Manchester United - The Continuing Quest for the Quadruple

[Eaglesfan27]

Doing the replay now, hopefully it will go similar to last time:

11 minute mark: Downing dribbles left of the box.. he centers it to Schreurs who heads it.. into the crossbar.. rooney gets the rebound.. shoots... upper left corner.. GOAL!!! 1-0. That is Rooney's 20th of the year!

27 minute mark: Rooney dribbles left of the box.. past a defender.. centers to the far post.. Adriano heads it.. into the crossbar.


33 minute mark: Schreurs gets a yellow card for tripping his man.


Halftime: 1-0 lead.

48 minute mark: Schreurs passes to Adriano right of the box.. he holds it up.. passes it to Schreurs in the middle of the box.. Schreurs shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

59 minute mark: Downing passes to Rooney left of the box.. he crosses it long to Schreurs who heads it to Godoy in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. inches wide left.

62 minute mark: Ortega on for Schreurs and Barbosa on for Downing.

74 minute mark: Brown on for Boogaart.

85 minute mark: Ortega passes to Rooney who is breaking away.. great pass.. Rooney dribbles into the box.. shoots.. lower right corner.. GOAL!!! 3-0.


Game over. 3-0 win. Close enough to the last game (which I need to forget about.)

We outshot them 19-10 (9-3 on target)

Rooney wins MoM, 10 for form, 15 of 19 passes, 1 key pass, 1 of 4 tackles, 3 of 8 headers, 1 interception, 7 runs, 1 foul drawn, 2 goals.

Downing had a 9 for form. Every other starter had an 8.

[Eaglesfan27]

Now, I'm playing the Manchester united - Middlesbrough game.

I'm using the same lineup except I'm starting Rooney and Adriano at striker since they weren't as tired this time...


17 minute mark: Barbosa passes to Rooney.. he centers it to the far post.. Adriano heads it.. good save by the keeper.

25 minute mark: Michael Mancienne kicks Adriano (the striker!) Mancienne is given a red card and is ejected!!!

35 minute mark: Barbosa passes to Rooney left of the box.. he dribbles between two defenders.. shoots the sharply angled shot.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

41 minute mark: Barbosa passes it to Rooney in the left corner of the pitch.. Rooney gets to it.. draws wo defenders over.. quick pass to Adriano just outside the 6 yard box.. Adriano shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.



Halftime: 2-0 lead for us. We have over 73,000 fans here today.



46 minue mark: Barbosa takes a corner kick.. to the middle of the box.. Godoy heads it.. he is pushed down by a centreback.. Penalty awarded.. Ortega takes the penalty shot.. the keeper dives to his left.. blocks it.. Ortega gets the rebound... shoots it over the keeper who is still on the ground! GOAL!!!! 3-0.

70 minute mark: McFadden on for Rooney, King on for Adriano, and Cook on for Godoy.

72 minute mark: Schmidt throws it to King in the left side of the box.. he knocks it down.. turns.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!! 4-0.

90 minute mark: Ortega dribbles past two defenders.. crosses it to the near post.. Parker with a diving header.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 5-0.



Game over. 5-0 win for us (I'm glad to be done the "replay" games and get back to where my computer froze. I hate having to re-write history.

We outshot them 20-0 (12-0 on target)

Barbosa wins MoM, 10 for form, 15 of 23 passes, 3 key passes, 0 tackles, 4 of 6 headers, 1 interception, 12 runs, 5 fouls drawn, and 1 assist.

Miller, Ortega, and Parker all had 9's for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 6, 2016 -

How interesting. Alberto Flores said he would rather remain with our U18 team and he rejected the loan to Reading.


Today we travel to play Coventry in an EPL Match. They are in 17th and we are in 1st because Derby tied Chelsea 0-0 last match! Coventry is led by Wayne Worthington who is their leading scorer with 8 goals. However, the rest of the team isn't providing much supprt. Dalibor Glavina, a midfielder, has 4 goals, but no one else has more than 1 goal. Jeroen Drost leads the defense along with Martin Scott. Cedric Rossi is a 19 year old very raw keeper. Marco Tedeschi is still injured, and we will probably face this kid and it should make for an easy game for us.


We are 4-7 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 40's.



GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Cardozo
DC: Lucio
DR: Miller
ML: Barbosa
MC: Parker
MC: Fletcher
MR: Schreurs
SC: McFadden
SC: King

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Adriano
s3: Wood
S4: Rooney (only to play if we are down at halftime.)
S5: Cahais

[Eaglesfan27]

I just got word that Alberto Flores had a hattrick for our U18 team in a 3-0 win against Blackpool earlier today!

10 minute mark: Barbosa passes to Parker in the box.. their defender trips him.. penalty awarded.. Lucio takes it.. shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper dives.. blocks it... the defense clears it.

24 minute mark: Rossi stops a flurry of shots by our guys! The young keeper is playing above himself at this point.

44 minute mark: Barbosa with a corner kick to Cardozo outside the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. blocks it.


Halftime: 0-0 tie.



50 minute mark: Parker passes it to King in the box.. he heads it.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.

57 minute mark: Fletcher passes to Parker.. he shoots from 25 yards out.. powerful banana shot.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0. Parker is playing great this season!

72 minute mark: Cahais on for Cardozo who is exhausted, and Wood on for Parker who is tired.

89 minute mark: Wood passes to McFadden in the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper blocks it.

90 minute mark: Fletcher passes to Schreurs right of the box.. he centers it to King.. King is 10 yards out.. shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it.. still a goal! GOAL!!!! 2-0.


Game over. 2-0 win

We outshot them 20-9 (9-2 on target)

Barbosa wins MoM, 10 for form, 23 of 31 passes, 2 key passes, 4 of 8 tackles, 1 of 8 headers, 2 interceptions, 16 runs, 4 douls drawn.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Schreurs has picked up a 1 match ban for too many yellow cards.



Chelsea lost to Everton 2-0!!! We are alone in 1st place, 3 points ahead of them!

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 8, 2016 -

Boogaart, Ortega, and Rooney were all selected to the EPL Team of the Week.


Alberto Flores played for Spains U19 team in a friendly and had a goal in their 2-1 win over Belgium.



