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WELCOME
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FIRST TOUCH IS ON SUMMER BREAK! NEXT ISSUE: JULY 23RD 2009.
In the meantime, you can check out hundreds of articles in our archive section.
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Latest Articles
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THE ROAD TO SOUTH AFRICA We would like to extend a big thank you to everyone who came out to Mulligans and Nevada Smiths for the Confederations Cup parties. More |
| • | Toronto FC Defeats Red Bulls Toronto FC defeated the Red Bulls, 2-0, at BMO Field tonight. Toronto FC’s Pablo Vitti and Dwayne DeRosario each netted a goal in the win. |
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| • | US Advances to First Ever FIFA Final In one of the greatest matches in U.S. Soccer history, the U.S. got goals by Jozy Altidore and Clint Dempsey to stun No. 1-ranked Spain 2-0 and advance to the finals of the 2009 FIFA Confederations Cup in South Africa. |
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| • | Crash & Burn? By Dave Bowler And so it came to pass that Setanta went down the tubes, their finances shot to pieces, the end of a business that was never going to be viable. Why not? Because there never was a hope in hell when you’re going up against the muscle of Sky and having to rely ton the better nature of the Premier League, only to find that it doesn’t have one. |
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Ljungberg: Loving Life In Seattle By James Rogers Former Arsenal and West Ham star Freddie Ljungberg is loving life in the Pacific Northwest after joining the Seattle Sounders last year. The Swede, who famously graced billboards as an underwear model during his time in London, is enjoying his new role as the face of the MLS new boys. |
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The View From 101 By Matthew Doyle Don't worry, Mike Petke. We're not going to take the Water Assaulter 2K9 to you guys. Not yet, anyway. |
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NYC’s First Kicking & Screening Int'l Soccer Film Fest July 14-18, 2009 The Financial Times proudly presents the Kicking & Screening International Soccer Film Festival (KS09), a pioneering festival of soccer-themed films screened in New York City, delivering the finest soccer films from around the world. KS09 brings together cinephiles and soccer lovers to develop greater appreciation for the game and the frame. |
| • | Setanta to Continue Broadcasting in the USA It has been announced today by the Board of Setanta Sport Holdings Limited that it has not proved possible to secure the additional financing required to ensure the future viability of certain Setanta businesses in Great Britain. |
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| • | ESPN Picks Up Rights to Premiership and La Liga |
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WIN RED BULL TICKETS! |
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NY Greek-American/Atlas Wins Double By Jay Mwamba Josh Trott was the New York Greek-American/Atlas hero once again as the defending champs defeated Hellenic rivals Pancyprian Freedoms for the second year running to retain the CSL title last Thursday. The 23 year-old hot-shot converted the winning penalty in a 5-4 shoot-out victor y at Icahn Stadium that saw the Greeks complete the league and cup double. |
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South Africa Promises World Cup 'Not To Be Missed' By Jay Mwamba Dr. Danny Jordaan, the man behind next year’s World Cup in South Africa, had an emphatic message for First Touch readers on his visit to New York last week. “You must not miss this World Cup, it will be a unique and special experience!" |
| • | National Disgrace By Dave Bowler The new Wembley Stadium was a centre of controversy as it took a million years and several more million quid to construct. From its uninspiring design, to the departure of the iconic twin towers, to its lack of real cup final style capacity, Wembley got it in the neck. |
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A Week is a Long Time in Serie A By Michael Ottolenghi On the last week of the 2008-2009 season, your correspondent thought it would be wrong to let a whole season go by without First Touch readers being able to get an inside perspective on the Serie A. A week is a long time in Serie A therefore traveled to Milan to see Inter be crowned champions after the Inter-Atalanta game, to glean some local gossip, and to meet Mr. Mourinho at his press conference. |
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Confederations Cup South Africa 2009 |
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Spirit of Shankly Lifts Reds' Hopes Paul Rice is the president of the action group ‘Spirit Of Shankly’, England’s first football supporters union, formed to combat some growing problems within Liverpool FC. Paul was in town recently to spread the word to his New York brethren, but first order of the day was a sit down interview with First Touch. |
| • | World Cup Coming to NYC |
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San Jose's 'Mr. Hollywood' Looks to Make it Big By James Rogers From the pressure-cooker stadiums of Central America to the bright lights of Hollywood, rookie San Jose Earthquakes defender Mike Zaher is enjoying an eventful start to his MLS career. Now playing for his third MLS team in just a year and a half, the 23-year old left back is looking to push his career forward in northern California alongside former Leeds United star Darren Huckerby and U.S. national team veteran Bobby Convey. |
| • | AKINBIYI LEARNS WHOLE NEW BALL GAME |
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JOE CORRIGAN INTERVIEW |
| • | Fox Presenter in Hot Water Over Hillsborough Comments A message from Liverpool fans - boycott Steve Cohen! More |
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| • | ESPN Gets Set For World Cup Party By James Rogers ESPN may have lost the UEFA Champions League to its rival Fox, but the sports network is gearing up to give U.S. football fans a World Cup to remember. With South Africa 2010 a little over a year away, the TV giant is already planning a football blitz, according to Alex Green, ESPN’s marketing manager. |
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| • | Interview with Scott Carson By Dave Bowler Lighter than air, wigglier than Cheryl Cole on a set of shaved stilettos, the new generation of footballs are less predictable than Mike Ashley. Give a goalkeeper a chance eh? More |
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Punk Up the Football “Music, beer and football, the very stuff of life itself.” So said the late great John Peel. Even Pele noted that, ‘Music and football is a mixture that’s inside us.” Although I think he was referring to the rhythmic skills of your average Brazilian, as opposed to punk/football collaboration we are about to explore. |
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NEW GALLERY! Women's Professional Soccer League Fashion Show in NYC |
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| • | World Football Challenge coming to USA |
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| • | LISTEN! to the Football Partnerships podcast interview with our very own James Rogers. Hear James discuss MLS salaries, the Beckham saga, and what he thinks of footballers who wear skirts. More |
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A Death And Ressurection In The Big Easy You may recall that following hurricane Katrina we ran some stories by Stephen Rae describing the devistating effect the storm had on the local semi-pro soccer team, The Shell Shockers. Well now Stephen has written his first book, not about the Shell Shockers, but about his own pub team Finn McCools. Finn McCool’s Football Club: The Birth, Death, and Resurrection of a Pub Soccer Team in the City of the Dead is released this month by Pelican Publishing Company. More
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WHERE I'M CALLING FROM.... |
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| • | THIS
WEEK'S QUIZ Test your footie knowledge, with your host Jack Keane |
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| Roman Bednar (WBA) | Chris Powell (PFA) |
| Stephen McPhail (WBA) | Joan LaPorta (Barcelona) |
| Matt Jackson (Watford) | Jozy Altidore II(New York Red Bull) |
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Mart Poom (Estonia) |
Jozy Altidore (New York Red Bull) |
Jay DeMerit (USA) |
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Tony Meola(NJ Ironmen) |
Paul Robinson (WBA) |
Kevin Phillips (WBA) |
Paul McShane (Rep. of Ireland) |
John Hartson (Wales) |
Jason Koumas (Wales) |
| • | The
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