116street Soccer

The Retirement Home Returns

2008-03-12T16:41:00.003-04:00

First Denilson, now Claudio Lopez. Yeesh. Any chance we'll see some DP money spent on Gabriel Batistuta before all is said and done?

United's To Lose?

2008-02-23T17:33:00.004-05:00

Let's seriously hope that Eduardo da Silva plays again. It is always disheartening to see a promising career threatened by the actions of a clumsy hack who tries to combat a skilled opponent by taking liberties with the limits of fouling strategy. In the meantime, Martin Taylor may have just gifted Manchester United the Premiership title. Arsenal was already down to three strikers before the Eduardo horror show, and will now have to adjust its tactics considerably, at least until Robin van Persie returns from injury. Emmanuel Adebayor and Nicklas Bendtner aren't exactly complementary strikers, which means that we might actually see Theo Walcott getting time up front (something Arsene Wenger has been trying to delay for most of the season). United overwhelmed Newcastle today, and if they can keep up that sort of form (they haven't been consistent for a solid month, so that's a pretty big if) they should be able to overtake an increasingly makeshift Arsenal team.

Isn't Jonah Freedman A Man U Fan?

2008-02-21T15:55:00.008-05:00

Then he should know that United lost just a week and a half ago. From his World Soccer Rankings for this week:

By our own logic, we can't deny Sir Alex Ferguson's boys anything -- they haven't been on the wrong side of a score sheet since the New Year, unbeaten in 10 straight. Carlos Tévez made sure of that Wednesday, netting a last-gasp goal at Lyon to keep United alive in three competitions at once, even if it is slipping behind Arsenal again in league play.

Umm... United is slipping behind Arsenal in league play because they were "on the wrong side of a score sheet" just a week and a half ago! Remember? Munich Air Disaster Memorial? Throwback kits? Man City? Anyone? Bueller?

Update: SI has amended the paragraph to say "-- other than their loss to Man. City, they haven't been on the wrong side of a score sheet in the New Year, unbeaten in 10 straight." A little better, except that losing at home to your cross-city rival does not constitute a 10-game unbeaten streak. Oh well, nobody is perfect, I guess.

Matchday Madness

2008-02-21T12:08:00.002-05:00

As much as we here on 116th Street enjoy a Barnsley upset over Liverpool, the Champions League is the undoubted source of our football happiness. The FA Cup might be useful for exciting upsets and the occasional knockout spectacular (not to mention those incredibly useful lessons in English geography), but there is nothing like seeing the masterful play and contrasting styles on display in the premier football competition in the world. The return of the knockout rounds is probably our favorite time of the soccer year (it seems no small coincidence that it usually occurs right around the time we start noticing that daytime is getting longer again), and the intrigue and magical moments fuel our hunger for the game. Is it any wonder that some terrific storylines have already emerged?

Since when did the fans and players at Inter become such sore losers? One title after 16 seasons (and no, I'm not counting that "championship" they were awarded in '06 by virtue of finishing third but not cheating; it wasn't earned), and now their fans are confronting the team at the airport for losing at Anfield? Gratitude fades quickly, I see. Speaking of fickle behavior, how about Zlatan Ibrahimovic publicly blaming Marco Materazzi for the loss? For a squad that has now lost twice all season, they certainly seem to be surrounded by acrimony. Meanwhile, Liverpool continue their astounding run of European form, causing me to wonder whether they should consider having two managers - Rafael Benitez for Champions League matches and someone else for the Premiership games? When it comes to continental football, Rafa is a certifiable genius; how come he can't seem to figure out the English game? I suppose this all just proves the old adage about football - "one day you can lose to Barnsley, the next you can beat Inter."

Which would you rather be, allergic or impotent? That was the choice presented as Arsenal squared off with Milan. Arsenal, the paradigm of zippy geometric fury (and yes, that was really fun to write), created opportunity after opportunity, only to come out shooting blanks at the end. It is to their credit that after being shellacked by Manchester United over the weekend, they attacked with spirit against the defending European champions. Nevertheless, as the legendary Ronaldo once said, "Dude, the ball is supposed to hit the net not the bar, ok?"
Of course, had the legendary Ronaldo not blown out his knee recently, Milan might not have played as if going near the Arsenal goal would result in severe rash. The AC came out in a 4-3-2-1 formation that basically led to Alexandre Pato running around fruitlessly, often chasing the ball away from the direction of Jens Lehmann. I expected the Rossoneri to eventually mount an attack in search of that all-important away goal, but maybe they really were allergic to the Arsenal onion bag (hey, stranger things have happened, after all).

How electric was the crowd at Parkhead? They nearly willed Celtic to victory against Barcelona, were it not for, well, those annoyingly brilliant Barca players. Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink and Barry Robson certainly did their part, putting the Hoops up 1-0 and 2-1, respectively. Barcelona's skill can be overwhelming, however, and did you see what Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry did to them? Scintillating...

