Woe is Me

I am going to take this time to apologize to the country of Netherlands and all of those faithful Dutch fans out there. I should never have fallen in love with this team since all of my sports teams let me down on a regular basis. The Bengals haven’t had a playoff win since 1991. The Reds last won a World Series in 1990 (Wire-to-Wire, baby!) and were recently no-hit in their last playoff appearance. My college teams have consistently raised and then subsequently crushed my hopes. US Soccer has been improving in the 2000s, but cannot breakthrough into the top ranks of the world. Even the Women’s team, who has dominated the world, lost to Japan after an amazing run last summer in the World Cup. Even my crutch, Manchester United, came in second to their cross-town archenemies in the most devastating manner last month.

My love affair with Netherlands began when I saw their famous orange uniforms in the late 1990s, especially with Edgar Davids looking awesome in his dreads and goggles. Since orange is my color, this was a natural fit (especially since US Soccer was a joke at the time). However, my fandom has been a curse to this team. They have lost in heartbreaking fashion every two years in the Euros and World Cups, including not even qualifying for the 2002 World Cup.

After their loss to Spain in the 2010 World Cup Final, I was under the assumption that they would come back in this competition with a fire to avenge that loss like Robert Downey, Jr. I was wrong. They flopped against Denmark, the supposedly weak team in the Group of Death, then disappeared against their hated rivals, Germany, on Wednesday. They’re sitting ugly in last place, hoping that they can pair a victory over Portugal with a German win over Denmark on Sunday to move on.

This tall task can only belong to one of my teams. I continuously question my love of sports because my teams treat me so poorly. There are four gray hairs on my head, and I’m pretty sure they are a result of sports and not my grad school workload. There is a nonstop debate in my head to give up rooting for certain teams, but then my heart steps in as the voice of love and stops that nonsense.

For now, I will continue to complain about my teams and hope that the sports gods will have some mercy (I mean, COME ON!). So please, this Sunday, as you tune into the Euro Cup and see that orange-clad team trying to claw its way back, have pity for me as I watch with white knuckles and gritted teeth.

Your Semi-Complete Euro 2012 Preview

After a wild end to the Premier League and Championship League seasons, the amazing summer for sports is upon us. This Friday, the highly anticipated Euro 2012 begins in Poland and Ukraine. Most of the top international teams reside in Europe, so this satiates the void left between World Cups for most soccer fans. This year there are several countries that should contend and this may be one of the most exciting competitions we have seen in awhile. So, sit back, relax, and get pumped.

Group A

Czech Republic, Greece, Poland, Russia

The battle of eastern Europe (plus Greece) could go down to the wire or could be a runaway. Poland has homefield, but the other three countries will not be intimidated. Greece has tended to surprise in Euro competitions of the past, including winning it in 2004. Russia has the talent to go far in this competition if they can get on the same page and realize their ability. The Czechs have the best goalie in the world (Petr Cech) but are coming off a disappointing qualifying season. Time will only tell us if they can move on.

Must-see Match: Poland v. Greece, June 8; It’s the first match of the competition and will set the tone for the tournament. Russia-Greece should also be entertaining.

Group A Winners: Russia and Greece

Group B

Denmark, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal

For me, this is the most exciting group. Germany and Netherlands are the clear-cut favorites, but Denmark and Portugal won’t go without being heard from. Portugal were the losers to Greece in 2004, a loss that I’m sure still stings to the core, given that the final was played in Portugal. Led by Cristiano Ronaldo, they will definitely provide for some intriguing matches. While Denmark may have a chance in another group, I can’t see them overcoming the other three teams. As a youngster, I fell in love with Le Oranje, and I’m hoping they can show up like they did in the World Cup.

Must-see Match: Netherlands v. Germany, June 13; Maybe the best group stage match of the tournament. Depending on how the tournament breaks down, this could be a potential Finals matchup. It would be a shame to miss any matches from this group.

Group B Winners: Netherlands and Germany

Group C

Croatia, Ireland, Italy, Spain

What a cakewalk for Spain. The reigning World Cup champions must have counted their blessings when the groups were announced. Italy is in turmoil off the field with the allegations of match-fixing (see my fellow soccer writer’s article here). They also recently lost at home to the United States, showing a slight lapse in quality. Ireland were robbed from appearing in the World Cup by a Thierry Henry handball, so I think they come out with some underdog fire. Croatia has little chance but would be a potential upset candidate against Italy.

Must-see Match: Spain v. Italy, June 10; Even though Italy is reeling, it may be fun to watch Spain break down the Italian side. If Italy is to move on, they may get out of bed for this one and actually put up a fight. I’m also excited to see Ireland’s passion in all their matches.

Group C Winners: Spain and Ireland

Group D

England, France, Sweden, Ukraine

A bad break for the other co-host in Ukraine. Sweden has Serie A star Zltan Ibrahimovic to lead them into battle, while England and France look to turn around disappointing World Cup showings. France look like they have overcome the coup that marred their World Cup and the English look talented and ready to compete (for once). Ukraine will be hard-pressed to win atleast one match, but could hold a team back if they steal some points.

