We're down to the elite 8 of Europe's finest this week, with the Champions League featuring maybe not the most exciting quarterfinal match ups ever, but certainly a string of March upsets (sensing a theme here?) have left a number of underdogs still in the field.
The one mouthwatering tie above all others is Barcelona-Arsenal on Wednesday. If ever there was a match to get your friends who say soccer is boring to watch, this is it. Should be some exquisite, silky passing football on display, even if Andrés Iniesta will miss out through injury.
Arsenal's string of lucky draws (the Duke of Champions League draws, if you will) has come to an end, and so too should their European dreams. Even with Iniesta out, Barca are juts too devastating. Cesc Fabregas may want to show the team where he began his professional career his worth, but it's just hard to image Leo Messi being stopped right now and Barca losing out over two legs.
The other big name matchup, on Tuesday, is Bayern Munich-Manchester United, replaying the classic 1999 final. Bayern hit a rich vein of form from December through February, but they are a very average 2-3-1 in March, dropping to second in the Bundesliga. The talented team also appears to be openly afraid of Wayne Rooney. Man U, on the other hand, just keep on winning, not having lost since the trip to Everton in February. The key for Man U is twofold, both the returning health of their backline and a number of players finding good form at just the right time, including proverbial enigmas such as Berbatov and Nani.
Man U will be favored to reach the finals, with the winner of the French pairing Lyon and Bordeaux awaiting in the semi-finals. That quarterfinal I'm sure is going to be a huge TV draw.
On the other side of the draw, the Barca-Arsenal winner will face the Inter-CSKA Moscow winner. CSKA was considered the plum draw, but like a "mid-major", they are more than talented enough, particularly at keeper, to pull off another upset. Inter has also had an uneven month, with AS Roma and AC Milan crawling to within one and three points of the Serie A leaders respectively.
Could we be nearing a final four of the Champions League without a single "#1 seed"? That would be quite remarkable, though it's hard to imagine none of Man U, Barca or Inter advancing, and it's fully possible that chalk will prevail. Bayern, Lyon, Arsenal, and Inter are the home sides this week, so it will be interesting to see how Bayern and Arsenal in particular react against teams more than capable of grabbing the away goals advantage.
...
MLS opened up its never-ending season this weekend, a rather forgettable weekend from my point of view. Not that it was entirely surprising that DC United started the season slowly and couldn't win at Kansas City.
Moving on from that nightmare, Seattle looked very good and the preseason predictions that the Sounders will challenge for the MLS Cup in their second year may very well hold true. The other big new was really the opening of Red Bull Arena. The gorgeous arena, which appears to now house a passable football team, was only half full at the start, though it filled up to an announced 24k (it seats 25k). The crowd sounded quite lively and it's should immensely help the Red Bulls, and I'm very excited about making a road trip there this season. Will the crowds hold up? They will almost certainly dip as the season goes on, but it's good to just get the black mark that was playing in Giants stadium off the MLS books.
Other teams that should be good, including RSL, LA, and Columbus, won, but I don't take much stock in early MLS results. This weekend I'll see DC up close, though sadly I may be more excited just to tailgate and see Wale perform before the game than to see the actual game after Saturday night's performance. Much better will be expected by the home crowd.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
DC United Preview
D.C. is in the midst of ongoing change, a time of transition if you will. And I'm not just talking about continued gentrification or Congress (at least the majority of it) finally putting the American people first and passing historic legislation.
Maybe I don't have a great memory, but this year appears to involve more change and uncertainties than I can remember in the DC sports scene. The Redskins have a new big name coach, maybe a new QB coming, and seem to be transitioning from a team that buys like Real Madrid but wins like Wigan to a team that actually builds properly (Aston Villa?). The Wizards have blown up their team and have a new owner. The Nationals have a glimmer of hope in potential future star Stephen Strasburg. And Caps are the best team by far in the NHL, as well as the most exciting, both of which I guess are a change historically.
All this change has left DC United largely under the radar in the DC sports pages. Having missed the playoffs again in 2009, a change in coach and massive roster turnover leave DC United a unknown quantity in 2010. Not to mention the fact that the threat of a labor stoppage tempered any enthusiasm for the upcoming season, making the focus management-labor negotiations rather than team building.
Well the season is now upon us, and I don't know if it's all the change and the distractions, but this is also the first year where I really don't know how to feel about the upcoming season.
For the past few years, many DC faithful felt that former coach Tom Soehn held the team back, never really developing the skilled potential of the squad into a consistent winner. Now another ex DC United man, Curt Onalfo, has been brought in to right the ship. Will he? His mediocre record in Kansas City is probably less a reflection of his coaching abilities as it is the truly mediocre teams in his charge.
Maybe most importantly for the Barra Brava and Screaming Eagles, Onalfo's ties to DC United of old and his statements after his hiring indicate he will try to stick to the slick passing, attacking football the black and red are known for. If there's a team in MLS that thinks it's Barcelona or Real Madrid -- that it not only must win titles, but must do so beautifully -- it's DC United.
Can they play beautifully with half a new roster, a thin striking core, and no true attacking midfielder? I'm worried, to say the least, on having to rely on Jaime Moreno's old man speed. His excellent preseason hints that he's been rejuvenated once again and wants to go out with a bang, but it's a long season. Fortunately, MLS will actually do the smart thing and take a a break during part of the World Cup. A mid-season break like that will greatly help those old man legs.
It will be the absence of a pair of old man legs, however, that will likely be felt the strongest on the field. Of course I'm talking about caveman Benny Olsen leaving the playing field and joining Onalfo's coaching staff. His fiery leadership and midfield doggedness will be sorely missed, and not that anyone could ever replace Olsen, I'm not sure who could even attempt to step into that void. Clyde Simms is too cerebral. and Moreno, while the brains of the team and capable of fiery leadership, just isn't the emotional center of the team. That task will likely have to fall to the the three key players for DC this year: Santino Quaranta, Chris Pontius, and Troy Perkins.
Santino takes over for aging Christian Gomez at the all-important attacking midfield spot in DC's formation. Santino has played all over the pitch in his career, winger, attacker and central midfielder. Still at 25, DC hopes he can build on a successful comeback last season. Along with Moreno, Santino has the strongest bond with the DC fans and will need to step up his leadership even at his young age. With the seemingly talented El Salvadoran winger Christian Castillo an unknown in MLS, Quaranta will shoulder the bulk of the playmaking duties. At least Castillo will bring back some of the Salvadoran crazies who abandoned the team after Raul Diaz Arce left.
Party Boy Pontius, on the other hand, doesn't need to be a leader as much as the goalscoring threat DC desperately needs next to Moreno. One of the top rookies last season, he was moved around the field by Soehn too much for my liking. Hopefully sticking at striker, his best position, will allow him to flourish. Danny Allsopp joins from the land down under as a target forward, and we can only hope his career here goes better than the last DC United acquisition from the Australian league.
Troy Perkins, reacquired after he decided to return Stateside from Europe, will have to be impressive in goal to help a young and often shaky backline. Perkins was pretty good in his first stint with DC, but I never fully trusted him or thought him great. However, he really seemed to improve at Vålerenga and it showed as he became the third string US National Team keeper. He may have been passed by Marcus Hahnemann as the number 3 recently, but I expect a strong season from Perkins as he looks to impress Bob Bradley and make the World Cup roster.
Strong leadership and organization from Perkins will be vital because the defenders in front of him still have much to prove. I like the move of Rodney Wallace to fullback. His speed and attacking abilities will make him formidable, and he showed his defending chops last season in stints as a holding midfielder. And he played D in college too. When Marc Burch returns from injury, suddenly DC has a nice bit of depth on the left side, with Burch, Wallace, and Castillo.
Dejan Jakovic will anchor the center of the defense. He has a lot of talent, and at 24 will continue to improve, as central defenders do, as his positioning and decision making mature. From there the D gets iffy, with Julius James looking to prove he's not a high draft bust and I know nothing about the other central defender option, veteran Juan Manuel Peña. James showed glimpses at the end of the season after DC acquired him that he could turn things around and I believe he may turn out to be a solid starter. Unfortunately usual stalwart and DC's best defender Bryan Namoff is still out with post-concussion complications. If the youngsters continue to improve and form a level of cohesiveness, I could see DC surprising the pundits expecting them to finish in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference.
Is not knowing what to realistically expect from this team going into the season a good or bad thing? I wouldn't be surprised with a very good season, nor would I be surprised with a mediocre season. But like all seasons before they begin, I have optimism that all the change DC underwent this offseason is change I can believe in.
Maybe I don't have a great memory, but this year appears to involve more change and uncertainties than I can remember in the DC sports scene. The Redskins have a new big name coach, maybe a new QB coming, and seem to be transitioning from a team that buys like Real Madrid but wins like Wigan to a team that actually builds properly (Aston Villa?). The Wizards have blown up their team and have a new owner. The Nationals have a glimmer of hope in potential future star Stephen Strasburg. And Caps are the best team by far in the NHL, as well as the most exciting, both of which I guess are a change historically.
All this change has left DC United largely under the radar in the DC sports pages. Having missed the playoffs again in 2009, a change in coach and massive roster turnover leave DC United a unknown quantity in 2010. Not to mention the fact that the threat of a labor stoppage tempered any enthusiasm for the upcoming season, making the focus management-labor negotiations rather than team building.
Well the season is now upon us, and I don't know if it's all the change and the distractions, but this is also the first year where I really don't know how to feel about the upcoming season.
For the past few years, many DC faithful felt that former coach Tom Soehn held the team back, never really developing the skilled potential of the squad into a consistent winner. Now another ex DC United man, Curt Onalfo, has been brought in to right the ship. Will he? His mediocre record in Kansas City is probably less a reflection of his coaching abilities as it is the truly mediocre teams in his charge.
Maybe most importantly for the Barra Brava and Screaming Eagles, Onalfo's ties to DC United of old and his statements after his hiring indicate he will try to stick to the slick passing, attacking football the black and red are known for. If there's a team in MLS that thinks it's Barcelona or Real Madrid -- that it not only must win titles, but must do so beautifully -- it's DC United.
Can they play beautifully with half a new roster, a thin striking core, and no true attacking midfielder? I'm worried, to say the least, on having to rely on Jaime Moreno's old man speed. His excellent preseason hints that he's been rejuvenated once again and wants to go out with a bang, but it's a long season. Fortunately, MLS will actually do the smart thing and take a a break during part of the World Cup. A mid-season break like that will greatly help those old man legs.
It will be the absence of a pair of old man legs, however, that will likely be felt the strongest on the field. Of course I'm talking about caveman Benny Olsen leaving the playing field and joining Onalfo's coaching staff. His fiery leadership and midfield doggedness will be sorely missed, and not that anyone could ever replace Olsen, I'm not sure who could even attempt to step into that void. Clyde Simms is too cerebral. and Moreno, while the brains of the team and capable of fiery leadership, just isn't the emotional center of the team. That task will likely have to fall to the the three key players for DC this year: Santino Quaranta, Chris Pontius, and Troy Perkins.
Santino takes over for aging Christian Gomez at the all-important attacking midfield spot in DC's formation. Santino has played all over the pitch in his career, winger, attacker and central midfielder. Still at 25, DC hopes he can build on a successful comeback last season. Along with Moreno, Santino has the strongest bond with the DC fans and will need to step up his leadership even at his young age. With the seemingly talented El Salvadoran winger Christian Castillo an unknown in MLS, Quaranta will shoulder the bulk of the playmaking duties. At least Castillo will bring back some of the Salvadoran crazies who abandoned the team after Raul Diaz Arce left.
Party Boy Pontius, on the other hand, doesn't need to be a leader as much as the goalscoring threat DC desperately needs next to Moreno. One of the top rookies last season, he was moved around the field by Soehn too much for my liking. Hopefully sticking at striker, his best position, will allow him to flourish. Danny Allsopp joins from the land down under as a target forward, and we can only hope his career here goes better than the last DC United acquisition from the Australian league.
Troy Perkins, reacquired after he decided to return Stateside from Europe, will have to be impressive in goal to help a young and often shaky backline. Perkins was pretty good in his first stint with DC, but I never fully trusted him or thought him great. However, he really seemed to improve at Vålerenga and it showed as he became the third string US National Team keeper. He may have been passed by Marcus Hahnemann as the number 3 recently, but I expect a strong season from Perkins as he looks to impress Bob Bradley and make the World Cup roster.
Strong leadership and organization from Perkins will be vital because the defenders in front of him still have much to prove. I like the move of Rodney Wallace to fullback. His speed and attacking abilities will make him formidable, and he showed his defending chops last season in stints as a holding midfielder. And he played D in college too. When Marc Burch returns from injury, suddenly DC has a nice bit of depth on the left side, with Burch, Wallace, and Castillo.
Dejan Jakovic will anchor the center of the defense. He has a lot of talent, and at 24 will continue to improve, as central defenders do, as his positioning and decision making mature. From there the D gets iffy, with Julius James looking to prove he's not a high draft bust and I know nothing about the other central defender option, veteran Juan Manuel Peña. James showed glimpses at the end of the season after DC acquired him that he could turn things around and I believe he may turn out to be a solid starter. Unfortunately usual stalwart and DC's best defender Bryan Namoff is still out with post-concussion complications. If the youngsters continue to improve and form a level of cohesiveness, I could see DC surprising the pundits expecting them to finish in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference.
Is not knowing what to realistically expect from this team going into the season a good or bad thing? I wouldn't be surprised with a very good season, nor would I be surprised with a mediocre season. But like all seasons before they begin, I have optimism that all the change DC underwent this offseason is change I can believe in.
Last Week's Beautiful Goals
Not having posted regularly, or at all recently, there is just too much to actually cover. I could talk about how Wayne Rooney continues to lead Man U towards an historic fourth straight title and record breaking 19th overall, or how Leo Messi decided he was going to show all those Rooney lovers out there who is really the best player on the planet.
In fact, Messi has been on such a tear, not just scoring goals but regularly scoring absolutely stunning goals, that CNN got in on the discussion of debating whether Messi is better than Maradona.
Now, I think you can legitimately debate the merits on each player's technical ability, compare their stunning goals, and debate their overall dominance. However, when you really want to discuss who is greater, Maradona won Argentina a World Cup, while Messi has yet to produce that same form for his country. Will it change? Many hope so, but until then I think people are getting ahead of themselves. Let Messi play out his career a little first.
If you missed it, here is his hat trick against Zaragoza, including a stunning second (though again, let's not get ahead of ourselves, it's not as great as the famous Getafe goal). I even think I may like his shot against Stuttgart midweek a little more, also following:
His hat trick puts Messi at 34 goals in all competition, one more than Rooney's 33.
