The Favorites Knocked Out

I’m going to perform a little exercise in which I write about and quote analysis on two teams that were upset Wednesday despite being heavy favorites to win their respective championships in two different sports. (No cheating and peeking at the footnotes to see which quotes refer to whom.)

One team was supposed to be all conquering, an attacking powerhouse. “They scored goals in bunches, sometimes seemingly at will.”¹ On the other hand, the opposition was tactically astute and dedicated to defense. They “provided a steady dam in front.”²

The more skilled team forced the attack, controlling possession in the offensive zone. Yet, “tactics became less important than focus - which in itself makes up a lot of the scope which you prepare tactics for - and heart, of which the [opposition] showed a lot.”³

“The home side were frustrated in their attempts to find a direct channel, as they managed to do very late.”⁴ All the brilliant defending from the opposition denied space and sight lines on goal. The vaunted attack “never had a real chance to up the tempo and to accelerate, as they like to do, because there was simply no room to do that.”⁵

In the end, all the dirty work by the opposition won they day, surely disappointing neutral fans hoping for the home side, containing the most exciting player in his sport, to win and advance.  Instead, they are at home licking their wounds. Once again it was proven that “defensive courage, in sufficient quantity, can negate a good offense.”⁶ When a team coordinates its defense so well, you “can find ways to take away one star scorer and hope that the pressure to score will shift to lesser stars,”⁷ who are not up to the task.

Quite simply, “The more spectacular, brilliant side were stifled over two games, and the more consistent, aggressive, determined team went through.”⁸

Importantly, the opposition was more prepared to expose and take advantage of the favored team’s deficiencies. For all the excitement over the course of the season that they exhibited, the loss “showed that their fluid attacking style has weaknesses.”⁹

First and foremost, the defense was not as strong as necessary. Cavalier “defenders” attacked forward, pinching up the sides and exposing the team and its goalie to counters and breaks where the defensive gaps now existed in behind.

The opposition duly took advantage, scoring the crucial goals to put them through.

Second, when the attacking team’s fluid passing and dynamic movement were clogged by a barricade of defenders, “they lack a Plan B. It is a criticism that has often followed the great attacking sides in the game, especially those who remain faithful to one particular style of play.”¹⁰


It’s obviously frustrating as the team so used to scoring when it wants or needs to can’t find the opening to do so, “and you get a little more unnerved because you are not used to that adversity of not being able to score.”¹¹

Despite all the claims of how defense trumps, it's sometimes forgotten that attacking teams have won in the past, including last year. Of course those teams remained fairly sturdy in back, often with the help of some timely saves from the goalie. But the true benchmark of greatness is that “sides need to be adaptable and when a bus is parked in front of goal, they need to find a way past it.”¹²

Doesn’t matter if it’s a deflected shot or a crossing pass that somehow gets hammered home from a scrum in front of the goal. You just need to find that way, and unfortunately this team continued to slickly pass their way and fire through the wall, and were seemingly incapable of having someone crash the goalmouth area to truly trouble the defense.

The coach certainly takes some of the blame. From the losing side, it was clear that, “He's a master of attack but clearly no mastermind of postseason psychology or tactics.”¹³ On the opposite bench, a superior tactician played upon weaknesses and rightfully advanced.

Though unfavored and not the “sexy” team, the opposition “must take credit for holding off their opponents with a defensive display that [they] can be proud of.”¹⁴ It was a win earned and deserved.

...
Footnotes:
1. Barry Svrluga, "Montreal's stunning upset of Washington ends Capitals' season much sooner than anyone expected," Washington Post, April 29, 2010, A01.
2, 3, 4, 5, 8. Roberto Gotta, "Inter wall stands firm," ESPNsoccernet, http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=778861&sec=uefachampionsleague&root=uefachampionsleague&cc=5901, April 28, 2010.
6, 7, 11, 13. Thomas Boswell, “Washington Capitals are built for the regular season and they are punished for it in the Stanley Cup playoffs,” Washington Post, April 30, 2010, D01.
9, 10, 12, 14. Jon Carter, "Barca in need of a Plan B," ESPNsoccernet, http://blogs.soccernet.com/soccernetcomments/archives/2010/04/barca_in_need_of_a_plan_b.php, April 28, 2010.

