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It’s been practically a year since the guys at SoccerProse spilled some digital ink on this page. A lot has happened. The staff has changed a bit but the love of soccer and the need for awesome soccer discussion is still within our halls. One major change at www.soccerpro.com is the addition of a new corporate office — the good people at Soccer Master (based in St. Louis) now lead the charge. SoccerPro is still “SoccerPro” and their won’t be any crazy changes to the operations. We’re just bigger, better and having more fun than ever before.

So what is going to happen to SoccerProse.com? Truthfully, we’re not sure. My money says it will change. Probably the name or at least the focus of the content. We’ve seen a lot of great things happen when we discussed the new product being released. Also, had a lot of conversation when we used this blog as a resource for coaches and parents to learn about the game or to sound off about problems we all face when trying motivate young players. No matter what you’ll be able to come back here — www.soccerprose.com — and find new content soon. If we change the name I promise we’ll automatically redirect the page so you don’t have to update your bookmark.

If you have any suggestions on what you think is missing in soccer blogs or what you would like to see us write about PLEASE add your comment here.

Manchester United’s hopes for retaining the Premiership title took a serious blow this weekend with a record 17 to nil drubbing at the hands of Mike Ditka. 69,000 Mancurians looked on bewildered as their United were roundly beaten in every facet of the match by a solitary, bespectacled opponent, whose identity and prowess for many in England still remain a mystery.

The gridiron legend played and coached most of his years for the NFL side, the Chicago Bears, shattering previously held records in a decorated on-field career and becoming a fan favorite of mythic proportion off of it.  In fact, it was once predicted that Mr. Ditka would beat the entire New York Giants American football team by himself, 17 to 14, via a late Ditka field goal.

Because the season got under way a little over one month ago, United supporters will argue that the three points dropped on Saturday against the amazing Ditka can be recovered over the course of the season.  But confidence in the dressing room has hit rock bottom for the Old Trafford outfit after letting in a new league record 17 goals at the now somewhat ironically named ‘Theater of Dreams.’

Never in the history of English football has one team been so handily trounced by another side, especially a side which fielded only one player.

As soon as the match official blew his whistle commencing the action the ball seemed to be drawn towards the United end and Ditka did not waste time, rocking the woodwork with a shot from 18 yards only 23 seconds into the match.  The United defense did not have time to be surprised by this shot on target because Ditka cut in behind and knocked in his own rebound from 6 yards.

Goals number two and three came just after the brightest spell of play from Sir Alex Ferguson’s team, who were apparently galvanized by the first stunner, but to no avail as the blitzkrieg on Old Trafford had just begun.  There’s no manner of legal fashion which Ditka did not employ to put the ball in the United net, mixing power with finesse and finishing prowess.  Goals eight, nine, and ten were actually scored with an unprecedented hat trick of over-head kicks.

After the eleventh goal, Ditka started to hit his stride, banging in goals from 40 yards past a hapless Edwin Van der Saar who had long finished shouting at his back four by that point.

In the 64th minute, Ditka was called offside on his own through ball, denying him goal number 15, despite the fact that being ahead of your own pass is contrary to all known laws of physics.  That proved to be only a short delay in the scoring because just two minutes later he rose above a stifled Ferdinand to head in to the top left corner.

By the time Mr. Swerski had blown for full time, there were only a few thousand fans left in the United stronghold of Old Trafford which had never seen such a blow-out defeat since it’s doors opened in 1910.

A fuming Sir Alex Ferguson refused a post-match interview with reporters and went directly into his dejected squad for what one can only imagine to be a blistering team talk.

Mr. Ditka could not be interviewed following the match because his mouth was stuffed with polish saaasages.

Manchester United: Van der Sar, Ferdinand (Captain), Vidic, Evra, Brown, Hargreaves, C. Ronaldo, Giggs, Scholes, Anderson, Rooney

Da Bears: Full-grown Ditka

Match Official: William Swerski

1. Manchester United: Why am I not betting against the defending champs? Because as long as they have a certain Portuguese winger (albeit injured right now) and Sir Alex leading the way, it will be hard for anyone to dethrone the Red Devils. Sure no reinforcements have been brought in, but the most significant departure wasn’t a player, it was assistant Carlos Queiroz. As it showed in winning the Premier League and Champions League last season, United has depth, experience and the youth needed to fight through a grueling season. While a right back and Dimitar Berbatov would help, United still have the championship pieces they need to succeed. Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal will be breathing down the Red Devils’ necks all season, but in the end United will come out on top.

