even for a shot in one of the world's top leagues.

King could not be reached for comment Sunday.

King was not on Sunday's Gold Cup finalist squad for the United States, but has appeared in 56 games already for the national side. He has scored 21 goals in those matches, making him one of the top American goal scorers in the world.

His absence from the Gold Cup team might not bode well for his permit application.

Terms of the transfer were not announced. It is anticipated King would draw at most a £500,000 transfer fee.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

(Out of character)

CM has never got the algorithms right on the firing of national team managers. The Gold Cup is not an important cup and no US manager would ever be fired right after losing 2-1 to Brazil.

Arena has been the best manager in U.S. history and probably could never get himself. It does not seem like a complicated formula to write. Maybe I am wrong though.

I know. It struct me as weird, too. Oh well, go with the flow. Even the weird decisions still happen in this game and are real in this dynasty.

How about that goal, eh? Man, I wish I could show you guys that one. Just weird. Despite what I put down for Arena's quote on the play, Keller should have been much closer to the net. They should have started Howard or Friedel.

CR

[Chief Rum]

MONDAY, July 28, 2003

European Competition Heats Up

Inter-Toto Cup Reaches Critical Round

One of the top prestigious cup competitions in the world reached a point where fans will begin to pay attention on Sunday.

The Inter-Toto Cup, which is a feeder competition for the Champions Cup, has reached the semifinal stage.

The competition has 12 remaining clubs vying for the three tie-in spots into the Champions Cup. The semifinal round has two legs, with the first matches being held on Wednesday, and the second leg the following week on August 6.

Although no teams from the United Kingdom will be playing in the final legs of the Inter-Toto Cup, some top clubs from Germany's Bundesliga, France's La Ligue One, Italy's Serie A, and Spain's Primera Liga will be fighting for those three seeds.

Bundesliga club Schalke 04 will play Greek National A Division side Algaleo; Belgian squad Sint-Truiden will go up against the Primera Liga's Villareal; Serie A's Perugia will meet the Netherland's Willem II of the Dutch Premier Division; Germany's Werder Bremin will meet Italian club Brescia, in probably the highest profile clash; La Ligue One clubs Nantes and Guingamp will ensure at least one French club makes it to the finals; and the Czech Republic also features two sides facing off, with Brno challenging traditional First Division power Slovan Liberec.

Nantes has made headlines in England recently with announced pursuits of Premiership midfielders Youri Djorkaeff of Bolton and Alliou Cissé of Birmingham City. The stated purpose of that interest was for this cup competition.

[Chief Rum]

MONDAY, July 28, 2003

Wimbledon In Receivers

First Division Side Goes Bankrupt

MILTON KEYNES, England-- Financiers for First Division side Wimbledon were called in Sunday when the club failed to meet an English Football Association deadline for meeting certain debt reduction requirements.

"We have made all of our books available for persual and given over direct control of our finances to our many creditors," Wimbledon chairman Charles Koppel said. Koppel will continue to advise on any efforts to reduce the club debt.

Under directives from the association, the club has retracted its entire transfer budget and announced that it will consider reasonable transfer offers.

"This is a sad day for Wimbledon fans," manager Stuart Murdoch said.

It is often the case that when a club goes in receivers, it is a virtual certainty to be relegated the following season. Wimbledon is now threatened by that possibility, although with the end of the season still almost a year away, it is possible relegation can be avoided.

Of course, that is relegation off the pitch. Even if Wimbledon survives that, the club may get relegated just as a natural course of the season, as it will certainly have to sell off several of its best players to regain financial control of club operations. Selling off players is not, of course, historically beneficial to a club's season.

No clubs, national or local have yet announced any interest in Wimbledon players, but it is thought it won't be long before that comes to pass.

The players most likely to draw interest are Jamaican midfielder Jobi McAnuff, striker Patrick Agyemang, midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker and forward Lionel Morgan.

Cissé: Not Leaving

Birmingham City midfielder Aliou Cissé said he does not want to leave St. Andrews.

The Senegalese midfielder was reacting to continuing rumors that French La Ligue One side FC Nantes Atlantique was hot on his tail.

"I don't want to leave Birmingham," Cissé said. "I like playing here. I like the fans. I want them to know that I enjoy playing them and want the opportunity to continue to do so."

Cissé, 27, was linked to Nantes by a Football365.com report last week. The rumors were furthered along when Cissé's manager Steve Bruce said he would consider offers for the midfielder late last week.

Nantes has been trying to bring in midfield help for two weeks, in an effort to bolster itself for a run in the Inter-Toto Cup. The French side has reached the semifinals and begins a two-leg round with Greek side Algaleo on Wednesday.

Cissé has seen just limited time in his one season with Birmingham. He appeared in 21 matches last year with the Premiership squad, and didn't score any goals. At the moment, it seems likely Cissé will struggle to make the first team.

The Senegalese international has appeared in 23 matches for his native country, with one international goal.

It has been speculated that a transfer fee around £4 M would be needed to entice Birmingham to transfer the player.

[Chief Rum]

TUESDAY, July 29, 2003

Nightmare In Portugal

Boro Suffer Another Lackluster Defeat

BRAGA, Portugal-- The Boro are taking this friendly thing way too far, because they are being way too friendly to their opponents.

The club lost its second straight match, and its third friendly in four preseason contests when it fell, 2-1, to Portuguese Superleague side Braga on Monday.

And the club looked as bad--or even worse-- than they did against Brechin City in the preseason opener.

"I really need to light a fire under these guys," interim manager Matthew Kieta said. "They need to find something here and go with it. Sure, this is just the preseason, but I really feel that how you approach the exhibitions and practice is an indicator of your real attitude toward team football and improving your game."

The Boro managed just three shots in the match against Braga, and they got their only goal off of a penalty, much like their first match against Brechin City.

Braga controlled the ball for most of the match, and kept the pressure on both Mark Schwarzer and Carlo Nash, the Boro's two goalkeepers. The Portuguese club finished with nine shots, five on goal.

Still, the Boro kept the match close until halfway through the second half, when young striker Angelo finally broke a scoreless tie.

Angelo tallied twice in six minutes to finally give Braga some benefits from a long match controlling the pitch. Boro supporters aren't likely to be calmed down by the fact Angelo is just a U-19 player for the Portuguese side.

In the 68th minute, forward Paolo Sérgio went on a run toward the byline and then sent a quick pass down toward the six yard box. Angelo beat out Doriva in an aerial challenge and headed the ball past Schwarzer for the first score.

Just a few minutes later, in the 74th minute, after Boro winger Stuart Downing had cleared a Braga corner kick, striker Dominic Foley got to the ball near the right sideline and rushed back toward the box. He launched a crossing pass into the box from far out on the right. Sérgio this time went up for it, beating out veteran wingback Colin Cooper for the header. Schwarzer was ready for it and deflected it back out, but that left him out of position when Angelo jumped on the rebound and blasted it over Schwarzer's shoulder for his second tally of the match.

The Boro got their only goal in the 80th minute when Downing drew a penalty by Braga defender Pedro Costa. Downing had been about to receive a centering pass from forward Michael Ricketts when Costa took out his legs in the box.

Ricketts took the penalty and converted it by blasting a low shot to the left corner, past Braga's keeper Marco. It was the Boro's only goal of the match.

"I think it's time to try some other tactics," Kieta said after the match. "We need to get these comfortable again. The season is just around the corner, and we have to be ready for it."

He gave no hints about what tactics he might consider.

The Boro wrap up their four-match tour of Portugal with a contest against another Portuguese Superleague squad, Alverca, on Thursday.

[Chief Rum]

TUESDAY, July 29, 2003

Real Madrid Buys Malbranque

MADRID-- Last week, Steed Malbranque said he was flattered by interest from Primera Liga side Deportivio. Imagine how he must have felt when powerful superclub Real Madrid came calling?

That is exactly what happened Monday, as Real Madrid negotiated a £5.25 M transfer fee for the Fulham forward star-in-the-making.

"This is like a dream come true," said the 23-year-old Frenchman. "I can hardly believe a club like Real Madrid wants to have me play for them."

Malbranque said he is particularly looking forward to playing with superstar French forward Zinedine Zidane.

"He is so skilled," Malbranque said. "I really want to see what I can learn from him, to make myself a better player."

Just last week, it appeared that Malbranque wasn't going anywhere. Despite Deportivo's interest and Malbranque's own stated desire to consider such a move, Fulham boss Chris Coleman said he would not sell the attacking midfielder "for any price."

The forward has played with Fulham for two seasons, scoring 14 goals in 74 career matches with the Premiership squad. With star midfielders like Zidane, Figo and David Beckham on the squad, Malbranque will likely see much less playing time with the superpower.

"He's a guy we want for depth and for the future," Real Madrid manager Carlos Queiroz said. "He has a great future ahead of him."

