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.
The Day of Reckoning is here. US vs Mexico!
It's 10:00 AM I'm at work and finding a hard time concentrating. Today is the day many a US soccer fan has been waiting for all summer, the big US vs. Mexico grudge match for the ages live from Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Naturally it's only live if you happen to have Telemundo or Mundo2 and can be somewhere during the latter part of the workday. Unfortunately many of us hard working Americans have to be somewhere at 3:00 AM Central time in the middle of the work week. I'll be in an important meeting discreetly checking the Blackberry for occasional updates. Like I noted in the past I wasn't ready for the Mexican FA to schedule the game at 3:00 PM on a weekday so unlike your typical Champions League final I didn't prep to have that time off.
How absolutely fired up are the Mexican fans? According to Soccer by Ives tickets are being sold for as much as $384 which is a heck of an amount for your typical sports consumer in Mexico. Why is it such a big deal? The World Cup qualifying hopes of an entire country are riding on this game. In a region such as Concacaf it's absolutely embarrasing for a national of football talent such as Mexico not to qualify. This match could be the defining moment in the complete emergence of the United States as the dominant footballing nation in the region. Mexico currently sits in fourth place in the qualifying group. The top three automatically qualify with the fourth place club relegated to a difficult playoff against the fifth place club from South America. The fifth place CONMEBOL team is likely Ecuador or Uruguay but could possibly be a death matchup versus Argentina. The US team would like nothing else than to send Mexico into such a matchup. A loss to the US and Mexico is facing an early September fixture at Saprissa Stadium in Costa Rica, perhaps more of a home field advantage than Azteca Stadium. A couple of losses could send them reeling and could send a motivated Honduras Club into Azteca on September 9th realizing that a draw could put them in a very strong qualifying position.
Just four hours away!
How absolutely fired up are the Mexican fans? According to Soccer by Ives tickets are being sold for as much as $384 which is a heck of an amount for your typical sports consumer in Mexico. Why is it such a big deal? The World Cup qualifying hopes of an entire country are riding on this game. In a region such as Concacaf it's absolutely embarrasing for a national of football talent such as Mexico not to qualify. This match could be the defining moment in the complete emergence of the United States as the dominant footballing nation in the region. Mexico currently sits in fourth place in the qualifying group. The top three automatically qualify with the fourth place club relegated to a difficult playoff against the fifth place club from South America. The fifth place CONMEBOL team is likely Ecuador or Uruguay but could possibly be a death matchup versus Argentina. The US team would like nothing else than to send Mexico into such a matchup. A loss to the US and Mexico is facing an early September fixture at Saprissa Stadium in Costa Rica, perhaps more of a home field advantage than Azteca Stadium. A couple of losses could send them reeling and could send a motivated Honduras Club into Azteca on September 9th realizing that a draw could put them in a very strong qualifying position.
Just four hours away!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
US Mexico one day away- a prediction!
The moment of truth has arrived for the United States. The long anticipated Azteca Stadium qualifier is just over a day away. The team will arrive today from Miami spending just over twenty-four hours on Mexican soil prior to the matchup. If Uncle Sam is ever going to achieve a victory on Mexican soil now just may be the time. The two teams are at polar opposites-- the US at 12th in the latest FIFA rankings with Mexico falling to 30th. The US is also coming off the Confederations success against top ranked Spain. Unfortunately their also coming off the Gold Cup shellacking at the hands of a superior El Tri squad last month in Giants Stadium.
Take away the Gold Cup loss which beyond a mental boost for Mexico is of little consequence to the American squad since only two of the players from that game are on the US roster and only one potentially figures to be in the US side. The question is how much of a confidence booster will it be for Mexico? It could be a big one due to the fact that it was the first real strong international effort for Carlos Vela and Geovani Dos Santos, the two Mexican starlets.
So what's the rub? Five points.
1. Obviously one hell of a home field advantage. 105,000 extremely partisan fans with very little US support other than a handful of hardy travelers. The game will also be played at altitude in a highly polluted city. Mexico will have a clear advantage here.
2. If there is ever a time for the US to prevail, as noted before, it's now. Landon Donovan is at the top form of his career, as is Clint Dempsey. Jozy Altidore and Charlies Davies (If Bradley forgoes the urge to play Ching) form a young, fast and talented striking combo. The US is big and strong in defense and boast one of the top goaltenders in the world in Tim Howard. Howard hasn't lost to Mexico in five days, with a 3-0-2 record. Uncle Sam has already proven they can take down a top power on the world stage, now they have to take down a near unbeatable road opponent.
3. Which US team will show up? The one that beat Spain and Egypt in South Africa or the one that got shellacked in the second half by Brazil at the Confederations cup and destroyed in early June in Costa Rica. Unfortunately the Mexican match could very well follow the course of the Costa Rica match where the team falls behind early on the road and never gains their form.
4. Mexico will be without Rafael Marquez of Barcelona to help anchor the midfield. Sure Marquez doesn't always seem to play for country like he does for Barcelona, but he's an experiened player and a tough loss. They'll also have a largely young attack force with the likes of Vela and Dos Santos in the lineup.
5. Mexico really needs this one. A failure to qualify for the World Cup could be a disaster. The mood will be crazy, it will be hot and it will be tough for the US players to acclimate. None of this bodes well for a US victory.
Prediction?
I'd love to pick the US and feel they will be absolutely gigged for this match, but with all the climate and home field factors, combined with a desperate Mexican team I just can't see El Tri losing. I feel Bob Bradley will rightly play a conservative style with the end game in mind--- the US doesn't need a victory when a draw will suffice.
In the end I feel the US will have a strong effort. Landon Donovan will score and the defense will hold tight.
1-1 draw.
Take away the Gold Cup loss which beyond a mental boost for Mexico is of little consequence to the American squad since only two of the players from that game are on the US roster and only one potentially figures to be in the US side. The question is how much of a confidence booster will it be for Mexico? It could be a big one due to the fact that it was the first real strong international effort for Carlos Vela and Geovani Dos Santos, the two Mexican starlets.
So what's the rub? Five points.
1. Obviously one hell of a home field advantage. 105,000 extremely partisan fans with very little US support other than a handful of hardy travelers. The game will also be played at altitude in a highly polluted city. Mexico will have a clear advantage here.
2. If there is ever a time for the US to prevail, as noted before, it's now. Landon Donovan is at the top form of his career, as is Clint Dempsey. Jozy Altidore and Charlies Davies (If Bradley forgoes the urge to play Ching) form a young, fast and talented striking combo. The US is big and strong in defense and boast one of the top goaltenders in the world in Tim Howard. Howard hasn't lost to Mexico in five days, with a 3-0-2 record. Uncle Sam has already proven they can take down a top power on the world stage, now they have to take down a near unbeatable road opponent.
3. Which US team will show up? The one that beat Spain and Egypt in South Africa or the one that got shellacked in the second half by Brazil at the Confederations cup and destroyed in early June in Costa Rica. Unfortunately the Mexican match could very well follow the course of the Costa Rica match where the team falls behind early on the road and never gains their form.
4. Mexico will be without Rafael Marquez of Barcelona to help anchor the midfield. Sure Marquez doesn't always seem to play for country like he does for Barcelona, but he's an experiened player and a tough loss. They'll also have a largely young attack force with the likes of Vela and Dos Santos in the lineup.
5. Mexico really needs this one. A failure to qualify for the World Cup could be a disaster. The mood will be crazy, it will be hot and it will be tough for the US players to acclimate. None of this bodes well for a US victory.
Prediction?
I'd love to pick the US and feel they will be absolutely gigged for this match, but with all the climate and home field factors, combined with a desperate Mexican team I just can't see El Tri losing. I feel Bob Bradley will rightly play a conservative style with the end game in mind--- the US doesn't need a victory when a draw will suffice.
In the end I feel the US will have a strong effort. Landon Donovan will score and the defense will hold tight.
1-1 draw.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Premier League Preview
Will Manchester City finish in the top 4? The answer will be a resounding no. They'll make progress on last years ninth place finish and end up somewhere around six or seven in a rotation with Villa, Tottenham, Fulham, Everton, etc. With all the money spent by Mark Hughes Manchester City is still not attracting the true difference maker players. With the exception of Robinho it's arguable that none of their top eleven could crack the top eleven at Manchester United or Chelsea. Naturally there is still time in the transfer window to make more moves but they are sorely lacking defensively and still have to prove they have the ability to win away from home. There will also be a lot of pressure on Hughes to mix together some potentially difficult personalities in Robinho, Emmanual Adebayor, Craig Bellamy, Carlos Tevez, etc. What's more likely? Hughes leads the sack race of City contend for the top four?
What player will be the story of the year in the Premier League? With Christiano Ronaldo in Madrid Wayne Rooney will step up and fulfill all expecations of greatness that he's carried since his mid-teens. He'll form a tough combination with Dimitar Berbatov and take his game to the next level as he creatively and doggedly creates chance after chance for United.
If Manchester City isn't going to contend for the top four, who will? The top four will again remain the same. Tottenham will be more consistent, Everton will be as consistent as ever and a young Aston Villa team will continue to contend. Still, in the end, the top four will remain the same with Arsenal easily holding off the fifth place club.
