Tomorrow! And Wednesday! But before that was Monday! And Wigan took a bite out of Liverpool's hopes of being in the knockout rounds this time next year with a 1-0 win. I am not sure what the exact situation was but I recall them beating Chelsea 1-0 roughly around this time 2 seasons ago and the Blues went on to lose the league to United by the narrowest of margins. Spoilers. I still can't believe Liverpool worked their way back into a European place and gave away three points.
Tomorrow
Arsenal vs Porto-
I think Arsenal are going out, and my pick is a 1-1 draw that puts Porto through 3-2 on aggregate. Without Fabregas to run play Arsenal are going to have to use a more straight forward attack in search of a goal and despite not being the team they were in years past, Porto will be able to snuff out the danger. Radamel Falcao is one of the players I picked to be a surprise in the Champs League and he has been awesome, I wouldn't be surprised to see him on the scoresheet tomorrow.
Fiorentina vs Bayern Munich-
The first leg pitted two teams flying in completely opposite directions against each other and not much has changed in the couple of weeks since. The injury to Martin Demichelis is inconvenient but not a real threat to Bayern. With the comfort of a lead built up at home they can dictate the play in Florence to an extent. If Fiorentina aren't on the board by the fifteenth minute I think it is safe to say this one is over.
Wednesday
United vs AC Milan
It would take a real jaw dropping turn of events to see Milan through and I just don't think it is in the cards. Although they only trail by one on aggregate they conceded THREE away goals in the first leg. As presently constituted Milan do not look like the kind of side that can easily rack up goals at Old Trafford. But for the sake or argument let's say they do, it is impossible to imagine that kind of attack not exposing what is a pretty wobbly defense to counterattacks. I actually think United wins this game outright, probably 2-1. For all the story lines this one is kind of anti-climatic.
Real Madrid vs Lyon
If Madrid were going to lose the first leg, having only the minimal deficit to turn around at the Bernabeu doesn't seem like too big a hill to climb. It is not, but it is also not a given. Lyon did not stumble into the win at home, they were disciplined, organized, and lethal. There is no reason to think they can not do this again with the comfort of starting the match with a lead. Many people have suggested this game is a custom made big stage for the Greasy One to announce to the world he is Real Madrid now. That can go either way. The pressure and scrutiny and bigness of the moment might be enough to charge up and he overruns Lyon in a virtuoso performance. Or he takes the team on his shoulders and charges ahead but is picked off by a rigid and prepared team and they get an early goal on the counter. I am probably in the minority on this but I see a 1-1 draw, with Lyon going through on aggregate.
Monday, March 8, 2010
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Thoughts On Inter
I was really stoked for this game. Sunday afternoon, relax and watch Inter vs Genoa. And it was terrible. Pretty boring nil draw. I was surprised by the amount of sloppiness from both squads. Soooo many lazy passes resulting in turn overs, poor marking, weak finishing.
Milito was clearly fouled in the box early in the second half. From the ref's angle I think it was a hard call to make, but it should have been a penalty.
Lucio and Zanetti are awesome.
Ricardo Quaresma still sucks. How can you be that bad for that long at that many clubs and still get trotted out to play elite football on occasion? Mystifying.
Mario Balotelli has serious difficulties with the mental side of the game. Watching today both his exceptional talents and his debilitating attitude were on full display. He is capricious and childish and not lazy but has a certain "over it" streak in him that stand between him and being a superstar. All the physical tools are there, and I hope he and Inter are able to put it together.
Rodrigo Palacio is one of those guys people will look back on twenty years from now and think he missed out on being a legend by a chance. Watching him today as a slightly above average attack player on a mid table or maybe a bit better team in Serie A it was strange to recall how dominant of a force he was in the middle part of the 00's with Boca Juniors. He turned down deals to some of the bigger clubs in Europe and when he finally made the jump (for considerably less money than he'd been offered) injury and age made him less than he should have been. I'm not a Boca fan but it is kind of sad.
AC Milan vs Roma was also a nil draw so nothing really changes. Take one more game off the schedule, that much closer to winning the league. What does it say about Italian football when the top three teams in the league combine for zero goals? That it is still Italy.
Milito was clearly fouled in the box early in the second half. From the ref's angle I think it was a hard call to make, but it should have been a penalty.
Lucio and Zanetti are awesome.
Ricardo Quaresma still sucks. How can you be that bad for that long at that many clubs and still get trotted out to play elite football on occasion? Mystifying.
