By AVI CREDITOR
He might not put the performance on his highlight reel, but the result is all that matters to Brad Guzan right now.
Guzan made three saves and Aston Villa battled from an early deficit to defeat Blackburn, 6-4, on Wednesday to take a wild Carling Cup semifinal on a 7-4 aggregate at Villa Park.
Aston Villa will play either Manchester United or Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on Feb. 28 in the cup final.
The Villains fell behind 2-0 after two Nikola Kalinic goals in the first 26 minutes, but a Stephen Warnock strike evened the aggregate score, and James Milner converted a 40th-minute penalty after Christopher Samba was sent off for taking down Gabriel Agbonlahor in the box to regain the lead for the hosts.
Guzan, entrenched behind Brad Friedel in the starting XI for Aston Villa throughout the Premier League season, has a chance to leave his mark on the 2009-2010 campaign by helping the Villains to their first piece of silverware since claiming the 1996 League Cup.
Here are a couple of other items to talk about at the water cooler:
BALTIMORE TO LURE DC?
The Maryland Stadium Authority gave the green light on a $100,000 feasibility study to determine whether Baltimore could financially sustain a soccer specific stadium that would potentially lure an MLS franchise to Charm City, the Baltimore Business Journal reported.
The closest team to Baltimore, of course, is D.C. United, a team that has gone on a magical mystery tour in seeking a new home in and around the nation's capital. The MSA previously completed a feasibility study in Prince George's County, Md., on the outskirts of Washington, but the county council unanimously voted against the proposal because of cost issues last April.
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon has reportedly been intrigued by the possibility of an MLS franchise in her city after the AC Milan-Chelsea match this summer drew a sell-out crowd to M&T Bank Stadium.
Baltimore is also one of the 18 cities that made the final cut in the USSF's bid to host the 2018 or 2022 World Cup.
ENGLISH POWERS SUFFER INJURY BLOWS
Arsenal defender Kieran Gibbs and Manchester United defender John O'Shea are both out for the season.
The 20-year-old Gibbs fractured his left foot in a UEFA Champions League game in November and will need a bone graft after the fracture failed to heal on its own.
O'Shea, suffering from blood clots, hasn't played since Ireland's World Cup qualifying loss to France in November and was shut down today, Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed.
Arsenal currently stands atop the Premier League standings with 48 points (tied with Chelsea, though the Blues have a game in hand). Defending league champion Manchester United is a point off the pace.
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Could you picture D.C. United moving to Baltimore? Can't wait to see Guzan (and Friedel) get a crack at a cup final? Think Arsenal and Man. U can overcome their injury woes?
Share your thoughts below.
Would love the rivalry of having Maryland bring their team through but I would not stand for DC moving that far away from DC and being rebranded.
How come Americans Abroad never includes any info about Nguyen’s games in Vietnam?
That was meant as a reply to koolcaio…
Was that English? I recognize most of the letter combinations as being actual English words, but the words do not make sense in the combination and order you’ve used them.
you also have to realize that the US is different because we have a lot of big cities/metro areas where most nations have 2-3 big cities and a lot of small medium sized cities. Take Spain for an example Barça and Madrid have metro areas of over 6 million and stadiums around 90,000. Compare that too Osasuna and Bilbao that are in cities of less than half a million and stadiums around 30,000. a lot less revenue over the past 100 years!
think of it like if California or the Northeast had their own leagues where Hartford and Rochester was in the same league as Boston and New York.
over decades of being in a league like this fans of mid table teams don’t think that anything besides winning first place is a bust. thats why there are different levels you can play into i.e. Champs league, europa, national cup, relegation…
That is the best way I have ever heard RFK described!
RFK is bleeding money from DC and the sooner we find an escape route the better. However, I can not see an end in site for the next few years. There’s just no money around DC it seems these days.
Do people think a promotion/relegation system would work with a league that holds all player contracts?
I do not think it would..
Really? That might make me reconsider the viability of a Baltimore stadium.
I agree, except to point out that I rarely get to the stadium more than 5-10 minutes before game-time. I’d love to tailgate, but never have the time. A new stadium could still have all the tail-gate fun, plus offer some of the touches that make the game itself a great experience, even when the play on hte field ain’t so great.
Gotta love those government contracts!
It is true. The owner was going to fund the construction costs themselves, but he was asking for $200 Million from the district. Do your homework.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/07/20/AR2007072002470.html
Most MLS stadiums don’t cost $200mm so in essence the district was building the stadium.
fatboy is supported by cristal palace!! not trying to lure dc united… stick with the metro’s idiot
yeah…PSV to V League.
sounds like MLS really didn’t offer him anything serious…
Moving Dc United to B-more would be horrible. DC is the perfect place for soccer. I agree with the post above that suggest that they find a place in S.E. DC.
another thought would be that they could build a stadium in NO VA and if B-More got a team they you would have a Virginia maryland rivary that could be a lot of fun.
