While this week definitely had games of great importance (such as the champions, Manchester City, laying the stain on last year's runner up, Liverpool), it unfortunately had a bit of a drought in terms of spectacular goals. Plenty of text-book finishes, which are always important, but don't grab you like a ball curling perfectly into the upper 90. Never-the-less, we did see a few sparkling runs topped off by a brilliant finish, not to mention some super-human work by the keepers, so here they are.
The Goals:
Coming in at number 5 is Marouane Chamakh's right footed shot from just outside the box that finds it's way to the bottom left corner. While the game was almost completely dominated by the men from West Ham, this goal came from a particularly clean bit of play down the left side of the pitch by Crystal Palace. After receiving the short cross, Chamakh takes only one touch to settle the ball before burying it.
At number 4 we have the Irishman, Séamus Coleman, beating his defender and placing the ball in the top corner. All stemming from a set piece around the half field line, Gareth Barry finds himself unmarked at the top of the 18 leading to the inch perfect chip that finds the head of Coleman.
The number 3 goal beats out Coleman's header purely because of the run of play that leads up to it. While the finish was great, it was Lamela's run that made the goal possible. His change of direction and allowing the ball roll past before taking a touch, while a subtle move, was what allowed him to get the step on the defender and send the cross perfectly across the box and find the head of Nacer Chadli.
At number 2, we have Manchester City's Stevan Jovetić with his cool, calm and collected finish against Liverpool to give City their first goal of the game. Jovetic shows great tenacity following up on a botched clearance, then running through the attempted clean up clearance by Liverpool's Moreno, to finally place the ball right through Mignolet's legs into the back of the net.
And finally, our Goal of the Week comes again from the WHU vs. Crystal Palace game. In the 33' with the teams still level, Mauro Zárate strikes a volley from a high bouncing ball, through traffic and into the side netting. Showing amazing composure not to completely sky and/or shank the ball coming down quickly, Zárate has very clearly earned the Goal of the Week.
Save:
For this week, the award for best save doesn't go to a single save, or even a single keeper. This week we wanted to recognize the clinic that was but on by the keepers in the Chelsea vs. Leicester City game. The two keepers in question, last week's Save of the Week recipient, Thibaut Courtois, and Kasper Schmeichel, stood on their heads for the majority of the game, and it was unfortunate to see a break down towards the end of the game for Schmeichel's defense. However, Courtois proving that Mourinho's faith in him was not misplaced, and Schmeichel displaying one of the big reasons that newly promoted LC are here to stay, are both worthy of commendation and for this reason, we award them Co-Keepers of the Week.
Tuesday, August 26, 2014
Friday, August 22, 2014
Terrell Owens to Join Liverpool
When talking with his staff about who should replace Luis Suarez this coming season, LFC boss Brendan Rodgers is reported to have said,
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As you probably know already since it's been plastered over every sports outlet, Balotelli is returning to England. The Reds have been looking all summer for a suitable replacement for Luis Suarez, but have they found it in "Super Mario"? There's an interesting piece on Bleacher Report by Nick Miller, where he claims that Balotelli is less of a risk than Suarez was (with Suarez's biting and racial abuse scandals in mind) but I'm not completely sold on that.
Since the beginning of his senior carer, Balotelli has been plagued by scandal, both on the field (like his contentious relationship with former coach Jose Mourhino) and off (all of his antics). Some, like Miller, claim that most of the scrutiny is un-just or over hyped, but look at the "antics" link above and you judge for yourself if any of the 21 (we'll exclude him meeting the pope) incidents aren't warning signs for someone who has an issue controlling himself.