Must-see Match: England v. France, June 11; This match will be key in deciding which of these teams is ready to compete again. If one team prevails as the winner, the other may have a tough time picking its head up to move on to the knockout stages. It will also present Sweden an opportunity to sneak through.

Group D Winners: England and France

So there you have a preview of the group stages. If it plays out like I predicted here is how the first knockout round looks:

Russia v. Germany

Netherlands v. Greece

Spain v. France

England v. Ireland

Germany and Spain would occupy one semifinal and Netherlands and England would duke it out in the other. I like a Netherlands-Germany final. England’s ability to make it this far will be applauded, but they don’t have the talent to match up with the Dutch. I think Spain’s days of dominance are behind them (for now) and Germany has looked good recently. I like Netherlands to finally come through in the clutch to take home the title as Europe’s best. The final will be played at a very high level and should be a fantastic finish to a great tournament. You won’t regret tuning in. I promise.

Paint it Blue

I almost did it. If you read last week’s article, you may have sensed that I was trying to jinx Manchester City as they vied to clinch the Premier League title against Queens Park Rangers. And wow, was I close. City pulled off the most historically ridiculous comeback in English soccer, setting off a storm in the soccer world. If you were one of the lucky few who got up early Sunday (9 am is early for me, ok?) to watch, then you know exactly what I am talking about.

As a Manchester United fan, this was a tough pill to swallow. It was made even tougher by watching the United players celebrate before having their faces turn to terror when the City score was displayed in the stadium (thanks for showing that scene a million times, by the way). For City fans, it must have been jubilation. Their side had not won a title since the 1960s (!) and they have had to sit there year after year as the other team in the city competed for silverware.

Now that a team other than United, Chelsea, or Arsenal have won the title (Blackburn won it once, but that’s irrelevant), what does this mean for English soccer? One of the main criticisms of the Premier League has been this obvious lack of parity. City finally broke that spell and now we will see a bunch of new teams winning and expelling the big name clubs from the top, right? Wrong. Under new ownership, City spent and spent and spent to bring in top tier players and was able to buy their way to a title. Admittedly, it has worked for my beloved United and others, but it made me sad to see a new team win their first title in a similar fashion.

What I take away from this season as a positive, besides the most spectacular finish since Oklahoma-Boise State, is that Tottenham and Newcastle were able to remain in the top five throughout the season. While Newcastle choked their Champions League spot away near the end, both teams showed that it is possible to fight against the top squads and stay respectable. I would love to see this trend continue in the future in the face of increased spending from the previously established teams.

While I offer my congratulations to Manchester City on a season well played (threw up in my mouth a little there), I hope that the trend of lower-budget teams competing continues. City deserved this title as they played their hearts out and beat United when it counted, so I have to concede they were the better team this season. However, I hope this summer brings strong acquisitions to the smaller clubs so that next season’s race is more than just a highly paid Manchester derby.

The Downer Effect

I am going to keep this short. I am really dreading Sunday, the final matchday of the English Premier League this season. This will be the first time in a bajillion years that Manchester CITY (not United) will be taking home the title. As a United fan, this is devastating for me because this is the first time in a long while that United will not be taking home any type of silverware.

A few months ago, both City and United famously crashed out of the UEFA Champions League before knockout rounds even began, and they were ridiculed for this failure. No matter who won the EPL, the season was marred by the failure to advance in the most prestigious of club competitions. Then, both City and United fell out of the FA Cup, leaving them to only fight for the EPL title. No matter who won, it was an ugly year for both and neither was going to leave completely satisfied with the season.

Now that we are approaching the final game for every team, City is set to face Queens Park Rangers to secure their first title in a gabillion years while United and all their glory are snubbed of a title. I will not lie, this is painful to swallow. United has long been the only team to come through for me, as my other favorite sports team reside in Ohio. However, soccer will finally also leave that familiar sour taste in my mouth as United will go home empty-handed. (Oh, and the fact that Chelsea beat Barcelona and is now set to play for the Champions League title does not really help).

I do not want to be a complete downer in this rant. The EPL had an exciting year because finally, teams that are not included in the “Big Four” were able to stay near the top. Newcastle United and Tottenham gave us a lot of fun and were able to knock out Chelsea and Liverpool from top-four status.

This season sets up what should be a very interesting summer. City will be coming off of their first title in FOREVER and will try to strengthen weak spots without really knowing how to act like a champion. United will be coming off their most disappointing season in years and will try to infuse youth in a team that relied heavily on older players. Chelsea and Liverpool will be forget about what went wrong and the upstart teams will try to keep their star players so they can contend once again.

No matter how depressing this season has been for a United fan, I have complete faith in their ability to rebound and I know that Euro 2012 will give me a chance to forget about the past season. Plus, I can always count on the MLS, right?

Pat Summitt: A Tribute

The famed coach of the Tennessee Volunteers Women’s basketball program stepped down recently due to a diagnosis of early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease. Her name lends itself to hundreds of sport-related puns, but none could give her the respect that she deserves as possibly the greatest basketball coach of all time.

John Wooden, Dean Smith, Mike Krzyzewski, Bob Knight, Geno Auriemma. These are the names of some of the greatest coaches in college basketball history. Coach Summitt belongs near or at the top of that list. She has the most victories in NCAA history. She has the most Final Four appearances. She has eight national championships. But the most amazing legacy she may leave behind is a 100% graduation rate. In this day and age, that is probably the most astonishing fact of Summitt’s career.

