About that Manchester United/Arsenal game
3 Comments Published by Cardillo on April 29, 2009 at 5:55 PM.
So yeah, this one was pretty straight forward.
Manchester United puts up a respectable, decent 1-0 result against Arsenal at Old Trafford. Deep down neither Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger are likely too thrilled with what played out over the 90 minutes.
United probably would have walked away 2-0 minimum if not for a couple great saves from everyone's favorite ex-pornstar goalkeeper Manuel Almunia. (FYI, same dye as Dunder-Mifflin's Ryan Howard.)
Yet, United are only up a goal -- at least they didn't concede and cheap awaybie (new word, check it out on Urban Dictionary) -- as they head to the Emirates next week.
United will rue that after essentially dominating for about 90 percent of the 90 minutes, they only slipped one goal past a defense featuring a hapless Mikel Silvestre and a greener than the finest kush Kieran Gibbs at left back.
And how does Anderson take not one, but two corner kicks that sail out of bounds without a touch?
It's not much better for Arsenal. Cesc Fabregas looked a little rusty -- playing United is a bit different than Middlesbrough. Emmanuel Adebayor wasn't able to conjure anything out of his magic bag of tricks. Samir Nasri looked a bit lost, too.
The Gunners defense was good, but not lockdown like Chelsea's a day before. Playing for the counter-attack isn't going to work, either. Patrice Evra did a solid job bottling up Theo Walcott and the United center defenders neutered Adebayor enough to the point he had to attempt the audacious. (Perhaps Wenger can mind erase Michel Platini that Andrei Arshavin never played for Zenit St. Petersburg.)
In the end, both sides can take some minor positives from this one and a whole lot more negatives. Wednesday's result leaves it all to play for at the Emirates. Whichever teams makes the better tactical decisions heads to Rome.
Finally, if you happened to have John O'Shea as the lone goal scorer, congrats. Just don't share you winnings with a Nigerian prince.
Manchester United puts up a respectable, decent 1-0 result against Arsenal at Old Trafford. Deep down neither Sir Alex Ferguson or Arsene Wenger are likely too thrilled with what played out over the 90 minutes.
United probably would have walked away 2-0 minimum if not for a couple great saves from everyone's favorite ex-pornstar goalkeeper Manuel Almunia. (FYI, same dye as Dunder-Mifflin's Ryan Howard.)
Yet, United are only up a goal -- at least they didn't concede and cheap awaybie (new word, check it out on Urban Dictionary) -- as they head to the Emirates next week.
United will rue that after essentially dominating for about 90 percent of the 90 minutes, they only slipped one goal past a defense featuring a hapless Mikel Silvestre and a greener than the finest kush Kieran Gibbs at left back.
And how does Anderson take not one, but two corner kicks that sail out of bounds without a touch?
It's not much better for Arsenal. Cesc Fabregas looked a little rusty -- playing United is a bit different than Middlesbrough. Emmanuel Adebayor wasn't able to conjure anything out of his magic bag of tricks. Samir Nasri looked a bit lost, too.
The Gunners defense was good, but not lockdown like Chelsea's a day before. Playing for the counter-attack isn't going to work, either. Patrice Evra did a solid job bottling up Theo Walcott and the United center defenders neutered Adebayor enough to the point he had to attempt the audacious. (Perhaps Wenger can mind erase Michel Platini that Andrei Arshavin never played for Zenit St. Petersburg.)
In the end, both sides can take some minor positives from this one and a whole lot more negatives. Wednesday's result leaves it all to play for at the Emirates. Whichever teams makes the better tactical decisions heads to Rome.
Finally, if you happened to have John O'Shea as the lone goal scorer, congrats. Just don't share you winnings with a Nigerian prince.
Labels: Arsenal, champions league, manchester United, Soccer
Apologies right up front if this post is too-Twittery (ugh, hate that word with a passion).
Time constraints and new paradigms at the job make it nearly impossible to cook up a full, seven coarse meal of a post, but I'll adjust.
Anyways, maybe I'm slowly losing it but reading all the post match stuff from the 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp Tuesday, it's like Chelsea already won by holding Barca off the scoreboard.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the tie still goes to the away goals team, right?
Perhaps this is English-language bias, but aren't Barca in pretty good shape since they didn't allow a goal and now can go to Stamford Bridge and advance to the final with a draw?
And do we all really think that even with Tuesday's nice defensive clinic, Chelsea will hold Barcelona scoreless for another 90 minutes.
You'd think come the trip to London that Pep Guardiola will tell his charges to take their chances, instead of vying for the perfect goal every time? Or maybe he'll tell Samuel Eto'o to look up and pass a ball to an unmarked Thierry Henry inside the box? (Henry's biggest contribution? Getting his bell rung by Alex.)
Take nothing away with Chelsea, Guus Hiddink had a gameplan to play for the scoreless draw and it worked. And if Didier Drogba gets a better touch on a ball, they're back to London with a massive lead. Bigger props for Essien and Mikel both getting through without yellow cards. Hell, even Branislav Ivanovic proved his worth as a defender, more than holding his own against Henry on the left.
I'm very intrigued by what the Dutch wiz will do in the return leg. He's going to be forced to open things up, but how and when in the match will he attempt that? Coming out from the opening whistle and attacking exposes the defense -- namely Petr Cech, who did play fairly well on Tuesday.
Yet from watching this one, this was a lot more about Barcelona wasting possession and attempting the spectacular than simply scoring a goal.
Bottom line, Lionel Messi can leave the dribbling flights of fancy for those Copa Del Ray games. And Barce needs to cut down the whining too, and get something done.
Yeah, it's hard to quibble with a team that's scored 90+ goals in La Liga, but at times Barca could have simply used a scrub/big lug/battering ram like Kevin Davies to cause some havoc inside the penalty area. This isn't the free-flowing way the Catalan giants normally play, but you have to adjust.
It's like trying to eat/life a healthy lifestyle. Yes, ideally light, organic meals high on bean sprouts and gluten-free products is the way to go, but sometimes a greasy cheeseburger gets the job done.
Oh and hate me if you like, but it was hard to feel bad for Rafa Marquez when he rolled up and collapsed in a contact-free knee injury. Did he get hit with Roger McDowell's magic loogie or something?
Time constraints and new paradigms at the job make it nearly impossible to cook up a full, seven coarse meal of a post, but I'll adjust.
Anyways, maybe I'm slowly losing it but reading all the post match stuff from the 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp Tuesday, it's like Chelsea already won by holding Barca off the scoreboard.
Correct me if I'm wrong, but the tie still goes to the away goals team, right?
Perhaps this is English-language bias, but aren't Barca in pretty good shape since they didn't allow a goal and now can go to Stamford Bridge and advance to the final with a draw?
And do we all really think that even with Tuesday's nice defensive clinic, Chelsea will hold Barcelona scoreless for another 90 minutes.
You'd think come the trip to London that Pep Guardiola will tell his charges to take their chances, instead of vying for the perfect goal every time? Or maybe he'll tell Samuel Eto'o to look up and pass a ball to an unmarked Thierry Henry inside the box? (Henry's biggest contribution? Getting his bell rung by Alex.)
Take nothing away with Chelsea, Guus Hiddink had a gameplan to play for the scoreless draw and it worked. And if Didier Drogba gets a better touch on a ball, they're back to London with a massive lead. Bigger props for Essien and Mikel both getting through without yellow cards. Hell, even Branislav Ivanovic proved his worth as a defender, more than holding his own against Henry on the left.
I'm very intrigued by what the Dutch wiz will do in the return leg. He's going to be forced to open things up, but how and when in the match will he attempt that? Coming out from the opening whistle and attacking exposes the defense -- namely Petr Cech, who did play fairly well on Tuesday.
Yet from watching this one, this was a lot more about Barcelona wasting possession and attempting the spectacular than simply scoring a goal.
Bottom line, Lionel Messi can leave the dribbling flights of fancy for those Copa Del Ray games. And Barce needs to cut down the whining too, and get something done.
Yeah, it's hard to quibble with a team that's scored 90+ goals in La Liga, but at times Barca could have simply used a scrub/big lug/battering ram like Kevin Davies to cause some havoc inside the penalty area. This isn't the free-flowing way the Catalan giants normally play, but you have to adjust.
It's like trying to eat/life a healthy lifestyle. Yes, ideally light, organic meals high on bean sprouts and gluten-free products is the way to go, but sometimes a greasy cheeseburger gets the job done.
Oh and hate me if you like, but it was hard to feel bad for Rafa Marquez when he rolled up and collapsed in a contact-free knee injury. Did he get hit with Roger McDowell's magic loogie or something?
Labels: barcelona, champions league, Chelsea, Soccer
Hopefully this weekend you had beautiful weather like we did here in Connecticut.
So you're forgiven if you weren't pinned to the couch to watch the incredible Sunday morning Premier League matchup on Fox Soccer Channel between Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic.
If you decided to walk the dog or get some sun or just about anything else, you missed maybe my favorite moment of the season. After Ryan Nelsen scored his first goal for Blackburn on over 110 appearances, Rovers boss Sam Allardyce lifted his arms in celebration -- only to show massive pit stains under both arm pits of his suit jacket.
Lovely, lovely stuff.
The 2-0 win likely ensures we'll get another season of Blackburn in the top flight, which is nice for an original member of the Football League.
After the potshot about Allardyce's leaky glands, I'll toss him some praise for saving Blackburn from near doom. Hell, I even liked Christopher Samba starting at forward out of necessity.
Now...on the other end of the table we almost, almost had a race back on our hands. It lasted, what? less than three hours.
Liverpool, with Steven Gerrard, took care of business and banked three points by beating Hull City in pretty ho-hum fashion, aside from a nice rebounded rocket off the foot of Xabi Alonso. The eventual 3-1 win put Liverpool back on top of Manchester United.
And when it was quickly 2-0 Spurs at Old Trafford in the standalone late game, man, we almost had it back on. On like Donkey Kong.
But somehow in the second half Manchester United woke up the echoes and ripped of five goals in a blitzing performance that we haven't seen from the Red Devils in months. (Maybe they all ate $5 footlongs before the match, likely Italian BMTs.)
Quibble with the penalty called against Gomes for dragging down Michael Carrick, but there was enough contact to warrant a call. Then again, in the game of what ifs, does United peel off another four goals if they don't get going from Ronaldo's spot kick?
For the first time in a long time, Manchester United at least looked like a worthy champion, with Ronaldo and Rooney menacing around the field.
Around the league -- Is it possible for West Brom to somehow sneak out of the drop zone? The Baggies are six points behind 17th place Hull, so they'd need a minor miracle to leapfrog all those teams. If anything West Brom at least has made both Portsmouth and now Sunderland sweat it out with positive results against the two clubs. ... What kind of moron would ever say Arsenal isn't any good, now that the Gunners are 10 points ahead of fifth-place Aston Villa. Wait, don't answer that. ... So yeah, we'll see you later Gareth Southgate. Middlesbrough play Manchester United next weekend, so 'Boro is pretty much done.
Fantasy team of the week -- Kraig Kraft's nicely-named PBR FC takes weekly honors with 77 points thanks to that Ronaldo fellow. The race at the top is at 31 points, with La Academia picking up two points on second-place 92% Pure Oxygen.
Quick thoughts on the Champions League -- Not even a grouch like me can pick apart these two semifinals.
What needs to be said about Barcelona and Chelsea? The two teams know each other pretty well.. Unlike past UCL pairings between these two, Barca doesn't have Ronaldinho, but instead has Thierry Henry and a lot more midfield grit. (Essien vs. Keita...sabres at ten paces anyone?)
This one could boil down the keepers, with the suddenly butterfingered Petr Cech trying to out-gaffe Victor Valdes, who I've always thought to be Barcelona's weakest link.
