Anyway...
Sunday, April 27, 2008
Burnley 3 - 3 Cardiff City
When does the post-game action eclipse the events of a 6-goal match? When a player victimized by a clumsy tackle chases the perpetrator down the tunnel! The match itself was crazy, with the Bluebirds coming back from 2 goals down to save a point for pride as they coast to the end of the League season. Darren Purse may miss the FA Cup, but perhaps that's not the worst thing in the world.
Anyway...
Anyway...
Saturday, April 26, 2008
FC Dallas 0 - 1 New England Revolution
Well, it was bound to happen. This team was obviously not going to win every game. Still, it's a might frustrating to lose at home to a team missing a lot of starters. Dallas looked good in midfield and on defense, the goal excepted, of course, as it was an ugly thing that skipped along the ground and somehow magically found its way into the net. The finishing was awful, as the Hoops just seemed unable to break down the Revolution's packed-in formation in the final third. Of course, New England keeper Matt Reis had a great game as well. All in all, it was pretty disappointing, but I still think this is a better team than last year.
Anyway...
Anyway...
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Chivas USA 0 - FC Dallas 2
Holy crap Kenny Cooper! This is exactly what we all hoped you'd do as the primary target.
Holy crap Abe Thompson! Who can say you're too slow now?
Holy crap FC Dallas! What a win.
This is what I had hoped to see when FC Dallas chose to deal away Carlos Ruiz. This team is truly coming together as a unit. This time, they not only got an early lead against a supposedly superior opponent, but closed the deal, even grabbing an insurance goal to ice the game. Of course, FC Dallas has started hot each of the past two seasons and wilted in the stifling heat of a Texas summer, though I wonder what Cardiff or any other British team could manage in temperatures closing in on 40 degrees Celsius. It's still early, but my guarded preseason optimism is starting not to look so pollyanna-ish now. The Hoops are undefeated and may be on the beginnings of a roll.
Anyway...
Holy crap Abe Thompson! Who can say you're too slow now?
Holy crap FC Dallas! What a win.
This is what I had hoped to see when FC Dallas chose to deal away Carlos Ruiz. This team is truly coming together as a unit. This time, they not only got an early lead against a supposedly superior opponent, but closed the deal, even grabbing an insurance goal to ice the game. Of course, FC Dallas has started hot each of the past two seasons and wilted in the stifling heat of a Texas summer, though I wonder what Cardiff or any other British team could manage in temperatures closing in on 40 degrees Celsius. It's still early, but my guarded preseason optimism is starting not to look so pollyanna-ish now. The Hoops are undefeated and may be on the beginnings of a roll.
Anyway...
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Scunthorpe 3 - 2 Cardiff City
With apologies to T. S. Eliot,
Really, guys? Really? Three to two loss to already-relegated Scunthorpe? Something very bad happened to the defense today, and it must be fixed. Fortunately, I suppose, the rest of the League season is now a series of warm-ups for the FA Cup final against Portsmouth.
Fix this.
Anyway...
- This is the way the playoff chase ends
- Not with a bang but a whimper.
Really, guys? Really? Three to two loss to already-relegated Scunthorpe? Something very bad happened to the defense today, and it must be fixed. Fortunately, I suppose, the rest of the League season is now a series of warm-ups for the FA Cup final against Portsmouth.
Fix this.
Anyway...
Sunday, April 13, 2008
FC Dallas 2 - 0 Red Bull New York
Belatedly continuing the good news, The Hoops dispatched a short-handed Team Energy Drink at Pizza Hut Park on Saturday night. This team is starting to show me that the season may be less a rebuilding one than many have feared. Kenny Cooper Jr. needs to be encouraged not to wander too far from the goal, but when he is managed properly, as he is when paired with a strike partner whose skill and mobility he respects (i.e. Arturo Alvarez), he seems to do better, and if he keeps playing like he is, no one will give two craps about what happened to Carlos Ruiz. The defense finally got a clean sheet, and Dario Sala continues playing like a Dapper Dan Argentine Ward Cleaver goalkeeping monster. Long live Dario!
Come on you Hoops! Let's keep this thing going!
Anyway...
Come on you Hoops! Let's keep this thing going!
Anyway...
Cardiff 3 - 1 Blackpool
A (league) win at last, a win at last! Thank God almighty a win at last!
Cardiff once again opened scoring in the first ten minutes, a trend that is for the most part satisfying, but which is made slightly frustrating by my tendency to remember to turn on the audio feed five minutes into the game. Not that I'm giving those goals back. It looks like Cardiff's form in the FA Cup run may finally be spilling over into the league, where the Bluebirds' playoff chances just refuse to die. I love the fight in this team, if nothing else.
Anyway...
Cardiff once again opened scoring in the first ten minutes, a trend that is for the most part satisfying, but which is made slightly frustrating by my tendency to remember to turn on the audio feed five minutes into the game. Not that I'm giving those goals back. It looks like Cardiff's form in the FA Cup run may finally be spilling over into the league, where the Bluebirds' playoff chances just refuse to die. I love the fight in this team, if nothing else.
Anyway...
Saturday, April 12, 2008
Ipswich Town 1 - 1 Cardiff City
Ah, the joys of following a Championship club in America. A little bit of real life, and I completely miss that there was a midweek game. It's good to know young Aaron Ramsey is playing well, but another tie? I like to fancy myself an egalitarian type of guy, but the FA Cup Semi notwithstanding, this is getting ridiculous.
