Friday, September 29, 2006

Ten Things I Think I Think

One of the best sports columns in the U.S. is Peter King's Monday Morning Quarterback piece on the NFL that appears weekly (you can guess when...) on CNNSI.com. King has a segment in it called "Ten Things I Think I Think" and even though we can't do half as good a job as the original author, we can try to come close (plus, we won't mention you-know-who - hint: he's completely insane & loves painkillers). So, after a week off from this website, here's what I think:

1. That it's time for concern at Inter. Just last week we were chalking the Nerazzurri's loss to Sporting Lisbon down to an off day and applauding their impressive away win over Roma, but after Wednesday's 2-0 home loss to Bayern Munich, a third game in which Inter finished with fewer than 11 men (this time it was nine after Ibrahimovic & Grosso saw red), we're not so confident in Inter's prospects. Mancini was very confident after the game that Inter would win their next four Champions League group stage games and advance, but that's no small feat. They still have to go to Moscow to face Spartak & that is never an easy trip, plus the away match against Bayern won't be a cakewalk either. Inter still looks like the team to beat in the Serie A, but there is ample cause for concern. A month into the season, they've still yet to find a consistent style of play (4-3-1-2, 4-4-2, etc), they're playing guys out of position (Zanetti at left mid?), and they've got to get their discipline issues under control. If they don't find the solutions to these problems soon, it could get real ugly in Milan.

2. That I'm already counting down the days to the upcoming River-Boca clasico down in Buenos Aires. 10 days until October 8 and the kick-off of the best derby in the world. Can't wait!

3. That Friday's Dortmund-Hannover matinee was one of the most entertaining games I've seen all year. In front of a capacity crowd at Dortmund's phenomenal stadium (best in Germany hands down), the two teams battled back & forth for all 90 minutes. The hosts went ahead early, but were hanging on for dear life before a frenetic 4-minute stretch starting in minute 73. Hannover equalized, but Dortmund re-gained the lead with a second Smolarek goal, and then, to everyone's surprise, Hannover snatched a draw just seconds later. It was end-to-end stuff for the full 90, played before an outstanding group of fans, and a real treat for any footie fan. Hope you guys got to see some of it.

4. That Didier Drogba is about 1000 times better than Andriy Shevchenko right now. Same with Hernan Crespo.

5. That last weekend's Riquelme-Aimar match-up in the Villareal-Zaragoza game was yet another reason why the Primera Liga is the best in the world. Two brilliant playmakers, two attack-minded teams, a see-saw game that had a bit of everything: controversial refereeing decisions, brilliant goals, and a stirring second-half comeback. Now that Riquelme has retired from international play, can Aimar replace him and lead the Albiceleste to the top of the soccer world? If Basile gives him the chance, here's one vote that says yes, he can. And if that was the pick of the games in Spain last weekend, then this weekend's Madrid derby should be even better.

6. That it's about damn time that Scott Parker got called up to the England squad. He's just what that team needs: a tenacious defensive mid to free up Gerrard and Lampard to push forward. Everyone saw the improvements in the team when Eriksson finally inserted Hargreaves in that role. Well, for my money Parker is even better than the Bayern man. He has been a massive signing for the Geordies and there is no reason to think that he won't be just as good for the Three Lions.

7. That Barca will really miss Etoo, simply because he's one of the the top three strikers in the world right now, but they'll still be first in la Liga when he comes back in March. No thanks to Txiki Begiristain, Barca's director who wanted to sell Saviola this year and even threatened to make him sit out the year if he didn't accept a transfer, but the excellent Argentine striker could be a natural replacement for the Cameroon hit-man. The Blaugrana don't have any other natural #9 - new boy Gudjohnsen is not an out-and-out striker (he's better as a reserved forward) - so Saviola could be key for them in the upcoming months. And there is just way way too much talent at the Camp Nou to have the season unravel just because Etoo is out.

8. That the Homeless World Cup is taking place right now in South Africa. Actually, I don't think that - I know that. I just don't know what I think of that. Insert joke here.

9. That all of us should spare a thought for Uruguayan striker Dario Silva. Speeding along a Montevideo street on Saturday, Silva was involved in a horrific accident. He was not wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from his truck. When Silva came out of a medically-induced coma a few days later, he awoke to the news that his right leg had been amputated below the knee. While he is clearly lucky to be alive, for anyone to lose a leg must be absolutely devastating and even more so for a soccer player. Animo, Dario, animo!