This might be simplistic, but after 180 (or more) minutes, the best team will win. Bonus pick: Barcelona 5, Chelsea 3
As for Manchester United and Arsenal? After United's second-half against Spurs, anything again seems possible.
This might be the match/matches that Sir Alex Ferguson bought Dmitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian showed some signs of life on Saturday and with his size and skill could punish the underbelly of the Arsenal defense.
The big question here is what kind of lineup Ferguson trots out on Wednesday at Old Trafford. Will he rely on the savvy old heads of Scholes and Giggs? Or will we see Anderson and Ji-Sung Park get the nods.
It's an easy thing to point out, but Arsenal won't have its new talisman Andrei Arshavin except as a sideline cheerleader. Robin Van Persie is also likely out, same for Mikel Silvestre. That likely means that Cesc Fabregas or Samir Nasri is going to have to step up with some goals.
Something, too, that bears watching is if United exerts its dominance on the first leg at home and if Arsenal is able to use Theo Walcott's speed to trigger something on the counter attack. Overall this looks like a game that might be won outside on the wings. Bonus pick: Manchester United 3, Arsenal 2S
So you're forgiven if you weren't pinned to the couch to watch the incredible Sunday morning Premier League matchup on Fox Soccer Channel between Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic.
If you decided to walk the dog or get some sun or just about anything else, you missed maybe my favorite moment of the season. After Ryan Nelsen scored his first goal for Blackburn on over 110 appearances, Rovers boss Sam Allardyce lifted his arms in celebration -- only to show massive pit stains under both arm pits of his suit jacket.
Lovely, lovely stuff.
The 2-0 win likely ensures we'll get another season of Blackburn in the top flight, which is nice for an original member of the Football League.
After the potshot about Allardyce's leaky glands, I'll toss him some praise for saving Blackburn from near doom. Hell, I even liked Christopher Samba starting at forward out of necessity.
Now...on the other end of the table we almost, almost had a race back on our hands. It lasted, what? less than three hours.
Liverpool, with Steven Gerrard, took care of business and banked three points by beating Hull City in pretty ho-hum fashion, aside from a nice rebounded rocket off the foot of Xabi Alonso. The eventual 3-1 win put Liverpool back on top of Manchester United.
And when it was quickly 2-0 Spurs at Old Trafford in the standalone late game, man, we almost had it back on. On like Donkey Kong.
But somehow in the second half Manchester United woke up the echoes and ripped of five goals in a blitzing performance that we haven't seen from the Red Devils in months. (Maybe they all ate $5 footlongs before the match, likely Italian BMTs.)
Quibble with the penalty called against Gomes for dragging down Michael Carrick, but there was enough contact to warrant a call. Then again, in the game of what ifs, does United peel off another four goals if they don't get going from Ronaldo's spot kick?
For the first time in a long time, Manchester United at least looked like a worthy champion, with Ronaldo and Rooney menacing around the field.
Around the league -- Is it possible for West Brom to somehow sneak out of the drop zone? The Baggies are six points behind 17th place Hull, so they'd need a minor miracle to leapfrog all those teams. If anything West Brom at least has made both Portsmouth and now Sunderland sweat it out with positive results against the two clubs. ... What kind of moron would ever say Arsenal isn't any good, now that the Gunners are 10 points ahead of fifth-place Aston Villa. Wait, don't answer that. ... So yeah, we'll see you later Gareth Southgate. Middlesbrough play Manchester United next weekend, so 'Boro is pretty much done.
Fantasy team of the week -- Kraig Kraft's nicely-named PBR FC takes weekly honors with 77 points thanks to that Ronaldo fellow. The race at the top is at 31 points, with La Academia picking up two points on second-place 92% Pure Oxygen.
Quick thoughts on the Champions League -- Not even a grouch like me can pick apart these two semifinals.
What needs to be said about Barcelona and Chelsea? The two teams know each other pretty well.. Unlike past UCL pairings between these two, Barca doesn't have Ronaldinho, but instead has Thierry Henry and a lot more midfield grit. (Essien vs. Keita...sabres at ten paces anyone?)
This one could boil down the keepers, with the suddenly butterfingered Petr Cech trying to out-gaffe Victor Valdes, who I've always thought to be Barcelona's weakest link.
This might be simplistic, but after 180 (or more) minutes, the best team will win. Bonus pick: Barcelona 5, Chelsea 3
As for Manchester United and Arsenal? After United's second-half against Spurs, anything again seems possible.
This might be the match/matches that Sir Alex Ferguson bought Dmitar Berbatov. The Bulgarian showed some signs of life on Saturday and with his size and skill could punish the underbelly of the Arsenal defense.
The big question here is what kind of lineup Ferguson trots out on Wednesday at Old Trafford. Will he rely on the savvy old heads of Scholes and Giggs? Or will we see Anderson and Ji-Sung Park get the nods.
It's an easy thing to point out, but Arsenal won't have its new talisman Andrei Arshavin except as a sideline cheerleader. Robin Van Persie is also likely out, same for Mikel Silvestre. That likely means that Cesc Fabregas or Samir Nasri is going to have to step up with some goals.
Something, too, that bears watching is if United exerts its dominance on the first leg at home and if Arsenal is able to use Theo Walcott's speed to trigger something on the counter attack. Overall this looks like a game that might be won outside on the wings. Bonus pick: Manchester United 3, Arsenal 2S
Labels: Monday recaps, Premier League, Soccer
Is it over? Or isn't it?
Obviously Manchester United took a big step toward it's third-straight Premier League title, beating Portsmouth 2-0 Wednesday and leaving Liverpool three points in its wake with a game in hand.
While we can say Chelsea's longshot hopes are now dashed after drawing Everton on Wednesday, Liverpool still has some hope.
For one, United still looks like its full of tired legs across the field. To compound that, the Red Devils have their Champions League two-leg affair with the kids are Arsenal, who could run them ragged even if Andrei Arshavin is on the sideline as a spectator.
Meanwhile, Liverpool only have worry about winning league games. Yet one slip up from Rafa's men and this is over.
The big reason for Liverpool to have hope is goal difference. They're up three on United, which is huge if the Red Devils louse up.
So, long story short, even with the midweek stuff this race isn't over, despite Arshavin's four-goal blow to Liverpool on Tuesday. (Wow, I'm still speechless from that one.)
Granted this is so played out that even the most un-hip college arenas play it, but Rafa ought to dig up the famous John Belusi clip from 'Animal House' because nothing is over until we say it is. Deathmobile is optional.
One quick tangent before delving into the picks. Is anyone else using Setanta's online service? They upgraded it significantly this week, except I have trouble viewing the streams on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Hopefully this is cleared up, because it's leaps and bounds better than the old Windows Media Player based service.
Saturday
* Bolton v. Aston Villa -- Ugh...another round of Gareth Barry, will-he? won't-he? Rumours. Maybe he and Stewart Downing can meet in Thunderdome and the winner gets to leave his current club once and for all. ... Bolton 1, Aston Villa 1
* Everton v. Manchester City -- A virtual doff of the cap to David Moyes, who'd you figure is the sure-fire manager of the year. An FA Cup final and possibly fifth-place finish on a team held together by bubble gum and afro picks? Unreal. Will Jo play in this game? ... Everton 2, City 1
* Fulham v. Stoke City -- Another easy award, best American in the Premier League this year goes to Clint Dempsey, almost by default. His seven goals now tie him with Andy Johnson for the Fulham lead. Too bad this doesn't seem to translate in the USMNT kit. Stoke contiunes to be the worst road team in the league, but the Potters won't care since they're pretty much safe. ... Fulham 1, Stoke City 0
* Hull City v. Liverpool -- (Live, Setanta, 10 a.m.) As outlined above, does Liverpool itself still think it can win? Maybe another Yossi winner here. ... Hull City 0, Liverpool 1
* West Brom v. Sunderland -- Nice and straight forward, if Sunderland wants to stick around, win this game. ... West Brom 2, Sunderland 2
* West Ham v. Chelsea -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Question: Will Chelsea even care about this game, considering they have Barcelona on Tuesday? Answer: Geen manier (Dutch for No way.) ... West Ham 1, Chelsea 1
* Manchester United v. Tottenham -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) Let's see, the last time Ferguson had to juggle a lineup, he fielded a suspect XI in the FA Cup semifinal and was bounced out. What will he do as he continues to fight wars on two fronts? You know Redknapp will have Spurs up for this one, so Sir Alex can't just toss a bunch of noobs out there and expect the best. Yet, here are two big stats to chew over -- Spurs haven't won in their last 18 against United (d'oh) and Spurs have only one goal in their last eight at Old Trafford (doubel d'oh). ... Manchester United 1, Spurs 0
Sunday
* Arsenal v. Middlesbrough -- (Live, Setanta, 8:30 a.m.) Another question of team selection. What's Wenger do here? Arsenal is pistol hot, so why take the foot off the pedal? Umm...let's see, why risk anything to Emmanuel Adebayor or Theo Walcott when Robin Van Persie is already deemed out of the Manchester United Champions League affair. Still, even the Gooner kids along with Arshavin should do the job vs. 'Boro. ... Arsenal 3, Middlesbrough 1
* Blackburn v. Wigan Athletic -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Sexy isn't a word you like to toss around describing sports, but man, if this match isn't sexy than I don't know anything. (Wait, don't answer that.) ... Blackburn 2, Wigan 1
Monday
* Newcastle United v. Portsmouth -- (Live, Setanta, 3 p.m.) Who doesn't love a good, old fashioned six-pointer? This very well might be judgment day for the Magpies. In fact, if they don't take all three points here, it's pretty much over, unless one of the teams above them in the table completely screws up. The Geordie faithful will be on pins and needles, but how does that translate to the players? Do they care? Isn't it about time Michael Owen does something, anything? ... Newcastle 2, Portsmouth 1
Last round: 4-6
Season: 150-173
Obviously Manchester United took a big step toward it's third-straight Premier League title, beating Portsmouth 2-0 Wednesday and leaving Liverpool three points in its wake with a game in hand.
While we can say Chelsea's longshot hopes are now dashed after drawing Everton on Wednesday, Liverpool still has some hope.
For one, United still looks like its full of tired legs across the field. To compound that, the Red Devils have their Champions League two-leg affair with the kids are Arsenal, who could run them ragged even if Andrei Arshavin is on the sideline as a spectator.
Meanwhile, Liverpool only have worry about winning league games. Yet one slip up from Rafa's men and this is over.
The big reason for Liverpool to have hope is goal difference. They're up three on United, which is huge if the Red Devils louse up.
So, long story short, even with the midweek stuff this race isn't over, despite Arshavin's four-goal blow to Liverpool on Tuesday. (Wow, I'm still speechless from that one.)
Granted this is so played out that even the most un-hip college arenas play it, but Rafa ought to dig up the famous John Belusi clip from 'Animal House' because nothing is over until we say it is. Deathmobile is optional.
One quick tangent before delving into the picks. Is anyone else using Setanta's online service? They upgraded it significantly this week, except I have trouble viewing the streams on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Hopefully this is cleared up, because it's leaps and bounds better than the old Windows Media Player based service.