The men’s game obviously has a potential for leading to the NBA, while the WNBA is less popular and very low paying relative to its male counterpart. So, one may argue that academics are much more “important” for women athletes than men. I will concede that the monetary pressure is greater for male athletes, which means that there is more potential for violations and less pressure to perform academically (which we see way too much). However, men’s sports can take a hint or two from Coach Summitt’s stress for academic excellence. She has shown that academics do not have to take a hit to achieve athletic dominance.

That Summitt has been forced to step down due to early-onset Alzheimer’s Disease is more than unfortunate. Having seen the effects of Alzheimer’s first-hand, this disease is a struggle not only for the afflicted, but their families and friends as well. It is good to see that Summitt will stay on in some capacity and make the transition for players and coaches as smooth as possible.

In almost every society in the world, women are still de-valued and in the sports world, this is still very true. It is time to realize that Pat Summitt is not just the best women’s basketball coach of all time, but possibly the best college coach to every grace the hardwood. So please, stand and applaud.

Upset of a Lifetime

Tell me you watched. Tell you me were able to get off work or had the game recorded and you experienced the same wondrous, awe-inspiring, history-defining moment that occurred on Tuesday in Barcelona. If you don’t know, you’re about to: Chelsea, a club that has been disappointing in Premier League play this season, pulled off the upset of the century in the Champions League semifinals against the mighty Barcelona.

The week before at Stamford Bridge, Chelsea played phenomenally and held off Barcelona 1-0 to take a lead going into the leg in Spain. Even though they were down, no one expected that Barca would have any trouble regaining their form and moving on at home. Then, Saturday happened. What happened, you ask? The all-important match with Real Madrid that pretty much decided the La Liga title ended with a loss for Barcelona. In that match, and in the first leg with Chelsea, something looked off with the Spanish giants. They didn’t have the consistent and precise touch and finishing that has been so frustrating for opposing sides the last few years.

After that loss, I thought that Chelsea might have a chance to move on, even though on paper they were the far inferior team. This thought was weakened when the game began. Camp Nou was rocking and Barcelona came to play, dominating from the get-go. Sergio Busquets gave them a lead in the 35^th minute and then John Terry committed a dirty knee-in-the-back foul and earned himself a red card just a couple minutes later. Chelsea found themselves a man and then another goal down after Iniesta scored Barca’s second. However, just before halftime, Ramires took a wonderful through-ball from Frank Lampard and scored a beauty of a goal, chipping the ball over Victor Valdes from the edge of the box. This goal evened the aggregate score and gave Chelsea some hope.

For me, the deciding blow came shortly after halftime. Barcelona were again pressing heavily in the Chelsea box and Didier Drogba, who has played so well in Champions League, committed a penalty in the box. Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player of this generation, stepped to the spot to finish the Blues off. Right as he went to kick it, there seemed to be a moment of hesitation and he banged it off the crossbar.

After the Messi miss, there were still an innumerable amount of chances for Barcelona to score the winning goal. They had possession almost non-stop and were in Chelsea’s half constantly. In this manner, they looked the Barca of old. However, they lacked just the right amount of finesse to finish off their chances. Chelsea even tried to help. They brought on Fernando Torres, who up until that time was the biggest bust of recent transfer memory, for Drogba. Torres struggled a bit in defense and it seemed that he could be the goat once again. But in the 90^th minute, Torres broke free on a clear and coolly slotted home the goal that assured Chelsea of advancement. To have Torres finish off this monumental upset was symbolic of the greatness of this accomplishment.

Taken as a whole, this round was as unlikely as anyone could have imagined. Even the most loyal of Chelsea fans had to admit that their chances were minimal. But Chelsea showed that heart and willpower could trump a less-than-perfect Barca squad. Over a span of eight days, Barcelona fell hard from glory. They were bounced out of both Champions League and La Liga title contention and on Friday, coach Pep Guardiola stepped down as Barca’s top man. Barcelona will have to use this offseason to re-group and evaluate how to get back to the pinnacle.

Chelsea, on the other hand, will have a tough time in the final against Bayern Munich, who won in astonishing fashion against Real Madrid, as they lost several players on yellow cards and Terry’s red. Though their chances will be slim yet again, I will not doubt Chelsea’s chances, even if they have to travel to Bayern’s home stadium to play. No matter the result, I have to like interim coach Roberto Di Matteo’s chances of becoming the permanent coach, as he has done an amazing job of keeping this squad on task. We can only wait and wonder until May 19^th to see how this crazy and exciting Champions League season comes to a finish.

The Hunt for Silver Lining

Leagues around the world are winding to a close as we enter the end of spring (already?) and the beginning of a summer that will include Euro 2012, the Summer Olympics, and World Cup Qualifying. The last few weeks of the English Premier League have seen Manchester City squander away their stranglehold on first place. City fell apart to the extent that Manchester United climbed to an eight point lead last week and it seemed that the race was all but over. Even though this has been a down year for the EPL, this race has ensured that the title run will have some excitement.

