Goals from Shola Ameobi, Fabricio Coloccini and Haris Vuckic did the damage but it was the performance against a team that was supposed to be the toughest opponents on the tour that perhaps impressed the most.
Newcastle took the lead early doors when Shola Ameobi gave the visitors the lead in the 9th minute after capitalising on a defensive error and cooly slotted past Columbus Crew ‘keeper Andy Gruenebaum. A succession of chances for Newcastle followed as they set about taking hold of the game although unfortunately they were unable to extend the lead.
Dan Gosling looked good in the middle of the park and was at the heart of a lot of our good build up play. Demba Ba still looked rusty although he was getting into the right places and caused a few problems for the Crew defence whilst Jose Enrique seemed to put Twittergate behind him and just get on with the job in hand.
In a first half that was dominated by the away side it looked as though there would only be the one goal and one real talking point as the match headed towards half time, but that changed on 44 minutes when Demba Ba raced raced clear of the home defence and took the ball round Gruenebaum in the Columbus goal only to be denied by the hands of the keeper. Unfortunately for Columbus this happened outside of the penalty area and resulted in a red card for the keeper.
Newcastle nearly extended the lead early in the second half when Dan Gosling poked wide under pressure from a Jose Enrique cross, but a further breakthrough wasn’t long in coming. Demba Ba forced a corner which Sylvain Marveaux fired into the box for Fabricio Coloccini to fire home from ten yards after a penalty box scramble. It was Captain Colo’s last input as he was withdrawn to be replaced by Paul Dummett.
Dan Gosling had a couple of chances to extend the lead but was denied by combinations of goalkeeper saves and defensive clearances, but it was the introduction of another young lad who has been troubled with injury that was perhaps the brightest spot of the night.
Haris Vuckic replaced Sylvain Marveaux on 74 minutes after the Frenchman took a knock and was taken off as a precaution. The young Slovenian then set about throwing his name into the hat for consideration for a place in the first team with an excellent 20 or so minutes of clever play and inventiveness.
First off Haris glided past a couple of Crew players before exchanging a one-two with Alan Smith. With Smith being generally **** he wasn’t on the same wavelength and the move broke down. Vuckic then set up Best with a clever square ball only for the Republic of Ireland striker to be called offside as he was rounding the keeper. Vuckic sent in a cracking cross which was met by the head of Dan Gosling who had his effort on goal saved at the second time of asking by the substitute Columbus goalkeeper.
The best was yet to come though when in stoppage time Vuckic made it 3-0. The young Slovenian picked up the ball on the edge of the Columbus penalty area and knocked the ball inside before curling a superb effort into the top left corner of the net. Not even a hand from Konopka was enough to stop it such was the quality of the strike.
That was just about the last action of the match as the final whistle blew. 3-0 to Newcastle.
Bright spots for me were Dan Gosling who once again stood out as one of the best performers, Haris Vuckic, obviously, Sylvain Marveaux who had a good game and looked threatening throughout. Also Jose Enrique, who could have shrunk after his Twitter outburst on Sunday, impressed. It was nice to hear of Pardew and Enrique having a little cuddle at the full time whistle. Bless.
All in all a good work out, a good result, some goals, and no serious injuries. Not a bad evening! Newcastle will now fly home from the States before heading to Elland Road on Sunday to face Leeds in what will be our penultimate pre-season game. I’ll be there, as will Marktoon, Jobey07, Jay Jay and Dan4Toon among others in what is looking likely to be an NUFC Blog writers jolly out. I can’t wait.
Howay the lads!
NUFC Starting XI: Steve Harper, James Tavernier, Steven Taylor, Fabricio Coloccini, Jose Enrique. Jonas Gutierrez, Cheik Tiote, Dan Gosling, Sylvain Marveaux. Shola Ameobi, Demba Ba.
Substitutes: Tim Krul, Fraser Forster, Paul Dummett, Alan Smith, Mehdi Abeid, Haris Vuckic, Leon Best.
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/newcastle-united/nufc-news/2011/07/26/haris-vuckic-trust-me-to-find-united-s-goals-72703-29118752/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter
What about Ba as a lone striker with HBA and Vuckic behind him? I think he deserves a run of games this year
Raffo(Quote)
I think it’s early days. He deserves a start against Leeds mind 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
What about King Shola?
I punched the air when I saw he had opened our US scoring. What a guy!
Moreno(Quote)
Any video highlights anywhere yet?
Moreno(Quote)
Moreno – Can’t find any, but I’ll keep on looking 🙂
toonsy(Quote)
I have just found a video on youtube, Run Geordie Run chant…
The guy in the Bowler hat is Iwantcurlyhair2 on twitter.
