Member vs. Member XII

The Biggest Competition on 24-7 Returns!

Ok here we go.

Member vs Member, the annual competition for who is the best member in the ultimate popularity contest on Soccer 24-7.

Hugely successful and entertaining in the past lets hope this time round is too.

Basically, you all enter and get drawn into groups. People vote for favorite members and the top few progress through until we get down to the champion.

For those knocked out early there is also the UEFA Cup, so even if you can't get in with the big dogs you can knick some silverware in the other part of the competition.

The propaganda posts (As seen above) are the stuff of legend round here to those who do not know.

So sign up here motherfuckers, add your name to the list. We shall begin hopefully on November 23rd.

A Manic Loop Production.

The Interview: Barcelinha

Tell us a bit about yourself …
At about 10 am on a probably cold February morning, the doctor extracted me from my mother's womb – Private Sorrow was born. Because God is an ironic bastard, as the first child of a family of doctors, I had a medical condition, that was surgically fixed 2 years later.

The first few years were spent with my grandparents on father's side, since my parents were relocated by the “regime” in the country. I was a sickly child, with various digestive problems, going into my early teen years, which would explain why I look underdeveloped even now, when I'm “pushing 30”.

And yet, I was a happy, normal, quite pampered kid, getting the best care, the best doctors, making friends easily. This changed when we moved house after 1st grade, because the new community didn't quite receive me with open arms. I became closed up, friendless, to the point of being bullied by the fat chick in class because I was skinny.

I enjoyed high school, as a time for discovering music, football(ers) and boys. I've always wanted to stand out, whether I was the “weird chick with the walkman” - high school, the “Barca chick” - uni or simply the “token alkie” - at work lol.

I am a very contradicting individual, either dynamic or lazy [or as I put it, comfortable], shy or loud, emotional or plain cold, impulsive or over analytical. I am usually trigger happy: act now, think thoroughly later, which I can say cost me certain times, but I'm not willing to change that.

I believe I have above average moral standards and an innate spirit of justice and from the age of 12, I knew I wanted to do law, and even if my conviction faltered over the years and I had my moments of doubt regarding this career, at this moment, I feel it is maybe the best choice I ever made.

I love reading good literature and listening to music, mainly old stuff, as you may have gathered from the music forum. I am a passionate individual and I take way too many things personally. I love football and I consider it one of my 4 main interests in life [reading, music and men being the other three].

I don't think I'm an achiever, but so far, more or less out of hard work mixed with chance, I have made it pretty well. At this point in my life, I could say I am emotionally stable and professionally content,.

Can you explain the offside rule without using google/wikipedia/etc?
I suppose I could: when the ball is passed, the person it's intended to reach shouldn't be in front of opponent players. It's calculated at the moment of the pass, duh.

Did I pass??

Have you ever considered breast implants?
No, I'm content with what I have, as shocking as this may seem to you. Just a few weeks ago, I managed to find a bra my size, 28AA – at the kids' section.

Favourite pizza?
Mushrooms, ham, olives, NO cheese,

Is it ironic that you are being interviewed here by Kirstie, whose (much appreciated) hard work has resurrected this great section that you single-handedly fvcked up and discarded to the trash heap of S24-7?
I think the interviews died off on my term because people boycotted them by not voting in polls, or not sending questions, and generally not giving a damn. I think it had a lot more to do with who was running them rather than then actual system.

I have the feeling that Yiddo is rightfully using her good rep on the forum to keep the interviews going, props to her for that though.

And anyway, Berean, I think you're just bitter you never got to play interviewer.

Have you ever defended anyone in a beardist lawsuit?
I cannot yet practice in court, but God is my witness, I'd do it, turn the case into the greatest precedent ever and even work pro bono.

Do you like cheesy Wotsits?
Well, I don't like cheese, so no. Sorry if I missed the innuendo.

Why do you portray yourself to be such a slag on here?
Because that's what I long ago felt the forum wanted of me in order to fit in. As far as I can remember, I beat both Bardez and Yiddo in the first UEFA MvM I took part in cause of the “slut” pic I had as campaign poster, so I guess that worked, and frankly, no-one seems to mind a little flirt.

On the other hand, I'm a red blooded woman and I believe expressing yourself and your sexuality is nothing to be ashamed of. Besides, where do you want me to be a slag, at the office?

There are only 2 male colleagues, one is happily married and the other one is ugly and possibly gay.

It's all done with lots of irony and self irony on my part, [including the above-mentioned campaign poster] but most of you don't see that and I'm not the type to explain jokes.

Where do you hope to be in 5 years time?
Hopefully anywhere but Romania. I want to have become a full trademark attorney, a lawyer with my own practice and maybe even moved out of my parents'.

Ideally, I see myself practicing IP law in Barcelona, but I am too much of a comfortable person to actually leave the country, unless I'm thoroughly convinced, or politically things go worse!

10 members of the forum - 5 you're going to go out on the town with, and 5 you're going to push off a cliff. Name 'em off and why ...
I like so many people here! If I have to pick five, I'd pick the Barca forum lasses, Super Pibe and Gumball.

Pibe and I go a long way back, I believe he's the first person off this forum that I spoke on MSN with. Gumball seems like a nice guy, and brings the fresh sexy to the forum. Barcachica is my soulmate and e-wife, Viva Barca is my protegee and fcb<3[barca] shares my weird taste in men.

Us girls can finally discuss the degree of Pique's hotness with or without the beard and since we're all from different backgrounds and cultures united by our passion for Barca, we could have a great night.

Or I can go partying again with the Lisbon based members, cause I was off that night . Hurley can come too. There's only 2 people I really dislike: ITF, cause he's a hypocrite, and Cal, because he offends me on so many levels. But let not let them be lonely in their fall, Libertine and Thiggy can join them. Maybe the most offensive EPL noob too.

