Women's world cup

So the women's world cup has started, it's in germany this year. To be fully honest I thought the whole thing was going to be quite boring, you know as you do when you think bait close-minded and think that football is a men's sport, but after 2 screamers on the first two days it quickly becomes apparent that women's football is really quite interesting to watch. The first goal I was referring to was Canada's free kick against Germany to get a consolation goal late in the second half which David Beckham in his prime couldn't have bend better, it hit the side netting for Christ sake! the second goal I was referring to was Mexico's equalizer against England which was spanked from about 30-35 meters out and was shot with such power and precision that it really makes you wonder why they don't get more awareness. I guess good old Sepp was right when he said that they should dress more like their beach volleyball counterparts, but then again we can't all be as politically correct can we. The whole event begs one question though, what app does the FIFA use to know when each players ovulation occurs to know exactly when to hold the tournament, on second thought though, that could make for a very interesting tournament if those calculations should be off... Sepp get back in here!

Monday morning funnies

Its the off season so there isn't really much happening in the trendy game of football, well the women's world cup has just started so that might be getting some posts on the blog once Luke decides to wake up from Hibernation but until then let me start off your shitty week with my two favorite videos so far this Monday morning.

The first one is the new Wii advert featuring the Redknapp family,personal favorite is when big man Harry questions who inked him like any of us do when we play Mario cart with the mates and his missus, not pictured is when Harry's pimp hand comes out when he finds out twas precisely that missus that inked him that later on proclaims "I love beating you.. chuckle" I didn't know they had Wii's in the kitchen, apologies for that, it's still early here in Melbourne



Next is a clip from the English U-21 teams training ground which shows you that no matter how shit your morning is, it can't be as bad as that guys. Not only did he get smacked in the face, but the damn ball didn't even go in!, great jump by the goalie though, too bad he missed the ball and did absolutely nothing, but I guess he can join a great line of English keepers there.

Oh Arsenal, when will you Focus

Sure it's good to see them all having a little fun, but a) using chopsticks won't win you titles, b) not all Asian countries use chopsticks, so depending on where the Asian tour is going, it's a little racist. c) Take off the damn gloves, it'll be easier... That said the Ad is pretty good, except that his face seems to be see through (Or am I the only one that can see the net through him)

A few Leaked Jerseys for next season

And of course it wouldn't be a blog if I wouldn't have my random ramblings going on where I say what I like and dislike about the shirts.

1. Werder Bremens New Kit

For some reason Nike always loves to experiment with Bremens jersey and while it isn't the most traditional shirt, I have to admit its not bad looking, especially as a tight fit shirt this is definitely futuristic.

2. Germany

True Germans will know that the only acceptable color for the away kit in Germany is green, and so it brings me great joy to see that they are going back to the green. the Home jersey is fairly ordinary, except the 3 stripes on the front with the German colors on them, simple and elegant. The away kit is where its at, green (already a plus) and then check out the details on the neck, with the 1972 and 2012 reminding us that we won it in Belgium in 1972 and that 2012 will hopefully bring the same fortune.

3.Real Madrid

It seems that after a season of a great shirt design, Madrid has gone back into their popped collar and nothing new routine, however the copper/golden stripes don't really do it for me, I mean yes it looks classy, but there is no wow factor on this Jersey is there, its the same boring old Real Madrid jersey, which then again isn't that bad seeing as way too many clubs break from tradition.

4.Schalke

I know they already had it this season, but I just don't understand why anyone would want to make Schalke's third kit red, it just does not make sense, it would almost be like a yellow third kit for Schalke so they can look like their bitter rivals Dortmund and actually win something (too soon)? Schalke's traditional colors are royal blue and I guess the white for the away kit is the obvious choice, but for goodness sake, there has to be a better color than red (Bayern Munich's color, who they aren't too fond of).

Alright that is it for now, there will be a few more to come in the next few days, stay tuned

My opinion on Chicharito has changed

While he still looks like a chihuahua or a rodent of sorts, due to the fact that his eyes are just way to close to each other, this interview has changed my opinion on the man quite a bit. While I for some reason thought that the kid seems somewhat arrogant, the interview portraits quite the opposite. It seems Chicha (which means little pea btw, in case you cared) is quite a humble fella who wants to do anything in his power to be successful with united. When asked about comparing himself with Messi, he calls himself a "simple footballer" begs the question if "simple footballers" like us are worth their paycheck but that of course is a whole new topic. But for now I take my hat off to the man, definitely rose up in my books, and might be a beer buddy soon.

here is the original interview:

[W]hen he was asked if he aspired to the status of the Argentinian double Ballon d'Or winner, Hernandez was quick to play down his achievements.

"No. I am a player of this great team," he said.

"What obsesses me is sweating this shirt to death, and I will never stop running.

"I don't aspire to be like Messi. I'm just a simple footballer."

"I'm not obsessed with goals. The goals are the result of the work of the whole team. The forwards only have the good fortune to score them. In a team like ours, even Edwin (van der Sar) can claim the goals."

