There has been a lot of soccer played recently in various competitions, ranging from internationals friendlies to the African Cup of Nations to league matches to all manner of domestic cup competitions.
So, here's some quick hitting thoughts about all that's been happening.
--Manchester United beat Arsenal 3-1 over the weekend, lead by a scintillating performance from Nani and Wayne Rooney as bullish as ever.
Nani may never become the next Ronaldo, and really, the whole talk about "Ronaldo who?" is nonsense, but that was about as close to replicating a Ronaldo performance as you get. Rooney meanwhile scares the daylights out of me because if he keeps this up, I do not want to see a just recovered Oguchi or slow footed Carlos Bocanegra having to contain him. Maybe they can do it, but he's single handedly keeping Man U in the EPL title race.
--Speaking of which, have you tried to keep up with the EPL table lately? I recently looked at the table and was stunned to see Arsenal on top! With all the cup competitions, they top teams haven't been on equal games in some time, but after today's Chelsea-Hill City draw, the top five have all played 24 games. Suddenly Chelsea's big lead is just two over Man U, while Arsenal are four points further back. Arsenal are not a title-worthy team. In the key games of their season, the Blues and Red Devils tore them apart. One of the small pleasures in life is seeing Arsene Wenger slumped over in his seat with that look of a bewildered and disconcerted look on his face.
--Liverpool continues to hang around in fifth place, one point behind Tottenham and tied on points with Man City, who have two games in hand, and one point ahead of Aston Villa, who have a game in hand. Liverpool has had quite the ignominious season so far, and it wouldn't surprise to see them drop out of a European spot altogether if Gerrard and Torres aren't healthy. Rafa Benetiz has long worn out his effectiveness and needs to go...
--...but he shouldn't go to Juventus. Juve has also had a disappointing season. Their campaign was probably doomed from the start by expectations that were far too high. Realistically no one should have expected a title challenge. Yet they too might miss out on Champions League football next year, after being embarrassed on the final match of group play by Bayern at home. Ciro Ferrara is probably a really nice guy, and could be a decent manager in the future, but he doesn't have the experience or gumption to direct a team as demanding as Juventus. It will be interesting to see how the season plays out under Alberto Zaccheroni. I will say that if Rafa comes to Turin, it would something to see him matching wits against Jose Mourinho again.
--Landon Donovan has put in some excellent early displays for Everton. It's always great to see an American so successful abroad, and it bodes well for South Africa this summer. I hope Everton tries to buy him from LA once his loan spell runs out, but we'll see. The Galaxy will probably play hard ball and demand a huge transfer considering his worth to the team. LA without Donovan are suddenly a last place team again, Beckham and a young and improving defense regardless.
--Meanwhile, the Serie A and La Liga have had far less exciting titles race so far. In Italy it's not so much a race between equals as it is all other teams running a Special Olympics race to Inter Milan's Usain Bolt. Their lead is only eight points, but has seemed much more than that. Inter may not inspire much admiration, and it certainly wouldn't surprise to see them lose to Chelsea in the Champions League, but they sure can dominate the boring Serie A. In Spain, Barcelona are still five points up on Real Madrid. I haven't followed it that closely, other than the countless articles that have been written, and will become nothing short of a cottage industry come this summer, about how Messi has shone for club but not country. The real disappointment in Spain is that the third place team is eight points below second place Real Madrid. So much for being more balanced at the top of the table.
--Finally, Egypt won the African Cup of Nations again, despite not qualifying for the World Cup again. That's three African championships in a row while not qualifying for the World Cup since 1990. That's quite amazing. I think that puts them squarely on notice for being huge chokers (they did after all beat Algeria 2-0 during group play only to lose the playoff match four days later). Can you even think of an equivalent? Sucks for them, but I suppose I can only thank them for letting Algeria into the World Cup draw. Just 128 more days...
Showing posts with label Chelsea. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Chelsea. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
Chelsea Victory Defines Early Season Title Race
Chelsea looked like potential champions all season until the week before the Liverpool game. But a loss to Wigan and an unimpressive win midweek in Champions League led to questions about the Blues heading into their clash with Liverpool. But a comfortable 2-0 win will quiet the critics for the moment.
Liverpool started the game on the front foot, and had occasional quality chances throughout. Most of those chances fell for super-striker Fernando Torres, just as the Reds would have hoped. But Torres seemed a touch off and did not convert either his free header from 12 yards out, or the bouncing ball that came to his left foot (or shin, as it turned out) while he was unmarked 15 yards from goal. Not Fernando's day. Otherwise, Chelsea's defense held firm, with John Terry clearly cross after cross and generally looking confident in leading the backline.
There was little doubt Chelsea's time was coming, as the chances they created increased in quality throughout the match. Finally, Deco played Drogba through on the wing, who found a streaking Anelka in front of goal. Anelka got behind Carragher and managed to keep the bouncing ball down rather than sending it over the crossbar. The second goal was a tap in for Malouda after Drogba again dispatched a helpless Carragher. Overall, the performance from the Liverpool central defense was actually an improvement, but was still not good enough against a side of Chelsea's quality.
Heading into the break for international play, the two sides are in two very different places. Chelsea now top the table by two points and have to be at least co-favorites with Manchester United. Drogba and Anelka continue to play well together, and refusing to deploy both of their talents at the same time for so long now seems silly. The defense is strong, with only six goals allowed, tied for lowest in the Premier League with Villa. The midfield looks solid, and there is quality on the bench. Hilario looked solid as well in relief of Cech. Chelsea is primed in both England and Europe.
For Liverpool, three losses in eight games leave them sixth in the table, and Villa is two points back with a game in hand. Their three losses came in the three matches they actually played quality opposition: Tottenham, Villa and Chelsea. They also lost midweek to Fiorentina and looked awful. Are they legitimate title contenders at this point? It's hard to say yes, and not just because of the results; Liverpool have problems all over the pitch, with the exception of striker and goalkeeper. Gerrard is the engine that makes the side go, and has been below par to this point. Lucas is awful. Why Benitez continues to put him out there every match is mystery, aside from a total lack of other options. Insert generic comment about missing Xabi Alonso here. One would presume that Aquilani would take Lucas' place in the lineup when healthy, but Aquilani is still a couple weeks away. The central defense is still a question mark and the defense in general lacks depth. Riera is inconsistent and can't find his way into the lineup regularly. The lack of attacking options on the bench was particularly highlighted by Rafa's last substitution at Stamford Bridge. Trailing 1-0 late, Benitez' final move was...to replace Insua at left back with Fabio Aurelio. At least Aureilo wasn't playing in midfield, like he did midweek in Champions League.
After the break, the next two matches for Liverpool are at surging Sunderland, currently sitting eighth in the table, and home for Manchester United. Another loss (or two) may bring an early end to any title aspirations. Likewise, the next two Champions League matches are against group leaders Lyon. It's not unthinkable that by early November, the goals for Liverpool this season may go from "winning the league and in Europe" to "retaining a Champions League spot". Even that last part may not be guaranteed. Tough times for Benitez, and the next month will define the season.
Elsewhere this weekend, United managed a late draw against the previously mentioned Sunderland side thanks to a deflected own goal. The Sunderland striker partnership of Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones continue to cause havoc for defenses across England, and both scored in the match. Bent's strike was taken beautifully, and though there was some question of a foul on Jones' header against the goalkeeper I believe the referee appropriately did not blow his whistle, as Foster arrived late and did not deserve to be bailed out. Otherwise United struggled and probably didn't deserve a point. It's hard not to think of Chelsea as the favorites after this weekend.
Arsenal have missed their opportunites against other top flight competition, but no one plays more beautiful, flowing football in England than the Gunners. Their attacking display in a 6-2 victory over Blackburn was pure joy. Despite twice stunningly falling behind, Arsenal kept their nerve and kept pressing forward. The end result was a celebration of football to commerate Arsène Wenger becoming Arsenal's longest serving manager. As a neutral, it's hard not to admire Arsenal, once known for playing some of the ugliest football in England, but now created in Wenger's image as just the opposite.
As ARF mentioned, Man City and Villa drew Monday, a just outcome given the even nature of the contest. Villa are a solid side, but it's hard to imagine them legitimately threatening for the top four. I wouldn't say the same about City. Tottenham drew at Bolton, and sit third for the moment, but both City (even on points) and Arsenal (one behind) have a game in hand on Spurs. Portsmouth managed to win, though ARF's Championship diagnosis is surely correct. At least they've paid their wages now, and Saudi oil money is on the way. Hull also managed to win. Those two sides won't win on the same weekend very often. Burnley defeated Birmingham in a contest of newly promoted sides, and the Clarets are still perfect at home with four wins and sit in the top half of the table. Of course Hull started off hot last season and barely stayed up, so nothing is guaranteed.
Key matches two weeks from now: Villa hosts Chelsea on ESPN2 (at 7:45 ET, so set the DVR if you plan on sleeping in), while Liverpool must travel to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland. Darren Bent against Jamie Carragher should be enough to give Liverpool fans nightmares for the next two weeks.