Feb 10, 2016 -

Alberto Flores had 2 goals and an assist for our Reserve team as they beat Blackburn's reserves 4-0. Flores is playing great so far.

Feb 12, 2016 -

Michael Oswald has resumed light training. He will be at full strength in about a month.

Fulham took a heavy blow as they lost Thomas Hitzlsperger to a broken leg for the next 2-3 months.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 13, 2016 -

Today we host Charlton in an EPL Match. They are in 14th while we are in 1st. Charlton's offense is below average and their defense has been bad this year. Stephan Andersen is having a good year in goal despite facing plenty of shots. He has 15 clean sheets in 32 starts. Alan Harrison and Andy Campbell are playing good at midfield and right wing respectively. Ryan Smith is their leading goal scorer with 6 goals from his striker position. Ross McCormack, the other striker, also has 6 goals. Scott Murphy is the only defender playing well.


We are heavy 1-6 favorites.

It is raining with temperatures in the 30's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: O'Shea
DC: Miller
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Parker
MC: Godoy
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Barbosa
S3: McFadden
s4: King
s5: Cahais

[Eaglesfan27]

If I don't get to post what happened in this game, it is due to a tropical storm heading this way. Cindy just made my lights flicker twice (and my modem go out twice.) Fortunately, the laptop is running on battery backup.

[illinifan999]

We're now managing at the same place. ManU finally fired Steve Bruce who had been with them from the second year of my career to now, 2015. Almost 10 years with one club, I'm impressed, but as soon as they offered me the job I had to say goodbye to Real Madrid and to all the young Americans I imported who had sick skills.

[Eaglesfan27]

5 minute mark: O'Shea starts the counterattack.. passes to Rooney just inside our half.. Rooney with a long pass just outside the box.. Adriano gets to it.. dribbles past two defenders chasing him.. shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0. That is Adriano's 10th of the year.

11 minute mark: Barry Parker gets a yellow card for tripping one of their men.

13 minute mark: Downing gets a yellow card for obstructing their man.

22 minute mark: Boogaart with starts a counterattack.. 60 yard pass.. Adriano gets it just inside the box.. he fakes out the keeper.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.



Halftime: 2-0 lead. We have over 72,000 fans here today.



53 minute mark: Downing with a corner kick to the far post... Adriano outjumps his man.. heads it.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 3-0. That is his hattrick!

57 minute mark; Godoy passes to Ortega.. Ortega is just outside the box... he passes to Godoy.. Godoy shoots.. the defender blocks it.. Ortega passes to Rooney.. he is inside the 6 yard box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 4-0.

63 minute mark: Downing passes to Rooney in the left side of the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 5-0.

64 minute mark: Cahais on for Schmidt. McFadden on for Rooney, and King on for Adriano.

Rooney and Adriano each get standing ovations.

89 minute mark: Downing passes to King in the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 6-0.


Game over. 6-0 win

We outshot them 21-1 (15-0 on target)

Adriano wins MoM, 10 for form, 8 of 11 passes, 1 key pass, 0 tackles, 6 of 8 headers, 1 interception, 1 run, 3 goals.

Downing also had a 10. Boogaart, Miller, Parker, and Rooney all had 9's.

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by illinifan999

We're now managing at the same place. ManU finally fired Steve Bruce who had been with them from the second year of my career to now, 2015. Almost 10 years with one club, I'm impressed, but as soon as they offered me the job I had to say goodbye to Real Madrid and to all the young Americans I imported who had sick skills.

Sorry to hear you left those young Americans, but you can always try to bring them to Manchester United!

Good luck with them

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 14, 2016 -

Arsenal sacked Antonio Lopez today. They are rumored to be interested in hiring Charlton boss Ernie Tippett.



Feb 15, 2016 -

Boogaart, O'Shea, and Parker were all selected to the EPL Team of the Week.



Feb 17, 2016 -

Liverpool lost Nicky Platt to a partially torn hamstring today. He is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.


Tullio Gritti has been sacked by Chievo.


Alberto Flores had a 9 for form with 2 assists in our reserves 3-0 win over Middlesbrough's reserves.


Feb 18, 2016 -

My plan to start O'Shea in our next match was ruined as he sprained his ankle and will miss at least a week.

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 24, 2016 -

Today we host Maccabi Haifa in the 1st leg of the 1st knockout round of the Champiopns League. This Israeli team has very few good players and we should be able to beat them easily. Their man players are midfielder Guillermo Pablo Israilevich, a 33 year old midfielder who has a decent skill level. Milan Stojanovic is a decent fullback. Nir Shemesh is a 21 year old striker with good speed and potential. Nir Ohayon is a 24 year old centbreack with good jumping abilities. Haim Ghnayem is a 29 year old keeper with excellent aerial ability.

We are 4-7 favorites.

It's raining with temperatures in the 30's.



GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Marchetti
DC: Miller
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Parker
MC: Godoy
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: McFadden
S3: Barbosa
S4: Fletcher
S5: Cahais
S6: Schreurs
S7: King

[Eaglesfan27]

16 minute mark: Miller with a long pass to Adriano.. he heads it to Ortega who is right of the box..... Ortega crosses it to the near post.. Adriano heads it.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

21 minute mark: Downing dribbles past two defenders.. into the left side of the box.. short cross.. near post.. Rooney heads it.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!! 2-0. That is Rooney's 25th goal of the year.

32 minute mark: Downing with a corner to the near post.. Adriano heads it.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!! 3-0.



Halftime: 3-0 lead for us. We have over 65,000 fans here today.



50 minute mark: Schmidt passes to Rooney.. he heads it back to Parker.. Parker shoots from 25 yards out.. strong curving shot.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 4-0.

62 minute mark: King on for Adriano.

67 minute mark: Ortega dribbles past three defenders.. into the right side of the box.. he is using speed, dribbling, and great vision.. quick pass to King on his left.. King slams it home into the open net as the keeper had come over to meet Ortega! GOAL!!!! 5-0.

78 minute mark: Miller passes to King who heads it to Ortega.. Ortega dribbles into the box.. fakes out a defender.. draws the keeper over.. fires a pass towards the far post.. King hits it on the half-volley.. GOAL!!!! 6-0.

