What a Beauty!
Sunday, April 15, 2012
Quarterfinals of the
Champions league
These
past two weeks of the UEFA champions league have been filled with excitement,
heart brokenness and controversy. The first leg of the quarterfinals ended up
leaving Real Madrid and Bayern Munich with cushy aggregate goal advantage
leaving their opponents, Apoel and FC Marseille, at a big disadvantage. It took
Real Madrid about 20 minutes into the 2nd half before Benzema was
finally able to put away one of the many chances he had. This goal ignited a
spark in fellow teammates as their seemingly disappointing performance against
the underdogs APOEL, turned into a slaughter. Real Madrid was then quickly able
to convert a goal from substitute Ricardo Kaka and another from Karim Benzema.
APOEL who were the first team from their country, Cyprus, to make it this far
in the competition were left heart broken when the final whistle blew. This result
was not much different for Marseille who were paired against Bayern Munich.
Bayern’s superior offensive side ended up crushing Marseille’s defense leaving
the French team with a 2-0 disadvantage heading into the second leg. Chelsea was also able to secure a 1-0 victory
against Benfica in Portugal. This was a big deal for Chelsea fans as that away
goal gave them a newfound hope for their team’s progression in the knockout
stages; the reason why the away goals are so big is that in case of a draw, the
away goals are the deciding factor between progressing to the next round or
elimination. However, fan favorite Barcelona was unable to defeat AC Milan.
Between the combination of a controversial pitch and defiant Italian side, the
current champions were held at bay with 0-0 scoreline.
The second leg was not much different than the first. Real
Madrid, Bayern Munich and Chelsea were all able to hold onto their aggregate
advantages and secure a spot in the semi-finals leaving heartbroken Marseille,
APOEL and Benfica fans with nothing other than hope for next year’s
competition. The only thing that changed was the Barcelona VS. AC Milan game.
Plagued with controversy and anger, the Italian side was defeated 3-1 in Spain.
As I mentioned earlier, this year’s quarterfinals were filled
with controversy. First, Benfica was in an uproar over their 1-0 defeat at home
because of some bad calls. Not only did the referee fail to give the home side
a penalty kick over a handball, he also handed out numerous yellow cards which
left Benfica’s defense in a sad state as both their captain and central
defenders were deemed ineligible for the second leg at Stamford Bridge.
Benfica’s luck was not changed as midfielder Maxi Pereira was controversially
sent off for a second yellow card in England. Because of this extremely
controversial call, the Portuguese side has decided to claim numerous
complaints against the Skomina, the referee of the games. The AC Milan vs. Barcelona was not much
different. After handing out two penalties and eight yellow cards, the Italian
side was left livid with a 3-1 defeat in Spain. It was quite clear that Bjorn
Kuipers favored, and some believe gave the game, to the defending Champions.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
The
State of the Brazil International Soccer Team
Brazil has been
and continues to be the country with the greatest soccer history of all time,
and their current squad’s potential is certainly one of the biggest in the
entire world. However lately, Brazil has been little more than an overhyped
disappointment in the eyes of many of the fans of the side. With so many good
soccer squads on the international level nowadays, a team certainly can’t win
them all. But much like the Los Angeles Lakers of basketball or the New York
Yankees of baseball, every game, tournament, and trophy not won is a major
letdown for the country of Brazil.
Current manager
Mano Menezes has almost completely refreshed the side after disappointments in
the World Cup and in World Cup Qualifying, attributed to the stubborn, strict
managing style of former director Dunga. Former members of the team who
contributed a lot but were dismissed from the side for off the field issues,
most notably Ronaldinho and Robinho, have made their return. It is interesting
to note that the squad is now dominated by new, young and fresh talent, which
brings a huge level of excitement to the prospect of the 2014 World Cup, set to
be held in Brazil itself.
Captain Thiago
Silva, David Luiz, and Marcelo are three young guns looking to help legend
Maicon on the defensive line. These new players replace those who seemed to be
irreplaceable in the recent past, including former captain Lucio, Juan, and
Gilberto. Former defender and Barcelona star Dani Alves has now made his way to
the midfield to aid Ronaldinho and Robinho in trying to replace the production
of former standouts Kakà and Elano. The strikers now include the likes of
prodigy Neymar Jr., Ramires, Hulk, and Adriano, who make up for the loss of a
great striker in Ronaldo.
Overall,
Brazil’s people have a lot to be excited over when it comes to the new look of
their soccer team. It seems that the squad has really found their niche after a
horrific performance at the Copa America 2011. The team, currently ranked #5 in
the world by FIFA, looks to climb the ladder all the way to World Cup gold in
2014.
Related Links
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Chelsea’s
Efforts to Bring Back the Quality of the Team
With Saturday’s performance against Tottenham at
Stamford Bridge ending in a goalless draw, many blues now think that the only
route to entrance to the next season of the UEFA Champions League might be by
winning this competition. The blues currently sit in fifth place in the
Barclays Premier League, with 5 points away from the top four. Their goal is to
place fourth by the end of the season, as reaching second or first is
practically impossible at this point. There are 8 games left in the season in
which they will try to show that Chelsea is not a weak team regardless of the
team’s not so good results during the past few months.
