Manchester United beat Arsenal 3-1 in North London, dropping the Gunners a potential eight points behind Chelsea in the Premier League. Arsenal have lost all three matches against Chelsea and Man U this season, by a combined score of 8-2 (6-1 at home). A funeral service for their title challenge will be held next Sunday.
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MLS lifer Steve Ralston will join NASL’s AC St. Louis as their first player.
Ralston is a St. Louis native. He played all 14 MLS seasons for the Tampa Bay Mutiny and New England Revolution. Ralston was the 1996 MLS Rookie of the Year. He is the all-time MLS leader in games played and assists. He also has 36 caps for the U.S. National Team.
MLS and its Players Union resumed negotiations yesterday on a new collective bargaining agreement. The current deal expires Jan 31. Without a new one, MLS could lock out the players starting Feb 1. An extended work stoppage could be disastrous for the league and potentially for the U.S. World Cup squad. Since they have little leverage, expect the players to cave. UPDATE: MLS and the Players Union have extended the deadline for negotiations through Feb 12. Players will report to training camp as scheduled.
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Marco Materazzi, known to most in the United States as the Zidane head butt victim, donned a Silvio Burlusconi mask in the celebrations after Inter’s 2-0 derby win over Milan. No political import, just contrived hilarity?
Future U.S. opponent Algeria, eliminated tournament favorites Ivory Coast from the African Nations Cup, winning 3-2 in extra time. The Algerians came from behind twice, took an early lead in the extra period and held on as a Kolo Toure equalizer was ruled offside. The win comes just months after Algeria won another tough match, their World Cup playoff with defending African champions Egypt, just days after their bus was attacked.
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ESPN’s Ives Galarcep brings some hopeful news for U.S. fans ahead of the 2010 World Cup. He reports that Charlie Davies is already jogging and doing agility drills. He could be back playing for his club side FC Sochaux by April.
What does this progress mean, exactly? It means that, barring any setbacks, Davies could be back on the field with club team FC Sochaux by April, meaning his chances of playing for the United States in June’s World Cup should no longer be seen as a shattered dream.
After seeing how scant the cupboard is against Honduras, this should give American fans a jolt.
Stuart Holden’s move to Bolton, is about to be made official, apparently. The Bolton News is reporting the American international will move to the Premier League club on loan from Houston Dynamo. There’s a slight problem. Holden is not under contract with the Dynamo, so he could not go on loan.
Holden had been on trial at Bolton, but was reportedly off to Sporting Braga after Bolton denied him a contract. We’ll believe reports when we see him in a uniform.
The tiff between Carlos Tevez and Gary Neville did not diffuse the tension. Tevez unloaded on the Manchester United captain in an interview with ESPN Argentina.
“My celebration was directed at Gary Neville. He acted like a complete sock-sucker [boot-licker] when he said I wasn’t worth £25m, just to suck up to the manager. I don’t know what the hell that idiot is talking about me for. I never said anything about him.
Arsenal moved to the top of the Premier League table, beating Bolton 4-2. The difference is slight and psychological. Chelsea have a game in hand. The psychology could be the difference.
The Gunners fell a game behind, qualifying for the Champions League. Snow-cancelled fixtures pushed Arsenal a game ahead. That’s the ideal position.
Arsenal are dealing the first blow. From a position of strength, they are playing, creating a destiny. Chelsea are passive and must respond under pressure.
The advantage may seem slight, but for an Arsenal team that can struggle for confidence it could fortify them. However fleeting, the lead makes the title tangible.
