The Fourth Official

Video of the Week: Totti Send-off; Becks Academy Knock-off

thefourthofficial — Mon, 05 Feb 2007 10:32:00 GMT

Here are the videos of the week from the past two weeks:

FROM JANUARY 25
Football fans saw the best and worst of Francesco Totti at the weekend. The Italian star expertly touched home Roma's equalizer -- Totti's Serie A-leading 13th goal -- in the 1-1 draw with Roma but then over-retaliated to a Fabio Galante elbow at the end of the match.

As the video below show, Galante clearly was in the wrong with his elbow. Surprisingly, though, Totti shed Italian stereotypes of "diving" by retaliating rather than rolling around on the ground -- which may have gotten Galante sent off. (Galante ended up with a yellow card.)

The best was yet to come, though. After being ejected for taking up his beef with Galante, Totti toppled over a member of Roma's staff, trainer Vito Scala, before heading to the dressing room! Amazingly, Totti avoided additional suspension for his actions. Just as sad: despite the overwhelming video evidence, Galante escaped with just his yellow card!

Click here if you have trouble viewing this video.

Click here for Lucas Manes's discussion about this and other ugly incidents in Serie A.

FROM FEBRUARY 1
If you are not already aware, Englishman Kevin Payne has launched a Web campaign to get him to California so he can try out for the Los Angeles Galaxy later this month. Payne harbors dreams of playing in the same side as David Beckham.

Yesterday, Payne released the promo for his 'Kev Payne Academy' which may or may not be better-suited for your child than the London- and Los Angeles-based David Beckham Academy.

Click here for the Kev Payne Academy video promo and then use the comment box below to tell us if you think this guy has a chance to make the Galaxy roster (or even your Sunday league team!).

Click here for an exclusive Q&A Goal.com conducted with Mr. Payne.

The Fourth Official
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Beckham (and Posh) Headed to MLS

thefourthofficial — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 11:37:00 GMT

By now you probably have heard, but if not click here to read all about it:

David Beckham is headed to MLS, specifically the Los Angeles Galaxy.

If you follow MLS even just a little bit you are not surprised in the least. Still, the reality of the whole thing is pretty sobering: Posh Spice will be attending MLS matches!

Now she can cozy up next to Landon Donovan's new wife, that actress Bianca Whatshername.

What's next: pitch-side seats filled with celebrities as this new poll indicates?

The Fourth Official
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Chelsea Want Mourinho Gone

thefourthofficial — Thu, 11 Jan 2007 08:04:00 GMT

Jose Mourinho wants to sign another defender -- because all of the "defenders" at Stamford Bridge who are not named John Terry... well, they can't defend very well -- and a new striker. (Kalou is still too raw, which is a polite way of saying he kind of sucks right now; and Shevchenko cost more than all of D.C. United even though Jaime Moreno would have scored three times as many goals as Sheva has by now and cost 1/100th of the price.)

But it sounds like the Chelsea board won't let him add in some new players this winter.

This is a perfect scenario for the demise of Mourinho at Stamford Bridge. We've already seen what utter crap the Blues can be when they are without Terry (not to mention they have been without Terry AND Petr Cech at the same time), and they are a Didier Drogba or Michael Essien injury away to struggling for a European place, in my opinion. They need back-up!

But Mourinho won't get it; we'll see Manchester United continue to lead the league; and Chelsea will stumble out of the Champions League.

And that will be that. Mourinho gets the boot.

Chelsea are setting up the Special One for failure.

The Fourth Official
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Video of the Week: L. Fabiano & Diogo Fight Like Girls

thefourthofficial — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 11:44:00 GMT

Real Zaragoza defeated Liga leaders Sevilla 2-1 over the weekend, and at the fulltime whistle all heck broke loose.

After the worst impression of a Zinedine Zidane headbutt in the history of the planet by Sevilla's Luis Fabiano on Zaragoza's Carlos Diogo, the Brazilian striker got a lesson from the defender in how to hurt.

