Barça vs. Shakhtar Donetsk

It sounds like a cheesy spinoff of a Godzilla title, but this afternoon's (evening in Europe) Champion's League clash of titans will leave you awestruck and ready to soil yourself...kinda like this guy.

Funny name aside, Shakhtar Donetsk are veritable footballing monsters, albeit, unknown monsters.  They unassumingly topped group H in the first stage of the tournament, allowing the Ukrainians to avoid Barcelona for the first knockout stage.  UEFA Cup Champions in 2009, Shakhtar is not unfamiliar to top-level football.  They have only lost one player in their starting 11 from 2009 and have since added former Arsenal midfielder Eduardo and Brasilian U-20 star Douglas.

 2009 UEFA Cup Champs 

Eduardo (nationalized Croatian) and Douglas are 2 of 7 Brasilians who inject "joga bonito" into an already attack-minded Ukrainian style of play.  Luiz Adriano and Jadson will need to influence the match with their counter-attacks if Shakhtar hope to grab an all-important away goal at the Camp Nou.

Bolstering the defense for the Ukrainian side is former Barcelona center-back Dmytro Chygrynskiy.  The failed 2009 signing returned home after one year in Spain as the first Ukrainian to play for the blaugrana.  He likely share his knowledge of the Barcelona system to give his Brasilian teammates an edge.

Flanking Chygrynskiy will be two world-class fullbacks in Darijo Srna and Razvan Rat.  The Croatian and Romanian, respectively, play similarly to Dani Alves and Adriano.  Between them, they have made over 150 caps for their countries  Srna, captain of his national side as well as Shakhtar, will have his hands full with Adriano and Andres Iniesta while Rat will be scurrying to mark Messi and Alves.

While (The) Ukraine has a relatively young nation and national team that played its first official match in 1992, Ukrainian players have been featuring prominently on the world stage for decades.  The USSR was able to achieve success throughout the decades thanks to players from Ukraine.  The former Soviet Republic's most capped player, and leading goal scorer is Oleg Blokhin, the 1975 Ballon d'Or winner.  The USSR's second leading scorer all-time is also Ukrainian, Oleh Protasov.

I fully expect this afternoon's affair to deliver drama and excitement.  Hopefully not too much drama in the eyes of a Barcelona supporter, but bring the excitement!

Messi is returning after sitting out this past weekend's difficult match at Villarreal.  Pedro could return as well.

Shakhtar were smashed 5-1 at the Emirates earlier this season.  While they were able to defeat the Gunners 2-1 at the Donbass Arena, I expect the Cule to sing their team to victory.  Like they say, it doesn't get any better than rooting for Barça.

Japan withdraws from Copa America

If we were still wondering whether or not soccer and politics were one and the same, Japan's withdrawal from Copa America this summer is a harsh reminder that the beautiful game is only as fruitful as the soil upon which it is played.

Currently, Japanese futbol is radioactive.

Today CONMEBOL announced that Japan will not travel to Argentina to participate in the 43rd edition of the Copa America.  They were invited to compete with the South American teams for the second time in the tournament's history along traditional invitees Mexico.  

With J-League fixtures suspended until April 23rd, Japanese officials are rightfully focusing on rebuilding a nation damaged by the tsunami and subsequent nuclear crisis following the earthquake on March 11, 2011.  Japanese Soccer Association president Junji Ogura stated, "we want to restart our season, but the priority is to save lives and rebuild cities".  

This move comes as no shock to CONMEBOL nor should it come as a shock to the avid fan.  It was expected that the Asian Cup champions were going to use the summer tournament as an opportunity for younger players to gain valuable international experience.  European stars like Kagawa, Honda and Uchida would be available, however J-League standouts would be more likely to feature.

Now that Japan's national league will run well into the summer months, Copa America participation would interfere with the "business end" of the season.

The tournament, scheduled to run July 1-July 24, is now missing one team and CONMEBOL is searching for a replacement team.

Spain officials have claimed that La Roja has already been invited.  The World Champions would join hosts Argentina along with Colombia and Bolivia in group A.

Spain has played both Argentina and Colombia in recent international friendly matches.  They were demolished 4-1 in Buenos Aires on September 7th while it took the Iberians 89 minutes to break the deadlock against the Cafeteros in the Bernabeu back in February.

While Spain's introduction into the tournament could be tasty, it is unfortunate that Japan will be unable to participate.  They are a team that has risen to the occasion of big tournaments as of late (World Cup, Asian Cup) and have a strong league that produces more AFC Champions League teams than any other nation.  

When the league began in 1993, tremendous resources were poured in to ensure success, the most important being managers.  World-class managers such as Arsene Wenger, Carlos Queiroz and Big Phil (Luiz Felipe Scolari) have all been at the helm of J-League squads.

With billions of dollars lost to damage, soccer will be way down on the list of necessary repairs.  Basic necessities like buildings, food and water need to be ensured before Japanese can begin to think about sport.  And yet, the beautiful game has a way of bringing people together.

Perhaps the J-League will not be able to bring in Wengers and Scolaris, but there could be an upside to the situation.  Japan will be required to rebuild from the ground up.  Focusing inward on training nationals to coach and develop youth as opposed to hiring expensive internationals could pay dividends in the long run.

But before we think of that, let us hope that the people of Japan recover and return to health and safety.

Back in business

Alrighty.  After a nice long February vacation and three subsequent days of absolute laziness, I have rededicated myself to this blog which I enjoy writing so.  I would like to thank my cousin Chris for two reasons.  One: for setting my soccermanager.com rosters on Wednesday of last week while I was in New Hampshire and unable to access internet and secondly, for inquiring as to whether or not I had given up on the blog altogether.  The lack of structure that is February vacation highlights my tragic flaws like a Shakespearean prologue: procrastination and complacency.  Anywhoo, you are not here to read about me...