City has regained some semblance of their early season form over the last two matches, winning by a combined score of 10-1. Meanwhile, United lost to lowly Wigan and now, after Saturday’s matches, sit only two points of City with a game in hand. If United struggle with Aston Villa on Sunday, Sir Alex Ferguson and crew will feel less than comfortable. The Manchester derby now looms larger than ever on the last day of April.

As I mentioned before, this has been a disappointing year for the EPL. The level of competition has been lower as it seems that injuries and lack of top form have ravaged many clubs. The title race has long been a two-team race and the battle for the last two Champions League spots has seen each team try to give it away. Tottenham started strong but has faltered. Arsenal started, well, like Arsenal, but they have come back with a vengeance to snatch third place. Liverpool continues to oscillate between competent and unmotivated. Chelsea fired their millionth manager in five years but have found a way to stay competitive. And Newcastle United continue to stick around with impressive victories and striker play from Demba Ba.

Last season, I stated that the EPL was the strongest club league in the world, closely followed by Spain’s La Liga. Barcelona and Real Madrid have been so strong this year that I can no longer state this as fact. However, there is plenty left to cheer for in England. Chelsea remain alive in the Champions League and if they can play as a unit, they may have a chance to surprise Barcelona in the semifinals. Arsenal have shown that it is possible to overcome the critics and ridicule they suffered in October. The staying power of Newcastle and Tottenham give credit to the unmatched top-to-bottom depth of the Premier League.

While this season has left many sour tastes in the collective mouth of the fanbase, there is hope that all will be better. The competition at the top of the table has been running hot for several years in a row, so we had to be aware of a letdown sooner or later. Given the apparent lack of fire by some clubs, we are still being treated to battles for the title, Champions League spots, and avoiding relegation. When players return from injury or clubs like Chelsea regain stability, the battle for glory will once again be intense and fun to watch. Until then, we can enjoy what is available and savor the last few matchdays of the season.

Failure to Launch

What does it mean for US Soccer that they were not able to qualify for the 2012 Olympics in London this summer? I am not quite sure yet, but it did not leave a good feeling in my gut. The United States plays in the CONCACAF region, which includes North and Central American countries, as well as the island countries in the Caribbean. If you think this is an area chock-full of soccer powers, you are quite mistaken. Mexico is obviously the most formidable foe for the United States, and outside of that there are only a couple Central American countries that are somewhat respectable (Panama is the only other team in the top 50 in the world). So, it should be a given that both the U.S. and Mexico qualify for every major world tournament, right? Before this failure, I would have thought the answer was yes, but let’s take a look at what went wrong and if it matters at all.

It must be noted that the United States U-23 team was playing in these qualifying games. While it is easy to use this as an excuse, it would have been nice to see the future of American soccer show that they were ready for the big stage. Just because some of the main cogs of the national team did not participate, rising stars such as Freddy Adu, Juan Agudelo, and Brek Shea still played. One of the main reasons that they did not qualify is that, in my opinion, they may have thought the task too easy and simply failed to muster up the motivation to play 100%.

The national team is coming off of a huge road win against Italy, as noted here by an expert soccer journalist. Even though it was in a friendly competition, coach Klinsmann was able to quiet his doubters as the U.S. earned their first significant victory in a couple years. This should not have taken the focus away from Olympic qualifying. Even more, World Cup qualifying begins this summer, so the staff may have lacked in the effort and strategy categories.

The main reason I am disappointed in this result is that it is a huge buzz kill for the high that American soccer fans were feeling after the Italy match. The Olympics could have been a chance to show off the young talent that Klinsmann has at his disposal over the next couple of World Cups. Instead, the U.S. will focus on qualifying for the World Cup and hope to beat the soccer powerhouses of the Caribbean and Central America to reach the World Cup…in 2014. London could have given the Americans a chance to measure up to high caliber competition before Rio de Janeiro. It will not match up to the level of play that we see at the World Cup or near what we will see in Poland and Ukraine at the Euro Cup this summer. However, it will be a good measuring stick for the future of soccer all over the world.

American soccer still has a ways to go to reach a consistent level of success. No matter how frustrating this is, I am used to my sports teams letting me down, so I will keep the faith. Plus, the hiring of Klinsmann and the subsequent events still give me hope that the future is bright. I would just love to get to this future a little quicker.

As the EPL Turns

It was an interesting week for the top teams in the English Premier League. Sunday brought us an upset of Manchester City by recently promoted Swansea while Wayne Rooney led Manchester United to a victory over West Brom. This turn of events allowed United to leapfrog its rivals for the top spot in England. With only 10 matches remaining, City finds itself in a precarious situation.

Both teams also played in the Europa League during the week. If you remember, both were embarrassingly knocked out of the Champions League in group play and relegated to playing in the second-tier Europa competition. Of course, both were knocked out that this week. This was just the final punctuation in what has been a miserable year for English teams in European competition (except you Chelsea, congratulations on advancing, or whatever).

So now the teams from Manchester only have the EPL title to fight over. City had been coasting along most of the season, but United has been able to fight through injuries to get results and stay within striking distance. With the shocking loss to Swansea, City finally cracked and let United into the driver’s seat.