What’s your job occupation?
I work as an associate for a multinational Industrial Property firm, operating all over Eastern Europe, the Balkans and the CIS. Basically, and although I am not a trademark agent yet, I take care of contentious and non-contentious trademark and design matters, from registration to drafting opinions in prosecution and enforcement cases. In about 1 year and a half, I can take the exam for becoming a TM attorney, which would enable me to represent clients before the PTO [patent trademark office].

Lately, I have become a trainee lawyer and I hope this will offer me even more options in the future as well.

Your profile says you have an interest in writing. What have you wrote in the past?
I used to write short odd stories, usually not longer than a few word pages. Just some random things that inspired me. I've always been quite creative, starting with my chaptered written documentary about a civilization on Venus, living in a country called Metafozia when I was 10.

My best work of my “serious era” would be either the Left Hand Trilogy – completely lost in various pc crashes – about the actions of the a girl's left hand in various stages of her drug abuse or The House of Sadness, recovered from sent emails by miracle, essentially about the power of human cruelty that not even love can overcome.

Anyway, a couple of years ago, I got a terrible case of writer's block and thus these days I only write silly sentimental stories,

I don't think any of it is good enough to be published though, except maybe my Barca Diary running from the 2001-2002 season up to 2006ish, when I replaced it with the forum.

Being a career criminal and all, wouldn't you be more at home supporting Real Madrid?
I like what this question implies, but I'll have to disappoint you, I'm not a career crim. Not even an occasional one.

You like talking about sex a lot, sex with other women even, sex with members on this board, sex with football players, sex with just about anyone actually. Do you actually have a lot of sex?
In the undying words of Lane Kim from Gilmore girls: “those who can, do. Those who cannot, talk about it” – approximate quote. I'd love to have more sex, but unfortunately, I don't have anyone to do it with. Trust me, one night stands with Romanian guys is not something I'd want to do. And my last bf couldn't keep it up, because life is ironic like that.

Thought so. Why do you talk about it so much then? Is it just for the attention?
Refer to the above. It's anyone's ideal to have more sex, or it should be, since sex is a natural, healthy activity that makes people [at least one of them] feel good afterward. So, yeah, I talk about it so much, in hope I'd somehow summon it.

Besides, the 'she'd get it 'we see in so many threads where women are mentioned is no different than me saying I'd fuck Ibrahimovic's brains out really, so quit applying double standards.

You don't like it when people say bad things about you. But do you appreciate that when you throw so much attention on yourself some of it will turn negative?
Well, it is the peril of attention seeking, but frankly, I've learned to stop caring so much over that what's said on a footie forum. And I don't think anyone likes people saying bad things about them, do you?

For instance some of the people here that mercilessly bully Scoot, etc, cannot even take a mild joke about them being chubby chasers.

I'm assuming a lot of the questions directed at you in this interview will be sexually motivated. What do you think that says about how you are percieved on here and do you like it?
I have taken the slag role upon myself and if I could start all over again, I wouldn't change a thing. What does annoy me is that everyone here seems to have such a high moral standard and is so easily offended by my overt sexuality. At least publicly.
It's not Quakers America, is it?

Sith or Jedi
I grew up impersonating Princess Leia [or rather “being” Leia'] so Jedi it is.

Why do you insist on giving girls a bad name by constantly displaying that sex appeal is your first trait when it comes to judging footballers for example?
Haha, when have I ever done that? Seriously, do you think I consider Yaya Toure world class and ahead of Mascherano cause I like his hammies?

I never judge footballers' skills based on their looks, and if I ever said omg let's buy X cause he's hot, I was most likely joking. But sarcasm doesn't travel well over the internet.

Ok, so basically I sometimes comment on how X Y Z looks like just to spice things up and I find it funny to see the reactions, just some light fun, because people should already know I'm just joking. For instance, it so happens that Gourcuff, who is a greatly talented footballer – I think anyone that ever saw him play would agree - and would fit nicely with us, is also drop dead gorgeous. Why should I ignore that?

Why can guys watch Female Tennis for some hottie, and even openly claim that's the only reason they bare to watch, and I can't express my opinion regarding a good looking footballer? Hmmmm???

But yeah, keep applying double standards.

Your favourite childhood memory?
Definitely the day I reenacted Star Wars Episode IV with my toys. I even built the X-wings battleships the Imperial fleet used from some sort of lego we had back then. I was six and I player Leia's role myself, since we didn't have barbie dolls in Romania yet. I think my fav soft toy animal, a human-like dog played Luke and an orange plastic bear was Han Solo.

If you could sign anyone for Barca who would it be?
Yoann Gourcuff. CAUSE HE'S SO HAWT!!!!!

Frankly, I'm most concerned about the defence. We have a packed midfield – even if Xavi's gonna turn 30 next year and Iniesta seems to have recovered rather badly from the injury – and we have a nice attack, because I believe Bojan is the future.
But the back 4 has been rather off this season. So I'll say Albiol, cause he deserves a nice team.

Why you so weird?
Because it's fun. I don't want to be average, I want to stand out.

Michael Jackson … A legend that will never die?
Never been a fan, but I think the music industry owes him a lot, so he was pretty much a legend while alive and now that he's dead, his flaws [aka the possible child molester persona] will be forgiven and he will live on through the music alone.

Who is your favourite poster on the forum and why?
These days, Hurley – cause he antagonizes me SO goddamn much, it's almost sexual.

If you could have an orgy with 5 guys from the forum, who would they be?
The Portuguese forum.

Do you still hate Yiddo and Ruudlover?
I don't hate them, I actually find it funny how they “consider themselves better” and hold the moral high ground when it comes to hot footballers........lol.

Truth is, they're both inferior to me, upbringing, education, culture, style, so I can just watch them bury themselves with their anti me tirades from my throne.

Benfica are scum, yet you lend them players. Why?
I'm not in charge of FCB, unfortunately, otherwise that sort of outrageous thing wouldn't happen. Besides, we lend them a crap player muahahahahah.

How long until I see you working as a hooker in Amsterdam like the rest of your peers?
Hold your horses big boy and stick to wanking over printouts of me, cause that won't ever happen.