Since I last posted, there have been some tremendous events taking place - both in the real and footballing world.  In today's piece I would like to discuss African football.  More specifically, I would like to examine political climate in Northern Africa and its possible effect on two particular national teams: Egypt and Libya.

Before I begin to rehash the events that led to the overthrowing of Mubarak and subsequently revolutions across the Arabic world, I want to establish the guidelines for this particular post.  I don't know squat about politics so I plan to stay out of that.  I don't understand why exactly either government was overthrown besides that the peoples of Egypt and Libya were unhappy.  Regardless, I will attempt to analyze the affects these revolutions could have on the national teams of the two respective nations.

According to Simon Kuper and Stefan Szymanski, in their 2009 published Soccernomics, a national team's success stems from three factors: 1) its nation's population, 2) GDP and 3) team experience.  In their comprensive analysis of the beautiful game, Kuper and Szymanski come to such conclusions that England are, despite the media, overachievers and nations such as the U.S. (yes, us!) and Turkey will be future powers in world football.  I will follow the path of Soccernomics and highlight how the turmoil in Northern Africa will influence Egypt and Libya.

In footballing terms, Egypt and Libya should not even be used in the same sentence.  Egypt has won the Africa Nations Cup seven times, including an impressive 3 straight tournaments.  At the end of that run, the Pharaohs were ranked as high as 9th by FIFA.  When you look at the numbers in terms of Soccernomics, it is no wonder that Egypt has been at the top of African football for so long.  They are the most wealthy nation on the continent and second in population only to Nigeria.  In terms of experience, Egypt's club teams have won the CAF Champions League 12 times and been runners-up 5.  That is 7 more than the next nation (Congo DR).

Last year, the Pharaohs captured their 3rd straight African Nations Cup

However dominant they have been over the past 6 years, Egypt failed to take advantage of a great opportunity when they did not qualify for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.  A slow start to African qualifying prevented Egypt from winning the group outright.  The Pharaohs valiantly won 2-0 at home against group leaders Algeria to force a neutral site playoff in Sudan.  Amidst great controversy, Egypt lost the match 1-0 and the world was denied the chance to see one of the great tournament teams Africa has ever produced.

With Egyptians facing great political unrest in their nation, it makes you wonder if the defending African champions will have what it takes to perform in future competitions against rising nations such as Ghana and traditional powers like Nigeria and Cameroon.  While these nations do not possess leagues as strong as Egypt's, their players are much more likely to play in Europe's top leagues.  The names Essien, Ayew, Gyan, Eto'o and Song should speak for themselves.

Ghana's U-20 World Champions will feed the national team for the years to come

While it is yet to be determined how the revolution will affect the Egyptian economy or even population, the events have already had an immediate impact on the Pharaohs' experience.  This past February, Egypt were supposed to host the United States for an international friendly to be played in Cairo.  That match was quickly cancelled after protesters in opposition to Mubarak began to gather in masses and the threat of violence became evident.

While missing a friendly is not a huge ordeal for Egypt, losing the ability to host a major tournament is a harsh reality that Libya could be facing in the near future.  Libya is currently ranked 70th in the FIFA world rankings and holds the dubious distinction of being the only North African nation never to qualify for the World Cup finals.  Libya is one of the wealthiest nations in Africa, considered an "upper middle economy".  Its population, however, of 6.5 million does not help Libya make waves in terms of world football.

Which is exactly why Libya must gain more experience by playing in major tournaments.  The Greens only positive result was in the 1982 Africa Cup of Nations when they were runners-up as the host nation.  They would like to replicate that result in 2013 - if they can retain their status as host nation.  Currently, one stadium in Benghazi is set to host matches.  Benghazi, in the western part of the nation, is the center for Anti-Gaddafi forces.  The capital city, Tripoli, has plans to construct two new stadiums for the tournament.

Aside:  At this point it might be worth mentioning that the despot Gadaffi's son, Saif al Gadaffi is not only a former player on the Lybian national team but also the former chairman of the Lybian Football Association.  I don't think that there is too much to get into detail about this, but its interesting nonetheless.

Lybian football's most infamous player and supporter

A more immediate effect of the conflict on Libyan football concerns the U-20 World Cup qualifying tournament to be held in Lybia.  The tournament is scheduled to begin March 18 and run through April 1.  However, the tournament has been suspended by the CAF indefinitely.  Four semi-finalists will travel to Colombia and represent the African continent.  As hosts, Libya would have a great opportunity to qualify and gain invaluable experience against the likes of world powerhouses such as Argentina, Brasil, Spain and England.  If Libya are unable to host, or worse, are disqualified from the tournament, it will not bode well for the future.

The Egyptian U-20 squad is currently in UAE in preparations for the tournament.  While Manager Diaa Al-Sayeed and his young men are awaiting news on Libya, they are still concerned about matters back home.  “The recent events in Egypt affected us just like they have affected all Egyptian departments. We have got over this crisis and now we are on our way back to our best performance to maintain Egypt’s history forever. I also think now everything is getting better because of the atmosphere in the camp. Playing several friendly games will help us too. Also, all the Egyptian team players have one motivation which is making the Egyptian people happy”.


It is difficult to say what will come of these two footballing nations.  Overall, Egypt is much more well-equipped to overcome the crisis, especially since violence does not seem to be on the horizon.  We cannot, however, say the same for Libya, as the Arab League, UN and NATO are all discussing the possibility of an armed conflict and no-fly zone.  If this aspiring footballing nation hopes to improve in the future, political stability must come first.
 

No worries...

So my hopes for Barcelona did not exactly pan out, but the tie is not completely lost.  A 2-1 loss is not insurmountable considering 1) they did get an away goal 2) Messi missed at least 2 chances and 3) they will not be as forgiving in the Nou Camp.

I was extremely impressed by Arsenal in the 2nd half.  Fabregas had an amazing match.  The matchup between him and Busquets was tremendous but I thought Busi gave the Arsenal skipper too much space.  If you go back and watch the match you will notice that he was Xavi-like in his ability to float into the hole between midfield and the back line.  His scoop pass to Van Persie early in the match made me giggle like a schoolgirl and I thought that he could have scored later in the half on the through ball played by Walcott.  All in all, it was an inspirational performance.

