Streets of London FC

Folsom United 4 - 0 Streets of London

2009-12-02T08:25:00.001-08:00

The season came to a crashing end for the Streets of London last night as they bowed out of their last game with a 4-0 away defeat to second place team Folsom United.

Going into last night's game both teams were level on points. A win for either team would put them in contention for the league title, although those honors are likely to go to Sierra Stripping who are unlikely to lose their last game of the season next week against the sure fire relegation team BASOM.

The Streets of London fielded the same team as the prior three weeks with a couple of minor exceptions. Vadim Winkler was out on a hair-care tour as a result of his latest contract while Ed Gatjen is out with a shoulder injury.

Both outside midfielders with pace, they would be missed - if only the Streets could have strung together three passes in a row.

The opening five minutes of the game saw the Streets hold Folsom United in their own half, but after Folsom broke through the Streets midfield the action seemed very much end-to-end - although neither team really threatened with any strong goal-mouth activity.

The closest chances either team had were wild shots form the edge of the area. Folsom United having a tendency to try and dribble the ball into the box whereas the Streets went for a more full frontal assault with crosses coming from out wide.

As the first half wore on the Streets looked sloppy - a big change from the prior three games in which they dominated with good accurate passing and a desire to find the right player and play them through holes in the opposition.

Tonight was very different. The Streets were lethargic and second to the ball. The passing missing target players 4 out of 5 times.

With the first half drawing to a close both teams looked incapable of breaking the tie and some half-time talk would be needed to open the game up.

Fifteen minutes into the second half Folsom United found their opening. "Gus" had just come on and dropped deep into his own box. Jon Taylor and Mike Lefebvre had been pulled across the the left of the field as Folsom pushed down that flank. A clean pass to a Folsom midfielder provided the gap needed to pass the ball to the waiting striker who lobbed Don Bradshaw from 12 yards out. Bradshaw could probably have done better to put the ball over the bar, but was let down by the defense sitting so deep.

Three minutes later and Folsom would be 2 goals up. Folsom's center forward ran in almost solo towards the Streets goal and powered a shot over Bradshaw from 20 yards out. There was little Bradshaw could realistically have done to stop the shot on this occasion.

With the home side 2 goals up, the Streets began to sit deeper and deeper in their own half and Folsom kept them pinned in despite attempts to play the ball out.

The back line struggled to clear the ball up field, and when they did manage to find a midfielder the next pass was inevitably intercepted by Folsom United.

The lack of any success in providing good ball skill punished the Streets a third time. Folsom's key forward Mohammed made another one-on-one run towards the Streets goal. This time Bradshaw was quick to come from his line shutting the angle. Mohammed's first shot was blocked well by Bradshaw as was the second and the third. But with Bradshaw struggling to get back to his feet for the fourth Mohammed found the gap he needed and fired home the third.

There was little the defenders could do to prevent the shot as they got back into the box to try and provide cover.

Three goals down with 15 minutes left on the clock seemed an impossible task, but Tom Hillesland was determined the team could win back a tie as he pushed harder and harder into midfield.

Kevin "the Guvnor" O'Brien made a tactical formation change and went with a 3-4-3 formation to try and provide the needed distribution and defense in the midfield. The change making a dramatic difference.

The Streets were able to push back into the Folsom half. Jeff Martinez and Jeff Goldsmith were freed up to create some more opportunity for Mike Daley and Dave Scribner up front.

But Folsom United would again punish the Streets as they broke through on a counter attack. The build up was strong and despite the Streets getting players back behind the ball there was little they could do to stop the fourth from finding home.

As the clock began to tick down to the final whistle Dominic Pando played a great cross into Daley who was just beaten to the ball by a Folsom defender. The resulting clearance found its way back out to the right side where Andy Nelson was on hand to push a long pass down the right wing.

Daley chased the ball down with the Folsom keeper close on his heels and forced a corner. Although Nelson rose to the inboun corner kick, he was off target with the header. Unfortunately for the Streets O'Brien was perfectly placed to drive the shot home had Nelson not connected with the ball. The deflection off a Folsom United defender forcing another corner.

This time the corner kick bounced around inside the 6-yard box between players like a pinball machine. Taylor took a swipe at the ball as did Scribner and Goldsmith. Nelson managed to backhead the ball to O'Brien who's shot from 6-yards was just over the bar. Clearly the Streets best scoring opportunity.

In a bizarre refereeing decision another corner was awarded but the Streets were unable to capitalize on the opportunity and the chance of a consolation goal was lost.

After the game O'Brien summed up the evening in the only way he knew how. "In the words of the great Harry Redknapp - I am very disappointed. We've been playing so well recently but there was no atmosphere. It was played at a lethargic pace and we didn't make a tackle in the first half. It was like a practice match, it just never got going."

When asked what O'Brien would have done differently he added "I'd have brought on Crouch and taken off Keane a lot sooner." When reminded that we were asking about the Streets of London game he said "I'd have brought on Keane".

The Streets are likely to finish third in the table after last night's game with the title still open. Considering the team was floundering at the beginning of the season they have done well to lift themselves up. Sadly last night could have been a big victory for them.

We now await the fixtures for next season.

Streets of London 3 - 2 Sierra Stripping

2009-12-01T13:51:00.001-08:00

The Streets of London comeback almost came crashing down around them last Tuesday evening when they scored 4 of the 5 goals of the night and helped the fifth find it's way into the net.

An own goal and a deflection left them with just a 1 goal margin, but it was enough to secure the win and take them to second in the table after the game.

Sierra Stripping started the evening with a clear margin over third place Streets of London, but the hallowed home grounds of the Streets of London are one of the toughest stadiums to play at.

It isn't called Soho Square Stadium without good reason and more than a few teams have felt the wrath of the Streets of London. You pay tom come into the ground and away teams feel all dirty when they leave. Soho Square Stadium is a fitting name and Tuesday night was no exception.

The last time these two teams met, Sierra had been on a rampage in the league wining by large margins. The Streets put a stop to that action when they tied in the away leg. Once the game got underway here it was like the Streets hadn't finished playing that last game either.

With a full squad the early passing and fast sprints into the opposition half were setting the Streets up for a good result.

And the early pressure paid off. A long pass down the left side was cleared into touch by a Sierra defender, but not before the player went through Jeff Martinez. The referee awarded the free kick. Martinez delivered a perfect ball from the edge of the filed into the middle of the area where Tom Hillesland, playing in his normal attacking defensive role was on hand to power the shot home.

An opening goal that was well deserved after the first 15 minutes of play. And within 5 minutes Hillesland would be involved in the build-up to the second.

This time the cross came in from the right after Vadim Winkler put the ball into the box. Hillesland mis-timed the header as it fell to a Sierra defender. But in a moment of fortune the defender failed to clear the ball efficiently and miss-kicked it to the left side of the box. Mike Daley plucked the ball out of the air and being in his preferred strike side rocketed the shot home with his left foot.

With the Streets 2-0 up and the home side holding Sierra firmly in their own half of the field the game looked good for the Streets.

Things would get ugly shortly before half-time. Martinez had switched to the right side to pick up a loose ball when he was challenged hard by a Sierra Stripping midfielder. To make matters worse the Sierra player strike at Martinez' throat. Martinez stepped forward to the player and was duly booked for unsporting behavior. The Sierra player, who should clearly have received a red card was lucky to escape with a yellow caution.

Despite the incident the Streets of London would drive another nail into the Sierra Stripping coffin. Dominic Pando on the edge of the opposition's area was in prime position to set up Daley for his second of the game. The tally put Daley back on top of the leading goal-scorers table for the season.

Tensions remained high for the duration for the first half and claims for a handball inside the Streets box were quickly dismissed by the officials.

