Manchester United - The Changing of the (Defensive) Guard

[Eaglesfan27]

11 minute mark: Ortega dribbles past two defenders into the right side of the box.. he passes it to Djemba.. he shoots.. a defender blocks it.


They are keeping 8-9 men back and are shutting us down.


Halftime: 0-0 tie. They have about 40,000 fans here today.



52 minute mark: Simon Walton bodychecks Ortega in the box stopping a good scoring opportunity.. Ortega is hurt.. I'm screaming at the ref as I can't believe we didn't get a penalty shot or yellow card for that. I have to put Godoy on for Ortega.

65 minute mark: Baines passes to Martins who passes to REmy.. Remy passes to Paul in the box.. Shane Paul with a point blank shot.. upper left corner.. Howard can't get to it.. GOAL. Down 1-0.

74 minute mark: Godoy passes to Djemba in the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper with a great save.

Wright on for McFadden and Cook on for King. I also tell the offense to open it wide up.

84 minute mark: Cook takes a free kick from 22 yards out.. over the wall.. just wide right.

92 minute mark: Djemba passes to Godoy right of the box.. he centers for Wright.. Wright heads it.. upper left corner.. good save by the keeper.


Game over. A disappointing 1-0 loss to weaker team. We just seem to have let downs sometimes when Rooney isn't on the pitch.

We were outshot 16-11 (7-5 on target)

Simon Walton, their centreback, won MoM, 9 for form, 23 of 30 passes, 6 of 10 tackles, 9 of 9 headers, 1 inteception, 2 runs, 1 foul drawn.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Antonio Ortega has 2 broken ribs He will miss 3-4 weeks. I still can't believe that wasn't a penalty shot or whistle.

[finkenst]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

DARN! Ortega is upset that I rejeced the offer from Chelsea. He says that he would rather be at Chelsea than Manchester United

can you blame him?

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by finkenst

can you blame him?

Hey!

We are better than Chelsea

[finkenst]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Hey!

We are better than Chelsea

hehe.. i just couldn't resist, ef27..

also, my three adrianos could kick your two adrainos' butts.



side note: it's fun looking at team of the week and having adriano listed three times.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by finkenst

hehe.. i just couldn't resist, ef27..

also, my three adrianos could kick your two adrainos' butts.



side note: it's fun looking at team of the week and having adriano listed three times.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 12, 2015 -

With 10 EPL Matches to go, Chelsea and I have identical records of 20 wins, 6 draws, and 2 losses for a total of 66 points. Our GD is plus 58 which puts us ahead of Chelsea that has a GD of plus 40.


Feb 15, 2015 -

Today we travel to play sunderland in an EPL Match. They are in 19th place while we are in 1st. Sunderland has a good offense, but their defense has been horrific and that is why they are in 19th place. Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor has 22 goals in 37 starts and he is the leader of a dynamic offense. Danko Lazovic is a good secondary scoring option at the other striker position. Thomas Hassing Skjaerbaek has 9 goals from his attacking midfield position. Harmen Boven is playing solid two way midfielder. Philippe Senderos is their best defender but he hasn't had much help. Luca Brunoni has been like a sieve in goal this year.

We are 4-7 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 30's.


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

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Brown
S3: Barbosa
S4: Godoy
S5: Wright

[Eaglesfan27]

2 minute mark: Schreurs passes to King in the box.. he blasts a shot.. the keeper parries it.. McFadden gets the rebound.. shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0. McFadden's 5th of the year.

21 minute mark: Howard stops a long range shot from Boven.

26 minute mark: Hill passes to Dominque Michel who immediately shoots from 26 yards out.. powerful curling shot.. upper right corner.. Howard dives.. it is out of his reach.. GOAL. 1-1 match.


Halftime: 1-1 tie. They have over 48,000 fans here today.



48 minute mark: Schreurs passes to Downing in the left side of the box.. Downing dribbles towards the goal.. shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper dives.. blocks it.

59 minute mark: Schreurs crosses it to McFadden in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. wide right by a few inches.

60 minute mark: Barbosa on for Downing.

62 minute mark: We start our counterattack with a long pass from Barbosa to Schreurs right of the box.. he passes to King in the middle of the box.. King passes to O'Shea on his left.. O'Shea shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-1.

75 minute mark: Wright on for Mcfadden, Godoy on for King.


Game over. 2-1 win for us.

We outshot them 13-12 (9-4 on target)

McFadden wins MoM, 8 for form, 21 of 22 passes, 4 key passes, 0 of 0 tackles, 6 of 14 headers, 2 interceptions, 8 runs, 2 fouls drawn, and 1 goal.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 17, 2015 -

O'Shea was selected to the EPL Team of the Week.


Feb. 18, 2015 -

Today we host Werder Bremen in the 1st leg of the 1st knockout round of the Champions League. Werder Bremen are currently 2nd in the German First Division and they have an exceptional team. Robert Vittekis a 32 year old striker who uses his solid strength and leaping ability to be dangerous around the net. Ruben Saramago is a 28 year old Portuguese striker who has top notch speed and exceptional finishing ability. He is their most dangerous player. Tiago is a 33 year old midfielder who still is formidable despite some declining physical ability. Stipe Pletikosa is a 36 year old keeper who is still above average and has retained a great deal of ability. Sebastian Becker is a 25 year old centreback who is a high flying leaper with great heading ability. He also has superb strength.


We are even odd favorites.

It's raining with temperatures in the 30's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Marchetti
DC: salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Barbosa
MC: Wood
MC: Parker
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Alfonso
S3: Cahais
S4: McFadden
S5: Godoy
S6: Djemba
S7: King

[Eaglesfan27]

6 minute mark: Their defenders are definitely saving goals. Two times I've had the keeper beat and their defender blocked the shot.

25 minute mark: Robert Vittek and Marchetti collide.. Vittek is hurt bad.. he has to be carried off the pitch.


Halftime: 0-0 tie. We have over 91,000 fans here today. We need to get our offense going for this home leg...


54 minute mark: Barbosa passes to Rooney in the left side of the box.. he blasts a banana shot.. upper right corner.. excellent save by their keeper to parry it.

58 minute mark: Barbosa passes to Rooney just outside the box.. he blasts a shot.. upper right corner.. excellent save by the keeper.