You can say what you want about Messi not finishing, but I think Barcelona fell asleep at the wheel in the second half.  Unable to penetrate Arsenal's defense only pumped up the Gunners and encouraged them to press for an equalizer and then a match winner.  I did not think Wenger's men were capable of playing such a high back line, but they did so with effectiveness.  Well, that is to say, Barcelona did not take advantage of the high back line like they should have.  Messi's incredulous miss inside 15 minutes came as a result of poor possession and miscommunication between Koscielny and Djourou.  Villa's goal?  Also from a lapse in defense between the aforementioned center backs.  Wenger clearly recognized this and remedied the situation by playing Wilshire and Song in front of the defense to prevent the deadly through passes.

As suspected, Walcott's speed was a serious problem for the Barcelona defense.  I feel that Arsenal reveled in the opportunity to play underdogs.  Not expected to attack all-out like they normally have to in the EPL, the London team were able to sit back and hit the Catalans on the break.  Walcott was finally able to use his greatest asset: his speed.  Running with the ball at the Barcelona defense Pique, Abidal, Maxwel and Dani Alves looked terrified.  They had no idea what to do with him and that was evident when they did not step up and force the England winger into making an early decision.  Walcott is not Ronaldo people.  His speed is special but his ball skills and passing are not.  Someone in that back line needs to step up and challenge Theo - then see what he does.

Congrats to Arsenal and their fans.  They were the better team for 90 minutes and fully deserved the win.  That said, I fully expect Barcelona to be lifted by the Cule (who never lift their cules!) and take care of business at home.  At the end of the day, Wenger's team are still weak in the defense and I do not think the Gaul has the gall to "park the buss" a la Jose Mourinho.

Tomorrow I will be over this match -  I promise.

Barça vs. Arsenal

I have been meaning to write this post for the past few days.  Today is the day of the game so I cannot put it off any longer.  Here we, here we, here we go...

These two teams are known for the attractive football they play.  In their respective leagues, and in all of Europe, they by far are the embodiment of Joga Bonito.  While Barcelona spend more to attain their goal, the two sides are quite similar in their approach of building a squad.  The Catalan Cantera is world famous for producing players such as Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, Messi, Pique and even Arsenal's Fabregas.  Arsene Wenger, a shrewd businessman and uncanny evaluator of talent, has built a tremendous youth squad for his London club.  With the exception of Barcelona's penchant for buying big name players, these squads are similar both on and off the pitch.  That's what makes today's match to delectable.

Because the tie is going to be such a close one, I want to compare the various aspects of each team against one another as well as analyze key matchups we can expect to see on the pitch today.

Formation - Draw

Both sides prefer an open 4-3-3 formation with one centralized striker and two wing players.  Both also play Total Football, allowing for flexibility between positions and a more attacking approach.  However, Barcelona's brand is a bit more fluid thanks to players like Messi, Iniesta, Pedro and David Villa - all of whom feel comfortable in the center of the pitch or out on the flank.  With his return to form, Van Persie will create problems for the Barça defense in all positions, but the supporting cast does not rival that of the Spanish club.

At the end of the day, Wenger could switch to a 4-4-2 to try and win possession in the midfield.  He needs to prevent Barcelona from dominating the ball without sacrificing strikers up top.

Goalkeepers - Advantage Barcelona

I began with this one because it will be short.  Victor Valdez, a three time Zamora Trophy winner, is Barcelona's most successful keeper of all time.  Lukasz Fabianski has not been able to hold down a starting position at Arsenal despite competition from the aging Manuel Almunia and unproven Wojiech Szczesny.  Valdez is the type of leader at keeper necessary for teams to succeed in this competition; Fabianski is a liability for his club that his teammates in whom his teammates cannot have tremendous confidence.

Backs - Advantage Barcelona

The major tipping point for the Blaugrana in this category is at center back.  True, Dani Alves is the best right back in the world right now, but there is not a huge gulf in class between Alves/Maxwell and Sagna/Clichy.

There is, however, an enormous gulf in class between Barça's central defenders and those  playing for Arsene Wenger.  Tarzan Puyol will be absent this afternoon because of a knee.  Expect Abidal or Milito to play alongside young veteran and current member of FIFA's World XI, Gerard Pique.

Arsenal's youthful pairing of Laurent Koscielny and Johan Djourou will have their hands full with the likes of David Villa and Messi all evening.  You can rest assured Barcelona's passing moves will try and draw the inexperienced center backs out of position.  Djourou is young but not a newcomer to the Champions League while Koscielny is making his first appearance in the knockout stages of the tournament.  Perhaps Wenger will look to Sebastien Squillaci for veteran leadership in the backline; the former Sevilla man played in the Champions League final in 2004 with Monaco.

Midfield - Advantage Barcelona

The quality of the midfield players for both teams is tremendous.  Fabregas, Wilshire and Song have their work cut out for them against World Cup trio Xavi, Iniesta and Busquets.  If Arsenal have a weakness, it is in the youthful exuberance of the 19 year old Jack Wilshire.  The recently capped England international can be overzealous at times in the tackle.  Watch for him to loose his mind and his temper when Barça's mesmerizing possession wear his patience thin.  A lesser blogger might even call Wilshire a punk.

An often overlooked but crucial player for Barcelona is Sergio Busquets.  He might be labeled as a "defensive midfielder", but within Johan Cruyff's Total Futbol system, he is the essential "fulcrum".  In possession, Busquets always (always) provides an option for Xavi and Iniesta while allowing fullbacks Alves and Abidal to maraud down the wings as he tucks in alongside Pique and Puyol.  If Barcelona loose the ball, he is there to win it back smoothly and quickly distribute to one of the playmakers.  If Xavi is the motor, Busquets is the fuel.  Just look at Spain's victory in South Africa.  Busquets started every match for La Furia while Fabregas was on the bench.  Today, FCB's # 16 will be responsible for stopping counter-attacks from the man he replaced on the national team squad.