Liverpool started the game on the front foot, and had occasional quality chances throughout. Most of those chances fell for super-striker Fernando Torres, just as the Reds would have hoped. But Torres seemed a touch off and did not convert either his free header from 12 yards out, or the bouncing ball that came to his left foot (or shin, as it turned out) while he was unmarked 15 yards from goal. Not Fernando's day. Otherwise, Chelsea's defense held firm, with John Terry clearly cross after cross and generally looking confident in leading the backline.
There was little doubt Chelsea's time was coming, as the chances they created increased in quality throughout the match. Finally, Deco played Drogba through on the wing, who found a streaking Anelka in front of goal. Anelka got behind Carragher and managed to keep the bouncing ball down rather than sending it over the crossbar. The second goal was a tap in for Malouda after Drogba again dispatched a helpless Carragher. Overall, the performance from the Liverpool central defense was actually an improvement, but was still not good enough against a side of Chelsea's quality.
Heading into the break for international play, the two sides are in two very different places. Chelsea now top the table by two points and have to be at least co-favorites with Manchester United. Drogba and Anelka continue to play well together, and refusing to deploy both of their talents at the same time for so long now seems silly. The defense is strong, with only six goals allowed, tied for lowest in the Premier League with Villa. The midfield looks solid, and there is quality on the bench. Hilario looked solid as well in relief of Cech. Chelsea is primed in both England and Europe.
For Liverpool, three losses in eight games leave them sixth in the table, and Villa is two points back with a game in hand. Their three losses came in the three matches they actually played quality opposition: Tottenham, Villa and Chelsea. They also lost midweek to Fiorentina and looked awful. Are they legitimate title contenders at this point? It's hard to say yes, and not just because of the results; Liverpool have problems all over the pitch, with the exception of striker and goalkeeper. Gerrard is the engine that makes the side go, and has been below par to this point. Lucas is awful. Why Benitez continues to put him out there every match is mystery, aside from a total lack of other options. Insert generic comment about missing Xabi Alonso here. One would presume that Aquilani would take Lucas' place in the lineup when healthy, but Aquilani is still a couple weeks away. The central defense is still a question mark and the defense in general lacks depth. Riera is inconsistent and can't find his way into the lineup regularly. The lack of attacking options on the bench was particularly highlighted by Rafa's last substitution at Stamford Bridge. Trailing 1-0 late, Benitez' final move was...to replace Insua at left back with Fabio Aurelio. At least Aureilo wasn't playing in midfield, like he did midweek in Champions League.
After the break, the next two matches for Liverpool are at surging Sunderland, currently sitting eighth in the table, and home for Manchester United. Another loss (or two) may bring an early end to any title aspirations. Likewise, the next two Champions League matches are against group leaders Lyon. It's not unthinkable that by early November, the goals for Liverpool this season may go from "winning the league and in Europe" to "retaining a Champions League spot". Even that last part may not be guaranteed. Tough times for Benitez, and the next month will define the season.
Elsewhere this weekend, United managed a late draw against the previously mentioned Sunderland side thanks to a deflected own goal. The Sunderland striker partnership of Darren Bent and Kenwyne Jones continue to cause havoc for defenses across England, and both scored in the match. Bent's strike was taken beautifully, and though there was some question of a foul on Jones' header against the goalkeeper I believe the referee appropriately did not blow his whistle, as Foster arrived late and did not deserve to be bailed out. Otherwise United struggled and probably didn't deserve a point. It's hard not to think of Chelsea as the favorites after this weekend.
Arsenal have missed their opportunites against other top flight competition, but no one plays more beautiful, flowing football in England than the Gunners. Their attacking display in a 6-2 victory over Blackburn was pure joy. Despite twice stunningly falling behind, Arsenal kept their nerve and kept pressing forward. The end result was a celebration of football to commerate Arsène Wenger becoming Arsenal's longest serving manager. As a neutral, it's hard not to admire Arsenal, once known for playing some of the ugliest football in England, but now created in Wenger's image as just the opposite.
As ARF mentioned, Man City and Villa drew Monday, a just outcome given the even nature of the contest. Villa are a solid side, but it's hard to imagine them legitimately threatening for the top four. I wouldn't say the same about City. Tottenham drew at Bolton, and sit third for the moment, but both City (even on points) and Arsenal (one behind) have a game in hand on Spurs. Portsmouth managed to win, though ARF's Championship diagnosis is surely correct. At least they've paid their wages now, and Saudi oil money is on the way. Hull also managed to win. Those two sides won't win on the same weekend very often. Burnley defeated Birmingham in a contest of newly promoted sides, and the Clarets are still perfect at home with four wins and sit in the top half of the table. Of course Hull started off hot last season and barely stayed up, so nothing is guaranteed.
Key matches two weeks from now: Villa hosts Chelsea on ESPN2 (at 7:45 ET, so set the DVR if you plan on sleeping in), while Liverpool must travel to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland. Darren Bent against Jamie Carragher should be enough to give Liverpool fans nightmares for the next two weeks.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Wigan Shocks Chelsea
By far the most notable EPL outcome of the week was Wigan's stunning 3-1 victory over Chelsea. Wigan were greatly helped by the penalty/red card combination that came from Cech bringing down Hugo Rodallega in the box. I still think this decision is far too harsh. The red card rule of the last defender bringing down an attacker is largely just, and certainly so if the foul is deliberate. However, the goalkeeper is hardly ever trying to bring the player down deliberately; it's usually a matter of the keeper going to ground to attempt to win the ball and/or trying to block a possible shot. When the goalkeeper brings down the player unintentionally, giving a red card and a man advantage for the rest of the match, as well as a penalty that is likely to be converted into a goal, is just way too harsh a price for a mistimed challenge.
Still, Carlo Ancelotti had no complaints after the match, saying he thought the result was correct and he did not know why the team did not play well. Chelsea is the last team in the Premier League to taste defeat, though their perfection had to end sometime. Manchester United now find themselves at the top of the table, thanks to a one score advantage in goal difference. United survived a "tricky" (quoting every single analyst before the match) fixture at Stoke that United saw the better of. Stoke created very little, but United failed to finish until the addition of Ryan Giggs for Nani. Nani did have one very good strike on goal, but otherwise hopes for a "breakout" year have gone wanting so far. Giggs, meanwhile, assisted on both United goals, leaving Berbatov a mere tap-in and providing wonderful service on a (dubiously given) free kick headed home by John O'Shea. United continue to win matches while not totally impressing, but with victories over Arsenal, Tottenham (away), and Man City in the bank, it would be hard to find any Red Devils' fans complaining about eighteen points from seven matches.
The Fernando Torres show rolls on. Torres leads the EPL with eight goals early in the season, and nearly all of them featured delightful quality. Torres' hat trick against Hull City in a 6-1 romp featured no exceptions to this rule. El Niño is possibly in the top form he's ever been in. He scored 33 goals in all competitions in his first season in Liverpool, and if he stays healthy the whole season (a significant "if") and stays in current form, he should blow by that figure. Not all is well for Liverpool though, as botched clearances and poor defensive play leave them vulnerable against more talented sides that will make them pay the price. Daniel Agger returning from injury would help provide some valuable depth. On a positive note, Emiliano Insúa seems to have established himself at left back with solid play and useful distribution going forward and within the attack. Liverpool also have ownership news this week, with Prince Faisal bin Fahad bin Abdullah Al Saud (hope that doesn't have to fit on a jersey) expressing his desire to purchase a 50% stake in the club. Despite the 350 million pound figure being thrown about, owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are both playing down expectations about that money being invested in the club. Also they don't have the best relationship, you may have heard. Who knows what's really going on there.
Fulham showed improved form against Arsenal, but still lost 1-0 thanks to Robin van Persie and the heroics of third-string Arsenal keeper Vito Mannone, who made several spectacular saves. It wasn't the brightest performance for Arsenal, but they showed some needed grit that they didn't display in losses to the Manchester clubs. Still, given City's early season form, Arsenal is going to need every point they can get in order to qualify for the Champions League next year. City themselves defeated West Ham 3-1, and were mostly impressive, dominating long stretches of play.
Also notable this weekend was the performance of Robbie Keane in Tottenham's 5-0 thrashing of Burnley. Keane's had four of the goals, and had a wonderful opportunity for a fifth. It's hard not to be skeptical of Tottenham's chances to stay in the midst of the Big Four and Man City in the table. But with Keane, Defoe and Crouch (who scored a Carling Cup hat trick midweek) on the bench, Tottenham have a potent strike force as well as a very capable midfield, particularly when Modrić is healthy.
This upcoming weekend features struggling West Ham hosting struggling Fulham in a surprise relegation battle (for now, anyway). On Monday, Villa look to shrug off a disappointing loss to Blackburn by hosting Manchester City. And by far the biggest clash of the weekend will be Sunday at Stamford Bridge, with Liverpool traveling to face Chelsea. It's too early to eliminate a team like Liverpool from the title chase, but a loss would put them six points behind thanks to their early season losses. Meanwhile Chelsea have feasted on a fairly light schedule to this point, and will be looking to pick up some points against other top competition for the title.
