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Anything RVP can do, Cesc can do better! (credit The Mail Online)

This past weekend saw the North London Derby take center stage as the main attraction. Without stepping on anyones toes, (yes, Liverpool losing to Fulham was major) Tottenham’s visit to the Emirates was a good test for these two squads and gave followers of the Premiership a good idea as to what me might expect for end of the season results. Harry has had his Spurs looking good, with only minor set backs against Stoke and Bolton, and having played three of the four top four, beating Liverpool and losing to Chelsea and Manchester United. Spurs had come away looking strong and playing some attractive football while dealing with some serious injuries.

Is this the season and Arsene and Arsenal take the title? (Credit PicApp.com)

Arsene Wenger had his Gunners looking sharp all season. Keeping the majority of the stars healthy this season, especially Cesc Fabregas and Robin Van Persie, and having Arshavin firing on all cylinders, Arsenal were looking like they were the team to threaten for the title this year. With Chelsea and Liverpool still ahead, Tottenham looked like a good test for this possible Premier League Title winning team, if not a warm up for the true Top Four tests.

Robin Van Persie looks strong and healty, scoring a brace against his North London rivals. (Credit PicApp.com)

It wasn’t much of a match until around the 42nd minute when RVP opened the scoring sheet with a clean strike that put Arsenal ahead of their North London rivals. Then, in what must have been a complete lapse in the minds of every Spurs Defenders and one fantastical individual effort by one Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal scored the very next minute to go up two-one. The second half saw Spurs throw bodies forward, but hardly threatening the Gunners defense with no real threat of speed on the wings with Lennon being out and no Modric to run the midfield. Crouch was placed up front alone and no Jermaine Defoe on the roster for Rednapp. There was no link between the midfield and the forward to be honest. Arsenal scored in the 60th minute as RVP got his brace. It has to be said that this match has to be more of a warm up for the streaking Gunners rather than a foreshadowing of the Spurs season. If Wegner and his Gunners really want to make a run at the title this season, they need to not only beat their North London rivals, but they will have to be ready to get results from the likes of Chelsea and Liverpool. This would be the perfect time for Arsenal to take advantage of a Liverpool side that seem to be slipping and hurting on all fronts (on the field, off the field, in the locker room, in the board room and even in the stands). Chelsea look like the team to beat at the moment as Carlo Ancelotti has Roman’s Mercenaries in top form.

Eduardo and Assou-Ekotto battle in the North London Derby

Harry Rednapp is a great coach and he will help Tottenham make a threat at breaking into the top four, but with Manchester City having the capabilities of knocking out one of the Top Four by simply throwing money at the problem, I highly doubt that this season will be the season that the Lilywhites break into the upper echelon of the Premiership. Tottenham will be sadly disappointed again after starting the season off so well, but I do think that this will be the building year that will actually lead to something positive next year.

Harry has much to think about if he plans on breaking into the Top Four (Credit PicApp.com)

Rafael Gonzales
gonzales.rafael22@gmail.com

Young US Hopeful Charlie Davies (credit PicApp.com)

I try to choose my words carefully, so for those who read this, please take note of the first two words in the title: “Initial Reaction”. This article is exactly what the title says it is; an initial reaction to the Charlie Davies car accident which occurred at 3:15 a.m. on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Virginia Tuesday morning. There were three people in the one vehicle accident where one passenger, Ashley J. Roberta, died. Charlie Davies and the undisclosed driver of the vehicle were taken to the Washington Hospital Center Medstar. Charlie was listed in Serious Condition for most of Tuesday and only after a long surgery was he said to be recovering.
As of now, there has only been minimal information released on the accident. Davies’ family was said to arrive from California around 9 p.m. EST and it was only with their approval that any more information would be released. The USMNT was in Washington to play their World Cup Qualifying match against Costa Rica. Their coach, Bob Bradley was emotionally affected and hurt by the incident involving the US player. “As a team we were saddened to learn this news,” Bradley told reporters. “Our thoughts and prayers go out to Charlie and Charlie’s family as well as the people in the car and the families of the others involved.”
Grant Wahl was keeping all US Soccer supporters in the loop with his consistent postings on Twitter. His latest report tells us that there was a titanium rod inserted into the right femur/tibia of Davies, and his injuries will require 6-12 months to heal, along with extensive physical therapy after that. The chances for Davies to play again at a high level of competition in the future are promising. Usually, most athletes never fully recover from an accident like this. Whether physically hindered or emotionally distracted, most professional athletes have a hard time ever overcoming something this devastating to their career. You have to imagine that along with the physical trauma and rehabilitation that Charlie faces in the next year, but he also has to deal with the memory of the car wreck that left one of the three passengers in the vehicle dead. Charlie’s mother is grateful for her son’s life but recognizes the severity and seriousness of the situation. “It shows you how quickly things can happen and your life can change overnight. It’s heartbreaking for everybody involved.”
So there is still so much to sort out in this whole situation. We still don’t have the drivers name and we don’t have the specifics for the accident. We do know that Charlie was out past the USMNT curfew so there is one broken rule. We don’t know whether or not there was alcohol involved although I would highly doubt that a USMNT player would be out that late on the piss the day before a World Cup Qualifier (granted, I know that we have already qualified). I began to really watch Charlie this summer in the Confederations Cup where his speed and ability to spread play helped take the US to a second place finish, getting out of their group that including Brazil and Italy, as well as a strong Egyptian team. I still have the games on my DVR. This accident changes a lot and sets back the US team as they prepare to enter the World Cup cycle. That is just another dream that may be dashed for the young Striker. Playing at Sochaux will also have to be put on pause for now. All I can say is that my thoughts and prayers are with all those who were involved in this accident, and lets all hope that an accident is all it was.