Officials from Deprotivo, who were apaprently outbid for the forward's services, refused to comment.

[Chief Rum]

WEDNESDAY, July 30, 2003

Danny Mills Hurt

ALVERCA, Portugal-- Boro defensive midfielder Danny Mills tweaked his ankle in practice Tuesday, and had to be helped off the pitch.

Interim manager Matthew Kieta said the sprain was "light", but that Mills would be kept out of the match against Portuguese Superleague squad Alverce tomorrow.

Kieta said he did not expect the injury to keep Mills out beyond that. The Boro wrap up their friendly schedule Sunday with a match against Third Division Carlisle United.

The defender, 26, is on loan with Middlesbrough from fellow Premiership side Leeds United. He has been a regular in the Boro's four friendlies so far, with an assist and 6.75 rating in those matches while splitting time between the backline and defensive midfielder.

Kieta said the injury would delay Mill's try out on the right wing, where he had been slotted to start against Alverca. The position has given the club problems this offseason, with neither Szilard Németh nor Malcolm Chrisitie really nailing the position down.

[Chief Rum]

WEDNESDAY, July 30, 2003

United States Gets New Manager

NEW YORK CITY-- The United States Soccer Federation announced the hiring of Don Francis as the new national team coach Tuesday.

Francis replaces Bruce Arena, who was unexpectedly let go after Saturday's 2-1 loss to Brazil in the Gold Cup competition.

What made the move so unexpected was because Arena had led the U.S. team to heights in international football that it had not enjoyed in decades.

Arena led the team to a quarterfinal appearance in the 2002 World Cup in Japan and South Korea, and also took the team to the final in the Gold Cup. FIFA currently has the American team ranked 10th in the world.

Francis, the coach of the California Clippers, is a veteran of past American national teams. He appeared in 60 matches for the U.S. team in his playing days, scoring three international goals.

Francis, 43, is well-regarded in football circles, although it could take some time for him to overcome the odd removal of Arena, a very popular manager.

[Chief Rum]

THURSDAY, July 31, 2003

Chelsea Brings In Mellberg

LONDON-- It must be in vogue for managers to say one thing and do quite another a week or two later.

Aston Villa defender Olaf Mellberg was shipped to Chelsea on Wednesday for £4.4 M, just two weeks after Villa manager David O'Leary told two Primera Liga clubs to "leave him alone" about the Swedish centreback.

The about-face on Mellberg is particularly interesting given that another Premiership boss, Fulham's Chris Coleman, made similar statements about his star forward Steed Malbranque before shipping him to Real Madrid Monday.

Mellberg drew interest from Mallorca and Sevilla of Primera Liga ealier this month. After O'Leary denied that he had any interest in selling the 25-year-old defender, the rumors went away. Chelsea was never mentioned as a potential destination for Mellberg.

The Swedish player has been capped internationally 35 times. He appeared in 38 matches with Aston Villa last season, scoring one goal. Mellberg played with Villa for two seasons, after coming over from Primera Liga side Racing Santander.

English Football Notes

Nationwide Conference side Leigh RMI appointed Phil Chapple to be their new manager.

Chapple, 36, is not well-regarded in football circles. The opportunity with the Railwaymen will likely be a new opportunity for him to re-establish his managing career.

[Chief Rum]

FRIDAY, August 1, 2003

Return To Form

The Boro Play Like Premiership Side In Win Over Alverca

ALVERCA, Portugal-- It's about time they looked this good. It only took a month and five friendlies.

The Boro defeated Portuguese Superleague club Alverca Thursday, 2-1, in a match that wasn't nearly as close as it seemed to be.

From the midway point of the first half, Middlesbrough dominated the play on the pitch, and ALverca was fortunate to only fall by one goal.

"That was a little closer to the kind of talent we have on this squad," interim manager Matthew Kieta said after the match.

Kieta credited a mid-match tactics switch for the sudden burst of quality play from the Boro players. He said he made the switch around the 30th minute, because it appeared that the side was still struggling with one of his more complicated schemes.

"It was time to go simple," Kieta said. "I went with a base 4-4-2, with some attacking runs. The players have been handling it well in practice, but it was always a backup plan. I remain confident my multi-faceted tactics can work if the players get used to them, but it was time to try something else."

Kieta said he would "go with what works" in future matches, which, for now, appears to be the second tactic his side employed Thursday.

The Boro seemed to be struggling to keep control of the ball in the early going Thursday, similar to other recent matches on this four-contest tour of Portugal. They were down 1-0 after Alverca forward Manú put in a header in the 5th minute. On the whole, several of the goals allowed by the Boro on this trip have come through passes in the air and either headers or rebounds off of head shots.

Around the 30th minute, Kieta made the tactics change and things seemed to look up for the squad right away. They immediately began to put good pressure on Alverca goalkeeper Yannick. Midfielder Gaizka Mendieta in particular played fantastic, with play reminescent of his top turn against Nacional da Madeira a week earlier.

Mendieta kicked a curving shot on Yannick that the keeper barely knocked away. It was cleared before another Boro player could pounce on it. Then Mendieta sent another sharp freekick at the bnetminder late in the first half.

For allt he renewed enthusiasm, though, the Boro went into half time still down 1-0.

They finally broke through in the 58th minute. Forward Michael Ricketts drew a push from Alverca centreback Marco Almeida, setting up a freekick from 25 yards out. Mendieta's shot was pure beauty, a sharp curving line drive that just skipped on the edge of the right post. Yannick had no chance with such a well-placed shot.

The Boro continued to press, breaking Joseph-Désiré Job and Ricketss wide open on two separate breakways that Yannick and his backup, Ernesto, barely got their hands in on. With plenty of runs and crosses into the box, the Boro's match-clinching score was a typical effort.

In the 82nd minute, midfielder Jonathon Greening collected an errant clear out pass and went on a run down toward the left side of Alverca's penalty area. He reached the byline and lofted a soft pass over into the six yard box and Szilard Németh. Forward Zeferino moved to block, but Németh collected the ball ont he bounce and blasted it at Ernesto from up close. Ernesto barely fended off the shot, and the ball bounced to the right nearly parallel to the goal line. Németh bounded on the ball and made a beauty of a tight shot past a closing Ernesto for the go ahead goal.

In the last minutes of the game, Boro keeper Carlo Nash got in the way of some tough shots to preserve a victory that was needed as much for the morale of the coach, as for the players and supporters.

"Yeah, it's a relief to finally break through with a nice game like this," Kieta said. "Not that I am worried. Everyone with the club knows that it isn't going to happen overnight."

The Boro actually got outshot by Alverca, 12-10, but that was including a flurry of shots by the Portuguese side early in the match, prior to the tactics change. Plus, Alverca only put five of those shots on goal, next to nine for Middlesbrough.

In fact, Alverca was forced into 14 fouls and two yellow cards in their attempt to keep the hard charging Boro from scoring more. The visiting side had six orners to ALverca's three, and 14 free kicks to 10 for the hosts.

Not all the news was good, thoigh. After playing so brilliantly that he garnered a Man of the Match award, Mednieta had to leave the pitch in the 69th minute after he took a false step and tweaked his knee.

Kieta said Mendieta had sprained some knee ligaments and would be held out of practice for a week. He will also miss Sunday's preseason finale against Third Division Carlisle United.

The Boro will get the services of defender Danny Mills against Carlisle. The Leeds loanee missed Thursday's game with a sprained ankle.

The Boro finished their four-match tour of Portugal at 2-2-0, and sit at 2-3-0 for the preseason.

[SirFozzie]

Just one OOC Thing:

The Inter-Toto Cup (fondly known as the InterTwoBob in the UK), feeds into the UEFA Cup, not the Champions League.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

Just one OOC Thing:

The Inter-Toto Cup (fondly known as the InterTwoBob in the UK), feeds into the UEFA Cup, not the Champions League.

Oh pish! Bugger off!

I actually knew that. I painstakingly figured all that out in my Kettering dynasty. I guess my memory got a little fuzzy over the past half year or so.

CR

[Chief Rum]

SATURDAY, August 2, 2003

Wenger: Edu Not For Sale

LONDON-- Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger told reporters Friday that Brazilian midfielder Edu was not available.

"Hands off, everyone," Wenger said in warning. "He's not available. He remains an important part of the Gunner squad."

Edu has been at the center of a behind-the-scenes storm of transfer rumors since he spoke out against his club's decision to bring in Italian-English midfielder Simon Perrotta from Serie A club Chievos Verona last week.

The well-regarded 25-year-old winger might be looking at part time play with Perrotta's arrival. Also, in early July, Arsenal was linked to brilliant Brazilian winger Alex, although they were not able to pull off the deal. Some observers saw this as dissatisfaction with the temepramental Edu, and clubs came calling for a shot at his services.

The leading contender of those clubs was Primera Liga power Valencia.