70 minute mark: Barbosa with a corner kick.. to the near post.. Adriano heads it.. excellent save by their keeper.

71 minute mark: Djemba on for Wood, Godoy on for Schruers, and Alfonso on for Barbosa.

74 minute mark: Rooney gets the ball at midpitch.. passes it up the pitch to Adriano.. he dribbles into the box.. shoots.. upper right corner.. blistering shot.. the keeper dives.. too late.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

77 minute mark: Godoy dribbles down the right sideline.. past two defenders.. centers it to Adraino who is just outside the 6 yard box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

82 minue mark: Parker steals the ball at midpitch.. passes it to Alfonso.. Alfonso with the immediate long pass to Adriano just outside the box.. Adriano splits the two centrebacks.. shoots.. lower right corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0! That is his hattrick. That is his 25th of the year. About time our offense woke up!


Game over. 3-0 win. I'm glad we finally started pressing things.

We outshot them 19-1 (14-1 on target)

Adriano won MoM, 10 for form, 10 of 10 passes, 1 key pass, 1 of 2 tackles, 3 of 10 headers, 3 goals.

Schreurs and Barbosa also had 10's for form.

[daedalus]

I'm surprised that after all this time you didn't use Adu as the return player when Chelsea came in for Ortega. [Even in spite of you being over him.]

Also nice to see the young guns getting some action in the middle of the pitch.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by daedalus

I'm surprised that after all this time you didn't use Adu as the return player when Chelsea came in for Ortega. [Even in spite of you being over him.]

Also nice to see the young guns getting some action in the middle of the pitch.

I seriously considered it, but I'm fairly sure Adu could only play either forward or attacking midfielder. Looking at Schreurs age, right wing is the more immediate future need. Therefore, I kept Ortega (who is looking amazing at right wing for a 20 year old. He has mostly 20's in my key areas for a right wing along with 18 pace and acceleration.)

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Sheesh.. Jeroen Schreurs injured his groin this match and will miss 2-3 weeks. Suddenly, my right wing goes from being a position of true strength to a relative weakness. Godoy isn't a premiere true right winger, but I will need him to play there with Ortega and Schreurs out.


Feb 22, 2015 -

Today we play in the English League Cup Final. We have a chance to win it for either the third or fourth consecutive time (I've lost track) Today we will play Manchester City in the final and this should be a good grudge match. Manchester City's main defenders are Wayne Dunn, Michael Dawson, and Andrew Davies. Benjamin Lauth is a good striker who has 12 goals on the year. Owen Hargreaves is suspended for this game and that will cause them some problems. Damien Delaney is actually going to start at left wing which is an unusual position for him.


We are 4-7 favorites.


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


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Marchetti
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Barbosa
MC: Djemba
MC: Fletcher
MR: Godoy (Ortega and Schreurs are both injured. Hopefully, Godoy can hold down the position.)
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Lucio
S3: Parker
S4: King
S5: Alfonso

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute: Andrew Davies with a hard two footed tackle on Rooney outside the box.. yellow card for Davies.

7 minute mark: Fletcher shoved Delaney.. yellow card for Fletcher.

14 minute mark: Robert Earnshaw gets a yellow card for a push on Fletcher.

27 minute mark: Godoy gets a yellow card for a hard slide on Delaney.

30 minute mark: Rooney gets the ball left of the box.. centers it for Djemba.. he shoots from 10 yards out.. upper left corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.

36 minute mark: Gary Borrowdale tripped Rooney at midpitch.. yellow card for Borrowdale.

42 minute mark: Barbosa steals it from Wayne Dunn.. passes to Rooney in the center of the box.. he has a 1-1 with the keeper.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper blocks it.. the defense clears the rebound.


Halftime: 0-0 tie. There are about 90,000 here today.



46 minute mark: Borrowdale trips Godoy.. he gets his second yellow card! Goodbye Borrowdale

61 minute mark: Parker on for Fletcher.. I tell the offense to open it up more.

67 minute mark: Barbosa crosses to Adriano.. he heads it.. upper right corner.. the keeper catches it. Areanas is killing us today.

73 minute mark: King on for Rooney who is exhausted.

76 minute mark: Barbosa passes to Djemba.. he unleashes a banana shot from 25 yards out.. upper right corner.. the keeper saves it.

80 minute mark: Barbosa passes to King in the left side of the box.. King passes to Djemba to his right.. Djemba has some open space.. he shoots.. around the keeper.. wide left.

85 minute mark: Boogaart starts the counterattack.. long pass.. over 50 yards.. to King.. he is breaking away from the defense.. dribbles towards the box.. has two defenders catching him from behind.. he shoots from 22 yards out.. powerful curling shot.. it is around the keeper.. will it curl enough.. YES!! Upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.


Game over. 1-0 win for us.

We outshot them 13-3 (6-1 on target)

Barbosa won MoM, 10 for form, 14 of 17 passes, 3 key passes, 5 of 5 tackles, 1 of 7 headers, 1 interception, 16 runs, 2 fouls drawn.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

We were awarded 1.8 million for winning the English League Cup.

We've retained the League Cup. We've won the League Cup in 3 of the last 4 years since I've been here.

I just wish we could win that FA Cup which the team hasn't done since 2006. Hopefully, I can get that one next year.



Now, we just need to focus on the EPL Title and winning the Champions League.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 28, 2015 -

Fulham suffered a major blow as Thomas Hitzlsperger suffered a broken leg and will miss the rest of the season and possibly most of the offseason.


March 1, 2015 -

The board is delighted with my performance as manager.



The Wolves' Darren Carter has won the EPL Player of the Month! Darren is a 31 year old midfielder who had a dominating month. Michael Tonge of West Ham came in 2nd, and John Terry of Chelsea came in 3rd.


Leed's Gavin Murray has won the EPL Young Player of the Month. Gary Cox of Tottenham came in 2nd, and Chris Miller of Aston Villa came in 3rd.



Aston Villa's Bruce Arena has won the EPL Manager of the Month. Mane' of Chelsea came in 2nd, and Joe Roach of Leeds came in 3rd.



