Wigan at Watford (Canceled)

As Yank posted in his earlier blog, he'll be missing the next few games. I'm privileged to have been asked to write game summaries during his absence.

Today, Watford battled 14th ranked Wigan at Vicarage Road. The Wigan Athletics have not won a match in five games, and tied Watford when they met back in September.

Emile Heskey of Wigan scored the first goal of the match in the 23rd minute, putting Wigan on top 1-0. Fortunately for Watford, Priskin answered this goal with a header in the 44th minute when Stewart crossed the ball from left wing. The game was tied at the half.

Shortly after the start of the second half, referee Steve Tanner suspended play due to rain and subsequently canceled the match.

The next game is Monday, 1 January, when 12th ranked Fulham visits Watford at Vicarage Road. Kickoff is 9am St. Louis' time.

Arsenal (1-2) 1-8-10 11 Pts.

Not an unexpected result but a heartbreaker nonetheless after Tommy Smith equalized an early goal by Silva (19) with one of his own (assist Bouazza) four minutes later. The score stayed there until the old late game bug-a-boo caught up with us in the form of a van Persie beat-down on (I think) DeMerit (someone will correct me if I'm wrong) in the 83rd minute.

Perhaps even more costly than losing three net points to Blackburn in the scramble out of the relegation well were the injuries to Bouazza (dislocated shoulder - 3-4 weeks) and Danny Shittu (twisted ankle - perhaps missing Wigan & Fulham). Francis managed to pick up a yellow card in the mess as well.

Tommy Smith was everywhere today picking up his first goal of the season and Ben Foster did a superb job keeping it close with 6 saves.

I'll be missing the next few games, but am hoping to get a guest writer. If not, here's the schedule (all times St. Louis):

Wigan Athletic - Home - Saturday Dec. 30 - 9:00 am (not on Setanta or FSC)
Fulham - Away - Monday Jan. 1 - 9:00 am (not on Setanta or FSC)
Stockport County - Home - Weekend of Jan. 6 TBA - Third Round of FA Cup
Liverpool - Home - Saturday Jan. 13, 6:45 am (too bloody early to watch anyhow)
Aston Villa - Away - Saturday Jan. 20, 9:00 am - Setanta Xtra

Also going on will be the first leg of the semi-finals of the League Cup:

Wycombe Wanderers v Chelsea - Jan. 9 or 10
Tottenham Hotspur v winner of the postponed Liverpool/Arsenal match - Jan. 17

Blackburn upsets Liverpool (1-0)

Maybe we softened them up? Safety moved another win away as Blackburn surprised Liverpool. Liverpool had 14 shots on goal to the home squad's 4, but the one that counted picked up 3 points in the standings for Blackburn.

Game Day - Arsenal

It's Boxing Day and a holiday in England. That means afternoon/early evening games for them and a lunch hour match for us in the states. Contrary to the previous post, the Watford/Arsenal game will be on Fox Soccer Channel. Dan S., myself and hopefully Dan T. & Mike will be enjoying a long lunch at Barrister's today.

This is a late game with most matches over by the time we kickoff. The 'Orns are a good 8 points from non-relegation land so let's look at what stands between us today.

Charlton

Not playing today but in the news nonetheless as they unveil their new manager, the third this season, Alan Pardew - recently canned by West Ham. No ground to be lost there.

West Ham

At home vs. Portsmouth - they've already lost 2-1.

Blackburn

Liverpool travels to Blackburn (to check up on the 4,000 holes perhaps?). 13 minutes in, the score is nil-nil. If this is the same Liverpool squad that spanked us Saturday, Blackburn will gain no ground. Which brings us to . . .

Watford/Arsenal

Arsenal, 4th in the standings going in, whomped us 3-0 on their home pitch earlier this year. Odds are, we won't pick up a point from this game either despite the game being at Vicarage Road and Henry sidelined. For our part Chambers, King & Carlisle are still out and it looks like we'll field the same squad as Saturday.

My prediction is status quo ante in the standings though we can always dream. No halftime report today. Go 'Orns!

Liverpool (0-2) 1-8-9 11 pts.

No surprise here. Foster picked up another 3 saves but needed 5. A goal from the center by Bellamy two minutes into the half and another by Alonso in the 88th minute (imagine that - a goal against in the last five minutes of a Watford game!? Quelle surprise!) sealed Watford's fate and kept us in the cellar.

Next game is Boxing Day (the 26th for the state-side crowd) with Arsenal traveling to Vicarage Road. Kickoff is 11:30 am St. Louis time, but it does not look like it will be televised.

Nil-Nil at the Half

Welcome back Ben! 3 saves in the first half in what appears to be a fairly even game thus far (though Liverpool's shots have actually been on goal). A terrific result if we can play the entire 90 minutes. Bangura and Tommy Smith have been in the thick of things this half, as have Gavin Mahon & Hendo - but the star so far has been Foster.

Game Day - Liverpool

Foster is back in at goal as the 'Orns make their way to Anfield. Missing from the game is James Chambers who picked up 12 stitches from his collision at Newcastle. Mariappa steps in at right back. Odds are (literally) that we'll be lucky to pick up a point against a talented Liverpool XI. We'll need all the breaks we can get. Go 'Orns!

League Cup - Quarterfinal Round Results

Even though the 'Orns are out, the Cup continues (mostly). Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea, and Wycombe Wanderers advance to the semis (all ties 1-0); Liverpool/Arsenal postponed due to fog. Bad news for Watford - a worn-down Liverpool would have helped this weekend.

Newcastle United (1-2) 1-8-8 11 pts.

Christ! Another 85 minute game. Martins plowed his second goal of the day in from dead in front of the net with at least two defenders & Lee in between. His first, in the opening minutes of the second half, was a well-earned cross, but this one was a greased pig that sneaked past the 'Orns.

Watford's equalizer (Bouazza assisted by Smith) at minute 57 was pure pleasure to watch as the Hornets finally converted a corner kick into a goal. One of the pluses of finally finding the matches on TV (thanks again Barrister's) is getting to see how much fun Hameur has playing this game.

Chambers went out after a bang-up in the second half - Mariappa coming on in the 63rd minute.
Still, the season rolls on - next Saturday it's Liverpool at Anfield Stadium. Kickoff at 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Game Day - Newcastle United

Our second meeting this season with Newcastle United, this time at St. James' Park. Newcastle handed us our exit ticket from the League cup earlier this year at Vicarage Road.

Gavin Mahon returns from his suspension but Clarke, King, & Foster remain sidelined for the Hornets. A handful of players are likewise out for the Geordies, but as neither I nor any of the stateside readers would have a clue who they are, I'll omit the trifling details such as names. Suffice it to say the oddsmakers have us down as the underdogs yet again.

The match is on Setanta in North America; I'll be up at Barrister's sneaking in early so no halftime report but hopefully I can report at least 1 point out of this match when it's over. Go 'Orns!

I Stand Corrected

I've written here before about the perils and pitfalls of:

1) Having to follow the game via narrative on BBC and
2) Writing about a subject I know nothing about

Well, I've been caught. A reader, Alex, was kind enough to comment on and correct my analysis of the Reading game (note to fellow Yanks - pronounced like 'Dock of the Bay' singer Otis, not the Monopoly railroad). I appreciate it so much (and the tolerance it took not to reveal me as the stupid git I am) that I'm bringing it front & center and vow to avoid the unwarranted analysis in the future (specifically, on Friday December 29th - all other dates are fair game for flawed thinking.)