Diogo, from Uruguay, landed a vicious right hook on the lanky Fabiano (click here for a great photo of it all), who stumbled yet somehow kept his balance so that we could have more hilarity: The two then regressed into one of the worst displays of man-fighting ever on a football pitch.

In truth, these two actually fight like a couple girls! Anyway, the entire incident was disgraceful -- judge for yourself...

Click here if you have trouble viewing this video.

The Fourth Official
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Video of the Week: How Not to Defend, Courtesy of West Sham

thefourthofficial — Thu, 04 Jan 2007 12:18:00 GMT

West Ham United continued their "excellent" run of form this season with a shambolic 6-0 loss at Premiership newbies Reading.

Anton Ferdinand got into the act, heading home a free kick expertly at his own near post. Perhaps he should be starting up front in place of Bobby Zamora.

As the video highlights below indicate, Danny Gabbidon is not Premiership quality -- less so than Ferdinand. This team needs some serious help in defense and it should be Alan Curbishley's top priority in the transfer period.

My favorite moment of the highlight clip, though, was when the camera showed the utterly under-utilized Carlos Tevez hiding his face. "You can't blame him."

Click here if you have trouble viewing the video.

The Fourth Official
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Video of the Week: Highlights from the FIFA CWC Final

thefourthofficial — Tue, 19 Dec 2006 10:52:00 GMT

Internacional continued a trend of South American dominance over European champions with their 1-0 win against Barcelona on Sunday in Japan to win the FIFA Club World Cup.

The match kicked off at 5:00 a.m. 'round these parts, so in case you slept through the match, here are some of the highlights from the finale:

If you're having trouble viewing the video in this page click here.

The Fourth Official
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TV UPDATE: Apertura Playoff Final (Boca Juniors v. Estudiantes)

thefourthofficial — Wed, 13 Dec 2006 09:40:00 GMT

The Apertura Playoff Final between Boca Juniors and Estudiantes will be on TV TODAY in the U.S. on Fox Soccer Channel at 5 p.m. ET via same day delay (and on Fox Sports en Espanol live at 3 p.m. ET).

Boca Juniors squandered a sizable lead down the stretch and finished level on points, 44, with Estudiantes.

Boca coach Ricardo La Volpe has stated he'll resign his position if the team fails to win tonight.

Should be a great match!

Click here for Goal.com's U.S. TV Listings.

The Fourth Official
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Video of the Week: Taylor's Volley Against Everton

thefourthofficial — Mon, 11 Dec 2006 12:56:00 GMT

All thanks to Matthew Taylor for this week's video. Taylor's audacious 42-meter volley over the head of Tim Howard helped Portsmouth defeat Everton. The goal was very similar to Taylor's stunning half volley against Sunderland last year.

Click the picture below to view video of both goals.

Click here if you are having trouble viewing the video.

The Fourth Official
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Jorge Campos to Lead Chivas USA

thefourthofficial — Fri, 08 Dec 2006 14:35:00 GMT

In the wake of Bob Bradley leaving Chivas USA to head up the U.S. National Team for (at least) the next six months, the Fourth Official has learned Mexican icon Jorge Campos has emerged as the leading candidate to take over for the Goats.

Campos was an assistant coach for Mexico at the most recent World Cup, and he played in MLS for the Los Angeles Galaxy -- Chivas USA's arch-rivals, and also the Chicago Fire.

I think it would be a shrewd and sexy choice for Chivas USA -- and much more interesting than the Bradley-to-USA situation currently plaguing diehard fans of the USMNT.

The Fourth Official
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No Klinsmann? THAT Is a Surprise

thefourthofficial — Thu, 07 Dec 2006 15:49:00 GMT

The on again off again on again off again on again off again negotations between U.S. Soccer and Jurgen Klinsmann have ended with the German giving the Americans the middle finger.

This is a disaster for U.S. Soccer and new president Sunil Gulati.

[UPDATE 4:30 PM ET: U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati will address media via conference call 12 noon ET on Friday to discuss the matter.]