81 minute mark: Schmidt throws it into King.. a defender heads it away.. Boogaart gets the ball.. he is 30 yards out.. he shoots.. strong curving shot.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 7-0. That is Boogaart's first ever for us.

91 minute mark: Boogaart with a long pass to King right of the box.. he dribbles into the right side of the box.. passes it to the far post.. Downing heads it.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 8-0.


Game over. 8-0 win for us

We outshot them 16-0 (13-0 on target)

Downing wins MoM, 10 for form, 12 of 18 passes, 3 key passes, 1 of 2 tackles, 1 of 6 headers, 1 interception, 13 runs, 2 assists, 1 goal.

Ortega and Rooney also had 10's for form.

Boogaart, Parker, Godoy, and Adriano all had 9's for form.

[daedalus]

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Alberto Flores had 2 goals and an assist for our Reserve team as they beat Blackburn's reserves 4-0. Flores is playing great so far.

That boy is just a tiny bit special. Apparently.

Maybe that's the Adu that you missed out on.

Originally Posted by Eaglesfan27

Liverpool lost Nicky Platt to a partially torn hamstring today. He is expected to miss 6-8 weeks.

So, ummm, what're the odds of him coming back, y'know, slower?

[Eaglesfan27]

Originally Posted by daedalus

That boy is just a tiny bit special. Apparently.

Maybe that's the Adu that you missed out on. So, ummm, what're the odds of him coming back, y'know, slower?

OOC NOTE:


The storm has passed after knocking out my power last night (along with tens or even a hundred thousand other homes,) and I'm at work today, but I'm thrilled to see that the school has actually set up my email!!!

This is especially important since my boss called out today, and therefore cancelled my orientation, but I'm still required to be here today for at least 6 hours. Lots of time to catch up on other dynasties as all of my patients have cancelled too!

/ooc

Yeah, I don't have the game here at work, but I know that Flores is averaging over a goal/game and a half of an assist/game. He is looking very special. Hopefully, he'll continue to grow. My only concern is his lack of footspeed, and if that will hamper him too much in the EPL...

Good question about Platt

[Eaglesfan27]

Feb 28, 2016 -

John O'Shea strained his calf and will miss about 2 weeks.


March 1, 2016 -

The board is pleased with my performance as manager.


Barry Parker has won EPL Player of the Month Award. Arjen Robben of Chelsea came in 2nd, and Christian Schulz of Fulham came in 3rd.


Chris Miller won the EPL Young Player of the Month Award. Paul Simpson of Derby came in 2nd and Massimo Macuso of West Ham came in 3rd.


I won the Manager of the Month Award to get the clean sweep of EPL Awards this month! Steve Coppell of Fulham came in 2nd, and Henk ten Cate of Bolton came in 3rd.



Wayne Rooney's goal against Middlesbrough won goal of the Month. Barry Parker came in 2nd for his goal against Coventry on the 6th.


Ernie Tippett has been hired away from Charlton to take over at Arsenal.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 2, 2016 -

Today we travel to play Derby in an EPL Match. They are in 19th while we are in 1st. Derby has a weak offense and a decent but below average defense. Richard James and Tom Davis, their two centrebacks, have been their most consistent players this year. Paul Simpson is a young rising star at midfielder. Robbie Keane is their leading scorer and top striker but he is injured for this game. Luis Carlos is a good keeper who has been erratic this past month.


We are 1-3 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 70's.



GK: Adriano
DL: Schmidt
DC: Cardozo
DC: Marchetti
DR: Miller
ML: Downing
MC: Parker
MC: Godoy
MR: Ortega
SC: McFadden
SC: King

S1: Howard
S2: Cahais
S3: Barbosa
S4: Djemba
S5: Rooney

[Eaglesfan27]

9 minute mark: Downing gets a yellow card for elbowing Mabizela.

13 minute mark: William Flood gets a yellow card for a trip on Marchetti.

18 minute mark: Miller passes it down the right sideline to King outside he box.. he centers it to McFadden.. the defense tackles him before he can shoot.

33 minute mark: McFadden is called for being offside.. Parker argues the call.. Parker gets a yellow card.

42 minute mark: Ortega gets a yellow card for a trip on his man.

45 minute mark: MCFadden passes it between two defenders to king in the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper saves it.



Halftime: 0-0 tie. They have about 33,000 fans here today.



48 minute mark: Godoy passes to Parker.. he shoots from 25 yards out.. strong curving shot... upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.

71 minute mark: Rooney on for King and I slide McFadden over to the right striker (putting Rooney at his preferred left striker.)

78 minute mark: Djemba on for Parker and Barbosa on for Downing.

89 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past his man.. crosses it to the far post.. McFadden heads it.. into the crossbar.. the defense clears the rebound.


Game over. 0-0 tie. Disappointing considering they are a much weaker team.

We outshot them 15-5 (5-1 on target)

Luis Carlos, their keeper, wins MoM, 5 saves, 16 of 28 passes, 8 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

We remain 1 point ahead of Chelsea at this point.

Alberto Flores had his first average game with just a 7 for form and no assists or goals in a 2-0 win for our reserves over Bolton's reserves. Dalibor Stevanovic had a goal and an assist in the match.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 5, 2016 -

Today we host Sunderland in an EPL Match. They are in 4th while we remain in 1st. Luke us, they have a diversified offense and a good defense. Sheyi Emmanuel Adebayor is the leading scorer with 11 goals and 4 assists. Peter Williamson is a young striker who is rotating and he has 10 goals in 14 starts and 10 relief appearances. Thomas Hassing Skjaerbaek has 9 goals from his midfielder position. Harmen Boven has 8 goals from the other midfield position. Fabrice Piet who used to be with Arsenal is playing excellent defense since coming to sunderland at the start of this season. Steven Taylor is playing well at centreback. Luca Brunoni is having a bad season in goal, but the offense and defense are picking him up.


We are 4-7 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 50's.


