Preview: Chelsea vs Liverpool

Chelsea and Liverpool both enter their match on Sunday reeling from stunning losses. For Liverpool it was a mid-week 2-0 loss to Fiorentina in the Champions League. For Chelsea it was a 3-1 self-destruction against Wigan last weekend. They failed to gain any momentum in their Champions League match, squeaking by Apoel Nicosia 1-0. Both teams need this game to right their season and prevent a potential early-season freefall.
The early upper hand goes to Liverpool who, despite their struggles have managed to produce some significant offense in the Premier League. Its also relatively injury-free. Chelsea will be hurting on the defensive end because of the absence of goalkeeper Petr Cech who was sent off during last weekend’s match against Wigan with a straight red card. Hilario will keep goal in Cech’s place, but his lack of game time experience will cause worries from Chelsea supporters.
My prediction: As much as I hate to say it, I think the odds are against the Blues for this one. Chelsea will be keen on breaking out of its mini-slump, but without several key players, it won’t be able to reach its true form. My only hope is that Joe Cole will come up with a big game. Otherwise I think Liverpool will manage to poke through a few goals for the win. 2-0.

This is why I hate Manchester United

Manchester United did not deserve to win today. They were severely outplayed by an inspired Sunderland squad for almost 90 solid minutes. But Patrice Evra’s shot, which deflected off Sunderland defender Anton Ferdinand for an own goal, proved why Manchester United is Manchester United. Sometimes they don’t deserve the win, but they win anyway.

Darren Bent put Sunderland ahead in the 7th minute with a low line drive that extended just past the fingertips of Man U’s Ben Foster. Sunderland played smart, possessive football throughout the first half while Man U squandered several chances and carelessly turned the ball over. Especially angered at trailing 1-0, Wayne Rooney was relatively un-effective for the duration of the match. Man U trailed at the start of the second half but began to generate better opportunities.

Then, in the 51st minute, Dimitar Berbatov sent a beautiful ball past Sunderland keeper Craig Gordon to open the scoring for Man U. Berbatov expertly bicycled John O’Shea’s cross with an acrobatic jump and twist.

Most thought that this would open up the floodgates for Manchester United’s goal scorers, but Sunderland swiftly recovered. It kept up its workhorse style of play with crisp, smart passes and well-placed balls. In the 58th minute, Andy Reid sent a nifty pass to Kenwyne Jones who collided mid-air with Foster, who got the worst of the collision. But Jones head reached the ball first and sent it bouncing into the goal, putting the Mackems up 2-1.

Sunderland played valiant defense for the last half hour as Manchester United began to increase their attack. It cleared out countless Man U crosses and prevented Man U from producing any legitimate chances. It appeared that the underdogs would escape the barrage unharmed until the 93rd minute when Patrice Evra sent a shot into the box. The shot ricocheted off Anton Ferdinand, brother of Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand who did not play today, and into the back of the net, salvaging a point for the Red Devils.

Although the score didn’t reflect it, Sunderland played winning football. Darren Bent and Lee Cattermole played the field superbly, creating several offensive opportunities while Sunderland’s defense as a whole stifled Manchester United.

Despite the hear-breaking loss, Sunderland has several opportunities to better their record in the coming weeks. They face a tough match against Liverpool on the 17th and then travel to Birmingham to face Birmingham City.

Manchester United hosts Bolton on the 17th. Despite a mid-week Champions League match against CSKA Moscow on the 21st and the continued absence of stars Edwin van der Sar and Rio Ferdinand, one can only assume that Manchester United will continue to play choppy, disorganized football and continue to win.

Rites of Autumn

There’s an irresistible excitement in the London air this September. Along with the bite of the wind and fresh smell of leaves, football is in the air. After a three-month long stint of beating hot sun, humidity cricket test matches and the Confederations Cup, proper football is back in England. Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carling Cup matches populate pub television screens and newspaper back pages. Each day provides a new opportunity to enjoy brilliance and beauty of football. From a bright Saturday afternoon at the stadium to a chilly Tuesday night in a warm pub with a pint of cider, watching Europe’s finest, football provides all of London with endless excitement.