While examining the remaining schedules, I always thought that City had the tougher road to glory. They still have to play the likes of Chelsea, Newcastle United, and Arsenal. Even more importantly, a second match against United (who they manhandled earlier this season) looms. This match may very well decide the championship.

I still believe that both teams have some kinks to work out and whichever squad is able to regain composure will take the title. Overall, the league has seen some new teams sustain success (Newcastle United and Tottenham) and a familiar face regain some pride (Arsenal). The contest for a top four spot in the EPL and thus a spot in the Champions League next season also remains in the balance.

The end of this season, however disappointing it was in Europe, still guarantees excitement as we wind down. While many may say that the EPL had a down season, I think (and hope) that they saved everything for the last two months. Whoever takes home the title will have earned it and will show the world that there are still competent soccer clubs outside of Barcelona and Madrid.

One Large Leap for US Soccer

So the last day of February rolled around this past Wednesday, the twenty-ninth day of this odd month, and the United States Men’s National Team found itself in Italy facing a side that it had never defeated. Never! Unfortunately, I found myself in class, and since you can’t skip grad school classes, I was forced to find a way to watch and participate in higher learning (borrow a classmate’s laptop and sit in a strategic part of the classroom!).

I originally thought about writing this article about how this team, under the still-new leadership of Jürgen Klinsmann, was not progressing at the rate it needed for several reasons. The full ‘A’ squad has not played together yet, including stars Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan, and constantly injured Stu Holden. Furthermore, they have had a couple good performances littered amongst some mediocre showings. I was also going to comment on a couple players who I thought had received a fair audition but were not national team-worthy just yet.

But here we were, in Italy on a day that only comes once every four years. I tuned in about 20 minutes into the game to see the Americans donning their new away jerseys (which I didn’t hate). The first half wasn’t perfect, but Italy was held in check. The U.S. came back in the second half and it seemed as though they were not the same timid team that we saw at the end of 2011.

The pitch was very slow. Italy was spending too much time on the offensive, and Jozy Altidore was spending too much on the ground. But after some good ball movement, Fabian Johnson got a good cross in to Jozy, who instead of trying to draw a penalty kick, dropped it off to Dempsey who slotted it home for the winner. I must admit, I almost cheered out loud in the middle of class, but somehow kept my composure.

The last 35 minutes of the match were not easy. Italy pushed the ball repeatedly and we witnessed the best defense the US has displayed in a long time. Captain Carlos Bocanegra led his defenders into battle; players were diving and sacrificing their bodies to block shots and break up passes in a manner you only see during power plays in the NHL. It was hard for me to contain my emotions because the only thing I enjoy more than goals is stellar defense. The line held and the US walked out of Italy with their first victory ever against this world soccer power.

While Italy wasn’t at full power, the Americans were also short a couple key players. Playing on the road, they never backed down and though they didn’t play at their best, they played well enough to complete a much-needed signature win. Now, Klinsmann has a game that he can point to in meetings as the “see, you can beat the big boys” game.

Even more than these typical motivating points, the Americans can feel good about a win while still realizing that they didn’t play their best. It’s much easier to self-criticize and improve after a victory and now they can stay positive while still perfecting their craft.

This game may also provide Klinsmann the break he needs to get out of the media spotlight and work on building his team in time for World Cup qualifying. For the short term at least, he can concentrate on assembling his ideal squad. Up next for Klinsmann and co. is Scotland and then a home test against 2014 World Cup hosts Brazil. These matches won’t happen until May, so the Americans can ride this feel-good wave until then. However, these international friendlies will be quickly followed by World Cup qualifying. At that time, we hope to finally see a team ready to take the leap.

The RVP Conundrum

Robin Van Persie is one of the best strikers in the English Premier League. No, let me correct myself—in the world. But he plays for Arsenal. A couple of seasons ago, that was great for him. But Arsenal has been on an unbelievable drought, failing to win silverware since the 2004-05 season. This has become a perennial story in England and the struggles of manager Arsene Wenger to keep supporters have been well-documented. This season has been much of the same, but RVP has been phenomenal, scoring 22 goals in league play.

What to do for the left-footed striker who could be collecting trophies elsewhere? He plays for the Netherlands national team, one that is considered one of the best in the world. However, they also have not won a premier competition in quite a while.

In professional sports, we tend to highlight either the athletes who are starring for winning teams or brooding over athletes who are making the spotlight for the wrong reasons. But for every Kevin Garnett (Boston era) there is a Kevin Garnett (Minnesota era). These phenomenal talents seemingly waste away on teams that cannot truly compete for a title. But here in lies the question: is it better to have these talents move to teams that have larger budgets and better chances at the title, or should they stay with their current teams in hopes that they lift these underdog squads to glory?

A better example may be Demba Ba, Newcastle United’s breakout star. He is chasing RVP for the goal title and has 16 goals and counting. This Senegalese striker is lesser known around the world, and though Newcastle United is in contention for a top four spot, they are not a club (like Arsenal) that can compete financially with the Chelsea’s and Manchester City’s of the league.