"No es un pivote; es un quitanieves."

Strikers - Advantage Barcelona

Two words.  Mucho Messi.  Leo has 6 goals in the competition this season and is looking to pad his stats against an Arsenal side that conceded 4 to the Argentine last year at the Camp Nou.  This year, with the prolific David Villa and the hard-working Pedro at his side, Barcelona have an untouchable trident.  What makes this group so hard to defend, besides their skills with the ball at their feet and great combination play, is that they do not have positional tendencies.  Messi does like to start weaving through defenders from the right wing, but he is a left-footed player who readily interchanges with Villa and Pedro.  Villa is comfortable playing as a lone striker and Pedro's work rate makes him a threat on either wing.  Good luck Arsenal.

The Barcelona defense have no easy task themselves.  The return of Samir Nasri will give a boost to Robin Van Persie and Theo Walcott.  Of the three, Van Persie will occupy the center (instead of that ogre Chamakh) and await service from right-winger Walcott and Nasri, who likes to cut into the middle much like Messi.  For me, Walcott is the man who can cause the most damage.  He has Bolt-like speed and wreaked havoc as a substitute in this fixture last season.  One way Barcelona will attempt to nullify his ability is to play Maxwell or Abidal high up the pitch and force Walcott to defend.

I am quite pumped for this match.  As I mentioned before, I'm seriously sipping the Barça Kool-Aid, so it should come as no shock that I have favored them in just about every category.  I fully expect them to give Arsenal another real footballing lesson and embarrass the Gunners enough to coax Fabregas back to his rightful club.

Força Barça!!!

Barcelona. Mes que mi club.

So by now you've probably surmised that I am a Cule.  Firstly, its pronounced like Kool-Aid, minus the D and secondly, I am seriously sipping the Barcelona Kool-Aid.  Ever since my amigo Nile (what's good homie?) and I embarked on a journey to the Camp Nou on a rainy night February in 2006, I have been hooked.  Actually, it began shortly before then...

I decided to spend the Spring semester of my junior year of college abroad, "studying" in Barcelona.  I use the term studying loosely because I spent most of my time in a bacchanalian stupor.  When I wasn't smoking cigarettes and drinking Guiness in a Catalan-Irish Pub, I was bouncing from bar to bar in an endless chase for free chupitos.

I guess you can say I stumbled upon Barcelona.  As a Hispanic Studies major at Trinity, I had planned on studying Spanish literature.  My advisor suggested I take a course titled "Barcelona" in order to gain a better understanding of Spanish history.

"What was there to know about Spanish history?", I asked myself.  Ferdinand married Isabella, Columbus sailed the ocean blue in 1492 and Spain benefitted from his discovery.  After that, some guy named Franco took over and somehow Spain has a king again.  Ok, so I was a little foggy.  What I did not know was that my futbol life would be changed forever.

Without getting into the riveting details, I learned that Barcelona is the capital of a region named Catalunya.  This region, prior to the marriage of Isabella and Ferdinand, was one of the most prosperous empires in all of Europe.  Complete with their own culture and language separate from that of traditional Spain, the Catalans are proud of a past relatively untainted by the invasion Moors (see Charles Martel).

Following the marriage, Catalunya was suppressed over the years - for having opposing languages and cultures was seen as a problem within Spain, a country whose identity was in serious crisis following 700 years of Moorish rule.  This suppression and even, at times, oppression continued on and off throughout Spain's history.  It continued following the civil war, when Francisco Franco prohibited the languages of the Basques, Galicians and Catalans to be spoken.

And what did the Catalans turn to in these moments of despair?  Their beloved Futbol Club Barcelona, of course.  In lieu of waving the yellow flag with four bars, Catalans waved the blau and grana of their regions most important cultural icon.  When FCB played Franco's favorite team, (you guessed) Real Madrid, the mostly Catalan roster used it as an opportunity to give the dictator the old "up yours".  When you watch the Classico at the Camp Nou today, the mosaic made up of Barcelona's spectators pulsates while they belt out the Catalan lyrics to the club's anthem "Tot el camp".  It is a passionate reminder to the rest of Spain that the Catalans aren't going anywhere.

"One flag unites us all"

The stories I heard about the shrewd Catalans and their ability to persevere moved me.  I wanted to visit this mythical land where they didn't speak Spanish in Spain.  I won't tell you the lobbying I had to do in order to convince my Colombian father that his son was going to Spain but not to a city where Spanish is spoken (which is not true, but that's another story).

In the end, I got my wish and was permitted to study in Barcelona.  Very soon I was about to be introduced to Carles Puyol (and his hair), Ronaldinho (at the bar) and Leo Messi (just a baby).  That story will have to continue tomorrow, along with the preview of the game I said I was going to write.

Adeu.  Fins dema.

CHAMPIONS!

Christmas in February!  Champions League knockout stage.  The fixtures are:

Tottenham @ Milan (Today)
Schalke 04 @ Valencia (Today)

Shaktar Donetsk @ Roma (Wednesday)
FC Barcelona @ Arsenal

Spurs-Milan will start in about 15 minutes.  I am firmly plopped on the couch.  Sorry UCL, no Heineken today, Amstel will be doing the job this afternoon.  Today's post, which will come later, takes a look at tomorrow's epic, and I mean EPIC, matchup between Arselona and Barcenal.  Until then, here's what I think about today's games.

Take a look at the Champions League winners in the past few years.  Not only has each team won the European competition, they have also had tremendous domestic form.  That said, Milan has to be the team in this one with Ibra and Robinho ready to lead the charge.  Harry Redknapp's men have been playing well in the EPL but they are lacking experience.