Who will be the breakout player this season? The breakout player of the season will be a guy who kinda sorta broke out last season, Andre Arshavin. Arsenal won't miss Adebayor all that much as Arshavin will become even more of a household name for English football fans.
What manager will be the first to go? I'm not sure there's going to be a sack race. Although Mark Hughes will be under a lot of pressure the clear obvious pick is Phil Brown. It's clear the club has had trouble attracting players this season and you wonder if his antics last year at Manchester City have played a role in that. Hull City will struggle and are a favorite to be relegated. Phil Brown will not make it through the season.
What team efficiently and rather cheaply upgraded their strike force? Due to their geographic location Sunderland is hardly a desired destination but chairman Nial Quinn and new manager Steve Bruce made a couple of nice signings, picking up Darren Bent and Frazier Campbell for the same amount that Manchester City paid for Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn. Sure Bent had a rough go at Tottenham under Harry Rednkapp including a miss that his "missus" could have made, but he was their leading scorer last year with 17 goals in all competitions. Prior to that he was a proven scorer at Ipswich and Charlton Athletic and he'll be a solid addition at Sunderland. In Campbell Sunderland gets a young player he may have had a down year last season on loan at Tottenham but impressed two years ago in the Hull battle for promotion. For a decent sum Quinn and Bruce pick up a striker who can produce now and one that is promising for the future all at a reasonable cost.
What Premier League club should have "sold the other guy"? Per Mr. Bent Tottenham should have cut their losses and got rid of Roman Pavlyuchenko and kept Bent. They still might unload the Russian and at this point if I were Harry I'd take whatever I can get for him. Save a few gimmes he produced very little during his first season at White Hart Lane other than doing a whole bunch of complaining. With the return of Crouchie, Defoe and Keane is there going to be a place for him anyway? Who needs a malcontent?
What will be the signing of the season (offensive edition)? The signing of the season will be Michael Owen. Were else can a defending champion acquire such a proven goal scorer on a free transfer? Owen will provide the additional depth for smaller EPL fixtures, the Carling Cup and the FA Cup as well as a nice change of pace off the bench for the big fixtures and the Champions League. I don't think Fergie is all that far off in pegging Owen for 25 appearances and 15 goals.
What will be the signing of the season (defensive edition)? Arsenal made a great and cost effective (10 million) move for Ajax captain Thomas Vermaelen. He'll fit right into central defense and not make the club worry one bit about the loss of Kolo Toure.
What will be the dullest team to watch this season? Without a doubt it will be Birmingham City who adopted last year and most likely adopt this year a style that makes Stoke City look like Arsenal. Whatever it takes to stay up I say.
What much maligned player will thrive this year and win the fans over? Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian with the sublime touch will form a winning partnership with Rooney and win a good number of the United fans over who prefer Carlos Tevez. The absence of Ronaldo should benefit Berbatov as much as anyone, allowing him to come up high and utilize his touch and playmaking abilities.
Who's form will cement a move to a big club? Wigan's Lee Cattermole will continue his rise in prominence and in the eyes of the England public. His throwback style and strong work rate will continue to make him one of the bigger up and comers in the league. It won't be long before he moves to a bigger club. Also I picked up for my fantasy team so I'm hoping big rewards at a low price.
What player has become so "underrated" that he's officially "rated"? One of my favorite non Aston Villa players who's hard work and clear improvement has made him the go to guy for every "underrated" Premier League player article. So at this point he's either overrated or rated but you can hardly call him underrated any more. His versatility and work rate will find him in the lineup consistently on the weekend and on many the European night.
What under-20 English player will rise to prominence this year? None other than former Leeds player Fabian Delph who will find a consistent spot in the midfield for Aston Villa and help the team move on from the Gareth Barry era. He'll prove to be more than just a YouTube legend.
Will Liverpool contend for the top spot or settle for comfortable third? It's going to be a two-horse race between Chelsea and Manchester United. The loss of Alonso and uncertainty in defense will hurt Liverpool early. The two rivals above are just too deep and too talented. Liverpool will have to settle for European success, which isn't all that bad.
What club really needs their Middle Eastern money to kick in and kick in fast? Portsmouth in the middle of a mad spending spree and waiting for the new UAE ownership group to get approval. The question is whether the group can get approved and get hold of the club in order to spend some money in the January transfer window to stave off relegation. They can't possibly expect Mark Viduka to save them. Can they?
Finally, how is the table going to look? Kind of like this:
1. Chelsea
2. Manchester United
3. Liverpool
4. Arsenal
5. Aston Villa
6. Manchester City
7. Everton
8. Tottenham
9. Fulham
10. West Ham
11. Sunderland
12. Bolton
13. Stoke City
14. Wigan
15. Blackburn
16. Burnley
17. Wolves
18. Birmingham City
19. Hull City
20. Portsmouth
What player will be the story of the year in the Premier League? With Christiano Ronaldo in Madrid Wayne Rooney will step up and fulfill all expecations of greatness that he's carried since his mid-teens. He'll form a tough combination with Dimitar Berbatov and take his game to the next level as he creatively and doggedly creates chance after chance for United.
If Manchester City isn't going to contend for the top four, who will? The top four will again remain the same. Tottenham will be more consistent, Everton will be as consistent as ever and a young Aston Villa team will continue to contend. Still, in the end, the top four will remain the same with Arsenal easily holding off the fifth place club.
Who will be the breakout player this season? The breakout player of the season will be a guy who kinda sorta broke out last season, Andre Arshavin. Arsenal won't miss Adebayor all that much as Arshavin will become even more of a household name for English football fans.
What manager will be the first to go? I'm not sure there's going to be a sack race. Although Mark Hughes will be under a lot of pressure the clear obvious pick is Phil Brown. It's clear the club has had trouble attracting players this season and you wonder if his antics last year at Manchester City have played a role in that. Hull City will struggle and are a favorite to be relegated. Phil Brown will not make it through the season.
What team efficiently and rather cheaply upgraded their strike force? Due to their geographic location Sunderland is hardly a desired destination but chairman Nial Quinn and new manager Steve Bruce made a couple of nice signings, picking up Darren Bent and Frazier Campbell for the same amount that Manchester City paid for Roque Santa Cruz from Blackburn. Sure Bent had a rough go at Tottenham under Harry Rednkapp including a miss that his "missus" could have made, but he was their leading scorer last year with 17 goals in all competitions. Prior to that he was a proven scorer at Ipswich and Charlton Athletic and he'll be a solid addition at Sunderland. In Campbell Sunderland gets a young player he may have had a down year last season on loan at Tottenham but impressed two years ago in the Hull battle for promotion. For a decent sum Quinn and Bruce pick up a striker who can produce now and one that is promising for the future all at a reasonable cost.
What Premier League club should have "sold the other guy"? Per Mr. Bent Tottenham should have cut their losses and got rid of Roman Pavlyuchenko and kept Bent. They still might unload the Russian and at this point if I were Harry I'd take whatever I can get for him. Save a few gimmes he produced very little during his first season at White Hart Lane other than doing a whole bunch of complaining. With the return of Crouchie, Defoe and Keane is there going to be a place for him anyway? Who needs a malcontent?
What will be the signing of the season (offensive edition)? The signing of the season will be Michael Owen. Were else can a defending champion acquire such a proven goal scorer on a free transfer? Owen will provide the additional depth for smaller EPL fixtures, the Carling Cup and the FA Cup as well as a nice change of pace off the bench for the big fixtures and the Champions League. I don't think Fergie is all that far off in pegging Owen for 25 appearances and 15 goals.
What will be the signing of the season (defensive edition)? Arsenal made a great and cost effective (10 million) move for Ajax captain Thomas Vermaelen. He'll fit right into central defense and not make the club worry one bit about the loss of Kolo Toure.
What will be the dullest team to watch this season? Without a doubt it will be Birmingham City who adopted last year and most likely adopt this year a style that makes Stoke City look like Arsenal. Whatever it takes to stay up I say.
What much maligned player will thrive this year and win the fans over? Dimitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian with the sublime touch will form a winning partnership with Rooney and win a good number of the United fans over who prefer Carlos Tevez. The absence of Ronaldo should benefit Berbatov as much as anyone, allowing him to come up high and utilize his touch and playmaking abilities.
Who's form will cement a move to a big club? Wigan's Lee Cattermole will continue his rise in prominence and in the eyes of the England public. His throwback style and strong work rate will continue to make him one of the bigger up and comers in the league. It won't be long before he moves to a bigger club. Also I picked up for my fantasy team so I'm hoping big rewards at a low price.
What player has become so "underrated" that he's officially "rated"? One of my favorite non Aston Villa players who's hard work and clear improvement has made him the go to guy for every "underrated" Premier League player article. So at this point he's either overrated or rated but you can hardly call him underrated any more. His versatility and work rate will find him in the lineup consistently on the weekend and on many the European night.
What under-20 English player will rise to prominence this year? None other than former Leeds player Fabian Delph who will find a consistent spot in the midfield for Aston Villa and help the team move on from the Gareth Barry era. He'll prove to be more than just a YouTube legend.