Promising US Talent Abroad (credit fotbolldirekt.se)

Man of the Match Miller next to Pedro Mendez (credit The Daily Mail Online)

I love Rangers Football Club.  I have been supporting them as my all time favorite sports team since I was 11 years old.  It all started when a young man by the Paul Hyman transferred to my school after moving to California from Scotland.  He grew up supporting the Blue side of Glasgow; his father was a shareholder in the club and held down a season box at the Ibrox before they left for the States.  Needless to say, Paul and I hit it off as friends, spending hours kicking the ball around and playing FIFA on Playstation 2 (we graduated to XBOX and 360 as the times progressed).  This is where I was introduced to Scottish Football, the Old Firm, and the Glasgow Rangers.

There was a defining moment in the early years of my support for the ‘Gers.  I was 13 and hanging out at Paul’s house enjoying one of our favorite pastimes, FIFA.  It wasn’t abnormal to have Paul’s father watching over us as the matches were always heated and quite entertaining.  At some point between matches, I had made the comment that I wanted to use Rangers because I liked them too.  The short angry Scotsman that was Paul’s father took offense to this saying that I had no right being a supporter. “You don’t even know any bloody songs!”  He proceeded to kick me out of his Palm Desert house without a ride.  My place was 14 miles away in Palm Springs and a long bus ride with lots to think about.  I returned the next week and recited three different songs sang by the crowd at Ibrox, including “Follow, follow”.  I was quizzed by Paul’s father on my general knowledge of Rangers history and ended up making him proud enough to give me my first RFC kit.  I have purchased my Rangers Home Kit from the Rangers Store every year since then.

Rangers hosted their Old Firm rivals over the past weekend and to my amusement, we came away with all three points drawing us one point behind Celtic in the league standings.  It is key to take clues from the previous sentence.  Take note of how I aligned myself with one of the teams immediately and subjectively reacted to the outcome of the fixture.  If you are a supporter of Celtic, this article may rub you the wrong way but let me be clear, I am not a profession sports pundit and I am not getting paid to try and objectively cover the sport that I love, so try not to get your panties in a bunch.  Rangers hosted Celtic at the Ibrox on Sunday, October 4^th, winning 2-1.  All goals were scored in the first half; within the first 25 minutes to be exact.  Kenny Miller scored a brace within 16 minutes and after a couple “close calls” in the box (I think I will call it home field advantage), Celtic finally received a penalty kick that Aiden McGeady put away

Miller scores a brace in the Old Firm, and not for the first time (credit the Daily Mail Online)

Kenny Miller is a story in himself really. You see, it is highly unlikely for any player to transfer from one side of Glasgow to the other, but Kenny manage to cross over from Rangers to Celtic (even kissing the Celtic badge while he played for the Hoops), and back to Rangers. Let’s just say that the first player to make the switch from one Old Firm club to the other managed to cause riots in the streets of Glasgow for three days. Sure, times have changed and the Sectarianism that splits the city in two has died down some, this transfer wasn’t received well. But, goals are the best way to make up for any previous wrong doings in the sport of soccer and Kenny Miller is a goal scorer. This is his second time scoring a brace against Celtic in an Old Firm Derby so at least we know his priorities are set.
Yes. There were a couple dodgy calls in the box that went the way of the home side. Do I think Rangers got lucky with the way the referee called the match? Sure. That doesn’t take away from the fact that the Old Firm is one of the most intense fixtures for any referee to govern over. I am sorry, but I worked for a Scotsman once and to have one yelling obscenities at you is scary enough, but to think about having 40-something thousand of them screaming at you talking about how they want to end my life is downright hellish. This derby is no ordinary derby. The bad blood goes way back in the pages of history; think Protestant Reformation. So the Old Firm is a little more than a cross-town rivalry. So do I think we had a couple calls go our way? Again, yes. But that doesn’t mean that Celtic wouldn’t get that kind of treatment at home. After the match, the referee himself said that he would have given a couple calls differently, but then again, Tony Mowbray acknowledged the fact that Celtic have been struggling at the backline all season. Mowbray said he had put a challenge out to his defenders to step up or sit out.
“If the individuals we have got here can’t step up to the mark over the course of this season, then we will change them.”
A win’s a win. Plain and simple. Sometime the calls go your way and sometimes they don’t. Sometimes your team clicks and sometimes you can never get on the same page. It wasn’t a pretty game, but then again, it’s Scottish Premier League Football. It isn’t like it’s the Prem, with tens of millions of pounds being splashed about regularly. You can say Miller and Rangers were lucky all you’d like. It won’t be the last time these two meet. I would also point to the fact that after 385 meetings between the teams, Rangers lead the series with 154 wins, compared to Celtics 139. As long as the ‘Gers win when I visit the Ibrox in February, then I will be one happy lad.
“We’re happy with the result – that was the most important thing,” Walter Smith told the BBC after the match.