The Royal Blues travel to the Mestalla in Valencia as this match will be billed as the homecoming of the legendary Raul.  The Spanish striker will not receive a particularly warm welcome as he scored against Valencia for Real Madrid in the 2000 UCL final.  The Spanish side are undefeated in La Liga since a 2-0 defeat to Real on December 4.  Schalke's German international keeper Manuel Neuer has 6 clean sheets in his last 8 matches.  He will need to replicate his 2008 performance in order for his team to progress.

Valentine's Day

Today is St. Valentine's Day.  In many countries in Europe, today is just February 14th.  For example, in Barcelona, the day of lovers is April 23rd, also known as San Jordi.  On that particular day, a man gifts his sweetheart a flower and, in return, receives a book.  Not a bad exchange if you ask me.  Then again, in Italy, every day is Valentine's Day.  In Russia, there is no Valentine's Day.

But I am not here to discuss European mating rituals...or am I?  Since today is a day dedicated to love, why not spice things up a bit by digging into the love lives of the footballers we have come to adore?  At this moment, I would like to make my opinion known that soccer players are not role models.  They are incredibly talented at what they do and make a tubload of money.  Many are very attractive men.

And yet, at the end of the day, that is all they are: men.  Men like you and men like me.  Men like Bill Clinton and men like Barack Obama.  All of them have some sort of vice.  Whether that vice happens to secretaries or cigarettes, these guys are not perfect.  What does set these men apart is that society puts them on a pedestal because of their ability to kick a ball.

Antonio Cassano

Historic Lover Comparison:  Wilt Chamberlain

While his scoring on the field has not rivaled the Stilt, the AC Milan striker's off the field performances are just as prolific.  In his 2008 biography, Cassano discloses that he has slept with approximately 600-700 women.  And that was while he was warming the bench in Madrid!  Three years later and a call-up to the Azzuri can only help the man known as Il Gioiello di Bari Vecchia attain Chamberlainesque statistics.

Mourinho refuses to be another one of Cassano's conquests.

Iker Casillas


Historic Lover Comparison:  Ryan Gosling in The Notebook

When Spain dropped its first match in South Africa 2010, the Spanish media blamed Iker's TV reporter novia, Sara Carbonero for the loss, claiming the exotic Espanola distracted the Real Madrid netminder.  Iker was forced to temporarily abandon his love.  The tactic worked, as keeping his eyes off the brunette beauty allowed him to  keep clean sheets in 5 of the next 6 matches.  When Spain defeated the Dutch 1-0 in the final (INIESTA!) Casillas was able to return to his heart's desire and lay a serious smooch on her on national television.  

Its so moving, Iker makes himself cry.

John Terry


Historic Lover Comparison:  Bill Clinton

John Terry, like Bill Clinton, is associated with a Chelsea that wins ugly.  When the accusations came out in January 2010 that Terry had been having an affair with teammate Wayne Bridge's ex-wife, he was as close as you could get to the presidency (of English football).  John was in charge of two squads that were enjoying an outstanding run of form.  The Blues were 2-time defending FA Cup winners and poised to win the EPL.  The Three Lions had qualified for the World Cup in style, notching 8 consecutive victories with none other than Terry as their leader.  Oh, and did I mention that Terry was voted the UK's "Dad of the Year" for 2009?  Its no wonder the Chelsea skipper denied the allegations so vehemently.  After the scandal broke and the media leaked the news, Fabio Capello impeached Terry from the captainship and handed the armband to Rio Ferdinand.

At least Clinton had something good to say.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Historic Lover Comparison:  Don Juan

Latin?  Check.  Epic womanizer?  Check.  Destined to burn in hell?  Double check.

The 2008 World Player of the Year has notches on his belt that include Paris Hilton, Kim Kardashian and other incredibly good looking models/actresses that you would not know because they reside in Europe.  With a body like Adonis and an ego to match, Ronaldo goes about dating according to Janet Jackson's age-old creedo "What Have You Done For Me Lately?"  Like his Spanish counterpart, the Lusitano libertine chews up women and spits them out - seemingly for fun.  I find the manner in which he fathered a child quite admirable, paying a woman to keep out of the tabloids in exchange for her egg.  Better than making a mockery of marriage like countless athletes these days.  But we are not here to discuss Ronaldo's one redeeming quality.  Truth be told, he loves himself and relishes in the role of the Don Juan.  I just want to be there when Richard Hilton's ghost invites him to dinner.

And the Brits say we have no class.

Whatever you do this Valentine's Day, remember one thing:  It is not just a cheesy holiday.  Use it as an opportunity to tell that special person in your life how much they mean to you.  Just when you don't have the time is when you need it the most.

A "Special" Post

As I sit here this afternoon watching 10 man Real Madrid gash Espanyol on the counter attack, I think to myself: what makes the Special One so special?  His team have been down a man for the better part of 45 minutes and they have a 1-0 going into the locker room.  Not only has his team managed to score with fewer players, they actually look better in attack with 10 men.

This is not uncommon for Mourinho's teams.  Just last year, Inter Milan withstood a 70 minute onslaught from Barcelona at the Nou Camp down a player following Thiago Motta's early exit.  Few will remember that Barcelona actually won the match; Inter were able to progress 3-2 on aggregate and eventually claim the Champions league trophy in Madrid.

Earlier this season the Portuguese orchestrated another equally scrappy but less memorable victory against Andalucian side Sevilla.  When Mou's compatriot Ricardo Carvalho saw red in the 63rd minute at the Santiago Bernabeu, the two teams were level at nil-nil.  A late winner from Angel Di Maria was able to steal all three points for the Merengues and give the Special One another improbable victory.

How does he do it?

To understand how Jose Mourinho is able to direct his teams to victory when they are playing with 10, we must first understand the man.

Jose Mourinho is many things.  First and foremost, he is special.  He is not stupid.  And he is definitely not Harry Potter.  Mourinho is a very intelligent man.  If you have ever heard him speak (Portuguese, Spanish, English or Italian) you can tell.  And for all of his natural smarts, for an individual who never played any further than semi-pro, he has an unrivaled mastery of tactics.