While I can see the pros of having players like RVP and Ba transferred to teams that compete year in and year out, the part of me that loves underdogs has to prevail. It was painful to see the nightly efforts of Kevin Garnett only in the regular season, but seeing the small teams make a splash makes sports fun to watch. If my beloved Manchester United continued to sign all the rising stars, the same teams would compete and the same teams would fight for relegation.

Right now, that is the state of professional soccer. In England, both Manchester teams, Liverpool, and Chelsea can spend the most money to acquire the best talent. In Spain it is Barcelona and Real Madrid. The list goes on. Major League Baseball has the same issues because it too does not have a salary cap. At some point, the governing bodies for these leagues will have to decide if it is better to continue to alienate the small market teams or to make significant, unprecedented leaps and introduce parity into their leagues.

Even though I am a fan of the one of the top-spending teams, I vote for the latter. It is time for a change in professional sports. We have lost touch of why kids around the world play soccer or baseball or football growing up. For some reason, love for the game is trumped by money at the top levels. RVP and Ba may very well end up at other squads because they will be tempted by chances to play in the limelight, but we should root for them to stay put.

Let’s hope that rising players for smaller squads stay true to their roots and make this league more fun to watch for a wider base of fans. It will only do us all good.

Uh Oh, Mario!

Mario Balotelli. Those two words have the ability to haunt even the fans of the teams he plays for. Balotelli is the much-maligned, but very skilled, striker for Manchester City. If not for his abilities with a soccer ball, he would have been looking for other work a long time ago. On multiple occasions, he has made a fool of himself but has failed to realize that he comes off as a disgrace to the game.

Balotelli’s on- and off-field antics have become well known; from telling a police officer that he was carrying excess cash because he is rich to having trouble putting a practice bib on to upsetting his teammates and coach when he decides to be fancy on the pitch. Balotelli brought his antics to America last summer when, during the World Football Challenge, City was playing the Los Angeles Galaxy. Balotelli was played through and had a teammate accompany him into the box, but instead he did a fancy spin backheel that went wide. The crowd booed and manager Roberto Manicini immediately took Balotelli out of the game. To make matters worse, Balotelli came to the bench, talked back to his manager, and walked away unapologetically.

Most recently, Balotelli entered City’s match against Tottenham as a substitute and almost immediately created controversy. He received a yellow card for an early tussle with Scott Parker, and then in the last 10 minutes of the match, he took a shot with Parker sliding in. The first foot landed and hit Parker, but that could be dismissed as an accident. The second foot came down and the video shows that Balotelli stomped on Parker’s face, as seen here. Referee Howard Webb seemed to have been right there, but made no call. Even in the instance that Balotelli did not have a prior yellow, this could have been a straight red. But no call was made and Balotelli remained in the game. Then in the waning moments, Balotelli drew a penalty kick and converted for the winner in a 3-2 thriller.

The Football Association reviewed the video and has suspended the Italian for four matches. There is no question that something needed to be done, but given that he stayed in the game and had such an impact on the final outcome, a four game suspension seems inconsequential.  

The real problem here is that the Balotelli’s of the world keep getting playing time and attention. At some point, Mancini is going to be forced to decide if he wants to keep playing with fire and risk the antics for the small return of Balotelli’s talent, or save his team and cut ties with the troublesome player. It already happened when the striker played for Inter Milan, and I am sure an ultimatum is going to arise for City.

Soccer is known as the beautiful game, but this notion has been muddied by players embellishing and diving, accusations of racism, fan riots, and awful officiating. Some of these are an easy fix, and some are not. Mario Balotelli is someone who cannot be controlled behaviorally but if no one gives him a chance to play, only then can he learn to respect the game. Until then, any time he steps on the pitch, we will continue to say to ourselves, “Uh oh, Mario.”

A Possible Turning Point

This weekend marks one of the biggest in the English Premier League as there are matches with the potential to throw the race wide open. Bolton and Liverpool square off to lead a set of intriguing matches on Saturday, but Sunday brings two of the biggest matches of the season. Tottenham visit Manchester City while Manchester United travel to Arsenal. Both are the second matches between each set of teams and all four have come a long way since the first go-round. City embarrassed the Spurs 5-1 in their first meeting in August while United shellacked Arsenal 8-2 on that same fateful day.

Arsenal and Tottenham have actually rebounded quite nicely since. Arsenal were on a roll with only three losses in 15 matches until two road losses in their last two matches. Tottenham may very well be the hottest team in the league with only one loss in 19 matches since. Currently, Tottenham sits only five points out of first place with a chance to become a true title contender come Sunday.

City has slowed down on the goal-scoring tear they were on in the early parts of the season (as predicted by yours truly) and have incurred a couple losses that have created a little doubt in their title aspirations. United have had significant injuries that have caused Paul Scholes to come out of retirement to give some aid to an ailing midfield. Both are still forces to be reckoned with because they still have the payroll, immense fan support, and the ability to make a game-changing move before the end of the January transfer window.

Now, I would love to make predictions for all the matches this weekend, but if you read last week’s article—of course you did—you know that I was only mediocre in my picks (4-5). So, instead of trying to predict all the matches, I am going to focus all of my crystal balling on these pivotal match-ups.