Alex:

"Aidy didn't actually play for the draw. He brought on Powell for Tommy Smith, but then pushed Jordan Stewart into left midfield, Hameur Bouazza up front with Ashley out on the right. In fact it was more of an attacking substitution than a defensive one. "

Right on and thanks - I'm learning.

Reading (0-0) 1-8-7 11 pts.

Another point out of a crucial game - a little disappointing at home and because we are still in the cellar after Charlton's 1-0 win over the Blackburn Rovers Tuesday - but better than a loss.

Aidy played for the draw, bringing fresh defensive legs in in the person of Chris Powell for Tommy Smith in the 84th minute, thus avoiding for the second game in a row the 'minute 85' jinx we've labored under all season.

Lee picked up one save, a vacation after Man City, and we escaped without a yellow card despite a bit of banging the boxes at both ends. We can probably console ourselves that without King, Foster, and Mahon, a point is a gift, but we'll need to pack a few more wins on if we have any hope of staying up next season. Charlton was spanked 5-1 by Tottenham Hotspur today but we can't rely on others to lose.

Next game is Saturday, December 16 away at Newcastle United. The middle-of-the-standings Geordies took us earlier at home to boot us out of the League Cup and this without the casualty list we sport now. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Nil - Nil at the Half

What else? I haven't got to follow much of this half. Was late getting to Barrister's - game wasn't on TV (I'll trust my listings from now on) - had to drive to work - call Mike to tell him game wasn't on - etc., etc., etc.

Looks like a pretty even match thus far with Reading a bit ahead on possession, but Watford up shots on goal 2-0. Jay Demerit seem to be the luckless target of Readings fouls today. The big question, as always, is will the 'Orns play a full 90 plus minutes?

Game Day - Reading

Vicarage Road hosts the Royals today. Alhassan Bangura fills in at midfield today as Gavin Mahon serves his suspension after picking up his 5th yellow card against Sheffield United. Despite the home field advantage, the oddsmakers have this at a dead heat.

Foster, King & Carlise still out for Watford; striker Dave Kilson down for Reading.

I cannot find the game in the Setanta of Fox Sports Channel listing, but I'm going to go up to Barrister's, talk them into letting me in, and see if I can't find the game. Kickoff in about an hour. Go 'Orns.

Watford out of Hert's Cup

The reserves lost to Stevenage Borough 3-1 today, bowing out of the Hertfordshire Sr. Cup competition. Thanks to the folks on the GloryHorns forum for keeping me up to date!

Next Premiership game is this Saturday, Dec. 12 vs. Reading at Vicarage Road. Kickoff at 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Man City (0-0) 1-7-7 10 pts.

Double digits!! We looked much better today than last Tuesday against Sheffield United. Man City seemed a little more aggressive in the second half, but we held on. Mahon picked up his 6th yellow card and Chambers his 3rd (for wasting time). Richard Lee's my candidate for Man of the Match with 8 saves on a slippery pitch.

Reserves play in the Hert Cup tomorrow at Stevenage Borough. Kickoff is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

Nil - Nil at the Half

I must have a dozen entries with that header so far this season and it's a bad sign that I'm relieved to get to post it again today.

A fairly uninspired game so far in the rain at City of Manchester Stadium. Watford had controlled the ball about 3/5ths of the game - if you can call just booting the ball high in the air and hoping something good happens 'control'. Man City seems to get the best of this strategy - never more apparent than in the corner kicks. Watford had 8 to Man City's 4, but only one seemed to go towards the goal - the rest were just headed away to safety. In contrast, three of Man City's corners have been sphincter-tightening affairs with a real threat of disaster - fortunately averted by Lee.

Damien Francis picked up a dubious yellow card and Darius Vassell evened that statistic near the end of the first half.

Lucky to be tied but with the 85th minute of Damocles hanging over our heads - I'll keep my fingers crossed and follow the rest of the game on BBC Sport.

Game Day - Manchester City

The 'Orns travel to 11th place Manchester City today. Watford comes into the match big underdogs despite the expectation that Bouazza and Young will be back for the match. Kickoff is at 2:00 St. Louis time. For my part I'm taking a late lunch to catch the first half at Barrister's. Go 'Orns!

Help from Sheffield United

After Tuesday's victory Sheffield United has at least given us a little help - defeating Charlton 1-0 today and keeping us out of last place by two goals and with an extra game in hand for Charlton.

Barrister's

St. Louis soccer fans - check this place out. Here's where I managed to catch Tuesday's Watford match. They have Setanta Sports on the satellite and are more than happy to accommodate match requests (just don't get in the way of my Watford matches!).

Located at 15 N. Meramec in Clayton, they have good food, a darn good selection of beer and are very 'football friendly' with a Premier League standings board next to the bar. The only thing missing is a Watford flag!

Sheffield United (0-1) 1-6-7 9 pts.

A gorgeous afternoon in St. Louis, a couple of Bass on tap, my friend Mike there to explain the finer points of the game to me and . . .

. . . disaster. I got up at 5:00 am for this?

In typical (for this season at any rate) Watford fashion, the squad let in an 88th minute goal to come out on the short end of a six-point swing in the battle to stay up. Instead of 2 points ahead of Sheffield United, we're 4 behind, one goal ahead of Charlton for the cellar with only one match against each of those squads and two against Newcastle United. Tough odds as we cannot rely on the others to lose and, quite frankly, we've only captured one win in 14 games ourselves.

Admittedly, 1/3 of our starters were out (Foster, King, Bouazza, and Young) and I was struggling to recognize some of the squad, but it'll only get worse as the recently returned Powell was booked with a red card (missing Manchester City) and Mahon earned his 5th yellow putting him out for Reading next Saturday. According to the fans more knowledgeable than me (and who isn't) as well as Boothroyd, we played Gawd-Awful.

Next match is Monday, December 4 at 2:00 pm St. Louis time away at Manchester City. I doubt I'll get up early/leave work early for that one, but with luck I'll manage a late lunch at Barrister's and catch the first half. Go 'Orns!

Game Day - Sheffield United

Got to work at 6:00 this morning with the notion of leaving early and actually being able to SEE a Watford match. I'm excited about the opportunity - we'll see if I'm still excited after the match.

Consequently, there'll be no half-time update and the game summary may have to wait until tomorrow.

Along with Charlton, Sheffield United shares relegation territory with us at the moment. Thus far we've drawn Charlton and lost to Newcastle United (currently on the bubble) though that was fortunately a League Cup game. I said it of Charlton too, but this is a must-win - a potential six-point swing in the relegation derby. Both teams are battered, but with the game at Vicarage Road, the 'Orns are favored. Go 'Orns!

Injury Report

Neil Warnock's (anagram - Colin Wanker) Sheffield Blades pay a visit to Vicarage Road tomorrow (for more on the Sheffield/blade connection see the cover of Joe Cocker's Sheffield Steel).