And in the fall, the excitement is especially high, because of the unknown that lies ahead. Each team starts the season with an optimistic view, with a belief that they can improve upon the previous season. Fans and players alike share in the excitement of a new season, craving the exciting goals, comeback victories and moments of glory that lie ahead. Enjoy the autumn, football fans. Enjoy the sunny days at the pitch before the biting November cold sweeps in. Enjoy the optimism of a 3-1 record and the visions of FA Cup or European glory. Because this is football at its most pure

So Close, Yet So Far

In what would have been the most monumental upset since…well…yesterday, South Africa came within three minutes of pushing powerhouse Brazil to overtime in the second semifinal of the 2009 Confederation’s Cup. But the host’s date with destiny was not to be, as Dani Alves bent a wicked free kick into the net in the 87th minute to propel the Brazilians into the finals. They’ll face the United States who pulled off the unlikeliest of upsets yesterday against world number one, Spain.
Brazil did not live up to their title as the master’s of the beautiful game, never really finding their samba-rhythm. The short peppered passes and gliding footwork were missing from the performance, as they never quite pulled away from the South Africans. Salvation came in the 87th minute from Dani Alves who fiercely curled a free kick around the wall, off of the right post and into the goal.
Credit goes to the hosts, who fared well against the South Americans. However, if they had been just a little more adventurous, they may have been able to poke through a goal.
Brazil will face the United States on Sunday in the championship match. Team USA is coming off of a huge wave of momentum after defeating Spain 2-0 yesterday. In their previous matchup, during the group stage of the tournament, Brazil downed the U.S. 3-0, with goals from Felipe Melo, Robinho and Maicon.

Looking Back: Great Upsets in US Soccer History

Now that the greatest upset in U.S. soccer history is a few hours old, it seemed appropriate to reflect on some of the U.S.’ other big soccer upsets. Enjoy.


1950 World Cup
Known as the “Miracle on Grass” the United States stunned England and the rest of the world with their 1-0 victory over the “Kings of Football” at the Estadio Independcia in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. In the 37th minute Walter Bahr crossed the ball in to Joe Gaetjens who grazed the ball just enough to put it past goalkeeper Bert Williams to put the Americans up 1-0 and make history. The United States would win the game 1-0. Neither team advanced through to the knockout stage.

1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup
The United States stunned Brazil in the semifinals of the CONCACAF Gold Cup, winning 1-0. Preki scored the game’s only goal, a powerful strike from outside the box that sailed over Tafarrel’s head. Kasey Keller was brilliant in goal, stifling the likes of Romario and Edmundo while preserving the shutout. Unfortunately, the Red, White and Blue lost to the Tricolores of Mexico in the championship match.

1994 World Cup
The U.S. took on Colombia in a group stage match of the 1994 World Cup in front of a staggering 93,000 fans at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles. The United States did not disappoint the home crowd, upsetting Colombia 2-1. Thanks to an own goal from Andres Escobar, and a goal from Ernie Stewart put the Americans ahead and helped secure passage into the knockout round.

2002 World Cup
The United States sent the shot heard ‘round the world in the group stage of the 2002 World Cup, when they took down Portugal 3-2. John O’Brien and Brian McBride scored goals, while Jorge Costa put in an own goal for Portugal. The U.S. made it through to the knockout stage and advanced to the quarterfinals where they fell to Germany 1-0.

U.S. Stuns Spain

The United States soccer team has just pulled off an upset of epic proportions.

Forget 1950. The United States’ 2-0 stunning of Spain is undoubtedly their biggest upset of all time. Not only because they took down the world’s No. 1 team. A team that had not lost an international match in 35 tries. But because the United States shouldn’t have even made it this far in the first place. After falling to Italy and Brazil in group stage, the United States backed into the semi-finals thanks to a six goal swing with Egypt.

That didn’t matter Wednesday night at Free State, as the United States displayed the confidence of world-beaters as they bravely stood toe to toe with the world’s No. 1 team.
Starting a young squad that included Benny Feilhaber, Michael Bradley and Ricardo Clark, Bob Bradley’s side faced the likes of David Villa, Fernando Torres, Carlos Puyol, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, and the list goes on.

The match began quietly, with the United States doing well to prevent Spain from finding a rhythm to their game. Both sides put several shots wide or high of the target. The first jolt came in the 27th minute when U.S. striker Clint Dempsey fed the ball to Jozy Altidore who expertly shook off Xavi with a nifty spin and put a shot at Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas. Casillas was caught wrong-footed and only managed to palm the ball onto the post and into the back of the net. Altidore was handed a yellow card after the goal due to excessive celebration.