Saturday
* Bolton v. Aston Villa -- Ugh...another round of Gareth Barry, will-he? won't-he? Rumours. Maybe he and Stewart Downing can meet in Thunderdome and the winner gets to leave his current club once and for all. ... Bolton 1, Aston Villa 1
* Everton v. Manchester City -- A virtual doff of the cap to David Moyes, who'd you figure is the sure-fire manager of the year. An FA Cup final and possibly fifth-place finish on a team held together by bubble gum and afro picks? Unreal. Will Jo play in this game? ... Everton 2, City 1
* Fulham v. Stoke City -- Another easy award, best American in the Premier League this year goes to Clint Dempsey, almost by default. His seven goals now tie him with Andy Johnson for the Fulham lead. Too bad this doesn't seem to translate in the USMNT kit. Stoke contiunes to be the worst road team in the league, but the Potters won't care since they're pretty much safe. ... Fulham 1, Stoke City 0
* Hull City v. Liverpool -- (Live, Setanta, 10 a.m.) As outlined above, does Liverpool itself still think it can win? Maybe another Yossi winner here. ... Hull City 0, Liverpool 1
* West Brom v. Sunderland -- Nice and straight forward, if Sunderland wants to stick around, win this game. ... West Brom 2, Sunderland 2
* West Ham v. Chelsea -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Question: Will Chelsea even care about this game, considering they have Barcelona on Tuesday? Answer: Geen manier (Dutch for No way.) ... West Ham 1, Chelsea 1
* Manchester United v. Tottenham -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) Let's see, the last time Ferguson had to juggle a lineup, he fielded a suspect XI in the FA Cup semifinal and was bounced out. What will he do as he continues to fight wars on two fronts? You know Redknapp will have Spurs up for this one, so Sir Alex can't just toss a bunch of noobs out there and expect the best. Yet, here are two big stats to chew over -- Spurs haven't won in their last 18 against United (d'oh) and Spurs have only one goal in their last eight at Old Trafford (doubel d'oh). ... Manchester United 1, Spurs 0
Sunday
* Arsenal v. Middlesbrough -- (Live, Setanta, 8:30 a.m.) Another question of team selection. What's Wenger do here? Arsenal is pistol hot, so why take the foot off the pedal? Umm...let's see, why risk anything to Emmanuel Adebayor or Theo Walcott when Robin Van Persie is already deemed out of the Manchester United Champions League affair. Still, even the Gooner kids along with Arshavin should do the job vs. 'Boro. ... Arsenal 3, Middlesbrough 1
* Blackburn v. Wigan Athletic -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Sexy isn't a word you like to toss around describing sports, but man, if this match isn't sexy than I don't know anything. (Wait, don't answer that.) ... Blackburn 2, Wigan 1
Monday
* Newcastle United v. Portsmouth -- (Live, Setanta, 3 p.m.) Who doesn't love a good, old fashioned six-pointer? This very well might be judgment day for the Magpies. In fact, if they don't take all three points here, it's pretty much over, unless one of the teams above them in the table completely screws up. The Geordie faithful will be on pins and needles, but how does that translate to the players? Do they care? Isn't it about time Michael Owen does something, anything? ... Newcastle 2, Portsmouth 1
Last round: 4-6
Season: 150-173
Labels: Prem League, Prem Picks, Soccer
Greeting Inter-nets. Sorry this post is a little later than usual on a Monday. I was out of my house and away from the computer/television from about 7 a.m. Sunday to about midnight Monday, henceforth I didn't catch a lot of the Premier League action this weekend ... not that there was a whole lot.
When I logged on Monday morning I saw headlines about Sir Alex Ferguson defending his FA Cup selection team in the eventual shootout loss to Everton Sunday. When I clicked over and saw said XI, my eyes almost popped out of my head cartoon style. Put it this way, when Sir Alex has that little respect/interest in winning the FA Cup, well, it's relevancy is about over with. (Good job by Everton, at least, where playing in the Cup final will actually mean something. Well done Tim Howard, et al. I might actually watch the final in a couple weeks.)
About all I saw this weekend was most of Stoke City's drab 1-0 win over Blackburn. Not the greatest game ever played, but Liam Lawrence scored a nice goal to put the Potters in nice position to stick around another year. The announcer made it seem like that was the goal to ensure safety, which I thought was a little premature, but since Middlesbrough could only draw and Newcastle lost to Tottenham on Sunday, looks like Stoke probably will be okay.
Did the relegation picture get any clearer? We know it's going to be Hull, Sunderland, Newcastle and Middlesbrough for two spots. All a team has to do is win maybe two games in a row, but that's easier said than done.
Anyway, as I said Friday, the real action is during the week.
Tuesday
* Liverpool v. Arsenal -- (Live, Setanta, 3 p.m.) For whatever the reason, this match seems to have the least juice of all the 'Big Four' crossovers. Maybe that's just me. The Gunners won't have Van Persie or Adebayor, which obviously is a huge boon for Liverpool, which can't settle for anything less than three points. With Fernando Torres up top, this might be the game Arsenal's makeshift defensive backline rears its ugly head. Considering Liverpool only has the league to focus on now, its slightly fresher legs and first choice team selection should see the Reds through. ... Liverpool 2, Arsenal 1
Wednesday
* Manchester United v. Portsmouth -- (Live, Setanta, 3 p.m.) Here's where Ferguson's gamble to play kids in the FA Cup will be justified, right? From what we've seen of Manchester United lately, are the Red Devils simply going to be able to step onto the field at Old Trafford and take care of business for 90 minutes? On the one hand they're due, but can you trust them? Portsmouth has given United trouble in recent years, which is something to consider. In the end, Ronaldo, as usual, bails the team out. ... Manchester United 1, Portsmouth 0
* Cheslea v. Everton -- (Live, FSC, 3 p.m.) Well...we get the FA Cup a month early, which is something. Actually the one thing to watch here is if Chelsea can get back to posting clean sheets. The Blues have allowed 10 goals in their last four matches, which isn't Chelsea football. ... Chelsea 2, Everton 0
Last round: 3-4
Season: 149-171
When I logged on Monday morning I saw headlines about Sir Alex Ferguson defending his FA Cup selection team in the eventual shootout loss to Everton Sunday. When I clicked over and saw said XI, my eyes almost popped out of my head cartoon style. Put it this way, when Sir Alex has that little respect/interest in winning the FA Cup, well, it's relevancy is about over with. (Good job by Everton, at least, where playing in the Cup final will actually mean something. Well done Tim Howard, et al. I might actually watch the final in a couple weeks.)
About all I saw this weekend was most of Stoke City's drab 1-0 win over Blackburn. Not the greatest game ever played, but Liam Lawrence scored a nice goal to put the Potters in nice position to stick around another year. The announcer made it seem like that was the goal to ensure safety, which I thought was a little premature, but since Middlesbrough could only draw and Newcastle lost to Tottenham on Sunday, looks like Stoke probably will be okay.
Did the relegation picture get any clearer? We know it's going to be Hull, Sunderland, Newcastle and Middlesbrough for two spots. All a team has to do is win maybe two games in a row, but that's easier said than done.
Anyway, as I said Friday, the real action is during the week.
Tuesday
* Liverpool v. Arsenal -- (Live, Setanta, 3 p.m.) For whatever the reason, this match seems to have the least juice of all the 'Big Four' crossovers. Maybe that's just me. The Gunners won't have Van Persie or Adebayor, which obviously is a huge boon for Liverpool, which can't settle for anything less than three points. With Fernando Torres up top, this might be the game Arsenal's makeshift defensive backline rears its ugly head. Considering Liverpool only has the league to focus on now, its slightly fresher legs and first choice team selection should see the Reds through. ... Liverpool 2, Arsenal 1
Wednesday
* Manchester United v. Portsmouth -- (Live, Setanta, 3 p.m.) Here's where Ferguson's gamble to play kids in the FA Cup will be justified, right? From what we've seen of Manchester United lately, are the Red Devils simply going to be able to step onto the field at Old Trafford and take care of business for 90 minutes? On the one hand they're due, but can you trust them? Portsmouth has given United trouble in recent years, which is something to consider. In the end, Ronaldo, as usual, bails the team out. ... Manchester United 1, Portsmouth 0
* Cheslea v. Everton -- (Live, FSC, 3 p.m.) Well...we get the FA Cup a month early, which is something. Actually the one thing to watch here is if Chelsea can get back to posting clean sheets. The Blues have allowed 10 goals in their last four matches, which isn't Chelsea football. ... Chelsea 2, Everton 0
Last round: 3-4
Season: 149-171
Labels: Monday recaps, Premier League, Soccer
Ok, pretend this is 1996 and 'Seinfeld' was still part of NBC's 'Must-See TV' lineup. Suppose we took away Jerry, George, Elaine and Kramer. All we'd be left with are the likes of Newman, Mikey, Peterman, Uncle Leo, Frank Costanza and let's say Larry David wearing a cape.
Would you still tune in?
I might, just for the bizarre curiosity of it.
That's what we have in the Premier League this weekend, with the three of the 'Big Four' locked up in the FA Cup, and the other dormant until the midweek (and what a midweek that'll be!) Call this the morbid curiosity weekend.
Instead, we get seven matches -- with five, count 'em five -- with massive relegation ramifications, including three bonafide six-pointers.
So the question is probably this -- does the Premier League stand on its own merits, or do the top teams -- which comprise three of the four Champions League quarter finalists -- give the league it's worldwide cache?
Saturday
* Aston Villa v. West Ham -- (Live, Setanta, 10 a.m.) Man...it sure does seem like a long time ago those Villa for fourth place arguments seemed possible. Villa haven't won a game since Feb. 7, thus paralleling Randy Lerner's other team -- the Cleveland Browns -- who were a trendy team before the 2008 NFL season and then fizzled out before it even started. ... Aston Villa 2, West Ham 1
* Middlesbrough v. Fulham -- Gareth Southgate appears to be saying all the right things about 'Boro's fight for salvation. We'll see about that. Consider me wary. Very wary. Stat fact -- Fulham has won its last two away matches 3-1. Will lightning strike thrice at the Riverside? ... Middlesbrough 1, Fulham 1
* Portsmouth v. Bolton -- If Bolton gets points here, the Trotters are probably safe. Probably. This game probably comes down to whichever striker does better -- Peter Crouch (11 goals) or Kevin Davies (10 goals) -- because those are about their respective teams only options. I'll opt for Fortress Fratton for this one. ... Portsmouth 1, Bolton 0
* Stoke City v. Blackburn Rovers -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Fun stat -- Stoke has the fewest shots on target in the league. Still, I'm digging the Stoke scenario, unfancied as they might be. This ought to be a fun game to watch, there are goals to be had. ... Stoke City 3, Blackburn 2
* Sunderland v. Hull City -- Somehow I feel Sunderland is going to drop. The Black Cats strategy seemed to be slightly less crappy than everyone else. Like Aston Villa, Sunderland hasn't won since Feb. 7. I don't know where the inspiration is coming from. This team resides on the island of Misfit Toys.. With games with Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester United on the horizon, Hull City probably needs this one. ... Sunderland 0, Hull City 0
Sunday
* Tottenham v. Newcastle United -- (Live, Setanta, 8:30 a.m.) Perhaps Harry Redknapp will have some pity on the Geordies and field a disinterested side, likely featuring black sheep Gareth Bale, assuming he's not hurt again. Call me crazy, but I think Newcastle survives, in dramatic fashion on the final day. ... Tottenham 1, Newcastle United 2
* Manchester City v. West Brom -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Meh. This one means nothing. Maybe West Brom snatches a point since City should be pretty deflated after crashing out to Hamburg in the UEFA Cup. ... City 2, West Brom 2
Last week: 5-5
Season: 146-167
(The midweek picking, coming Monday.)
Would you still tune in?
I might, just for the bizarre curiosity of it.
That's what we have in the Premier League this weekend, with the three of the 'Big Four' locked up in the FA Cup, and the other dormant until the midweek (and what a midweek that'll be!) Call this the morbid curiosity weekend.
Instead, we get seven matches -- with five, count 'em five -- with massive relegation ramifications, including three bonafide six-pointers.
So the question is probably this -- does the Premier League stand on its own merits, or do the top teams -- which comprise three of the four Champions League quarter finalists -- give the league it's worldwide cache?