The 'orns are favorites despite being down some key players - Bouazza and Foster will not return from their Portsmouth injuries and King and Carlisle remain out.

Official Watford Forum Taken Down

From fear of libel and just general prudishness, the powers that be have taken down the Fan's Forum. As an alternative, check out Glory Horns.

Shake it Up or Plow Ahead?

We're now well into the season. FourFourTwo magazine has written of our Premiership jitters but if we want to stay here, we need to step up. The question is: how?

Plow Ahead

We've played well, but ineffectively. Draws that should have been won (Fulham), losses that should have been draws (Portsmouth) seem to be more mental deficits than physical. Opposing coaches have, with few exception, praised our XI and we've thrown more than one team off their game.

Shake it Up

On the other hand, when there have been shake-ups to the line-up (e.g. loss of King, Foster), there seems to be a renewed spirit on the pitch as the reserves explode with desire to prove themselves. Alas, it rarely lasts more than one game. Boothroyd has stated his desire to get another striker after the first of the year, but with a limited budget in their first year in the Premiership it remains to be seen if an impact player can bet had.

Conclusion

I think we should concentrate on seeing to it that our current squad get the opportunity to coalesce and grow in this division with spot changes as the opponent warrants.

I started rooting for Watford without knowing where they were in the league (see first entry) and the promotion was icing on the cake, but they are running the risk of relegation. For the long-time fans, this is a special season and I hope they stay up but even if they don't, building a Premier-tested squad will help them climb back up the year after.

Portsmouth (1-2) 1-6-6 9 pts.

If this game were 70 minutes long we'd have 14 pts. by now. Again we lose it in the end with a 89th minute penalty kick from a foul by DeMerit. He picked up a yellow card as did Stewart & Priskin. Is the fatigue mental or conditioning? Are we just not used to Premiership teams playing full-out for the whole of regulation time? Something got to change.

The Blackburn Rovers game has been postponed; the next match is Tuesday November 28 at Vicarage Road against Sheffield United. Kick off at 2:00 pm St. Louis time.

Game Day - Portsmouth: 1-1 at the half

With the in-laws on their way for a pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving dinner, I've missed the first half (and probably will miss a bit of the second). We're dogs in this away match, but we've held it to a tie thus far with a goal by Green Bay native Super Jay DeMerit. Bad news on the injury front, Priskin's in for Bouazza and Lee is in for Foster at goal, both injury subs though Foster, coming off of surgery, came out after the half so may not be as serious.

This would be a decent draw and a terrific win. Go 'orns.

Tournament News

The League Cup goes on without us - the final eight will square off the week of Dec. 18. Round Five Ties:

Tottenham Hotspur v. Southend United
Liverpool v Arsenal
Newcastle United v Chelsea
Charlton Athletic v Wycombe Wanderers

We are still in the running for the Hert Cup - next round is Dec. 5 at Stevenage Borough.

Chelsea (0-4) 1-6-5 9 pts.

I had to miss this one but no big surprise here. Lloyd Doyley picked up a yellow card as well. Next match Saturday Nov. 18th at Portsmouth.

Wednesday League Cup Results

The big boys advance to Round 5:

Everton 0-1 Arsenal
Birmingham City 0-1 Liverpool
Chelsea 4-0 Aston Villa
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 AET Port Vale

Other League Cup Results

A stunner in Round Four League Cup play as Southend United played giant-killer, taking out defending Cup-holders Manchester United before a home crowd of 11,500+.

Notts County 0-1 Wycombe Wanderers
Chesterfied 3-3 AET Charlton Athletic (Charlton 4-3 on penalty kicks)
Southend United 1-0 Manchester United

LC: Newcastle United (2-2) aet (4-5 on penalty kicks)

Watford finished its League Cup run with a wild & woolly match determined by penalty kicks. Ashley Young featured in both second half goals, but missed right on his penalty try.

Damien Francis hit the equalizer with an assist from Young's penalty kick (foul by Carr) in minute 71. Danny Shittu pulled the same trick in extra time (107) from a free kick arising from a Babayaro foul to go ahead. Parker (asst. Emre) tied it up yet again at minute 116 however, to bring it down to penalty kicks. Young's miss, a save on Jordan Stewart's shot and only one save by Lee and we're done for the Cup this season.

Next game away at Chelsea this Saturday, November 11. Kickoff 9:00 St. Louis time.

0 - 1 at the Half

A minute 3 goal by Sibierski (asst. Babayaro) put Newcastle United ahead and there they've stayed through the half. The Hornets have been playing catch-up, eventually gaining a slight lead on possession and keeping the fouls in the Newcastle end, but Newcastle ends the half up on shots on goal and, most importantly, shots in goal.

Things got rough in the Watford end as Lloyd Doyley earned a Yellow card in the 32nd minute followed by Babayaro retaliating on Doyley ten minutes later. Both for unsporting conduct.

Well - Looks like Saturday's Posts Disappeared

I guess I can't be too cranky with a free service - but I had trouble publishing Saturday. The posts were there Saturday, but are gone now.

Suffice it to say WE WON!!!! Middlesbrough (2-0) 1-6-4 9 pts.

Game Day - Newcastle United

The League Cup is down to 16 clubs as Newcastle United visits Vicarage Road for the fourth round today. Despite the trash talking from some Newcastle fans we are favored for this round even missing some of our key starters (Foster, King & Smith).

For those following the game on-line in the US, I'd say BBC Football is going to be your best bet (see link to right). I tried Fox Saturday and it didn't add much. Kickoff 1:45 pm St. Louis time. Go 'orns!

Starting Line:

Lee
Doyley
DeMerit
Shittu
Stewart
Young
Francis
Spring
Bouazza
Henderson
Priskin

King Out for Season

Striker Marlon King will be out for the remainder of the season with a knee injury. Ben Foster on the other hand should be back for Chelsea, but will miss the League Cup game tomorrow. The roster is further trimmed as Tommy Smith is ineligible for League Cup games.

Long-standing injuries: Carlisle is expected back in two weeks - Loach out until X-Mas.

Watford is the favorite at home tomorrow. Go 'orns!

New Links

I've added a couple of new links. The first to the BBC Football site - I've followed the last couple of games there and they seem to provide much better coverage (League Cup Games, for example) and better play-by-play than Yahoo! UK. No graphics but when you come right down to it, the Yahoo! graphics weren't on par with, say, the Emirates live MatchCast during the World Cup. I'm going to check out the Fox site this Saturday and if it's any good, post the link here.

I've also added Glory Horns, another fan site. Commentary, song sheets, L*t*n jokes, a pub guide!!!, they're all there. I'm leaving the Ben Watford link up for now though he seems to have lost interest after August.

One reader directed me to www.oleole.com , a pretty good general soccer site. Explore, have fun, and let me know of any other sites that look good.

Reserves Win First Round of Hertfordshire Senior Cup

The reserves took Cheshunt out 2-1 to advance to the second round of the Herts Cup yesterday. They take their game to Stevenage Borough the week of December 4.

Happy Birthday to Me!

My wife and her parents got me a 125th anniversary Watford jersey and a couple of Watford t-shirts for my birthday!! Look for pics in the future.

Tottenham Hotspur (0-0) 0-6-4 6 Pts.

