In the past few weeks, we've seen the league flush with a variety of kick-outs, thrown elbows and various dirty tactics by some very high profile players (Rooney, Ronaldo, Ballack to name a few) and while hard-line tactics have been a part of the game forever, if the NFL can retroactively ban a player or fine a player for hits that he didn't even get flagged for in the match, I don't see why the FA should act any differently. Just because a referee caught in the match couldn't see a dirty trick 40m away doesn't mean it should go unpunished. Here are the Rooney transgressions:
At 5.50 in the video
And then the Ronaldo kicks
http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/1902679/ (Yeah HTML FAIL)
This is within the last couple weeks, and those are 5 card, and most red-card, worthy challenges. Players do get caught up in the moment, but at the end of the day, cheap shots like this should not be tolerated. The fact that two young star players on Manchester United have done most of it isn't too surprising. They feel invincible and invulnerable. Both of them had these transgressions when they lost possession or were beat in some way. Basically, when things don't roll their way, they'll lash out like petulant children and expect the world to look the other way. Unfortunately, they are looking the other way, and these two, as well as other superstars, are going to keep getting the superstar treatment and lashing out. Suspend Rooney for a couple games, and sure Ferguson will raise hell, but what power does he really have. He can't secede into another league, he can't sue them for suspending a player for cheap shots and really all he do is make a lot of noise. And that should be nothing new for the FA. I personally would have given Rooney a five match ban for his near elbow. He was clearly trying to take the poor defender's head off there, and had he connected, we'd be looking at a broken nose. So, save the next defender's face, and ban players who are clearly caught throwing dirty moves and fouls after the fact. Sure the clubs will complain, but if you want to keep the beautiful game beautiful, there's no other way.
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Friday, December 19, 2008
Messi: Diver or Victim?
Much has been made of the recent brutality in El Clasico this past weekend. On the receiving end of this was, unsurprisingly, Leo Messi. You could easily make a case that Messi is the best player in the world, but even easier, you could make a case that he is by no means the strongest. At 5'6" and wire-thin, it's somewhat odd that thug tactics aren't used more often against him. Here are the fouls:
Now, I'd say many of those were hard fouls, and maybe a couple were a tad dirty, but to be fair, I just don't think any of this is deliberately malicious. This was just hard football. Messi did act up quite a bit, but to be fair, you try running at full speed and getting a cleat to the calf. And his resiliency was shown by his late goal and his refusal to be taken out of the game. Overall, you'd have to say that was a painful but effective performance for Messi. He got a goal, had the defense completely focused on him and had his archrivals rack up 6 yellow cards in the process. And did I mention Barca won?
While I think Messi gave a decent performance, what is perplexing is the public outrage that followed the match. These weren't Wayne Rooney Tackles:
What happened was a team sent its big guys to bully a diminutive finesse player (have these journalists watched an Arsenal game this season?) and used up all their yellow cards, and the official's goodwill, in the process. This is like saying an intentional foul in basketball is poor sportsmanship. You have a foul to give up, it could be advantageous to take that foul now, and so you commit a foul. Obviously, no one wants to see a repeat of the Eduardo injury (or the countless others like it) but those can happen on any number of tackles, clean and dirty, not to mention with no one around at all. I couldn't find a video of it, but McBride's injury with Fulham two years ago springs to mind, where after a goal he lands awkwardly and tore his ACL. My only point is, soccer is a contact sport with fouls. In a situation where players have a certain amount of leeway before they're red carded, players will, and should, use all of that leeway if they so choose. I think it's more damning that Barca didn't have their own hard men stand up for Messi, but to the same degree, I'm not sure who they would be. I found Cruyff's analysis interesting, with him stating:
"They [Madrid] kicked him about all throughout the game but he was partly asking for it. You are always going to be fouled when you play in the centre of the field. Madrid knew this and they were ready and they kept kicking him knowing they won’t be punished. If he [Messi] had played closer to the penalty area, then he would have drawn a direct freekick when he was fouled, or even a penalty if he was inside the box. If you know that you are going to get beaten up, then at least make sure the team benefit from it."
I would say there is some merit to Cruyff's thoughts, but I find them to be exceedingly harsh. Messi is an engine for the Barcelona offense, and it's quite difficult to really power the offense from the penalty box. To a certain degree, he couldn't do much if he wanted to stay an active part of the game, and to resign himself to penalty-hunting in the box would have been the biggest victory for Los Blancos. That strategy would only encourage all other teams who aren't in Barcelona's class (which at the moment could be almost any other team on the planet) to just rack up foul after foul on Messi knowing that they can completely neutralize him. The only thing I would have changed from Barcelona's response is I would have had Puyol absolutely upend Raul, say a nice few words, and let Madrid know that Barcelona may be more talented, but they are no pansies.
Now, I'd say many of those were hard fouls, and maybe a couple were a tad dirty, but to be fair, I just don't think any of this is deliberately malicious. This was just hard football. Messi did act up quite a bit, but to be fair, you try running at full speed and getting a cleat to the calf. And his resiliency was shown by his late goal and his refusal to be taken out of the game. Overall, you'd have to say that was a painful but effective performance for Messi. He got a goal, had the defense completely focused on him and had his archrivals rack up 6 yellow cards in the process. And did I mention Barca won?
While I think Messi gave a decent performance, what is perplexing is the public outrage that followed the match. These weren't Wayne Rooney Tackles:
What happened was a team sent its big guys to bully a diminutive finesse player (have these journalists watched an Arsenal game this season?) and used up all their yellow cards, and the official's goodwill, in the process. This is like saying an intentional foul in basketball is poor sportsmanship. You have a foul to give up, it could be advantageous to take that foul now, and so you commit a foul. Obviously, no one wants to see a repeat of the Eduardo injury (or the countless others like it) but those can happen on any number of tackles, clean and dirty, not to mention with no one around at all. I couldn't find a video of it, but McBride's injury with Fulham two years ago springs to mind, where after a goal he lands awkwardly and tore his ACL. My only point is, soccer is a contact sport with fouls. In a situation where players have a certain amount of leeway before they're red carded, players will, and should, use all of that leeway if they so choose. I think it's more damning that Barca didn't have their own hard men stand up for Messi, but to the same degree, I'm not sure who they would be. I found Cruyff's analysis interesting, with him stating:
"They [Madrid] kicked him about all throughout the game but he was partly asking for it. You are always going to be fouled when you play in the centre of the field. Madrid knew this and they were ready and they kept kicking him knowing they won’t be punished. If he [Messi] had played closer to the penalty area, then he would have drawn a direct freekick when he was fouled, or even a penalty if he was inside the box. If you know that you are going to get beaten up, then at least make sure the team benefit from it."
I would say there is some merit to Cruyff's thoughts, but I find them to be exceedingly harsh. Messi is an engine for the Barcelona offense, and it's quite difficult to really power the offense from the penalty box. To a certain degree, he couldn't do much if he wanted to stay an active part of the game, and to resign himself to penalty-hunting in the box would have been the biggest victory for Los Blancos. That strategy would only encourage all other teams who aren't in Barcelona's class (which at the moment could be almost any other team on the planet) to just rack up foul after foul on Messi knowing that they can completely neutralize him. The only thing I would have changed from Barcelona's response is I would have had Puyol absolutely upend Raul, say a nice few words, and let Madrid know that Barcelona may be more talented, but they are no pansies.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Columbus Crew Stadium and The Future of American Soccer
Much has been made of the choice of Columbus as the venue of the World Cup qualifier between the United States and Mexico on February 11, and I will have to join the chorus of praise. In all honesty, we should never play another game against Mexico in any state that borders Mexico, and should really look for these cold-weather venues they are unaccustomed to playing in. With the exception of Giovanni Dos Santos, who happens to train for Spurs and once in a blue moon gets an appearance, all of them play in sunny Mexico or Spain. The United States' biggest problem with soccer in comparison with other countries is the relative lack of home support, but this is largely overcome with Columbus. You get a very pro-US crowd, pro-US conditions and a stadium with a growing history. After all, it was here where the Gooch announced himself to the world by beating the crap out of Borghetti.