Rooneys kid not intrested in scoring for United

so a couple of days ago we saw Ivanovic's son score at Stamford bridge, Rooney thought he'd give his son the same chance, placed the ball on the line (Speak about believing in your kid) but Kai simply walked next to it, so during all the title celebrations, some United fans may have felt chills after seeing what the next generation holds. Enjoy:

Branislav Ivanovic's son scores as many as Torres

Yea that's right, full Chelsea kit, check. name & number at the back, check. No contact dive, check. Scored one goal for Chelsea this season, check! You might say he is exactly the same person as Fernando, however I reckon they could sign him for less than 50 million. That said, sweet strike and a nice celebration.

Wayne Rooney shaves chest hair leaves 19

So he proves that he can count indeed. After united won the league last night, Wayne decided that it would be fun to do this. There isn't much to say really, except that the Beer mates might get awkward next time they meet up ;).

What if all the shots that hit the post (and stayed out) went in

That is exactly the question that this table answers, as you can see the gunners would have finally won the table again. But as some nice blokes in the comment section of "who ate all the pies" pointed out, it is a pointless table, because then you might as well have a what if all the shots that the goalie saved, went in table. Because hitting the post is essentially the same as having your shot saved, either you are unlucky on your shot just wasn't good enough. Nonetheless though I thought it was interesting enough to have a look, enjoy.

Bayern Munich reach their "goal" of securing third

Yes they have the possibility to play champions league next year, which is great, even if it was not the season you would wish for in Munich. A beautiful 8-1 victory away from home showed that the side can indeed play football, even if it came a little too late.

Mario Gomez completed a hat-trick yesterday and with that now holds Bayern's club record for most goals scored in one season, previously held by no other than Rummenigge. It was Bayerns biggest away win in the Bundesliga and St.Pauli's biggest loss in the Bundesliga. While as a Bayern fan I was cheering and am definitely happy that at least the champions league qualification is secured it does sting a little bit that it had to happen against st.Pauli, an overall lovable team with heart, which will be playing 2nd league again next year.

It does make you wonder though, if we would have played football like this all year, we would have won the league 5 rounds ago, and begs the question why we didn't. My favorite moment was after the game when the German media interviewed Jonker to ask if he was "eying the second place a little" to which he replied "why a little?" showing true spirit, because it really is still possible, and I know that I wont be the only Bayern fan that will also be cheering for Freiburg next week. so Stuttgart to come, 3 points that could potentially bring us the direct qualification to the champions league next year. Mia san Mia.

Schalke vs ManU

Setting an alarm for 4:30 in the morning is never a pleasant thing, but when you do it to support your natural rival, it becomes a whole new thing. I cursed and twirled but I got out of bed, lined up 3 coffee mugs and plugged in the sandwich maker, for what you ask? To support Schalke, even though I am a true Bayern fan, I wanted to see a German team in the Champions League final this year. Sadly it will probably stay a dream.

There are 10 Schalke players that should hang their head in shame after that performance, and one that should be proud of himself and happy that he made the decision to leave Gelsenkirchen at the end of the season. If it hadn't been for Manuel Neuer Schalke would have drowned 4/5 - 0 today. Yes it was that bad. The Arena auf Schalke is arguably the best (again this hurts me to say) stadium when it comes to German stadiums, perhaps only contested by the Westfahlen stadion (yes I will continue to call it that) and the Allianz Arena (Because I wouldn't be a true Bayern fan if I didn't include it), and there were plenty of Schalke fans there to support their team, but they played the slowest and most uncreative football I have seen in while. There was no tempo up front, no heart to push forward, no teeth to show Manchester what they are capable of.

This is the same team that beat Inter 5-2 after conceding after just 25 seconds, what happened to that. A lucky Giggs goal and they just switched off, no wonder Neuer was furious at his defense. Farfan was the biggest disappointment in my eyes, the man is brilliant but it seems he has on and off days at random and for no reason, he let the ball run through his foot passed the out line twice today, in a Semi-final! Most of the players were rested in last weekends defeat against Kaiserslautern (0-1) so it can't even be said that they were tired. Needless to say it is near impossible to win by 3 goals in Manchester's "theater of dreams" and even though I myself don't really belief it will happen, I will wake up and show you the continued support, except this time it will be more because of my love for the beautiful game (if you can call it that when Rooney is present) rather than to shout for Schalke.

Let me point out one thing, there is no shame in losing to Manchester United by 2 goals, they are a great team, and at times also a lucky team. There is however shame if you lose by 2 goals and look like you didn't even want to be on that pitch, if you've made the long and hard way to the semi-final, I don't understand why you don't want to fight to make the pot yours.

Manufactured Attendance

I've been thoroughly unimpressed by the quality of (for the sake of thedrunkenstriker's primary audience) football displayed thus far in the current MLS season. While living Saigon, I'd heard that the MLS was improving: additional clubs had entered the league, crowd sizes were increasing, talent was sprouting up and being flown in from Europe, etc. The fact that the United States had more supporters in South Africa than any other nation (aside from the hosts, naturally) seemed like confirmation that these rumors of growth had some legitimacy.