Now, the argument could be made that while Suarez was not almost constantly in trouble of some fashion (like Balotelli tends to be), whenever he was disciplined, it was a multiple match ban, which for a team as centered around a single player, like Liverpool was, can be devastating (Not to mention I personally feel that biting three separate individuals is a disturbing trend and have no doubt in my mind that he will land himself another multiple match ban for something ridiculous). However, the disruptions caused by a constant flow of negative media attention can be just as detrimental, not only on the teams ability to preform effectively, but also on the collective mentality of a team. It's the Terrell Owens effect. Just like T.O., Balotelli is a seriously talented individual player with a ton of potential, but his ability to preform is constantly interrupted by his own poor decision making or ego. He not only has shown that he consistently flouts the rules set forth by managers and their staff, but engages in dangerous behaviors that could get him hurt (like crashing his car or setting his house on fire).
Honestly, in the end, this transfer will judged purely on how well Balotelli can fill the goal scoring gap left by Suarez, but if this whole move goes south I can't say that I'll be surprised. Balotelli has already proved himself an unstable factor on many teams, and as potentially disruptive in the locker room as Terrell Owens was during his heyday. The tweet
below seems common sense, but we have to trust that Rodgers has a plan that he's not sharing with the general population.
My final prediction: Balotelli ends up starting about half the games for LFC, and finishes the season with 12 goals.
"You know what? Let's go with someone with just as much of a chance as Suarez to miss a considerable amount of games due to disciplinary action."It was then it hit him... Terrell Owens! What other professional athlete combines sheer talent, and complete lack of respect for authority and/or his peers as well as the famous T.O.? No one, that's who! After contacting the former NFL wide out and securing his move to Anfield, Rodgers addressed the media saying,
"We were just going to miss that element of surprise when Luis played, like 'Oooh I wonder if today's the day he snaps and really takes chunk out of some one', you know? With Owens we can return to that state of constantly wondering if we're about to loose our star due to something stupid that he did."Owens opened up his career with the Reds with the following statement,
"The teams really not that good, honestly I don't know how were going to win with...whoever our coach is, and if we want to have a successful year we should totally bring in... I don't know, someone from your biggest rival maybe, cause they're better."Cut to reality...
As you probably know already since it's been plastered over every sports outlet, Balotelli is returning to England. The Reds have been looking all summer for a suitable replacement for Luis Suarez, but have they found it in "Super Mario"? There's an interesting piece on Bleacher Report by Nick Miller, where he claims that Balotelli is less of a risk than Suarez was (with Suarez's biting and racial abuse scandals in mind) but I'm not completely sold on that. Since the beginning of his senior carer, Balotelli has been plagued by scandal, both on the field (like his contentious relationship with former coach Jose Mourhino) and off (all of his antics). Some, like Miller, claim that most of the scrutiny is un-just or over hyped, but look at the "antics" link above and you judge for yourself if any of the 21 (we'll exclude him meeting the pope) incidents aren't warning signs for someone who has an issue controlling himself.
Now, the argument could be made that while Suarez was not almost constantly in trouble of some fashion (like Balotelli tends to be), whenever he was disciplined, it was a multiple match ban, which for a team as centered around a single player, like Liverpool was, can be devastating (Not to mention I personally feel that biting three separate individuals is a disturbing trend and have no doubt in my mind that he will land himself another multiple match ban for something ridiculous). However, the disruptions caused by a constant flow of negative media attention can be just as detrimental, not only on the teams ability to preform effectively, but also on the collective mentality of a team. It's the Terrell Owens effect. Just like T.O., Balotelli is a seriously talented individual player with a ton of potential, but his ability to preform is constantly interrupted by his own poor decision making or ego. He not only has shown that he consistently flouts the rules set forth by managers and their staff, but engages in dangerous behaviors that could get him hurt (like crashing his car or setting his house on fire).
below seems common sense, but we have to trust that Rodgers has a plan that he's not sharing with the general population.
There is a reason Balotelli is still available for that price, if didn't have his issues he would have been bought already. #YNWALOL
— Justin Lapointe ⚽️ (@Jlapointe9) August 22, 2014
My final prediction: Balotelli ends up starting about half the games for LFC, and finishes the season with 12 goals.