Will Liverpool contend for the top spot or settle for comfortable third? It's going to be a two-horse race between Chelsea and Manchester United. The loss of Alonso and uncertainty in defense will hurt Liverpool early. The two rivals above are just too deep and too talented. Liverpool will have to settle for European success, which isn't all that bad.
What club really needs their Middle Eastern money to kick in and kick in fast? Portsmouth in the middle of a mad spending spree and waiting for the new UAE ownership group to get approval. The question is whether the group can get approved and get hold of the club in order to spend some money in the January transfer window to stave off relegation. They can't possibly expect Mark Viduka to save them. Can they?
Finally, how is the table going to look? Kind of like this:
1. Chelsea
2. Manchester United
3. Liverpool
4. Arsenal
5. Aston Villa
6. Manchester City
7. Everton
8. Tottenham
9. Fulham
10. West Ham
11. Sunderland
12. Bolton
13. Stoke City
14. Wigan
15. Blackburn
16. Burnley
17. Wolves
18. Birmingham City
19. Hull City
20. Portsmouth
"Thanks Fabio, you really did me a solid."-- Becks
A year later and David Beckham has wised up a bit in regards to his desired winter loan deal to AC Milan-- or anywhere else in Europe. He now has Fabio Capello working for him to help sway the public opinion. According to Fabs through Gazzetta dello Sport:
"Beckham knows well that if he doesn't return to a big European championship in December he'll have no chance for the World Cup,"
I can imagine the conversation. Beck's people or Beck's himself calling Capello...
"Coach, I'm not sure if you've seen the papers but they're killing me over here. Is there any way you can do me a solid and come out in the papers and declare that I can't play in the World Cup unless I make the winter loan deal again?"
And walla! Beck's now has his justification once again. When the eyes start to roll and the murmur begins he can point back to his dream of playing in the World Cup one more time. The foundation is already in place.
Thanks Fabio!
"Beckham knows well that if he doesn't return to a big European championship in December he'll have no chance for the World Cup,"
I can imagine the conversation. Beck's people or Beck's himself calling Capello...
"Coach, I'm not sure if you've seen the papers but they're killing me over here. Is there any way you can do me a solid and come out in the papers and declare that I can't play in the World Cup unless I make the winter loan deal again?"
And walla! Beck's now has his justification once again. When the eyes start to roll and the murmur begins he can point back to his dream of playing in the World Cup one more time. The foundation is already in place.
Thanks Fabio!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
Thoughts on the Community Shield
I caught most of the Community Shield today save the occasional trip downstairs to switch out the laundry. Here are five thoughts.
1. What Depth: With all the discussion over United's loss of Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez many people seemed to forget about the incredible depth of the squad. They boast arguably the best center back combo in the world. With the emergence of Darron Gibson the team can now realistically pick from a group of ten midfielders (Carrick, Park, Scholes, Giggs, Fletcher, Nani, Valencia, Anderson, Hargreaves). Missing Tevez up front? You have Rooney, Berbatov, Owen, Macheda and even Danny Welbeck.
2. Chelsea and United will be 1-2: I'm still leaning towards Chelsea to win the Premier League but I wouldn't be surprised one bit if Sir Alex and the crew won yet another title. Contrary to some pundits, there's no way they'll finish out of the Champions League spot. As far as Chelsea they look like a well oiled machine and made a great pickup in Zhirkov.
3. Foster looked awful shaky: For a goaltender pushed by Ferguson to be England's future #1 Foster looked awful shaky on the two Chelsea goals and his overall ball-handling/kicking was supbar. With Edwin Van Der Sar out for a period of time the pressure will be on Foster. Is he up to it?
4. Petr Cech saved the match for Chelsea in the first half: Beyond the Nani goal which he arguably could have played better, Cech kept Chelsea in the match with some sterling first half saves, one in particular after a nice give and go gave Berbatov a unmarked shot on goal. He then proved his worth once again in the penalty shootout.
5. Michael Ballack's act is wearing thin: I think I'm not alone in the fact that I'm tired of Ballack and would like to see him take his arse back to the Bundesliga. Whether it's him losing his mind after the Barcelona semifinal or his antics yesterday I've had my fill of Ballack. Five minutes before dropping the elbow on Evra Ballack goes down in a heap pretending that Evra stepped on his ribcage, stopping a United attack, only to bounce back up ten seconds later. Five minutes later he commits a clear foul on Evra. As far as the referee, Chris Foy, it was a pretty obvious call. If it was truly a game of consequence the controversy would have been much larger. Chelsea didn't even have possession at the time and it took over 20 seconds for them to get down the field and score, all with Evra on the ground. It would have been nice for a Chelsea player, who clearly had to see Evra on the ground (Lampard), to wack the ball out and realize it was a charity match.
Even with the controversy it was an entertaining and well played match. From a neutral point of view you had to be impressed with both clubs. United clearly looked dominant in the first half with strong play from Nani, Darren Fletcher, etc. Chelsea roared back in the second half. Good play from the two clubs that will fight for the top spot this season.
1. What Depth: With all the discussion over United's loss of Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez many people seemed to forget about the incredible depth of the squad. They boast arguably the best center back combo in the world. With the emergence of Darron Gibson the team can now realistically pick from a group of ten midfielders (Carrick, Park, Scholes, Giggs, Fletcher, Nani, Valencia, Anderson, Hargreaves). Missing Tevez up front? You have Rooney, Berbatov, Owen, Macheda and even Danny Welbeck.
2. Chelsea and United will be 1-2: I'm still leaning towards Chelsea to win the Premier League but I wouldn't be surprised one bit if Sir Alex and the crew won yet another title. Contrary to some pundits, there's no way they'll finish out of the Champions League spot. As far as Chelsea they look like a well oiled machine and made a great pickup in Zhirkov.
3. Foster looked awful shaky: For a goaltender pushed by Ferguson to be England's future #1 Foster looked awful shaky on the two Chelsea goals and his overall ball-handling/kicking was supbar. With Edwin Van Der Sar out for a period of time the pressure will be on Foster. Is he up to it?
4. Petr Cech saved the match for Chelsea in the first half: Beyond the Nani goal which he arguably could have played better, Cech kept Chelsea in the match with some sterling first half saves, one in particular after a nice give and go gave Berbatov a unmarked shot on goal. He then proved his worth once again in the penalty shootout.
5. Michael Ballack's act is wearing thin: I think I'm not alone in the fact that I'm tired of Ballack and would like to see him take his arse back to the Bundesliga. Whether it's him losing his mind after the Barcelona semifinal or his antics yesterday I've had my fill of Ballack. Five minutes before dropping the elbow on Evra Ballack goes down in a heap pretending that Evra stepped on his ribcage, stopping a United attack, only to bounce back up ten seconds later. Five minutes later he commits a clear foul on Evra. As far as the referee, Chris Foy, it was a pretty obvious call. If it was truly a game of consequence the controversy would have been much larger. Chelsea didn't even have possession at the time and it took over 20 seconds for them to get down the field and score, all with Evra on the ground. It would have been nice for a Chelsea player, who clearly had to see Evra on the ground (Lampard), to wack the ball out and realize it was a charity match.
Even with the controversy it was an entertaining and well played match. From a neutral point of view you had to be impressed with both clubs. United clearly looked dominant in the first half with strong play from Nani, Darren Fletcher, etc. Chelsea roared back in the second half. Good play from the two clubs that will fight for the top spot this season.
Kenny Cooper scores in German Debut
I got up relatively early (acclimating my body for next Saturday) to catch my very first Bundesliga 2 match between the powerful (I hope) TSV 1860 Munich and TUS Koblenz. I caught up to the match 20 minutes in with TSV 1860 up 1-0. I'm happy to report that the first goal for 1860 Munich of the new season was scored by the big American signee, Mr. Kenny Cooper. They're now up 2-0. In classic ITV fashion Sky Sports just switched from the 1860 Munich vs. TUS Koblenz match for a look into the Cottbus vs. Augsburg match, only to miss Benjamin Lauth score for 1860 Munich for the second goal. I'm still trying to get a highlight of the goal to see if it was a corker or a tap in.
Update: At the 71st minute mark Coop was just taken off to a warm ovation from the fans. Just prior to being taken off he had a near miss, coming down the left wing with the ball he attempted a cross which was deflected high and towards the net. In a nice bit of pace and hustle he beat the defender to the ball but wasn't able to get an accurate shot on goal from about a thigh high bounce. From the reaction of the crowd it's a good start in Germany for Kenny Cooper and a good start for the club. I'm no expert on Bundesliga 2 but I do know their opponent, TUS Koblenz did finish just above the relegation zone last season. With Lauth who scored fifteen goals last season and Cooper 1860 Munich may have a nice goal scoring combo to help drive them back towards the top flight, of which they were a founding member. Ten minutes left with a two goal advantage so they should hang on.
Here's a link to a video of Cooper's goal. A nice header by the 6'3" Cooper.
