Tuesday kickaround

Just got "Soccer Empire: The World Cup and the Future of France" - only on page 9, so I can't comment about the book yet.

I can't believe the Europa League final is only on the DirecTV spill-over channel. All this soccer on TV now and channels overlook a pretty good match - arguably the most interesting final of the spring. Just another reason why GolTV sucks a$$.

With all the back and forth yesterday on Freddy in the US squad, I can't help but wonder if he would have made Ghana's squad if he'd made some different decisions when he was younger.

Anyone know if the squad announcement will be on ESPN3 as well?

The Europa League final will also be on tape-delay on GOLTV on Thursday at 8 PM and 11 PM after DirecTV's exclusive window ends.

Join me in trying to avoid the score until then. Goff, will the Insider be save to view between Wednesday and Thursday?

"if he'd made some different decisions when he was younger."

Freddy was 8. I didn't let my 8 year olds make family policy, such as 'what country should we live in'....

England's 30-man provisional squad

Goalkeepers: Joe Hart, David James, Robert Green.

Defenders: Leighton Baines, Jamie Carragher, Ashley Cole, Michael Dawson, Rio Ferdinand, Glen Johnson, Ledley King, John Terry, Matthew Upson, Stephen Warnock.

Midfielders: Gareth Barry, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Steven Gerrard, Tom Huddlestone, Adam Johnson, Frank Lampard, Aaron Lennon, James Milner, Scott Parker, Theo Walcott, Shaun Wright-Phillips.

Forwards: Darren Bent, Peter Crouch, Jermain Defoe, Emile Heskey, Wayne Rooney.

Europa League final would also be available on Dish Network -- had Dish not dropped GOL some months back. I have Dish and will repay them by switching over to DirecTV when my Dish contract ends in a few months.

I have a question for people who receive Fox Soccer and FS+ via DirecTV or cable. Do you get the HD transmissions in full-quality HD -- the kind of HD that is seen on ESPN and (sometimes) Comcast? ie. crystal-clear, wide-screen picture. Or do you get Fox like I do on Dish: a "narrow screen" format with picture quality hardly better than standard TV? Is my problem with Fox or Dish?

Those who can watch the Europe League final will not only see Clint Dempsey, but England's Manager of the Year - Roy Hodgeson!

http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/may/10/roy-hodgson-fulham-lma-award

COYW!!!

I have a question for people who receive Fox Soccer and FS+ via DirecTV or cable. Do you get the HD transmissions in full-quality HD -- the kind of HD that is seen on ESPN and (sometimes) Comcast? ie. crystal-clear, wide-screen picture. Or do you get Fox like I do on Dish: a "narrow screen" format with picture quality hardly better than standard TV? Is my problem with Fox or Dish?

Posted by: runningcloud | May 11, 2010 10:04 AM

Fox Soccer Channel HD and Fox Soccer Plus HD are not available on DirecTV or Comcast - yet. They are available on some regional cable operators (I think). So most soccer fans don't know if the HD picture is great or crappy.

Thanks, Kev29. I could not have imagined Dish being ahead of it Direct in terms of futball programming. Hopefully, when you get Fox HDs the picture will be great, not crappy like mine. Hopefully, also, one of those subscribers to the regional cables you mentioned can answer my question.

Goff, will the Insider be save to view between Wednesday and Thursday?

Posted by: cakeguy | May 11, 2010 9:30 AM
--------------------------

Safe? As in you don't expect Goff or any readers to comment on the Europa League final, when Clint Dempsey will play a big role for Fulham?

Absolutely. Rest assured. It'll be perfectly safe.

Freddy was 8. I didn't let my 8 year olds make family policy, such as 'what country should we live in'....

Posted by: JkR- | May 11, 2010 9:34 AM

You do understand that he was eligible to play for Ghana, right? As long as he hadn't played for US in a senior competitive match, FIFA is pretty loose on international affiliation. Someone like Gabriel Agbonlahor, who has a Scottish mother, Nigerian father but has lived in England for most of his life, could have chosen to play for any of those countries.

Messi is a good example. He has lived in Spain since he was 11, yet plays for Argentina, the country of his birth.

If you are an active Maryland soccer volunteer then this might interest you. The annual MSYSA workshop is 6/12 at the Soocerplex in Germantown. In addition to discounted Freedom tickets for their game that evening, the highlights include the viewing of the USA/England game and other World Cup games on the Freedom video board as well as big screen TV's inside. Link is below.

http://www.msysa.org/workshop%202010/index_E.html

As a philosophy major, I'm looking forward reading that book. I'm familiar with the series but never quite felt a strong enough connection to the other topics to justify buying it. I'll probably take the plunge here. (To any other philosophy majors around - no snarky comments about pop philosophy, it's harmless and fun and probably good for you.)

Re: Posted by: daandre3 | May 11, 2010 10:42 AM

Yes, yes, but that's not funny...

:)

10 minutes 'till the US squad is announced...but which announcement will be more anticlimactic: Obama's nomination for the Supreme Court, or Bradley's list for the World Cup???