Mario Balotelli has serious difficulties with the mental side of the game. Watching today both his exceptional talents and his debilitating attitude were on full display. He is capricious and childish and not lazy but has a certain "over it" streak in him that stand between him and being a superstar. All the physical tools are there, and I hope he and Inter are able to put it together.
Rodrigo Palacio is one of those guys people will look back on twenty years from now and think he missed out on being a legend by a chance. Watching him today as a slightly above average attack player on a mid table or maybe a bit better team in Serie A it was strange to recall how dominant of a force he was in the middle part of the 00's with Boca Juniors. He turned down deals to some of the bigger clubs in Europe and when he finally made the jump (for considerably less money than he'd been offered) injury and age made him less than he should have been. I'm not a Boca fan but it is kind of sad.
AC Milan vs Roma was also a nil draw so nothing really changes. Take one more game off the schedule, that much closer to winning the league. What does it say about Italian football when the top three teams in the league combine for zero goals? That it is still Italy.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Dudes!!!!
Yo!!!! The World Cup is like less than 100 days away and stuff!!! Bam! Woo! Smash!
So much snow in New York I almost forgot! Whoa.....
So yesterday and today a bunch of WC teams played friendlies. For some the final tune up before they name their squad. Some interesting stuff but it is important not to read too much into it. I just felt like posting because hearing/reading the words "last friendly before heading to South Africa" made me pop a six foot boner for charity.
Brazil vs Ireland
I can't imagine Dunga is serious about excluding Ronaldinho AND Pato but plans on bringing Adriano to the WC. I think at least Pato makes the squad and if his options are healthy Adriano stays in Brazil. Robinho has a real problem grasping the concept of offside vs onside. I was kind of hoping for Ireland to grab a win hear and maybe attenuate the sting of being robbed of a spot this summer. That and I absolutely loathe Brazil.
England vs Egypt
Kind of embarrassing to go into the break a goal down to a team that didn't even make the dance, but a 3-1 win is enough. Don Fabio seems to be the meticulous kind of manager that has purpose in everything he does and I suspect many guys played for their spot on the team today. To me James Milner is one of the most underrated players in the Prem and definitely deserves a starting spot on the national team if they are going with 4 midfielders, which appears to be case. Surprised he didn't start. Cartlon Cole is a very dangerous player that maybe doesn't get his due because he is at West Ham. Given the strike corps drops pretty hard after Rooney and DeFoe I can see Cole getting some minutes in South Africa.
Argentina vs Germany
I know it is a one goal win. I know it is a friendly. I know there are gargantuan problems standing between Argentina and the World Cup. So I am just going to enjoy this. Always a classic match up and the pieces I got to see were hard fought and fairly entertaining. Di Maria looked lethal. Much of the team has sorted itself out but the backline continues to be undefined. Demichelis' injury shouldn't keep him from SA. Along with Heinze I think he is a lock. But who else? There are at least 3 guys who could start at right back (Zanetti, Zabaleta, Papa) and a whole raft of center-halfs. Heinze could even play there and have Insua slide in at left back. I think today cemented Higuain as the 9 for the tournament.
France vs Spain
Spain are an absolute machine. France's problems off the field are well known but they are still a quality side. If someone, anyone, else were in charge the talent in this group would be enough to have them considered in an elite group of favorites. And they were beaten soundly at home by their neighbors. Right now I see Spain as the best team going into the tournament by a sizable margin. The only concern I have regarding Spain is exhaustion. They have played international tournaments the last two summers with essentially the same squad and almost all their players are at elite clubs that go deep into multiple competitions. In addition four of their key players (Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, and Xavi) are staples in the Barcelona lineup and have been subjected to an almost superhuman fixture list. If Spain reaches the final in July Xavi will have played competitive football for 22 of the previous 24 months at the highest possible level.
Holland vs USA
I don't think there is much to take from this. A 2-1 loss in the Netherlands is neither discouraging nor surprising. Stuart Holden got hurt and that is bad. We more or less know who is in the squad and where it is weak and strong. A spot in the final 16 is very doable and hard work and focus should get the Americans there.
Switzerland vs Uruguay
The Swiss went up 1-0 at home and then got run off the park. A 3-1 win in the Alps might be a big boost for Uruguay, a squad I think will surprise a lot of people next summer. You can say what you want about qualifying groups but the Swiss have been in two consecutive WC's. Uruguay are not terribly deep in many areas but they are gritty and tough and have skill in their strikers that is equalled by very, very, very few national teams. If they are able to keep themselves on the park I think they are going through as the second team in group A.
So much snow in New York I almost forgot! Whoa.....