The reaction to his move to Germany was interesting, very mixed in the blogosphere and US soccer pundits. I've noted earlier that I think his move will be a plus for his career. Over at World Soccer Daily a couple of weeks back Kenny Hassan and Howard Rogers had a different view wondering why he would make a move to a second division club in Germany. In my opinion it makes sense for multiple reasons and really is a win win situation for him. He needed to get away from MLS but still get guaranteed playing time in a solid league. Sure he probably could have moved to a top flight European club but would playing time be guaranteed? As we've learned with Freddy Adu at Benfica and on loan at Monaco it's nice to have young US players at top flight clubs but if they're going to sit on the bench it's not going to help their development or help the US National team. The same can be said for Jozy Altidore. It was a great move to Villareal but he received very little playing time for the Yellow Submarine and then on loan.
As far as going to a second division club, what's really the difference between Cooper playing in the Bundesliga 2 and Charlie Davies playing at Hammarby in Sweden? The leagues are arguably comparable. Davies was able to get playing time and as a result is now a real player in the US rotation. For a club like 1860 Munich to spend a million dollars (up to 3 million) they're making a large investment. As a result he's probably going to get playing time. If he continues to impress like in his debut that playing time will be consistent.
This can only help Cooper. Maybe he contributes greatly to a move to the first division for his club. Or maybe he impresses enough to get a transfer to another club next season. More importantly he'll be getting playing time in a European league in the run up to the World Cup. I'm not alone among US soccer fans in hoping to see Cooper get more of a look with the national team. We can only go so far with Brian Ching. It would be nice to see Coop get in there with his unique skill set and compete for time with Jozy and Charlie Davies. He will soon be twenty-five. This may be his sole opportunity to play in a World Cup. He's in a good place to prove his worth to Bob Bradley.
Update: At the 71st minute mark Coop was just taken off to a warm ovation from the fans. Just prior to being taken off he had a near miss, coming down the left wing with the ball he attempted a cross which was deflected high and towards the net. In a nice bit of pace and hustle he beat the defender to the ball but wasn't able to get an accurate shot on goal from about a thigh high bounce. From the reaction of the crowd it's a good start in Germany for Kenny Cooper and a good start for the club. I'm no expert on Bundesliga 2 but I do know their opponent, TUS Koblenz did finish just above the relegation zone last season. With Lauth who scored fifteen goals last season and Cooper 1860 Munich may have a nice goal scoring combo to help drive them back towards the top flight, of which they were a founding member. Ten minutes left with a two goal advantage so they should hang on.
Here's a link to a video of Cooper's goal. A nice header by the 6'3" Cooper.
The reaction to his move to Germany was interesting, very mixed in the blogosphere and US soccer pundits. I've noted earlier that I think his move will be a plus for his career. Over at World Soccer Daily a couple of weeks back Kenny Hassan and Howard Rogers had a different view wondering why he would make a move to a second division club in Germany. In my opinion it makes sense for multiple reasons and really is a win win situation for him. He needed to get away from MLS but still get guaranteed playing time in a solid league. Sure he probably could have moved to a top flight European club but would playing time be guaranteed? As we've learned with Freddy Adu at Benfica and on loan at Monaco it's nice to have young US players at top flight clubs but if they're going to sit on the bench it's not going to help their development or help the US National team. The same can be said for Jozy Altidore. It was a great move to Villareal but he received very little playing time for the Yellow Submarine and then on loan.
As far as going to a second division club, what's really the difference between Cooper playing in the Bundesliga 2 and Charlie Davies playing at Hammarby in Sweden? The leagues are arguably comparable. Davies was able to get playing time and as a result is now a real player in the US rotation. For a club like 1860 Munich to spend a million dollars (up to 3 million) they're making a large investment. As a result he's probably going to get playing time. If he continues to impress like in his debut that playing time will be consistent.
This can only help Cooper. Maybe he contributes greatly to a move to the first division for his club. Or maybe he impresses enough to get a transfer to another club next season. More importantly he'll be getting playing time in a European league in the run up to the World Cup. I'm not alone among US soccer fans in hoping to see Cooper get more of a look with the national team. We can only go so far with Brian Ching. It would be nice to see Coop get in there with his unique skill set and compete for time with Jozy and Charlie Davies. He will soon be twenty-five. This may be his sole opportunity to play in a World Cup. He's in a good place to prove his worth to Bob Bradley.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
David Beckham-- Mr. Teflon
Leave it to David Beckham. Like numerous times before he's clearly once again in redeem mode. I'm not a big fan of much of his actions in LA but you have to give him credit for his ability to turn public opinion. The man is an absolute pro at wiggling out sticky situations. Like he did in England with the national squad and in Spain with Real Madrid, Beckham is once again in the midst of yet another career renaissance as the Galaxy are suddenly careening toward the MLS playoffs with 5 wins out of 6 matches. People forget how he was vilified in England after World Cup 1998, but went on to captain England in later years. They also forget how he was written off at Real Madrid but then resurrected his career to a point that people questioned him following through on coming to the LA Galaxy. Tonight they defeated an always tough Revolution on the road 2-1. The two teammates once pitted against each other, Donovan and Beckham, are on the same page with Donovan leaping into Beckham's arm to celebrate his 9th goal of the season. They have to 1-2 combo of Beckham and Donovan but with a much improved defense under the tutelage of Bruce Arena. Hard to believe but the boos have probably already turned to cheers. And lo and behold, the Galaxy helped draw over 26,000 fans in New England, and sharp increase from their previous Beckham-less visit. Mr. Teflon.
Isn't it clear how this is going to end? You heard it here first. Beckham and Donovan will lead the Galaxy to the MLS championship this fall. Becks will then go on another half-year loan to AC Milan picking up some Serie A matches and perhaps some Champions League time. He'll then play for England in next year's World Cup and then return to the Galaxy for the tail end of next season and then the year after. At that point he'll purchase either the Galaxy or another MLS club and all will be forgotten. Posh will become a judge on American Idol and if she can manage to actually smile a bit the gig may even become long term. With the eventual success of Beckham you'll see more established stars at the end of their career take the reserved player role and come over.
Think it's far fetched? Don't put it past Beckham. He's done it before.
Isn't it clear how this is going to end? You heard it here first. Beckham and Donovan will lead the Galaxy to the MLS championship this fall. Becks will then go on another half-year loan to AC Milan picking up some Serie A matches and perhaps some Champions League time. He'll then play for England in next year's World Cup and then return to the Galaxy for the tail end of next season and then the year after. At that point he'll purchase either the Galaxy or another MLS club and all will be forgotten. Posh will become a judge on American Idol and if she can manage to actually smile a bit the gig may even become long term. With the eventual success of Beckham you'll see more established stars at the end of their career take the reserved player role and come over.
Think it's far fetched? Don't put it past Beckham. He's done it before.
US vs Mexico lineups and my love for ESPN360
A few random thoughts on the upcoming US vs Mexico super match while I watch Newcastle versus West Brom on the greatest invention in the history of the internet, ESPN 360. This past week when I was randomly gazing at the Comcast homepage and noticed that they had finally picked up ESPN360 I was like a kid a Christmas. It's incredible how ESPN has completely redeemed themselves in my mind over the past three months with there sudden and intense commitment to the beautiful game.
On to the US vs Mexico. Bob Bradley released his lineups and there aren't really any surprises. Some people are surprised to see Conor Casey getting the nod while others would have liked to see Kyle Beckerman get a chance. I was happy to see Stuart Holden get a deserving call up due to his recent strong play for the Dynamo and the US in the Gold Cup. As far as the lineups are concerned I think you'll see Bradley employ the same lineup he did for the Confederations Cup semi against Spain, something Grant Wahl also notes. This will include Jozy Altidore and Charlie Davies up front. I'm hoping he avoids the temptation to play Brian Ching.
Just when my excitement reached a palpaple point I was surprised to find out the match will be played at the absurd time of 3:00 PM. Nice move Mexico. I realize it's an advantage due to the crazy heat and smog from rush hour at that point, but it's also yet another nice jab at fans in the US. I'll be one of many now forced to miss the match due to an important business meeting. I'll surely run out after the meeting is done, check the Blackberry and probably see a 2-0 Mexico score line--- if history repeats itself. Of course Mexico can point to the February match in Columbus as an example of the US using climate to their advantage. At least that match was played at a time that everyone could see it. The other speculation on the match is the fact that the US is flying in just 24 hours before the match with no time to acclimate to the 7000 foot altitude. I'm not sure this could have been avoided with all the comittments the players have. Some experts feel it takes up to two weeks to actually get acclimated.
Prediction on the match? Clearly I'd like to see a US win. I don't think we'll get that but I am envisioning a draw. 1-1 I say. And no, I'm not willing to bet anything on that.
One more thing... for anyone so inclined there is a great two part podcast that BBC 5 live did on the plight of Newcastle this past Thursday. You can find it on the iTunes podcast listings.
On to the US vs Mexico. Bob Bradley released his lineups and there aren't really any surprises. Some people are surprised to see Conor Casey getting the nod while others would have liked to see Kyle Beckerman get a chance. I was happy to see Stuart Holden get a deserving call up due to his recent strong play for the Dynamo and the US in the Gold Cup. As far as the lineups are concerned I think you'll see Bradley employ the same lineup he did for the Confederations Cup semi against Spain, something Grant Wahl also notes. This will include Jozy Altidore and Charlie Davies up front. I'm hoping he avoids the temptation to play Brian Ching.
