I was surprised to find out today that World Soccer Daily is now officially off the air. Steven Cohen and his controversial opinions aside it's unfortunate that the only daily radio program that celebrates the beautiful game is now silent. I've been a loyal listener for two years and the program had become a regular listen for me on the podcast while I was making my one hour commute to work and on my frequent business travels.
As far as the controversy I really wish that both sides could have worked something out before it mushroomed into an uncontrollable level of antagonism that got personal. It's almost crazy to think that a group of fan supporters could bring down a successful program that had been on the air in the US for seven years, but that's exactly what happened. I can't help but think if WSD and Steven would have invited the Liverpool supporters on to the show to clear the air and let the supporters tell their side of the story they could have put the controversy to bed and not derailed a program that so many have enjoyed over the years.
As far as the comments being "dangerous", I understand that to a point, but the tragedy doesn't resonate all that much with your average US soccer fan. In the end it's the US soccer fan who's been trapped in the middle and suffered from this dispute. As far as Steven's comments I just don't know that much about the tragedy to even comment on it. You have to feel for the guy. Seven years of hard work in building a program with solid advertisers and a place on satellite radio is down the drain in a matter of months based on a two minute dialogue--- a dialogue I didn't even realize would be that controversial when I listened to it.
My hope is that the show comes back on the air in some different type of format without Steven Cohen. He could potentially play a role behind the scenes, maybe with Kenny Hassan joining another host. With all the momentum that soccer has gained in the US this year it would be nice to see some type of program come in and fill the void. Podcasts are nice but you miss the callers, the banter, and the ability to report breaking news on a timely basis. There's a huge void to fill and I'm curious if ESPN would be willing to step in and provide a daily program or podcast.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Friday, August 21, 2009
Thoughts on the Top Four
Driving in this morning I had a couple of thoughts on my mind. First off I was wondering how Minneapolis suddenly turned into Seattle and whether or not it was going to rain every day for the rest of my life. Then I thought about how my grass sure wasn't going to stop growing and I have to mow 2 acres prior to leaving for the east coast on Monday. Interesting stuff I know. Thankfully I was listening to The Guardian podcast which took my mind off of the horrid rain and onto the beautiful game. I'm an occasional listener to James Richardson and the crew but do respect their opinions but was a bit surprised by the fact they picked Liverpool to win the Premier League. The Reds plight aside it piqued my curiosity when Barry Glendenning confidently stated that Manchester United, off their Burnley defeat, is the top four club that could potentially fall out of the top four. It's a compelling argument and warrants a post-- even if I don't necessarily agree. Here are some thoughts on the top four after a week of action.
United will not fall out of the top four
I just can't see what Mr. Glendenning alluded to happening. Turf Moor isn't going to be an easy place to play for anyone, especially not during their first home match after decades out of the top flight against a club they haven't beaten in 33 years. Early on teams can get by on emotion but they can't keep that emotional intensity up for a 9 month EPL season. United also missed a penalty and had an offsides called on Michael Owen that was questionable at best. We also have to remember that they started last season slow, 5 out of their first 12 points, but still finished top the league. The rubber is going to hit the road for united in the next three matches. Tomorrow they travel just down the road to Wigan to take on a Latics club that easily handled Aston Villa on the weekend but struggled against Wolves at home during the week. Following with Wigan match they host Arsenal and then travel to White Hart Lane to take on a very hot Spurs club. I expect a win versus Wigan but the other two matches are tough.
We'll have a good idea on their chances by mid-September. Provided Vidic returns healthy I think they'll manage a victory against Arsenal and a draw versus Tottenham, putting them in a relatively decent position. By then Fergie will have gotten a better hold of what he has from a squad/attacking perspective and the offensive plan should be a bit more fluid. I do expect big things from Berbatov this season and do see a solid partnership with Wayne Rooney, so I don't think the reports of their demise are in the cards but it's clearly going to be a struggle.
Liverpool will not win the title
Contrary to The Guardian predictions and even with their home thrashing of Stoke City, Liverpool will not win the title. Xabi Alonso is truly a unique player who did more for the Liverpool attack than most people realize. He was a gifted defensive minded midfielder who had an incredible ability to win the ball and help stop the attack. This didn't set him apart. What set him apart is his ability to pass the ball and initiate the attack after winning it. He incredible vision and ability to transition to the likes of Gerrard, Kuyt and Torres igniting endless Liverpool counter attacks. Liverpool is getting a gifted player in Aguiliani, but not the same type of player as Alonso-- not to mention someone with injury problems. The second factor that hampers Liverpool and why I don't seem them contending is their relative lack of depth compared to the likes of United and Arsenal. The young players, Lucas, Babel, etc just haven't reached the level they need to reach to provide the club with that extra option they need. If you lose any of the big three of Kuyt, Gerrard or Torres to injury Liverpool is in a dire situation-- as they are with their current defensive injuries. I think they'll finish third and could finish fourth.
Chelsea will be boring all season and may grind out the title
Chelsea will play like Chelsea. They won't be exciting like Arsenal but they will have a more consistent attack than United, combined with an ever stout defense. Ancellotti isn't quite Guus Hiddink but he's definitely not Felipe Scolari-- he'll keep the respect of the longer room and his diamond formation will be effective on European nights and when the weather turns. Chelsea will win the title not as much on dominance but more on consistency-- a lot like United last season. And we'll have a handful of their patented late game escapes as the likes of Drogs and Lamps turn 1-1 draws into 2-1 victories at the death.
Arsenal are the wildcard
It's easy to get excited by Arsenal, but aren't there always moments we get excited about Arsenal? When they are on they are fantastic and beautiful to watch. Last Saturday they were on. On Tuesday they did what few have been able to do, win at Parkhead on a European night. Defensively Thomas Vermaelen has looked fantatic and started a good early partnership with William Gallas. Offensively the played Everton off the pitch with Andrei Arshavin continuing his meteoric Premiership rise. Still the same old question marks are their for Arsenal. First, are they deep enough? With the loss of Adebayor can Eduardo be healthy enough to provide depth and is Carlos Vela ready for prime time? Finally when it turns to fall and winter in the EPL does Arsenal have the toughness and leadership for the extended Premier League grind while fighting for Champions League and FA Cup silverware? Most importantly perhaps, will they stay healthy? If they can answer yes to half of the questions above, or all, they're going to be contenders for the long haul. With the losses that Manchester United and Liverpool have suffered (Ronaldo and Alonso) they probably have moved a step closer to those two clubs as their young players have gotten a year older.
Does anyone else have a chance?
Not this year. Tottenham and Manchester City will contend but finish 5th and 6th. Both clubs will be stout at home but just inconsistent enough on the road to finish outside the top four. It won't be decided early though, I can see the fight for the last Champions League spot go into the last weekend of the season.