So yesterday and today a bunch of WC teams played friendlies. For some the final tune up before they name their squad. Some interesting stuff but it is important not to read too much into it. I just felt like posting because hearing/reading the words "last friendly before heading to South Africa" made me pop a six foot boner for charity.
Brazil vs Ireland
I can't imagine Dunga is serious about excluding Ronaldinho AND Pato but plans on bringing Adriano to the WC. I think at least Pato makes the squad and if his options are healthy Adriano stays in Brazil. Robinho has a real problem grasping the concept of offside vs onside. I was kind of hoping for Ireland to grab a win hear and maybe attenuate the sting of being robbed of a spot this summer. That and I absolutely loathe Brazil.
England vs Egypt
Kind of embarrassing to go into the break a goal down to a team that didn't even make the dance, but a 3-1 win is enough. Don Fabio seems to be the meticulous kind of manager that has purpose in everything he does and I suspect many guys played for their spot on the team today. To me James Milner is one of the most underrated players in the Prem and definitely deserves a starting spot on the national team if they are going with 4 midfielders, which appears to be case. Surprised he didn't start. Cartlon Cole is a very dangerous player that maybe doesn't get his due because he is at West Ham. Given the strike corps drops pretty hard after Rooney and DeFoe I can see Cole getting some minutes in South Africa.
Argentina vs Germany
I know it is a one goal win. I know it is a friendly. I know there are gargantuan problems standing between Argentina and the World Cup. So I am just going to enjoy this. Always a classic match up and the pieces I got to see were hard fought and fairly entertaining. Di Maria looked lethal. Much of the team has sorted itself out but the backline continues to be undefined. Demichelis' injury shouldn't keep him from SA. Along with Heinze I think he is a lock. But who else? There are at least 3 guys who could start at right back (Zanetti, Zabaleta, Papa) and a whole raft of center-halfs. Heinze could even play there and have Insua slide in at left back. I think today cemented Higuain as the 9 for the tournament.
France vs Spain
Spain are an absolute machine. France's problems off the field are well known but they are still a quality side. If someone, anyone, else were in charge the talent in this group would be enough to have them considered in an elite group of favorites. And they were beaten soundly at home by their neighbors. Right now I see Spain as the best team going into the tournament by a sizable margin. The only concern I have regarding Spain is exhaustion. They have played international tournaments the last two summers with essentially the same squad and almost all their players are at elite clubs that go deep into multiple competitions. In addition four of their key players (Andres Iniesta, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, and Xavi) are staples in the Barcelona lineup and have been subjected to an almost superhuman fixture list. If Spain reaches the final in July Xavi will have played competitive football for 22 of the previous 24 months at the highest possible level.
Holland vs USA
I don't think there is much to take from this. A 2-1 loss in the Netherlands is neither discouraging nor surprising. Stuart Holden got hurt and that is bad. We more or less know who is in the squad and where it is weak and strong. A spot in the final 16 is very doable and hard work and focus should get the Americans there.
Switzerland vs Uruguay
The Swiss went up 1-0 at home and then got run off the park. A 3-1 win in the Alps might be a big boost for Uruguay, a squad I think will surprise a lot of people next summer. You can say what you want about qualifying groups but the Swiss have been in two consecutive WC's. Uruguay are not terribly deep in many areas but they are gritty and tough and have skill in their strikers that is equalled by very, very, very few national teams. If they are able to keep themselves on the park I think they are going through as the second team in group A.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
The Unsurprising Upset
Snow got me out of work early and also gave me an opportunity to catch some Champs League without making pretend I had something to do. I caught almost the whole second half of Lyon-Madrid and I have to say it was worth it. Real's troubles in France are well documented and in the lead up to the match the Spanish press seemed confident this time would be different. But it was not. I did not see the first half but Lyon were clearly in control in the second. They had a game plan and held to it rigidly. They made it very difficult for Real Madrid to move the ball up the field on the ground and as a result they began using searching/hoping longer passes that were gobbled up by the backline. Positionally Lyon were very sound. Madrid did get forward on some occasions but there was very little real danger. Kaka especially seemed to be devoid of ideas with the ball at his feet and 25 yards or less from goal. The Lyon counter attack was superb knowing when to commit men forward and when to put on the breaks and wait, sucking Madrid's attacking players back down the field. Of the Madrid players the only one I thought looked really good (in attack at least, the defense was not too bad, the one goal aside) was Benzema. At times Granero had some good touches but he disappeared for stretches of the game.