Edu, were Wenger to change his mind about a move, would draw around a £4 M transfer fee. The midfielder scored two goals in 18 matches with Arsenal last season.

Edu is entering his fourth season with Arsenal and has yet to achieve regular first team status, with just 37 first team matches in two and a half seasons.

Other Football Notes

Striker Bashar Abdullah of the United Arab Emirates received the Asian Player of the Month award for July. The 25-year-old Kuwaiti forward, who plays for Al Ahli in the U.A.E.'s Emirian First Class League, scored two goals in two matches, to go along with an 8.00 rating.

Abdullah has appeared in 60 matches for Kuwait and has notched up an impressive 44 goals in international competition.

Serbian manager Milorad Kosanovic won the Asian Manager of the Month award for July for his work with China's Dalian Shide squad, currently leading the Chinese Superleague.

Kosanovic, 52, led his club to four Superleague victories in July, none of which were closer than two goal victories.

Asian football tends to run from the beginning of the year until the fall, similar to the Scandinavian leagues.

[GoldenEagle]

OOC question -

Chief, how many leagues are you running?

[Chief Rum]

Every single darn one of them. Slowly, of course. But then I play CM slow, so I don't mind the speed. I will run the game int he background while I do other stuff.

I only have the English leagues on full detail, but every league is selected and pushed out to its maximum levels. Also large database. I'ma glutton.

CR

[Chief Rum]

MONDAY, August 4, 2003

Boro Wrap Up Preseason On A High

Middlesbrough Finish Preseason With 2-0 Win Over Carlisle

CARLISLE, England-- This preseason has been filled with ups and downs for Middlesbrough, but interim manager Matthew Kieta seems to have the team playing well at the right time.

Sunday, the Boro completed their preseason friendly schedule with a solid 2-0 shellacking of Third Division Carlisle United. The Boro limited Carlisle to just three shots, with two on goal.

Kieta cautioned against optimism at the win, though.

"Carlisle is game to try and put up a great effort," Kieta said, "but let's face it. They are a Third Division squad. They shouldn't be testing us, even in a friendly."

The manager said he was glad to see the side work together so well, though, and that the new tactic that keyed a win over Portuguese Superleague club Alverca on Thursday continued to pay dividends Sunday.

The Boro received a scare early on, though. Forward Malcolm Chrisite had to leave the pitch after Carlisle midfielder Mark Summerbell stepped on his foot while they fought for the ball. Christie, who was replaced by Michael Ricketts, was later determined to have justa s tubbed toe whichwill only keep him out for a couple days.

The Boro were also missing the services of midfielder Gaizka Mendieta, who missed the match with strained knee ligaments suffered in the Alverca victory.

Ricketts paid off right away. In the 16th minute, defensive midfielder Danny Mills, who was being tried out on the right wing, stole the ball from forward Adam Rundle and made a nice long pass to Ricketts, who foudn a break in the defense. Ricketts got to Mills' pass with a step on the defenders as he charged toward the middle of the penalty area. Carlisle keeper Robbie Byrne moved forward to intercept, but Ricketss hit a hard, high shot that just blew past the keeper and into the net for the Boro's first score.

Mills also played a key role in the Boro's second goal. In the 28th minute, the defender-turned-winger executed a superb sliding tackle on wingback Tom Cowan, and pushed the ball forward on a run along the right sideline. Halfway to the byline, Mills shot a low pass to Ricketss charging toward the penalty area. Ricketts barely adjusted the pass, moving it forward to striker Massimo Maccarone, who had split two defenders. Byrne came up to get Maccarone, but the striker put the ball just inside the left post for the two-goal lead.

Carlisle would dodge some other bullets the rest of the match, preventing the score from getting out of hand. Midfielder Doriva had a free kick that bounced off the right post. Forward Joseph-Désiré Job took two long, but direct shots at Byrne as well.

Altogether, the Boro had seven shots, with five on goal.

With the win, the Boro finished the preseason 3-3-0, which seemed unthinkable after falling to 1-3 with a loss to Portuguese Superleague squad Braga last week.

The club will now go into two-a-day practices as they prepare for the Premier League season opener against Tottenham on August 16 at Riverside Stadium.

[Chief Rum]

MONDAY, August 4, 2003

Lúcio Permit Denied

Newcastle Will Re-Apply

NEWCASTLE, England-- Brazilian centreback Lúcio failed to get a work permit from the English Football Association Sunday, dashing Newcastle United's hopes of having the well-regarded defender in the lienup for their Premier League opener next week.

The Premiership side has re-applied for a permit for the 25-year-old defender, who is currently playing with Bundesliga power Leverkusen. The Football Association will reconsider the application on August 17.

The English Football Association requires non-European Union players to apply for a work permit to play in the English professional leagues. The player must have appeared in 70% of his nation's last 16 international matches, or be a particularly skilled or well-known player.

Lúcio has appeared in 29 matches for his native Brazil, but as a citizen of such a powerful national side, he has not been on the team in recent international matches.

Lúcio has been with Leverkusen for three seasons. He has been unusually successful as a goal-scoring defender in his time in the Bundesliga, with 12 goals in 65 matches.

[GoldenEagle]

What kind of specs are you working with?

[Chief Rum]

XP Home
AMD AthlonXP 1600 (about 1.3 GHz)
768 mb RAM
40 GB hard drive

I am guessing that is what you need to know as it relates to CM speed anyway.

CR

[Chief Rum]

MONDAY, August 4, 2003

One More Superstar

Superpower Manchester United Shakes English Football Up By Buying Anelka

MANCHESTER-- What, Scholes, Forlán and van Nistlerooy weren't enough?

Super club Manchester United put a little more distance between it and the rest of the world Sunday when it pulled off the shocker of the offseason by signing away Manchester City;s explosive striker Nicolas Anelka.

"I can't say enough about this young man," Man U manager Sir Alex Ferguson said. "He's just brilliant, and everyone knows it. We had the opportunity and I couldn't pass it up."

Premiership clubs will have to go into matches with the most powerful club in England now with the goal of stopping not just super Dutch scorer Nistlerooy but Anelka as well, after they bought the French striker for £13.0 M.

The addition of the 24-year-old superstar striker gives Man U one of the top pairs of strikers in the world. Anelka scored 14 goals in 38 matches for Man City last season. He could increase that total next to the Premiership's returning goal score leader in Nistlerooy (25 goals last year).

Manchester City manager Kevin Keegan said he couldn't pass the deal up.

"We can really use that cash to improve this team," the manager said. "Sure, we don't have another Anelka waiting in the engine room, but I think we'll be fine with [Robbie] Fowler and [Antoine] Sibierski up front."

Keegan passed on comments regarding what effect the transfer would have on competitiveness in the Premiership.

"What do I care?" asked the manager. "I am charged with improving this squad. It doesn't matter who else benefits from me doing so."

Anelka, 24, is already capped at the international level with France in 28 matches. He has scored six goals in international play.

Last season was Anelka's best since he exploded on the scene with Arsenal in 1998-99. That season, the striker--just 18 years old--scored a career high 17 goals in 35 matches.

Anelka, who is known to have somewhat of a volatile personality, has already played for some of the top clubs in the world, including Arsenal, Paris-SG, Liverpool, and Real Madrid.

The striker could not be reached for comment. His contract is reportedly in the area of £2.1 M per season through the 2006-07 season.

Other Football Notes

Two of Italy's top powers met Sunday in the Italian Super Cup. AC Milan defeated Juventus, 3-0, to win one of Italy's most coveted trophies.

[Chief Rum]

TUESDAY, August 5, 2003

Premiership Transfers Heating Up

Cissé, Davis Move To New Clubs, Edu Next?

LONDON-- Perhaps responding to Manchester United's acquisition of Manchester City striker Nicolas Anelka, Chelsea made its own big move for a striker Monday, acquiring one of the top French goal scorers in La Ligue One in Djibril Cssé.

Cissé, 21, is one of the most exciting young strikers in football right now. Despite his tender age, the striker has already played in 15 matches for his homeland France and Chelsea put out a heavy £8.75 M to bring him over from French Ligue One power Auxerre.

That fee could rise to £9.5 M if Cissé meets certain apperance requirements, which few doubt he will reach if healthy.

"I think Djibril is better than Anelka," Chelsea boss Claudio Ranieri said. "He has proven himself better in these past couple years, and he's younger and cheaper, too."

Cissé will draw a £1.0 M wage from his new club, which keeps him under contract until the 2006-07 season.

Cissé is just the cherry on top of a smorgasborg of forward shopping by Chelsea this past offseason. In addition to Cissé and popular incumbent striker Eidur Gudjohnsen, Chelsea have also brought aboard Inter's Hernán Crespo, Parma's Adrian Mutu, West Ham's Joe Cole, Manchester United's Juan Sebastián Verón and Blackburn's Damien Duffy.

Ranieri's challenge will be to make them all happy.

