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Champions League Final 16
Dec 23rd
The matchups have been set for the final 16 of the Champions League. The round of 16 matchups are as follows: Galatasaray v. Schalke, Celtic v. Juventus, Valencia v. PSG, Porto v. Málaga, Arsenal v. Bayern, Shakhtar Donetsk v. Borussia Dortmund, AC Milan v. Barcelona and Real Madrid v. Manchester United.
Obviously, since these teams made it to the final 16 of the Champions League, all the games should be entertaining and hopefully close. However, it is interesting to note how some of these teams, that are supposedly the best in Europe, are struggling in their respective leagues. Schalke is currently seventh in Bundesliga, which is only good enough for Europa League qualifying. Valencia is currently 11th in La Liga, 25 points behind league leaders Barcelona and seven points from Champions League qualifying. Arsenal is currently fifth in the Premier League, 15 points behind league leaders Manchester United and two points from Champions League qualifying. Finally, AC Milan is currently seventh in Serie A, 14 points behind league leaders Juventus and six points away from Champions League qualifying.
All of these teams have made it through Champions League group stages to become one of the final 16 teams to compete to become the champions of Europe. However, the teams mentioned above would not make the Champions League next year if the season ended today, and they are not close to competing for the title of their respective leagues.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, Barcelona, Manchester United, Bayern Munich, PSG and Juventus are all currently atop their leagues. I found it interesting how far away these teams are in terms of success in domestic leagues. In theory, this would create some lopsided results in the round of 16. But, one of the great things about the Champions League, similar to March Madness with NCAA men’s basketball, is the ability for lesser teams to upset the favored teams. This is why a team like Chelsea was able to win the Champions League last year.
With all this said regarding the matchups, arguably, the most interesting matchup after the announcement Thursday was Real Madrid v. Manchester United. Jose Mourinho was brought into Real Madrid to win a Champions League title. In addition to that, there are also several other interesting storylines associated with this game. The first of these storylines is related to Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho.
Mourinho has been under fire recently for poor results. Madrid is currently 13 points behind Barcelona in La Liga and Mourinho has pretty much conceded the La Liga title for the season. This has lead to speculation that he will depart the club at the end of the season. Mourinho has also expressed his desire to return to the Premier League and also the possibility of managing Manchester United after Sir Alex Ferguson retires, if ever. As the Telegraph has mentioned, this two-leg competition may be a tryout for Mourinho to possibly take over at the club.
The other interesting storyline is Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Old Trafford. This is Ronaldo’s first return to Old Trafford since he departed for Real Madrid. It will be interesting to see the reception he gets and how he performs at his old playing field. If Real Madrid is to advance, Ronaldo will need to have two good performances to help his team get closer to winning that coveted Champions League trophy.
Written By: Eric Stoyanov, Contributing Writer, soccerprose.com
Good times for Barcelona
Dec 18th
Barcelona has had a pretty good week so far. On Sunday, Atletico Madrid traveled to the Camp Nou to face Barcelona. Atletico Madrid is currently second in La Liga, and came into the game trailing Barcelona by only six points in the league. However, Madrid left the Camp Nou trailing Barcelona by nine points, a much more substantial margin. Barcelona not only beat their closest competitor, they handled them quite comfortably. They ended up winning the game 4-1, with Lionel Messi scoring two of the goals.
As Barcelona cruised to victory, their rival, Real Madrid, stumbled to another draw, tying Espanyol 2-2. This latest draw leaves Real Madrid 13 points behind Barcelona and likely out of the title race. Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho even believes it will be difficult to win La Liga for a second straight season.
“’I think it is almost impossible,’ [Mourinho] told reporters after the match. ‘What we have to do is play every match to win without worrying about whether we are first, second or third or whether our direct rivals won or lost,’” according to ESPNFC.
Even though Barcelona now has a comfortable lead at the top of La Liga following the weekend’s results, Barcelona fans may be more excited about what happened off the field. Lionel Messi has agreed to a new contract with Barcelona, which will keep him at the club through 2018. Barcelona also signed both Carles Puyol and Xavi Hernandez to extensions. Their contracts will go through 2016.
Barcelona fans will be rejoicing that their Argentinian star will remain at the club and continue to help Barcelona win trophies while scoring an outrageous amount of goals. So far this season, Messi has 25 goals and five assists in 16 La Liga games. He also has scored 90 goals to this point in 2012. Things are looking pretty good for Barcelona at the moment and their fans should be very excited.
Written By: Eric Stoyanov, Contributing Writer, soccerprose.com
College Cup Demands NCAA Rethink
Dec 15th
With the recent passing of the 2012 College Cup, we now have to pass judgment on how the NCAA handled their premier soccer event. We definitely do not want to take anything away from the teams that competed in the Cup, and we would like to congratulate Indiana on being the best team in College soccer in 2012.
