Random Soccer Chatter

• ohiobucks1

  

  Transfer activity also at Chelsea. Yossi Benayoun looks set to leave the club but Liverpool has rejected an offer from Chelsea which involved the Israel international as part of a deal to bring Raul Meireles to Stamford Bridge.
  According to The Guardian Chelsea offered $11 million plus Yossi Benayoun in order to get Raul Meireles from Liverpool, but the offer was turned down.
  Benayoun still looks set to leave Chelsea with Arsenal, Tottenham and Lille interested.
• ohiobucks1

  

  UPDATE:One player that won't be joining Arsenal is Gary Cahill as Sky Sports informs the club has ended negotiations to bring the Bolton Wanderers defender.
  --
  UPDATE: One down and more to follow.
  Park Chu-Young has signed a contract with Arsenal, the club announced on its official website.
  --
  These two crucial days which could make or break Arsenal's season as the transfer approaches will be incredibly busy. It is a logical result of a long and slow summer when it comes to signings new players and the added pressure after a heavy defeat against Manchester United last weekend.
  The latest rumor involves German international Per Mertesacker who is expected to have a medical exam ahead of a move from Werder Bremen. Mertersacker has been linked with Arsenal for a while now and this time it could be definite.
  Germany manager Joachim Low gave him permission to leave his training camp and expects him back this evening, which suggests Mertesacker will go to London for a medical exam and return to his national team in time for him to play against Austria on Friday for the Euro 2012 Qualifiers.
  Another Germany player linked with Arsenal was teenage sensation Mario Gotze from Borussia Dortmund, but an offer from the London club was turned down as the player wants to stay at his club for at least two more seasons.
  As Wednesday's deadline approaches, Brazilian left-back Andre Santos looks set to be announced by Arsenal after it sold Armand Traore, who plays in that position, to Queens Park Rangers.
  More players rumored to be on his way to the Emirates Stadium? Christopher Samba from Blackburn Rovers and Gary Cahill from Bolton and in what could be a shocking development three Chelsea players are also mentioned: Yossi Benayoun, Florent Malouda and Alex.
• ohiobucks1

  

  Federico Macheda made an instant impact with Manchester United when as a 17-year-old he scored an injury time winner against Aston Villa at Old Trafford. A couple of years later it looks likely he will be sent out on loan to another English Premier League team.
  Which one? Macheda's agent Giovanni Bia says "Newcastle has the edge over Queens Park Rangers at the moment," as reported by The Sun.
  Macheda faces strong competition for places at Manchester United and a move to another club sounds like the best option for every party involved.
• ohiobucks1

  

  It was always going to be the case with some last minute moves that nobody saw coming.
  One of the most incredible is a possible free transfer for former Manchester United and England international midfielder Owen Hargreaves from Manchester United to Manchester City.
  The Canadian-born player was seen having a medical exam in Manchester ahead of what could be a shocking transfer across the city in a move that journalists Ben Smith and Stu Brennan can't quite believe.
  Hargreaves was wanted by Vancouver Whitecaps and West Bromwich Albion among other clubs. Not so long ago he published a series of YouTube clips to show he was fit enough to play after being haunted by injuries during his career.
• ohiobucks1

  

  As expected, Diego Forlan left Atletico Madrid and arrived in Milan at night to be pictured wearing an Inter black and blue scarf on the Italian club's official website.
  Both clubs are finalizing the mandatory paperwork before Forlan is officially presented as a new Inter player.
  The transfer fee of $7.25 million is surprisingly low for a striker who only last year was named as the best player at the FIFA World Cup in South Africa. He will sign a two-year contract with Inter.
• Laley23

  

  Bryan Ruiz to Fulham. Clint Dempsey rumors will be flying for 24 hours.
  
  Sucks, cause even if he doesnt go he might still in January. I was really hoping to see him play when I go to the Chelsea match at the Cottage. Kind of losses some luster if hes on a new team. Maybe he will go to Arsenal, and we can swing to that game instead on Saturday instead since its still in London!
• OSH

  

  Dempsey will not be joining the USMNT v. Costa Rica.
• gorocks99

  

  OSH;878280 wrote:Dempsey will not be joining the USMNT v. Costa Rica.

  Sucks. Still the back spasms?
• Laley23

  

  gorocks99;878286 wrote:Sucks. Still the back spasms?

  Yes. Should be back for the second match.
• OSH

  

  Zach Loyd and Heath Pearce have also withdrawn.
  
  Chris Pontius and Jonathan Spector have replaced them.
  
  
  Dempsey will rejoin the USMNT against Belgium...and be named the new captain!
• OSH

  

  Hoffenheim, where new USMNT call-up Fabian Johnson plays, just signed another American: Daniel Williams. He's a defender/defensive midfielder who hopes to be an eventual USMNT call-up. Like Johnson, Williams is also a German-American. This signing is the third American to join Hoffenheim, aside from Johnson and Williams, Joe Gyau plays for the US U20 team and is in the Hoffenheim youth system (Hoffenheim II).
  
  Brad Guzan has been rumored to move from Aston Villa to QPR (among others). QPR is also rumored to have interest in Jermaine Jones.
  