Gudjohnsen shrugged off the competition.

"If it helps the squad, it is fine by me," said the Icelandic striker, who led Chelsea with 10 goals last season. "Depth like this is just incredible. I'm willing to take part tiem if it gets us to the top of the table."

Cissé scored 14 goals for Auxerre last season after exploding on the Ligue One scene with 22 goals in 29 appearances in 2001-02. In the past three seasons, the striker has 44 goals in 87 matches.

Newcastle United made a celebrated move as well, bringing in Fulham's well-regarded young midfielder Sean Davis for £2.6 M on Monday.

The 23-year-old defensive midfielder made a name for himself with Fulham as a tireless and determined player on the pitch. He is thought to have tremendous upside.

Davis scored three goals last season in 28 appearances. Until now, Davis had never played for any club except Fulham. His best season came in 2000-01, when he scored six goals in 40 appearances.

Davis signed a £475,000 contract through 2005-06 with Newcastle. The move is anticpated as a buffer move in case Newcastle fails to get star Brazilian defender Lúcio a work permit. The English Football Association turned down the goal-scoring centreback's application on Sunday, and Newcastle has re-applied in an attempt to get him active.

At Highbury, disgruntled midfielder Edu told soccer.net he hoped that the rumored move to Valencia will come "to a speedy resolution, whichever way it turns out."

The Primera Liga power has reportedly been pursuing the well-regarded Brazilian midfielder since he lashed out at Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger in July over the club's decision to buy Chievo's well-rounded midfielder Simon Perrotta.

Edu said at the time that there were too many players at his position with the club, and that there could be playing time issues.

Last week, Wenger said Edu would not be made available under any circumstances. Despite that, rumors of a move to valencia have not ceased.

Edu told soocer.net that he would "consider his options", in light of the media speculation surrounding his rumored transfer.

Edu, 25, scored two goals last season in 18 matches with Arsenal.

Boro Notes

Reserve centreback Phil Gulliver injured his knee in training Monday, and will mis two weeks with a sprain. The 20-year-old Gulliver is currently available for loan, but any moves involving him will liekoly have to wait until late August now. Gulliver is not in the running for a first team spot or even a rotation hole.

[GoldenEagle]

By the way Chief - your doing a great job with dynasty. I am really enjoying reading it. I am kind of jelaous that you are running all the leagues and well, I am not. I am hoping to upgrade my RAM when I get some extra spending money and upgrade to the new version as well.

I think running all the leagues provides a much more fun experience. It also seems media involvement has picked up in this version. Can you confirm?

[Chief Rum]

WEDNESDAY, August 6, 2003

He Came Bearing Gifts

Kieta Announces Moves In Making For Squad

MIDDLESBROUGH-- When interim manager Matthew Kieta resumed his weekly press conference schedule Tuesday, he opened with some news.

The manager said he had reached transfer agreements with Juventus for central defender Salvatore Fresi, and with troubled First Division side Wilmbledon for a couple key young talents.

"Fresi is just the guy we're looking for," Kieta said. "He's strong, aggressive and tackles well. He plays very tall, and can handle both positional and man-on defense. He is the perfect guy to fill that key third spot on the back line."

Fresi's arrival and Chris Riggott's development in a strong preseason should combine with versatile Leeds loanee Danny Mills and captain and top defender Gareth Southgate for a very solid last line of defense in front of the goal. Fresi will also help hold the defence over until pwoerful centreback Ugo Ehiogu can return from his knee injury, sometime in January of next year.

Kieta said he and his staff were working on a contract with Fresi. The 30-year-old Italian player doesn't speak English, so Kieta said he will be relying on the help of striker Massimo Maccarone to help Fresi adapt to English culture.

Fresi has bounced around some the past few seasons. He appeared in nine matches with Juventus last season, scoring one goal. He had a very strong 2001-02, when he scored eight goals in 25 matches for Bologna, an unusually high number for a sweeper. He has scored 16 goals in 233 career appearances across 13 seasons, all of which were played in the Italian leagues. He started for Inter from 1995-1997.

As one would think from his goal numbers, Fresi is also versatile enough to move forward into defensive midfielder if needed.

Kieta also said he had worked out transfer agreements for two of Wibledon's young players, and a third might be on the way. The most notable player is Lionel Morgan, a 20-year-old winger with tremendous upside and the skills to see first team action this season.

"Morgan is one of the best crossing passers in England, no matter what level he's on," Kieta said. "He is also very pacey and is excellent controlling the ball, both of which are key attributes int he system I like to play."

Morgan suffered a knee injury in early July and still will be healing up for another four weeks. Kieta said head physio Grant Downie had checked Morgan out and wasn't concerned about lingering effects from the injury.

Once healthy, Morgan should help out depth on the wing, which Kieta has noted as a glaring weakness of the Boro at the moment. The Boropaid £230,000 for the rights to Morgan.

In addition to Morgan, Kieta said the club had also acquired the rights to talkented young defender Dean Lewington, and had made an offer on a third, as yet unnamed, Wilbledon player.

Wimbledon, wich fell into receivers last week, is motivated to sell quickly at the moment.

Kieta said Lewington would play with the reserves this season, and that if the club reaches agreement on the third player, that one will also liekly be on the reserve squad.

"They are all tremendous talents, and will give our youth a healthy kick in the butt," Kieta said.

The Boro squad might need that kick. Skybet set the side at long 150-to-1 odds Tuesday to win the Premiership this year. Most observers seem to believe Middlesbrough can at best finish high in the mid-table area this season, and could do even worse, should Kieta not adapt quickly enough to play in the EPL.

"I don't concern myself with gamblers or odds," Kieta said of the Skybet betting lines. He refused to comment further on that.

Kieta said the team is getting healthier, with forward Malcolm Christie returning to practice Tuesday after suffering a stubbed toe, and midfielder Gaizka Mendieta set to return today from a sprained knee. Reserve central defender Phil Gulliver went down with a knee injury Monday that will likely keep him out of competition for a couple weeks, but he wasn't expected to make the first team in any case.

Coming off of a strong finish to an uneven preseason, the side's "spirits are high", the manager said.

"We didn't start off too hot, but the guys got it together in the end," Kieta said. "I think we have the talent to surprise, but these guys are going to have to keep working for it, just like they did in Alverca and in Carlisle."

Middlesbrough finished off its preseason with victories over Portuguese Superleague squad Alverca and Third Division Carlisle United. In those matches, the side used a simpler base 4-4-2 tactic that seemed to be more effective than the complicated tactic Kieta tried to install early on in camp.

The club finished the preseason 3-3-0 overall, with eight goals each for and against, and two clean sheets.

Kieta was noncommital on what the actual composition of the first team would be, saying he still wanted to take another week of hard practice before making any announcements.

The Boro open their season at home against Tottenham on August 16.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by GoldenEagle

By the way Chief - your doing a great job with dynasty. I am really enjoying reading it. I am kind of jelaous that you are running all the leagues and well, I am not. I am hoping to upgrade my RAM when I get some extra spending money and upgrade to the new version as well.

I think running all the leagues provides a much more fun experience. It also seems media involvement has picked up in this version. Can you confirm?

Thanks, GE. I just hope I am not overwhelming anyone. I tend to do that in my dynasties (not that anyone has yet complained ).

Heh heh, sorry about making you jealous. RAM makes so much difference. I can't begin to tell you. First of all, though, I wanted to say that, as it is now, this runs extremely slow. We're talking a day every 15-20 minutes--if I am lucky. This is what I mean by just letting it run int he background. I have even saved the game, continued, and gone to sleep, only to wake up and check how far it has come along before starting the new day. That's how slow it runs.

But, yeah, RAM makes a huge difference. I switched from 256 MB to 768 MB while playing CM4. In fact, it was the awful speed of that version that really convinved me to do it. Not only did it make CM4 run really fast, it just improved the overall operation of my computerten fold. I highly recommend getting more RAM if you can afford it, even without writing a dynsaty.

I don't know if the increased media is a cause and effect of having all the leagues running or if it's just the way they have designed CM03/04, but, yeah, it's terrific. It really helps you get into the world of football. I am getting a ton of media messages, on average two a day (although it goes in spurts, sometimes just one or, more rarely, zero, and sometimes a bunch, four or five or more). That is, of course, above and beyon dhte little messages I get myself about ym team (with scouting and transfers and injruies and what not).

It's been a lot of fun. I can't wait to start the EPL season.

CR

[Chief Rum]

WEDNESDAY, August 6, 2003

Skybet Tabs Man Utd To Win Table

Oddsmakers Put Arsenal A Close Second In Premiership

LONDON-- Football betting firm Skybet announced their English Premier League odds Tuedsay, installing superpwer Manchester United as the favorite to win it all.