2. Chelsea: There is wonderful depth, a new coach (Felipe Scolari) and the pain of finishing second best twice to United last season to drive the Blues forward. Robinho may be on his way in and Deco and Jose Bosingwa have both arrived, but Chelsea’s most important business all summer was hanging onto Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba. Without Drogba’s presence the attack would become weak and as many detractors as he has, replacing a center mid who scores 20 goals a campaign is hard to do. The title race could be decided by just a point or goal differential.

3. Liverpool: I shudder to give Liverpool any kind of credit because of its blatant inconsistency the past few seasons (not to mention its opening match in Champions League qualification) but Rafa Benetiz has made some good additions in Robbie Keane and Andrea Dossena. Still league form has been a struggle and Liverpool will again be on the outside looking in no matter how many goals Fernando Torres scores.

4. Arsenal: It was tempting to try and put the Gunners above Liverpool like last season’s predictions, but losing Hleb, Flamini and Gilberto could be too much. Samir Nasri and Aaron Ramsey could turn out to be stars, but they are young and the Premier League is a tough place to cut your teeth. Keeping Adebayor was key and a return to health by Robin Van Persie will be needed to pick up the scoring slack. A significant injury anywhere could expose Arsenal’s weak depth and a long season with cups and Champions League play will most likely do just that.

5. Tottenham Hotspur: After two straight fifth-place finishes Spurs floundered to 11^th last season.  However, Juande Ramos did lead Spurs to a Carling Cup title and off-season additions of Luka Modric and David Bentley have only bolstered the squad while an in-house cleaning of unnecessary players have been shipped out. With or without Berbatov Spurs will be looking in on the Big Four so they might as well cash in now and continue to strengthen its midfield and defense.

6. Aston Villa: Will the Gareth Barry saga ever end? Villa desperately needs to keep Barry not only because of his talent, but also because of the squad’s lack of depth. Young guns Ashley  Young and Gabriel Agbonlahor will carry the attack. Manager Martin O’Neill has also brought in quality additions like Curtis Davies, Steve Sidwell, Nicky Shorey, Brad Friedel and Carlos Cuellar.

7.  Portsmouth: Maybe a bit high, but I see Pompey doing well this season. Jermaine Defoe and Peter Crouch lead what could be a talented attack (no that is not a misprint). Lassana Diarra is due to show why Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger fawned over him and Niko Kranjcar showed he can handle pulling the midfield strings last season. Pompey will also need David James to repeat his performance as the league’s best goalkeeper from a season ago.

8. Everton: Not many additions to speak of and that does not bode well for a side that had a defender (Joleon Lescott) as its second leading scorer last season. The loss of Steven Pienaar for seven weeks is a recent blow for the Toffees. Production must come from Tim Cahill and Mikel Arteta while Tim Howard continues to man the penalty area.

9. Manchester City: I wanted to put them higher, I really did, but just couldn’t bring myself to do it. Mark Hughes is a great manager and after what he showed at Blackburn I believe he can take City higher in the table, maybe just not this season. Last season City suffered from an inability to score so in comes the young and high-priced Brazilian, Jo. Whether or not he can score in England like he did in Russia is the big question. Another Brazilian, Elano, burst out of the gate last year only to fade and City will need his best form to stay in the top half. Martin Petrov is a great winger and provides City with a consistent threat on the flanks.

10.  West Ham: A repeat performance is in order for this consistent mid-table side.

11.  Newcastle: Maybe the hardest squad to peg, so this just feels right. Michael Owen will have to stay injury free and signing Jonas Gutierrez from Mallorca was a good addition. Defender Fabricio Collocini is due to arrive from Deportivo la Coruna any day to help strengthen  what has been one of Newcastle’s worst areas in recent years.

12.  Blackburn: Losing Hughes, Bentley and Friedel will hurt and the side will slide from its seventh-place finish a season ago under new manager Paul Ince.

13.  Wigan: Wilson Palacios and Antonio Valencia were impressive last season as Wigan made the jump from the Championship and stayed up. Now it will need to avoid a second-season swoon. I think Steve Bruce is up to the task.

14.  Middlesbrough: Not much change from last season because no team embodies its name quite like Boro does. Finishes of 11^th, 11^th, 7^th, 14^th,  12^th and 13^th  make this the perfect spot for this inconsistent squad.