How old do you have to be before you can say someone died of old age?
With the medical progress of today, I'd say over 90. My Grandma is turning 80 soon and I wouldn't say she's old.

What got you into watching football?
Ronaldo the original. I saw him in a Nike? ad in 1998 and thought he was cute. I decided I wanted to see more of him than 30 seconds randomly during the day, so I started watching football. Funny, but the only Brazil games I remember watching at that WC were the semifinal and the final. Besides Ronaldo and some others, I discovered the sport itself, and frankly, with both parents and grandpas crazy about it, it was just a matter of time until I became a fan as well.

So, we know that all gypsies are crooks, the question is are you innately born with these "skills" or is there some kind of village apprenticeship you have to go through?
OK. I could probably reply this in a funny way, humouring you. But I think A. stereotyping gypsies as thieves and crooks is really not helping their cause and it should probably stop.
And B. stereotyping all Romanians to be gypsies is just like saying that all English have bad teeth, all Americans are fat and stupid and all French cowards, etc etc.
I can take the gypsy banter, but I think it's overdone by now.

Why do you get so obsessed with footballers?
I get obsessed with a lot of things, but since this is a football forum, discussing footballers comes up a lot more, doesn't it?

Have you ever been abroad?
Yeah, it's my aim to get out of this country at least once a year. I've been to Lisbon, London, Paris, Amsterdam, Barcelona and Budapest and hopefully more to come soon

Why Barcelona?
I started off as a mere fangirl, and I think the fact that I'm willing to admit it should mean I have outgrown this. So, I had a huge crush on Kluivert and followed him and his career, even though the means were limited those days. And then he moved to stay to Barca and between 1999 and 2001, I turned into a proper fan, because, in my heart, the club simply got bigger than the player, to the point of being my favourite thing ever for a while.
To my good name, I never rooted for AC Milan.

Is there an EPL team you follow?
I like Liverpool, to this day, I consider them my second team, but I don't follow them anymore [as in watching games etc.] because I don't have the time really. I do want them to do well and I considered their victory over Milan scum a personal victory of mine

Is it really humid, or is your insane afro intentional?
Haha. I wouldn't call it intentional, but it's naturally curly and I can't be bothered nor want to straighten it. Are you saying it doesn't look good on me??

How do you feel about DP?
Despite some misunderstandings in the past, I think he's a nice guy, just drew some silly conclusions from my ironic speech. I get along with him - apart from all issues concerning Zlatan - and I hope he doesn't think I'm a stupid fangirl anymore.

Why do you have such a low self esteem?
I have tremendous high self esteem. I am vain as fvck and consider myself the greatest. However, I function on feedback, just like any entertainer. And not getting any, or getting negative feedback can get me down, for a while. Then I remember I am amazing or someone makes me laugh and it's all right in my world again.

If someone owns a piece of land, do they own it all the way to the centre of the earth?
Haha, no. The underground is actually state property and they can expropriate you if oil/gas etc is found. Or not. I cannot be bothered to check the law.

There’s negativity between you and Yiddo, why is this?
We're the titties alpha and omega .

OK, serious answer: I don't like her, and she doesn't like me, and quite frankly, if you cannot see the differences between us that lead to this mutual dislike, then you need to check your understanding levels.

What makes you so sure you are going to heaven?
I'm not so sure or sure at all, but this is because I don't see religion like this, with such definitive distinctions: bad guys, good guys, heaven, hell. First of all, it is a little simplistic to believe that all mankind eventually divides in good people, that will go to a place of eternal bliss and bad people, that will rot in the pits of damnation. Most people aren't all good nor all bad. Heck, everyone's mixed.

And second of all, the idea of living all your conscious life only for whatever might happen in the afterlife is a little depressing.

In short: I don't believe in heaven/hell, and I have the feeling this was an invention of the Church, to keep people in check. But seriously, thanks for the question, because it got me thinking and got me to conclude this, as these sort of things don't really come up in daily conversation.

Regarding the above, are you concerned that you may not make it?
Nope, cause there's nowhere to make it to. Life is what you live on earth. I have no concerns/inquisitions/fears over what happens after you croak.

Why are you such an attention seeker?
Because it's fun innit. Frankly, I don't see why this is a bad thing. Blending in is for sheep, and frankly, I don't want to be part of the herd. I'd rather stand out and if I have to act up for it, then I will.

What other sports do you like? Do you play any yourself?
I'm a calamity with sports, I can't even kick a ball, so nah. I think I could be good at something individual that requires a lot of discipline, but I never really tried anything.

I used to like basketball when I was in high school, mainly cause I got to see the school team's games and we were the best! I still like to watch high profile games, but I barely have time for football these days.

Same F1. Major Ferrari/Schumacher fan, and I used to be glued to the TV during his confrontations with Hakkinen. Ditto for Moto GP, but I just don't have time for anything. It's almost a miracle that I still try to watch other games than Barca's.

Do you believe in signs? And if you do, do you 'look' for them in order to decide on something in your life?
I do. It's not that I believe in the paranormal, but I think some things are more than just they appear to be. I also believe coincidences have more to them. But I don't “look” for them, they just seem to happen. But they do influence my life a lot, I guess – basically the last 2 years and a bit have been controlled by coincidences – helping me see things in a different perspective. Not necessarily the good perspective, and I often take silly, rash decision, but that is, after-all, who I am.

How do you deal with negativity/criticism?
I have a short fuse, so not well. Especially when [I feel] it's not warranted. But any feedback is better than none and I usually learn from it. On the spot though, I feel wronged and I can feel blood pulsating in my ears.

Do look forward to settling down with a hubby and maybe a bunch of kids etc?
Haha, yeah. Despite all the sexsexsex I seem to spout around, I am a one man's woman. And I can see myself with kids, it'd be great, I'd love a couple of kids.

