A couple things while I fact check a story by M. Scott Templeton...
* Arsenal sets five-point gap on Machester United -- Is five points an insurmountable gap? On the surface, no. With a mere 12, count 'em 12 games left on the fixture list, maybe.
Looking at the schedule, assuming no major injuries, the only rough patch for the Gunners left inside the league is a brutal four-week stretch beginning March 22 at Chelsea, followed by at Bolton (meh), home to Liverpool and at Manchester United April 12. In between (April, 1/2, 8/9 are the Champions League quarterfinals.)
This might be over-simplyfing things but here are the Gunners other games: at Birmingham; v. Aston Villa; at Wigan; v. Middlesbrough; v. Reading; at Derby; v. Everton and finally at Sunderland. That's 24 points at stake, how many with Arsene's men drop from that? Maybe four, ie. draws with Villa and Everton.
The one thing you can't factor with math or on paper is pressure. Now that Arsenal are the leaders, the pressure shifts atop them. Every 90 minute they're expected to pull out three points. Will a young team be oblivious to it? Or will it wilt under it?
Hell, right now when Phillippe Senderos is scoring goals, it's hard to bet against anything Gooner.
* Everton for fourth -- Toffees will hold off Liverpool and everyone else. David Moyes for P.M.
* African Cup of Nations final -- After pimping this tournament to the upteenth degree, I wrote nary a word on the Egypt's 1-0 win over Cameroon. There are a couple factors, including helping sell a tv and move it to someone else's house (pulling a back muscle in the process). More than that, though, the final was like any football final -- pretty dull.
I undersold the Pharaohs, who were without their talisman -- Ahmed Mido. Guess you can chalk it up to the Greek Euro 2004 team, as in a tight-knit, domestically based squad trumps all-stars.
Or, that the you could use Google Earth and to see the fork sticking out of Rigobert Song's back from space.
View Larger Map
Overall, it was a fun tournament to watch. The most impressive player may have been Egypt No. 1 Essam El-Hadary. It's hard to see a club prying him away from Al-Ahly, especially at 35 years of age. Game-winning goal scorer Mohamed Aboutreika might get some feelers, but he's 29 and might not want to leave his comfort level. You could envision a scenario where a promoted PL club buys him and he's a total flop. The most likely candidates to make big-money moves based off the tournament will probably be younger forwards Amr Zaky and Mohammed Zidan.
Aside from the final, you had to love the passion and fun play generated out of Ghana. Though, to think that an African team will win the 2010 World Cup in South Africa might be pushing it. The Northern African team thrive on discipline and organization, though Egypt had some good playmakers, while the sub-Saharan nations gets by on individual skill and athleticism. The good European or South American team can out-organize the sub-Saharan teams, and out-skill the Northern Teams.
One thing's for sure, the traditional African favorites -- Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and noe Cote D'Ivoire have issues. Ghana needs a reliable forward, Nigeria needs...well, a new Jay-Jay Ochoa, Cameroon can't defend and Cote D'Ivoire needs a little luck.
Then again, what the hell do I know?
Again, great tournament. Hope you saw some of it.
* USMNT finalizes friendly schedule -- March 26 the squad is locked in for a tussle with Poland in Krakow. June 4, somewhere in Spain against, well, Spain. Also, there's a rumored game against Argentina sometime in June in the Northeast (yay!) and a possible game in England against the Three Lions.
I'll say it now, these games shouldn't be used to evaluate players. That was last year. Bob Bradley should field his best XI and try to instill a winning-spirit within the team. Even if it's a friendly, a positive result in Europe is nothing to dismiss...even if an important game in Europe might not come until 2018 at the earliest.
* Barbados goes global -- The possible first opponent for the USMNT on the road to South Africa could be tiny Barbados (fingers crossed, vacation). The island is taking a cue from other small Caribbean islands, trying to pull European players with roots. Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood has been mentioned, but declined. Thank goodness. That would be the ultimate fart-in-the-mouth if a guy like that somehow derailed the USMNT. Maybe they can call Barbados Slim.
* Premier League Abroad -- In all honesty, this story bores me to tears. It's one thing to have a proposed game with Arsenal, Manchester United, etc. playing so-and-so. Is a city like Miami going to go batshit soccer crazy for the likes of Blackburn Rovers playing Sunderland?
Comparing it to the NFL is silly, too. At least the NFL played its London game within the confines of the regular season, and as of yet hasn't added another game on the schedule to accommodate it.
The Premier League's floated idea seems so harried and half-brained. People like us can watch the league on our sets every weekend and if needed, go to the occasional friendly if we want. What's one strange one-off league game going to do?
Now, if MLS and these other leagues (J-League, A-League, etc.) could come up with some sort of cross-over tournament with the Premier League, it's a different story.
