OT: MAGPIES! MAGPIES! MAGPIES!

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Wed Nov 13, 2002 5:53 pm

Bellamy scores in the second minute of stoppage time to give Newcastle a 3-2 win over Feyenoord. This, combined with Juventus´ 2-1 win over Kiev, means the Magpies are through to next round of the Champions League.
 
 Three straight wins after opening group play with three straight losses, and we´re through!
 
 Newcastle, Newcastle, Newcastle, I LOVE YOU! <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_smile.gif">
 
 A glorious, glorious day here ...
 
 Take care,
 PK

Post by **Jared** » Wed Nov 13, 2002 9:18 pm

PK,
 
 Just out of curiousity, why are you such a big Newcastle fan? Always interesting to hear why people are big fans of teams that aren´t local to them.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 1:24 am

Jared:
 
 Good question, many answers.
 
 I started following English footie big time in late 1998. I knew nothing, so I just followed the team that got the most ink and air time -- Manchester United.
 
 Well, I tired of United winning all the time and the churlish attitude of many of the players -- especially Keane -- and Sir Alex rubbed me the wrong way with his excuses after rare losses.
 
 So I went hunting for a new team. I wanted a team in the North East of England, since I´m from the Northeast of the U.S. That narrowed the field.
 
 Newcastle jumped out at me for many reasons, in no particular order.
 
 One, I love Newcastle Brown Ale, and the beer still was the team´s shirt sponsor at the time.
 
 Two, I fell in love with Bobby Robson. What spirit, what passion, what integrity on the touch lines. I loved how he rescued the team from the pits of Ruud Gullit´s flirt with relegation through sheer spirit and tactical skill.
 
 Three, I really dig Alan Shearer. A man´s man. A leader. No whining. Just results -- a true assassin in the box.
 
 Four, I love the team´s home kit. Black-and-white stripes are classic.
 
 Five, I just love the spirit of the club and how it means everything to the community. Coming from Syracuse, where Syracuse University sports are everything, I can identify with that.
 
 Six, the nickname Magpies is just bitchin´.
 
 So that´s my long, strange trip to falling in love with Newcastle.
 
 Take care,
 PK [ This message was edited by: pk500 on 13-11-2002 21:25 ]

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 1:32 am

You know Ajax made it through too, despite losing at home to Inter, thanks to Rothenberg winning. That means that if he gets healthy, maybe John O´Brien (future US captain maybe?) will start in a Champions League match! I wonder if that has ever happened before: an American field player actually starting a Champions League match. To me, that would be pretty amazing. Plus I like Ajax anyway, and it´s good to see them back in the big show. Here´s hoping they can get some of that magic back.

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 10:31 am

Good point, Hugo!
 
 An American player -- keeper Brad Friedel -- will start in goal today for Blackburn in its second-leg UEFA Cup game against Celtic at Ewood Park in round two of "the Battle of Britain!"
 
 Take care,
 PK

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 12:55 pm

No doubt, it´s awesome that we have 2 keepers starting in the EPL, but I´m talking about a field player. Everyone knows we have good keepers, it´s all that hoops and baseball and american football and stuff that they play growing up (whatever). But a US field player getting a start, and in the Champions League, too! Call me crazy, but I´m psyched about this.
 
 At some point the senseless prejudice in Europe against american footballers will diminish, maybe not in our lifetimes, but at some point. I mean, we have guys all over Europe, esp. Gemany, way more than I can ever remember, and a lot of them start, contribute, yea, even get man of the match honors. But this is the Champions League here! Had Ajax not made it through, Johnny O. would be playing in the UEFA Cup too, but no, he´s in the Champ´s League! Right along with the big boys from Madrid and Barca and your buddies from Newcastle and so forth.
 
 Sure, the Champ´s Leaue ain´t what it used to be, but it´s still the premier club competition in the world. As far as I know, Jovan Kirovski and Frankie Hejduk are the only Americans to play in said competition, and both of them were late-game subs. Ajax (as far as I can tell) misses Johnny O. now that he´s hurt, and that, to me, is a big deal and a true sign that we are indeed on our way.
 
