Who is Amanda Staveley? The Girl From Doncaster Who Became the Toast of Abu Dhabi

The daring takeover of Manchester City was masterminded by a financier who once turned down a marriage proposal from Prince Andrew.  (Read link below for full story.)

Independent ~ Interesting Article from 2008

Once touted as a future wife for the Duke of York, Amanda Staveley, who helped bring huge investments in Barclays and Manchester City from Gulf sheikhs, seems a shade desperate to make up the numbers at her wedding to Mehrdad Ghodoussi at West Wycombe Park in Bucks on Oct 29.  (Fact or fiction? Sounds like author of below link is a hater.)

Telegraph Article ~ August 2011



Champions League Facebook Competition From ZAIN

 Wembley Stadium in London

ZAIN's latest Facebook competition is a football / soccer fan's dream.  They are giving the chance for football fans to go and watch the final match at London Wembley stadium with all expenses paid by ZAIN! (This includes Airline tickets, Accommodation, Transportation and the game tickets.) All you need to do is pack your bags!

To enter: send a 2 minute video with an ACT showing ZAIN why you should be the winner!

Go to: Zain's Facebook Page ZAIN Facebook

Submission of videos will be from the 4 to 10th of May , Voting will start on the 10th and the winner will be announced on May 17th.

The winner will also get a chance to take a friend! (Take me ;)

Football is a religion in England and there is nowhere so revered a spot for football fans than the temple that is Wembley Stadium in London, home of England’s national football squad. Wembley has played host to some of the greatest football games ever played, including numerous FA cup finals and the never-forgotten 1966 World Cup Final won by England itself.

Photo and above paragraph credit 

Best of luck to all my readers! :*

Kuwait Celebrates Win Over Saudi Arabia in 2010 Gulf Cup

I found this on YouTube by Mentaltartan

Enjoy the party Kuwait!

Thank you Zain

Kuwait is Crowned the Champion of the Gulf

Kuwait Times

Kuwait clinched a timely morale boost ahead of January's Asian Cup with a 1-0 victory over Saudi Arabia in the Gulf Cup final yesterday. The two-week tournament, which started on November 22, featured Yemen, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, UAE, Oman and Qatar.

Ali guided Kuwait to the football 20th Gulf Cup of Nations in Yemen, scoring his side's 1-0 winner in a final against Saudi Arabia on extra time, after a goalless 0-0 draw in original time.

Kuwait remains the most Gulf nation to have won the illustrious regional tournament, earning their 10th title, after an absence of 12 years, with their fierce rival Saudi Arabia, and Iraq winning it three times apiece.

Ali scored his side's goal in the fourth minute of the first half of extra-time, sending Aden Stadium into raptures. The winger sticking to his position on the left, had a run on goal before passing a defender on his way to firing a shot into the top far left corner of goal.

After an intense two halves which began with Kuwaiti dominance in the first half and Saudi in the second, the two teams took the game to extra time after a 0-0 draw. The match between two of the most successful national teams in the Gulf region, was dominated by cautious play, which depended on a tough defense and several counter-attacks.

Having been down by a goal minutes into the second half of extra time, the Saudi side continued the last minutes of the match with 10 men, with striker Mohannad Asiry taking his second yellow card of the match after a desperate attempt to earn a penalty with a dramatic fall to the ground.

Handing out the awards after attending the match were Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh and Kuwait Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Minister of State for Development Affairs and Minister of State for Housing Affairs as well as President of the Olympic Council of Asia Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

As well as winning the 20th title, Kuwaiti midfielder Bader Al-Mutawa won the golden boot award, with the award for best player in the tournament going to winger Fahad Al-Enezi and the golden glove award to Nawaf Al-Khaldi. The last Gulf Cup encounter in a final between both teams was in the 1974 tournament held in Kuwait, which ended in a 4-0 win for the hosts. - Agencies

Arab Times

Gulf News

Arab News

Wooo Hooo! Congratulations Kuwait!