Saturday
* Aston Villa v. West Ham -- (Live, Setanta, 10 a.m.) Man...it sure does seem like a long time ago those Villa for fourth place arguments seemed possible. Villa haven't won a game since Feb. 7, thus paralleling Randy Lerner's other team -- the Cleveland Browns -- who were a trendy team before the 2008 NFL season and then fizzled out before it even started. ... Aston Villa 2, West Ham 1
* Middlesbrough v. Fulham -- Gareth Southgate appears to be saying all the right things about 'Boro's fight for salvation. We'll see about that. Consider me wary. Very wary. Stat fact -- Fulham has won its last two away matches 3-1. Will lightning strike thrice at the Riverside? ... Middlesbrough 1, Fulham 1
* Portsmouth v. Bolton -- If Bolton gets points here, the Trotters are probably safe. Probably. This game probably comes down to whichever striker does better -- Peter Crouch (11 goals) or Kevin Davies (10 goals) -- because those are about their respective teams only options. I'll opt for Fortress Fratton for this one. ... Portsmouth 1, Bolton 0
* Stoke City v. Blackburn Rovers -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Fun stat -- Stoke has the fewest shots on target in the league. Still, I'm digging the Stoke scenario, unfancied as they might be. This ought to be a fun game to watch, there are goals to be had. ... Stoke City 3, Blackburn 2
* Sunderland v. Hull City -- Somehow I feel Sunderland is going to drop. The Black Cats strategy seemed to be slightly less crappy than everyone else. Like Aston Villa, Sunderland hasn't won since Feb. 7. I don't know where the inspiration is coming from. This team resides on the island of Misfit Toys.. With games with Liverpool, Aston Villa and Manchester United on the horizon, Hull City probably needs this one. ... Sunderland 0, Hull City 0
Sunday
* Tottenham v. Newcastle United -- (Live, Setanta, 8:30 a.m.) Perhaps Harry Redknapp will have some pity on the Geordies and field a disinterested side, likely featuring black sheep Gareth Bale, assuming he's not hurt again. Call me crazy, but I think Newcastle survives, in dramatic fashion on the final day. ... Tottenham 1, Newcastle United 2
* Manchester City v. West Brom -- (Live, FSC, 11 a.m.) Meh. This one means nothing. Maybe West Brom snatches a point since City should be pretty deflated after crashing out to Hamburg in the UEFA Cup. ... City 2, West Brom 2
Last week: 5-5
Season: 146-167
(The midweek picking, coming Monday.)
Labels: Prem Picks, Premier League, Soccer
A tip of the cap and a rise of the Miller Lite can to everyone involved with today's insanely bizarre Chelsea/Liverpool Champions League Texas Tornado match, which ended 4-4 at Stamford Bridge, with the Blues advancing 7-5 on aggregate.
Honestly, I don't even know if whatever I cobble together in this post can do it any justice. I'm not sure if epic is the right way to describe the action. Surreal might be more like it.
Considering the oars-in, tactical, 1-0 snooze-fests Chelsea/Liverpool has produced in the past, who would have thought this time -- in the Champions League quarterfinals -- would produce 12 goals over 180 minutes?
Actually, the best way to describe this one is to go use the words of the immortal Coach Eric Taylor from 'Friday Night Lights' (spoiler alert, if you haven't seen Season Three.)
Ok, if you've watched the clip maybe this doesn't exactly apply to the Liverpool players like Jamie Carragher or Xabi Alonso, who participated in the 'Miracle in Istanbul' (fun fact, the only two that played in both). But you get my point. This was a game to be recalled and remembered for the ages.
Ebbs and flows. Oohs and aahs.
Alex's swerving, unreal, Roberto Carlos-equese freekick.
Liverpool's early gusto and near fight-back in the final 10 minutes.
Chelsea's never say-die-attitude personified by Frank Lampard.
This had it all.
In in a game like that, what more can a writer possibly add to it?
Surely, if any club could pull itself out from a 3-1 deficit, it would be Liverpool. And what fan of the Reds wasn't belting out YNWA after Alonso's penalty kick gave the team hope?
It just wasn't to be. With Steven Gerrard looking on miserably in street clothes, it was time for his England midfield rival to steal the King of the Scousers almost patented late-match heroics. Not once, but twice Lampard slayed the Liverpool dragon in the closing minutes
Yeah, there are some major concerns if you're Chelsea. How does the once air-tight defense allow seven goals in two games -- at Stamford Bridge no less!? And what's going on with Petr Cech? Aside from the brilliant punch at Dirk Kuyt's header, he looks like a punch drunk prizefighter.
It doesn't matter much, since the Blues move on to play their other recent European foil -- Barcelona.
And it's easy to find a word for that one -- epic.
Honestly, I don't even know if whatever I cobble together in this post can do it any justice. I'm not sure if epic is the right way to describe the action. Surreal might be more like it.
Considering the oars-in, tactical, 1-0 snooze-fests Chelsea/Liverpool has produced in the past, who would have thought this time -- in the Champions League quarterfinals -- would produce 12 goals over 180 minutes?
Actually, the best way to describe this one is to go use the words of the immortal Coach Eric Taylor from 'Friday Night Lights' (spoiler alert, if you haven't seen Season Three.)
Ok, if you've watched the clip maybe this doesn't exactly apply to the Liverpool players like Jamie Carragher or Xabi Alonso, who participated in the 'Miracle in Istanbul' (fun fact, the only two that played in both). But you get my point. This was a game to be recalled and remembered for the ages.
Ebbs and flows. Oohs and aahs.
Alex's swerving, unreal, Roberto Carlos-equese freekick.
Liverpool's early gusto and near fight-back in the final 10 minutes.
Chelsea's never say-die-attitude personified by Frank Lampard.
This had it all.
In in a game like that, what more can a writer possibly add to it?
Surely, if any club could pull itself out from a 3-1 deficit, it would be Liverpool. And what fan of the Reds wasn't belting out YNWA after Alonso's penalty kick gave the team hope?
It just wasn't to be. With Steven Gerrard looking on miserably in street clothes, it was time for his England midfield rival to steal the King of the Scousers almost patented late-match heroics. Not once, but twice Lampard slayed the Liverpool dragon in the closing minutes
Yeah, there are some major concerns if you're Chelsea. How does the once air-tight defense allow seven goals in two games -- at Stamford Bridge no less!? And what's going on with Petr Cech? Aside from the brilliant punch at Dirk Kuyt's header, he looks like a punch drunk prizefighter.
It doesn't matter much, since the Blues move on to play their other recent European foil -- Barcelona.
And it's easy to find a word for that one -- epic.
Labels: champions league, Chelsea, Liverpool, Soccer
Since I'm writing this on Easter Sunday night with a belly full of food, allow me to be a little generous for a change. (FYI, Easter has the most underrated candy of any Holiday, well, aside for Arbor Day.)
Week after week I take potshots at about every team in the English Premier League, some in a nod to 'Animal Farm', more than others.
Today, along with my lamb, meatballs, penne, etc. I'll shovel down a big pieces of humble pie toward my two biggest targets -- Chelsea and Arsenal.
Admittedly, I'll never be a big fan of either of these clubs, but when they could have wilted and mailed in the season, they've come to play better-and-better each week. I still don't like either club, per say, but they've made me eat my words for much I'm now conditioned to respect them.
For Chelsea, I'll even give the Blues a pass for allowing Bolton to storm back and almost pull off a stunning four-goal comeback. (How Matty Taylor doesn't slot it in somehow in the final minute amazes me.)
How many other people like me turned it off at 2-0, only to rush back once it got to 4-3?
Like I casually mentioned Friday, Chelsea have the ability to conjure goals at almost all times. And maybe the key to their recent success more than anything is the improved play in the 4-3-3/4-5-1, specifically the wing play of Saloman Kalou and Florent Malouda. This likely ties into the coaching of Guus Hiddink, who has that formation ingrained in him from birth.
Oh, it doesn't hurt to have Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Michael Ballack marshaling the middle of the park, either.
Maybe the only weakness right now in the Chelsea lineup are two of its stalwarts -- John Terry and Petr Cech, who aren't exactly on top of their games like they were from 2004-2006. Back then scoring on Chelsea was like trying to sneak into Fort Knox, now it's like robbing a bank in post-communist Hungary, still tricky but doable. (That's a plug for 'The Whiskey Robber', which I've finished re-reading.)
Does Chelsea have the juice to make up four (or seven) points on Manchester United over its final six fixtures? Possibly, since the only rough match is on May 10 at the Emirates against Arsenal.
More likely, Chelsea will turn all it's attention -- assuming it dispatches Liverpool Tuesday, toward Barcelona in an EPIC Champions League semifinal. You'd have to say the winner of that match wins the whole thing.
As for Arsenal, which conveniently enough plays Chelsea in an FA Cup semifinal over the weekend, guess I was wrong. Surprisingly Arsene Wenger knows more than me. Shocking.
Considering Cesc Fabregas was out months, it's pretty damn impressive that the Gunners held onto fourth place and haven't lost since Novemeber.
Over the long haul, though, there are two things to question about Arsenal:
1. Do they have the quality and consistency to overcome Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea next season?
2. What's stopping teams from sucking the air out of the ball and playing 10 behind the line to go for a draw?
The first question is the big one, especially with Real Madrid and Barcelona likely making the hard press on Fabregas over the summer.
Long story short, chalk it up to too many Cadbury eggs, but I have to give credit where credit is due.
***
As for Liverpool's 4-0 thrashing of Blackburn early Saturday morning. Well, I just couldn't get up for it, so I'll fill you in with Ace Cowboy's email he sent me:
Considering the European flame is about to go out, the Reds need six more games like this.
On more important Ace-related note, Liverpool are now ahead on goal difference by three on Chelsea and five on United.
***
I did watch another meh-inspiring show from Manchester United, which has suddenly become more uncomfortable on defense as Richard Nixon under the television lights during that famous 1960 presidential debate with John F. Kennedy.
If Sir Alex Ferguson is able to guide the Red Devils into the garage in first place it'll be like a race car driver stealing a checkered flag with a tank running on fumes.
United finally make up their game in hand next week, part of four matches in 10 days -- including the trip to Portugal in the Champions League. (Only two are league matches.)
From what we've seen out of United this last month, there's not a lot of confidence in them surviving. As it is, they're like a boxer with a standing eight count.
'Kiko' Macheda can only provide the smelling salts so many times, right? (I wish I could just invent a cool nickname after doing something impressive for one whole whopping week. On second thought, Kiko isn't that cool.)
Then again, with Ronaldo, Rooney & Co., even staggered the Red Devils still pack a punch like a 1985 Mike Tyson (sad to see Iron Mike reduced to crummy movie cameos)
***
Special D-A-P to Clint Dempsey -- our lone American hope -- scoring a brace against Manchester City, as Fulham wins on the road against Manchester City. I only watched this briefly (family commitments) but Dempsey appeared to start on the left midfield.
Bob Bradley, are you paying attention?
(I'll try to cobble something up on Jurgen Klinsmann redux during the week.)
***
Other stuff.
Are Manchester City now in the relegation picture? ... From the too little, too late department -- Middlesbrough 3, Hull City 1. ... Even with Niko Kranjcar's nice deadball goal, Portsmouth had by far the worst result of the weekend, drawing West Brom 2-2 at home. ... Newcastle United, good grief. ... Aston Villa 3, Everton 3? Let's just let these two play each other every week and enjoy it.
Fantasy team of the week -- Tom Hope's Real West Chester put up 80 points behind Lampard and Clint Dempsey. Well done. There's a 41-point gap between first and second between La Academia and 92% Pure Oxygen. Is that attainable?