Bruce Arena must have shot Red Bull out of his nose and all over his keyboard when he read the news today about his friend Klinsi sticking it to the little man. Arena and Klinsmann are probably on the phone right now laughing hysterically.

Jose Pekerman, I guess, still remains a possibility but I won't jump cartwheels unless this guy gets to have full control over the youth set-up -- a bone of contention that, allegedly, was one of the reasons Klinsmann and Gulati failed to see eye to eye. That and Gulati forgot to wear his lifts.

The Fourth Official
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Video of the Week: Move Over Ronaldinho

thefourthofficial — Mon, 04 Dec 2006 13:52:00 GMT

Got this video forwarded to me by a friend. This dude must be the Subbuteo equivalent of Ronaldinho with all his tricks. Or else he is a video-editing genius, just like the folks who helped make that Nike commercial with Ronaldinho bouncing the ball off the crossbar.

Regardless, I'm guessing this guy hasn't had a date in a while.

Click here to view the video...

The Fourth Official
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Adu Prefers Real Madrid to Manchester United?

thefourthofficial — Tue, 28 Nov 2006 23:24:00 GMT

There are rumblings that Freddy Adu will spurn Manchester United -- and the Premiership in general -- in the hopes of landing at Real Madrid next year.

The reason? He's too little.

D.C. United coach Peter Nowak and U.S. icon Alexi Lalas have both expressed their concerns over Freddy trying to make the leap straight to the Premiership, the thinking the 17-year-old can better develop his talents in a more technical and less physically intimidating league like the Eredivisie or the Primera Liga.

One major stumbling block in an Adu to Real Madrid move I see has to do with apparel companies Nike and adidas. Adu is a Nike client. Real is outfitted by adidas. May sound silly but football these days is a business.

Of course, if Jurgen Klinsmann can spurn adidas for Nike-funded U.S. Soccer, then I guess Adu can spurn the swoosh for adidas. Plus, D.C. United are kitted out by adidas as it is so it's probably not that big of a deal after all.

As for the rumor of Adu to Madrid all by itself -- considering the fiasco that was the he is/ he isn't/ he is headed to ManU to train -- I'll believe it when Real Madrid confirm the interest on their end.

The Fourth Official
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Onalfo (aka a Bruce Arena disciple) to be next Wizards Coach

thefourthofficial — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 10:52:00 GMT

Curt Onalfo will be named the next head coach of the Kansas City Wizards, taking over for interim coach Brian Bliss, who guided the Wizards after long time coach Bob Gansler resigned on July 19, 2006.

Onalfo is one of those Bruce Arena disciples -- aka, a former player and/or assistant coach under Arena. So, including Arena himself, MLS will now be led by four Arena-ites beginning the 2007 MLS season:

Bruce Arena - New York Red Bulls
Bob Bradley - Chivas USA
Curt Onalfo - Kansas City Wizards
Dave Sarachan - Chicago Fire

There will be 13 teams in MLS next season. I'll let you decide if that's a good thing or not to have nearly one-third of the teams led by Arena-ites.

The Fourth Official
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Video of the Week: Ronaldinho's Wonder Goal

thefourthofficial — Mon, 27 Nov 2006 10:51:00 GMT

In case you missed it, click here to view Ronaldinho's wonder goal against Villarreal. It pretty much sums up the demolition job Barcelona did on the Yellow Submarine.

Who needs Eto'o and Messi? Just kidding.

Considering Ronaldinho and company face the very real prospect of Champions League elimination, they probably could use the African and South American wonders against Werder Bremen on December 5.

The Fourth Official
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Done Deal?: Pekerman Next U.S. Coach?

thefourthofficial — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 18:15:00 GMT

Could it be? U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati will get his wish and the next U.S. coach will not only speak Spanish but speak it perfectly: Sounds like Argentina's Jose Pekerman will be the next U.S. Coach.

(click here for more info)

I'm not sure what to make of it if it's true. I think so many people just assumed it would be Jurgen Klinsmann.

Anyone else have any opinions about Pekerman v. Klinsmann?