Bristol City (2-2) 8-8-8 32 pts.

An expectant trip to Ashton Gate ended in Watford’s second draw in three days thanks to an injury-time equalizer from John Eustace.

There was little excitement until minute 36 when a Watford goal was disallowed as Heidar Helguson was called offside. City took the initiative against the run of play and beat a lax Hornet defense with a David Clarkson cross to Danny Haynes a minute later to take the lead.

Tom Cleverley lobbed in the equalizer six minutes later, but a Paul Hartley free kick found the underside of the bar from 30 yards out to put the Robins ahead 2-1 at the half.

Watford put pressure on the home side for most of the second half, finally cracking City’s side when Lewin Nytanga was booted after his second yellow card, leaving Bristol City down a man.

Jon Harley came on for Henri Lansbury, injured by the Nytanga foul, and Malkay Mackay opted for an attacking formation at the end of the game, bringing Liam Henderson on for Lee Hodson. The move paid off as pressure on Bristol City finally yielded the Eustace goal (assist Helguson) three minutes into added time.

A nil-nil draw from Swansea City leaves the Hornets five points off the playoff zone.

The next match is Sunday, January 3, 2010 as the Hornets travel to Stamford Bridge to tackle Premier League leader Chelsea in Round Three of the FA Cup. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time. There are no plans to televise the match in the US.

Nottingham Forest (nil-nil) 8-7-8 31 pts.

We were plowing through the snow from Iowa to Missouri and missed the Boxing Day match. A controversial non-call on a hand ball may have denied Watford two additional points, but a very even match against 3rd place Forest seems to have satisfied the gaffer.

After the Power Plays . . .

After facing the prospect of administration and a 10 point deduction due to £5 million loan due on demand, the club has permanently solved that problem by taking on a £5 million loan due on demand FROM SOMEONE ELSE. Boy, lesson learned.

Oh yeah, and we're going to secure that one with a mortgage on the grounds as well.

So I guess we fixed the operation shortfall. Well no, that's still £5 million in the hole even with the pre-sales from the Elton John concert. The solution? If the club can talk investors into this money pit, they hope to raise £7.5 in convertible debt. Good luck. At least it will be permanent capital.

Until the cash runs out again.

For an interesting look at Watford's finances, see Football Finances.

Ellington Live at the Greek Theatre!

Ok. Not that Ellington or that Greece.

Rather Nathan Ellington, long-time fifth wheel striker for the Hornets, is on his way to Skoda Xanthi FC - on loan for 2010 with an option to be picked up at the end.

Signed to a 4-year deal at the start of the 2007 - 2008 season for a club-record transfer fee of £3.25 million, the 28-year old striker never lived up to the expectations, scoring only 5 goals in 51 appearances for the Hornets. Loaned out to Derby County, he fared no better, netting only three goals in 27 league appearances for Paul Jewell & Nigel Clough.

He fared a bit better in Cup play with a hat trick for the Rams in League Cup action and a game-winning penalty shot in the quarterfinals, but nowhere along the line did he show himself worth £3.25 million and Derby declined to pick up their option.

Let's hope a cash-strapped Watford can salvage something out of this unfortunate signing.

Peterborough United (1-2) 8-6-8 30 pts.

A freezing pitch, a missed penalty call, poor defending and a lackluster match by Heidar Helguson resulted in a loss for the Hornets at London Road.

Posh midfielder Lee Frecklington managed a cross from George Boyd in minute nine to put Peterborough United ahead 1-0.

Posh keeper Joe Louis lived up to his namesake, mauling Danny Graham in the penalty box but the referee ended up giving Graham a yellow card after his protest.

John Eustace gained the equalizer four minutes into the second half, but another Boyd cross found its mark in Exodus Geohaghan who put Peterborough ahead for good with twelve minutes left.

The next match is Boxing Day, December 26 at Vicarage Road. Thanks to the tradition of holiday matches starting at noon, kickoff will be at 6:00 am St. Louis time.

Saved from Administration!

The Watford Observer is reporting that former chairman Jimmy Russo has accepted Lord Ashcroft's offer to repay a loan of £4.88 million which will keep the club out of administration.

Hopefully the club can focus on football now. That would be a Darren Ferguson-less Peterborough United tomorrow morning. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Lloyd Doyley & Aidy Boothroyd on Coca-Cola Football League Podcast

This week's podcast features Hornet defenseman Lloyd Doyley on his first career goal and former skipper Aidy Bothroyd on Colchester United.

Russos Reject Fordwat Offer - Administration Immenent

Citing dilution of ownership stake, minority owners Jimmy & Frank Russo have rejected Lord Ashcroft's rights offering proposal and are prepared to place the club in administration.

Turmoil at Watford - The Rest of the Story

As noted yesterday, resignations were the order of the day at the Annual General Meeting this week but the back story has plunged Watford into possible administration and a 10 point deduction.

Early in 2009 the Russo Brothers, Jimmy & Vince, owners of Valley Grown Salad acquired a 30% interest in Watford Leisure Plc, the publicly traded owners of the Watford FC. Lord Michael Ashcroft & Graham Simpson control ~54% (Ashcroft & Simpson - didn't they write "Ain't No Mountain High Enough"?).

In the course of the year, Valley Grown Salad loaned the club £4.88 million, including a £1 operating loan in November, secured by the stadium, Vicarage Road. The club claims a need of £5.5 million additional by Tuesday to meet obligations. The Russos have offered to purchase the club outright and finance the entire £5.5 million.

Meanwhile, the Board has refused to address the offer and, under rumor of a vote by Ashcroft & Simpson to oust the Russos, they, along with business associate Robin Williams, resigned Tuesday and demanded immediate repayment of the £4.88 million loan. They have continued the offer to buy the club however.

The London Stock Exchange offshoot Alternative Investment Market (AIM) suspended trading of Watford Leisure Plc yesterday. The Russos extended the repayment deadline to today, but this morning the Ashcroft & Simpson-lead Board voted to support a £7.5 debt offering with conversion/warrant provisions by Fordwat, an Ashcroft-controlled entity, to pay off the loans and raise operating capital, but the offer still turns on the Russos' extension of the debt deadline as the offering would not be completed in time to raise the needed cash to repay the loans.

If the deadline is not extended or the Board does not accept the Russos' offer to buy the club, both unlikely scenarios, the club will enter administration (similar to Chapter 11 bankruptcy in the states) today and be assessed a ten point deduction in the standings, a move that will see them just outside the relegation zone.

Russos Resign - Taylor Acting Chair

The Russo brothers resigned at yesterday's Annual Meeting leaving Graham Taylor as Acting Chairman.

Derby County (0-1) 8-6-7 30 pts.

Well the halls got decked Saturday morning but the match got missed. See the BBC's take above.

Join the US Bid for World Cups 2018/2022

The 1994 World Cup, the only held in the United States, ignited a soccer boom here in America.

The push is on to bring the World Cup back to our shore in 2018 or 2022. Click on the link above and add your name to the Go USA Bid for the World's Greatest Sporting Event.

Anelka Signs With St. Louis

OK. So it's brother Claude, not Chelsea striker Nicolas, and it's as coach. Anelka's previous try as gaffer was with the Raith Rovers after he offered THEM £300,000 and stuffed the side with tier two players from France. His stint lasted eight games whereupon he became Director of Football and was out before the year was over. If memory serves, the sad story was in an issue of FourFourTwo a few months ago.

Also the squad has come up with a name: AC St. Louis. Not the most original but with a slight nod to our Italian heritage. And certainly better than the runner up: Real Fenton.