USA, World Cup Readings

Before getting to the Champions League Final pairing of Bayern Munich and Inter Milan at another date, here are some links and discussion of some reading on the US team and the World Cup to be found on ESPN Soccernet and elsewhere.

They’ve been running a series of features, one series called “World Cup 101 – 101 features in 101 days.”

ESPN’s been using a lot of statistical analysis in its pieces, such as today’s piece on the percentage likelihood of each team’s advancement from the USA-England group.

Maybe what surprised me the most from the article was finding out that according to ESPN’s Soccer Power Index (SPI), the US has the 9th rated attack, whereas only the 34th rated defense. I’m pretty sure it would take you all of 1.2 seconds to name 10 teams with better attacks than the US. I don't even need to list them.

The weaker defense however actually shouldn’t be too surprising. Aside from goalie, the left back spot is always shaky, while injuries and inconsistency among the center back pairings haven’t helped either.

Still, some of the statistical analyses can be interesting, such as an examination of how the goals per game in the European leagues the year of a World Cup predict an increase or decrease in goals per game during the World Cup from previous years. (This year… look for more goal scoring than in past low years, but nothing close to historical highs. Old school defending just not exactly high quality.) Other articles range from highlighting players that could see a post-World Cup boost in transfer value, and why the cooler weather could lead to a more exciting Cup.

Another interesting series of reads has been a best XI of position players. Always fodder to argue who the top 11 attacking or defensive midfielders have been.

Lastly, as time is running out for players to make their way onto the World Cup, there are a few questionable spots left on the potential US roster and there have been a variety of articles from experts on those who are in or out. Unfortunately there aren’t many forwards worthy of being in.

If there was something close to a consensus on the roster, it would look like this:

Goalkeeper (3): Tim Howard, Marcus Hahnemann, Brad Guzan
Defense (8): Jonathan Spector, Steve Cherundolo, Oguchi Onyewu, Carlos Bocanegra, Jay DeMerit, Clarence Goodson, Jonathan Bornstein , Heath Pearce
Midfield (9): Clint Dempsey, Stuart Holden, Michael Bradley, Ricardo Clark, Maurice Edu, Benny Feilhaber Landon Donovan, Jose Torres, Alejandro Bedoya
Forwards (3): Jozy Altidore and two of Brian Ching, Herculez Gomes, Charlie Davies or Edson Buddle

As you can see, picking Bedoya as the midfield wild card over DaMarcus Beasley is the only non-forward tough choice, and even then that spot is available only because Robbie Rogers hasn’t improved and there’s room for an extra midfielder because Dempsey and Donovan can play up top. I won’t presume between picking the forwards because there’s still a lot to be seen in terms of Ching’s and Davies’ injury recoveries.

Also, I’d like to remind everyone clamoring for Gomez, who was joint top scoring in the Mexican first division, that he was the top scorer in the Mexican first division, not exactly the Serie A of tactical defenses. Nonetheless I’d still take him because he’s on form and confident, something in short supply in the US camp. Here’s where I start praying that Davies can return to a semblance of his former self…

Glad to Be a Soccer Sports Bigamist

Those of you who read ESPN's Bill Simmons, aka the Sports Guy, are probably well aware of a few of his well-know rules for being a true sports fan. One of those rules, one that often goes without saying, is the prohibition against sports bigamy.

However, being a soccer fan, particularly one in the United States, presents a much different situation than your typical NFL, NBA, or NHL fan.  I have a favorite team in those sports, and I will only root for that one team for the entirety of my life. 

But how is soccer different?  For one, MLS only began play 14 years ago.  So prior to that time, allegiances had to lie elsewhere, and as the league was still in fledgling stages, those allegiances remained and kept building.  And as a fan with no other inherent alliances or ties to particular European teams, like many other US soccer fans I suspect I found myself attracted to teams for various reasons, such as cheering for a favorite player (say Roberto Baggio) or a team that plays an attractive style.  Additionally, Champions League aside, the major European leagues offered separate leagues where one could develop multiple allegiances.