The oddsmakers put Manchester United at 6-4 odds to win the EPL this season. The superpower club, led by such stars as defender Rio Ferdinand, striker Ruud Van Nistlerooy, and midfielders Roy Keane and Paul Scholes, recently added star striker Nicolas Anelka from Manchester City.

Arsenal is right on Man U's tail, though. Skybet puts the London power at 7-4 odds. Arsenal brought in winger Simon Perrotta to go along with such stars as superstar striker Thierry Henry, midfielder Patrick Vieira and forwards Robert Pires and Dennis Bergkamp.

Skybet picks the rich Chelsea squad to vie with Newcastle United for the third spot, putting both at 8-1 odds for the title. Chelsea made news recently by purchasing French star striker Djibril Cissé, just one in several high profile moves the club has made since new ownership flooded the team with cash. Forwards Hernán Crespo and Juan Sebastián Verón are two others in a star studded frontline and midfield.

Newcastle hasn't managed to bring in well-regarded Brazilian defender Lúcio yet--he is still awaiting a work permit--, but they have plenty left to make a run. Forwards Craig Bellamy, Kieran Dyer and Alan Shearer will help key the attack for the club.

Liverpool has fallen a little from its exalted status of two years ago, when it won the EPL, but it remains a very dangerous side. Skybet puts Liverpool at 10-1 odds for a title, just behind Chelsea and Newcastle. Liverpool once again brings its array of talent that only Arsenal and Manchester United can really boast right now, including striker Michael Owen, forward Harry Kewell, midfielder John Arne Riise and wingback Steven Gerrard.

There appears to be a sharp drop after the top five. Skybet sets Everton as side leading the pack, setting them up at 40-1 odds to win a title. Young forwards Wayne Rooney, James McFadden and Arsenal import Francis Jeffers will lead the way.

[Chief Rum]

WEDNESDAY, August 6, 2003

Barthez Feuds With Ferguson

MANCHESTER-- Not all was rosey ont he day Manchester United was installed as the favroites to win this year's English premier League table.

Longtime star goalkeeper Fabien Barthez said he is unhappy with the club and with its celebrated manager, Sir Alex Ferguson.

"I'm not happy here," Barthez said. "I don't know. Maybe I have just been here too long and worn out my welcome. I don't feel like Alex and I are gettinbg along anymore."

Freguson said he was surprised byt he French goalkeeper's comments.

"I feel that Fabien and I get along fine," said the 61-year-old manager. "Quite frankly, though, it's none of your business, and I am a little disappointed he decided to talk to you guys about it."

Ferguson is considered one of the greatest managers in football history, but he is also famous for a red hot temper, including flare ups in the engine room with midfielder Rio Ferdinand and former winger David Beckham, now with Real Madrid of the Primera Liga.

Barthez might be looking over his shoulder, though, as much as angry at his manager.

Manchester United brought in highly-regarded American goalkeeper Tim Howard in the offseason, and Barthez has been thought to be under pressure to preserve his first team spot, some football observers say.

Barthez, 32, has played with Man U for three seasons, starting 30, 32, and 30 matches in those years. Priot to that, he starred in France's La Ligue One with Monaco and Marseille. Barthez has also racked up 59 appearances for France and was on the pitch when his country won the World Cup in 1998.

Howard, 24, has played the last five seasons with the New York-New Jersey Metro Stars of the United States' Major League Soccer league. He has appeared in nine matches for the American national squad.

Villa Applies For Permit For Nam-Il

Aston Villa has worked out a transfer agreement for star South Korean midfielder Kim Nam-Il of the Chunnam Dragons in the Korean K-League.

They have applied to the English Football Association for a permit for the 26-year-old veteran of 42 international matches for Korea, including the team's run int he 2002 World Cup.

Nam-Il has scored one goal in international duty. Nam-Il scored two goals and collected 3 assists and a 7.39 rating in 23 appearances with Chunnam earlier this year, and then went on lean with Dutch First Division side Excelsior, with whom he has played seven macthes.

The association will decide the matter on August 19.

[klayman]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Liverpool has fallen a little from its exalted status of two years ago, when it won the EPL, but it remains a very dangerous side.

Liverpool won the FA Cup, Carling Cup, and UEFA Cup 2 years ago, but not the EPL.


Edit: Crap, that was 3 years ago
/suffering Reds supporter

[Chief Rum]

Sheesh, you guys are always ready to kick the man when he's down, eh?

Thought I had that down. Oh well.

Question for anyone, BTW: I have seen the Carling Cup talked about, but they don't list it int he game. Is it simply listed without the Carling moniker, or is this a cup that's not represented in the game?

One reason I ask is that, thanks to my earlier game with Middlesbrough (the one you guys don't know about that I played with CM4), I have become somewhat of a closet Boro fan myself, and the club is currently in the running for that very Cup.

Thanks for the help (asked for or not ).

CR

[klayman]

No problem

The Carling Cup is the English League Cup. It changes its sponsers every couple of years, and hence the name change. It used to be the Worthington Cup and I think Coca-Cola Cup at one point.

[Chief Rum]

THURSDAY, August 7, 2003

Euro Cups Move To Next Round

The Inter-Toto Finals And Final Champions League Qualifying Rounds Are Set

Six clubs reached the Inter-Toto Cup finals Wednesday and a shot at the three UEFA Cup spots available to the top finalists, while 14 second round qualifiers in the Champions League earned a shot in the final qualifying round, usually the first round int he prestigious competition to feature some of the best clubs in the world.

Scottish power Celtic was one of the 14 sides to win their way into the third round of qualifying of the Champions League. There they join, among others, United Kingdom clubs Newcastle, Chelsea and Scotland's Rangers. In the final qualifying round, 32 teams will compete in two-leg matches for one of the coveted final 16 spots to the Champions League group stage.

Celtic overpowered Cypriot squad Omonia Nicosia 8-0 to get to this round. Other notable teams to win through were Ireland's Bohemians, defeating Macedonian side FC Vardar Skopje 7-4; Norwegian power Rosenborg, beating Croatia's Dinamo 4-0; and Belgian First Division squad Club Brugge, which just held on 1-0 against MTK Hungária.

In addition to the three United Kingdom squads waiting to join the fray, some of the top clubs in the world, including the Bundesliga's Dortmund, Belgium's Anderlecht, Greek power AEK Athens, Dutch supersquad Ajax, La Ligue One side Olympique Marsellie, Serie A's Lazio, Portugal superpower Benfica, and Deportivo and Celta of the Primera Liga.

As in the second round, the third round will be played in two home-and-home legs. The best aggregate score will determine the winner. The opening matches will be held on August 13, and the second legs will take place on August 27.

The Rangers drew Club Brugge, in one of the more intriguing matchups. Celtic will go up against Turkish power Galatasaray. Chelsea might have gotten away easier with a matchup against lighter-regarded Icelandic side Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur (KR for short). Newcastle drew one of Denmark's top clubs in FC Copenhagen of the Eredivisie.

The only two matches that don't involve a side from the second round of qualifying are Ajax versus Swiss club Grasshopper-Club Zurich, and Czech side Sparta Prague against Lazio.

The other ten matchups are: Ukrainian High League side Shakhtar and Dinamo Kiev; Sweden's Djurgàrden against Russian Premier Division power Lokomotiv Moscow; Dortmund against another Moscovite RPD side in CSKA Moscow; the Bohemians versus Anderlecht; Bulgaria's CSKA Sofia against AEK Athens; Marseille and Rosenborg; Deportivo and Slovenian side NK Maribor; Lithuanian club Kaunas versus Austria Vienna; Benfica against Partizan Belgrade of Serbia & Montenegro; and Celta versus Grazer AK of the Austrian Premier Division.

The Inter-Toto Cup also took another step forward when it reached the finals stage, in which six clubs will compete for three spots in the UEFA Cup later this year.

Primera Liga side Villareal will face off with Bundesliga squad Werder Bremen. The Spanish club defeated Belgian First Division club Sint-Truiden, 3-1, while the German side edged out Serie A squad Brescia 1-0.

Another Serie A team, Perugia, will meet Czech Republic squad Slovan Liberic. Perugia beat Dutch Premier Division club Willem II Tilburg 6-3, while Slovan Liberec beat fellow Czech First Division side Brno, 7-3.

In the final matchup, France's Guingamp will face off with the Bundesliga's Schalke 04. Guingamp defeated fellow La Ligue One side FC Nantes Atlantique to a tough 2-2 draw, winning out on away goals, 1-0. Schalke 04 defeated Greek team AO Aigeaeo, 5-1.

The winners of the three two-leg matchups will be inserted into the UEFA Cup first round. Similar to the Champions League qualifying, the two final legs will take place in home-and-homes on August 13 and August 27.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by klayman

No problem

The Carling Cup is the English League Cup. It changes its sponsers every couple of years, and hence the name change. It used to be the Worthington Cup and I think Coca-Cola Cup at one point.