It’s football to you, soccer to me

No matter how much the United States continues to emerge as a competitive World Cup nation, there is little doubt that the international perception of American soccer will always be doused with suspicion.

Why? Because Americans don’t even call the sport by its proper name, of course. They don’t call it “football.” They call it “soccer.”

In the USA, football is that game that dominates winter Sundays and features Lycra, helmets and men so large they should come with their own zip code. 

Elsewhere, football is football. The round-ball sport, the beautiful game, with its biggest prize to be handed out here on July 11.

Soccer? Pah, a silly American term created by a nation that has its own national obsession.  No country has been snootier toward the USA’s use of the term “soccer” than England. Before the Group C opener between the two sides in Rustenburg, the Sun newspaper even ran a spoof front page urging Fabio Capello’s side to win the “soccerball world series.”  But let’s take a halftime break here.

Coupled with their team’s humiliating exit from the World Cup it might be another rude awakening to the Brits that soccer isn’t an American term, it is actually an English one. And it isn’t some modern fad that shows disrespect to the world’s most popular sport, it dates back to the earliest days of the game’s professional history.

Indeed, until the last few decades, even Englishmen would routinely refer to their favorite pastime as soccer, just as often as they would say football. 

Clive Toye, an Englishman who moved to the U.S. and became known as the father of modern American soccer, bringing Brazilian legend Pele to play for the New York Cosmos, takes up the story.

“Soccer is a synonym for football,” said Toye, who helped launch the North American Soccer League in the late 1960s. “And it has been used as such for more years than I can count. When I was a kid in England and grabbed a ball to go out and play … I would just as easily have said: ‘Let’s have a game of soccer’ as I would use the word ‘football’ instead. And I didn’t start it.”

To trace the origin of “soccer” we must go all the way back to 1863, and a meeting of gentlemen at a London pub, who congregated with the purpose of standardizing the rules of “football,” which was in its infant years as an organized sport but was growing rapidly in popularity.

Those assembled became the founding members of the Football Association (which still oversees the game in England to this day). And they decided to call their code Association Football, to differentiate it from Rugby Football.

A quirk of British culture is the permanent need to familiarize names by shortening them. “My friend Brian Johnston was Johnners,” said Toye. “They took the third, fourth and fifth letters of Association and called it SOCcer. So there you are.”

So forget that English condescension and carry on calling it soccer, safe in the knowledge that you’re more in tune with the roots of the sport than those mocking Brits.

Martin Rogers ~ Yahoo Sports

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/its-football-to-you-soccer-to-me--fbintl_ro-soccervsfootball070110.html

World Cup 2010: Ghana Beats USA 2 - 1 ~ Congratulations Ghana :D

I <3 Carlos

“That's what learning is, after all; not whether we lose the game, but how we lose and how we've changed because of it and what we take away from it that we never had before, to apply to other games. Losing, in a curious way, is winning.”

Richard Bach (American writer)

Team USA at the World Cup: Video ~ The World Reacts to Landon Donovan's Game Winning Goal

This is hilarious ~ make sure you watch the entire video:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jbn3rOPmR9w

* I saw a similar post on one of my favorite Kuwaiti blogs: 42
It made me smile all day ~ thanks y'all :D

8 Tips for Being A Great World Cup Date

First I'll admit I am not a soccer fan. No, I’m not soccer Barbie. I rarely watch soccer so I'm not going to pretend to know anything about it when I don't have a clue. However, I do support the US team because duh, I'm American and it’s the World Cup.

Team USA did an outstanding job yesterday beating Algeria.  Brian Straus wrote, "The best player on the U.S. national team confirmed his place as the best player in U.S. history at the moment when his team and his country needed him most. Thanks to a lightning-quick stoppage-time counterattack started and finished by 28-year-old Landon Donovan, the Americans overcame an amazing series of earlier misses and their Algerian opponents to win 1-0, and advance to the World Cup's round of 16 as the winners of Group C." 