Speaking about fantastic goals, I'm sure you've seen the amazing goal by Clint Dempsey against Juventus. It was great on a number of levels. Technically, Dempsey's chip was perfect. But it was also beyond clutch, the game winner that completed a stunning comeback by Fulham against Juventus. The epic collapse by Juve, up 4-1 on aggregate after an early goal, was certainly helped by a sketchy red card against Fabio Cannavaro, but full credit to the Cottagers. Here's Dempsey's strike:
It's pretty amazing that Dempsey has now scored among the two biggest goals in the entire Fulham history. The first goal was his winner against Liverpool that saved Fulham from relegation in 2007 and now the match winner in what is widely being hailed as the most important and greatest victory in Fulham history. And when you consider the legendary status Brian McBride had at the club, with the Club even renaming a bar inside Craven Cottage "McBride's", that makes two Americans now strongly linked and associated with the oldest professional team in London.
There's a lot of other news worth covering that I may touch on later, such as the upcoming MLS season, thanks to a new collective bargaining agreement, the upcoming Champions League quarterfinals, and more.
In fact, Messi has been on such a tear, not just scoring goals but regularly scoring absolutely stunning goals, that CNN got in on the discussion of debating whether Messi is better than Maradona.
Now, I think you can legitimately debate the merits on each player's technical ability, compare their stunning goals, and debate their overall dominance. However, when you really want to discuss who is greater, Maradona won Argentina a World Cup, while Messi has yet to produce that same form for his country. Will it change? Many hope so, but until then I think people are getting ahead of themselves. Let Messi play out his career a little first.
If you missed it, here is his hat trick against Zaragoza, including a stunning second (though again, let's not get ahead of ourselves, it's not as great as the famous Getafe goal). I even think I may like his shot against Stuttgart midweek a little more, also following:
His hat trick puts Messi at 34 goals in all competition, one more than Rooney's 33.
Speaking about fantastic goals, I'm sure you've seen the amazing goal by Clint Dempsey against Juventus. It was great on a number of levels. Technically, Dempsey's chip was perfect. But it was also beyond clutch, the game winner that completed a stunning comeback by Fulham against Juventus. The epic collapse by Juve, up 4-1 on aggregate after an early goal, was certainly helped by a sketchy red card against Fabio Cannavaro, but full credit to the Cottagers. Here's Dempsey's strike:
It's pretty amazing that Dempsey has now scored among the two biggest goals in the entire Fulham history. The first goal was his winner against Liverpool that saved Fulham from relegation in 2007 and now the match winner in what is widely being hailed as the most important and greatest victory in Fulham history. And when you consider the legendary status Brian McBride had at the club, with the Club even renaming a bar inside Craven Cottage "McBride's", that makes two Americans now strongly linked and associated with the oldest professional team in London.
There's a lot of other news worth covering that I may touch on later, such as the upcoming MLS season, thanks to a new collective bargaining agreement, the upcoming Champions League quarterfinals, and more.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Friday News Roundup
There are a lot of news pieces the past few days I want to cover, some good, some not so good.
Starting with the bad news, reports indicate the MLS players union voted 350 to two in favor of a strike if a new collective bargaining agreement can't be reached before the start of the season in two weeks. For a still relatively new league going into a key year, with expansion, increased attention to the sport because of a World Cup year, and the league ever-nearing the goal of having all it's teams in soccer-specific stadia, this could end up a disastrous turn of events.
This is not to say I don't 100% support the players in their fight with management, as I've already written about. Importantly for a league that struggles to legitimize itself at the gate in many markets is a situation I currently find myself in that is probably being repeated across the country.
DC United is desperately trying to get my friends and I to pay the remaining balance on our season tickets before the season starts, having already missed the designated deadline. Yet we're refusing to pay a cent further until we know we'll actually be seeing a product in return for our investment. My friend even laid into our poor DC United season ticket account manager explaining in no uncertain terms how we feel regarding the league's control over player rights and restricted movement, particularly when a hard salary cap limits how much salaries can ultimately increase (and it's a laughably low salary cap at that). We're not talking the NBA or MLB here.
The larger point is that I'm sure we're not alone in our stance, and that has to be seriously hurting the bottom line of numerous teams out there. A strike is still not certain, with the league saying that mediated talks this week have been productive even though the players are standing strong in their position. MLS needs to make concessions and it needs to do it soon. We're happy to give your our money, knowing full well I could spend my time watching the best players in the world on TV or simply spend my money watching the best hockey player on Earth in a much nicer stadium in downtown.
....
I'd like to give a nod to former DC United striker Alecko Eskandarian, who appears to be retiring, without actually using that word. Esky was never going to be a star, but he could have been a very productive MLS player, and will always be remembered as the 2004 MLS Cup MVP in DC United's 3-2 comeback victory over Kansas City. But unfortunately, serious concussions derailed his career.
I'll also love him for embarrassing the NY Red Bulls, which is always a fun thing to do. After scoring against the newly renamed Red Bulls in April of 2006, Esky ran to the sidelines, took a can of Red Bull, took a swig, then promptly spit it out on the Giants Stadium turf. He was fined for his antics, but I laughed. And it's just entertainment after all, so you can't ask for much more.
Maybe most importantly, with Yura Movsisyan now at Randers, there is no one to hold the mantle for Armenian footballers in MLS. Anyway, even though Alecko was probably too "Jersey" for my liking, I hope Alecko the best.
...
Following up on news that Jermaine Jones was with the US National Team in Amsterdam for their recent friendly against the Netherlands is some interesting quotes from Tim Howard in an interview with Grant Wahl of SI. Speaking about the team, he said that they are "hoping that Jermaine Jones makes it" and recovers from his injury problems to play in the World Cup.
Apparently the meeting, the first between Jones and the rest of the team, went well and Howard thinks Jones will fit in nicely because "he's got a lot of tattoos, he likes his music." Good to know the requirements of how to fit in with the USMNT. I think we can probably get Allen Iverson (if he's sober) and LeBron James on the team in time.
Still, the key point by Howard was that this version of the US team welcomes new comers with open arms (unlike say the reaction to the late addition of David Regis to the 1998 team). The players know well that Jones is highly regarded and feel that his addition would provide a boost to the squad and will welcome him accordingly. In fact, Howard compared the morale boost of adding a difference maker to the addition of Landon Donovan at Everton, while also noting that Charlie Davies would provide the same boost.
I previously gave up on Jones and was going to assume he was out of the picture for this World Cup, but hoped he would enter the team after that. I also worried about the chemistry issues if he just came in and took a starting spot from someone. Now, while still a little skeptical about his injury recovery, I'm suddenly much more interested in seeing Jones return to action and seeing him integrated into the team. With Clint Dempsey returning to action this week and Davies and Oguchi looking positive in their comebacks, one can only hope the injury situation will completely turn around and give the US the boost Howard was talking about for a sustained run in South Africa.
...
Lots of European action, so I'll hit on a few highlights.
A day after Arsenal crushed Porto, Manchester United was not to be outdone, routing AC Milan 4-0 on the back (or head rather) of Wayne Rooney. He's now reached 30 goals on the season and talk is turning toward him taking aim at Cristiano Ronaldo's 42 goals for Man U two seasons ago.
While there is a lot of soccer still to be played this season, this summer, and the opening of next season, but it appears Rooney is positioning himself to win worldwide honors. At the moment, I think I'd vote for him as best player on the planet over Leo Messi and others. His form has been just unstoppable recently. He doesn't give you the same flash as Ronaldo or Messi and he doesn't score as many awe-inspiring strikes as Ronaldo, such as the famous free kick against Portsmouth in the 42 goal campaign or his Champions League blasts against Porto and Arsenal last year. But Rooney's work-rate is second to none and by improving his heading of the ball this year he's turned himself into a more complete striker.
Regardless of the merits about whether Man U is better off without Ronaldo, which I still doubt when you consider their slight weakness in midfield compared to other top teams like Chelsea and Barca, you can't argue that Rooney hasn't benefited (yes that's a double negative).
Speaking of Ronaldo, he couldn't prevent Real Madrid from disappoint again despite scoring an early goal for los merengues. Truly astounding that this talented team still can't get it right. And Lyon is still a marvel.
Meanwhile, the Europa League round of 16 is poised with intrigue after the first legs of some very interesting ties. Liverpool continue to disappoint, losing by a goal to nil against Lille (how about those French clubs!). Some other nice matches include Valencia-Weder Bremen and Benfica-Marseille tied at 1 and Atletico Madrid-Sporting Lisbon goalless.
In Turin, Juve outclassed Fulham in Clint Demspey's return to action with a 3-1 victory. Juve's stated goal for this year is to climb the Serie A table and secure Champions League football for next season, but it appears they are poised for a run in the Europa League. I do want to point out that the attendance at the Stadio Olimpico was announced at 11,406. That number would be piddling for an MLS match (the last two seasons, very down years for DC United, saw them have an average attendance of 16,000 in 2009 and almost 20,000 in 2008), let alone for a big European match.
Of course that's because it's really only a "big" match for Fulham. The Cottagers are calling it one of the biggest in club history, while for Juve it's a big drop from battles against the likes of Man U and Real Madrid on the European stage. Although the Champions League is expected for a big club like Juve, the Europa League is nothing to be ashamed of, and in fact it could well prove to be more intriguing that the Champions League this season. I'll be happy to see Juve take it seriously and attempt to win the whole thing. Not sure they will, but Italian soccer could use any good news it can get.
Starting with the bad news, reports indicate the MLS players union voted 350 to two in favor of a strike if a new collective bargaining agreement can't be reached before the start of the season in two weeks. For a still relatively new league going into a key year, with expansion, increased attention to the sport because of a World Cup year, and the league ever-nearing the goal of having all it's teams in soccer-specific stadia, this could end up a disastrous turn of events.
This is not to say I don't 100% support the players in their fight with management, as I've already written about. Importantly for a league that struggles to legitimize itself at the gate in many markets is a situation I currently find myself in that is probably being repeated across the country.
DC United is desperately trying to get my friends and I to pay the remaining balance on our season tickets before the season starts, having already missed the designated deadline. Yet we're refusing to pay a cent further until we know we'll actually be seeing a product in return for our investment. My friend even laid into our poor DC United season ticket account manager explaining in no uncertain terms how we feel regarding the league's control over player rights and restricted movement, particularly when a hard salary cap limits how much salaries can ultimately increase (and it's a laughably low salary cap at that). We're not talking the NBA or MLB here.
The larger point is that I'm sure we're not alone in our stance, and that has to be seriously hurting the bottom line of numerous teams out there. A strike is still not certain, with the league saying that mediated talks this week have been productive even though the players are standing strong in their position. MLS needs to make concessions and it needs to do it soon. We're happy to give your our money, knowing full well I could spend my time watching the best players in the world on TV or simply spend my money watching the best hockey player on Earth in a much nicer stadium in downtown.
....
I'd like to give a nod to former DC United striker Alecko Eskandarian, who appears to be retiring, without actually using that word. Esky was never going to be a star, but he could have been a very productive MLS player, and will always be remembered as the 2004 MLS Cup MVP in DC United's 3-2 comeback victory over Kansas City. But unfortunately, serious concussions derailed his career.
I'll also love him for embarrassing the NY Red Bulls, which is always a fun thing to do. After scoring against the newly renamed Red Bulls in April of 2006, Esky ran to the sidelines, took a can of Red Bull, took a swig, then promptly spit it out on the Giants Stadium turf. He was fined for his antics, but I laughed. And it's just entertainment after all, so you can't ask for much more.
Maybe most importantly, with Yura Movsisyan now at Randers, there is no one to hold the mantle for Armenian footballers in MLS. Anyway, even though Alecko was probably too "Jersey" for my liking, I hope Alecko the best.
...
Following up on news that Jermaine Jones was with the US National Team in Amsterdam for their recent friendly against the Netherlands is some interesting quotes from Tim Howard in an interview with Grant Wahl of SI. Speaking about the team, he said that they are "hoping that Jermaine Jones makes it" and recovers from his injury problems to play in the World Cup.
Apparently the meeting, the first between Jones and the rest of the team, went well and Howard thinks Jones will fit in nicely because "he's got a lot of tattoos, he likes his music." Good to know the requirements of how to fit in with the USMNT. I think we can probably get Allen Iverson (if he's sober) and LeBron James on the team in time.
Still, the key point by Howard was that this version of the US team welcomes new comers with open arms (unlike say the reaction to the late addition of David Regis to the 1998 team). The players know well that Jones is highly regarded and feel that his addition would provide a boost to the squad and will welcome him accordingly. In fact, Howard compared the morale boost of adding a difference maker to the addition of Landon Donovan at Everton, while also noting that Charlie Davies would provide the same boost.
I previously gave up on Jones and was going to assume he was out of the picture for this World Cup, but hoped he would enter the team after that. I also worried about the chemistry issues if he just came in and took a starting spot from someone. Now, while still a little skeptical about his injury recovery, I'm suddenly much more interested in seeing Jones return to action and seeing him integrated into the team. With Clint Dempsey returning to action this week and Davies and Oguchi looking positive in their comebacks, one can only hope the injury situation will completely turn around and give the US the boost Howard was talking about for a sustained run in South Africa.
...
Lots of European action, so I'll hit on a few highlights.
A day after Arsenal crushed Porto, Manchester United was not to be outdone, routing AC Milan 4-0 on the back (or head rather) of Wayne Rooney. He's now reached 30 goals on the season and talk is turning toward him taking aim at Cristiano Ronaldo's 42 goals for Man U two seasons ago.
While there is a lot of soccer still to be played this season, this summer, and the opening of next season, but it appears Rooney is positioning himself to win worldwide honors. At the moment, I think I'd vote for him as best player on the planet over Leo Messi and others. His form has been just unstoppable recently. He doesn't give you the same flash as Ronaldo or Messi and he doesn't score as many awe-inspiring strikes as Ronaldo, such as the famous free kick against Portsmouth in the 42 goal campaign or his Champions League blasts against Porto and Arsenal last year. But Rooney's work-rate is second to none and by improving his heading of the ball this year he's turned himself into a more complete striker.
Regardless of the merits about whether Man U is better off without Ronaldo, which I still doubt when you consider their slight weakness in midfield compared to other top teams like Chelsea and Barca, you can't argue that Rooney hasn't benefited (yes that's a double negative).
Speaking of Ronaldo, he couldn't prevent Real Madrid from disappoint again despite scoring an early goal for los merengues. Truly astounding that this talented team still can't get it right. And Lyon is still a marvel.
Meanwhile, the Europa League round of 16 is poised with intrigue after the first legs of some very interesting ties. Liverpool continue to disappoint, losing by a goal to nil against Lille (how about those French clubs!). Some other nice matches include Valencia-Weder Bremen and Benfica-Marseille tied at 1 and Atletico Madrid-Sporting Lisbon goalless.
In Turin, Juve outclassed Fulham in Clint Demspey's return to action with a 3-1 victory. Juve's stated goal for this year is to climb the Serie A table and secure Champions League football for next season, but it appears they are poised for a run in the Europa League. I do want to point out that the attendance at the Stadio Olimpico was announced at 11,406. That number would be piddling for an MLS match (the last two seasons, very down years for DC United, saw them have an average attendance of 16,000 in 2009 and almost 20,000 in 2008), let alone for a big European match.