10. That Luis Aragones made the right decision leaving Raul out of the latest Spain squad. If anything, he should have left him out a few months ago. Don't forget that Spain looked way better in the World Cup with Luis Garcia playing in the 'mediapunta' spot behind Torres & Villa than they looked with Raul there. When Raul started against France, the attack just wasn't the same. Of course, France has a way better back-line than the likes of the Ukraine or Tunisia, but still. Raul has gotten by for the last three years because he is Raul. He has done absolutely nothing on the pitch to justify his inclusion in the starting line-ups of Spain or Real Madrid. I have always been a big fan of him, following him ever since I donned his #7 jersey to attend Real's games at the Bernabeu when I lived there in '98. I'll never forget a Real-AC Milan Champions League game in 2003 when Raul scored two super goals to propel los Blancos into the next round. The next morning, the headlines of the Madrid sports daily read "Gracias a Dios que tenemos a Raul" ("Thank God we've got Raul") and "Que bueno eres, Raul!" ("You are so good, Raul!"). Unfortunately, times have changed. Sure, injuries have played a part in his decline, but after over a decade at the top level, he just doesn't have the speed or power that he once did. People say that Raul isn't even 30 yet, so how can he already be on the decline? But it's like a car: what makes a car go doesn't have nearly as much to do with the year the car was made as it has to do with the miles on the odometer. Would you rather drive a 2002 car with 150,000 miles or a 1999 model with 60,000? In recent years, Raul has been given a spot in the line-up because of his name, not because his performances warranted it. His supporters - and there are many - claim that it's not all about scoring goals, that Raul does so many other important things, such as running hard and leading the line and playing unselfishly and being an emblematic player for the team, that he deserves to play. Well, sacreligious though it might be to say, just because a guy runs a lot and sacrifices himself for the team doesn't mean that he should be guaranteed a spot. Now if Raul were a defensive mid, that's one thing - then those qualities would justify his selection, but as a striker, he's there to score goals. And the fact is, Raul hasn't been scoring. He finally found the back of the net (twice) against Dynamo Kyiv on Tuesday, but that's not good enough. Since he hasn't been scoring, some coaches have played him in a more withdrawn role, but he doesn't have the passing skills or the vision to warrant selection over players with the quality of Guti, Robinho or Cassano at Real or Garcia, Xavi, or Iniesta in la Seleccion. This is not to say that he should retire (Brett Favre should, but Raul shouldn't), but it is to say that his best days are behind him. I will be the first to say that Raul is everything that a soccer star should hope to be: humble, unselfish, devoted to club and country, a role model on & off the pitch...but he is no longer the Raul we all knew and loved a few years ago. That's how sports works: your time comes, you get your shot, and then someone comes along to take your place, and your time is up. Right now, Guti and Garcia are simply better than he is and, simply put, the fact that their jerseys don't say "Raul" on the back doesn't mean that they shouldn't be playing instead of him. One of the things that has always made Raul great is that for him, it's never been about the name on the back, but rather the crest on the front. It's time for his coaches, his fans, and his teammates to recognize that.

Friday, September 22, 2006

La Bella Vita: Inter shut down Roma

All over bar the shouting: Vieira does not go quietly into the night against Roma.




If the Serie A season unfolds as predicted on this website a few weeks ago, the two teams to watch are Inter and Roma. This would represent a departure from the normal hierarchy of Juventus and Milan, both of whom were hit with point deductions (and in the case of the former, relegation, too) in the Moggigate scandal that shook the Boot this summer. On Wednesday night in Rome, Serie A fans got the first taste of what could be their two new powerhouses. The showdown did not disappoint.