Until then, football all week! The USA-Cameroon U-20 World Cup match is in progress, and the sides will likely be scoreless heading to the break in a mostly uneventful half (edit: USA 1-0! Bryan Arquez pounds home from short distance after a scrum on a free kick). And Champions League matches are today and tomorrow, with Rubin Kazan and Inter currently locked up at 1 at the half. The day's other matches will get going in an hour or so.
Still, Carlo Ancelotti had no complaints after the match, saying he thought the result was correct and he did not know why the team did not play well. Chelsea is the last team in the Premier League to taste defeat, though their perfection had to end sometime. Manchester United now find themselves at the top of the table, thanks to a one score advantage in goal difference. United survived a "tricky" (quoting every single analyst before the match) fixture at Stoke that United saw the better of. Stoke created very little, but United failed to finish until the addition of Ryan Giggs for Nani. Nani did have one very good strike on goal, but otherwise hopes for a "breakout" year have gone wanting so far. Giggs, meanwhile, assisted on both United goals, leaving Berbatov a mere tap-in and providing wonderful service on a (dubiously given) free kick headed home by John O'Shea. United continue to win matches while not totally impressing, but with victories over Arsenal, Tottenham (away), and Man City in the bank, it would be hard to find any Red Devils' fans complaining about eighteen points from seven matches.
The Fernando Torres show rolls on. Torres leads the EPL with eight goals early in the season, and nearly all of them featured delightful quality. Torres' hat trick against Hull City in a 6-1 romp featured no exceptions to this rule. El Niño is possibly in the top form he's ever been in. He scored 33 goals in all competitions in his first season in Liverpool, and if he stays healthy the whole season (a significant "if") and stays in current form, he should blow by that figure. Not all is well for Liverpool though, as botched clearances and poor defensive play leave them vulnerable against more talented sides that will make them pay the price. Daniel Agger returning from injury would help provide some valuable depth. On a positive note, Emiliano Insúa seems to have established himself at left back with solid play and useful distribution going forward and within the attack. Liverpool also have ownership news this week, with Prince Faisal bin Fahad bin Abdullah Al Saud (hope that doesn't have to fit on a jersey) expressing his desire to purchase a 50% stake in the club. Despite the 350 million pound figure being thrown about, owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are both playing down expectations about that money being invested in the club. Also they don't have the best relationship, you may have heard. Who knows what's really going on there.
Fulham showed improved form against Arsenal, but still lost 1-0 thanks to Robin van Persie and the heroics of third-string Arsenal keeper Vito Mannone, who made several spectacular saves. It wasn't the brightest performance for Arsenal, but they showed some needed grit that they didn't display in losses to the Manchester clubs. Still, given City's early season form, Arsenal is going to need every point they can get in order to qualify for the Champions League next year. City themselves defeated West Ham 3-1, and were mostly impressive, dominating long stretches of play.
Also notable this weekend was the performance of Robbie Keane in Tottenham's 5-0 thrashing of Burnley. Keane's had four of the goals, and had a wonderful opportunity for a fifth. It's hard not to be skeptical of Tottenham's chances to stay in the midst of the Big Four and Man City in the table. But with Keane, Defoe and Crouch (who scored a Carling Cup hat trick midweek) on the bench, Tottenham have a potent strike force as well as a very capable midfield, particularly when Modrić is healthy.
This upcoming weekend features struggling West Ham hosting struggling Fulham in a surprise relegation battle (for now, anyway). On Monday, Villa look to shrug off a disappointing loss to Blackburn by hosting Manchester City. And by far the biggest clash of the weekend will be Sunday at Stamford Bridge, with Liverpool traveling to face Chelsea. It's too early to eliminate a team like Liverpool from the title chase, but a loss would put them six points behind thanks to their early season losses. Meanwhile Chelsea have feasted on a fairly light schedule to this point, and will be looking to pick up some points against other top competition for the title.
Until then, football all week! The USA-Cameroon U-20 World Cup match is in progress, and the sides will likely be scoreless heading to the break in a mostly uneventful half (edit: USA 1-0! Bryan Arquez pounds home from short distance after a scrum on a free kick). And Champions League matches are today and tomorrow, with Rubin Kazan and Inter currently locked up at 1 at the half. The day's other matches will get going in an hour or so.
Thursday, September 3, 2009
Chelsea Transfer Ban
In a stunning ruling today that puts Roman Abramovich's modus operandi in jeopardy, FIFA has banned Chelsea from registering any new players for the next two transfer windows. This is the result of being found guilty of inducing French teenager Gael Kakuta to break his contract with Lens in 2007. Though Chelsea seems like they found their machine-like efficiency again this season, this is a big blow because they are a veteran team short of youth. Furthermore, the 2010 summer transfer window expects to be a very busy one as is typically the case after the World Cup and new players have announced themselves on that biggest of stages. Chelsea will certainly appeal the decision and look to have it shortened. There is precedence for that at Chelsea, when a year long transfer ban in 2005 after signing Philippe Mexes from Auxerre was shortened to a single transfer window after appeal. Maybe this time an appeal won't be as successful because Chelsea are now repeat offenders. So much for their interest in Ribery.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
And the Pendulum Swings: La Liga Rules the World - Again
Oh, it's time for this one. I've been anxiously anticipating writing this post. Make sure you've got some time for the cathartic unloading of resentment I'm about to drop on the Premiership-ophiles out there. La Liga starts this weekend, and what better time to tell you why it's the best league in the world than before any games have been played?
After three years of hearing EPL fans announce their supremacy to the four corners of the world, hitching their arguments to three consecutive years with three of four Champions League semifinalists, finally, at long last, La Liga has returned to its rightful place in world football - the pinnacle, the apex, the zenith. The past three years have seen me grasping at straws defending la Liga. Barcelona's undeniable class and a superior middle class of teams were my calling card in these debates. Sevilla's consecutive Europa Cups, and parity among quality sides like Villarreal, Valencia, and Atletico Madrid were needed to mask a poor Real Madrid side who had underperformed dramatically in Europe while contending in Spain. Throw in quality sides like the Euro-Getafe that gave the mighty Bayern Munich all they could handle in the Europa Cup, and Espanyol who lost a Europa Cup final to Sevilla, and I was always willing to go to bat for la Liga as a better all around league.
Not to mention the drastic fall-off of EPL sides beyond the Big Four, with talent-starved teams like Everton, Aston Villa, or Tottenham occupying spots five through seven. Where's their David Villas, Luis Fabianos, or Kun Agueros? That's right - they don't have them. And then, of course, there was my trump card - style, technique, grace, or tiqui-taka as the Spanish call it. Even the worst Liga team attacked, triangulated a path towards goal, and played attractive champagne football. Turn on a Mallorca v. Racing Santander I'd say, and tell me you don't have fun. Then watch Wigan v. Stoke, and wake me up when I fall asleep after the 47th long ball upfield.
But, at the end of the day, Europe was always the final arbiter of quality. Despite Barcelona's historic rise, the truth was that Real Madrid has struggled mightily in recent years, and managed to win la Liga with little more than testicular fortitude, Higuain, Casillas, and Robben. So what's changed, you ask? Shouldn't I wait to write this in May, once Champions League has shaken out? Of course not. That'd be silly, and it would deny me the chance to write another post then about how right I am now. Plus, the EPL's own players have seen the writing on the wall this summer. Torres still thinks the EPL is better, but Ferdinand concedes la Liga is better.
There is no debate that the EPL and la Liga are vying for the top spot in world football leagues. Italy is still rebuilding after the match-fixing scandals, and their economic woes. Germany may or may not jump over their southern competitors, but lack the number of quality sides to compete with England or Spain. So how do I know la Liga is better than the EPL? Easy.
1) Better football. The foundation of la Liga is attacking, champagne football. Fun to watch and highly technical, these tenets of the league as a whole have bolstered la Liga in the past few lean years. This mentality remains, and will remain. Less direct and aggressive than its English counterpart, the only thing it envies the EPL is sheer velocity, a product of the EPL's direct style. The Spanish prefer to "controlar los tiempos" that is to "control the time" or manage the pace and rhythm of the game. I prefer it too.
2) La Liga kept its stars. World class players such as Kun Aguero, Diego Forlan, David Villa, David Silva, Cazorla, Luis Fabiano, and Frederic Kanoute all stayed on Spanish shores. Arguably Samuel Eto'o was the only world class player to leave la Liga this year - and he went to Italy. So Valencia, Atletico Madrid, and Sevilla will all build on their past successes with largely identical teams composed of elite talent. Villarreal - well they never had stars, but always achieved well above their lot in life, and I expect that to continue. And Barcelona - well, last I checked Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, and Dani Alves still play for the blaugrana. La Liga's only top losses were Eto'o and Robben. Otherwise, stability reigned in Spain's export market this summer.