GK: Howard
DL: Cahais
DC: Cardozo
DC: Miller
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Parker
MC: Fletcher
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Wood
S3: Barbosa
S4: King
S5: Marchetti

[Eaglesfan27]

8 minute mark: Downing dribbles down the left sideline.. past two men.. crosses it to the far post.. adriano with a header.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

12 minute mark: the Centreback trips Rooney in the box.. the ref awards a penalty.. Fletcher steps up... blast a shot to the upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

20 minute mark: Novak with a long range shot.. Howard catches it easily.

32 minute mark: Dwoning passes to rooney on the left edge of the box.. he dribbles past a defender... shoots an impossibly angled shot... it hits the right goalpost.. bounces in! GOAL!!!! 3-0.

44 minute mark: Downing passes to the right side of the box.. right to Ortega's feet.. he dribbles twice.. shoots.. tight angle.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 4-0.


Halftime: 4-0 lead. We have over 70,000 fans here today.



70 minute mark: Barbosa on for Rooney, King on for Adriano, and Marchetti on for Miller.


Game over. 4-0 win for us.

We outshot them 14-3 (8-2 on target)

Downing wins MoM, 10 for form, 18 of 21 passes, 3 of 4 tackles, 0 headers, 15 runs, 1 foul drawn, and 3 assists.

Ortega also had a 10 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar. 6, 2016 -

Darren Fletcher suffered a groin strain today and will miss at least 2 weeks.


Chelsea tied West Ham 1-1 today. Hopefully, we can use this to expand our margin over them in the EPL.


March 7, 2016 -

I was planning on starting Lucio in our next match. However, today in training he suffered a dislocated shoulder and will miss at least 6 weeks.


Dalibor Stevanovic misses training yesterday without prior approval. I fine him 1 week's wages for his unprofessional behavior. If he does it again, I'll fine him 2 weeks wages.


Boogaart and Fletcher were named to the EPL Team of the Week.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 8, 2016 -

Dalibor Stevanovic indicated that he deserved the fine and that he will not repeat his unacceptable behaviour in the future.



March 9, 2016 -

Today we play Maccabi Haifa in the 2nd leg of the 1st knockout round of the Champions League. We are up 8-0 on aggregate and I feel confident about our advancement to the next round.

We are 4-7 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 60's.


GK: Adriano
DL: Cahais
DC: Marchetti
DC: Boogaart
DR: Miller
ML: Barbosa
MC: Wood
MC: Cook
MR: Ortega
SC: McFadden
SC: King

S1: Howard
S2: Djemba
S3: Alfonso
S4: Schmidt
S5: Adriano
S6: Downing
S7: Rooney

[Eaglesfan27]

13 minute mark: Barbosa gets a yellow card for pushing their right back.

28 minute mark: Cook intercepts a keeper kick.. passes to King in the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. it hits the crossbar.

30 minute mark: Atar passes to Fligman.. he passes to Malka just outside the box.. upper left corner.. Adriano dives.. can't reach it. GOAL. Down 1-0, but up 8-1 on aggregate.


Halftime: Down 1-0, up 8-1 on aggregate.


53 minute mark: I slide Cook to right wing and put Djemba on for Ortega who is very tired. Alfonso on for Barbosa.

82 minute mark: King is hurt.. he is clutching his leg.. I put Adriano on for him.


Game over. 1-0 loss, but 8-1 win on aggregate.

Wow. We were outshot 18-2 (7-1 on target)

Adriano wins MoM, 6 saves, 8 of 19 passes, 9 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Craig King suffered a severely sprained knee and is expected to be out for 2-3 weeks.

Matias Cahais suffered a groin strain that will likely keep him out 2 weeks.

Jamie Cook bruised his ribs and will miss a few days.


Fortunately, our next match is 11 days away.


Alberto Flores helped guide the reserves to a 2-0 win over Leicester. He didn't have any goals or assists, but he had a 9 for form and was the MoM with excellent all around play.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar 10, 2016 -

Auxerre have hired Louis Saha as their new manager. Auxerre is currently 12th in the French First League and Saha will have his work cut out for him.


March 11, 2016 -

We have drawn Valencia in the Quarter Final of the Champions League. This should be a tough matchup. We will play the first leg on April 6th.

The other matchups are:

Real Madrid vs Chelsea

Milan vs Aston Villa

Juventus vs Inter.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar 13, 2016 -

Lazio sacked Roberto Mancini. Giorgio Pellizzaro is suspected to be the likely replacement.

Barcelona has sacked Victor Munoz. They are currently 11th in the Spanish First Division. Pako Ayestaran is believed to be the favorite to take over with Antonio Lopez (recently fired by Arsenal) also listed as a favorite.



March 16, 2016 -

Tottenham beat Chelsea 2-0! Our lead over Chelsea now grows to 6 points with 10 games to go.


March 17, 2016 -

Michael Oswald has resumed training after being out almost 5 months due to his injury.

I'm going to try to get him on as a rotator in our next game if we have a lead.


March 19, 2016 -

Boogaart suffered a strained ankle ligament in training yesterday, and he is expected to miss 2-3 weeks.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 20, 2016 -

Today we travel to play Everton in an EPL Match. They are in 12th while we are in 1st. Everton's top striker is Neil Gibson, a 26 year old English striker who is an excellent leaper. Gibson has 8 goals in 17 starts. Benoit Grange is a 22 year old keeper with tremendeous potential acquired from Liverpool, and he is showing that potential at times but is having so bad games as well. He has 29 starts wth 13 clean sheets, but he is giving up 2.2 goals/game in the other 16 starts. Aleksander Djuric is a 27 year old centreback who is very fast, strong, and he is having a terrific season so far. Valery Mezague is having a very good year in the midfield with 9 assists and 2 goals in 22 starts. He is also playing solid defense.


We are 4-6 favorites.

It's raining with temperatures in the 60's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Cardozo
DC: Marchetti
DR: Miller
ML: Downing
MC: Parker
MC: Godoy
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
s2: Barbosa
S3: McFadden
S4: Oswald (hoping to work on getting his legs back.)
S5: Schreurs (just back from his injury, also want to get his legs back.)

[Eaglesfan27]

16 minute mark: Miller passes to Ortega who heads it to Adriano in the box.. Dennis Cagara with a good defensive play.