So, not being Italian, Spanish or English, with no natural ties to any teams there, I believe it only natural that I find myself cheering for particular teams within each league.  Never multiple teams within a league, but multiple teams across leagues.

But then again, being a US fan presents another wrinkle to this issue.  Like most US fans, I want to see Americans playing in Europe do well, which includes cheering for their teams to do well.  I'm not a Fulham fan, but I root for Clint Demspey and Fulham to win every weekend except when they take on Manchester United.  I don't see anything wrong in this.

To some degree it's not even that I'm a true fan of those teams.  In La Liga I root for Barcelona because I enjoy watching the best soccer on the planet and for whatever reason I disliked all the US fans of Real Madrid who rooted for them just because they had won the most titles. But I'm not really a true Barcelona fan. I'm just a fan of watching Xavi find the unseen angle and Mess perform the unbelievable.

Here's the point of this whole argument.  As a US fan in a time where you can watch soccer from all over the world and circumstances led to fan allegiances with foreign teams, while also having a local MLS team to root for, days like this past Saturday become much more bearable, enjoying, and ultimately fulfilling.

My home team DC United lost yet again, 2-0 at home, falling to 0-4.  It's pretty clear that they are the worst team in MLS, quite a dubious distinction.  It's one thing to root for a middling MLS team, but when your favorite team is this bad, you start questioning the proper outlay of your money.

But that aforementioned soccer bigamy at least gave me a chance to enjoy some good soccer with a vested interest as a fan.  It's one thing to enjoy an exciting Manchester Derby, and marvel at the Ginger Prince securing a second dramatic, extra-time winner against Man City this season.  It's all the better to have a vested rooting interest in seeing the Red Devils pull one out at the death once again.

After that, not to mention knowing that Chelsea's loss left the title race wide open again, everything that was going to happen at RFK stadium could only be gravy.  Sure, watching a team whose only bright spot is a 17 year old academy graduate (I'm already excited about the future of Andy Najar) is slightly depressing.  But that comes with being a fan, and being a US soccer fan, a fully-admitted soccer bigamist, gives me even more to root for.  The good or the bad, I'm still a fan and the more to indulge myself in the better.  I wouldn't have it any other way.

This Guy You Might Have Heard Of, He's Pretty Decent

I suppose you might have heard about this diminutive forward/winger Lionel Messi.  You might also have heard he's not a half-bad player.

Well, as if there was some debate about who is the best player in the world, the Leo Messi Show yesterday against Arsenal erases any doubt:



Which of the four was the best?  Can you even choose?  The chipped finish to complete the hat trick was fantastic, while the run leading to the fourth was equally good.  No point in even choosing, just marvel.

The ironic thing is that the 4-1 scoreline doesn't reflect the fact that as a team, Barca were not as dominating as when they played Arsenal off the pitch during the first 60 minutes of last weeks match at the Emirates. Xavi was still commanding and impeccable, challenging those who believe, like Wayne Rooney, that Andrés Iniesta is Barca's best midfielder and best player.

What mattered on this day was that Messi not only single-handedly played Arsenal off the pitch and out of the Champions League, but played himself off the pitch where the mere mortals of football reside and ever closer to that realm of greatness that only a select few reside, the Peles, Maradonas, and Zidanes.  Messi still needs to lead Argentina to a World Cup title before I place him alongside those greats, and at 22 he has another decade at least of great football left in him (knocking on wood...).  I've been similarly awe-struck by performances from Cristiano Ronaldo in the recent past, and it's on the grandest stage that their legends must really be made.

But, as Ray Hudson would say, Messi's magisterial goals are already becoming the stuff of legends.  His speed and quick feet, quick thinking and surprising strength on the ball, combined with deadly shooting accuracy, make it almost impossible to stop him when he wants to score.

Arsene Wenger is a lover of the beautiful game, and he'd rather lose trying to emulate Barcelona's flowing, silky passing attack, than win it all by playing catenaccio.  So no matter how upset he may be at staring a fifth consecutive trophy-less season in the face, the Proffesor in Wenger who is devoted to the aesthetics of football could not help but be effervescent inside with awe and veneration at the display of extraordinary footballing grace and power before him.