Julien Ribeiro of Chelsea swept all 3 spots for goal of the month.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 1, 2015 -

Today we host Arsenal in an EPL Match. They are in 6th while we are in 1st. Arsenal has many unhappy players and they are reportedly on the verge of mutinee against Martin Sol. Jose Antonio Reyes continues to be a dominating player despite being 31 now. He is fast, skilled, and can do it all. Right winger Salomon Kalou is also a very good player. Mauro Di Mauro has done well for Arsenal this year, and he has 20 goals in 32 starts. Lukas Podolski ihas 16 goals alongside Mauro Di Mauro. The offense is powerful and Reyes also has 14 goals. Javier Saviola has 9 goals as a third striker. Hatem Ben Arfa has 6 goals as a backup left winger/midfielder. However, the defense has been bad. Jesus has been a failure as a keeper. He is giving up way too many goals. He has given up over 60 goals in 40 starts. He also has 12 clean sheets in those 40 starts, so he can play well at times. Anthony Petit and Michael Smith have been very inconsistent at centreback this year. Ashley Cole is still playing well at left back at times, but he is having more bad games now too. Joseph Yobo has been their most consistent defender.


We are 5-4 favorites.

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


GK: Howard
DL: O'Shea
DC: Marchetti
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Barbosa
MC: Downing (an experiment to see how well these two dynamic players can play together.)
MC: Parker
MR: Godoy
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

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

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute: Downing with a nice pass to Barbosa on the left wing.. he centers it for Parker in the middle of the box.. he heads it.. upper left corner.. good save by Jesus.

4 minute mark: Long pass from O'Shea to Adriano... Adriano witha spin move on Yobo.. dribbles into the middle of the box.. blasts a shot.. upper right corner.. Jesus dives.. it is out of his reach.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

12 minute mark: Downing with a pretty dribble past two defenders... Kalou steals the ball from him.

17 minute mark: Nifty passing around the box by our midfielders.. finally godoy passes to Barbosa.. he leaves a pass for Rooney.. Rooney shoots from 10 yards out.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. blocks it... Adriano gets to it.. shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0. Adriano doubles his talley.

31 minute mark: Podolski passes into the box.. Mauro Di Mauro gets to it.. Marchetti is chasing him.. Mauro goes down.. whistle.. yellow card to Mauro for diving



Halftime: 2-0 lead. We have over 91,000 fans here today.



50 minute mark: Mauro is offside.. he argues the call.. he gets a yellow card.. Podolski argues the call.. he gets away with a warning.

51 minute mark: Godoy passes to Barbosa on th eleft wing.. Barbosa dribbles past a defender.. into the box.. shoots from 15 yards out.. severe angled shot.. the keeper misses it.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0.

60 minute mark: Adriano collides with Jesus.. Jesus is hurt.. Roberto comes on for Jesus.

62 minute mark: Yobo bodychecks Adriano. I can't believe there is no foul there. Adraino is clutching his side.. he is hurt. I put King on for Adriano.

65 minute mark: Yobo trips King in the box.. penalty shot awarded! Downing steps up.. shoots.. right at the keeper! Roberto saves it.

75 minute mark: Boogaart joins the attack.. dribbles up the right sideline.. past three defenders.. great move on the last defender.. crosses it to the center of the box.. Godoy hits it on the half-volley.. upper left corner.. wide left by a slim margin.

Alfonso on for Barbosa and Djemba on for Downing.



Game over. 3-0 win.

We outshot them 13-6 (9-2 on target)

Barbosa wins MoM, 8 for form, 15 of 19 passes, 2 key passes, 1 of 2 tackles, 4 of 9 headers, 7 runs, and 1 goal.

Every starter had an 8 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

NO!!! The early word is that Adriano partially tore his ACL! He will miss at least a month rehabbing it.

He likely will miss our big EPL match against Chelsea on March 29, 2015.


March 2, 2015 -

Those vultures. The media have already heard that Adriano is out for a month and now I have bunch of media types asking me how will we survive without Adriano and do we have enough coverage while he is gone?

I reply. "Adriano is an important player and this is a blow to our team, but we have good players that can cover for him. Craig King and James McFadden are excellent strikers."

(I would have thrown Godoy in there, but he is too busy playing right wing. I should have mentioned Wright, but he isn't an excellent striker yet.)


March 2, 2015 -

I've gotten good news today. Jeroen Schreurs and Ortega are healing quicker than expected. Either one of them might be ready to start our next game in a few days!

O'Shea and Boogaart were selected to the EPL Team of the Week.


Jose Antonio Reyes, Lukas Podolski, Joseph Yobo, and Ashley Cole have all talked to the media about their concern about the lack of depth for Arsenal.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 4, 2015 -

Today we travel to play Werder Bremen in the 2nd leg of the 1st knockout round of the Champions League. We are up 3-0 on aggregate. Werder Bremen will be missing Robert Vittek and Cesare Bovo who are both hurt.

All of our players are back except for Adriano.

We are 5-4 favorites.

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


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

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Cahais
S3: Alfonso
S4: Cook
S5: Rooney (only if they pull into a tie with us.)
S6: Parker
S7: Godoy

[Eaglesfan27]

8 minute mark: The keeper passes long to Testa left of the box.. Testa crosses it for Saramago.. Howard comes out to cut off the pass... Salva decides to intercept the ball.. he misplays it.. Salva hits it back towards the goal.. upper left corner.. GOAL. Own goal Down 1-0. Salva is crushed.

14 minute mark: Barbosa with a long pass from midpitch to the edge of the box.. King has it.. fakes out the keeper.. shoots.. lower left corner.. wide left.

22 minute mark: Fletcher passes to King in the middle of the box.. King shoots from 10 yards out.. upper left corner.. the keeper blocks it.

37 minute mark: Howard stops a flurry of shots.


Halftime: Down 1-0. Up 3-1 on aggregate. They have about 43,000 fans here today.


47 minute mark: Salva gives the ball away to Saramego.. he shoots.. Howard tips it over the bar.

53 minute mark: Barbosa passes to McFadden in the left side of the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. wide right.

68 minute mark: Godoy on for Ortega who has picked up a slight injury. Alfonso on for Barbosa.