But, ya know, a US supporter who has traveled to South Africa is a wee different than, say, a Mexican who has traveled halfway cross the globe to support his/her country. While in South Africa last summer, I was a bit appalled in talking to some of my fellow countrymen who had sacrificed their money and time to serve in Uncle Sam's Army; that many individuals' knowledge of our national squad was limited to Landon Donovan, Tim Howard, and Clint Dempsey. Others still, after surveying the pitch during our opener against England in Rustenburg turned to the nearest guy in the bar or stadium wearing a white sashed jersey and asked, "Where's Freddy Adu?". No joke, on the walk from my hostel to the Ellis Park Stadium to watch our match against Slovenia, I was explaining the concept of offsides to a North Carolinian.

Oh yeah, US National Team supporters are one-of-a-kind. No other country can claim to have such ill-informed followers. My theory: the US excels in nationalism. We f'n bleed the Red, White, and Blue and whether our sons and/or daughters are heading to war or to the World Cup, we're gonna show(off) our support.

And don't get me started on our chants... Essentially, we have one. It's three letters long. The first letter is 'U' and the last 'A'. When delivered, you must try and achieve as deep of tone as possible- achieved en masse, you'll produce a chant that effectively makes others both laugh at you and hate you at once. Seriously, there's plenty I like about my country and our football team, but I hate this chant. Hate it.

Ok, this is getting lengthy, but I'm gonna plow forward in my intended trajectory so that I can tie the lameness of our National team's support with the lameness of our domestic support. First, watch this video taken at a Vancouver Whitecap (a first-year club in the MLS) match:

Ok, so, I love Steve Nash. I can't say that about many Canadians (frankly, I find most I meet to be extreme braggarts with a real superiority complex when it comes to their relationship with their southern neighbors). Nash and I are both alumni of Santa Clara University and we're both above average basketball and football players (he's far above-average on the hardwood, but I reckon I could defend him well on the pitch). Nash has long hair; I once had long hair. Steve Nash's father used to play for the Canadian National team; my father used to referee high school girls soccer. The similarities go on and on...

I think it's rad that Steve Nash would be in the stands at one of his home club's matches this year. I mean this guy is a two-time NBA MVP and it looks like he's chilling in Row L or something. I wouldn't put it past the guy to suggest that he's probably got a flask of whiskey in his pocket, too!

But notice the crowd's reaction. They're as pumped as I would be, but maybe a little too pumped. You get the feeling that when the match is over and they go home to their families eh they'll have more to say about who was in the crowd eh than about who won the contest eh. And these are Canadians. You'd think with nothing else to do up in their country apart from watching hockey, going ice-fishing, and making maple syrup, they'd have the time to really care about their football clubs.

In the US, I'm afraid the state of futbol fandom is even more bleak. In matches I've attended, the lure of attending seems to be for men: how drunk you can in the course of ninety minutes (+ extra time), for women: somebody has to drive the SUV home, for kids: the fact that all your other youth club teammates will be there.

Of course, there are encouraging exceptions to the sorry supporters criticized above, but for the most part, by far the truest contingent of supporters in the MLS (in Chicago, for sure) are the foreigners (mostly Latinos) who come to the matches because they love the sport and are compelled to watch the sport and support the local club that represents that sport. Their blood isn't sullied with American football, baseball, basketball, and NASCAR and is in constant need of injections of touchdowns, homeruns, alley-oops, crashes, bloody faces, stops and gos and highlights, highlights, highlights.. No-their blood flows in the milder pace of the beautiful game.

Quick update on the getafe rant

For those of you that haven't read it read it here. For those of you that have, thank you, here is what the new logo is supposed to look like, this almost makes me want to go on my next rant.

End of year party dirty tackle award

So Tenby AFC, who play in the Pembrokeshire 1st Division had a bit of a party, and when I say party, I don't mean your usual team social, because that wouldn't see someone in hospital. The had their end of season party, which is fair enough, got drunk again why not and then I'm going to directly quote what happened because there is no way I can explain this better "It was a bit of horseplay that went ­ seriously wrong. We'd all had a few drinks when one of the lads did a moonie. A player picked up a pool cue and it all went wrong from there." Seriously, I've been drunk around teammates before, and I have played pool on those occasions as well, perhaps there was even one or the other bare ass being shown but never ever did the thought cross my mind "I'll just ram this up there, the lads will piss themselves laughing." The guy is still in Hospital! I mean how much force could have been used there, seriously?

That said it does sound like one hell of a party, perhaps the sort where our sneaky mate Wayne might have had a good time?