3) An influx of stars and quality. Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema, Xabi Alonso, and Ibrahimovic were the biggest names of the summer. In Ronaldo the EPL saw its brightest light find his way to Spain. Brazilian star Nilmar joined Villarreal. A series of lesser-known EPL players found their way to Spain as well: Jermaine Pennant, Alvaro Arbeloa, and Didier Zokora. Throw in some transfers whose footballing may be overshadowed by their goegraphical marketing reach, such as Nakamura, Manucho, and Boateng, and la Liga's visibility is on the rise too. Jozy Altidore is the only significant loss in this respect, but he'll be back at Villarreal soon enough. The EPL meanwhile, has largely cannibalized itself. Manchester City's big signings all came from the EPL. Manchester United signed Valencia from Wigan and Owen on a free transfer. Arsenal signed no one of great consequence. The fact is, in a list of the top ten players in the world - most are in la Liga. Ronaldo, Messi, Kaka, Ibrahimovic, Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas, Villa, and Aguero. The EPL has Rooney, Gerrard, Drogba, Cesc, Ferdinand, Torres and Lampard. Ribery looks set for Spanish sun next summer, as does Cesc. But we need not go that far - even now, la Liga's burgeoning superiority is apparent.
Don't get me wrong - the game's still played on the field. And la Liga has to prove its superiority there. But when la Liga was a cut below, I liked to remind the EPLites surrounding me that these things tend to be cyclical (something I'll promptly forget when four Spanish teams make the Champions League semis). It seems that the pendulum is swinging back towards the Mediterranean, and a chapter is closing on the EPL. The Big Four will compete in Europe, no doubt. But with la Liga looking to field Barcelona and Real Madrid, plus Sevilla, Atletico, Valencia, and Villarreal la Liga looks to have the best elite teams, the best upper middle class, and the best players. What more do you want? Real Madrid lifting their tenth European Cup in the Bernabeu over a weeping Puyol? Just wait for it. Valencia winning the inaugural Europa Cup. No prob. The EPL can have the marketing titles, Spain will settle for the footballing ones. And believe me when I tell you the European silverware is postmarked for somewhere in Spain this year. I'll leave those ridiculous arguments about the middle class and cycles to the EPL. Loser talk if you ask me.
After three years of hearing EPL fans announce their supremacy to the four corners of the world, hitching their arguments to three consecutive years with three of four Champions League semifinalists, finally, at long last, La Liga has returned to its rightful place in world football - the pinnacle, the apex, the zenith. The past three years have seen me grasping at straws defending la Liga. Barcelona's undeniable class and a superior middle class of teams were my calling card in these debates. Sevilla's consecutive Europa Cups, and parity among quality sides like Villarreal, Valencia, and Atletico Madrid were needed to mask a poor Real Madrid side who had underperformed dramatically in Europe while contending in Spain. Throw in quality sides like the Euro-Getafe that gave the mighty Bayern Munich all they could handle in the Europa Cup, and Espanyol who lost a Europa Cup final to Sevilla, and I was always willing to go to bat for la Liga as a better all around league.
Not to mention the drastic fall-off of EPL sides beyond the Big Four, with talent-starved teams like Everton, Aston Villa, or Tottenham occupying spots five through seven. Where's their David Villas, Luis Fabianos, or Kun Agueros? That's right - they don't have them. And then, of course, there was my trump card - style, technique, grace, or tiqui-taka as the Spanish call it. Even the worst Liga team attacked, triangulated a path towards goal, and played attractive champagne football. Turn on a Mallorca v. Racing Santander I'd say, and tell me you don't have fun. Then watch Wigan v. Stoke, and wake me up when I fall asleep after the 47th long ball upfield.
But, at the end of the day, Europe was always the final arbiter of quality. Despite Barcelona's historic rise, the truth was that Real Madrid has struggled mightily in recent years, and managed to win la Liga with little more than testicular fortitude, Higuain, Casillas, and Robben. So what's changed, you ask? Shouldn't I wait to write this in May, once Champions League has shaken out? Of course not. That'd be silly, and it would deny me the chance to write another post then about how right I am now. Plus, the EPL's own players have seen the writing on the wall this summer. Torres still thinks the EPL is better, but Ferdinand concedes la Liga is better.
There is no debate that the EPL and la Liga are vying for the top spot in world football leagues. Italy is still rebuilding after the match-fixing scandals, and their economic woes. Germany may or may not jump over their southern competitors, but lack the number of quality sides to compete with England or Spain. So how do I know la Liga is better than the EPL? Easy.
1) Better football. The foundation of la Liga is attacking, champagne football. Fun to watch and highly technical, these tenets of the league as a whole have bolstered la Liga in the past few lean years. This mentality remains, and will remain. Less direct and aggressive than its English counterpart, the only thing it envies the EPL is sheer velocity, a product of the EPL's direct style. The Spanish prefer to "controlar los tiempos" that is to "control the time" or manage the pace and rhythm of the game. I prefer it too.
2) La Liga kept its stars. World class players such as Kun Aguero, Diego Forlan, David Villa, David Silva, Cazorla, Luis Fabiano, and Frederic Kanoute all stayed on Spanish shores. Arguably Samuel Eto'o was the only world class player to leave la Liga this year - and he went to Italy. So Valencia, Atletico Madrid, and Sevilla will all build on their past successes with largely identical teams composed of elite talent. Villarreal - well they never had stars, but always achieved well above their lot in life, and I expect that to continue. And Barcelona - well, last I checked Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Henry, and Dani Alves still play for the blaugrana. La Liga's only top losses were Eto'o and Robben. Otherwise, stability reigned in Spain's export market this summer.
3) An influx of stars and quality. Cristiano Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema, Xabi Alonso, and Ibrahimovic were the biggest names of the summer. In Ronaldo the EPL saw its brightest light find his way to Spain. Brazilian star Nilmar joined Villarreal. A series of lesser-known EPL players found their way to Spain as well: Jermaine Pennant, Alvaro Arbeloa, and Didier Zokora. Throw in some transfers whose footballing may be overshadowed by their goegraphical marketing reach, such as Nakamura, Manucho, and Boateng, and la Liga's visibility is on the rise too. Jozy Altidore is the only significant loss in this respect, but he'll be back at Villarreal soon enough. The EPL meanwhile, has largely cannibalized itself. Manchester City's big signings all came from the EPL. Manchester United signed Valencia from Wigan and Owen on a free transfer. Arsenal signed no one of great consequence. The fact is, in a list of the top ten players in the world - most are in la Liga. Ronaldo, Messi, Kaka, Ibrahimovic, Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas, Villa, and Aguero. The EPL has Rooney, Gerrard, Drogba, Cesc, Ferdinand, Torres and Lampard. Ribery looks set for Spanish sun next summer, as does Cesc. But we need not go that far - even now, la Liga's burgeoning superiority is apparent.
Don't get me wrong - the game's still played on the field. And la Liga has to prove its superiority there. But when la Liga was a cut below, I liked to remind the EPLites surrounding me that these things tend to be cyclical (something I'll promptly forget when four Spanish teams make the Champions League semis). It seems that the pendulum is swinging back towards the Mediterranean, and a chapter is closing on the EPL. The Big Four will compete in Europe, no doubt. But with la Liga looking to field Barcelona and Real Madrid, plus Sevilla, Atletico, Valencia, and Villarreal la Liga looks to have the best elite teams, the best upper middle class, and the best players. What more do you want? Real Madrid lifting their tenth European Cup in the Bernabeu over a weeping Puyol? Just wait for it. Valencia winning the inaugural Europa Cup. No prob. The EPL can have the marketing titles, Spain will settle for the footballing ones. And believe me when I tell you the European silverware is postmarked for somewhere in Spain this year. I'll leave those ridiculous arguments about the middle class and cycles to the EPL. Loser talk if you ask me.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Wednesday Rebounds
So yesterday in my Toe Pokes I apparently jinxed Sunderland by noting they were at the time leading Chelsea, but needed to do better than the 8 goals allowed against the Blues in the 2008-09 season if they were to hold on. Of course the Black Cats capitulated and allowed three goals for 3-1 loss. If there's a bright spot for Sunderland, it's that Darren Bent, who I think is extremely overrated, is starting strong with goals in their opening two games.
Here are highlights before they get snatched from YouTube.
On the other hand, Wolverhampton Wanderers ended up holding on to their 1-0 lead to get their first win of the season against Wigan.
DC United suffered another setback, losing 3-1 to Marathon in San Pedro Sula. DC United was actually the better team on the night, dominating probably 70% of the game. Unfortunately for DC, the other 30% involved Greg Janicki. I noted before that this season he's shown why he was just a USL-2 player prior to his loan to DC. Well let's just say that Janicki is an unmitigated debacle in the back. I'm pretty sure that he couldn't play for either of my men's teams, one of which has players who had never played soccer before. I won't post highlights because it's not even worth watching Janicki being specifically, 100% responsible for all three goals.