The match just got rougher in the second half with Jay DeMerit, Hameur Bouazza, and Gavin Mahon all being shown the yellow card. Tottenham's Jenes picked one up as well. A big point we were not expected to get. Man of the Match has to be Ben Foster who picked up seven saves as ALL of Tottenham's shots were on goal. Way to go 'Orns!

Next match, Saturday Nov. 4 at (assuming I've got the daylight savings time right) 8:00 am St. Louis time vs. Middlesbrough at home.

Nil-Nil at the Half

A fairly even match thus far in terms of possession and shots (though more of Tottenham's have be on goal). The big imbalance has been in fouls with Watford up 9-3, most in our attacking end. We've played well in the first half, but our weakness all season has been the second half. A draw would be big, a win fantastic.

Cards Win The Series! Cards Win The Series!

Ok. Nothing to do with football, but I wanted to congratulate my other team - our St. Louis Cardinals - on becoming the 2006 World Champions. A big 'hat's off' to Tony & the boys. They came into the playoffs with the worst record ever and just played good old grind-it-out winning baseball. A lesson to be learned.

Game Day - Tottenham Hotspur

Vicarage Road hosts the Lilywhites today as Watford searches for their first Premiership win. Though definitely the underdogs once again, the 'Orns are fresh off their League Cup win v Hull City and are coming in with the same line-up save Tommy Smith back in for goal-scorer Priskin:

Foster
DeMerit
Shittu
Doyley
Stewart
Francis
Mahon
Young
Smith
Bouazza
Henderson

Go 'Orns!

Injury Report

Going into tomorow's game:

Watford:

King - knee
Loach - broken foot
Carlisle - thigh

Tottenham Hotspur:

Malbranque - hernia
Tainio - hernia
(I didn't know it was contagious)
Zohora - malaria!?

Fourth Round League Cup Ties

Watford will play host to Newcastle United (always been a fan Newcastle's beer) the week of Nov. 6 - just in time to wear us out for Chelsea. The full schedule is:


Notts County v Wycombe Wanderers
Tottenham Hotspur v Port Vale
Birmingham City v Liverpool
Chelsea v Aston Villa
Watford v Newcastle United
Chesterfield v Charlton Athletic
Southend United v Manchester United
Everton v Arsenal

Third Round League Cup - Wednesday's Results

Newcastle United 3-0 Portsmouth
Charlton Athletic 1-0 Bolton Wanderers
Liverpool 4-3 Reading
Milton Keynes Dons 0-5 Tottenham Hotspur
Crewe Alexandra 1-2 AET Manchester United
Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Chelsea

Other League Cup Results

I don't know why I'm so enamored by the League Cup - probably the underdog effect of a single game knockout tournament that lets the lower leagues play as well (see Notts County's result).

Also L*t*n Town was humiliated by the Toffees, eliminating our chance to give them a spanking ourselves. The un-Man of the Match was Keane, who managed the daily double of an own goal AND a yellow card.

Wycombe Wanderers 2-2 AET Doncaster Rovers (Wycombe wins 3-2 on penalties)
Sheffield United 2-4 Birmingham City
Leicester City 2-3 AET Aston Villa
Leeds United 1-3 Southend United
Chesterfield 2-1 West Ham United
Notts County 2-0 Southampton
West Bromwich Albion 0-2 Arsenal
Port Vale 0-0 AET Norwich City (Port Vale wins 3-2 on penalties)
Everton 4-0 Luton Town

LC: Hull City (2-1)

The Hornets held off Hull City in the second half to advance to Round 4 of the League (Carling) Cup. Watford went up 2-0 in the 54th minute when Tamas Priskin drilled a shot from 12 yards out past goalkeeper Boaz Myhill for the insurance goal. It was needed as Hull's Barmby scored in minute 71, three minutes after coming in as a substitution, also from 12 yards, off a cross from France.

Hull stepped up the pressure, but Watford held fast, aided by fresh legs in the person of Malky Mackay who came in for Danny Shittu with ten minutes left of full time.

Next match this Saturday, 9:00 AM (watch how bad I'll screw this up after Daylight Savings Time kicks in) at home against Tottenham Hotspur.

1-0 at the Half

Young scored early (minute 2) from 18 yards out on a free kick to give Watford a lead they've taken into the half. Watford held the possession advantage for the first 20 minutes or so but Hull fought back until the end of the half which ended with a slight Watford advantage. Watford also leads in shots on goal 2-0 and the fouls are concentrated at Hull's end, a further sign Watford is controlling this game. Looking forward to the second half (and Round Four!).

Game Day - Hull City Athletic

The Tigers pay a visit to Vicarage Road this afternoon (St. Louis - evening in Watford). No Matchcast, but I'll have the BBC up and running to follow the score. King is still out with knee problems, but it looks like Aidy's going to get serious and start some - well - starters after squeeking by Accrington Stanley on penalty kicks in Round Two. The line-up is the same as Charlton with the exception of Priskin in at striker for Smith:

Foster
Doyley
DeMerit
Shittu
Stewart
Young
Mahon
Francis
Bouazza
Henderson
Priskin

Hull City will be missing strikers Forster & Bridges along with striker Craig Fagan, serving a one-game suspension.

The Tigers seem confident, the bookies say 'not so fast', making Hull City 17-4 underdogs in full time.

Go 'Orns.

Charlton (0-0) 0-5-4 5 pts.

Another rough half for Watford as Charlton drew two yellows (Bent & Holland) and outshot the 'Orns. Boothroyd played it safe, subbing defender Powell for striker Bouazza in the added time. I realize we were away, but I was disappointed to see us playing for the draw. The point puts us in a tie for 18th with West Ham, who plays tomorrow against Tottenham Hotspur; Charleton remains on the bottom.

Next game is Tuesday, a League Cup Game vs. Hull City. The next Premiership game is Saturday, October 28 vs. Tottenham Hotspur.

The other game of note - L*t*n Town squeeked by Leeds United 5-1. A lucky break for LT.

Nil - Nil at the Half

Not much to report on. No goals, no cards, Charlton has the lead on possessions and shots on goal, but not by much. A pretty quiet half.

Marlon (Sez You're a #$%@) King Out!

King is down with a knee injury. Henderson to start.

Game Day - Charlton Athletic

The Hornets travel to London to take on the 'Mumblypoofs'. Just kidding . . ., the team name is . . . the 'Addicks'. There's a bit of debate on the origin and meaning of Charlton's nickname. Some view it as a corruption of 'haddock', reflecting the team's roots in a fishmongering section of London, while others see it as 'addicts' as in football addicts or 'athletics' as in Charlton Athletic. It's little charming details like this that convince us in the states that the entire island south of Hadrian's wall is populated with Mr. Beans and Miss Marples. Anyhow, back to football . . .

Watford must win today or I fear we are headed to relegation (a brief reminder for the stateside fans, the bottom three teams in the Championship League get sent back down to League 1 next season). Starters for Watford same as Arsenal except Henderson for King:

Foster
Demerit
Shittu
Doyley
Stewart
Francis
Mahon
Young
Smith
Bouazza
Henderson

Third Round League Cup Game this Tuesday

Hull City will be coming to Vicarage Road this Tuesday for the third round of the Carling Cup. Game time will be 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

The Hornets head to The Valley Saturday as underdogs once more. Anything less than victory would be demoralizing in the extreme. Charlton has three points on one win and are sitting in last place, but at least they've found a win this season. On the injury front, Carlisle & Loach are still out for Watford and Charlton lost their striker Kevin Lisbe last week.