77 minute mark: Alfonso passes to Mcfadden in the left side of the box.. McFadden with a short pass to his right.. King has it 8 yards out.. diving header.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-1. That is King's 50th of his career for Manchester United.

80 minute mark: Cahais on for Schmidt who is tired.

89 minute mark: Godoy burns two defenders.. crosses it for King.. over his head.. way high.. out the opposite sideline.


Game over. 1-1 tie. 4-1 win on aggregate. I'm proud of Salva for recovering from that early mistake and having a good second half.

We were outshot 19-8 (4-3 on target)

Rang Shawkat, their centreback, won MoM, 8 for form, 28 of 38 passes, 1 key pass, 5 of 7 tackles, 11 of 11 headers, 2 interceptions, 2 fouls drawn.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 7, 2015 -

YES! We will be playing Shakhtar in the champions League Quarter Final. This Ukrainian team is talented. However, I think they are the weakest of the remaining teams. The other matchups are:

Inter vs Arsenal
Bordeaux vs Real Madrid
Liverpool vs Barcelona.


I'm thrilled to be playing this team when I consider the options.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 14, 2015 -

Today we travel to play Everton in an EPL match. We are in 1st while Everton is in 14th place. Everton's offense has been weak but their defense has been decent. Their defense is led by centrebacks Aleksandar Djuric and Joleon Lescott. Dennis Cagara is playing well as a left back. Verza is a good midfielder who can play solid defense as well as offense. Ceiran Hutcheson has been doing well in goal this year. Henrik Lantz is the leading striker with 9 goals which is the team high.


We are 4-7 favorites.

It's raining 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: King

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Djemba
S3: Barbosa
S4: Wright
S5: Godoy

[Eaglesfan27]

3 minute mark: Downing with a corner.. to the middle of the box.. Salva heads it.. upper left corner.. it's by the keeper.. it hits the crossbar.

15 minute mark: Howard stops a pair of shots with two acrobatic saves.

25 minute mark: Parker gets a yellow card for a trip on Verza.

44 minute mark: Parker passes to King in the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper dives.. blocks it.


Halftime: 0-0 tie. We are being outworked in this game so far


67 minute mark: Godoy on for Schreurs.

68 minute mark: We get off a flurry of shots, but their defenders and their keeper stop all of them.

75 minute mark: Downing gets a yellow card for arguing an offside call.

Barbosa on for Downing and Wright on for Rooney.

76 minute mark: Godoy dribbles past two defenders.. centers it for Wright.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

84 minute mark: ugh.. we have a flurry of shots too fast for me to follow.. two of them hit the crossbar.. the keeper stops the other two. King and Wright are looking very active in front of the net.

92 minute mark: Godoy gets a yellow card for a trip on Reid.


Game over. 1-0 win.

We each had 14 shots. We each had 9 shots on target.

Tim Howard won MoM, 9 for form, 9 saves. 8 of 17 passing.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Salva sprained his wrist and will miss 5-7 days.

Fortunately, we don't have a match for 2 weeks due to international play.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 15, 2015 -

Antonio Ortega was diagnosed with a pulled hamstring, and he is expected to miss 2-3 weeks.


Manchester City has sacked John Ward. Sammy Lee is being touted as the favorite to take over the position.


March 18, 2015 -

Howard, O'Shea, and Boogaart were all selected to the EPL Team of the Week.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 21, 2015 -

Today England hosts Austria in a European Championship Qualifying match. Austria isn't a particularly talented team and we should be able to beat them easily. Their best player is striker Martin Six who has 5 international goals.

We are 4-7 favorites.

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


GK: Paul Robinson
DL: Steve Turner
DC: Robert Morris
DC: Ben Bennett
DR: Billy Jones
ML: Stewart Downing
MC: Nigel Reo-Coker
MC: Michael Wood
MR: Christopher Eagles
SC: Wayne Rooney
SC: Craig King

S1: Paul Lancaster
S2: Wes Brown
S3: John Hall
S4: Wayne Worthington
S5: John Terry
S6: Joe Cole
S7: Jermain Defoe

[Eaglesfan27]

12 minute mark: Long pass to Wallner.. Wallner heads it to Ivansec.. he passes to Six.. Six burns the defender.. dribbles into the box.. fakes right.. dribbles left.. shoots.. lower left corner.. GOAL! Down 1-0

16 minute mark: Wood passes to Downing left of the box.. he centers for rooney.. Rooney shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. blocks it.

26 minute mark: Eagles passes to Nigel Reo-coker in the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-1. That is Reo-coker's first goal ever for England!


Halftime: 1-1 tie. We have over 78,000 fans and I think they are getting a bit restless.


55 minute mark: Their keeper and defenders stop a flurry of shots from King and Rooney.

58 minute mark: Wood collided with one of their midfielders and is slightly hurt.

60 minute mark: Reo-Coker shoots from 20 yards out.. the keeper easily saves it.

62 minute mark: Their defenders shut down Rooney yet again.

68 minute mark: Reo-Coker passes it to Rooney in the box.. he shoots.. the keeper blocks it.. the defense beats King to the rebound.

73 minute mark: Defoe on for King, Cole on for Downing, and Terry on for Turner.

76 minute mark: Cole takes a corenr kick.. Morris by the near post.. outjumps his man.. heads it.. into the upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-1.

80 minute mark: Robinson punches away a corner kick.. Eagles gets it outside our own box.. passes it the length of the pitch.. Defoe beats the defenders to it.. dribbles to his right.. around the keeper.. shoots... upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-1. That is Defoe's 20th career goal for England.

83 minute mark: Eagles passes to Rooney outside the box.. he passes to Defoe in the box.. Defoe shoots.. lower right corner.. GOAL!!! 4-1.


Game over. 4-1 win

We outshot them 25-5 (13-4 on target)

Eagles won MoM, 10 for form, 16 of 21 passes, 5 key passes, 1 of 2 tackles, 2 of 3 headers, 2 interceptions, 13 runs, 1 assist.

Downing also had a 10 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar. 22, 2015 -

Salva sprained his ankle during his international match yesterday. He will miss at least 3-4 weeks. Fans are flooding the club's website wishing the 22 year old a speedy recovery whilst hoping that the team can still pick up vital points without him.