There is something mythical, almost supernatural, in watching Messi at the Camp Nou, where 98,000 people, visiting fans included, are so joyous at watching Messi's craft, wanting more without really knowing how it can be done, only for the young Argentine to find new ways to amaze.  The reverence showed by the fans upon the latest act in this wonder-show just further the sense that Messi has reached heights beyond any other footballer of his generation.

With each passing moment the world's itch to see Messi replicate his club performances for his country, to truly duplicate Maradona's World Cup winning heroics, grows deeper and deeper.  Can Maradona himself find a way to bring that out of Messi in South Africa?  I can certainly dream.

Thoughts From Lot 8

This winter was one of the worst in recent memory in DC, with record breaking snow falls. But this weekend finally brought with it not just long-desired spring weather (some would say early summer weather), but a chance to exalt in the hope of a new season and to celebrate those new beginnings with fellow revelers in some quality tailgating.

One problem though was that with all that snow from this winter, it had to be dumped somewhere. DC couln't just plow it normally or the snow banks and piles would have made transportation, in all forms, virtually impossible (as it was it was a disaster anyway). So where else to dump it, lot 8 at RFK Stadium of course.

The snow may have long melted away, but the ravaging effects of the elements took its toll. More than half the lot consisted of gigantic craters, rubble, and dirt. Thankfully the access road was repaired and they even completely re-paved the portion of the lot closest to the tunnel heading to lot 5 and the stadium gates.

Just that little bit of open, available space was enough for the previously mentioned revelry. And the DC United crowd made sure to enjoy the day in large numbers. A crowd of over 20,000 enjoyed the pre-game festivities and continued through the game’s opening whistle, thanks in part due to the reappearance of the El Salvadoran support back in the fold after the acquisition of winger Christian Castillo.

Hoping to forget opening game humiliation at Kansas City, the DC United crowd was vociferous and lively, as they usually are. DC United responded with good possession, but few good chances. Like a tailgater who starts early, enjoys sun and drink, only to peter off and lose momentum as the night wears on, drained from the day’s toll, so too did it seem like United must have been enjoying the early fun in the sun. Their early possession failed to produce the opening goal the team desperately needs, and as the game’s paced slowed to visiting New England’s liking in the second half, the Revolution put away its late chances to steal a road victory.

Is this a portent of the season to come, or a slow start for a team trying to fit together significant new pieces? It’s taken all of two games to dash all of my optimism about the season. DC isn’t as bad as six goals against and nil for, but I can see another year of playoff hopes coming down to the final weekends. I hope I’m wrong. I hope Danny Allsopp gives DC that extra bit of threat up top and that a summer signing can come and provide some midfield creativity and control.

In the meantime, I’ll have to remember to get to lot 8 a little earlier than usual to get one of the available spots. You never know in DC when the weather will turn.

Barcelona-Arsenal 2-2 Mauling Highlights

If you have18 minutes to kill, you need to watch the highlights of yesterday's amazing Barcelona-Arsenal match.  It was the biggest 2-2 thrashing you'll ever see. 




Quite an amazing result indeed.  Barca should have killed the match beyond any doubt before Arsenal got back in the game.  You'd have to think the tie is beyond Arsenal anyway with the two away goals and considering how the utter dominance of Barca's attacking will translate at home.  On top of all that, Arsenal's best player, Cesc Fabregas, will miss out on a return home.  But with both Pique and Puyol also out suspended (was the Puyol call the right call? Eh, I can go either way on it), it will be an intriguing match, even if Arsenal should really fear the worst (Messi wasn't nearly as devastating as he can be).  Barcelona's magical, beautiful passing is what all teams should aspire too and if they go on like this, who's to stop them?  Appointment viewing.

Manchester (and England) Wait with Baited Breath

If there was a piece of injury news that could completely overshadow Bayern turning the tables on Manchester United with a late injury time winner, it was the one piece of news a city and nation feared most. Wayne Rooney, injured.