Adios. Enjoy 'Observe and Report' (go see it).
Week after week I take potshots at about every team in the English Premier League, some in a nod to 'Animal Farm', more than others.
Today, along with my lamb, meatballs, penne, etc. I'll shovel down a big pieces of humble pie toward my two biggest targets -- Chelsea and Arsenal.
Admittedly, I'll never be a big fan of either of these clubs, but when they could have wilted and mailed in the season, they've come to play better-and-better each week. I still don't like either club, per say, but they've made me eat my words for much I'm now conditioned to respect them.
For Chelsea, I'll even give the Blues a pass for allowing Bolton to storm back and almost pull off a stunning four-goal comeback. (How Matty Taylor doesn't slot it in somehow in the final minute amazes me.)
How many other people like me turned it off at 2-0, only to rush back once it got to 4-3?
Like I casually mentioned Friday, Chelsea have the ability to conjure goals at almost all times. And maybe the key to their recent success more than anything is the improved play in the 4-3-3/4-5-1, specifically the wing play of Saloman Kalou and Florent Malouda. This likely ties into the coaching of Guus Hiddink, who has that formation ingrained in him from birth.
Oh, it doesn't hurt to have Frank Lampard, Michael Essien and Michael Ballack marshaling the middle of the park, either.
Maybe the only weakness right now in the Chelsea lineup are two of its stalwarts -- John Terry and Petr Cech, who aren't exactly on top of their games like they were from 2004-2006. Back then scoring on Chelsea was like trying to sneak into Fort Knox, now it's like robbing a bank in post-communist Hungary, still tricky but doable. (That's a plug for 'The Whiskey Robber', which I've finished re-reading.)
Does Chelsea have the juice to make up four (or seven) points on Manchester United over its final six fixtures? Possibly, since the only rough match is on May 10 at the Emirates against Arsenal.
More likely, Chelsea will turn all it's attention -- assuming it dispatches Liverpool Tuesday, toward Barcelona in an EPIC Champions League semifinal. You'd have to say the winner of that match wins the whole thing.
As for Arsenal, which conveniently enough plays Chelsea in an FA Cup semifinal over the weekend, guess I was wrong. Surprisingly Arsene Wenger knows more than me. Shocking.
Considering Cesc Fabregas was out months, it's pretty damn impressive that the Gunners held onto fourth place and haven't lost since Novemeber.
Over the long haul, though, there are two things to question about Arsenal:
1. Do they have the quality and consistency to overcome Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea next season?
2. What's stopping teams from sucking the air out of the ball and playing 10 behind the line to go for a draw?
The first question is the big one, especially with Real Madrid and Barcelona likely making the hard press on Fabregas over the summer.
Long story short, chalk it up to too many Cadbury eggs, but I have to give credit where credit is due.
***
As for Liverpool's 4-0 thrashing of Blackburn early Saturday morning. Well, I just couldn't get up for it, so I'll fill you in with Ace Cowboy's email he sent me:
Amazing first half from Liverpool...they overloaded the left side and had a dynamic one-two working between Riera and Insua. Somehow, for some reason, they got away from that in the second half, trying to come through the center all too often, but brilliant play for the first 45 minutes and last 10. I guess Blackburn just gave up about 35 minutes in and Liverpool in turn tried to dominate through the middle instead of what they did so well early on. Either way, dominant performance, great stuff.
Torres' brace was magnificent. The first goal was just stellar, goes without saying. But the best part of it was that he never once looked up to see where the net was. Chested it down, looked at the ball with his back almost all the way to the goal and nailed it side net over Problemson's hand. Gorgeous. The second one probably won't get as much esteem, but man was it an amazing piece of skill. He made an amazing run, adjusted two feet, rose up against 6'5'' Samba, elbowed him out of the way and powered it in the back of the net. Fucking awesome. Agger's was sick as well. Reminded me of his first goal for Liverpool - against West Ham, I think.
Considering the European flame is about to go out, the Reds need six more games like this.
On more important Ace-related note, Liverpool are now ahead on goal difference by three on Chelsea and five on United.
***
I did watch another meh-inspiring show from Manchester United, which has suddenly become more uncomfortable on defense as Richard Nixon under the television lights during that famous 1960 presidential debate with John F. Kennedy.
If Sir Alex Ferguson is able to guide the Red Devils into the garage in first place it'll be like a race car driver stealing a checkered flag with a tank running on fumes.
United finally make up their game in hand next week, part of four matches in 10 days -- including the trip to Portugal in the Champions League. (Only two are league matches.)
From what we've seen out of United this last month, there's not a lot of confidence in them surviving. As it is, they're like a boxer with a standing eight count.
'Kiko' Macheda can only provide the smelling salts so many times, right? (I wish I could just invent a cool nickname after doing something impressive for one whole whopping week. On second thought, Kiko isn't that cool.)
Then again, with Ronaldo, Rooney & Co., even staggered the Red Devils still pack a punch like a 1985 Mike Tyson (sad to see Iron Mike reduced to crummy movie cameos)
***
Special D-A-P to Clint Dempsey -- our lone American hope -- scoring a brace against Manchester City, as Fulham wins on the road against Manchester City. I only watched this briefly (family commitments) but Dempsey appeared to start on the left midfield.
Bob Bradley, are you paying attention?
(I'll try to cobble something up on Jurgen Klinsmann redux during the week.)
***
Other stuff.
Are Manchester City now in the relegation picture? ... From the too little, too late department -- Middlesbrough 3, Hull City 1. ... Even with Niko Kranjcar's nice deadball goal, Portsmouth had by far the worst result of the weekend, drawing West Brom 2-2 at home. ... Newcastle United, good grief. ... Aston Villa 3, Everton 3? Let's just let these two play each other every week and enjoy it.
Fantasy team of the week -- Tom Hope's Real West Chester put up 80 points behind Lampard and Clint Dempsey. Well done. There's a 41-point gap between first and second between La Academia and 92% Pure Oxygen. Is that attainable?
Adios. Enjoy 'Observe and Report' (go see it).
Labels: Monday recaps, Premier League, Soccer
A little pressed for time so a couple random thoughts, though this post is pending Charles Minor's approval.
* Can anyone come up with a reason why the Manchester United's wheels have fallen off? (Sorry about the previous comment, really really bad job on my part. Sorry if anyone was offended, if was just stupid by me. Hope you'll get past it. If it helps, I was going for a bad 'Big Lebowski' reference.) Pointing to the too many games/competitions theory seems too simplistic. Perhaps the Michael Carrick/Paul Scholes midfield isn't getting the job done? Is it just mental lapses? It's astounding a team with that much talent lost it so quick.
Not even Sir Alex Ferguson seems to have answer. To paraphrase the Smiths, "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" ... well, United was playing like that until it suddenly did.
For what little it's worth, I did happen to play a couple FIFA 09 online games with my opponents chosing Manchester United and I picked Porto. The Dragones hung tight, which is no small feat since United are uber-amazing in the game. Nobody is used to a team that goes 4-3-3.
* Liverpool's stunning 3-1 setback to Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals refreshes everyone's thought on set pieces. I could have marked Ivanovic from my couch better than the Reds. The result makes it all the more imperative that Rafa can someone coax the squad past Manchester United in the league.
* This is a little old, but in wake of Argentina's 6-1 loss to Bolivia are we sure it's such a good idea to have Diego Maradona in charge? Granted nobody cares in America, but would we have Michael Jordan coach the Team USA hoops team? We can only imagine what the training sessions with Maradona must be like? Does he keep the earring in? Do the players tune him out? Personally, in my humblest opinion I'd prefer a coach who's not gallivanting around with Mike Tyson, but that's just me.
* Is there anyway the U.S. could naturalize Rory Delap? His long throw could work wonders on the International stage. Just imagine his rubber armed launches hurling it toward Oguchi Onyewu in the box. Nobody would know what hit them.
* Emanuel Adebayor. Doesn't matter you didn't do anything else during the Villareal game, that goal was the tits. Too bad the idiots on ESPN laughed over it's airing during the 'Sportscenter' Top 10 while talking hockey with Barry Melrose. Yeah, it happened and I saw it. Either way, that kind of inspiration is what wins two-leg affairs.
Saturday
* Liverpool v. Blackburn -- (Live, Setanta, 7:45 a.m.) You'd think Liverpool takes out its frustration on Blackburn, but if Steven Gerrard isn't playing all bets are off. Of course, Rovers don't exactly have a Michael Essien clone to grasp at Gerrard's groin all game, so even at half speed he could be effective. ... Liverpool 1, Blackburn 0
* Chelsea v. Bolton -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Watching Chelsea this year, this much is clear -- the Blues can play like dogcrap for 90 minutes but have the ability to produce goals out of nothing better than any other team in the league. How Chelsea has maintained its pace without Deco is a minor miracle. (Sarcasm, folks.) ... Chelsea 2, Bolton 0
* Middlesbrough v. Hull City -- Since I'm tired of beating a dead horse, just a prediction here. ... 'Boro 1, Hull 0
* Portsmouth v. West Brom -- You have to sympathize with Pompey fans, who are watching their eternal rival Southampton crash, burn and probably fade away. That could be them, especially since the new stadium project never got off the ground. Anyway, the chimes of 'Play Up Pompey' should ring out at Fratton Park in an absolute must-win, underline, must-win game. ... Portsmouth 2, West Brom 1
* Sunderland v. Manchester United -- (Live, Setanta, 9:45 a.m.) If United doesn't get its defensive woes sorted out against Sunderland, the season is probably lost. Also, the Red Devils depth will be tested, because Sir Alex doesn't have the benefit of a cushion to rest guys ahead of Porto, still some fresh legs like Welbeck and new hero Federico Macheda wouldn't hurt. ... Sunderland 0, Manchester United 1
* Tottenham v. West Ham United -- It's amazing that even though Iceland went bust, West Ham has maintained a position in the top half of the table all season. ... Spurs 1, West Ham 1
* Wigan Athletic v. Arsenal -- Interesting to see how Wenger plays this one, with the return match with Villareal a few days later and the club ravaged with injuries. Considering Aston Villa's plight, the Frenchmen might be wise to rest Fabregas, Van Persie, et al or risk the crunch of Lee Cattermole & Co. ... Wigan 2, Arsenal 1
* Stoke City v. Newcastle United -- (Live, FSC, noon) The weekend's big six-pointer. Stoke are pretty good at home, and Newcastle doesn't do much away. I'd like Newcastle to do something, but Delap's long throws coupled with Fabricio Colocinni scare me. ... Stoke 2, Newcastle 1
Sunday
* Aston Villa v. Everton -- (Live, Setanta, TBA) This was one of the best games of the season in the first encounter, but with Villa reeling this one loses a little appeal. Humor me for a second, but imagine if these teams combined their talent? Guess we wouldn't have to worry about either side being over-extended. As it is, both are stuck in the unenviable position of good, but not good enough for crack the top four and gain access to the Champions League riches. ... Aston Villa 2, Everton 2
* Manchester City v. Fulham -- (Live FSC, 11 a.m.) City's owners ought to give a hard, strong look at what Roy Hodgson's done over at Fulham. Not a lot of flash -- Danny Murphy is no Kaka -- but there's a system and it's effective for moving up the table. That said, expect nothing less than flash and pomp at Eastlands. ... City 2, Fulham 1
Last week: 6-4
Season: 141-162
* Can anyone come up with a reason why the Manchester United's wheels have fallen off? (Sorry about the previous comment, really really bad job on my part. Sorry if anyone was offended, if was just stupid by me. Hope you'll get past it. If it helps, I was going for a bad 'Big Lebowski' reference.) Pointing to the too many games/competitions theory seems too simplistic. Perhaps the Michael Carrick/Paul Scholes midfield isn't getting the job done? Is it just mental lapses? It's astounding a team with that much talent lost it so quick.