Surf Dad has spoken at length about his plans for the MLS, but in reality, it'll take a long, long, long time for real change to happen in US Soccer. In a recent poll, 36% of US soccer fans follow the MLS. For every three soccer fanatics, only one actually could tell you the teams in the league, or possibly the reigning MVP. I won't lie; I'm in the 64%. I could tell you (probably) all the teams and maybe a handful of notably players, but I really don't know much more about the MLS than I would the Austrian Bundesliga (Janko has 30 goals in 18 appearances!!!! Absurd!). To be honest, this isn't for a lack of trying. I've watched plenty of MLS games and tried to follow, but I never can keep up. It's a combination of plenty of borderline unwatchable games as well as the nagging fact that you always feel like you're watching AAA. And after watching the obsessive soccer following in my apartment, of Mancester United, Juventus, Inter Milan, Roma and my beloved Liverpool, it's rather difficult to a game where I don't have the same passion for the outcome and the quality is so much lower. To be honest, when I watched the Championship promotion playoffs last year, I had a better time. With good reason, the passion of the fans is just too infectious
I love my USA Soccer, and given my tie to the outcome, I always cheer passionately and enjoy myself, but for whatever reason I can't do this with the Revs. The real questions are: Why, and what can be done?
Quality of Play To be honest, this is somewhat a moot point. Like I said, I had a great time watching the promotion playoffs, and while I might argue that the Coca-Cola Championship is more talented than the MLS, I would never say by a considerable margin (and a great counterpoint would be that the best player in the Championship isn't being sought by Bayern Munich anytime soon).
Star AppealAgain, I think an overrated point, but one worth mentioning. Obviously casual fans like superstars, and it's difficult to sell a league without one. Beckham is much more of a brand than a superstar at this point, and Landycakes isn't exactly Hollywood A-List material. Seeing as Club Football isn't very popular in the United States, but the World Cup is, we really have one option for Americans to learn about players. A best-case scenario is to have a Golden Generation explode onto the MLS, and have these stars have a huge World Cup splash, but the problem is that these players would surely not stay in the MLS. This leads to one of the biggest issues in the MLS
Money If you're not a star in the MLS, you are making peanuts. The salary cap is smaller than most mediocre premiership players salaries. And with a limited cash flow, and no golden parachute on the horizon, it's unlikely to see any of that change anytime soon unless business owners see this as a viable venture. How will this happen?
BUILD FAN SUPPORT It seems like a no-brainer, but really, the best way to build fan support is through kids. There's really no market for having adult fans suddenly declare allegiance, especially if they weren't large soccer fans to begin with. But if their sons and daughters become large fans of a certain team, to a certain degree I feel like parents will follow suit. MLS teams should be gun-ho about getting involved in the community, the USSF should be trying to make soccer fields and facilities for underprivileged kids in the city and all of our efforts should be a long-term plan with plans with the youth. This will obviously take a couple decades to really start paying dividends, but without this, we will never be more than a farm league, waiting for our best stars to be willingly poached by the best clubs (and often, just the mediocre ones) in Europe. With this built-in fan support, owners will be more willing to splash the cash and within my lifetime, you're looking at a vibrant soccer league in the United States, and combined with the ever-growing Hispanic contingent (which is largely soccer-rabid), it's a plan that could really build the MLS into a true contender.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Landycakes and Maradona
Footage from a training session of Bayern Munich, focused on Landon Donovan:
http://www.eyep.tv/1.-bundesliga/fc-bayern-munchen/fc-bayern-munchen-landon-donovan-im-fokus.html
You may as well skip the first 10 minutes, as it is all stretching drills. After that they have a good game of 5v5. Landon looks good! I think his move to Europe is becoming more and more of a possibility, whether he winds up with Munich or if he goes to the Premiership or La Liga. The only stumbling block I see is that the Galaxy seem pretty intent on keeping him ("Landon will be with us next season"), and it would be just such a typical MLS/Galaxy thing to do should they prevent Landon from moving (probably they would spout some crap about how he doesn't need to go overseas to improve... Yeah, ok.)
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Anyways, moving on to one of the greatest players of all time. In light of his recent appointment as Argentina's manager, here is an excellent video of the skills and goals of Diego Maradona: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBpu-M6kXCk
Some of those are breathtaking. You just don't really see stuff like that in modern football (outside of the brilliance of Messi and [maybe 2 years ago] Ronaldinho). Maradona made goals out of nothing, he took on entire teams all by himself with some pretty unbelievable runs, and he jump-kicked like 3 different guys in that one fight midway through the video.
I know there is a whole lot more to write about at the present, but I'm real busy and can't really do it yet. Maybe Thanksgiving break will allow me the time to catch up.
http://www.eyep.tv/1.-bundesliga/fc-bayern-munchen/fc-bayern-munchen-landon-donovan-im-fokus.html
You may as well skip the first 10 minutes, as it is all stretching drills. After that they have a good game of 5v5. Landon looks good! I think his move to Europe is becoming more and more of a possibility, whether he winds up with Munich or if he goes to the Premiership or La Liga. The only stumbling block I see is that the Galaxy seem pretty intent on keeping him ("Landon will be with us next season"), and it would be just such a typical MLS/Galaxy thing to do should they prevent Landon from moving (probably they would spout some crap about how he doesn't need to go overseas to improve... Yeah, ok.)
**************************************
Anyways, moving on to one of the greatest players of all time. In light of his recent appointment as Argentina's manager, here is an excellent video of the skills and goals of Diego Maradona: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NBpu-M6kXCk
Some of those are breathtaking. You just don't really see stuff like that in modern football (outside of the brilliance of Messi and [maybe 2 years ago] Ronaldinho). Maradona made goals out of nothing, he took on entire teams all by himself with some pretty unbelievable runs, and he jump-kicked like 3 different guys in that one fight midway through the video.
I know there is a whole lot more to write about at the present, but I'm real busy and can't really do it yet. Maybe Thanksgiving break will allow me the time to catch up.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
A comical quip
I attribute Spurs' recent turn around (5 wins and a draw out of the last 6, as opposed to the 1-2-7 start to the season) to two sources:
1. Sheer luck (the Arsenal draw and the Liverpool win at the death)
2. The exchange of Harry Redknapp for Juande Ramos, and from that point onward the players' increase in confidence and effort.
Now, how much of the turn-around is due to each source, I do not know. But in light of Harry's recent revival at Spurs, here is a throwback video from his days at Portsmouth:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zRZTna7tRHk
1. Sheer luck (the Arsenal draw and the Liverpool win at the death)
2. The exchange of Harry Redknapp for Juande Ramos, and from that point onward the players' increase in confidence and effort.
Now, how much of the turn-around is due to each source, I do not know. But in light of Harry's recent revival at Spurs, here is a throwback video from his days at Portsmouth:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=zRZTna7tRHk
Thursday, November 6, 2008
Team USA Part 1: Goalkeepers
Alright, alright, calm down you knuckleheads (unless you want a knuckle sandwich!!). The long awaited Team USA breakdown begins TODAY!!!
I will attempt to break it down for you all by position, and also I will separate the "up and coming youngsters" from the "old, over-the-hill veterans." So here's our current crop of GK's:
#. Player Name (Age)- Club Name
1. Tim Howard (29)- Everton F.C.
Howard is hands down the best active goalkeeper that Team USA has access to. This will be the sixth year he has played in the English Premiership (arguably the world's best league), though only his 4th season seeing regular playing time. Still, 4 years in the world's top flight is pretty impressive, and he has been holding his own as one of the most solid keepers in England. Make no mistake about it, Tim Howard is the here and now of American goalkeeping, getting almost all of the starts in competitive matches.
Individually, he won the 2001 MLS Goalkeeper of the year award. Woo hoo. Also he was named Humanitarian of the Year that same year.