26 minute mark: Howard passes it long to Downing left of the box.. he centers it to Adriano in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. blocks it.. the defense barely beats Adriano to the rebound.. they clear it.

43 minute mark: Scott Laird passes to Right winger Jose ignacio Carreno in the right side of the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. Howard dives.. misses it! GOAL. Down 1-0.


Halftime: Down 1-0. Rooney picked up a knock just before the half and is limping. I'll see if he can play, but I might pull him in the next 3 minutes if he can't run well.

50 minute mark: Downing passes to Parker outside the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. strong curving shot. The keeper dives.. catches it.

51 minute mark: McFadden on for Rooney who is limping.

58 minute mark: Downing throws it into to McFadden.. he heads it to Godoy by the right post.. Godoy shoots.. the keeper dives.. blocks it. Amazing save.

69 minute mark: Mezague passes to McDonald in the box.. McDonald shoots.. lower right corner.. Howard is out of position to stop that.. GOAL. Down 2-0.

71 minute mark: Downing dribbles left of the box.. short cross.. McFadden heads it.. upper left corner.. the keeper catches it.


Game over. 2-0 loss. Very disappointing.

We were outshot 10-8 (5-5 on target)

Aleksandar Djuric wins MoM, 9 for form, 29 of 36 passes, 1 key pass, 4 of 4 tackles, 12 of 13 headers, 4 inerceptions, 2 fouls drawn.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 22, 2016 -

Barcelona announced that they have hired Antonio Lopez.

Our U18 team beat Manchester City's U18 team 4-1. Alberto Flores had a 10 for form, won MoM, and had 2 assists and a goal. He completed 27 of 29 passes.

[Eaglesfan27]

March 23, 2016 -

Today we host Aston Villa in an EPL Match. We are in 1st place. They are in 4th place. Luke Moore has been devastating at striker and he leads the team with 20 goals. Jhon Jairo Mosquera has been a good #2 striker and he has 14 goals on the year. Ville-pekka Luukkonen has developed into a very good attacking midfielder and he has 8 goals and 7 assists. Chris Cohen has aken over for Gael Clichy at left back in the last few games and Cohen is playing very well. Jordi is playing well at right back. Chris Taylor is playing very well in goal the last few weeks, and I find myself wondering for just a second if I should have kept him as Howard's successor.


We are 4-5 favorites.

It's raining with temperatures in the 40's.



GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Cardozo
DC: Marchetti
DR: Miller
ML: Barbosa
MC: Downing
MC: Parker
MR: Schreurs
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: O'Shea
S3: ortega
s4: Oswald
s5: Djemba

[Eaglesfan27]

5 minute mark: Barbosa passes to Rooney in the left side of the box.. he shoots a sharply angled shot.. past the keeper.. it hits the crossbar and takes a bizarre bounce... the defense clears it before we can get to it outside the right side of the box.

22 minute mark: Marchetti is whistled for pushing mosquera in the box.. penalty awarded.. Gareth Barry steps up to take it.. blasts a powerful shot.. upper right corner.. Howard dives but it is out of his reach. GOAL. Down 1-0.

41 minute mark: Downing passes to Parker.. he shoots from 25 yards out.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.

45 minute mark: Barbosa dribbles past two men left of the box.. nice cross.. Taylor punches it away before it reaches Rooney.

45 minute mark: Schreurs crosses it to Adriano.. he is pushed down by Taylor.. penalty! Downing steps up.. shoots.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-1.


Halftime: 1-1 tie. We have over 72,000 fans here today.



46 minute mark: Adriano steals it from the centreback.. shoots from 25 yards out.. powerful banana shot.. upper right corner.. Taylor dives.. blocks it.

48 minute mark: Downing passes it to Rooney in the left side of the box.. he shoots.. the ball bounces off a defender.. to Barbosa.. he passes across the box.. to schreurs in the middle of the box 15 yards out.. he hits it on the half-volley with an athletic move.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-1. That is Schreurs's 5th of the year.

57 minute mark: Barbosa passes from midfield to rooney left of the box.. he quickly centers it to the far post.. Adriano heads it.. great save by Taylor.

68 minute mark: Marchetti starts a long counterattack.. Rooney with a breakaway.. dribbles into the box... Taylor backpedals.. Rooney shoots.. upper right corner.. Taylor blocks it.

72 minute mark: oswald on for Rooney who is tired, and Djemba on for Downing.

78 minute mark: Djemba passes to Barbosa who passes to Oswald just left of the box.. he dribbles into the box.. draws a defender over.. fires a pass to Adriano.. he heads it.. over the bar.

82 minute mark: Chris Miller gets a yellow card for a very hard tackle on Gael Clichy.

86 minute mark: Jordi and Barbosa collided.. Barbosa looks hurt.

87 minute mark: Djemba passes to oswald in the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.

88 minute mark: Howard stops a flurry of shots before Miller finally clears it.

90 minute mark: Barbosa passes to Oswald left of the box.. he passes back to Djemba.. djemba passes to Oswald in the middle of the box.. he blasts a shot.. lower right corner.. no chance for the keeper.. GOAL!!!! 3-1.


Game over. 3-1 win.

We outhsot them 18-7 (9-6 on target)

Howard had a 10 for form and wins MoM, 5 saves and 9 of 9 passing.

Barbosa also had a 10 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Mar 25, 2016 -

Antonio Blanco has been called up to spain's u19 team for their friendly versus Switzerland's U19 team.


May 26, 2016 -

17 year old Alberto Flores has been called up to Spain's U21 team for their friendly against Switzerland on the 29th!

Michael Oswald has been called up to Germany's U21 team.

[Eaglesfan27]

May 26, 2016 -

Today we travel to play Tottenham. They are in 8th while we are in 1st. Chelsea is just 3 points behind us with 8 games to go. Tottenham is led by a very good defense, ut their offense has been just average the last few weeks. Carlton Cole leads the tema with 9 goals and he hasn't scored much in the last few weeks. Andrea Conte is developing nicely as a secondary striker. The 25 year old has 9 goals and 5 assists in 25 starts and he is developing a very nice shooting touch. Jason Eaton is playing well in the midfield, and Davide Chiumiento is playing VERY well at left wing. He has 6 goals and 10 assists on the year so far. Paul Robinson is 36 and he is starting to show his age, but he still remains the #1 keeper over Jesus. Robinson has 11 clean sheets in 27 starts.