Thursday, August 21, 2014
Barcelona Opens Up Permanent US Academy
As more Americans are taking notice of the beautiful game than ever before, European clubs are capitalizing on the (albeit smaller than other countries) bank of talent to be had across the pond. The spanish giants, Barcelona, will be opening the doors on their first U.S. academy, FCB Escola Florida, later this month. While Barca is certainly not the first club to set up camp in the U.S., with Everton and Boca Juniors already operating out of the CT-NY area, the move adds credence to the idea that international clubs opening up U.S. academies is becoming a trend.
While we can hope that this means European clubs are perking up and realizing that there is future talent to be had in America, we have to take these new openings with a grain of salt. Academies have not only been used to scout and grow talent, but also to promote the club's brand image. Now while I'm not saying that the Barca opening is purely to capitalize on the sudden surge in soccer interest in America, we have to assume that this is one of the motivators. It's now up to the U.S. to start shifting the reason for clubs like Barcelona to open up these academies, towards the talent. As Ollie covers extensively here, the United States has an enormous wealth of athletic talent in our youth, and we are waiting for the stimulus or catalyst that can drive the change. The prospect of playing for a European club academy could certainly be one piece to the puzzle. Coupled with the World Cup high the country had been experiencing as well huge movements in the world of youth soccer, such as this complex to be built in Kansas City, we may soon see the acceptance of soccer into the mainstream of sports as more kids turn to the sport, and in turn more talent flowing from the U.S.
The link to the FCB Escola Florida site is http://fcbescola.fcbarcelona.com/florida/.
While we can hope that this means European clubs are perking up and realizing that there is future talent to be had in America, we have to take these new openings with a grain of salt. Academies have not only been used to scout and grow talent, but also to promote the club's brand image. Now while I'm not saying that the Barca opening is purely to capitalize on the sudden surge in soccer interest in America, we have to assume that this is one of the motivators. It's now up to the U.S. to start shifting the reason for clubs like Barcelona to open up these academies, towards the talent. As Ollie covers extensively here, the United States has an enormous wealth of athletic talent in our youth, and we are waiting for the stimulus or catalyst that can drive the change. The prospect of playing for a European club academy could certainly be one piece to the puzzle. Coupled with the World Cup high the country had been experiencing as well huge movements in the world of youth soccer, such as this complex to be built in Kansas City, we may soon see the acceptance of soccer into the mainstream of sports as more kids turn to the sport, and in turn more talent flowing from the U.S.
Tuesday, August 19, 2014
FIFA to Host Ethics in Sport Conference
The governing body of soccer around the world, FIFA, is going to be hosting a conference on the importance of ethics in sports later this year. The conference, which will take place on September 19th in Zurich and in the words of FIFA, the conference will "help define the role of sports in solving society’s problems and highlight examples of best practice".HAHAHAHAHAHAHA ohhh that's a good one, haha oh I probably had you going there for a... hold on... oh they're serious. Yes you read that, FIFA, the organization that is currently undergoing increased scrutiny over the alleged (they totally did it) corruption charges surrounding both the 2018 and 2022 World Cup bidding process. FIFA, the organization that forced Brazil to pass a law allowing the sale of beer in soccer stadiums, which had previously been banned due to it's link to high mortality rates. The same organization that is having the stadiums built for the 2022 World Cup by modern day slave labor. The list goes on and on and on, and now this... The announcement of this conference is audacious bordering on disgusting. FIFA needs to stop pretending they're some clean organization, and that we all don't know how corrupt they are. Stop making symbolic gestures about ethics and actually do something about the fact that your own president protects his own crooked executives all while hiding his shady dealings.
Premiership: The Best of Week 1
Well the first week of the Premiere League has come to a close and it was a cracking start to the season. As part of a new series we'll be running weekly, we're going to be running down the top 5 goals of the week, and awarding the best save/keeping performance.
Goals:
Coming in at number 5 we have Andreas Weimann sneaking in a low angle shot off the fingers of Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic. While the shot does find the top corner, the reason it sits at the bottom of our list is the element of luck. Asmir knew where the goal was and definitely meant to put the ball on target, but the deflection off the keeper is what makes the goal special, not necessarily the shot on it's own.