Quick Hits from 116th Street

2008-02-13T12:17:00.004-05:00

Good luck to the Premiership in trying to nail down that "39th fixture": when Asian and Oceanic clubs attempt to keep you out of their stadiums (and your dirty paws out of their revenue), when that Everton-Middlesbrough fixture isn't selling so well in Toronto, and when your entire fan base is pissed off at you for selling them out, you'll wish you had simply scheduled a couple of friendlies in New York and LA featuring the Big Four (oh wait, they can already do that themselves; what do they need you for, Richard Scudamore?). Sure, Arsenal and Manchester United could sell out anywhere; but what about Derby County and Newcastle? The reason it worked for the NFL is that American football is played in very few places abroad; soccer is everywhere and is built mostly upon local allegiances. The Premiership plan seems doomed to fail.

Speaking of failure, Manchester United picking up 1 point in its last two Premiership matches has to really infuriate the Reds, seeing as how Arsenal keeps on picking up results without having played their best for a little while now. This should have been United's chance to make a move to the top, with their already-superior squad depth getting a boost by having little to no one away on African Nations duty. Instead, Arsenal keeps fielding threadbare lineups, moving players out of position and still winning. 5 points clear and with Kolo Toure and Robin Van Persie soon to return, Arsenal has to be feeling pretty confident at the moment.

I have officially had it with FIFA 08: if you catch me playing this god-forsaken game one more time, feel free to smack me upside my head. The players don't make intelligent runs, they just watch the ball go by, switching to a defender causes him to stop running, it's damn near impossible to tackle and there's this bug where I will occasionally try to make a pass and the ball goes entirely in the opposite direction. When does PES 2008 come out in the US?

Hooray, we are even closer to MLS expansion in Philly! Hooray, the USA will play England! Hooray, it looks like we've got Spain and Argentina lined up as well (hooray for potentially going 0-for-3?)! Let's keep playing as many top-20 teams as we can...

USA-Mexico Thrills, England as Cloverfield

2008-02-07T12:56:00.000-05:00

So I take back everything I said Monday about USA vs. Mexico, a game full of intrigue and excitement. After a day of watching some fairly dull international friendlies, it was fantastic to see some true passion and end-to-end action. While I wrote on Monday that there would be little gleaned from this February soirée, I can thankfully say that I was very much in the wrong.

Bob Bradley, for example, has clearly taken a different approach to this friendly than his predecessor. The past efforts to preserve bragging rights in the rivalry have produced a very tightly-packed, possession-conceding USA side merely content with the result on the scoreboard. Bradley, in this very same friendly a year ago (and under tremendous pressure to win as an interim coach), employed this very Arena-like tactic in a game in which the victorious US team was criticized for their conservative approach.
Last night, however, Bradley was able to utilize the tactics he has spent the better part of a year instilling into the Nats, and the result was some very wide-open, attacking play that nearly resulted in a 3 goal performance for the US. That they were able to play an attacking style and hang in there against the superior pressure of Mexico should be a sign of encouragement for US fans.

Less encouraging (particularly considering the praise I just heaped on Bob Bradley) was the play of Drew Moor and Ramiro Corrales. What was Bradley smoking to put two inexperienced fullbacks in the starting lineup against a very quick Mexico squad that likes to pressure from the wings? Neither player seemed suited for the speed of the contest, and Moor was disastrous on set pieces. Using at least one more experienced fullback (Heath Pearce comes to mind) may have helped cover for the shortcomings of the USA wide players.

It looks as if Michael Bradley and Ricardo Clark may be the Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard of the USA squad, and not in a good way. Famous for being fine players whenever not wearing the same shirt as the same side, Stevie G and Fat Frank have become notorious as poster boys for what happens when too-similar players line up right next to each other in midfield. Did anyone else notice that the U.S. midfield possession improved when Benny Feilhaber and Maurice Edu came on in the second half? Bob Bradley still has a lot of work to do in figuring out the midfield equation.

The USA is keeping up with Mexico in the development of young talent. Yes, Mexico's much-hyped young players impressed (particularly Carlos Vela), But the American under-21 players held out their end of the bargain as well (Michael Bradley's performance notwithstanding). Once again, I can't quite figure out why Feilhaber can't get some time with Derby, as he was solid coming on as a sub. Freddy Adu looked comfortable in midfield, and can we please keep Jozy Altidore? Jozy was the story of the match, maintaining possession, making runs (both with and away from the ball), and being a factor in front of goal. An American striker who can finish his chances, who would have thought? It will be very hard to keep him on the bench for the sake of his "development" any longer. The pairing of Jozy and Clint Dempsey up front should continue.

As much space as I have devoted to the US team, Mexico were still pretty clearly the better side last night. It's true that US failure to cover set pieces led to Mexico's goals, but El Tri were pretty threatening all night and had the US Men on the ropes throughout. Had Clint Dempsey's goal been allowed, the US probably would have registered a largely undeserved win, so I have to say that 2-2 is probably a fair result for such a frenetic match.