Not even Sir Alex Ferguson seems to have answer. To paraphrase the Smiths, "There is a Light That Never Goes Out" ... well, United was playing like that until it suddenly did.
For what little it's worth, I did happen to play a couple FIFA 09 online games with my opponents chosing Manchester United and I picked Porto. The Dragones hung tight, which is no small feat since United are uber-amazing in the game. Nobody is used to a team that goes 4-3-3.
* Liverpool's stunning 3-1 setback to Chelsea in the first leg of the Champions League quarterfinals refreshes everyone's thought on set pieces. I could have marked Ivanovic from my couch better than the Reds. The result makes it all the more imperative that Rafa can someone coax the squad past Manchester United in the league.
* This is a little old, but in wake of Argentina's 6-1 loss to Bolivia are we sure it's such a good idea to have Diego Maradona in charge? Granted nobody cares in America, but would we have Michael Jordan coach the Team USA hoops team? We can only imagine what the training sessions with Maradona must be like? Does he keep the earring in? Do the players tune him out? Personally, in my humblest opinion I'd prefer a coach who's not gallivanting around with Mike Tyson, but that's just me.
* Is there anyway the U.S. could naturalize Rory Delap? His long throw could work wonders on the International stage. Just imagine his rubber armed launches hurling it toward Oguchi Onyewu in the box. Nobody would know what hit them.
* Emanuel Adebayor. Doesn't matter you didn't do anything else during the Villareal game, that goal was the tits. Too bad the idiots on ESPN laughed over it's airing during the 'Sportscenter' Top 10 while talking hockey with Barry Melrose. Yeah, it happened and I saw it. Either way, that kind of inspiration is what wins two-leg affairs.
Saturday
* Liverpool v. Blackburn -- (Live, Setanta, 7:45 a.m.) You'd think Liverpool takes out its frustration on Blackburn, but if Steven Gerrard isn't playing all bets are off. Of course, Rovers don't exactly have a Michael Essien clone to grasp at Gerrard's groin all game, so even at half speed he could be effective. ... Liverpool 1, Blackburn 0
* Chelsea v. Bolton -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Watching Chelsea this year, this much is clear -- the Blues can play like dogcrap for 90 minutes but have the ability to produce goals out of nothing better than any other team in the league. How Chelsea has maintained its pace without Deco is a minor miracle. (Sarcasm, folks.) ... Chelsea 2, Bolton 0
* Middlesbrough v. Hull City -- Since I'm tired of beating a dead horse, just a prediction here. ... 'Boro 1, Hull 0
* Portsmouth v. West Brom -- You have to sympathize with Pompey fans, who are watching their eternal rival Southampton crash, burn and probably fade away. That could be them, especially since the new stadium project never got off the ground. Anyway, the chimes of 'Play Up Pompey' should ring out at Fratton Park in an absolute must-win, underline, must-win game. ... Portsmouth 2, West Brom 1
* Sunderland v. Manchester United -- (Live, Setanta, 9:45 a.m.) If United doesn't get its defensive woes sorted out against Sunderland, the season is probably lost. Also, the Red Devils depth will be tested, because Sir Alex doesn't have the benefit of a cushion to rest guys ahead of Porto, still some fresh legs like Welbeck and new hero Federico Macheda wouldn't hurt. ... Sunderland 0, Manchester United 1
* Tottenham v. West Ham United -- It's amazing that even though Iceland went bust, West Ham has maintained a position in the top half of the table all season. ... Spurs 1, West Ham 1
* Wigan Athletic v. Arsenal -- Interesting to see how Wenger plays this one, with the return match with Villareal a few days later and the club ravaged with injuries. Considering Aston Villa's plight, the Frenchmen might be wise to rest Fabregas, Van Persie, et al or risk the crunch of Lee Cattermole & Co. ... Wigan 2, Arsenal 1
* Stoke City v. Newcastle United -- (Live, FSC, noon) The weekend's big six-pointer. Stoke are pretty good at home, and Newcastle doesn't do much away. I'd like Newcastle to do something, but Delap's long throws coupled with Fabricio Colocinni scare me. ... Stoke 2, Newcastle 1
Sunday
* Aston Villa v. Everton -- (Live, Setanta, TBA) This was one of the best games of the season in the first encounter, but with Villa reeling this one loses a little appeal. Humor me for a second, but imagine if these teams combined their talent? Guess we wouldn't have to worry about either side being over-extended. As it is, both are stuck in the unenviable position of good, but not good enough for crack the top four and gain access to the Champions League riches. ... Aston Villa 2, Everton 2
* Manchester City v. Fulham -- (Live FSC, 11 a.m.) City's owners ought to give a hard, strong look at what Roy Hodgson's done over at Fulham. Not a lot of flash -- Danny Murphy is no Kaka -- but there's a system and it's effective for moving up the table. That said, expect nothing less than flash and pomp at Eastlands. ... City 2, Fulham 1
Last week: 6-4
Season: 141-162
Labels: Prem Picks, Premier League, Soccer
The Premier League's new slogan -- Good 'til the last drop?
It's been absolutely stunning how many late winners/equalizers have been scored during the 2008-09 season.
A couple weeks ago I brought up the idea of sabremetrical compared to soccer. I'm still not sure if statistical analysis will yield a secret formula to win games. It would be nice if there were more stats readily available.
If you go to the official Premier League site, the stats are pretty limited.
Today I'd love to go somewhere and pull down a menu and sort how many goals have been scored in the 90th+ minute. Perhaps this place exists and I'm too lazy to find it.
Anyway, on back-to-back days we saw the title see-saw back-and-forth between Liverpool and Manchester United behind extra time winners, one more improbable than the next.
Liverpool's 1-0 win over Fulham via Yossi Benayoun's late winner was well-deserved. The Reds hit the post, what, five times?
That euphoria lasted less than 24 hours, thanks to one of the more surprising final 10 minutes I've seen in quite some time in Manchcester United's rousing 3-2 win over Aston Villa.
Once again, Manchester United (without Vidic, Ferdinand, Rooney and Berbatov) looked completely toothless. The Red Devils basically slept walk through the matches, with both Aston Villa goals seeming to come at half speed.
Ronaldo at least saved United a draw with a sneaky strike that somehow curled inside the far post. To keep it that low to the ground with that much power, well folks, that's why he's worth the GDP of Chad to Real Madrid.
But that goal was nothing compared to Federico Macheda -- yes, the Federico Macheda -- wonderstrike in the 90th minute.
I made a quickee post about this yesterday and even time doesn't dull the shock value.
It's amazing that a 17-year-old Italian with no previous PL experience has scored the most important goal of the season to date.
Looking at the table, Manchester United's win is more of a serious blow to Chelsea than Liverpool -- which has to keep winning anyway. Chelsea are four back, plus United still have that game in hand. Liverpool are one, but it's a big one.
Oh right, these two play each other on Wedensday in the Champions League.
Even with the big win Sunday, Manchester United still don't look right. The Red Devils' air of invincibility appears to have vanished. Granted, a win like Sunday does a lot toward restoring a team's mojo.
A lot of weekends I've walked away from watching PL games with a 'meh' feeling -- not this one. These last two months are going to be great.
A thought on Newcastle -- The other big story this weekend was Alan Shearer at Newcastle, which are three points from safety. A manager isn't exactly going to save the Magpies, a couple quality defenders would though.
For whatever the reason, the plight of Newcastle United struck me as similar to the crisis around General Motors and perhaps the worst case scenario would actually be the best thing for both entities. In Newcastle's case, relegation and GM's bankruptcy.
Both bad situations would at least allow the entities to regroup, restructure and generally get their acts together, because as currently constituted neither is working.
Yes, there's always the chance they can never recover, but if they can they'll each be better for it.
Around the league Your big relegation-o-rama winners: Blackburn and Stoke. The losers: Sunderland and Middlesbrough. ... Emmanuel Adebayor scored a pair of nice goals in Arsenal's 2-0 win over Man City. Too bad the Togolese striker doesn't bring it each weekend. If I were Arsene Wenger, I'd sell high on him. ... Yes, I'm beating a dead horse, but does any other player other than Frank Lampard score that deflection-off-the-bar against Newcastle? I guess the reverse of this is that he's got great awareness since he's in the right place at the right time. ... Aston Villa's Carlos Cuellar doesn't use jelly. He doesn't use cheese. He uses Vaseline. Christ, he looked like an extra from 'Ghostbusters.' Gross.
Fantasy Team 'O the Week -- Huge points this week and only a 30 point gap at the top. This week's top honor goes to Nicholas Mulch's Prussians & Pistols which got 89 points from Ronaldo, Lampard and Matty Taylor.
It's been absolutely stunning how many late winners/equalizers have been scored during the 2008-09 season.
A couple weeks ago I brought up the idea of sabremetrical compared to soccer. I'm still not sure if statistical analysis will yield a secret formula to win games. It would be nice if there were more stats readily available.
If you go to the official Premier League site, the stats are pretty limited.
Today I'd love to go somewhere and pull down a menu and sort how many goals have been scored in the 90th+ minute. Perhaps this place exists and I'm too lazy to find it.
Anyway, on back-to-back days we saw the title see-saw back-and-forth between Liverpool and Manchester United behind extra time winners, one more improbable than the next.
Liverpool's 1-0 win over Fulham via Yossi Benayoun's late winner was well-deserved. The Reds hit the post, what, five times?
That euphoria lasted less than 24 hours, thanks to one of the more surprising final 10 minutes I've seen in quite some time in Manchcester United's rousing 3-2 win over Aston Villa.
Once again, Manchester United (without Vidic, Ferdinand, Rooney and Berbatov) looked completely toothless. The Red Devils basically slept walk through the matches, with both Aston Villa goals seeming to come at half speed.
Ronaldo at least saved United a draw with a sneaky strike that somehow curled inside the far post. To keep it that low to the ground with that much power, well folks, that's why he's worth the GDP of Chad to Real Madrid.
But that goal was nothing compared to Federico Macheda -- yes, the Federico Macheda -- wonderstrike in the 90th minute.
I made a quickee post about this yesterday and even time doesn't dull the shock value.
It's amazing that a 17-year-old Italian with no previous PL experience has scored the most important goal of the season to date.
Looking at the table, Manchester United's win is more of a serious blow to Chelsea than Liverpool -- which has to keep winning anyway. Chelsea are four back, plus United still have that game in hand. Liverpool are one, but it's a big one.
Oh right, these two play each other on Wedensday in the Champions League.
Even with the big win Sunday, Manchester United still don't look right. The Red Devils' air of invincibility appears to have vanished. Granted, a win like Sunday does a lot toward restoring a team's mojo.
A lot of weekends I've walked away from watching PL games with a 'meh' feeling -- not this one. These last two months are going to be great.
A thought on Newcastle -- The other big story this weekend was Alan Shearer at Newcastle, which are three points from safety. A manager isn't exactly going to save the Magpies, a couple quality defenders would though.
For whatever the reason, the plight of Newcastle United struck me as similar to the crisis around General Motors and perhaps the worst case scenario would actually be the best thing for both entities. In Newcastle's case, relegation and GM's bankruptcy.
Both bad situations would at least allow the entities to regroup, restructure and generally get their acts together, because as currently constituted neither is working.
Yes, there's always the chance they can never recover, but if they can they'll each be better for it.