March 29, 2015 -

Today we have a big match at home against Chelsea for 1st place in the EPL. We are currently 2 points ahead of them. Chelsea's Adraino is their star and he has 30 goals in 30 starts. Freddy Adu is injured for this match so Diego and Arjen Robben will start at attacking midfielder. Julien Ribeiro, Sanli Tuncay, and Wesley Sneijder are a tough trio in the midfield. Naldo and John Terry are a strong pair of centrebacks. Glen Johnson is an able veteran at right back. Petr Cech is still a very good keeper.


We are 5-4 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 70's.

GK: Adriano (He needs some more starts, and I want to see if he can get it done against a good team with pressure on... I hope I don't regret this gamble.)
DL: Schmidt
DC: Lucio (Salva is still jurt)
DC: Marchetti
DR: Boogaart
ML: Barbosa
MC: Cook
MC: Wood
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: King (Adriano is still hurt)

S1: Howard
S2: Djemba
S3: Parker
S4: Wright
S5: O'Shea

[Eaglesfan27]

3 minute mark: Adriano saves a long shot from Adriano.

17 minute mark: Barbosa passes it to Schreurs on the right side of the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper saves it.


Halftime: 0-0 tie. We are dominating possession and keeping the ball in their half, but the defense is rock solid. We have over 91,000 fans here today.


72 minute mark: Djemba on for Cook, and Wright on for King.

78 minute mark: Cole with a shot from 17 yards out.. Adriano saves it cleanly.

92 minute mark: Rooney dribbles into the left half of the box.. draws two defenders.. fires a pass to the far post.. it's over Schreurs head.. and out of bounds.


Game over. 0-0 tie. We dominated possession, but just couldn't get it past their defense.


We outshot them 6-3 (2-2 on target)

Barbosa won MoM, 9 for form, 16 of 19 passes, 1 key pass, 0 tackles, 0 of 3 headers, 1 interception, 1 run, and 1 foul drawn.

[weinstein7]

Tough game. A win sure would have helped, but at least Adriano didn't let you down.

Have you played the same number of games as Chelsea?

[Eaglesfan27]

April 1, 2015 -

The board is delighted with my performance. Once again, no awards for the month of March. Perhaps there weren't enough EPL matches in March to determine awards?


Manchester City has hired Glenn Hoddle to be their new manager.


April 1, 2015 -

Today we travel to play Shakhtar in the 1st leg of the Champions League Quarter Final match. Shakhtar is a fair team, but not a great team. Their best player is left winger Victor Yermak who has 5 assists and 8 goals.

We are 4-6 favorites.

It's very windy with temperatures in the 40's.


GK: Howard
DL: Chivu (I never made O'Shea eligible and Schmidt is too tired to play )
DC: Lucio
DC: Marchetti
DR: Boogaart
ML: Barbosa
MC: Fletcher
MC: Parker
MR: Schreurs
SC: McFadden
SC: King

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Djemba
S3: Alfonso
S4: Cook
S5: Cahais
S6: Godoy
S7: Rooney (hopefully will be able to rest this match.)

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by weinstein7

Tough game. A win sure would have helped, but at least Adriano didn't let you down.

Have you played the same number of games as Chelsea?

Yep. We each have 6 games left I think. We just need to win them all and we are golden.

[Eaglesfan27]

17 minute mark: Yermak trips Schreurs.. Yermak gets a yellow card.

44 minute mark: Schreurs gets a yellow card for a hard tackle on Yermak. Their defense is playing all back and are crowding the box stifling our offense.


Halftime: 0-0 tie. They have about 25,000 here today.



46 minute mark: Schreurs is tripped by Razvan Dinca Rat.. ruled.. just outside the box.. boo. That was inside the box.

54 minute mark: Schreurs passes to King in the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. blocks it.

60 minute mark: Alfonso on for Barbosa, Godoy on for King. I also tell the offense to open it up some. We don't want to just settle for the nil-nil tie today.

68 minute mark: Schreurs passes to Parker just outside the box.. Parker shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.

72 minute mark: Godoy dribbles past his man.. crosses it to Alfonso in the left side of the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. catches it.

73 minute mark: Parker gets a yellow card for tripping Rat.

78 minute mark: Alfonso passes to Schreurs just outside the box.. he shoots.. strong curving shot.. upper right corner.. it's barely wide right.


Game over. 0-0 tie.

We outshot them 10-2 (5-0 on target)

Razvan Dinca Rat wins MoM, 8 for form, 44 of 48 passes, 3 of 4 tackles, 13 of 13 headers, 5 key headers, 1 foul drawn.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

EPL Update:

Every team has 6 matches left.


1. Manchester United - 23 wins, 7 draws, and 2 losses. 76 points. 77 goals scored. 14 goals against. GD of plus 63.

2. Chelsea - 22 wins, 8 draws, 2 losses. 74 points. 59 goals scored. 15 goals allowed. GD of plus 44.

3. Aston Vila - 18 wins, 8 draws, 6 losses. 62 points. 50 goals scored. 26 goals allowed. GD of plus 24.

4. Liverpool - 17 wins, 8 draws, 7 losses. 59 points. 47 goals scored. 25 goals allowed. GD of plus 22.

5. Fulham - 14 wins, 10 draws, 8 losses. 52 points. 48 goals scored. 34 goals allowed. GD of plus 14.

6. Newcastle - 14 wins, 10 draws, 8 losses. 52 points. 52 goals scored. 45 goals allowed. GD of plus 7.

7. Arsenal - 14 wins, 9 draws, 9 losses. 51 points. 55 goals scored. 42 goals allowed. GD of plus 13.

8. Bolton - 12 wins, 11 draws, 9 losses. 47 points. 41 goals scored. 34 goals allowed. GD of plus 7.

9. Leeds - 12 wins, 8 draws, 12 losses. 44 points. 38 goals scored. 34 goals allowed. GD of plus 4.

10. Tottenham - 11 wins, 7 draws, 14 losses. 40 points. 40 goals scored. 45 goals allowed. GD of - 5


And the bottom dwellers:


15. West Ham - 8 wins, 9 draws, 15 losses. 33 points. 23 goals scored. 39 goals allowed. GD of -16.

16. Wolves - 8 wins, 7 draws, 17 losses. 31 points. 33 goals scored. 54 goals allowed. GD of -21.

17. Manchester City - 5 wins, 14 draws, 13 losses. 29 points. 29 goals scored. 48 goals allowed. GD of -19. They are in danger of slipping from the EPL!

