U.S. national team striker Jozy Altidore will play for his eighth different club manager in four professional seasons after Hull City named Ian Dowie as the club's new skipper.
Dowie takes over for Phil Brown, who was fired after Hull slumped to 19th place in the Premier League.
Hull hired Dowie after being turned down for the job by a list of candidates that included former Manchester City manager Mark Hughes and Portsmouth manager Avram Grant.
Hull City will look to climb out of the relegation zone beginning with its match against last-place Portsmouth on Saturday.
Here are some other stories to get your Wednesday going:
PACHUCA REACHES CHAMPIONS LEAGUE SEMIFINALS
A Luis Montes goal in the 87th minute helped Pachuca post a 2-1 victory and 3-2 series victory vs. CD Comunicaciones in CONCACAF Champions League quarterfinal action on Tuesday.
The second leg was scoreless before American referee Terry Vaughn issued two red cards to Comunicaciones' Carlos Gallardo and Freddy Thompson early in the second half. Pachuca opened the scoring only to have the Guatemalan side equalize on a penalty kick. Montes provided the series winner just three minutes from regulation.
U.S. national team midfielder Jose Torres started and played 90 minutes for Pachuca.
Pachuca became the first team to qualify for the Champions League semifinals. The Columbus Crew will try to become the first MLS team to win a match in Mexico in an official competition tonight when it faces Toluca (the teams tied, 2-2, in the first leg in Columbus). Cruz Azul plays host to Arabe Unido in tonight's other quarterfinal second leg tilt. Cruz Azul won the first leg in Panama, 1-0.
PORTSMOUTH HIT WITH NINE-POINT DEDUCTION
Any faint hopes Portsmouth had of avoiding relegation were ended on Wednesday after the club was docked nine points for going into administration.
The deduction drops Portsmouth 14 points behind 19th place Hull City, which it faces on Saturday.
NEWS & NOTES
Xavi will miss Barcelona's Champions League match vs. Stuttgart with a thigh injury.
Manchester City defender Wayne Bridge will miss a month of action after undergoing hernia surgery.
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What do you think of these stories? Like Hull's hiring of Dowie, or think the Tigers and Jozy Altidore are doomed to be relegated? Are you rooting for Pachuca to win the Champions League? Think Barcelona will still beat Stuttgart without Xavi?
Share your thoughts below.
Well I thought you did, yes. You broke my heart today.
Terry Vaughn strikes again.
I think Hull were too…sounds like he wasn’t interested from reports.
i was hoping for Hughes as well.
So true. Dowie is awful.
A man can dream can’t he.
LOL! Good one
Dowie was a big sack of potatoes during his playing days. Hull are not going to do anything new under him but more of the same crap. Should have gotten Mark Hughes. I would not be watching them either if Jozy was not playing.
Well played sir.
Go Columbus.
That would be nice. Wouldn’t it also be nice if I won the lottery in the next couple of months, and was able to buy a nice travel package to South Africa, including World Cup tickets? I think so.
i would. you think i care about hull at all besides jozy?
Wouldn’t it be nice to see Jozy just go on a tear and pile up some goals pre-WC?
Could care less about Hull, just hoping our guy plays well and gets the hell out of there.
Aris Thessaloniki
But if he reels off 24 straight points without Jozy you’ll have a beef?
Should have never hired Brian in the first place. I totally got on board with Burnley at the beginning of the year based on their crowd and dingy home ground. Seeing Sir Alex sit in the dugout of what looked like a run down baseball field was amazing.
When Coyle left, they should have gone outside the club to look.
Ian Dowie will be a disaster. Look at this quote he made about Hull..
“I think there is some value in the team. I think it’s a working-class area that deserves a team that reflects that – a team that plays with a bit of tenacious endeavour, that is aggressive on the field and also pass the ball a bit.”
Loosely translated this equates to long ball, defense running players over FIFA 10 style and a few passes in between.
“Pass the ball a bit” – really? Just a bit? Wonder where Jozy is next year? Hull will be relegated.
Iain Dowie? Good grief. Also hearing Burnley may sack Brian Laws, another lousy appointment.
Hull obviously is not satisfied with the idea of Championship football, and wants to make sure that they get relegated twice to League One.
– a Charlton fan, rolling his eyes.
there were better options. FA cup victories of prem teams doesn’t mean he should be a prem team manager. As long as he starts Jozy every game and gets him the right training so he can score, i wont have a problem with him. Still, Hull is strapped for cash so he’s probably the best option they could afford.