Just when my excitement reached a palpaple point I was surprised to find out the match will be played at the absurd time of 3:00 PM. Nice move Mexico. I realize it's an advantage due to the crazy heat and smog from rush hour at that point, but it's also yet another nice jab at fans in the US. I'll be one of many now forced to miss the match due to an important business meeting. I'll surely run out after the meeting is done, check the Blackberry and probably see a 2-0 Mexico score line--- if history repeats itself. Of course Mexico can point to the February match in Columbus as an example of the US using climate to their advantage. At least that match was played at a time that everyone could see it. The other speculation on the match is the fact that the US is flying in just 24 hours before the match with no time to acclimate to the 7000 foot altitude. I'm not sure this could have been avoided with all the comittments the players have. Some experts feel it takes up to two weeks to actually get acclimated.
Prediction on the match? Clearly I'd like to see a US win. I don't think we'll get that but I am envisioning a draw. 1-1 I say. And no, I'm not willing to bet anything on that.
One more thing... for anyone so inclined there is a great two part podcast that BBC 5 live did on the plight of Newcastle this past Thursday. You can find it on the iTunes podcast listings.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Real Madrid in Toronto and the rise of La Liga
Twenty-five minutes into the match versus Toronto FC and its pretty clear what all the hubbub is about. The retooled Galacticos are making their Canadian debut and its hard not to be impressed. The critics will point to the previous Florentino Peres grand experiment and how it arguably didn't work, but it's going to be hard to compare that group to this one. When your attack force combines two of arguably the top three players in the world it's hard to imagine a lack of success. A third of the way into the match tonight and Christiano Ronaldo has scored once with Raul scoring twice. Two of the goals resulted from impeccable offensive link ups with the second one a testament to the all-around skill and brilliance of Ronaldo. Heading down a long pass to Karim Benzema, the reigning World Player of the Year cut inside and slotted home a well placed pass from Benzema, coolly sending it past the goalkeeper. One of the most compelling stories of the Spanish season is whether this talent can be molded together. Early signs, especially from Toronto, is that the likes of Raul, Ronaldo, Kaka, Benzema, etc. won't have any issues playing together. The talent is at such a level that players such as Arjen Robben and Wesley Sneijder, who many a fan would give their left nut to have on their team, look to be at best sub players with the acquisition of Xabi Alonso.
What an amazing transformation for La Liga. In the span three months and one UEFA Champions League final they go from the second greatest league in the world to arguably the best league in the world--- or at least the league with the two best clubs in the world. Mix in one part Barcelona championship dominance, one part deep Real Madrid pockets and one part 50% top tax rate and the Premier League is reeling. Chelsea do look mighty fine thus far this preseason but you have to admit the league that had three of the final four Champions League clubs is looking a bit tarnished. Liverpool were forced to lose Alonso, Man U is without Christiano Ronaldo and Arsenal continue to lose key contributors. Meanwhile in Spain you have the hottest league in the world. Real Madrid and Barcelona sell out stadiums in North American like they're the beatles. Athletico Madrid and Villareal have exciting aggressive attacking talent and somehow Valencia holds on (so far) to David Silva and David Villa. This very well could be the year that the Premier League goes down a notch.
Stay Tuned.
What an amazing transformation for La Liga. In the span three months and one UEFA Champions League final they go from the second greatest league in the world to arguably the best league in the world--- or at least the league with the two best clubs in the world. Mix in one part Barcelona championship dominance, one part deep Real Madrid pockets and one part 50% top tax rate and the Premier League is reeling. Chelsea do look mighty fine thus far this preseason but you have to admit the league that had three of the final four Champions League clubs is looking a bit tarnished. Liverpool were forced to lose Alonso, Man U is without Christiano Ronaldo and Arsenal continue to lose key contributors. Meanwhile in Spain you have the hottest league in the world. Real Madrid and Barcelona sell out stadiums in North American like they're the beatles. Athletico Madrid and Villareal have exciting aggressive attacking talent and somehow Valencia holds on (so far) to David Silva and David Villa. This very well could be the year that the Premier League goes down a notch.
Stay Tuned.
EPL on ESPN for 2009/2010? Immediately? Fantastic.
According to EPL Talk ESPN has picked up the English Premier League for the immediate upcoming season and will broadcast games starting on Saturday the 15th with the Hull City vs. Chelsea match. Immediate exposure for Jozy Altidore at his new team which will obviously benefit US soccer and another huge win for the sport in the United States. I've long wondered why ESPN didn't go after the league earlier with the success they had in the past with the Champions League. The timing of the games are perfect, I can't imagine there's anything else they could put in the 7:45 AM Saturday time slot and get anywhere near the ratings they'll get for the EPL. This has to be a winner for the Premier League as well with additional exposure in the US media market. This takes ESPN a step further towards being the true worldwide leader in sports.
The one negative is that it probably doesn't help MLS all that much. The EPL ratings will likely dwarf the paltry MLS ratings and give ESPN yet another reason to shift their soccer broadcasting allegiance toward the European Leagues. It'll be interesting to see what happens in the coming year. With the runaway success of the Barcelona trip to the US this past week (over 150,000 fans at two matches) and the Galactico era underway at Real Madrid I wouldn't be surprised to see a move to get the La Liga matches on in the US in English. As noted in the EPL Talk article there is already speculation that the Bundesliga could be making it's way to ESPN in the US as well.
It seems its not finalized quite yet, but what a fantastic day to be a soccer fan in the US. Hopefully the ESPN move will pressure FSC to move to Hi Def as soon as possible since I'm assuming the ESPN2 matches, like the Champions League, will be in glorious Hi Def.
The one negative is that it probably doesn't help MLS all that much. The EPL ratings will likely dwarf the paltry MLS ratings and give ESPN yet another reason to shift their soccer broadcasting allegiance toward the European Leagues. It'll be interesting to see what happens in the coming year. With the runaway success of the Barcelona trip to the US this past week (over 150,000 fans at two matches) and the Galactico era underway at Real Madrid I wouldn't be surprised to see a move to get the La Liga matches on in the US in English. As noted in the EPL Talk article there is already speculation that the Bundesliga could be making it's way to ESPN in the US as well.
It seems its not finalized quite yet, but what a fantastic day to be a soccer fan in the US. Hopefully the ESPN move will pressure FSC to move to Hi Def as soon as possible since I'm assuming the ESPN2 matches, like the Champions League, will be in glorious Hi Def.
Thursday, August 6, 2009
Down Pompey. In Viduka? Who's the crazy one?
Poor Pompey. Twelve months ago they charged into the season coming off an FA Cup victory with a strike duo of Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe and a solid slew of talent around them. Now they crawl into the 2009/2010 season with a potential forward duo of Amr Zaki and Mark Viduka. If you read newspaper accounts isn't just looking at the health, potential and contract demands of Zaki, they're also questionning his sanity. I'm questionning their sanity for even looking at Viduka. What, Duncan Ferguson isn't available?
According to Eurosport on Zaki, from Portsmouth head Peter Storrie:
"With Zaki, firstly we would need to be sound and positive about the deal and, secondly, we certainly wouldn't pay any loan fee until we knew what the stability of the boy was like."
Good god. Poor Chuck Culpepper. How could Zaki have gone from leading the league in goals to sitting on the bench in such a short period of time other than the fact he carries a whole bunch of baggage? you have to wonder if the potential UAE ownership group is playing any role in them going after Zaki.
That being said, at least Zaki can score, something that surely can't be said about Mark Viduka any longer. Considering his age, 33, and recent performance its incredible that Viduka is even getting a a look from an EPL squad. At this point he should be on winter break gearing up for the A League season down under. Storrie is quoted in the Eurosport article that Viduka has a chance to regain the Australian captaincy in the run up to the World Cup. Considering Viduka has missed the entire qualification round and hasn't been a part of the side since 2007 he has about as a good a chance of captaining the Aussie team as Brian McBride has of captaining the US team once again-- which is none.
Coming to an EPL Ground near you. The dynamic strike force duo of the AWOL Egyptian and the aged Aussie who's pumped in a dynamic 7 goals in the past two seasons. What's the over under on number of points this season? 20? Where's Teddy Sheringham when you need him?
According to Eurosport on Zaki, from Portsmouth head Peter Storrie:
"With Zaki, firstly we would need to be sound and positive about the deal and, secondly, we certainly wouldn't pay any loan fee until we knew what the stability of the boy was like."
Good god. Poor Chuck Culpepper. How could Zaki have gone from leading the league in goals to sitting on the bench in such a short period of time other than the fact he carries a whole bunch of baggage? you have to wonder if the potential UAE ownership group is playing any role in them going after Zaki.
That being said, at least Zaki can score, something that surely can't be said about Mark Viduka any longer. Considering his age, 33, and recent performance its incredible that Viduka is even getting a a look from an EPL squad. At this point he should be on winter break gearing up for the A League season down under. Storrie is quoted in the Eurosport article that Viduka has a chance to regain the Australian captaincy in the run up to the World Cup. Considering Viduka has missed the entire qualification round and hasn't been a part of the side since 2007 he has about as a good a chance of captaining the Aussie team as Brian McBride has of captaining the US team once again-- which is none.