Of course that's because it's really only a "big" match for Fulham. The Cottagers are calling it one of the biggest in club history, while for Juve it's a big drop from battles against the likes of Man U and Real Madrid on the European stage. Although the Champions League is expected for a big club like Juve, the Europa League is nothing to be ashamed of, and in fact it could well prove to be more intriguing that the Champions League this season. I'll be happy to see Juve take it seriously and attempt to win the whole thing. Not sure they will, but Italian soccer could use any good news it can get.
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Bendtner Still Sucks and Beckham Returns
Champions League football has returned and we now have the first two teams in teh quarter finals after Arsenal trounced Porto 5-0 and Bayern Munich got a screamer from Arjen Robben to push them past Fiorentina on away goals.
Here's Robben's goal:
Arsenal appear to be hitting full stride at the right time, not just in the Champions League but also in the EPL, where they sit level on points with Chelsea, just two back of Manchester United. Although Samir Nasri scored a nice solo goal, the real talk has been of Nicklas Bendtner's hat trick. This comes after critics were railing on him for a series of egregious misses against Burnley. Bendtner has long thought highly of himself and Arsene Wenger has given the young man plenty of chances despite his too oft profligacy in front of goal. No matter how many he scored, I still say he's overrated and he rarely strikes fear in the heart of opposing defenses.
Today's big drama is the return of David Beckham to Old Trafford as AC Milan have a mountain to climb against Man U. The 3-2 away victory for the Red Devils puts them squarely in the driver's seat, but let's see if Ronaldinho can conjure up some old magic.
More intriguing possibly is the Real Madrid-Lyon match. Lyon take a 1-0 lead into the Bernabeu, the key there being they did not concede an away goal in France. This will be an all important match for Madrid, as they have not reached the Champions League quarterfinals five years running, and nothing less was expected of the new galacticos this season. They should probably complete the task, but it could be a tense affair. Coming off the 3-2 victory over Sevilla and taking over top spot in La Liga will give the home side confidence, but you always get the sense that that confidence can be easily rattled and the crowd made nervous.
Lyon have probably overacheived, though that seems to be the consensus in the Champions League every year from the general public who don't fancy them as much as the big boys from the big three leagues. Of course to the Lyonnaise, they have perpetually underachieved, never taking the next step forward in the Champions League that their domestic dominance would call for. Still, I don't think today will be that day.
Here's Robben's goal:
Arsenal appear to be hitting full stride at the right time, not just in the Champions League but also in the EPL, where they sit level on points with Chelsea, just two back of Manchester United. Although Samir Nasri scored a nice solo goal, the real talk has been of Nicklas Bendtner's hat trick. This comes after critics were railing on him for a series of egregious misses against Burnley. Bendtner has long thought highly of himself and Arsene Wenger has given the young man plenty of chances despite his too oft profligacy in front of goal. No matter how many he scored, I still say he's overrated and he rarely strikes fear in the heart of opposing defenses.
Today's big drama is the return of David Beckham to Old Trafford as AC Milan have a mountain to climb against Man U. The 3-2 away victory for the Red Devils puts them squarely in the driver's seat, but let's see if Ronaldinho can conjure up some old magic.
More intriguing possibly is the Real Madrid-Lyon match. Lyon take a 1-0 lead into the Bernabeu, the key there being they did not concede an away goal in France. This will be an all important match for Madrid, as they have not reached the Champions League quarterfinals five years running, and nothing less was expected of the new galacticos this season. They should probably complete the task, but it could be a tense affair. Coming off the 3-2 victory over Sevilla and taking over top spot in La Liga will give the home side confidence, but you always get the sense that that confidence can be easily rattled and the crowd made nervous.
Lyon have probably overacheived, though that seems to be the consensus in the Champions League every year from the general public who don't fancy them as much as the big boys from the big three leagues. Of course to the Lyonnaise, they have perpetually underachieved, never taking the next step forward in the Champions League that their domestic dominance would call for. Still, I don't think today will be that day.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
The Importance of Feeling Welcomed
Not to make this a Landon Donovan blog, but his loan to Everton has been a large story for US soccer fans. This weekend he played what might be his last game in front of the Everton faithful at Goodison park, with his last potential match being at Birmingham. Donovan come on as a substitute and scored a nice goal and had an assist. He should have had two assists but a beautiful ball for Yakubu was wasted by the striker.
Anyway you can view the match highlights here.
While much of the talk recently has concerned the possibility of extending his loan deal, -- a "one in a million" possibility according to LA Galaxy coach Bruce Arena -- I'm particularly interested in one aspect of the Everton loan that greatly helped Donovan be successful.
In the book Soccernomics, which I reviewed here, one of the major topics was how some teams are more successful than others in the transfer market. One of the key components is not determining best value and recognizing players with high upside, but rather simply helping the new player feel welcomed and become acclimated to his new environs.
Some teams do nothing and it's often the case that new players for these teams struggle. You hear it all the time, they must learn a new language, culture, get to know a new city and so forth. Without having the book in front of me, I think it was Didier Drogba who claimed this as a problem at Chelsea.
Other teams, however, put forth the extra effort to help their players acclimatize. For instance, they hire assistants who help the new player with whatever he needs, whether it's finding a new home, schools, groceries, or just going to the movies.
It makes obvious sense that the less you are worried or stressed about things outside your job, the more likely you are to be successful at applying yourself on the job. If you're unhappy, you don't perform well.
Well, Donovan was clearly unhappy in his past stints with Bayer Leverkusen and with Bayern Munich. This article on Fox Soccer notes that Donovan was essentially left to sink or swim on his own in Germany. And as we have long known, Donovan needs to feel wanted and comfortable with his surroundings. It's why he's always remained in Southern California. David Moyes recognized that Donovan needs to be comfortable where he is and needs to know his situation.
The family-like atmosphere provided by both the Everton team and the fans was the first and probably most important step to ensuring Donovan's loan would be successful. Granted not every team will have the perfect, ready-made helping hand in US national team teammate Tim Howard, but it also shows why Everton is a such a good location for Donovan if and when he returns to the EPL. A team like Chelsea may not provide the same nuturing environment. I'm not saying he shouldn't consider Chelsea if they are in fact interested, but it's something to consider.
This example also shows how well David Moyes understands his players, and why he's been such a successful manager. He's not managing on a level playing field against Sir Alex Ferguson, and he lacks the hardware (other than three League Managers Association Manager of the Year awards), but he's widely respected for a reason.
(Interesting side note about EPL managers: of the top 10 teams in the EPL table, only two are managed by an Englishman - Harry Redknapp of Tottenham and Roy Hodgson of Fulham. The remaining eight include three Scotsmen, two Italians, and one Irishman, Spaniard, and Frenchman. And for so long the FA wanted to keep the England managerial position in the hands of an Englishman...)
Donovan's last match for Everton will be shown live on Fox Soccer Channel on Saturday, and I can only hope that he'll be back in England before too long, though his reception may be a little less warm depending on his summer exploits.
Anyway you can view the match highlights here.
While much of the talk recently has concerned the possibility of extending his loan deal, -- a "one in a million" possibility according to LA Galaxy coach Bruce Arena -- I'm particularly interested in one aspect of the Everton loan that greatly helped Donovan be successful.
In the book Soccernomics, which I reviewed here, one of the major topics was how some teams are more successful than others in the transfer market. One of the key components is not determining best value and recognizing players with high upside, but rather simply helping the new player feel welcomed and become acclimated to his new environs.
Some teams do nothing and it's often the case that new players for these teams struggle. You hear it all the time, they must learn a new language, culture, get to know a new city and so forth. Without having the book in front of me, I think it was Didier Drogba who claimed this as a problem at Chelsea.
Other teams, however, put forth the extra effort to help their players acclimatize. For instance, they hire assistants who help the new player with whatever he needs, whether it's finding a new home, schools, groceries, or just going to the movies.
It makes obvious sense that the less you are worried or stressed about things outside your job, the more likely you are to be successful at applying yourself on the job. If you're unhappy, you don't perform well.
Well, Donovan was clearly unhappy in his past stints with Bayer Leverkusen and with Bayern Munich. This article on Fox Soccer notes that Donovan was essentially left to sink or swim on his own in Germany. And as we have long known, Donovan needs to feel wanted and comfortable with his surroundings. It's why he's always remained in Southern California. David Moyes recognized that Donovan needs to be comfortable where he is and needs to know his situation.
The family-like atmosphere provided by both the Everton team and the fans was the first and probably most important step to ensuring Donovan's loan would be successful. Granted not every team will have the perfect, ready-made helping hand in US national team teammate Tim Howard, but it also shows why Everton is a such a good location for Donovan if and when he returns to the EPL. A team like Chelsea may not provide the same nuturing environment. I'm not saying he shouldn't consider Chelsea if they are in fact interested, but it's something to consider.
This example also shows how well David Moyes understands his players, and why he's been such a successful manager. He's not managing on a level playing field against Sir Alex Ferguson, and he lacks the hardware (other than three League Managers Association Manager of the Year awards), but he's widely respected for a reason.
(Interesting side note about EPL managers: of the top 10 teams in the EPL table, only two are managed by an Englishman - Harry Redknapp of Tottenham and Roy Hodgson of Fulham. The remaining eight include three Scotsmen, two Italians, and one Irishman, Spaniard, and Frenchman. And for so long the FA wanted to keep the England managerial position in the hands of an Englishman...)
Donovan's last match for Everton will be shown live on Fox Soccer Channel on Saturday, and I can only hope that he'll be back in England before too long, though his reception may be a little less warm depending on his summer exploits.
Thursday, March 4, 2010
USA-Netherlands Fallout
The big news from the US game against the Netherlands yesterday was Stuart Holden's fractured fibula that will keep him out for six weeks. The current long-term injury list for the US includes Charlie Davies, Oguchi Onyewu, Clint Dempsey, Steve Cherundolo, and now Stuart Holden.
On the plus side, all (including Davies, according to reports) will be back on the field in time for the World Cup. The bad is still that five potential starters (at least three being locks) will be coming off injury layoffs and will not have the type of match sharpness and form heading into the World Cup that US fans would prefer.
This on top of the fact that potential US man Jermaine Jones is unlikely to suit up for the USMNT this summer either. Interesting, however, were reports that Jones was seen with the US team in Amsterdam wearing the US team gear. Clearly both he and Bob Bradley have spoken and wish for him to be around the team because the plan is to get him in the squad if he's ever healthy and they'd like it to be as smooth an introduction into the locker room as possible.
Back to Holden, despite his injury, Bolton manager Owen Coyle has stated his intent to extend Holden's option for the next season. Definitely good news that the Bolton manager see's the talent in Holden and views him as a key player for the future, "because of the belief I have in him, and the quality he has shown since he came to the club."
The injury occurred on a pretty bad foul by Nigel de Jong in midfield, but I disagree with anyone who puts particular fault with de Jong or thinks it should've been a red. Ref's have given reds for worse, but it wasn't necessarily malicious.
The thing that de Jong and midfield partner Wesley Sneijder did best was completely control the midfield and outclass their American counterparts. This is to be expected, the two being key players for Manchester City and Inter Milan respectively, versus the starting duo of Michael Bradley and Jose Francisco Torres.
Despite the Dutch pretty much controlling the entire match, the consensus is that there were a lot of positives to take from the game. Those positives include:
-The central defense, with the help of Bradley and Maurice Edu, after his second half introduction, more than held their own and weren't particularly bothered.
-Jozy Altidore, despite getting little in the way of good service, acquitted himself against the Dutch defense and threatened a late leveler.
-DaMarcus Beasley has gone from purgatory to being a lock for the World Cup roster. He was lively and the best American attacker, assisting on Bocanegra's goal.
-The US stayed compact and organized while continuing to show the type of spirit and fight that they showed last summer by never giving up, fighting back to score a goal and nearly tying the game late. This identity, borne in the Confederations Cup and solidified in the final match of World Cup Qualifying, is the most notable trait of the USMNT and surely their best hope for this summer. That and Tim Howard (what a save at the end!).
Still, this all masks some glaring trouble areas:
-Landon Donovan was a huge disappointment. If ever you needed proof that the US offense is entirely reliant on him being the midfield fulcrum, last night was it.
-Torres was even worse than Donovan. He played himself right out of any future starts and and he's now further down the list of substitutes, especially considering Bob Bradley never seemed to want to play him in the past anyway.
-Bornstein was torched. He had a rough night with the penalty and the deflection on the second goal. But every time the Dutch threatened on his side you never thought he could handle himself. Not good. He's a favorite of Bradley's but he's also allowing Heath Pearce to stake a claim to that problematic left back. For the thousandth time... Cherundolo on the right (when healthy) and Spector on the left. Please.
-Michael Bradley has horrible distribution. His defensive work remains strong, for the most part, but he needs someone who can distribute better. That was supposed to be Torres but he was not good. Edu is a much better distributor than Bradley, which is why I think Bradley's starting spot could eventually be threatened. Edu should be starting in his place with an attacking mid like Benny Feilhaber or eventually if Jermaine Jones is put on the team you pair Jones with Edu, since Bradley senior loves playing two d-mids.
-The US has absolutely no second forward options to play with Altidore other than injured players Davies and Dempsey, or Donovan. In fact, I'd say the next best player is Brian Ching because he's proven he can hold up the ball, distribute ok, draw fouls, and at least presents something of an aerial threat from set pieces. If the above three aren't starting up top, I'd rather have Ching than Robbie Findley or Jeff Cunningham, or god forbid the awful Eddie Johnson. Ching and Altidore may not be the best pair in terms of complementary talents, but you get the players out there who will help you the most and have the least amount of downside.
-Lastly, and I fully admit this is total nitpicking, but is Tim Howard any good at penalty kicks? He always seems to guess wrong and never comes close. Is there an example that I'm just not remembering? If so, let me know. Because even though it's not really good form to pull out your unquestioned #1 ahead of penalties (and you usually don't have that substitute luxury anyway, having subbed for field players and maybe one sub for a penalty kick taking specialist), I'd have to say that the US would rather have Brad Guzan. Guzan's turned into something of a penalty saving hero at Aston Villa. Not meaning in anyway to demean Howard, who I said earlier is probably the number one key to the US World Cup hopes, along with Donovan, but am I wrong to worry about that?
Still, I'll take some heart at a 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands in Amsterdam, and just keep hoping that sometime in the future the US will have a healthy roster to choose from. Because as much as I have high hopes for this team, it's safe to say those hopes rest on a very narrow pool of players.
On the plus side, all (including Davies, according to reports) will be back on the field in time for the World Cup. The bad is still that five potential starters (at least three being locks) will be coming off injury layoffs and will not have the type of match sharpness and form heading into the World Cup that US fans would prefer.
This on top of the fact that potential US man Jermaine Jones is unlikely to suit up for the USMNT this summer either. Interesting, however, were reports that Jones was seen with the US team in Amsterdam wearing the US team gear. Clearly both he and Bob Bradley have spoken and wish for him to be around the team because the plan is to get him in the squad if he's ever healthy and they'd like it to be as smooth an introduction into the locker room as possible.