First, we have to discuss whether the playoff picture provides for the best tournament picture. Although we love seeing Cinderella teams like Creighton in the final four, the competition that we saw in the last three games of the season worried some that we were risking having some of the more talented teams get knocked out too early. The only game in the entire weekend worth watching was the fantastic semi-final between Maryland (a top ranked team) and Georgetown (a top ranked team). Perhaps we should limit the tournament to legitimate title contenders and move farther away from a “March Madness” type set-up. If only 8 or 16 team got in, the talent level should be quite high across the board and the tournament would be short enough for the teams to maintain a high level of competition throughout.
Secondly, the NCAA really needs to rethink the location of the College Cup. Sure, Alabama needs a “shot-in-the-arm” in terms of soccer team growth and placing the Cup in Hoover, AL seems to have been an intelligent move. However, with the change of venue to Philadelphia, the mindset of the NCAA has to be questioned. The fans will be there, and the facilities will definitely be available- but, will any non die-hard fans be willing to travel to a freezing cold venue (the Cup takes place in December)? Also, Philly is the home of several professional sports teams that will be moving through their seasons during the weekend of the College Cup. If the Eagles, 76ers, and Flyers all have home games that lie close to the Cup, it will take away from possible attendees and also will create a travel/lodging nightmare for anyone attempting to make the trip to the Cup. Although Alabama may not be the best venue, it allowed the Cup to stand alone and it provided one of the warmest possible places to attempt to have a sporting event in December.
To wrap this up, the NCAA need to see the potential to profit from the nation’s fastest growing game. They have created impossible conditions for writers like myself to get press access, they have limited themselves by showing their most important games on a channel that many homes in America do not have (ESPNU), and the atmosphere that was created outside of the College Cup this year was only positive because of booths that Wilson sports had set up. If the NCAA continues to ignore the growth and the possibilities that College soccer holds, they may end up killing a game to the point where prospective players and fans start to avoid it all-together. After all, MLS games are more exciting and even semi-pro players can become more successful than the typical college player.
Written by: Andrew McCole, writer, soccerprose.com
Rio Ferdinand Has Eye Cut Open By Two-Pence Piece at Manchester Derby….(Video)
Dec 10th
Poor Rio Ferdinand was on the business end of a very abusive two-pence puce last Sunday as the two halves of Manchester met in their semi-annual rock-em sock-em football match. The match itself, which ended 3-2 in United’s favor, was the typically ill tempered and raucous affair we’ve all come to love form these game days. Their was some fighting in the stand, someone tried to run on to the pitch and attack Ferdinand, and then some other moron clocked him in the head with a two-pence coin. The coin in question cut Ferdinand’s eye brow open, as you can see in the video, Covering his Manchester United jersey in blood. Which begs the question, how sharp is a two-pence piece, and how hard was it thrown?
At any rate, the fan who hurled at the pitch was arrested and escorted from the stadium never to return. From now he’ll have to his watching form home and his shopping online as these sorts of bans are unlikely to ever get overturned and he’ll be lucky not to end up in the clanger.
Brian Wilson Scores Hapless Own Goal vs Oldham….(Video)
Dec 10th
Colchester hero Brian Wilson’s star may be a bit tarnished today after he helped the ball into his own net courtesy of a beautiful pirouette. To be fair, the poor fellah never really had a chance as once he got turned around and lost the ball it could have gone either way. Sadly for him, it ended in a an own goal added to his tally…bringing his tally to -1. I suppose there’s always the Bolshoi if this whole footballer thing doesn’t work out for you big man.
Can Chelsea turn their season around?
Dec 7th
This weekend, Chelsea will travel to the Stadium of Light to face Sunderland in the Premier League. Rafa Benitez will be looking for his first Premier League victory as Chelsea manager on Saturday.
Benitez’s terrible start as Chelsea manager already has fans angry and Benitez questioning the security of his position at Chelsea.
An article on ESPNFC said Benitez was not positive about his status following a 3-1 loss to West Ham United on Dec. 1 stating, “Pressed on the fact he did not sound 100 percent sure of his position, he replied, ‘No, I am not 100 percent. We didn’t win today – that is the main thing.’” The same article also stated Chelsea supporters were not pleased with their new manager.
“Chelsea’s fans again made their feelings known, chanting ‘You’re not welcome here’ and joining in with a song from the home fans that went ‘You’re getting sacked in the morning,” according to ESPNFC.
Despite the fact that Chelsea has not a game in the Premier League since Oct. 28, Chelsea remains in third place in the Premier League. However, they are currently in a three-way tie at 26 points with Tottenham and West Bromwich Albion and are ahead only on goal difference.
Right now, despite the negative results, Chelsea need to back Rafa Benitez 100 percent. I am not a Benitez fan and thought it was a bad decision to name his as manger, however, the club needs some sort of stability. Roman Abramovich needs to calm down and let a manager manage the club without overreacting and firing them right away.