United will not fall out of the top four
I just can't see what Mr. Glendenning alluded to happening. Turf Moor isn't going to be an easy place to play for anyone, especially not during their first home match after decades out of the top flight against a club they haven't beaten in 33 years. Early on teams can get by on emotion but they can't keep that emotional intensity up for a 9 month EPL season. United also missed a penalty and had an offsides called on Michael Owen that was questionable at best. We also have to remember that they started last season slow, 5 out of their first 12 points, but still finished top the league. The rubber is going to hit the road for united in the next three matches. Tomorrow they travel just down the road to Wigan to take on a Latics club that easily handled Aston Villa on the weekend but struggled against Wolves at home during the week. Following with Wigan match they host Arsenal and then travel to White Hart Lane to take on a very hot Spurs club. I expect a win versus Wigan but the other two matches are tough.
We'll have a good idea on their chances by mid-September. Provided Vidic returns healthy I think they'll manage a victory against Arsenal and a draw versus Tottenham, putting them in a relatively decent position. By then Fergie will have gotten a better hold of what he has from a squad/attacking perspective and the offensive plan should be a bit more fluid. I do expect big things from Berbatov this season and do see a solid partnership with Wayne Rooney, so I don't think the reports of their demise are in the cards but it's clearly going to be a struggle.
Liverpool will not win the title
Contrary to The Guardian predictions and even with their home thrashing of Stoke City, Liverpool will not win the title. Xabi Alonso is truly a unique player who did more for the Liverpool attack than most people realize. He was a gifted defensive minded midfielder who had an incredible ability to win the ball and help stop the attack. This didn't set him apart. What set him apart is his ability to pass the ball and initiate the attack after winning it. He incredible vision and ability to transition to the likes of Gerrard, Kuyt and Torres igniting endless Liverpool counter attacks. Liverpool is getting a gifted player in Aguiliani, but not the same type of player as Alonso-- not to mention someone with injury problems. The second factor that hampers Liverpool and why I don't seem them contending is their relative lack of depth compared to the likes of United and Arsenal. The young players, Lucas, Babel, etc just haven't reached the level they need to reach to provide the club with that extra option they need. If you lose any of the big three of Kuyt, Gerrard or Torres to injury Liverpool is in a dire situation-- as they are with their current defensive injuries. I think they'll finish third and could finish fourth.
Chelsea will be boring all season and may grind out the title
Chelsea will play like Chelsea. They won't be exciting like Arsenal but they will have a more consistent attack than United, combined with an ever stout defense. Ancellotti isn't quite Guus Hiddink but he's definitely not Felipe Scolari-- he'll keep the respect of the longer room and his diamond formation will be effective on European nights and when the weather turns. Chelsea will win the title not as much on dominance but more on consistency-- a lot like United last season. And we'll have a handful of their patented late game escapes as the likes of Drogs and Lamps turn 1-1 draws into 2-1 victories at the death.
Arsenal are the wildcard
It's easy to get excited by Arsenal, but aren't there always moments we get excited about Arsenal? When they are on they are fantastic and beautiful to watch. Last Saturday they were on. On Tuesday they did what few have been able to do, win at Parkhead on a European night. Defensively Thomas Vermaelen has looked fantatic and started a good early partnership with William Gallas. Offensively the played Everton off the pitch with Andrei Arshavin continuing his meteoric Premiership rise. Still the same old question marks are their for Arsenal. First, are they deep enough? With the loss of Adebayor can Eduardo be healthy enough to provide depth and is Carlos Vela ready for prime time? Finally when it turns to fall and winter in the EPL does Arsenal have the toughness and leadership for the extended Premier League grind while fighting for Champions League and FA Cup silverware? Most importantly perhaps, will they stay healthy? If they can answer yes to half of the questions above, or all, they're going to be contenders for the long haul. With the losses that Manchester United and Liverpool have suffered (Ronaldo and Alonso) they probably have moved a step closer to those two clubs as their young players have gotten a year older.
Does anyone else have a chance?
Not this year. Tottenham and Manchester City will contend but finish 5th and 6th. Both clubs will be stout at home but just inconsistent enough on the road to finish outside the top four. It won't be decided early though, I can see the fight for the last Champions League spot go into the last weekend of the season.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
How about those LA Galaxy?
It's unfortunate but the renaissance summer that is soccer in the US has somewhat bypassed MLS. With all the buzz over the US National team, the World Football Classic and the start of the Premier League the MLS has chugged along down low on the radar, something that's unfortunate since beyond a horror story in New York there's a whole host of positive stories. The clear number one is the runaway success and support of the Seattle Sounders. Not only are they playing in front of massive crowds, there also playing an uptempo and exciting brand of football that's already given them a legion of fans around in the country. Seattle may be the sexy story but the league is also full of a handful of conistently solid teams with strong home support competing well for the sports dollar in their respective cities. In Columbus, Houston, Chicago and LA you have four deep, veteran laden squads representing three of the five largest media markets in the country. Two of those clubs squared off last night in Chicago as the Beckham-less LA Galaxy took on the Chicago Fire.
Heading into the match Chicago was in firm control of second place in the eastern conference while LA is positioned well but fighting with Colorado and Chivas USA for the 3rd place spot in the west. The Galaxy were 6-3-1 since June but were coming off of a 2-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders in a match that say both David Beckham and Eddie Lewis red carded. Heading into Chicago sans veterans Beckham and Lewis as well as forwards Edson Buddle and Alecko Eskandrian was far from the ideal situation for head coach Bruce Arena--- but that's why they play the game...
You have to give Bruce Arena credit. Just about every US Soccer/MLS fan is aware of the situation in LA, chronicled by Grant Wahl in The Beckham Experiment and on a weekly basis on a handful of podcasts and on World Soccer Daily. Team Beckham's hand-picked manager Ruud Gullit had failed miserably and the club was mired in the cellar of the Western Conference. The club was pathetically top heavy with little depth and a horrendous defense. After fighting through the second half of last season Arena had to deal with the prolonged Beckham loan saga to AC Milan and the endless questions on whether he'd return. So what happened?
Arena quietly and confidently has built a consistent and disciplined team with an adequate and well organized defense, a veteran midfield and a top attack lead by Landon Donavan, the greatest attacking player the US has ever produced. It's a testament to Arena's ability as a coach but also his man-management ability as he has clearly taken over the team and put his own stamp on it. The Beckham circus is still there but when he's on the pitch it's clear that he's playing for Bruce Arena and not 19 Entertainment. So Kudos to Bruce Arena who has resurrected his career and built in a winner in what was the laughingstock of MLS.
So what about the match in Chicago? A tremendous performance, perhaps a season defining performance, by LA against all odds. Mike Magee comes out of the reserves and displays the outer reaches of LA's newfound depth as he scores in his second goal of the season in the 23rd minute and then hits Landon Donovan on an excellent lead pass for a second goal in the 53rd minute and a 2-0 victory. The guy once sarcastically referred to as "Landycakes" by a US soccer pundit has completed the transformation from a guy with a questionable drive to someone who competes match in and match out both for the US and the Galaxy, someone who will play a major US qualifer with swine flu.
