Venezuela vs Argentina, October 16th

Like a Jedi knight. No, better than that, a Templar knight. This is a flash of pure inspiration and let me tip my hat to the genesis of this goal, Ibarra. It's Ibarra who plays it down the side, it gets pulled back for Lionel. Lionel only absolutely lights it up here. He lifts off it, flamethrowers it past poor Renny Vega, who does everything. It's just as well Renny didn't get a hand to that, because it would have taken it off his wrist ...
Ray Hudson, 42:26 1st

But Argentina, man, just wait for you in the long grass, like snipers, assassins.
Ray Hudson, 44:50 1st


He's got a crystal ball in his head, I'm telling you. Riquelme sees two or three steps ahead to the mere mortals ...
Ray Hudson, half-time

Paraguay vs Uruguay, October 17th

Well, Nelson Valdez as well, give the young man credit because he was full of support, look at that emotion and passion that we were talking about at the start of the game. For me, that's a beautiful sight, you see a goalscorer, Cabañas, having an orgasm, basically, on his assist. That's wonderful.
Ray Hudson, 16:22 1st

The Russians wiped the floor with the most overrated international team, based on the most overrated individual footballers, based out of the most overrated domestic league in world international football - England, the premiership, and the rest of that sorry shower called England. Pathetic.
Ray Hudson
And he would have said the same thing if they'd won
Phil Schoen, 18:23 1st.

Commentator verliest pedalen na goals Riquelme

Found here

Het versloeg Chili dankzij twee goals van Juan Roman Riquelme, "de beste speler ter wereld", als we de op hol geslagen voetbalcommentator Ray Hudson moeten geloven. Riquelme schilderde tegen Chili twee vrije trappen tegen de netten. Engelsman Ray Hudson en zijn collega-commentators van het Amerikaanse GolTV konden zich na het eerste doelpunt al niet bedwingen en gingen dan ook bij Riquelme's tweede compleet uit hun dak.

Which translates to something like ...

Commentator loses pedals after Riquelme goals

They beat Chile thanks to two goals from Juan Roman Riquelme, "the best player in the world", if we must believe football commentator Ray Hudson. Riquelme painted against Chile two free kicks against the nets. Englishman Ray Hudson and his co-commentator from American GolTV could not control themselves after the first goal and so at Riquelme's second went completely from their roof.

Colombia vs Brazil, October 14th

For this, the 50th post on this most humble of blogs, as a (not very) special treat, may I present this prime example of Mr. Hudson's trademark ejaculation, never before featured in this corner of the interwebs (because I can never work out how to transcribe it - Aye Aye? Ay Ay? Ai Ai?). Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Mr. Hudson, accompanied, as he should be, by his able foil, Mr. Schoen.

Argentina vs Chile, October 13th

And there you see Juan Román Riquelme, back on the pitch. A big fan of Riquelme's next to me, Ray Hudson, what can we expect in this match?
Pablo Alsina
Well it'll be magic from Riquelme, no matter that he's been in cobwebs for the last few month. Román Riquelme, one of the truly great poets of football ...
Ray Hudson, pre-game

It seems to be that a few of the players are slip-sliding, everybody but Riquelme.
Ray Hudson, 5:24 1st

Sizzler by Romy, unhesitant. Confidence, skill and class coming out of his ear-holes there ...
Ray Hudson, 7:11 1st

That is a gift from the gods, he always has been, I've said it for a long time, for me, I said it at the start of this game the greatest footballer in the world. I'll go to my grave defending that man. He splits his country down the middle, some people love him, some people hate him. Who couldn't love this? This is a Bernini sculpture of a goal, Pablo. It's perfection. If it had missed the target you could have hardly blamed him, but he takes all of the responsibility on his own shoulders, he guides it heavenly, it's a magisterial hit by an artist, a poet of the game. You cannot say enough, he backs it up, he hasn't played for what? Five, six months? He comes in here and he has been the best footballer on this park. Brilliant genius of Riquelme, yet again, defying his critics.
Ray Hudson, 26:40 1st

The big, beautiful, strolling zombie, I call him, Riquelme ...
Ray Hudson, 30:53 1st

Helpless, just rooted to the spot like a big ficus tree, the Chile goalkeeper ...
Ray Hudson, 33:37 1st


This is an absolute concerto goal. The first one was brilliant. We're like, living déjà vu all over again ...
Ray Hudson, 45:36 1st

Here's your first work of absolute Picasso art. Against all the odds, he takes them on, and he laughs at them.
Ray Hudson, half-time

Just like an out of body experience, you think it's done all over again, you think you've seen it before, it's like you've relived it, absolutely brilliant, the ambiguity of him is brilliant ...
Ray Hudson, half-time


Breathtaking again by Romy. Pablo, I think you'll be having to call for an oxygen tank for me, my friend, if that one had went in ...
Ray Hudson, 40:26 2nd

That man, who could have been, should have been a bullfighter, because he is a true matador footballer. The tango man.
Ray Hudson, 44:25 2nd


And finally ... the Ray Hudson 'Riquelme' count.