Coming to an EPL Ground near you. The dynamic strike force duo of the AWOL Egyptian and the aged Aussie who's pumped in a dynamic 7 goals in the past two seasons. What's the over under on number of points this season? 20? Where's Teddy Sheringham when you need him?
Huntelaar to AC Milan
Word in today that Klaas Jan Huntelaar is on his way to AC Milan for what seems like a rather paltry sum of $21 million. Considering the crazy fees flying around this summer it seems like a heck of a bargain. I realize they don't play the same position but if Xabi Alonso at 28 is worth $30 million it's hard to believe that Huntelaar was picked up for such a relatively small fee, not too mention what Man City paid for Adebayor and seem willing to pay for Joleon Lescott. It's a great move for AC Milan who absolutely had to do something, with the loss of Kaka and the brutal form they've shown thus far in the preseason. If Ronaldinho can find some form and Pirlo can hold off father time for another season Milan should have a nice duo up front with Huntelaar and Pato. I've long been a big fan due to his propensity for bicycle kicks.
It will be interesting to see what the reaction is from Manchester United fans where Huntelaar has long been a rumored target. Sir Alex can't complain about out of control transfer market with Huntelaar moving for such a relatively small amount. It either tells me he is very satisified with the form Owen has shown and really feels Macheda is ready for real playing time. Or the contrarian, who are many, can point to the Huntelaar situation and make the claim that United truly are banking the Ronaldo money to pay off some of that debt. I'm in the former camp who feels that Sir Alex is happy with the squad he has and didn't feel the need to add Huntelaar to the strike quartet of Rooney, Berbatov, Owen and Macheda.
The madness of Real Madrid continues. They pay $29 million for Huntelaar in January and sell him for an $8 million loss in August. I think Huntelaar is someone they should have looked at keeping. The strike force at Real Madrid now consists of the very young in Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain and the very old in Raul and Ruud Van Nistelroy. Considering all the money they spent I'm not completely confident about this group--- even considering the fact they have Kaka and Ronaldo. Hiquain had a great year last season but prior to that he was largely seen as a bit of a disappointment. Benzema is an uber-talent but did have an inconsistent year last season and is only 21. You'd have to think Raul and Ruud will start to show there age at some point. All the reason to hang on to Huntelaar.
It will be interesting to see what the reaction is from Manchester United fans where Huntelaar has long been a rumored target. Sir Alex can't complain about out of control transfer market with Huntelaar moving for such a relatively small amount. It either tells me he is very satisified with the form Owen has shown and really feels Macheda is ready for real playing time. Or the contrarian, who are many, can point to the Huntelaar situation and make the claim that United truly are banking the Ronaldo money to pay off some of that debt. I'm in the former camp who feels that Sir Alex is happy with the squad he has and didn't feel the need to add Huntelaar to the strike quartet of Rooney, Berbatov, Owen and Macheda.
The madness of Real Madrid continues. They pay $29 million for Huntelaar in January and sell him for an $8 million loss in August. I think Huntelaar is someone they should have looked at keeping. The strike force at Real Madrid now consists of the very young in Karim Benzema and Gonzalo Higuain and the very old in Raul and Ruud Van Nistelroy. Considering all the money they spent I'm not completely confident about this group--- even considering the fact they have Kaka and Ronaldo. Hiquain had a great year last season but prior to that he was largely seen as a bit of a disappointment. Benzema is an uber-talent but did have an inconsistent year last season and is only 21. You'd have to think Raul and Ruud will start to show there age at some point. All the reason to hang on to Huntelaar.
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Altidore Transfer Official and other US Notes
As speculated yesterday, Goal.com was right for a change, Hull City have their man and Jozy Altidore will be moving to the Premier League on a year long loan. Opinion on US message boards is mixed but all in all I think it's a good move for Altidore. The bare cupboard at Hull likely means that the 19-year-old will get immediate playing time in the best and deepest league in the world. Here's hoping he develops a nice combination with Geovanni, Ian Ashbee and Jimmy Bullard and hits the back of the net several times this season. Who knows, maybe Hull can recapture their early 2008 glory and make a run and not end up in the relegation zone as predicted by just about everyone, including me. One thing for sure I'll have yet another reason to check every game recap this season with Kenny Cooper in Germany and Jozy Altidore at Hull.
Speaking of Cooper, here's another take on his transfer from Greg Lalas of Sports Illustrated. I don't agree completely with Lalas but am in agreement that it's a gamble. I think it's a worthy gamble and I have a feeling that Cooper will prove himself with a one year spell in Munich and move up to first division club via transfer in January or next summer.
Finally, while we're on the subject of US National Team forwards here's some speculation by Ivan Galarcep on the roster for next week's mega-match in Mexico City. How excited am I about this match? I'll be in Milwaukee on business next week and called the hotel I stay at to make sure they'll have Univision so I can see the match. I'll post on my prediction closer to the match. Let's just say I have a good feeling about the US and their chances. As far as the US is concerned my only big hope is that they partner Altidore and Charlie Davies, avoiding Brian Ching at all costs. I realize he'll be trying to get immersed into his new team but I'd like to see Kenny Cooper get a call up. The other player I expect to see and am hoping to see is Stuart Holden. His boo boo against Everton aside Holden's form of late has been been fantastic and he deserves a roster spot.
Speaking of Cooper, here's another take on his transfer from Greg Lalas of Sports Illustrated. I don't agree completely with Lalas but am in agreement that it's a gamble. I think it's a worthy gamble and I have a feeling that Cooper will prove himself with a one year spell in Munich and move up to first division club via transfer in January or next summer.
Finally, while we're on the subject of US National Team forwards here's some speculation by Ivan Galarcep on the roster for next week's mega-match in Mexico City. How excited am I about this match? I'll be in Milwaukee on business next week and called the hotel I stay at to make sure they'll have Univision so I can see the match. I'll post on my prediction closer to the match. Let's just say I have a good feeling about the US and their chances. As far as the US is concerned my only big hope is that they partner Altidore and Charlie Davies, avoiding Brian Ching at all costs. I realize he'll be trying to get immersed into his new team but I'd like to see Kenny Cooper get a call up. The other player I expect to see and am hoping to see is Stuart Holden. His boo boo against Everton aside Holden's form of late has been been fantastic and he deserves a roster spot.
EPL- Can two promoted teams stay up?
Last year saw fast-starting (but slow finishing) Hull and consistent Stoke stave off immediate relegation and stay up for a second year in the top flight. Like clubs such as Reading have learned, it's often the second season in the top flight that is the most difficult. This season the dire financial situation in Portsmouth may provide an opening for at least one or two clubs to fight off relegation and pull a Stoke and stay up. Before getting into who I think will stay up it's important to look at the three teams that will go down.
1. Portsmouth: Unless there is a speedy fix to the ownership situation and the sale to UAE billionaire Sulaiman al-Fahim goes through allowing the club to make some last minute transfer deadline signings, the prospects do not bode well for Portsmouth. Such are the modern football times that a club like Portsmouth can go to competing for the Champions League and winning the FA Cup in 2008 to an absolute fire sale of epic proportions. If the of David Nugent goes through Portsmouth will have virtually liquidated anyone of value on their roster leaving a team that could potentially rival Derby County for lack of Premier League talent. It's going to be a painful year in the south of England-- Pompey are surely going down. You have to wonder why the UAE group would want any part of the club anyway. Fratton Park is obviously in need of an upgrade. It's the poorest of the top flight stadiums and just doesn't provide the capacity or revenue that the club needs. I'm curious why the ownership group didn't take a long look at Newcastle as an acquisition.
2. Hull: I can't see Hull surviving another year. They haven't upgraded their squad at all, and they struggled mightily the entire second half of last season-- you can't expect them to get much better considering the fact they haven't acquired anybody. Up front they are in an absolute dire situation. The loan of Jozy Altidore would be nice from a US fan standpoint but you can't expect him to light the world on fire immediately. Jimmy Bullard, the big January pickup, is still injured and likely out the first couple months of the season. To make things even worse their top defender Michael Turner is rumored to be going to Liverpool. You have to wonder if the antics of Phil Brown last season have hurt his ability to attract players. Right now they need all the help they can get.
3. Birmingham City: I think Birmingham will be sent right back down. I realize Alex McLeish has worked wonders in the past but I just don't see the talent on hand at Birmingham to keep the team afloat. The Barry Ferguson acquisition would have been nice three years ago but at this point he's probably too old and beat up--- I don't expect the Barry Ferguson of five years ago. Their best bet is to play the Stoke style, defend their home turf and keep things even on the road.
With the three clubs above going down it's obvious who's staying up, Wolves and Burnley. I really like what Owen Coyle has done at Burnley and at as the fall turns to winter they could very well have a Stoke City like home advantage, as victories over Arsenal and Fulham in the Carling Cup this past season can attest. All eyes will be on Stephen Fletcher as the sole big offseason acquisition. At Wolverhampton Mick McCarthy has put together a solid club with some real forward talent. In the end I don't expect either of these clubs to neccessarily lock up a top ten finish but in contrast to the three clubs listed above I do see them staying up.
