Best Announcer Soccer Goals
One of the most ridiculous endings to a soccer game happened over the weekend in the 2nd leg playoff semifinal between Watford and Leicester City. The winner of this tie heads to Wembley for a one game playoff final to advance to the Premier League. Game is tied 2-2 heading to extra time and Leicester is awarded a really, really soft penalty on a semi-dive in the 95th minute. And then this happened:
Yes, the penalty was saved by one Manuel Almunia, last seen on the Arsenal bench a few season ago after an ill-fated stint as the starter. And yes, the storming onto the field is reminiscent of many a college sports event with a last minute winner. Also, the penalty taker was the same guy who dived to earn the PK, so karma and all that. I’ve probably watched this a dozen times the past couple of days and made me think to put together a list of some of the more memorable goal calls of recent years. I left out the Fernando Torres/Gary Neville Orgasm goal both for space and NSFW.
5) Dejan Stankovic/Ray Hudson
The majesterial man who inspired a blog dedicated to his own brilliance. Hudson comments alone could make their own list and Youtube is littered with compilations of his best work, usually around a Messi or Ronaldo goal. I can’t embed this one, but it’s notable both for the commentary and the quality of the goal.
4) Cameron Jerome/Not Bill Raftery
I don’t know the announcer here and the call isn’t particularly memorable (though the goal is likely the best of the season) but it’s impossible for Cameron Jerome to do something like this and not imagine Miracle Covers’ favorite analyst Bill Raftery here.
3) Andrey Arshavin/Martin Tyler
Fun fact: Pat really enjoys shouting ARSHAVIN! at socially awkward moments. I’m pretty sure this was the top highlight of Arshavin’s career at Arsenal.
2)Fabio Grosso/Some Italian Guy
GOLDEGRASSO! GOLDEGRASSO! Italy advanced to the World Cup Final in 2006 because of this goal against host nation Germany. Why as a left back he’s on the right side of the penalty area on a corner kick I do not know.
1) Sergio Aguero/Martin Tyler
I spent this game at a graduation inside a stadium that was not equipped for 30,000 smartphones to be able to stream anything and didn’t find out about this until many hours later. It’s still pretty amazing, though for sheer ridiculousness, I think the Watford goal may have it beat.
Tuesday
There is such a thing as being too nitty with the lines and I hit that on Monday. Both the Rockies (@ Cubs) and Rangers (@ Athletics) have been hitting poorly and sent out sub-optimal lineups on Monday versus two solid starting pitchers. I thought both home teams would win, and they both did easily, but I passed because the lines weren’t quite what I was looking for.
OTOH, I took the Dodgers last night because the numbers lined up, but there wasn’t really anything that was super strong, just a lot of small things pointed to the Dodgers side. It was probably still worth a play, but at least one of the Cubs and A’s should have made the cut as well. This is exactly why I am blogging and testing here as my system clearly needs improvement before upping any dollar amounts into ‘significant’ territory.
Semi-related, I have an open item to update the sidebar with actual useful links to sites I am using instead of sites we used to pull a lot from 3-4 years ago. Should be done soon enough.
Cubs, Yankees, Angels, A’s and Jays are the leans today. Another happy gambling day with no day games to ruin the fun. I think as Toronto and Anaheim get healthy, they are going to make for some profitable plays before the season is out.
Two plays tonight:
Reds (Bailey) @ Fish (Nolasco) +150
Rangers (Holland) @ Athletics (Colon) Even
Monday
We won our play on the Cubs yesterday 2-1 continuing the theory that it’s possible to find games that are essentially 50:50 propositions and get bets down on the plus odds side. 5-5 in May for +0.56 and 14-12 for the season +4.62.
Lots of leans on a busy Monday in MLB. Mets, Chicago, Oakland, the Dodgers and Cleveland in game 2 all potentials at this point. Updates in a few hours per usual.
UPDATE: None of these lines are moving in the correct direction. I should have hopped on Oakland when it was down to -120 because anything higher than that is too much for me. May look at the O/U instead. Other last chance for a play is on the Dodgers and Beckett.
UPDATE2: LA Dodgers (Beckett) +110 at home to the Natinals (Zimmerman)
Sunday
Took yesterday off so no plays to report. The Royals lost to the Yankees in our play on Friday. One play today on the Cubs with Feldman +155 away to Washington. Enjoy your Sunday.
This is How to Liveblog
For those of you not up to speed on MLS, and I assume that’s all of you, DC United were crushed 4-0 at home to Houston on Wednesday night to drop to 1-7-1 on the season. We call that relegation form everywhere else in the soccer world, but in America, it’s simply last. Bad teams and/or weird sports make for the best source material, but Jeff Maurer really needs to win an award for his Liveblog of the match on Wednesday. Some highlights:
Halftime: 2-0 Houston. The Red Bulls have posters on the subways up here in New York with a picture of a player and a short phrase. Henry’s says: “Born to finish.” Dax McCarty’s says: “Every minute. Every play. Everything I have.” May I suggest a few for United players? Sanchez: “Ticket back to Panama is already booked.” Augusto: “Sparking the attack. Your counterattack, specifically.” Rafael: “Making you miss Pajoy.” Jakovic: “89 minutes of focus.”