The Boss is Happy (credit Flickr.com)

-Liverpool’s loss to Fiorentina seems to be a blip on the radar screen. They’ve looked very good in their last few Premier League matches, and there’s no reason for them to lack any confidence going to Stamford Bridge this weekend. They are certainly the form team going into that fixture.

-Portsmouth is as good at paying bills on time as the average American homeowner is.

This fella has been known to tear you apart. (Photo: Carl Recine/Action Images)

-Is there any doubt that Ryan Giggs would be scrutinized up and down for PED use if he was a baseball player doing what he’s doing at age 35?

-It took two years, but Spurs finally won a Premier League match in which Gareth Bale played.

-Who knew going back to the Galaxy from AC Milan would actually turn out to be an upgrade in team quality for David Beckham? Maybe Fabio Capello should demand that Beckham’s next loan is to a team in a top-flight league that doesn’t collectively qualify for pensioner’s benefits.

U-G-L-Y, you ain't got no alibi, you ugly! (Photo: Joe Giddens/Empics)

-The person at Le Coq Sportif who thought “Hey black and pink would be perfect for Everton’s away kit!” needs to have his brain scanned.

-Argentina’s coke dealers must be giddy at the prospect of Diego Maradona’s renewed patronage after Argentina fails to qualify for the World Cup in a couple weeks.

Tevez apparently isn't the brighest man in the world. (Photo: Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)

-Maybe Carlos Tevez is really this dumb and I’m not giving him enough credit, but I can’t believe he seriously thinks United fans turned on him because he moved to City. Hey Carlos, perhaps it wasn’t the best idea to spend the entire summer going after the most successful manager in United’s history, sounding like a jilted lover in the process. Call it a hunch, but that might have something to do with them not liking you anymore. What is it with United and Argentines? Veron wasn’t very good at United and both Heinze and Tevez did all they could to destroy their respective legacies as fan favorites.

You can find Michael on Twitter at twitter.com/michaelmhanna or tweet @michaelmhanna. Email him to mmhanna29@gmail.com.

It’s appropriate that this column is debuting a day after one of the most compelling matches in Premier League history. The winners of yesterday’s Manchester derby, my beloved Red Devils, will be a frequent topic here for as long as I have a laptop, a brain, and a space to vent in. Check on all accounts so far!

Before I talk about the footy, let me talk about my favorite topic: myself! This column will present you with a view of the world of football from a self-acclaimed humorist and know-it-all who will open your eyes to the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Most of the time anyway. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll think; but most of all, you will skim and cherry pick my thoughts to use them against me in strongly worded emails telling me what a dunce and a hack I am. So, enjoy that! I look forward to the digital jousts to come.

As promised, onto the footy now. The match we witnessed Sunday at Old Trafford is one we will be telling our grandchildren about and passing on to future generations. We will remember it for the drama, the entertainment, and the spectacle.

There were 7 goals, all of which were either go-aheads or equalizers. These goals contributed to the yo-yoing momentum, and built upon each other as the tension mounted and burst during that epic climax on 95 minutes and 27 seconds. There were the juicy subplots of Tevez’s return to Old Trafford and the emergence of the “Noisy Neighbors” from across town who caught the attention of Sir Alex Ferguson’s three-time defending champions. There was an electric atmosphere and intensity that was absolutely gripping.

Michael Owen celebrates his match winner while United old boy Carlos Tevez looks on in despair. (Photo by Alex Livesey/Getty Images)

We will remember the sheer brilliance of Ryan Giggs, who put in a performance that reminds us why he is an all-time great whose every moment on the pitch should be savored by every person who identifies him or herself as a football fan. Darren Fletcher has been putting in such consistent quality performances in the center of United’s midfield that one can only watch and admire how Ferguson has trumped us all again and his eye for talent should heretofore never be questioned. Michael Owen’s contribution further proves that point and cements his reputation as a poacher extraordinaire. Craig Bellamy’s flashes of footballing brilliance ensured that Shay Given’s blinder in the Man City goal wouldn’t go to waste… until the 96th minute.