Pre-game

• Riquelme - 1
• Román Riquelme - 1

First half

• Riquelme - 23
• Romy - 7

Half-time

• Juan Román Riquelme - 2
• Riquelme - 6

Second Half

• Romy - 2
• Riquelme - 20
• Román - 2
• Román Riquelme - 1

Post-game

• Riquelme - 3

Grand Total - 68

Uruguay vs Bolivia, October 13th

It's an absolutely fabulous finish by Forlán, now how do you figure this? This is an outstanding, world-class goal of the highest calibre. He has missed chances today that your young boy Alex could have put away, Phil. And I'm not kidding. The forward, man, he's a funny old beast. This is an absolutely scintillating finish on the full volley and it's full-blooded by Diego Forlán. See the ball's played the opposite way, right beautiful rainbow pass and here's your pot of gold at the end of this rainbow. It's a tremendous little ball by Pérez, leading Diego, Diego arrows it in, past García and that inside post and poor García again gets his fingers singed by that superheated volley.
Ray Hudson, 38:06 1st

He couldn't hit a horse's backside with a banjo early on but he threads the needle there.
Ray Hudson, 41:48 1st

Incredible, that this small country produces so many high-quality players but they don't stay in Uruguay, unfortunately, they head out overseas, deservedly so for the big money and the wealth and fame, and the pretty señoritas ... there's plenty of them in Uruguay of course.
Ray Hudson, 43:47 1st


That left foot of his is like a pistol, and it's cocked and the trigger is exploded ...
Ray Hudson, half-time


Abreu sees it coming, he's got all the time in the world, he could take this on his chest, Phil, he could have a plate of pasta and then pass it into the net, but he trusts his header, and it's mistrust ...
Ray Hudson, 8:56 2nd

Sevilla vs Deportivo La Coruña, October 7th

He's in the referee's book but he's had a great game, he really has been a fish-shaking warrior in that midfield holding position ...
Ray Hudson, 67:45 2nd

Barcelona vs Atlético Madrid, October 7th

Set up by the little genius, again. The ball squirts away from him in that corner where the ball tends to roll away from most players. Well, Lio Messi is not most players. The new Maradona they're calling him, Phil. I tell you what, he is the most enduring challenger of that great man's mantle yet. It's Deco that finishes but it's all classic Lio, Lio the lion.
Ray Hudson, 15:25 1st

Like a pickpocketer out of Las Ramblas in Barcelona ...
Ray Hudson, 16:20 1st

Where do you begin? Where do you find the words, man? Magisterial! It's a beautiful give and go, the finish is absolutely celestial, by the albiceleste. Abbiati is a onlooker, this ball gets flamethrowered by him, by Lio the Lion, he's a puma. The Argentine puma. But what an absolute tiger. He sees his place, he sees it in a different dimension to the rest of the world, as does his great team-mate Ronaldinho. Henry has a part in it, he steadies Lionel, he dishes it off, give me it back, feed me baby! One look up, and look at that finish! Blistered by Abbiati. Brilliant, top of the world, the world is his oyster.
Ray Hudson, 19:50 1st

They got bigger, they got better and they got more beautiful, it's almost botanical football by Barcelona.
Ray Hudson, half-time


He's a little tiger, Lio. Scratches to get the ball back.
Ray Hudson, 57:15 2nd

He's like a leopard coming out of the bush, looking for something to eat ...
Ray Hudson, 71:14 2nd

Eighty six minutes into this game and he is like a spring rabbit. He's electric with his pace, the brilliant kaleidoscope vision of Deco sees through the steel wall at the back ...
Ray Hudson, 86:14 2nd

Beautiful, textbook, hallmark, Barcelona, bossa nova, tango football.
Ray Hudson, 89:56 2nd


And, the big cat remix ...

Valencia vs Espanyol, October 6th

Service is everything a lot of the times, in a game, it's advertised. Yeah, the paella is flowing tonight ...
Ray Hudson, 4:12 1st

Stuttgart vs Hannover, October 6th

Brave play by the Swiss man, but it's out by the width of a Toblerone.
Ray Hudson, 34:00 1st

Touch like the proverbial elephant there, from Mario.
Ray Hudson, 41:25 1st

It's a stupefying miss by the Hungarian international. Screams his blue murder, but don't worry, Hungarian man, you will be back ...
Ray Hudson, half-time


Tale of two stories, there, isn't it ?
Ray Hudson, 51:18 2nd