Lansbury Seeking Permission to Extend Loan

Henri Lansbury, on loan from Arsenal, is reportedly in talks with Gunners manager Arsene Wenger to extend his loan past December 31.

The 19-year old midfielder has two goals in 16 appearances despite missing yesterday's match against QPR.

QPR (3-1) 8-6-6 30 pts.

The Hornets edged back into playoff territory (though with a game to their favor) as they came from a goal behind to beat QPR.

The Hoops scored first with a goal from Patrick Agyemang in minute 33, but a header from Lloyd Doyley (asst. Don Cowie) ten minutes later drew Watford even.

It stood 1-1 at the half and Jay DeMerit made his long awaited return, subbing from Craig Cathcart, when play resumed.

Cowie netted a goal of his own just before the hour mark with an assist from Tom Cleverley; Cleverley scoring the final goal himself four minutes into injury time (asst. Danny Graham).

Like Saturday, Watford drove the play but this time with cheerier results. The next match is Saturday, December 12 as Derby visits Vicarage Road. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

DeMerit Back On the Squad

Jay DeMerit, recovered from eye surgery, was on the bench for Saturday's Newcastle game. Obviously fit to play, the hope is he'll be in the line-up today.

Newcastle United (0-2) 7-6-6 27 pts.

The Hornets outplayed Newcastle United but an out-of-position Craig Cathcart triggered a Newcastle goal in the 20th minute and Watford spent the rest of the match playing catch-up.

Though they lead on shots, corners and possession, Watford failed to catch up and a late Newcastle goal sealed their fate.

The Golden Boys dropped to 12th in the table, but are still only two points off the playoff zone.

The next match is Monday, December 7 as they play host to QPR at Vicarge Road. Kickoff is 1:45 St. Louis time.

World Cup Groups

It's England, Slovenia, & Algeria for the US men (June 12th, 18th & 23rd respectively) in Group C of the first round of the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

England is currently ranked #9 in the world to the U.S.'s #14. Slovenia & Algeria are not in the top 25, giving the US a good shot of advancing to the knock-out stage.

For the other groups, click on the link above.

Cup Tie to be Held January 3

Watford's third-round cup tie against Chelsea will be held Sunday, January 3. Kickoff will be 9:00 am St. Louis time. No info yet on televising.

Have Your Say with the Football League

The Football League (that's the 72 teams that make up the Championship, League 1, & League 2 - Chelsea fans need not apply) are conducting a supports' poll in an effort to improve the league. You have to identify your favorite team (Watford - natch) and, as of this writing, Watford is second behind Forest in responses (including mine this morning).

The poll is not exactly USA-friendly (how much would I pay in pounds to see the games on the net ???), but it will take your 5-digit zip code so they'll know you're not skipping home games just out of spite.

League CupDate (TM) Round 5

It's two Manchester's, Aston Villa & Blackburn in the semi-finals as the Rovers drew even with Chelsea two minutes into injury time at the end of extra time and managed two saves to beat the Premier League leaders 4-3 on penalties.

FA Youth Cup Match on Player Wednesday

The Watford Youth side will be hosting Wycombe in the third round proper of the FA Youth Cup tomorrow. The match will be available online for Player subscribers. Kickoff is 2:00 pm St. Louis time.

Hornets Draw Chelsea in Round 3 of the FA Cup

A tough draw for Watford as they will face Premier League leaders Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in Round 3 of the FA Cup. Watford fell to Chelsea in Round 5 of the Cup last year. At least we might get to see the Hornets on TV once this year.

The tie will take place the weekend of Jan. 2.

Crystal Palace (0-3) 7-6-5 27 pts.

I was in Iowa celebrating a (belated) Thanksgiving with the family Saturday and only caught this after the fact on the Blackberry - hence the BBC Sport link above.

If you were late to your seat you'd have missed it anyhow as the Hornets were down 2-0 after six minutes.

Bad news: the defense is seriously missing the leadership that Jay DeMerit brings.

Good news: Jay's recovery from eye surgery is moving along quicker than anticipated.

The next match is Saturday, December 5 at St. James Park against league-leader Newcastle United. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Watford in Talks with QPR for Helguson Extension

Hot on the heels of Tom Cleverley's loan extension, the Hornets are in talks with QPR to extend Heidar Helguson's loan to the club, now scheduled to end in January.

Signings

Very good news for the Hornets as Manchester United loanee Tom Cleverley has signed on for the complete season, solving half the problem of what we were going to do in January when he and Heidar Helguson's loan spells were over. This signing should let us focus on other holes during the transfer window.

In other news, defender Lee Hodson penned a three-year deal with the Hornets last week.

SLU Falls to Tulsa on Golden Goal

The Billikens' season came to a close today in Tulsa as they fell to a golden goal seven minutes into the first extra period.

Two goals from freshman Alex Sweetin and a tally from James Dice were enough to tie the match at the end of 90 minutes but Tulsa will be going to next round in the NCAA tourney.

Scunthorpe United (3-0) 7-6-4 27 pts.

A pair from Heidar Helguson in the span of three minutes and an early second half goal by Danny Graham pushed the Hornets past Scunthorpe United and up a very crowded league table.

The first, a cross from Tom Cleverley, was headed in in the nineteenth minute from 6 yards out. The second from Helguson was also headed in from close in, this time the assist came from Graham.

Graham found the goal himself (asst. Henri Lansbury) from the penalty box three minutes into the second half to nail down the three points for Watford.

The next match is next Saturday at Crystal Palace. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

SLU Tops Missouri State in NCAA Round 1

Lil' Heidi & I met Mr. & Mrs. Mojo at Hermann Stadium last night to take in the first round action in the NCAA tournament.

Despite being outshot 22-5, SLU topped the Bears 2-1 on goals by James Dice & Mike Roach and terrific goalkeeping by Ross Kaufman who had 8 saves on the night.

State started both halves with fierce attacking play, but found themselves down a goal in the 10th minute when Tim Ream restarted play from 45 yards out and found Mike Robson's head just outside the penalty spot. Robson's header was deflected by Dice for the first Billiken's goal.

After Stephen Bortolon was tackled in the box Mike Roach's penalty kick put SLU up 2-0 seven minutes later.

The Bears parried with a goal in the 50th minute, but despite aggressive play and speed & deadly accuracy from back Johannes Demarzi, they couldn't overcome the best goalkeeping of the season from Kaufman.

SLU will travel to Tulsa for the second round Sunday where they will take on the 8th seed Hurricanes. Kickoff is 2:05 pm. Good luck Bills!!!

SLU A-10 Champs

A goal each by Michael Robson and Michael Roach propelled the Billikens past Dayton to clinch the A-10 conference title and earn a spot in the NCAA tournament.

SLU will host Missouri State this Friday, Nov. 19 in the first round.

A-10 Semifinals

SLU bested hosts Rhode Island Friday night 3-2. They square off against No. 1 seed Dayton noon Sunday.

A-10 Championship Semifinals

SLU will square off against Rhode Island at 6:30 St. Louis time tonight in the Atlantic 10 Conference men's soccer semifinals.

Rhode Island and Charlotte drew 1-1 after extra periods, but Rhode Island won the shootout 4-3 over the 49ers.

In the other game tonight, #1 seed Dayton will take on St. Bonaventure who upset #3 ranked Fordham 1-0 last night.

The winners will meet Sunday.

A-10 Conference Championship Tournament Starts Today

The Atlantic 10 Conference men's soccer championship tournament starts today in Kingston, Rhode Island with a 4 pm match between Fordham & St. Bonaventure, followed by Rhode Island & UNC-Charlotte.