Most of all, we’ll remember the mistakes and revere them for how they made the match so special. Manchester City wouldn’t have been able to properly mark a school bus during a set piece. Ji-Sung Park put in the most anonymous performance on a football pitch since whenever the last time Landon Donovan played in Germany was. Rio Ferdinand reminded us why it shouldn’t be too much of a stretch to actually believe he made the boneheaded move of forgetting to take a piss test. And the coup de grace came courtesy of United keeper Ben Foster, who exhibited a lack of judgment to an extent that would have made Kanye West blush. His errors ensured that City hung around long enough to make this match one for the ages.

I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the most giving nutter in the world, Craig Bellamy. Bellamy is so crazy that Mike Tyson probably says “damn, that guy is crazy!”. In the aftermath of United’s winner, Bellamy approached a fan who had been restrained by stewards after running onto the field… and slapped him! Unprovoked! From the same man who hacked at his own teammate’s leg with a golf club!

I shudder to think of a world in which we didn’t have the amusement that Craig Bellamy brings us. The man needs serious mental help, but his antics are just jaw-droppingly hilarious.

One-Two’s
– Yes, there were seven minutes of added time played at Old Trafford. And yes, every single moment was justified. Go to Football365 to see exactly why.

– Portsmouth are treading very closely to Derby County territory.

– Proof positive, as if we needed more, of the toxic effects of Newcastle: the rebirths of Damien Duff and Michael Owen.

– No, Rafa Benitez. Lucas playing two straight matches in which he’s avoided crapping his pants and achieved mediocrity don’t make him a player good enough to start at Liverpool yet.

– David Beckham put in a performance in a Galaxy shirt that made it look like he cared and tried? Be still, my beating heart!

Could David Beckham finally be playing the role of LA Galaxy hero? (photo: Getty Images)

– I can’t be the only person who thinks its not a coincidence that Euro 2008 was the most entertaining international tournament in a decade, one which England failed to reach. You’ve been warned, South Africa.

– In my initial Soccer Radioactive podcast appearance, I called Bob Bradley the “Ron Zook of national team coaches” for his ineptitude as USA head coach. I would like to retract that statement right now. I clearly forgot who coaches Argentina. Bob, because of your relative mediocrity and stale persona, you’ve been promoted to “Karl Dorrell“.

– What would be the soccer equivalent of the Shawne Merriman-Tila Tequila incident? Would Steven Gerrard have to be arrested for punching a club DJ at 2 am in “self-defense” for refusing to play Phil Collins records after a win at Newcastle for the soccer world to give us something similar?

– Finally, there are special levels of Hell reserved for cretins like The Guardian’s Daniel Taylor, who penned this sack of feces disguised as investigative journalism. It is a clear and blatant attempt to stoke the fires of controversy and secure some TV spots for himself as some sort of “expert authority” on this topic.

Taylor’s lack of consideration for such minor issues as context, balance, and basic statistical analysis is appalling. What happened in every single one of those matches that caused the certain amounts of time to be added? How many goals, substitutions, and injuries were there? In which specific instances was the amount of injury time unjustified? How about the disparities at all the grounds in the league, just to make sure the one at Old Trafford is so stark? Why is three seasons considered a sufficient sample size?

These are only some of the simple, basic questions that Taylor flippantly ignores or refuses to address. His “shocking study” has holes big enough to drive a space shuttle through. Taylor should be ashamed to have committed the journalistic equivalent of taking a dump in a box, wrapping it up and putting a bow on top, and calling it a Christmas present. If the man had any integrity, he would write a retraction and give back the paycheck he “earned” for writing such a poorly done piece.

You can find Michael on Twitter at twitter.com/michaelmhanna or tweet @michaelmhanna. Email him to mmhanna29@gmail.com.

Michael Hanna sits in for the globe trotting Chris Matyszczyk and chats with Patrick:

ENGLAND

The Premier League resumed play with Manchester United visiting White Hart Lane and Tottenham. Spurs struck first, but the Red Devils responded with three unanswered strikes and looked nothing like the team who lost to Burnley and very much like a squad set to defend their title.

Man City wins again 4-2 over Arsenal. Emmanuel Adebayor scored again, but kicked Robin van Persie in the face and then rushed the length of the Eastlands to taunt his former supporters upon scoring and will surely be banned for next weekend’s battle with Man U at Old Trafford.

Chelsea quietly continues to roll.

CR9

Christiano Renaldo is the highest paid player in the world, but is he playing like it?

BECKHAM

The guys discuss where else—other than AC Milan—Golden Balls could play at the end of the MLS season.

Got a Question? Get involved, email us!