Back to Holden, despite his injury, Bolton manager Owen Coyle has stated his intent to extend Holden's option for the next season. Definitely good news that the Bolton manager see's the talent in Holden and views him as a key player for the future, "because of the belief I have in him, and the quality he has shown since he came to the club."
The injury occurred on a pretty bad foul by Nigel de Jong in midfield, but I disagree with anyone who puts particular fault with de Jong or thinks it should've been a red. Ref's have given reds for worse, but it wasn't necessarily malicious.
The thing that de Jong and midfield partner Wesley Sneijder did best was completely control the midfield and outclass their American counterparts. This is to be expected, the two being key players for Manchester City and Inter Milan respectively, versus the starting duo of Michael Bradley and Jose Francisco Torres.
Despite the Dutch pretty much controlling the entire match, the consensus is that there were a lot of positives to take from the game. Those positives include:
-The central defense, with the help of Bradley and Maurice Edu, after his second half introduction, more than held their own and weren't particularly bothered.
-Jozy Altidore, despite getting little in the way of good service, acquitted himself against the Dutch defense and threatened a late leveler.
-DaMarcus Beasley has gone from purgatory to being a lock for the World Cup roster. He was lively and the best American attacker, assisting on Bocanegra's goal.
-The US stayed compact and organized while continuing to show the type of spirit and fight that they showed last summer by never giving up, fighting back to score a goal and nearly tying the game late. This identity, borne in the Confederations Cup and solidified in the final match of World Cup Qualifying, is the most notable trait of the USMNT and surely their best hope for this summer. That and Tim Howard (what a save at the end!).
Still, this all masks some glaring trouble areas:
-Landon Donovan was a huge disappointment. If ever you needed proof that the US offense is entirely reliant on him being the midfield fulcrum, last night was it.
-Torres was even worse than Donovan. He played himself right out of any future starts and and he's now further down the list of substitutes, especially considering Bob Bradley never seemed to want to play him in the past anyway.
-Bornstein was torched. He had a rough night with the penalty and the deflection on the second goal. But every time the Dutch threatened on his side you never thought he could handle himself. Not good. He's a favorite of Bradley's but he's also allowing Heath Pearce to stake a claim to that problematic left back. For the thousandth time... Cherundolo on the right (when healthy) and Spector on the left. Please.
-Michael Bradley has horrible distribution. His defensive work remains strong, for the most part, but he needs someone who can distribute better. That was supposed to be Torres but he was not good. Edu is a much better distributor than Bradley, which is why I think Bradley's starting spot could eventually be threatened. Edu should be starting in his place with an attacking mid like Benny Feilhaber or eventually if Jermaine Jones is put on the team you pair Jones with Edu, since Bradley senior loves playing two d-mids.
-The US has absolutely no second forward options to play with Altidore other than injured players Davies and Dempsey, or Donovan. In fact, I'd say the next best player is Brian Ching because he's proven he can hold up the ball, distribute ok, draw fouls, and at least presents something of an aerial threat from set pieces. If the above three aren't starting up top, I'd rather have Ching than Robbie Findley or Jeff Cunningham, or god forbid the awful Eddie Johnson. Ching and Altidore may not be the best pair in terms of complementary talents, but you get the players out there who will help you the most and have the least amount of downside.
-Lastly, and I fully admit this is total nitpicking, but is Tim Howard any good at penalty kicks? He always seems to guess wrong and never comes close. Is there an example that I'm just not remembering? If so, let me know. Because even though it's not really good form to pull out your unquestioned #1 ahead of penalties (and you usually don't have that substitute luxury anyway, having subbed for field players and maybe one sub for a penalty kick taking specialist), I'd have to say that the US would rather have Brad Guzan. Guzan's turned into something of a penalty saving hero at Aston Villa. Not meaning in anyway to demean Howard, who I said earlier is probably the number one key to the US World Cup hopes, along with Donovan, but am I wrong to worry about that?
Still, I'll take some heart at a 2-1 defeat to the Netherlands in Amsterdam, and just keep hoping that sometime in the future the US will have a healthy roster to choose from. Because as much as I have high hopes for this team, it's safe to say those hopes rest on a very narrow pool of players.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Dutch Manager for Rent, US-Netherlands, Red Bull Arena
Generally it's not good to fire your coach right before the season or a big tournament starts. You stick with what got you there. But the Côte d'Ivoire said to hell with that conventional thinking, firing Bosnian manager Vahid Halilhodzic.
The rumor mill speculation is that Dutch gun for hire and football nomad Guus Hiddink will take over for the World Cup. How is that possible, seeing as the man currently under contract to the Russians will be taking over for Turkey on July 1? Well, seeing as neither team will be partaking in the South African festivities, Mr. Hiddink's schedule has some open dates in June.
Recognized as a brilliant manager for his work with the South Koreans, Australians, Russians, and Dutch (not to mention winning the treble with PSV Eindhoven just over a decade before Man U completed the feat), Hiddink has quite the CV and has surely amassed enough frequent flyer miles to travel the world a few times over.
I suppose Hiddink likes a good challenge, taking on these numerous jobs. That and the money up and coming federations are willing to give him to get their national teams to the next level.
So, the question is, does this move push the Ivory Coast further up in the realm of World Cup favorites. They've been fancied for some time with all their talent and playing in their home continent, but a disappointing showing at the African Cup of Nations must have given their federation something to think about with the Group of Death staring them in the face this summer.
Enter Guus. He likes short jobs, as evidenced by his two and half year contracts with Russia and Turkey. But will this give him enough time to make a difference with Drogba and company? One shudders at the thought of Hiddink getting the powerful Ivorians to play Oranje football. Of course if you don't have a rooting interest, one would be shuddering in delight at that thought. I just have that feeling like he'll get them out of the group, probably to the disappointment of the Portuguese. Either way, it will be exciting.
Speaking of the Oranje, Wednesday will see the US-Netherlands at the Amsterdam ArenA. Big match that will see the closest thing to a full US World Cup squad prior to the actual thing. I'm looking forward not only to seeing Donovan cross over his good form, but to seeing Maurice Edu, the ex-Terp finally healthy and playing well. Big time goal this weekend to win the Old Firm match in extra time. Very happy to see him back in the fold.
Another link I wanted to provide was this piece updating on Red Bull Arena. If you want to see pictures, just Google it. Grant Wahl puts it plainly, the Red Bulls have gotten nothing right with the on-the-field product but it appears they've gotten everything right with the field itself and the arena. Color me very very jealous. I hate you Adrian Fenty for screwing up the Poplar Point deal in DC.
Last, a word of concern for HalaMadrid and any family or friends of his in Chile. Hope everything is all right.
The rumor mill speculation is that Dutch gun for hire and football nomad Guus Hiddink will take over for the World Cup. How is that possible, seeing as the man currently under contract to the Russians will be taking over for Turkey on July 1? Well, seeing as neither team will be partaking in the South African festivities, Mr. Hiddink's schedule has some open dates in June.
Recognized as a brilliant manager for his work with the South Koreans, Australians, Russians, and Dutch (not to mention winning the treble with PSV Eindhoven just over a decade before Man U completed the feat), Hiddink has quite the CV and has surely amassed enough frequent flyer miles to travel the world a few times over.
I suppose Hiddink likes a good challenge, taking on these numerous jobs. That and the money up and coming federations are willing to give him to get their national teams to the next level.
So, the question is, does this move push the Ivory Coast further up in the realm of World Cup favorites. They've been fancied for some time with all their talent and playing in their home continent, but a disappointing showing at the African Cup of Nations must have given their federation something to think about with the Group of Death staring them in the face this summer.
Enter Guus. He likes short jobs, as evidenced by his two and half year contracts with Russia and Turkey. But will this give him enough time to make a difference with Drogba and company? One shudders at the thought of Hiddink getting the powerful Ivorians to play Oranje football. Of course if you don't have a rooting interest, one would be shuddering in delight at that thought. I just have that feeling like he'll get them out of the group, probably to the disappointment of the Portuguese. Either way, it will be exciting.
Speaking of the Oranje, Wednesday will see the US-Netherlands at the Amsterdam ArenA. Big match that will see the closest thing to a full US World Cup squad prior to the actual thing. I'm looking forward not only to seeing Donovan cross over his good form, but to seeing Maurice Edu, the ex-Terp finally healthy and playing well. Big time goal this weekend to win the Old Firm match in extra time. Very happy to see him back in the fold.
Another link I wanted to provide was this piece updating on Red Bull Arena. If you want to see pictures, just Google it. Grant Wahl puts it plainly, the Red Bulls have gotten nothing right with the on-the-field product but it appears they've gotten everything right with the field itself and the arena. Color me very very jealous. I hate you Adrian Fenty for screwing up the Poplar Point deal in DC.
Last, a word of concern for HalaMadrid and any family or friends of his in Chile. Hope everything is all right.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
MLS Work Stoppage Looming
According to numerous reports, including this latest update from the Washington Post's Soccer Insider, MLS and the Players Union are still far apart on the negotiations for a new collective bargaining agreement.
The big issues include player free agency, central MLS office control over team y and contracts, and guaranteed contracts, among others. Here's a longer piece detailing some of the issues.
I'm waiting to say more depending on whether there is in fact a strike, but there are a two very clear points here that I imagine most people are in agreement about:
-The players absolutely will have public sympathies here. The owners may have been losing tons of money through the years propping up a fledgling league, but this would be MLS's 15th year. Many players do not make a living wage and MLS simply has ridiculous control over player movement and contracts. The fact that a team can control a player's rights even after they've refused to renew his contract is plainly wrong. Rights appear to be more important than money to the players, and this is something the public can support.
-A work stoppage may not kill the league entirely, especially if it means getting a better CBA, but it would be debilitating to MLS's image. I think everyone understands this. The NBA may be inexorably headed toward a future work stoppage and the NFL has serious CBA problems as well, but MLS probably has the most to lose with a strike. The NBA and so many of its players that surprisingly live paycheck to paycheck may be seriously hurt by a lockout, but when play resumes, arenas will still fill to see LeBron, Kobe and Gilbert Arenas (just kidding). It's a lot more forgiving when you return to see the best players in the world. As for MLS, all I'll have to do is turn to Fox Soccer Channel to see Wayne Rooney or GolTV to see Leo Messi.
A third aspect that hasn't yet been discussed or examined thoroughly is what effect, if any, a work stoppage would have on the US team this summer. In many respects it wouldn't matter as many more key players are in Europe than in years past and as recent friendly results tell us, over-reliance on the current batch of MLS players would be deadly to US hopes. But depth is important, especially with so many key players facing injury recoveries, so the more playing time for potential US players the better. Maybe it means they will be fresher come June, or maybe they will be rustier. But it also means less chances for players to impress Bob Bradley, especially players who are on the fringe and need an extended period of sharpness to convince the manager that those last few spots on the roster should go to them.
I don't know anyone who wants a work stoppage as a means of correcting the current imbalances in the CBA, so let's hope the players and owners see the light in the next 48 hours.
I have one suggestion -- bring in Jesse Jackson. He seems like he can negotiate anything. And if the owners and players can't stand Jesse, well, that's at least something they can agree on and that's a good start.
The big issues include player free agency, central MLS office control over team y and contracts, and guaranteed contracts, among others. Here's a longer piece detailing some of the issues.
I'm waiting to say more depending on whether there is in fact a strike, but there are a two very clear points here that I imagine most people are in agreement about:
-The players absolutely will have public sympathies here. The owners may have been losing tons of money through the years propping up a fledgling league, but this would be MLS's 15th year. Many players do not make a living wage and MLS simply has ridiculous control over player movement and contracts. The fact that a team can control a player's rights even after they've refused to renew his contract is plainly wrong. Rights appear to be more important than money to the players, and this is something the public can support.
-A work stoppage may not kill the league entirely, especially if it means getting a better CBA, but it would be debilitating to MLS's image. I think everyone understands this. The NBA may be inexorably headed toward a future work stoppage and the NFL has serious CBA problems as well, but MLS probably has the most to lose with a strike. The NBA and so many of its players that surprisingly live paycheck to paycheck may be seriously hurt by a lockout, but when play resumes, arenas will still fill to see LeBron, Kobe and Gilbert Arenas (just kidding). It's a lot more forgiving when you return to see the best players in the world. As for MLS, all I'll have to do is turn to Fox Soccer Channel to see Wayne Rooney or GolTV to see Leo Messi.
A third aspect that hasn't yet been discussed or examined thoroughly is what effect, if any, a work stoppage would have on the US team this summer. In many respects it wouldn't matter as many more key players are in Europe than in years past and as recent friendly results tell us, over-reliance on the current batch of MLS players would be deadly to US hopes. But depth is important, especially with so many key players facing injury recoveries, so the more playing time for potential US players the better. Maybe it means they will be fresher come June, or maybe they will be rustier. But it also means less chances for players to impress Bob Bradley, especially players who are on the fringe and need an extended period of sharpness to convince the manager that those last few spots on the roster should go to them.
I don't know anyone who wants a work stoppage as a means of correcting the current imbalances in the CBA, so let's hope the players and owners see the light in the next 48 hours.
I have one suggestion -- bring in Jesse Jackson. He seems like he can negotiate anything. And if the owners and players can't stand Jesse, well, that's at least something they can agree on and that's a good start.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Spurs Fans Harmonize
A Valentines Day ad from Puma featuring some Tottenham Hotspur hooligans. Pretty awesome I think. Especially the random people sitting to the left through the whole thing.
Song: Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden
Song: Truly Madly Deeply by Savage Garden
Saturday, February 20, 2010
The Toffees a Sticky Proposition for the Top of the Table
Since a certain Californian joined the blue half of Merseyside this January, Everton have played seven Premier League games, including matches against the entire top 5, plus a Europa League match against Sporting Lisbon. A murderers row for your season, if you will.
Yet the Toffees record in those eight games - a stellar 6 wins, 1 tie, 1 loss.
In back to back games now, Everton have defeated Chelsea, giving Manchester United a title race lifeline, before subsequently endangering that lifeline today with a well earned victory over the Red Devils at Goodison Park.
Now, I'm certainly not going to say Landon Donovan is singly responsible for this feat. But his presence surely has helped as he's slotted seamlessly into the starting lineup on either flank.
There are a number of reasons for this strong run, including Donovan's growing understanding with Tim Cahill (before being lost to injury against Sporting this Tuesday), Mikel Arteta's return, Steven Pienaar playing in the form of his life (in my opinion), and the general ability of Manager David Moyes to get his teams to continually fight and present a challenge every night on the pitch.
Today's match with Man U was particularly interesting because it was Wayne Rooney, the man who will be charged with carrying England on his back in South Africa this summer, against Donovan and Tim Howard, the two men who will look to do the same for the USA.