 Most of my non-American friends in Kuwait are crazy for the World Cup so I hear a lot about what is going on with the games. I've been reading some interesting articles on soccer for my blog which educated me a little about the sport. I found this silly one in Marie Claire Magazine and thought it was cute. Keep in mind it was meant for the US reader.

8 Tips for Being A Great World Cup Date (USA)

It's WORLD CUP time! Which means that for the rest of the month, we get to regularly feast our eyes on the best and beautifullest darlings in the entire international sports world. Male soccer players are the hottest athletes, without exception — and that's not just my humble opinion.

It's also a fantastic time to mosey on out to a bar — completely solo, if you feel like it — and casually meet some nice fellas.  So, if your boyfriend, husband, or the new guy you've been dating asks you to watch a match at the local bar, jump at the chance. That way, you can score some points for doing something he likes to do, while also thoroughly enjoying the nonstop display of masculine beauty that will unfold on the screen.

Wait — so you're a total clue-bag when it comes to soccer? Not to worry. The writer behind the popular soccer blog Unprofessional Foul, James Tyler, has some pointers on how you can get in good with the guys during this year's World Cup.

1. Is there one question a chick absolutely shouldn't ask while a match is on?

No questions about the length of the game, please. That will show you're unfamiliar with the basic structure of the game — and if you're with your husband or boyfriend, it will communicate that you're already bored. If we sit through date movies, it'd be nice for you to make it through a match, especially considering they're roughly the same length: It's 45 minutes nonstop for the first half and another 45 for the second half, with a 15-minute break in between.

2. What's the single most important thing a spectator should know about the game?

Only those two guys with the gloves (a.k.a. the goalies) can touch the ball with their hands.

3. Does a man feel studly when he's asked to explain the single most confusing rule in all of soccer: the whole offside thing?

If anything, it might make him feel less manly because not every guy knows exactly how to explain it! (Maura's note: If you want to read up on it, try this primer. But I can't guarantee that, even after reading, you'll totally get it.)

4. What's some World Cup stuff that it might seem impressive for a chick to know?

Brazil and Germany are often favored to win, and this time is no exception. The Dutch team — for most men who love the sport — are the lovable underdogs. They're the John Cusack character in any romantic comedy ... they have all the good lines and all the right moves, but they're hopelessly out of luck. They play soccer with flair and style, and one of these years, they'll win it. Plus, they play in orange jerseys — a great look.

5. Anything else?

A great trivia fact that you don't have to keep to yourself and can throw out casually at almost any time during a game is that Brazil and Argentina are the only countries to have won a World Cup while playing outside of their continent.

6. What should a woman wear on a soccer date? Adidas sneakers? A soccer jersey? A sundress, so that the bar-dwellers can enjoy a momentary distraction from the game?

Adidas sneakers will always go over well. But I'd be careful about going too far. Play it casual. Jeans and a top will work fine.

7. What's the best drink to order to get in the mood?

Go with your favorite beer. Or try a good domestic brew with some bite, like something from Dogfish Head. Trust me. A frosty pint on the bar lasts a long time (you can get away with one every half), holds up well, and is likely the drink of choice for everyone around you — unless it's a game that starts at 7:30 a.m., in which case you might catch an Irish coffee or two. You can't go wrong.

8. Should we ladies avoid saying things like "Oh, Cristiano Ronaldo ... what a dreamboat!" Or "Ah, that Didier Drogba, he turns me on!" Or "I want to play whatever that Thierry Henry is playing." Is that a sports buzz-kill?

That's all definitely something to steer clear of as tension, and perhaps your date's blood-alcohol content, will be high during the monthlong tournament.

http://soccer.fanhouse.com/2010/06/23/us-beats-algeria-advances-in-world-cup-on-landon-donovan-goal/

World Cup 2010: What Makes America Great? It's all in the mix...

