Hooliganism, Argentinian Style

Nice going, knuckleheads!

Because of loutish behavior from so-called "fans," Boca Juniors were tossed out of the Copa Libertadores and must play their next four home continental matches behind closed doors.

Boca's arch-rivals, River Plate, won their two-game Round of 16 series by default and will get to play Cruzeiro of Brazil in the quarterfinal round.

African Nations Cup: Black Stars Dominate Hosts In Contentious Semifinal, Will Face Elephants In Final

At Malabo, Equatorial Guinea:

Jordan Ayew (PK-42'), Wakaso Mubarak (45'+1), and Andre Ayew (75') each scored a goal on Thursday as Ghana dominated hosts Equatorial Guinea 3-0 in an African Nations Cup semifinal match.  Play was stopped at 82 minutes and was suspended for 40 minutes due to rioting amongst fans.

The Black Stars will face Ivory Coast in Sunday's final to be played at Bata, Equatorial Guinea.  The winner will play in the 2017 FIFA World Cup, set for Russia.

The defeated National Thunder will take on the Democratic Republic of the Congo in Saturday's third-place playoff at Malabo.

As A Wise Old Philosopher Once Said.......

Stupid is as stupid does.

FA Cup: It's Citizens vs. Lactics In Final

The semfinal round of England's FA Cup took place over the weekend, with both games contested at London's Wembley Stadium.

In Saturday's contest, which was marred by "fan" violence, Shaun Maloney (25') and Callum McManaman (78') each delivered a goal as Wigan Athletic defeated Millwall from the League Championship 2-0.

In the Sunday match, Samir Nasri (35') and Sergio Aguero (47') each scored once as Manchester City knocked off defending cup-holders Chelsea 2-1.

The Lactics and Citizens will square off at Wembley in the final on May 11 with the winner (barring qualifying for European competition) heading to the group stage for next season's Europa League.  It is expected that the Citizens will qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League group stage and that the Lactics---who are fighting to avoid relegation from the Premier League---will play in the Europa League's group stage, win or lose.

This year's final is Wigan's first (since being founded in 1932) and Manchester City's tenth (the Citizens have won the trophy five times, most recently in 2011).

Hooliganism?! I'm Shocked! Shocked!!

Ahh, yes.

Ain't nothin' like a pitch invasion to add to the 'ome club's contined woes on an' off th' pitch.

English Soccer Hooliganism----------In America! I'm Shocked! SHOCKED!

There may be evidence that English soccer hooliganism may be alive and well in the USA. Columbus, Ohio may be turning into this country soccer hooligan capital.

Hooliganism: Alive And Well In Austria

And what would be major soccer tournament without hooligans and rioting?

From The "People Are No Damned Good Department....

Serbia's governing soccer body is begging fans not to fight ahead of Wednesday's domestic cup semifinals:

A 27-year-old man was shot dead by a firearm and a 17-year-old boy seriously wounded on Monday when rivals fans clashed at Futog train station near the northern city of Novi Sad. The clash appeared to have been agreed in advance by Vojvodina Novi Sad and Partizan Belgrade fans who fought in Novi Sad two days earlier ahead of an incident-free league match. Four people were injured and 30 arrested after running battles in the city centre and one was treated for stab wounds.

Yes, sports fans, hooliganism is still alive and well, at least in the Balkans.

Here We Go Again

You would figure that maybe, just maybe, the folks in Italy have cleaned up their act.

It's Like Feyenoord All Over Again

Here's another one from the "People Are No Damned Good Department:"

Partizan Belgrade was (or were) tossed from the UEFA Cup competition in the wake of crowd trouble in their opening qualifying match against Zrinjski Mostar (Bosnia and Herzegovina) earlier this month, the Serbian club announced on Thursday.

They have been banned from European competition for a year and fined 50,000 Swiss francs (roughly $41,600 US).

You think people would learn after what happened last season with Feyenoord Rotterdam.

Here We Go Again

This from the "People are no damn good" department:

Bill Hutchison - AHN Sports News Writer

Buenos Aires, Argentina (AHN ) - One Argentinean soccer fan was killed, 14 others injured and 78 detained by police as fighting broke out between rival supporters in Buenos Aires after Tigre defeated arch-rivals Nueva Chicago 2-1 in a promotion playoff -- a score line that relegated Chicago to the second division and returned Tigre to the first division for the first time in 27 years.

The clash, only days after the end of Argentina's first-division Clausura season, was the latest in a season plagued by violence, and running battles with the police.

The riot ensued after the referee awarded Tigre an injury-time penalty as they led 2-1 in the match and 3-1 in the aggregate. Angry Chicago fans stormed onto the pitch in response to the call, creating chaos.

Television newscasts showed rival supporters throwing rocks, wielding metal pipes, and using a metal advertising sign as a battering ram in the riot that began at Nueva Chicago's stadium and then spilled out onto a freeway carrying rush hour traffic.

Dr. Alberto Crescenti, director of paramedics services for Buenos Aires city, speaking on local television said: "We regret to announce one death.

"A 41-year-old man has died from blunt force wounds to the skull.

"All attempts to revive him failed."

The 41-year-old man died after being hit in the head with a stone.

Police fired volleys of tear gas and rubber bullets, pursued fans running from the stadium in the Mataderos section of the Argentine capital, and TV pictures showed motorists swerving and slowing to avoid the rioting fans.

Dr. Crescenti told reporters that 11 of the 14 injured required hospitalization, many with stab wounds and cuts.

Some Fans Never Learn

Recent incidents involving Liverpool fans remain, unfortunately, par for the course.

"Fan" Misbehavior, Spanish Style

Wednesday's second leg of a series between Sevilla and crosstown rivals Real Betis in Spain's Copa del Rey had to be abandoned after Sevilla head coach Juande Ramos (a former coach of Real Betis) was hit by an object from the crowd after his club had scored a goal during the second half. Yes, friends and neighbors, hooliganism has shown its ugly head again, this time in Spain, during domestic cup play.

The Beautiful Game?

Here's an aritcle on the recent spate of soccer violence plaguing Europe and South America. I think the association with rioting, BOTH inside and outside the stadium, has been a major factor in the sport's long history of problems becoming this country's fifth major league professional sport.

You Think People Would Learn...

You figure that in the aftermath of the deadly rioting three weeks ago in Sicily, people would learn a valuable lesson. Unfortunately, as Romney Wordsworth (portrayed by Burgess Meredith in a 1961 episode of The Twilight Zone titled "The Obsolete Man") , a librarian condemned to death by the state because he was judged obsolete, told the state Chancellor( played by Fritz Weaver), "You never learn , do you? History teaches you nothing." Case in point, what happened on Saturday in Belgrade.

Feyenoord Banishment From UEFA Cup Upheld

Lausanne, Switzerland:

The Court of Arbitration for Sport's decision, it was announced on Friday, upheld Feyenoord Rotterdam's banishment from the UEFA Cup competition. This banishment was the product of crowd trouble at November match on the road against AS Nancy Lorraine. UEFA had banished Feyenoord from the tournament and fined the Dutch club roughly $80,000 (US Money). Tottenham Hotspur, Feyenoord's scheduled round-of-32 knockout opponent, will receive a bye to the round of 16.

Death Of Policeman At Catania Match Leads To Postponement Of Weekend Serie A Matches

One note I wish I would not have to pass along. At the Palermo-Catania game at Catania, a police officer died when fans rioted outside Anglelo Massimino Stadium during the second half of the game. This prompted the Italian federation to postpone all of this weekend's scheduled matches, as well as cancel the national team's scheduled exhibition match against Romania that was set for next week.