How is MLS better? You make the point about about Everton finishing 30 pts out of first which is boring, but Everton had a lot to play for all the way through the season including Europa League. Teams at the bottom are battling to stay in the Premiereship which makes those games meaningful. The way MLS is set up, the first half of the season is completely meaningless. RSL won the whole thing. Let me repeat that. RSL won the whole thing. Did you happen to follow their season? If that is the champion of MLS then it’s MLS that’s a joke, not the EPL.
From the “way off the USMNT radar” department, Lee Nguyen is going back to Vietnam. Geez…I know the money he’s making there is helping out him and his family, but I can’t shake the feeling that his career trajectory is not going in a really positive direction.
Based on what? The brainless idiocy Krishnaiyer posts on his web site?
What blog is this?
Don’t think Ms Dixon’s opinion matters much any more. They’re gonna have to find a new champion for this.
anyone see this: Kartik Krishnaiyer, the host of the EPL Talk and MLS Talk Podcasts, as well as writer for both sites, has been appointed Public Relations Director for the North American Soccer League (NASL).
–NASL is doing something right here.
as for World Cup…DC v. Baltimore…DC will win no matter what. It’s the nation’s capital. i can’t imagine they would pick Baltimore over DC…
I still say you’re diluting the support in that area by putting two teams there. If DC were drawing 40K per game and turning people away that would be one thing. But, the DC attendance already includes the Baltimore people.
Seriously, did you just start following Football? Just think about this next time you ponder everything you just said.
Would you like your team to be relegated right now? How many times has your team won the league? How many times have other teams won the league?
As a Red Bull/San Jose fan I never want Promotion. As a Dynamo/Chicago fan I would probably not even think about it twice.
He is right. Owning a team to make a profit isn’t what sports are about. That is why many EPL teams are on the verge of maybe losing the plot. Sport teams shouldn’t be considered a business. And even if you do. Chances are that “business thinking” people aren’t involved.
Rel/Pro will never work in this country.
Do not speak of such things.
Gee, that’s an original observation…
For Baltimore, the question is one of value added. They want to ensure the Westport development is a success — that it attracts the kind of yuppie types they want. That’s why they’re thinking of putting in a soccer stadium there. Kind of what DC had in mind for Poplar Point, except this seems like it has more of a chance of succeeding. Poplar Point is still just on drawing boards. Westport is going forward.
I live few minutes from westport and I would never walk there at night. even during the day would be very dangerous
Seeing that picture of Guzan has me wondering — is there something about male pattern baldness that makes top-level US goalkeepers? Howard, Friedel, Keller, Guzan, Hahnemann, etc. It’s almost a requirement at this point.
Luis Robles, better start finding a way to lose your hair too if you want to be a great US keeper.
On the other hand, Cleveland did get to keep its colors and its history. And they had a relatively short wait for a new team (2 years?) Still not saying it’s right, but it was much kinder for Cleveland than it was for Baltimore when the Colts left.
You don’t have to be sorry for calling me out. We can disagree. I still think the leagues are very broken.
Only two teams are going to win LaLiga…probably only one. You knew that at the beginning of the season, you knew in the middle and you will see it at the end.
Do you realize that Everton finished almost 30, yes THIRTY points out of first last year in 5th place ? That is a BROKEN league…and very boring too.
No US soccer fan should WANT that for our league.
Sorry Art, you are correct. I will shut up now.
Actually, the study aims to examine the plans Crystal Palace has to build a stadium in Baltimore, and the city’s own idea to build a bigger stadium in the Westport development. Clearly, the study is bound to conclude there is not enough support for both stadiums. My guess is that it’s Crystal Palace that gets its stadium, not DC United. I don’t know how it’s going to happen for DCU in DC area, but I think it will. Besides, Dixon ain’t the Mayor any more.
the light rail does work on the weekends. but the marc does not.
I must have forgotten to mention that I lived in Seattle for 9 years and went to many Sonics games myself. The team got moved after I moved to the DC area and couldn’t believe it had gotten to that point.
Howard Schultz was a chump, and I’ll never believe he was innocent, or hood winked into selling the team to someone who had no intention of keeping them in Seattle.
MLS needs to hold it’s horses on expansion, and as a DCU fan this Balto talk is just another tidbit in a long, irritating battle for a stadium for United in DC or at least within the Metro area.
Just because they sold out a big international friendly isn’t reason enough to give the city a franchise.
Seeing that where United ends up might be linked to where the World Cup plays.
Baltimore and DC are both in the mix, but will both get games ? Which ever one does might be linked to which city gets United, yes Kevin Payne himself called it United, not DC United.
http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/sports/blogs/penalty-kicks/Permanent-home-for-DC-United-linked-to-US-World-Cup-bid–82254222.html
that is just naive
oh come on fischy, the dude “falling” through the hole is an urban myth. Concrete didn’t crumble, it was a broken hatch down into the dharma initiative’s RFK base of operations…
But seriously, how can you expect the bleachers not to break after the YEARS of fun timey abuse they’ve taken from the Barra and Eagles?