Moreno(Quote)
By the way, anyone who isn’t aware of Run Geordie Run
http://www.rungeordierun.com/
Great write up of his experience at the match, meeting colo, pards and carver. Top bloke.
He also met match commentator – Neil Sika!
Moreno(Quote)
Toonsy, have you managed to deduce this article purely from the audio feed? Fair play if so! Sounds promising anyway, although I didn’t like the sound of the “Frenchman took a knock and was taken off as a precaution” bit.
Rodzilla(Quote)
Rodzilla,
Don’t worry, we have an abundance of Frenchmen to spare 😀
Moreno(Quote)
Rodz – Pretty much yes, plus all tge live commentaries that were knocking about.
toonsy(Quote)
Not seen Vucinic play yet…hoping to get to Leeds to have a butchers.
HBA back for Fulham game we think by the way?
ToonTom(Quote)
Have we signed Vucinic 😯
I know I haven’t been on much but how did I miss that one!!! 😆
Moreno(Quote)
need 2 get rid of smith…he isnt going 2 get on are bench..we are looking very strong in that area…with barton ben arfa missing..he has got houghton anymore…he would be just wasted as a squad number…pay him off..
asim(Quote)
I think we should start Shola with Ba for Arsenal, see how he does…we need him warmed up for the Scum, where he should defo play 😀
Newkie(Quote)
haha Merno, maybe it was subliminal wishful thinking!
ToonTom(Quote)
Is shola in anyone’s fantasy team? Tempted to put him in as we have sunderland so early…
Newkie(Quote)
Would be a class signing though Moontot!
Moreno(Quote)
Randomly, I hate twitter 👿
toonsy(Quote)
Dion Dublin ******* Aston Villa on Sky 🙄
toonsy(Quote)
Oh my, Blackburn actually have Venky’s on their shirt 😳
toonsy(Quote)
As we will have sportsdirect the minute the Northern Rock deal runs out…
Moreno(Quote)
oh my god..ex pros like dublin..saying given will give villa a new style of play with his wond of a right foot..u clown he was never good at kicking a balll..
asim(Quote)
Well he’d better start practicing with McLeish as boss, route one here we go! 😆
Newkie(Quote)
Good to see the lads got a win to finish the tour off.
By the sounds of it some of the lads played well, so hopefully they can keep it up.
Moreno sports direct on a lonsdale or maybe even dunlop as the fatman might think that dunlop brand is lucky now 😆
Big Dave(Quote)
Hmm, one problem with that………. It would cost him money, either in paying for it or in the form of losing money fro potential sponsors…… Does that sound like Ashley?
I mean he could have done it when the NR deal ran out in the Championship but didn’t……
toonsy(Quote)
What’s gannin on then?
We signed Gameiro yet?
Toon Chicken(Quote)
Aye, I think Ashley would rather take someone else’s money rather than his own
Newkie(Quote)
I see we’re being linked with Jermaine Defoe
I can’t understand how many Spurs fans don’t rate him. I think he is a fantastic little player. Certainly the best striker they have.
Having said that, I think having Ba (a good finisher already) I think we are better served with a support striker with high work rate, like Erdinc. So hope that one comes off.
JJ(Quote)
Isn’t the whole point of sponsorship to advertise in the hope to generate money though….why would anyone do it otherwise….
Moreno(Quote)
I might join Bobby in Fenwick’s window if we sign Defoe. 😀
Too old, too much money (wages).
Plus the story says we will sign him IF we miss out on Erdinc (who is 3rd/4th choice at PSG). And that’s after we’ve had failed bids for Gameiro and Gervinho. Can’t see him or his ego being overly happy about that.
Plus – we hate cockeneyes innit! (© The Bedsheet Brigade)
Toon Chicken(Quote)
But then Newcastle would cost him more so any potential income would be negated by having to make up a shortfall…..
toonsy(Quote)
“Moreno says:
July 27, 2011 at 11:18
As we will have sportsdirect the minute the Northern Rock deal runs out…”
That would be funny if there wasn’t such a strong likelihood of it actually being true. 🙁
JJ(Quote)
But surely from his point of view, he is moving cash from one asset to another which owes him money PERSONALLY. To recoup his personal money faster it would be a good idea.
Moreno(Quote)
Plus he could give sportsdirect a cracking deal on the advertising, which will still be there when he sells the club…
Moreno(Quote)
What would be the big deal if we go Sports Direct as the main shirt sponsor?