Going into the second half with a 3 goal lead the home fans were jubilant sensing a victory over league leaders. There was some apprehension amongst the players on the touchline, however, as they have seen a lead like this slip away - although rarely at Soho Square.

With the combative approach of some players still seething over the earlier yellow cards, the game maintained it's high tension.

The Streets defensive line was holding strong and letting little if anything get through to Don Bradshaw. That changed mid-way through the second half.

The home fans began their chant of Sheikh Andy Wylie...

Sheikh Wylie ooooaahhhh
Sheikh Wylie
He stands at 6 foot 3
He's the brick wall of Streets FC

It was as if a curse had fallen upon the Sheikh with those words. Wylie turned to clear the ball but failed to orient himself in the correct direction and struck a firm shot past Bradshaw into the back of his own net.

With joyous shouts coming form the visiting fans, the Streets lost their composure and Sierra would reap the rewards of the home side letting their guard down.

Within minutes Sierra were another goal up. A run down the Streets left flank and into the box caused Streets defender "Gus" to turn inside towards his goal. The clearance from Jon Taylor found a Sierra midfielder who powered the ball back into the area towards goal. Unfortunately Mike Lefebvre clipped the ball causing a deflection. The resulting directional change was enough to leave Bradshaw scrambling and unable to stop the shot.

Statistically every starting defender, with the exception of Hillesland, has managed to put the ball past their own keeper this season. Something Bradshaw is all too familiar with, but something the "Defenders Hall of Fame" on the stadium walls will be honored with.

Fortunately for the Streets they managed to regain their composure and see out the score-line to the final whistle.

The win takes them within one point off the leaders, although Folsom United have yet to play their game in hand.

Kevin "the Guvnor" O'Brien, the Streets of London team manager, was on hand to comment after the final whistle.

"We played well. The team is really starting to come together and I'm pleased with the progress. We keep dropping our composure during critical times and we've managed to get our heads above that. But it's an issue I need to address with the team."

On the next fixture O'Brien added "the next game is critical. Hopefully going into it we'll know where we stand, but you know how long it takes the league to update its own tables."

Daley's Striking Coach Revealed?

2009-12-01T14:23:00.001-08:00

For many seasons there has been a lot of speculation over who Mike Daley's coach is when it comes to his ability to find the back of the net.

The Streets of London official position is that "Mike is allowed to use whichever trainers he wishes to accomplish the task of putting goals in the back of the net. As long as he shows up for official training programs he is free to use additional trainers or training techniques".

In last weeks match between Streets of London FC and Sierra Stripping, Daley was apparently accompanied by his training coach. Although not officially announced, it is widely speculated that the great Jack Daniels is coaching Daley to his goal-scoring successes.

Mr. Daniels is widely know for his amazing influence of affecting players under pressure using his perfected techniques of thought management.

While Daley and Streets of London FC have yet to confirm the rumors, one of Mr. Daniels latest published papers points to a technique that players could adopt called the "Simple Consumption of Reflex Enhancers" technique - or SCORE for short. The document appears to imply that a simple modification to a players diet coupled with the perfect timing of the consumption of food and beverages can have a massive effect on the players ability to perform.

Over the years science has concluded that diet is a big factor in an athletes performance. What Mr. Daniels appears to have done is figure out exactly when the consumption should occur and how much the athlete needs to consume.

Given the fact Daley is on track for a fourth successive Golden Plimsol award, if he is in fact utilizing this technique it seems to be working.

BASOM 1 - 4 Streets of London

2009-11-17T23:13:00.001-08:00

After the triumphant win on Tuesday night the Streets of London were looking to improve their away form as well as their home performance and Thursday night's game would prove to be as satisfying for the fans as the match against the Germans.

BASOM started the game with a couple of players short and the Streets should have capitalized on the opportunity. But as is the normal course of action when faced with such a situation, the Streets failed to convince the home side they had more players.

The home side pushed back hard until their squad was at 100% - something that frustrated the visitors.

Although BASOM didn't have a real goal scoring opportunity in the opening minutes, they managed to prevent any real threat from the Streets being realized.

The game changed once both teams were up to 100% however. The Streets started to find good opportunities down both sides of the field. Jeffrey Goldsmith passed a ball through midfield to Jeffrey Martinez. Martinez put the ball wide out left to Ed Gatjen who was running into space.

Gatjen made it into the box but the keep pushed Gatjen off the ball and although Gatjen failed to go down, the referee was right in his decision to award a penalty to the visitors.

As screams of "don't let Fred take the penalty" echoed from the back of the field, Fred "the Fish" Farler calmly stepped up to take the spot kick.

With clean precision he waited for the keeper to almost fall over to Farler's right before he slotted the ball home in the left corner.

As with Tuesday night the Streets took the lead, but ths game was different. The Streets were making it hard for themselves to get ahead.

Shortly after the penalty BASOM broke through the midfield and got behind the Streets defense, the BASOM forward finishing the play by tucking the ball home past Donny Bradshaw.

The goal was what the Streets needed in order for them to get their act together. With 10 minutes to go before the half Mike Daley, yet to get on the score sheet for the season, picked up a bad back-pass by the BASOM midfield. Daley turned the last defender and beat the keeper to make it 2-1 to the Streets.

But Daley wasn't done with this half. With Kevin "the Guvner" O'Brien leading the teams highest goal scorer slot and O'Brien missing this game, Daley was eager to tuck home enough goals to retain the coveted golden plimsol.

Jon Taylor had been given the freedom to roam with Mike Lefebvre playing sweeper and although nobody really wanted Taylor to push so far forward, the result paid off.

Taylor out on the right wing put a ball over the back line. Daley broke through and ran on towards the keeper. Fortunately for Daley a sniper hiding in the brush behind the BASOM corner flag took out the keeper as Daley approached.

With the keeper going down so easily Daley couldn't really do anything but score.

Folsom police were dispatched quickly to the brush but, aside from a few shell casings which could have come from a hunting expedition, there was no evidence of the sniper to be found.

One of the BASOM fans had thought they saw some activity behind the Streets team bus before the game. "I saw this hooded guy approach Daley. They exchanged something. It could have been cash. Then the hooded guy walked away carrying a long narrow case. I don't know what it was but it would explain what happened". The BASOM fan wanted to remain anonymous.

The Streets went into the half 3-1 up and for the second time in 3 days looked to be in a very comfortable position.

The second half was better for the Streets. Some of the passing and fluidity that they played with Tuesday night returned to the side, but the performance wasn't quite as good.

There were few chances in the second half to find the back of the net from either side, although the Streets had more possession than the home team.

But there was one more goal left in the side from the most unlikely of sources.

A Streets corner dropped short to Farler who bungled his shot away from the goal. However, Andy Nelson was on hand to put the ball home in the far corner.

Slow motion replays revealed that Nelson actually had his hands over his eyes, was facing the opposite direction of the goal and the ball deflected off the back of his right heel. Still, a goal is a goal and we won't take anything away from the visitors fans who instantly started singing "Andy Nelson, Andy Nelson, Andy Andy Nelson, he's got no hair and we don't care, Andy, Andy Nelson..."

Although O'Brien was not at the match we did manage to text him for his post-match reaction.

"If you told me we had one I would have believed you. If you told me Daley scored two I would have believed you. The Fish scoring, yeah I could buy that. But I draw the line when one of our defenders scores a goal in the opposition's goal. We're used to them scoring in our own goal, but this all seems a bit far fetched now."

The win almost certainly guarantees the Streets remain in the second division as it has now boosted them to the mid-point in the table. On the other hand BASOM will need to do everything they can to climb out of the relegation zone.

The Streets now miss a week before their next game on November 24th at home to Sierra Stripping. Maybe they can add more players to their goal roster for the season as they are running a record 9 players on the score sheet.