U.S. has the look of America’s team

* I really enjoyed this article by Martin Rogers
 
IRENE, South Africa – Tim Howard can’t exactly recall which game it was, but he remembers the moment he listened to the national anthem and realized he played for America’s team.  “I looked down the line and it struck me,” Howard said. “We are about as diverse and representative as it gets. It made me pretty proud – proud of being an American and proud of our team.”
 
Despite the best efforts of Howard and his teammates at this World Cup, the U.S. may never become a soccer-mad nation. But when an expected record soccer viewing audience tunes in for Wednesday’s do-or-die Group C showdown with Algeria, it will cheer on a team that represents its country in far more ways than just on the field of play.

Cultural diversity, that catch-all phrase so often used to sum up America’s spectrum of influences, courses throughout this group. The collection of players with various racial backgrounds has been molded by head coach Bob Bradley into one of the tightest-knit teams here.

The U.S. squad includes players of Caucasian, African-American, Caribbean, Jewish, Hungarian, British and South American descent. And it would likely have had a Chinese-American if not for Brian Ching being unable to shake off a troublesome injury.

More than any other sport, soccer’s figurehead side in the USA truly reflects the country it stands for. And it provides yet another reason why this is a team the nation should get behind as it bids to claim its place among the world’s elite. “This is a story that doesn’t get talked about a whole lot,” said U.S. Soccer president Sunil Gulati, who was born in India. “But it is a good thing and we know that if we can tap into America’s diversity it would be a very positive thing.  “This is one of the special things about soccer. It is a game that can be played by everyone. It is very international and multicultural.”

The immediate goal for the Americans is qualifying for the second round, a target that likely requires a victory over Algeria in Pretoria, although a draw may be enough if England fails to beat Slovenia. Progression to the round of 16 – and further – would be another boost for the game’s popularity back home.

The issue of ethnicity is not one that is raised regularly during the long days that team members spend in one another’s company. Yet it is one that many see as a badge of honor.

Expat and the City's ethnic background (LOL): Caucasian ~ 50 % Russian, 25 % Irish and 25% Spanish (Espana) *Proud American*

U.S. team’s ethnic backgrounds

Goalkeepers

Brad Guzan  ~ Caucasian

Marcus Hahnemann ~ Caucasian

Tim Howard  ~ African-American, Hungarian

Defenders

Carlos Bocanegra ~ Caucasian, Mexican-American

Jonathan Bornstein ~ Jewish-American

Steve Cherundolo ~ Caucasian

Jay DeMerit ~ Caucasian

Clarence Goodson ~ Caucasian

Oguchi Onyewu ~ African-American

Jonathan Spector ~ Jewish-American

Midfielders

DaMarcus Beasley ~ African-American

Michael Bradley ~ Caucasian

Ricardo Clark ~ Caribbean-American (T&T)

Clint Dempsey ~ Caucasian

Landon Donovan ~ Caucasian

Maurice Edu ~ African-American

Benny Feilhaber ~ Jewish (born in Brazil)

Stuart Holden ~ Caucasian (born in Scotland)

Jose Francisco Torres ~ Mexican-American

Forwards

Jozy Altidore ~ Caribbean-American (Haiti)

Edson Buddle ~ Caribbean-American (Jamaica)

Robbie Findley ~ Caribbean-American (T&T)

Herculez Gomez ~ Mexican-American

“It is something that makes us stand out,” said Jozy Altidore, who, like fellow striker Edson Buddle is Caribbean-American. “We have players who come from every kind of background and heritage. It is nice for us all to be proud of our heritage and proud to play for our country. “I don’t think there are many squads that are closer than we are and that is what America is all about: people from all backgrounds getting along together.”

Altidore’s family hails from Haiti, and he recently traveled to the Caribbean nation to promote awareness following the devastating earthquake that left an estimated one million people homeless.