Getafe sold to Royal Emirates Group, wants to be called ‘Team Dubai’

NOOOO!"UAE-based holding company chaired by Sheikh Butti Bin Suhail Al Maktoum of The Emirates' ruling family has bought 14th-place La Liga side Getafe" F-That, excuse my direct swearing, but seriously I have had it with foreign investors coming in and buying everyone's team. These teams have tradition, history, most of them were founded by a few drunk villagers (raiders anyone?) that decided they wanted to start a team, they worked their ass off to come from the 15th county side division II to make it to the top league of their respected countries, only to see Americans/Russians/Arabs come in and say "uhhh nice team you got, how much? 90million? Hah! Peanuts, here keep the change, alright where are the hoops in this sport?" Seriously there should be a FIFA law against this.

Let's be honest here, how many people do you know that 10 years ago if you would have told them that you support chelsea they would have a) paid you out cause they were average at most b) shaken their head and asked why you don't support ManU. Now you go to the smallest Kampung in the jungle of Sulawesi in Indonesia and you'll spot a kid with a Drogba Jersey telling you it's the best team in the world. It isn't it simply isn't! Now I am not saying you shouldn't support Chelsea, that's not my point at all, I'm just fed up with these big shots coming in buying a club, pumping it full with money (yes I'm looking at you Man City) and then buying all new players and winning stuff. That isn't sport.

I've got nothing against investing in a team, it's every ones right and sure it sounds like fun, but seriously, help them pay their debt, modernize their stadium, get 2 or 3 big names to help the club out, but don't restructure the entire team, if you want to do that then do what SAP's owner has done to Hoffenheim, sure he invested some money, he built a stadium, but he also took a club from the 6th division to the first division, yes that took 7 years, but that shows dedication, not your typical *unravel rope, show $$, check FIFA 11 for player with highest stats, tell agent you want that 12 year old kid genius that dribbles around everyone at the Nou Camp, name starting with M*

If you really want to make a difference in the Football world, invest in your own league, and I'm not even saying buy a team, I mean help the league to progress, invest in infrastructure, build better stadiums, promote more teams, win international events like the champions league (whether it is the American/Asian/European one) and raise awareness for football fans around the world to watch your league, sure that takes time and isn't as fancy as saying you own a team in Manchester even though you know jack **** about football and still call it soccer, (tell me then why is it Fc and not Sc). The premier league, Bundesliga, La liga all weren't created in a day or a week, put some effort in it and maybe your home league will become something football fans around the world will gather around their tellies for every weekend to watch.

Lastly if you buy a team, respect the fans, they are the ones that are in the stadium, whether its 35C or -15 they are there, they are the ones canceling family holidays to drive to your away games, they understand football and I'll be damned if you can show me one real Getafe Fan, that has stayed on through thick and thin, that will devout his own time to paint banners saying "Team Dubai" not even if you donate the turban to paint it on!

Top Fernando Torres Jokes

Those of you who know me, know that I absolutely cannot stand Fernando Torres, why you ask? Well let me give you a few reasons, He scored the winner against Germany in the 2008 Euro Final, beating us, he was a part of the Spanish squat that beat us in the 2010 world cup, before he finally cut his hair he looked like a 15 year old girl, and not a pretty one if I may add, the sort that sneaks out at night and puts make up on to go to clubs where she meets guys in their 30's who "really Love her" and last but not least, even though he makes millions each year he seems to have never heard of soap or any sort of facial wash in his live, I mean the guys face looks greasier then that piece of cloth your mechanic uses, you know what I'm talking about.

So I was delighted when he finally decided to do us all a big favor and move from Liverpool to Chelsea, it seemed appropriate because I love Liverpool and now I could finally support all of its players and not cheer for 10 men on the field each week and I hate Chelsea, so needless to say he fitted right in, or you would think, because it seems to our spanish drag queen has forgotten his trade, which as I would assume is to score goals.

Luckily this has sparked some great jokes, here are a few of my favorites, for you to enjoy:

Worried about her son, Torres's mum sends him to a careers adviser. All goes well until he asks: 'What are your goals?'

Worried about her son, Torres's mum sends him to a careers adviser. All goes well until he asks: 'What are your goals?'

Fernando Torres walks into a bar and says: "I'll have a couple of shots please." The barman says: "That's not like you."

I'm going out tonight dressed as Fernando Torres. I'm not planning to score.

Ceasefire in Libya, specialist Fernando Torres sent in to make sure no more shots are fired.

My girlfriend is a huge chelsea fan, so i got her a blank DVD Titled "Fernando Torres, Chelsea goals"

Q - What is the difference between Fernando Torres and the beachball at the Stadium of Light?
A - The beachball found the back of the net first.

And my personal favourite sent to me by one of the authors of this blog late one night:

I had what we call a "Fernando Torres Night" tonight, It was fucking expensive, had a lot of shots and didn't even manage to score.