On an unrelated note, I have to congratulate my hometown baseball team, the Cardinals, for fighting their way into the World Series! Way to go! I expect all the U.K. readers to stay up after the Charlton win Saturday and tune in the game at 1:00 am Sunday morning.

Arsenal (0-3) 0-4-4 4 pts.

Pretty much as expected, Watford finished the day still searching for their first Premiership win. Arsenal continued their dominance of the match, adding a goal from Emmannuel Adebayor (assist Henry) at the 67 minute mark. Boothroyd shook things up in the second half, bringing in Henderson & Powell for Smith & Bouazza respectively, but to no avail.

The 'orns were certainly the underdogs in this match and no one expected them to walk away with 3 points. In fact, a net -3 goals may be seen as a victory smacked up against expectations.

The telling match will be next Saturday (9:00 am St. Louis time again) against fellow relegation-bait Charlton (1-0-6) at The Valley.

0-2 at the Half

Like Francis before him against Fulham, Jordan Stewart hurt his own team's cause with an own goal on defense at the 33 minute mark. Striker Thierry Henry added one of his own at 43 minutes (assist Lehmann) to take to the half up 2-nil.

Arsenal has controled the pace of the first half, with roughly 27 minutes of possession to Watford's 18, 4 shots on goal (3 saves by Foster) to none, and drawing 10 fouls, including Tommy Smith's first yellow card, while committing only 3.

A big hole for the 'Orns to crawl out of.

Game Day - Arsenal

Watford takes their game to Emirates Stadium in North London today to battle Arsenal. The Hornets are massive underdogs against one of the most storied clubs in football (see Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby for fan's-eye view of life at Highbury), but are sticking to their solid, if thus far unproductive strategy, employing only one change (Doyley for Malky Mackay) from Fulham. Update at the half.

Foster
Demerit
Stewart
Doyley
Shittu
Smith
Mahon
Francis
Young
King
Bouazza

Injury Report

Heading into Saturday's game v Arsenal, Carlisle, Powell, & Loach are still sidelined. The good news is Arsenal reported two midfielders - Ljungberg (calf) and Baptista (hamstring) - and defenseman Eboue (knee) out for at least two games.

Despite this, oddsmakers are still quoting 14-1 against a Watford win and 11-2 against a draw - ouch! I'll be watching the upset - see you Saturday. Go 'orns!

Correction - Arsenal Next Weekend

Despite my previous post, the Arsenal match is October 14, not the 7th (I saw Saturday and got excited).

Fulham (3-3) 0-4-3 4 pts.

Well it could have been much worse.

At the 87th minute, Damien Francis put the ball in his own goal after a Fulham corner kick to give the Cottagers at 3-2 lead, but the Man of the Match, Ashley Young, countered with his second goal of the day at minute 89 to salvage a point for Watford.

Young's first came 1 minute into the 2nd half off an assist by Bouzza as Watford took a 2-0 lead. Fulham did their best to equalize the yellow cards, if not the score, earning two (Helgusson & Pearce) by the 66th minute.

Fulham finally found the net in the 71st minute as Brian McBride scored off an assist by former Hornet Heidar Helgusson. Aidy brought in the midfielder Matthew Spring for stricker Tommy Smith to bolster the defense, but to no effect. Helgusson tied the game on a goal of his own, assisted by Tomasz Radinski who had earned Fulham's third yellow of the half 10 minutes earlier.

Frustration prevails as we have yet to see a Premiership win and with a trip to visit powerhouse Arsenal on Saturday, odds are we won't this week. Kickoff Saturday is at 9:00 am St. Louis time.

1-0 at the Half

When's the last time I got to use that headline? The answer: never. The Hornets leave the pitch ahead 1-0 on a Marlon King goal (assist Young) at 23 minutes and, if not dominated, at least controlled the game thus far.

Watford went into the match with four defenders and four strikers (the same starting 11 as the Wigan game I think) and has played a rough half, drawing 11 fouls (a good deal of them clobbering the wonderfully named Papa Bouba Diop) and a yellow card (Mahon) vs. Fulham's 3.

The 'orns have been more precise on offense as well with 5 shots, 2 on goal, 1 in, against Fulham's 4-0-0.

We've see the lads give up the equalizer before this season, but I'll predict their confidence and patience will prevail and we get our first Premiership win. Go 'orns!

Game Day - Fulham

The Fulham Cottagers (man I've love these names, I fully expect to be writing of a match against the Old Lesser West Upper Darbyhamshiredowns Fields Crumpet-Eaters at some point), the oldest professional London club, bring their game and 8 premiership points to Vicarage Road today.

Fulham's missing their midfielder Jimmy Bullard, out after knee surgery and Carlisle & Powell are still out for the 'orns. Watford is the odds-on favorite based on the U.K. line. Kickoff is at 2 pm St. Louis time.

Stadium Renovations Announced at Vicarage Road

The Watford F.C. announced a three-year renovation plan for Vicarage Road today (see plans above). The plan, a £32.5 million joint development with Watford F.C. kicking in £13.5 million and Origin Group, a housing development firm kicking in the rest (note the lack of public funding Cardinals), will bring about a number of changes, most notably to the Rookery (the home stands on the south and the newest stands at the facility) and the East stands (part of the original 1922 construction), part of which have been closed for safety reasons.

The Rous (west) stands will be upgraded to accommodate expanded luxury boxes. Other changes include the integration of 'keyworker housing' to the stadium taccommodatete Watford General Hospital (their neighbors to the west) employees and the eventual filling in of the corners.

The is just thlatestst in a series of renovations since The Vic's opening in 1922. The end zones, now the Vicarage Road (north) stands and the Rookery, were originally terraces - the Vicarage Roads stands being built in response to the Hillsborough Disaster, in which 96 were crushed to death at a Sheffield/Liverpool fixture, and the subsequent Taylor Report. The Rous Stand was built in 1986, replacing the Shrodells Stand, itself built in the 1930s to replace the Union Stand which came to Vicarage Road from the club's former digs, Cassio Road.

Some fans have complained that funds are being diverted from players' salaries (though Club Chairman Graham Simpson has said Boothroyd's budget will be unaffected by the plans) and that the 'average fan' will be priced out of the stadium (building on the increase in prices since promotion to Premiership), but most seem to have a 'wait-and-see' attitude.

Wigan Athletic (1-1) 0-3-3 3 pts.

The half began with a bombardment by Watford as Francis, Mahon, and King (twice) all had attempts on goal but it was Bouazza who got the equalizer at 63 minutes off an assist by King and gave the 'orns another point.

No subs at the half despite my prediction, but Henderson came on for Smith at 72 minutes as a scoring threat from outside. It appeared Boothroyd opted for the draw rather than going for three points when he brought midfielder Spring in for striker Bouazza late in the match.

Given the odds, a decent result giving Watford their first away point of the season. Next match is Monday, October 2 vs. Fulham at Vicarage Road. Kickoff is 2:00 pm St. Louis time.