* AP, up to its old tricks -- Read this column by the Associated Press' Nancy Armour, who fancies herself an expert on soccer. Of course, I bemoan the AP's ignoring the sport, so I shouldn't complain and it's doubtful too many sport sections picked up on this drivel, which it is.
Naturally, anyone with a brain can see how inane the MLS scheduling is. That's one point Armour hits. It's good the mainstream has picked up on this. Everything else? Well...
First off, if you paid attention David Beckham is clearly not in Fabio Capello's England plans, so that kills her biggest argument. Similarly, comparing soccer players missing games to baseball players is silly since most other American pro sports have zero regard for international and or concurrent competitions. It's apples to oranges and another case how MLS cannot be so narrow-minded to base it's operational practices to North American pro leagues, instead of the world.
Also, there's little mention or teeth-gnashing that guys like Jozy Altidore could miss three or four weeks at the Olympic soccer tournament in Beijing in August.
The club vs. country debate is eternal, MLS or not.
Thanks for trying Nancy. (It's not the English Premier League, offically any more.)
* One final 'The Wire' thought posed to me by Suppe. Could Omar or Chris Partlow have ever had military training? Omar, no shot. Partlow? Based on his 'country-ass' clothes (Member's only epaulets, no less!). Just another mystery, like how Omar survied the fall and then later acquired another shotgun so quickly. Does he have a weapons cache hidden around all neighborhoods of Baltimore?
* One week until the Champions League re-kicks off. About damn time.
Adios.
* Arsenal sets five-point gap on Machester United -- Is five points an insurmountable gap? On the surface, no. With a mere 12, count 'em 12 games left on the fixture list, maybe.
Looking at the schedule, assuming no major injuries, the only rough patch for the Gunners left inside the league is a brutal four-week stretch beginning March 22 at Chelsea, followed by at Bolton (meh), home to Liverpool and at Manchester United April 12. In between (April, 1/2, 8/9 are the Champions League quarterfinals.)
This might be over-simplyfing things but here are the Gunners other games: at Birmingham; v. Aston Villa; at Wigan; v. Middlesbrough; v. Reading; at Derby; v. Everton and finally at Sunderland. That's 24 points at stake, how many with Arsene's men drop from that? Maybe four, ie. draws with Villa and Everton.
The one thing you can't factor with math or on paper is pressure. Now that Arsenal are the leaders, the pressure shifts atop them. Every 90 minute they're expected to pull out three points. Will a young team be oblivious to it? Or will it wilt under it?
Hell, right now when Phillippe Senderos is scoring goals, it's hard to bet against anything Gooner.
* Everton for fourth -- Toffees will hold off Liverpool and everyone else. David Moyes for P.M.
* African Cup of Nations final -- After pimping this tournament to the upteenth degree, I wrote nary a word on the Egypt's 1-0 win over Cameroon. There are a couple factors, including helping sell a tv and move it to someone else's house (pulling a back muscle in the process). More than that, though, the final was like any football final -- pretty dull.
I undersold the Pharaohs, who were without their talisman -- Ahmed Mido. Guess you can chalk it up to the Greek Euro 2004 team, as in a tight-knit, domestically based squad trumps all-stars.
Or, that the you could use Google Earth and to see the fork sticking out of Rigobert Song's back from space.
View Larger Map
Overall, it was a fun tournament to watch. The most impressive player may have been Egypt No. 1 Essam El-Hadary. It's hard to see a club prying him away from Al-Ahly, especially at 35 years of age. Game-winning goal scorer Mohamed Aboutreika might get some feelers, but he's 29 and might not want to leave his comfort level. You could envision a scenario where a promoted PL club buys him and he's a total flop. The most likely candidates to make big-money moves based off the tournament will probably be younger forwards Amr Zaky and Mohammed Zidan.
Aside from the final, you had to love the passion and fun play generated out of Ghana. Though, to think that an African team will win the 2010 World Cup in South Africa might be pushing it. The Northern African team thrive on discipline and organization, though Egypt had some good playmakers, while the sub-Saharan nations gets by on individual skill and athleticism. The good European or South American team can out-organize the sub-Saharan teams, and out-skill the Northern Teams.
One thing's for sure, the traditional African favorites -- Ghana, Nigeria, Cameroon and noe Cote D'Ivoire have issues. Ghana needs a reliable forward, Nigeria needs...well, a new Jay-Jay Ochoa, Cameroon can't defend and Cote D'Ivoire needs a little luck.
Then again, what the hell do I know?
Again, great tournament. Hope you saw some of it.