2. Brad Friedel (37)- Aston Villa F.C.
You could argue that Friedel is the best American keeper of all time. You could argue that his current form is the best among American keepers. You could also argue that his career has been the most successful of any American player in history. All this to say that Friedel retired from international football, and has reiterated that he has no desire to return. So he's not really a part of Team USA
3. Brad Guzan (24)- Aston Villa F.C.
Just earlier in this year he was a part of a strong core of young Americans at Chivas USA, however his summer transfer saw an end to that era of his career.
Guzan is in my view the future of American keepers. He is clearly Friedel's heir at Villa. Guzan shows promise as a potential long-term "number 1" for the USMNT. Hopefully he does not slip back into the terrible form that he hit in his final season at Chivas USA, when he just had blunder after blunder. That said, just one year ago he was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.
4. Chris Seitz (21)- Real Salt Lake
So far Seitz has not played for the senior USMNT, but he is clearly one to 'keep' an eye on (bad joke right there). I really don't know much about him to be honest, except that he is the next in the long line of sweet American keepers. Too bad for him that Brad Guzan is just 3 years his elder; this works to the USMNT's advantage, however, as they will hopefully be pushing each other for playing time (in the future).
5. Kasey Keller (38)- Seattle Sounders F.C.
What can I say about Kasey Keller? The man has been playing forever. I don't expect him to ever play for the USMNT again, but an amazing 102 caps for his country more than fills the minimum requirements of a great career. Keller is not currently playing footy, but will play for at least the inaugural season of Seattle Sounders F.C. in 2009.
6. Marcus Hahnemann (36)- Reading F.C.
Hahnemann has been at Reading since 2002, a solid wall in the goal all the while. He kind of got screwed in terms of USMNT experience, as he had to compete with Keller and Friedel his entire career. In my opinion he is not as talented as they are, but he has had a successful career nonetheless.
7. Joe Cannon (33)- San Jose Earthquakes
Cannon's first impression on me was one of misfortune- he was a solid keeper behind a terrible LA Galaxy defense when I first saw him play. He played quite well for San Jose this past season, starting all 30 matches. He won't be making any noise with the national team, however, as he is not nearly as talented nor as young as, say, Howard or Guzan.
Well, I guess that about does it for Goalkeepers. I really hope I didn't forget anybody. Anyways I will hopefully do defenders sometime soon. Good night, and good luck.
I will attempt to break it down for you all by position, and also I will separate the "up and coming youngsters" from the "old, over-the-hill veterans." So here's our current crop of GK's:
#. Player Name (Age)- Club Name
1. Tim Howard (29)- Everton F.C.
Howard is hands down the best active goalkeeper that Team USA has access to. This will be the sixth year he has played in the English Premiership (arguably the world's best league), though only his 4th season seeing regular playing time. Still, 4 years in the world's top flight is pretty impressive, and he has been holding his own as one of the most solid keepers in England. Make no mistake about it, Tim Howard is the here and now of American goalkeeping, getting almost all of the starts in competitive matches.
Individually, he won the 2001 MLS Goalkeeper of the year award. Woo hoo. Also he was named Humanitarian of the Year that same year.
2. Brad Friedel (37)- Aston Villa F.C.
You could argue that Friedel is the best American keeper of all time. You could argue that his current form is the best among American keepers. You could also argue that his career has been the most successful of any American player in history. All this to say that Friedel retired from international football, and has reiterated that he has no desire to return. So he's not really a part of Team USA
3. Brad Guzan (24)- Aston Villa F.C.
Just earlier in this year he was a part of a strong core of young Americans at Chivas USA, however his summer transfer saw an end to that era of his career.
Guzan is in my view the future of American keepers. He is clearly Friedel's heir at Villa. Guzan shows promise as a potential long-term "number 1" for the USMNT. Hopefully he does not slip back into the terrible form that he hit in his final season at Chivas USA, when he just had blunder after blunder. That said, just one year ago he was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.
4. Chris Seitz (21)- Real Salt Lake
So far Seitz has not played for the senior USMNT, but he is clearly one to 'keep' an eye on (bad joke right there). I really don't know much about him to be honest, except that he is the next in the long line of sweet American keepers. Too bad for him that Brad Guzan is just 3 years his elder; this works to the USMNT's advantage, however, as they will hopefully be pushing each other for playing time (in the future).
5. Kasey Keller (38)- Seattle Sounders F.C.
What can I say about Kasey Keller? The man has been playing forever. I don't expect him to ever play for the USMNT again, but an amazing 102 caps for his country more than fills the minimum requirements of a great career. Keller is not currently playing footy, but will play for at least the inaugural season of Seattle Sounders F.C. in 2009.
6. Marcus Hahnemann (36)- Reading F.C.
Hahnemann has been at Reading since 2002, a solid wall in the goal all the while. He kind of got screwed in terms of USMNT experience, as he had to compete with Keller and Friedel his entire career. In my opinion he is not as talented as they are, but he has had a successful career nonetheless.
7. Joe Cannon (33)- San Jose Earthquakes
Cannon's first impression on me was one of misfortune- he was a solid keeper behind a terrible LA Galaxy defense when I first saw him play. He played quite well for San Jose this past season, starting all 30 matches. He won't be making any noise with the national team, however, as he is not nearly as talented nor as young as, say, Howard or Guzan.
Well, I guess that about does it for Goalkeepers. I really hope I didn't forget anybody. Anyways I will hopefully do defenders sometime soon. Good night, and good luck.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
MLS Breakdown and more!!
MLS 53 best goals of the season:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lJtIYJCS8s&eurl=http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/1735030/
Make whatever you will of that video. If you ask me, this is proof that MLS does not in fact suck, I mean obviously it's not the top flight of world football, but there's not a keeper in the world who could save some of those shots. Make sure you watch all the way to the end... they've saved the best for last (GALLARDO!!!!).
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Hokay, so on to the MLS playoffs... Not really much to talk about. Really close games so far, I expect all the top seeds to progress. So that would have the second round at:
Columbus vs Chicago
Houston vs Chivas USA
Personally I would like to see Chivas USA in the finals, though I think they are the least likely team to make it. In my opinion they have some of the best American talent in the league (a key reason in my desire to see them win the cup). This is not to say that the other clubs do not have good American talent, I just have a soft spot for some of the players on Chivas:
-Sacha Kljestian is one of the most exciting players to watch in MLS, and at 23 he is a great prospect for the USMNT. He's very explosive from the midfield, I have seen him create and score some amazing goals all on his own out of nothing (he's got at least one on that video). I am really excited to see where his career takes him- I think he make a serious impact on a ton of teams in Europe.
-Jonathan Bornstein is also a 23-year-old American on Chivas USA, a solid defender who can play in the midfield as well. He won Rookie of the Year a few years back, so that speaks to his talent and production. Bornstein also could have a serious impact in Europe.
-Ante Razov is an older fellow (34 years young), but he's still producing some great goals at the striker position. He has had a career of servitude to MLS, with the exception of a short stint at Racing de Ferrol, even though at his peak he was far beyond MLS quality.
-Jorge Flores was almost not even an American-he spent a lot of his childhood living in Mexico, and would have been eligible to play for the Mexican national team. Lucky for the USA, he has committed his future to our country. He actually joined Chivas USA through a reality show called Sueño MLS, in which he "won" the show and earned a tryout with Chivas USA. At just 19, he is one of the best young American forwards out there- obviously not quite up to par with the likes of Jozy Altidore, but I can definitely see Flores competing for a spot in the USMNT a few years down the line, and certainly he is the heir apparent to Ante Razov in the Chivas line-up.
So there you have it, my man crushes on Chivas USA players.
It's probably going to end up Columbus vs Houston, and honestly once it gets to that point, who's gonna bet against De Rosario in the final? Not I, said the fly. My legitimate prediction:
Houston 3-2 Columbus (aet)
But anyways, even though it is the least likely scenario, right here is at least one MLS fan pulling for Chivas USA to become MLS Cup champs!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lJtIYJCS8s&eurl=http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/1735030/
Make whatever you will of that video. If you ask me, this is proof that MLS does not in fact suck, I mean obviously it's not the top flight of world football, but there's not a keeper in the world who could save some of those shots. Make sure you watch all the way to the end... they've saved the best for last (GALLARDO!!!!).