After the sacking of the former Porto manager Andre
Villas-Boas due to the squad’s poor performances domestically and
internationally, former Chelsea midfielder Roberto Di Matteo was temporarily
put in charge for the rest of the season. Since Di Matteo was put in charge the
blues have clearly stepped up their game with some high quality performances
both domestically and internationally. Di Matteo’s first game was against Birmingham
City in the FA cup after Chelsea got a second chance in this competition after
dramatically having tied 1-1 at Stamford Bridge under Villas-Boas’ management;
the game was a victory of two goals to nothing for the blues allowing them to
advance to the quarter finals of the FA cup. They scored another victory in
their next game, this time in the BPL against Stoke City, the score being 1-0.
In a poor season for English clubs
in Europe, they are the sole survivors. After losing 3-1 against a highly
motivated Napoli with a very strong attacking side, the blues needed a miracle
at the Bridge to overcome the two goal difference between both squads in order
to stay alive in the UCL and advance to the quarter finals. After a 120 minute
game full of excitement Chelsea proved themselves to be quarter finals worthy
after defeating Napoli 4-1. This game did not only show the team’s capability
of success but it raised the team’s previously lost confidence.
Chelsea’s great performance against
Leicester City ensured a spot for the blues in the FA cup semi finals. This
game was very important for long lost Fernando Torres, for he scored two and
gave two assists for goals, proving that he might be “back in form”. Torres has
unarguably been of great attribution to the blues for he has very good touch
and has contributed with many goals for the team due to his passing skills. The
only thing that he and everyone are aware of is that he needs to go back to
scoring more goals for the team. Torres expects to give some great performances
in the upcoming games as his part of helping the team come back up the BPL
table.
Di
matteo’s perfect 4-0-0 record was broken against Manchester City after a
controversial 2-1 loss. Regardless of this and Tottenham’s games, the blues are
very confident that they will be able to get a victory out of today’s game
against Benfica in the quarter finals of the CL. They want to take the lead by
scoring first and then being able to hold onto the victory in order for them to
have an advantage for next Wednesday’s second leg of the round at the Bridge. Di
Matteo and the squad believe in the team and its capabilities and are willing
to give out their everything today in order to achieve a win. It is important
for the team and everyone involved with it that there is a very fine line
between success and failure. Will Chelsea FC come out to be successful and
achieve their goals on what is remaining from the current season? Only time
could tell.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Thoughts on Arsenal
This is
a follow up to the blog I posted about Arsenal earlier this month. First, I
want to say that I am absolutely astonished. Although they were unsuccessful in
their endeavors to continue their run in the champions league, they went down
fighting. Coming into the Emirates Stadium for the second leg against AC Milan,
Arsenal had all odds stacked against them. However, from the moment the whistle
blew to start the game, it was clear that Arsenal was here to achieve what some
were saying would be, “the dream comeback.” Between Koscielny, Rosicky and Van
Persie, Arsenal was ahead 3-0 in the first 45 minutes. Unfortunately, shortly
after the second half began, Van Persie missed a point blank shot. That miss
would prove to be a deciding moment as Arsenal was unable to snatch one more
goal.
Even though they were unable to win
on aggregate goals, their performance was simply stunning and they deserved to
go onto the quarterfinals. But that spirit they had against Milan has continued
into the Premier League. Since their win over Milan, Arsenal has put on several
excellent displays, which has resulted in them overcoming Tottenham for third
place and ahead of them by three points. They also are ahead of a rejuvenated
Chelsea side by eight points. At this pace, Arsenal will definitely qualify for
the Champions league next year and may even overcome a struggling Manshester
City side for second place.
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
The State of the Netherlands International Soccer Team
The year 2011 was extremely good to the Dutch National Team, although their great accomplishments are certainly overshadowed to an extent by the heartbreak they experienced in the final of the FIFA World Cup. A 1-0 loss at the last second of extra time to an amazing Spanish side left a sour taste in the mouth of the squad after tearing through the rest of the field, beating Brazil and Uruguay in convincing fashion. The team is definitely on the rise, and can only get better from here.
The focal point of a side loaded with talent is a man many consider to be the premier striker in the entire world: Robin Van Persie. The attack certainly is not dominated by one player, however, as Van Persie is backed up by brilliant attacking minds like Arjen Robben, Wesley Sneijder, and Dirk Kuyt, among others. Sneijder, along with Nigel de Jong, prefer to dominate possession, play slow, and look for creative opportunities between the defense. Every player forward for the Netherlands has an extremely powerful strike, and is dangerous from all kinds of ranges and angles. An improving defense is the x-factor for the success of the offensively potent side.
Playing this style of soccer is certainly a high risk, but the pace has yielded many rewards for the side. Other international sides fear the prospect of having to face the orange because of it. Excitement, passion, and heart are certainly abundant when speaking of the Dutch, and these qualities show in the style of soccer.
