wolf stansson

Zelalem is good, bruh. The Fabregas comps aren't crazy.

Just heard the I believe chant at this RB-Arsenal friendly, so that's officially played out. Cringe.

Not a ton of touches so far but Zelalem is very calm, surprisingly strong and moves like an Arsenal developed mf off the ball.

Zelalem starting for Arsenal. The way Wenger has been so effusively playing along with the media covering Zelalem as a US prospect makes me think that he knows something. We need a media event where he sits at a table with a Germany hat and a US hat in front of him and declares officially.

http://gianlucadimarzio.com/en/calciomercato/roma-close-the-deal-for-yedlin-figures-and-details/

Zelalem can ball too. USA USA

Jeff Bradley did a great interview with Wegner & Gazidis. Some insight into Zelalem and how Arsene sees him as well. http://www.si.com/soccer/planet-futbol/2014/07/24/arsene-wenger-arsenal-ivan-gazidis-gedion-zelalem-alexis-sanchez-red-bulls

Red Bulls fans should have some fun with this now that Lampard has signed with NYCFC: http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/british-soccer-star-mocked-americans-9-11-article-1.1874241

6'0", 160 Hence my dumb anecdote. He's tiny. I'm 5'11 and towered over him. By -1"? Oh [expletive], I forgot I wore stilts that night. My bad, guys. Special apologies to you, Derwood, as you seem to be particularly invested in Brooks' height. I thought he was a make a wish kid before he took his warm up off and I realized he was Aaron Brooks.

6'0", 160 Hence my dumb anecdote. He's tiny. I'm 5'11 and towered over him.

I sat right behind the rockets bench a few years ago. Aaron Brooks is one of the tiniest, non-little person men I've ever seen. 5'4, 130 if I had to guess.

There is a lot to like about Chelsea. London, winning, Mourinho's managerial style being basically a mix between Ozzie Guillen's mouth and Bill Belichek's brain and cool jerseys. I like Fabregas. John Terry and Roman Abramovich are loathsome but I'd rather any American love Chelsea than be ambivalent about soccer.

La Liga is boring even though it has more world class talent on its two best clubs than every other league's top 4 or 5 clubs. I should be less critical of the EPL. It's the most accessible European league for American fans by far. It's my favorite foreign league. It's just kind of cliche. Every World Cup cycle there' are writers and sports fans that ask which EPL team to support. That's not how any other fandom works and so it never sticks. Bill Simmons is not a Tottenham fan but he sure did write tens of thousands of words about becoming one. Every year there's an NBA to EPL translator or an MLB or even a damn Game of Thrones to EPL one. None of that crap is analogous. It's all dumb fun but not any way to become an actual fan. I think you just have to jump in and let a team find you. Love the sport and wait for your hook. My hook is the national team and it's forever quest to develop a world class player. That won't work for everyone. Maybe you'll love a manager like Mourinho or Klopp. Maybe you'll love a player like Gotze or James. Maybe you'll just love Inter's jersey or Fulham's stadium. There's lots to discover and shoehorning yourself into Chelsea is boring.

Any thoughts on Besler staying with SKC? At his age, it rules out Europe but I think that's fine. He's done fine as an MLS product and honestly if it opens up the Erik Palmer-Brown move to Juve now that SKC has their top CB pairing locked up, that's a more beneficial move for the MNT long-term. A 19 year old taking a crack at the big time with tons of growth potential vs a 27 year old grinding a lower-table EPL team is a better outcome. Let Bes be a leader for SKC and the league for the next 5-10 years. I do think staying might put him out of a job in 4 years with the US based on Brooks' growth, but that might have happened anyway. Sounds like Yedlin's move is just waiting on getting a Latvian passport. Greg Seltzer has Inter, Napoli and Arsenal as the three contenders. Roma out because they want him in January and he wants to go now. I'd be thrilled with whichever of those clubs offer him the best crack at PT. Whys it gotta be in England, y'all? I've never been able to love a euro club but if I could, I'd go for Dortmund or Inter or something on that level. I'm sure wherever the first american makes a break through on the champions league level, I'll become a fan, but to just jump on a team like Chelsea? I tried but never stuck. No heart there. Just drama, which can be fun, but not satisfying. My advice would be to watch everything interesting, just dive in. When a personality or event sucks you in, you'll know. Tons of stuff out there.

Don't know what to make of that move. Too old to play for a reserve team and not good enough to break through for their first team.

Benny Feilhaber is balling. The fringe national team player today is so much better than it's ever been.

Not bad for a tiny, young Pete Campbell lookalike with weird ass eyebrows.

I get the distinct feeling 2022 may not really be in Qatar. I was going to say, why would they play games in the middle of the night local time for the upcoming USA World Cup Could easily be Australia. They had a great bid, too.

How awesome is it that David Blatt, a career basketball, journeyman/grinder/run&gun coach, now finds himself at the helm of a team with Kyrie Irving and LeBron James on the roster and possibly Kevin Love? After decades in Europe and Israel climbing the ranks, this is his reward. Great story. Really looking forward to watching that city and team next year.

Whoa. When discussing the young players he "can't wait" to mentor, Andrew Wiggins was not mentioned.

Congrats, Cavs bros: http://www.si.com/nba/2014/07/11/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers

Apparently Inter have joined the Yedlin race. http://www.calciomercato.com/news/l-inter-si-inserisce-alla-corsa-per-yedlin-184141 http://www.calciomercato.com/prima-pagina/born-in-the-usa-yedlin-la-saetta-di-seattle-che-corre-da-inter-e-374532

Sounders-Timbers Open Cup game last night was fiery. 1-1 in regulation after a filthy Nagbe goal in like the 85th minute. Red card on Portland and Seattle won 3-1. What I'm saying is that Sunday night's game on ESPN is going to be amazing.

Over. Messi goes for immortality vs the unstoppable German machine.

Always let your defender take the fist PK. I mean never.