Not a club accustomed to easy success or quiet off-seasons, Inter went out and signed a boatload of top-notch players, including Hernan Crespo, Patrick Vieira, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Fabio Grosso, Olivier Dacourt, and Maicon. All six were included in the starting 11 that travelled down to Roma to face the Giallorossi. Roberto Mancini, under fire at the San Siro since a Champions League loss to Sporting Lisbon and a home draw against Sampdoria, sprung a few surprises with his lineup. For starters, Luis Figo and Adriano were not. Javi Zanetti moved from right-back to a position on the center-left of midfield to replace the injured Cambiasso and let Maicon occupy the right-back spot. To the right of Zanetti was Dacourt and on his right was Vieira, playing a wider role than normal. As opposed to last year's 4-4-2, Mancini appears to have adopted a 4-3-1-2 approach. Figo usually plays in the hole behind the strikers, but Dejan Stankovic got the nod instead. Up front, Ibra and Crespo continued their fearsome partnership. It was an unusual lineup for sure, especially with two midfielders (Zanetti and Vieira) playing out of position and to superstars (Figo and Adriano) riding the pine.

Across the pitch, Luciano Spalletti fielded a Roma side near full-strength, save for the injured Taddei. As Roma is opt to do, Spalletti didn't field any true strikers. Any offensive firepower would have to come from Totti, Pizarro, Aquilani, and Mancini (no relation). It wasn't until Mancini hobbled off hurt that Spalletti had to field a true #9: Montella.

Despite the poor form of Inter and Roma's home-field advantage in front of a 65,000 crowd at the Olympic Stadium, the Giallorossi were dominated from start to finish. Inter looked fantastic, with Dacourt putting in an assured performance at defensive mid against his former team and Zanetti and Vieira always active on the flanks. Up front, Crespo and Ibra were as good as advertised. Around the 25-minute mark, Crespo made a run into the box from the left wing, faked a move to his right, and then cut back towards the end-line leaving De Rossi for dead. The Argentinian elected to cut the ball back across the face of goal, but no one could get on the other end of it to finish it. About 20 minutes later, it was deja vu all over again for the Nerazzurri. Crespo burst in from the left and this time his victim would be Mexes, normally an excellent defender. Crespo made the exact same Ronaldinho-style move, faking to the right but then almost toe-poking the ball back to the left. This time, he elected to shoot, blasting the ball through Doni's legs for a 1-0 Inter lead. It was as good a goal as Crespo has scored since last year's opening day strike for Chelsea against Wigan.

On the other side of halftime, the onslaught continued. Ibra won a penalty after Mexes hauled him down, the latest incident in a rough outing for the young Frenchman. Fortunately for him, Ibra's weak effort was saved by Doni. Still, one never got the feeling that Roma could really steal the points in this one. A Totti free-kick in the first half, saved by Julio Cesar, was their best chance. Mancini bolstered the defense by subbing in Walter Samuel, another former Roma man, but he need not have worried.

It was all over bar the shouting and by that I mean the diatribe that Vieira let loose at the referee after earning a well-deserved second yellow card. It was the second red card for Vieira after his expulsion in the loss to Sporting; to make matters worse, he was later hit with a three-match ban by the Italian federation for using abusive language. Without Vieira and Cambiasso, Mancini will really need to call on the depth of his massive Inter squad in the coming month. Still, that's why we picked them to win it all. And, on the heels of such an impressive display in Rome, preceeded by another huge away win on opening day against Fiorentina, no one should be hitting the panic button at the San Siro anytime soon.

World Soccer Blogger Top 20

Easiest team to rank: Barca. Best team in the world. Period. End of story.




Even though I must admit that I don't really see the point to worldwide soccer rankings, a lot of other columnists and websites indulge in this little game, so I figured I'd throw in my two cents. The reason it seems like a futile activity is because of the subjectivity of it all - are you rating the teams based on reality or hypotheticals, ie. what happens on the field or what you would imagine would happen on the field if they ever played? For example, who's to say how Boca would fare against Hertha Berlin? The former leads the Argentine Apertura and the latter is in first place in the Bundesliga. Although few would argue that the Bundesliga is a far superior league to the Apertura, I've got Boca ahead of Hertha simply because they seem like a stronger team from what I've seen of them thus far. If they were to play on a neutral field, I'd pick Boca to win. It is simply a guess. Then again, I've got Lyon ranked 3rd after their demolition of Real Madrid, who sit 10th, so that is a ranking based on an actual performance. If the teams were to play 10 times on a neutral field, though, I'd guess that Real Madrid would win a few games, they would draw a few games, and Lyon would win a few games. In that sense, based on a hypothetical situation, I'd have the two teams ranked much closer together. Plus, how can you reflect factors like league schedules? When Lyon won 2-0 last week, the French side had already had a full month more of practice than Real - that was absolutely a factor. How much of these rankings is about real games? And how much about predictions? The bottom line is, when it comes to rankings, all columnists, from the ones who vote on the AP College Football Top 25 to the ones who rate the NFL's best teams, do so using their own formula - to each his own. What all this means is that although I don't really see the point in these rankings, it's clear that readers enjoy them. They're a source of constant debate, as well as interesting discussions about not only the quality of specific teams, but leagues in general. If for no other reason than that, here is the first edition of WSB's Top 20. Assuming you readers are interested, we'll make a monthly habit of this. So here you go, installment numero uno:


1. Barcelona (just when Barca couldn't be any more likable, they're now sponsored by Unicef - I mean, enough already)
2. Chelsea
3. Lyon
4. Inter
5. Arsenal
(the more desperate team usually wins - last week, Arsenal was just more desperate than ManU)
6. ManU
7. Liverpool
(Xabi Alonso = brilliant)
8. Milan (Seedorf's free kick last week was a thing of beauty - why is he not on the Dutch team?)
9. Valencia (must-see TV: los Ches play Barca on Sunday at the Camp Nou)
10. Sevilla (watch out, folks, these guys are for real)
11. Real Madrid (another poor display in a 2-0 win over Sociedad - up next: Betis away - yikes)
12. Bayern (from bad to worse: shocking loss to Arminia Bielefeld and Hargraves is out for six weeks)
13. Roma
14. Boca (can Lavolpe keep los Xeneixes in first now that Basile has moved on to la Seleccion?)
15. Marseille (with Cisse back next month, could these guys really challenge Lyon?)
16. Sao Paolo
17. Hertha Berlin
18. Porto

19. PSV (their Champions League game vs L'pool was the worst game of the year thus far)
20. Ajax

On the bubble: River Plate, Benfica, DC United

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

A Premiership Safari: Africans On Form In England

Andriy who? Drogba celebrates his wonder strike. Elsewhere, Adebayor, Lua Lua, & Martins do the same.







Quite the showdown weekend in England. The four best teams in the land, although the standings say otherwise, squared off. Jose Mourinho and Rafa Benitez got to renew hostilities as Liverpool travelled to Stamford Bridge to face Chelsea. Up north, Sir Alex Ferguson and Arsene Wenger did likewise at Old Trafford as Man Utd hosted Arsenal. There's no love lost between any of these four coaches, but something tells me that there is a healthy amount of respect. The latter two have been at it for years, but recently Mourinho and Benitez have bagged the Premiership and Champions League titles, respectively. And when the four giants of English footie do battle on the pitch, the games rarely disappoint.

This weekend was no exception. The doubleheader treated us to the goal and the save of the season thus far. The former came in London. When the Blues take on the Reds, their games always seem to be settled by one play here or there. It's a testament to the quality of the players and the tactics of the coaches that all of the talent on offer seems to cancel itself out. Case in point: it was literally a matter of inches when Luis Garcia's ball may or may not have crossed the goalline in 2005's Champions League semifinal at Anfield, giving Liverpool a 1-0 aggregate win and a trip to the title match in Istanbul. This time around, it was no different. One single play proved to be enough to decide matters at the Bridge: Didier Drogba's brilliance was all the Blues needed to win by the minimum. Standing outside the 18-yard box, the Ivory Coast striker, far and away more effective than new boy Sheva so far this year, trapped the ball beautifully on his chest and, in one glorious motion, swung around and rocketed the ball past a stunned Reina in the net. Game, set, and match, save a few fireworks when Ballack stomped on Sissoko. Stevie G should have equalized later on, but he smacked it straight at Cech, who knew nothing about it. After their poor start to the season, it was an away win over a close rival already running away from them in the standings that Liverpool sorely needed but couldn't get. Arsenal, in a similar predicament heading into an inferno at Old Trafford, had better luck.