* USMNT finalizes friendly schedule -- March 26 the squad is locked in for a tussle with Poland in Krakow. June 4, somewhere in Spain against, well, Spain. Also, there's a rumored game against Argentina sometime in June in the Northeast (yay!) and a possible game in England against the Three Lions.
I'll say it now, these games shouldn't be used to evaluate players. That was last year. Bob Bradley should field his best XI and try to instill a winning-spirit within the team. Even if it's a friendly, a positive result in Europe is nothing to dismiss...even if an important game in Europe might not come until 2018 at the earliest.
* Barbados goes global -- The possible first opponent for the USMNT on the road to South Africa could be tiny Barbados (fingers crossed, vacation). The island is taking a cue from other small Caribbean islands, trying to pull European players with roots. Aston Villa striker Marlon Harewood has been mentioned, but declined. Thank goodness. That would be the ultimate fart-in-the-mouth if a guy like that somehow derailed the USMNT. Maybe they can call Barbados Slim.
* Premier League Abroad -- In all honesty, this story bores me to tears. It's one thing to have a proposed game with Arsenal, Manchester United, etc. playing so-and-so. Is a city like Miami going to go batshit soccer crazy for the likes of Blackburn Rovers playing Sunderland?
Comparing it to the NFL is silly, too. At least the NFL played its London game within the confines of the regular season, and as of yet hasn't added another game on the schedule to accommodate it.
The Premier League's floated idea seems so harried and half-brained. People like us can watch the league on our sets every weekend and if needed, go to the occasional friendly if we want. What's one strange one-off league game going to do?
Now, if MLS and these other leagues (J-League, A-League, etc.) could come up with some sort of cross-over tournament with the Premier League, it's a different story.
* AP, up to its old tricks -- Read this column by the Associated Press' Nancy Armour, who fancies herself an expert on soccer. Of course, I bemoan the AP's ignoring the sport, so I shouldn't complain and it's doubtful too many sport sections picked up on this drivel, which it is.
Naturally, anyone with a brain can see how inane the MLS scheduling is. That's one point Armour hits. It's good the mainstream has picked up on this. Everything else? Well...
First off, if you paid attention David Beckham is clearly not in Fabio Capello's England plans, so that kills her biggest argument. Similarly, comparing soccer players missing games to baseball players is silly since most other American pro sports have zero regard for international and or concurrent competitions. It's apples to oranges and another case how MLS cannot be so narrow-minded to base it's operational practices to North American pro leagues, instead of the world.
Also, there's little mention or teeth-gnashing that guys like Jozy Altidore could miss three or four weeks at the Olympic soccer tournament in Beijing in August.
The club vs. country debate is eternal, MLS or not.
Thanks for trying Nancy. (It's not the English Premier League, offically any more.)
* One final 'The Wire' thought posed to me by Suppe. Could Omar or Chris Partlow have ever had military training? Omar, no shot. Partlow? Based on his 'country-ass' clothes (Member's only epaulets, no less!). Just another mystery, like how Omar survied the fall and then later acquired another shotgun so quickly. Does he have a weapons cache hidden around all neighborhoods of Baltimore?
* One week until the Champions League re-kicks off. About damn time.
Adios.
Labels: African Cup of Nations, Arsenal, Soccer, The Wire, whatnot
Anyone catch Scott Van Pelt's attempt at pronouncing Senderos' name on SC last night? There's only ONE Felipe Sen-DEHR-ose!
Everton? Bah. Moyes and his resemblance to Gareth's friend The Oggmonster can eat me.
concerning the EPL/BPL abroad....
i haven't heard anybody else really mention this -- even the guardian journos sounded the "this is inevitable/sky is falling" horn -- but it sounds to me like this is public relations management 101. lets say you want to stage a couple select matches or a even mini-tournament overseas, but the you think the fans would give you a rough ride over it -- look how much crap lord ferg took for that one-off joyride to riyadh the other week. so what do you do? you send out some batshit crazy, outlandish press release talking about adding a complete 39th overseas round to the season, seeding, etc, etc, that completely surpases the scope of your actual plan by miles. of course the fans and press predictably go nuts. but now they're all perfectly willing to accept a smaller-scale but still monetarily worthwhile plan -- namely, whatever your real true aim happens to be, which you can now bring into being as a faux "compromise" solution with minimal fuss.
my favorite piece of evidence so far? the headline on today's f365 mailbox: "play abroad if you must fellas, just don't bloody play for points". game, set, match to scudamore.
The analog to the whole "39th game" scenario is the NFL move into Europe.
1) Float the trial balloon.
2) Play some exhibitions/friendlies.
3) Schedule a regular season game overseas.
The Giants SCREAMED about the disruption of having to play Miami at Wembley during the regular season this year.
And we all know how that worked out for them.
Thus the "anti-39" movement can be shot down in about 3 minutes.