However, the chances of that happening aren't high. In high school, I was predicted to divorce a few times, which seems likely, since the men I'd marry wouldn't be the man I need, and funnily enough, I don't want children out of wedlock.
I may end up alone with a dozen cats.

What forum member would you like to see return the most, if any?
Rob The Red, he was quite an awesome guy, nice sense of humour and I liked his thinking in certain matters. Also, he had that Imperial Trooper pelvic thrust MSN smilie....:which I lost. If anyone has it, please do not hesitate!

Would you ever like to move to another country? If so, where and why?
Yeah, Romania's a shithole that's not gonna fix itself...ever. Of all places, I'd love to move to Barcelona, mainly so I can be close to the team and maybe even see some games. But I guess that's any away Barca fan's dream.

I guess that seems like a very simplistic answer, but the food is excellent, the weather is nice, the people are cool, the city is beautiful and buzzing, I feel I'd fit in, somehow. Maybe one day, Barcachica and I can move there and live happily ever after.

Interview compiled by Lil Yiddo with questions submitted by members of Soccer 24-7.

Women's Soccer in the US becomes more bad ass by the day. Dana White Interested.

By: Celticrugby

Some of you may have heard about the New Mexico defender who employed MMA moves on her BYU opponents last week (if you haven't you have to fucking see this). Now, it seems its spread to the high school fields of Rhode Island.



When will the government act? We may need a federal bill passed to ensure the safety of our women players. Hope. Change. Can that stop brawls? Maybe a girl called Hope could, but the idea of Hope won't.

American(s) Abroad

USA vs. Costa Rica with the Motor City Supporters Club Part II

:30 – Jozy wins a corner to the cheers of the bar. Maybe he and not Donovan will be the first “world class” field player for the US. The jury is still out from a club perspective, but for the Nats he usually does the business.

3 – An early but easy test for Tim Howard to gather up.

4 – Sloppy ass defending from the US, what looks like some foreshadowing and the same type of play we saw against Honduras. Thankfully CR's shot dribbles slowly toward Howard for him to pick it up.

7 – It took seven minutes for the first massive dive from Costa Rica. Hopefully this won't become a theme like it does in many CONCACAF games. I think back to USA/El Salvador when their keeper fell to the ground and rolled around for 8 minutes when he wasn't hurt at all. Nice to see time wasting already beginning.

9 – Conor Casey misses a chance that I might have put away. I knew that Honduras game would lead him to be in this squad, and I was feckin' right. Everyone already begins to groan every time the ball comes near Casey. I am secretly debating whether I'd rather have him in there or Josh Wolff....that's how dire this situation is.

Also in the 9^th minute, all of the #9 signs go up in the crowd in remembrance of Davies who was involved in a life threatening accident. A few people at the Motor City Supporters club printed them out and they hold them up as well in his honor.

10 – Centeno of Costa Rica shoots from point blank range and Howard makes an amazing save. If there is one thing the US does on a world class level (other than have our FA fuck up) it's producing goalkeepers.

14 – Altidore receives a bullshit yellow card, when the Costa Rican player was the one who left his foot in the tackle. Here we go again....CONCACAF refs proving themselves to be worse than the SPL (which, if you don't know is shite).

15 – My full Irish breakfast is finished, and I'm on my second diet Coke now. The caffeine makes me yell louder every time Casey fucks up.

16 – We have a Honduran fan in our presence watching the match because if we win or draw, they qualify over Costa Rica in the Hexagonal stage with Costa Rica forced to take on the fifth placed South American team in a playoff. This leads to several conversations between US fans one being the following:

“Why don't you like Costa Rica more than Honduras?”

“Maybe its because Honduras doesn't throw bags of piss and batteries at our fans and players”.

“Good point”.

20 – Costa Rica's Ruiz scores on an Onyewu misplay where he was completely caught out. The atmosphere in the room goes from hopeful to dismal in a matter of seconds. Our best defense recently was in the Confederations cup with Gooch and DeMerit in the middle and Bocanegra on the left, but due to an eye injury DeMerit wasn't with the team and that goal might not have happened with him in the middle.

0-1 Costa Rica.

22 – The US plays a ball to fucking no one. Hundreds of miles away groans and swear words come from the crowd at Claddagh's Irish pub in Livonia, Michigan.

24 – Oh. My. God. Apparently Ruiz wants to have the game of his life tonight and he has an amazing strike that sails past Howard. No one could have saved that, a piece of world class finishing from the Ticos.

0-2 Costa Rica.

27 – A Donovan free kick on the side of the box is punched away by the Ticos' keeper. The US' best attacking move in some time is all for naught.

28 – A kid at a table near me orders the bangers in mash, which leads to several jokes...the quote of the night “I love sausage in my mouth, especially with white creamy mashed potatoes all over them”.

We're a mature bunch in Livonia. Still, this joke does not rival the penis looking sausage story from Frankenmuth during high school on a German Club field trip...now that one is a doozy.

I'll tell this story, since I'm sure we'll be flooded with emails asking about the German Club Frankenmuth Penis sausage story.

Senior year I was in the German club at my high school. It just so happens that there is an “all German town” called Frankenmuth (also home to the largest Christmas store in the world). They have an authentic German restaurant there known as Zender's. So our club takes a bus up there and we go into Zenders sit down and order food. Scott orders the sausage platter, while the rest of us stick to Zender's “world famous” chicken.

The sausage platter is soon delivered to Scott. On this platter are a variety of choice German sausages. However, as Jim soon points out one looks exactly like a penis and I mean, exactly like one. We all say to Scott “Dude, there is no way you are actually going to eat that are you?”

Scott replies “Of course I am!” to our disgust he takes his fork and cuts into the tip of the penis sausage and then....a massive amount of water and fluid burst from the tip of the sausage and spill all over the table. The force of the penis sausage's fluids were so strong it spun it around several times.

Needless to say, we were all cracking up, and the story is now at legendary status.

The worst part is he actually ate it after that. haha

30 – Costa Rica is now brimming with confidence, toying with their touches outside the US box.