****************************************************************
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
===================================================
###################################################
Hokay, so on to the MLS playoffs... Not really much to talk about. Really close games so far, I expect all the top seeds to progress. So that would have the second round at:
Columbus vs Chicago
Houston vs Chivas USA
Personally I would like to see Chivas USA in the finals, though I think they are the least likely team to make it. In my opinion they have some of the best American talent in the league (a key reason in my desire to see them win the cup). This is not to say that the other clubs do not have good American talent, I just have a soft spot for some of the players on Chivas:
-Sacha Kljestian is one of the most exciting players to watch in MLS, and at 23 he is a great prospect for the USMNT. He's very explosive from the midfield, I have seen him create and score some amazing goals all on his own out of nothing (he's got at least one on that video). I am really excited to see where his career takes him- I think he make a serious impact on a ton of teams in Europe.
-Jonathan Bornstein is also a 23-year-old American on Chivas USA, a solid defender who can play in the midfield as well. He won Rookie of the Year a few years back, so that speaks to his talent and production. Bornstein also could have a serious impact in Europe.
-Ante Razov is an older fellow (34 years young), but he's still producing some great goals at the striker position. He has had a career of servitude to MLS, with the exception of a short stint at Racing de Ferrol, even though at his peak he was far beyond MLS quality.
-Jorge Flores was almost not even an American-he spent a lot of his childhood living in Mexico, and would have been eligible to play for the Mexican national team. Lucky for the USA, he has committed his future to our country. He actually joined Chivas USA through a reality show called Sueño MLS, in which he "won" the show and earned a tryout with Chivas USA. At just 19, he is one of the best young American forwards out there- obviously not quite up to par with the likes of Jozy Altidore, but I can definitely see Flores competing for a spot in the USMNT a few years down the line, and certainly he is the heir apparent to Ante Razov in the Chivas line-up.
So there you have it, my man crushes on Chivas USA players.
It's probably going to end up Columbus vs Houston, and honestly once it gets to that point, who's gonna bet against De Rosario in the final? Not I, said the fly. My legitimate prediction:
Houston 3-2 Columbus (aet)
But anyways, even though it is the least likely scenario, right here is at least one MLS fan pulling for Chivas USA to become MLS Cup champs!!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
CONCACAF Champions League
I don't want to take too long with this post, but I think it is important to point out the absurdity that is going on in the CONCACAF Champions League. At this point, 3 (of a total of 8) teams have already qualified for the knockout stages:
Atlante (Mexico)
UNAM Pumas (Mexico) and
Montreal Impact (of USL-1).
You tell me which team doesn't fit.
Consider this: Montreal plays in the division of US Soccer directly below MLS. As in, MLS teams are supposed to be a lot better than they are. But then we get to a tournament like this, and... well, Montreal has already gotten further than 3 MLS teams (DC United, Chivas USA and New England Revolution have all been eliminated already), and with Houston still battling for survival in Group B, Montreal could have bragging rights over the entire top flight in America.
It is also worth mentioning that Puerto Rico Islanders, another USL-1 team, are in very good shape to qualify through to the knockout stages.
Now, for me these facts bring up a lot of questions. The first is obvious: "Are USL teams actually better than MLS teams?" No, I don't think so. When you look at the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, a competition in which MLS and USL-1 both compete, MLS has dominated that tournament since the inception of MLS in 1996 (MLS teams have won 12 of the 13 Cups, with 11 runners up; only three non-MLS teams have even competed in the final).
OK, so now that I spent way too much time making that point, this brings me back to the original conundrum- why are USL teams doing better in the CC League than MLS teams? I can tell you that it is not because USL teams are getting better luck in terms of drawing easier opposition; Montreal are 2-0 against the same T and T Joe Public side that knocked out New England, while Puerto Rico are 1-0 so far vs Tauro, the club from Panama that saw off Chivas USA.
OK, so USL teams are not better than MLS teams, but at the same time they are progressing further than MLS teams against similar or identicle opposition. So why, oh why?
I brought this point up with Steven Cohen and Kenny Hassan about a month ago when I called in to World Soccer Daily. They suggested that the reason for this phenomenon is that the USL teams "are more up for it" than MLS sides, in other words it matters more to the USL teams.
Well, now that we've got the only plausible reason pinned down, I think that another question is raised- why aren't MLS teams "up for it"? Why don't MLS teams care about the Champions League of our corner of the world? This is a competition that will annually decide the greatest team in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, and this competition will also grant the winner entry into the FIFA Club World Cup. This competition is the "biggest deal" that MLS teams can get themselves into, and they aren't up for it?
Well obviously that's got to change if MLS is going to continue to progress. Solutions to the problem? How do we get MLS teams "up for it"? I am not really sure. Here's a few ideas off the top of my head- feel free to suggest some more:
1. Pay MLS players for succeeding in the CC League
2. Don't employ players who think that MLS Cup is their main goal (I don't want to discredit MLS Cup's importance at all, I think it says a lot about a team if they can win it, but CC League should be seen as MUCH more important)
3. Try to start some rivalries with teams from Mexico, Costa Rica, or anywhere really. Talk some trash about them or something; slander their crappy leagues! Get the players' egos involved, then they'll have something to fight for.
If MLS teams can start competing for the CC League, I think that MLS will gain a lot more respect worldwide; the Mexican league is well respected, so consitently competing with them would be a big piece of evidence to suggest that MLS is legit.
Atlante (Mexico)
UNAM Pumas (Mexico) and
Montreal Impact (of USL-1).
You tell me which team doesn't fit.
Consider this: Montreal plays in the division of US Soccer directly below MLS. As in, MLS teams are supposed to be a lot better than they are. But then we get to a tournament like this, and... well, Montreal has already gotten further than 3 MLS teams (DC United, Chivas USA and New England Revolution have all been eliminated already), and with Houston still battling for survival in Group B, Montreal could have bragging rights over the entire top flight in America.
It is also worth mentioning that Puerto Rico Islanders, another USL-1 team, are in very good shape to qualify through to the knockout stages.
Now, for me these facts bring up a lot of questions. The first is obvious: "Are USL teams actually better than MLS teams?" No, I don't think so. When you look at the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup, a competition in which MLS and USL-1 both compete, MLS has dominated that tournament since the inception of MLS in 1996 (MLS teams have won 12 of the 13 Cups, with 11 runners up; only three non-MLS teams have even competed in the final).
OK, so now that I spent way too much time making that point, this brings me back to the original conundrum- why are USL teams doing better in the CC League than MLS teams? I can tell you that it is not because USL teams are getting better luck in terms of drawing easier opposition; Montreal are 2-0 against the same T and T Joe Public side that knocked out New England, while Puerto Rico are 1-0 so far vs Tauro, the club from Panama that saw off Chivas USA.
OK, so USL teams are not better than MLS teams, but at the same time they are progressing further than MLS teams against similar or identicle opposition. So why, oh why?
I brought this point up with Steven Cohen and Kenny Hassan about a month ago when I called in to World Soccer Daily. They suggested that the reason for this phenomenon is that the USL teams "are more up for it" than MLS sides, in other words it matters more to the USL teams.
Well, now that we've got the only plausible reason pinned down, I think that another question is raised- why aren't MLS teams "up for it"? Why don't MLS teams care about the Champions League of our corner of the world? This is a competition that will annually decide the greatest team in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, and this competition will also grant the winner entry into the FIFA Club World Cup. This competition is the "biggest deal" that MLS teams can get themselves into, and they aren't up for it?