Tottenham at Manchester City—I am very excited for this game. Hotspur are on a roll, to put it lightly, and City have only been showing up every other match, so we will see who shines. If this season has told us anything, it is that home field advantage does not mean as much. As a United fan, I would love to see a hard fought battle that ends as a disappointment for both teams, and I think that is what will occur. 2-2 tie.

Manchester United at Arsenal—After Arsenal’s miserable season in 2010-11, I was a proponent of Arsene Wenger hitting the road. It was not that I thought he is not a good manager, but I thought he had lost his touch to be able to motivate a team that seemed dazed and confused. However, he has, if Arsenal maintain a level of success, earned Manager of the Year honors for bringing this team back into contention. United have dealt with the disappointment of losing in the Champions League, losing captain Nemanja Vidic to injury, and having goalkeeper David de Gea fall out of first team favor. Still, they have done a good job at keeping pace with City and look to take advantage of Arsenal once again. Even with Arsenal’s impressive stretch, I still do not think they have enough to keep pace. 3-2 United.

This Sunday looks to be an intriguing day of football in England and America. These two matchups, no matter the results, will tell us who is ready to make a stretch run toward the title. Though these are by no means the equivalent of the NFL Conference Championship games we will see later in the day, they may eliminate two teams from competition or show that a changing of the guard is occurring.

An Attempt At Expert-dom

The English Premier League season has reached its halfway point and we are still a ways away from crowning a champion. The top four entering this weekend are Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham, and Chelsea. The teams currently facing relegation include Bolton, Wigan, and Blackburn. The last couple weeks have seen City and United fall to lesser competition (Sunderland and Blackburn, respectively). We are also beginning to see transfers as we approach the meat of the January transfer window. Last week, United and City faced off in a thrilling FA Cup match that ended in a victory for United, showing that City do not have total control of the league just yet.

Now, I have made predictions in the past, and if you look at our predictions page you will see that I have performed quite admirably (but only in the NFL). I am going to now try my hand at a weekend of matches in the EPL. This weekend seems to have some pretty routine pairings, but we will see what happens. If I have any sort of success in these matches (don’t count on it) I may continue this into the future. Here we go!

Everton at Aston Villa—Landon Donovan and Tim Howard are paired up once again with the Blues needing to show some consistency to be taken seriously. 2-1 Everton.

Fulham at Blackburn—Clint Dempsey is coming off his first Fulham hat trick and Blackburn are riding high after recently beating United. 2-2 tie.

Sunderland at Chelsea—As disappointing as United has played in its losses, Chelsea has been even worse in its debacles. Yet they remain near the top of the table and here is where they can get back in it. 3-1 Chelsea.

Stoke City at Liverpool—This is probably the match of the weekend between the 8^th and 6^th place teams. It should be a thrilling match at Anfield, with Liverpool taking this one. 2-1 Liverpool.

Bolton at Manchester United—Bolton are struggling to stay out of the relegation zone and United have regained confidence after taking down their crosstown nemesis. 3-0 United.

Wolverhampton at Tottenham—This may be the easiest pick of the weekend, as Hotspur are riding a hot-streak and the Wolves again find themselves at the bottom of the table. Apologies for the jinx, Spurs fans. 4-1 Tottenham.

Norwich City at West Brom—Norwich have been a surprise for me as they have been very competitive in their first season back in the EPL. 3-2 Norwich.

Queens Park at Newcastle—Impressive striker Demba Ba has the Magpies on a hot streak as they come off a dominant win against Manchester United to see a somewhat reeling QPR come in. 2-0 Newcastle.

Arsenal at Swansea City—Thierry Henry’s return to his former club was as glorious as could be, as he scored the only goal of the match to give Arsenal an FA Cup win over Leeds. This one will not be as easy, but Arsenal should take it against a hard-working Swansea squad. 1-0 Arsenal.

Manchester City at Wigan—City have been an enigma the last month, losing games (against United and Sunderland) that they would have won handily in October. Do not be fooled, they are still the favorite and should take this one. 4-2 City.

So there you have it. My first attempt at predicting a weekend of matchups in the EPL. If I am successful, you can consider me at the ranks of all the “experts”. But if not, it was all in jest. Happy footballing!

The Race Against Racism

Recently, Luis Suarez was banned from the English Premier League for eight games for making racist remarks toward Patrice Evra in Liverpool’s match against Manchester United. John Terry, beloved captain of Chelsea and English national team, is facing criminal charges for racially abusing an opponent. And to add more fuel to this fire, FIFA President Sepp Blatter made headlines when he said that racism was no longer an issue in soccer.

These events have dominated the scene this season as these cases have included a war of words between players and managers. Furthermore, as we all know, when controversy strikes star players, these issues get blown out of proportion. But in this case, this issue cannot be blown out of proportion enough. It is inexcusable for any athlete to act in this way, let alone the captain of England and one of the star players for Liverpool. And for Blatter to publicly deny these issues is the opposite of what needs to occur in this case.

Blatter needs to embrace that racial issues still exist and tackle them head on. For a long time, advertisement boards on the sides of soccer pitches have occasionally held messages of anti-racism, but issues continue to arise. One thing that American sports fans will have trouble understanding is the true passion that soccer brings out in others around the world. Soccer is truly a part of the culture of many countries to the level of religion. Thus, much more is involved in the wins and losses of clubs or international teams (see: Andrés Escobar).