The coveted Golden Plimsol is very much up for grabs with O'Brien leading the pack by 1 goal and three players hot on his heels with 2 goals each.

Streets of London 3 - 0 Turn Verein

2009-11-17T22:24:00.001-08:00

One of the most anticipated games of the season so far didn't disappoint Tuesday night as the Streets of London hosted the German visitors Turn Verein.

The Streets of London commanded the evening with a convincing win against their fiercest rivals with a display of passing and control that had been a long time coming.

Although the likes of token German Vadim Winkler were absent from the Streets lineup, the squad was strong with old timer Chris Hayhoe making his season debut after a long absence from the side.

Kevin "the Guvnor" O'Brien was determined to see a win as he called the lineup but in a last moment twist left the Streets record holding goal-scorer Mike Daley on the sidelines as the game got underway.

From the moment the game began the Streets of London controlled the game. Most of the opening few minutes was spent deep in the Turn Verein half. Good clean passing prevented the visitors from seeing hardly any of the ball.

And an early goal from the home side would set the stadium on fire with noise.

With only 3 minutes on the clock Turn Verein conceded a corner. Ed Gatjen stepped up to put the ball into the box from the Streets right side. As it dropped to the far side of the box Sheikh Andy Wylie was on hand to step up and shoot the ball back across the box behind the keeper.

The crowd erupted as memories of the last time the Streets took an early lead against Turn Verein resulted in a rout of the German side.

After the kick off the Streets were again pressing on the Turn Verein back line.

But it would be at the back of the Streets side where the controversy would being. With a mere 8 minutes on the clock, Andy Nelson was substituted for the "new boy" on the team. Nelson, clearly disgusted with the decision took his time leaving the field.

The change would present the opportunity Turn Verein needed to find a path back through to the Streets goal and every attack they had made its way down the Steets right flank and through the right-back position.

With the back opened up Turn Verein had slightly more pace than the Streets back four and Donny Bradshaw was forced into some saves to prevent his side from slipping back to a level scoreline.

Fortunately for the home side the Streets midfield started to shut the door and put the Streets back in the driving seat.

Once again the passing became accurate and the Streets utilized the wings to get behind the German midfield and back-line. Once again the strategy of using the wings paid off.

Jeff Martinez was on hand to slide the ball through to O'Brien who made his way into the box on the left side of goal. O'Brien's resulting shot made it's way to the far post where the keeper palmed it into the back of his own net.

With the Streets 2-0 up going into the break their season of ties definitely appeared to be coming to an end.

The second half began as the first left off with the Streets firmly on top. Nelson resumed his position at the back right shoring up the hole that had been left in his wake.

Turn Verein did little to find a gap through the midfield and the Streets once again spent a fair chunk of time in the German half.

The passing through the midfield between Martinez, Dominic Pando, Mike Lefebvre and Jeffrey Goldsmith was fluid and efficient.

A slick move of this format of play was enough to setup Daley down the outside left. As he ran into the box his shot was saved by the keeper. Wade Mitchell following in picked up the rebound and after some three or four attempts managed to bundle the ball across the line for the Streets third.

A late corner saw Nelson head the ball over the bar for what could easily have been a fourth. With shouts of "open your eyes" and "you can't score unless you aim" ringing from the sideline, the home team was clearly in good spirits.

Turn Verein had nothing left and were able to hold the Streets off from scoring any more for the duration of the game.

After the game we caught up with O'Brien who ws in an euphoric mood. "We had a great game. The best we've played all season. I think the team really came together and passed the ball around well. We deserved the win and if we keep this level of play up we should be able to pull ourselves out of the rut we were in."

Although we tried to reach Sheikh Wylie for comment about his goal he had apparently already left eh stadium before the final whistle. An undisclosed insider told us the real reason why he left so soon.

"Yes the Sheikh left early but he has good reason. On each game he plays there are big bets placed in Vegas as to whether or not he will score. We're talking millions on each game. Why do you think we never see Sheih Baxter here? He's making the fortune for the two Sheiks while Wylie scores the goals. This week they even needed to recruit Vadim to help place bets. That's why he's not here either."

The Streets now face an away game to BASOM on Thursday. The Streets need another win to ensure their safety in the league against the only team that has beaten them so far this season.

Sierra Stripping 1 - 1 Streets of London

2009-11-10T07:53:00.001-08:00

As winter began to move into the Sacramento region this week and temperatures started to fall, the Folsom league really began to heat up as top of the table Sierra Stripping took on bottom of the table visitors Streets of London.

The game was critical for the Streets of London who's season had started poorly. With one loss and two ties from the first three games, the Streets of London found themselves in the unusual position of being bottom of the table.

The home team came into the evening with three back-to-back wins and clearly looked the favorite to walk out of the stadium with all three points.

Felling the confidence the home team only just showed up in time for the game - the home fans not worried, but the visitors wondering if they might benefit from a forfeit.

It wasn't to be, however, and the Streets would need to play for the points that after 90 minutes of play they thoroughly deserved.

Prior to the game there was some doubt as to whether striker Mike Daley would make the kick-off due to a recurring injury. He was cleared as match fit an hour before the game and was joined by hair-care gurus Vadim Winkler and Ed Gatjen after their absences over the past few weeks.

In a surprise move defender Burk Knifeton made a return from his unexpected early retirement last season and the fans couldn't have been happier to have more options at the manager's disposal.

The tempo of the game was fast from the kick-off with the Streets pushing forward into the Sierra Stripping half and conceding little in the back third of the field. And the chances started to flow early on for the Streets of London.

Sierra Stripping made a few counter attacks to the Streets assault, but each was easily dealt with by the back line. Tom Hillesland was, as usual, a rock at the back as he cleared up in front of sweeper Jon Taylor.

There was some dissent at one point early on as Taylor started to sit deep in his own half. Jeff Goldsmith playing left back was frustrated playing so deeply and the inevitable argument between Taylor and his co-defender ensued.

The outcome was, however, beneficial as Taylor started to push up closer to the half-way line.

The Streets began to make good use of the wingers as Winkler utilized the right side and Gatjen the left. With relatively early crosses each time they were close to the home sides penalty box, the Streets began to frustrate Sierra Stripping.

The desire to prove the critics wrong was definitely driving the Streets of London on and the pressure would pay off mid-way through the first half.

Winkler made a run down the right side after picking up a midfield pass. As he approached the 18-yard box he crossed to the far post where an inbound Jeffrey Martinez made a perfectly placed diving header to push the ball past the Sierra Stripping keeper.

The Streets of London fans went crazy much to the displeasure of the home side.

Moments before the half-time whistle Sierra Stripping were unlucky to not have a penalty awarded after Taylor handled inside the box. Don Bradshaw was as convinced as the crowd that the penalty would be awarded and was lucky to see the end result of the attack bounce off the post before being put behind for a corner.

With the Streets going into the break one goal up, things looked positive for the team.

The second period was played much as the first with a lot of possession inside the Sierra Stripping half. But the Streets were become restless in their game.

An injured Steve Sims was called the substitutions and he relied heavily on one of his 5-a-side strategies of changing players every few minutes. This strategy disrupted the team flow and soon it was evident that Sierra Stripping would capitalize on the uneasiness of the team.

Finding himself in the back line, the first half goal-scorer for the Streets laid a short hospital pass off to Andy Nelson which was intercepted by a Sierra forward.

The striker, with only 25 or so yards between him and the goal made a clean break and slotted the ball past Bradshaw from 10-yards out.

Although against the run of play, it was the unsettling of the Streets that most likely contributed to the goal.

Two more missed opportunities could have sealed the game for the Streets before the closing whistle.

