NickKap

Dortmund is in such a death spiral. No wins in October, dropping from first to third in a month. I'd be surprised if Bosz makes it to January if things keep going the way they are now

I seriously don't understand what's going on with Dortmund this month. Is it the high line? Bosz's stubbornness? Injuries? Have opposing teams already figured this team out? The draw against APOEL in the CL and giving up a 2-goal lead against Frankfurt all in the same week is frustrating. I really hope they get things sorted out soon because Bayern and Leipzig are going to seriously challenge for the title this season

Giants are trash. There's nothing else to say really, they're just awful. McAdoo and Reese need to go

If any of the older guys except for Yedlin, Wood and maybe Altidore and Bedoya make the next November friendly roster there will be hell coming from the fanbase. We want the guys tearing it up for the U17s (who just beat Paraguay 5-0 in the U17 WC round of 16) and the U20s with Pulisic leading the way. As for the manager, I'd like to see Tata Martino. He's done amazing things with Atlanta United this season and I would love to see his attacking style with the US. I also wouldn't mind Thomas Tuchel simply for the gengenpress

It's the next day and I still can't believe the US lost and everything that had to happen for them to not make the World Cup happened (Honduras beating Mexico, Panama beating Costa Rica). It's the next day and I'm still as angry as I was when the clock struck midnight. Fuck Bruce Arena, fuck Sunil Gulati, fuck the players (except for Pulisic, Yedlin, and Dempsey) for not responding apropriately when they were down 1-0 and 2-0, just fuck everything. Burn it down, rebuild from the ashes, let's start a fucking sincere youth movement.