"I am not stupid"

Before Mou became a household name winning titles at Chelsea, he took Porto all the way to Champions League glory in 2004.  That was the first time a Portuguese team won the Champions League since Porto won in 1987 and the first time a Lusitano squad had been in the final since Benfica lost to Milan in 1990.  What makes Mourinho's victory so "special" is that in modern football, very seldom do clubs outside England, Spain and Italy compete for European hardware.  Because of the spending power these clubs have, you can count on two hands the clubs that have a chance at winning the tournament each year (Barcelona, Real Madrid, AC Milan, Inter Milan, Bayern Munich, Man U, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool).

The man has an uncanny way of getting the most out of every player.  He believes 100% in a positive team dynamic and preaches professionalism at all costs.  Mourinho requires all of his players (gasp!) to show up to practice on time and attend pre-match meals where all players eat together.  These are the small things that get the players to exert themselves on the pitch and implement the tactics that Mou has become famous for implementing.

And while a coach can be amazing at creating a kumbaya mentality, futbol business is a results business. Coaches quickly loose credibility with their players if they cannot produce winning teams.  Wherever he has gone, Mourinho has earned the respect and plaudits of his players.  Fickle, self-absorbed players too like Deco, Drogba, Eto'o and now Ronaldo.  Players want to play for Mourinho because they know he produces titles.

Another reason players enjoy playing for the Special One is his gift of gab.  Mourinho toys with the media like Jabba the Hut toys with his victims.  It's not enough to watch them suffer, he suckers them into believing they are asking a safe question and then releases a trap door, letting them plummet to their death at the hands of the Rancor.  These games Mourinho plays serve one purpose: to take pressure off of his players.  If the press are focused on what ridiculous quote came from the coach's mouth, they surely will be too preoccupied to ask a stammering John Terry or monosyllabic Wesley Sneijder about their dip in form.

Special moments from a Special man.

The match is over.  Real Madrid hold on to the narrowest of margins and win 1-0.


The games are not limited to the media; Mourinho loves to discount his opponents.  He is very quick in citing reffereeing decisions rewarded to his foes while always commending his own team's effort and hard work after a victory.  If he is on your side, you love him.  If you have to play against him, you love to hate him.  Remember Inter's victory at the Camp Nou?  The Catalans were so enthusiastic about their former assistant celebrating on their pitch, they "accidentally" forgot to turn off the sprinklers.

Please ignore the pleasant message at the outset of this video.

So what is there to say about the Special One that has not already been said by him, about himself, already?  The man knows how to win and may very well be the best coach in the world.  I hope he has bitten off more than he can chew at Real Madrid, because anything less than doubles and triples will get him axed.  He will be only the second Portuguese coach EVER to complete a La Liga season, a feat in itself.  Yet, a Special man expects special performances and getting through a season unscathed is hardly enough for Mou.  

Saturday Round Up

Alright footy fans, its Saturday afternoon and I have finally managed to conquer my hangover.  I just showered (tmi?) and I am going out to eat Pho in about half an hour.  Before I enjoy my favorite Vietnamese dish, or bowl rather, let's discuss what has been transpiring in our favourite European leagues.

EPL

Wayne Rooney, remember him?  For the first time in the better part of one year, the Man U and England striker is making headlines for his scoring on the pitch.  Check this one out, its an absolute cracker.  What's better it that his 78th minute strike was a match winner against city rivals City and maintained United's 4 point lead over chasers Arsenal.

The Gunners rolled at home over Wolves 2-0 with a brace from Robin Van Persie.  The Dutchman, like Rooney, is returning to top form - and just in time as Arsene Wenger's men will face Barcelona this week in the Champions League.

Man City's meant a victory for Spurs would put them two points within 3rd place with a game in hand.  Still without Van der Vaart and Bale, Tottenham's trip to Sunderland was not an easy one.  The hosts went ahead on 11 minutes through Ghanaian striker and prolific dancer Asamoah Gyan (see video).  To their credit, Spurs leveled before halftime when Phil Dawson headed home Stephen Pienaar's corner.  The second half was a wide open affair and either team could have taken the points but it was Niko Kranjcar who sealed the points for the visitors with a tell taken volley in the 57th minute.

Bundesliga

After a disappointing loss to Cologne last weekend, Bayern Munchen took their frustrations out on a floundering Hoffenheim squad with four goals.  Mario Gomez continued his stunning form early with a 2nd minute goal while Thomas Muller added a second and Arjen Robben scored a late brace as the Bavarians cruised 4-0.  A good way to go into next week's Champions League clash at Inter Milan.

League leaders Borussia Dortmund will regret a late defensive lapse as they let two points escape away at Kaiserslautern.  The home squad were hoping to claim a third scalp of a top team as they had previously defeated Bayern and Schalke 04 at the Fritz-Walter Stadion.  Dortmund thought they had the victory sealed in the 81st minute when Sven Bender put them ahead.  Five minutes from time, the visitors lost center back Neven Subotic and it proved to be the difference for Kaiserslautern, striking in the 90th minute through Jan Moravek.  The tie reduced Dortmund's lead over Leverkusen to 10 points.

La Liga

Barcelona are human.  Here, let me type it again.  Barcelona are human.  The Blaugrana needed a golazo from David Villa to rescue a point at El Molinon against Sporting Gijon (hee hon).  Pep Guardiola left Busquets, Pedro and Abidal on the bench.  Instead he opted for Afellay, Mascherano and Milito in an attempt to rest players before the midweek trip to the Emirates.

Expect Real Madrid to be seeing red tomorrow as they travel to El Prat in Barcelona to play Espanyol.  A victory against the Catalans will cut Barca's lead to 4 points.

Valencia's 2-1 victory over Atletico Madrid puts tremendous pressure on Los Colchoneros.  The Madrid side currently lie 8th in the table and are 7 points adrift of Espanyol for a Europa League birth.