All of this on a Wednesday in front of 20,000 fans without David Beckham in the lineup. A good night for the MLS...and a good night for the Galaxy.
Heading into the match Chicago was in firm control of second place in the eastern conference while LA is positioned well but fighting with Colorado and Chivas USA for the 3rd place spot in the west. The Galaxy were 6-3-1 since June but were coming off of a 2-0 loss to the Seattle Sounders in a match that say both David Beckham and Eddie Lewis red carded. Heading into Chicago sans veterans Beckham and Lewis as well as forwards Edson Buddle and Alecko Eskandrian was far from the ideal situation for head coach Bruce Arena--- but that's why they play the game...
You have to give Bruce Arena credit. Just about every US Soccer/MLS fan is aware of the situation in LA, chronicled by Grant Wahl in The Beckham Experiment and on a weekly basis on a handful of podcasts and on World Soccer Daily. Team Beckham's hand-picked manager Ruud Gullit had failed miserably and the club was mired in the cellar of the Western Conference. The club was pathetically top heavy with little depth and a horrendous defense. After fighting through the second half of last season Arena had to deal with the prolonged Beckham loan saga to AC Milan and the endless questions on whether he'd return. So what happened?
Arena quietly and confidently has built a consistent and disciplined team with an adequate and well organized defense, a veteran midfield and a top attack lead by Landon Donavan, the greatest attacking player the US has ever produced. It's a testament to Arena's ability as a coach but also his man-management ability as he has clearly taken over the team and put his own stamp on it. The Beckham circus is still there but when he's on the pitch it's clear that he's playing for Bruce Arena and not 19 Entertainment. So Kudos to Bruce Arena who has resurrected his career and built in a winner in what was the laughingstock of MLS.
So what about the match in Chicago? A tremendous performance, perhaps a season defining performance, by LA against all odds. Mike Magee comes out of the reserves and displays the outer reaches of LA's newfound depth as he scores in his second goal of the season in the 23rd minute and then hits Landon Donovan on an excellent lead pass for a second goal in the 53rd minute and a 2-0 victory. The guy once sarcastically referred to as "Landycakes" by a US soccer pundit has completed the transformation from a guy with a questionable drive to someone who competes match in and match out both for the US and the Galaxy, someone who will play a major US qualifer with swine flu.
All of this on a Wednesday in front of 20,000 fans without David Beckham in the lineup. A good night for the MLS...and a good night for the Galaxy.
Premier League Recap! Missing Ronaldo already?
Two games in and isn't it obvious? For all the squad depth they have and all the confidence of Sir Alex it's pretty clear that Manchester United already misses Christiano Ronaldo, losing 1-0 at Turf Moor to Burnley today. Burnley! Sure United isn't the first big club to go up to Burnley and lose, as the Carling Cup showed last season, it's just how they lost today, for the first time in 33 years versus Burnley! In a match where they absolutely dominated the action and dominated possession they were missing one key ingredient-- some overly gelled up guy from Portugal with a tendency to bout and do Greg Louganis impressions. As a neutral I've seen this script play out endlessly over the past two years. United goes on the road and needs a big goal against a team playing ten men behind the ball. They turn to Ronaldo and he produces.
Point 1: Michael Carrick takes and misses a penalty. Come on. Would Ronaldo have missed that penalty? Owen Hargreaves can't get healthy fast enough if you're Alex Ferguson. With Lamps at Chelsea and Gerrard at Liverpool they need someone with a bit more confidence to step up there and rifle one in the back of the net.
Point 2: Following another unique United trait from the past couple of years they seem to generate a ton of chances but very little movement on the scoreboard. Create, create, create. Miss, miss, miss. To have such an abundance of shot opportunities but have only four actual shots on goal is a bit amazing and concerning all at the same time. The presence of Ronaldo, forcing defenses to account for him, would have surely produced at least one goal. They had thirteen corner attempts! And sure Burnley was playing a 10-0-0 at the end of the match, but do you blame them?
So what do we have?
We have a United club that just lost on the road to Burnley in their second match of the season. It's awful tight at the top and United needed to do to Burnley what Chelsea did to Sunderland yesterday, regroup from that early goal and go on to show the club who's boss. Unfortunately they had a keen inability to do just that. Beyond that doesn't it seem like United has a heck of a difficult time finishing? United is real adept at creating scoring chances and dominating possession but when it comes to actually finishing Sir Alex has to be a bit concerned. Nani and Valencia and Park are crafty and quick and create some exciting chances but are sorely lacking in the ability to get the ball on net.
In Other Action...
Tottenham heads up to Hull and completely play the Tigers off the pitch and continue the home misery of Phil Brown's boys with Jermaine Defoe going crazy and scoring a hat trick with Robbie Keane and Wilson Palacios chipping in. Can this actually be the year that they live up to all the hype? With a win already in hand versus Liverpool and the destruction of Hull showing they can win on the road the Spurs look like they're a lock for 5th or 6th and may even be in that Manchester City category of a club that could break the top four. After a derby versus West Ham and a home fixture versus Birmingham we'll find out real quick if they have the mustard with September matches at home versus Manchester United and at Stamford Bridge versus Chelsea. Old Harry may have a story developing here. They sure are fun to watch.
Over at Anfield Liverpool goes absolutely crazy on Stoke wiping away any memories of the Stoke upset from last year with a 4-0 thrashing. Their destruction buries my fantasy team once and for all this short week completing drubbing my fill in keeper Thomas Sorensen. Manchester United can take a little lesson from Liverpool in how to properly thrash an inferior team with an equal number of shot attempts (19) but a whole lot more shots on goal (13).
What does a couple of early season weekday matches tell us? Perhaps a lot, or perhaps not much at all. It'll be interesting to see how Manchester United react to this loss. Will it possess them to make a few more moves in the transfer market and perhaps spend some of that Ronaldo money? Of course the answer is no and of course they'll regroup and probably rip off 8 straight shutouts.
The joy of the EPL. Last weekend everyone though Liverpool was done, absolutely wiped. Now they wipe out Stoke and Manchester United are done! It's week two and we're all crazy. It's going to be a hell of a year.
Point 1: Michael Carrick takes and misses a penalty. Come on. Would Ronaldo have missed that penalty? Owen Hargreaves can't get healthy fast enough if you're Alex Ferguson. With Lamps at Chelsea and Gerrard at Liverpool they need someone with a bit more confidence to step up there and rifle one in the back of the net.
Point 2: Following another unique United trait from the past couple of years they seem to generate a ton of chances but very little movement on the scoreboard. Create, create, create. Miss, miss, miss. To have such an abundance of shot opportunities but have only four actual shots on goal is a bit amazing and concerning all at the same time. The presence of Ronaldo, forcing defenses to account for him, would have surely produced at least one goal. They had thirteen corner attempts! And sure Burnley was playing a 10-0-0 at the end of the match, but do you blame them?
So what do we have?