At number 4, we have the return of the Rooney bicycle kick. While this is not as impressive as the bike we saw top the ESPN Sports Center Best of the Best, a bicycle kick still is one of the biggest tests of foot-eye coordination in soccer. Now while it was beautiful tracking and well struck, the reason it only sits at number 4 is because of his proximity to the goal, he was only about 4 feet from the goal line, so as long as he made contact there was solid shot that the ball would find it's way in.
Number 3 and 2 were nearly impossible to pick between, but in the end we have Nathaniel Clyne on Southampton, hammering one home from the middle of the box. What's fantastic about this goal, was not only the finish (which was absolutely text book) but the set up. A brilliantly played back heel set Clyne up perfectly for the top corner finish, and the team play makes the goal just the more impressive.
Number 2 is Scott Arfield's half-volley to give Burnley an early lead over Chelsea. The blazing shot from just inside the box curved around the oncoming Chelsea defense and left a stunned looking Courtois standing flat footed on his line. Theres something to be said about a shot that can stump one of the world's top keepers.
And finally, topping our list, Aiden McGeady wonder-curve strike for Everton. Following a save by Kasper Schmeichel (that was very reminiscent of his father's patented handball style spread eagle saves) McGeady settles the ball and hits a strike that curves harder than most would have thought possible over the space of 20 feet, eventually finding the top corner (and by that we literally mean, it could not have been more in the corner). This goal is an absolutely brilliant display of technical skill and aim, and very clearly has earned our top spot.
Save:
Now we move on to save of the week. This week's save comes from Chelsea's new starting keeper, Thibaut Courtois. The save comes in the 48th minute off a left footed strike from Burnley's Scott Arfield. The save foils Arfield's attempt for a second goal after his 13th minute shot found the back of the net. While the shot is not the fastest that Courtois saw all game, what is most impressive about the save was the concentration and tracking while he went to full extension that allowed him to get a palm to the ball and bat it away.
Be sure to come back each week as we count down the best of the past 10 games. Also, disagree with us or think were just full of it? Let us know, and who you think should have made our list. Just rant in the comments below.
Goals:
Coming in at number 5 we have Andreas Weimann sneaking in a low angle shot off the fingers of Stoke keeper Asmir Begovic. While the shot does find the top corner, the reason it sits at the bottom of our list is the element of luck. Asmir knew where the goal was and definitely meant to put the ball on target, but the deflection off the keeper is what makes the goal special, not necessarily the shot on it's own.
At number 4, we have the return of the Rooney bicycle kick. While this is not as impressive as the bike we saw top the ESPN Sports Center Best of the Best, a bicycle kick still is one of the biggest tests of foot-eye coordination in soccer. Now while it was beautiful tracking and well struck, the reason it only sits at number 4 is because of his proximity to the goal, he was only about 4 feet from the goal line, so as long as he made contact there was solid shot that the ball would find it's way in.
Number 3 and 2 were nearly impossible to pick between, but in the end we have Nathaniel Clyne on Southampton, hammering one home from the middle of the box. What's fantastic about this goal, was not only the finish (which was absolutely text book) but the set up. A brilliantly played back heel set Clyne up perfectly for the top corner finish, and the team play makes the goal just the more impressive.
Number 2 is Scott Arfield's half-volley to give Burnley an early lead over Chelsea. The blazing shot from just inside the box curved around the oncoming Chelsea defense and left a stunned looking Courtois standing flat footed on his line. Theres something to be said about a shot that can stump one of the world's top keepers.
And finally, topping our list, Aiden McGeady wonder-curve strike for Everton. Following a save by Kasper Schmeichel (that was very reminiscent of his father's patented handball style spread eagle saves) McGeady settles the ball and hits a strike that curves harder than most would have thought possible over the space of 20 feet, eventually finding the top corner (and by that we literally mean, it could not have been more in the corner). This goal is an absolutely brilliant display of technical skill and aim, and very clearly has earned our top spot.