Sirie A

Robinho grabs two goals against Parma as AC Milan continues to set the pace atop the Italian table.  In actuality, Ibrahimovic and Cassano were the starting stikers - the latter netting a goal in the 18th minute.  The Rossoneri showed their depth at striker in this match as they brought on the Brasilian brace getter and compatriot Alexandre Pato in the second half.

Milan's victory extended their lead over Napoli to six points.  That margin, however, would be short-lived as Napoli went to the Stadio Olimpico and did something no other club has been able to do this season: defeat Roma at home.  Uruguayan hitman Edinson Cavani continued his stunning form, today scoring two goals in the second half.  Napoli certainly do not have the depth of Milan at striker, but few can contest the prolific scoring record of the Charrua this season.  It should certainly be a good race to watch as the season approaches "the business end".

Getting to know...

Ok.  So my goal has been to post a new entry into my blog each day.  Today is only day 4 and I am already freaking out.  Not because I do not have enough to write about - just the opposite.


Because I cannot decide whether to publish my post on Colombia 2011, the Manchester Darby (tomorrow) or my Soccer Manager addiction, I am simply going to write.  About what, you ask?  About my favorite up and coming footballers.  


I figure making a list is an easy way out.  It will take care of the organizing while allowing for plenty of freedom to just write about what I enjoy most.  There is plenty of time for me to put the finishing touches (or begin) writing other posts.  There is not, however, plenty of time left in the day for me to write in peace and quiet as my girlfriend and her family will soon be home.


Lets begin.  Shall we?


Goalkeeper:  David De Gea
Nationality:  Spanish
Team:  Atletico Madrid
DOB:  7 November 1990


Last year, De Gea stepped between the posts midway through the season, replacing 21 year old Sergio Asenjo.  De Gea continued to start and lead Los Colchoneros to a Europa League title while Asenjo is currently on loan to Malaga, which .  Compared to a hotdog by Cristiano Ronaldo, De Gea gangles at 6'4" and has catlike reflexes.  In spite of his size, De Gea follows in the tradition of Spanish goalkeepers, as he is more of a shot-blocker than a black hole (think Iker, not Oli Kahn).  He has been linked with a move to Man U to replace Edwin Van der Sar but claims he is happy to remain in Madrid.

Center Back:  Mats Hummels
Nationality:  German
Team:  Borussia Dortmund
DOB:  16 December 1988


I could have chosen David Luiz or Jerome Boateng, but what sets the Borussia Dortmund man apart from his ability to score from set pieces.  The newly capped Germany international has scored three goals this season while anchoring a Dortmund defense that has only conceded 12 goals in 21 Bundesliga matches.  Hummels has the technical ability to start attacking moves out of the back as well as consistently join in the attack, evidenced by his above average scoring record.  It is just a matter of time before Yogi Low recognizes his ability to move up and down the pitch and use him like the libero he is for his club.

Right Back:  Rafael
Nationality:  Brasilian
Team:  Manchester United
DOB:  9 July 1990


Somewhere in Brasil, Manu Menezes is sitting in a smoky back room drafting his starting 11 for the 2014 World Cup Final at the Maracana.  On his board at right back is (sorry Dani Alves fans) Rafael da Silva.  I can't say that I find Sir Alex particularly endearing, but he has done an amazing job developing Rafael into a future world-class fullback.  His performances down the right flank make Man U games almost bearable to watch, given their incredibly negative tactics this season.  Rafael is 100% Brasilian when it comes to his style of play.  He has outstanding pace and technical ability as well as a penchant for taking on defenders.  His stature is about that of Dani Alves and is as every bit a maurader.  In four years, expect Rafael (and maybe even his doppelganger) to be a major presence for the Selecao.

Left Wing: Gareth Bale
Nationality:  Welsh
Club Team:  Tottenham Hotspur
DOB:  16 July 1989


Anyone familiar with the EPL knows that I am hardly going out on a limb with this pick.  He has been terrorizing right backs all season with his blazing pace - including a man selected into the FIFA World XI.  In their two Champions League fixtures against Internazionale this season, Bale made Maicon look like Jonathan Spector.  Ever heard the saying, "if you can't beat 'em, sign 'em"?  Inter tried to coin that phrase this past January transfer season as they made a 40 million pound bid to bring the Welsh winger to the San Siro.  Bale will be traveling to the San Siro next week, this time in a meeting with Inter's crosstown rivals AC Milan.

Midfielders tomorrow!

New Zodiacal Signs Explain France Early Exit in South Africa 2010

Last week, the Astrological community was turned on its head when reports announced that the Zodiac signs we all have come to know and love (and use as cheesy pickup lines) have shifted about a month.  As a member of this community, former French national team coach Raymond Domenech has had a life-altering moment.

Domenech, an amateur astrologer, observed Zodiacal charts and tendencies before selecting his squad.  In addition to astrology, Ray Ray also dabbles in Tarrot cards, theatrical behaviour (drama) and craziness.  His solution to France's early exit from Euro 2008 was to ask his girlfriend to marry him on national television.  

Heavily documented and mocked during the buildup to South Africa 2010, Domenech had gone on record more than once concerning his consultation of the Zodiac when selecting his squad stating, "all parameters have to be considered and I have added one by saying there is astrology involved".  

Under Miss Cleo's tutelage, Domenech came to single out Leos in the defense and all Scorpios.  The only problem is, he was basing his knowledge on facts established by the Babylonians about 3,000 years ago.  

Let's take a look at what I mean...

Ray Ray believed that Leos made for bad backs.  The man actually said, "When I have got a Leo in defence, I've always got my gun ready. I know he's going to want to show off at one moment or another and cost us".  France's backs and their Zodiacal signs whilst in South Africa were William Gallas (Leo!), Bacary Sagna (Aquarius), Patrice Evra (Taurus) and Eric Abidal (Virgo).  Against Uruguay and Mexico, France was aligned in a 4-2-3-1 formation (also used by Spain and Germany).  Gallas and Abidal played as center backs with Evra and Sagna on the flanks.  