Well obviously that's got to change if MLS is going to continue to progress. Solutions to the problem? How do we get MLS teams "up for it"? I am not really sure. Here's a few ideas off the top of my head- feel free to suggest some more:
1. Pay MLS players for succeeding in the CC League
2. Don't employ players who think that MLS Cup is their main goal (I don't want to discredit MLS Cup's importance at all, I think it says a lot about a team if they can win it, but CC League should be seen as MUCH more important)
3. Try to start some rivalries with teams from Mexico, Costa Rica, or anywhere really. Talk some trash about them or something; slander their crappy leagues! Get the players' egos involved, then they'll have something to fight for.
If MLS teams can start competing for the CC League, I think that MLS will gain a lot more respect worldwide; the Mexican league is well respected, so consitently competing with them would be a big piece of evidence to suggest that MLS is legit.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Relegation Runaround
I know this site has spent an inordinate amount of time talking about the bottom, and not the top, 4, but SurfDad mentioned something to me as we were talking about Tottenham's relegation chances. When we crunched the math, he naturally lost hope, but when he looked it at from the "If we go down, then some two of Bolton, Newcastle, Stoke and Fulham must stay up" that is all that gave me reassurance. What's most interesting about that is that only one of those teams is newly promoted, and between snatching a point at Anfield (I really hope I don't remember that happened come May) and beating Spurs, they've definitely shown enough grit to squeak in. So then I got to thinking, when is the last time, if ever, all three relegated teams had been in the premiership and by effect all three promoted stayed up? Only once, in 2002, when Blackburn, Fulham and Bolton all stayed up. In fact, only once have all three promoted teams gone down (I felt that this was surprising, but I think Reading is as a good a case study of ever of overachievement followed by a sophomore slump) and that was in 98 where Crystal Palace, Barnsley and Bolton all went down.
What I think makes this year more noteworthy is the two weakest teams (thusfar) are Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United. Despite how I'm sure this creates tension in the Reale household, those are two titans of history both recent and ancient in English football. They aren't the likes of Ipswich, Leicester and Derby who were relegated in 2002, and none of them had been in the Prem for that long at all. (Leicester was the most at 8 years). Tottenham Hotspur hasn't been relegated since the 70s, and Newcastle (despite a colorful history of relegations and promotions) have been up since Kevin Keegan turned that ship around in the early 90s. Newcastle finished 4th in 02, 3rd in 03, 5th in 04 and 7th in 06. Tottenham came in 5th in 06 and 07; these aren't the Fulhams of the world who live life on the relegation line. If Newcastle and Tottenham (not to mention Everton who are just 16th, but I believe they're far too quality) go down, you could make the case that it would be the highest profile relegation in the history of the Premiership. West Ham going down was huge, but this the equivalent of TWO West Hams going down, and to be honest, it'd be surprising if neither went down at this point.
Also, SurfDad, I'm not purposefully writing one immediately after you do so you're never the first entry, I had wanted to write this since you wrote the inspiration on my wall.
What I think makes this year more noteworthy is the two weakest teams (thusfar) are Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United. Despite how I'm sure this creates tension in the Reale household, those are two titans of history both recent and ancient in English football. They aren't the likes of Ipswich, Leicester and Derby who were relegated in 2002, and none of them had been in the Prem for that long at all. (Leicester was the most at 8 years). Tottenham Hotspur hasn't been relegated since the 70s, and Newcastle (despite a colorful history of relegations and promotions) have been up since Kevin Keegan turned that ship around in the early 90s. Newcastle finished 4th in 02, 3rd in 03, 5th in 04 and 7th in 06. Tottenham came in 5th in 06 and 07; these aren't the Fulhams of the world who live life on the relegation line. If Newcastle and Tottenham (not to mention Everton who are just 16th, but I believe they're far too quality) go down, you could make the case that it would be the highest profile relegation in the history of the Premiership. West Ham going down was huge, but this the equivalent of TWO West Hams going down, and to be honest, it'd be surprising if neither went down at this point.
Also, SurfDad, I'm not purposefully writing one immediately after you do so you're never the first entry, I had wanted to write this since you wrote the inspiration on my wall.
http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/1689126/
^^^^^^^
The video posted above is perfect. It captures my feelings almost exactly. Everything I want to scream and rage about... it's so glorious. Who would have thought that I could ever identify with Hitler?
***************************************
http://www.101greatgoals.com/2008/10/the-mls-can%e2%80%99t-pass-up-a-barcelona-miami-team/#more-8210
I realize that I have just linked two articles from the same website, and that website happens to be the one that I am kind of trying to emulate, but whatever. I feel like this is an article that every executive or official within MLS should read. Miami is the second most perfect venue for an expansion franchise (the first being Montreal). I really feel like, if marketed correctly, a team in a large hispanic area like Miami (backed by BARCA no less) could pull in great attendence figures for MLS, which obviously equals more fans and more money.
Plus, I live pretty near Miami, so I would finally have an MLS team to support...
(for a really good look at the expansion situation for 2011 in MLS, check out this article by my boy Ives Galarcep: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=582785&sec=mls&root=mls&cc=5901)
While we are on the topic of MLS, let me just say that I am currently DOMINATING my MLS fantasy league, thank you very much. Kyle Thomas (head coach of Twellmen's Tightest) has nothing on me and my squad, David Beckham Soccer USA.
Alright, I know I promised a Team USA profile... It's coming, just be patient!! I can't take all these hundreds of e-mails demanding it, I mean come on, i'm only human people, lay off!!!
^^^^^^^
The video posted above is perfect. It captures my feelings almost exactly. Everything I want to scream and rage about... it's so glorious. Who would have thought that I could ever identify with Hitler?
***************************************
http://www.101greatgoals.com/2008/10/the-mls-can%e2%80%99t-pass-up-a-barcelona-miami-team/#more-8210
I realize that I have just linked two articles from the same website, and that website happens to be the one that I am kind of trying to emulate, but whatever. I feel like this is an article that every executive or official within MLS should read. Miami is the second most perfect venue for an expansion franchise (the first being Montreal). I really feel like, if marketed correctly, a team in a large hispanic area like Miami (backed by BARCA no less) could pull in great attendence figures for MLS, which obviously equals more fans and more money.
Plus, I live pretty near Miami, so I would finally have an MLS team to support...
(for a really good look at the expansion situation for 2011 in MLS, check out this article by my boy Ives Galarcep: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=582785&sec=mls&root=mls&cc=5901)
While we are on the topic of MLS, let me just say that I am currently DOMINATING my MLS fantasy league, thank you very much. Kyle Thomas (head coach of Twellmen's Tightest) has nothing on me and my squad, David Beckham Soccer USA.
Alright, I know I promised a Team USA profile... It's coming, just be patient!! I can't take all these hundreds of e-mails demanding it, I mean come on, i'm only human people, lay off!!!
Friday, October 17, 2008
I admit, I laughed at this quote from at Arthur Antunes Coimbra 101greatgoals.com
"Losing at the Britannia will not condemn Juande Ramos in-and-of itself, but it will evidence the gravity of their dogfight which even Michael Vick would have avoided."
Monday, October 13, 2008
Zlatan Wondergoal and Language Difficulties
Two things:
1) If you haven't already seen this ridiculous goal by Ibrahimovic against Bologna, it's ridiculous.
2) Not to rip on other cultures, but does anyone know what he's possibly saying in the middle of the video...it sounds like the exact same sound over and over...
Zlatan Wondergoal
1) If you haven't already seen this ridiculous goal by Ibrahimovic against Bologna, it's ridiculous.
2) Not to rip on other cultures, but does anyone know what he's possibly saying in the middle of the video...it sounds like the exact same sound over and over...
Zlatan Wondergoal
Sunday, October 12, 2008
UUUUUUSAAAAAAHHH!!!!1 (Pronounced OO-sah)
USA has officially progressed to the final stage of qualification for World Cup 2010, a six-team group of which the top 3 (and possibly the 4th) will progress to the finals in South Africa.
I must say that my allegiance in the world of football lies with my country first, club second. So you can imagine that the USA's progression is a bit of a high for me (especially given Tottenham's current form). Most important for me was the way we won these games; two grind-it-out road wins in hostile environments (Central America and Cuba), followed by two home thrashings. Granted, these are not the best teams in the world, but I am glad to see us taking care of business with these minnow nations (unlike, say, Mexico, who just lost 1-0 to Jamaica in Kingston... I'm sick about it).