Say what you want about Portsmouth's stunning start, but the team of the season thus far has been the Red Devils. Even without the services of two of their best players, Wayne Rooney and Gabriel Heinze, they've been fantastic. Some idiots picked them to finish as low as fourth this season, but who's laughing now? Arsenal, on the other hand, have looked a shadow of the team that they theoretically should be. With the likes of Fabregas, Gallas, Rosicky, Baptista, Van Persie, Gilberto, Toure and Henry, it is almost inconceivable that the Gunners have been reduced to draws and losses against mid-table sides like Middlesborough, Man City, and Aston Villa. Worst of all, there would be no Henry at Old Trafford. The Frenchman was out injured. Not that they needed another problem, but Henry's counterpart for the hosts, Rooney, was back from suspension. After Gilberto blew a penalty and Scholes cleared the ball off the line in the first 15 minutes, one wondered if Arsenal hadn't squandered their opportunities. It was a pulsating encounter, both teams attacking relentlessly throughout the opening half, roared on by a capacity crowd of 75,000 eager to see the hosts hammer the final nail into the coffin of one of their most hated rivals. Wenger's boys, though, would not go quietly. Their central midfield of Gilberto, Fabregas, and Rosicky appeared more lively than their counterparts of O'Shea, Fletcher and Scholes. Rooney was clearly off-form up front, leaving Saha to go it alone for most of the game. Ronaldo was active on the wings, but was never able to play the final ball or finish the attacks as well as he could have or should have. Across the pitch, the new Kanu, Adebayor, was not having much better luck against Ferdinand and Brown. The match was scoreless as it headed into its final 10 minutes, despite some very shaky goalkeeping from Van der Sar's sub Kucscak and the clinically insane Lehmann (I can't wait for the day when someone just clocks him for one of these nutty, unsportsmanlike stunts he pulls - it's a wonder that O'Shea didn't leave him on his arse like some drunk hooligan on the wrong end of a donnybrook at a Dublin bar). It was then that, as in the Chelsea-Liverpool game, an African striker finally put the bulge in de ole onion bag. Fabregas, man of the match in my mind, stole the ball off Ronaldo, scooted by a few ManU defenders, and slipped a wonderfully delicate through-ball through to Adebayor. The pass was weighted perfectly, soft enough to suck Kucscak out of his goal but not too hard so that the keeper would have a play on it. The Togo striker finished it with aplomb: 1-0 to the Arsenal. At the other end, Lehmann managed to keep his head straight long enough to make a stunning fingertip save on Solskjaer, denying the Gunnar a tying goal against the Gunners. And so the goal from Adebayor held up, giving Arsenal a surprising upset, but one that keeps them in the race for the title and keeps ManU from getting even further away from the pack.

And after the opening month, who's your Premiership leader? Portsmouth, believe it or not. It turns out that the boys from the south coast can play, but the real secret to their success must be that they've got the flavor of the month when it comes to in-form forwards. Who's been leading the line for Harry Redknapp's squad? It's two African strikers: the real Kanu & the wonderfully named Lomana Tresor Lua Lua - the Nigerian has bagged four goals thus far and the Congo frontman scored the game's only goal against Charlton. And, stop me if you've heard this one before, but who got the winner in the Monday night game? You guessed it, Newcastle's young Nigerian, Obafemi Martins. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go watch the highlights of Barcelona's dismantling of Racing: Cameroon's Samuel Etoo looks awfully dangerous up front...

Wednesday, September 13, 2006

Euro Trip: The Week That Was

Real's Cannavaro after the 2-0 loss in Lyon. At least they gave him a jersey as a parting gift, but jockstrap not included.






There's a lot to like about European soccer, not the least of which is the sheer number of can't-miss games. For starters, you've got at least four top-notch leagues to choose from, including England's Premiership, Spain's Primera Liga, Italy's Serie A, and Germany's Bundesliga. The other leagues all have their own big-time match-ups, such as France's Olympique vs PSG, Portugal's Porto vs Benfica, Holland's Ajax vs PSV, and Scotland's Old Firm derby. By the time you throw in all of the Champions League and UEFA Cup games in mid-week and the soccer world really never stops spinning. I've never been a fan of this over-packed calendar, since it drains the players, worsens the quality of play, and creates endless conflicts between club teams and national selections. Still, how much can any fan complain about such a plethora of games to watch? Week-end or week-day, there are simply a smorgasborg of games, all of them involving world-class superstars and breathless soccer action. Speaking of which, here is a brief week in review.