32 – Donovan thinks he's playing gaelic football for Cork and sends a shot over the cross bar. I begin chanting “Sebo! Sebo! Sebo!”. Ach, if you don't support Celtic you may not get that one.

34 – Montero is booked for a challenge on Donovan and the crowd ironically cheers that the ref got one right.

35 – A Costa Rican player is “dying” in the ground. Not booked for feigning injury and time wasting. Which makes a member of the Motor City Supporters club to ask “Why don't they get booked?”.

36 – Donovan has a great passage of play, lifting the ball over the Costa Rican defender after Jozy flicked the ball to him, but Donovan skies the shot wide of the Costa Rican net. Fuck. Things aren't looking good here.

38 – As my third diet coke arrives I yell Conor Casey is a gumpy fuck as he messes up yet another play. Chatter around the bar agrees with me, and one person asks me what a “Gump” is. Why isn't Kenny Cooper playing? Argh.

41 – Jozy's fouled and the US gets a free kick at the top of the box. The shot is deflected and it goes out for a corner.

43 – The US' best chance of the match, but the forwards pass between each other too much and no one decides to be selfish and put one on net....another opportunity wasted.

45 – Another Costa Rican player rolls around in agony trying to stop the US momentum that had been building. This goes on for some time and eventually the added time at the half was about 3:35.

Half – Time to lick wounds and berate our favorite team's play. During this time the Argentina game is also going on, as a member of the club yells out “Maradona's cocaine for everyone!”.

A commercial for FIFA 10 comes out, once again reminding me that I won't get it and that Europe gets it two weeks earlier than us. Bullshit.

One of my favorite commercials rolls...the one with Mr. and Mrs. Potato Head. I love that one and I'm on my fourth diet coke.

2^nd half begins – People are mulling about now, and the room is now more crowded then when the game started. Some text back and forth with people at the game to try to get the “vibe” of how things are over there, as it doesn't always translate on TV.

49 – Holden flights a shitty cross that sails way over the Costa Rican net.

54 – The inevitable Kenny Cooper discussions begin, when will he get in, and why the fuck didn't he start in the first place. Bradley refuses to make subs at times, and its clear the US is stalling and something needs to change. Benny Feilhaber has dropped out of the match completely, its clear he too needs to go off.

55 – Another cross to the Costa Rican GK. Not going to win a game like this....

58 – More Gumpy jokes about Casey. Ugh. Why is he still in this match?

59 – A low Costa Rican shot from Ruiz is caught by Howard.

61 – Some deft defending from our captain to block a Costa Rican cross. The fans in the bar are getting restless, when will Bradley finally make a move.

62 – José Francisco Torres known as 'El Gringo' in the Mexican Leagues for choosing to play for the US over Mexico (Mexican father, American Mother but born in the United States) comes on for Benny Feilhaber. Who at this point should be called Failhaber.

65 – Bornstein shoots over the bar, and at this point it looks like some fans are trying to sneak out.

67 – Now this is interesting...Robbie “Runs like a chicken with his head cut off” Rogers comes on for Holden. No idea what Bradley is thinking with this one. The decision also seems to boggle the minds of others at the Claddagh Pub.

70 – Bush League defending again and the US are at 6's and 7's at the back.

72 – Rogers crosses the ball into the box, it falls to Donovan who shoots, has the ball parried away, and out of nowhere Michael Bradley slides in and scores a really scrappy goal. The bar erupts in cheers. Maybe our team does have something left.

USA 1, Costa Rica 2

73 – Rogers hits a shot that goes wide of the net.

75 – A lobbed cross is gathered in by the Ticos' keeper.

77 – Rogers heads wide. All hustle no finish.

78 – The old adage from FM comes into play as Gooch boots the ball into row Z.

79 – Kenny Cooper FINALLY comes on for Conor Casey. A standing ovation is in order.

80 – Jozy steals a ball from Costa Rica and rushes toward the goal but shoots it over the net. The tension is growing, and the groans are getting louder with every passing minute.

82 – Gooch's knee buckles going to head the ball out. This is not what we need right now, as he is forced to exit the game through injury, so now the US is down a goal, and now playing with 10 men.

86 – I have no idea what the hell is going on. The Costa Rican coach is going completely apeshit. Costa Rica is time wasting as if their lives depended on it (and they do). I hope the ref adds on a lot of time for all this crap.

89 - The Costa Rican manager and his #2 are forcibly ejected from the game after getting in heated arguments with the 4^th official and trying to time waste, leaving some random trainer as the stand in manager for the rest of the game.

90 – I think this trainer is the GK coach. I try to think back to when I've seen the manager and his #2 ejected in the same match and I can't. All my examples keep coming up in the sport of baseball.

There is 5 minutes of added time.

94 – Not much is happening, but the the US is pressing and putting in some great tackles, while Costa Rica flops and time wastes.

94:30 – Corner kick for the US. Rogers takes it and swings it in...Bornstein gets space enough to get his head on the ball and put it into the goal. Everyone at the pub is on their feet screaming, yelling, hugging and high fiving. What a fucking comeback.

USA 2, Costa Rica 2

95 – The whistle blows,and fireworks light up the night sky in DC. What a finish.

Final thoughts – The US shouldn't have been in this position to begin with. It's been Bradley's tactical ineptitude and poor play that put us here. This game should have been a win, not a come from behind draw like we had in El Salvador in beginning of the Hexagonal qualifying.

These are band-aids that are hiding the real problems. If the US keeps going this way, I fear for how we will do at the World Cup in 2010. Then throw in the fact Davies is out for 2010, and Oguchi Onyewu is out for 6-10 months with a knee injury.

The tests against Slovakia and Denmark might tell us something, or nothing at all. We shall see.

At least we qualified #1 in the Hexagonal stage, although supposedly it won't matter in terms of WC seeding.

The Interview: Tic Tac Addict

---

Tell us a bit about yourself …

I’m 24 and live in Surrey.