We have a United club that just lost on the road to Burnley in their second match of the season. It's awful tight at the top and United needed to do to Burnley what Chelsea did to Sunderland yesterday, regroup from that early goal and go on to show the club who's boss. Unfortunately they had a keen inability to do just that. Beyond that doesn't it seem like United has a heck of a difficult time finishing? United is real adept at creating scoring chances and dominating possession but when it comes to actually finishing Sir Alex has to be a bit concerned. Nani and Valencia and Park are crafty and quick and create some exciting chances but are sorely lacking in the ability to get the ball on net.
In Other Action...
Tottenham heads up to Hull and completely play the Tigers off the pitch and continue the home misery of Phil Brown's boys with Jermaine Defoe going crazy and scoring a hat trick with Robbie Keane and Wilson Palacios chipping in. Can this actually be the year that they live up to all the hype? With a win already in hand versus Liverpool and the destruction of Hull showing they can win on the road the Spurs look like they're a lock for 5th or 6th and may even be in that Manchester City category of a club that could break the top four. After a derby versus West Ham and a home fixture versus Birmingham we'll find out real quick if they have the mustard with September matches at home versus Manchester United and at Stamford Bridge versus Chelsea. Old Harry may have a story developing here. They sure are fun to watch.
Over at Anfield Liverpool goes absolutely crazy on Stoke wiping away any memories of the Stoke upset from last year with a 4-0 thrashing. Their destruction buries my fantasy team once and for all this short week completing drubbing my fill in keeper Thomas Sorensen. Manchester United can take a little lesson from Liverpool in how to properly thrash an inferior team with an equal number of shot attempts (19) but a whole lot more shots on goal (13).
What does a couple of early season weekday matches tell us? Perhaps a lot, or perhaps not much at all. It'll be interesting to see how Manchester United react to this loss. Will it possess them to make a few more moves in the transfer market and perhaps spend some of that Ronaldo money? Of course the answer is no and of course they'll regroup and probably rip off 8 straight shutouts.
The joy of the EPL. Last weekend everyone though Liverpool was done, absolutely wiped. Now they wipe out Stoke and Manchester United are done! It's week two and we're all crazy. It's going to be a hell of a year.
The Central Defender trying to come in from the Cold and other Transfer News
It looks as if the Joleon Lescott saga will soon be coming to an end. Soccernet reports today that Lescott will not be in the squad for Everton's Europa League fixture this week and is training on his own "away" from the first team squad while he patiently awaits his financial riches and move to Manchester City. The rumor now is that Richard Dunne may move to Everton to replace Lescott. I'm on record that the amount Manchester City is asking for Lescott is absolutely mad and I can't understand why David Moyes hasn't jumped at this opportunity, especially if its possible that Dunne comes back in return. Granted Dunne looked a bit plodding against Blackburn on the weekend and did send in a handful of own goals last season, but the year before he was Manchester City's most valuable player. A manager of David Moyes skill can surely take a player like Dunne, couple him with a healthy Jagielka and get on with things. It's clearly past any point of return with reports that Lescott stayed firmly planted in the middle of the pitch during warmups on Saturday with nary a venture towards the Everton supporters.
Sure Manchester City is paying an absurd amount for Lescott but you have to like the latest in a series of moves by Mark Hughes. Not only has he gained a quality defender, he's really starting to build a squad of hard working, no-nonsense Premier League vets with the likes of Gareth Barry, Craig Bellamy, Carlos Tevez and Lescott. It's a nice balance on the pitch and the locker room for the likes of Robinho, Adebayor, etc. They clearly opened my eyes on the weekend.
Over at the 'other' Manchester squad you have what could be the workings of another Christiano Ronaldo type exit. In the years leading up to the Ronaldo exit to Real Madrid you had the constant speculation on how it was Ronaldo's "dream" to play in Madrid. The same situation may be playing out with Nemanja Vidic who's agent told a Catalan radio station that it would be Vidic's "dream" to play for Barcelona. Like in the situation of Ronaldo it was quickly "denied" the next day by the same agent. I'm not sure how you can deny something you told a radio station, which I'm assuming was recorded, but his agent did that very thing. The Vidic rumors have been floating for over a year so there's probably some validity to them. For all the success of Manchester in becoming one of the top three clubs in the world it's still hard to fight off the draw of the Spanish clubs with the various weather and tax related benefits.
Finally we have Fulham making the moves that I'd like to see Aston Villa making as the Cottagers are rumored to have finalized the deal for Jonathon Greening from West Brom. Couple the Greening move with the move for Damien Duff and Fulham continues to pick up quality players on the cheap, improving a squad that surprised last season. Adding two additional pieces like Duff and Greening not only gives you versatility from a first team option, in builds depth for the crazy fixture congestion that comes with playing in the Europa League this year. It prevents them from pulling a Martin O'Neil and deciding that a tournament you've busted ass to get to the knockout rounds off doesn't mean anything because you're in Premier League contention so it makes sense to send a bunch of teenagers to the Ukraine to get destroyed. I'd never give up my Aston Villa fandom but Fulham is becoming this nice little club that I root for on days when Villa isn't playing, playing Fulham, or is getting housed at Villa Park by Wigan. You have the quaint little home ground that actually has the word "cottage" in it's name. Then you have their propensity to sign and actually play American's such like Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey. It's an all-around positive thing.
Sure Manchester City is paying an absurd amount for Lescott but you have to like the latest in a series of moves by Mark Hughes. Not only has he gained a quality defender, he's really starting to build a squad of hard working, no-nonsense Premier League vets with the likes of Gareth Barry, Craig Bellamy, Carlos Tevez and Lescott. It's a nice balance on the pitch and the locker room for the likes of Robinho, Adebayor, etc. They clearly opened my eyes on the weekend.
Over at the 'other' Manchester squad you have what could be the workings of another Christiano Ronaldo type exit. In the years leading up to the Ronaldo exit to Real Madrid you had the constant speculation on how it was Ronaldo's "dream" to play in Madrid. The same situation may be playing out with Nemanja Vidic who's agent told a Catalan radio station that it would be Vidic's "dream" to play for Barcelona. Like in the situation of Ronaldo it was quickly "denied" the next day by the same agent. I'm not sure how you can deny something you told a radio station, which I'm assuming was recorded, but his agent did that very thing. The Vidic rumors have been floating for over a year so there's probably some validity to them. For all the success of Manchester in becoming one of the top three clubs in the world it's still hard to fight off the draw of the Spanish clubs with the various weather and tax related benefits.