15.  Bolton: Shockingly high, but I feel Bolton will somehow stay up this season. The additions of Johan Elmander and Mustapha Riga will have to produce the goals Bolton gave away in Nicolas Anelka last season. It will be a fight to stave off relegation.

16.  Sunderland: Roy Keane has shown he knows how to spend money, but are any of the players (El-Hadji Diouf, Teemu Tainio and Pascal Chimbonda) he’s brought in worth it?

17.  West Brom: The only newly-promoted side that looks like it has a prayer of staying up. It will, but just barely.

18.  Fulham: Fulham has been due to drop for a few seasons, but has somehow miraculously saved itself each time. Now there is now Brian McBride and Andrew Johnson, Bobby Zamora, John Paintsil, Zoltan Gera and Mark Schwarzer are not the answers.  

19.  Stoke City: Thanks for playing guys.

20.  Hull City: It’s going to be a long season for a side in the top flight for the first time ever.

So we have been on a bit of an extended absence here at SoccerProse, but with everything aside now we are back and ready to talk more soccer.

First on that list is that it is now August and the major European domestic campaigns are just around the corner and that means one things: predictions sure to turn out wrong. However after bravely choosing Manchester United to win the Premier League last season our confidence is a bit inflated. Our friends over at Goalmouth Scramble have been laying out their predictions the past few weeks so give those a listen too.

So prepare for our predictions in the upcoming days and be sure to let us know how wrong we are.

Our favorite podcast, Goalmouth Scramble, is back at it and this time Curtis dives in with two feet to tackle the issue of loyalty in the sport. Is there even any? The Francesco Totti’s and Ryan Giggs’ of the world are the exceptions, not the rules. No longer do players stay with one club their entire careers. So rarely do superstars come up with a powerhouse club, and even if they do it’s no guarantee they’ll stick around for a career. The richest and biggest clubs can buy any player they want, which creates a high-priced mercenary system to do one thing: win matches and trophies. Clubs may boast about their histories, but those were built on homegrown talent, not on what could be bought. They say money talks and in the world of soccer it certainly does where we know where the real loyalty lies; the almighty dollar (or pound or euro or whatever currency you use).

 Also in store, more EPL previews. This time a look at Arsenal and Middlesbrough.

Also, more news regarding Goalmouth Scramble and Soccer Manager for all of the fantasy fanatics out there.

Enjoy!

It now appears like the buck-toothed one is 90 percent sure of landing in Milan next season. While nothing is set in stone yet, it seems that the allure of AC Milan’s prestige and history of won Ronaldinho’s favor over the pounds (that’s money, not what he would be adding to his bulging waistline with a diet of fish and chips and lager) at Manchester City.

Although we’re not sure who the winner is in this situation.

Yes the transfer of Ronaldinho is a big deal (now the tabloids can focus on the ridiculous talk of Adebayor being worth 30 million pounds-more on that in a different post), but City should count itself lucky to have lost out on this transfer.While snagging Ronaldinho would have brought City a certain cachet, it also would have brought it the frowning face of the equine-inclined Brazilian. Deemed surplus at Barcelona, Ronaldinho has ceased to be an attacker who put fear in defenders and set them on their heels. Instead he became content with fancy flicks and his movement on the field decreased while his belly increased.

Maybe it really is just fitness holding him back; if that’s the case then Milan has a steal on its hands because if a fit Ronaldinho means a return to his form two seasons ago then Serie A defenders had better look out. Sadly this is doesn’t seem likely. Now combine that with where he will fit into Milan’s scheme on the field. History has shown us that he and Kaka don’t exactly bring out the best in each other on the pitch, and Kaka is not going anywhere. Now add in Andrea Pirlo, Gennaro Gattuso, Mathieu Flamini, Massimo Ambrosini and Clarence Seedorf and the midfield looks pretty crowded (similar to Barcelona). Ronaldinho is not an out-and-out striker so putting him up top will not play to his strengths or help the squad (even if Filippo Inzaghi is Milan’s top striker).

This all puts Milan in a quandary. Bring over the Ronaldinho, just a couple of years removed from being the world’s best player, and now find out he might not even be needed. We also don’t buy the change of scenery argument because Ronaldinho is 28, rich beyond belief and the signs of content in him have already begun to show. The fire and joy he brought to matches has dimmed only to spark in a moment of beauty, like a bicycle kick, to remind us all of what he once was. Milan has had success with Brazilians, but this was one they should have taken a pass on.