Another day, another event for OG Cardinals Fighting Org as they host ABW 69(nice)ce): Tektas-Monson on Thursday, October 5. Returning to the 2,000 seat Hayashi’s Lounge, ABW 69(nice)ce should prove to be yet another successful event for the Finnish fighting organization, headlined by another highly-anticipated title bout in the Lightweight division. Let’s get a look at the night’s line-up, brought to you by Vikai Gear. Demetrius Tektas (5-0-0) vs. Dave Monson 6-3-0) – 155 lbs. TITLE MATCH We’ve got another thrilling title fight on our hands this week as we have a pair of submission artists going toe-to-toe for the Lightweight belt. Tektas has won four out of his five matches via submission, with his last win against John Niel in ABW 58 coming by a Rear Naked Chokehold in the first round, earning him the belt. In addition to his brown belt in BJJ, Tektas is a terrific wrestler and can take a punch like the best of them. 2-1 under new manager Altin El Topolino, Monson is looking at his second opportunity for a championship belt after losing to Tapani Kansalainen in ABW 50 via a first round KO. Monson won his last match via triangle hold in the first round at ABW 60 over Leonard Owusu. Monson is the better boxer, while Tektas is the better wrestler. Only one way to find out how this one goes down. Atha Wolf (4-1-0) vs. Master Roshi (7-4-0) – 155 lbs. It’s young buck Atha Wolf against old man Master “Turtle” Roshi in our eliminator 155 lb. match. After starting his OG Cardinals Fighting Org career with a TKO loss, Wolf has gone on a tear with three straight brutal first round wins. His latest fight, in Angry Birds War 61 against Petro Pspic, Wolf battered his opponent to a TKO win only 14 seconds into the fight. His exceptional muay thai combined with his strong boxing and good strength makes him a great threat in the stand-up game. Roshi bounced back from two-consecutive defeats, including a loss in a title defense at ABW 40, with a TKO in the third round of Angry Bird Wars 61 that earned him Fight of the Night. Roshi is a wonderful boxer with solid wrestling ability that should do him well if this match goes to the mat. The winner of this highly-anticipated contest will get a shot at the title in their very next bout. Nadine De Lange (6-2-0) vs. Gjalund Saltsage (7-4-0) – 265+ lbs. OG Cardinals Fighting Org newcomer Nadine “The Croc” De Lange faces off against Super Heavyweight title contender Gjalund “Captain” Saltsage. Coming over from Carnage 265+, De Lange is looking to get his non-QFC career off the ground after going 1-1 in the Las Vegas-based organization. De Lange works best on the ground, with good wrestling skills and a brown belt in BJJ. Finnish Saltsage is coming off a title defeat to Ajax Athanas in ABW 55, and will be looking to get back into winning form with a win over the German newcomer. With six of his seven wins coming via KO or TKO, Saltsage has great knockout ability to go with his excellent muay thai and strong chin. Takeda Shinjen (7-3-0) vs. Karey Fangbattle (2-3-0) – 170 lbs. The #4 contender in the Welterweight division will take the cage against the man with a 1-1 record in the OG Cardinals Fighting Org. Takeda “Tiger of Shen” Shinjen has everything one needs for a title contender: great stand-up, excellent ground work, toughness, knockout strength. All he needs is consistency. After winning five straight matches, including a title win and one defense, Shinjen has gone 1-2 in his last three matches. The Tiger of Shen will need to regain a consistent form if he wants another shot at that belt. Fangbattle has alternated wins and losses for the entirety of his career, and he needs a win if he wants to turn his career around in the right direction. He’s coming off a loss at ABW 56 that saw him get knocked out in the first round, so he would be better spent utilizing his wrestling skills to take this to the mat and avoid his opponents BJJ. Nobunga Tanaka (2-1-0) vs. Bob Johnson (3-1-0) – 135 lbs. It’s black belt against white belt in this Bantamweight showdown. “Wacky Octopus” Despite earning the first win by submission of his career in his last fight at ABW 62, his mastery of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and wonderful wrestling abilities should let opposing fighters know in bright neon lights to avoid going to the ground at all costs. Tanaka also possesses decent stand-up and clinchwork, but he prefers to be ground fighter first. While he possesses a mere white belt in BJJ, that doesn’t mean Johnson is doomed from the start. The Englishman brings into the ring wonderful boxing skills, exceptional wrestling, knockout power, and a three-match winning streak. If Johnson can keep this match upright, he’s got a very good chance of coming out the victor. Shin Ichi (3-4-0) vs. Futsohi Matsunaga (4-1-0) – 135 lbs. A pair of Japanese combatants takes the cage in the second Bantamweight fight of the evening. Ichi is riding a two-fight losing streak into Thursday, with both loses coming by decision, and he’ll be return to his winning ways by utilizing his purple belt and superb wrestling against his opponent. In addition to a purple belt, Matsunaga brings a more rounded fight game into the cage this evening. Despite losing his last fight, a title bout against Paul Murhaa in ABW 62, Matsunaga is confident he can return to form and get another shot at the Bantamweight belt. Matsunaga is a wonderful boxer, a remarkable wrestler, and has a chin tough enough to take a punch and keep moving forward. Konrad Curze (2-2-0) vs. Dan The Beast (3-2-0) – 265 lbs. Konrad “Night Haunter” Curze is coming off a big win over Bartlomiej Szymuszowski in ABW 59, giving him a big confidence boost entering Thursday’s bout with a challenging opponent. Curze can do a little bit of everything, but where he excels is in muay thai and the clinch. Dan “The Beast” The Beast, so nice he used his last name twice. The Beast snapped a two-fight losing streak with a submission win over Bruce Biante at ABW 58, and will be gunning to make it two straight wins on Thursday. The Beast looks mostly to be a stand-up fighter, but he can go to the ground and force a submission if he so chooses. Mick Bison (6-2-0) vs. Fedor Emelianenko (4-3-0) – 265+ lbs. “Big” Mick Bison will be looking to shake off some rust entering the ring tonight, having not fought in a month since winning with a brutal knockout over Waldo Blue at ABW 60. Although lacking in morale at the moment, Bison surely isn’t lacking in his boxing skills or his knockout power. Fedor “The King” Emelianenko snapped a two-match losing streak with a TKO win over Fiachra MacNeill at Angry Birds War 61. The big Russian has solid strength in those meaty fists of his, and will look to use his wrestling to keep Bison off balance. Asko Askinen (3-6-0) vs. Wilson Carlos (2-6-0) – 205 lbs. Asko “Nelson” Askinen possesses strong stand-up in both boxing and muay thai, and he will need to use it to snap a three-fight skid. Also look to see him use his strong wrestling to unleash those hammer fists onto the face of his opponent. Wilson “Marreta” Carlos has lost two-straight matches by a split decision and a TKO. Aside from his respectable muay thai, he doesn’t have a lot going for him. Still, upsets are always possible once that bell sounds. Lazar Nemirov (6-3-0) vs. Li Lianjie (3-5-0) – 135 lbs. In his OG Cardinals Fighting Org debut, Nemirov was dropped deep in the third round by a flurry of punches from his opponent. The Russian will be looking for a better result moving forward, relying on his respectable boxing and strong wrestling to take control of this Bantamweight match. LJ “Jet Li” Lianjie will be aiming to keep this match standing, as he has the better muay thai to combine with his boxing. WRITER’S PICKS Tektas Wolf Saltsage Shingen Tanaka Matsunaga Curze Bison Asinen Nemirov