Nelson played a clean one-two with Winkler on the right side and found himself in space at the edge of the Sierra box. What looked to be an attempted cross turned out to be on of the closest shots of the second half. The ball curved into the area and dipped over the keeper but ended up bouncing off the top of the bar.

Shortly thereafter Fred "The Fish" Farler missed his opportunity - and the ball, in what could have been the winning goal.

Like a dying salmon making it's way up a river "The Fish" Farler dived for a cross. Unfortunately his timing was less than perfect (a lot less some would say) and "The Fish" found himself in the back of the net as the game continued playing around him.

Slow motion replays revealed that the ball had not entered the area from the cross when "The Fish" himself crossed the goal line.

With the game tied up at 1-1 the Streets had accomplished something no other team had done this season and that was stopping the march of Sierra Stripping. But they needed a win and although the tie would technically lift them off the bottom of the table on goal difference, they remain very much in the danger area.

After the game Kevin "The Guvnor" O'Brien summed up the nights performance. "I'm pleased we didn't drop 3 points, but we could have won the game. We played better than they did and on that performance we deserved a win. Our substitution policy was flawed and that definitely had an impact on the game. We won't be seeing that happen again."

When asked about the missed opportunity O'Brien added "the Fish was right to start diving early. It takes some momentum to get that kind of frame in the air, but his timing was... well there really wasn't any timing."

The Streets now face a double header week when they play rivals Turn Verein at home on Tuesday November 10th and then away to oint bottom team BASOM on the 12th.

Streets of London 2 - 2 Folsom United

2009-10-15T19:32:00.001-07:00

Tuesday night's match between the Streets of London and visitors Folsom United was going to be anything but a normal game given the events leading up to kick-off.

Initially Kevin "the Guvnor" O'Brien had implied that he would be fielding a strong team for the evening. Despite his intentions, he hadn't accounted for the dire weather conditions - and neither had the visiting side.

Two hours before kick-off the groundskeeper checked the field for playability after the torrential wind and rain that had been beating on Folsom all day let up slightly. Although wet, the game was on and by kick-off the rain had let up to nothing more than a light drizzle every now and then, although the strong wind remained.

As the Streets warmed up for kick-off it was evident they would be short of players. The teams token German, Vadim Winkler, who was the highest scorer of the season so far was scheduled to arrive. Evidently his Bosch spark plugs weren't able to overcome the damp conditions and he ended up being a no-show for the evening.

The late news that defender Tom Hillesland wouldn't be able to make the game after unsubstantiated reports that he was dealing with a leaking roof was also a blow to the team.

By the time the team was ready for the starting whistle, the Streets only had 9 players on the field. O'Brien elected to go with 3-3-2 formation.

The only comforting news about the day to this point was that Folsom United were also short on players, starting the game with 7.

As the game got underway with the Streets playing into the oncoming wind, it was Folsom United who appeared to be the stronger side. They quickly moved the ball around and left the Streets pretty much in a chasing mode for much of the first half.

The Streets would gain the upper hand however, after some very short efficient passing set up a golden opportunity.

Mike Lefebvre, making his comeback after his hamstring injury took him out of the running a few weeks back, cut a fine ball out to Ed Gatjen on the right wing. Gatjen carried the ball 15 yards before setting up O'Brien with a perfect pass. O'Brien's diagonal run onto the ball was enough to round the keep and drive the ball home.

The play was something out of a text book and definitely set the fans on fire after the open minutes appeared to be going in favor of the visitors.

It wouldn't be long, however, before Folsom United pulled one back. The defensive line of the Streets was sitting very deep in their own half. As Streets left back Fred Farler closed on the left towards the Folsom midfielders, the visitors pushed a ball between Jon Taylor and Andy Nelson. Nelson, who was pushing for the offside was wrong footed as the Folsom United striker split the gap between Taylor and Nelson.

With just Don Bradshaw to beat, the United striker had an easy task and finished with a shot to the bottom right hand corner of the goal.

The Streets again looked shaky under pressure, but would reap the benefit of some controlled football once they had settled back down.

Farler started the next attack with a ball to Mike Daly in midfield. Daley looked up, saw Lefebvre making a run and put the ball directly into his path. O'Brien was again on scene to provide the final touch. Lefebvre dropped the ball into the path of O'Brien who rounded two defenders and the keep to gently touch the ball home.

With less than 5 minutes to go before the break the Streets were again caught sitting deep. A through ball meant that there was only Taylor to chase down the United striker. Some pushing and shoving right at the edge of the area found Taylor in violation and he picked up a yellow card for his troubles.

With only 2 minutes left on the clock, the Streets set up the wall to defend form the free kick. With Farler, Jeffrey Martinez and Nelson in the wall, Lefebvre, who had been instrumental in both the Streets goals, did a favor for the opposition.

Just as the ball was about to be struck Lefebvre walked away from the wall to the right thinking that Bradshaw would be able to have a better look of the ball. Bradhsaw had actually followed Lefebvre walk and the resulting kick found the bottom left corner of the net - and there was nothing Bradshaw could do to correct the mistake.

All tied up 2-2 at the half and both teams had everything to play for - unfortunately the second half wasn't any more inspired than the first.

Bradshaw made amends in the second half for his mistake in the first with some fine saves. And with the wind to the Streets backs there was every opportunity to take advantage of the extra assistance that nature was providing.

The Streets failed to capitalize and became increasingly frustrated with each other as the game progressed.

The field started to open up between midfield and defense creating a big void and also making the midfielders work harder to cover more ground. Folsom United took advantage of the gap and used it to constantly run at the defensive line.

Fortunately for the Streets they were able to hold off the attacks until the final whistle.

O'Brien was clearly frustrated after them game. "We didn't take advantage of the wind, we sat too deep in defense, we didn't keep the ball passing easily and cleanly. In fact we didn't do a lot of things that we should have done tonight. We had every chance to take these guys to the cleaners and we wasted it," he said.

On the subject of their being a two week hiatus before the next game O'Brien added "Maybe the break will do the lads good. We need to get in some practice and some much needed rest for a couple of our players that are currently doing double duty".

The Streets now miss two weeks before their next game against league leaders Sierra Stripping on Tuesday, November 3rd. If Tuesday night's game was anything to go by , they will be happy the next fixture isn't any sooner.

Daley Doesn't Want to Get Wet

2009-10-13T16:37:00.001-07:00

According to a source in Sacramento, Mike Daley, the Streets of London's top goalscorer, was overheard this afternoon commenting on his cell phone about how he doesn't want to play in the wind and rain in tonight's game.

The passer by who reported the news could not verify who was on the other end of the phone at the time.

Daley was unavailable for comment this afternon.

Despite Weather Games Are On

2009-10-13T16:47:00.001-07:00

Despite the fierce wind and rain in Folsom tonight, the game between rivals Streets of London and Folsom United is still on. Groundskeepers checked the filed at 4:15 pm and the turf was in good condition and not waterlogged.

Many fans that are traveling to the game will be pleased by the news and both clubs have advised fans to wrap up warm and make sure you have waterproof clothing.

Hillesland to Miss Streets Game

2009-10-13T16:34:00.001-07:00

Streets of London defender Tom Hillesland has pulled out of tonight's game against Folsom United at the last minute due to an unknown emergency.

In a statement put out from Hillesland's agent, Hillesland has had to attend to an emergency at home.

"We can confirm that Tom will be unable to play in tonight's game. Unfortunately he had an emergency at the house and will not be able to make the game" said Geeorge Canstopallthis, Hillesland's agent.

Currently the Streets look to be missing a number of key players ahead of the Tuesday night clash which is scheduled for kick-off at 6:30 despite the severe rain and high winds.

Scribduction Hits Streets Ahead of Game

2009-10-13T16:30:00.001-07:00

Reports coming from Folsom this afternoon indicate there may have been a Scriduction ahead of tonight's game between Streets of London and Folsom United.

