Overcome With Emotion

For some teams, being sent to the Europa League is not upto standards. Here is the elation of staying alive in the Europa League. The passion shown by the fans and players of Wisla Krakow who were needing to win against FC Twente and anything but a Fulham win in the other group match featuring Odense BK. Wisla were able to secure a 2-1 win that wasn't enough knowing that Fulham was up 2-1 at Craven Cottage, but watch the surprise and emotion when they were notified of the Odense equalizer in stoppage time that sent them to the next stage of the Europa League. This is what football is about!

Ball Harambee Nov. 28

Liverpool Slows the Manchester Train By Bagga Wilks

Manchester City before clashing with Liverpool seemed to have the weaponry to crush all their rivals. But Dalglish’s Reds held them to a draw. Liverpool’s performance was so herculean that were it not for some spectacular goalkeeping by Joe Hart down the stretch, Liverpool would have emerged victorious.

Liverpool attacked with speed and with purpose. Suarez, as is per usual, troubled Lescott and Kompany. Liverpool won every 50/50 ball and played with greater intensity.

Manchester City having played in the Champions League early that week, lacked spark. Yaya Toure was not his usual energetic self. Silva failed to be mesmerizing and Aguero was ordinary. Nasri was substituted in the second half as Mancini sought to get some spark from Balotelli. Balotelli was in the game for only a few minutes before trigger happy Martin Atkinson gave him two yellows. Balotelli had reverted to his infantilism.

Manchester United also played in the Champions League. Nonetheless, they deserved more than a draw in their match against Newcastle. In the last 15 minutes of the game, they swarmed all over Newcastle but just could not find the second goal to put Newcastle away. But what made matters worse is that the replays showed clearly that the penalty given to Newcastle from a well-timed tackle by Ferdinand was a clean tackle.

Arsenal is not in a position to drop points as they started the season so poorly. Again showing the wear and tear of playing early in the week in the Champions League, they could only manage a come from behind draw with Fulham. Fulham was the only team before Liverpool to hold Manchester City to a draw. Fulham does not score that many goals but they are a robust running, tackling team that leaves everything on the field after ninety minutes.

Arsene Wenger game Arshavin a start and an opportunity to show why he should be in an Arsenal shirt after the January transfer deadline. What is clear with the Arsenal team is that the wellspring of creativity stems from Gervinho. Only when Gervinho replaced Arshavin did Arsenal arise from their slumber. Van Persie is a deadly marksman. Walcott is electric but Gervinho is the straw that stirs the drink.

Chelsea played during the week but they had the lowly-placed Wolves as their opponent. Chelsea ran the wolves out of the forest and built back some confidence. That victory takes some pressure off Villas-Boas. Romeu had his first start as Chelsea’s defensive mid-fielder and played with maturity despite his youth. Mata is a savvy playmaker and Sturridge is showing his worth as a goal scorer. David Luiz played for ninety minutes without cracking up and one hopes that Villas-Boas is having a calming influence on the Brazilian. Chelsea had a downhill ride this week. Let us see if they can find the gears when they have to ride uphill against formidable opponents.

Clint Dempsey sits down w/ Futbolr TV

Clint Dempsey sits down w/ Futbolr TV to talk Fulham FC & Argentina Game
www.futbolr.com

Fulham Knocks Juventus out of Europa

Fulham produced a stunning second-leg comeback against nine-man Juventus to make the Europa League quarter-finals.The Cottagers, trailing 3-1 from the first leg at the Stadio Olimpico in Turin, still retained hope of reaching the last eight due to Dickson Etuhu's solitary away goal.
Clint Dempsey managed the winner inside the final ten minutes to secure the 4-1 victory and send the Italian giants out of Europe 5-4 on aggregate on an amazing night.
Clint Dempsey admitted his gamble had paid off after his stunning strike earned Fulham a 4-1 win over Juventus to send the Cottagers into the last eight of the Europa League.

Dempsey told ESPN: "I just thought, what the heck and tried to put it in the far post and it went in.

"Nine times out of 10 you won't make it but sometimes you've got to take a risk.

"It's great, we showed a lot of heart and character to fight back but we are in the next round."

Dempsey Gully Strike..

American's finding new homes in January!

Landon Donovan, Damarcus Beasley and Eddie Johnston are looking like they will be living in new cities come January. Eddie Johnson has been named to a transfer list for his current squad Fulham FC in English Premier League. Johnson has been at Fulham for 2 years but has only appeared in 1 league game this year. Rumors are spreading he would either end up in Championship or MLS.

Everton are hopeful of agreeing a deal to sign United States star Landon Donovan on loan.

Everton chief executive Robert Elstone said: "Landon is a player David Moyes has identified as someone he would like to bring to the Club. We are working to make that happen and hope we can reach agreement soon with all the appropriate parties”.

If negotiations are successfully completed, the forward would join the Blues on January 2.

Still only 27, Donovan is his country's leading international goal-scorer and is also their most capped player with 120 appearances.

He can operate in a withdrawn striker's role, on the wing or as a more conventional attacking midfielder.

Along with David Beckham, he fired LA Galaxy to last month's final of the MLS Cup - the trophy contested by the top-placed league teams in the American competition.

Regarded as his nation's best ever player, Donovan won the MLS Most Valuable player and the Goal of the Year awards for the 2009 campaign, which concluded last month.

Donovan has previously played in Europe for Bayern Munich and Bayer Leverkusen and would remain at Goodison Park until mid-March, joining fellow USA international Tim Howard.

According to the Daily Mirror, Fulham boss Roy Hodgson looking to spring Rangers midfielder DaMarcus Beasley from Ibrox. Damarcus Beasley, the American left-winger, has previously expressed his wish to leave the Scottish club in pursuit of the regular game time he believes he needs to get into the USA's World Cup squad.
Beasley 27, played in the Premier League before with Manchester City, on loan from PSV Eindhoven. He has not featured for the U.S. national team since the summer, when a passing error in the Confederations Cup consigned him to the bench for the remainder of the tournament. Fulham features American Clint Dempsey, and previously also included Carlos Bocanegra, Brian McBride and Kasey Keller on the roster.

Liverpool Gets Embarrased by Fulham 3-1

Bobby Zamora opened the scoring for Fulham before a great goal from Fernando Torres to equalize from 25 yards. Then Erik Nevland scored a timely goal to put Fulham ahead before Liverpool commit the unthinkable with a double sending-off.

Phillip Degen, granted a rare start, was given a straight red for an assault on Clint Dempsey before captain Jamie Carragher was dismissed for a professional foul on Zamora. He protested long and hard but Liverpool were done, with Fernando Torres already subbed for teenager Nathan Ecclestone. Dempsey gained his own slice of revenge with a late strike as Liverpool boss Benitez left the field a haunted man.

Fulham stretched their unbeaten run to seven games

Fulham climbed to eighth in the Barclays Premier League with a 3-0 demolition of Middlesbrough at Craven Cottage. Goals from Jimmy Bullard, Danny Murphy (penalty) and Clint Dempsey. US star Clint Dempsey completed the scoring with a third goal, rifling the ball into the right-hand corner from just inside the penalty box.