It’s hardly more embarassing than a failed bank that went tits up and had to be bailed out by an even more incompetent government at the expense of the tax payer.
Toon Chicken(Quote)
It appears that the Spuds fans are concerned at the prospect of losing Defoe…
http://www.spurs-web.com/spurs-news/sell-defoe-newcastle-10m/
😆 😆
lesh(Quote)
Moreno, and he could charge himself £400m for the sponsorship ala Citeh!
🙄 😉
lesh(Quote)
Listened to the first half commentry last night and sounded like we played well and were in control of the game , they had one good chance in first half but from sound of it we played well. Delighted Vuckic came on and played well hoepfully he gets a chance this season.
Who cares who the sponser of the shirt is as long as they pay the going rate? If I paid the money and got my name on the front of the shirt would it make a difference?
Johno Toon(Quote)
Moreno – Absolutely. If he wants to use the sponsorship to pay off his debt then fair enough, but he needs to be aware that shirt sales will drop dramatically if he was to put it on the shirts. I haven’t bought one for a while in protest anyway, but I imagine more will follow suit if SportsDirect was plastered over the front of it.
toonsy(Quote)
If Ashley were to put Sports Direct on the shirts as a “sponsor” he probably wouldn’t pay anything. It would just be more money lost, and I doubt he’d consider it as part of loan repayment.
JJ(Quote)
Toonsy, see where your coming from….
Problem with that is the fact him and LLambias don’t give us that much respect. They still think we will buy as many replica shirts as we always do and barring a small minority, they’d be right.
We will always go to games. We will always buy the shirts.
Moreno(Quote)
JJ,
Sportsdirect aren’t solely owned by Ashley, it’s a public limited company.
NUFC, sportsdirect and Ashley’s personal fortune are all completely seperate entities
Moreno(Quote)
Moreno – so you’re saying that every penny NUFC earns doesn’t go directly into Ashley’s wallet?
Hadaway an ***** man! 😆
Toon Chicken(Quote)
http://www.not606.com/showthread.php/69417-Columbus-Crew-v-Newcastle-United-Match-Highlights?p=903255#post903255
Jobey07(Quote)
Example:
sportsdirect and it’s board members sit down with Mike Ashley and a sponsership deal with NUFC is struck. This does not affect Mike Ashleys personal fortune and generates advertising for sportsdirect…potentially worldwide.
NUFC receive money. No effect to Mike Ashley’s personal fortune.
Mike ashley is owed over 100 million from NUFC, he takes some of it back from sponsership deal….this does effect his personal fortune without taking money out of the public limited company that is sportsdirect.
Moreno(Quote)
TC,
Contrary to popular belief 😀
Moreno(Quote)
Moreno – Check your e-mail 😉
Actually give it five mins whilst I wrote it first 😆
toonsy(Quote)
I’ve never heard so much rubbish – Defoe coming to the Toon is more outlandish than Gervinho! Oh dear 😳
Who believes it? 😳 I hope you are embarrassed. !
Bobby Shinton number 9(Quote)
Nice1 Jobey! What a piece of skill from the baby goose!!
Toon Chicken(Quote)
I think if Ashley were to do that he’d wait until he was right and ready to leave. I’m sure his main 5 year plans are getting his money back and leaving the club…he’ll get another deal to tie it right up to say a year before he’s ready to leave, then he’ll probably do a 10 year deal with sports direct in the last year of his ownership, massive advertising, great sponsership, limited backlash and accountability. An Ashley wet dream
Newkie(Quote)
Oh, and cheers Jobey 😉
Newkie(Quote)
Bobby I belive Defoe is coming to the toon next season. On the 16th of October to be exact 😆
Johno Toon(Quote)
Match highlights up. Nice one Jobey 😛
toonsy(Quote)
moreno at 45
how much to sports direct pay nufc now for stadium name and saturation coverage round the ground. Isnt it an example of what a sponsor could have ?
how much profit dis SD make last year ?
B1GSTEVE(Quote)
B1GSTEVE
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/business-news/sports-direct-scores-167m-profit-14936767.html
There was one reason we were in America for pre-season this year and that was to promote the brand. Ashley would have loved sportsdirect on our tops over there.
Moreno(Quote)
Gosling had some really great touches, and it was nice to see a match where we actually managed to counter attack…last season it ended up as Jonas being the only one with the legs to run at anyone after a break, but if you look at teams like ManU, Spurs and Arsenal its half their game…important we get to grips with it, as it cost us several times last year..Hopefully we can use Vuckic and Abeid to run at tired defenders this year..
Newkie(Quote)