The fathers of Robbie Findley and Ricardo Clark came from Trinidad and Tobago. Oguchi Onyewu, Maurice Edu and DaMarcus Beasley are all African-American. Howard, who will again start in goal on Wednesday, has an African-American father and a Hungarian mother. Jonathan Bornstein and Benny Feilhaber are both Jewish. Feilhaber, born in Brazil, and Stuart Holden, who lived in Scotland until he was 10, are the only naturalized Americans on the squad.

Jose Francisco Torres and Herculez Gomez are both Mexican-Americans who star for clubs in the Mexican Primera Division. Torres opted to play for the U.S. when he could have chosen Mexico.

“There are so many Mexicans in the USA and it is nice for me to represent them,” Torres said. “The Hispanic community has so much passion for soccer and it is great to be part of this. Soccer is the world’s game, but few teams have as much international flavor as the U.S., something that Gulati insists will only diversify further over time. “This is just one group of players,” Gulati said. “But yes, if you take a look at this team, it is a pretty good snapshot of America.”

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/u-s--fbintl_ro-americasteam062010.html

USA and the World Cup ~ Another Tie?

Euphoria: Michael Bradley celebrates having scored for the USA to make it 2-2 against Slovenia.

LMAO! Here are some recent Yahoo.com comments about the US / Slovenia tie:

JD ~ to all the people from usa that are saying soccer is stupid and that they hope we dont advance. shut up. ur dissing your own team and its embarrising that people from america dont even support our soccer team when its the most popular sport in the world. i dont care if u dont like soccer cause guess what the only people that like american football is america. so start supporting ur team or just shut up.

Cowboys#82 ~ This ref needs to get run over by a garbage truck

TITO ~ Very nice game, show that USA has all the talent and qualities to be once more in a World Cup.Now US has to win against Algeria and England shall take care of Slovenia. I see US in the next round.By the way to those who say that soccer is not important to the US.You are very wrong and uneducated in this sport.Remember that US has been in the World Cup before many of you that is placing a comment on this site, has even been born.US participated in the very first World Cup in 1930 and don't forget that 2 years ago, US finished 2'ND after beating favorite Spain and almost beat Brazil in the finals.

Scott ~ Soccer is no more a sport than checkers or spelling bee. Best played by hot woman. Not men.

Brad ~ Who the hell watches soccer??? Don't pretend to be interested in soccer just when the World Cup starts.

Rob1967 ~ Where are the cheerleaders?

KWO ~ The headline should read USA cheated out of win. How in hell does a ref not have to say why he calls back a goal? Once again the world hates America and cannot stand the thought of the team from a nation indifferent to their glorious footieball showing the world anyone with legs can play this silly game.

If America ever did send its best athletes to take on international footieball we would own your precious World Cup and rename it the American Cup. Relax, we won't take your candy soccer ----es. We really don't want it. Would be like picking up a piece of used gum off the sidewalk and chewing it. No thanks world, its all yours.

Anthony ~ Too bad U.S. stinks. If there so good they should have won, and not let two easy goals in to begin with. This is not a matter of refs. U.S. just can't play ball like world class teams. United States soccer is bad and the public is over rating them. Get over it.

UPEE 08 ~ "U.S. battles back for thrilling tie" ??? (Again) ??? Wow.What a thrilling sport.

Jeff ~ I agree with most peoples comments about American's and how we respond to soccer. I'm 46 and as far as I was concerned soccer didn't exist. We grew up playing baseball and basketball. Some of us from the north even played hockey. But very few of us played soccer. HOWEVER, this has changed and we now have a generation of young adults that grew up understanding the rules, playing the game etc.... It's not that WE hate soccer or are ignorant, no more than the rest of the world is ignorant of Baseball. It's part of our cultural differences that make us all special. Respect the differences.

    U.S. overcame two-goal deficit to tie Slovenia

JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - The United States made a dramatic comeback from two goals down at halftime to draw 2-2 with Slovenia and rescue their World Cup chances on Friday.