18. Norich - 6 wins, 11 draws, 15 losses. 29 points. 24 goals scored. 54 goals allowed. GD of -30.

19. Sunderland - 5 wins, 10 draws, 17 losses. 25 points. 31 goals scored. 59 goals allowed. GD of -28.

20. Southampton - 5 wins, 7 draws, 20 losses. 22 points. 33 goals scored. 66 goals allowed. GD of -33.

Southampton seems almost certain to be relegated. This would be their first time being relegated in a VERY long time (I think over 30 years!)

[Eaglesfan27]

April 3, 2015 -

WTF!?! Stewart Downing is complaining that he is not in the first team enough. I starterd rotating Barbosa in more because Downing was getting tired (to the point where the physio was mentioning it.) Barbosa has been good, so I've been resting Downing quite a bit, but still... sheesh. Anyway, I'm planning on starting him tomorrow anyway.


April 4, 2015 -


Today we travel to play Newcastle in what is surely one of our most difficult remaining matches. Newcastle is currently in 6th and they have two dynamic scorers. Jermain Defoe has 21 goals and is still a very effective goal scorer. Ignacio is a 24 year old Spanish player who is starting to light the world afire. He has great skills and he has 12 goals and 10 assists in 30 starts this year. Kasper Lorentzen is a good left winger who can really set up the men around him. James Milner is an effective midfielder. Luis Carlos is an acrobatic leaper at centreback. Michel Testerink is a solid keeper who has great communication and command of the keeper's area.


We are even odd favorites.


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


GK: Howard
DL: O'Shea
DC: Lucio
DC: Marchetti
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Fletcher
MC: Wood
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: King

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

[Eaglesfan27]

Before the match started, I was just notified that our U18 team won their League Title for the 4th consecutive time.

2 minute mark: Downing passes to Wood just inside the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. solid save by the keeper.

4 minute mark: Downing dribbles past two defenders.. and right over the endline.

5 minute mark: Downing gets a yellow card for arguing an offside call.

11 minute mark: Rooney dribbles into the left side of the box.. passes it to the far post.. King heads it.. over the bar.

16 minute mark: Ignacio passes it to Defoe right of the box.. Defoe passes to Dickhoff just inside the box.. Dickhoff blasts a shot.. upper left corner.. Howard dives.. but it is out of his reach.. GOAL. Down 1-0.

30 minute mark: Downing has his dribble stolen by Robson.

33 minute mark: Downing gets the ball at midpitch.. long pass to Rooney in the box.. he dribbles.. shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper blocks it.. King is too far behind the play to score the rebound.

37 minute mark: Robson throws it in.. Milner lobs a cross to the far post.. Miguel with a diving header.. upper left corner.. Howard can't get to it. GOAL. Down 2-0.

44 minute mark: Rooney dribbles left of the box.. crosses to King in the right side of the box.. he hits it on the half-volley.. upper left corner.. the keeper catches it.



Halftime: Down 2-0. They have about 52,000 fans here today.


I tell the offense to go wide open. We need to come back.

52 minute mark: King gets a yellow card for an aggressive tackle on the keeper.

53 minute mark: Howard stops a point blank shot from Ignacio.

58 minute mark: Dickoff passes to Defoe in the box.. he fakes out Lucio.. shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL. Down 3-0. Howard was beat badly there.

61 minute mark: O'Shea with a long pass to Rooney in the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. blocks it.

62 minute mark: Fletcher gets the ball at midpitch.. passes it long to Rooney.. he fakes out the defender.. fakes out the keeper with a dribble to his right.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-1.

66 minute mark: Downing passes to Rooney in the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.

I put Godoy on for Schreurs, Stevanovic on for Fletcher, and Wright on for King. I also move Stevanovic up into a more true attacking midfielder position which I think he is more suited for.

74 minute mark: Godoy with a great through ball.. Rooney gets to it.. Robson tackles him before he can shoot.

75 minute mark: They start the counterattack.. long pass from the keeper to Dickoff.. Dickoff heads it to Defoe.. he dribbles into the box.. shoots.. lower right corner.. Howard dives but can't reach it. GOAL. Down 4-1.

We are being dominated. Lucio was hurt on the play and can't continue. He has to be carried off the pitch.

I move Wood back towards the defender position and go with a 4-3-2 since we've used all of our subs.


Game over. 4-1 loss. We were completely beat in all phases of the game

We were outshot 16-12 (12-4 on target)

Kasper Lorentzen won MoM, 9 for form, 33 of 41 passes, 6 key passes, 1 of 7 tackles, 1 of 4 headers, 4 interceptions, 4 runs.

Most of my team had 6's for form. Howard was given a 5

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Lucio strained his neck and will miss 5 days.

Chelsea has not played their match, yet. So, I do not know if we lost 1st place or not.

Of note, Chelsea's next match is at Liverpool on April 15th.


Their last 5 matches are:

home vs Fulham
home vs Tottenham
AT Sunderland
home vs Aston Villa
AT Charlton.


Our remaining 5 are:

Home vs Bolton
AT Coventry
Home vs Middlesbrough
AT Southampton
Home vs the Wolves.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 6, 2015 -

Adriano is fully recovered from his injury.


April 8, 2015 -

Today we host Shakhtar in the second leg of the Quarter Final. We are tied 0-0 on aggregate. This time, we will have almost all of our weapons out there (Salva is still hurt.)

We are 4-7 favorites.

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

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

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Djemba
S3: Alfonso
S4: Cook
S5: Godoy
S6: McFadden
S7: King

[Eaglesfan27]

2 minute mark: Boogaart passes to Schreurs.. he dribbles past his man.. right of the box.. fires pass between two defenders to Adriano in the right side of the box.. Adriano dribbles towards the keeper.. fires a shot from 8 yards out.. upper left corner.. the keeper dives.. can't block it.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

6 minute mark: Hokolovo trips Barbosa in the box.. penalty awarded.. Rooney steps up.. shoots.. lower right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

12 minute mark: Cahais gets a yellow card for a trip on Melinyk just outside the box.