Oddly enough, England's World Cup hopes have been boosted because of some questionable decisions by Sir Alex Ferguson. His decisions to sell Ronaldo, to not re-sign Carlos Tevez, and thinking that Dimitar Berbatov and summer signings Michael Owen and Antonio Valencia could pick up the scoring slack have unintentionally led to Rooney's blossoming into possibly the most dangerous striker on form at the moment. Could this also be his undoing, with Rooney being burned out by June from carrying Man U on his back? We'll see.
But plainly when Rooney is not imperious, Man U are not the same team. He wasn't poor today, but even an average Rooney showing can doom Man U when the back line is missing Rio and Vidic. Ironically, today Berbatov had one of his better outings, but his talents are not of the type to carry a team on such a hard fought afternoon.
On the other side, Donovan's loan move has been an outright revelation. US fans have known Donovan was playing the football of his life in the past year or so, but not until he could translate it to Europe was that last modicum of respect going to come his way. And the respect has certainly come, with Everton's supporters naming him player of the month.
A measure of Donovan's quality over the years is the complete transformation in my personal opinion of the USA's all-time leading goal scorer.
Not long ago, when he was returning from failed attempts in Germany with Bayer Leverkusen, despite the fact that he was already probably the best player in MLS and the USA's key player, I never liked him. His talents were undeniable. Donovan has skill, speed, and could run for days. Yet he wasn't always consistent and he just didn't seem to have the ambition nor the fortitude to succeed abroad. He was horrible at taking free kicks and corners. I remember cursing him with friends as he wasted chances with the US National Team. Plus it didn't help that it was well known that he didn't want to leave MLS because he wanted to stay in California where he could be with his actress girlfriend (now his wife, who he's separated from) and the safety zone of friends and family.
Since that time there's been a gradual transformation. His talents continued to mature. Donovan may not have wanted to go abroad, but he often played his best in big moments. His performance against Italy in the World Cup was gritty and passionate, and his perpetual tormenting of Mexico found him easily in my heart. He was a near sure thing from the penalty spot. He maintained his position as the best player in MLS while enjoying more than anyone the responsibility of representing US soccer on and off the field. Even when he failed at Bayern Munich, it wasn't so much his fault as it was being put into a poor situation with the board never backing Jurgen Klinsmann's decision to bring him in on loan.
Now he can say he belongs on the same field week in, week out with the great stars of the EPL and in Europe. He's even turned into a great crosser of the ball, taking corners for Everton and getting a number of assists from them. Plus, it's given us a glimpse of how he could be tormenting the English back line, having already gotten the better of Ashley Cole, John Terry, and now Wes Brown.
The Toffees have been a tricky match for the big clubs of the EPL of late, and I'm sure as the English ponder this run of form, June 12 won't be far from their minds.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Is There Anybody Out There?
Well, mine has been an extended absence, so I think it's only appropriate to inquire if there's anyone out there. With the World Cup fast approaching, Champions League starting up again, and domestic leagues kicking it up into full throttle, I hope you are still out there. Out there or not, it's probably time to take a solid look at European football through the Champions League lens.
First off, you may not yet know, I certainly didn't (and UEFA seems to have done a poor job of advertising) Champions League has a brand spanking new schedule format. It's good for viewers, but questionable for the participating teams. Last year and in recent memory the round of sixteen would bless us with four games on Tuesday and four games on Wednesday, followed by a one week layover sans European footie. Now, this Tuesday will host two games (Lyon v. Real Madrid; AC Milan v. Manchester United) as will Wednesday (Bayern Munich v. Fiorentina; Porto v. Arsenal). Then, the following week, the first leg of the away matches are played, the second leg for Lyon, Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Manchester United is then completed the following week, and then the final second legs of the round of sixteen close out. In efect, we have a month of Champions League uninterrupted until the weeklong break between this round and the quarterfinals. As viewers this new format probably allows more people to watch more games. Whether or not the layovers and differing timetables for play between rounds affects the teams remains to be seen.
As for this week's matchups, an interesting pair. Oddly enough, Real Madrid may be the only true favorite in these first four games. Lyon lost Benzema this past summer, to Madrid no less, and last year also saw their six consecutive Ligue championships come to an end. They simply are not the team they once were. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo, this Champions League's topscorer is back with MAdrid after injury and red card setbacks this season, and will add his usual pace and skill to the merengues. More worrying for the French side however, will be the return from injury of team top goalscorer Gonzalo Higuain, who is on pace to become a top European striker this year. Similarly Kaka seems to have shaken off his sports hernia and be finding his form. Nevermind that the Madrid back four have adapted remarkably well to losing Pepe, and the midfield is slowly becoming a unit capable of success despite, or perhaps because of their flexibility (Kaka, Granero, Guti, Van der Vaart, Lass, Xabi Alonso, et al. have all played and well this season). The team has Barcelona on its sights in la Liga, but the club from the capital makes no bits about it - May 22nd at the Bernabeu would be the sweetest reward for los blancos. All that said, Real has never beaten Lyon in the Champions League, and has not gotten past the round of sixteen in five years. With Benzema likely out for the first leg, and Lyon expected to be snow covered and at below freezing temperatures this Tuesday, don't count Lyon out yet, at least not on the first leg.
Meanwhile Manchester United has hoisted themselves to within one point of Chelsea after a draw at Aston Villa and a Chelsea loss to Everton courtesy of Landycakes and Louis Saha. But the red devils may be facing AC Milan at their most dangerous. Seemingly out of contention for the Serie A despite being only eight points behind Inter, the rossoneri have hardly sparkled this season. But they are European regulars, and you can bet Ronaldinho will play his best against top opposition like Manchester. Well, at least for a few minutes, though it doesn't take much more from the Brazilian. Huntelaar has also found the back of the net recently, and may be looking to prove he's not a player meant to play in the Dutch league exclusively. Nonetheless, Manchester will stand behind the man that's carried them this season, and in impressive fashion, Wayne Rooney. Almost a force of nature, Rooney has done nothing short of put the red devils on his back amidst a series of defensive injuries and an erratic midfield that sorely misses Cristiano Ronaldo. Certainly Rooney has seen more of goal without the Portuguese, but the team has felt the loss. Nani is hit or miss, Giggs is injured, and Valencia though pacey, still has not found his form. It will be interesting to see if Leonardo, with his job likely on the line, will be able to expose Manchester United weaknesses on the biggest stage. But with Manchester United given almost a full week off with no EPL this weekend, it is hard to pick against the devils over the two legs, though a tie or even a one goal loss isn't out of the question at the San Siro.
On Wednesday the matchups are bit less thrilling on paper, but may prove equally exciting on the pitch. Beating Liverpool 1-0 last week, Arsenal appeared to get themselves back in the title race, at six behind Chelsea aka Team Drogba. But Wenger's boys have yet to prove that they can beat the big boys around town, having dropped games to Manchester United and Chelsea before the Liverpool match, and not in hotly contested games. The loss of Van Persie has certainly hurt the gunners, but truth be told the trade off Wenger has made seems to be one of adding youth to lose meddle and confidence. These last two attributes seem absent from both Arsenal sides fielded against the top two. Simply put, the gunners lack the verve to run with the big boys, and Arshavin's absence for their clash against Porto will not help. In my opinion, the gunners also seem to lack a holding midfielder, as Diaby remains unconvincing, and that position would seem to be essential for a team who needs to maintain possession. So will Porto test Arsenal the way the other seventeen EPL teams test them, or the way Chelsea and Man. U. have? Though they sit third in the Portuguese League, Porto always come to play in Champions League, lest we forget that Porto's two European Cups are two more than Arsenal have managed. Moreover, Porto has absolutely demolished its opponents in recent weeks, and despit losing several key players this summer, Porto still has Hulk and always finds a way to find suitable replacement for losses. This team took eventual runners-up Manchester United to the brink last season, and will look to do the same against Arsenal. Both teams will look to pass and play openly, so this should be an entertaining match to say the least. Over two legs, I'd bet on Porto over Arsenal though.
Finally, the Bayern Munich v. Fiorentina matchup. Here's what you need to know. Fiorentina are doing dreadfully in the Serie A, and have lost their last two (1-0 losses to Inter and Roma). Bayern Munich have gotten Ribery back, he's in a contract year (just not with Bayern Munich) and Robben is on form. The Germans will surely prove too much for the Italians, and should win easily. But no one ever wins easily against an Itlaian side, do they? If Inter and Roma could be held to 1-0 wins, what are the chances Fiorentina arrives at Allianz Arena looking for a tie or 1-0 loss and gamble on their chances at the Artemio Franchi? I say high. Very high even. Will it work? Probably not, as Fiorentina's been off form recently and Bayern should have enough firepower to get through, but it'll be interesting.
Next week I'll get to that mouthwatering Chelsea v. Inter clash, and the other three, rather less interesting matchups.
In other news, The Copa del Rey will be played between Atletico Madrid and Sevilla on May 26, 2010, four days after the Champions League final. Both teams play attacking open football and have several world superstars on their rosters. If Real Madrid, Barcelona and maybe Valencia weren't going to be in the final, these would certainly be your top choices. It's been ten yars since Atletico played in a final, and almsot fifteen since they've won anything. Sevilla on the other hand, has battled Valencia in recent years to take that third Liga spot Atletico once held. In the last five years the sevillistas have won two UEFA Cups, a Copa del Rey, a Spanish Super Cup and a European Super Cup. It's hard to gauge form and injury status this far in advance, but Sevilla should be the slight favorites in what I suspect may be one of the last, if not the last, competitive matches before South Africa. Hopefully no players miss the final due to national team commitments.
This weekend, Cristiano Ronaldo returns to action at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday against Xerex. Meanwhile, Barcelona travel to the Vicente Calderon to face an Atletico team on the ascent. "On the ascent" for Atletico Madrid usually means "before the fall." But despite Atletico's ability be alternatively amazing or horrifying, Aguero and Forlan will be facing a depleted Barcelona defense (no Alves, Pique, Marquez, Abidal, Toure, or Chygrynsky) that may start a youth club player or a modified winger as a defender in Jeffren. While it's hard to see Barcelona lose a game, if ever there was a time...
First off, you may not yet know, I certainly didn't (and UEFA seems to have done a poor job of advertising) Champions League has a brand spanking new schedule format. It's good for viewers, but questionable for the participating teams. Last year and in recent memory the round of sixteen would bless us with four games on Tuesday and four games on Wednesday, followed by a one week layover sans European footie. Now, this Tuesday will host two games (Lyon v. Real Madrid; AC Milan v. Manchester United) as will Wednesday (Bayern Munich v. Fiorentina; Porto v. Arsenal). Then, the following week, the first leg of the away matches are played, the second leg for Lyon, Real Madrid, AC Milan, and Manchester United is then completed the following week, and then the final second legs of the round of sixteen close out. In efect, we have a month of Champions League uninterrupted until the weeklong break between this round and the quarterfinals. As viewers this new format probably allows more people to watch more games. Whether or not the layovers and differing timetables for play between rounds affects the teams remains to be seen.
As for this week's matchups, an interesting pair. Oddly enough, Real Madrid may be the only true favorite in these first four games. Lyon lost Benzema this past summer, to Madrid no less, and last year also saw their six consecutive Ligue championships come to an end. They simply are not the team they once were. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo, this Champions League's topscorer is back with MAdrid after injury and red card setbacks this season, and will add his usual pace and skill to the merengues. More worrying for the French side however, will be the return from injury of team top goalscorer Gonzalo Higuain, who is on pace to become a top European striker this year. Similarly Kaka seems to have shaken off his sports hernia and be finding his form. Nevermind that the Madrid back four have adapted remarkably well to losing Pepe, and the midfield is slowly becoming a unit capable of success despite, or perhaps because of their flexibility (Kaka, Granero, Guti, Van der Vaart, Lass, Xabi Alonso, et al. have all played and well this season). The team has Barcelona on its sights in la Liga, but the club from the capital makes no bits about it - May 22nd at the Bernabeu would be the sweetest reward for los blancos. All that said, Real has never beaten Lyon in the Champions League, and has not gotten past the round of sixteen in five years. With Benzema likely out for the first leg, and Lyon expected to be snow covered and at below freezing temperatures this Tuesday, don't count Lyon out yet, at least not on the first leg.
Meanwhile Manchester United has hoisted themselves to within one point of Chelsea after a draw at Aston Villa and a Chelsea loss to Everton courtesy of Landycakes and Louis Saha. But the red devils may be facing AC Milan at their most dangerous. Seemingly out of contention for the Serie A despite being only eight points behind Inter, the rossoneri have hardly sparkled this season. But they are European regulars, and you can bet Ronaldinho will play his best against top opposition like Manchester. Well, at least for a few minutes, though it doesn't take much more from the Brazilian. Huntelaar has also found the back of the net recently, and may be looking to prove he's not a player meant to play in the Dutch league exclusively. Nonetheless, Manchester will stand behind the man that's carried them this season, and in impressive fashion, Wayne Rooney. Almost a force of nature, Rooney has done nothing short of put the red devils on his back amidst a series of defensive injuries and an erratic midfield that sorely misses Cristiano Ronaldo. Certainly Rooney has seen more of goal without the Portuguese, but the team has felt the loss. Nani is hit or miss, Giggs is injured, and Valencia though pacey, still has not found his form. It will be interesting to see if Leonardo, with his job likely on the line, will be able to expose Manchester United weaknesses on the biggest stage. But with Manchester United given almost a full week off with no EPL this weekend, it is hard to pick against the devils over the two legs, though a tie or even a one goal loss isn't out of the question at the San Siro.
On Wednesday the matchups are bit less thrilling on paper, but may prove equally exciting on the pitch. Beating Liverpool 1-0 last week, Arsenal appeared to get themselves back in the title race, at six behind Chelsea aka Team Drogba. But Wenger's boys have yet to prove that they can beat the big boys around town, having dropped games to Manchester United and Chelsea before the Liverpool match, and not in hotly contested games. The loss of Van Persie has certainly hurt the gunners, but truth be told the trade off Wenger has made seems to be one of adding youth to lose meddle and confidence. These last two attributes seem absent from both Arsenal sides fielded against the top two. Simply put, the gunners lack the verve to run with the big boys, and Arshavin's absence for their clash against Porto will not help. In my opinion, the gunners also seem to lack a holding midfielder, as Diaby remains unconvincing, and that position would seem to be essential for a team who needs to maintain possession. So will Porto test Arsenal the way the other seventeen EPL teams test them, or the way Chelsea and Man. U. have? Though they sit third in the Portuguese League, Porto always come to play in Champions League, lest we forget that Porto's two European Cups are two more than Arsenal have managed. Moreover, Porto has absolutely demolished its opponents in recent weeks, and despit losing several key players this summer, Porto still has Hulk and always finds a way to find suitable replacement for losses. This team took eventual runners-up Manchester United to the brink last season, and will look to do the same against Arsenal. Both teams will look to pass and play openly, so this should be an entertaining match to say the least. Over two legs, I'd bet on Porto over Arsenal though.