Ignorance is the fundamental reason that racism still exists in our world. Failing to understand another person because of his differences arises feelings of superiority over that person. Combined with continual conditioning by the long-standing beliefs of ignorant family members or friends, these superiority complexes become ingrained in personalities. Combine these traits with extreme passion brought about by sport, and the issues become clear.

There is no harm in embracing that our society is imperfect. Innately, human beings are meant to be blemished, and if we do not recognize this, then we do not truly understand life itself. Though I have gone on a little tangent, without thinking about the bigger picture, sports we love so much will never flourish if we continue to deny the problems.

I am sure that many professional athletes do charity work or donate money to non-profit organizations, but the true punishments that fit the crimes of Terry and Suarez and the other athletes who have done wrong should involve actually addressing their personal issues. Ignorance is not incurable. But if the athletes we idolize are simply allowed to get away with wrongdoings against another human being, then how can we teach our children to change the ways of the past generations?

In no way am I suggesting that athletes should be perfect role models or human beings. They should, however, be held to moral standards that we can all agree upon. A simple look at the economics of professional sports shows who demands the most publicity. We pay hundreds of dollars/pounds/Euros to go watch our favorite sports teams, but if we continue to do this without holding them accountable, then sports will always be marred with stories such as what has occurred in the EPL this season. Next time it may not be racism, but where does it stop? Blatter and the other powers that be need to take a good hard look at how they are doling out punishments for offenses that have little to do with playing soccer. It is also time that we as fans decide if sports take a priority over our morals or if we will finally recognize the right thing to do.

Top Soccer Moments of 2011

As we close out another year and chapter in our lives, I am taking a few moments to reflect back on the most significant memories of 2011 in the world of soccer—both at the club and international levels. It has been quite an interesting year on and off the field and though this year is ending, we have much to look forward to in 2012.

7. Fernando Torres to Chelsea There were many significant transfers this year, including Samir Nasri to Manchester City and Cesc Fabregas to Barcelona, but the one that got the most press was the star Spanish striker moving to Stamford Bridge for a fee of £50 million (yes, that is pounds), only to disappoint by not scoring his first goal for over 900 minutes of action.

6. Barcelona Dominance This seems to be a common trend the last few years, but again, we cannot ignore the greatness of Lionel Messi and his crew of Spanish stars. They once again dominated the Champions League when they dismantled a very good Manchester United squad in the final. They also won La Liga and even though Real Madrid won the coveted Copa del Rey, Barca still managed to win that battle.

5. FIFA Scandals 2011 started off with a scandal for FIFA in both the presidential election process and the picking of the 2018 and 2022 World Cup sights. There were accusations that choosing Qatar for 2022 was not clean. In the past few months, FIFA President Sepp Blatter attracted criticism when he denied the presence of racism in soccer. This was followed up by serious allegations against prominent EPL players Luis Suarez and John Terry that they used racial abuse during matches. Hopefully, 2012 will be a better year for FIFA with World Cup qualifying and the Euro Cup.

4. Manchester City’s Rise to Prominence City flirted with the top of the table during last season’s campaign, only falling when United smacked them down with the goal of a lifetime (see below) and recaptured the title. City was not deterred and acquired Samir Nasri over the summer and came out on fire this season, culminating in a 6-2 shellacking of hated cross-town rivals Manchester United. Both teams are currently tied atop the table, so 2012 should bring much drama in the EPL. City’s talent, however, is not to be doubted any longer.

3. Hiring of Jürgen Klinsmann At the end of July, after much speculation, the US Soccer Federation fired embattled coach Bob Bradley and hired fan-favorite Klinsmann. This was a move that many thought was going to happen a few years ago, but finally came to fruition in 2011. Klinsmann’s start to the US era has been slightly disappointing, but with a few months to go until World Cup qualifying, he still has time to measure the talent available and create a side that will be somewhat respected on the international scene.

2. Wayne Rooney Bicycle Kick If you have not seen this play yet, please do so now. This was one of the best goals I have ever seen and came near the end of the crucial aforementioned match against a surging Manchester City squad. It is also synonymous with the growth in Rooney’s career as a professional soccer player and will be replayed on top ten lists for centuries to come.

1. Women’s World Cup In any other year, Rooney’s goal would have taken the top spot. However, for anyone who watched the WWC this summer, you will agree that this was the soccer event of the year. Women’s soccer has never been considered on the same level as the men’s game, but the women proved they are no joke. The feel-good story was the US Women’s team, which was the favorite going in, but did not win their group, then had some amazing matches against Brazil and Japan in the knockout round. In the end, even though the US, Brazilian, and German teams got all the coverage, an underdog Japanese team took the title by showing that heart can win out over talent. The sportsmanship displayed during the tournament left a good taste in everyone’s mouths, a refreshing turn from the embarrassing antics by some of the men’s national teams in the recent World Cup.

As you can see, this has been a fantastic year of soccer at all levels. This year was also big for me personally, as I joined the ranks of soccer journalism with MyBriefs.com, and it has been a wonderful ride. I hope you stick with us into the New Year, as we get ready for the great goals, moments, and competitions of 2012!