Own Goal

The proprietor of the Gedling Inn recently offered a free pint (beer) for every goal scored by local favorite Nottingham Forest soccer club during the game with Brighton. Soccer (the Brits call it football) is not typically a high scoring game. Alas, this turned into a very generous act when the match turned into an unusual 7-0 blow out for the Reds. Apparently, a very good time was had by all. The total cost to the establishment was estimated at near ₤1,500. But the owner, a Mrs. Webster, was a good sport declaring how thrilled she was that the team was doing well. 

Source

I guess we now know which one has the real juice

Widespread Corruption Taints World's Most Popular Sport

JOHANNESBURG — A soccer referee named Ibrahim Chaibou walked into a bank in a small South African city carrying a bag filled with as much as $100,000 in $100 bills, according to another referee traveling with him. The deposit was so large that a bank employee gave Mr. Chaibou a gift of commemorative coins bearing the likeness of Nelson Mandela.

Later that night in May 2010, Mr. Chaibou refereed an exhibition match between South Africa and Guatemala in preparation for the World Cup, the world’s most popular sporting event. Even to the casual fan, his calls were suspicious — he called two penalties for hand balls even though the ball went nowhere near the players’ hands.

Mr. Chaibou, a native of Niger, had been chosen to work the match by a company based in Singapore that was a front for a notorious match-rigging syndicate, according to an internal, confidential report by FIFA, soccer’s world governing body.

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Finally some love from south of the border

Via the MCJ, Mexico seems to have found some appreciation for us. Though I fear it will be short lived.

US soccer team is knocked out of Olympic contention by El Salvador

The U.S. entered the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament with high expectations. But it's going home empty-handed after Jaime Alas' goal in stoppage time lifted El Salvador to a 3-3 tie in the final game of group play Monday in Nashville, ending the Americans' Olympic soccer dreams.

The U.S. was about a minute shy of the victory it needed to advance to the tournament semifinals as the winner of its group when Alas charged up the center of the American defense and uncorked a blast from 25 yards out that bounced once before eluding backup U.S. keeper Sean Johnson, who got a hand on the shot but couldn't stop it. That not only knocked the U.S. out of the tournament, but also it changed El Salvador's fortunes, with the Central Americans leaping from elimination to the top of the Group A standings ahead of Canada, which tied Cuba, 1-1, in Monday's first game and advances as the group runner-up.

El Salvador, which last qualified for the Olympics in 1968, figures to play Honduras in the semifinals, provided its Central American neighbor gets past winless Trinidad and Tobago on the final day of Group B play Tuesday at the Home Depot Center. Canada is all but certain to face unbeaten Mexico, the probable Group B winner and the dominant team in the tournament so far. The winners of those two games will represent the CONCACAF region in London this summer.

None of that matters to the U.S., which will be watching at home after fighting back from a 2-1 deficit to take a one-goal lead in the 68th minute, only to give it back four minutes into stoppage time and miss the Olympics for the second time in three tries.

Read the rest here,

US men beat Italy at soccer for first time

GENOA, Italy (AP) - American players applauded each other and their fans. Their supporters cheered loudly and proudly waved the right, white and blue.

Gaining a rare victory over a soccer power, the United States beat Italy 1-0 Wednesday night on Clint Dempsey's goal in the 55th minute for the Americans' first win over the Azzurri in 11 games over 78 years.

"It's a work in progress,'' Dempsey said. "I like to think that we're closing the gap and hopefully one day we can do something special.''

A Texan who has become an increasingly important element of the American team, Dempsey put a right-footed shot from just inside the penalty area past an outstretched hand of goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. Fabian Johnson had crossed to Jozy Altidore, who with his back to the goal against Italy's Andrea Barzagli touched the ball back toward the top of the area.

"I think we look like a top team in the sense where we have one chance and we're going to make it count,'' Altidore said. "I think it's a big step in the right direction.'

Read the rest here.