On the more humorous side, if you watched the game, you were treated to the San Pedro Sula p.a. and the Fox Soccer Channel broadcast team. As Washington Post reporter Steven Goff put it, it sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher found a new job. I think they just outsourced the job to the DC Metro. As for Christian Miles and the FSC boys, well, they simply need to do better as professionals. I kept thinking during the game about how awful and plain wrong they constantly were, and you should never get caught up in the broadcasters when watching the game. At times it's humorous to listen to someone so bad, but I guess there's not much that can be done. Oh well.
Today brings some more action, including CONCACAF and UEFA Champions Leagues. In CONCACAF, Houston takes on Metapan of El Salvador. In UEFA the games of note are Lyon against Anderecht and Panathinaikos against Atletico Madrid. Read up on HalaMadrid's informative take on the new Champions League qualifying rules.
Here are highlights before they get snatched from YouTube.
On the other hand, Wolverhampton Wanderers ended up holding on to their 1-0 lead to get their first win of the season against Wigan.
DC United suffered another setback, losing 3-1 to Marathon in San Pedro Sula. DC United was actually the better team on the night, dominating probably 70% of the game. Unfortunately for DC, the other 30% involved Greg Janicki. I noted before that this season he's shown why he was just a USL-2 player prior to his loan to DC. Well let's just say that Janicki is an unmitigated debacle in the back. I'm pretty sure that he couldn't play for either of my men's teams, one of which has players who had never played soccer before. I won't post highlights because it's not even worth watching Janicki being specifically, 100% responsible for all three goals.
On the more humorous side, if you watched the game, you were treated to the San Pedro Sula p.a. and the Fox Soccer Channel broadcast team. As Washington Post reporter Steven Goff put it, it sounded like Charlie Brown's teacher found a new job. I think they just outsourced the job to the DC Metro. As for Christian Miles and the FSC boys, well, they simply need to do better as professionals. I kept thinking during the game about how awful and plain wrong they constantly were, and you should never get caught up in the broadcasters when watching the game. At times it's humorous to listen to someone so bad, but I guess there's not much that can be done. Oh well.
Today brings some more action, including CONCACAF and UEFA Champions Leagues. In CONCACAF, Houston takes on Metapan of El Salvador. In UEFA the games of note are Lyon against Anderecht and Panathinaikos against Atletico Madrid. Read up on HalaMadrid's informative take on the new Champions League qualifying rules.
MLS and EPL also have some games to play today. Chicago facing a David Beckham-less LA Galaxy thanks to his red card over the weekend. LA has the potential to have a very strong offense, with a young and promising defense that still leaks goals, but they're still positioned well to make the postseason, while Chicago is strong but uninspiring, as always.
In England, Liverpool needs to pick up three points at Stoke or else their EPL championship bid will end before it really begins. Tottenham has a great chance of getting out to a solid early start with a second win against shorthanded Hull City. Portsmouth and Birmingham face off in what many would predict is going to be an important relegation match when all is said and done. Man U also faces newly promoted Burnley (as of this writing Burnley is leading 1-0, will they suffer the same fate as Sunderland after I wrote about their lead yesterday?).
And finally, after the off season drama and the horrible showing against Arsenal, David Moyes has shaken things up by dropping Joleon Lescott for a poor attitude. Could this be a prelude to an exit to Manchester??
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
News and Notes for Today
Those Man City pirates are shifting the focus of their ongoing EPL raid to shoring up the back line. After getting Kolo Toure the Blues are now closer to getting Joleon Lescott after he told Everton he wants to make the short move northeast to Manchester. This would be a huge blow to Everton, which has built a nice workman-like team based on solid defense and superb goalkeeping. On the other hand, they'll still be able to fight with Arsenal for their place on the EPL table, only it will be a fight for fifth place rather than fourth place (and the Champions League windfall that brings).
And in a boost in the upcoming fight for fifth, Everton have lined up Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos as Lescott's replacement, though the move may stall over his transfer fee. If the move goes through, it will allow Arsene Wenger to finally reveal his ultimate attempt at beautiful attacking football, his new 2-5-3 formation (which of course will fight for the honor of most misguided formation with Man City's 4-2-4 or whatever they're going to deploy). The Lescott move may also relieve Chelsea with the hope that Man City will back off from their desire to sign John Terry. But don't bet on it.
In case Man City don't get their man, the plan B is either Philippe Mexes from Roma or Alex from Chelsea. Pretty good plan Bs if you ask me.
Across Manchester, the Red Devils learned that Edwin van der Sar will be out two months after having surgery on his broken finger. Not exactly the best way to start the season. Fortunately for Man U no one has come after Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic's move to Barcelona is still a year or two in the making, leaving the best center back pairing in the world in tact.
Andrea Pirlo is not for sale. I would venture that's a good thing for Chelsea. He wouldn't be a good fit in their midfield. AC Milan meanwhile will supposedly try to find another striker. I would think that Real Madrid has somebody in the clearance aisle of their footballer warehouse that would be more than serviceable.
For more gossipy and less reliable news, let's check out The Sun! One report has AC Milan tabling a £31 million offer for Cesc Fabregas, while another indicates that Bayern Munich is squashing rumors of a loan move for Luca Toni at West Ham. The Hammers meanwhile are hoping to resolve the transfer of Eidur Gudjohnsen. You may have forgotten that he was once an effective EPL player before being lost among the superstars at Barca.
Oh and I couldn't forget about Jozy! Altidore, as confirmed by Villareal, is in England finalizing a loan move to an unnamed EPL club. Will it be Everton, Fulhamerica, or Hull City? Hull City seem to be offering Jozy the potential for more playing time and have been gaining traction recently. So who should he go to? The potential for European play with Everton or Fulham is enticing, but playing time is most important and Hull may provide a better opportunity. I'm personally torn between Fulham and Hull. If he could get his way onto the field at Fulham, it would be a great team to play for and other US strikers have done well at Fulham (McBride, Dempsey). The only striker I know at Hull is ex-Ranger Daniel Cousin, so I'd be optimistic that Altidore can find playing time there, which ultimately is what's best for his development.
UPDATE: Jozy apparently loves the twitter. First he "tweeted" that he was in England for this unspecified loan move. Now he's tweeted again, confirming that he will be with Hull to face Chelsea when the season starts on August 15. I have to say I'm happy about this development.
Finally, Shaq has challenged David Beckham to a game of one-on-one, saying that while Kobe could score on him, Beckham could not.
And in a boost in the upcoming fight for fifth, Everton have lined up Arsenal defender Philippe Senderos as Lescott's replacement, though the move may stall over his transfer fee. If the move goes through, it will allow Arsene Wenger to finally reveal his ultimate attempt at beautiful attacking football, his new 2-5-3 formation (which of course will fight for the honor of most misguided formation with Man City's 4-2-4 or whatever they're going to deploy). The Lescott move may also relieve Chelsea with the hope that Man City will back off from their desire to sign John Terry. But don't bet on it.
In case Man City don't get their man, the plan B is either Philippe Mexes from Roma or Alex from Chelsea. Pretty good plan Bs if you ask me.
Across Manchester, the Red Devils learned that Edwin van der Sar will be out two months after having surgery on his broken finger. Not exactly the best way to start the season. Fortunately for Man U no one has come after Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic's move to Barcelona is still a year or two in the making, leaving the best center back pairing in the world in tact.
Andrea Pirlo is not for sale. I would venture that's a good thing for Chelsea. He wouldn't be a good fit in their midfield. AC Milan meanwhile will supposedly try to find another striker. I would think that Real Madrid has somebody in the clearance aisle of their footballer warehouse that would be more than serviceable.
For more gossipy and less reliable news, let's check out The Sun! One report has AC Milan tabling a £31 million offer for Cesc Fabregas, while another indicates that Bayern Munich is squashing rumors of a loan move for Luca Toni at West Ham. The Hammers meanwhile are hoping to resolve the transfer of Eidur Gudjohnsen. You may have forgotten that he was once an effective EPL player before being lost among the superstars at Barca.
Oh and I couldn't forget about Jozy! Altidore, as confirmed by Villareal, is in England finalizing a loan move to an unnamed EPL club. Will it be Everton, Fulhamerica, or Hull City? Hull City seem to be offering Jozy the potential for more playing time and have been gaining traction recently. So who should he go to? The potential for European play with Everton or Fulham is enticing, but playing time is most important and Hull may provide a better opportunity. I'm personally torn between Fulham and Hull. If he could get his way onto the field at Fulham, it would be a great team to play for and other US strikers have done well at Fulham (McBride, Dempsey). The only striker I know at Hull is ex-Ranger Daniel Cousin, so I'd be optimistic that Altidore can find playing time there, which ultimately is what's best for his development.
UPDATE: Jozy apparently loves the twitter. First he "tweeted" that he was in England for this unspecified loan move. Now he's tweeted again, confirming that he will be with Hull to face Chelsea when the season starts on August 15. I have to say I'm happy about this development.
Finally, Shaq has challenged David Beckham to a game of one-on-one, saying that while Kobe could score on him, Beckham could not.
The Latest Items of Interest
Rumor has it AC Milan will look to reinvest part of Kaka's signing fee in Arsenal man Cesc Fabregas. Would Arsene do it? Could Arsenal survive if they did?