Ah, yes, I do know the English League Cup. I think I will adopt the Carling Cup name for now, but maybe I will have some fun with that and "change sponsors" every few years.

CR

[Chief Rum]

THURSDAY, August 7, 2003

Boro To Get Third Wimbledon Player

MIDDLESBROUGH-- As interim manager Matthew Kieta suggested Tuesday, the Boro weren't done picking at the carcass of bankrupt First Division club Wimbledon.

The financially troubled club accepted Middlesbrough's offer for centreback Mikele Leigertwood, another well-regarded youthful prospect for the reserve team. Wimbledon accepted a £110,000 offer for the 20-year-old defender.

As Kieta suggested Tuesday, Liegertwood does not appear ready to make the first team, but could be a fine prospect for the future. The Boro have been given permission to approach Leigertwood with a contract offer.

Middlesbrough, which had been silent on the transfer market since Kieta took over last month, has now pulled off the transfers of three Wimbledon players, including winger Lionel Morgan and defender Dean Lewington in addition to Leigertwood, and Italian sweeper Salvatore Fresi of Juventus. The other three players are also considering contract offers from Middlesbrough.

[Chief Rum]

SATURDAY, August 9, 2003

Morgan, Lewington Sign With Boro

Former Wimbledon Players Agree To Terms For Transfer

MIDDLESBROUGH-- Interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta officially completed his first transfers with the club Friday when he inked Wimbledon winger Lionel Morgan and defensive midfielder Dean Lewington to contracts.

Morgan and Lewington are two of three players for the financially struggling First Division squad that Middlesbrough targeted in transfers this week. Wimbledon and the Boro have also come to agreement on a transfer of centreback Mikele Leigertwood, and the club is working on a deal with the defender.

The most important of the three was Morgan, 20, who has the skills to play on the first team now. The popular winger is regarded as a great crosser with far above average physical skills.

Morgan scored one goal in 11 matches with Wimbledon last season. The Boro bought his rights from Wiblemdon for £230,000, and on Friday, came to terms with the winger on a £70,000 per year contract through 2006.

Morgan is also currently rehabilitating from a injury to his knee cartilage suffered in early July. He's expected to be at full strength by the end of the month.

"We're going to ease Morgan into the squad's schemes," Kieta said. "It's a big leap to Premiership football, especially given his youth and injury."

Morgan is expected to be a priamry backup for the Boro on the wing, a notable weakness of the side.

Lewington, 19, isn't as advanced as Morgan, and is expected to join the Boro reserve squad this season.

Lewington agreed to a £24,000 per annum deal through 2006, completing a transfer which saw Middlesbrough send £35,000 to Wimbledon, currently trying to dig itself out from receivership.

Like Morgan, Lewington is regarded as a player with a bright future. The defensive midfielder is strong and agressive, and plays tall. He is also already very advanced in zonal marking.

"Lewington still has some growing to do, but I think he will come along fine with our reserves," Kieta said.

The club might have a deal done with Leigertwood as soon as today. The Boro also have come to an agreement with Italian power Juventus for the rights to defender Salvatore Fresi, but the player and club are still working out details of a contract.

[Chief Rum]

SUNDAY, August 10, 2003

Fresi Deal Hits Snag

TORINO, Italy-- Boro transfer target Salvatore Fresi has turned down the club's first contract offer, according to reports in Italy.

Fresi's agent Marco Devorini said his cleint was looking for a stronger definition of his role from interim manager Matthew Kieta.

"[Kieta] would only guarantee my client part time status," Devorini said. "Salvatori and I believe he can do better than that."

Devorini said money is not an issue, and that the Boro contract offer was in the area his client needs to come to terms.

Kieta wasn't concerned about the rejection.

"We're still in negotiations," Kieta said. "This is a process, and it's early. I know we'll get something done."

Kieta said he would look into offering Fresi a more defined role with the club.

Fresi is expected to end up with a two or three year contract around £800,000 per year. Kieta said Tuesday that Fresi would play a key part in the Boro's backline.

The 30-year-old sweeper-defender-midfielder has never played outside of the Italian leagues. He has been with Juventus for one season, scoring one goal in nine appearances last season. His best season came the year before, when he scored a surprising eight goals in 25 appearances for fellow Serie A side Bologna.

Fresi has played 14 seasons of professional ball, including a two-season stint in which he started for Italian super power Internazionale.

Fresi could not be reached for comment.

Other English Football Notes

...Southampton transfer target striker Kenny King was denied a work permit by the English Football Association Saturday.

The American striker will get another shot at it on August 23, after Southampton reapplied following Saturday's decision.

The Premiership side reportedly made a £300,000 transfer offer to King's American side, the Cleveland River Fire, and all sides have come to agreement on the trasnfer and contract.

Before King can join Southampton, though, he must be granted a work permit, as is needed by any non-European Union player.

Permits are only given to players which have appeared in 70% of their national team's last 16 matches, or whom are particularly well-known or skilled.

King, 26, already has an extensive history with the United States team, with 56 international matches under his belt, but he has not been playing with the team recently, which has hurt his ability to get a permit. The striker has scored 21 international goals.

...Third Division Bristol Rovers appointed Steve Pollack as their new manager Saturday. Pollack, 42, is a veteran of both English and Finnish football.

[Chief Rum]

MONDAY, August 11, 2003

Boro Sign Leigertwood

MIDDLESBROUGH-- The Boro came to agreement on a contract with transfer target Mikele Leigertwood Sunday, the club announced.

Leigertwood, a 20-year-old centreback with Wimbledon, becomes the third player from the financially troubled First Division squad to move over to the Boro.

The defender signed a £45,000 per year contract through 2007. The signing completes a transfer deal that has Middlesbrough sending £110,000 to Wimbledon for the young player.

As with recent Wimbledon transfers winger Lionel Morgan and defensive midfielder Dean Lewington, Leigertwood is more a move toward the future. All three are considered good talents and young prospects.

Leigertwood is expected to join Lewington on the Boro reserve team, while Morgan is likely to have a backup role with the first team this season.

Leigertwood is a physical specimen, with excellent speed. He is also already very advanced defensively and, like Lewington, plays a particularly tall game.

"I am really excited about Leigertwood's future," interim Boro manager Matthew Kieta said. "I think he's an exciting young player who the supporters are really going to like."

The three transfers aren't all the Boro are doing in the trasnfer market. They are also still working ona deal to bring in Juventus sweeper Salvatore Fresi. Fresi rejected a Boro contract offer Saturday, but the two sides are still working toward an agreement.

[Chief Rum]

MONDAY, August 11, 2003

Liverpool Signs Away Grisales

LIVERPOOL-- The one major English power that has been quiet the past couple months finally woke up.

Liverpool signed star Colombian attacking midfielder Freddy Indurley Grisales on Sunday, buying him from Colombian First Division club Atlético Nacional for £4.2 M.

The speedy and heady winger brings a well-rounded set of skills to the pitch at Anfield.

"Grisales is a tremendous talent," Liverpool manager Gérard Houllier said. "He is really going to allow us to put the pressure on in front of the net."

The 27-year-old Colombian playmaker has been capped for Colombia 29 times, scoring four goals in international play.

In 26 appearances with Atlético Nacional this season, Grisales has scored eight goals and received four assists. He was named a Man of the Match five times, and has a 7.73 rating.

Grisales signed a £725,000 per annum contract through 2007.

English Football Notes

...Nationwide Conference side Farnborough Town hired Ian Scott to be their new manager on Sunday.

The 58-year-old Scotsman will need to do well wioth the Boro to build up a lackluster reputation.

[Chief Rum]

MONDAY, August 11, 2003

Arsenal Stuns Man U With Late Score

Bergkamp's 90th Minute Score Caps Comeback

CARDIFF, Wales-- Archrivals Arsenal and Manchester United showed once again that it doesn't get much better than this rivalry.

In English football's annual season opener, Arsenal star forward Dennis Bergkamp scored on a breakaway in the 90th minute to pull off an amazing comeback and 2-1 victory in the English Community Shield match Sunday.

Arsenal overcame a 1-0 deficit with less than 25 minutes to go to shock Manchester United in front of 72,473 at Millenium Stadium.

The comeback began in the 68th minute when Gunners midfielder Mikel Arteta collected an errant Red Devils forward David Bellion pass and shot a long pass forward to Robert Pires, charging ahead of the pack on the right sideline. Pires got to the right of the penalty area and dropped a high pass to striker Jérémie Alliadière right near the six yard box. United defender John O'Shea took Alliadière's legs out from under him, and the referee signalled for the penalty.

Defensive midfielder Lauren shot penalty kick the into the far left corner of the net, with Red Devil keeper Fabien Barthez never coming near it, to tie it up at 1-1.

