The Dutch: Too Nice, Not Ruud Enough

For the majority of his career, he has been a wanted man. 

When PSV Eindhoven paid 6.3 million euros for his services, it was a Dutch-league record for a transfer fee.  Then came his move to Manchester United in 2001, where he broke several records and was named the 2002 PFA Players’ Player of the Year.  In 2006, [...]

RFN Podcast #15: Russia Misses South Africa

On the 15th edition of the Russian Football Now podcast, Chris and I are joined by Martyn Hindley, the English-language voice of Premier League matches. The three of us discuss the Russian’s disappointing result in Maribor against Slovenia. Despite being many’s dark-horse candidate to do well at the World Cup, Russia failed to [...]

Russia-Slovenia Preview: How Slovenia Can Beat Russia

If you remember my Russia-Germany preview, you knew this was coming.

Over at Russian Football Now, I examine tomorrow’s Leg 1 of the Russia-Slovenia UEFA World Cup playoff. The article is long, self-indulgent, and tedious, but it does outline a way that Slovenia can make it to South Africa.

Here’s a hint:

If Slovenia does have a [...]

Inside the Six, Ep. #50: Part Two of WCQ Previews, MLS Conference Finals Preview

In the 50th (yep, already at 50) episode of Inside the Six, we continue looking forward to an exciting and important weekend of international football.

Dave Trotter from FrenchLeague.WordPress.com – who I suppose we can call our France correspondent – talks to me about the Ireland-France match-up in the UEFA playoffs.

In the second segment, Chris Riordan [...]

CSKA Moscow-Rubin Kazan Preview at Russian Football Now

With Spartak Moskow’s shot loss today, Rubin Kazan could take control of the league with a win tomorrow. Problem? They go to Luzhniki Stadium to face CSKA Moscow having not gotten a result in this match for three years. Over at Russian Football Now, I take a look at the match-up and [...]

Russian Football Now Podcast #11: Ramos, League, and UCL

On the 11th episode of Russian Football Now, Chris Riordan and myself continue to discuss the ramifications of Juande Ramos’s exit from CSKA Moscow, but that’s not the only news from around the Russian Premier League. With only four rounds left in the league season, transfer rumors are starting to surface.  We talk about those [...]

RFN QuickCast: Ramos Out at CSKA Moscow After 47 Days

Last night at Russian Football Now, Chris Riordan and I did a quickcast about the shock news that manderlust-stricken vagabond Juande Ramos had parted ways with CSKA Moscow, and while my working my hint at feigned disbelief, the timing of the separation is unbelievable. CSKA is at a critical point in their season, as [...]

Russian Football Now Podcast #10: Champions League Review

If only there was something to talk about. Oh, yeah! Didn’t one of the Russian clubs have a big result in Champions League?

Rubin Kazan was that club, in the headlines all over Europe after shocking Barcelona at the Nou Camp on Tuesday. On the 10th edition of Russian Football Now’s podcast, Chris [...]

Russian Football Now Podcast #9: Premier, Champions League Previews

The ninth episode of Russian Football Now’s Podcast is the second consecutive where hosts Chris Riordan and Richard Farley welcome a guest onto the show. Kartik Krishnaiyer, known most for his work on EPL Talk and Major League Soccer Talk in addition to The Kartik Report, spends the show with us, giving his thoughts [...]

Huge Russia-Germany Preview at Russian Football Now

It is the big match-up on Saturday, with one of the world’s top teams all-but-securing a pass to South Africa while the other gets relegated to the UEFA playoff and one step closer to (what would be a shocking) exclusion from next year’s World Cup.

Over at Russian Football Now I have a very long, very [...]