We called Kevin "the Guvnor" O'Brien's office about the rumor and he had this to say: "I can confirm that Scrib will not be playing tonight if the game goes ahead. There have been some unusual circumstances behind his absence and we are looking into it."

The US Air Force, who routinely looks into Scribductions, was unavailable for comment due to the "rather random weather patterns being experienced in the area.

Streets of London 0 - 3 BASOM

2009-09-30T20:22:00.001-07:00

The Streets of London suffered a heavy loss last night in their home game against local rivals BASOM and a seething team manager had words for one player after an emotional outburst set tempers flaring.

This match was always set up to be a grudge game after the Streets victory in the same fixture last season was sealed in the last minute of the game. That 4-3 thriller was exciting for the fans, but the visitors on that occasion vowed revenge. And tonight they succeeded in their efforts.

The Streets were missing a few key players for the match among them defender Jon Taylor, who was out of commission with a suspected case of H1N1, and midfielder Vadim Winkler was mysteriously absent. Scribduction followers are looking into his disappearance.

The home team were eager to get the game underway when Kevin "the Guvnor" O'Brien was heard shouting instructions from the sidelines. In what appears to have been an incredible case of premonition, he was shouting at his players instructions for what was to come.

The Streets kicked off the game and within seconds they found themselves a goal down. Midfielder Neil Oldham picked up the pass as it game from the center of the field and laid it out right to right back Andy Nelson. The pass was unbelievably short allowing a BASOM forward to intercept and split the defense between Nelson and Tom Hillesland.

Despite the attempt to close the gap, neither Hillesland nor Nelson were able to get between the shot and the goal.

This certainly was a wake up call, but one that the Streets failed to adhere to and within 5 minutes of the restart they found themselves 2 goals behind.

Another sloppy pass in midfield gave the ball away and BASOM were able to lay the ball to the central forward who charged down to the 18-yard box. A lay-off to the right found a second forward who drove the ball home.

The Streets looked stunned, as they should have been, for giving away two sloppy goals in the first few minutes.

But the carnage kept coming. Another attack down the Streets right flank was thwarted at the 13 minute mark when Ed Gatjen, coming back to defend under heavy pressure forced a BASOM player to make an early commitment into the box. Nelson was on hand to clear but only as far as a corner kick.

The Streets set up to defend the corner from an eager BASOM assault. As the in-swinging ball made it's way over the center of the 6-yard box a lone, unchallenged BASOM forward rose to head the ball home.

15 minutes in and the Streets were three goals behind. Visions of years-gone-by in which the Streets suffered heavy losses must have circled in the players heads. It was enough for them to pick up the tempo and start to fight back, but the poor passing and scrappy last touches did little to help the effort.

The Streets had a few chances late in the first half, but with the exception of a Tom Hillesland shot going wide of the right post, nothing really threatened the BASOM goalkeeper.

With 15 minutes left in the first-half, the home fans went crazy after the BASOM goalkeeper started to waste time with his goal-kicks. But the frustration of the hoe fans, and the team, would only deepen over the course of the second half.

BASOM didn't make as much progress when the second period got underway. The Streets managed to play a lot better football than the poor performance in the first half. But the Streets would suffer another injury blow after 55 minutes when Mike Daley was forced to come off the field with a groin injury.

Tensions were rising fast and a free kick conceded on the edge of the BASOM area by the Streets was the last straw for Wade Mitchell. A verbal confrontation with the referee resulted in the midfielder picking up a yellow card. He was lucky he didn't get a red when his frustration continued to boil.

Despite the roar of the crowd, O'Brien could be heard screaming at his player [WARNING: Adult words were used. Lock your kids up before reading on]: "Wade, if you ever want to play on this ****ing field again, get off the ****ing field and shut the **** up".

It couldn't be a clearer message from the team manager - and was one that Mitchell heeded, if begrudgingly. Mitchell was seen by supporters shortly after racing away from the stadium in his Ferrari.

For the remainder of the game the Streets applied pressure to BASOM, but nothing was going to fall for them. A lone strike by Sheik Andy Wylie was hoofed skyward over the bar as the fans chanted "Skylie Wylie shoot the ball, Skylie Wylie shoot the ball".

The Streets did get another scare late on as Nelson cleared a ball in the general direction of his own goal, but it went well wide of the right post and Don Bradhsaw was unfazed by the attempt.

A few late corners saw most of the Streets in the BASOM penalty area, but nothing connected and BASOM secured all three points.

O'Brien had nothing to say after the game: "I have nothing to say", although Taylor, who had showed up for the game did offer his comments. "Did anyone see my goal last week - that was awesome. Off the head it was. Great goal."

The Streets now have a week off and have some time to ponder their tactics and practice their passing skills. Their next game is on Tuesday October 13th at home to Folsom United.

Turn Verein 4 - 4 Streets of London

2009-09-23T07:30:00.000-07:00

The Streets of London started the new season right where they left off - with a goal scoring deluge against the recently demoted German team Turn Verein.

The night was set for a typical encounter between the two sides with words being exchange between the two teams in the media a full week ahead of the fixture.

And things got off to a flying start as Turn Verein tried to apply early pressure. But the Streets were more than a match for the old Germans and it wasn't long before the Streets had taken the lead.

Neil Oldham picked up a pass from the midfield and laid it off to Vadim Winkler who ran into the penalty box and placed the ball in the back of the German goal.

A good start for the Streets of London and a position on which to build strength. Turn Verein were kept firmly in their own half after the restart - a move which wold pay off in short-time.

Turn Verein's Chris McCargo tried to clear a ball from his own area but it landed cruelly for him and perfectly for Jeffrey Martinez. The resulting strike was dispatched with clinical precision. There was nothing the German keeper could do to stop the shot.

The Germans pushed back after the second goal and their determination was enough to punish the Streets for allowing them enough room to get into the box.

Jon Taylor chased down the forward and pushed him to the edge of the touchline, but there was enough room for the forward to get the cross in. The ball ran across the face of goal where Andy Nelson turned it into his own goal as he attempted to clear it.

Despite the own goal, the Streets had the better play in the first half and if the second half was anything like the first, Turn Verein were in for trouble.

Kevin "the Givnor" O'Brien's half-time talk must have been inspiring as the Streets came out for the second period firing on all cylinders.

It would be the Streets who scored again, but once again the defenders were jeopardizing their own team's success.

A Turn Verein cross was placed perfectly at the edge of the 6 yard box. Taylor was the only player to rise to the ball wherein he drove a powerful header into the back of his own net. Any forward in the world would have been proud to have placed a ball so finely, and Taylor was no exception. His joyful celebration was soon muted as he realized he had scored at the wrong end.

With the score again level at 2-2 the Streets went into overdrive and pushed for a third (or fifth depending upon the way you look at it).

Their good footwork and determination would pay off midway through the second period when Dave Scribner found Winkler in the box. Winkler slotting home his second of the night put the Streets back in front.

The Streets would suffer a blow moments later, however, when midfielder Neil Oldham was forced off the field with a back injury. He twisted awkwardly and was forced into early retirement from the game.

He was soon followed by Taylor who, despite his goal-scoring ability, was also forced off the field with an ankle injury.

Despite the setbacks, the Streets continued to push hard. Jeffrey Martinez laid a ball from the middle of the field out Dominic Pando who drove the ball home past the Turn Verein keeper for his debut goal.

The Streets of London again looked comfortable with a 4-2 lead until 10 minutes from time when fate would again deal a cruel blow.

A Turn Verein shot from the edge of the 18-yard box was bound for the head of Fred Farler, who had come on after Taylor's injury. Don Bradshaw had cleared the ball with a punch which landed cleanly for the Turn Verein forward. The strike was clean and powerful and drifting away from Bradshaw towards the near post.