Hope you enjoyed if you have anymore that you think are great, feel free to leave them in the comment box below

Frankie Hejduk: The beer chugging elf surfer

When the LA Galaxy come to town to play the Chicago Fire and you're offered by your footy teammate a free ticket (row 6, half line), well, you think David Beckham...Landon Donovan...yes! So, we provided our manager with poorly coordinated excuses as to why we couldn't play in our club's friendly that same day (he claimed an injury and I told the truth - thus exposing his injury as a lie), and we were ready to see the Hollywood bros. in action.

Only one hitch- er two: Becks was suspended due to an accumulation of yellows and Landon "Largest Forehead in the Universe" Donovan had a hurt pinky finger (inflamed knee, actually, but I wouldn't put it past the prima donna).

Naturally, we were disappointed, but luckily a majestic stadium, free fleece blankets upon entry, and "damn, that grass is well-kept" seats made the fact that we knew nobody on the pitch a non-issue. Nobody, that is, except for an tireless aged elf and former USA international defenseman, Frankie Hejduk.

Hejduk is small and wiry like a marathon runner with long golden locks that he tucks behind his rather pointy ears. These features, together with a rather sprightly way of movement, make one think 'elf' the way observing Puyol makes one think 'caveman'. The guy has 85 caps for his country, won an MLS Cup title in 2008 with the Columbus Crews, and even had a fairly successful spell at Bayer Leverkusen from '98 to '02.

But, the most admirable things about the guy: 1) he's apparently an awesome surfer and 2) check it>

or, even better: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_X8anlNYQk

btw: 2-1 Galaxy. Chicago Fire are sitting on 4 points in five matches (bottom of the Eastern Conference)

Football, Sex and Arda Turan

Two favourite pastimes in which we love participating and viewing.. sex and football. Yet mixing the two together often causes controversy...

That was indeed Wayne Bridge refusing to shake John Terrys hand. There was also the stir created at the 2006 World Cup by all the wives and girlfriends of the participating footballers. Frank Ribery, Karim Benzema and an under-age prostitute. Rooney and his elderly fetish. Peter Crouch and a hooker in the back seat of a taxi. Lets also not forget Ronaldo, ( the Brazilian one.. ) who 'accidentally' brought 3 transvestites back to his hotel room.

I could keep going ( looking at you Ashley Cole ) but you'll have way more fun just Google-imagining all those examples.

Arda Turan. The current captain of Turkish outfit Galatasaray is having his current dip in form attributed to sex. Apparently his relationship with a famous Turkish actress is affecting his on pitch 'performance'.

There is little evidence to suggest this is the case though;

"Scientists dismiss the idea that sex the night before competition has a tiring effect on the athlete or that it could weaken the athlete's muscles.

Lovemaking, after all, is not a very demanding exercise. In general sexual intercourse between married partners expends only 25 to 50 calories, about the energy it takes to walk up two flights of stairs." - Barry Komisaruk / National Geographic Channel (http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/02/0222_060222_sex.html)

Not entirely sure I agree with Mr Komisaruks generalization of sexual intercourse but I do agree that it should not detrimentally affect aggression, testosterone or sap energy levels in professional athletes.

So, in proving this theory last night, Arda Turan went out and bagged himself two goals for Galatasaray. Helping them to a crucial 3-2 win over Manisaspor.

In conclusion, the only reason I believe his form is faltering somewhat, is due to his mind being elsewhere. Not on his lover but on his love for Liverpool FC and subsequent transfer to Anfield this summer. Watch this space!

Match Report Bayern Munich vs Bayer Leverkusen

Clash of the titans in Germany, 2nd spot vs 3rd, Bayern vs Leverkusen, the record league champions vs the "forever seconds" (Leverkusen having failed to ever winning the Bundesliga after coming ohhh soo close nearly every year). Enough Hype? Because I can keep going. Leverkusen is currently 5 points behind Dortmund (Dortmund not having played by the time I finished this post) and Bayern is looking to at least secure 3rd spot for the Champions League qualification, it's also the first game after the Van Gaal era with Andries Jonker on the bench for his first.

All that being said, Bayern certainly turned on the heat and showed that they actually know how to play decent football in the first half, almost taunting Leverkusen as Mueller ran circles around their defense. 1-0 was a Schweinsteiger Header that hit Rolfes in the face and went in, "In your face" just became oddly appropriate. the 2-0 after an error from Vidal, that in all honesty you and I in your Saturday leagues would have been subbed off for straight away, but I guess as a professional it seems reasonable to attempt a back heel (instead of letting the ball run out for a goal kick, mind you) straight to Mueller who sets up Gomez, who then also went on to score the 3-0 and the 4-0 just before halftime, giving him 22 goals scored this season and completing a hat-trick by Halftime!

Erin Derdiyok made it 4-1 in the 62th after a mistake by the Bayern Defense, which looked a little shaky after Kiesling got subbed on as another striker for Leverkusen. Ribery answered with a nice solo through the Leverkusen defense to make it 5-1, before being picked up by Gomez like a child in the arms of a father, which the commentator called a unorthodox celebration, wouldnt agree with that necessarily. Just before you could hear the Munich fans chanting "Uli" the name of the clubs president, who had to face some criticism this season for spending to much money, wanting to buy Neuer when we have 2 great goalies and worst of all for giving the blues (city rivals 1860 Muenchen) "mates rates" to rent out the stadium which in the Ultra fans eyes is the worst kind of betrayal and I have to agree with them somehow although from a business point of view it is probably for the best and lets face it a football club can't just live from Love & Hate, even though it should.