Finally, the Bayern Munich v. Fiorentina matchup. Here's what you need to know. Fiorentina are doing dreadfully in the Serie A, and have lost their last two (1-0 losses to Inter and Roma). Bayern Munich have gotten Ribery back, he's in a contract year (just not with Bayern Munich) and Robben is on form. The Germans will surely prove too much for the Italians, and should win easily. But no one ever wins easily against an Itlaian side, do they? If Inter and Roma could be held to 1-0 wins, what are the chances Fiorentina arrives at Allianz Arena looking for a tie or 1-0 loss and gamble on their chances at the Artemio Franchi? I say high. Very high even. Will it work? Probably not, as Fiorentina's been off form recently and Bayern should have enough firepower to get through, but it'll be interesting.
Next week I'll get to that mouthwatering Chelsea v. Inter clash, and the other three, rather less interesting matchups.
In other news, The Copa del Rey will be played between Atletico Madrid and Sevilla on May 26, 2010, four days after the Champions League final. Both teams play attacking open football and have several world superstars on their rosters. If Real Madrid, Barcelona and maybe Valencia weren't going to be in the final, these would certainly be your top choices. It's been ten yars since Atletico played in a final, and almsot fifteen since they've won anything. Sevilla on the other hand, has battled Valencia in recent years to take that third Liga spot Atletico once held. In the last five years the sevillistas have won two UEFA Cups, a Copa del Rey, a Spanish Super Cup and a European Super Cup. It's hard to gauge form and injury status this far in advance, but Sevilla should be the slight favorites in what I suspect may be one of the last, if not the last, competitive matches before South Africa. Hopefully no players miss the final due to national team commitments.
This weekend, Cristiano Ronaldo returns to action at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday against Xerex. Meanwhile, Barcelona travel to the Vicente Calderon to face an Atletico team on the ascent. "On the ascent" for Atletico Madrid usually means "before the fall." But despite Atletico's ability be alternatively amazing or horrifying, Aguero and Forlan will be facing a depleted Barcelona defense (no Alves, Pique, Marquez, Abidal, Toure, or Chygrynsky) that may start a youth club player or a modified winger as a defender in Jeffren. While it's hard to see Barcelona lose a game, if ever there was a time...
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
A Quick Rundown of Thoughts
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...
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...
Monday, January 25, 2010
CD9 on the Mend
For US fans, this update on Charlie Davies's miraculous on-going recovery from the injuries he sustained from that deadly car accident back in October is a must read.
I'm still not willing to consider him for a World Cup spot until I see him on the field because I know how much remains before he can get back on the field and how so many players suffer injury setbacks when trying to come back too soon. Yet when you read this report, it's pretty convincing that he'll be on the field for Sochaux in France with time to spare.
This is both amazingly encouraging and just a really good personal story.
Apparently all his broken bones and torn PCL are healed and he's been jogging. His accelerated timetable is remarkable, especially when you consider the mental struggle he's been through in light of the accident. Imagine living with the self-doubt after making such a poor decision that easily could have ended your life.
Of course, he's had plenty of physical struggles. I would like to highlight this line from the report in particular -- "a shorter haircut reveals the scar he has from ear to ear arcing over the top of his skull. That scar came after doctors peeled his face off down to his chin in order to repair the multiple fractures that left his facial bones a shattered mess." (My emphasis added -- good god!)
In light of Clint Dempsey's injury and the abysmal showing by the US reserves this weekend against Honduras, it's pretty clear that a miracle recovery is desperately needed. But I for one wouldn't have believed it could be answered.
(Update: here's more from the Davies interview that's not included in the ESPN article.)
I'm still not willing to consider him for a World Cup spot until I see him on the field because I know how much remains before he can get back on the field and how so many players suffer injury setbacks when trying to come back too soon. Yet when you read this report, it's pretty convincing that he'll be on the field for Sochaux in France with time to spare.
This is both amazingly encouraging and just a really good personal story.
Apparently all his broken bones and torn PCL are healed and he's been jogging. His accelerated timetable is remarkable, especially when you consider the mental struggle he's been through in light of the accident. Imagine living with the self-doubt after making such a poor decision that easily could have ended your life.
Of course, he's had plenty of physical struggles. I would like to highlight this line from the report in particular -- "a shorter haircut reveals the scar he has from ear to ear arcing over the top of his skull. That scar came after doctors peeled his face off down to his chin in order to repair the multiple fractures that left his facial bones a shattered mess." (My emphasis added -- good god!)
In light of Clint Dempsey's injury and the abysmal showing by the US reserves this weekend against Honduras, it's pretty clear that a miracle recovery is desperately needed. But I for one wouldn't have believed it could be answered.
(Update: here's more from the Davies interview that's not included in the ESPN article.)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Scattershot View of the USA
If you've been following the news recently there's been a number of items of interest to USA fans. Unfortunately, some of that news portends badly for the US's World Cup hopes.
Starting with the latest injury news, midfield/striker Clint Dempsey suffered a possible PCL injury this weekend for Fulham. A serious knee ligament injury at this point of the year could throw his World Cup in doubt, and even if he returns, you couldn't expect Dempsey to be back to match fitness and sharpness.
This just piles on top of the injuries to Charlie Davies and Oguchi Onyewu. Furthermore, potential USA man Jermaine Jones continues to suffer through setback after setback with his shin injury, as well as a possible rift with his coach at Schalke.
Further injuries have hit DaMarcus Beasley (shocking development that is).
Additionally, Jozy Altidore isn't playing much for Hull City, and he's certainly not scoring. It's unlikely Hull will pick up his loan as a permanent deal at the end of the season, while his continued lack of playing time and form will be problematic for US hopes of scoring goals.
Other players have found it difficult to find spots on the field. Carlos Bocanegra should be switching from Rennes to St. Etienne because he's been displaced at left back. Freddy Adu has moved again, not that his whereabouts should even matter at this point.
Lastly, Stuart Holden has been searching for a deal in Europe, which should be a no brainer for someone. A young, quick, versatile attacking midfielder with a UK passport. No problems right? Wrong. Aberdeen is no longer an option apparently, he had a trial with Bolton, only to pick up a slight knock and Bolton has failed to produce a contract offer. Seriously?? Bolton is only the second worst team in the EPL, and Owen Coyle thinks he has better options? Maybe this is a good thing for Holden, as unconfirmed reports have Sporting Braga in Portugal showing interest in the Scottish-born Holden. Still, another key US player stuck in limbo.
So, where is the good news you ask?
Well, before getting injured, Beasley was finally getting playing time. Despite reaching Bobby Convey-like levels purgatory with his form over the summer, Beasley is never far from the national team discussion. Even with a small semblence of form, he'll likely be on the plane to South Africa. And let's face it, he's pretty much still the best option as a true left winger (meaning anyone not named Landon Donovan). Robbie Rogers is nice, a very good CONCACAF player who could provide speed at the end of games against tired legs, but I'd rather have a healthy Beasley.
The other real positive development is Beasley's Rangers teammate Maurice Edu recovering from injury and playing again. He never fully entrenched himself on the full national team before getting injured because he was just making a name for himself at Rangers after his move from MLS, but his health and form could be a HUGE boon for the US at South Africa. Assuming Jones never dons the stars and stripes (and that's all I'm willing to assume at this point), Edu is the best option for the US in the center of the midfield. He's probably better than Michael Bradley, and I'd much rather have them paired together than Rico Clark with Bradley. Edu is a less reckless tackler, great athleticism/strength and much more skill than Clark.
Finally, Donovan has embarked on another European adventure, and this one already seems like it could end better than other trips. He's started and played twice for Everton, getting an assist in his first game, generally showing a lot of pace and posing a real threat to opposing defenses, while getting great reviews from across the Atlantic. Let's just hope they can figure out the technology to wrap Donovan in bubble wrap and still allow him the mobility to run at pace and succeed. With all the injuries going down recently, his health is the number 1a factor for success for the US, next to Tim Howard's 1b.
There has been other movement of US players and the possible early return to health of Oguchi, who I fully expect to be fine by the World Cup, if not at peak form. Despite the reports of Davies' accelerated rehab, I'm not expecting to see him at the World Cup, but if he does make it back in time, it will be a small miracle and wonderful bonus.
There's probably more to cover, and things will certainly change, not just in the months to come but even the days and hours ahead (Dempsey's knee scan still pending...). Unfortunately this will make the upcoming friendlies against Honduras (they owe us), El Salvador, and the Netherlands something less than a true peak at what the US will look like in Rustenburg in June. Maybe it makes those games all the more important. Maybe the next Beasley, Donovan, or Mastroeni will make a name for himself and make the World Cup roster after not being a big part of qualifying. Lord knows Bob Bradley needs the bodies.
Starting with the latest injury news, midfield/striker Clint Dempsey suffered a possible PCL injury this weekend for Fulham. A serious knee ligament injury at this point of the year could throw his World Cup in doubt, and even if he returns, you couldn't expect Dempsey to be back to match fitness and sharpness.
This just piles on top of the injuries to Charlie Davies and Oguchi Onyewu. Furthermore, potential USA man Jermaine Jones continues to suffer through setback after setback with his shin injury, as well as a possible rift with his coach at Schalke.
Further injuries have hit DaMarcus Beasley (shocking development that is).
Additionally, Jozy Altidore isn't playing much for Hull City, and he's certainly not scoring. It's unlikely Hull will pick up his loan as a permanent deal at the end of the season, while his continued lack of playing time and form will be problematic for US hopes of scoring goals.
Other players have found it difficult to find spots on the field. Carlos Bocanegra should be switching from Rennes to St. Etienne because he's been displaced at left back. Freddy Adu has moved again, not that his whereabouts should even matter at this point.
Lastly, Stuart Holden has been searching for a deal in Europe, which should be a no brainer for someone. A young, quick, versatile attacking midfielder with a UK passport. No problems right? Wrong. Aberdeen is no longer an option apparently, he had a trial with Bolton, only to pick up a slight knock and Bolton has failed to produce a contract offer. Seriously?? Bolton is only the second worst team in the EPL, and Owen Coyle thinks he has better options? Maybe this is a good thing for Holden, as unconfirmed reports have Sporting Braga in Portugal showing interest in the Scottish-born Holden. Still, another key US player stuck in limbo.
So, where is the good news you ask?
Well, before getting injured, Beasley was finally getting playing time. Despite reaching Bobby Convey-like levels purgatory with his form over the summer, Beasley is never far from the national team discussion. Even with a small semblence of form, he'll likely be on the plane to South Africa. And let's face it, he's pretty much still the best option as a true left winger (meaning anyone not named Landon Donovan). Robbie Rogers is nice, a very good CONCACAF player who could provide speed at the end of games against tired legs, but I'd rather have a healthy Beasley.
The other real positive development is Beasley's Rangers teammate Maurice Edu recovering from injury and playing again. He never fully entrenched himself on the full national team before getting injured because he was just making a name for himself at Rangers after his move from MLS, but his health and form could be a HUGE boon for the US at South Africa. Assuming Jones never dons the stars and stripes (and that's all I'm willing to assume at this point), Edu is the best option for the US in the center of the midfield. He's probably better than Michael Bradley, and I'd much rather have them paired together than Rico Clark with Bradley. Edu is a less reckless tackler, great athleticism/strength and much more skill than Clark.
Finally, Donovan has embarked on another European adventure, and this one already seems like it could end better than other trips. He's started and played twice for Everton, getting an assist in his first game, generally showing a lot of pace and posing a real threat to opposing defenses, while getting great reviews from across the Atlantic. Let's just hope they can figure out the technology to wrap Donovan in bubble wrap and still allow him the mobility to run at pace and succeed. With all the injuries going down recently, his health is the number 1a factor for success for the US, next to Tim Howard's 1b.
There has been other movement of US players and the possible early return to health of Oguchi, who I fully expect to be fine by the World Cup, if not at peak form. Despite the reports of Davies' accelerated rehab, I'm not expecting to see him at the World Cup, but if he does make it back in time, it will be a small miracle and wonderful bonus.
There's probably more to cover, and things will certainly change, not just in the months to come but even the days and hours ahead (Dempsey's knee scan still pending...). Unfortunately this will make the upcoming friendlies against Honduras (they owe us), El Salvador, and the Netherlands something less than a true peak at what the US will look like in Rustenburg in June. Maybe it makes those games all the more important. Maybe the next Beasley, Donovan, or Mastroeni will make a name for himself and make the World Cup roster after not being a big part of qualifying. Lord knows Bob Bradley needs the bodies.
Monday, January 11, 2010
World Cup in 3D
Earlier this month it was announced by ESPN that they were beginning a new venture -- 3D programming.
The the 3D channel will broadcast live events (85 for the first year), while remaining dark during all other times (no re-runs). Of note, up to 25 matches of the World Cup -- including the opening match, South Africa v. Mexico -- will be shown in 3D.
Of course 3D is currently all the rage, what with Avatar re-writing all the rules of cinema and a box office profits. As anyone who has seen the movie knows, Avatar signals a significant step forward in 3D viewing experience (and seeing Avatar in IMAX 3D is nothing short of an awesome experience).
Usually 3D is thought of as the chance for dinosaurs to pop out at you at the Smithsonian or having a spear or gun shot at you. It's a neat trick, with some better overall than others. In the past, such an application to a live sporting event would have been dubious -- watch out, Ronaldo is about to shoot the ball and it might hit you!
But now, I think such an experience will be entirely different. And I won't be missing out.
Certainly it won't meet Avatar standards (ESPN won't have four years to produce the live broadcast, and a 42' Sony is no IMAX), but I'm now intrigued by the possibility of bringing that true 'wow' experience of seeing a match up close, as if you were on the field itself, to home. The technology now seems capable of really immersing the viewer into the experience, into being where the action is, without the gimmicks constantly reminding you that you're watching 3D. Will it be crisp and clear when Messi goes from 0-60 in half a second or will the ball track well flying off Donovan's boot and past Calamity James or whoever sucks least for England in goal?
We're going to see. Or better yet, we're going to experience.
The the 3D channel will broadcast live events (85 for the first year), while remaining dark during all other times (no re-runs). Of note, up to 25 matches of the World Cup -- including the opening match, South Africa v. Mexico -- will be shown in 3D.
Of course 3D is currently all the rage, what with Avatar re-writing all the rules of cinema and a box office profits. As anyone who has seen the movie knows, Avatar signals a significant step forward in 3D viewing experience (and seeing Avatar in IMAX 3D is nothing short of an awesome experience).
Usually 3D is thought of as the chance for dinosaurs to pop out at you at the Smithsonian or having a spear or gun shot at you. It's a neat trick, with some better overall than others. In the past, such an application to a live sporting event would have been dubious -- watch out, Ronaldo is about to shoot the ball and it might hit you!
But now, I think such an experience will be entirely different. And I won't be missing out.