Of course we need a new stadium, but it’s not like it isn’t a great time going to matches there. Once again I’ll reiterate that coming early and providing your own concessions is the only way to fly. Why pay to park and NOT get your money’s worth having your own party in Lot 8? Even when I take metro I generally bring along a 12 pack and meet up with friends at the tailgate.
The gameday experience has a lot to do with the fan’s ability to have a good time. Some people might not be wired for that I know… That’s not the club’s fault. Neither is the fact that DC government doesn’t give a crap about keeping the team in DC.
i really hope they dont move DC United. I diagree about RFK, yes, it is a crap shoot, but it is so much fun going ot games there. Did you not see the USA v. CR game?! it’s so loud in there when it is packed…
Having said that, i do want DCU to get a new stadium. But if they think people are going to travel to Baltimore from DC for DCU games like they did for the AC Milan/Chelsea game, they are crazy.
(I went to that game, took me 3 hours to get from Arlington to Baltimore!!!! Normally, 45 min. to an hour.)
Anyway, I understand they want to get DCU a stadium, but i’m not convinced moving DCU is a good idea. If they HAVE to, Baltimore is the best option. But unless a lot of people in Baltimore embrace the team, DCU may lose a lot of their fans. Not everyone is going to be willing to drive that distance. I guess we’ll see…
So the girls in the car with Charlie Davis were Red Bull girls that he met at the Shadow Room in DC. He didn’t even know them personally…says the mom of the girl who died.
Maybe i missed it but it didn’t seem like he was trying to teach anything. Seems like he was saying that the recent situation in Seattle made him sympathetic to fans and that he appreciated DCU the way they are.
I’m not sure Sheila Dixon’s really in a good position to take political risks like a new soccer stadium. Or maybe she has nothing to lose, on the other hand.
I wasn’t trying to teach anyone anything…just throwing out my support. Just because they have lost teams before doesn’t mean the situation is anymore ideal and no fan should have to go through that, especially not when they support their team well. To hold a fanbase hostage during a recession is extremely low.
Not so. Have you been there? The field is in worse shape than ever. Floodlights go out. Many seats are broken. Last year, one fan fell through into a hole, as the concrete collapsed under him. Concesssions are nearly non-existent. The lack of a cover leaves the stands exposed to rain, and lets the supporters cheers vanish into the night, instead of enhancing them. Also,the sight-lines suck, and the stands are too far from the field, especially on the “quiet side”.
That’s just the fans’ perspective. For the team, the lack of real boxes limits their ability to raise funds from corporate sponsorships and luxury suite sales. Every year in RFK is essentially a lost year for the team, and a crappy experience for the fans.
That is simply not true, the old majority owner was going to build with his own money (at Popular Point) in exchange for development rights around the stadium and the city footing the bill for infrastructure. Cities pretty much ALWAYS pay for infrastructure (sewer lines, etc) for new projects especially when those projects are built on empty land as Popular Point is.
ya, pretty dissapointed by his play in both legs. he needs to do much better with balls coming into his box. hes better than that.
Dude this is a terrible post. Sorry for calling you out but if you think La Liga is a broken league, you are just clueless. Valencia, Sevilla, Athletico Madrid…all these teams have amazingly gifted players (Villa, Silva, Aguero, etc), and overall the technical ability of the players from top to bottom is amazing in La Liga, possibly more so than the EPL. I fail to see how the league is “broken.” Oh btw, Valencia is only 3 pts behind Real Madrid for 2nd as of now.
The crazy thing about this DCU/Baltimore issue is that plenty of folks in the area are really devoted to the team. I see tons of bumper stickers/magnets, and even flags on front porches. Fans at the games are loud and fun. But RFK just stinks as a soccer stadium, whether for MSL or international games. It’s cavernous and the security/management is done pretty poorly. DCU deserves a soccer-specific stadium like the one in Columbus. I watched the MNT play Mexico in that stadium and that place flat-out rocked. (I think it was the rivalry’s second 2-0 result in a row and just might have been the game where the DOS A CERO chant began.) There’s no doubt in my mind but that DCU would rock a soccer-specific stadium in the area–especially if it was accessible by Metro. With DCU’s proud history and following in the area, MLS needs to figure out way to keep that team right where it is.
that’s what it costs man, Republicans don’t get a discount.
Seriously, you are not breaking new ground here. Those discussions have been done and done for years and years and years…
Light rail doesn’t operate on the weekends. It’s like $25–one way–to get from DC to Charm City on a Saturday.
BIG difference between USL-2 and MLS. You can’t judge support of one based on the other, Seattle and Toronto are the best examples. And PLEASE take the pro-rel stuff to the BigSoccer general pages so those of us who have heard the argument 10,000 times can just ignore it.