It is really hard to come up with excuses for the Argentine national team.  Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Carlos Tevez, Maxi Rodriguez, Javier Mascherano, Gabriel Heinze and the many more that comprise the star studded roster that is the Albiceleste are dangerously close of missing the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.  Where did they go wrong?  This article is going to attempt to sort that issue out.  The best place to start is simply the beginning.

Celebrating when they can (credit PicApp.com)

Argentina started their 2010 World Cup Qualifying campaign back in 2007 at home against Chile.  Managed by Alfio Basile and facing off against a Chilean squad who was coached by a former Argentina manager in Marcelo Bielsa, Argentina looked relatively strong, especially in the first half.  Juan Roman Riquelme scored the games only two goals.  Although a Chilean player was sent off in the second half, Argentina seemed to relax quite a bit and felt comfortable enough with their 2-0 score line not to press on any further.

I think here is where we see the first signs of cracks for the Argentina.  After going up 2-0 at home to a fairly strong Chilean team, they were satisfied with taking their foot off the gas in the second half, even with a man advantage.  Rather than pressing on and continuing to build on the first half success, they seemed to fall back and simply sit on their lead showing no drive or real killer instinct.

The following two games saw Argentina continue on winning with ease with a 2-0 defeat of Venezuela away and a 3-0 defeat of Bolivia at home.  Lionel Messi and Gabriel Milito, scoring the two against Venezuela and Sergio Aguero scoring one and Riquelme adding yet another brace in the win against Bolivia.  In both games, the Argentines looked ok.

Nothing special, just alright considering the competition they faced.  It really seemed as though the players knew that their quality was notch or two above their competitors and they were satisfied with breezing by on by skill and stats on paper alone.  The fact is that any nation in South America is fantastically talented whether they have a large population/ bank account or not.  At this point in the Argentine World Cup Qualifying campaign, it looked as though they only saw Brazil as their true competition.  All the while, Argentina was still lead by Coach Alfio Basile.

The next two matches for Argentina turned the small cracks in their armor into growing fissures.  First, Argentina blew a 1-0 lead at half in Bogotá.  Columbia came back in the second half to win this fixture 2-1 against an Argentinean squad who was heavily reliant on the young legs and shoulders of the Barcelona superstar, Lionel Messi.  When you go back to watch this game in particular, you can see a squad of big names who seemed fine with getting the ball up to Messi and letting him do the rest.  It wasn’t until it was too late that the boys in the White and Sky Blue realized that they couldn’t just leave it to their forward to do all the work.

By the time the second goal went in at the 83^rd minute mark, all the superstars in Argentina couldn’t save the game.  It didn’t help that Carlos Tevez got himself sent off in the second half, and this would prove to be an issue for the Manchester United player as he would end up being sent off twice in three international games.  The next fixture for Argentina was nearly a home embarrassment for the Albiceleste.  Playing in Buenos Aires, Argentina went scoreless in the first half and fell behind to Ecuador in the second half thanks to a 69^th minute goal from Patricio Urrutia.  If it wasn’t for the late substitute of Boca Juniors Rodrigo Palacio who scored an 89^th minute equalizer, Argentina would have fell to Ecuador at home.  This absolutely infuriated the country and people were quick to ask for the head of Alfio Basile but in reality, they should have been asking more from they super star roster of players.  Argentina looked lackadaisical and slow, playing far below their skill and ability levels.

Little Leo cannot do it himself (credit PicApp.com)

The very next opponent for Argentina was an epic one. They were to face off against their biggest South American rival, Brazil, at the Mineirao Stadium in Belo Horizonte. There was plenty of pressure on the Argentine players and Alfio Basile from their own countrymen, but when Brazil and Argentina play, the world watches and expectations are critically high. Lucky enough, the Argentines walked away from this fixture with a nil-nil draw which is quite respectable considering their previous two matches. The importance of the situation hit the players and coaches of Argentina like a ton of bricks, and they answered the call… for the time being…

It was still clear, however, that Argentina’s form was slipping. Their next World Cup qualifying match would be against a testy Paraguay side who managed to beat Brazil at home (2-0) but lose to Bolivia away (4-2). Either way, Argentina’s match with Paraguay was built up to be quite the test of Alfio Basile’s team. It turned out to be much more than just a test. Early on, Gabriel Heinze ended up heading a ball into his own net for an own goal; the only goal of the first half. Sergio Aguero spared the embarrassment of the Argentines who were at home in Buenos Aires with the only goal of second half.

Their next game against Peru ended up being a heartbreaking draw. The talk behind the scenes about the lackluster performance of the Argentinean Nation Team was clear and supporters were nervous about the state of their squad. Everyone was realizing that Argentina wasn’t playing up to par. Argentina struggled to find their flow in the game against Peru and they seemed completely relieved once Cambiasso scored in the 83rd minute. It was as if a gigantic weight was lifted from the tired shoulders of the players in Sky Blue and White. But it must have relaxed them a little too much as they managed to let in a very late 93rd minute goal from Peru. They lost the concentration after the Cambiasso goal and it looked as though they were content with just sitting back and waiting for the three points to fall in to their laps once the whistle was blown. Peru realized that there were still five plus minutes of play. Needless to say, the Argentine players, coaches and people were gutted.