#2 seed SLU enjoys a bye in the first round of this unusually formatted tourney.

Six teams earn berths to the tournament based on conference play. Teams seeded 3-6 play a preliminary round tonight. The lowest seeded winner of that round faces #1 seed Dayton tomorrow while the other winner of the first round faces SLU.

The finals will be played Sunday at noon St. Louis time.

Best of luck to the Billikens!!

What! No Red Card? - Mean Girls

Here it is: the ponytail take-down.

DeMerit Absent from US Roster

In a sign that he is not ready to return from eye surgery, US coach Bob Bradley has left Jay DeMerit off the 22-man roster for upcoming friendlies with Slovinia & Denmark.

Preston North End (2-0) 6-6-4 24 pts.

On the road again and another match missed.

This one would have been more to my liking with a goal apiece by Heidar Helguson and Tom Cleverley in the first half.

The win puts Watford square in the middle of the table as the squads go into a two week break for international play.

The next match is Saturday, November 21 at Vicarage Road against Scunthorpe United. Kickoff will be 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Injury Report

Ross Jenkins, Jay DeMerit, & Richard Lee still out for Preston match.

West Bromwich Albion (0-5) 5-6-4 21 pts.

If there was any upside at all to having to drive to Iowa this weekend to visit my Mom after her surgery, not having to listen to this sad exhibition may have been it.

The next match is Saturday, November 7 as Preston North End comes to Vicarage Road. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Richard Lee Sites

The sometimes Watford keeper has his own goalkeeper's school called Goalkeeping Guru which you can find here.

Of if you just want the wit & wisdom of the man himself without instruction, check out his website here.

It's a Small Goal

SLU closed down their home season today with a 1-0 victory over LaSalle. Despite 24 (!!) shots on goal for the Billikins, the only goal of the day came from Freshman Benny Estes off a rare wind-blown assist from keeper Ross Kaufman.

The gusting wind carried Kaufman's goal kick long and fooled the opposing keeper, allowing Estes to lob the ball over his head and into the undefended net.

The Billikins failed to take advantage of many scoring opportunities, but the single goal was enough to keep SLU tied for 2nd in the Atlantic 10 with four matches left.

Elton John - Playing for Players

If you want to see Elton John in the UK in 2010, your only chance will be at Vicarage Road.

Long-time fan, former owner, and current Honorary Life President Elton John announced this week that his only UK appearance in 2010 will be a fund-raiser at Vicarage Road in May. All of the proceeds will go to Malkay Mackay's player budget.

Sheffield Wednesday (4-1) 5-6-3 21 pts.

Tom Cleverley was back on the pitch today and proved himself the playmaker Watford needs. Despite not scoring a goal himself, Cleverley racked up two assists and his corner kick started the play that gave the Hornets their first goal.

That corner in the 21st minute found its way to John Eustace, who had come on a minute before for an injured Ross Jenkins, and Eustace's cross was taken by Adrian Mariappa at the 6 yard wall. He right-footed it low and center to give Watford the lead.

Five minutes later it was a Cleverley pass to Henri Lansbury who plunked it in the net from 12 yards out, giving the Hornets a comfortable lead.

In the closing minutes of the half however, Marcus Tudgay headed in a Tommy Spurr assist t0 close the gap to one.

The fear that momentum had shifted to the visitors was unfounded as Jon Harley stretched the lead back to two goals (Lansbury asst.) at minute 54.

Seven minutes later Lansbury scored his second of the day, again assisted by Cleverley.

The Hornets have garnered seven points in the three games since the International break, four of those away from Vicarage Road, and stand in 10th place, only three points behind table leader WBA (though having played one more match).

Next match is Halloween, at the aforementioned West Bromwich Albion. I think GB goes off Daylight Savings Time Sunday so if they 'fall back', their 3 o'clock then is their 4 o'clock now which is our 10 o'clock and kick off should be 10:00 am St. Louis time. Unless it's 8:00 and I miss the whole game. We'll see.

Most Competitive League: Part I

I was going through my FourFourTwo Season Preview this week (yes, I'm that far behind on my reading, thank you) and was stunned to see that they had put Hearts chances of winning the SPL at 100-1 even though they had picked them to finish 3rd. How uncompetitive must that league be, I thought, that the best non-Old Firm squad were such long shots?

So I looked at the other leagues to gauge which were the most, and least, competitive. As a proxy I looked at the odds of the projected 6th place team. Why 6th? Mostly because this was the worst you could be in the Championship and still have a shot at promotion.

So from least to most competitive:

Scottish Premier League (Dundee United) 150-1
Premiership (Tottenham Hotspur) 100-1
League One (Gillingham) 50-1
Championship (Preston North End) 20-1
League Two (Chesterfield) 14-1

Granted, this is a one team sample from each league and may reflect poor odds setting instead of competitiveness, so we'll take a look at more formal statistics as the season wears on, specifically rank-order statistics throughout the year. Until then, enjoy the competitions wherever you find them.

Ipswich Town (1-1) 4-6-3 18 pts.

The Hornets came from behind to play cellar dwellers Ipswich Town to a 1-1 draw.

Don't ask me how.

I was called away at the hour mark to investigate my house alarm going off thirty minutes away due to (are you ready for this?) a swarm of Lady Bugs.

So I missed Nathan Ellington's dramatic six-yarder five minutes into injury time that erased the Ipswich lead.

Ellington came on for John Eustace around the hour mark after Watford failed to generate any response to Gareth McCauley's header in the fifth minute and received Dan Graham's cross to earn the Hornets a point at Portman Road.

Next match is Friday against Wednesday at Vicarage Road. Kickoff is 1:45pm St. Louis time.

Lack of Financing Holds Up Redevelopment at Vicarage Road

Redevelopment plans, launched when the club was knee-deep in Premiership money, are being put on hold.

SLU 1-2 UNC Charlotte

SLU rallied late trying to recover two first half goals but ran out of time to fall to 13th ranked UNC Charlotte.

The headbanded freshman Benny Estes headed a cross from Alex Sweetin to score his first goal for the Billikins.

The match was marred by piss-poor officiating.

DeMerit Has Cornea Replaced

The club has released information that captain and US national Jay DeMerit underwent eye surgery today and his left cornea replaced.

DeMerit developed an infection following the Plymouth Argyle match Sept. 15 in which he had a foreign body lodged under his contact lens.

Best wishes to Jay on a speedy recovery.

Middlesbrough (1-0) 4-5-3 17 pts.

The rest has done the Hornets some good as they notched an away victory today.

Tom Cleverley's right footer off a Danny Graham pass proved the only score of the match coming in the 26th minute.

It could have easily been 2-1 against as Boro had one goal recalled on a foul and another shot bounced off the crossbar and was ruled no goal.

Watford will travel to Ipswich Town Tuesday, October 20 to see if they can extend their winning ways. Kickoff is 1:45 St. Louis time.

USA 2-2 Costa Rica

The men's national team was down to ten men when Jonathan Bornstein converted a corner kick five minutes deep into added time, heading the ball into the net to give Team USA a draw in the final qualifying match for World Cup 2010.

Bornstein's goal, coupled with Landon Donovan's goal in the 72nd minute, erased two goals by Bryan Ruiz in the first half and cost Costa Rica an automatic berth in South Africa next summer.