What to expect in the return leg? I don't know. Lyon didn't fluke into this win and they can very realistically get a result. That said Madrid will have a lot to play for and are absolutely capable of erasing the minimal deficit. I would note Roma and Liverpool have gotten results at the Bernabeu at this stage of the competition the last two years, and neither were elite teams. They both crashed out in the following round.
In the other Tuesday game United got a 3-2 win at the San Siro which is not really a surprise. United are not the team they were when they came with in a game of doing the double back to back, but it is clear that United minus Tevez and Ronaldo is still better than Milan minus Kaka.
What to expect in the return leg? I don't know. Lyon didn't fluke into this win and they can very realistically get a result. That said Madrid will have a lot to play for and are absolutely capable of erasing the minimal deficit. I would note Roma and Liverpool have gotten results at the Bernabeu at this stage of the competition the last two years, and neither were elite teams. They both crashed out in the following round.
In the other Tuesday game United got a 3-2 win at the San Siro which is not really a surprise. United are not the team they were when they came with in a game of doing the double back to back, but it is clear that United minus Tevez and Ronaldo is still better than Milan minus Kaka.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Barcelona Win Again
For the last few weeks the jealousy and frustration and general how can this be happening of the Real Madrid universe has manifested itself in anti-Barcelona campaign. When The Greasy One was given a two match ban for breaking an opponents nose via elbow his teammates and and people from Real Madrid's staff went insane, demanding (in Jorge Valdano's words) that the disciplinary committee take into account whether or not the player being sanctioned plays attractive football before issuing a ban. Sergio Ramos and others were indignant at the ban because and noted that Lionel Messi, Barcelona's star and the best player in the world, once elbowed someone too. I am not making this up. As almost an asterisk or after thought the Real partisans admitted he didn't do damage to the other player. That is the one small difference between the two incidents. Which is kind of like saying if two people get drunk in a bar and one drives home while the other walks a DUI is unfair because they were both drunk.
The other strand of Barcelona hating is an insistence that Spanish referees are bent on pushing them over the top. This campaign has gained a lot of steam in the pro-Real Madrid media, particularly the paper/webiste As. (I actually like a lot of what As does, but their bias on this is annoying). When a quick free kick pass to Pedro resulted in the go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal against Sporting, there was an uproar about offside. To be fair it was a close call, but replay showed it was at best a tie and Pedro was probably onside. He was also more than 50 yards from goal at the time. As ran a still image showing him ahead of the Sporting defenders by about half a yard. What the supposed proof of favoritism ignored was that the ball was already in the air. This is campaign is particularly irritating considering it is in support of Real Madrid, a club so morally corrupt it hired a retired official as a liaison to referees and didn't even hide it.
So all this leads me to say I was very pleased watching Barcelona's 2-0 win today over Getafe and am a little curious how the Madridista outlets will play it. Barcelona's squad was missing several key players like Carles Puyol and Dani Alves and played Iniesta up front initially instead of in midfield. They deservedly went down a man in the 25th when Pique was sent off, making them play on 10 men for over an hour. Marquez was also sent off in a play that resulted in a Getafe spot-shot and their only goal. Barcelona dominated the match start to finish and if Keita was a little less erratic it would have been 4-0. Truly masterful, but more important the calls went against Barcelona and they did not blink. I am curious how this game will play in the capital.
The other strand of Barcelona hating is an insistence that Spanish referees are bent on pushing them over the top. This campaign has gained a lot of steam in the pro-Real Madrid media, particularly the paper/webiste As. (I actually like a lot of what As does, but their bias on this is annoying). When a quick free kick pass to Pedro resulted in the go-ahead and eventual game-winning goal against Sporting, there was an uproar about offside. To be fair it was a close call, but replay showed it was at best a tie and Pedro was probably onside. He was also more than 50 yards from goal at the time. As ran a still image showing him ahead of the Sporting defenders by about half a yard. What the supposed proof of favoritism ignored was that the ball was already in the air. This is campaign is particularly irritating considering it is in support of Real Madrid, a club so morally corrupt it hired a retired official as a liaison to referees and didn't even hide it.