Always an epic affair when these two giants face off (credit PicApp.com)

Argentina had gone five games without a goal before they finally came away with a win against Uruguay. The young stars Messi and Aguero scored for Argentina who only gave up one. All goals were scored in the first half, and again, Argentina looked happy enough to sit on their lead and almost lost it many times in the second half, but managed to walk away with the three points any way.

Talk continued to build regarding the performance of Basile’s men on the pitch, and the pressure was beginning to show on the manager’s face. The pressure was beginning to show on the faces of the players as well. Those who started this campaign thinking they could stroll into the 2010 World Cup on statistical skill and historical facts alone, were quickly realizing that they were in danger of missing the tournament altogether. The very next game Argentina went to Chile and lost 1-0 and it proved to be the last game of Alfio Basile’s command at the head of the Argentine National team.

“El Diego” Regime

Supporters of football from around the world could have easily predicted what was to come next. As if it was written in the scared scriptures of the Church of Maradona, Argentina decided that the global football icon that is Diego Maradona would be the perfect man to sort out the Argentinean fall from grace. His first game was an exhibition match and win against a struggling, but strong Scottish side at Hampden (1-0). However, the first real qualifying match for the new messiah of Argentine football was against Venezuela. Again, players and coaches realized the pressure of the world’s eyes upon them.

Argentina did what they should have done; with or without the world watching. And although struggling to get in gear, they finally felt their groove halfway through the first half and continued to dominate Venezuela throughout the second half, finishing with a 4-0 drubbing of their opponent (as they should have). What happened next was the real foretelling of dreadful times ahead. Maradona and his Argentines went to Bolivia, only to come back with a horrendous loss. As if going down 3-1 at the half wasn’t enough, Argentina fell 6-1 by the end of the match. The entire team looked tired and slow, like a fat, unhealthy Maradona trying to play after a three coke binge.

Most pundits around the world blamed it on the altitude and others blamed it on the fact that the starting eleven were all just getting done with their season ending club duties overseas. Both a valid reasons, but the fact remained that Argentina’s playing form was slipping and although Maradona came in with a lot of pomp and attention, he never really changed anything when it came down to training or management. If anything, he gave them more rope to hang themselves with. Riquelme was nervous enough about the situation to retire from international duties, possibly to avoid the humiliation, but definitely to avoid playing for the Argentine deity Maradona.

Things only seem to get worse (credit PicApp.com)

Maradona’s men would beat Columbia at home (1-0) in Buenos Aires, but lose at Ecuador (2-0) in Quito. Not the run up a new manager would want as he is about to invite the footballing powerhouse, Brazil, into his backyard. Either way the next fixture on the list for Diego was their South American rival. Where as every other international World Cup Qualifying home game was played in Buenos Aires for Argentina, Diego decided to make things a little more welcoming for the Brazilians by changing the venue to Rosario where the stands are closer to the pitch. Even though Maradona tried to take advantage of the home stand, Brazil still came away victorious with a convincing 3-1 defeat of the Argentines.

It never looked like Argentina could match the class of Dunga’s team. Brazil dominated at every aspect of the game. They scored off a set piece to start things off. When it came time to hold possession and move the ball in and out of the opponent’s defense, Brazil did so. By half time, you could tell the work Argentina was forced to put in on the defensive end as they went into the tunnel winded and exasperated while Brazil looked as though they had hardly broken a sweat. When Argentina scored one to bring the boy in White and Sky Blue within one, Brazil took advantages of the bodies pushed up and lunched an academic counter attack that demoralized Argentina and closed the game off. This loss hurt. Argentina needed a result. A draw would have probably been sufficient, but a loss only added fuel to the fire. Argentina is a sinking ship. I am running out of metaphor to describe the situation the Sky Blue and Whites find themselves in.

Although Maradona has an all star cast to choose from and a wealth of talent to pool from in their domestic league; with the entire country behind him, even “El Diego” can’t seem fix the problem. What started off as pure laziness and lack of concentration, when playing teams of a much lower level in skill and class, turned into a dire situation where a frantic team of super stars are doubting them selves and their skills and are searching for that key element that will gel them all together so that they not only play beautiful, flowing football, but ultimately make it to South Africa in 2010.

After Argentina lost to Brazil, they went on to lose to Paraguay a few days later. They find themselves in fifth place in the CONMEBOL standings and teetering on the verge of missing out of the playoff position. It is hard to imagine a World Cup without the likes of Tevez, Mascherano, or even the winning goal scorer of the UEFA Champions League Final Lionel Messi, but if Argentina does not get their act together, they will be getting an undesired vacation the summer of 2010. Will they make it? Yea, they will, but just barely. No thanks to “El Diego” though.

