Celtic Vs. MLS: Running Diary
By Andrew McCarten,
TheSportsStand.com (7/20/07)
Coming to you live from the McCarten basement, it’s a running diary of the 2007 MLS All-Star game. Celtic FC take on the best of the MLS. First of all, this is completely retarded. Why can’t they just have an East vs. West match up? If they win, it doesn’t matter because they are an all star team playing against a squad in their preseason.
9:19- Can the pregame show get any worse? Come on. David Beckham isn’t even playing! I mean, I know it’s the biggest story in the league, but give the actually players some attention.
9:26- Celtic’s jerseys are looking awesome as usual, while the MLS goes with a boring navy blue number.
9:30- MLS going with a 3-5-2?
9:31- Is it me or is Tommy Smyth the best soccer announcer there is.
9:32- Please tell me ESPN didn’t just flash us a graphic telling us what colors the teams are.
9:34- 2nd minute, and we’ve already mentioned Beckham.
9:35- Is there anything Tommy Smyth doesn’t know.
9:35- MLS are lucky Sunsuke Nakamura isn’t starting, because this free kick would be even more dangerous.
9:36- Shalri
Joseph
is only getting $167,000 per year, and Celtic wanted him but New England
wouldn’t let him go. Not a very classy move.
9:38- Notables not in Celtic starting squad- Nakamura, McGeady, Zurawski to name a few. Jiri Jarosik has won 4 titles in 4 different leagues. Wow.
9:39- Great save by Boruc off Clark.
9:40- Smyth is making this game bearable because he obviously is the only one who knows what he is talking about..
9:41- Good quality from Angel, probably the best MLS player on the field.
9:43- Smyth tells a story of a Chicago man he knows who has Celtic season tickets. Now that’s dedication.
9:44- Beckham not looking too interested. Someone call Alexi Lalas.
9:45- Good run by Clark, Pressley breaks it up.
9:46- We have a counter on the bottom line until Beckham’s arrival. Fantastic.
9:48- Decent save by Reis. Good movement from Celtic though. MLS already has 4 fouls, and we’re in the 17th minute.
9:49- Singing De Rosario’s praises from last year’s all star game against Chelsea. But wasn’t Hilario, the 3rd string keeper, in goal? Seems we forgot to mention that.
9:51- Bad corner by Hartley. But Strachan has been complaining about the game balls lately, saying they are far too light.
9:53- After Johnson brings the ball down into the box from the left side, Toja misses from about half a foot. Why didn’t he hit it low? That’s Boruc’s 2nd good save.
9:55- Surprisingly, O’Brien is the only Irish man on the field, and he isn’t on Celtic.
9:56- Good point by Smyth. This game is really turning into classic Celtic, where the opposition just starts trying to cross the ball in.
9:57- Good long effort by Clark, though he probably should have penetrated a little further. Shots like that won’t beat Boruc.
9:58- Another Beckham name-drop, talking about the weather?
9:58- Pressley gets a yellow card, deservedly so.
9:59- Angel misses the goal. You have to make Boruc work early, especially seeing Boruc almost up at the 6.
10:00- Great run by Eddie Johnson. Considering the tear he has been on, Europe may take notice.
10:01- Penalty! A dive by Johnson? Boruc is known for his penalties though!
10:02- Saved by Boruc! Eddie Johnson can’t get past the Pole. Maybe he shouldn’t have telegraphed the left side, and put a little pace on it.
10:03- Celtic right on the counter, free kick.
10:04- Good sense of mind by Reis to come out and catch the ball.
10:05- Good hustle by Angel to keep the ball alive.
10:06- Toja shoots from waaaay to far out when MLS have numbers in the box. Toja is not having a game to remember so far.
10:07- Mastroeni is the only Rapids representative for MLS.
10:08- Angel scores for MLS! Celtic’s central defense just fell apart, but great finish from Angel, falling while shooting with his weak foot.
10:09- Good cross from O’Brien, Angel could have scored his 2nd.
10:11- Celtic yet to have a shot on goal, and the ball’s been in their court almost the entire half. Eddie Johnson has 10 goals in 10 games in the MLS.
10:12- Strachan up and yelling on the sidelines. It’ll be interesting to see his changes at halftime.
10:12- What a shot by Vennegoor of Hesselink! Bounces off the post.
10:13- Toja can’t finish from just outside the box again.
10:14- Pressley takes down De Rosario again. He has to be careful, he’s already seen yellow.