I support Arsenal and work as a Recruitment Consultant in the engineering industry.
I play 5 a-side football (for the mighty ‘Phantom of the Chopra’) in defense with a knack of scoring goals and am an all round good guy.

As well as football, I enjoy playing darts, pool and Badminton (various amounts of each) and like drinking/watching football and regularly do both.

I also like cooking and playing on the x-box in my spare time.

What’s your highest qualification?
A-Levels. English Literature and Business Studies (I got a U in Psychology AS levels if that means anything?)

Why TicTacAddict? Do you like them THAT much?

You should never take anything I say literally.

No, I am not addicted to Tic Tacs and do not shake if I haven’t had one for a while, constantly wondering where my next Tic Tac is coming from.

But, I do like them. I don’t know why. I was a pack a day person at one point, although I’ve cut down recently, would now last me a couple of days.

Normally get a pack of four, keep three in the office and take one to the car so I nearly always have some on me.

I can’t tell you when it started, or why, but they do say humans are creature of habit and for me that habit is Tic Tacs.

Usually not in the morning (well, one when I get in the car), but then after lunch to home I munch away (only one at a time though, never two or more like some uneducated people do)

LSOE. Racist or misunderstood?

I’m not sure, but he certainly wants to present himself as one.
Is he actually? Who knows.

I get the strong impression that LSOE just wants to be controversial, and it doesn’t matter what that means.

If the Nazi’s were in power, he’d be a Communist. If the Communists were in power, he’d be a Nazi.

My U in AS Psychology tells me that he had bad parents as a child and the only way he could get attention was by acting up. This is what he is doing now, acting up for attention. Only he isn’t clever enough to do it, so he has to steal from LittleJohn, his father who never was.

What's you favourite non alcoholic and alcoholic drink?
Alcoholic: Baileys coffee. You couldn’t obviously drink them one after the other in a pub. But I LOVE that drink. Honestly, if you haven’t tried it, you haven’t lived.

Non Alcoholic: Tea. Don’t really drink coke etc so has to be tea. Gets me through the days! I know what you’re thinking, awfully English of me.

Who do you hate more? Spurs or Chelsea?
Spurs, no two ways about it.

I actually quite liked Chelsea and some of their players when I was going up (the likes of Zola and Wise) and this was due to a lot of my family being Chelsea (a divide in the family…).
But NO ONE is a Yid.

Every team needs that one team that they can’t stand, it’s healthy for the game and makes great entertainment for the neutral.
What’s your favourite tic tacs? mint or the multi coloreds?
Mint

If you are asked to tell the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth and your the main witness, what happens if you say "no"?

You wouldn’t say no though, would you?

One of those examples where you either would and so you would say yes or you are a liar and you would say yes as a result...

Nobody would admit that they are about to lie and then lie, unless they are a very bad liar.

Do you like cheesy Wotsits?
No, I don’t like Cheesy Wotsits.
I don’t eat crisps of any kind now, but when I did I never liked Cheesy Wotsits anyway.
Although, I have a funny feeling you weren’t talking about the actual crisps…

Does Jere spout the biggest amount of crap ever in the Arsenal forum or what?

Ha ha everyone is entitled to their opinion, and some I agree with and some I don’t. I have to say, Jere I don’t often (if ever)…but if you agreed with everyone there would be no need for Forum!
New Thread: I think this
Everyone else: I agree!

How boring would that be?!

Why do you think you know everything?

It’s a gift…

That’s half a question and half a statement.
I don’t think I know everything. Far from it.

Are you easily offended or do you see yourself as quite a laid back person who can have a laugh and a joke?

I’m quite laid back.

I’m no hippie, but if someone says something about me I take it in good humour. I don’t often get offended but like all people do have my own ‘pressure button’.

But…its not really a question you can answer yourself. I always think those type of questions are best answered by those who know you. So…do you think I am quite laid back person who can have a laugh and a joke?

You say you don't believe in God. Have you ever thought about becoming a Muslim?
No

But seriously. If you don't believe in God, that means you don't think anyone will judge you, which means you can do all sort of evil things because you don't think you're going to hell. How do you handle this? Do you have any morals?

People judge me all the time. My work colleagues, my friends, my family…so that’s a ridiculous statement to make. In fact, I’m judging you (I’m assuming Calean?) for making that very statement.

I don’t think I’m going to hell, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have morals. I do have morals, I like to think very strong morals so I have nothing at all to ‘handle’.

Because I don’t believe in God, I don’t spend my days plotting to take over the world.
Christians annoy me. They are very self-righteous, more so than any other religion I would say (certainly in my experience). How many times have you heard ‘I wouldn’t do that, I’m a Christian’ as if that’s some sort of defense? Often said by people who HAVE just done that.
Christians think they are better than anyone else, and anyone who isn’t a Christian is missing out on something…hence the Holy Crusades.

This isn’t all of them, and I’ve met some very nice ones with quite open views, but a lot of them preach about other religions and the non religious with some sort of ‘I am mightier than you’ view that instantly makes a mockery of their own preaching. And they can’t see it.
Example of a Good religious person: Puerco
Example of a Bad Religious person: Calean


Would you like to be a mod here?
No way. I’m not on here enough to be a good mod, plus some of the crap those guys get...not my cup of tea. I wouldn’t have the patience for it, fair play to those that do, because with me as Mod I think the forum would go down quicker than a recently blown on Drogba.

Craziest 24-7 member?
Who’s that guy who doesn’t say much at all, but every now and again pops up with some random crap? I can’t remember his name, will let you know when I next see him.

Who is your least favourite user of all time... got to be Geeman?
LSOE. This guy posts LittleJohn crap and tries to pass it off on his own. It wouldn’t be so bad if he posted it and said ‘this is what I think’. But he doesn’t, he posts it and says ‘this guy is really spot on’ and then goes about sucking him off. He then tries to say the most controversial thing to get a rise out of people.