So all this leads me to say I was very pleased watching Barcelona's 2-0 win today over Getafe and am a little curious how the Madridista outlets will play it. Barcelona's squad was missing several key players like Carles Puyol and Dani Alves and played Iniesta up front initially instead of in midfield. They deservedly went down a man in the 25th when Pique was sent off, making them play on 10 men for over an hour. Marquez was also sent off in a play that resulted in a Getafe spot-shot and their only goal. Barcelona dominated the match start to finish and if Keita was a little less erratic it would have been 4-0. Truly masterful, but more important the calls went against Barcelona and they did not blink. I am curious how this game will play in the capital.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
FIFA Rankings are Absurd Ex. # 1,000,000,000
FIFA released their latest national team rankings. At the very top it is about right for the most part and a case can be made for the teams in the single digits. And then... Egypt is supposedly the tenth best national team in the world. Okay. Yes I know they just won the third rate ACoN again but seriously, who cares? This is a team that failed to qualify for the upcoming world cup (and the last one, and the one before that, and the one before that, etc) playing in a region that has never sent a squad as far as a world cup semi-final. Can anyone name an Egyptian player that has an impact role on a team that will legitimately challenge for a title in Spain, England, or Italy this year? Or the Champion's League?
Monday, February 1, 2010
As The Window Shuts
An interesting flurry of moves as the January window came to a close. Here are some thoughts on the bigger ones:
Mancini to AC Milan- Good riddance. I know it is a loan but I hope they keep him. What does it say about a player when his club thinks about including him in a swap with their most hated rivals who are also currently directly behind them in the title chase? And more importantly what does it say about that player when the other team decline the swap and they say "eh, whatever, take him anyway"? Mancini was never a good fit at Inter and they don't need him. It would have been nice to get Ledesma but all in all this squad is in good shape.
Robbie Keane to Celtic- I was kind of surprised at this one. I know he hasn't been getting too many minutes but I just didn't see him leaving, and especially not to the SPL. Not yet anyway. Keane is a very good player and in the watered down competition in Scotland he will tear it up. Despite his flops at Inter and Liverpool I kind of have a soft spot for Keane. I hope he does well. As he moves to Celtic Scot McDonald is leaving the club for Middlesborough, underscoring the difference in class between the two leagues.
Mariano Pavone to Catania- I am surprised he stayed in Spain as long as he did. Pavone never got settled there and a few times I assumed he had moved elsewhere. The reason I think this is interesting is because he joins Maxi Lopez on what I have read is the most South American heavy side in the history of Serie A. I am not sure if that is true but it has to be pretty close.
Fulham- I think the addition of Okaka will give them some more depth up front and Nicky Shorey will do the same in the back. Good moves both. Fulham are a team that I think were beginning to slip from the middle of the table but with these moves they should be able to hold their ground.
Man City- Adam Johnson is a nice addition but I get the feeling he is going to be one more in an already bloated squad. Maybe he gets significant minutes, but I think not. On another front I think City won by losing. Their deal with Madrid for Fernando Gago collapsed at the last minute and I suspect they are better of for it. Gago is a very good player but Manchester City is not the team and the Prem is not the league for him. His game is ill suited for England and Gareth Barry has an iron clamp on Gago's best position.
Mancini to AC Milan- Good riddance. I know it is a loan but I hope they keep him. What does it say about a player when his club thinks about including him in a swap with their most hated rivals who are also currently directly behind them in the title chase? And more importantly what does it say about that player when the other team decline the swap and they say "eh, whatever, take him anyway"? Mancini was never a good fit at Inter and they don't need him. It would have been nice to get Ledesma but all in all this squad is in good shape.
Robbie Keane to Celtic- I was kind of surprised at this one. I know he hasn't been getting too many minutes but I just didn't see him leaving, and especially not to the SPL. Not yet anyway. Keane is a very good player and in the watered down competition in Scotland he will tear it up. Despite his flops at Inter and Liverpool I kind of have a soft spot for Keane. I hope he does well. As he moves to Celtic Scot McDonald is leaving the club for Middlesborough, underscoring the difference in class between the two leagues.
Mariano Pavone to Catania- I am surprised he stayed in Spain as long as he did. Pavone never got settled there and a few times I assumed he had moved elsewhere. The reason I think this is interesting is because he joins Maxi Lopez on what I have read is the most South American heavy side in the history of Serie A. I am not sure if that is true but it has to be pretty close.
Fulham- I think the addition of Okaka will give them some more depth up front and Nicky Shorey will do the same in the back. Good moves both. Fulham are a team that I think were beginning to slip from the middle of the table but with these moves they should be able to hold their ground.
Man City- Adam Johnson is a nice addition but I get the feeling he is going to be one more in an already bloated squad. Maybe he gets significant minutes, but I think not. On another front I think City won by losing. Their deal with Madrid for Fernando Gago collapsed at the last minute and I suspect they are better of for it. Gago is a very good player but Manchester City is not the team and the Prem is not the league for him. His game is ill suited for England and Gareth Barry has an iron clamp on Gago's best position.
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