  US defender Gale Agbossoumonde joins Eintracht Frankfurt II on loan. So, he could be going up against Joe Gyau and Hoffenheim II.
  
  Mike Grella got his contract cut by Leeds United...then joins Brentford.
• gorocks99

  

  lol, I thought the guy's name was Gale Agbossoumondejoins Eintracht Frankfurt II for a second. I was like ... most badass name ever.
• Automatik

  

  OSH;878297 wrote:Zach Loyd and Heath Pearce have also withdrawn.
  
  Chris Pontius and Jonathan Spector have replaced them.
  
  
  Dempsey will rejoin the USMNT against Belgium...and be named the new captain!

  New captain for good? Or if/while Donovan isn't playing?
• DeyDurkie5

  

  Is there an international break this weekend for EPL? If so, I'm sad.
• OSH

  

  gorocks99;879290 wrote:lol, I thought the guy's name was Gale Agbossoumondejoins Eintracht Frankfurt II for a second. I was like ... most badass name ever.

  Haha. Good call. He still has a sweet name even without the "joins" at the end of it.
  

  Automatik;879303 wrote:New captain for good? Or if/while Donovan isn't playing?

  Probably if/while Donovan isn't playing. Not too often will a armband be taken from someone...especially when Landy is the "face" of American soccer.
• NilesPacMan

  DeyDurkie5;879316 wrote:Is there an international break this weekend for EPL? If so, I'm sad.

  Yup, yup. I hate the first international break of the season, since it always occurs after the first two-three weeks. We get into the ebb and flow of things, and boom, there's an international break.
• ohiobucks1

  

  UPDATE: He finally joins Atletico Madrid. We have been following Diego's transfer saga and it came to a happy conclusion for the Brazilian playmaker and for Atletico Madrid.
  "This is where I wanted to play," Diego told Spanish newspaper As upon arrival in Madrid. He joins Atletico from Wolfsburg in Germany.
  His signing was announced by the club who posted pictures of him having a medical exam.
• ohiobucks1

  

  Portugal will play Cyprus in a Euro 2012 Qualifying match on Friday, but its preparation has not been the easiest.
  Veteran defender Ricardo Carvalho has left Portugal's training camp and decided to quit international soccer. He said he felt disrespected and gave coach Paulo Bento and the Portuguese Soccer Federation no explanation on his decision.
  Bento is not expected to call up any emergency replacement for Carvalho ahead of the Cyprus game and he will address the media later today to speak about the problem with the Real Madrid defender says Portuguese newspaper A Bola.
• Mulva

  

  Euro 2012 qualifying matches tomorrow. 2 big games in Israel - Greece and Ireland - Slovakia. Israel really needs a win to stay in contention in the group.
  
  Ireland, Slovakia, and Russia are in a 3-way tie for 1st place in Group B. I'll probably check out that match on ESPN3. Something to watch during the international break.
• OSH

  

  Mulva;879985 wrote:Euro 2012 qualifying matches tomorrow. 2 big games in Israel - Greece and Ireland - Slovakia. Israel really needs a win to stay in contention in the group.
  
  Ireland, Slovakia, and Russia are in a 3-way tie for 1st place in Group B. I'll probably check out that match on ESPN3. Something to watch during the international break.

  ESPN3 will be showing something like 46 live games over the next week.
  
  They have exclusive rights to the FIFA Beach World Cup tournament! Should be fun.
• OSH

  

  I don't know if it was mentioned on here or not...I guess I never saw it anywhere before.
  
  Oguchi Onyewu is now at Sporting Lisbon. I don't know how I haven't heard this before. I am guessing it's still a loan from AC Milan (was at FC Twente).
• iclfan2

  

  The USMNT looked pretty bad vs Costa Rica,
• ohiobucks1

  

  Bob Bradley is in Mexico and he is a strong candidate to become the new Santos Laguna manager after Diego Cocca was recently sacked.
  According to La Aficion and several reports out of Mexico, Bradley has strong chances of being appointed by Santos.
  Sports Illustrated writer Grant Wahl said on Twitter that Bradley is still among the candidates to coach the national team of Egypt and that situation will be decided this week
• ohiobucks1

  

  UPDATE: The strike is over and there will be Serie A action this weekend saysGazzetta dello Sport.
  The Players' Union and the league executives have signed a new collective bargaining agreement which will expired on June 30, 2012 and the Serie A season will start on Friday with a game between AC Milan and Lazio.
  --
  UPDATE: The conflict that prevented the Italian First Division soccer league (Serie A) to start on time could be solved soon.
  Talks between the Players' Union and the league executives were positive and a new collective bargaining agreement is near. What they have to agree upon now is the duration of that new contract says Italian newspaper Corriere dello Sport.
  There will be more meetings with a crucial one scheduled for next Wednesday. This weekend was already out of the calendar as there is a FIFA international date and there is no action in the major European leagues.
• ohiobucks1

  

  UPDATE: Tottenham will not have a clear path to sign Bolton's Gary Cahill in January as Chelsea is also interested in the defender.
  According to Metro.co.uk, Chelsea could try to buy Cahill who is in the last year of his contract at Bolton and could be sold at a lower price to avoid the possibility of him leaving on a free transfer next summer.