Oguchi Onyewu was strechered off with a torn tendon in the final minutes leaving the US squad a man short, Coach Bradley having used all his substitutions. Onyewu is likely out for 3-4 months. Additionally, Charlie Davies' car accident may have ended his career and Jay DeMerit is out with likely eye surgery leaving the squad short-handed.

Costa Rican coach Rene Simoes was shown a red card for arguing while trying to insert a sub in added time and was escorted of the pitch by DC police. His assistant was also given the boot, leaving their strength & conditioning coach in charge with the lead.

The US squad played their set pieces well and it finally payed of with the final corner.

Of particular note, Columbus Crew's Robbie Rogers came off the bench as a big play-maker, creating corner kick opportunities and inserting himself in the action for the US.

Mexico drew, leaving the US as clear first in CONCACAF, Costa Rica will take on Uraguay for the final spot from the Americas, and Diego Maradona's Argentina qualified as well. And, special note to Mr. Mojo, Switzerland earned a trip to South Africa with a nil-nil draw against Israel.

You Gotta Love It

Official Bars!!

Looking for the US-Costa Rica match tonight and don't want to watch it alone (or sober)? U.S. Soccer has a list of Official bars, by state. Click on the title above to search.

US Men's Update

With one round to go, the US squad, along with Mexico, has qualified for the World Cup 2010. Their final match in the qualifying rounds is tomorrow night at RFK Stadium in Washington, DC against Costa Rica.

It's still an important match for both squads. The US is only one point ahead of Mexico for top seed and Costa Rica & Honduras are fighting it out for the last automatic qualifying spot from the CONCACAF region. A win by Costa Rica will nail it down for them, as will a loss by Honduras to El Salvador. The fourth place team will play a home-and-away playoff against the fifth place team from the CONMEBOL (South American) region.

Kick off is 7:00 pm St. Louis time tomorrow night and the match will be carried on ESPN2.

Graham Taylor on Coca-Cola Footbal League Podcast

And this one from earlier in the year . . .

Malkay Mackay on the Coca-Cola Football League Podcast

OK. I figured out the code (week 4 is 4, week 9 is 9 - wow!). So here it is - even before the Football League has posted it to the archives!

Don Cowie Called Up for International Duty

The Watford midfielder is Japan bound to represent Scotland in the upcoming round of World Cup qualifiers.

Cardiff City (0-4) 3-5-3 14 pts.

A red-hot Cardiff City gave Watford a sound spanking in front of the home crowd Saturday.

Hot on the heels of a 6-1 mid-week drubbing of Derby Co., the Bluebirds cracked the seal on a four-pack of whoop-ass 24 minutes into the contest when Craig Cathcart pulled Jay Boothroyd down and set up Peter Whittingham's penalty kick.

Spirits sank fifteen minutes later when Scott Loach misjudged a floater from the half-way line served up by seventeen-year old Adam Matthews on a free kick and the ball one-hopped into an empty net.

The final nails were driven in in the 66th minute when Whittingham headed in his second goal of the day from a Gavin Rae cross and a minute later as a graceful turn left Boothroyd a clear shot into the goal.

It could have been worse - at least two shots by league-leader Michael Chopra missed the mark.

Thank goodness for the international break. A worn & injury-ridden Watford can use the time off. Next match is Saturday, October 17 at Middlesbrough. Kickoff is 9:00 St. Louis time.

Coventry City (2-3) 3-5-2 14 pts.

The Hornet's undefeated streak came to halt Tuesday in a back-and-forth bout with the Sky Blues.

A right-footer by Sammy Clingan gave Coventry an early lead 14 minutes in, but a Dow Cowie cross found Manchester United loanee Tom Cleverley and the Hornets drew even in the 21st minute.

Will Hoskins returned to the starting line-up and gave the Hornets the go-ahead goal in the 38th minute from 12 yards out, but the second half turned out to be all Coventry as Leon Best managed a pair of right-footers from six yards out, the last with only five minutes left, to recapture the lead and give Coventry three points.

Poor marking told the story on this one - the defense missing captain Jay DeMerit, out with an eye infection. Joining the walking wounded (which includes an iffy Heidar Helguson), Don Cowie left the pitch 60 minutes in.

Hopefully, we'll have some of these back Saturday when Cardiff City visits Vicarage Road. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Reading (1-1) 3-5-1 14 pts

It was Watford v Watford Saturday as Reading fielded Gregorz Rasiak & Jobi McAnuff and were led by Brendan Rogers.

I was in Vegas (8 hours behind) and only caught the last 30 minutes on text - enough to see Danny Graham save the day once more with a lovely header set up by Jon Eustace.

The Hornets apparently played back on their heels the first ten minutes, letting Rasiak spot Reading to an early lead. They had to battle a man down in the last ten as Nathan Ellington was sent off with a red card.

Next match is in about 15 minutes as Watford hosts Coventry City.

Leicester

I went back and watched the goals - definitely missed a good one. A two-nil comeback on a sweet little turn by Danny Graham and two terrific headers by Helguson. Damn.

Leicester City (3-3) 3-4-1 13 pts.

I had company this Saturday and missed this one (I hear you - "What kind of fan are you? Not making your high-school bud who couldn't care less about soccer sit through two hours of barely decipherable English announcers." - I know. I suck)

Sounds like I missed a great game with Heidar Helguson scoring two goals and Danny Graham one but just missing out on the win in injury time. I'll let you read for yourselves - click on the link above.

The next match is Saturday, September 26 at Reading. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time. As luck would have it, I won't be in St. Louis, I'll be in Vegas where kick-off is (ouch) 7:00 am. The wife is going to be so happy.

Plymouth Argyle (1-0) 3-3-1 12 pts.

Look at that! Twelve points, sixth place in the table back-to-back wins (and an away win to boot!). Sure it was against bottom-dweller Plymouth Argyle off to one of their worse starts ever, but a win's a win (and three points).

You had to be ready for this one as Tom Cleverley scored in the fourth minute off a Don Cowie corner-kick and there the score stood until the final whistle. Cleverley played exceptionally well, covering the pitch and directing play.

Argyle played poorly after the goal, not getting regrouped until late in the first half (though they did give Scott Loach a couple of scares).

Malkay Mackay made no changes to the starting XI that downed Barnsley three days prior, Jay DeMerit out with a slight eye injury but recovered from the strain he picked up with the USA Men's squad against Trinidad & Tobago.

Next match is Saturday, September 19 at Vicarage Road against Leicester City. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Barnsley (1-0) 2-3-1 6 pts.

I was on the road to Iowa for Saturday's match, but I had the trusty Blackberry by my side spitting out play-by-play . . .

. . . until the battery died.

But not before a Don Cowie free-kick found John Eustace's head and Danny Graham's foot to land in the back of the net on a text-book set-piece.

The win over new Barnsley manager Mark Robins puts the Hornets into 10th place in the league table and marks their first home win of the season.

Next match is tomorrow, Tuesday, September 15 at Plymouth Argyle. Kick off is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

Whiny-Ass Goes to Portsmouth

After declaring himself 'unfit' Saturday, Mike Williamson is apparently fit enough for Portsmouth.

The club will be getting £2 - 3 million with the possibility of additional funds from a sell-on clause (part of Williamson's next transfer fee). Watford paid £150,000 for the midfielder in January.

All yours Pompey - enjoy.

Mike Williamson - The Next Curt Flood or Just Some Whiny-Ass?

I vote whiny-ass.

Mike Williamson, apparently upset with Watford declining a transfer offer, declared himself unfit Saturday and did not travel to Swansea.