Around the league Your big relegation-o-rama winners: Blackburn and Stoke. The losers: Sunderland and Middlesbrough. ... Emmanuel Adebayor scored a pair of nice goals in Arsenal's 2-0 win over Man City. Too bad the Togolese striker doesn't bring it each weekend. If I were Arsene Wenger, I'd sell high on him. ... Yes, I'm beating a dead horse, but does any other player other than Frank Lampard score that deflection-off-the-bar against Newcastle? I guess the reverse of this is that he's got great awareness since he's in the right place at the right time. ... Aston Villa's Carlos Cuellar doesn't use jelly. He doesn't use cheese. He uses Vaseline. Christ, he looked like an extra from 'Ghostbusters.' Gross.
Fantasy Team 'O the Week -- Huge points this week and only a 30 point gap at the top. This week's top honor goes to Nicholas Mulch's Prussians & Pistols which got 89 points from Ronaldo, Lampard and Matty Taylor.
Labels: Liverpool, manchester United, Monday recaps, Premier League, Soccer
Wow...that just happened?
Sorry if this post is too 'Twittery' and or new Facebook status-updatey.
My jaw dropped when Federico Macheda scored the 3-2 winner for Manchester United in injury time seconds ago at Old Trafford.
The dude doesn't even have a Wikipedia page.
What were the odds of that on the touts' cards? 10,000-to-1?
It's not just that the guy was a complete unknown, the way he finished was a goal of the year candidate. Flipping it back to yourself, and curling in into the far post?
This was a like a rookie, September call-up hitting a pinch-hit walk-off home run in a pennant chase in Major League Baseball. He even had the high number (41) covered.
Yossi...you just got moved to the back burner, sorry.
Apologies again if this is incoherent, or at least more so than usual, but I'm simply floored. I haven't been this stunned by a sporting event since the Cardiac Turks at last year's Euro.
Bottom line if you had an ex-Lazio youth player deciding the 2008-09 Premier League, well, I want a ride in your Delorean. I'll bring my own plutonium.
Full Monday post, tomorrow.
Sorry if this post is too 'Twittery' and or new Facebook status-updatey.
My jaw dropped when Federico Macheda scored the 3-2 winner for Manchester United in injury time seconds ago at Old Trafford.
The dude doesn't even have a Wikipedia page.
What were the odds of that on the touts' cards? 10,000-to-1?
It's not just that the guy was a complete unknown, the way he finished was a goal of the year candidate. Flipping it back to yourself, and curling in into the far post?
This was a like a rookie, September call-up hitting a pinch-hit walk-off home run in a pennant chase in Major League Baseball. He even had the high number (41) covered.
Yossi...you just got moved to the back burner, sorry.
Apologies again if this is incoherent, or at least more so than usual, but I'm simply floored. I haven't been this stunned by a sporting event since the Cardiac Turks at last year's Euro.
Bottom line if you had an ex-Lazio youth player deciding the 2008-09 Premier League, well, I want a ride in your Delorean. I'll bring my own plutonium.
Full Monday post, tomorrow.
Labels: manchester United, Premier League, Soccer
Believe it or not, I had a couple things saved up...so here they are:
* Call it a sign of the times. I was strolling through Dick's Sporting Goods the other day, and a woman and her son walked past a Manchester United training top and the mom laughed about the AIG across the shirt. Perhaps that explains the Red Devils sudden slide as much as anything.
* If you're somehow a supporter of a struggling Premier League team, maybe you don't want to read or hear about what's happening at Southampton. The club is probably going out of business, which is a shame. On the other hand, the Saints did get some major money for the sales of Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott.
* Speaking of teams to go down, Middlesbrough. I had this weird thought. There's a big sentiment in circles in England that there aren't enough English players, especially youngsters, in the Premier League. Well, 'Boro has put its stake in its Academy, and it doesn't seem to either work or appeal to the fans. You'd think that fans would get behind this idea to support young English players. Its on par with how Americna football fans don't watch 'Friday Night Lights'. Then again, 'FNL' has Coach Taylor and 'Boro is coached by a troll.
* Never forget, Maurice Edu on the cover of 'FIFA 09' -- It happened!
* It took some time, but Rafa Benitez has his ideal XI.
* When you think about it, why is MLS slagged off by foreign journalists, hey Australia's A-League gets off Scot free?
* Turns out, most of you weren't too thrilled about the Champions League switching from ESPN to FSC. Looks like Fox has big plans for the competition and will show the final on FX and other matches over its other outlets. The big news is that Fox is considering using the European English broadcast fee, which wouldn't be a bad thing.
Saturday
* Blackburn v. Tottenham -- (Live, Setanta, 7:45 a.m.) Spurs are probably safe, so Blackburn ought to pounce on three points. ... Blackburn 2, Spurs 1
* Bolton v. Middlesbrough -- Here's a thought, if and 'Boro go down, does Afonso Alves give shit? ... Bolton 1, Middlesbrough 1
* Arsenal v. Manchester City -- (Live, Setanta, 9:45 a.m.) This is baby-level analysis, but this should be a fun one to watch if only for Robinho v. Arshavin. ... Arsenal 2, City 1
* Hull City v. Portsmouth -- Winner here takes a huge step toward safety. You have to sort of feel for Peter Crouch. Not good enough to feature weekly at a good team, but not good enough to carry a bad team by himself. ... Hull 1, Portsmouth 0
* Newcastle United v. Chelsea -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Fox lucked into this one, with the King of the One-handed salute returning to Geordie heaven. Is Alan Shearer enough to save the Magpies? Perhaps Mike Ashley is a fan of the legend of El Cid. Sometimes these crazy things yield feel-good stories, but wow, talk about stepping into the deep end of the pool. ... Newcastle 1, Chelsea 3
* West Brom v. Stoke City -- To Stoke: If you want it, here it is, come and get it, but you have to hurry 'cuz it's going fast. ... West Brom 1, Stoke 1
* West Ham v. Sunderland -- Is the battle for maybe ninth place worth fighting for? ... West Ham 0, Sunderland 0
* Fulham v. Liverpool -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) Speak of the devil, Fox gets another great pairing. Fulham surely can't pull off another upset, can they? ... Fulham 0, Liverpool 2
Sunday
* Everton v. Wigan Athletic -- (Live, Setanta, 10 a.m.) I like this match, not too many others do. And coming soon to a Apple IIe near you -- 'Where in the World is Amir Zaki?' ... Everton 2, Wigan 1
* Manchester United v. Aston Villa -- (Live, 11 a.m.) Look at it this way, it's the Hindenburg vs. the Titanic. United have to pull out the tailspin, right? Paging Mr. Ronaldo. ... Manchester United 3, Aston Villa 1
Last week: 5-5
Season: 135-158
* Call it a sign of the times. I was strolling through Dick's Sporting Goods the other day, and a woman and her son walked past a Manchester United training top and the mom laughed about the AIG across the shirt. Perhaps that explains the Red Devils sudden slide as much as anything.
* If you're somehow a supporter of a struggling Premier League team, maybe you don't want to read or hear about what's happening at Southampton. The club is probably going out of business, which is a shame. On the other hand, the Saints did get some major money for the sales of Gareth Bale and Theo Walcott.
* Speaking of teams to go down, Middlesbrough. I had this weird thought. There's a big sentiment in circles in England that there aren't enough English players, especially youngsters, in the Premier League. Well, 'Boro has put its stake in its Academy, and it doesn't seem to either work or appeal to the fans. You'd think that fans would get behind this idea to support young English players. Its on par with how Americna football fans don't watch 'Friday Night Lights'. Then again, 'FNL' has Coach Taylor and 'Boro is coached by a troll.
* Never forget, Maurice Edu on the cover of 'FIFA 09' -- It happened!
* It took some time, but Rafa Benitez has his ideal XI.
* When you think about it, why is MLS slagged off by foreign journalists, hey Australia's A-League gets off Scot free?
* Turns out, most of you weren't too thrilled about the Champions League switching from ESPN to FSC. Looks like Fox has big plans for the competition and will show the final on FX and other matches over its other outlets. The big news is that Fox is considering using the European English broadcast fee, which wouldn't be a bad thing.
Saturday
* Blackburn v. Tottenham -- (Live, Setanta, 7:45 a.m.) Spurs are probably safe, so Blackburn ought to pounce on three points. ... Blackburn 2, Spurs 1
* Bolton v. Middlesbrough -- Here's a thought, if and 'Boro go down, does Afonso Alves give shit? ... Bolton 1, Middlesbrough 1
* Arsenal v. Manchester City -- (Live, Setanta, 9:45 a.m.) This is baby-level analysis, but this should be a fun one to watch if only for Robinho v. Arshavin. ... Arsenal 2, City 1
* Hull City v. Portsmouth -- Winner here takes a huge step toward safety. You have to sort of feel for Peter Crouch. Not good enough to feature weekly at a good team, but not good enough to carry a bad team by himself. ... Hull 1, Portsmouth 0
* Newcastle United v. Chelsea -- (Live, FSC, 10 a.m.) Fox lucked into this one, with the King of the One-handed salute returning to Geordie heaven. Is Alan Shearer enough to save the Magpies? Perhaps Mike Ashley is a fan of the legend of El Cid. Sometimes these crazy things yield feel-good stories, but wow, talk about stepping into the deep end of the pool. ... Newcastle 1, Chelsea 3
* West Brom v. Stoke City -- To Stoke: If you want it, here it is, come and get it, but you have to hurry 'cuz it's going fast. ... West Brom 1, Stoke 1
* West Ham v. Sunderland -- Is the battle for maybe ninth place worth fighting for? ... West Ham 0, Sunderland 0
* Fulham v. Liverpool -- (Live, FSC, 12:30 p.m.) Speak of the devil, Fox gets another great pairing. Fulham surely can't pull off another upset, can they? ... Fulham 0, Liverpool 2
Sunday
* Everton v. Wigan Athletic -- (Live, Setanta, 10 a.m.) I like this match, not too many others do. And coming soon to a Apple IIe near you -- 'Where in the World is Amir Zaki?' ... Everton 2, Wigan 1
* Manchester United v. Aston Villa -- (Live, 11 a.m.) Look at it this way, it's the Hindenburg vs. the Titanic. United have to pull out the tailspin, right? Paging Mr. Ronaldo. ... Manchester United 3, Aston Villa 1
Last week: 5-5
Season: 135-158
Labels: Prem Picks, Premier League, Soccer
"I think I love you, but what am I so afraid of?" -- The Partridge Family.
So yeah, as a heterosexual male I'm not afraid to admit a full-blown man crush on Jozy Altidore.
It's to the point where I've sworn off soccer jerseys for the time being, but and planning to click on the ussoccerstore.com after this post to order a No. 17 shirt to have and to hold. (Maybe the kid that caught his jersey in the crowd will put it on eBay.)
First, before I start getting hot flashes, let's consider one major scenario -- Eddie Johnson. If we rewound the clock to 2005, people like me were all agog over the, then 'Grown Ass Man.'
Let's be a little more specific, as in Oct. 13, 2004, when Johnson (then 20), tallied a hat trick in a qualifier against Panama.
Yet maybe that's where the similarities end. At the peak of 'GAM'-mania, Johnson turned down a $6 million bid to Benfica, got hurt and finally transferred to Fulham in 2008.
Altidore, 19, is already in Europe, albeit not playing even after his loan spell from Villareal to Xerez, which makes Wednesday's hat trick against Trinidad & Tobago all the more impressive. From my layman's perspective, Altidore brings a lot more to the game than Johnson, who was mainly a speed burner.
Not to bash Johnson, honest, but did we ever see him score in a fashion like Altidore's second goal where he shuck the defender out of his pants and had the poise to finish? That was Alec Guinness stuff -- Geniuine Class.
And maybe that's why it's okay to dream about Altidore's potential.
Unlike the rest of the U.S. team -- which is hard working and earnest -- Altidore has the abilities to be a star. Strong, speedy, skillful. (Man, this is bordering on Peter King/Brett Favre territory, I apologize.)