Wenger appears to be having a much easier time of selling than buying. Chamakh is still in the air, and Arsenal's 5.5 million pound bid for Sevilla centerback Federico Fazio has been nixed by the player himself.
After only one victory in five preseason games, Rafa Benitez is worried about his Liverpool side. How Rafa could be surprised is the real question. Liverpool's let go of five players so far (Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso, Sami Hyypia, Sebastian Leto, Jermaine Pennant) and signed one - Glen Johnson. Even if all the players dropped weren't in the starting eleven, Rafa's gotten much thinner since the summer began, and I don't mean the man himself (though he too could do with some calorie counting by the looks of it).
The Guardian continues to preview the EPL team-by-team, in alphabetical order. Up for today: Chelsea. Go here, about mid-page and find the other previews published so far.
The pay scale at Barcelona looks much the way you'd expect it to look. After his new contract is signed, Messi will be the best paid player, directly above two men who used to be the best paid players at their respective clubs - Henry and Ibrahimovic. Then follow Alves and the players who brought the Euro 2008 back to Spain (Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, and Co.). Finally, Bojan and Pique, the youth system's rising stars are cut above the last income bracket, the youth system's latest call ups.
Barcelona continues to market itself aggressively on their tour for United States domination. They're looking into Eva Longoria (Tony Parker and Thierry Henry are close friends) as a possible representative for the club in the U.S. Mia Hamm may also serve as an ambassador of some kind to the women's soccer movement. Finally, there's been quite a bit of talk of Barca's negotiations with Microsoft for a sponsorship deal. Of course, because Barca is "mes que un club" they're interested in collaborating with Bill Gate's charitable foundations. Cute.
Lovable losers Atletico de Madrid are winning somewhere, if not on the pitch. We've covered their always spectacular marketing campaigns within Spain on FutbolNation, but now there's further proof of Atletico's growing popularity (there are more masochists in this world than I thought). Since 2000 Atletico's fan clubs (penas) have increased by 145 clubs, bringing their total to 671 clubs, 26 located abroad. Since becoming an S.A.D. (Anonymous Sporting Society - a type of corporate entity like LLPs) in the 1991-92 season, the number of "abonados" (Atletico Madrid dues-paying club members) has increased from 13,571 to 48,371. While Atletico's surge in popularity can be attributed to their recent return to European play, the development of Aguero and Forlan up top, and their export of wunderkind Torres to Liverpool, at the end of the day this is a club that hasn't won a title in thirteen years. Not too shabby. Those ad campaigns are really paying off.
Speaking of marketing, this little interactive feature Marca put together about Cristiano Ronaldo is something ESPN or FoxSports could look into (hint: click on the red arrow on CR9's chest to access). Have you noticed ESPN's football coverage trying to make football look like a prepared play sport (ala NFL) by the somewhat ridiculous use of arrows and player shifting? I suppose it's not necessarily a bad thing, but if they're really trying to market the sport, wouldn't interactive features of this type really appeal to casual fans? Slick, informative, fun to watch - it adds a bit more to the discussion of why CR9 was so expensive, don't you think? Now imagine that ESPN puts one of these together for the top 50 players in the world and embeds it within a preview for a team's season. I know, I know, that'd be too crazy.
Wenger appears to be having a much easier time of selling than buying. Chamakh is still in the air, and Arsenal's 5.5 million pound bid for Sevilla centerback Federico Fazio has been nixed by the player himself.
After only one victory in five preseason games, Rafa Benitez is worried about his Liverpool side. How Rafa could be surprised is the real question. Liverpool's let go of five players so far (Arbeloa, Xabi Alonso, Sami Hyypia, Sebastian Leto, Jermaine Pennant) and signed one - Glen Johnson. Even if all the players dropped weren't in the starting eleven, Rafa's gotten much thinner since the summer began, and I don't mean the man himself (though he too could do with some calorie counting by the looks of it).
The Guardian continues to preview the EPL team-by-team, in alphabetical order. Up for today: Chelsea. Go here, about mid-page and find the other previews published so far.
The pay scale at Barcelona looks much the way you'd expect it to look. After his new contract is signed, Messi will be the best paid player, directly above two men who used to be the best paid players at their respective clubs - Henry and Ibrahimovic. Then follow Alves and the players who brought the Euro 2008 back to Spain (Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, and Co.). Finally, Bojan and Pique, the youth system's rising stars are cut above the last income bracket, the youth system's latest call ups.
Barcelona continues to market itself aggressively on their tour for United States domination. They're looking into Eva Longoria (Tony Parker and Thierry Henry are close friends) as a possible representative for the club in the U.S. Mia Hamm may also serve as an ambassador of some kind to the women's soccer movement. Finally, there's been quite a bit of talk of Barca's negotiations with Microsoft for a sponsorship deal. Of course, because Barca is "mes que un club" they're interested in collaborating with Bill Gate's charitable foundations. Cute.
Lovable losers Atletico de Madrid are winning somewhere, if not on the pitch. We've covered their always spectacular marketing campaigns within Spain on FutbolNation, but now there's further proof of Atletico's growing popularity (there are more masochists in this world than I thought). Since 2000 Atletico's fan clubs (penas) have increased by 145 clubs, bringing their total to 671 clubs, 26 located abroad. Since becoming an S.A.D. (Anonymous Sporting Society - a type of corporate entity like LLPs) in the 1991-92 season, the number of "abonados" (Atletico Madrid dues-paying club members) has increased from 13,571 to 48,371. While Atletico's surge in popularity can be attributed to their recent return to European play, the development of Aguero and Forlan up top, and their export of wunderkind Torres to Liverpool, at the end of the day this is a club that hasn't won a title in thirteen years. Not too shabby. Those ad campaigns are really paying off.
Speaking of marketing, this little interactive feature Marca put together about Cristiano Ronaldo is something ESPN or FoxSports could look into (hint: click on the red arrow on CR9's chest to access). Have you noticed ESPN's football coverage trying to make football look like a prepared play sport (ala NFL) by the somewhat ridiculous use of arrows and player shifting? I suppose it's not necessarily a bad thing, but if they're really trying to market the sport, wouldn't interactive features of this type really appeal to casual fans? Slick, informative, fun to watch - it adds a bit more to the discussion of why CR9 was so expensive, don't you think? Now imagine that ESPN puts one of these together for the top 50 players in the world and embeds it within a preview for a team's season. I know, I know, that'd be too crazy.
Monday, August 3, 2009
Writing the Final Chapter on a Transfer Season
It's the first Monday in August and every team knows the window on improvement, banking, or whatever else a team desires is rapidly closing. The action will be fast and furious, especially in a summer that has seen most teams try and wait out the market because of Real Madrid's spending frenzy early on. Lots of rumors, but almost no moves yet, though we'd be expecting that to change quickly.
The news on Xabi Alonso's move to the White House is literally all over the place. Alternatively he has been signed, is very close with Real up to 30 million euros, or is moving farther away with Liverpool unwilling to move on the 40 million euro price tag. (In hilarious fashion, the link stating that Xabi might not be moving was replaced with one assuring that the English are reporting the move was complete for between 32 and 34 million euros). It appears Florentino's dream may be coming true, but one must wonder at what price.
Several sources are reporting that Chelsea has 118 million euros at is disposal and is looking to sign Aguero, Ribery, and Pirlo. Pirlo appears to be the most realistic aspiration, with Atletico directing all comers to the buyout clause on el Kun (60 million euros) and the Bayern Munich/Ribery/Real Madrid/90 million euro paradox being rather well advertised by now.
Wesley Sneijder has moved from the most likely to stay in the Bernabeu to the most likely to go. Pellegrini had wanted the Dutchman to stay, but it seems the final push for Xabi, and perhaps even a last ditch effort being prepared for Ribery have changed his mind. Not to mention the fact that Pellegrini has six surplus players to dispose of. Seriously linked with a move to Inter Milan this weekend, Sneijder is now looking at an offer from Peace Cup champions Aston Villa. Earlier this summer Chelsea and Liverpool were also suitors. There is still word that a Inter Milan loan is an option too.
Meanwhile, Chelsea look set to fight any overtures from Tottenham to sign Joe Cole. But just the interest in these moves from the likes of Tottenham and Aston Villa show that it's not just Manchester City that smells the blood in the water as Arsenal's lack of signings seem to open up that prized fourth spot.
Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh seems to have gotten the message about late summer last chances and has started doing his part to hasten a move to Arsenal. He is very unhappy with Les Girondin's attitude toward the move.
Barcelona keep pushing for Mascherano and Chygrynskiy. Liverpool's pitbull seems unlikely to move at this point, with Rafa pricing him at 50 million euros. The Shakhtar centerback's move has been complicated by his play in the Champions League qualifiers. Barcelona believe this should lower his price since he is cup-tied, while Shakhtar are sticking close to their original figure.
Gianfranco Zola, who played with Eidur Gudjohnsen at Chelsea, is seeking to sign the Icelandic striker for West Ham. The move could be completed this week, and means that Guddy is rethinking his early retirement on the Barcelona banch.