The weekend got off to a bang with a cracker of a game between Inter and Fiorentina. The Serie A curtain-raiser looked to be turning into a snoozer when the Nerazzurri went up 3-0 thanks to two goals from Cambiasso (gee, you think Real Madrid could use him now?) and another from Ibrahimovic. However, as they did against Roma in the Italian Supercup, Inter got a bit too full of themselves, never a good idea with Luca Toni attacking your goal. Suddenly it was 3-2 and Mancini's boys had a nail-biting finish on their hands. Inter hung on for the three points, but trouble was brewing. Adriano, who rode the pine in Florence, will not stay quiet for long - we all know his relationship with Mancini makes William Gallas & Jose Mourinho seem like best friends. A midfield of Vieira, Dacourt, and Cambiasso - all starters in the Fiorentina game - seems a bit on the defensive side to me. And sorry, but Francesco Toldo and Julio Cesar might make for good competition for the keeper's gloves, but in a mediocre, who-makes-fewer-than-five-mistakes-a-game type of way. The other big Italian match saw Milan sneak by Lazio 2-1. Juve, you ask? Who dey?

Across the Mediterranean in Spain, the real prime-time game on Saturday saw Valencia travel down to take on Atletico by the banks of the Manzanares river in Madrid. Atletico, a la the Washington Redskins, stole all the offseason headlines and fared well in preseason predictions, but have now, per usual, flattered to deceive. In the Calderon stadium, Villa bagged an early goal off a beautiful feed from Vicente (a heck of a partnership for Luis Aragones to call on at some point, but he doesn't need my advice; the guy's only resigned twice in the last two months - he needs a career counselor). Atletico fought hard for the equalizer, but their star striker El Nino Torres acted like just that and got himself sent off for dissent. Sure, the ref (our favorite: Medina Cantalejo) once again acted petty and short-sighted, but players in Spain should expect nothing less from him by now. Torres barely made contact with Valencia's keeper Canizares, who went down like he'd been stabbed, and Torres got his first yellow, then protested, earning a second one and an early trip to the showers. What is it that makes star strikers a bunch of prima donnas? From Torres to Bellamy, Rooney to Etoo, Adriano to Drogba, these guys are all headcases. It must be the same phenomenon that makes most of the successful NFL wide receivers completely insane. Let me be the first to say that there is some sort of correlation there, as well as the first to say I don't know what exactly that is. Someone with more time can figure it out.

In England, ManU continued their fantastic start against Spurs, Chelsea kept pace with a win over Charlton, Arsenal were underwhelming again - this time in a draw with Middlesborough, and Liverpool fell to a nasty Merseyside defeat at the hands of Everton. It's far too early to tell, but we could be in for a very interesting Premiership if the Red Devils continue their torrid start. On Wednesday in the Champions League, ManU lined up against Celtic in the Battle of Britain. Um, not really. The Scottish Premier League is so far inferior to the English Premiership that I would venture to say that there's a smaller gap between Triple-AAA baseball and the major leagues, but I digress. At Old Trafford, Celtic grabbed a shock lead thanks to Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, far & away the owner of the best name in the game. After that, though, the Thomas Gravesen Horror Show began and ManU strolled to a 3-2 win. I'm all for excusing Gravesen's unhappy stay at Real on the grounds of the Spaniards playing him out of position (he's an offensive midfielder, not a destroyer), but he was atrocious all night - no fewer than two goals came directly from his turnovers. Yikes. Elsewhere in Europe, Barca picked up where they left off, cruising to a 5-0 romp over some no-names from Bulgaria or Macedonia or somewhere, Chelsea were efficient if unimpressive in a win over Werder Bremen, and Bayern Munich and AC Milan enjoyed easy wins over Spartak Moscow and AEK Athens respectively.