Bobby Wood - Hamburg Darlington Nagbe - Portland Timbers Christian Pulisic - Dortmund Paul Arriola - DC United Alejandro Bedoya - Philadelphia Union Michael Bradley - Toronto FC Jorge Villafana - Santos Laguna Matt Besler - Sporting KC Geoff Cameron - Stoke City DeAndre Yedlin - Newcastle Tim Howard - Colorado Rapids And it's not that Panama and T&T don't pose a threat (they do in their own way at this stage of the game, thanks to MLS improving within CONCACAF), it's just that the US didn't exactly do a lot to instil confidence in the fans during the last international cycle (2-0 home loss to Costa Rica, 1-1 away draw to Honduras thanks to a Bobby Wood goal in the 85th minute) and the call-ups left a lot to be desired. The US currently sits fourth in World Cup Qualifying behing Panama on goal differential. If they finish third, they automatically qualify and everything is a-OK, but if they finish fourth they take on the fourth-place team in Asia (Australia or Syria) in a two-legged inter-confederation playoff.

They're pretty comparable. Kingsman 2 had a lot to live up to and I think it matched the hype.

If Tuchel couldn't get along with the Dortmund ownership, there's no way he could get along with Bayern's, no matter how good of a manager he is. Which names don't you recognize, Bwang? Keep in mind only a few of them play internationally (Wood, Pulisic, Cameron, Yedlin, Villafana*). And yes, Pulisic is the best player on the US. He plays right mid/left mid for Dortmund, but I and a lot of fans want to see him play centrally for the US as that's where his creativity and his directness really shine.

I don't think I could be more anxious for this upcoming game against Panama than I already am. I'm not inspired at all by the latest USA roster (in fact, pretty angry over a lot of the selections and snubs). Hopefully the team gets a win and that puts a little less pressure on themselves against Trinidad & Tobago on Tuesday. Here's the lineup I want to see: Wood Nagbe Pulisic Arriola Bedoya Bradley Villafana Besler Cameron Yedlin Howard

