Hull City Shock Gunners 2-1

Two goals in five minutes was enough for Hull City to pull off one of the biggest upsets of the season against Arsenal.

The Gunners had more shots, more possession, and yet they still ended up losing the game, which snapped their 17 month run without a loss at Emirates Stadium. Arsenal managed to get passes in bunches as well as numerous opportunities, but they once again struggled to score. The hosts didn't find the back of the net until the 50th minute when Theo Walcott made a magnificent run in the box before crossing the ball, low and hard towards the middle that defender Paul McShane unfortunately hit into his own net.

Hull City responded with a Marcio Geovanni wonder-strike from 30 yards out that even made ESPN's Top 10 plays for Saturday. The Brazilian managed scoop up a ball on the left side before he cut and rifled a beauty of a ball into the upper right corner of the net leaving keeper Manuel Almunia with no chance.

Minutes later, Hull struck again. Andy Dawson curled a corner into the area and fellow teammate Daniel Cousin managed to elude William Gallas and found enough space to place a header over back-post man, Cesc Fabregas.

With the win today, Hull has continued their impressive form in the Premiership this season, only losing once. On the other hand, as manager Arsene Wenger put it, Arsenal may have learned a lesson at the cost of an EPL title, "We don't know how costly it could be but they were committed and it was a good lesson for us. We now know that if our attitude isn't right, we can lose games."



What did you think of the upset? Even though it's early, did Arsenal cost themselves any chance at an EPL title this year with this loss? What about Geovanni's blast? Share your thoughts below.

Mastroeni Receiving Interest Abroad

Pablo Mastroeni might be heading to Europe once the Winter Transfer Window opens in January of 2009. The former Miami Fusion player has made it abundantly clear as of late, that he wants to end his career in Europe.

"My mind is made up, I'm ready to go. Every soccer player wants a challenge every day." said Mastroeni earlier this year after his Colorado Rapids trounced the New York Red Bulls 4-0.

The defensive midfielder, that can also play center back, received interest from teams in La Liga (Spain), and Serie A (Italy), during the closing weeks of the summer transfer window. Pablo didn't make the jump to Europe, but all signs point to him leaving MLS once January rolls around.

The Colorado Rapids captain received calls from two teams in Spain, Paco Chaparro's Real Betis, and recently promoted, Malaga. Pablo remains confident more teams will show their interest, "I think it's going to be a question of five possibilites and picking what we think is right."

A veteran of two World Cups, Mastroeni can still be an effective defensive midfielder, although he is known to occasionally make a rash tackle or two. At 32, Mastroeni is not a long-term solution, but rather a servicable player for any side interested in his services.



What do you think of Pablo Mastroeni heading to Europe? Would he fit better in Spain or Italy? At 32, should he just consider finishing his career in MLS? Share your thoughts in the comment box.

Cervi to Celtic?

It appears that towering keeper, Dominic Cervi is preparing to put pen to paper for Scottish heavyweight, Celtic F.C. Reports have come out that the 22 year old, who turned down a Chicago Fire contract nine months ago, will take a physical later today before finalizing a three year deal.

Cervi will also need to get an Italian passport, which is possible due to his ancestry, to get a necessary work permit. The 6'6 keeper is positive he'll receive it, "We’re currently trying to work to get an Italian passport. My great-grandparents were the ones who came over from Italy. It’s easy to trace because it was my dad’s grandfather so the names were easy.”

The move would make Cervi the fourth American playing in the Scottish Premier League, joining DaMarcus Beasley, Maurice Edu (both for Rangers F.C.) and unkown commodity, Mike Videira (Hamilton). The University of Tulsa alumni was on trial with Celtic earlier this year, and is being signed to back-up Artur Boruc. Cervi is seen as a possible replacement for the Polish goalkeeper, down the road.



What do you think of Dominic Cervi? Is Celtic making a worthy investment? Or will they be dissapointed? Can Cervi ever develop into a #1 GK for the US MNT?

Welcome!

After much thought, I decided to go ahead and create my very first blog. As you may know, it will be soccer related, with most of the focus on the United States National Team and its players. I attend FAU in Boca Raton, Florida and I'm planning on majoring in Journalism. Being that this is my first experience with the creation of a blog, I would ask any reader to feel free and leave comments on what I post and the manner in which my posts are written. Constructive criticism is encouraged, and I anticipate this to be a great learning experience.

If there's any topic, team, league or anything else you'd like me to dig into, let me know through an email or in the comment section below.

Welcome to the Upper 90 Blog!