The shocks of the mid-week action involved two teams that made so much news this summer but have hardly looked unbeatable in this young new season. First, Inter lost 1-0 to Sporting Lisbon in Luis Figo's homecoming. Patrick Vieira got himself sent off (shocking!) and Adriano looked disinterested and far from his best. How long 'til they start sharpening the knives for Mancini at the San Siro? Watch this space. Then, on Wednesday, it was deja vu all over again for Real Madrid, falling 2-0 away to Olympique Lyon. Seriously, who produces more talent year after year than Lyon? Maybe Sevilla? Maybe Roma? Arsenal? If I'm leading a European club - and God-willing I will be someday (I mean, don't a lot of club presidents start off as bloggers?) - then the first signings I make won't be players, but rather the top scouts from those clubs. I don't know who they are or how they do it, but damn they're good. Against Real, Lyon played the way a great team should: fast, full of movement, letting the ball do the work, always looking to attack with speed, well-positioned in the field, cutting down space and time in defense, and never relinquishing control of the game. In summary, it was an exhibition. Sure, Real has lots of excuses for the defeat: Lyon is a finished product, a team that's been playing together for years, whereas Real is still full of new players who need to gel into a solid unit; Lyon's season started much earlier than Real's, so they're in better shape; and Lyon is one of the best teams in Europe, a clear contender for the Champions League title (remember, they had Milan beat & were all set to face Barca in the semis last year before two late, late Rossoneri goals). But still, I've seen Real three times this year: three games - one win, one loss, and one draw. And at no time have they ever looked any different from last year: slow, predictable, short on passion and creativity... the list goes on and on. Capello, with a resume like his, deserves time to sort this one out, but he needs to start making changes fast. Raul hasn't done a damn thing in three years. He is d-u-n done. Beckham can still play, but he's better at this point in his career as a central midfielder than a right winger. Sergio Ramos will be a top-notch defender someday, but for now he is still learning how to play centerback. Roberto Carlos is a shadow of what he was. And Emerson and Diarra sharing a midfield is redundant - they're far too similar. What Capello needs to do is inject some creativity, speed, and vision into his line-up. In other words, fresh talent like Robinho, Reyes, and Guti. This team is crying out for it right now. Everyone knows it, but as has been the case with Real for the past few years, it's damn near impossible to leave the likes of Raul and Becks on the bench. There is no shortage of talent there, except for maybe at the centerback spot (Cannavaro, Ramos, Pavon, and Mejia makes for an odd mix of veteran leadership and youthful inexperience), so it should only be a matter of time before Capello inserts Robinho, Reyes, and Guti for Raul, Beckham, and Emerson. Then again, this is Capello, who was successful at Juve because he got the most out of aging stars like Nedved, Del Piero, Vieira, Trezeguet, and Thuram. Maybe it's time Capello placed a call to the refs. I hear they're available...for a price. Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to go get some rest: there's another soccer-filled weekend right around the corner. Damn, I love this game.

Friday, September 08, 2006

To all, um, 12 of my loyal readers:

I would hate to see you miss out on any of the posts here at WSB (especially ones that are 18,000 words long and took hours to write), so don't miss the Italy Serie A preview posted today. Since I started writing it last week (look, I'm a slow typist...um, typer...oh, nevermind), it is posted under the date of Tuesday, August 29, so scroll down or click here...and enjoy.

Hope everyone enjoyed the flurry of national team action, even though it's hard to get too excited about it so soon after the World Cup. All the same, Brazil thrashing Argentina was entertaining and that Northern Ireland win over Spain was an absolute stunner. Oh, and a World Cup final rematch is always worth watching, too, but to say that France exacted some revenge for their loss in Berlin is simply ludicrous. For now, though, it's back to domestic action, starting this weekend with some intriguing fixtures all over Europe. Italy kicks off Serie A with Inter-Fiorentina and Milan-Lazio. In England, it'll be another heated Merseyside derby and ManU-Spurs. And down in Spain, Atletico-Valencia should be a dandy. Check back here next week for a full recap.

Sunday, September 03, 2006

London Calling

Coming soon to a London pitch near you: Tevez, with Mascherano in tow, moves to West Ham. Huh?