C'mon mate. Show a little professionalism will ya? Just because things didn't go your way this one time, you can't just sit in the middle of the floor and throw a tantrum like a two-year old. Besides being immature and amateurish, have does your next squad think you'll behave when things don't go you way.

Apologize to your teammates, apologize to the fans and act like a mensch.

Swansea City (1-1) 1-3-1 6 pts.

Danny Graham, despite injury fears, netted Watford's sole goal Saturday and salvaged a point for the Hornets.

Swansea had the edge on the pitch, but lack of spark from either side and a few key saves from Scott Loach left the score nil-nil at the half. 66 minutes in, however, a quick free kick from Tom Cleverley slow-rolled to Danny Graham caught the Swansea defenders flat-footed and gave Watford the lead they held until injury time.

Three minutes into added time saw captain Alan Tate receive a free-kick cross and head in the ball, costing Watford two points in the table.

In all honesty they were lucky for the point. Take away Danny Graham, Jay DeMerit & Scott Loach and you've got the youth academy out there. The Hornets have a week off - lets hope they can make a squad out of these player in that time. Next match is September 12 hosting Barnsley.

Hornets Dropping Like Flies

It's official - Tommy Smith is on his way to Portsmouth. But wait! There's more!

Jobi McAnuff is on his way to Reading after just five goals in 90 appearances for the club.

The club has received a bid from an unnamed club for defender Mike Williamson but have declined the request so there's hope we'll still have 11 bodies for the Swansea match Saturday.

LC: Leeds United 1-2

Watford dominated the first half until a goal by Robert Snodgrass in the 38th minute, allowed by poor defending on the part of Lloyd Doyley, took the wind out of Watford's sails.

Danny Graham was knocked about and subbed for at the half - no word yet on his status. Both squads muddled about until Marvin Sordell, the 18-year old striker up from the Academy, scored his first professional goal with four minutes left to equalize.

Play went into extra time and with players cramping up, sometimes 10 on 11, sometimes 10 on 10, Snodgrass managed a second goal eight minutes in for the win.

The Hornets travel to South Wales to take on Swansea City in league action Saturday. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Game Day: Leeds United

Malkay may be taking a pass on the Cup, fielding the B-squad as it were. Tommy Smith is out for obvious reasons (see previous post), captain Jay DeMerit did not even travel with the squad and Richard Lee is between the posts. Full line-up:

Lee

Hodson Mariappa Williamson Doyley

Cowie Eustace Jenkins Cleverley

Graham Hoskins

Go You 'Orns!!!!

Portsmouth Bid for Tommy Smith

Portsmouth have made a bid for an as-yet undisclosed amount for Tommy Smith which the club has accepted. The deal is now up to Tommy himself. By my count, Tommy's been involved in all but one of the club's goals this season as either scorer or getting the assist. He'll leave a big hole.

Blackpool (2-2) 1-2-1 5 pts.

The Missus was not willing to give me the play-by-play as we drove to Columbia Saturday so I had to sneak peeks as we were stopped on the trip.

Once again Tommy Smith had a hand (foot) in all of Watford's scoring - opening the festivities by taking a short dump pass from Danny Graham and plopping into the net in minute 24.

A corner kick was headed in and saved, but Alex Baptiste's rebound drew Blackpool even eleven minutes into the second half.

Smith's cross off an Adrian Mariappa throw-in set up Tom Cleverley beautifully for a tap-in to put Watford up 2-1, but a short cross gave Gary Taylor-Fletcher the chance he needed to score from inside the box and Watford left two points on the pitch as they said goodbye to Blackpool.

The next match is today in League Cup action as Leeds United hosts the Hornets, the two squads meeting for the first time since the playoff match that sent Watford to the Premiership in 2006. Kickoff is 1:45pm St. Louis time.

Nottingham Forest (4-2) 1-1-1 4 pts.

Finally.

For whatever reason and after four years without a sound card on the old machine, I was able to get the streaming play-by-play (and post-match show) at work yesterday. I need to block out all my Tuesday afternoons from now on. But enough about me - what about the match?

Finally.

Malky Mackay gets his first win as Watford's permanent gaffer in what could be dubbed "The Tommy Smith Show". Brushing aside constant rumors about his immanent departure, Tommy managed one goal and three assists in the Hornet victory.

A terrific cross to the far post set up Danny Graham's header in the 31st minute to put Watford ahead. The lead held until injury time at the end of the half when Dexter Blackstock split Adrian Mariappa & Jay DeMerit to all but carry to ball into the net.

A terrific save by Lee Camp of a Smith shot rebounded straight into the path of an oncoming Lee Williamson who put the Hornets back on top in minute 76. Four minutes later Smith got a goal of his own thanks to an assist by Ross Jenkins and many Forest fans made for the exits of City Ground.

But Forest weren't done yet. Dele Adebola was in the right spot to put the ball past Scott Loach and begin to mount a comeback.

The comeback died when the Dickensian-named midfielder Tom Cleverley, signed on loan Monday from Manchester United, scored his first Watford goal to nail down the three points.

The Hornets return home to Vicarage Road Saturday, August 22 to host Blackpool. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time. I'll be on the road, but hopefully an assist from the wife in tracking the match on the Blackberry will do the trick.

Nottingham Forest (4-2) 1-1-1 4 pts.

Details to follow tomorrow (because I forgot to blog this when I got home and the wife wants to go to bed).

Sheffield United (0-2) 0-1-1 1 pt.

My first go at tracking the match live on the Blackberry - not as smooth as I would have hoped (too much attention diverted by driving). The goals aren't exactly highlighted either. Just as well in Watford's case.

A goal by Jamie Ward set the Hornets back on their heels in the eleventh minute and they never quite recovered. Said Malky, they "looked ragged". Scott Loach was back in the crease and Jay DeMerit returned from his loss to Mexico with the US National squad last week.

Next shot for the Hornets is tomorrow (Tuesday, August 18) as they travel to City Ground to take on Nottingham Forest. Kickoff is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

LC: Barnet 2-0

It took a goal each from Scott Severin and Mike Williamson in extra time to squeeze by Barnet in Round One League Cup action yesterday.

It was one of those games no one wants to win. Both sides struggled to score and regulation time ended nil-nil.

Richard Lee made a rare appearance in goal and captain Jay DeMerit was with the US National squad in preparation for today's World Cup qualifier.

The Hornets have drawn Leeds United away for the second round to be played the week of August 24.

Watford's next match is this Saturday at Sheffield United. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Doncaster Rovers (1-1) 0-1-0 1 pt.

Little spark in the second half, but the Hornets hold on for a point to start the season. Next match is Tuesday at Barnet in League Cup action. Kickoff is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

1-1 at the Half

Danny Graham scored 27 minutes into his debut to put Watford up 1-0 off a Tommy Smith cross, but James Hayter looped a header from 18 yards out past a befuddled Scott Loach to tie up the match going into the half.

Priskin Off to Ipswich Town

Tamas Priskin, off a fairly decent 2008-2009 season, is off to the Tractor Boys for a reported £1.7 million. The Hornets are rumored to be looking for a bargain striker as a replacement.

Game Day - Doncaster Rovers

The 2009-2010 season kicks off at Vicarage Road with a visit from the Doncaster Rovers. Few changes grace the stating line-up, the major exception being former Carlisle United striker Danny Graham making his Hornet debut. The full line-up:

Loach

Mariappa DeMerit Williamson Doyley

Severin Cowie McAnuff Jenkins

Smith Graham

Go 'Orns!!!!