Interesting also that Leverkusens coach Jupp Heynkes will be Bayerns new coach next season, so whether he was just trying to help Bayern play champions league and get more money or if Leverkusen just had a horrible day, we will never know. It was definitely refreshing to see a Bayern side that had that much energy without Robben and played football that was fun to watch and also effective.

Top 3 Beer mates this week

I spoke about this on my first post for the site, so here it is, the first beer mates. Basically its a post where we (I in this case cause I couldn't reach anyone) see which 3 professional footballers would be best for a night out. Let's hope this catches on and continues.

3. Wayne Rooney

Only gets the mention because you know that when you go to party with Wayne, its not just going to be a couple of quiet drinks. This shit is going to take off like the Hangover, I mean you will wake up in Jail with a hooker cuffed to you and a headache so big you'll wish you would have never gone in the first place. Just hope that he doesn't forget to pay your bail. that said it will be eventful, and look at the bright side, when you finally drop him off to training 2 hours late, I'm sure Fergie will be delighted and will offer you his gum for your bad breath.



2.Gerard Pique

Simply because judging by all the Youtube Videos he seems like a fun guy to hang around, joking with Abidal and sending regards from the pitch after scoring. It pains me to say as a German but it would be cool to have a drink with a World champion too. Let's be honest here for a second we all love that Spanish accent when they speak English, so Pique your on the list especially if you keep doing stuff like this:

just remember not to bring Shakira! I'm serious.

1. Rafael Benitez

While not technically a footballer, you know you would be in for a treat with Rafa. Granted it wont be the most exiting night, but it would definitely be a great night and some great conversation. What really pushed me to include Rafa today was this Video for the Hillsborough memorial, which Rafa attended, and you could see that he attended because he wanted to be there and not because someone had asked him to come. Honesty goes a long way and sometimes we forget real emotions in the whole football business.

You think you Love your club? Think again

Many of us have proclaimed that we love our club, especially after a couple of pints when they are thrashing your mates team by 3 goals to nil and you are just generally pretty delighted. Many of us living here in Asia or Australia have also uttered the words "man what I wouldn't give to be at that game" for most of us it stays at that though, a quick remark, a few thoughts spend reminiscing over times at the park, be it Anfield, Allianz Area or god forbid the Theater of "dreams".

No so for 50-year-old Ian "Waggy" Wagstaff, who is currently living and working in Australia. To see his beloved Bolton Wanderers play at Wembley that when his boss refused to let him go, he did what any sensible fan would have done, he quit! Yeah you read that right, now Mr. Wagstaff (if you ever read this) with all due respect, What the F*ck? Did you just quit your just to watch one football game? Shit, call in sick for a few days? Or better yet just watch in on TV, I mean come on its not like Bolton is actually going to win this thing. But I guess 1958 is a long time ago and you are all hoping for the next FA cup in your cabinet.

Anyways its the man's choice and who am I to criticize him, I mean if I had enough balls I might do the same, so for Mr. Wagstaff I really hope Bolton wins and let me say its good to see that there are at least a few proper Football fans here in down Under.

"Get onside, you stupid Tweet!"

What do Carlton Cole, Ryan Babel, Kevin Pietersen, Marvin Morgan, Snoog Dogg, Jack Whilshere, Stephanie Rice, Stephen Fry, and Jonjo Shelvey have in common?

Twitter.

Some use it wisely. Others use it creatively. And then there are those who probably shouldn’t use it at all..

Cole is the latest to be called up for his ‘improper conduct’ ( this is not the same Cole who shot an intern with an air rifle by the way.. or the one who warms the LFC bench ) by posting this on his Twitter account - "Immigration has surrounded the Wembley premises! I knew it was a trap! Hahahaha. The only way to get out safely is to wear an England jersey and paint your face w/ the St. George's flag!"

Personally, I find this rather amusing. Collectively, I suppose it could offend. Honestly, it’s a joke and this is the context it should be viewed in. Call it dark or English humour but don’t clamp down on celebs ‘expressing themselves’ as appose to the rigid and rehearsed press interviews we are subjected to week in, week out.

Unless of course you are Jonjo Shelvey, whose friend ( really? ) hacked his mobile, found a self taken picture ( really? ) of Jonjo’s nether region and subsequently posted it on Twitter. Alas not the poor chaps doing but he certainly balls-ed that one up.

I recently joined Twitter myself and currently finding it a fascinating form of first hand news and reliable information.

‘Straight from the horses mouth’ – who in this instance is Stephanie Rice, who after watching her home nation Australia beat SA in Rugby, decided to tweet: “Suck on that f***ots”.