Related Links
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Netherlands_national_football_team
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
The State of the Uruguay International Soccer Team
A team’s ability to compete with the best international teams in the world is the benchmark that all squads strive for. Success on the grandest stage of the international level can virtually put a country on the soccer map. This has happened to the small South American country of Uruguay. Awesome, complete performances in the 2010 World Cup and the 2011 Copa America along with signature wins at Italy and at Argentina have placed Uruguay as the number 4 international squad in the entire world.
Led by future legend Diego Forlan, the team is young, experienced, exciting, and strong. Liverpool striker Luis Suarez and Napoli wingman Edinson Cavani combine with Forlan to create one of the most potent attacks in the world. Goal scoring hasn’t been a problem for individuals on the team, but sometimes the structure of the team has put a damper on offense. Attacking for the Uruguayan team has been relatively easy in the 4-3-3 format with the three premier strikers on top, but has been a challenge with only Suarez and Forlan forward in the 4-4-2. While the experience Suarez and Forlan are the two most talented soccer players on the team, the young Cavani is certainly the x-factor to the offense.
Manager Oscar Washington Tabarez leads the team with a defensive oriented style of soccer, preferring to keep all 11 players on his side of the pitch and relying on capitalizing on turnovers with counterattacks to hurt the opponent. Anchoring the defense, which has several good 1-on-1 defenders, is goalie Fernando Nestor Muslera. Considered one of the best international goalies on the planet, Muslera caught the eye of Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson, who ended up favoring the up and coming De Gea to keep the Red’s goal instead of paying a hefty price for Porto’s young superstar.
With a talented attack, a great goalie, a team and coach committed to defense, and a farm system filled with amazing young talent, the small country of Uruguay certainly has the formula to be a great squad for many years to come.
Related Links
Sunday, March 4, 2012
Arsenal’s Horrifying Performance at the San Siro
On February 15th, 2012 Arsenal played AC Milan in the UEFA Champions League (UCL). Needless to say, Arsenal’s performance was very disappointing and ended in a 4-0 loss at the San Siro Stadium in Milan. So what does this mean for the Gunner’s future? Well it means a few different things. The first thing that it means is that Arsenal is most likely out of UCL this year. If they are to remain in the UCL then they must beat Milan by a minimum of four goals when they play at the Emirates Stadium on March 6th. If they win by four goals, then they will force a penalty kick shootout which gives them a 50/50 chance of moving on. But, if they win by five goals, then they automatically qualify for the quarter finals.
The second thing that this loss means, is that the Gunner’s defense is well below average. I understand that they have suffered from numerous injuries, but they need to go out and sign stronger/better defenders. Because of their shaky defense, they have lost 4-0 to a team that, in my opinion, is no better than they are when they are on top of their form. Every goal came from the defensive laziness. Not only did they leave Robinho and Boatang unmarked, but they just stood and watched as they dribbled through the middle and take shots on goal. The last thing that this loss does is put Robin Van Persie in a bad situation with his contract ending next summer. I have no doubt in my mind that Van Persie loves the Emirates. However, he also wants to win; and I do not blame him. Unless Wenger decides to open the check book and start signing some big name players that can help Van Persie out, he will leave. If he does end up leaving, Arsenal will be done for.
Sunday, February 26, 2012
The State of the USA
International Soccer Team
The U.S. National Soccer Team has
been in limbo for quite some time. The biggest news in recent memory for fans
has to be the hire of former German international Jurgen Klinsmann, who has so
far led a talented squad to a 4-4-1 record. While there is no question that
inconsistency has plagued the team, the American public has an extreme amount
of loyalty and excitement for U.S. soccer.
There is absolutely no question
that the team has talent. Led by club soccer stars Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey,
and Landon Donovan, there exists a nice balance between offensive and defensive
potential. Defensive standouts include captain Carlos Bocanegro, Michael
Bradley, and Steve Cherundulo, while premier goal scorers include Jozy
Altidore, Edson Buddle, and Juan Agudelo. Young talent like Brek Shea, Eric
Lichaj, and Clarence Goodson are part of the new generation brought up by
Klinsmann.
The most prominent problem for the
U.S. squad has been scoring, despite the tremendous amount of individual
ability. In 2011, the U.S. scored a mere 15 goals in 17 games, resulting in
many losses to teams that they should have beaten. Part of this lack of scoring
has been attributed to managers Klinsmann and Bob Bradley not making enough of
an effort to find Landon Donovan a proper spot on the pitch. Trying to force an
offensive midfielder to play forward, midfield, and wing has had an effect on
Donovan’s game. Donovan scored only one goal in 2011 in a loss to Mexico in the
Gold Cup Final. Many feel that it is important for the U.S. squad’s attack for
the ball to run through Donovan on every play, due to his experience, ability,
and creativity.
Talent is often lost in soccer when
execution and passion is lacking, and this has been the case for the national
team here in America for a while. However, if Klinsmann can get the team
running on all cylinders, the popular opinion is that the U.S. squad can
compete for a World Cup in 2014.
Related Links
http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/sports/2010/june/History-of-the-US-Mens-Soccer-Team.html
http://soccer.teamusa.org/?cmpid=4&keyword=us%20soccer%20national%20team
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