The winning score was set up by a left sideline run by Gunner forward Silvain Wiltord. Wiltord charged along the sideline parallel to the penalty area when Bergkamp suddenly appeared free near the box. Wiltord passed it down to Bergkamp, who lofted a high shot over a charging Barthez that fell softly into the right corner of the net.

"It was my fault," admitted centreback Rio Ferdinand. "I left Bergkamp alone. I never should have done that. I was hanging back, playing the pass. I didn't realize how far Bergkamp had drifted away from me."

United may have deserved better. They outshot the Gunners 12-5, and kept the ball away from their defensive zone far more effectively than Arsenal did.

The Red Devils got their score in the 35th minute. Arsenal keeper Jens Lehmann hit a goalkick to the kickoff circle that Ferdinand headed back into the Gunner zone. Striker Nicolas Anelka got to the ball first and danced his away among three different Arsenal defenders before giving a short pass up to star striker Ruud Van Nistlerooy near the left corner of the penalty area. Nistlerooy stepped around a charging Arteta and blasted a sharp-angled line drive shot past a frozen Lehmann that just caught the inside of the right post for the first score of the match.

As one might expect in a match between these two teams, the tackling was hard and yellows were plentiful. Five were handed out, four to the Gunners.

One of the Gunners to get a card was Pires, but his worst hit didn't draw an infraction at all. The winger upended United wingback Gary Neville in the 5th minute. Neville sprained his groin on the play and had to leave the pitch, where he was replaced by his brother Phil Neville. The injured Neville is expected to be out for a week and might miss United's Premiership opener this weekend.

The Community Shield matches the defending English Premier Division champion against the winner of the FA Cup from the previous season.

Other European Super Cups

PSV defeated Ajax on penalty kicks, 2-2, in the Dutch Super Cup Sunday, and Leiria defeated Potuguese Superleague power Porto, 1-0, in the Portuguese Super Cup.

[Chief Rum]

TUESDAY, August 12, 2003

Fresi Signs, Hasselbaink On Way

Kieta Wraps Up Big Day Of Transfers For Boro

MIDDLESBROUGH-- Interim manager Matthew Kieta was saving the best for last for his new club the Boro.

Hours after Kieta secured the signature of Juventus defender Salvatore Fresi to a multi-year contract, fellow Premiership side Chelsea accepted his offer for listed star striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink.

The Dutch striker is easily the highest profile player the new Boro manager has targeted in his young career as a Premiership manager. Hasselbaink has been one of the more celebrated scorers in the EPL in recent seasons.

Hasselbaink, 31, has been playing with Chelsea for three seasons, scoring 57 goals in 107 matches. Before he played with Chelsea, he also turned in starring turns with Leeds United, Primera Liga side Atlético Madrid, and Portuguese Superleague squad Boavista.

Regardless of the league he was in, Hasselbaink has scored in double digits in eight straight seasons, including four with 20 or more goals.

Last season, though, the veteran of 23 matches for the Netherlands looked a step slower, and his goals dropped to 11, his lowest total since 1994. In the offseason, Hasselbaink found himself being forced out of Stamford Bridge by Chelsea's forward-buying frenzy, in which they brought in such stars as Manchester United's Juan Sebastián Verón, Inter's Hernán Crespo, and Auxerre's Djibril Cissé.

Hasselbaink, who has said he was hoping to stay with Chelsea, was not available for comment.

"This is another chance for Hasselbaink," Kieta said. "It's clear Chelsea has decided to go in another direction. Here in Middlesbrough, Hasselbaink will see regular time with the first team."

Chelsea accepted a £1 M transfer bid from the Boro, reportedly beating out a slightly lesser offer from Dutch power Ajax.

Kieta will now begin to work on a contract with Hasselbaink. The manager said he is hopeful he can have the forward under contract by this weekend's Premiership opener against Tottenham.

Middlesbrough forwards have been inconsistent this preseason, with few standout performances by the frontline.

Meanwhile, the Boro finally reached agreement with Fresi on Monday. The Italian sweeper had turned down a contract offer over the weekend over playing time issues, but Kieta apparently reassured him enought o accept a new offer.

Fresi, who was also bought from Juventus for £1 M, agreed to a £850,000 per year deal through 2006. The 30-year-old defender and midfielder scored one goal in nine appearances with Juventus last season.

Fresi is expected to see first team time on the backline with Chris Riggott and Gareth Southgate.

[Chief Rum]

WEDNESDAY, August 13, 2003

Schwarzer To Start Opener

MIDDLESBROUGH-- Incumbent goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer will start for the Boro when they take the pitch in their Premiership opener against Tottenham on Saturday, interim manager Matthew Kieta said Tuesday.

"I honestly still don't know if either Mark or Carlo [Nash] is the best keeper on this team," Kieta said. "They are very even. So I decided to go with the guy who has proven it for our fans before, and that's Mark."

Kieta said Schwarzer's first team start was for this match only, and that Nash may start the next match or the next five. The manager said he would adopt a practice from one of his favorite other sports.

"We're going to go with the hot goaltender," Kieta said. "In hockey, when you have two good netminders, it's common for both to see a lot of playing time, and who plays is based on who's practicing and playign well. I see no reason why that can't apply here."

Kieta said he spoke with both Schwarzer and Nash about the goalkeeper-by-committee approach and that they fully supported his decision.

The first team goalkeeper wasn't the only issue Kieta addressed at his weekly press conference Tuesday. There was still a lot of buzz about the Boro's transfer signings in the past week.

Middlesbrough brought in veteran Italian defender Salvatore Fresi from Juventus, and three young prospects from bankrupt First Division Wimbledon, including winger Lionel Morgan. Both Morgan and Fresi are expected to see time on the pitch with the Boro this season.

Additionally, the Boro are the leading candidates for Chelsea striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink. Chelsea has accepted the club's transfer offer, and Middlesbrough is trying to work out a deal with the Dutch striker.

Kieta said he wasn't counting on having Hasselbaink for this weekend.

"We're just in the contract stage," Kieta said. "Really, we're not alone in this. It's still possible for someone else to come in and sign him."

The Boro's offer was reportedly just a little higher than an offer by Dutch power Ajax. Some observers think Ajax may come back with a matching offer and seek to steal Hasselbaink away from Middlesbrough.

Kieta said Fresi was picking up the club tactics quickly and would likely be on the pitch for Saturday's opener. Morgan, though, was still recovering from a knee cartilage injury and wouldn't be available until the end of the month.

The manager stopped short of naming the first team for the Tottenham match, saying that while he had a good idea of who would play, he wasn't ready to name them publically.

"Practice over the next couple days, injuries, plenty of things could come into play," Kieta said. "So I am going to let that one [question] go for a bit."

[Chief Rum]

THURSDAY, August 14, 2003

Ajax Get In On Hasselbaink

LONDON-- It's not going to be so easy for Boro manager Matthew Kieta after all.

As Kieta suggested Tuesday, Dutch power Ajax stepped up its offer to Chelsea for trasnfer-listed striker Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink, matching Middlesbrough's £1 M transfer offer.

Chelsea has agreed to the transfer offer and allowed Ajax to begin contact negotiations with the Dutch striker, pitting Ajax and Middlesbrough at odds to sign the same player.

Hasselbaink said he still wants to remain with Chelsea, but is resigned to the fact the club has listed him and intends to move him.

"At this point, I have no idea who I am going to go with," Hasselbaink said. "We're comparing contract terms and seeing how things come out."

Observers aren't sure what direction Hasselbaink will go either. Middlesbrough would give him the chance to stay in the Premiership and get a good deal of first team time, while Ajax would allow him to return to his homeland and play for one of the top clubs in the Netherlands and Europe.

If it comes down to money, Ajax is likely in a better position to make a competitive offer for Hasselbaink's services, as the club is well-supported.

Hasselbaink, 31, scored 11 goals in 36 appearances last season. He has scored 57 goals in three seasons at Stamford Bridge. He scored a goal in his debut for Chelsea Wednesday night in the first leg of the club's Champions League qualifying matchup with Icelandic club Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, which Chelsea won 4-2.

Kieta said he thinks the Boro can make a good offer for Hasselbaink.

"This is a good place for a guy like Hasselbaink," Kieta said. "He can be the main guy here. I don't think he's going to get that shot with Ajax."

English Football Notes

FC Nantes Atlantique finally wrapped up its interest in Birmingham midfielder Aliou Cissé, although it's too late to help them in the Inter-Toto Cup, from which the French La Ligue One club was eliminated last week by fellow French side Guingamp.

Nantes reportedly paid £2.7 M in transfer fees for the 27-year-old Senegalese defensive midfielder, and signing him to a £425,000 per year contract through 2006.

Nantes first announced its interest in Cissé last month, but was unable to complete the transfer until Wednesday.

Cissé is a veteran of 23 international matches with Senegal, and he has one goal in international play. He appeared in 21 matches for Birmingham last season.

The return to Nantes is also a return to La Ligue One, where he played from 1998-2002.