Save:
Now we move on to save of the week. This week's save comes from Chelsea's new starting keeper, Thibaut Courtois. The save comes in the 48th minute off a left footed strike from Burnley's Scott Arfield. The save foils Arfield's attempt for a second goal after his 13th minute shot found the back of the net. While the shot is not the fastest that Courtois saw all game, what is most impressive about the save was the concentration and tracking while he went to full extension that allowed him to get a palm to the ball and bat it away.
Be sure to come back each week as we count down the best of the past 10 games. Also, disagree with us or think were just full of it? Let us know, and who you think should have made our list. Just rant in the comments below.
Thursday, August 14, 2014
The Hype
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Arsenal produced one of the most dominant 45 minute displays in recent memory this past weekend. Their first half performance allowed them to coast after the interval where constant substitutions and lying in much deeper positions let them see out a comfortable win. There were a variety of encouraging signs including Arsenal bossing the midfield, some scrappy yet hard nosed defending (epitomized by Santi Cazorla sprinting back across the field to block almost a sure goal from Jovetic) and some good hold up play and direct runs from the forwards. Every Arsenal fan had more to be exited about that simply the 3-0 scoreline because of the way they achieved the result. For good periods of the match Arsenal truly looked like a world class team capable of going toe to toe with the Premier League's best. However they aren't there quite yet.
The most apparent reason for this was Manchester City's makeshift back-line. Kompany, Demichelis, Zabaletta and Sagna could do little from the stands as they watched their team get torn apart at Wembley. Boyata, although a tremendous athlete, likely won't see nearly as much time as his more experienced counterparts this season, and while Natasic has tremendous potential, he produced one of his worst performances against the Gunners. Clichy, a true left back, was moved to the right and Kolarov has always be know for his attacking prowess rather than defending. This was evident as he was caught in between on a variety of situations as Alexis Sanchez drifted inside. With Kompany back, the addition of Mangala, and Fernandinho likely starting over Fernando, expect a much different look from City once the season rolls around.
Last pre-season saw the emergence of Aaron Ramsey and some solid performances by the whole team during the Asia tour and early friendlies. The midfield was firing on all cylinders, the defense had started to look solid, and Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott were both in top form. All this culminated in a 2-0 win against Manchester City in Finland shortly before the season started. Sound familiar? This pre-season has had more ups and downs as Arsenal looked lethargic against New York Red Bulls and AS Monaco while running Benfica and Manchester City out of the stadium. The performances have been encouraging but the Gunners still haven't shown the required consistency needed to win major trophies. Arsene Wenger was always the first to point out that Arsenal had gained more points that any other team during the 2013 year. Unfortunately for him, good form from January to December doesn't mean you're going to win a title as Arsenal fizzled out towards the end of the season.
Is Liverpool Doomed to the Same Fate as Tottenham?
The past two seasons have seen both of the most recent winners of the Premiere League Player of the Season leave for La Liga. Gareth Bale left Tottenham Hotspur on an £86M transfer fee to Real Madrid and the (in)famous Luis Suarez has been stealing headlines recently with his transfer to Barcelona. While major talent is starting to centralize around the these two clubs (with James leaving for Real this summer as well) the issue for the english clubs that are loosing these players is becoming, how do they fill the roles of these major playmakers.
Be sure to check out our previous post here.
The argument could be made, and I'm about to make it, that Tottenham is the textbook case of failing to refill the role. When Bale left, Tottenham spent close to £110M during last summers transfer window, and almost all of the major signings fell on their faces. Roberto Soldado (£26M) has been a huge disappointment thus far and has actually admitted that his form has been off since the transfer. Erik Lamela (£30M) appeared in only 9 games last season and tallied only one assist in the stat charts, followed by injury. Etinne Capoue has lost first team favor as well as accuse the manager of ignorance of foreigners (read racism) and Vlad Chiriches has been injured since January. Needless to say the hunt to replace Bale has been almost entirely fruitless, and while not all of it is the fault of Tottenham, they made poor decisions in who to bring on. The players didn't fit the system, Tottenham was just trying to fix the problem by throwing money at the situation, buying players who wouldn't flourish under the circumstances.