Certainly it won't meet Avatar standards (ESPN won't have four years to produce the live broadcast, and a 42' Sony is no IMAX), but I'm now intrigued by the possibility of bringing that true 'wow' experience of seeing a match up close, as if you were on the field itself, to home. The technology now seems capable of really immersing the viewer into the experience, into being where the action is, without the gimmicks constantly reminding you that you're watching 3D. Will it be crisp and clear when Messi goes from 0-60 in half a second or will the ball track well flying off Donovan's boot and past Calamity James or whoever sucks least for England in goal?
We're going to see. Or better yet, we're going to experience.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Roses Rivalry Upset
One of the more famous football rivalries was renewed today for the first time in nearly six years, with a major upset in the FA Cup. The Roses rivalry between Leeds United and Manchester United has long been contentious, and quite often was a battle among the top sides in England. Leeds famously overhauled Man U in the final season before the Premier League was created and Man U became the dominant force of the next two decades.
The bad blood and hooliganism between the pair is very well known, as are some famous transfers from one to the other (Eric Cantona, Rio Ferdinand to Man U, Gordon Strachan to Leeds). Just as well known is Leeds amazing fall from grace -- relegation, financial collapse and administration, and then further relegation to the third tier.
Well Leeds finally looks on the rise, leading League One by 8 points and looking a good bet to be promoted to the Championship, one step closer to the Premiership. In the meantime, battles like today's against Man U will remain rare, but they can still be special. With the visiting Leeds fans helping to make the Old Trafford atmosphere a lively one for an FA up third round tie, Leeds came away with a famous 1-0 victory.
Sir Alex will be concerned with the continued uneven performances of his squad, but for a day it's good to see an important, historic club regaining its foothold, with a complete re-emergence hopefully coming soon. There's really no way to equate the Leeds story line to anything in US sports without relegation, and in some way that's a great benefit of US sports. Some teams have come and gone, moved and been re-born (sticking with just recent history, the Zombie Sonics, Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, Montreal Expos/Washington Nationals) but it's not likely that a franchise with the equivalent proud history of Leeds would suffer such indignation (MLS is excluded from this, anything goes with MLS franchises, sad as that is. And no matter how much the NHL or NBA is struggling, the marquee teams aren't disappearing.)
On the flip side, it's also impossible to have a similar story of re-birth, nor is the sporting system set up to allow a low level professional team the opportunity to even play, let alone upset, the sport's reigning giants. Just another reason why it's the world's greatest game.
Monday, December 28, 2009
Soccernomics: A Review
For those of you looking for some interesting reading that doesn't involve vampires, Dan Brown's (in)eloquence, or the incomprehensible ramblings of an ex-Alaskan governor or a tearful conservative TV host, there is some relief. Pick up Soccernomics: Why England Loses, Why Germany and Brazil Win, and Why the U.S., Japan, Australia, Turkey-And Even Iraq-Are Destined to Become Kings of the World's Most Popular Sport. I'm sorry if what follows roams into book report territory, but it's my post and I can write what I want.
Soccernomics is co-written by Simon Kuper, familiar to some of you as the author of the classic Soccer Against the Enemy and Ajax, the Dutch, the War: Football in Europe During the Second World War, and Stefan Szymanski, a sports economist. Apparently Kuper likes very long subtitles.
The thrust of Soccernomics is that the authors are seeking a way to understand soccer through statistical analysis in a very general and broad sense.
This basic premise raises a lot of immediate red flags. Taking directly from my friend Pat, soccer is the most continuous of sports, therefore statistical analysis will always play a less important role in soccer than in a sport like baseball. I think everyone agrees with this.
Fortunately, Soccernomics is more than just an attempt to develop a Moneyball approach to soccer (though that is a stated goal of the authors). Additionally, there is no attempt to create the soccer equivalent of baseball's sabremetrics like WHIP or VORP, which are aimed at objectively measuring and analyzing baseball players through statistics. Again, there is some of this is in the book, such as Arsene Wenger's well-known prediliction for statistically tracking his players with stats like meters run during a match, and I can even think of other useful stats like passing percentage that aren't actually discussed by the authors.
Still, Kuper and Szymanski provide some thought provoking statistical analyses. Some of their conclusions have strong merit, others are quite surprising, and still more plainly suffer from glaring deficiencies and biases. In fact, I often found myself simulaneously pointing out many problems with their analyses as I was reading and enoying the book. But my critique comes from the fact that I was so engrossed by the topic and I had very high expectations. I wanted something perfect and earth shattering -- something that would open up a whole new way of looking at soccer -- and what I got was flawed. Yet it was certainly an interesting read. Excellent at times even. But it won't be studied by legions of future team presidents and general managers.
The big caveat here is to always take an attempt at statistically analyzing soccer as a great exercises in sparking a debate, be it a barroom debate or a genuine intellectual one. That's why I liked Soccernomics, not because I'm going to start using its analysis as a way to judge the World Cup, but because I could debate some of its points and conclusions for hours with friends.
The main topic, which bookends Soccernomics, is an analysis of the performance of national teams. This analysis is based on how a particular nation should perform in terms of goal differential when taking into account the country's population, income (GDP per capita), and international experience, and the actual over- or under-performance (in goal differential) against the expected goal difference.
This is a simplistic explanation, as the formula the authors use involves giving each criteria a particular weight and taking into account home field. For example, home field boosts expected goal differential a certain amount, as would be expected, though it does less so in Europe than it does elsewhere across the globe. Not earth shattering on its own (homefield certainly means more to the bag-o-piss throwing Central Americans than it does the Swiss or Italians). Similarly, being twice as rich or twice as large in population correlates to a country having a certaing degree greater expected goal differential.
Some of this leads to surprising results, though when you think about it maybe it shouldn't be so surprising. Given England's small relative size they actually over-perform against the expected results. The problem of course is the public's expectations and the "conventional wisdom," which is based largely on the historical sense of England as the mother of the sport and therefore center of the soccer universe, including the English League.
There are other factors to take into account of course. In a very interesting review of the Three Lions's roster over a number of years, it seems that only about 15% of the players came from "middle class" upbringings rather than lower class, whereas the English population as a whole certainly has a greater percentage of middle class -- the implication being that England inherently limits the pool of potential young boys who have a chance of becoming the next Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard. Somewhat reminiscent of the discovery in Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers that Canadian hockey players benefit from being born in the early months of the year.
Despite discrediting the idea that England is an under-performer (and a few other nuggets of conventional wisdom), the authors don't take similar detail in examining other countries. They look at the data and point out some of the surprising results - other classic "underachievers" who are actually overachievers include Spain and Portugal (consider Portugal's small size, population, and GDP per capita and it's quite amazing they are so good and produce some of the best players of all-time, going back from Eusebio to Figo to C. Ronaldo). Shockingly, unified Germany and Italy are slight underachievers!
Sometimes the mere difference is that when it comes down to it, Italy and Germany might struggle through qualification, but they win when it matters. This is a big flaw of course in pure statistical analysis, because looking at win percentage and expected v. actual goal differential doesn't take into account the fact that even though a unified Germany should be winning more games at a slightly greater goal difference, the games they nonetheless won were World Cup semi-finals, not friendlies against England.
Still, you'll like looking at the lists of overachievers -- a surprising team is number one, and Armenia are big time overachievers! -- and underachievers. The list of underachievers includes one huge nation that I think we can all guess.
To the authors' credit, they inject a degree of common sense when looking at some of the numbers to determine who the best overachieving nation is (excluding Brazil, who is not only expected to do great but also overperforms!) and who is the relative worst nation. For instance, Honduras is a great overperformer, but they face much weaker competition regularly than European teams. Unfortuantely, because there's so much data here to mine through for the authors, they don't always keep everything straight. It made sense when I was reading it, but looking back it's a little confusing to compare and figure what exactly went into the "overperformers" rankings versus the "overachievers" rankings and how they are constantly breaking out tables comparing just the top European teams. Nonetheless, the great overachiever, and someday a threat to the world order of the sport is probably not the country most people would have predicted, especially considering its political, um, instability.
Another analysis I greatly enjoyed was a look at which country was the most soccer mad (this analysis in particular is very interesting, but involves huge caveats, particularly limited to just Europe due to availability of accurate and reliable data) and which country per capita is the greatest sporting nation. Unsurprisingly, considering its dominance in the Summer Olympics and international sports like basketball, tennis, and golf, the US blows away the competition in absolute sporting terms, but -- spoiler alert -- the best country in relative terms across all sports and also in soccer fandom is actually Norway.
As hinted above, a major flaw with Soccernomics is that it is largely Anglocentric in its analysis of club teams and very Euro-centric in the analysis of national teams. Part of the reason behind this makes sense practically -- Europe simply has better, more reliable statistics, both for matches and general national data. Furthermore, western Europe is the center of the game's knowledge network (think about the high demand across the globe for Dutch, German, and Italian coaches). Yet it doesn't take a genius to see the flaw in examining a sport where two of its greatest teams reside in South America. That's not to say they are ignored, but it's not sufficient to explain Brazil as an outlier by simply exclaiming it so and leaving it as such.
The big exception to this flaw in the book is the examination of Lyon in considering how to beat the transfer market. To those knowledgeable about soccer, this won't surprise much. Lyon have been a dominant team in France (though Bordeaux has finally broken their stranglehold domestically), while threatening to break through in Europe despite never splashing to sign big stars. Of course their system makes perfect sense -- buy young up-and-coming players who are likely to be undervalued, sell those same players at their peaks when someone offers you more than they're worth, always have young players ready to step into their place, and remember that center forwards are usually overvalued. There's more to why Lyon is so successful, much of it having to do with the city's particular demographics and fan history.
This is the one part where the real Moneyball analysis starts coming from the authors. Not just for Lyon (and Nottingham Forest in the early 80's and Wenger's Arsenal teams) as it pertains to the transfer market, but regarding a number of factors most closely correlated with successful teams in the English League. Transfer fees or player wages? Real Madrid will not be heartened. Is a team's league position correlated to its profits? What type of municipality (capital city, industrial or provincial city, or small town) produces the best team, and which will do so in the future? Are blonds valued correctly? Against my natural inclinations, Kuper and Szymanski say to stay away.
Of course to the reader the obvious is screaming back at them - Lyon has yet to break through in Europe, and some say they never will, while Wenger's Arsenal also have not won the Champions League (and it's looking more and more like the big money injections into teams like Manchester City and Chelsea, not to mention Man U is still Man U, will keeping them from winning the Premier League as well).
The above are just some of the questions the authors look at, and there's a lot of other good nuggets in Soccernomics. The examination of the existence of racism in the English League, an economic analysis of penalty kicks, a discussion of sport's effects on suicide rates and happiness, and an intriguing look at whether most fans are actually polygamists rather than diehards (which is surprising in countries other than the US, where you'd expect a degree of polygamist soccer fans) are all fascinating topics that are less controversial than those discussed above. Of course some also have less relevance to how the game itself functions on the field (now that racism is mostly gone from team selection). And an economist might love penalty kicks, but they'll never convince a true fan that penalties are a fair way to decide a championship. (John Terry is slowly nodding in agreement.)
I highly recommend Soccernomics for anyone who wants an engrossing read about soccer or even sports analytics, but just keep it in perspective -- the beautiful game is beautiful because of samba football, Barcelona's passing, and the great drama, not because you can statistically measure why Messi was the best player in the world or Barcelona the best team. To paraphrase Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, you'll just know it when you see it.
Soccernomics is co-written by Simon Kuper, familiar to some of you as the author of the classic Soccer Against the Enemy and Ajax, the Dutch, the War: Football in Europe During the Second World War, and Stefan Szymanski, a sports economist. Apparently Kuper likes very long subtitles.
The thrust of Soccernomics is that the authors are seeking a way to understand soccer through statistical analysis in a very general and broad sense.
This basic premise raises a lot of immediate red flags. Taking directly from my friend Pat, soccer is the most continuous of sports, therefore statistical analysis will always play a less important role in soccer than in a sport like baseball. I think everyone agrees with this.
Fortunately, Soccernomics is more than just an attempt to develop a Moneyball approach to soccer (though that is a stated goal of the authors). Additionally, there is no attempt to create the soccer equivalent of baseball's sabremetrics like WHIP or VORP, which are aimed at objectively measuring and analyzing baseball players through statistics. Again, there is some of this is in the book, such as Arsene Wenger's well-known prediliction for statistically tracking his players with stats like meters run during a match, and I can even think of other useful stats like passing percentage that aren't actually discussed by the authors.
Still, Kuper and Szymanski provide some thought provoking statistical analyses. Some of their conclusions have strong merit, others are quite surprising, and still more plainly suffer from glaring deficiencies and biases. In fact, I often found myself simulaneously pointing out many problems with their analyses as I was reading and enoying the book. But my critique comes from the fact that I was so engrossed by the topic and I had very high expectations. I wanted something perfect and earth shattering -- something that would open up a whole new way of looking at soccer -- and what I got was flawed. Yet it was certainly an interesting read. Excellent at times even. But it won't be studied by legions of future team presidents and general managers.
The big caveat here is to always take an attempt at statistically analyzing soccer as a great exercises in sparking a debate, be it a barroom debate or a genuine intellectual one. That's why I liked Soccernomics, not because I'm going to start using its analysis as a way to judge the World Cup, but because I could debate some of its points and conclusions for hours with friends.
The main topic, which bookends Soccernomics, is an analysis of the performance of national teams. This analysis is based on how a particular nation should perform in terms of goal differential when taking into account the country's population, income (GDP per capita), and international experience, and the actual over- or under-performance (in goal differential) against the expected goal difference.
This is a simplistic explanation, as the formula the authors use involves giving each criteria a particular weight and taking into account home field. For example, home field boosts expected goal differential a certain amount, as would be expected, though it does less so in Europe than it does elsewhere across the globe. Not earth shattering on its own (homefield certainly means more to the bag-o-piss throwing Central Americans than it does the Swiss or Italians). Similarly, being twice as rich or twice as large in population correlates to a country having a certaing degree greater expected goal differential.
Some of this leads to surprising results, though when you think about it maybe it shouldn't be so surprising. Given England's small relative size they actually over-perform against the expected results. The problem of course is the public's expectations and the "conventional wisdom," which is based largely on the historical sense of England as the mother of the sport and therefore center of the soccer universe, including the English League.
There are other factors to take into account of course. In a very interesting review of the Three Lions's roster over a number of years, it seems that only about 15% of the players came from "middle class" upbringings rather than lower class, whereas the English population as a whole certainly has a greater percentage of middle class -- the implication being that England inherently limits the pool of potential young boys who have a chance of becoming the next Wayne Rooney or Steven Gerrard. Somewhat reminiscent of the discovery in Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers that Canadian hockey players benefit from being born in the early months of the year.
Despite discrediting the idea that England is an under-performer (and a few other nuggets of conventional wisdom), the authors don't take similar detail in examining other countries. They look at the data and point out some of the surprising results - other classic "underachievers" who are actually overachievers include Spain and Portugal (consider Portugal's small size, population, and GDP per capita and it's quite amazing they are so good and produce some of the best players of all-time, going back from Eusebio to Figo to C. Ronaldo). Shockingly, unified Germany and Italy are slight underachievers!