0-1 at the Half

Watford went in with 4 strikers & 4 defencemen as the game started off with a flurry (lots of offsides & fouls) in the first 20 minutes, but few shots. Wigan's goal came off Henri Camara's left foot 29 minutes in. Aidy's been in the habit of subbing at the half. I'd expect to see Spring come in in an attempt to get the equalizer in the second half.

League (Carling) Cup Matchups - Round Three

Hull City comes to Vicarage Road for the third round of the League Cup. Other ties of note: L*t*n Town travels to meet the Toffees and David Crewe plays host to Goliath Manchester United. Full schedule to be played the week of October 23:

Wycombe Wanderers v. Doncaster Rovers
Sheffield United v. Birmingham City
Leicester City v. Aston Villa
Watford v. Hull City
Leeds United v. Southend United
Chesterfield v. West Ham United
Notts County v. Southampton
Newcastle United v. Portsmouth
Charlton Athletic v. Bolton Wanderers
Liverpool v. Reading
West Bromwich Albion v. Arsenal
Port Vale v. Norwich City
Everton v. Luton Town
Milton Keynes Dons v. Tottenham Hotspurs
Crewe Alexandra v. Manchester United
Blackburn Rovers v. Chelsea

Game Day - Wigan

The lads head north to take on Wigan Athletic, reeling from their Carling Cup loss earlier this week. No word on the lineup yet though it's a good bet Damien Francis will be starting at midfield against his former team. And speaking of odds, the books have Wigan at a better than even favorite. We're still looking for our first win of the season, but it looks as if we'll have to work extra hard today if this is going to be it.

Message Boards

I may have said this before, but the UK football message boards seem to be a notch above others I've been on in terms of humor, even the sillier postings. I've credited the previous Wigan poster (who was nice enough to send a comment and not a lawyer) and added a link to the original site.

It's blocked at work so I don't know what's there yet - enter at your own risk - but he swears there are a few Yanks & Canucks on the boards there and he seems like a nice enough guy (despite the fixation on Dame Elton) and will need some sort of consolation after tomorrow's match (not to mention Crewe - hard cheddar there).

Reprint from the Wigan Boards re: Watford (&, however obliquely, Watford Gap)

From dirrrrtyoldman:

www.mudhutsmedia.co.uk


"Oh I nearly forgot, did I mention that Elton John used to be Watford’s Chairman? The Watford Gap always confuses me. Is it the first stop as you enter the South or is it the last stop as you leave the North? Also is the “Gap” in the Earths core? If so then why doesn’t my train plummet into the dark abyss of the planet when I go to London? I don’t know, so maybe it’s best if I move on.Whilst trying to construct this article I thought it might be a good idea to find out some interesting facts about our opponents and their town. Stuff that didn’t include name dropping Elton John.

So here goes, Watford is a town in Hertfordshire that has a population of approximately 110,000 residents and has many kinds of shops. It is renowned for it’s publishing and produces many of the countries periodicals. Famous faces include George Michael, Geri Halliwell and did you know that the Football Club once had Elton John as it’s Chairman. ***, I didn’t mean to do that.What a collection eh? I bet the good people of Watford must be so proud to be represented so admirably by three of pops biggest tarts.Anyway I’ll continue.

Saturday see’s the visit of Watford and quite possibly an even lower home crowd than the Reading game. Okay I know this seems pessimistic, but the reality is that if a team like Reading who ran out clear Champions last season can’t bring more than a handful of fans to their first ever away game in the Premiership then what hope is there that Watford will do better? Mind you, the all new hands across the ocean notion of the club will allegedly see 8,000 chubsters joining us so I’m sure we’ll be okay. It’s a pity the newer fans that we worked hard to convince to watch us who actually have some interest are now feeling that a hike in prices of £10 to £35 a game is a little more than they are willing to spend. Especially on a home game against Watford. Not to worry though as a sprinkling of cherry and white will really enhance the colourful experience of the afternoon.

As for Watford, well these boys have done it all before, and not too long ago either. Watford’s first season in the Premiership in 99/00 did however end dismally. After making a good fist of it early doors they capitulated to finish bottom under the guidance of old Turnip head himself, Graham Taylor. This was a long way from the dizzy heights and earlier exploits of what was the era’s unfashionable “hoof it up the pitch” tactics of Taylor’s first tenure in charge. Installed as Manager in 1977 Taylor guided Watford to the pinnacle of the English game with a string of successive promotions. This success culminated in securing a UEFA cup place by finishing runners up in their first season in the top flight in 1983, and then that heartbreaking defeat to Everton the following year in the F.A. Cup final. Great goal by Andy Gray to win it though and a very fair challenge too!

Backed by all round good guy and sausage jockey Elton John it was no wonder that they played well. The stench of stale cream as Elton kicked over the cake trolley must have had those players *** themselves. Credit where credit is due though as they did have some fine players back then. John Barnes was a real class act and his skill on the ball can only be bettered by his articulate mastery of football punditry, Luther Blisset was a dude, Maurice Johnstone who would sell his own Mother for a fist full of Gold, because he couldn’t decide whether he was Tim or a Hun had a brief but productive spell and not forgetting Kenny Jacket who remains one of the few managers to play for and manage his hometown team. Whilst preparing the club for the infamous “Second Coming” of Graham Taylor, Jacket lead his team to a club record 22 unbeaten league game stretch which still stands today. A true Watford fans legend.

Take a minute to think about what this small, unfashionable club achieved though? Is it ringing any bells because it should be. Surrounded by a whole host of bigger clubs Watford defied the odds and continue to do so.

There was a lot of raised eyebrows when the club boldly appointed Adrian Bothroyd before the start of last seasons Championship campaign and who could blame them? Plucked from relative obscurity it was seen by many as an appointment dictated by the clubs finances. In fact Watford were nailed on favourites for relegation never mind promotion. Nevertheless they defied all the odds and battered Leeds “We’re too big fort go dowwwn” United in an embarrassingly one sided play off final.

They were also a pretty tough outfit when they arrived at the JJB last season for the Carling Cup and this time they will prove to be an even more difficult proposition. Although currently occupying a place in the bottom three, there performances do not reflect the two points that they have picked up and an away win on Saturday could see them catapulted away from the drop zone. That said if we can’t put two or three past these men at home it might be us that needs to be re-evaluating our final standing.

Finally if we can’t do these men on the pitch we can surely do them in the credibility stakes. For Geri Halliwell and George Michael I’ll raise you a George Formby and The Verve. As for a Sir Ian McKellen v Elton John match up there could only be one winner, Sir Ian would leather him.

One way or another anyway.

Finally, finally let's give Damien Francis a decent reception shall we? Some of us at Goodison last week could learn a lesson as to how to welcome back players that gave their all for their club, even if it didn’t quite work out. Exhibit A Kevin Kilbane.Oh I nearly forgot, did I mention that Elton John used to be Watford’s Chairman?

Third Round League (Carling) Cup Match-Ups to be Determined Saturday

The third round ties of the League Cup will be determined this Saturday, Sept. 23 at 6:10 am St. Louis time. I'll get them posted before kickoff OR the Carling Cup 2006-2007 Wikipedia site is usually on the ball if you can't wait.