I really don't have much else to say; we are well on our way to qualifying for 2010, which is exactly where we should be. Given our road to qualification (be one of the three best nations in CONCACAF), it would be a complete debacle if we ever were to miss out on a World Cup again.
It has been requested that we do a sort of "Team USA" profile for this blog; I think I will do so, once I find the time. But for now:
Goodnight, you princes of Sealab.
I must say that my allegiance in the world of football lies with my country first, club second. So you can imagine that the USA's progression is a bit of a high for me (especially given Tottenham's current form). Most important for me was the way we won these games; two grind-it-out road wins in hostile environments (Central America and Cuba), followed by two home thrashings. Granted, these are not the best teams in the world, but I am glad to see us taking care of business with these minnow nations (unlike, say, Mexico, who just lost 1-0 to Jamaica in Kingston... I'm sick about it).
I really don't have much else to say; we are well on our way to qualifying for 2010, which is exactly where we should be. Given our road to qualification (be one of the three best nations in CONCACAF), it would be a complete debacle if we ever were to miss out on a World Cup again.
It has been requested that we do a sort of "Team USA" profile for this blog; I think I will do so, once I find the time. But for now:
Goodnight, you princes of Sealab.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Constructive Criticism for the Lillys
When I look at Tottenham, it really reminds me of a poor man's Arsenal, and by poor, I mean homeless. I'm sorry if basically mocking you in reference to your rivals is hard to bear, but I don't know if you caught any bit of the Hull City game. Tottenham had LOADS of chances that were just shanked (just as many, if not more, by bent than by your new Russian import might I add) and I really think Ramos needs, at the very least, a new lineup and formation to mix it up. You have a very different club this year with your two marquee players fleeing the roost over the summer, as well as the bringing in of Pavy (his new name seeing as I hate spelling his really one) Modric Bentley and Dos Santos. You have a much more finesse based club than you're used to, to a Wengerian like degree. If I were Ramos, and I'm clearly no Premiership manager, I would utilize a more free-flowing and attacking lineup, something along the lines of:
Pavy
Bent/Campbell Modric
Bale Zokora Jenas Lennon
Woodgate Gunter Corluka
Gomes
It's frightening for scouts everywhere that your team has trouble scoring goals considering the names. Pavy, Bent, Campbell, Modric and Lennon are all highly regarded, and Dos Santos, Bentley and Bale (who had some great free-kick attempts against Hull City I may add) aren't too far down people's lists either. I honestly can't say you can look at an Everton, Blackburn or Portsmouth and say that they're club is that much more TALENTED. If Tottenham were to go down, Ramos would deserve every bit of the axe that falls on him (or would have fallen if it got that bad.) If this team were cohesive, they could easily be scoring goals left and right, but correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they're now 275 minutes (and counting) without a goal in Premiership action. That is TERRIFYING. Just for kicks, lets look at this: Tottenham Hotspur has scored 4 goals this season. I'm not going to list all players who have scored 4 or more goals this season.
Jermaine Defoe, Fernando Torres, Amr Zaki, Kevin Cyril Davies, Nicolas Anelka, John Carew, Gabriel Agbonlahor
Yes, Jermaine Defoe has one more goal than all of his own club. I really don't mean to keep going Debbie Downer on Tottenham all the time, but it's a really fascinating club, and clearly you guys would be interested. I don't understand how that much firepower has resulted in the weakest offense in England, for God's sake Stoke City has TWICE as many goals as you! (And they're 19th) To be fair, I believe the relegation talk is premature, when one talks about relegation you invariably think "Are there three teams worse in the Premiership than us?" The answer to that question in regards to Tottenham is clearly a resounding yes. This club has the talent, but does it have the ability to translate that into success? If not, just ask Upton Park how 2002 went.
EDIT: So, I was just checking out my post...and I swear I have an actual formation for the players when I type it up, but whenever I publish it, it turns to shit. Basically, what I have there oriented in a 3-4-2-1 set up.
Pavy
Bent/Campbell Modric
Bale Zokora Jenas Lennon
Woodgate Gunter Corluka
Gomes
It's frightening for scouts everywhere that your team has trouble scoring goals considering the names. Pavy, Bent, Campbell, Modric and Lennon are all highly regarded, and Dos Santos, Bentley and Bale (who had some great free-kick attempts against Hull City I may add) aren't too far down people's lists either. I honestly can't say you can look at an Everton, Blackburn or Portsmouth and say that they're club is that much more TALENTED. If Tottenham were to go down, Ramos would deserve every bit of the axe that falls on him (or would have fallen if it got that bad.) If this team were cohesive, they could easily be scoring goals left and right, but correct me if I'm wrong, but I think they're now 275 minutes (and counting) without a goal in Premiership action. That is TERRIFYING. Just for kicks, lets look at this: Tottenham Hotspur has scored 4 goals this season. I'm not going to list all players who have scored 4 or more goals this season.
Jermaine Defoe, Fernando Torres, Amr Zaki, Kevin Cyril Davies, Nicolas Anelka, John Carew, Gabriel Agbonlahor
Yes, Jermaine Defoe has one more goal than all of his own club. I really don't mean to keep going Debbie Downer on Tottenham all the time, but it's a really fascinating club, and clearly you guys would be interested. I don't understand how that much firepower has resulted in the weakest offense in England, for God's sake Stoke City has TWICE as many goals as you! (And they're 19th) To be fair, I believe the relegation talk is premature, when one talks about relegation you invariably think "Are there three teams worse in the Premiership than us?" The answer to that question in regards to Tottenham is clearly a resounding yes. This club has the talent, but does it have the ability to translate that into success? If not, just ask Upton Park how 2002 went.
EDIT: So, I was just checking out my post...and I swear I have an actual formation for the players when I type it up, but whenever I publish it, it turns to shit. Basically, what I have there oriented in a 3-4-2-1 set up.
Does Tottenham Hotspur need to be worried about relegation?
In a word, yes.
In a few words, hopefully not, but it's a possibility.
In many words, Tottenham should be a great club. We should have gotten replacements for Keane and Berbatov on time, we probably should have gotten Campbell permanently rather than on loan, we should be beating teams like Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Wigan and Hull, and we should be challenging for at least a Europa League spot. We shouldn't have such a leaderless team, we shouldn't be lacking goals like this, we shouldn't have ditched Jermaine Defoe and we shouldn't have kept Jermaine Jenas.
It is breaking my heart, man. Seriously. We suck. Why do we suck? Mostly because of all of those should's and shouldn'ts. The start this year, though similarly drastic, has a much different feel to it than last year's; last year we came out of the gates at a crawl, eventually learning how to walk and working our way up to a run (e.g. the Carling Cup). This term, we have yet to show any real sign of even being aware that two-legged travel exists! Last season I knew that we were too good for relegation, and we proved it by finishing comfortably safe... this season I legitimately question whether or not we are a strong enough side to stay in the Premiership. We certainly have the talent to be a top 7 or 8 team, but we absolutely do not have the cohesion.
I will stand firm in my allegiance, even through relegation, if it comes to that. I will remain faithful to the Lillywhite Army. I have tried not to think about soccer too much (thank goodness for the Steelers and Penn State football...), mostly to ease the pain. But after every Spurs game, there it is, staring me in the face: a big scoreline that says "You suck." It's not been a fun experience, and I can only shudder at what I will be feeling next May should things continue on their current course.
In a few words, hopefully not, but it's a possibility.
In many words, Tottenham should be a great club. We should have gotten replacements for Keane and Berbatov on time, we probably should have gotten Campbell permanently rather than on loan, we should be beating teams like Middlesbrough, Sunderland, Wigan and Hull, and we should be challenging for at least a Europa League spot. We shouldn't have such a leaderless team, we shouldn't be lacking goals like this, we shouldn't have ditched Jermaine Defoe and we shouldn't have kept Jermaine Jenas.