Slovenia took a surprise 2-0 lead by halftime, outplaying the Americans and scoring with goals from Valter Birsa in the 13th minute and Zlatan Ljubijankic in the 42nd.

But Landon Donovan scored a brilliant individual goal three minutes after the break and as the Americans poured forwards, Michael Bradley, son of coach Bob Bradley, grabbed an equalizer eight minutes from time.

The United States got the ball in the net five minutes from the end through Maurice Edu but the referee spotted an infringement.

Slovenia lead Group C with four points from the United States on two.

(Writing by Paul Radford; Editing by Jon Bramley)

http://g.sports.yahoo.com/soccer/world-cup/news/u-s-overcame-two-goal-deficit-to-tie-slovenia--fbintl_reu-soccerworldsloveniausa.html

Landon Donovan (R) and Clint Dempsey celebrate the first goal of the U.S. comeback.

Dramatic U.S. rally keeps Cup hopes alive

The United States rallied from two goals down at halftime to salvage a 2-2 draw with Slovenia on Friday in Group C.

Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan scored in the second half as the United States denied the Slovenian's a win that would have made them the first team to advance to the knockout round.

"This team still understands how to fight for 90 minutes," United States coach Bob Bradley said. "This is something we've seen time and time again."

Valter Birsa scored in the 13th minute and Zlatan Ljubijankic doubled the score for Slovenia in the 42nd. The result at a cold and blustery Ellis Park left Group C wide open, with the last round of group stage matches to decide which teams move on. 

Bradley scored the equalizer in the 82nd minute from Jozy Altidore's header. Altidore nudged it forward and Bradley, running at full speed, caught up to it just in front of the goal and tapped it up and over Slovenia goalkeeper Samir Handanovic's head for the equalizer.

United States substitute Maurice Edu volleyed Donovan's free kick into the net in the 86th but the goal was disallowed as the referee called a foul on Edu.

"I still don't know why the goal was disallowed," Bradley said. "Nobody knows at this moment.

Donovan gave the Americans hope at the start of the second half. Picking up a long pass from Steve Cherundolo, he broke in from the right flank and blasted a right-footer into the top of the net from a tight angle. It was Donovan's 43rd goal for the United States.

"I'm a little gutted to be honest," Donovan said. "I don't know how they stole that last goal from us. ... I'm not sure what the call was. He (the referee) wouldn't tell us what the call was."

Birsa scored from 25 meters (yards), stunning United States goalkeeper Tim Howard, who stood frozen on the goal line and watched the shot drift into his upper left corner. The Slovenian winger was left unchallenged by a passive American defense and had ample time to adjust his aim before curling the shot perfectly with his left foot. Ljubijankic doubled the score on a counterattack, set up by attacking partner Milivoje Novakovic. Howard rushed out to stop him but Ljubijankic kept his cool and slotted the ball inside the far post.

Lineups:

Slovenia: Samir Handanovic, Miso Brecko, Marko Suler, Bostjan Cesar, Robert Koren, Zlatan Ljubijankic (Nejc Pecnik, 74), Valter Birsa (Zlatko Dedic, 87; Andrej Komac, 90), Milivoje Novakovic, Bojan Jokic, Andraz Kirm, Aleksander Radosavljevic.

United States: Tim Howard, Steve Cherundolo, Jay DeMerit, Oguchi Onyewu (Herculez Gomez 80), Carlos Bocanegra, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, Jose Torres (Benny Feilhaber, 46), Jozy Altidore, Robbie Findley (Maurice Edu, 46).

http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/worldcup/story/united-states-stages-dramatic-world-cup-rally-against-slovenia-to-stay-alive-in-south-africa?GT1=39011

World Cup 2010: Apparently We Don't Suck! Go USA!!!

Do Americans give a flip about the World Cup?

IRENE, South Africa — The bars are stocked across America, and the pubs are getting ready in England. A 70½-foot billboard of Clint Dempsey stands near Penn Station in Manhattan, and there's even a large poster of Landon Donovan in a store along Piccadilly Circus.