Chelsea is currently 10 points behind leaders Manchester United, which is not an insurmountable deficit to overcome. This weekends game provides Benitez and Chelsea are perfect opportunity to get their season back on track and get a winning result.
Sunderland is currently one point out of the relegation zone with only 13 points from 14 games. Sunderland has also only won one game at home this season while losing twice and drawing three times.
Every Chelsea fan will be watching this game intently to see if Benitez can finally get his first win in charge of Chelsea and if Chelsea can get their first victory since Oct. 28. If the team hopes to still compete for the Premier League title this season, they must start getting positive results.
Written By: Eric Stoyanov, Contributing Writer, soccerprose.com
Pep Guardiola to Manchester City?
Dec 3rd
Manchester City was, once again, held to a draw on Saturday. Everton traveled to the Etihad Stadium to face City, but neither side was able to gain an advantage on their opponent and the match ended 1-1. With their most recent draw, Manchester City has yet to lose a game in the Premier League this season, however, they have six draws already, leaving them three points behind leaders Manchester United.
Games away from Etihad Stadium have caused City the most trouble this season. At home, City has won six games and tied twice. They have also scored 19 goals while conceding only six. Once they leave the Etihad Stadium, the team tends to struggle, especially finding the back of the net. City won three games and tied four when playing away from home. They have also only scored nine goals while conceding five goals.
Even though City are only three points behind the Premier League leaders, it seems as though the poor results combined with a group stage exit in the Champions League may cost Roberto Mancini his job. Of course, being at a large club with a high bank account causes the managerial seat to remain hot nearly constantly, and it seems the owners do not care that Mancini brought the club to the top of the Premier League last season.
The Daily Mirror reported on Nov. 29 that Pep Guardiola is set to take over City.
“And now FIFA agent Francois Gallardo has told a Spanish radio station that City are already plotting to replace manager Roberto Mancini,” according to the Mirror. “’Guardiola has a pre-deal to be the next manager of Manchester City,’ he claimed. ‘No matter if Milan or whoever make offers to him.’”
If this is true, it is not surprising. Mancini has been on the hot seat for some time now and Guardiola lead Barcelona to many trophies while playing a beautiful style of soccer. However, the Mirror also said that City will replace Joe Hart.
“In what will no doubt be surprising news to City’s England No. 1 Joe Hart, Gallardo claimed City will also try to sign Barcelona keeper Victor Valdes,” according to the Mirror.
Guardiola replacing Mancini would not surprise me, however, this second claim would be a surprise. Why would you replace Hart with Valdes. If Guardiola wants to take players from the Barcelona team he managed, why did he leave the club? It will be interesting to keep an eye on this story and what the fate of Roberto Mancini and Joe Hart will be at Manchester City. Also, if City overtake United in the Premier League, how can you fire a manager when you are in first place? It is not like City are out of the Premier League race for the title, they remain only three points behind.
Written By: Eric Stoyanov, Contributing Writer, soccerprose.com
LA Galaxy Win the MLS Cup
Dec 1st
David Beckham leaves the MLS on top after the LA Galaxy defeated the Houston Dynamo Saturday. Even though the final score ended up 3-1, Galaxy fans must have been nervous throughout the match.
Early in the match, Beckham played a lovely long ball to Robbie Keane, who played a square ball across the front of goal for what should have been a simple Landon Donovan tap-in. However, Donovan failed to convert the chance as the ball went slightly wide. Then, shortly before half time, Calen Carr scored to give the Dynamo a 1-0 lead and momentum. At that point, Galaxy fans must have wondered if Donovan’s missed chance would come back to haunt the club.
The Dynamo’s 1-0 lead, and their title hopes, fell apart during a span of five minutes. Omar Gonzalez scored in the 60th minute and Donovan converted a penalty in the 65th minute to give the Galaxy a lead they would not relinquish. Keane scored an insurance goal on the Galaxy’s second penalty kick of the day in the 94th minute.
The Galaxy’s win gives the club their second consecutive MLS Cup title, but the bigger story of the day was Beckham’s final appearance in MLS. In November, Beckham announced he was leaving MLS.
“I’ve had an incredibly special time playing for the LA Galaxy, however, I wanted to experience one last challenge before the end of my playing career. I don’t see this as the end of my relationship with the league as my ambition is to be part of the ownership structure in the future,” Beckham said.
This leaves open the discussion of where Beckham will go next in his career. So far, the English star has played in the Premier League in England, La Liga in Spain, Serie A in Italy, and the MLS in the United States. According to the Daily Mirror, Beckham will take his talents to PSG for the rest of the season. Imagine Becks and Posh taking over Paris!
Overall, Beckham has done what he hoped to accomplish with MLS. He helped grow the league and won two titles in the process. Today was a great achievement for the LA Galaxy and a fitting end to Beckham’s time in MLS.
Written By: Eric Stoyanov, Contributing Writer, soccerprose.com