Moves & News

The Golden Boys have been a month in training, spending a week plus of it in Spain playing friendlies (undefeated by-the-way), the schedule is set, and the League Cup draws have been made so lets look at where we stand going into the 2009-2010 season.

Roster Moves

Gone for good is Al Bangura, on loan to Brighton & Hove Albion at the end of last season. The Sierra Leonian midfielder was the subject of a 2007 asylum case.

Theo Robinson, on loan for most of his Watford career, was transferred to Huddersfield Town in early July.

Joining the squad:

Scott Severin, a 30-year old midfielder/defender from Aberdeen on free transfer. Severin has 14 caps with the Scotland National squad.

Danny Graham, a striker from Carlisle United and former U20 English National player. Started strong last season, but his form dropped off in the last half.

Jure Travner, a 23-year old Solvenian left back, signed to a two-year contract. Formerly with Celje.

Finally, Malky Mackay was named permanent manager June 15.

Fixtures

The season opens August 8 at Vicarge Road as the Hornets host Doncaster Rovers. The Vikings' skipper Sean O'Driscoll starts his fourth season at the helm.

Three days later, the 09-10 League Cup kicks off for Watford with a visit to League 2 side Barnet.

Looking forward to a great season.

Go 'Orns!!!!

Final: USA 2 - 3 Brazil

It was all US in the first half - all Brazil in the second. Tim Howard had a series of excellent saves, Jonathan Spector was all over the pitch, and Jay DeMerit, with the exception of being turned on the second goal, played an excellent match, but Brazil out-lasted and out-formed the US squad, winning the Championship 3-2.

The US ran out of juice in the second half but had nothing to be ashamed of - they simply lost to a better squad. Tim Howard continues to impress, creating one save out of nothing by convincing the referee what looked for all the world like a goal was a save.

Attention now turns to World Cup qualifying where, with half the 10 matches played, US is 4 points clear of the play-off spot.

Brazil 3-2

A corner kick with five minutes left leads to a Lucio goal and a Brazil lead.

Tied Up 2-2

Fabiano gets his second goal in a flurry of rebounds in the 74th minute. US squad is looking tired.

2-0 at the Half

Goals from Donovan & Dempsey coupled with a handful of saves from Howard have left the soccer world stunned. Terrific defense and opportunistic scoring tells the tale. USA is setting the fast pace of play.

UPDATE: Brazil scores in the first minute of the second half as Fabiano beat Jay DeMerit for their first goal.

USA - BRAZIL

Donovan shows his poise. Beautiful goal - US up 2-0!!

US - Brazil

Clint Dempsey with a deflection into the net sets the US ahead 1-0 in the 10th minute.

Big save of a Robinho shot by Howard in minute 12.

Game Day: USA v Brazil - Confederation Cup Final

Hornets captain Jay DeMerit starts again for Team USA in USA's first FIFA final appearance. Playing a key role in the stunning 2-0 upset of Spain in the semi-, the US defense will have it's hands (feet?) full against Kaka, Silva & Robinho.

At the other end of the pitch, the US will have to press the Brazilians if they expect to win this match. Look for the Brazilians to slow the pace, exploit openings, and explode towards the goal. Look for the US to attack and try to keep the Brazilians off balance.

Williamson Off to Sheffield

In the Hornet's latest move, mid-fielder Lee Williamson is off to Sheffield United.

Rodgers Off to Reading

Just seven months after replacing Aidy Boothroyd, Brendan Rodgers is gone.

The appeal of a more fiscally stable club won out and leaves not only a hole at the top, but brings into question the ability to attract young talented players - a skill Rogers showed attracting a number of Chelsea's youth.

MLS Comes to St. Louis!!! (for a day)

The MLS announced last night that the KC Wizards will host F.C. Atlas in a SuperLiga friendly on Father's Day at Hermann Stadium. Tickets start at $20 and will go fast. To order, call the Wizards at 1-877-828-7222.

Derby County (3-1) 16-10-20 58 pts.

The Hornerts wrapped up the season last Saturday with a victory to nab 13th place in the Championship table. Grzegorz Rasaik scored two goals - a right-footer from six yards out at minute 27 and a left-footer from 12 yards at the fortieth minute (an assist by Tommy Smith on that one).

Jobi McAnuff kicked off the scoring in the thirteenth minute and even Derby's goal came from a Hornet in the person of John Eustace, on loan to the Rams.

The season saw the beginnings of a turn-around with the arrival of Brendan Rogers and the infusion of a bit more stability in the front office. We'll keep an eye on personnel moves over the summer. Already re-signed are: Lee, Mariappa, & Liam Henderson.

Meanwhile, I'll have to make do with Cardinals baseball & Athletica soccer.

Go 'Orns!!!

Doyley Signs Three-Year Deal

The 2009 - 2010 squad begins to take shape . . .

My First Live Pro Match!

OK - so it's the women's league but pro is pro.

The St. Louis Athletica hosted the LA Sol today at Hermann Field, about a mile from my house. It was tentative match with (by my count) only four shots on goal from either side including a late penalty shot. No surprise it was nil-nil.

I seem to pick the good seats at these affairs: my first live soccer match I sat next to a Hall-of-Famer, this one I sat right in front of a guy from the Sol's front office. I'm hoping to be the half-time show at my first MLS match.

The Athletica usually play at SIU-Edwardsville and I'm hoping to catch another match out there.

Coventry City (3-2) 15-10-20 55 pts.

Watford sealed their return to the Championship today by overcoming a two goal deficit to pick up the win and three points in the league table.

A lackluster defense let Freddy Eastwood sneak in a goal in the tenth minute to put the Hornets down a goal at the half. The half-time talking-to seem to do no good as a Ross Jenkins foul on Robbie Simpson lead to the second Coventry City goal in minute 54.

But . . .

Tommy Smith answered the goal four minutes later with a right-footer from inside the penalty box and this seemed to light a much-needed fire under the Hornets. Attacking play followed culminating in a Jobi McAnuff corner that was headed in by Grzegorz Rasiak in the 62nd minute giving Watford the single point they needed to ensure they would avoid relegation.

Not satisfied with a single point, Watford resumed the attack and at minute 74 Rasiak got his own assist - heading the ball to a waiting Tamas Priskin who back-heeled the winner past Keiren Westwood.

The final match of the 2008-2009 season is a week from tomorrow - Sunday May 3 at Vicarage Road against Derby County. Kickoff is 7:15 am St. Louis time.

Southampton (2-2) 14-9-18 51 pts.

Set pieces made the game as the lead swung back & forth at Vicarage Road today. Jan Paul Saeijs scored the first of his two goals in the 14th minute off an assist from Ryan Smith's corner kick to put the Saints ahead.

Latvian midfielder Aleksandrs Cauna, on loan from Skonto, made the most of his start today left-footing the equalizer in from 18 yards in the 21st minute. There the score stood until minute 67 when an outswinging corner resulted in a Tamas Priskin header (asst. Jack Cork) to give the Hornets their first lead of the match.

Sadly a Ross Jenkins foul in the final minutes of regulation time on Saeijs resulted in a free kick which the Dutchman converted into the tying goal.

The point puts Watford nine points clear of relegation with five matches left. The next match kicks off at 9:00 am St. Louis time Saturday, April 11 at Vicarage Road as the Hornets host Barnsley.

Doncaster (2-1) 14-8-18 50 pts.

Three away points for the Hornets leave them comfortably above the relegation zone.