22 minute mar: Marchetti is kicked by Hokolovo.. yellow card for Hokolovo.. I thought he should have gotten a red card!

33 minute mark: Barbosa passes to Rooney left of the box.. he centers the ball towards the near post.. Fletcher with a half volley.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0.


Halftime: 3-0 lead. We have over 68,000 fans here today.


I'll rest Rooney in 10 minutes or after we score our 4th goal whichever comes first.


47 minute mark: Schmidt gets a throw in just outside the box.. blasts a banana shot.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. blocks it.

54 minute mark: Barbosa collided with Namitv.. he looks hurt.. he shakes it off.

56 minute mark: Alfonso on for Barbosa and McFadden on for Rooney.

71 minute mark: Alfonso passes to Fletcher outside the box.. Fletcher shoots.. strong curling shot.. upper right corner.. the keeper isn't in position to stop it.. not even close.. GOAL!!! 4-0. Fletcher's 10th of the year.

Cook on for Parker. I need to help get Cook his confidence back.

89 minute mark: We have a flurry of shots on goal.. their defenders and keeper block them all.



Game over. 4-0 win

We outshot them 16-2 (10-1 on target)

Fletcher wins MoM, 9 for form, 23 of 25 passes, 1 of 2 tackles, 3 of 4 headers, 1 interception, 1 run, 3 fouls drawn, 2 goals.

Schreurs also had a 9 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

In other Champions League News:

Inter beat Arsenal 4-2 on aggregate thanks to a 3-0 win at Arsenal today.

Liverpool beat Barcelona 3-2 on aggregate with a 2-2 tie at Barcelona today.

Real Madrid beat Bordeaux 4-0 on aggregate with a 3-0 win at home today.




We have been awarded 3.2 million for advancing further in the Champions League.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 11, 2015 -


It has been announced. We will play Liverpool in the Semi Final of the Champions League. The first leg will be at Old Trafford (our home stadium) on April 22, 2015. Inter will play Real Madrid in the other Semi Final.


West Brom has won the English Championship and will be promoted to the EPL.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 12, 2015 -

Today we host Bolton in an EPL Match that is critical to our title chances. Bolton is in 8th place. Bolton's offense is led by Filipe Oliveira who has 11 goals on the year. Midfielder Kevin Nolan has chipped in 9 more goals. Right winger, Achille Emana, is a great assist man who is playing as well as just about any right winger in the EPL. Rik Thijssen is a 29 year old centrback who uses good positioning to stop his man. Lee Reid is a 24 year old keeper who has been starting just the last few games for them. He looks to be a bright keeper for the future, but he looks a bit raw still.

We are 4-6 favorites.

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


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Lucio
DC: Marchetti
DR: Boogaart
ML: Barbosa
MC: Downing
MC: Parker
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Djemba
S3: wood
S4: King
S5: O'Shea

[Eaglesfan27]

4 minute mark: Marchetti with a key clearance of an Emana pass into the box.

11 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past two defenders.. into the left side of the box.. crisp pass to Rooney.. he shoots from 5 yards out.. a defender blocks his shot.

19 minute mark: Rooney steals it at midpitch.. passes it to the edge of the box.. Adriano beats the defenders to the ball.. shoots.. the keeper came out.. blocks it.

27 minute mark: Trochowski gets a yellow card for tripping Ortega who was about to blow by him.

30 minute mark: Emana fakes out Barbosa.. dribbles down their right sideline.. centers it for oliveira.. he shoots immediately.. lower left corner.. Howard dives.. misses it. GOAL. Down 1-0

36 minute mark: oliveira with a two footed tackle on Barbosa.. yellow card for Oliveira.

43 minute mark: Barbosa with a corner kick.. to the near post.. parker heads it.. upper left corner.. the keeper can't get to it! GOAL!!! 1-1.


Halftime: 1-1 tie. we have over 90,000 fans here today.


47 minute mark: Barbosa fakes out two defenders.. fires a pass to rooney in the left side of the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. over the bar.

50 minute mark: Rooney steals it from a defender.. shoots immediately from 25 yards out.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. catches it.

61 minute mark: Lucio gets a yellow card for a trip on oliveira.

62 minute mark: wood on for ortega who is exhausted. I tell the offense to be a bit more aggressive.

71 minute mark: Barbosa crosses it to Parker who heads it to Adriano in the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. wide right.. that was a missed opportunity.

75 minute mark: King on for Rooney who is very tired. I tell the offense to open it wide up.

85 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles to the left corner of the pitch.. crosses it to the center of the box.. Adriano heads it.. the keeper pushes it over the bar.

91 minute mark: Barbosa passes to king left of the box.. he centers for Adriano.. he heads it.. the keeper blocks it.

93 minute mark: Thijssen has been foiling passes to Adriano all match.. he is playing great defense.


Game over. 1-1 tie at home I feel the EPL title slipping away...

We each had 15 shots. we each had 8 shots on target.

Barbosa won MoM, 10 for form, 20 of 29 passes, 3 key passes, 2 of 4 tackles, 0 of 4 headers, 1 interception, 18 runs, 4 fouls drawn, and 1 assist.

Parker had a 9 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 14, 2015 -

Lucio and Parker were named to the EPL Team of the week.


April 15, 2015 -

Jeroen Schreurs injured his neck and will miss about a week.

I can't wait to watch the Chelsea match... go Liverpool!




Liverpool let me down

Chelsea won 2-1. Adriano had both goals (5,85) Sneijder assisted on the first goal and Rafael van der Vaart assisted on the second goal.


I need Chelsea to lose one of their final 5 games now, and I have to win every game to win the EPL.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 18, 2015 -

Today we travel to play coventry in an EPL match. They are in 12th place. Coventry is led by star striker Wayne worthington who has 20 goals on the year. shola Ameobia is still an effective second striker and he has 8 goals on the year. Jay McEveley and Martin Scott lead the defense. Dalibor Glavina is a 26 year old Croatian midfielder who has become one of the better midfielders in the EPL. Ryan warner is their new keeper. He is a skilled 24 year old who is becoming quite good in the net.

We are 4-6 favorites.

