The reaction of the American media to their national side ending Spain’s 35-game unbeaten streak may have been unbearable but it would have been just as bad - if not worse - over here if England had done it. The USA have made this pretty meaningless tournament worth watching and they will fancy their chances of winning it after seeing Brazil stumble past South Africa last night in the other semi-final. The bookies don’t though and some of the trends identified by our friends at chickendinner make it easy to see why:
1. Brazil have won 14 of their 15 matches against USA (one after extra-time). The USA’s one win over the holders came in the 1998 Gold Cup Final, with former Everton winger Predrag “Preki” Radosavljevic scoring the winner.
2. USA haven’t scored against Brazil in three previous Confederations Cup meetings, with Dunga’s side beating them 1-0 in 1999 and 2003 and winning 3-0 against them last Thursday.
Former Big Brother star may have brought epidemic to Teeside
Faces nightclub noticed a dramatic decrease in business recently, as two of its most loyal patrons - WAGs Chanelle Hayesand Chantelle Houghton - were enjoying a luxury holiday in Mexico.
While the trip was undoubtedly intended to alleviate the stresses of occasionally taking their clothes off in Nuts, the Big Brother beauties may have come home with a little more than a tan: The Daily Starclaim the pair are being checked out by doctors to make sure they haven’t caught the deadly piggy flu.
Chanelle is slowly working her way through the Middlesbrough team, and is currently dating midfielder Matthew Bates. If she is found to be carrying the flu, it is very likely Bates will have it, and therefore the entire Boro squad would have to be checked out.
Fortunately for Tottenham, Chantelle Houghton no longer entertaining Jermain Defoe.
Carlos Vela was feared to be carrying deadly Mexican piggy virus
The swine flu epidemic is a big deal: hundreds of people have lost their lives, the government are advising against travel to Mexico and the USA, and the tabloid press have (temporarily) stopped putting pictures of Susan Boyle on their front pages to report on it.
Concerned that the virus could spread to their squad, Arsenal told striker Carlos Vela to stay home from training on Monday, as he was visited by friends from Mexico last week. Caught in a state-the-obvious kind of mood, Arsene Wenger said:
“It looks to be a massive problem in Mexico so we asked him to stay away.”
After being checked over the by the club doctor, and being made to promise he would wash his hands and wouldn’t sneeze in anyone’s face, Vela was given the all-clear to return to action, and will feature in the squad to face Manchester Utd tonight.
Is the Swede about to get involved in the relegation dogfight?
Yesterday Sven-Goran Eriksson was one of the favourites for the Chelsea job but this morning he has leapfrogged Avram Grant and Alan Curbishley to emerge as the frontrunner to succeed Tony Adams at Portsmouth.
The former England boss is currently in charge of Mexico, who face the USA in a World Cup qualifier tomorrow night, and while you would expect him to walk if Chelsea came calling, the Portsmouth link remains unconvincing.
The Mexican beauty who definitely doesn’t have a sex tape
Joining fellow Mexican model Elsa Benítez in the WAG of the Day hall of fame is the terribly good looking Galilea Montijo. The 35-year-old actress and bikini connoisseur is famous in her home nation for appearances in television shows such as Big Brother, Bailando por un Sueño (basically their version of Strictly Come Dancing) and a romantic drama called La Verdad Oculta (‘The Hidden Truth’). She is also renowned for her relationship with Mexican footballer Cuauhtémoc Blanco, creator of the natty ‘Blanco Bounce‘ trick.
The cheeky effort above (an overhead scissor kick? a bicycle kick?) went down in Naucalpan, Mexico. If anyone can identify the player, they win a Yorkie bar. Not one of those ones with the raisins and nuts in, mind. Just a plain one.
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