I often stay away from him and rarely go into any of his threads. Every now and again I snap though, but try to just say something quick and sarcastic rather than get into an argument because at the end of the day, you can’t win an argument against someone who doesn’t have any views to call his own. He’s just a middle man between me and LittleJohn.

Who is more evil, Stalin or Thatcher?
Thatcher. The bitch stole my milk.
To be fair Stalin never did anything to me. I always judge people on their actions towards me, not others.
Championship football, who would be your chosen team and why?
I don’t really have any preferences in the Championship.
Further down it would be Brentford, my best mate played for their reserve team and a lot of my drinking days have been held surrounded by Brentford supporters.
If I was pushed for the Championship I would say Ipswich just because of that year they came up when they finished 5th (I think) and had some really good players. A lot of whom stayed in the Premier League when they went down.
How many fingers am I holding up?
Holding up where?

You're not funny. Discuss
I very possibly am not. It really depends on the point of view on the questioner.
I have a sense of humor that some people really quite like, but a lot of people really do not. So you’re obviously the person that doesn’t, and that’s fine by me.
People think I tell jokes to make other people laugh, and I don’t, it’s just an added bonus if they do. I tell jokes because it makes me laugh, and in particular the reactions of others when I tell particularly dry/dark ones.

If you were to recommend a comedy TV programme to us all, what would it be?
Probably the first few series of Peep Show.

If you owned an invisible pig what would you call him?
‘Tottenham finishing in the top four this season’.
It’s a long name, I’d probably just shorten it to ‘Lol’, and my reason being you can’t see either of those things, can you?

The world is going to hell in a hand basket, so if you were like the ruler of the world, what would you do to stop it?
I can honestly say I’ve never been asked that before.
What would I do? Erm…I’m not sure. What could I do to stop it?
I’m not sure how the physics of this world works

Best up and coming player at Arsenal?
So many to chose from, but Wilshere looks different gravy. Can’t wait for him to get a little older.

2012...scary stuff eh
I’m crapping myself at the very possibility.

Sith or Jedi?
Is that a Star Trek thing? I’m one of those people that have never watched it. Not much of a film fan, especially science fiction.

Do you fancy yourselves to win the Champions League?
I think we can, especially if we continue playing the way we have started. But there are so many teams that can win it…who knows, a bit of skill and a lot of luck and anything can happen. Until you are out, you always have to believe your team can win it, or how can they?
I really think its why Liverpool have over achieved in that competition recently. To win it after being three goals down at half time? Possibly the best game of football I’ve ever watched, and the players were able to do it because the fans never gave up on them and drove them forward.
I really do think that Arsenal, with one of the greatest first 11 in the world at the moment, are let down big time by their 12th man. We need to get behind the team and not boo or gasp so much in the stadium.

Do you still think that we're interested in your misfortunes with ladies? By the way, what happened with that fat one you disliked but would do anyway?

Some were, as you obviously are too….

I posted something different and I though amusing, some agreed and some didn’t. But would I do it again? Always!

Anyway, that girl? Nothing happened, we met again and then she became crazy(ier) and so I ignored her.

The standard boy meets fat girl, fat girl falls in love with boy, boy thinks about ******* her, fat girl becomes crazy, boy runs away story.

If you could take one player from Spurs, who would it be and why?
I wouldn’t. I seriously wouldn’t.

If they could stay fit I would have taken King or Woodgate. Both quality, quality defenders. But they can’t stay fit and King is really just a cripple (he makes Scoot look lazy. Scoot…look at King and you really have no excuses)

Do you actually watch football?
Yes, constantly. Almost any premiership game that is on, and even a lot of lower leagues. Don’t watch many European games which is why I shy away from conversations involving European teams or players. But within England? Yeah, lots.

Why not try and be original instead of hanging on to bambers pubes?
Bambers pubes must be made out of steel nylon!

I am always trying to be original. I’ve never copied anything Bamber has said so I have no worries there. If we are both similar people, which I don’t think we are I just think we have a similar sense of humour, but if we are similar people then so be it.

Do you like being called ticktock?
Yes, but only when you call me it. It makes me feel special.

The Inbetweeners, discuss.
I watched the first series for the first time last weekend funnily enough.
I thought it was very funny…anyone with an immature sense of humour and who doesn’t take things too literally then watch this as it is funny.
Its like Peep Show for teenagers (that adults can also like)

Rangers and Celtic...any preference.....if so why?
Rangers of course.
Step dad is rangers, his family is rangers, my best friend is rangers and I know the words to the national anthem.
So really, it has to be rangers!

What was the name of your high school?
Glyn Technology School

Why are you still a virgin?
I never knew a priest as a kid

Will you be watching the “David vs. Goliath” fight at the weekend or is boxing not your thing?
Not really my thing.

Least favourite sport and why?
Cricket. Don’t mind playing it, but watching? My god…any sport that can last for four days and still end a draw isn’t a sport for me.

Who will win the A) Premier League, B) FA Cup, C) Carling Cup?
I’d like to say Arsenal to all, and I firmly believe that we will be there or there abouts with all of them…but if I was to use my head I would say:

Premier League: Chelsea (so strong and experienced)
FA Cup: Liverpool (might have nothing else to go for so will give it all in this competition)
Carling Cup: Man City (they really want to win something with their investment and this might be it. I do believe they will beat our kids because they are at home and I can imagine will play with a strong team)

Your five favourite members are ...
In no particular order they probably are:
Manic Loopy
Fredo
Leeman
McVince (as I always read it anyway)
Leeman

Interview compiled by Lil Yiddo with questions submitted by members of Soccer 24-7.

American(s) Abroad

USA vs. Costa Rica with the Motor City Supporters Club Part I

By: Celticrugby

Spectacles, testicles, wallet and watch. The old adage still holds firm as I exit my house en route to meeting up with the Motor City Supporters club. This time, it also includes IPOD and scallycap which one cannot forget especially with a 20 minute drive ahead of them.

