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.