Finally we have Fulham making the moves that I'd like to see Aston Villa making as the Cottagers are rumored to have finalized the deal for Jonathon Greening from West Brom. Couple the Greening move with the move for Damien Duff and Fulham continues to pick up quality players on the cheap, improving a squad that surprised last season. Adding two additional pieces like Duff and Greening not only gives you versatility from a first team option, in builds depth for the crazy fixture congestion that comes with playing in the Europa League this year. It prevents them from pulling a Martin O'Neil and deciding that a tournament you've busted ass to get to the knockout rounds off doesn't mean anything because you're in Premier League contention so it makes sense to send a bunch of teenagers to the Ukraine to get destroyed. I'd never give up my Aston Villa fandom but Fulham is becoming this nice little club that I root for on days when Villa isn't playing, playing Fulham, or is getting housed at Villa Park by Wigan. You have the quaint little home ground that actually has the word "cottage" in it's name. Then you have their propensity to sign and actually play American's such like Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey. It's an all-around positive thing.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Weekday Football. Thank You. And Freddy Adu?
A few thoughts why I ponder how a season of high hopes can go so negative in a handful of days. Hopefully a good performance in the Europa League against Rapid Vienna on Thursday can get some confidence back in the Villa squad. Maybe they'll start their path of Europa League success that will probably come to a screeching halt sometime this winter when they send a bunch of 19- -year-old's to some far off eastern Europe local to get knocked out of the tournament. How crazy is this tournament? There are 38 fixtures on Thursday alone. On the positive side maybe the trip to Vienna will allow O'Neil to uncover some unknown central defender or central midfielder that he can magically add to the lineup by the time they make the trip to Anfield next Monday.
Champions League: "The Champions...the Champions"...
I'm not exactly delighted that Fox Soccer Channel has picked up the Champions League due to their maddening inability to pick up Hi Def. It's a bit concerning that I can turn on my television and watch a rinky dink regional outfit like the Big Ten Channel broadcast in Hi Def but can't watch a network that broadcasts throughout the US and Canada adopt the technology. I am delighted that FSC will be showing a whole lot more CL than ESPN2 did. They kick off their broadcasting today with a handful of matches including the Arsenal trip up north to take on Celtic. Tuesday also gives us a nice matchup between Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina while Wednesday features the Atletico Madrid and Panathaikos pairing. As far as the glory fixture from Glasgow I clearly can't see Arsenal lighting up the score sheet like at Goodison Park but do see them gaining a vital away goal in a 1-1 draw before 60,000 at Parkhead. In classic Arsenal fashion they'll already likely be without Cesc, Denilson, and Sagna. Two days ago I, like a lot of people, noted that Arsenal could win the Premier League this season if they were healthy so naturally three days after the thrashing of Everton the Arse is without a few major components.
Weekday Premier League? Hell Yeah.
Beyond the fact that my fantasy team is absolutely jacked due to the CL and Europa League matches this week we have the beauty of weekday Premier League matches. Unfortunately FSC is showing the Champions League all week so there is nary a match that I can set the DVR for. Today features Chelsea traveling way up north to take on Sunderland while resurgent Wigan plays host to Wolves. As far as the Chelsea match it looks good on paper but like your typical Chelsea match you know they'll grind it out and then score at the death on some cracker by Lamps or perhaps a mistaken cross by Drogs. I realize the diamond formation is made for European football but watching them grind it out week in and week out is going to be exactly that, a grind. All kidding aside it should be a good early season test for Steve Bruce and Sunderland who suddenly look like a top ten club. As far as Wigan v Wolves, we'll see if the dismantling of Aston Villa was an aberration or not. As a Villa fan who sees the team regularly crap the bed versus Wigan I'm inclined to think its an abberation.
Wednesday sees Manchester United head to Turf Moor to take on Burnley in what surely will be a 1-0 or 2-0 United victory. The featured match for me is Liverpool taking on Stoke at Anfield with Stoke looking to once again surprise Liverpool. Based on the form they showed at White Hart Lane on Sunday its pretty clear that Liverpool misses Alonso and the idea of them winning the league this year just may be a pipe dream. Add the injury to Skrtel and the defense is banged up. It's long odds but I think you'll see a draw between Stoke and Liverpool tomorrow.
Finally...a bit on US Soccer and Freddy Adu:
It's hard to believe that Freddy Adu is only (supposedly) 20 years old. He's been around so long that I swear he used to play with Eric Wynalda and Marcelo Balboa. After riding the pine at Benfica and then on loan at Monaco for what seems like forever it looked as if Benfica was going to loan Adu to Danish club Adu-Odense. Now reports are coming out that the loan deal is about to fall through. I can't imagine why the deal wouldn't go through. I can't imagine he's in Benfica's plans at this point, why not send him somewhere, anywhere, to get him some playing time and build up his value to make some money in the transfer market for him. From a US soccer perspective he badly needs playing time. He may only be twenty but with so little playing time over the past three years and the rust he displayed in the Gold Cup, his star is fading fast. Is he even highly regarded any more?
Champions League: "The Champions...the Champions"...
I'm not exactly delighted that Fox Soccer Channel has picked up the Champions League due to their maddening inability to pick up Hi Def. It's a bit concerning that I can turn on my television and watch a rinky dink regional outfit like the Big Ten Channel broadcast in Hi Def but can't watch a network that broadcasts throughout the US and Canada adopt the technology. I am delighted that FSC will be showing a whole lot more CL than ESPN2 did. They kick off their broadcasting today with a handful of matches including the Arsenal trip up north to take on Celtic. Tuesday also gives us a nice matchup between Sporting Lisbon and Fiorentina while Wednesday features the Atletico Madrid and Panathaikos pairing. As far as the glory fixture from Glasgow I clearly can't see Arsenal lighting up the score sheet like at Goodison Park but do see them gaining a vital away goal in a 1-1 draw before 60,000 at Parkhead. In classic Arsenal fashion they'll already likely be without Cesc, Denilson, and Sagna. Two days ago I, like a lot of people, noted that Arsenal could win the Premier League this season if they were healthy so naturally three days after the thrashing of Everton the Arse is without a few major components.
Weekday Premier League? Hell Yeah.
Beyond the fact that my fantasy team is absolutely jacked due to the CL and Europa League matches this week we have the beauty of weekday Premier League matches. Unfortunately FSC is showing the Champions League all week so there is nary a match that I can set the DVR for. Today features Chelsea traveling way up north to take on Sunderland while resurgent Wigan plays host to Wolves. As far as the Chelsea match it looks good on paper but like your typical Chelsea match you know they'll grind it out and then score at the death on some cracker by Lamps or perhaps a mistaken cross by Drogs. I realize the diamond formation is made for European football but watching them grind it out week in and week out is going to be exactly that, a grind. All kidding aside it should be a good early season test for Steve Bruce and Sunderland who suddenly look like a top ten club. As far as Wigan v Wolves, we'll see if the dismantling of Aston Villa was an aberration or not. As a Villa fan who sees the team regularly crap the bed versus Wigan I'm inclined to think its an abberation.
Wednesday sees Manchester United head to Turf Moor to take on Burnley in what surely will be a 1-0 or 2-0 United victory. The featured match for me is Liverpool taking on Stoke at Anfield with Stoke looking to once again surprise Liverpool. Based on the form they showed at White Hart Lane on Sunday its pretty clear that Liverpool misses Alonso and the idea of them winning the league this year just may be a pipe dream. Add the injury to Skrtel and the defense is banged up. It's long odds but I think you'll see a draw between Stoke and Liverpool tomorrow.