I was about to start heavily criticising the lass on what a horrible person she is.. until I Googled her and instantly forgave her. She has David Beckham Syndrome. You look great, so please don’t open your mouth or communicate with anybody but your PR rep.

The same applies to Aldershots, Marvin Morgan, who tweeted in response to fans booing him: “..I hope you all die.”. Stupid and totally irresponsible. Besides, what happened to the good old days when players used to kung fu kick supporters?* Mr Morgan, you are a big girls blouse.

Used practically and sensibly, Twitter is great. A modern method of following those closest to the sport we all love ( or now hate, if your name is Fernando Torres, who I’m told has a Twitter account but gets to the end of each sentence and just can’t finish ).

*The Drunken Striker contributors strongly condone violence, in any shape or form. Unless its 3AM after a few beers and somebody suggests trying out this new wrestling move they saw last week.

Liverpools new 2011-2012 Away Kit Revealed

Thanks to twitter we can already check out what Liverpools away kit for the next season is going to look like, and it really is something! A classic yet modern colorway, amazing detail around the logo and the silver metallic paint really makes the whole thing pop. I really hope loads of home teams play in Red next season so we get to see this strip when we are away from Anfield. The choice of Suarez was to be expected although the little Uruguayan does not look a tad bit impressed by the whole thing, just look at that facial expression.

The away socks seem to have a little too much detail on them especially if you consider that all the detail gets covered by the shoe anyways, but who am I to judge, it probably gives you better grip to the shoe and makes you 0.000001 seconds faster, yeah take that Nike! check them out here

Credit where Credit is due

I am a Bayern fan so it somewhat stings to say this: "Well done Schalke". You played some amazing football and really showed our overpaid superstars how to capitalize on a huge advantage from the first leg and not to ride on cloud 9 and think: "defending? dude we don't need that anymore."

Schalke you are now one of the best 4 teams in Europe as of 2011, along with Barcelona, Real Madrid and Manchester United, whom you will host on the 26th and while not all Bayern Fans agree, you will have my full support. Because I'll be damned if I cross my fingers for a British side before I do so for a German side. Yes the media is saying that you are the underdogs, and that no one could possibly stop his majesty Rooney, but let's be honest here for a second. How many so called "experts" really thought Schalke was going to stop Inter and and "dribble you into Nirvana" Eto, yeah that's what I thought.

So don't let them put you down, you got this, you really do, just believe in yourself, fill that jersey of Royal Blue and show Fergie and and his chewing gum how it's done. Just to be perfectly clear in this final part of the post though, next time we clash in the league, the rivalry is back on, no hugs, no kisses.

Vidic seems to be human after all

To all of us that watch the game and especially for those special fellows among us that play fantasy football we know that Nemanja Vidic is a gun. He is the sort of person that could kill a bear with his own hands and then skin it using nothing but his teeth. What I am trying to say is that he seems to have no fear/ weakness, besides the few of you that dislike him, I'm Looking your way Mcdonnell! But my dreams of having a real life Rambo in my fantasy team were shattered this morning when I read this part of an interview Vidic did with the Daily Mail:

From the Daily Mail:

"I know I have a reputation for being strong but I am only human,' the Serbian told United Review."I cry during very sad moments.There was one film - The Notebook - that really touched me too."I was watching it alone, sitting in the dark, and I got very involved in the story. I almost cried. Almost."

Really? The Notebook, firstly Nemanja (please don't kill me by calling you by your first name) How did you get to the point where you were "sitting alone in the dark and watching the notebook" secondly, in my humble opinion the movie wasn't even worth crying over, but then again that's just me, I didn't cry while watching Titanic either, suck on that. In all fairness he did say he "almost cried" so I guess just before a tear trickled out of those deadly cold eyes, rushed down hes cheek and hung on his steel jaw before dropping helplessly to the ground, he decided, Fuck that, crying is for pussys now give me some straight vodka and my shot gun, I'm going deer hunting with Putin.

LeBron and Liverpool : Slam Dunk!

Ever woken up in the morning and decided that being a professional athlete just isn't enough?
That the glory, fame and fortune doesn't hit the spot like it used to? That your life has more meaning..



LRMR: Morning James, we've just done a merger with FSG. Within the contract agreements you've now got a share in Liverpool Football club in the United Kingdom!

LeBron: Um, right. Is that like the team David Beckham played for?

LRMR: Not exactly James.. here, we've got their club captain on the phone, he'll explain everything..

5 minutes later..

LRMR: So, what do you think James?

LeBron: I didn't understand one word that dude said. All I got was garbling, something about an An-Field and 18 titles.. is that good?

LRMR: Well the fans never stop going on about it and they have these big banners and flags proclaiming to be the best English club. Nobody would go to that effort if it wasn't true?

LeBron: I suppose. Okay so prep for the press conference?

LRMR: Just mention the 18 titles.. gets them going everytime.