Despite the early wake-up call and thanks to a brilliant reflex save by Tim Howard, Spain could not answer with a goal of their own, and went into half-time trailing 1-0. Spain applied significant more pressure during the second half, but it was overshadowed by a gutsy display of defending from the United States. The Spaniards sent shot after shot at the U.S. goal, but were turned away time and again. Cesc Fabregas’ tricky passes and David Villa’s screaming long shots were no match for Oguchi Onyewu’s, Michael Bradley’s, and Jay Demerit’s shielding frames.
Despite Spain’s desperate and powerful attempts, the United States fortress would not give.

Clint Dempsey sealed the miracle in the 74th minute. Landon Donovan poked a cross into the box that Sergio Ramos collected, albeit with an extremely poor touch. Dempsey was there to slide it past an out of position Casillas to put the final touch on the unbelievable victory.
The last 25 minutes were merely a countdown to the final whistle, with Spain making a few desperate pushes, and the U.S. content to play kick ball. However Michael Bradley of the United States was shown a red card after a studs-up tackle, which means he will miss the final match.

Unless South Africa can pull off an even more miraculous upset, the United States appears headed for a championship match showdown with Brazil, who they lost 3-0 to during pool play.
However, if the United States plays with the confidence, heart, and intensity that they displayed today, there is no telling how the match will turn out.

Off-Season Report: Manchester United

When Manchester United does something, they do it big, and this year’s transfer season is no exception. They made headlines before the final game of the season with rumours that several big names, mainly Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez weren’t content at Old Trafford. Tevez’ situation has yet to be resolved, although he has ruled out a move to Liverpool, and Manchester City seems to be the likeliest candidate. Ronaldo’s record-breaking transfer to Real Madrid was splashed across headlines for days, drawing both awe and disgust from pundits and critics. The 80 million pound transfer is the richest in history, and takes away a key, albeit controversial player from Old Trafford.

Now that the two strikers are out gone, or nearly gone, United has been focused on finding a striker for Rooney to work with. United had its eye on Samuel Eto’o but he appears headed to Manchester City as well.

It’s name has also been in the mix for England and Portsmouth defender Glen Johnson and Wigan’s Antonio Valencia.

They’re also competing for Bayern Munich’s Frank Ribery and Karim Benzima of Lyon.

Off-Season Report: Liverpool

Liverpool have officially continued their annual “This is our year” campaign at Anfield, employing many of the same transfer strategies that hey have displayed in seasons past. They recently locked down superstar Fernando Torres with an improved contract that keeps him at Anfield until June 2013, and Reds captain Steven Gerrard has been vocal about Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez’ need to sign other players of Torres’ stature. There have been some rumours that Real Madrid are targeting midfielder Xabi Alonso, and whisperings that Javier Mascherano is headed for Barca, but neither of those rumours have come to fruition.

With lacking funds, Benitez will only go after one or two name players to bolster the already solid squad.

So, it appears as if the Reds will go after only a few new players. One of the top names on the list is Glen Johnson. The 24-year-old England national is being courted by Chelsea, Manchester City, and the Reds.

Benitez’s thinking is that Liverpool doesn’t need any major overhaul to improve Liverpool’s chances at a title. They’re trying to retain all of their key players and add on one or two contributors.

Off-Season Report: Chelsea

A quick at look at Chelsea in the news this off-season.

Ancellotti in Charge: Carlo Ancellotti, the former AC Milan boss is now in charge at Stamford Bridge. He has some key decisions to make in terms of what direction he wants to take Chelsea in. He tried to bring some of the Rossoneri with him to the Bridge, including Kaka, who signed with Real Madrid, and Clarence Sedorf.

However, he may be able to woo 19-year-old Brazil international Pato from A.C. Milan. The Rossoneri striker is currently in talks with Ancellotti, whom Pato credits with jumpstarting his Italian career.

"He is an extraordinary man. It's thanks to Ancellotti that I have been able to emerge at AC Milan and in Italian football. Before I decide my future, I want to talk to him," Pato told Gazzetto del Sporto.