Red Lion/Golden Hornet - This is the Way to Run a Club!

Watford FC buys pub - Morning Advertiser

More things to love about England . . .

As opposed to many MLB clubs who shut down their beer sales after the seventh inning stretch (and God forbid the game goes into extra innings), Watford has decided to buy their own pub, the Red Lion, adjacent to Vicarage Road. A popular spot (at least when the Hornets or the Saracens - the Watford rugby team - are playing), the bar is not on High Street proper, but, as the Watford Observer has noted, Watford is 'the binge-drinking capital' of Hertfordshire, this should not present a problem.

Initial fears were the space would be used as offices, but scuttlebutt has it that the remodeling will include the addition of another bar. The new name? The Golden Hornet. Cheers.

New! RSS Feeds

Look over to the right. Now scroll down. See it??? I've got two buttons there (Yahoo! and the little speaker above it) that should set you up for RSS feeds. If you're really getting into this, you can get Yahoo! alerts sent to your email or, God forbid, pager when some new pearl of insight trips off my keyboard.

I'm new to this and working out the kinks. What seems to work best so far is to click the little speaker, select see more options, and then the Yahoo! chiclet. Other methods are giving me a 'no articles in the last three days' message. I'll work on it. Enjoy.

LC: Accrington Stanley Nil-Nil (6-5 on Penalty Kicks)

First - let it be known that Wikipedia scooped both the BBC and Watford's own site which was down most of the match. We went in with the reserves but nearly didn't come out. It shouldn't be that close playing a squad three leagues down (think Cubs vs. Arkansas Travelers - well maybe a bad example). Upsets happen - witness Crewe's 2-0 victory over another recently promoted Premier League team and finalist in last year's League Cup, Wigan.

More bad news as well as L*t*n Town took Brentford 3-0. The silver lining: Barnett was sent off with a red card.

Next fixture is Saturday away at the aforementioned Wigan (Greater Manchester) at JJB Stadium at 9:00 (yes, I double-checked, 15:00 - 6 hours = 9:00) St. Louis time.

Nil - Nil at the Half

OK. I can't subtract. The tie got off at 1:45 - not 3:45. 13:45 = 1:45 John. No matter, the tie is not on Matchcast so I'm following it through the Watford FC site.

Game Day - Accrington Stanley

Carling Cup 2006-07 - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Hornets enter the League Cup competition in round 2 today against Accrington Stanley, new this year to League play and coming off last month's 1-0 victory against Nottingham Forest.

Played during the regular season (as is the UEFA &, I believe, the FA cup), the League Cup is restricted to the teams of the top four leagues (as opposed to the FA cup which is a free-for-all). The format is single-elimination with byes for higher clubs in the first two rounds. In typical British obfuscation, the matches for the tournament are called 'ties' as opposed to regular matches which are 'fixtures'. Ties, of course, are called 'draws' as are the selections to determine the 'ties'. Got it? Good.

The event is also known as the Carling Cup, named for the Canadian Brewery. Much to my surprise, Carling Black Label (now just Carling) is the best-selling beer in the U.K.! We used to get stuff for $5.25 a case in Kirksville and $1.20 of that was bottle deposit. My brother-in-law tells me they flew it in warm to Vietnam during the war which makes sense (and sort of explains the U.K. status) as it's not as bad as some beers warm.

Back to football. It looks like Aidy's giving some of the starters a rest and giving Spring & Mariappa starts. Watford has never met Accrington Stanley before today. Go 'orns!

Aston Villa (0-0) 0-2-3 2 pts.

Finally off the bottom of the standings though:

1) Only on goal differential -and-
2) Still in the relegation tier

I did not get to follow this one, but looking at the recap, DeMerit played the entire second half. Hopefully, this will put an end to the heartbreaking endings and give the 'orns a little confidence.

Next game is a League Cup match vs. Accrington Tuesday at Vicarage Road. Kickoff is 3:45 pm St. Louis time. Accrington Stanley is in League 2 (3 leagues below) Watford, having been promoted this season after winning the Football Conference championship last season.

Game Day - Aston Villa

I'm bummed about not being able to follow this one. It looks to be another tough match with Aston Villa sitting 5th in the League Standings. Every team we've played so far is residing in the top half of the standings (of course we've helped to put them there). We need 3 out of this one. Aston Villa's short their fullback Samuel but we've recovered none of our injured and are going into the match slight dogs. I've not seen the lineup yet. Go 'horns!

Football v. Football

As the Hornet's prepare to welcome Aston Villa to Vicarage Road tomorrow, a familiar name to U.S. (oblong) football fans emerges in the person of Randy Lerner. Lerner, owner of the Cleveland Browns since his father's death in 2002, acquired the Birmingham club three weeks ago for an estimated $125 million.

Lerner, who attended Clare College in Cambridge in the 1980s, developed a passion for (round) football during his stay in the U.K.

Injury Report

Def. Clarke Carlisle - Chest infection - DTD
Def. Chris Powell - Calf Injury - 3 weeks
GK Scott Loach - Broken Foot - 3 months

Vegas

Sad to say I did not find a line on the FA or League Cups. Vegas is essentially down to two companies on the strip (though I did try the Aladdin/Planet Hollywood as well). The closest I came was a UEFA championship futures line at one of the Harrah's properties. On the plus side, I did get to see Chelsea/Man City while waiting on my poker tournament.

Bolton Wanderers (0-1) 0-1-3 1 pt.

Heartbreaking! After a hard-fought game, Tal draws a foul off Dan Shittu in the penalty box 6 minutes into added time and Gary Speed converts the penalty kick to end the game and the Hornet's shot at another league point.

Aidy opted for defense in the second half, dropping in Jarrett at midfield for striker Smith.

Play was brutal at both ends in the added time with Meite and Fortune drawing yellow cards for the Bolton Wanderers in added time, but the home team capitalized on their chance to take the three points.

Next match is Aston Villa at Vicarage Road next Saturday, Sept. 16th, with a late afternoon start putting kickoff at 11:15 St. Louis time. I'll be on stage downtown from 11-1 and will have to relive the match through the boasting on the message boards. Go ' orns!

Nil - Nil at the Half

From the MatchCast POV, it looks to be the most aggressively played half I've 'seen' from the Hornets to date. They were in control almost half the time and are taking it to the Bolton Wanderers (especially Tal Ben Haim - recipient of a few fouls). Malky MacKay earned a yellow card at 37 minutes in, but we have "Super Jay" DeMerit in reserve today if that gets to be a problem.

Aidy's made a couple other changes as well. Foster, on loan from Man United, is back in at goal after sitting out the fixture against the parent club and newly reacquired striker Tommy Smith is in the line-up as well.

Game Day - Bolton Wanderers

Got in from Vegas at 2 AM today (more later) and managed to get out of bed for this match. After a break for the qualifiers, we are away against the 4-pointer Bolton Wanderers and line-ups have been announced so on to it.

A Couple Weeks Off for Everyone

English league football is on hiatus as the English national team competes in the Euro 2008 qualifiers. My sources (that would be Greek God on the Watford message boards) tells me Foster and Young (from the under 21 squad) are the only Hornets involved. I must say the folks on the message boards have been great about dealing with my overwhelming ignorance.