Put it this way, come the Confederations Cup in June, will Italy or Brasil truly be worried about the bulk of the U.S. players? But Altidore, you'd think will be circled on the pregame grease board.
He's a game-changer.
And let's pray that Bob Bradley sees this and realizes this and keeps Altidore in the lineup.
At least after the El Salvador debacle, Bradley loosened the purse strings and opted for two forwards with Altidore and the tireless stalwart Brian Ching. (What a beauty of a header to trigger the first Altidore goal. The U.S. couldn't pull that off if they even tried again on the practice pitch.)
Hindsight is 20-20, and the 2-2 El Salvador draw showed the limitations of the 4-5-1 formation. While it might get the best XI players in the U.S. lineup, it doesn't exactly leave a ton of attacking options. Most times, the 4-5-1 is a defensive formation by lesser teams, meant to clog the midfield.
Donovan is a valuable player, but his best asset is speed, not creating chances in the middle of the field.
Wednesday proved that against a lesser opponent -- did Trinidad even get one decent chance on Tim Howard? -- the U.S. can survive with a more attacking formation. Naturally, the emergence of Altidore makes this a lot more palatable.
In a 4-5-1, the U.S. does have a lot of different guys that can score -- Donovan, Dempsey, Bradley, Beasley ... even Hejduk. Yet, is there anyone there you can rely on goals from? Alitdore, looks on his way to becoming that kind of threat.
It's hard to believe this wasn't common knowledge, but the U.S. is the dominant team and should play like such and make the opponent adjust -- not the other way around.
Perhaps Wednesday's 3-0 result opened some eyes toward this line of thought.
Though the role of the Superpower might not carry the weight it once did globally, there's nothing wrong with playing like it in international soccer. Let's hope Alitdore can develop into our version of a nuclear missile...without the death and fallout, of course.
Miscellany:
* Nice job by Donovan to lay the ball back to Altidore to get attempt for goal No. 3. Clayton Ince should have saved it, but who's complaining?
* Beasley at left back experiment was better than expected. At this point, without any other viable options he's at least worth a shot. This won't be the Eddie Lewis experiment part II, considering the U.S. can have a year to work out the kinks. Hell, I forgot I even used Beasley as a makeshift left back in my old Master League team in Winning XI 2008.
* The best aspect of Bob Bradley's lineup was that Michael Bradley is effective from box-to-box. He's not exactly a visionary passer, but he can contribute both offensively and defensively. Five goals in 19 matches with Borussia Mönchengladbach is nothing to discount. If you continue to play two forwards, you can pair Bradley with guys like Pablo Mastroeni, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan and Jose Francisco Torres and probably get away with it.
* Long term Donovan on the left midfield, who knows? For one night, he got his mojo back. Donovan is at his best making runs and playing one-twos, not sitting in the pocket behind the forwards. He doesn't have the space.
* The U.S. defense was never tested. I did like Carlos Bocanegra's longball to Ching that set up Altidore's first goal. He did also have a decent cross from the left early on, which still makes him an option at left back, at least in my book.
* Quiet game from Clint Dempsey, but it was still mainly positive.
* You can poke holes in his game, but I still love the karma playing Hejduk brings. I wish the rest of the team played -- or at least showed -- emotions on par with him. It never gets old seeing him fire up the fans.
* Speaking of the fans, the fallacy of Sam's Army came out again Wednesday. Red shirts against Trinidad -- where red is their main jersey color seems counter productive.
* Good crowd, at least on television, in Nashville. LP Field seems like the anti-Highbury, as in it's acres wide.
* I made a note of Rob Stone calling Trinidad "jayvee" at halftime. It seemed harsh at the time, but not after the full 90.
* I'll still relish the games against TnT since they're not 90-minute foul-fests.
* Two minor ESPN gripes, aside from wondering where Shaka Hislop got teleported to after the pregame show. First, how could they not run the updated UEFA qualification standings after Wednesday's game? Second, I still wonder how Pedro Gomez got on the soccer beat. Was Allan Hopkins really a carpetbagger all along?
On the plus side, at least there weren't any 'Sportscenter' in-game updates and will only had to hear about Donte Stallworth briefly at halftime.
Closing thoughts:
Well, it seems the story of the U.S.'s demise was greatly exaggerated.
Hopefully this is sign of things to come that Bradley is willing to play a more attack-minded lineup, at least at home. We're the best team in CONCACAF and its nothing to be ashamed about to play that way.
Bottom line, the night belonged to Jozy.
Let's join hands and pray he's not a One Hit Wonder.
...time for 'Lost'.
UPDATES
1. Honduras beat Mexico 3-1. So suffice to say, the crisis team in the region in Mexico and allow me to shed some tears...not. If you life in Chicagoland and don't have a ticket for U.S./Honduras on June 6, what on earth are you waiting for?
2. Bad job by ESPN. They make no mention of Jozy's hat trick in the ESPNEWS scorebox? I guess it just pains me that regular season NBA is more important than the national soccer team. I guess I ought to be realistic. Oh well. This is basically why I'm glad the Champions League is off the Worldwide. (And please, don't call it Team USA. Thanks.)
So yeah, as a heterosexual male I'm not afraid to admit a full-blown man crush on Jozy Altidore.
It's to the point where I've sworn off soccer jerseys for the time being, but and planning to click on the ussoccerstore.com after this post to order a No. 17 shirt to have and to hold. (Maybe the kid that caught his jersey in the crowd will put it on eBay.)
First, before I start getting hot flashes, let's consider one major scenario -- Eddie Johnson. If we rewound the clock to 2005, people like me were all agog over the, then 'Grown Ass Man.'
Let's be a little more specific, as in Oct. 13, 2004, when Johnson (then 20), tallied a hat trick in a qualifier against Panama.
Yet maybe that's where the similarities end. At the peak of 'GAM'-mania, Johnson turned down a $6 million bid to Benfica, got hurt and finally transferred to Fulham in 2008.
Altidore, 19, is already in Europe, albeit not playing even after his loan spell from Villareal to Xerez, which makes Wednesday's hat trick against Trinidad & Tobago all the more impressive. From my layman's perspective, Altidore brings a lot more to the game than Johnson, who was mainly a speed burner.
Not to bash Johnson, honest, but did we ever see him score in a fashion like Altidore's second goal where he shuck the defender out of his pants and had the poise to finish? That was Alec Guinness stuff -- Geniuine Class.
And maybe that's why it's okay to dream about Altidore's potential.
Unlike the rest of the U.S. team -- which is hard working and earnest -- Altidore has the abilities to be a star. Strong, speedy, skillful. (Man, this is bordering on Peter King/Brett Favre territory, I apologize.)
Put it this way, come the Confederations Cup in June, will Italy or Brasil truly be worried about the bulk of the U.S. players? But Altidore, you'd think will be circled on the pregame grease board.
He's a game-changer.
And let's pray that Bob Bradley sees this and realizes this and keeps Altidore in the lineup.
At least after the El Salvador debacle, Bradley loosened the purse strings and opted for two forwards with Altidore and the tireless stalwart Brian Ching. (What a beauty of a header to trigger the first Altidore goal. The U.S. couldn't pull that off if they even tried again on the practice pitch.)
Hindsight is 20-20, and the 2-2 El Salvador draw showed the limitations of the 4-5-1 formation. While it might get the best XI players in the U.S. lineup, it doesn't exactly leave a ton of attacking options. Most times, the 4-5-1 is a defensive formation by lesser teams, meant to clog the midfield.
Donovan is a valuable player, but his best asset is speed, not creating chances in the middle of the field.
Wednesday proved that against a lesser opponent -- did Trinidad even get one decent chance on Tim Howard? -- the U.S. can survive with a more attacking formation. Naturally, the emergence of Altidore makes this a lot more palatable.
In a 4-5-1, the U.S. does have a lot of different guys that can score -- Donovan, Dempsey, Bradley, Beasley ... even Hejduk. Yet, is there anyone there you can rely on goals from? Alitdore, looks on his way to becoming that kind of threat.
It's hard to believe this wasn't common knowledge, but the U.S. is the dominant team and should play like such and make the opponent adjust -- not the other way around.
Perhaps Wednesday's 3-0 result opened some eyes toward this line of thought.
Though the role of the Superpower might not carry the weight it once did globally, there's nothing wrong with playing like it in international soccer. Let's hope Alitdore can develop into our version of a nuclear missile...without the death and fallout, of course.
Miscellany:
* Nice job by Donovan to lay the ball back to Altidore to get attempt for goal No. 3. Clayton Ince should have saved it, but who's complaining?
* Beasley at left back experiment was better than expected. At this point, without any other viable options he's at least worth a shot. This won't be the Eddie Lewis experiment part II, considering the U.S. can have a year to work out the kinks. Hell, I forgot I even used Beasley as a makeshift left back in my old Master League team in Winning XI 2008.
* The best aspect of Bob Bradley's lineup was that Michael Bradley is effective from box-to-box. He's not exactly a visionary passer, but he can contribute both offensively and defensively. Five goals in 19 matches with Borussia Mönchengladbach is nothing to discount. If you continue to play two forwards, you can pair Bradley with guys like Pablo Mastroeni, Maurice Edu, Sacha Kljestan and Jose Francisco Torres and probably get away with it.
* Long term Donovan on the left midfield, who knows? For one night, he got his mojo back. Donovan is at his best making runs and playing one-twos, not sitting in the pocket behind the forwards. He doesn't have the space.
* The U.S. defense was never tested. I did like Carlos Bocanegra's longball to Ching that set up Altidore's first goal. He did also have a decent cross from the left early on, which still makes him an option at left back, at least in my book.
* Quiet game from Clint Dempsey, but it was still mainly positive.
* You can poke holes in his game, but I still love the karma playing Hejduk brings. I wish the rest of the team played -- or at least showed -- emotions on par with him. It never gets old seeing him fire up the fans.
* Speaking of the fans, the fallacy of Sam's Army came out again Wednesday. Red shirts against Trinidad -- where red is their main jersey color seems counter productive.
* Good crowd, at least on television, in Nashville. LP Field seems like the anti-Highbury, as in it's acres wide.
* I made a note of Rob Stone calling Trinidad "jayvee" at halftime. It seemed harsh at the time, but not after the full 90.
* I'll still relish the games against TnT since they're not 90-minute foul-fests.
* Two minor ESPN gripes, aside from wondering where Shaka Hislop got teleported to after the pregame show. First, how could they not run the updated UEFA qualification standings after Wednesday's game? Second, I still wonder how Pedro Gomez got on the soccer beat. Was Allan Hopkins really a carpetbagger all along?
On the plus side, at least there weren't any 'Sportscenter' in-game updates and will only had to hear about Donte Stallworth briefly at halftime.
Closing thoughts:
Well, it seems the story of the U.S.'s demise was greatly exaggerated.
Hopefully this is sign of things to come that Bradley is willing to play a more attack-minded lineup, at least at home. We're the best team in CONCACAF and its nothing to be ashamed about to play that way.
Bottom line, the night belonged to Jozy.
Let's join hands and pray he's not a One Hit Wonder.
...time for 'Lost'.
UPDATES
1. Honduras beat Mexico 3-1. So suffice to say, the crisis team in the region in Mexico and allow me to shed some tears...not. If you life in Chicagoland and don't have a ticket for U.S./Honduras on June 6, what on earth are you waiting for?
2. Bad job by ESPN. They make no mention of Jozy's hat trick in the ESPNEWS scorebox? I guess it just pains me that regular season NBA is more important than the national soccer team. I guess I ought to be realistic. Oh well. This is basically why I'm glad the Champions League is off the Worldwide. (And please, don't call it Team USA. Thanks.)
Labels: bob bradley, concacaf, Jozy Altidore, Soccer, world cup qualifying