 By the way, pk, you mean it was Roy Keane who turned you off of Man U? So you never had the pleasure/pain of watching Cantona play? Talk about churlish! But oh so brilliant in a way I have never seen elsewhere. Truly a freak of football nature, and a hundred times more Barry than Bonds.

Post by **Jared** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 1:16 pm

Jovan Kirovski scored a goal for Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League against some Greek side I think. I think he´s the only American to score in the CL...not sure if any other Americans have played in it or not. I´m rooting for Ajax too....loved them back in the day when they were CL Champs...what a great squad.
 
 O´Brien can play. And Friedel is a god. BBC has an article recently saying he was the best keeper in the Premiership and one of the world´s best (along with Buffon and others). Don´t have the link handy...I´ll try to find it. He was amazing during the World Cup...when talking to fans from other countries about the US at the World Cup, everyone (Koreans, Brits, Japanese, Poles, etc.) raved about his play. He´s the man.
 
 Too bad Reyna isn´t with a better team...if Sunderland gets relegated, hopefully he´ll transfer to a better squad.

Neckthai · Post by **Neckthai** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 1:19 pm

Magpies, Schmagpies.. BAH....
 
 Actually nice job by the Toon Army getting through the third round.
 
 Can´t say the same for Liverpool <IMG SRC="images/forum/icons/icon_frown.gif"> Loss 3-nil to Basel after losing to Borough 1-nil?... The horror.... the horror.
 
 It would be really neat to see a guy like John O´Brien start in a Champions League match. He made the decision very early (16 I think) to go to Ajax´s Academy and the club and the national team is reaping the rewards of that decision. It´s a shame he´s injured. I enjoy getting to see him play, even if he´s still playing in the back for Ajax.
 
 John O wouldn´t be the first outfield player to start a CL match. I think Reyna played for Rangers in 2000, if not for his German club?

pk500 · Post by **pk500** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 1:25 pm

Hugo:
 
 Sadly, no, I never saw Cantona play. My love of footie didn´t blossom until World Cup 98.
 
 Take care,
 PK

Post by **Jared** » Thu Nov 14, 2002 3:41 pm

Cantona was amazing. I wish he didn´t retire so early...would have loved to see him play more. Easily one of the best strikers ever. And he does cool Nike commercials ("The loooser goes home. Bye-bye!")
 
 My love of soccer really grew after World Cup 94. I´m still kicking myself for not attending any matches...I lived less than two hours away from Orlando and didn´t go to any matches. I am such a fool. But that got me started playing and that just developed my appreciation for the sport even more...it is a beautiful game.

Zeppo · Post by **Zeppo** » Fri Nov 15, 2002 2:20 pm

Neckthai et al.-
 
 You know, you are right about Reyna and Rangers. Since the expansion of the Champ´s League, there are qualifying matches and such. But Rangers never made it too far. I´m not sure if Wolfsburg was ever in the Champ´s league while Reyna (and Chad Deering, too) were on the squad. Had forgotten about Kirovski´s goal- I think it´s a good bet he is the only American to score. I hope he can get an opportunity somewhere in England to actually play.
 
 I too really caught the bug in ´94, and I too can´t believe I didn´t go to a single match, but alas. Wanted to go to Korea, but couldn´t rally for that either, and Ive been kicking myself ever since 3-2 v. Portugal! I really got into UEFA watching ESPN2 the year after ´94- they had Dutch League on mondays, and they always seemed to show Ajax, and then Champs League on wednesdays, and they always seemed to show Ajax. And what a team- Litmanen, the DeBoer brothers, Nwankwo (sp?) Kanu, Finidi George, Marc Overmaars, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf, Patrick Kluivert, I mean, wow. I just fell in love with them that year, and they beat AC Milan in the final, thanks to an incredible late goal by an 18 year old Kluivert. The next year they lost in the final to Juventus, and then the wheels fell off and everybody left (except for Litmanen). Now that they´re back where they belong, it gives me great pride as an American that an American is an integral part of the squad. They´re not as sexy as they were in the mid 90s, but they´re very young and play smart, and certainly seem to be fun to watch (but I´m only judging on their last Champ´s match v. Inter).