10:15- Toja finally scores off bungled free kick scramble. 2-0 MLS.
10:16- Celtic will be hearing an earful from Strachan at halftime.
10:17- The MLS have beaten their last 3 club opponents in the all star game. But they are an “all star team.” Go figure.
10:18- Halftime.
SOME THOUGHTS
- If the Cavaliers played the NBA all stars, would that be fair? Well that’s what is going on, and MLS will claim another victory.
- Angel is clearly the best forward on the field.
- Boruc has single handedly kept Celtic in the match. It should be 5-0.
- Celtic have to test Reis more.
- McGeady will probably come on for Celtic. This is good for 2 reasons: I’m currently wearing his jersey and he provides some much needed aggression.
- David Beckham says he probably won’t play against Chelsea. MLS just had a collective heart attack.
- Some who may have made a case for Europe: Johnson, Toja and O’Brien.
2ND HALF
10:37- MLS kicks off 2nd half. Celtic has not made one change. Kevin Hartman replaces Reis in the MLS net.
10:39- Jarosik didn’t sell that dive very well.
10:40- Rangers vs. Celtic matchup comes up. This is the best rivalry in the world. Smyth aptly describes it as “incomparable.”
10:41- Scott Brown given yellow for tackle on Toja.
10:43- Looked like a goal from McDonald, Hartman played the ball horribly. If he keeps this up, Celtic will score quite a few times.
10:44- Johnson feeds to De Rosario who misses high.
10:45- Aiden McGeady and Kenny Miller enter for Vennegoor of Hesselink and Jarosik, respectively.
10:45- McDonald beats Hartman from 22+, but ball rolls wide.
10:46- McGeady’s nationality comes up. Here we go again. He was born in Glasgow, but he plays for Ireland due to his heritage. Not a surprise in today’s football world.
10:47- Celtic look like they’ve really settled in offensively.
10:49- Boruc started a riot last year at Ibrox against Rangers, for making the sign of the cross. If you don’t know, Rangers are Protestant and Celtic are Catholics.
10:50- Some decent skill from McGeady.
10:52- Pablo Mastroeni subs in.
10:53- Landon Donovan and Brian Ching prepare to enter.
10:54- Strachan is not looking happy.
10:55- Good save by Hartman. Celtic could really use Nakamura’s quality right now.
10:56- Eddie Johnson comes off for Donovan. Gomez in, De Rosario out.
10:58- McGeady with a highlight reel move to get free of O’Brien. He passes to McDonald who just misses on a sliding effort. McDonald subs out for Macej Zurawski.
10:59- Handball, Ching.
11:00- Gravesen in for Donati.
11:02- O’Brien wastes cross.
11:03- No representatives from Columbus or Chicago. Not surprising.
11:04- Ching races down the wing, passes to Donovan who hits it safely into the hands of Boruc.
11:06- Balde in for Pressley.
11:07- Gomez misses high off pass from Mastroeni.
11:09- Almost own goal by Wilson on a header back to Boruc. Corner for MLS.
11:11- Celtic are setting up 30 soccer academies in the US.
11:12- O’Brien misses from close range, another great save by Boruc. This game would be 6-0 with almost any other keeper.
11:12- O’Brien subs out for Cobi Jones, who has the most US national team appearances ever.
11:13- Gomez puts the ball in the net, but is called offside.
11:13- One of thw only positives for the Bhoys- lots of fan support.
11:15- Eddie Pope comes on for Charlie Parkhurst.
11:16- Another fantastic
move from McGeady, this time a
spin move past Joseph.
11:16- MLS on fast break, but nothing comes of it.
11:19- Good stuff from McGeady. Crosses but to no avail. He has been the only real bright spot for Celtic in this half.
11:21- Joseph goes down.
11:22- 3 minutes of stoppage time.
11:25- Game over. For some announcers I won’t name, it is as if David has slain Goliath.
FINAL THOUGHTS
- Some of Celtic’s few bright spots: Boruc, McGeady and the fan support.
- Colombia certainly had a good night. Toja and Angel, the goal scorers, both hail from there.
- Some players we could see in Europe: Toja, Johnson and Parkhurst.
- It is painfully obvious that Angel is a man among boys in the MLS.
- Celtic started off quite sluggish.
- David Beckham gets an ungodly amount of coverage in a match where he isn’t even playing.
- Andrew McCarten
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