Milan – Inter (29 Aug 09)

Half-time: 0 – 3.

During the first half we can see from the video replay that Ronaldinho dived in the Inter penalty area, claiming a foul. The referee of course should have awarded him a two-match ban, just as UEFA gave Arsenal’s Eduardo a two-match ban after dining in the Champions League match against Celtic, even though the ref in that game awarded a penalty to Eduardo.

What is a ref to do in the circumstances? Well, later in the half, the ref gave Gattuso a yellow for denying an Inter player a goal-scoring opportunity. Er, we thought that that should be a red card according to FIFA. The ref perhaps knew that he had pulled the wrong card from his pocket for moments later he awarded another yellow to Gattuso for a foul that might otherwise have resulted in a free-kick after a verbal warning to the Milan midfielder. So it looked for all the world like a make-up call.

In this game, Inter look like a much better team than Milan. They are set up in a very attacking formation with Milito and Sneijder running at the Milan back line though the centre and inside left channel, with Eto’o lurking on the right.

Muntari is brought on by Mourinho in teh 59th minutee – perhaps to keep him onside after Mourinho’s comments about Muntari’s Muslim religion interfering with his football – due to the player’s dietary restrictions during Ramadan? Mourinho has criticised the media for misrepresenting what he said, which is unsurprising given the supposed death threats emanating from certain Islamists.

Full-time: 0 – 4.

Manchester United 2 – 1 Arsenal

A scrappy game littered with mistakes, but what excitement on offer to those watching this open match!
The first goal was cored by Arshavin, the best player on show. United keeper Ben Foster seemed slow at moving to his right to stop the near-post shot; he didn’t step to his right 0 – 1.
The equaliser came from Rooney’s apparent dive into the onrushing Almunia. Rooney took the resultant penalty and scored by blasting the ball to Almunia’s left: 1 -1.
How many matches will Rooney be banned for by UEFA? Does he deserve a lesser or greater punishment than Arsenal’s own Eduardo’s two match ban for diving in the Celtic penalty area in last week’s Champions League?
Then Diaby inexplicably headed the ball back into his own goal: 2 – 1.
At the death, Arsenal had the ball in the United net, but there was an offside earlier in the move. Oh, and Arsene Wenger was sent to the stands by the referee.

Fulham 0 – 2 Chelsea (23 Aug 09)

Nice work by Ancelotti – the new Chelsea manager is certainly making a difference to the look of the team, even as the personnel has remained largely the same. Drogba and Anelka, the front pairing that the pundits suppose will not combine, both scored.

A bit of a one-sided game this: Fulham rarely managed to get the ball into the Chelsea half, and when they did the forwards got poor quality ball from their defenders and midfielders. In transition, the Fulham midfielders couldn’t or wouldn’t join their fellow strikers high up the pitch, so fearful were they of Chelsea’s attack. But if you’re going to beat Chelsea you have to apply a lot of pressure to their defence, rather than try and hold out defensively and score a counterattack goal. Fulham coach Roy Hodgson – vastly experienced as he is – didn’t get it right on this occasion.

Man of the match: Anelka, who not only set up Drogba for the first goal, which would have been flagged for offside if FIFA had by now joined the modern world by allowing the referee to watch the video replay (his head was clearly beyond the last defender when the ball was played), but also scored the second and worked very hard dipping back to help out the Chelsea midfield.

Chelsea look the real deal this season. The title will be theirs if the new-look midfield diamond is effective on its defensive end against such teams as Arsenal and Man Utd.

Fox Soccer and the Champions League. 20 Aug 09.

Yes, it’s easy for armchair critics like ourselves .. and the FSC pundits.

Oh deary me! The coverage of Celtic v Arsenal was ruined by the commentator announcing what was going to happen on the pitch a second before it actually did: the soundtrack was ahead of the visuals. FoxSoccerChannelWatch recommends this: turn off the sound completely and you can provide your own commentary. Advertisers take note – we won’t be listening to the commercials, either.

It’s bad enough to listen to the Fox Soccer Report tell us what happens on the pitch before we see it: “And in a moment we see the only goal of the game.” Thanks for spoiling it for us, FSR! Viewers, turn off the sound! We also get the same shabby treatment with FSC’s new Champions League highlights program, with Max Bretos spoiling it for us again there.

You don’t get that sort of treatment from the Premier League Highlights Show. Across the Atlantic, the soccer’s better, and so is the TV coverage.

Fox Soccer Report glitch for tonight – yep, it’s the same old problem with the graphics; is the person who writes them permanently drunk? – a team by the name of Velencia is up on the screen. Is it some obscure Romanian team? Nope – it’s Valencia from Spain, just one of the most famous teams in the world. Velencia orange juice anyone?

Chicago Fire v LA Galaxy. Did I hear correctly? We are told by commentator Carlos Machado that Chicago don’t manage “a shot on goal”. Then we see the highlights, containing shots on goal by the Chicago team.