1. Portsmouth: Unless there is a speedy fix to the ownership situation and the sale to UAE billionaire Sulaiman al-Fahim goes through allowing the club to make some last minute transfer deadline signings, the prospects do not bode well for Portsmouth. Such are the modern football times that a club like Portsmouth can go to competing for the Champions League and winning the FA Cup in 2008 to an absolute fire sale of epic proportions. If the of David Nugent goes through Portsmouth will have virtually liquidated anyone of value on their roster leaving a team that could potentially rival Derby County for lack of Premier League talent. It's going to be a painful year in the south of England-- Pompey are surely going down. You have to wonder why the UAE group would want any part of the club anyway. Fratton Park is obviously in need of an upgrade. It's the poorest of the top flight stadiums and just doesn't provide the capacity or revenue that the club needs. I'm curious why the ownership group didn't take a long look at Newcastle as an acquisition.
2. Hull: I can't see Hull surviving another year. They haven't upgraded their squad at all, and they struggled mightily the entire second half of last season-- you can't expect them to get much better considering the fact they haven't acquired anybody. Up front they are in an absolute dire situation. The loan of Jozy Altidore would be nice from a US fan standpoint but you can't expect him to light the world on fire immediately. Jimmy Bullard, the big January pickup, is still injured and likely out the first couple months of the season. To make things even worse their top defender Michael Turner is rumored to be going to Liverpool. You have to wonder if the antics of Phil Brown last season have hurt his ability to attract players. Right now they need all the help they can get.
3. Birmingham City: I think Birmingham will be sent right back down. I realize Alex McLeish has worked wonders in the past but I just don't see the talent on hand at Birmingham to keep the team afloat. The Barry Ferguson acquisition would have been nice three years ago but at this point he's probably too old and beat up--- I don't expect the Barry Ferguson of five years ago. Their best bet is to play the Stoke style, defend their home turf and keep things even on the road.
With the three clubs above going down it's obvious who's staying up, Wolves and Burnley. I really like what Owen Coyle has done at Burnley and at as the fall turns to winter they could very well have a Stoke City like home advantage, as victories over Arsenal and Fulham in the Carling Cup this past season can attest. All eyes will be on Stephen Fletcher as the sole big offseason acquisition. At Wolverhampton Mick McCarthy has put together a solid club with some real forward talent. In the end I don't expect either of these clubs to neccessarily lock up a top ten finish but in contrast to the three clubs listed above I do see them staying up.
Another Young American on the Premier League Radar
With Jozy Altidore rumored to go to Hull and Eric Lichaj positioning himself for some first team action with Everton the number of young Americans poised to move to the Premier League continues with Everton rumored to sign 21-year old forward Cody Arnoux, formerly of Wake Forest. This is on the heals of the Everton signing of Ventura County Fusion midfielder Anton Peterlin. With the eye for talent of David Moyes these two signing speak well of the continued emerging talent of United States soccer. Moyes is known for recognizing talent and maximizing it so Arnoux will be in a good place. It's clear that the Premier League scouting umbrella has now reached the US College ranks. The case of Arnoux is similar to Eric Lichaj, who left North Carolina after one season.
It's hardly a trend at this point but it's nice to see more talent heading overseas early. It will bode well for the future of the Men's National Team. The question is whether it's good for MLS?
It's hardly a trend at this point but it's nice to see more talent heading overseas early. It will bode well for the future of the Men's National Team. The question is whether it's good for MLS?
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Delph and Man City
Buried in an article on the Guardian about Carlos Tevez slipping in the shower and potentially missing the opener for Man City:
Hughes has spent £94m so far on what the manager has described as an "exceptional" summer but not everything has gone City's way. Leeds United revealed today that English football's biggest spenders had tried to sign Fabian Delph before Aston Villa had a £6m bid accepted on Monday.
Hughes has spent £94m so far on what the manager has described as an "exceptional" summer but not everything has gone City's way. Leeds United revealed today that English football's biggest spenders had tried to sign Fabian Delph before Aston Villa had a £6m bid accepted on Monday.
City lodged an offer of the same amount on Saturday but, according to the Leeds chairman, Ken Bates, the club's English-based hierarchy then had to get ratification from their owners in Abu Dhabi and asked for the talks to be shelved for a week.
"We had accepted an offer from Manchester City on Saturday which they had to go back with to the owner in the Gulf," Bates said. "Then apparently they needed a week to think about it which surprised us, considering the size of the deal.
So let me get this straight, Manchester City can drop millions on a list of players, some good pickups, some questionable, but they need a week to get a relative pittance approved for a top prospect such as Fabian Delph? As a Villa fan I'm relieved, we will gladly take Delph. It's just a bit odd that they'd have to go through such a process to approve the Delph purchase.
The Coca Cola Championship
I think I'm going to follow the Coca Cola Championship a little bit more than the odd glance to see who's in the relegation zone. I dare to say the Championship may be as interesting as its been in a few years. You have the obvious story of Newcastle and their fights to say afloat. I'm on record as saying that I think it's unlikely they go back up and more likely they get relegated to the first division. It'll be interesting to see how they fare this Saturday at West Brom. I'm thinking it may not be pretty. Beyond Newcastle you also have the compelling stories of Gareth Southgate and Middlesbrough, Darren Ferguson at Peterborough, Roy Keane at Ipswich and Nigel Clough at Derby County. Can Southgate maximize the youth academy talent and keep the Boro respectable? Can Clough continue the resurgence at Derby and take them back up to the top flight two years removed from the most embarrasing top flight performance in history? Can Darren Ferguson and Peterborough make it three promotions in three years and join his old man in the top flight? Will Roy Kean and Ipswich have a magical season in memory of Sir Bobby Robson? I always thought following a team for a year in the Championship would be a great reality show or documentary series. It's a heck of a grind, a crazy forty-six league games in an utterly balanced league with a nary and easy victory for anybody. Not only are the teams fighting for relegation the players are fighting to make a name for themselves and potentially advance up to the top flight or other European leagues. Beyond that it's also the proving ground for young players coming up through the ranks or on loan. It'll be interesting.
Predictions? I think Derby County will contend but not advance. Neither West Brom, Newcastle or Middlesbrough will advance. I think Newcastle will struggle towards the bottom but not get relegated. I think Ipswich will surprise and gain advancement, along with Reading and Sheffield United.
Predictions? I think Derby County will contend but not advance. Neither West Brom, Newcastle or Middlesbrough will advance. I think Newcastle will struggle towards the bottom but not get relegated. I think Ipswich will surprise and gain advancement, along with Reading and Sheffield United.
Jozy's on a vacation far away...Hull City?
According to the always unreliable Goal.com a handful of Premier League clubs, most notable Hull but also Fulham and Everton are rumored to be courting American striker Jozy Altidore. I'm a big believer in his ability and do feel the Premier League is perfect for Altidore during the run up to next years World Cup. Personally I'd like to see Altidore go to a club that he'll get a good amount of playing time but not one that will be perpetually on the edge of relegation like Hull. As far as the three contenders mentioned I really like the possiblity of Fulham. Clearly they have a strong record of courting American players, such as Clint Dempsey, Brian McBride, Carlos Bocanegra, Kasey Keller, etc. With the struggles of Bobby Zamora, Altidore could get a real opportunity for playing time along with Andy Johnson. More importantly it would also tandem Altidore with Clint Dempsey giving two potential key cogs in the American attack the ability to play together for a solid season. Fulham will also be part of the Europa cup, which along with the Premier League, Carling Cup and FA Cup will give them fixture congestion and would likely give Altidore some solid playing time.
As far as the other two clubs I have mixed feelings. Hull would clearly afford Altidore the ability to play immediately and often, but the club will be fighting for their life and is one of the major bets for relegation this year. Everton will also deal with fixture congestion and could afford some quality playing time as a third striker, but is much more set at forward than Fulham and Hull. With the presence and Louis Saha and Jo and the fact that they like to feature a 4-5-1, Altidore may find it a struggle, like in Spain, to get into the squad.
Beyond all of this is the question of whether these clubs would spend 11 million on Altidore. It's a big sum for three clubs who get by on youth development and wise decisions in the transfer market. Spending such an amount on Altidore would definitely increase his profile and probably put a decent amount of pressure on him to perform. It would be nice to see him land on the right team--- with Fulham being a fantastic option. As an Aston Villa fan he's a player I'd like to see them consider, with Carew rumored to be leaving and Agbonlahor often inconsistent. He'd be a good fit.
All of this begs the question on why Villareal is seemingly giving up on him so quick? They bought him for 10 million and are selling him to turn a quick million dollar profit based on the conjectured number. You have to wonder if he failed to impress in training to the point that they were willing to quickly turn such a physically talented and youthful player. As a US fan I'm not complaining. He has the ability to be the best US talent ever and the Premier League is the ultimate stage. He'd look awful nice at Craven Cottage or Villa Park.