It is breaking my heart, man. Seriously. We suck. Why do we suck? Mostly because of all of those should's and shouldn'ts. The start this year, though similarly drastic, has a much different feel to it than last year's; last year we came out of the gates at a crawl, eventually learning how to walk and working our way up to a run (e.g. the Carling Cup). This term, we have yet to show any real sign of even being aware that two-legged travel exists! Last season I knew that we were too good for relegation, and we proved it by finishing comfortably safe... this season I legitimately question whether or not we are a strong enough side to stay in the Premiership. We certainly have the talent to be a top 7 or 8 team, but we absolutely do not have the cohesion.
I will stand firm in my allegiance, even through relegation, if it comes to that. I will remain faithful to the Lillywhite Army. I have tried not to think about soccer too much (thank goodness for the Steelers and Penn State football...), mostly to ease the pain. But after every Spurs game, there it is, staring me in the face: a big scoreline that says "You suck." It's not been a fun experience, and I can only shudder at what I will be feeling next May should things continue on their current course.
Monday, October 6, 2008
Goodnight, Mr. Ramos
Look, I know Colin and Eric are both Tottenham fans. I know you guys both love the Juande Ramos. But, at the end of the day, Cups will always fall short of the Premiership. Would Rafa Benitez ever have been within thirty miles of the hot seat if this wasn't true? Even though year in, year out, Liverpool competes strongly in the Champions League, being a semifinalist 3 out of the last 4 years, finalist 2 out of the last four and of course winning it in 2005, because of our continual fourth place finishes and reprehensible record against Manchester United, not everyone was sold on him. Ramos did an amazing job winning the Carling Cup last year, and I read probably forty-five articles talking about how England wouldn't miss a big-game manager like Jose Mourinho because it now had Ramos and how Chelsea now wishes they had Ramos and not Grant and that Ramos is the true successor to Mourinho et cetera. Basically...everyone loves this guy because he played well against Chelsea last year (who could forget that amazing 4-4 draw?) And it looks like he has kept the gift, as one of his two points in the Premiership has been a Chelsea draw. Lets just look at what he's accomplished this year in the Prem:
Middlesborough 2 1 Tottenham
Tottenham 1 2 Sunderland
Chelsea 1 1 Tottenham
Tottenham 1 2 Aston Villa
Tottenham 0 0 Wigan Athletic
Portsmouth 2 0 Tottenham
Tottenham 0 1 HULL CITY
Ok, so, that's rather underwhelming. The only result anyone Tottenham fan would be happy with is obviously the away draw with Chelsea. But otherwise, they've lost to the recently promoted Hull City (at home), to a struggling and patchwork Portsmouth club, a Sunderland team with far less cash or talent (and then drew the equivalent with Wigan) and those were both at home. The loss to Villa is understandable, Villa are a very good team. But you see what I'm getting at. Sure he's only seven games in, and I'd say you should give him fifteen, but only because he still hasn't lost a cup game. If Tottenham bombs out of UEFA or the Carling cup, the noose will tighten very quickly, and honestly, I can't see an angered White Hart Lane not calling for his head (even more) if they fail to get at least 3 points out of the upcoming matches with Stoke and Bolton. Because couple that with a (probable) demolition at the hands of Arsenal at the Emirates, and Ramos won't be allowed to walk down Harigney without a flak jacket on.
Middlesborough 2 1 Tottenham
Tottenham 1 2 Sunderland
Chelsea 1 1 Tottenham
Tottenham 1 2 Aston Villa
Tottenham 0 0 Wigan Athletic
Portsmouth 2 0 Tottenham
Tottenham 0 1 HULL CITY
Ok, so, that's rather underwhelming. The only result anyone Tottenham fan would be happy with is obviously the away draw with Chelsea. But otherwise, they've lost to the recently promoted Hull City (at home), to a struggling and patchwork Portsmouth club, a Sunderland team with far less cash or talent (and then drew the equivalent with Wigan) and those were both at home. The loss to Villa is understandable, Villa are a very good team. But you see what I'm getting at. Sure he's only seven games in, and I'd say you should give him fifteen, but only because he still hasn't lost a cup game. If Tottenham bombs out of UEFA or the Carling cup, the noose will tighten very quickly, and honestly, I can't see an angered White Hart Lane not calling for his head (even more) if they fail to get at least 3 points out of the upcoming matches with Stoke and Bolton. Because couple that with a (probable) demolition at the hands of Arsenal at the Emirates, and Ramos won't be allowed to walk down Harigney without a flak jacket on.
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
Just another day of history at Anfield
I know no one likes to label a win as comfortable, especially against top rate competition like PSV, but that is about as close as it comes. The fourth minute goal by Kuyt obviously helped that cause, but the first-half in this match was nothing more than shooting practice for the Reds. It's great that Keane finally got on the scoresheet, as the first goal is always the hardest for a player to overcome. And Gerrard's free-kick was just an absolute monster, I don't think Isaksson would have wanted to get his hands on that if he could have. There isn't much to be said for this match; Liverpool has been the receiving ends of dominations like this before in years that they would go deep (or even win) the tournament, so I don't think there was too much said about Liverpool or PSV Eindhoven in this match. Any team that scores early and is able to keep the pressure up in an electric home environment is obviously going to cruise to an easy victory most of the time. The real test will come in our next two games against Atletico Madrid and the absolutely unbelieveable Sergio Aguero.
If you haven't checked out his goal from their match against Olympique Marseille, here you go, it's filthy: http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/1618835/
That control is just nuts, and I hope he doesn't make Carragher and Skrtel look as foolish as he made the OM defenders. If we can get out of those two encounters with at least 4 points, (or honestly even just 3), I'll be more than pleased. That sort of result would really all but guarantee placement into the knockout stages, as I can't see us dropping 6 points between a home match against OM and an away match with PSV. This is a brief post, maybe I'll do like a live diary for the next game so it isn't a much "In case you missed it"
If you haven't checked out his goal from their match against Olympique Marseille, here you go, it's filthy: http://www.101greatgoals.com/videodisplay/1618835/
That control is just nuts, and I hope he doesn't make Carragher and Skrtel look as foolish as he made the OM defenders. If we can get out of those two encounters with at least 4 points, (or honestly even just 3), I'll be more than pleased. That sort of result would really all but guarantee placement into the knockout stages, as I can't see us dropping 6 points between a home match against OM and an away match with PSV. This is a brief post, maybe I'll do like a live diary for the next game so it isn't a much "In case you missed it"
Sunday, September 28, 2008
ARSENAL! : The tale of an American Gooner (ed. 1)
Loyal Readers,
It is my pleasure to welcome you to Chads United. It is an honor for me to be apart of this panel of American footballers, and a privilege to share with you my football story. lets start at the beginning.
My love of football began only a couple of years ago, starting with the 2006 FIFA world cup, and culminating in my official declaration of allegance to Arsenal FC during the spring of 2007. in that time i have begun to understand the beauty of the game and the passion of its fans. also in that time, I have begun to understand how far, yet how close, America is from playing true football. And I've grown from delusions of granduer to a true understanding of the depth of talent and physical ability that dominates the world's game. Moreso than any other american sport, football takes unparalled skill and athletic ability. it is this skill mainly that has made me truly appreciate football at its highest level. and it is skill, along with other components, that truly separates american "soccer" from true football.
I am an American Gooner. For those of you who do not understand what a gooner is, it is, in essence, a loyal fan and patriot of Arsenal Football Club, located in the Highbury district of northern london (Ashburton Grove to be precise). Arsenal plays in the Barclays Premiership, the top flight of english football, and is a perennial member of the big four (the top four clubs of the premiership, including arsenal, chelsea, liverpool, man utd.). My love affair with arsenal began with its greatest player, Thierry Henry. Literally a player who has captured my imagination, Henry will always be my favorite footballer. His pace, which at its hieght was unparalled, his imagination, and his skill have awed me since I first saw him play. see for yourself. Go ahead and spend hours watching his highlights. God know I have.