Ancellotti’s next target is Atletico Madrid striker Sergio Aguero. Gary Jacob and James Ducker of The Times reported that Chelsea made a 45 million pound bid for the Argentine striker.

“The 21-year-old has cut a reputation as one of the most skilful second strikers around and could potentially be an excellent foil for Didier Drogba. He scored 17 goals last season to boot.”



Another huge factor is the fate of Didier Drogba. Drogba floundered under Scolari, but was re-energized under interim manager Guss Hiddink. It appeared that his contract would be renewed at the end of the season, however, his antics after the Blues’ UEFA Champions League semi-final loss to Barcelona had fans and critics calling for Drogba to be released. However, Drogba recently affirmed his commitment to Chelsea, and it appears the feeling is mutual in the Chelsea boardroom.

Mas Que Un Club

The confetti hasn’t even been swept from the Stadio Olimpico, but the superlatives are already being tossed around every corner of Catalonia. Barcelona’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United, in the Champions League final earned them the Treble and secured their title as one of the greatest teams in football history. It was brilliant. It was a classic. The funny thing is that the “classic” part, didn’t go as expected for many fans and pundits. This wasn’t a fierce match where the teams traded blows like heavyweight fighters. It was more of an art lesson taught by some of the greatest practitioners of the Beautiful Game. In the lead-up to the match, Barca striker Lionel Messi commented that they deserved to win the Champions League because they played beautiful soccer. It turns out, he was right. Barca’s swift elegant runs and passes, and strong shots were far superior to Man U’s bumbling ball movements and the visible frustration of Mr. Ronaldo. The brilliance with which Messi tapped Xavi’s gentle cross into the corner of the net, put an exclamation point on the game, and was the affirmation that backed up his words.
It’s an odd position for United, and a tough pill to swallow. They were beaten by the only team that could match them, and more than that, they were ripped to shreds. That does not happen in a rational United world. But van der Sar, Vidic and Ferdinand couldn’t contain the magic that Barcelona produced. And so, that Barca magic seeped into every corner of the Stadio Olimpico, lighting the Eternal City’s night sky with shades of red, yellow and blue. Tonight, Barcelona showed that is it truly mas que un club.

2018: London Calling?

It’s more than nine years away, but the 2018 World Cup has been the topic of conversation around England lately, garnering support and sparking controversy. Their bid to host the 2018 World Cup is one of the strongest in the field of 9 candidates. England officially launched their bid to host the tournament at Wembley on May 17, with support from David Beckham, Wayne Rooney, Prince William, and Gordon Brown. Lord Triesman, chairman of the FA, cited England’s strong infrastructure and economic benefits as incentives for England hosting the tournament, while Beckham emphasized the strong passion of English fans. The launch was not without controversy however. The bid has been criticized for its lack of diversity after a British National Party member was invited to the launch. Despite the controversy, England does look like a strong selection for 2018. They boast legendary venues, a good infrastructure which will be on display at the London 2012 Olympic Games, and an unquestionable passion for the Beautiful Game.

The Rivals: There are several strong bidders in the field, but each has a noticeable flaw in their proposals. Spain and Portugal, and Belgium and the Netherlands are at a disadvantage because they are joint bids, and FIFA President Sepp Blatter has already stated that joint bids will most likely fail. Russia stretches nine time zones, and will be too big to host the event. Indonesia has a poor infrastructure and an even poorer national team. Japan hosted the tournament 7 years ago with South Korea. The United States do not have the passion or football culture that England possess. Mexico and Australia also have bids in, but neither are as strong as England’s.



The Last Time England Hosted the World Cup:
Have a look at what life was like last time England Hosted, and Hoisted the Cup in 1966.
-John Lennon sent waves across the music world when he proclaimed that the Beatles were “more popular than Jesus.”
-Popular songs included the Beatles’ “Paperback Writer”, and “Yellow Submarine”, the Beach Boys’ “Good Vibrations”, and Frank Sinatra’s “Strangers in the Night”.
-Dirk Bogarde won the Best British Actor BAFTA for Darling
-Harold Wilson was Prime Minister

Relegation Sunday

This Sunday brings one of the most anticipated days in football. Not because it brings glory or championships, rather because a few teams will earn salvation from the threatening cloud of relegation. West Bromwich will be unable to escape the trip down to the Championship, however four other teams are trying to avoid filling the remaining two spots. Middlesbrough appears to be in the most trouble, and the third spot is currently filled by Newcastle. Hull City and Sunderland are also in the danger zone.