We are 4-5 favorites.

It's overcast with temperatures in the 40's.

GK: Howard
DL: schmidt
DC: Cardozo
DC: Marchetti
DR: Miller
ML: Downing
MC: Parker
MC: Godoy
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
s2: Fletcher
S3: Schreurs
S4: Wright
S5: O'Shea

[Eaglesfan27]

2 minute mark: ortega passes to Parker 25 yards out.. he shoots.. over the bar.

8 minute mark: Godoy takes a free kick from midpitch.. he finds Marchetti just outside the box.. Marchetti shoots.. upper right corner.. curving slightly.. the keeper dives.. it's past him! GOAL!!!! 1-0.

26 minute mark: Ortega steals it from the left back.. centers it to Adriano just inside the box.. he shoots.. over the bar.

29 minute mark: Conte and Cardozo collide.. Cardozo is hurt.. he is screaming in agony. He has to be carried off the pitch. O'Shea on for cardozo.

36 minute mark: Downing dribbles down the left sideline.. crosses it to the far post.. Adriano heads it.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.

44 minute mark: Howard stops a point blank shot from Cole.


Halftime: 1-0 lead.



52 minute mark: Ortega gets a yellow card for a push on their defender.

56 minute mark: Downing passes it to Parker outside the box.. he heads it to Rooney inside the box.. Rooney shoots from 15 yards out.. lower right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-0.

75 minute mark: Fletcher on for Parker and Wright on for Rooney.

82 minute mark: Fletcher passes to Adriano in the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.

87 minute mark: Ortega dribbles up the right sideline.. he centers it to the far post.. wright heads it.. upper left corner.. it hits off the post.. and into the net! GOAL!!!! 3-0.

90 minute mark: Howard stops a long shot from Momo.



Game over. 3-0 win for us.

We outshot them 13-11 (9-9 on target)

Downing wins MoM, 10 for form, 12 of 14 passes, 1 key pass, 2 of 4 tackles, 0 of 2 headers, 1 interception, 15 runs, 3 fouls drawn.

Howard had a 9. Every other starter had an 8 (except Cardozo who was hurt early.) O'Shea also had an 8 as he did very well as a centreback this game.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Diego cardozo sprained his ankle and will miss at least 4 or 5 days.


Chelsea tied Leeds 0-0! We are now 5 points ahead of Chelsea with 7 games to go!

[Eaglesfan27]

March 28, 2016 -

Lazio have announced Giorgio Pellizzaro as their new manager.


Jhon Jairo Mosquera suffered a hip pointer and Aston villa will be without him for at least a month or two.


O'Shea and Downing were both selected to the EPL Team of the Week.


March 29, 2016 -

Darren Fletcher suffered a groin strain today and will miss at least 2 weeks.


Michael Oswald played well and had an assist in Germany's U21 1-1 tie with Hungary.


March 29, 2016 -

With Alberto Flores away on interntional duty, our reserves lost to Liverpool's reserves 1-0.


Alberto Flores didn't play in Spain's u21 match

[Eaglesfan27]

April 1, 2016 -

Today I'm renewing coaching contracts:

I decide to offer Fabien Barthez 17,000/week for a 4 year deal. He has become one of the best keeper coaches in the business.

Ruud van Nistelrooy isn't coaching well. I'm letting him go after the season and bringing in another striker coach.

Christian Roberts is a good 36 year old physio who is doing well. He only wants 2000/week for a 3 year deal. I agree.

Ivo Ulich is a 41 year old physio who wants 3,200/week for a 3 year deal. I agree to his terms.

Tony Coton is a good 54 year old keeper coach. He wants 15,500/week for a 4 year deal. I agree to his request.

Roy Keane is a 44 year old scout who was one of my favorite Manchester United players when I was younger. He is a good scout. He wants 2,800/week for a new 3 year deal. I agree.

Paul Underwood is a 32 year old physio who is good at his job. He wants 1,250/week for a 1 year extension. I offer him that for a 4 year extension.


David Bushell is my top scout. He is 57 and does a great job of scouting my opponents. I offer him 2,200/week on a 3 year extension.

John cooke is a very good outfield coach. He wants a big raise to 15,500/week for a 4 year extension. I agree.

Kevin Poole is a 35 year old outfield coach who is doing a very good job. He wants a huge raise from 700/week to 7,600/week. I agree to his request.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 1, 2016 -

The board is pleased with my performance as manager.


Stewart Downing has won the EPL Player of the Month. Helder Barbosa came in 2nd, and Johny Alejandro Acosta of Middlesbrough came in 3rd.


Antonio Ortega won EPL Young Player of the Month. Chris Miller came in 2nd, and Craig Powell of West Ham came in 3rd.


Middlesbrough's Tony Mowbray won the EPL Manager of the Month. I came in 2nd, and Bruce Arena of Aston Villa came in 3rd.


Freddy Adu won goal of the month for a strike against West Brom on March 19th.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 2, 2016 -

Craig King has resumed full training.

All of my staff have signed the contracts that I offered them. I'll be looking for a new outfielder coach to work with my strikers in the next month or two.



April 3, 2016 -

Today we play Chelsea in a pivotal EPL Match. We are 5 points ahead of them with 7 games to go. If we win this match, we can give ourself a very nice margin going down the stretch. If we lose this match, we will have Chelsea right back on our tail with no breathing room.

Chelsea will be missing superstar Adriano who is out injured this match and for the next week. My scout reports they are starting Freddy Adu at striker today alongside Stefan de Weerd at the other striker position. Arjen Robben is playing at left wing and he is still effective. Julien Ribiero and Wesley Sneijder are still very good in the middle. Sylvain Bon is a 24 year old right winger who looks like he has the potential to become a superstar, but he hasn't produced much for Chelsea in 33 starts this year. Urby Emanuelson is a good left back and Jimmy Murphy and John Terry are decent centrebacks, but Terry is getting older and they aren't a great pair. However, Naldo is hurt so it is likely that who is will start. It is unclear who they will start at right back. Petr Cech is a good keeper who still remains very effective at age 33.


