Fastest Soccer Shot...as of 2006

Fastest Soccer Shot

Cleat of the post: Kelme Retro 1959 FG

Finally a post on Germany

In less than 5 hours, VfL Bochum will play VfB Stuttgart in a Bundesliga fight for survival. Bochum is only one spot above relegation and to stay that way will need anything but a loss. For Stuttgart, being in sixth place really isn't too shabby however finishing in the top 5 won't have a negative effect on the club.

Who do I think will win? I'm going to go on a limb and back up barely surviving Bochum. With my amateur, although what I believe to be accurate, analyzing and watching of games, teams in positions similar to Stuttgart (like Arsenal) tend to always lose that necessary steam seeing that there is no way that they will win the title. however, for teams like Bochum, every second of every match here on out is extremely crucial. I can guarantee you that the Bochum squad is going to come out hard and surprise Stuttgart. Let's be serious, it's soccer and as we all know anyone can't beat anybody on any given day.

Predicted winners: VfL Bochum




Cleat of the post: adidas World Cup SG

A Week in European Soccer (4/9/10 - 4/15/10)

EPL

- Over the weekend there weren't too many exciting results or much movement in the table. Manchester United wasn't able to get a much-needed win over Blackburn and Man City got a huge 5-1 win over Birmingham. United and City will be facing each other on Saturday. Will Rooney be fit?  Mancini hopes so.

- On Tuesday, Chelsea was fortunate to just barely defeat Bolton 1-0 and go 4 points clear ahead of United. However, on Wednesday, Arsenal suffered a huge 2-1 defeat against Tottenham officially knocking them out of the title race. Wenger certainly wasn't happy about that. Personally, I'd like to give my young, but what I think to be my mature opinion on this: WENGER NEEDS TO BE SACKED! The man isn't bringing the kind of talent into his lineups which can be seen as Arsenal simply haven't been able to produce the much needed results over the past few weeks (as was the case in their loss, essentially, to Messi). However, it seems the  Arsenal doesn't feel this way.

Spanish Premier League
- After Real Madrid suffered their huge 2-0 loss at home to Barcelona, they bounced back with great discipline and athleticism by winning earlier today 2-1 over Almeria. With the win, they are now only 3 points behind league leaders Barcelona. For Real, they are going to have to hope Barcelona slip up over their next six games otherwise Barca will be saying "hello" to another league title.

Photo Credit: Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Cleat of the post: Nike5 Zoom T-5 FS...awesome color way!

Marseille leads the way with 59 points

With only 8 games remaining for most of the teams in the French Ligue 1, there is simply no room for error. Marseille only has a 2-point cushion over Lyon, Montpellier, and AJ Auxerre, with Bordeaux very close behind. Each one of these teams is in contention for the title that was won last year by Bordeaux. If Marseille can hold out on all these teams, they have a chance to be within 1 for all-time Ligue 1 titles, currently held at 10 by Saint-Étienne (currently in 17th).

But what separates Marseille from other teams this year? Let's take a look:

The team is led by 30-year-old forward, Mamadou Niang (picture below) who has 15 goals on the season which really is not impressive. Obviously, Marseille is not a superstar team so they rely on many players which also include 29-year-old Brandao (F), 31-year-old Diawara (D), and 28-year-old Cheyrou (M). Photo credit: la Ville d'Arles'

By now I'm sure you can see that this squad is really old so there are a few things this means. First and foremost, I think the squad can win the league this year because they will be poised with their expertise. However, this also means that in a few years many players will be retiring and thus, new talent is going to be sought after. Unfortunately, not all new talent is good and development of these new players will be crucial. Hence, be sure to watch Marseille drop in rankings over the next few years. The Offside Blog also has some good stuff on Marseille and their highlights so be sure to check that out as well.

Cleat of the post: Reebok Giggs Pro Limited Edition SG

A Swing and A Miss...at least for Portsmouth

On Wednesday, Portsmouth goalkeeper David James certainly has put himself on the blooper real for this year's bloopers. In an attempt to clear the ball, he unfortunately had a nice little whiff on the ball. Although it was certainly an embarrassing moment, Chelsea's Drogba was very thankful for the easy pass into the back of the net. All in all though, Chelsea was not in need of help; they went on to win with a convincing 5-0 win. For a further write-up on the whiff and for a video click here. Photo credit: bhhardinge 

With the win, Chelsea is now only one point behind Manchester United. With 7 more games for each team to go, it will be a close run to the finish. And here are the current standings in the EPL as of today.

Cleat of the post: Pirma Monaco III

Messi continues to lead La Liga

In Messi's 122nd game in La Liga this past weekend, he scored three goals to add to his already amazing 23 goal season. This is simply the exact kind of momentum Messi needs heading into the World Cup. Barcelona is benefitting from his perfection and he himself as preparing himself for what, I would say, is to be his greatest World Cup, EVER. There is simply no doubt that Messi will be the number one player to watch this summer; his tantalizing moves and composure have only been seen in players who have always been amazing such as Maradona and Pelé. As Maradona even says it himself, he will welcome Messi as Messi surpasses him. I know I will be looking forward to watching the World Cup this year. Photo credit: prettyfriendship

Cleat of the post: Umbro Stealth Pro HG

6' 7" Crouch Helps England Get The Win

Peter Crouch did more than just come on as a substitute for England; he helped get them a 3-1 win over Egypt by scoring both his goals in the second half. The Tottenham star and Macclesfield native helped to add to his currently weak total scoring count this season of 13. At the age of 29, don't expect to see him much longer in the football world. He has, if he's lucky, another 5 years left in him. Photo credit: nicksarebi

While England was able to hold off Egypt, Holland got an easy 2-0 lead on the US and was able to hold them off for a 2-1 victory.

Other international scores from today:

Spain 2-0 France

Portugal 2-0 China

Scotland 1-0 Czech Republic

Sweden 1-0 Wales

Slovenia 4-1 Qatar

Italy 0-0 Cameroon

Cleat of the post: Puma v1.08 i FG