Why should the Eurpoeans have all the fun? Corinthians is interested in bringing Riquelme in to accompany fat Ronaldo (less fat now, post-liposuction). Now all they need to sign is a time machine.
FutbolNation will likely be previewing the EPL as well, but that's no reason to keep you from this well written team-by-team preview. First up: Arsenal.
The news on Xabi Alonso's move to the White House is literally all over the place. Alternatively he has been signed, is very close with Real up to 30 million euros, or is moving farther away with Liverpool unwilling to move on the 40 million euro price tag. (In hilarious fashion, the link stating that Xabi might not be moving was replaced with one assuring that the English are reporting the move was complete for between 32 and 34 million euros). It appears Florentino's dream may be coming true, but one must wonder at what price.
Several sources are reporting that Chelsea has 118 million euros at is disposal and is looking to sign Aguero, Ribery, and Pirlo. Pirlo appears to be the most realistic aspiration, with Atletico directing all comers to the buyout clause on el Kun (60 million euros) and the Bayern Munich/Ribery/Real Madrid/90 million euro paradox being rather well advertised by now.
Wesley Sneijder has moved from the most likely to stay in the Bernabeu to the most likely to go. Pellegrini had wanted the Dutchman to stay, but it seems the final push for Xabi, and perhaps even a last ditch effort being prepared for Ribery have changed his mind. Not to mention the fact that Pellegrini has six surplus players to dispose of. Seriously linked with a move to Inter Milan this weekend, Sneijder is now looking at an offer from Peace Cup champions Aston Villa. Earlier this summer Chelsea and Liverpool were also suitors. There is still word that a Inter Milan loan is an option too.
Meanwhile, Chelsea look set to fight any overtures from Tottenham to sign Joe Cole. But just the interest in these moves from the likes of Tottenham and Aston Villa show that it's not just Manchester City that smells the blood in the water as Arsenal's lack of signings seem to open up that prized fourth spot.
Moroccan striker Marouane Chamakh seems to have gotten the message about late summer last chances and has started doing his part to hasten a move to Arsenal. He is very unhappy with Les Girondin's attitude toward the move.
Barcelona keep pushing for Mascherano and Chygrynskiy. Liverpool's pitbull seems unlikely to move at this point, with Rafa pricing him at 50 million euros. The Shakhtar centerback's move has been complicated by his play in the Champions League qualifiers. Barcelona believe this should lower his price since he is cup-tied, while Shakhtar are sticking close to their original figure.
Gianfranco Zola, who played with Eidur Gudjohnsen at Chelsea, is seeking to sign the Icelandic striker for West Ham. The move could be completed this week, and means that Guddy is rethinking his early retirement on the Barcelona banch.
Why should the Eurpoeans have all the fun? Corinthians is interested in bringing Riquelme in to accompany fat Ronaldo (less fat now, post-liposuction). Now all they need to sign is a time machine.
FutbolNation will likely be previewing the EPL as well, but that's no reason to keep you from this well written team-by-team preview. First up: Arsenal.
Friday, July 3, 2009
Weekend Transfer Rumors
Sitting at work? Bored, and anticipating the Fourth of July festivities to come? Well, it looks like our friends from across the pond have some fireworks of their lined up for this weekend, and several players could be celebrating their own personal independence shortly.
Brushing those tortured metaphors aside, let's get down to business.
Sir Alex Ferguson could be the biggest mover and shaker since Michael Owen appears to be on his way to Manchester United. He could sign as early as today. At first this move seems shocking and risky. But on second thought, if all Sir Alex wants out of Owen is an effective bench striker (let's assume he gets Tevez-like minutes) then Owen may be a good fit. In addition he may allow Ferguson to buy some more time for the development of Macheda and Wellbeck.
I still question Manchester United's insistence on signing a third starting striker though. Ferguson couldn't satisfy Tevez, who was a consummate professional while he was on the team. I guess Ferguson wants to keep playing Rooney out of position - reports indicate United are looking at both Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero and Confederations Cup topscorer and Sevilla's Luis Fabiano.
The offer for Aguero is reportedly 40 million pounds, or about 46 million euros. Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo, however, appears to continue to refer interested teams to Aguero's buyout clause of 60 million euros. The offer for Fabiano is reportedly 16 million pounds, or 18 .6 million euros. This surpasses the reported bids made by AC Milan for the Brazilian striker. Let me just remark that while the age difference between the two strikers is notable (21 v. 28), the price gap seems a bit shocking. Fabiano has proven himself repeatedly with Sevilla, in both Spanish competitions and UEFA competitions, as well as with Brazil. Meanwhile, Aguero has played one season in Champions League, and is fast becoming best known for creating five scoring opportunities a game, and capitalizing on (maybe) one. It seems to me, Fabiano may be a bit undervalued and Aguero a bit overvalued.
That said, reports are that Atletico would like to sign Pirlo from Milan. Milan recently declared him transferable. Because of their financial circumstances, Atletico is going to need cash - but will it be Aguero-produced cash?
But let's stay in Manchester, but now with City. City is proving cachet and history and a Champions League berth are worth more than money and ambition to most top players. With Eto'o's signing in the ether, Chelsea recently disclosed that they rejected a 30 million pound bid for John Terry.
Sticking with the EPL and continuing our discussion of overrated strikers, Arsene Wenger has admitted that if Adebayor were to leave, despite his own desire that the Togo striker stay at Emirates, he was been eyeing Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh as a replacement. In the same article Wenger stated that he did not make an approach for Benzema because he never thought Lyon would sell him this year.
However, if Adebayor doesn't move to AC Milan, the Italian powerhouse are looking at Luis Fabiano, Huntelaar, and even Peter Crouch to make a move to the San Siro.
Meanwhile, Barcelona begin to make serious moves in the transfer market. Reports from England assure that Barca will make a serious bid for their own youth product and current Arsenal man Cesc Fabregas. Barca also remains infatuated with Liverpool's Argentine bulldog, Mascherano.
Barca's pursuit of David Villa also shifts into high gear, despite Valencia president Manueal Llorente's repeated assurances that there is no offer on the table for the striker, and he will not sell. Undeterred, earlier this week Barcelona Football Director Txiki Begiristain reportedly met with Villa in Asturias and reached an agreement with the player. Today, reports indicate that Barcelona has indeed made a formal offer for the striker. The offer? 40 million euros plus loaning expected Barcelona signing Keirrison and Uruguayan centerback Martin Caceres.
A brief aside, if I may. Valencia is in serious financial straits as a result of terrible management. Their players went without pay briefly this year. Construction on the team's new stadium, the "new Mestalla" has been halted. Sadly, it does not appear that the new management is much of an improvement. Llorente had reached an agreement with Real Madrid for Villa, which Llorente broke. Presumably, the interest from Chelsea, Manchester United, and Barcelona led Llorente to believe he could drive the price of Villa up substantially. Villa proceeded to state that he would not play outside of Spain. Real Madrid signed Benzema, a younger striker, for considerably cheaper than Villa. Llorente is now left with one suitor - Barcelona. If you ask me, Barcelona is offering an enormous amount considering that everyone knows Valencia is in serious trouble. More importantly, Llorente would be well served by deciding whether players are for sale or not, and coordinating his transfer policy with some semblance of logic and planning. Otherwise, a classic Liga team with exceptional talent may fall victim to a series of inept strongmen at the helm.
Anyway, back to Valencia and Barcelona. The Spanish champions are looking to sign ex-Real Madrid youth player and Valencia winger Mata after signing Villa. This appears related to the reiteration this week by Ribery that it was Real Madrid or nothing for him. Bayern, of course, responded, that it would be "nothing."
Speaking of which, Real Madrid has now signed the best player in the Serie A, EPL, and Ligue. So why not the best in the Bundesliga? The dominoes are starting to fall. Ribery told L'Equipe that he wanted to leave and would like to talk with the Bayern brass. Additionally, his attitude has been less than exemplary at practices. Shortly after the start of the second training session Ribery spoke with manager Van Gaal and left practice, ostensibly due to blisters.
There's a backstory here though. Ribery's wife, Wahiba, has not adapted to life in Munich, moving to Paris. As such, he'll only be able to see her and his daughters two months of the year. The assumption appears to be that she would move to the Spanish capital. Ribery, rumor has it, will or has made clear to Bayern that if they opt not to sell he will not renew his contract and stay until its end - January 1, 2011, leaving then, and for free.
Publicly, Florentino Perez has been pessimistic regarding the signing, reiterating that he accepts that Bayern simply does not want to sell. Nonetheless, the player seems willing to force his hand, it appears that Zidane's only mission for the summer is to get Ribery to Madrid, and France teammate Benzema has already said he'd like to play with his friend - well, let's just say this one could get ugly fast. Reports indicate Florentino is holding onto 55 million euros for the possible signing.