Part of a double blow, Rooney awkwardly injured his ankle while the ball was taken in the other direction, eventually leading to the game winning goal after Ivica Olic ghosted behind Patrice Evra to steal the ball and slot home.  As Olic and the Münchner celebrated wildly, Rooney had to be carried off the field, unable to put any pressure on his foot.

Let's get the game out of the way.  Bayern were better and deserved to win.  Even with key midfielders Arjen Robben and Bastien Schweinsteiger out injured, Bayern controlled the play and probably should have scored more but for some great saves by Edwin van der Saar and some bad misses by the German side.  Man U also threatened on the break, and leaving the Allianz Arena down 2-1 with an away goal in the pocket is nothing to be ashamed of.

The manner of the loss will certainly hurt for the Mancunians. Ribery's goal took a wicked deflection off Rooney, though the key of play was Bayern's man in the middle of the wall.  Most people are focusing on the bad luck suffered by Rooney on the play, but it showed why attacking teams try to put players in the wall (or at the end of it at least).  The Bayern player peeled out, allowing enough space for the ball to squeeze past the Man U bodies and hit Rooney's legs behind him as he jumped and turned.  Without the Bayern man there, maybe there's another Man U player in his spot or Rooney is tighter and the shot never gets through or the block is more solid and the ball goes wide.

When plays like that go in your favor, maybe the football gods are smiling upon you.

If more evidence of said favor was needed, the final play sealed the deal.  Nemanja Vidic did well to tackle Gomez, bringing him down while the ball bounced ahead toward Evra, who was running back to goal at an angle to cut off Gomez's run.  As anyone who's been caught like that by a unsuspecting deflected ball, when you weren't prepared, knows it isn't so easy to deal with. Furthermore, the deflection off Vidic played the ball slightly behind Evra, so he was immediately put in a bad position.  But he was still lackadaisical in trying to stop his momentum and either control the ball safely or clear it, and unaware of Olic's position, the Bayern attacker stole in easily and finished calmly past van der Saar.

Back to the big news, Rooney's injury.  So far reports indicate a layoff of about 2-4 weeks.  Surely enough time to heal for the World Cup but devastating for Man U's season, what with the top of the table clash against Chelsea this weekend and the return match against Bayern next.  Even if it's not bad, surely every step and tackle will be closely watched by the England faithful.  Could Rooney be on the verge of being overworked and burnt out? A twisted ankle is very susceptible to re-injury if not properly healed and strengthened 100%, so how he's used by Sir Alex upon his return will have Fabio Capello up nights.

Man U will claim they can still win without Rooney, as evidenced by their weekend victory over Bolton.  But let's get real, the Wanderers and Chelsea are two entirely difference propositions.  I have my doubts.

From a broader view, the match showed that Man U are overly reliant on Rooney and lack a superior attacking presence in the center of midfield.  I'm as big an admirer of Darren Fletcher as there can be, but the Red Devils need to add some attacking flair to support his all-around industry.  The results have proven how invaluable Fletcher is to the Man U cause, particularly by looking at those big matches when he's been unavailable.  But the aging Paul Scholes (or Giggs when played there), the passive Michael Carrick, or the disappointing youngster Anderson are not going to cut it when it comes to teams with superior midfield possession and attacking instincts.  They've performed up to the task on many an occasion, but not consistently and dominant enough when against the big teams, and one senses that is where Man U falls short.

With Rooney potentially sidelined for a key stretch of the season, Man U's lack of striking options will also be tested.  Berbatov is not a prolific scorer, and one laughs at the thought of going into the season relying on Michael Owen to stay fit and contribute as the third striker (though will anyone say the free signing wasn't worth it for his last gasp winner in the Manchester Derby alone?  I think not).  Meanwhile, the stable of youngsters waiting in the wings have yet to step up and hold down a first team place.

Then again, Man U is not the only team overly reliant on Wayne Rooney, and you can make that two countries that will be waiting intently for injury updates on the golden ankle.

The Elite Eight and MLS Opening Weekend

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.

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.

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:

Dempsey v Juventus

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 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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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...

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...