Full time: 4-0 Houston. Dave Johnson says: “Man of the match should go to the fans who stayed.” Yeah, I’ll agree with that. Tough break, Kyle Porter.
Go read the whole thing. Our single play was a winner yesterday with the Mets winning in the bottom of the 9th 3-2. White Sox, Giants, Twins and Mets are your early leans this Friday morning. Soccer tomorrow but it may be a quiet weekend.
EDIT: One play tonight. Yankees (Hughes) @ Royals (Davis) -116
Thursday
Fun game of checkers as the Cubs lost yesterday 5-4. Manager Dale Sveum sent Carlos Villaneuva, who did not have a great game and who is almost never effective past the sixth inning, back out to start the 7th leading 4-3. Villaneuva promptly walks the #8 hitter. Cardinals manager Mike Matheny then sends out Descalso to hit for the pitcher. No problem there. Villaneuva is for some reason still in the game and goes to 3-2 against Descalso (Career .239 2013 – .172). Matheny then sends the runner on a hit & run that ends in a double play. Sveum finally removes Villaneuva after this gift and wisely brings in LOOGY James Russell to pitch to the lefty Matt Carpenter. Carpenter hits a double turned into a triple on an error with Carlos Beltran coming up. Sveum leaves Russell, who should never, ever face a quality right handed batter, in to face Beltran, who promptly singles in the tying run.
Sampdoria drew Catania 1-1 with 20 shots on goal but only six on target. Catania scored on their only shot of the game to earn a point. Such is life in low scoring sports.
One play so far today on the Mets (Gee) -113 at home to Pittsburgh (Locke). Leans on Colorado, Washington and TB/Toronto U7 with updates per usual.
MLB 5/9
I do not like what I am doing, but whatever…
Oakland A’s ML -123 @ Cleveland @ 24
NY Yankees ML -125 @ Colorado @ 24
These lines are not my style. But I am hammered at 10:47 in the morning listing to 2-Pac with Ed so I just do not care. Peeeeeace
MLB 5/8
Back in the saddle again. When last we left this site I was enjoying a nice run. We will get an early indicator if we are still running good as I already missed a bet this afternoon, liking the M’s against the Pirates. When you are running good the bets you miss, miss. When you are running bad the bets you miss cover within the first 15 seconds of game action.
Twins @ Red Sox Under 9 @ +108 @ 24
Angels @ Astros ML +126 @ 24
Yankees ML +121 @ Rockies @ 24
It is a telling indicator how little I think of Joe Blanton at the moment considering I am taking Houston in this spot. Bourjos is injured. Slowly coming around to Juan Nicasio, taking the Yankees here, but if Nicasio puts up something like 7 1/3 2 ERs I can’t see myself going against him in the immediate future. Very telling game in other words. At this moment Pirates have taken 1-0 lead on Felix, may still be running hot after all…
Wednesday
A late game-time decision worked out last night with the Cubs winning at home to the Cardinals 2-1. Milwaukee cruised and we also got the coin flip we were looking for with the White Sox, if by coin-flip we mean one Alex Rios infield hit in 10 innings as Matt Harvey dominated and the Mets won 1-0. I think others are now coming around to the fact that the White Sox offense is really bad and that Harvey is very good. 2-1 yesterday, and 3-3 +0.19 for May.
Today there is a 90% chance we’ll be on the Cubs again this afternoon but am waiting to see if the line improves at all. Texas/Milwaukee under 8 is looking ok at the moment, but lineups are necessary. Texas has been struggling with their bats of late as well.
Also today we have one play already in sketchy Italian soccer with Sampdoria to win at home -110 versus Catania. MLS also has midweek action but there are no plays right now. The ‘best’ is Salt Lake visiting New England with the solid under 2 instead of 2.5.
MLB updates and any late soccer plays posted here as we move along today. Other leans are Cleveland, Houston, Pittsburgh and the Mets.
EDIT1: St. Louis (Westbrook) @ Chicago Cubs (Villaneuva) -101
EDIT2: Passing on the total as I need some super strong indicators to bet a total. This one is not quite there. I also just lost out on the bet I was going to make on Milwaukee -111 which has now moved to -118. So passing all the way around tonight. Good luck out there.
Tuesday
We had a late lean that nearly turned into a play yesterday with the Cubs who went on to win handily. I couldn’t get anything better than -105 when +105-107 was widely available elsewhere, hence my standard nittiness on the lines and the passing on the bet. There should be a play on Milwaukee tonight, with other leans on CHW, HOU and Arizona.
No day games so updates a little later this afternoon.
EDIT:
2 plays tonight. White Sox +153 (Santiago) @ Mets (Harvey) O/U for this one is 6.5 for those looking for a pitching duel. Hopefully this is a low scoring coin flip.
Also
Texas (Grimm) @ Milwaukee (Peralta) -105
Lastly, all of the variables line up for a bet on the Cubs at home tonight with Travis Wood against Lance Lynn and the Cardinals but I cannot bring myself to take Chicago. The line is only +113 or so which is the problem. First time I am openly defying my system this season so we will see how it goes. Soccer tomorrow.
EDIT2: Couldn’t do it. Cubs (Wood) +115