ABW 68 review by Hoyt Sanderson What an event to kick off October! Everybody loves a good knockout, and boy were those in supply at Hayashi’s Lounge for OG Cardinals Fighting Org ABW 68: Calacon-Suleyman, sponsored by Vikai Gear. Eight of the ten scheduled matches were decided by knockout or technical knockout, while the other two were decided by submission. Tuesday night’s card was headlined by unbeaten Middleweight champion Conrad Calacon and challenger Ibrahim Suleyman squaring off for the 185 lb. title. Calacon controlled the match from the opening whistle, landing punches and kicks all over the Sudanese challenger. Although Suleyman was able to trade blows with the champ, Calacon’s excellent stand-up game allowed him to pick his shots and deal significant damage to the challenger. The match ended 47 seconds into the second round when the Canadian dealt a big straight from his left hand that sent Suleyman to the canvas. Calacon followed him down and overwhelmed his opponent with punches until the ref jumped in to stop the fight. Another exciting fight may very well determine the next title match in the Middleweight division, as Colt Jones delivered a knockout win over his opponent Kyle Pits. Jones started off the match with a damaging cut to Pits off a three-punch combo that set the tone for the short but exciting match. The former Middleweight champion continued to press Pits, landing counter-punch after counter-punch until he finally dropped Pits with a hard straight from his right hand that knocked his opponent out cold. Jones’ win moves him up to #2 in the division and a rematch against Calacon is all but expected. The two previously fought on August 3 in AGW 50 Gold Edition, with Calacon eventually scoring a third round TKO over the former champ Jones. Our Fight of the Night award goes to Daniel Santos vs. Vasilios Megalos in the Lightweight decision. “Caesar” Megalos controlled the match from the first whistle with his superior clinch and muay thai skills, dealing damage to Santos in the form of shots to the head and body that would take its toll on the young Argentine. Megalos was in firm control of the match, dominating each round with superior striking and clinchwork, and was looking at winning his second consecutive match. Then, out of nowhere, Santos landed a huge shot to the head that dazed the Greek and gave Santos his opening to go for broke late in the third round. Santos eventually ended the fight with only 18 seconds left in the round when he ducked poor cross and countered with a hard right that sent Megalos to the floor. The ref jumped in to stop the match after Megalos couldn’t defend himself from a flurry of Santos strikes from the mount position, and the Argentinian teenager fell to his knees in joy. Tonight’s KO of the Night came from Snake “GreenLight” Eye over Jaime “Rock Em” Sparx in the lone Bantamweight fight of the evening. In a fight that lasted just less than a minute, Eye took Sparx to the ground with an expert takedown and started raining blows upon the Californian until he knocked him out with a double hammerfist. Eye will take home a cool $2,000 for his efforts. Our final award, the Submission of the Night, goes to Leonardo “The Killer” Pazzini for his first round guillotine over JD “The King” Dayley. Pazzini, now 2-2-0 with the win, scored the submission win from the bottom position after being brought to the mat by a double leg takedown into half guard. As Dayley worked the ground and pound, Pazzini slipped into the full guard and threw in a tight guillotine from which Dayley couldn’t escape, and the American was forced to tap out. Other fight’s from tonight’s event: 145 lbs. – Sergei Dovlatov improved to 6-1-0 with a KO win over Washe “Clit Lock” Lay. Dovlatov controlled the tempo of the fight from the beginning, rocking Lay with a hard punch to the dome early in the first round before eventually putting him to sleep with a powerful straight right hand with less than two minutes to go before the bell. 265 lbs. – Titan Reign continues his ascent through the Heavyweight division with a first round TKO by strikes over Phil “Morbid” Ure. Reign started off the match by delivering a cut under the eye of the London-native with a hard left hand, and it would only get worse from there for Ure. Reigns eventually ended the fight with a hard straight right that sent Ure crashing to the mat, and the young American eventually landed a few undefended strikes before the ref swooped in the stop the fight. 205 lbs. – Joel “Gico” Duarte scored the fastest win of the competition with a technical knockout 12 seconds into the first round over Charles “Dentinho” Eduardo. Eduardo didn’t land a single strike and was cut just seconds into the round by a Duarte looping left before being sent to the mat by a vicious uppercut. 265+ lbs. – To the surprise of no one, Tank “Trotil” Abbot dispatched Fiachra “The Sheer Violence” MacNeill with a booming overhand right for a brutal knockout 17 seconds into the first round. 145 lbs. – In the final match of the night, Wasyl “Pluto” Plutov submitted Edward “Scissor” Hands in the first round with a guillotine. Hands scored three takedowns in the first round, but after one minute Plutov reversed position into full guard and slipped in his chokehold and forced a tap out from Hands. WRITER’S PICKS (7-2) aCalacon aJones aDovlatov aReign rMegalos aPazzini aAbbot rSparx aPlutov N/A Duarte/Eduardo

Kingsman 2: The Golden Circle - 8/10

Just bought one. I really like the designs of the Aspire line

Need a contract for my fighter out of New York: Nick "Laser" Lassiter (323491)

Not totally surprised Carlo Ancelloti got the boot from Bayern. They haven't looked as dominant in the league this year and they were absolutely decimated by the PSG super team, and there were reports of him losing the locker room. This might be the one year Dortmund (pleasepleaseplease) or Hoffenheim or some other team could actually win the league.