And now we have Liverpool. I think the lesson we can take from Tottenham above is that there is no quick fix replacement. Their style is going to have to different than when they had the leading goal scorer in the EPL in their line-up. So the important move is going to be picking up not only a solid striker, but one who fits into Brendan Rodgers play style. Arguably the best option for the Reds would be Radamel Falcao. The striker is one of the most prolific scorers in the game right now, which is an important factor to consider when trying to find a suitable fit. Suarez was the end all be all of Liverpool scoring last season, and while it is unreasonable to assume that they will find some one to put up a comparable performance, they still need some one with experience putting it in the back of the net. Unfortunately for LFC, it's pretty much understood that Falcao would be a long shot for the Reds to pick up as he's got many offers from teams all around Europe. The latest rumors around the league seem to suggest however that Liverpool's top target currently is Chelsea's Samuel Eto'o. The striker posted 9 goals in 21 appearances last season, nothing compared to Suarez's 31, but again, the Reds have to know that there will be no replacing the talent that Suarez was. From the prospects that have been linked to the club, it does appear that Brendan Rodgers is going to attempt to put a star name into the hole left by Suarez, however I believe the best chance they have for the coming season is to find a solid striker who is willing to cooperate with Rodgers and adapt to his style of play. We can fully expect that Liverpool will not be as offensively successful this coming year, but if they play their cards right, they can still walk away from the year with somewhat successful domestic and european campaigns.
Be sure to check out our previous post here.The argument could be made, and I'm about to make it, that Tottenham is the textbook case of failing to refill the role. When Bale left, Tottenham spent close to £110M during last summers transfer window, and almost all of the major signings fell on their faces. Roberto Soldado (£26M) has been a huge disappointment thus far and has actually admitted that his form has been off since the transfer. Erik Lamela (£30M) appeared in only 9 games last season and tallied only one assist in the stat charts, followed by injury. Etinne Capoue has lost first team favor as well as accuse the manager of ignorance of foreigners (read racism) and Vlad Chiriches has been injured since January. Needless to say the hunt to replace Bale has been almost entirely fruitless, and while not all of it is the fault of Tottenham, they made poor decisions in who to bring on. The players didn't fit the system, Tottenham was just trying to fix the problem by throwing money at the situation, buying players who wouldn't flourish under the circumstances.
And now we have Liverpool. I think the lesson we can take from Tottenham above is that there is no quick fix replacement. Their style is going to have to different than when they had the leading goal scorer in the EPL in their line-up. So the important move is going to be picking up not only a solid striker, but one who fits into Brendan Rodgers play style. Arguably the best option for the Reds would be Radamel Falcao. The striker is one of the most prolific scorers in the game right now, which is an important factor to consider when trying to find a suitable fit. Suarez was the end all be all of Liverpool scoring last season, and while it is unreasonable to assume that they will find some one to put up a comparable performance, they still need some one with experience putting it in the back of the net. Unfortunately for LFC, it's pretty much understood that Falcao would be a long shot for the Reds to pick up as he's got many offers from teams all around Europe. The latest rumors around the league seem to suggest however that Liverpool's top target currently is Chelsea's Samuel Eto'o. The striker posted 9 goals in 21 appearances last season, nothing compared to Suarez's 31, but again, the Reds have to know that there will be no replacing the talent that Suarez was. From the prospects that have been linked to the club, it does appear that Brendan Rodgers is going to attempt to put a star name into the hole left by Suarez, however I believe the best chance they have for the coming season is to find a solid striker who is willing to cooperate with Rodgers and adapt to his style of play. We can fully expect that Liverpool will not be as offensively successful this coming year, but if they play their cards right, they can still walk away from the year with somewhat successful domestic and european campaigns.
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