Finally...a bit on US Soccer and Freddy Adu:
It's hard to believe that Freddy Adu is only (supposedly) 20 years old. He's been around so long that I swear he used to play with Eric Wynalda and Marcelo Balboa. After riding the pine at Benfica and then on loan at Monaco for what seems like forever it looked as if Benfica was going to loan Adu to Danish club Adu-Odense. Now reports are coming out that the loan deal is about to fall through. I can't imagine why the deal wouldn't go through. I can't imagine he's in Benfica's plans at this point, why not send him somewhere, anywhere, to get him some playing time and build up his value to make some money in the transfer market for him. From a US soccer perspective he badly needs playing time. He may only be twenty but with so little playing time over the past three years and the rust he displayed in the Gold Cup, his star is fading fast. Is he even highly regarded any more?
Monday, August 17, 2009
The Endless Goal Line Technology Debate
Another phantom goal in a lower division game has once again renewed the call for goal line technology. Crystal Palace was the victim this year in their match versus Bristol City, affecting the outcome of the game and forcing Director of Officials Keith Hackett to call for the implementation of the technology. As an American sports fan I just don't understand the opposition to it. Here are the typical arguments against it.
Tradition: The old argument, that's been heard in so many other sports that have adopted such technology, is tradition and the idea of human error. The argument goes that it's the biggest sport in the world and there are very few disputed goals, so why the big deal? With the amount of money in the sport worldwide and the endless fight for many clubs to be promoted or relegated its just a matter of time before a missed call effects the outcome of a campaign. What happens if Crystal Palace finished two points out of the promotion group? How important is the goal then, eve if it took place nine months earlier? Let's look at it this way. If Wimbledon, which has as much or more "tradition" than football can adopt replay technology is it really that big of a deal to put a little replay in football?
It Delays the Game: The other theory is that you lose flow if you stop the game for a period of time. How long would it really take to stop the game to review a goal? Is the loss of 1 or 2 minutes as important as a goal that could affect the match? All the referee has to do is stop the game and go to a replay official, like in tennis, rugby or even American sports like the NFL. The Premier League could take a cue from the National Hockey League and their "war room". Station a group of people in a room at Premier League headquarters with TV access to all the goal line replay cameras. They can quickly and easily review the play and report back to the referee via a telephone stationed on the sidelines. How long could this take? Typically not much longer than a few minutes. Station a camera on each post and just have people monitor those cameras.
Technology isn't perfect either: The last argument is the idea that the replay officials can be just as susceptible to human error as the in game official. The simple answer to this point is to have a group of 2 or 3 people review the play who have to come to quick consensus. If not they will report back that the play is inconclusive and the referee decision stands. How difficult is that?
The unfortunate thing is that it's probably going to take a call that really impacts the season for real change to develop. Let's say a late season match between a top four contender or a match that affects Champions League slotting and really impacts a team financially. Beyond that why not get creative? How about trying the technology in some pre-season friendlies? How about trying inventive things like place a chip in the ball and sensors on each post with a red or green light that goes off if the ball passes through completely? It's beyond me why a league that is arguably the biggest sports league in the world is so behind in technology.
When will common sense prevail?
Tradition: The old argument, that's been heard in so many other sports that have adopted such technology, is tradition and the idea of human error. The argument goes that it's the biggest sport in the world and there are very few disputed goals, so why the big deal? With the amount of money in the sport worldwide and the endless fight for many clubs to be promoted or relegated its just a matter of time before a missed call effects the outcome of a campaign. What happens if Crystal Palace finished two points out of the promotion group? How important is the goal then, eve if it took place nine months earlier? Let's look at it this way. If Wimbledon, which has as much or more "tradition" than football can adopt replay technology is it really that big of a deal to put a little replay in football?
It Delays the Game: The other theory is that you lose flow if you stop the game for a period of time. How long would it really take to stop the game to review a goal? Is the loss of 1 or 2 minutes as important as a goal that could affect the match? All the referee has to do is stop the game and go to a replay official, like in tennis, rugby or even American sports like the NFL. The Premier League could take a cue from the National Hockey League and their "war room". Station a group of people in a room at Premier League headquarters with TV access to all the goal line replay cameras. They can quickly and easily review the play and report back to the referee via a telephone stationed on the sidelines. How long could this take? Typically not much longer than a few minutes. Station a camera on each post and just have people monitor those cameras.
Technology isn't perfect either: The last argument is the idea that the replay officials can be just as susceptible to human error as the in game official. The simple answer to this point is to have a group of 2 or 3 people review the play who have to come to quick consensus. If not they will report back that the play is inconclusive and the referee decision stands. How difficult is that?
The unfortunate thing is that it's probably going to take a call that really impacts the season for real change to develop. Let's say a late season match between a top four contender or a match that affects Champions League slotting and really impacts a team financially. Beyond that why not get creative? How about trying the technology in some pre-season friendlies? How about trying inventive things like place a chip in the ball and sensors on each post with a red or green light that goes off if the ball passes through completely? It's beyond me why a league that is arguably the biggest sports league in the world is so behind in technology.
When will common sense prevail?
EPL Weekend Review-- five thoughts
1. Wigan thrashes Aston Villa: Tough to watch this one. As a Villa fan you stay upbeat with the expected exit of Gareth Barry. You take the blow of the injury forced retirement of Martin Laursen. You follow the club in preseason and watch them win some big matches, showcase some young talent and get your hopes up about another contention for the top four. And then Wigan comes in and completely demolishes the club at Villa Park. The performance was beyond shocking with Wigan completely controlling the tempo of match, combining creative offensive bursts with excellent defensive organization. In his first match at Wigan Martinez comes out with a plan that completely outplays and outclasses Villa and Martin O'Neil. I have all the respect in the world for what Martin O'Neil has done for Villa but some of his moves are absolute head scratchers. He seems determined to play a 4-4-2 when the current mix of the club, and the absence of Barry, cries out for a 4-5-1. He compounds that error by insisting on playing Emile Heskey up front with Gabby Agbonlahor. Where in the world is John Carew? With the absence of Barry and the glaring hole in the midfield the 4-5-1 is beyond obvious. Let's jam up the midfield a bit and allow the wide players to get wide. Let's not put Fabian Delph in a position where he's forced to debut in the center of the midfield with so much space. Beyond that is there anyone, anywhere who would prefer Emile Heskey over John Carew. Carew is an absolute difference maker. Please Martin, please play a 4-5-1 and get Carew as a lone striker. Let's let the pacy midfielders get an opportunity to make things happen. More importantly let's fill some of the gaps left by the loss of Laursen and Barry.