So LeBron and Liverpool. King James and King Kenny. Would love to see LeBron attend a match but in reality, this whole deal was done to allow LRMR and James LeBron easier access to the Asian ( and more specifically, Chinese ) market through Liverpool Football clubs popularity in the East.

One thing I'd like to know.. If Manchester United nick Reina in the next transfer window.. would LeBron be a suitable replacement?



Fact of the day: Jay-Z is an Arsenal supporter. Tom Hanks is a Villian and Will Ferrel is a Chelsea fan. The only celebrity supporter of Man United I could find.. was a hobbit. There's a joke there..

"I can't imagine Fernando Torres will ever score"

I know I just posted a video but this is brilliant and it is Friday so bring on FF (that's Friday Funnies in case you didn't get that you imbecile). So sit back and enjoy a song about my arguably least favorite player ever, that's right I said it and I will stand to it.

Justin Bieber's private training session with Barcelona

I know what you are thinking, and I thought the same. why doesn't Bieber stick to the WNBA? And it is becoming ridiculous how easy it is to get a training session if you happen to have the right name or know the right people. I will also admit that I am jealous, there is no doubt about that, i mean if Barca called me and was like Hey wanna have a kick around with Bojan, I'd be on the next plane, not before complaining why I can't play with a better player than Bojan but that's another story.



So let me get to the point, besides the fashion statement turtleneck that Justin is spotting, the boygirl actually does alright, now I don't know if he actually plays football (he/she would be calling is soccer I'm guessing) and if he/she is left footed but that strike looks decent to me and the ball control ain't bad neither. So as much as it pains me to say, well done Bieber. The kid also showed some Balls playing football in Madrid wearing the full Barca outfit, I mean he's got bodyguards and stuff but I hear people have been killed for lesser reasons.

Inter Milan VS Schalke Fc

Stayed up till 1.45AM to watch this one. Truth be told I was anticipating the Madrid - Spurs game to be the one-to-watch but found my eyes being drawn to the screen on the other side of the bar ( which coincidentally had nothing to do with that girl in the short skirt.. Honest ).


This game began with, arguably, one of the best technical goals in Champions League history.

Check it out and let the 'jizzed-in-my-pants faces' begin.




This is actually the second time Stankovic has left the opposition keeper red faced with a similar type of volley. Genoa being the other team to suffer a 'Stankovic Serbian Special'.



An early goal in any game usually sets the precedent for a cracking game of football. Thus was the case here. Beautiful counter-attacking football and a true ebb and flow to the game. 1-0. 1-1. 2-1. 2-2. HALF TIME. And then it all went a little crazy ( Balotelli- style crazy? Unfortunately not. Jens Lehmann - style crazy? Nein. Rooney - style crazy? Oh f**k off! )

Schalke went 3-2 up, courtesy of one of the games true legends. A neat first touch put Raul one - on - one with Julio Ceasar, his second taking the ball a touch to his right yet his aging legs still carrying enough steam to charge in and poke home. 70th Champions League goal. Top class.



Two yellow cards in a ten minute period ( with an Inter own goal sandwiched in between for good measure ) had Christian Chivu taking an early shower for the second time in 4 days. Don't blame him to be honest, his scalp must get mighty itchy wearing that headgear all the time. And Italians just don't DO bad hair. Ask Zanetti.

Edu ( Eduardo Goncalves de Oliveira - no. I am not paying for you to have that on the back of your new Schalke jersey ) curled one in on 75mins and that was that.

5-2. Final score.

Now who is up for staying awake with me next week? In a completely heterosexual way.. of course.

Fact of the Day: Schalke became the first team ever to win two games of professional football in the same day. The postponed game against St. Pauli was awarded as a win to Schalke, ensuring a vital 3 points for a team that is potentially facing relegation.

[Posted with iBlogger from my iPhone]

Eric Abidal Accusing Pique of handball

For those of you that didn't know Eric Abidal had an operation to remove a tumor from his liver, the operation was successful and he is now back at training with Barcelona. While he was away Gerald Pique scored a goal against Villareal which he dedicated to his teammate Abidal, nice guy huh. You and I would probably have tears in our eyes if a teammate dedicated a goal for us while we are sick (that is assuming that your teammates do score...) not so Abidal though, first thing he does is walk over and (jokingly, judging by the facial expressions) accuses Pique of Handball. The amazing thing is, if you watch the video of the goal, you could say there was a handball but there wasn't Pique controlled the ball amazingly, which makes the heckling by Abidal even better. Not too sure who shot that ball at the end of the short clip, but my guess is that him and Pique are BFF's and he/she (Shakira what are you doing at training?!) wasn't having Abidals jabbering. Just another proof to show you that footballers aren't all arrogant and self obsessed A**... (no let's keep the first post of this new blog clean, we can slip into our ways later on) and definitely put Abidal and Pique far up on my "I think that guy would be a good Bar buddy" Ranking, perhaps we should have a Top Ten Bar buddy ranking every fortnight (Just saying).