Despite his distaste for Leos in the defense, Gallas was allegedly Domenech's best option at the time.  (We won't even begin to discuss his blindness towards youth.)  That made 1/4 of the French defense susceptible to lapse in judgement, not bad odds when you consider the gambler.  Unfortunately for the coach, he forgot to take planetary axis shifting into account.

If we look at the French back line, keeping in mind the astrological recalculation , we will see that Domenech never would have committed such a grave mistake.  Gallas and Evra retain their original statuses as Leo and Taurus, respectively.  And while Sagna harmlessly changes from an Aquarius to a Capricorn, center back Eric Abidal twistedly reveals that he was a Leo all along!

Hath the gods cast away their people?!?!  How could they have played such a deplorable trick upon Raymond?  With 1/2 of France's back line bearing the Leo burden, it is no wonder the two men in the center of the pitch played so poorly.

Can France's futility in the back truly be blamed on the Leos?  Just take a look for yourself.  Surely it cannot be chalked up to the fact that one man is a dinosaur and the other not a natural center half.

Finally.  An explanation for Les Blues atrocious performance this summer.  Domenech must have been racking his brain, wondering where it all went wrong.  In his rigorous rehashing of the events leading up to South Africa, I assure you, he never considered Astrology to be his downfall.

Perhaps Domenech's distaste for Scorpios deprived the squad of the creative spark they were lacking.  His Zodiacal whims have most adversely affected Robert Pires, the one-time Arsenal winger who was omitted from Germany 2006.  

According to the new Zodiac, Pires is a Virgo.

Friendly Fixtures Pt.2

Ok, so I'm back and I'm ready to tell you all about the matches this afternoon that I will be keeping an eye on, even if I won't be able to watch all of them.

France v Brasil

13 years ago, these two teams played on this very pitch before Ricky Martin and 75,000 spectators and witnessed Zinedine Zidane (El Maestro to you ) give the Brasilians a lesson in Joga Bonito.  Prior to that year, and maybe even prior that day, Ronaldo (now referred to as Fat Ronaldo) reigned supreme as the worlds greatest footballer.  But that day was to be rued by Zizou and his majestic headed goals.  Since then, French football has gone steadily downhill, finally coming to an embarrassing crash this summer in South Africa.

I personally witnessed the French ineptitude at the Cup and can say that coach Laurent Blanc's primary objective must be finding a playmaker.  Raymond Domenech did not read the tea leaves correctly and poorly positioned his creative players in Yoann Gourcuff and Franck Ribery.  The Bayern man will not play today but the former Bordeaux colleagues will look to find a way to bring out Gourcuff's effectiveness at unlocking defenses.  This is a big game for France as they need to show that they are capable of consistent performances.  France have the talent but mentally they have been a mess.  Nico Anelka?

Ironically enough, Manu Menezes himself is looking for the perfect playmaker.  He is going younger and younger each friendly, this time omitting big name players such as Kaka, Lucio and Maicon.  In his search for a "10", the ex-Corinthians boss will take a serious look at fellow paulistano Hernanes, whose pace and malice have helped Lazio to aspire towards a Champions League birth this year.  I continue to feel that two other youngsters plying their trade in Sao Paolo are the future of the Selecao.  In Neymar and Ganso, Menezes has his 9 and 10, respectively.  Neymar is currently lighting up the scoreboard in the CONCACAF sub-20, not to mention desired by every club in the world while Ganso impressed tremendously in his international bout.

Prediction:  This game is much more important for France as they are playing before a demanding home crowd in Paris.  They usually play well at the Stade de France but Brasil's current strength is in their defense and midfield.  I don't see the likes of Gourcuff and Malouda getting it done against Dani Alves, David Luiz and Julio Cesar.

Brasil 2 - France 1


Germany v Italy

Deutschland versus Italia, Die Mannschaft versus Gli Azzuri, youthful exuberance versus old farts.  Since Italy's 2006 semi-final victory over the Germans on their own soil, the four-time World Cup winners have aged gracelessly.  Don't get me wrong, their special brand of boring, negative, overly-theatrical cattenacio still presides throughout the boot, its just that the goons required to implement that "stragegy" are now too busy playing shuffleboard. (Do Italian senior citizens play bingo?)

Even in the face of stagnancy, Italian coaches resist playing younger players.  It happens so pervasively at the club level, the best Italian players often ask for transfers in search of minutes.  One young man on the Italy roster today who exemplifies this anti-youth trend is Sebastian Giovinco.  Last season, his young legs warmed the bench for Juventus; this season on loan with Parma he has 5 goals, 2 of which were daggered right into the sides of his former club.  Coach Cesare Prandelli has taken notice and included the 24 year old along with age mate Giuseppe Rossi of Villarreal.

And then there is Germany.  This nation is at the cutting edge of football, consistently producing world-class talents who are ready to shine before other nations would even consider them (read this).  This past World Cup, the "old men" of the Mannschaft were Per Mertesacker, Bastian Schweinstiger and Philip Lahm - all players who cut their teeth with the national team before the age of 21.  On today's roster, Yogi Lowe has called up Mario Gotze, the 18 year old wunderkind of Borussia Dortmund.  It just so happens that this match is being played at Dortmund's Signal Iduna Park where Gotze's teammates Mats Hummels, Marcel Schmelzer, Sven Bender and Kevin Grosskreutz (average age 22) will hope to impress their home fans.

Prediction:  Germany has not forgotten what Italy did to them on this pitch and will be primed and ready with the likes of Mesut Ozil (love), Thomas Muller and the ageless Miroslav Klose (exception to the rule) ready to test the returning Gigi Buffon.  Italy's attack always looks strong, however, they will be short of service as their midfield will be overrun by the constant pressure from Khedira and Schweini.  I like Germany to get rolling early and never look back.

Germany 3 - Italy 0