We are 5-4 favorites.

It's raining with temperatures in the high 50's.


GK: Howard
DL: Schmidt
DC: Cardozo
DC: Marchetti
DR: Miller
ML: Downing
MC: Parker
MC: Godoy
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
S2: Schreurs
S3: Barbosa
s4: Oswald
S5: Cahais

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute: Downing dribbles past two men.. quick pass to Rooney inside the 6 yard box.. he heads it.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar. Excellent save.

4 minute mark: Rooney collides with Terry.. Rooney is hurt bad I put Barbosa on for him.

9 minute mark: Miller passes to Ortega who dribbles past two defenders.. into the right side of the box.. quick pass to Adriano.. the keeper punches it away before Adriano can head it.

20 minute mark: Glen Johnson (who is playing despite being doubtful) stops Downing as he tries to go past him.

22 minute mark: Sneijder gets a yellow card for a two footed tackle on Downing.

27 minute mark: Downing dribbles left of the box.. he passes it to far post.. Ortega with a diving header.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

44 minute mark: Downing passes to Parker outside the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. blocks it.


Halftime: 1-0 lead for us. We have over 91,000 fans here today.



54 minute mark: We get off a flurry of 5 shots.. their keeper or defenders block every one of the shots.

75 minute mark: Ortega dribbles right of the box.. crosses to Adriano by the near post.. he heads it.. the keeper pushes it over the bar.

76 minute mark: Cahais on for Schmidt.

82 minute mark: Gary Moore starts the counter attack.. long pass to Adu.. he dribbles past Marchetti.. fires a shot into the upper right corner.. GOAL. 1-1 tie.


Game over. 1-1 tie.

We outshot them 16-3 (6-2 on target)

Downing wins MoM, 10 for form, 10 of 16 passes, 2 key passes, 3 of 3 tackles, 2 of 6 headers, 15 runs, 4 fouls drawn, and 1 assist.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Wayne Rooney dislocaed his shoulder, but he expects to be back in 5 to 7 days!


April 4, 2016 -

Downing was selected to the EPL Team of the Week.


April 5, 2016 -

OUCH, Mickael Schmidt went down with a groin strain and will miss about 2 weeks. This was one of the positions that I really didn't want another injury.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 6, 2016 -

Today we travel to play Valencia in a Champions League Quarter Final Leg 1 Match. Valencia has a talented team and we are missing a few of our best players. Fortunately, they are missing their best defender, Ben Bennett who is injured. Tim wiese is a world class keeper who is still playing very well at the age of 34. Gianpaolo Pazzini is a 31 year old striker who still has excellent speed, physical ability, mental ability, and a great shooting touch. He has 13 goals in 29 starts this year. Miguel is a 23 year old Spanish striker who is a rising star. he has speed, strength, stamina, acceleration, and he is an excellent leaper. He is also a great shooter and can be dangerous around the net. He has 11 goals in 17 starts. Fran is a good midfielder who at the age of 22 is becoming a star for them. He has 15 assists in 35 starts. Nelio is a 32 year old right Brazilian right winger who still has superior speed, acceleration, and great passing ability. The defense is their slight weak point with Bennett injured, they will have to rely on 21 year old Spanish right back Rafael Fernandez Garcia to lead the defense. The 21 year old has excellent physical abilities, but he is still a bit raw from a technical standpoint.


They are 6-4 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 70's.


GK: Howard
DL: O'Shea
DC: Marchetti
DC: Boogaart
DR: Miller
ML: Downing
MC: Parker
MC: Godoy
MR: Schreurs
SC: McFadden (Rooney is hurt)
SC: King

S1: Adriano, GK
s2: Djemba
S3: Oswald
S4: Barbosa
S5: Wood
S6: Ortega
s7: Cook

[Eaglesfan27]

2 minute mark: Downing passes to King in the box.. he has a good opportunity.. he shoots.. over the bar.

14 minute mark: Downing dribbles past two defenders.. crosses it short.. King heads it.. wide left.

16 minute mark: Downing takes a corner kick.. to the center of the box.. Schreurs with an acrobatic half-volley... upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

21 minute mark: Philipe Mexes tripped McFadden in the box.. penalty awarded.. McFadden takes it.. blasts a shot... upper right corner! GOAL!!!! 2-0.

36 minute mark: Godoy passes to King in the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.

42 minute mark: Miller with a great defensive play to stop a likely goal from Nelio.


Halftime: 2-0 lead I was really going into this game just hoping for a 0-0 draw. If we can win by 2 on the road, this will be great.


51 minute mark: Miller with a great defensive play on Christopher Eagles.. Miller plays so well that it is hard to remember he is only 18 sometimes.

58 minute mark: Eagles passes to Miguel in the box.. he shoots.. over the bar.

60 minute mark: oswald on for King who is tired, and not playing very well today.

72 minute mark: Eagles passes to Pazzini in the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. GOA..it's waved off as Pazzini was offside.

Barbosa on for Downing and Cook on for Godoy.

85 minute mark: Schreurs passes to Parker outside the box.. he shoots.. strong curving shot.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. blocks it.

92 minute mark: Parker passes it to McFadden in the box.. he shoots.. lower right corner.. it sails just wide.



Game over. 2-0 win for us

We outshot them 17-9 (9-3 on target)

Parker wins MoM, 9 for form, 18 of 27 passes, 2 key passes, 6 of 7 tackles, 7 of 8 headers, 5 interceptions, 2 runs, 1 foul drawn.

McFadden also had a 9 for form.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

Adraino had a goal for Brazil in their 1-0 win over Bolivia in the World Cup Qualifying Match.

Diego Cardozo played well for Uruguay, but they were beat by Argentina 4-0 in their World Cup Qualifying Match.