Farler had dived in anticipation and would surely have connected with the ball, but the strike took a slight deflection off Nelson's right knee. The ball found the net just after it flew inches over Farler's head.

With 7 goals in the game so far and 5 minutes left on the clock, the Streets still managed to keep their composure. The smell of victory was in the air. That was until Turn Verein were awarded a penatly.

Jeffrey Goldsmith was covering a Turn Verein forward on the near edge of the 18-yard box. Some mutual pushing and shoving resulted int he forward going down and the referee instantly blew the whistle pointing to the spot.

Bradshaw could do little to stop the resulting penalty from finding its place. The goal depriving the home side of victory in this opening game of the season.

We tried to talk with O'Brien after the match but were interuppted by Taylor who was keen to let us know about the own goal incident. "Did you see it? I was awesome. I rose a good distance in the air and powered that puppy home. I guess it would have been better in the other end, but if any spectators have video of the goal I will pay good money to get a copy".

The Streets now go on to face BASOM at home next week

Daley Wins 3rd Successive Golden Plimsol

2009-09-19T22:00:00.000-07:00

With 6 goals in the bag, Mike Daley has claimed his third successive Golden Plimsol award as this seasons highest goal scorer. He was unable to attend the ceremony as he was away on international duty in England.

Kevin "the Guvnor" O'Brien was on hand to collect Daley's trophy as O'Brien himself was awarded the Golden Shoelace award as the highest goal-assist of the season with 4 assists.

When asked about summing up, O'Brien said "Daley did good, but really you need to focus on that assist I gave to Vadim in our win against BASOM. That was incredible."

Daley is due to be back from international duty before the start of the new season.

Arsenal 4 - 3 Streets of London

2009-09-09T07:00:00.000-07:00

The Streets of London were involved in an other high scoring game this week when they visited Arsenal for the final match of the season.

The Streets started with a number of key players missing. Mike Daley and Jon Taylor were both out on international duty, while Vadim Winkler was testing a new hair style in Los Angeles.

Before the game kicked off passions were running high in the stadium. Arsenal were guaranteed the promotion to the 1st division regardless of the score. The Streets of London would have finished runners up with a win.

Arsenal would open the scoring with two quick goals. The first came form a defensive error down the left hand side. The pace of the forwards skinned Sheik Ian Baxter leaving a clean cross. The cross was met at the edge of the 18-yard box and the resulting shot was driven home swiftly.

Within 5 minutes Arsenal were up by 2 goals. A questionable free kick was awarded on the right edge of the 18-yard box after a tackle from Jeffrey Goldsmith. The resulting attempt from Arsenal was to drop the ball in towards the back post. Although completely unintentional, the free-kick managed to find the back of the net over stand-in goalkeeper Fred Farler.

Shortly before half-time Arsenal struck again. This time Arsenal had more precision in their shooting. A move down the left side of the field culminated in a through ball to the middle of the box. The shot, although close range, was well placed as the Arsenal striker tucked home the third gaol of the night.

The first-half wasn't quite finished. Dave Scribner opened the Streets of London scoring after a clean break down the left of the field was set up by Jeffrey Goldsmith. The celebration was subdued. The Streets knew they had a lot of work to do in the second half.

The second 45 began much as the first with Arsenal applying pressure, but the Streets kept their composure and began the fight back.

Within 15 minutes the Streets would scrape back their second of the game. Neil Oldham released Jeffrey Martinez through the middle, Martinez striking home with a clean powerful shot to the back of the net.

The goal was enough to frustrate Arsenal and inspire the Streets of London to their third - except this time Arsenal would do the finishing for the Streets.

An unfortunate back-pass left the Arsenal goalkeeper scrambling to try and prevent the inevitable as the ball rolled into the back of the net.

With both teams now level and time running thin, a draw looked inevitable. But what appeared to be a cruel twist of fate that echoed the good fortune the Streets had the week before, Arsenal found the back of the Streets net one last time in the dying moments of the game.

A free kick in the last third of the Streets half was enough to find a lurking striker in the 6 yard box. Arsenal dealt the Streets a cruel blow in the same fashion that the Streets dispatched BASOM last week.

After the game a positive but somewhat down Kevin 'the Guvnor' O'Brien summed up the game. "We fought hard to come back. Twice in two weeks we did that. This week they had a lucky call on a free kick that left us with no time to strike back."

The Streets will finish third in the table behind F.R.O.G.S. - something they won't relish.

Winkler and Gatjen Secure New Hair Deals

2009-09-04T07:00:00.000-07:00

Streets of London midfielders Vadim Winkler and Ed Gatjen have both secured new hair product deals this week.

Although the exact sum of each deal is undisclosed, Winkler's is estimated to be close to $7.5 million and Gatjen's a little under $6.8 million.

THe two midfielders were seen sporting hair highlights in their latest game on Tuesday night.

When asked if they are using products form their new companies both declined to comment. However, team manager Kevin "the Guvnor" O'Brien said "I don't see what the big deal is" while right back Andy Nelson said "Hair is for girls".

Streets of London 4 - 3 BASOM

2009-09-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

A determined Streets of London were able to see off BASOM Tuesday night in a thrilling 7 goal encounter.

The Streets of London, kicking off at home after a two week hiatus were eager to finish BASOM from the kick-off, but the two teams were evenly matched making for an exciting game for the spectators.

The fast pace soon found a breakthrough when BASOM went ahead midway through the first half. Confusion in Streets of London center backs allowed the BASOM forwards to strike through and slot home for the lead.

Shiekhs Ian Baxter and Andy Wylie were both on hand to help shore up the back line, but the speed of BASOM allowed them through a second time. The pace of the forwards was too much for Baxter.

The onrushing BASOM forward connected for a scrappy finish to extend the lead to two goals.

But the Streets wouldn't be undone by the shortfall in their own score line.

With 35 minutes on the clock Dave Scribner was released to set up Mike Daley.Daley finished with precision to pull one back for the home team.

Five minutes after the restart the Streets would pull back the second. A push into the area forced a corner from BASOM. The clearance was sufficient to push the Streets back to their own half. But a good interception midway through the BASOM half allowed Jeffrey Martinez to strike a bullet of shot from 25 yards out.

Both teams went into the half looking for the opportunity to take the lead. It would again be BASOM who took the lead. A fortunate decision gifted BASOM with a free kick just outside the area. The resulting scramble providing BASOM with the lead.

Wade Mitchell would again be influential late in the game. Shortly after Daley left the filed with an injury, Scribner found Mitchell on the edge of the box. Mitchell's resulting shot finding the back of the net.

With the game tied up at 3-3 there was little time left on the clock for the Streets to do much. Kevin "the Guvnor" O'Brien was screaming at his team to hold the ball and not concede another goal.

But in an ironic twist it would be O'Brien that would connect with Vadim Winkler to provide the winner in the last minute of the game.

O'Brien picked up a ball in the middle of the field and sent it down the right wing. Winkler, with fans screaming "Run German, Run!" caught up with the ball and drove home the finish to win the game.

The Streets now go into their final game of the season with everything to play for against league leaders Arsenal.

Folsom United 3 - 3 Streets of London

2009-08-20T17:41:00.001-07:00

Tuesday night's game was full of goal mouth action in which fans saw 6 goals conceded for a game that could have gone either way, and in the end deserved to be a draw.

Folsom United were running on the back of a poor streak and the visitors arrived with every intent to capitalize on that opportunity. Going into the game many pundits had claimed that the Streets would suffer as a result of missing top goal-scorer Mike Daley and the token German Vadim Winkler. but they would be proven sorely wrong tonight.

