The Hype

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.

In the case of Arsenal in recent seasons, history was bound to repeat itself. As more and more stars (and captians) were sold, Arsenal had difficulty putting together a complete campaign and cycled back and fourth between third and fourth place in the final standings. Some will consider their continuous stay in the top four a success due to their limited spending power since the stadium move. Last season and this one have had quite a different feel though. Fewer big names have left and they've been boosted by big name signings to give fans some early optimism. A seven point gap isn't nearly as big as it seems because if Arsenal didn't shy away against the top half of the table (only winning a single game away from home against the top eight teams last year) it becomes a six point swing against a close rival if they're able to get a win. Arsenal are unquestionably a better squad than they were last season. But getting the big signatures and having numerous attacking options doesn't translate directly into success. That being said, I'm exited for Arsenal to prove the critics wrong this season.

Why the USMNT Needs Gedion Zelalem

This weekend gave most American soccer fans their first look at the next potential star of the US National Team, Gedion Zelalem.  Zelalem got the start for the Arsenal senior team against the NY Red Bull on Saturday, and while he remained mainly quiet on the field, the promise for the young star couldn't help but shine through.

If you haven't heard of Gedion Zelalem before, he is a 17-year-old midfielder who is currently playing for Arsenal.  Zelalem was born in Germany, but has the potential to hold citizenship in two other countries, Ethiopia and the United States.  Zelalem moved to the States in 2006 with his father and had been playing in the Maryland youth circuit before being recruited to play for Arsenal.  He made his debut in 2013 for the Arsenal U-16 before quickly being promoted to the U-21 side.  He debuted for the senior team in January this year, coming in as a substitute for the Ox.
So what makes this young midfielder so desirable(other than the fact that Arsene Wenger saw fit to put him into an Arsenal game at the age of 16)?  Zelalem is a playmaker, a skill becoming more rare in today's stars.  Everyone is trying to become the next #10, someone who's going to dance around the defense and score by them selves, whereas what we've seen from Gedion so far is a player comfortable enough in their own skill to hold centrally and make the connecting passes downfield, "he makes the pass before the assist" writes Travis Clark of Top Drawer Soccer.  Even though he played in a right midfielder role this past Saturday, you could still see what Clark is talking about.  It doesn't seem much to write about but Zelalem showed some very crisp and intelligent passes, clean turns and great field awareness during the game.  The kid definitely showed great soccer IQ, and composure, something very rare for a player his age.
As far as what he can add immediately to the US Mens National Team, this is where it can get interesting.  At the 2014 World Cup, Jurgen Klinsmann brought 4 players capable of playing the holding mid spot that Zelalem has become accustomed to playing, Bradley, Jones, Beckerman and Cameron, with Bradley starting the center mid position.  But with Cameron playing center-back and the two others filling various midfielder roles in Klinsmann's 4-2-3-1, there was no one left on the bench to relieve the exhausted Bradley late in games, such as the Portugal game which saw Bradley make a crucial late error resulting in a goal.  Zelalem can provide that support now.  He has already proven that he can compete at the senior level, with the only consistent complaint about his playing being his size.

The most exciting aspect of Zelalem however, has to be what he can offer to the US long term.  As Zelalem himself said when discussing the international decision he will have to make (most likely before the 2016 Olympics), "The US is on the rise, Germany is already a great team".  If Zelalem goes with the US he could join the ranks of great young players, such as another German-born American player Julian Green, to whom he has been both compared and said to have even greater potential given his age when he broke out.  He could become the new face of the steadily rising team, as opposed to just yet another player on an already strong German team.  As Ollie has already written, the USA has the formula to finally break through and stop just being relevant on the international stage, and become a powerhouse.  Zelalem could be another (major) piece to that puzzle, should he opt to invoke his right to gain US citizenship.
My final bit is a sincere plea to Gedion (yeah I know...it's a pipe dream that he ever gets this in front of him).  You've spent time in America, and you've played in the youth programs here.  You know that theres still a long way to go before we can be consistently defined as premiere nation on the international stage.  And one of the things that American soccer needs to accomplish that goal, is increased awareness and participation in this fantastic sport.  And one of the elements that is needed to drive this change in social perception, is popularity (success) at the international level.  You, Gedion, have the potential to help lead our team to a level of success it has yet to realize, both immediately and then continuing our growth in the future.  Don't become just another player in a soccer centric nation.  Become the face of a nation who's fans are the most enthusiastic and dedicated in the world, and spread the good word to the rest of the nation.  And hopefully, finally, push soccer to it's rightful place among main stream sports in this amazing country of ours.

Be sure to check out our previous post here.