2. Arsenal-- Holy Crap: Here in the states the third game, after the surprise ESPN2 match and the Villa debacle was the Arsenal destruction of Everton. Who saw this one coming? It's been said before by many and will be said again, but when Arsenal are on their form they're absolute joy to watch, whether you're a Gunner fan, an neutral (me) or can't stand them. It's a young club, as usual, but if they stay healthy they'll clearly be in the top four and may challenge for the top spot. The midfield depth and talent of the club, with Arshavin now full in the mix, is breathtaking. The club that I think has to be a little demoralized by it's performance is Manchester City who probably had their eyes on Arsenal finishing closer to the pack due to last year's performance. As far as the other club, Everton, you really have to feel sorry for them. All David Moyes wants to do is to continue to build on the last couple of years and keep his club in tact, except Manchester City just won't quit their attempt to get Joleon Lescott. I watched Everton in the states versus the MLS all-stars a couple of weeks back and against Arsenal on Saturday. They surely do not look like a 5th place EPL club. Granted they are without Arteta who makes such a difference in the midfield.
3. Why Keep Lescott? It's beyond me why David Moyes is so obsessed with holding on to Lescott. He's a fine player but clearly not worth the amount of money that City is willing to pay for him. He's 27 years old and City wants to pay as much as 20 million pounds? Are you kidding me? Take the money and buy two or three young players. With the value of the pound and the amount they are overvaluing Lescott there are capable replacements in other leagues around the world that can step in and provide close to what Lescott provides. The player isn't happy and it's going to effect his performance, the reaction of the fans and potentially even the chemistry in the locker room. Why hold on to him?
4. Future England goaltenders duel? Interesting match at Old Trafford between Birmingham City and Manchester United featuring Joe Hart and Ben Foster, both speculated as potential future England number ones. The 26-year-old Foster was awful shaky in the Community Shield but was solid yesterday, granted with little activity. He made one nice save and handled the ball well, which was his drawback last week. Sir Alex seems to think that Foster is a candidate to be number one for next year's World Cup and time will tell, but for me the real story yesterday was Joe Hart. The 22-year-old Hart has long been called the goaltender of the future for England and has over 20 caps for under 21 England. Unfortunately he's had trouble getting playing time for Manchester City and on various loans over the past few years. Now on loan at Birmingham City he has a number one position and yesterday was absolutely fantastic. Hart made 11 saves yesterday with a couple of them borderline world class, keeping City in a match that could have easily been 3-0 (or 4-0 if Darren Fletcher could hit the broad side of a barn).
5. Manchester City- not too shabby: You have to give a lot of credit to Mark Hughes for organizing all his new players and putting a cohesive squad on the pitch this weekend. There was a lot of speculation on what type of lineup he'd put together with all the offensive signings the club has made in the offseason. In the end he started with a pretty conventional 4-4-2 with Barry and Ireland in the center midfield, Robinho and Wright-Phillips on the wings and Bellamy and Adebayor up front. Granted the injuries to Tevez (who came on as a sub) and Santa Cruz helped Hughes make the decision a bit easier. Still it isn't the offensive attack that people are doubting, it's the defensive side where Kolo Toure made a solid debut and helped form a good combo with Richard Dunne in the center defense. City were impressive, more impressive that I thought. They also earned a road victory which wasn't that common last season.
2. Arsenal-- Holy Crap: Here in the states the third game, after the surprise ESPN2 match and the Villa debacle was the Arsenal destruction of Everton. Who saw this one coming? It's been said before by many and will be said again, but when Arsenal are on their form they're absolute joy to watch, whether you're a Gunner fan, an neutral (me) or can't stand them. It's a young club, as usual, but if they stay healthy they'll clearly be in the top four and may challenge for the top spot. The midfield depth and talent of the club, with Arshavin now full in the mix, is breathtaking. The club that I think has to be a little demoralized by it's performance is Manchester City who probably had their eyes on Arsenal finishing closer to the pack due to last year's performance. As far as the other club, Everton, you really have to feel sorry for them. All David Moyes wants to do is to continue to build on the last couple of years and keep his club in tact, except Manchester City just won't quit their attempt to get Joleon Lescott. I watched Everton in the states versus the MLS all-stars a couple of weeks back and against Arsenal on Saturday. They surely do not look like a 5th place EPL club. Granted they are without Arteta who makes such a difference in the midfield.
3. Why Keep Lescott? It's beyond me why David Moyes is so obsessed with holding on to Lescott. He's a fine player but clearly not worth the amount of money that City is willing to pay for him. He's 27 years old and City wants to pay as much as 20 million pounds? Are you kidding me? Take the money and buy two or three young players. With the value of the pound and the amount they are overvaluing Lescott there are capable replacements in other leagues around the world that can step in and provide close to what Lescott provides. The player isn't happy and it's going to effect his performance, the reaction of the fans and potentially even the chemistry in the locker room. Why hold on to him?
4. Future England goaltenders duel? Interesting match at Old Trafford between Birmingham City and Manchester United featuring Joe Hart and Ben Foster, both speculated as potential future England number ones. The 26-year-old Foster was awful shaky in the Community Shield but was solid yesterday, granted with little activity. He made one nice save and handled the ball well, which was his drawback last week. Sir Alex seems to think that Foster is a candidate to be number one for next year's World Cup and time will tell, but for me the real story yesterday was Joe Hart. The 22-year-old Hart has long been called the goaltender of the future for England and has over 20 caps for under 21 England. Unfortunately he's had trouble getting playing time for Manchester City and on various loans over the past few years. Now on loan at Birmingham City he has a number one position and yesterday was absolutely fantastic. Hart made 11 saves yesterday with a couple of them borderline world class, keeping City in a match that could have easily been 3-0 (or 4-0 if Darren Fletcher could hit the broad side of a barn).
5. Manchester City- not too shabby: You have to give a lot of credit to Mark Hughes for organizing all his new players and putting a cohesive squad on the pitch this weekend. There was a lot of speculation on what type of lineup he'd put together with all the offensive signings the club has made in the offseason. In the end he started with a pretty conventional 4-4-2 with Barry and Ireland in the center midfield, Robinho and Wright-Phillips on the wings and Bellamy and Adebayor up front. Granted the injuries to Tevez (who came on as a sub) and Santa Cruz helped Hughes make the decision a bit easier. Still it isn't the offensive attack that people are doubting, it's the defensive side where Kolo Toure made a solid debut and helped form a good combo with Richard Dunne in the center defense. City were impressive, more impressive that I thought. They also earned a road victory which wasn't that common last season.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
US v Mexico recap: Is the US in a precarious position?
I'd like to provide a detailed report on yesterday's match but like I mentioned I was one of those American's not amused by the cheeky Mexican 3:00 PM start time and had to work. My 1-1 prediction came dangerously close to becoming true, unfortunately the constant Mexican pressure wore down the US defense and they scored the winner late. Did we really think the US was going to win in Mexico City?