The timing works out well as I will be in Vegas next week where I hope to find a sportsbook that will let me put a few bucks down on the FA and/or League cups. It's been recommended I hoist a pint at the Crown and Anchor while I'm there as well. I'll let all of you know how it went.

Manchester United (1-2) 0-1-2 1 Pt.

Manchester United continued its pressure in the second half and captured the win with a goal by Giggs at minute 52. Perhaps the most telling statistic was that Watford managed only 1 goal attempt in the first 44 minutes of the second half. A disappointing loss given the half time score.

On the plus side L*t*n Town lost to Wolverhampton (0-1). Next match is Sept. 9 away vs. Bolton Wanderers.

1-1 at the Half

It looks like it's been a brutal half for Watford with MU in possession 62% of the time and 12 attempts. Fortunately, only two have been on target. Watford's been more selective in its attempts with 3 of 4 on target.

Silvestre drew first blood at 12 minutes with an assist from Saha, but it wasn't until 34 in before Watford equalized with a goal from Francis (assist from Young). Mahon was yellow-carded at 40 minutes.

Watford should be happy to be even at the half given the pressure from Manchester United.

Hornet's Premiership Diary

Hornet's Premiership Diary

I want to direct all the stateside readers over here, especially after the matches, for a little more (any?) analysis of the day.

Written by user BENWATFORD, it has the distinct advantages over this blog that:

1. He knows his soccer (so much so he can call it football without getting confused like me)
2. He actually gets to SEE the games
3. He knows what he's talking about regarding Watford

While this blog is about discovery, a young man exploring new horizons, experimenting and uncovering forbidden passions in a new land (cue violins), Ben's actually seems to be about football. Enjoy.

Game Day - Manchester United

Ready to go against, as stiker Marlon King puts it, "the biggest team in the world". A perennial powerhouse, MU is not only home to Ronaldo, but sports the added spiritual boost of having its own church here in St. Louis off 141, Manchester United Methodist Church ;-). It's hoped the 'orns intense non-stop play will pressure MU and we are at Vicarage Road, but the punters seem to say a draw would be a good outcome for Watford - I'll be able to hear the cheers all the way here if we come away with 3 points. Go 'Orns!

Beers & Cheers Questions Asked and Answered

For the state-siders: (Many thanks to folks on the Watford FC boards)

My friend Dan asks:

I think that the most important thing to find out is:"What beverage will best inspire me to cheer my team to victory?"

Turns out there is Guinness available at Vicarage Road (though if it's on tap I imagine the lines are a trial).

And in answer to my question about the cheers, the prime among them seems to be, "Marlon sez you're a runt" - only it's not runt. Be sure to practice outside before Saturday's match (fixture?).

More Yanks/Jay DeMerit

I just ran across Duncan from Georgia - another new stateside Watford fan. He's a fan of Jay DeMerit, our center-back (or centre-back if you must) and Green Bay native. I can only imagine the grief caught being a (round) footballer at the height of the Brett Favre era - this must be one tough dude. Her Majesty's Subjects seem to like him quite a bit from what I've read on the message boards and his start against West Ham was his 50th league start.

The general consensus is a great injustice was done to Jay, the United States, and the US World Cup team with his omission this summer. I'd like to hear a little more on that subject.

West Ham United (1-1) 0-1-1 1 pt.

Christ! How frustrating. I've always measured the class of a (pigskin) football team's defense by their ability to shut down a drive after their offense has scored. For those stateside depending on me for the news (God help you), King scored at 63 min., but Zamora answered at 65, extending West Ham's unbeaten streak to 11 at Vicarage Road.

Next up: Powerhouse Manchester United at Vicarage Road this Saturday morning, 9 am St. Louis time.

Half-Time Nil-Nil

I found a matchcast app on the Yahoo!UK site. Not as good as the Emirates Airlines one used for the WC (would it kill them to add a clock?), but it'll do. Not being able to see the game, it looks like it's a hard-fought defensive game with few shots on goal. It may boil down to stamina in the end.

Game Day - West Ham

If I've done my math right, kickoff should be at 1:45 here. Now all I have to do is figure out how to follow. I'd rather not shell out $50 for the Game Day access so I'll see what Yahoo! has to offer. West Ham has 3 players on the DL but I am clueless as to if they are starters or scrubs.

I've got lots of helpful tips from the message boards (free membership needed) - kit, not uniform - pitch, not field - and besides L*t*n (who's name shall not be spelled), I should develop a hatered for Arsenal, Leeds, Lee Cook, David Connolly, & Andy Johnson.

In addition, hornetboy84 pointed me to www.bsad.org, a fan site which (sadly) may be on its way out. Like discovering ice cream just in time to find out milk is being outlawed. Check it out while you can.

And for the statesiders - this from charlied69 - the lineup:

THE HORNETS:
Foster

Doyley Sh*ttu Demerit Powell

Young Francis Mahon Bouazza

Henderson King

That's it until the game. Go 'Orns!

Ignorance WAS Bliss . . .

. . . though I probably still have a good reservior of bliss left. Let me say I now know:

1. It's a hart (as in Hertfordshire), not a moose (and I must therefore add 'nice rack') -and, most painful of all-
2. Watford is NOT Watford Gap (same island I think)

but I'm sticking with The Hornets and you, in turn, are stuck with me and my Bloody Americanism. I'm too late to be born into a tradition only to blossom into irrational fan-ery later. I'm starting with irrational from the get-go. Go Watford.

Everton (1-2) 0-0-1 0 Pts.

I gather we played well despite the loss. Do I have this right? The Toffees? This may well be the wussiest nickname in all sports (Titmice anyone?). I'm glad to see early season optimism is universal. I'm looking forward to the Uniteds this week.

Hi there

A little background is in order. I am 43, live in St. Louis, and have decided to make Watford the object of my soccer (I may never get used to "football" - oh yeah, and you'll see no "u" in color) interest.

I have no background in soccer short of:

1. "Fever Pitch" by Nick Hornby
2. The 2006 World Cup
3. My wife started playing this summer

I really got into the World Cup this summer and being a moderate anglophile (mostly via late sixties folk-rock) took a look at England for the source of my soccer devotion. I like the club system in England, the nominally eglitarian notion that any football (there - that wasn't so bad) club can scratch its way into the Major Leagues (to use a baseball metaphor - get used to those too).

Why Watford? Blame it on Roy Harper. I was pleased to find out they were in the Premier League this year (not a fair weather fan - I'd set my sights on Watford before I knew). I will need some basic info. I know we are supposed to hate Luton Town and have the whole Hornet thing figured out, but what's with the moose? I don't think there are any moose in GB. (OK, I know there are no tigers in the US either, but at least the Detroit Tigers have the same logo and name - not like they wear a picture of a emu and call themselve the Tigers). Please fill me in on the team song/chant whatever.

The notion to blog this came late (like today) so my Everton comments will be few days off. Looking forward to West Ham United tomorrow. I hope I can follow it at work. I'll try to be dutiful, but I don't even catch all the St. Louis Cardinal games here. I hope to hear from a few devotees at Vicarage Road. Go Watford.