Sadly I have to cut this post short. Alot has been going on with Arsenal that i can't wait to talk about! well... I guess I can. until later
Dr. Volley
It is my pleasure to welcome you to Chads United. It is an honor for me to be apart of this panel of American footballers, and a privilege to share with you my football story. lets start at the beginning.
My love of football began only a couple of years ago, starting with the 2006 FIFA world cup, and culminating in my official declaration of allegance to Arsenal FC during the spring of 2007. in that time i have begun to understand the beauty of the game and the passion of its fans. also in that time, I have begun to understand how far, yet how close, America is from playing true football. And I've grown from delusions of granduer to a true understanding of the depth of talent and physical ability that dominates the world's game. Moreso than any other american sport, football takes unparalled skill and athletic ability. it is this skill mainly that has made me truly appreciate football at its highest level. and it is skill, along with other components, that truly separates american "soccer" from true football.
I am an American Gooner. For those of you who do not understand what a gooner is, it is, in essence, a loyal fan and patriot of Arsenal Football Club, located in the Highbury district of northern london (Ashburton Grove to be precise). Arsenal plays in the Barclays Premiership, the top flight of english football, and is a perennial member of the big four (the top four clubs of the premiership, including arsenal, chelsea, liverpool, man utd.). My love affair with arsenal began with its greatest player, Thierry Henry. Literally a player who has captured my imagination, Henry will always be my favorite footballer. His pace, which at its hieght was unparalled, his imagination, and his skill have awed me since I first saw him play. see for yourself. Go ahead and spend hours watching his highlights. God know I have.
Sadly I have to cut this post short. Alot has been going on with Arsenal that i can't wait to talk about! well... I guess I can. until later
Dr. Volley
A personal introduction
SurfDad has covered some of the introductions to our non-existent readers, and I also extend my best wishes for the blog. As one could guess from my name, I'm a Liverpool supporter, though I have soft spots for both Sunderland (it's difficult for an Irishman to turn on Roy Keane) and Fulham (as I do primarily root for the US National Team, so as long as Fulham has a large American contigent, or at the very least, Clint Dempsey, I'll suport them.)
Anyways, here are some random thoughts I have had on the season thusfar:
My beloved Liverpool will set a new record for fan frustration if the early season is any indication. The Manchester United victory and the Merseyside domination obviously raises our hopes, but that's always spoiled by things such as our Anfield draw with Stoke. Champions don't mail it in against inferior competition, and until Liverpool can figure that out we'll always compete for the cups but never the league.
I feel the need to throw in a quick thought on SurfDad's beloved Tottenham. I really just don't think people realized that Tottenham was more of last year's team than the year before. Last year was not an aberration, this team has the same issues that Liverpool has about showing up every week, and they had that problem in droves last year. They have more than enough talent to push for a top table finish, and I do believe their fans hopes of another cup triumph this year is feasible, but they all need to get on the same page first. Pavlyuchenko is starting slowly, to say the very least, but maybe Bent can recreate the magic he made at Charlton Athletic that convinced Tottenham that they needed a fourth starting-caliber striker last summer as a lone striker. Even if this is a early-season hiccup, they're falling into the trap my beloved Scousers always do: Losing the title in October, and in Tottenham's case, losing a place in Europe by November.
If Ronaldinho's goal against Inter in their derby win today was any indication that Ronaldinho actually wants to try again, Mourinho should be quivering in his Prada loafers. I don't care if the base of their team (Ambrosini, Gattuso, Pirlo, etc) are getting old, at the end of the day a midfield duo of Kaka and an on-form Ronaldinho is terrifying, and when you add the mix of an ever-improving Pato, this team could not only challenge, but take Serie A from Inter.
I hope no one follows Ligue 1, because seven games in, Lyon is already five points clear. Following this league must be like if you followed the Globetrotters on tour.
Anyways, here are some random thoughts I have had on the season thusfar:
My beloved Liverpool will set a new record for fan frustration if the early season is any indication. The Manchester United victory and the Merseyside domination obviously raises our hopes, but that's always spoiled by things such as our Anfield draw with Stoke. Champions don't mail it in against inferior competition, and until Liverpool can figure that out we'll always compete for the cups but never the league.
I feel the need to throw in a quick thought on SurfDad's beloved Tottenham. I really just don't think people realized that Tottenham was more of last year's team than the year before. Last year was not an aberration, this team has the same issues that Liverpool has about showing up every week, and they had that problem in droves last year. They have more than enough talent to push for a top table finish, and I do believe their fans hopes of another cup triumph this year is feasible, but they all need to get on the same page first. Pavlyuchenko is starting slowly, to say the very least, but maybe Bent can recreate the magic he made at Charlton Athletic that convinced Tottenham that they needed a fourth starting-caliber striker last summer as a lone striker. Even if this is a early-season hiccup, they're falling into the trap my beloved Scousers always do: Losing the title in October, and in Tottenham's case, losing a place in Europe by November.
If Ronaldinho's goal against Inter in their derby win today was any indication that Ronaldinho actually wants to try again, Mourinho should be quivering in his Prada loafers. I don't care if the base of their team (Ambrosini, Gattuso, Pirlo, etc) are getting old, at the end of the day a midfield duo of Kaka and an on-form Ronaldinho is terrifying, and when you add the mix of an ever-improving Pato, this team could not only challenge, but take Serie A from Inter.
I hope no one follows Ligue 1, because seven games in, Lyon is already five points clear. Following this league must be like if you followed the Globetrotters on tour.
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Welcome to Chads United
I guess I will take the liberty of opening this blog's account. First off, I want to make a statement, that I wish this blog the best of luck, and I expect to be at the top of the world this time next year.
Now that's out of the way... I have some things that I want to say about my club Tottenham Hotspur.
1. We need consistency! It's so strange and disappointing to see us go out and lose to Middlesbrough and Sunderland, then turn around and draw Chelsea at the Bridge. We've proven that we can hang with the big boys, so why do we always play down to our opponent's level?
2. Our fans need to get behind the team. I am disgusted by a lot of what I am hearing, like people dismissing Pavlyuchenko after 3 games or calling Bentley a bust. Booing the team off at the end of every half is not going to help them. And it makes us all look like a fickle, shambles of a supporters group.
3. I can't stand that people are calling for Ramos' head. The man is a TOP manager. He obviously knows how to play the cups, so why don't we give him some time to translate his knowledge of La Liga into knowledge of the Premiership? (He's just recently begun to translate his speech with the press from Spanish to English, so maybe that's a sign that we'll start winning very soon...)
4. I love Heurelho Gomes.
5. We've just drawn Liverpool in the Carling Cup... Let's show the Scouse why we're holders!! And PLEASE, let's applaud Robbie Keane on his first visit back to White Hart Lane... Robbie Keane is a legend, and don't you forget it.
Now that's out of the way... I have some things that I want to say about my club Tottenham Hotspur.
1. We need consistency! It's so strange and disappointing to see us go out and lose to Middlesbrough and Sunderland, then turn around and draw Chelsea at the Bridge. We've proven that we can hang with the big boys, so why do we always play down to our opponent's level?
2. Our fans need to get behind the team. I am disgusted by a lot of what I am hearing, like people dismissing Pavlyuchenko after 3 games or calling Bentley a bust. Booing the team off at the end of every half is not going to help them. And it makes us all look like a fickle, shambles of a supporters group.
3. I can't stand that people are calling for Ramos' head. The man is a TOP manager. He obviously knows how to play the cups, so why don't we give him some time to translate his knowledge of La Liga into knowledge of the Premiership? (He's just recently begun to translate his speech with the press from Spanish to English, so maybe that's a sign that we'll start winning very soon...)
4. I love Heurelho Gomes.
5. We've just drawn Liverpool in the Carling Cup... Let's show the Scouse why we're holders!! And PLEASE, let's applaud Robbie Keane on his first visit back to White Hart Lane... Robbie Keane is a legend, and don't you forget it.
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