I was watching the Disrupta's game Saturday morning and missed this one so bop over to the BBC via the link above:

Next match is tomorrow, Tuesday April 7 as Southampton visits Vicarage Road. Kickoff is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

Sir Elton Back on Throne

After quitting in A) disgust, B) a huff, or C) a tizzy, over the previous administration, Sir Elton is once again Honorary President for Life Minus a Few Months in Late 2008/Early 2009.

"Broadway" Danny Rose on Loan from the Spurs

On loan until the end of the season.

Ipswich Town (nil-nil) 13-8-18 47 pts.

Saturday's match at Portman Road, if not dominated by, at least controlled by Ipswich, saw the Hornets sneak away with another point - leaving them six clear of the relegation zone with seven fixtures left to play.

The defense was on their game - denying 13 shots on goal and keeping a clean sheet.

Squads are on International break, regrouping April 4 for a match at Doncaster (the wife's 'Sunday League' plays Saturday mornings - and it's not a league either - so I may have to skip that one).

Cardiff City (1-2) 13-7-18 46 pts

Another day, another long bout of added time topped off by a penalty goal that screws us.

A penalty kick by Ross McCormack in the seventh (?!) minute of added time sank Watford's hopes of walking away with another point in the standings Wednesday.

The Hornets took the lead in the tenth minute on their own penalty shot when Stephan McPhail tangled with Jobi McAnuff, giving Tommy Smith the penalty goal.

Five minutes later Jay Boothroyd took a Chris Burke cross from 18 yards out to left-foot the equalizer. Cardiff dominated the match with nine shots on goal, but Watford held steady until the last minute when McCormack's goal did Watford in.

The rough & tumble match saw four yellow cards shown to the Watford squad (DeMerit, Mariappa, Cork, & McAnuff).

The next match is at Ipswitch tomorrow, Saturday March 21. Kickoff is 10 am St. Louis time.

Sheffield Wednesday (2-2) 13-7-17 46 pts.

The line-up was a little shook up yesterday as Grzegorz Rasiak is sitting out four weeks with a torn abductor.

In the course of ninety short minutes, the 'Orns almost won a game they should have lost and drew a game they should have won.

The Owls dominated the first half as a listless Watford side managed to earn no corners and took only one shot on goal. Marcus Tudgay nailed a rebound generated by a Sheffield corner kick to give them the lead. That lead stood until added time when John Harley overshot Tamas Priskin. Keeper Lee Grant slipped coming out for the ball and defender Mark Beevers tried to clear the ball but hammered it into his own net instead. Ouch.

Will Hoskins came in for Lee Williamson at the half and Watford played with a new lease on life. A Don Cowie cross at minute 56 let Jobi McAnuff head in the go-ahead goal from six yards out and the Hornets held that 2-1 lead through 90 minutes.

But 90 minutes weren't enough. The fourth official added 6 minutes of stoppage time and a suspect foul by Jon Harley gave Francis Jeffers a final-minute penalty goal to salvage a point in the tables.

Another minute of stoppage was added and the Hornets managed one last corner kick, but the draw stood up.

Next match is Tuesday at Cardiff City. Kickoff is 2:45 pm St. Louis time.

Nottingham Forest (2-1) 13-6-17 45 pts.

Daylight Savings Time & a firewall stymied my efforts to listen to the match, but eventually I got to follow the commentary as Watford gained another three points towards safety.

The Hornets burst onto the pitch at the start of the match - Grzegorz Rasiak heading in the first goal of the match from six yards out in minute five. Watford dominated the first fifteen minutes, but an equalizer by Matt Thornhill in the seventeenth minute took the wind out of their sails.

The squad regrouped and Tamas Priskin closed out the first half with a twelve-yarder assisted by Rasiak. 2-1 at the half and 2-1 at the final whistle.

Watford's march up the table goes through Sheffield Wednesday next at Vicarage Road this Saturday. Kickoff should be 10:00 St. Louis time.

Charlton Athletic (3-2) 12-6-17 42 pts.

We were on our way to Jefferson City to attend our nephew's Eagle Scout ceremony Saturday so we managed to miss this one, but the BBC link is above. Priskin, Rasiak, & Cowie each managed a goal against the struggling Addicks to lift the Hornets a few points further away from the drop zone.

The next match is in about fifteen minutes against Nottingham Forest.

The bad news is: my computer blew up at work. The good news: the loaner has sound.

Plymouth Argyle (1-2) 11-6-17 39 pts.

With Tamas Priskin back in the line-up, the Hornets visited Home Park for a clash with fellow mid-table squad Plymouth Argyle.

A Gavin Hoyte foul on Alan Judge gave Paul Gallagher a penalty kick which he placed into the upper right corner to draw first blood in minute 35. There the score stayed until the half.

Tommy Smith came on for Will Hoskins after the half. Good thing as he left-footed one in from six yards out fourteen minutes into the half to even the score.

Then my computer went 'pop', smelled like the electric chair, and I have no idea what happened next except Gallagher got the double & the Pilgrim got three points. If you click on the BBC link above, you'll know what I know.

The next match is Saturday at a struggling Charlton. Kick off is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Bangura off to Brighton & Hove Albion

The Watford midfielder, subject of last season's campaign to avoid deportation, is off to Albion on loan for the rest of the season. Al's had only two league & three cup appearances this season.

Graham Taylor on the Coca-Cola Football League Podcast

The former Watford skipper and pal of Sir Elton is Mark Clemmit's guest on this week's podcast. Click the link above to get podcast details. A few choice tidbits from GT who is currently a non-executive Board member of the club:

"The lower Championship is Watford's natural level."

The club is in a "financial hole".

With friends like these . . .

Crystal Palace (2-0) 11-6-16 39 pts

Half the fun of beating Palace is listening to the description of Neil Warnock's head explode when a call goes against him.

Such was the case as Don Cowie flew down the right channel to stuff one in from eighteen yards out to score his first goal with the Hornets in a move that the Palace skipper thought was clearly offside. Grzegorz Resiak, in for the suspended (five yellows) Tamas Priskin was credited with the assist on the 21st minute goal.

Palace battled back in the first half but gave up the ghost (and an own goal off the foot of Jobi McAnuff) to yield three points to the Hornets.

The win gives Watford three league victories in a row and a little breathing room as they move into the last two-plus months.

The next match is Tuesday, March 3 at Plymouth. Kickoff is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

Blackpool (2-0) 10-6-16

On the Road Again . . .

I missed another win Saturday, this time against Blackpool. Mike Williamson at 54 minutes, followed by Tamas Priskin with five minutes left in regulation added three juicy points the Hornet's League Table standings.

The win puts Watford three points clear of the relegation zone and only sixteen points away from the playoffs (now that's just crazy-talk!).

The next match is Saturday at Vicarage Road against mid-table foe Crystal Palace. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

Swansea City (2-0) 9-6-16 33 pts.

My apologies getting this report out a bit late on Tuesday's match. Another one of these I had to follow at work without sound.

The match was a bit of a scrap with four yellow cards and 30 fouls between the two squads - every time I looked up the word 'foul' flashed across the screen.

The ever-reliable Tamas Priskin left-footed a Tommy Smith cross from six yards out at minute 24 and Tommy managed a goal of his own on a rebound nine minutes later to provide the match's only scoring.

The three points leaves the Hornets only one point clear of the relegation zone, but Norwich City has played two more games thanks to the snowy weather a few weeks back that canceled the match with Southampton.

The next match is Saturday, February 21 at Blackpool. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time.

FA Cup: Chelsea (1-3)

Oh, for a moment there!!