Sometimes the mere difference is that when it comes down to it, Italy and Germany might struggle through qualification, but they win when it matters. This is a big flaw of course in pure statistical analysis, because looking at win percentage and expected v. actual goal differential doesn't take into account the fact that even though a unified Germany should be winning more games at a slightly greater goal difference, the games they nonetheless won were World Cup semi-finals, not friendlies against England.
Still, you'll like looking at the lists of overachievers -- a surprising team is number one, and Armenia are big time overachievers! -- and underachievers. The list of underachievers includes one huge nation that I think we can all guess.
To the authors' credit, they inject a degree of common sense when looking at some of the numbers to determine who the best overachieving nation is (excluding Brazil, who is not only expected to do great but also overperforms!) and who is the relative worst nation. For instance, Honduras is a great overperformer, but they face much weaker competition regularly than European teams. Unfortuantely, because there's so much data here to mine through for the authors, they don't always keep everything straight. It made sense when I was reading it, but looking back it's a little confusing to compare and figure what exactly went into the "overperformers" rankings versus the "overachievers" rankings and how they are constantly breaking out tables comparing just the top European teams. Nonetheless, the great overachiever, and someday a threat to the world order of the sport is probably not the country most people would have predicted, especially considering its political, um, instability.
Another analysis I greatly enjoyed was a look at which country was the most soccer mad (this analysis in particular is very interesting, but involves huge caveats, particularly limited to just Europe due to availability of accurate and reliable data) and which country per capita is the greatest sporting nation. Unsurprisingly, considering its dominance in the Summer Olympics and international sports like basketball, tennis, and golf, the US blows away the competition in absolute sporting terms, but -- spoiler alert -- the best country in relative terms across all sports and also in soccer fandom is actually Norway.
As hinted above, a major flaw with Soccernomics is that it is largely Anglocentric in its analysis of club teams and very Euro-centric in the analysis of national teams. Part of the reason behind this makes sense practically -- Europe simply has better, more reliable statistics, both for matches and general national data. Furthermore, western Europe is the center of the game's knowledge network (think about the high demand across the globe for Dutch, German, and Italian coaches). Yet it doesn't take a genius to see the flaw in examining a sport where two of its greatest teams reside in South America. That's not to say they are ignored, but it's not sufficient to explain Brazil as an outlier by simply exclaiming it so and leaving it as such.
The big exception to this flaw in the book is the examination of Lyon in considering how to beat the transfer market. To those knowledgeable about soccer, this won't surprise much. Lyon have been a dominant team in France (though Bordeaux has finally broken their stranglehold domestically), while threatening to break through in Europe despite never splashing to sign big stars. Of course their system makes perfect sense -- buy young up-and-coming players who are likely to be undervalued, sell those same players at their peaks when someone offers you more than they're worth, always have young players ready to step into their place, and remember that center forwards are usually overvalued. There's more to why Lyon is so successful, much of it having to do with the city's particular demographics and fan history.
This is the one part where the real Moneyball analysis starts coming from the authors. Not just for Lyon (and Nottingham Forest in the early 80's and Wenger's Arsenal teams) as it pertains to the transfer market, but regarding a number of factors most closely correlated with successful teams in the English League. Transfer fees or player wages? Real Madrid will not be heartened. Is a team's league position correlated to its profits? What type of municipality (capital city, industrial or provincial city, or small town) produces the best team, and which will do so in the future? Are blonds valued correctly? Against my natural inclinations, Kuper and Szymanski say to stay away.
Of course to the reader the obvious is screaming back at them - Lyon has yet to break through in Europe, and some say they never will, while Wenger's Arsenal also have not won the Champions League (and it's looking more and more like the big money injections into teams like Manchester City and Chelsea, not to mention Man U is still Man U, will keeping them from winning the Premier League as well).
The above are just some of the questions the authors look at, and there's a lot of other good nuggets in Soccernomics. The examination of the existence of racism in the English League, an economic analysis of penalty kicks, a discussion of sport's effects on suicide rates and happiness, and an intriguing look at whether most fans are actually polygamists rather than diehards (which is surprising in countries other than the US, where you'd expect a degree of polygamist soccer fans) are all fascinating topics that are less controversial than those discussed above. Of course some also have less relevance to how the game itself functions on the field (now that racism is mostly gone from team selection). And an economist might love penalty kicks, but they'll never convince a true fan that penalties are a fair way to decide a championship. (John Terry is slowly nodding in agreement.)
I highly recommend Soccernomics for anyone who wants an engrossing read about soccer or even sports analytics, but just keep it in perspective -- the beautiful game is beautiful because of samba football, Barcelona's passing, and the great drama, not because you can statistically measure why Messi was the best player in the world or Barcelona the best team. To paraphrase Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart, you'll just know it when you see it.
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Barca Among Greatest Ever Teams
Today Barcelona beat North American champions Atlante 3-1 in Abu Dhabi in the Club World Cup. Barca already had a historic season, becoming the first Spanish team to win the treble last year (La Liga, Copa del Rey, UEFA Champions League). But they just continue to win everything imaginable, simply leaving all in their wake.
At one point in 2009, after winning the Football League Cup, a.k.a. the Carling Cup, Manchester United were the holders of five trophies - the reigning champions of the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Community Shield, Club World Cup, and lastly the League Cup.
Well, Barca looks like they'll do Man U one better. The Club World Cup final has yet to be played, and I'll be on vacation when it happens, but if the the blaugrana win they will hold six championships: La Liga, UEFA Champions League, Copa del Rey, Spanish Supercup, European Supercup, and the Club World Cup.
Read that again. Just ridiculous.
And it will have all happened in one season proper (with the Supercups and Club World Cup following the previous season because they use the champions from the previous year). Yes Man U held their five trophies at once, but their League Cup title was really in the cycle for the following year.
Equally amazing, in scoring today, Pedro became the first person ever to score in six competitions in the same season. And I barely even knew of him last season.
With youngsters like Pedro, Bojan Krkic, Sergi Busquets, a 22 year old named Leo Messi , and 22 year old Gerard Piqué and 23 year old Dmytro Chygrynskiy in defense, not to mention that players like Andrés Iniesta and Dani Alves are only 25 and 26 respectively, they seem pretty nicely set to dominate for quite some time.
(For comparison at Real Madrid, Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuaín, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, Fernando Gago, Marcelo, Raul Albiol, and Lass Diara are all 24 or younger. Which set of under 25s would you take, meaning excluding Iniesta (otherwise it would've been an absolute no brainer to me that you pick Barca)? Tougher than one would think when you consider the general notion that Barca breeds their players from youth and Real Madrid sign up stars in their primes or just entering them.)
At one point in 2009, after winning the Football League Cup, a.k.a. the Carling Cup, Manchester United were the holders of five trophies - the reigning champions of the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, Community Shield, Club World Cup, and lastly the League Cup.
Well, Barca looks like they'll do Man U one better. The Club World Cup final has yet to be played, and I'll be on vacation when it happens, but if the the blaugrana win they will hold six championships: La Liga, UEFA Champions League, Copa del Rey, Spanish Supercup, European Supercup, and the Club World Cup.
Read that again. Just ridiculous.
And it will have all happened in one season proper (with the Supercups and Club World Cup following the previous season because they use the champions from the previous year). Yes Man U held their five trophies at once, but their League Cup title was really in the cycle for the following year.
Equally amazing, in scoring today, Pedro became the first person ever to score in six competitions in the same season. And I barely even knew of him last season.
With youngsters like Pedro, Bojan Krkic, Sergi Busquets, a 22 year old named Leo Messi , and 22 year old Gerard Piqué and 23 year old Dmytro Chygrynskiy in defense, not to mention that players like Andrés Iniesta and Dani Alves are only 25 and 26 respectively, they seem pretty nicely set to dominate for quite some time.
(For comparison at Real Madrid, Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuaín, Sergio Ramos, Karim Benzema, Fernando Gago, Marcelo, Raul Albiol, and Lass Diara are all 24 or younger. Which set of under 25s would you take, meaning excluding Iniesta (otherwise it would've been an absolute no brainer to me that you pick Barca)? Tougher than one would think when you consider the general notion that Barca breeds their players from youth and Real Madrid sign up stars in their primes or just entering them.)
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Champions League Group Stage Results
The group stages are done in the UEFA Champions League, here is the list of teams advancing:
Group A: Bordeaux, Bayern Munich
Group B: Manchester United, CSKA Moscow
Group C: Real Madrid, AC Milan
Group D: Chelsea, FC Porto
Group E: Fiorentina, Lyon
Group F: Barcelona, Inter Milan
Group G: Sevilla FC, VfB Stuttgart
Group H: Arsenal, Olympiakos
For those of you scoring at home, the teams break down as follows: 3 English, 3 Italian, 3 Spanish, 2 French, 2 German, 1 Russian, 1 Greek, 1 Portuguese, 0 massive surprises.
Yes there were maybe two or three small surprises. Fiorentina finished tops over Lyon and Liverpool, which was a surprise. But you'd have to be naive to have thought going in that Liverpool was a shoe-in to advance. They were so obviously flawed, and Fiorentina is better than most people realized.
Bordeaux advancing rather than Juve is also a small surprise, but under their current situation, again it's not a big surprise that Juve was knocked out. A good Europa run could be good for them. However, it was a bit of a shock to see them capitulate at home to Bayern. This blog on ESPN said it wasn't a surprise, and even I warned that Bayern could be finding form. And considering Bayern's firepower, a victory surely wasn't shocking.
However, I would like to point out, purely because I like pointing out blatantly absurd things, that the previously linked blog based the idea that it wasn't a surprise victory on the theory that the Castrol Index Rankings of footballers foretold that Bayern was far more talented than Juve. These "rankings" are laughable at best. All you need to see is the number one player - Thierry Henry. That's right. Apparently hand balls are the triple word score here. I didn't even bother with checking out how the rankings are devised other than seeing that it's supposedly based on how they actually perform in-game because I could pull names out of a hat and do better. Rafa Marquez is tied for #5. I almost puked. Luca Toni at #10?? He doesn't even play and Bayern is just dying to offload him. OK, granted some ratings are right (Messi and Ronaldo at #2 and 3). But then Gigi Buffon is ranked #163? That puts him tied for 10th in Italy among goalkeepers. Are there even 10, no 5 keepers in the world better than him right now? Anyhow...
OK, back to the whole no surprises point. So there are really two, maybe three teams here that you'd normally be surprised to see. Olympiakos stands out, but they were in the pee-wee group compared to the Barca-Inter-Dynamo and Juve-Bayern-Bordeaux groups of death. The only surprise remaining is seeing CSKA advance above the German champs, VfL Wolfsburg. Spanish apologists will be disappointed Atlético Madrid didn't advance, but then again they've sucked balls this year.
On the winning side, I was encouraged by Man U beating Wolfsburg at the Volkswagen Arena despite lacking a starting defense and playing a team of might mites. Still, Michael Owen scores a hat-trick and everyone in England suddenly wets themselves thinking they could have a second striker to use in South Africa. I will say I've been impressed with Gabriel Obertan even though he's been used mostly as a substitute. If they were somehow to prise Edin Dzeko away from Wolfsburg and preferred destination Milan, they could be formidable next year with young developing wingers like Obertan and Antonio Valencia, Wayne Rooney, and other youngsters Macheda, Walbeck, and Gibson down the pipeline. Center midfield reinforcements still needed though.
Finally, a shout out to David Moyes for getting Landon Donovan on a two-month loan for injury plagued Everton. Hopefully Donovan will get a fair shake with the Toffees and we may even see him play against some of the aforementioned Champions League failures in the Europa League. Good luck LD.
Group A: Bordeaux, Bayern Munich
Group B: Manchester United, CSKA Moscow
Group C: Real Madrid, AC Milan
Group D: Chelsea, FC Porto
Group E: Fiorentina, Lyon
Group F: Barcelona, Inter Milan
Group G: Sevilla FC, VfB Stuttgart
Group H: Arsenal, Olympiakos
For those of you scoring at home, the teams break down as follows: 3 English, 3 Italian, 3 Spanish, 2 French, 2 German, 1 Russian, 1 Greek, 1 Portuguese, 0 massive surprises.
Yes there were maybe two or three small surprises. Fiorentina finished tops over Lyon and Liverpool, which was a surprise. But you'd have to be naive to have thought going in that Liverpool was a shoe-in to advance. They were so obviously flawed, and Fiorentina is better than most people realized.
Bordeaux advancing rather than Juve is also a small surprise, but under their current situation, again it's not a big surprise that Juve was knocked out. A good Europa run could be good for them. However, it was a bit of a shock to see them capitulate at home to Bayern. This blog on ESPN said it wasn't a surprise, and even I warned that Bayern could be finding form. And considering Bayern's firepower, a victory surely wasn't shocking.
However, I would like to point out, purely because I like pointing out blatantly absurd things, that the previously linked blog based the idea that it wasn't a surprise victory on the theory that the Castrol Index Rankings of footballers foretold that Bayern was far more talented than Juve. These "rankings" are laughable at best. All you need to see is the number one player - Thierry Henry. That's right. Apparently hand balls are the triple word score here. I didn't even bother with checking out how the rankings are devised other than seeing that it's supposedly based on how they actually perform in-game because I could pull names out of a hat and do better. Rafa Marquez is tied for #5. I almost puked. Luca Toni at #10?? He doesn't even play and Bayern is just dying to offload him. OK, granted some ratings are right (Messi and Ronaldo at #2 and 3). But then Gigi Buffon is ranked #163? That puts him tied for 10th in Italy among goalkeepers. Are there even 10, no 5 keepers in the world better than him right now? Anyhow...
OK, back to the whole no surprises point. So there are really two, maybe three teams here that you'd normally be surprised to see. Olympiakos stands out, but they were in the pee-wee group compared to the Barca-Inter-Dynamo and Juve-Bayern-Bordeaux groups of death. The only surprise remaining is seeing CSKA advance above the German champs, VfL Wolfsburg. Spanish apologists will be disappointed Atlético Madrid didn't advance, but then again they've sucked balls this year.
On the winning side, I was encouraged by Man U beating Wolfsburg at the Volkswagen Arena despite lacking a starting defense and playing a team of might mites. Still, Michael Owen scores a hat-trick and everyone in England suddenly wets themselves thinking they could have a second striker to use in South Africa. I will say I've been impressed with Gabriel Obertan even though he's been used mostly as a substitute. If they were somehow to prise Edin Dzeko away from Wolfsburg and preferred destination Milan, they could be formidable next year with young developing wingers like Obertan and Antonio Valencia, Wayne Rooney, and other youngsters Macheda, Walbeck, and Gibson down the pipeline. Center midfield reinforcements still needed though.
Finally, a shout out to David Moyes for getting Landon Donovan on a two-month loan for injury plagued Everton. Hopefully Donovan will get a fair shake with the Toffees and we may even see him play against some of the aforementioned Champions League failures in the Europa League. Good luck LD.
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