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


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Salva (welcome back!)
DC: Marchetti
DR: Boogaart
ML: Barbosa
MC: Fletcher
MC: Parker
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Djemba
S3: Downing
S4: King
S5: O'Shea

[Eaglesfan27]

29 minute mark: Rooney dribbles into the left side of the box.. passes it quickly to Adriano by the right post.. Adriano heads it.. the keeper blocks it.

32 minute mark: Rooney with a breakaway.. dribbles into the box.. shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper blocks it.

37 minute mark: Adriano steals it at midpitch.. passes to Rooney at the edge of the box.. strong banana shot.. over the bar.

39 minute mark: ortega passes to Adraino right of the box.. he centers it towards the far post.. Rooney with a diving header.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.



Halftime: 1-0 lead for us. They have about 32,000 fans here today.



50 minute mark: Glavina passes to Worthington in the box.. he shoots.. Howard blocks it.. Glavina running behind him hits the rebound on a full gallop.. upper right corner.. no chance for Howard.. GOAL 1-1.

59 minute mark: Parker passes it to Ortega right of the box.. Ortega passes it to Adriano in the middle of the box.. he blasts a shot.. upper left corner.. past the keeper.. wide left.

80 minute mark: Downing on for Barbosa, Djemba on for Fletcher, and King on for Adriano. I tell the offense to open wide up.

83 minute mark: Downing with a corner kick.. to the near post.. Salva heads it.. over the bar.

85 minute mark: Downing passes to Ortega.. he heads it to Parker.. Parker shoots.. over the bar.

Come on offense, we can't afford another draw or loss.

93 minute mark: Rooney passes to king in the right side of the box.. he shoots.. the keeper blocks it.


Game over 1-1 tie. We aren't playing with the same passion that we had at the beginning of the season. This is a terrible time for this sort of slump.

We were outshot 21-14 (11-8 on target)

Howard wins MoM for his 10 saves. 10 for form. 7 of 13 passes.

Rooney had a 9 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 19, 2015 -

I'm hoping Fulham can upset Chelsea today.....

YES! Fulham played Chelsea to a 0-0 tie. I needed at least one tie in one of their remaining games. Now, I just need them to lose one of their remaining games.

Aston Villa is the best bet to do that, and that match will be on May 2, 2015.


April 20, 2015 -

Howard and Rooney were selected to the EPL Team of the Week.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 22, 2015 -

Today we play Liverpool at home in the 1st leg of the Semi Final of the Champions League. Our chances are improved because Djibril Cisse is injured for this game! Actually he is out for both legs as he is injured for 3 weeks. His 26 goals will be missed by this team. They will start Markus Stradler who has 14 goals and Yakubu who has 9 goals at their striker positions. Nuno Ferro is a talented do it all midfielder. Wayne Bridge is still a good left back even at 34 years old. Andres D'Alessandro is finally slipping and he isn't starting all of their matches any longer. Chris Kirkland is having one of his best seasons in goal, and he will be difficult to score against.

We are 5-4 favorites.

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


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Lucio
DC: Salva
DR: Boogaart
ML: Barbosa
MC: Fletcher
MC: Parker
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Djemba
S3: McFadden
S4: Cook
S5: Marchetti
S6: Alfonso
S7: King

[Eaglesfan27]

2 minute mark: Rooney dribbles into the left side of the box.. passes to Fletcher.. he blasts a shot.. upper left corner.. the keeper blocks it.. Rooney gets to the rebound.. shoots.. open net.. over the bar!

4 minute mark: Fletcher passes to Rooney in the box.. the keeper comes out to cut down his angle.. he shoots.. lower left corner.. around the keeper.. barely wide left.

9 minute mark: Ortega passes to Adriano in the box.. he shoots.. lower right corner.. Kirkland dives.. blocks it.

13 minute mark: Rooney is hurt!!! He collided with Nuno Ferro. Rooney can't go on I put McFadden on for him.

19 minute mark: Boogaart joins the attack.. dribbles past two defenders.. crosses it to the middle of the 6 yard box.. McFadden rises above the keeper.. heads it.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

27 minute mark: Ortega dribbles past a defender.. right of the box.. he centers it for Fletcher.. header.. upper right corner.. Kirkland dives.. catches it.

33 minute mark: Boogaart dribbles into the box (he really likes to venture forward more than any fullback I've had in a long time)... he centers it for Parker.. Parker shoots.. upper left corner.. great save by Kirkland.

38 minute mark: Lucio fires a pass down the left side of the pitch.. to the corner.. Barbosa beats the defender to it.. centers for Flethcer just outside the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. over the keeper's shoulder.. it hits the crossbar.. the defense clears the rebound.

44 minute mark: Valdo tackles Fletcher very hard from behind just outside the box.. vicious tackle.. the ref shows Valdo.. the Red card!

46 minute mark: We get off a flurry of shots on goal.. the keeper blocks them all.


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


51 minute mark: Ortega pushes Yakubu in the chest.. yellow card for Ortega.. things are getting heated out there.

58 minute mark: Lucio with a long pass to McFadden in the left side of the box.. McFadden shoots a very sharply angled shot.. upper right corner.. the keeper flails at it, misses it... GOAL!!!! 2-0.

63 minute mark: Howard stops a long shot from Gerrard.

70 minute mark: Schmidt passes to McFadden.. he dribbles into the left side of the box.. passes to Adriano by the far post.. Adriano heads it.. upper right corenr.. the keeper dives.. blocks it.

76 minute mark: Lucio trips Yakubu in the box Penalty shot awarded.. D'Allesandro takes it.. blasts a shot into the lower right corner.. no chance for Howard. GOAL. 2-1 match.

Alfonso on for Barbosa and Cook on for Fletcher who is very tired.

83 minute mark: We get off a flurry of shots.. their keeper and defense blocks them all.

88 minute mark: Yakubu gets a breakaway.. shoots.. lower right corner.. Howard dives.. blocks it.. jara shoots the rebound.. Howard blocks it.


Game over. 2-1 win. Not as big of a margin as I would have liked, but we generally dominated.

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

McFadden wins MoM, 10 for form, 15 of 18 passes, 2 key passes, 0 of 1 tackles, 4 of 8 headers, 6 runs, 3 fouls drawn, and 2 goals.