Sadly, I had a rehearsal smack-dab in the middle of the last televised (in the U.S. at least) Watford match for the next ten months (at least), but I did manage to catch the last five minutes. Setting the stage for that:

Tamas Priskin (bless his soul) put the Hornets ahead at 69 minutes after a scoreless half, but Nicolas Anelka fired in two goals in rapid succession to place the Blues ahead.

Here's where I came in:

Five minutes left and Chelsea pressuring the defense, Watford manages to hold their ground to the 90th minute. With three minutes injury time added, John-Joe O'Toole suddenly races for Chelsea net, he feeds the ball into Jobi McAnuff and . . . and . . .

Nothing.

The defense collapses, Anelka gets the hat trick, and Watford goes back to dangling over the relegation precipice into League One.

To that end, the next match is Tuesday, February 17 at home against Swansea City. Kickoff is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

Chelsea Fires Scolari Five Days Before FA Showdown with Watford

Apparently fourth place in the Premier League isn't good enough. Let's hope the Hornets can capitalize on the confusion.

Southampton Fixture Called Off

After a pitch inspection yesterday, officials opted to call off today's match against Southampton. Freezing temperatures & snow have hit England hard for the last week, resulting in many cancelled matches in the UK.

The next match is the US-televised FA Cup draw against Chelsea next Saturday, February 14. Kickoff is 11:30 St. Louis time.

Pro Soccer Comes to St. Louis!!!

Kinda.

It's the new Women's Professional Soccer League which kicks off its inaugural season March 29. St. Louis will be home to the Athletica (whose mascot appears to be Louis IX in drag).

Technically, Edwardsville - specifically the Ralph Korte Stadium at SIU-E for now, but moving into the planned Collinsville Soccer Complex, hopefully home to an MLS expansion team as well, in 2010. One match, April 25th against the LA Sol, will be held at Hermann Stadium on the SLU campus.

The team's schedule was announced today, the home opener April 4th against the Chicago Red Stars.

The squad is coached by Jorge Barcellos, head coach of the Brazilian Women's team and features U.S. National Team members Lori Chalupny, Tina Ellerston, & Hope Solo. Also on the team is MAC Hermann Trophy winner Kerri Hanks.

Window Closed

I've been a bit out of touch the last few days (if ever there was a reason to own a Blackberry, its name is jury duty) so I thought I'd miss the flurry of transfer activity as the window closed.

Nope.

We picked up another midfielder in the person of Don Cowie from Inverness CT but that's about it. The big news is no news on the John-Joe O'Toole front - J-J is still on the squad. Cool Beans.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (1-3) 8-6-16 30 pts.

I didn't get to see this one, but apparently the gaffer was happy with the play that dropped the Hornets into the relegation zone. Not a typo - 'happy'.

The BBC link is above.

Your Handy-Dandy Harry Redknapp Post-Match Interview Flowchart

From Ole Ole, this flowchart has nothing to do with Watford, but if you ever find yourself managing a squad, you too can have the elan of Spurs gaffer Harry Redknapp in the post-match interview.

Burnley (3-0) 8-6-15 30 pts.

A decisive win for Watford today as they hosted Burnley. Though the visitors lead in possession, corners, & shots on goal, the Hornets took charge in the first two minutes and never let up.

A cross from Will Hoskins found Jobi McAnuff six yards out and McAnuff right-footed it in in the second minute. Burnley came back strong, dominating possession in the first fifteen minutes and drawing Gavin Hoyte into a foul that resulted in a yellow card, but Watford turned the tables and controlled the latter part of the first half.

Little action until Tamas Priskin came in for Will Hoskins, scoring two minutes later in the 76th minute.

Tamas dropped in his second in the waning minutes of added time - giving Watford two wins in four days.

Next match is Saturday, January 31 when the Hornets travel to Wolverhampton to take on the table-leading Wolves.

Jackpot! Watford to Host Chelsea

Vicarage Road will host Chelsea in the Fifth Round Proper of the FA Cup on the weekend of February 14th. Though taking on one of the top Premier League squads diminishes the Hornets chances of advancing, the Blues should prove to be a terrific draw at the gate.

FA Cup: Crystal Palace (4-3)

A soft pitch & a light home crowd saw an exciting game today that left the Hornets on their way to Round 5 of the FA Cup.

Lloyd Doyley & Will Hoskins entered the starting line-up as the only changes from last Saturday's loss.

Watford put the pressure on early only to have Jon Harley miss an easy shot from 3 yards out in the second minute, but Jay DeMerit found the back of the net in the sixteenth minute from ten yards out off a cleared corner from former Palace man Jobi McAnuff. McAnuff's cross in the 27th minute set up Jack Cork's header and left Watford up by 2-0 at the half.

Palace responded to Neil Warnock's half-time ass-chewing nearly scoring twice in succession from set plays and eventually converting a free kick three minutes in after DeMerit fouled Alan Lee.

Watford responded by counter-attacking, abandoning the deep, defensive play they'd adopted after the first goal. At sixty-six minutes, Hoskins generated the space for a Grzegorz Rasiak shot that was cleared, but the resulting corner by McAnuff let Rasiak return the favor, setting up a Hoskins goal to pull two ahead again. A McAnuff cross gave Rasiak his own goal four minutes later.

Paul Ifill trimmed the lead in the 82nd minute. Finally, Ifill found his way around Robert Keirnan (making his first team debut) in added to time to make the score a bit closer than it was.

Winning this match puts another £100,000 in the Hornet's coffers & gives them the shot at a 'name' draw for Round Five. The draw for Round Five will be tomorrow, Sunday January 26 with the matches being played Valentine's Day weekend.

Next match for Watford is Tuesday, January 27 when Burnley visits Vicarage Road. Kickoff is 1:45 pm St. Louis time.

FA Cup Match this Saturday

A Reminder: Watford will be hosting Colin Wanker's Crystal Palace this Saturday. Kickoff is 9:00 am St. Louis time. It looks like it will not be televised in the US - too bad, I was looking forward to checking out the Amsterdam.

MLS Draft

My eye has been on the transfer window this month, but my friend Travis reminded me that the MLS draft (sorry, SuperDraft) was held this week about two miles from my house. I won't reiterate the picks - you can find those at the link above - but I do want to highlight the St. Louis area connections, In order:

#25 - Dado Hamzagic - SLU - Revolution
#29 - Jack Traynor - from St. Charles, affiliated with Scott-Gallagher & Notre Dame - Red Bulls
#36 - Brandon Barklage - SLU - DC United
#48 - Kyle Patterson - SLU - Galaxy

Sheffield United (0-2) 7-6-15 27 pts.

Two former Hornets turned in goals against the boys in yellow handing them an 0-2 defeat and brushing them up against the relegation zone where they lead Doncaster Rovers by one measly goal.

Though the squad lead play from end-to-end, the Blades dominated the game around the nets, clearing many of Watford's scoring opportunities and beating the Watford defense flat-footed.

There was no score in the first half but no spark from Watford either. A sign of things to come, a throw-in that found Darius Henderson's head had to be knocked away by Scott Loach as Adrian Mariappa was caught out of position leading to words between Mariappa & Jay DeMerit culminating in a shove by Mariappa of the captain.

All was well as the two came onto the field together, but any locker-room cohesiveness failed to carry onto the pitch. A header by Hendo set up the first goal of the day by ex-Hornet Danny Webber for six yards out in the 52nd minute. Hendo got his own unassisted goal about 15 minutes later from twelve yards out to seal the deal for the Blades.

The next match is at Vicarage Road Tuesday, January 27th. Kickoff is 1:45 St. Louis time.