[Eaglesfan27]

April 9, 2016 -

We are 5 points ahead of Chelsea with 6 games to go. Today, we travel to play West Brom which is currently in 16th place. West Brom has been plagued by injuries and they are misisng their top keeper this game. Instead they will have to start Diego Mele in goal today. Diego is only 20 and he has potential, but he is not ready to be starting regularly for an EPL Team at this time. He should be easy to score against. Jamie Adams is a good centreback, and he is their best defender. Left back Paul Konchesky is also a good defender. Milos Ninkovic is a decent midfielder who is 31 years old and is still a good passer. Michael Chopra is their leading striker and he leads the team with 13 goals. Their second and third best strikers are both injured. They will probably start Ryan Wallace as their secondary striker today. He has 0 goals in 13 starts and 13 relief appearances.


We are 1-2 favorites.

It's sunny with temperatures in the 50's.


GK: Howard
DL: O'Shea
DC: Marchetti
DC: Miller
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Godoy
MC: Parker
MR: Ortega
SC: McFadden (Rooney is still recovering)
SC: King (Adriano just returned from international play)

S1: Adriano, GK
s2: Alfonso
S3: Barbosa
S4: Wright
S5: Brown (yeah, Wes might still get a chance to play.)

[Eaglesfan27]

1st minute: Ortega dribbles past two defenders.. crosses it to King.. he heads it.. over the bar.

4 minute mark: Puscher gets a yellow card for pushing McFadden.

5 minute mark: O'Shea throws it into McFadden deep in enemy turf.. he quickly centers to the near post.. Parker heads it.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

15 minute mark: Downing passes to McFadden in the box.. he shoots.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. catches it.

29 minute mark: Jon Martin, their right back, elbows McFadden.. he gets a red card!

33 minute mark: McFadden slides hard into Price trying to make a play.. yelloww card for McFadden.

42 minute mark: Parker gets a yellow card for handballing.


Halftime: Up 1-0.

47 minute mark: Adams passes long to Chopra.. he dribbles past Marchetti.. he shoots.. lower right corner.. Howard dives.. it is past him. GOAL. 1-1.

48 minute mark: King gets a yellow card for pulling the centreback's jersey.

53 minute mark: Downing crosses to Ortega who heads it.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. tips it over the bar.

63 minute mark: Wright on for McFadden who is tired.

75 minute mark: I slide Wright over to the right striker and put Barbosa on for McFadden who is tired. I also put Alfonso on for Godoy who is tired.

I also tell the offense to open it up.

80 minute mark: Alfonso passes to Barbosa.. he shoots.. over the bar.

90 minute mark: Downing passes to Alfonso in the box.. he goes down.. he is ruled to have dived.


Game over. 1-1 tie

We outshot them 13-5 (7-1 on target)

Ortega wins MoM, 8 for form, 16 of 21 passes, 1 key pass, 5 of 7 tackles, 1 of 5 headers, 1 interception, 11 runs, 2 fouls drawn.

[Eaglesfan27]

Post Match Info:

YES! Chelsea tied Newcastle (14th in EPL) 1-1. Therefore, we remain 5 points ahead of them with 5 games to go now



April 13, 2016 -

Today we play Valencia at home in the 2nd leg of the Quarter Final of the Champions League.

We are 6-4 favorites as we have several of our players back.

It is overcast with temperatures in the 40's.



GK: Howard
DL: O'Shea
DC: Marchetti
DC: Miller
DR: Boogaart
ML: Downing
MC: Godoy
MC: Parker
MR: Ortega
SC: Rooney
SC: Adriano

S1: Adriano, GK
s2: Barbosa
s3: Alfonso
S4: Oswald
S5: Cahais
S6: Schreurs
S7: King

[Eaglesfan27]

2 minute mark: Ortega dribbles past two defenders.. quick pass to Adriano.. he shoots.. a defender blocks it.. Parker get it outside the box.. blasts a shot.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 1-0.

10 minute mark: ortega with a long pass into the box.. Rooney outjumps the defender and the keeper.. heads it.. upper left corner.. GOAL.. it's waved off. Rooney unfairly pushed the defender.

20 minue mark: Howard and the defenders stop a flurry of shots until Maury gets a rebound and shoots it into the upper right corner from 6 yards out. GOAL. 1-1 match. 3-1 lead on aggregate for us.

21 minute mark: Downing passes to rooney.. he shoots from 25 yards out.. strong curving shot.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. saves it.

23 minute mark: Parker was tripped just outside the box.. Rooney takes the free kick.. curves it through a crack in the wall.. upper right corner.. GOAL!!!! 2-1.

30 minute mark: Downing gets a yellow card for tripping Fran.

32 minute mark: Pazzini gets it left of the box.. passes it between two defenders to Maury inside the 6 yard box.. he heads it.. upper left corner.. past Howard.. GOAL. 2-2 match. 4-2 on aggregate.



Halftime: 2-2 tie. 4-2 lead on aggregate.


54 minute mark: Ortega dribbles past his man.. crosses to Adriano in the middle of the box.. he shoots.. upper left corner.. wide left.

63 minute mark: Godoy steals it at midpitch.. passes it to Rooney.. he is racing to the ball.... the keeper is racing to it.. Rooney beats him to it.. chips it on a dead run.. over the keeper.. upper right corner.. it sails under the bar! GOAL!!!! 3-2.

Alfonso on for Godoy and Cahais on for Marchetti.

74 minute mark: I've given Rooney his chance for a hattrick.. Oswald on for Rooney.

Rooney gets a standing ovation from our crowd.

83 minute mark: Downing dribbles past three defenders.. fires a pass to Parker outside the box.. he shoots.. strong curving shot.. upper right corner.. the keeper dives.. catches it. Great save.

86 minute mark: Howard stops a pair of close range shots from Pazzini.

89 minute mark: Parker passes to Oswald in the middle of the box.. good shot.. lower left corner.. the keeper dives.. pushes it wide. On the ensuing corner, downing kicks it to the middle of the box.. Parker heads it.. powerful header.. upper left corner.. GOAL!!!! 4-2.


Game over. 4-2 win 6-2 win on aggregate.

We outshot them 22-14 (14-8 on target)

Rooney wins MoM, 10 for form, 12 of 15 passes, 4 key passes, 0 tackles, 2 of 10 headers, 1 interception, 10 runs, 1 foul drawn, 2 goals.

Parker, Downing, and Ortega all had 10's for form as well!

Howard had a 9.