At least once the transfer is completed we won’t have to hear incessant Ronaldinho talk until he starts to regularly find a comfy spot on the bench.

If you missed yesterday’s Euro 2008 semifinal between Germany and Turkey I beg you to find a replay of the match or find a friend who TiVo’d it and watch it, immediately. Unlike the drab Spain and Italy encounter, which pitted two talented teams, playing scared, Turkey and Germany played a thrilling pulse-racing affair. Turkey, which was missing nine players could have packed it in and hoped to get the game to PK’s, but instead the Turks attacked the Germans and looked like the better team, even with a C-side. Germany meanwhile looked tentative and unsure of itself until its overwhelming talent and experience took over.

It’s a shame that Turkey’s run had to end. The cardiac Turks were one of the most entertaining teams to watch, producing memorable comeback after memorable comeback. The side showed tremendous resiliency and never believed it was defeated.

Turkey’s run to the semis was unlike the boring, pack-it-in mentality Greece-another undermanned and less talented side-showed in winning Euro 2004.

While most believed Turkey’s amazing run was going to end against the Germans I was disappointed to see it end. Unfortunately the clock had to strike midnight at some point. Too bad it was one game too early.

Well Spain did what every other group stage winner at Euro 2008 couldn’t do; get into the semifinals.

If anything Euro 2008 has taught us that group play means nothing. Croatia, Portugal and the Netherlands were the toast of the tournament after breezing through their groups in convincing fashion, but when the knockout round began that same form eluded them all, except Spain.

Spain was a deserving winner of Italy, which looked from the outset like it only wanted to play for penalties. The Italians continually crowded as many men behind the ball as they could, albeit quite effectively, to snuff out Spain’s intricate passing attack. The problem with this is that it created a dull game at times. Would it have killed the Italians to try and put more than just Luca Toni in the box at times?

Overall, Spain got a big win (first win over Italy in a major tournament since 1920) and proved doubters wrong in a big game.

Now the real pressure comes into play when Spain faces Russia in a semifinal rematch. Spain won the first match 4-1 in group play, but Russia was missing its one man tour-de-force, Andrei Arshavin who missed the first two games of the tournament because of suspension. Arshavin’s return to the Russian side has been immense as he has scored two goals and assisted on the game winner against the Netherlands in Russia’s 3-1 quarterfinal win. Russia is better than most people give them credit for (see: me) and in Arshavin have a leader they can rally around. Also, never count out a team with Guus Hiddink leading it.

Spain will have to fight over-confidence and not let out too big of a sigh of relief. After all, the real work has just begun for them if they want to shed that underachiever label. Winning Euro 2008 might be the only way to do that. I wish Spain versus Russia could be the tournament’s final, but alas UEFA doesn’t set the brackets up using common sense. My heart says Russia, my head says Spain (as long as Luis Aragones does not sub Fernando Torres off for Dani Guiza again!) and even after going 1-3 in my semifinal picks I’m going with Spain to win 2-1 and break the plucky Russians’ hearts in the process.

Meanwhile on the other side of the bracket I cannot see how Germany does not get past Turkey to the final. As it is with all of the suspensions and injuries Turkey has in its squad, it’s going to have a hard time finding 11 warm bodies to put on the pitch! If Germany loses it will be a major upset and it might prove fate is on Turkey’s side after the slew of comebacks and nail-biting wins it has escaped with so far in the tournament. I just see Turkey’s remarkable run coming to an end with Germany prevailing 2-0.

Well we are halfway to the Euro 2008 semifinals and I am a sterling 0-2 in my picks.

But enough about me, lets talk football.

Two stunning matches have produced a pairing of Germany and Turkey in the first semifinal pairing. The way the two sides reached this point was equally impressive.

Germany shook itself out of its pool play doldrums for a 3-2 win over Portugal, which had looked like one of the more impressive teams in group play. The Germans out-muscled and overwhelmed the Portugal defense and goalie Ricardo on set pieces. Michael Ballack has recovered from a poor performance against Croatia to look like one of, if not the, most complete midfielder in the tournament. A scary thought for Turkey is that Miroslav Klose finally found the back of the net after being silenced in group play. Germany showed that it is a battle-tested and savvy side in its dismantling of Portugal and it will be hard to count them out from reaching the finals or winning it all.