With the likes of Sheik's Andy Wylie and Ian Baxter both fit and ready to play, the Streets would field three new players for the evening - a decision that Kevin "The Guvnor" O'Brien doesn't make lightly.

"I don't have a lot of choice tonight. This is an important game. We'll have to see how they fit in with the rest of the team," commented O'Brien as he disembarked from the team Volvo bus/car thing.

There were heavy tackles being thrown in right from the get go as Folsom United wanted to try and intimidate the visitors and it wasn't long before the first player needed some time off the field. Andy Nelson was slammed to the deck as a Folsom United forward challenged late and sliced through the backs of Nelson's legs.

Despite the harsh challenge there was no foul called and the Streets went down to 10 men before Steve Sims was able to come onto the field at the next break in the game.

Early pressure from Folsom United continued and they were rewarded with a goal that made the Streets look more like traffic cones than players. The Folsom United forward dribbled through 4 of the Streets midfield and defenders before shooting past Don Bradshaw.

The move was enough, however, to shake the Streets into action and bring the game to life.

15 minutes into the first half Nik "Pinkie" Mussor intercepted a Folsom United pass almost exactly at the half-way line. Seeing O'Brien starting his run, Mussor launched the ball down the right wing. O'Brien carried it to the edge of the 18-yard box and placed a perfect cross which was met on the far post by Dave Scribner. The keeper had no chance of stopping the header as it found the back of the net.

Within 5 minutes the Streets would score again. O'Brien rose to a free ball in the air and headed the ball into the path of Mussor who shot home from the edge of the 6-yard box.

2 goals in 5 minutes for the Streets was just what was needed to really heat the game up, Folsom United responding with determination.

The back line was caught off-guard in the 32nd minute when Folsom United connected across the box to find their second goal and tie the game up.

Feeling the frustration of conceding the lead, the Streets were lucky not to have been awarded a penalty against them as Jon Taylor maliciously brought down a Folsom United forward inside the box. The referee, seeing nothing wrong, allowed play to continue despite protests from the home fans.

Fortunately for both teams the half-time whistle was not far behind allowing each side the space they needed to cool the enthusiasm somewhat.

With the second half underway, the tempo hadn't changed and the game was very much end-to-end in nature. It appeared to be more like a cup tie than a league game, but the fans loved it.

On the hour mark the Streets would again take the lead with their third goal. Mussor's influence on the game was obvious and he would again be instrumental in a deciding moment. After a quick look up he picked out Scribner running down the left side of the field. A sublime pass landed right at Scribners feet, the finish as clinical as the pass.

Despite some opportunities for both sides over the course of the next 20 minutes, neither managed to capitalize. The new players were fitting in well with the Streets team, but the killer finish wasn't quite there for the evening.

The Streets inability to finish off Folsom United would cost them 10 minutes form time when Folsom United managed to tie up the game.

A clear opportunity to put a low cross into the middle of the penalty area was all that was needed for a Folsom United forward to pick up and slot home for the tie.

O'Brien, although disappointed with the tie, was pleased with his teams performance. "We were unfortunate not to hold on to the lead. We need to work on not giving away the ball once we are in front. But all in all the lads did well. It was a physical game tonight - just the way we like it. Jon was extremely lucky that his push in the box didn't result in a penalty. I'll definitely be talking to him about that after the game."

The Streets now miss two weeks before their next game on September 1, a home tie against BASOM. Depending upon the Texas negotiations Daley may or may not be present, but the team is definately expecting back midfielders Neil Oldham and Vadim Winkler.

Winkler Renews Contract

2009-08-11T07:30:00.000-07:00

A spokesperson for the Streets of London today confirmed that midfielder Vadim Winkler has renewed his contract with the team through next season.

"His recent visit to Germany convinced him that the right place to be at this point in his career is with the Streets of London. His visa extension was approved and we look forward to him continuing his success with us" Gerard McAvoy said.

According to the contract Winkler is expected to earn $20,000 per match in addition to sponsorship rights with BMW that he owns.

Kevin "the Guvnor" O'Brien said of the contract "this is great news. Vad brings a lot to the team. The $20K is nothing for the Sheikhs, but it means a lot to Vad. Im sure his commitment will show in the coming games. The lads are really pleased he's staying on."

Winkler himself was at the bank and was unavailable for comment.

Daley in Late Season Transfer?

2009-08-11T07:00:00.000-07:00

Streets of London top goal scorer Mike Daley will miss tonight's match against Folsom United. While there has been no official confirmation from the team it is known that Daley is in Texas.

Speculation surrounds that he might be moving to Austin to play with the Austin Cow Herders although rival team Austin Dudes has also shown interest in the striker.

It is not known whether Daley's contract would be bought out, but one spokesperson for the US Soccer Federation said "It's a possibility. Dlaye is highly sought after. He is, after all, a cowboy and he would fit in well in Texas. This issue is whether the Texan teams could afford to buy out the remainder of the contract."

There have also been rumors of a possible transfer to Europe, although there has been no evidence of this.

Neither the Streets of London nor Daley's agent were available for comment.

F.R.O.G.S. 5 - 2 Streets of London

2009-07-29T07:00:00.000-07:00

F.R.O.G.S. took all three points Tuesday night with a triumphant win over visitors Streets of London.

In a display of former days, the Streets of London team never really got started in the game in what seemed like a constant onslaught of attack from the home side.

Despite managing to slot home two goals, the Streets were lucky to find the goal mouth for most of the game, although at one point midway through the second half there was enough life to suggest they might pull something out of the hat.

The two goals came from unlikely sources. A volley from defender Sheikh Andy Wylie and a surprise scramble into the back of the net from an unlikely substitute, "Wade".

Despite only being 3-2 down at the time, the Streets failed to capitalize on the short-lived opportunity and F.R.O.G.S. put the game to bed late in the second half.

Streets fans were seen leaving the stadium before the final whistle adding insult to injury.

After the match Kevin "the Guvnor" O'Brien was disappointed with the performance. "As of late our games have been good, we played poorly tonight and allowed them to run through on us multiple times. There was lethargy in the team." O'Brien added "I am going to have to step up the training routines before the next match".

The defeat drops the Streets into second place in the table behind front-runner Arsenal.

[Due to some technical glitches this match report has been abbreviated. We expect the full reports to resume with the next match. We apologize for any inconvenience caused]

Daley Goal Stands Despite Controversy

2009-07-22T23:44:00.001-07:00

The emphatic win by the Streets of London over BASOM was the talk of the town Wednesday - but it wasn't the final score that was craving all the attention. The media is still in a frenzy over who scored the fourth goal.

Dave Scribner's shot was allegedly tucked home by Myke Daley. But some experts believe Daley's shoelaces touched the ball only after it had crossed the line.

And photographic evidence clearly shows Daley's shoelaces touching the ball after it crossed the line - which would mean that Scribner scored the goal as pundits point out. But the foot in question is Daley's right foot not his left and it is a well known fact that Daley can't score using his right foot.

Either way FIFA has ruled the way the referee saw it (or didn't as the case may be) and has awarded the goal to Daley with Scribner receiving the assist.

BASOM 0 - 5 Streets of London

2009-07-22T15:39:00.001-07:00

The Streets of London took BASOM to the proverbial cleaners last night in a rampant display of superior footballing skill, the win putting the away team at the top of the table, if only temporarily.

Kicking-off into the setting sun with an ambient air temperature of 88 F, the Streets of London were ready to quash the home team rivals.

BASOM began rather lethargically and it was evident that the Streets fitness might be a crucial indicator in the outcome of the match. The early accurate passing was also indicative of what was to come.

The first real threat from the Streets came when Vadim Winkler, recently returning after extending his contract with the club by another three years, made a dramatic run down the right flank after receivng the ball from right-back Andy Nelson.