Sunday will feature a plethora of twisting scenarios, mental tactics and intriguing plotlines. Will Alan Shearer be the savior of the Toon? Will Sunderland self-destruct even further?

How it breaks down: Sunderland and Hull City are in the best positions. They can both earn salvation with wins at Chelsea and Manchester United respectively. This may seem like a lofty task for both teams, but considering both Chelsea and Manchester United have major cup competitions within the next few weeks, their paths might be a little easier. Newcastle must win against Aston Villa and must score more goals than Hull City. Middlesbrough faces the toughest road back. They must win at West Ham, and then hope for Newcastle and Hull losses with a goal turnaround from Hull of at least five.

Hull City: Perhaps the most intriguing team, Hull City has fallen the furthest, and their game against Manchester United carries the most weight among the other teams facing relegation. Hull was third in the table in October and few could have imagined that the Tigers could have fallen that far. But after going 4-19 in 2009, the Tigers are facing the very real threat of relegation.  

Sunderland: Sunderland appeared safe after last week, but they self-destructed in a 3-1 loss to Portsmouth last week which included an own goal by Phil Bardsley. That loss was just the breaking point however. Sunderland has won only one of their last twelve games and has been in a slide all season. Even if they manage to escape relegation, manager Ricky Sbragia’s future is in serious doubt.

Newcastle: Newcastle is perhaps the most appealing story from a nuetral’s perspective. How romantic it would be for the Geordie saviour Alan Shearer to swoop in and lay down the law, bringing glory back to the Toon. The Magpies struggled all season, and Shearer’s impact might be too little too late at this point. Unlike Sunderland however, it looks like Newcastle is sticking with Shearer for the long haul.

Middlesbrough: Middlesbrough has the surest chance to join the Championship, however, they are the team that most needs to rebuild. They struggled all season under young Gareth Southgate, and are looking to sell star Stuart Downing in the off-season. That may be a little more difficult however, now that Downing suffered a broken foot during Boro’s 1-1 draw with Aston Villa.

Championship Play Off Preview: Sheffield Utd. vs. Burnley

The Clarets face off against the Blades for promotion to the Premier League.

How they got here:

Burnley- The Clarets had a successful season going 14-5-4 in the Championship. They finished 5th in the table and took on Reading in the first tie of the playoffs. Thanks to a late penalty kick conversion by Graham Alexander, Burney took a 1-0 lead in the tie, and finished the Royals off in the second leg of the series with goals from Martin Paterson and Steven Thompson.

Sheffield United- The Blades finished 3^rd in the table with a 12-6-5 record. They came on strong in the second half of the season winning or drawing twelve of their last thirteen games. That set the stage for a semi-final showdown with Preston. The Blades were unable to gain an upper hand in the first leg of the tie, drawing 1-1. However, Greg Halford’s header in the second leg of the tie put the Blades ahead for good and booked their ticket to Wembley.

Key Player

Burnley- Martin Paterson. Paterson is the leading scorer for the Clarets and scored a brilliant goal in the second leg against Reading. Look for his skill and goal-scoring prowess to spark Burnley.

Sheffield United- Darius Henderson. Henderson brings the experience and goal-scoring ability that will be key to Sheffield United’s success. He’s one of the few players for either team that has experienced promotion through the Championship Play Off final, when he moved up with Watford in 05-06.  Henderson knows what it takes to earn promotion and if he can impart that knowledge on his teammates, that could prove an advantage for the Blades.

Analysis: Sheffield Manager Kevin Blackwell has made it to six previous Play Off Finals and that experience could be key for the Blades. Blackwell has made two Finals with Notts County, and one each with Plymouth Argyle, Huddersfield Town, Leeds United and Sheffield United. Blackwell’s experience paired with Henderson’s could be a boost for the Blades. However, Burnley will be playing with the motivation of a team that has not made it to the top-flight of English football in over 30 years. Their strong season has shown that they are capable of securing promotion, so, this last bit of motivation, fueled with the atmosphere of Wembley might be just enough to earn the Clarets their first Premier League appearance.

Prediction: Sheffield United 2-1.