Meanwhile Turkey is putting its fans and viewers on quite the rollercoaster ride. After a remarkable comeback against the Czech Republic to reach the quarterfinals, Turkey needed a deflected shot from Semih Senturk in the second minute of added time in the second over time period, just two minutes after Croatia had taken a 1-0 lead, to send the match to penalty kicks. There Turkey won 3-1 to move on. If there is one thing about Turkey, it is that it cannot be counted out. However, it will have to summon its entire resiliency against the Germans as Tuncay Sanli, Arda Turan and Emre Asik will miss the match because of yellow card accumulation. After what’s happened so far, it’s hard to bet against Turkey.

All I know is that I’m anticipating a thrilling match up of unlikely, yet worthy, opponents.

I won’t give away my fearless prediction just yet, I want to see how the quarters end first!

Bring on the quarterfinals.

After a stirring round of group stage games that rewarded attacking football (thank you Netherlands, Croatia, Portugal and Spain) and threw out old, conventionality (see you France, Greece and Sweden) Euro 2008 moves into the knock-out stages where one bad game is all it takes for you to be sent packing.

With that in mind let us take a peak at the four upcoming matches and gaze into our crystal ball to see who will make it into the semifinals.

Portugal vs. Germany

The Germans needed a Michael Ballack thunderbolt in their final group game against an underwhelming Austrian side. Germany has rarely looked like a pre-tournament favorite it was billed as, coming in behind Croatia in its group.

If not for Lukas Podolski scoring three of Germany’s four goals, the Germans would most likely be heading home right now. Too bad he might miss the quarterfinal with a calf injury. That will leave Miroslav Klose (a shadow of his 2006 World Cup self), Mario Gomez (a shadow of his Bundesliga form, including some laughable misses) and Kevin Kuranyi to try and break through.

Meanwhile Portugal looked solid in winning its group with its only loss coming in its last match with a B-side taking the field. Cristiano Ronaldo will pose problems for whoever tries to mark him and Germany’s center backs have been less than stellar. Portugal’s only real drawback is its goalie, Ricardo and the lack of top-flight striker. However, Ronaldo and the center defense pairing of Pepe and Ricardo Carvalho make up for that. Throw in all the attacking options Portugal has in the midfield and it should be able to put the pressure on Germany if it continues to attack like it did in its first two matches.

Portugal 2, Germany 0

Croatia vs. Turkey

While Turkey needed three goals in the final 14 minutes to beat the Czech Republc and advance to the quarters, Croatia looked impressive in winning its group. Luka Modric has looked like a future star. The Tottenham Hotspur recruit is the key to Croatia’s attack. However, Croatia has gotten balanced play all over the field and showed discipline in its attack and shape. Its play has been a pleasant surprise in the tournament.

I don’t know much about Turkey, but Nihat and Hamit Altintop and Arda Turan are all classy players. Nihat can finish; look at what he did to the Czech’s. However, Turkey’s goalkeeper Volkan Demirel has been suspended two matches after receiving a red card for shoving Jan Koller in the previous match.

Croatia 1, Turkey 0

Netherlands vs. Russia

So far Netherlands has been the team of the tournament. They won their three group games by a 9-1 combines score, including demolishing France and Turkey before the substitutes mopped up Romania. The Dutch have been a joy to watch and Marco van Basten has pulled all the right strings. The 4-2-3-1 formation has worked to perfection allowing the Dutch to counter-attack with deadly precision.

Russia got to the quarters with a superb 2-0 win over Sweden in which influential playmaker Andrei Arshavin returned, and scored. Manager Guus Hiddink will be eager to get a win over his home country.

However, the Dutch are flying high and as long as they keep the pedal pushed down, Wesley Sneijder and company will be too much.

Netherlands 3, Russia 1

Spain vs. Italy

Spain was probably the second most impressive team in the group stages behind the Netherlands. Italy was disappointing, but did what it had to, like usual, to advance. Normally I would pick Italy to advance with a gritty win as Spain’s label of an underachieving side grows some more, but with midfielders Andrea Pirlo and Gennaro Gattuso out because of suspension due to yellow cards I can’t see the Italian midfield matching the likes of Xavi, Fabregas, Iniesta, Senna, Xabi Alonso or whoever else Luis Aragones throws out.

Also, David Villa has been in scorching form and looks settled in his partnership with Fernando Torres. Meanwhile Luca Toni has not looked as dangerous as he did this past season with Bayern Munich and a consistent second option in attack has not been found.

Spain 2, Italy 1

Well, what do you think?