In a shocking move on the final day of this summer's transfer period, Argentinian duo Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano moved to West Ham. While most expected the pair to leave the mess of a club that is Corinthians, most believed that one of the Premiership giants like Chelsea, Manchester United, or Liverpool would be their destination. No one - and I mean, not a soul - ever imagined that a mid-level, relegation-threatened club like West Ham would be the lucky team to snatch Tevez and Mascherano. To call it a massive coup for the Hammers is an understatement - imagine Ichiro Suzuki opting to sign for the Cleveland Indians instead of the Yankees. It is a move that is so surprising that many people in the soccer world have already started to question how exactly this could have happened. The answer seems to stem from a mysterious takeover of Corinthians a few years ago and a possible takeover of West Ham in the near future. In 2003, a firm called Media Sports Investments (MSI) purchased the giant Brazilian club and immediately invested heavily in new players; Tevez and Mascherano soon helped them win the Brazilian league title. Almost just as quickly, the immediate success and sky-high expectations sent the club into turmoil. No one really knew what to think of MSI or their leader, Kia Joorabchian, who seemed to spend an awful lot of time in England for the head man of a struggling Brazilian squad. In stepped new coach Emerson Leao, who promptly stripped Tevez of the captaincy (a move that only worsened the tense situation, already a dicey one when Tevez ripped Corinthians fans in the press and bolted to Buenos Aires). And next thing you know, Tevez and Mascherano are in London signing for the Hammers, amidst speculation that MSI is about to purchase a large stake in West Ham. Whatever the case may be, West Ham stole all the headlines on deadline day and will surely be a force to be reckoned with this year, Corinthians lost its two best players, and an already murky situation just became a lot more mysterious. The thot plickens.

Across town, Arsenal snatched a duo that might even be better than Tevez and Mascherano. And all it cost them were two disgruntled players. In what amounts to a trade (a rarity in the soccer world), the Gunners acquired Julio Baptista from Real Madrid and Wiliam Gallas from Chelsea in exchange for left winger Jose Antonio Reyes and left back Ashley Cole. There is petty crime and then there is highway robbery - this deal falls under the latter category. Reyes, for all his promise, has never developed the way that, say, another Iberian wunderkind Cristiano Ronaldo has at ManU. Cole, albeit one of the best left backs in the world when healthy, has had far too many injury battles for someone with his pricetag. Remember that Arsenal made it to the Champions League final last year without Reyes and Cole doing much of anything. In steps Baptista, a massive talent and, at 24, a player who will only get better. After scoring bags of goals with Sevilla, he moved to Real Madrid who promptly tried to make him into a midfielder. Huh? Halfway through the season, seeing that the round-peg-in-a-square-hole approach wasn't working (see Gravesen, Thomas), los Blancos moved Baptista up front again, where he resumed tormenting defenses with his lethal combination of strength and skill. At the back, Gallas is no less than one of the top 10 centerbacks in the world. And he's 28, about to enter the prime of his career. Ultimately, not only did Arsene Wenger secure the services of two of the best players in the world, two youngsters who are just starting to play their best footie, but he did so without spending a dime (in fact, Chelski paid to get Cole) and even managed to solve two problems in the process. Another coup for Arsenal - with Rosicky, Baptista, and Gallas, the Gunners have to top any list of best off-season moves.

So it was only fitting that on Sunday in London, in Arsenal's new Emirates Stadium, Tevez and Mascherano donned the white & blue strip of Argentina to do battle with Julio Baptista, wearing the yellow of Brazil. Even though it was only a friendly and both teams are still recovering from their World Cup hangovers, any time Argentina and Brazil are on the same pitch the word "friendly" really doesn't apply. Unfortunately, Baptista started on the bench for the Canarinha, but Tevez and Mascherano were in the initial 11 for the Albiceleste. Despite the absences of Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, and Adriano (or maybe because of...?), Brazil were simply unstoppable. Argentina, even with Riquelme and Messi up front and the likes of Milito and Coloccini in the back, were unable to cope with some inspired Brazilian attacking. Robinho had an off night, but fantastic performances from Fred and Elano and Carvalho were more than enough to ensure a Brazilian victory. In fact it was another Gunner, midfield destroyer Gilberto Silva, who kept Riquelme under wraps and freed his more attack-minded teammates to dissect the Argentine backline. Tevez fought hard, but ineffectively. Messi was almost anonymous. Riquelme had one of those quiet nights that make you wonder if an Argentinian coach might want to shoot a lit firecracker up his rear end. When Kaka came on as a sub (hard to imagine), he wasted little time before smashing the third goal past Abbondazieri to make the final score 3-0 to Brazil. It was a game that made one miss the wonderful summer days of the World Cup, when Argentina was delighting fans with one amazing performance after another, when teams like Brazil and Italy were on TV every other day, and when every soccer fan got to spend a month in heaven. But hey, all is not lost - leagues in Spain, England, and Germany have already started up, Italy's Serie A starts next week, and the Champions League is just around the corner. And oh yeah, on Wednesday in Paris, it's Italy vs France, part deux. Life is good.