[Chief Rum]

THURSDAY, August 13, 2003

Newcastle, Chelsea Win In Champions Qualifying

Both Newcastle and Chelsea handled the home legs of their third round qualifying for the Champions League with ease Wednesday.

Newcastle thrashed Denmark club FC Copenhagen 5-1, while Chelsea beat Icelandic squad Knattspyrnufélag Reykjavíkur, or KR for short, by 4-2.

Both scores will be difficult for Copenhagen or KR to overcome, even with the next matches at their homes.

Scottish Premier Division sides faired just as well. Celtic handled tough Turkish power Galatsaray, 3-0, while the Rangers defeated Belgian side Club Brugge, 3-0. Both were at home for this leg.

There were few surprises in the other 12 matches, but Swiss Super League club Grasshopper did manage to stun Dutch power Ajax 2-1 in Switzerland.

Italian power Lazio and Austrian side Austria Vienna took strong control of their matches with Sparta Prague of the Czech First Division and Lithuanian side Kaunus, respectively, by winning convincingly on the road, 4-0 and 3-0.

There were three draws. Norwegian power Rosenborg tied Marseille 1-1 in France. CSKA Moscow also tied Bundesliga squad Dortmund 1-1, and, in a mild surprise, Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia tied AEK Athens.

Ireland's Bohemians beat Belgium's Anderlecht 1-0 at home, giving the United Kingdom's five entrants at this point a clean sweep.

The other legs played out as follows: Portugal's Benfica beat Serbia & Montenegro side Partizan, 2-0; Primera Liga side Celta defeated Austrian Premier Division club Grazxer AK 2-0; another Primera Liga club in Deportivo crushed Slovenian squad NK Maribor; Russian Premier Division power Lokomotiv Moscow beat Swedish side Djurgården, 2-0; and Shakhtar edged out Dinamo Kiev, 1-0, in a matchup of Ukrainian High League powers.

The second leg of the qualifying round will be held on August 27, at the home venues of the squads which were on the road Wednesday.

Inter-Toto Cup Finalists Play First Leg

As with the Champions League final qualifying round, the Inter-Toto Cup also played the first leg of its latest, and last, round.

Bundesliga squad Wereder Bremen surprised Primera Liga club Villarreal, 2-0 in Spain. Serie A side Perugia had little problem with Czech First Division club Slovan Liberec, 3-1, at home. And La Ligue One club Guingamp drew Schalke 04 of Germany, 2-2, in France.

The second leg of the home-and-home round will be played on August 27.

The three winners will earn spots in the UEFA Cup competition.

[SirFozzie]

KUTGW.. fun reading

[Chief Rum]

THURSDAY, August 14, 2003

Carling Cup Launches In Lower Leagues

Even as some Premiership squads played in European competition or honed their skills for the regular season in practice, the lower leagues were kicking off the season as they usually do--with the first round of the Carling Cup.

The first round features the 72 First, Second and Third Division sides in a single-match elimination. The winners move on to the second round, at which point the worst 12 Premiership sides from last season are added to the mix.

As is often the case, there were a number of surprising upsets in the first round yesterday.

The most notable was the disappointing effort on the part of recently relegated West Ham. The former Premier side fell 1-0 at home to Third Division Cheltenham, in extra time.

Financially troubled Wimbledon not surprisingly fell at home, 3-0, to Second Division Rushden.

There were four high profile matchups of First Division squads. Nottingham Forest beat Rotterham, 3-0, on the road. Burnley shut out Preston, 3-0, at home. Gillingham edged out Millwall, 1-0, on the road. Former Premier side Sunderland beat Derby 4-0 at home.

Several other First Division sides had the ignomious result of having lost to lower division teams in the first round--even at home. These include Bradford City (0-2 at D3 Swansea), Coventry (0-3 vs D3 Oxford), Ipswich (0-5 at D2 Sheffield Wednesday), Norwich (1-2 at D2 Brighton), Reading (1-2 in extra time vs D3 Northampton), Walsall (1-2 in extra time at D2 Wycombe), and Wigan (0-1 at D2 Bristol City).

Altogether, the First Division has already been pared won from 24 clubs to just 11 left in the field.

The draw for the second round will be held Saturday.

Here are all the scores in the Carling Cup first round held Wednesday:

D3 Leyton Orient won 4-1 versus D3 Kidderminster
D1 West Bromich Albion won 2-0 at D2 Plymouth
D3 Swansea won 2-0 versus D1 Bradford City
D3 York won 2-1 versus D3 Bury (extra time)

D1 Watford won 4-0 versus D3 Macclesfield
D2 Chesterfield won 2-1 versus D2 Colchester
D3 Bristol Rovers won 3-0 versus D3 Cambridge
D1 Crystal Palace won 3-0 versus D2 Swindon

D3 Lincoln won 3-0 versus D3 Carlisle
D3 Oxford won 3-0 at D1 Coventry
D1 Sunderland won 4-0 versus D1 Derby
D1 Sheffield United won 5-0 versus D2 Oldham

D3 Cheltenham won 1-0 at D1 West Ham (extra time)
D3 Southend won 2-0 versus D2 Blackpool
D1 Cardiff won 3-1 at D2 Brentford
D2 Sheffield Wednesday won 5-0 versus D1 Ipswich

D2 Notts County won 3-0 versus D2 Hartlepool
D2 Bournemouth won 3-1 at D3 Boston United
D2 Stockport won 2-0 at D3 Darlington
D2 Tranmere won 2-0 at D3 Torquay

D1 Crewe won 1-0 versus D3 Mansfield
D1 Stoke won 3-0 versus D3 Yeovil
D3 Scunthorpe won 4-1 at D2 Wrexham
D1 Gillingham won 1-0 at D1 Millwall

D1 Burnley won 3-1 versus D1 Preston
D2 Brighton won 2-1 versus D1 Norwich
D2 Rushden won 3-0 at D1 Wimbledon
D3 Northampton won 2-1 at D1 Reading (extra time)

D2 Queens Park Rangers won 2-1 at D2 Port Vale
D2 Wycombe won 2-1 versus Walsall (extra time)
D1 Nottingham Forest won 3-0 at D1 Rotherham
D3 Hull won 2-0 at D2 Luton

D2 Barnsley won 2-0 versus D3 Huddersfield (extra time)
D3 Doncaster won 1-0 at D2 Peterborough
D3 Rochdale won 3-1 at D2 Grimsby
D2 Bristol City won 1-0 versus D1 Wigan

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

KUTGW.. fun reading

I actually had to think of that one for a sec before I got it.

And thanks. I'll try.

CR

[Chief Rum]

FRIDAY, August 15, 2003

UEFA Cup Qualifying Opens

The two-leg qualifying round for the UEFA Cup played its first leg in cities across Europe Thursday night.

Eighty-two clubs are vying for 41 of the spots in the first round of Europe's second most prestigious club competition. The winners in this round will join the losers from the Champions League qualifying third round and the three Inter-Toto Cup champions and, finally, the 36 clubs that have already clinched spots in the competition's first round, based on last season's performances.

The British Isles were well-represented in the qualifying round that began Wednesday, including Premiership squad Manchester City and Scottish side Dundee United.

In addition to those two, Wales' Cwmbran Town and Total Network Solutions; Northern Ireland's Colerain and Portadown; and Ireland's Derry City and Shelbourne were also a part of the round.

Manchester City didn't start off so well. The Premiership side took away just a draw from a home visit from Denmark's Brondby of the Eredivisie.

Dundee United defeated Armenian squad Banants Yerevan 3-2 at home.

Cwmbran fell 3-1 on the road to Slovenian squad Olimpija, while TNS played to a 1-1 road draw against Czech First Division side Telpice.

Bosnia & Herzegovina side Zeljeznicar beat Northern Ireland's Colerain 2-1 in Sarajevo, while Portadown forced a 2-2 draw with Ireland's Derry City in Derry.

Shelbourne also got a draw, finishing 1-1 on the road against Maltese team Valletta.

The second leg will be played on August 28.

English Football Notes

Hours after stunning First Division Bradford City 3-1 at home in the first round of the Carling Cup, Swansea finally named a manager.

Irishman Pat Byrne, 47, takes over the squad. Byrne played eight times for Ireland in his playing days with Irish Premier Division club Shelbourne.

[Chief Rum]

Bump.

Nothing new to add at the moment. Just didn't want you guys to forget me.

The reason nothing new has gone up is because we have reached the beginning of the EPL season and I have been preparing a EPL season preview of each team, just like they would do in the papers.

Of course, I am personally working from a lot of ignorance about the general roster composition in the Barclaycard Premiership, so it's taken me some time. Still, I'm down to just studying Tottenham and Wolverhampton, and I will be ready to begin writing the article. I hope to have ti up by Thursday. Wish me luck.

CR

[SirFozzie]

Luck!