BY ST. GEORGE THEY’VE DONE IT!
Congratulations to England on winning the 2010 World Cup!  Their commanding 5 – 1 win over the Croats at Wembley on Wednesday sealed the World Cup title after the rest of the world, in awe of the English performance, threw their hands up in surrender.

The England squad celebrated into the wee hours of the morning as did the whole of England.  Every player seemed to be having the time of his life, all except David Beckham who is rumored to be upset that he won’t get at least 3 more meaningless caps in the summer and that he now has no excuse to leave the Galaxy for another loan spell.

"I gotta get out of here" (Credit: njmg.typepad.com)

Another thing to note, Lampard and Gerrard were both kept at least 25 yards away from each other during the nights festivities.  Obviously a move by Capello.

Too close for Capello's liking. (Credit: arsenalcolumn.files.wordpress.com)

Also, Heskey was left with the nights tab.

"Are you guys ******* kidding me?" (Credit: static.guim.co.uk)

…If only winning the tournament were that easy.  If only it was as easy as the Croatia “test” for England at Wembley.  It is safe to say that Slaven Bilic and his side were not the same squad who famously kept England out of the Euro 2008 competition.  But make no mistake, Fabio Capello has completely turned this England team around since his arrival.  Is he really that good?  Or is it just a matter of having a foreign manager to take some of the media heat off of the situation allowing the players to play their game?

It looks like he really is that good.  Any man who can lead his team to a 5 – 1 victory with Emile Heskey as one of his strikers is fine by me.  I don’t mean to knock Heskey, since his work ethic is so noticeable but the chances he missed right in front of goal proved that in any other squad he would be a temporary solution.  The problem is that England don’t have another solid front man to chose from.  Carlton Cole?  Peter Crouch?  If only Michael Owen wasn’t Michael Owen and instead was Michael Owen.

But let us focus on the positives for a moment (how very un-English, I know).  Franky Lampard and Stevie G bag two goals each, three of which scored by way of header and the other scored by a confident Lampard from the spot.  The best part?  Aaron Lennon gets Man of the Match.  Yes, his dancing feet fooled Simunic into conceding the spot kick, but his cross to Gerrard for the second goal was a thing of beauty.  For those of us who have played the game we can understand how incredible it feels to use vision and to pick out a player with a long pass that leads to a goal.  Anyone however, no matter the level of experience in the game, can see what a great play that was by Lennon.  Maybe I’m over doing it but I can’t help it.  I love a good pass.

So it is on to South Africa then.  England fans can be a bit more confident this time around with a manager who looks like he has things under control.

CHELSEA

Hey!  Guess what.  FIFA have banned Chelsea from making any transfers for the next two windows!  The story goes like this:

Sepp Blatter was on vacation in West London when he decided to stop by Stamford Bridge for a visit.  Peter Kenyon (the incredibly wonderful man he is) invited Blatter into his private office for some tea and mini pizzas, which were all eaten by Sepp in record time, and he was still hungry.

When Kenyon went downstairs to pay for the three large pizzas he had to order, Blatter decided he was bored and needed some entertainment.  He thumbed through Kenyon’s DVD collection and almost picked out the oddly named “Fergie and Me,” but decided instead on “Chelsea training 09,” expecting to see Michael Ballack and Florent Malouda practicing free kicks.  What he saw instead, made him sick to his stomach.  There were teenagers in Chelsea training kits being forced to run wind sprints at the sound of a whistle.

Child Slavery at it's worst (Credit: chelseafc.com)

Youths being told to juggle footballs for a minute straight.  Nasty tactical orders were barked in their general direction from the touchline during a scrimmage.  Only during stoppages were the poor teens allowed to get a drink of water.  Blatter couldn’t believe the slavery that he was witnessing.  He ran for the door screaming, past Kenyon in the hallway carrying his pizzas, and out to his private jet.  Food, for once would have to come second.  There was work to be done.

Back at FIFA headquarters, Blatter dug through his dusty files and found a two year old complaint from RC Lens about French youth Gael Kakuta’s move to Chelsea.  Blatter grinned from ear to ear.  He had them now….

It would all make more sense that way wouldn’t it?  What doesn’t make sense is how FIFA are going about this ban order.  Their goal however, is quite clear.  It’s time for the big bossy clubs to not be so big and bossy.   If it is proven that Chelsea went about their acquisition of Gael Kakuta illegally, and FIFA want to set this precedent, then no worries.  But then they cannot stop with Chelsea.  They must go after other illegal, corrupt youth dealings and transfers in every country which is something, sadly, I cannot see them doing.