Anyways (a classic this time):
Anyways (a classic this time):
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Houston 3 - 3 FC Dallas
Lost in all the FA Cup hubbub, was the fact that FC Dallas tied at Houston on Sunday. This is a good-news-bad-news situation.
Good, because until this game, Dallas had never taken a point in Houston. Admittedly, that amounts to two seasons and one game, but still, it's a start against the awful orange menace. Also, this means that in two games against the teams that finished above them in the Western Conference last year, Dallas is undefeated. Kenny Cooper, much to my surprise, played like a striker and came away with two goals and was impressive.
On the other hand, in each of its first two games, Dallas has blown a lead and dropped the points. Somehow, I don't think one point per game is going to win us any hardware.
Anyway...
Good, because until this game, Dallas had never taken a point in Houston. Admittedly, that amounts to two seasons and one game, but still, it's a start against the awful orange menace. Also, this means that in two games against the teams that finished above them in the Western Conference last year, Dallas is undefeated. Kenny Cooper, much to my surprise, played like a striker and came away with two goals and was impressive.
On the other hand, in each of its first two games, Dallas has blown a lead and dropped the points. Somehow, I don't think one point per game is going to win us any hardware.
Anyway...
Monday, April 7, 2008
Cardiff 1 - 0 Barnsley (FA Cup)
Okay, I can calm down now. Wait, no I can't.
Cardiff are in the FA Cup final! HO-LEE SHIT!
The best part of this may be that the winning goal was scored, brilliantly, I might add, by Joe Ledley, a product of the club's academy and a Cardiff native and Cardiff City fan. Something like this is why you root for a team outside the big four. This is the apotheosis of the romance of an open cup competition. This is awesome, in the root-word sense of the word. I am in awe of the Bluebirds right now.
Of course, nothing but respect to Barnsley, who put their all into this cup run, and without whose giant-killing exploits Cardiff (and Portsmouth, for that matter), might not even have the chance to win this thing. It was a hard-fought, basically clean match, and even I felt for Bansley striker Kayode Odejayi. I really think that, while running full tilt, he saw the desperate Cardiff defender out of the corner of his eye and thought that the near post was the only chance to score. Poor guy looked gutted, but here's hoping he gets over it.
Adding to the good news (but let's not get ahead of ourselves), it looks Cardiff will have a real shot at a UEFA Cup slot if they beat Pompey, though some people, of course, weren't likin' it.
Anyway...
Cardiff are in the FA Cup final! HO-LEE SHIT!
The best part of this may be that the winning goal was scored, brilliantly, I might add, by Joe Ledley, a product of the club's academy and a Cardiff native and Cardiff City fan. Something like this is why you root for a team outside the big four. This is the apotheosis of the romance of an open cup competition. This is awesome, in the root-word sense of the word. I am in awe of the Bluebirds right now.
Of course, nothing but respect to Barnsley, who put their all into this cup run, and without whose giant-killing exploits Cardiff (and Portsmouth, for that matter), might not even have the chance to win this thing. It was a hard-fought, basically clean match, and even I felt for Bansley striker Kayode Odejayi. I really think that, while running full tilt, he saw the desperate Cardiff defender out of the corner of his eye and thought that the near post was the only chance to score. Poor guy looked gutted, but here's hoping he gets over it.
Adding to the good news (but let's not get ahead of ourselves), it looks Cardiff will have a real shot at a UEFA Cup slot if they beat Pompey, though some people, of course, weren't likin' it.
Anyway...
Sunday, April 6, 2008
BLOOOBIRDS!
More later, for now, I am just happy. Bluebirds in the FA Cup final!
YIPPY-KYE-YAY, MOTHERFUCKERS!
YIPPY-KYE-YAY, MOTHERFUCKERS!
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Cardiff 0 - 0 West Brom
Another sister-kisser.
This one saw the Bluebirds fail to close in on Wolves, and the playoffs seem less likely, though in the grand scheme of things one can't get too upset over tying the Championship's Arsenal, with their gaudy goal-difference of 27, a full nine more than their closest competition, and if they win their next game in hand, that goal difference would put them into first place.
The maddening thing is that the one man who needs not to be satisfied with this outcome, Dave Jones, seems to be: "Both teams had a right good go at each other – good football, a lot of endeavour and commitment from both teams. I enjoyed it." WTF, Dave? It's the "we're not ready for the Premiership" bull all over again. The man has done well to keep the dysfunctional front office goings-on from destroying the team's performance, but this lack of ambition is frustrating.
Anyway...
This one saw the Bluebirds fail to close in on Wolves, and the playoffs seem less likely, though in the grand scheme of things one can't get too upset over tying the Championship's Arsenal, with their gaudy goal-difference of 27, a full nine more than their closest competition, and if they win their next game in hand, that goal difference would put them into first place.
The maddening thing is that the one man who needs not to be satisfied with this outcome, Dave Jones, seems to be: "Both teams had a right good go at each other – good football, a lot of endeavour and commitment from both teams. I enjoyed it." WTF, Dave? It's the "we're not ready for the Premiership" bull all over again. The man has done well to keep the dysfunctional front office goings-on from destroying the team's performance, but this lack of ambition is frustrating.
Anyway...
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