Despite earlier reports that Real Madrid youth product Negredo would stay if Van Nistlerooy and Huntelaar are sold, now Negredo appears to be the last shot Real have of signing Xabi Alonso. Real are also pursuing Valencia winger David Silva - I presume if Ribery were not to arrive. So, I'm a madridista, but even I have to ask - what the hell is going on here?
On other fronts:
Nakamura will be presented for Espanyol on the 13th of July, and the fanfare from the Japanese media should be intense.
Newly descended Real Betis and Lazio are in negotiations for Brazilian striker Oliveira. Oliveira blew Betis' chance to beat Barca this year on two terrible misses, and may be best remembered for his failure in Milan, as well as starting for both Zaragoza and Betis when they went down to the second division in consecutive years. I'm just saying, don't be surprised if Lazio goes down next year with Oliveira on the field.
Ironically, Lazio is also trying to snag Matuzalem from newly ascended Zaragoza.
On the international scene, Maradona has stated that he'll call up Higuain when "things are clear." What that means, no one knows. While Messi, Tevez, and his future son-in-law Aguero, carry a lot of weight, Higuain is fast becoming one of the premier Argentine strikers in the world. He's also notably more versatile as to positioning than all those listed barring Messi. How long Maradona will hold a grudge for his sitting out the U-21 World Cup in Canada? We'll soon find out. Though, judging by CONMEBOL qualifying, Maradona may not be Argentina's coach for much longer.
Want more? ESPN's Norman Hubbard writes an interesting piece on one of my favorite subjects - Spain/Liga v. England/EPL, here. Mandatory stab at Real Madrid included.
Also, mark your calendars, Fox Soccer will televise the Copa Libertadores final between Brazil's Cruzeiro and Argentina's Estudiantes live on the 8th and 15th of this month (home and away legs).
Brushing those tortured metaphors aside, let's get down to business.
Sir Alex Ferguson could be the biggest mover and shaker since Michael Owen appears to be on his way to Manchester United. He could sign as early as today. At first this move seems shocking and risky. But on second thought, if all Sir Alex wants out of Owen is an effective bench striker (let's assume he gets Tevez-like minutes) then Owen may be a good fit. In addition he may allow Ferguson to buy some more time for the development of Macheda and Wellbeck.
I still question Manchester United's insistence on signing a third starting striker though. Ferguson couldn't satisfy Tevez, who was a consummate professional while he was on the team. I guess Ferguson wants to keep playing Rooney out of position - reports indicate United are looking at both Atletico Madrid's Sergio Aguero and Confederations Cup topscorer and Sevilla's Luis Fabiano.
The offer for Aguero is reportedly 40 million pounds, or about 46 million euros. Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo, however, appears to continue to refer interested teams to Aguero's buyout clause of 60 million euros. The offer for Fabiano is reportedly 16 million pounds, or 18 .6 million euros. This surpasses the reported bids made by AC Milan for the Brazilian striker. Let me just remark that while the age difference between the two strikers is notable (21 v. 28), the price gap seems a bit shocking. Fabiano has proven himself repeatedly with Sevilla, in both Spanish competitions and UEFA competitions, as well as with Brazil. Meanwhile, Aguero has played one season in Champions League, and is fast becoming best known for creating five scoring opportunities a game, and capitalizing on (maybe) one. It seems to me, Fabiano may be a bit undervalued and Aguero a bit overvalued.
That said, reports are that Atletico would like to sign Pirlo from Milan. Milan recently declared him transferable. Because of their financial circumstances, Atletico is going to need cash - but will it be Aguero-produced cash?
But let's stay in Manchester, but now with City. City is proving cachet and history and a Champions League berth are worth more than money and ambition to most top players. With Eto'o's signing in the ether, Chelsea recently disclosed that they rejected a 30 million pound bid for John Terry.
Sticking with the EPL and continuing our discussion of overrated strikers, Arsene Wenger has admitted that if Adebayor were to leave, despite his own desire that the Togo striker stay at Emirates, he was been eyeing Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh as a replacement. In the same article Wenger stated that he did not make an approach for Benzema because he never thought Lyon would sell him this year.
However, if Adebayor doesn't move to AC Milan, the Italian powerhouse are looking at Luis Fabiano, Huntelaar, and even Peter Crouch to make a move to the San Siro.
Meanwhile, Barcelona begin to make serious moves in the transfer market. Reports from England assure that Barca will make a serious bid for their own youth product and current Arsenal man Cesc Fabregas. Barca also remains infatuated with Liverpool's Argentine bulldog, Mascherano.
Barca's pursuit of David Villa also shifts into high gear, despite Valencia president Manueal Llorente's repeated assurances that there is no offer on the table for the striker, and he will not sell. Undeterred, earlier this week Barcelona Football Director Txiki Begiristain reportedly met with Villa in Asturias and reached an agreement with the player. Today, reports indicate that Barcelona has indeed made a formal offer for the striker. The offer? 40 million euros plus loaning expected Barcelona signing Keirrison and Uruguayan centerback Martin Caceres.
A brief aside, if I may. Valencia is in serious financial straits as a result of terrible management. Their players went without pay briefly this year. Construction on the team's new stadium, the "new Mestalla" has been halted. Sadly, it does not appear that the new management is much of an improvement. Llorente had reached an agreement with Real Madrid for Villa, which Llorente broke. Presumably, the interest from Chelsea, Manchester United, and Barcelona led Llorente to believe he could drive the price of Villa up substantially. Villa proceeded to state that he would not play outside of Spain. Real Madrid signed Benzema, a younger striker, for considerably cheaper than Villa. Llorente is now left with one suitor - Barcelona. If you ask me, Barcelona is offering an enormous amount considering that everyone knows Valencia is in serious trouble. More importantly, Llorente would be well served by deciding whether players are for sale or not, and coordinating his transfer policy with some semblance of logic and planning. Otherwise, a classic Liga team with exceptional talent may fall victim to a series of inept strongmen at the helm.
Anyway, back to Valencia and Barcelona. The Spanish champions are looking to sign ex-Real Madrid youth player and Valencia winger Mata after signing Villa. This appears related to the reiteration this week by Ribery that it was Real Madrid or nothing for him. Bayern, of course, responded, that it would be "nothing."
Speaking of which, Real Madrid has now signed the best player in the Serie A, EPL, and Ligue. So why not the best in the Bundesliga? The dominoes are starting to fall. Ribery told L'Equipe that he wanted to leave and would like to talk with the Bayern brass. Additionally, his attitude has been less than exemplary at practices. Shortly after the start of the second training session Ribery spoke with manager Van Gaal and left practice, ostensibly due to blisters.
There's a backstory here though. Ribery's wife, Wahiba, has not adapted to life in Munich, moving to Paris. As such, he'll only be able to see her and his daughters two months of the year. The assumption appears to be that she would move to the Spanish capital. Ribery, rumor has it, will or has made clear to Bayern that if they opt not to sell he will not renew his contract and stay until its end - January 1, 2011, leaving then, and for free.
Publicly, Florentino Perez has been pessimistic regarding the signing, reiterating that he accepts that Bayern simply does not want to sell. Nonetheless, the player seems willing to force his hand, it appears that Zidane's only mission for the summer is to get Ribery to Madrid, and France teammate Benzema has already said he'd like to play with his friend - well, let's just say this one could get ugly fast. Reports indicate Florentino is holding onto 55 million euros for the possible signing.
Despite earlier reports that Real Madrid youth product Negredo would stay if Van Nistlerooy and Huntelaar are sold, now Negredo appears to be the last shot Real have of signing Xabi Alonso. Real are also pursuing Valencia winger David Silva - I presume if Ribery were not to arrive. So, I'm a madridista, but even I have to ask - what the hell is going on here?
On other fronts:
Nakamura will be presented for Espanyol on the 13th of July, and the fanfare from the Japanese media should be intense.
Newly descended Real Betis and Lazio are in negotiations for Brazilian striker Oliveira. Oliveira blew Betis' chance to beat Barca this year on two terrible misses, and may be best remembered for his failure in Milan, as well as starting for both Zaragoza and Betis when they went down to the second division in consecutive years. I'm just saying, don't be surprised if Lazio goes down next year with Oliveira on the field.
Ironically, Lazio is also trying to snag Matuzalem from newly ascended Zaragoza.
On the international scene, Maradona has stated that he'll call up Higuain when "things are clear." What that means, no one knows. While Messi, Tevez, and his future son-in-law Aguero, carry a lot of weight, Higuain is fast becoming one of the premier Argentine strikers in the world. He's also notably more versatile as to positioning than all those listed barring Messi. How long Maradona will hold a grudge for his sitting out the U-21 World Cup in Canada? We'll soon find out. Though, judging by CONMEBOL qualifying, Maradona may not be Argentina's coach for much longer.
Want more? ESPN's Norman Hubbard writes an interesting piece on one of my favorite subjects - Spain/Liga v. England/EPL, here. Mandatory stab at Real Madrid included.
Also, mark your calendars, Fox Soccer will televise the Copa Libertadores final between Brazil's Cruzeiro and Argentina's Estudiantes live on the 8th and 15th of this month (home and away legs).
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