FIFA must be careful with this.  Since the announcement of the ban, Manchester United, Man City and Liverpool have all been accused of similar shady transfers.  The domino effect has begun.  It will be interesting to see what FIFA does when a French club is accused of the same thing.

Will the talented Kakuta be worth the trouble? (Credit: timesonline.co.uk)

Time will tell on how this pans out for Chelsea, as an appeal will be made by the club.  Hopefully, Gael Kakuta will be worth all of the trouble in the long run.

Michael Hanna joins Patrick Mauro to talk about some of the stories making news in soccer.

WORLD CUP QUALIFYING

Team USA defeated Ecuador 2-1 and moved one step closer to clinching their sixth straight World Cup berth.

Brazil clinched a berth in their 19th consecutive World Cup and would have to be considered the favorites. They won the last two outside of Europe in the U.S. in 1994 and in Japan/South Korea in 2002.

Portugal, home of Christiano Renaldo (highest paid player int he world) is in danger of missing out in 2010.

PREMIER LEAGUE

The Barclay’s Premier League took the weekend off as nations worked towards qualifying for World Cup 2010, but the guys look ahead to next weekends Spurs/Man U match and discuss if something is wrong with a Liverpool squad that looks sluggish out of the gate.

IN THE STATES

Freddy Adu has been loaned to Belenenses of Portugal. Why has the much hyped Adu flopped so far abroad?

FREAK

The guys talk about Leo Messi being made for hours of youtube.com viewing.

Got a Question? Get involved, email us!

There aren’t many things that will make someone wake up at 4:30am on a Saturday morning after spending the evening drinking and spinning some tunes on the decks at a party.  An earthquake might do it, somebody screaming that you won the lottery jackpot would be another, and of course a scantly clad Salma Hayek whispering sweet nothings into your ear.  But let’s be real.  We all know that Chelsea vs. Burnley on ESPN in high effing definition is the real and only answer.

It was the real answer for me, and many other football fans whether you support Frank Lampard and his diamond side, or Robbie Blake and his refreshing, surprising, giant killing Burnley.

We’re four matches into the Premiership season and it never ceases to amaze me how…well…it never ceases to amaze me.  Are Tottenham really on full points?  Have Liverpool really lost two matches already?  Has Bosingwa’s unibrow truly gotten thicker?  You can make up your mind on the last one.

The Power Brow (Credit: uefa.com)

This past weekends matches from all leagues were enough to make me “man up” and stay awake Saturday morning for the very entertaining United v. Arsenal match and that oh so friendly game in Milan.

It’s what we football fans do.  Tough it out.

Even if your body is rejecting every second of it.  No room for the weak.  Not in this sport.  I have two specific targets this week.  One being a club in Norf London, and the other…well I’m too scared to mention it just yet.

TOTTENHAM

Here we go again.  Last year the North London side decided to do things backwards and hang out in the relegation zone at the start of the season.  Just to see what it was like.  Redknapp comes in, things start going their way and they turn their season around.  Now after their stunning jump off the mark, it looks like this is their year to break into the holy top four.  Or…was that last year?

I’m sorry, that was two years ago.  Though, I could have sworn hearing something about the season three years back.

White Hart Lane - Proud to be lasagna free (Credit: carbessentials.net)

Tottenham supporters beware:  If it isn’t bad lasagna, there is usually some other inevitable path to dissapointment.  To be fair, the happenings at City have seemed to cut down the usual amount of ”Tottenham to break the top four,” articles.  That might just be a blessing for all of us, Spurs included.   At the moment the squad looks undoubtedly talented, and it is making a statement that they are capable of playing well.  But we’ve known that.  For years.

We all know how this will end.

NIGHTMARES

I don’t normally come out and tell people what truly frightens me, but it’s tearing me up inside and I must let this out.  Gennaro Gattuso scares me.  So much that he even made it into my recently finished book My 100 Biggest Fears, that ironically I’m too afraid to get published.  But Gattuso comes in at #53 right between “Hospital scenes in horror movies” and “Rachael Ray.”

"I can kill you with a thought" (Credit: skysports.com)

He’s an animal.  His red card in the Milan derby and reaction shortly after have only made my nightmares worse since.

His pure anger directed at anything and everything around him almost make me cry.  Gattuso was obviously upset that Leonardo hadn’t subbed him off in time before the ticking time bomb went off.

He hasn’t really done much to make Milan fans’ dreams of success any better either.  He gave away a penalty, picked up two yellows and was shown the door, and picked up an injury in the process of losing to Inter by quite a large margin.  That’s what I call a Captain.  Well done.  Yes, I realize I will be haunted by you tonight for writing this.

THE BREAK

Here’s looking forward to some international football this week.  Even though it pisses me right off to have to put the club football aside, it’s only months now before the World Cup comes.  Wasn’t 2006 just here?

Predictions for some big qualifying matches to follow in the coming days.

Cheers.