While Mexico was celebrating their victory and interesting development happened down in Honduras as the host country demolished Costa Rica 4-0 to tighten up the region and keep Mexico in 4th place and the potential playoff with South America's 5th place finisher. The US is now in 3rd place on goal differential. This places all three countries vying for two spots and trying to avoid the playoff in a real precarious position. Let's take a look:
United States: Next month the US hosts El Salvador in Salt Lake which should be a victory. The same week they travel down to Trinidad and Tobago for a match that's increased in relevance with T and T's defeat of El Salvador yesterday. The US, playing a weakened squad, lost at T & T in the previous round of qualifying earlier this year. The rubber will meet the road for the US in October when they travel to Honduras and then host Costa Rica.
Honduras: The Hondurans have a clear path to securing qualification provided they maintain the form they showed yesterday. Next month they host T & T and then travel to Azteca Stadium to take on Mexico. If they can salvage a draw in Mexico they are in a very good position. In fact with October matches at home against the US and at El Salvador the Hondurans really only have to provide a result in one of the two big matches (US and Mexico) to secure World Cup status.
Mexico: If the Mexicans can manage a victory in Costa Rica next month, which is a tall task, they are set up nicely to not only qualify and avoid the playoff but potentially finish first or second in the region. After Costa Rica two of their final three matches are at home against Honduras and El Salvador, followed by a road trip to T & T who will surely be out of World Cup contention and may not have all of their European stars for that very reason.
What's the rub? If I were the US I'd be real worried here. The Mexicans have the easiest schedule and are a team with obvious momentum. Honduras is coming off a big victory and has a huge home fixture against the US looming. The US has winnable games but needs to get a result in two very big matches, at home versus Costa Rica and on the road in Honduras. If they can get a win and a draw in those two matches, without any other disappointments against T & T and El Salvador they'll be in a good position.
As a United States fan the last thing I want to see is the club forced into a playoff against Uruguay, Ecuador or (please no) Argentina. Unfortunately that could be the position we could find ourselves in. Let's say Mexico wins 3 of their final four matches, which is likely with their current momentum. That put's them on 18 points. If Honduras loses at Mexico but wins against T & T and El Salvador and then manages a draw against the US (a positive for Uncle Sam) they'd be on 17 points with a potential goal differential advantage on the US. Even with win against T & T and El Salvador the US still would need positive results at home versus Costa Rica and at Honduras. A win versus Costa Rica could cement things, as could a draw at Honduras.
The bottom line is that things have gotten a whole lot more interesting.
While Mexico was celebrating their victory and interesting development happened down in Honduras as the host country demolished Costa Rica 4-0 to tighten up the region and keep Mexico in 4th place and the potential playoff with South America's 5th place finisher. The US is now in 3rd place on goal differential. This places all three countries vying for two spots and trying to avoid the playoff in a real precarious position. Let's take a look:
United States: Next month the US hosts El Salvador in Salt Lake which should be a victory. The same week they travel down to Trinidad and Tobago for a match that's increased in relevance with T and T's defeat of El Salvador yesterday. The US, playing a weakened squad, lost at T & T in the previous round of qualifying earlier this year. The rubber will meet the road for the US in October when they travel to Honduras and then host Costa Rica.
Honduras: The Hondurans have a clear path to securing qualification provided they maintain the form they showed yesterday. Next month they host T & T and then travel to Azteca Stadium to take on Mexico. If they can salvage a draw in Mexico they are in a very good position. In fact with October matches at home against the US and at El Salvador the Hondurans really only have to provide a result in one of the two big matches (US and Mexico) to secure World Cup status.
Mexico: If the Mexicans can manage a victory in Costa Rica next month, which is a tall task, they are set up nicely to not only qualify and avoid the playoff but potentially finish first or second in the region. After Costa Rica two of their final three matches are at home against Honduras and El Salvador, followed by a road trip to T & T who will surely be out of World Cup contention and may not have all of their European stars for that very reason.
What's the rub? If I were the US I'd be real worried here. The Mexicans have the easiest schedule and are a team with obvious momentum. Honduras is coming off a big victory and has a huge home fixture against the US looming. The US has winnable games but needs to get a result in two very big matches, at home versus Costa Rica and on the road in Honduras. If they can get a win and a draw in those two matches, without any other disappointments against T & T and El Salvador they'll be in a good position.
As a United States fan the last thing I want to see is the club forced into a playoff against Uruguay, Ecuador or (please no) Argentina. Unfortunately that could be the position we could find ourselves in. Let's say Mexico wins 3 of their final four matches, which is likely with their current momentum. That put's them on 18 points. If Honduras loses at Mexico but wins against T & T and El Salvador and then manages a draw against the US (a positive for Uncle Sam) they'd be on 17 points with a potential goal differential advantage on the US. Even with win against T & T and El Salvador the US still would need positive results at home versus Costa Rica and at Honduras. A win versus Costa Rica could cement things, as could a draw at Honduras.
The bottom line is that things have gotten a whole lot more interesting.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Sunderland lands Cattermole
As I noted in my EPL preview the other day I'm a big fan of Lee Cattermole and think he's destined for bigger and better things. My contention was that a strong performance this season would propel him towards a bigger club. Sunderland and Steve Bruce made a fantastic move signing Cattermole for the very reasonable sum of 6 million pounds. Cattermole will add to what already is a nice offseason for Sunderland, with the previous signings of Darren Bent and Frazier Campbell. If I was a Wigan fan I'd be pretty disappointed with the club selling such a young and talented player who has the makings of a future captain. As Soccernet pointed out the club was indignant towards an initial Sunderland offering of 4 million pounds not that long ago:
Chairman Dave Whelan backed (Roberto) Martinez's stance saying: "Sunderland are wasting their time - and I've told them that. I said, 'Don't even bother bidding for him again'. Lee will be at Wigan this season.
You have to wonder what the future holds for Wigan. Last year they sold Wilson Palacios and Emile Heskey and now they sell Cattermole. We'll find out soon how big a part of their success was the presence of Steve Bruce who had such a keen eye for young talent and did so picking up and developing young players. With such a logjam in the middle of the standings with not that much likely separating clubs 10 through 18 you have to wonder what Wigan's chances will be this season. Their fans can't be all that happy.
Two days ago I picked Wigan for 14th and Sunderland for 11th. I could very well see both teams going even further in opposite directions.
Chairman Dave Whelan backed (Roberto) Martinez's stance saying: "Sunderland are wasting their time - and I've told them that. I said, 'Don't even bother bidding for him again'. Lee will be at Wigan this season.
You have to wonder what the future holds for Wigan. Last year they sold Wilson Palacios and Emile Heskey and now they sell Cattermole. We'll find out soon how big a part of their success was the presence of Steve Bruce who had such a keen eye for young talent and did so picking up and developing young players. With such a logjam in the middle of the standings with not that much likely separating clubs 10 through 18 you have to wonder what Wigan's chances will be this season. Their fans can't be all that happy.
Two days ago I picked Wigan for 14th and Sunderland for 11th. I could very well see both teams going even further in opposite directions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)