August5th Update: According to The Hull Daily Mail the Tigers are are talking to Villareal and Altidore on a one year loan deal. This makes sense for both clubs. With Hull devoid of any striking talent they could use the services of Altidore, who in turn could really benefit from some playing time in the Premier League in the run up to the World Cup.
As far as the other two clubs I have mixed feelings. Hull would clearly afford Altidore the ability to play immediately and often, but the club will be fighting for their life and is one of the major bets for relegation this year. Everton will also deal with fixture congestion and could afford some quality playing time as a third striker, but is much more set at forward than Fulham and Hull. With the presence and Louis Saha and Jo and the fact that they like to feature a 4-5-1, Altidore may find it a struggle, like in Spain, to get into the squad.
Beyond all of this is the question of whether these clubs would spend 11 million on Altidore. It's a big sum for three clubs who get by on youth development and wise decisions in the transfer market. Spending such an amount on Altidore would definitely increase his profile and probably put a decent amount of pressure on him to perform. It would be nice to see him land on the right team--- with Fulham being a fantastic option. As an Aston Villa fan he's a player I'd like to see them consider, with Carew rumored to be leaving and Agbonlahor often inconsistent. He'd be a good fit.
All of this begs the question on why Villareal is seemingly giving up on him so quick? They bought him for 10 million and are selling him to turn a quick million dollar profit based on the conjectured number. You have to wonder if he failed to impress in training to the point that they were willing to quickly turn such a physically talented and youthful player. As a US fan I'm not complaining. He has the ability to be the best US talent ever and the Premier League is the ultimate stage. He'd look awful nice at Craven Cottage or Villa Park.
August5th Update: According to The Hull Daily Mail the Tigers are are talking to Villareal and Altidore on a one year loan deal. This makes sense for both clubs. With Hull devoid of any striking talent they could use the services of Altidore, who in turn could really benefit from some playing time in the Premier League in the run up to the World Cup.
Villa sign Delph...let's the transfer season begin!
With speculation ongoing since late May it was nice to see Villa follow through and sign 19-year-old Fabian Delph. I've been excited about the prospect of Delph coming to Villa Park for quite a while now and Martin O'Neil secured the services of Delph from Leeds, holding off Manchester City. He adds to what is beginning to be an almost Arsenalesque stable of young stars at Villa. As often happens in the football fan world I've gone from leary to excited in the span of a week as Villa defeated Juventus in penalties to win the preseason Peace Cup, but more importantly showcased their stable of young talent. If O'Neil can follow through and shore up the center defense and the midfield in the coming week with three to four signings I'm confident that the club will again compete with Arsenal/Man City/Everton/Tottenham for the big 4th spot in the Premier League.
What a young core MON has put together through the transfer market and the youth system. You can add Delph to already established young stars such as Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor and James Milner. Couple that group with the likes of Craig Gardner, Barry Bannon, Marc Albrighton and American Eric Lichaj and Villa have put together quite a young contingent of talent. What caught my eye in catching a replay of the Peace Cup final was the pace and talent of Albrighton on the right wing. He may only be nineteen but I feel his play warrants real competition for James Milner out there. Albrighton is clearly ready for the step up to the first squad and I'm curious what this means for Milner. It will be interesting to see what O'Neil does. If he goes ahead and signs Miquel Veloso as rumored the midfield suddenly goes from a position of weakness to real squad depth for Villa. Not to mention the Christmas present of the potential of Stewart Downing coming late in the year.
A couple of questions. 1) Will Delph play immediately? Considering they paid between 6 and 8 million for him (to be determined) I think he most definitely plays immediately. Like any Villa fan I've been following the Leeds message boards and watching him on YouTube and I'm more impressed than ever. He has tremendous pace and although he hasn't scored a ton of goals the ones he's scored have been absolute crackers. I like the fact that he's a left footed player and should really compliment the attack from center midfield. If they go ahead and sign Veloso to play the holding mid-field role Villa would really have a nice balance in the center. As Delph progresses the presence of Veloso would really compliment his skills.
What's the big wild card? 2) The big wild card is the rumored attempt to sign Wesley Sneijder. Just when it seems he was destined for Inter that rumor seems to have cooled. Sneijder took a look at Villa last summer but ended up at Real Madrid. The idea of an attacking talent like Sneijder coming to Villa Park is almost too exciting to ponder. If there is even a remote chance of it happening it's worth ponying up the money for such an attacking talent with real ability to be a difference maker in the Premier League.
I'm not holding my breath on Sneijder but as indicated I feel a heck of a lot better about the club right now. With Young, Downing, Delph, Milner, Albrighton, Petrov, etc Villa are looking very strong in the midfield. One more potential pickup there and some defensive depth and I think we may be able to forget that brutal second half of last season.
Less than two weeks. Bring on Wigan!
What a young core MON has put together through the transfer market and the youth system. You can add Delph to already established young stars such as Ashley Young, Gabriel Agbonlahor and James Milner. Couple that group with the likes of Craig Gardner, Barry Bannon, Marc Albrighton and American Eric Lichaj and Villa have put together quite a young contingent of talent. What caught my eye in catching a replay of the Peace Cup final was the pace and talent of Albrighton on the right wing. He may only be nineteen but I feel his play warrants real competition for James Milner out there. Albrighton is clearly ready for the step up to the first squad and I'm curious what this means for Milner. It will be interesting to see what O'Neil does. If he goes ahead and signs Miquel Veloso as rumored the midfield suddenly goes from a position of weakness to real squad depth for Villa. Not to mention the Christmas present of the potential of Stewart Downing coming late in the year.
A couple of questions. 1) Will Delph play immediately? Considering they paid between 6 and 8 million for him (to be determined) I think he most definitely plays immediately. Like any Villa fan I've been following the Leeds message boards and watching him on YouTube and I'm more impressed than ever. He has tremendous pace and although he hasn't scored a ton of goals the ones he's scored have been absolute crackers. I like the fact that he's a left footed player and should really compliment the attack from center midfield. If they go ahead and sign Veloso to play the holding mid-field role Villa would really have a nice balance in the center. As Delph progresses the presence of Veloso would really compliment his skills.
What's the big wild card? 2) The big wild card is the rumored attempt to sign Wesley Sneijder. Just when it seems he was destined for Inter that rumor seems to have cooled. Sneijder took a look at Villa last summer but ended up at Real Madrid. The idea of an attacking talent like Sneijder coming to Villa Park is almost too exciting to ponder. If there is even a remote chance of it happening it's worth ponying up the money for such an attacking talent with real ability to be a difference maker in the Premier League.
I'm not holding my breath on Sneijder but as indicated I feel a heck of a lot better about the club right now. With Young, Downing, Delph, Milner, Albrighton, Petrov, etc Villa are looking very strong in the midfield. One more potential pickup there and some defensive depth and I think we may be able to forget that brutal second half of last season.
Less than two weeks. Bring on Wigan!
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Kenny Cooper on the way to Germany
I was in the woods of Northern Minnesota this weekend, out of the loop as far as the scene goes, save checking the Blackberry occasionally. As I scanned the MLS scores from yesterday I was surprised to see that FC Dallas had crushed KC to the tune of 6-0. I was even more surprised to see the name Cunningham on the score sheet four times but no Kenny Cooper. Mr. Cooper wasn't on the score sheet because he is on his way to the German second division to play for TSV 1860 Munich. You'll probably have the odd pundit who wonders why a player of Cooper's MLS pedigree would accept a move to a second division European club but when you sit down and think about it it makes sense.
Unlike players such as Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu who've transferred to high profile European clubs and received very little first team football opportunity, Cooper will most likely get a solid amount of first team playing time. His style also seems like a perfect fit for the Bundesliga. Although the club has struggled in recent years they have a history of top flight German football and Cooper will get to ply his trade at a major market German club that shares Allianz Arena with Bayern Munchen. A couple of good possibilities could come out of this. Obviously the club could compete for promotion and Cooper could find himself in the Bundesliga next season. Or, a strong showing by Cooper could give him the opportunity to transfer to a first division club. I've always liked Kenny Cooper and I think he'll be a success over there. He'll play against some solid and organized competition as well, something that will be a positive for his US National Team aspiration. It's a good situation all around and a relative bargain for 1860 Munich, who paid a million up front on a transfer that could net a nice tidy 3 million for FC Dallas.
I guess I'll have a reason to follow the German second division this year.
Unlike players such as Jozy Altidore and Freddy Adu who've transferred to high profile European clubs and received very little first team football opportunity, Cooper will most likely get a solid amount of first team playing time. His style also seems like a perfect fit for the Bundesliga. Although the club has struggled in recent years they have a history of top flight German football and Cooper will get to ply his trade at a major market German club that shares Allianz Arena with Bayern Munchen. A couple of good possibilities could come out of this. Obviously the club could compete for promotion and Cooper could find himself in the Bundesliga next season. Or, a strong showing by Cooper could give him the opportunity to transfer to a first division club. I've always liked Kenny Cooper and I think he'll be a success over there. He'll play against some solid and organized competition as well, something that will be a positive for his US National Team aspiration. It's a good situation all around and a relative bargain for 1860 Munich, who paid a million up front on a transfer that could net a nice tidy 3 million for FC Dallas.
I guess I'll have a reason to follow the German second division this year.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)