Maple Lions

Northern Rock thought to create an ad asking to have Michael Owen back from the World Cup in one piece.  Nice one.

Mike C. 

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After Ghana scored its second goal against the Czech Republic last week, defender John Paintsil waved an Israeli flag in tribute to the nation where he plays professionally. Needless to say, the reaction in Egypt’s government-controlled press was predictible:

Ghana defender John Paintsil’s waving of an Israeli flag to celebrate his team’s World Cup goals drew a barrage of insults and furious reactions in Egyptian newspapers.

Paintsil, who plays for Israeli club Hapoel Tel Aviv, celebrated the two goals in Ghana’s 2-0 win over the Czech Republic by pulling an Israeli flag out of his sock and waving it at the cameras.

“The ignorant and stupid Paintsil, who spent 20 days in Egypt during the last African Nations Cup, plays for Hapoel,” sports commentator Alaa Sadek wrote in the daily Al-Akhbar, explaining to baffled Egyptian audiences Painstil’s link to Israel.

“Egyptians supported the Ghanaian team all the way until the 82nd minute, and regretted it after the Israeli flag (waving),” screamed a bold red headline in the independent daily Al-Masry al-Yom Monday.

“As soon as the referee blew his whistle to start the match, Egyptians were out enthusiastically, almost hysterically supporting Ghana, until defender John Paintsil took out the Israeli flag,” read the paper’s front page article.

The live commentator on the Arab satellite channel broadcasting all World Cup matches in the region abruptly cut short his trademark “goooaaaaaaal” when Paintsil brought out the flag.

“What are you doing, man?” the bewildered commentator said.

The main question on Egyptian lips after the match was “why?”

Some papers described Paintsil as a “Mossad agent”, others said “an Israeli had paid him to do it” but the most elaborate theory was offered by the top-selling state-owned daily Al-Ahram.

“The real reason,” sports analyst Hassan el-Mestekawi wrote, stems from the fact that many Ghanaian players go through football training camps set up by an Israeli coach who “discovered the treasure of African talent, and abused the poverty of the continent’s children” with the ultimate goal of selling them off to European clubs.

“The training program for these children starts every morning with a salute to the Israeli flag,” Mestekawi claimed.

The Ghanaian Football Association issued a whimpering apology. With Ghana playing the Great Satan as I write this, a commenter at the British blog Harry’s Place writes, “considering Ghana’s football team is full of Mossad agents, whilst the United States as a whole is run by Zionist paymasters, or vice versa, whoever wins out of Ghana and the USA today, it will be a great victory for The Zionists. Hurrah!”

Damian P.

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The full season list has just been posted here. As a taste, this is how the opening day on August 19 is unfolding:

• Arsenal v Aston Villa
• Bolton v Tottenham
• Chelsea v Man City
• Everton v Watford
• Man Utd v Fulham
• Newcastle v Wigan
• Portsmouth v Blackburn
• Reading v Middlesbrough
• Sheff Utd v Liverpool
• West Ham v Charlton

Paul Canniff

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This photo was taken at:

a) a Nike photo shoot; or
b) a Rooney family Christmas party.

Damian P.

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1. Liverpool has suddenly expressed interest in one of the few footballers Don Cherry could love.
2. Man United are on their way to snagging Michael Carrick from Spurs.
3. Ex-Blue and freshly minted Nou Camp tenant Eidur Gudjohnsen rips a page from The Special One’s communications strategy and shares the love.
4. The first set of draws for the Carling Cup, starting with the Championship clubs, takes place tomorrow.

Paul Canniff

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The Beeb helps you sort out who has to do what to break to the knockout stage.  The truly intriguing bit is in Group E with its many possibilities.
Paul Canniff

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1. Today’s Italy-USA match was one of the most entertaining of the WC fixtures: aggressive football with dashes of brilliance and blunder. As for Eddie Pope’s red card, if Roy Keane had executed the same sliding tackle, nobody would have taken notice. Despite the ambition-fuelling handicap of inflated FIFA rankings due to the useless CONCACAAF grouping, the Americans have shown that they belong in the bigger game. And Group E has proven especially interesting with Ghana’s 2-0 victory over the Czechs.
2. At NFL games genuine Bud is the perfect beer: undistinguished but quite refreshing. But this is brand protection gone mad. BTW how can Budweiser be marketed under German purity laws? Just asking.

Paul Canniff

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Once again three points more likely purchased at the Oxfam Shop rather than Harvey Nichols:

1. Yes, Lurch bagged a goal at 83′ but only after making utter shambles of two beautiful opportunities in the first half.
2. John Terry continues to be England’s ironman, bicycling out a prime T&T shot on goal when Robinson was ahead out of position.
3. T&T served up a surprisingly good defensive line close to goal but continually dropped possession at midfield.
4. While Rooney’s return was a great morale booster, Aaron Lennon’s introduction led to impressive collaboration with Becks.

I’d say England still suffers from the poor in-the-box closing form we saw in the Paraguay match.  At least Eriksson is willing now to innovate with his line and formations.

More analysis at the Beeb, SkySports and the Telly.

Paul Canniff

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Everton has completed the drawn-out signing of Wolves’ defender and former England u-21 international Joleon Lescott.  Lescott was key in a bright season for Wolverhampton in 02/03, but injured his knee at the end of that season and missed the Wolves’ unsuccessful year in the Prem.  His arrival presents Everton with strength and athleticism at the back, complementing Joseph Yobo.  Hibbert and Portugal World Cup’er Jorge Nuno Valente are at the corners, with Stubbsie providing the experience.  It looks like David Weir may be off elsewhere, but we’ll see.

As the past Premier League season was coming to a close, South African striker Benni McCarthy of FC Porto was rumoured to be one of Everton’s targets and potential goal-scoring solutions.  They didn’t go for him, trusting instead that Andrew Johnson will be the solution, but it looks like Benni may be coming to Merseyside after all.  There’s now talk of Everton and Porto doing a swap with “injury-jinxed” Dutchman Andy van der Meyde leaving and McCarthy coming in.

Van der Meyde doesn’t appear to be fan favourite at Goodison, but I’ll be happy if he stays around.  Despite the injury time and a stupid-ass red card during the last Merseyside derby, I thought he brought a lot of craft and creativity to the side.  Then there’s his haircut, but we won’t go there.  Anyway, he can stay as far as I’m concerned.

That said, it’s intriguing to think of another quality striker arriving at Goodison.  AJ, Beattie, and Benni should offer some solid striking power with James McFadden around to pop in the odd one, as well.  With Mikel Arteta, Tim Cahill, Leon Osman, Lee Carsley, Simon Davies, Kevin Kilbane and Phil Neville across the midfield, the Toffees might be in good shape there.  Could James Beattie fall back a bit and support AJ and Benni?  I think Benni, too, would be a good option to bring on as a substitute if a AJ/Beattie attack hadn’t gone anywhere that day.

David Moyes’ transfer budget may be used up, so why not sacrifice a midfielder, albeit a creative one, in favour of another proven striker?  Might the Toffees really score some goals next season??

Mike C. 

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AutoMotoPortal: Instead of flying a flag from their cars, workers at the Toyota Burnaston factory in Derbyshire have made one from cars. A crack team of 40 yard drivers and workshop technicians spent two 12 hour shifts reversing, turning and parking 400 Toyota Yaris cars into a giant St George’s Cross.

Damian P.

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