American soccer has never been more popular in the United States or its players more well-known across the world. And on Saturday comes the first competitive match between the U.S. and England since the great American upset at the 1950 World Cup. For one afternoon, millions will be watching from California to New York island. Like never before in the United States, this is the sport's moment.

The USA World Cup 2010 Team

Click on link to read more:

http://www.naplesnews.com/news/2010/jun/11/do-americans-care-about-soccer-world-cup-sports-mo/?partner=RSS

World Cup: U.S.-U.K. Match Ends in 1-1 Tie

The United States held England to a 1-1 draw in their World Cup opener Saturday, with a stunning blunder by England goalkeeper Robert Green costing his team victory.

An apparently harmless 25-yard left-foot shot from Clint Dempsey in the 40th minute went straight at Green but the ball bounced off his right glove and trickled over the line for an equalizer.

England captain Steven Gerrard had given England the lead in the fourth, charging into the area and shooting with the outside of his foot past Tim Howard for his 17th international goal.
England, pursuing its first World Cup title since 1966, created more chances but the Americans held firm under pressure with a string of saves from Howard.

Green's error brought looks of dismay from English fans who were a majority in the sellout crowd of more than 38,000 at the Royal Bafokeng Stadium.

At the final whistle, American fans applauded and waved their flags as their team came over to greet them while the English supporters stood mostly in silence after their team filed off the field with heads bowed.

Green's slip recalled a similar mistake by former goalkeeper Scott Carson against Croatia which denied England a place at the 2008 European Championship.

Dempsey became only the second American to score in two World Cups. He also scored in the 2006 tournament.

Gerrard's early strike helped settle the England team while the Americans struggled to find any rhythm.

The United States had little to show for its efforts before its goal. The best chances came from headers as playmaker Landon Donovan twice set up Jozy Altidore to head wide.

Wayne Rooney, regarded as England's most threatening player, saw little of the ball and had little impact on the match.

Emile Heskey slammed into Howard in the 29th, hitting the goalkeeper in the chest with the toe of his boot as both went to meet a low cross from Aaron Lennon.

Heskey, making his first start since October, broke clear in the 52nd but shot straight at Howard, who came sprinting to the edge of the penalty area.

Howard was called into action again soon after as he tipped an effort from Frank Lampard over the bar, and at the other end Green deflected a shot from Altidore onto the crossbar in the 65th.

Rooney almost connected with a cross from Gerrard at the back post, and then set up substitute Shaun Wright-Phillips for a clear shot from the left which Howard stopped.

England coach Fabio Capello cranked up the pressure late in the match, bringing on Peter Crouch with 10 minutes remaining to supply Rooney with more possession, but there was no way through the American defense.

Lineups:

England: Robert Green, Glen Johnson, John Terry, Ledley King (Jamie Carragher, 45), Ashley Cole, Aaron Lennon, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, James Milner (Shaun Wright-Phillips, 31), Wayne Rooney, Emile Heskey (Peter Crouch, 79).

United States: Tim Howard, Steve Cherundolo, Jay DeMerit, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Landon Donovan, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Clint Dempsey, Jozy Altidore (Stuart Holden, 86), Robbie Findley (Edson Buddle, 77).

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/06/12/sportsline/main6575662.shtml

2010 FIFA World Cup™: United States

Last night:  England 1 : 1 United States

Upcoming matches:

Slovenia vs. United States - 18 Jun 4:00pm

United States vs. Algeria - 23 Jun 4:00pm

* All times are South Africa Time

Football Fever ~ Now You Know Why I Watch!!!

ti voglio leccare.

ti ciuccio il cazzo

sei grosso

c'hai un bel culo rotondo

che cazzone!

sei un vero uomo con un bel pene grosso. ora, scopami! fammi in culo! ti puliro' le palle. bel cazzone!