Lock, Stock, and IPOD in tow I head for my car as the sun begins to go down. It's the beginning of fall in South Detroit (which doesn't exist except for in a song by Journey) and a select few are all following a relatively same routine and drive to meet up at Claddagh's Irish Pub in Livonia to watch our national team which already qualified for the World Cup courtesy of a 3-2 win in Honduras that left more questions than answers on the field earlier that week.

The week leading up to this one had been fraught with a bit of controversy. The US game was not being broadcast on cable because the Hondurans sold both the English and Spanish rights to a PPV channel.

What made it worse is that its a PPV channel only available en mass at a bar. It's the same rip off Setanta does to Celtic, Rangers, rugby and Gaelic supporters all across North America, except we all know about their ass raping tactics (you pay $10, $20, or even $25 for the game).

This has never happened with our US national team before, so we were of course all up in arms about how this won't essentially be on “free tv” and how its a fucking farce that CONCACAF allows for these rules in the first place.

What most of us don't know is that the US pulled the same shenanigans on Honduras years ago, when the game here was made PPV, so a lot of them (and our fans too) were denied access. So Honduras figured a bit of how's your father back in our faces for scorn years past wouldn't hurt.

This was the main reason I didn't pay 25 bucks to watch the game with the Motor City Supporters club at some Mexican Restaurant the weekend before.

Part of it was principle as in “Fuck you, I'm not paying because this could spark a trend and you would do it more often” and the second part was that I had maybe sixty dollars in my bank account, and I'd rather eat and watch on a stream than pay to watch at a bar.....a bar that I later found out was fulled with maybe 300 Hondurans, about 9/10s more than what the Motor City group brought.

Tonight however was on ESPN2, and I wanted the full bar experience with fans, so there was only one place to be in the mythical South Detroit (really called “downriver).

And so begins the running diary of the USA/Costa Rica Match.

725pm – Jump into the car, trying to find the right music to get fucking pumped for the game...what does one choose? The US kinda lacks songs, other than those composed by Big Honky Deuce spittin' troof from the boof, or old war songs like “Over There”. Social Distortion, that's the ticket. “Angel's Wings” blasts out of my car windows as I pull out of my parking lot and get onto the highway.

730 pm– The song ends, and I figure, I am going to an Irish bar so I might as well blast some of the Celtic punk. “Miss Success” by the Booze Brothers is next up, and I yell out every time they say “Miss Success is a lovely bitch” and think about how this song eerily parallels our national team success. Is it that? Or is it me making way too much out of a song about some elitist girl this French Irish Punk band is singing about.

734pm – You've got to admit, it seems strangely American to be listening to a band from France playing Irish music, as you drive to an Irish pub to watch the United States national team. The Melting Pot / Salad bowl examples come to mind. Would Irish fans be going to an American pub to watch their team? Would French fans go to Irish pubs to watch theirs? Is this dynamic an American experience? Or is it shared by others around the world.

745pm – Driving just above the speed limit (yeah, I need to renew my license) I get to the exit just as “Over there” by Billy Murray starts blaring through the speakers in my car. One more song (Katie at the Races by the Tossers) and I pull up at the pub, pumped the fuck up ready to take on the world and a full Irish Breakfast.

(Yeah, I'm a breakfast at night person).

747pm - I park the car get out, and step into the pub. My new family awaits in the back in our own special room, with TV and control over the remote.

I greet the few guys that are already there (about four) looks like fashionably late is the flavor of the night. Immediately we talk about the Honduras game, how I missed it, how we were outnumbered like 300 to 1 in the bar.

750pm - Being half Bostonian I order some clam chowda (that's right its feckin' chowda we don't need the -er) to start and we get down to business. Who's starting? C'mon ESPN don't keep us waiting.....

755pm – Our room is filling up and the lineups for the US are announced and here's how we line up:

-----------------------Howard

Cherundolo---Onyewu---Bocanegra----Bornstein

Holden----Feilhaber--------Bradley------Donovan

-----------Casey--------------Altidore

756pm – The Chowda has been completely demolished (still not the best in Michigan, for that its Red Coat Tavern) and I begin to write what will be about eight pages of notes on the game.

I'm not drinking because I have no money in my account, so its diet coke (I'm on my second) and I order the same meal that gave us a win last time...the full Irish Breakfast.

We start bemoaning the fact Conor Casey is actually getting another game. I even go so far to say that I'd rather see Brian Ching start than him because he has more to offer (this is a big consolation on my part given Ching's reputation in my US soccer circles).

Casey, or “Gumpy” as I call him doesn't do much...except smash people. A bit of a Lee Mcculloch type where you wonder how the words “footballer” or “soccer player” could ever be associated with them. However the game before he scored twice against Honduras. Which, I knew would be enough to have Bradley keep selecting him, even if we have better talent that needs games (read: Kenny Cooper).

758pm – The teams emerge out of the tunnel and apparently Costa Rica isn't playing the US today, they are playing McDonald's.

At least I won't have to sit through commercials until half..but this is pretty bad.

8pm – Anthems. I always wonder where our anthem ranks in terms of world anthems. I'm not a massive fan of ours, but there are many that are much worse (England's and West Indies Cricket). Rugby anthems put these to shame anyways.

It's also at this point I realize the team aren't wearing black armbands for the woman who died in the accident involving up and coming US striker Charlie Davies the day before. Davies is now out for 6-12 months, and the US fans had already planned tributes to hold cards of his number 9 up for him during the 9^th minute of the game (it was at this point he was still going through surgeries, and even now there are many to go).

I still wanted to see our country honor Ashley J. Roberta who died though. When Celtic lost a fan who was hit by a car going to the game on a European night, they wore armbands in his honor, and I thought she at least deserved some sort of remembrance.

But, no. The US messes this up too.

My cousin Jen texts me back. She doesn't get ESPN at her house, so she can't watch her bhoy Holden play. Who the hell doesn't get ESPN these days that has a TV?

The room now has more than 20 people in it, with more filtering in ready with their beer orders before kick off.

The game begins.

Miss 24-7 Round 3 Begins today!

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