Winkler's pace easily surpassed the BASOM defenders and the cross into the box was almost enough to see Dave Scribner capitalize.

Moments later Ed Gatjen, who also returned to the team after his apparent abduction the prior game, made a similar run down the left after receiving a through ball from Tom Hillesland.

With attacks occurring down both wings, BASOM were stretched the width of the filed. Each time BASOM made an attack, it invariably spread their offensive line thinly, causing the midfield and defenders to pull out. This opened up the space for the Streets to counter with [very] surprising speed.

The BASOM back line was in such disarray from the get-go that their offside trap was beaten time and time again by the Streets forwards.

The first goal came after an "inspired" substitution. Scribner was pulled off to be replaced by Kevin "The Guvnor" O'Brien.

The very next attack began when Nik Mussor put a ball through to O'Brien on the edge of the BASOM 18-yard box. O'Brien set up Daley for the shot, but the BASOM keeper did well to stand his ground and block the first attempt. As the ball dropped back down from the save just inside the 6-yard area, Daley ~~rose to head~~ volleyed the ball home ~~over the top of~~ past the keeper.

BASOM tried to counter after the restart but could do little to thwart the energy of the Streets. 10 minutes later the Streets would be two goals ahead.

Mussor's throw in deep in the BASOM half of the field found Bobby Madriago. A swift turn from Madriago and a deft touch into the path of the energetic Winkler was enough for the German to strike low into the bottom right of the goal.

With the Streets 2-0 up so early into the game, BASOM began to get agitated but were able to keep their composure enough to break the Streets back line.

A through ball to a BASOM forward found him almost one-on-one with the keeper. Fortunately Nelson was fast enough to get back and put the ball wide of the post before the shot was taken.

In what would be the first of many bizarre decisions, the referee called an indirect free-kick inside the 6-yard box. The resulting shot was easily deflected off the line by Gatjen.

Moments later Nelson was again at the center of a questionable call. A loose ball midway in the Streets half was picked up by Nelson. As he turned to launch it back down the right wing, he was shoulder barged by a burley BASOM midfielder. Holding his ground, the midfielder merely bounced off Nelson and hit the ground. In bizarre call number two the referee called a foul against Nelson.

The noise from the crowd was deafening but the referee wouldn't be undone by the decision.

Thinking there couldn't be any more poor decision so close together, the entire field was again stunned when a deliberate back-pass from a BASOM defender to the goalkeeper was considered a legitimate play.

The poor decisions, although in the favor of BASOM, went against them as the Streets resolve to find another goal set in.

Late in the first half Nelson throw-in almost at the corner flag found Winkler. The german turned on the edge of the 18-yard box and laid the ball back to O'Brien who chipped the ball just past the penalty spot and into the path of Neil Oldham. Oldham's speed (practiced from his driving skills) was enough to get to the ball first and slam the ball into the net for the third goal of the night.

Realizing that the potential for a whole host of goals was on the cards, O'Brien put another perfectly placed ball into the path of Steve Sims. Somehow Sims managed to put the ball wide of the left post and collapse over the top of it at the same time despite being no more than three feet from the goal mouth. The stadium erupted with a chorus of chanting as Sims piked himself up.

Sims is clearly magic
He wears a magic hat
And when he saw the ball near goal
He tripped up over that

Which was soon followed by

Sims Ohhh
Sims Ohhh
He went round Dave and Joel
He missed the open goal
Sims Ohhh...

Just as the first-half came to a close, the crowd felt the tension in BASOM's defense. BASOM's central defender picked up a yellow card for engaging in unsporting behavior when he got in a verbal dispute with one of the linesmen.

The half-time break must have had plenty of words of wisdom from O'Brien in the dressing room. All too frequently we've seen the Streets ahead by two goals, occasionally three, only to see them throw it away in the second half. Tonight would be different.

After the break Sheik's Baxter and Wylie both took to the back line and it wouldn't be long before Baxter would be called into action to clear a shot from close in.

BASOM tried to break down the Streets and for a few minute began to get the upper hand But it would all come to nothing. The easy passing would return to the Streets and the low through balls would keep finding the wingers and forwards.

15 minutes into the second half and the fourth goal was in the back of the net. Mussor crossed the ball to Scribner who shot home. There is still controversy over who actually scored the goal, although it has officially been given to Daley who's shoelace touched the ball as Scribner's shot went across the line. It is possible that the official goal tally might still end up in Scribners favor once the still and video evidence has been gathered.

Another break for the Streets 2 minutes after the fourth goal sealed the win. Hillesland put a fantastic ball into the path of Mussor who's shot easily found the back of the net after a short sprint towards goal.

By this time there was nothing BASOM could do to get back into the game as their fans began to exit the stadium.

With little to nothing to do all game, Don Bradshaw wondered back to the tunnel as the game was called for full time.

After the match we caught up with O'Brien who was clearly ecstatic over the win. "Fantastic, simply fantastic. I had a great game. The boys had a great game. Steve could have scored if he had his eyes open on that sitter, but apart form that I don;t think we put a foot wrong. Did you see my assist?"

When we asked Steve Sims about the miss he had a viable reason for not finding the back of the net. "There was a total eclipse today. I think that is what threw me."

The Streets go top of the table until the Arsenal result comes in when they could drop back into second place. But the win clearly shows they have the ability to outplay any team in this league - as long as they don;t give away the game in the second half. And last night, they definitely didn't let it go.

Beckham to Join The Streets of London?

2009-07-20T07:58:00.001-07:00

While the recent signing of Ronaldo away from Manchester United might have been big news, that could easily be topped after rumors emanating from California this morning that Sheik's Baxter an Wylie are in the market for England's most recognized international, David Beckham.

At last night's LA Galaxy game, Beckham was jeered and booed by his own fans after his recent comments about not enjoying the quality of football in America and considering a switch back to AC Milan. The situation escalated after he attempted to confront one of the supporters following an exchange of unpleasantries.
The drunken supporter was escorted from the ground while Beckham was restrained by security personnel.

But the news this morning indicates that Beckham might stay in the USA after all. An alleged telephone conversation between Shiek Wylie, Sheik Baxter and Mr. Beckham himself seems to indicate that a move to the Streets of London might be on the cards.

No official word has come from Beckham's agent or the club, but we did manage to catch up with Streets of London manager Kevin "The Guvnor" O'Brien.

"I think it would be an honor to have such a legend join us. It speaks to how we play - with passion and skill. He wouldn't go anywhere that the level of football isn't better than at the Galaxy. It surely puts us on par with AC Milan as a potential home for him. What's more is we speak the same language."

Asked whether O'Brien thought Beckham would be a good fit for the team he added "it's perfect. We're a team of old men with super-skillz. Someone distributing the ball from midfield like David can would make us unstoppable".

Streets of London striker Mike Daley would surely benefit from Beckham's quality of distribution. Daley is so excited that he is already practicing his phrases to use when he begins playing with Beckham. We overheard the following phrase, although we don't exactly know what it means: "Oh David Beckham stop it!".

Neither LA Galaxy or AC Milan were available for comment on the rumors.

Scribner Party Gets Out Of Hand

2009-07-11T23:32:00.001-07:00

According to rumors coming out of the Sacramento region, Streets of London striker Dave Scribner is being questioned this evening by El Dorado Hills police after his 40th birthday party got out of hand (or in hand as the case may be).

Apparently there were various "toys" available for guests of the party. Some attendees were claiming that "when Viagra doesn't work there's always a cucumber" - whatever that means.

Although the integrity of this news publication prevents us from actually showing the faces of those who are alleged to have been involved, photos of the event have been posted to the internet. We have managed to identify the faces of Scribner and defender Jon Taylor with both appear in the same shot mocking the elderly.

Nobody was available to return the calls from the Scribner residence as we went to press.