Speaking of frenetic matches, England vs. Switerland was anything but. Fabio Capello probably blew the minds of English players, fans, technical staff and media when he opted for a 4-1-2-2-1 formation (a formation that only exists in fairy tales and King Arthur stories in England, you see), and the players, fans, technical staff and media responded as you might expect had they seen the Loch Ness Monster: with fear and confusion. Wes Brown, for example, acting on instinct, saw fit to merely push the ball slightly forward to David Bentley at every opportunity. Bentley, for his part, decided that since he was wearing number 7, he should become David Beckham, tactical considerations notwithstanding. Thus, rather than getting forward, he would cross in the general direction of Ashley Cole, who looked about as lost out there as Waldo, but not quite as lost as Gareth Barry, who appeared to be learning the rules to the game at a YMCA in Chester, Pennsylvania. In Barry's defense he was playing out of position at Capello's mandate. The same cannot be said for Steven Gerrard, who, occupying the left side of central midfield in a virtual 4-3-3, seemed to think that made him a winger for the day, slaloming down the left side and getting in the way of Joe Cole, who along with Jermaine Jenas was England's best player on the day (if I ever have to say "Jermaine Jenas" and "England's best player" again in the same sentence, feel free to shoot me in the head).

It should come as no surprise then that Cole and Jenas connected on England's first goal, considering they were the only two with even the slightest idea of what they were supposed to be doing out there (Joe Cole does at least play in a similar formation at Chelsea; Jenas' performance is completely inexplicable). Immediately after, England went right back to looking like the Columbus Crew, until Capello said #*^% it and started letting his players start hoofing it all over the place with typical English zeal (Fabio, hold strong; don't become an enabler). This s what allowed erstwhile winger Gerrard get onto the end of one and find Shaun Wright Phillips for the second goal, giving England the win against a weakened Swiss side. The thing in all of this is that for England to become a serious international contender, it has to break it's long-ball addiction (Fabio, hold strong; don't become an enabler) and learn to become the kind of squad that can actually play 4-1-2-2-1 football if necessary. Expect some growing pains, English fans; not every other formation is a scary, man-eating beast.

Rocky 8

2008-02-04T11:51:00.001-05:00

And so it is that we return for what I suppose has become our annual February dance with Mexico, a game that would be so much more interesting had they scheduled it just a few days prior. The chance to witness the first significant merging of national politics with the rise of soccer in our country would have been an amazing sight, with presidential campaigns scrambling to pander to the millions of captive Latino viewers glued to Univision for a USA-Mexico matchup ahead of Super Tuesday. Alas, it was not meant to be.

What we are left with is USA vs. Mexico 2008, a match long on emotion but short on significance, symbolic or otherwise. Yes, we always beat them on our own soil, yes, Landon Donovan should never go down there without proper security, and yes, a Mexico player will likely try something dirty before the match is done. I will watch the game, cheer on the USA, yell obscenities at whoever, and will learn absolutely nothing about the state of US Soccer. Wake me up when we start playing friendlies down there; then we might actually find out something about our team.

The question that is never answered by these Mexico friendlies is the one that asks, how good is our team anyway? We have Freddy Adu performing reasonably well at Benfica, Michael Bradley ripping $#!+ up at Heerenveen, and DaMarcus Beasley having a decent season pre-injury at Rangers. We also have a good portion of our roster battling relegation in the Premiership, or struggling for playing time elsewhere in Europe. Are US players as good as we like to think they are (or hope they will become)? We have taken some good steps in the past year or so, increasing the difficulty of our opposition and (finally) attempting to downplay the significance of our results. At this time last year, we were riding very high after beating Mexico. Needless to say, we didn't end the year on such a high note, although that's not necessarily a bad thing. A lack of complacency could take US Soccer further in the long run. This year, let's resist the urge to get too excited about this matchup, and see it for what it is: another sequel in a thinning storyline.

Philly Soccer Becoming A Reality?!?!

2008-01-30T11:37:00.000-05:00

Being a die-hard Philly sports fan, it goes without saying that life here on 116th Street has been a bit of a nightmare recently, with Giants fans coming out of the woodwork trying to convince me to actually root for those #8+&^~%*<^~$ in the Super Bowl (as if that's going to happen). While I had largely consoled myself by downing pints and talking as much anti-Giants trash as possible (and what is this whole "You live in New York, you have to root for them" mess about, anyway? It's not like they are the only team in the city, after all), today I stumbled across this item in the Delaware County Times, via the700level.com:

Bringing a professional soccer team to Delaware County is about to take a huge step closer to reality.

Make that 45 million steps closer.

The state is poised to announce an agreement to kick in $45 million to partially fund construction of a Major League Soccer stadium in Chester, the Daily Times learned Tuesday — though official details were scant...

State talks with a private investment group to begin construction this year on the $115 million stadium next to the Commodore Barry Bridge have been ongoing for months, and have been closely monitored by MLS officials.

If I am reading this correctly, this means a day that I have long-awaited is nearing fruition: an MLS team in Philly, a team that I can finally call my own! No longer will I maintain casual acquaintance with the league, or follow the off-field practices of MLS more closely than the on-field results. I will be able to begin rivalries with New York and D.C., and learn songs for my own squad, and party with the Sons of Ben when they come up to NYC. A trip back home will include a Septa train out to Chester for a live match with MY squad! Let's get this thing kick-started, Don Garber, MLS brass, Philly ownership, whoever. I seriously cannot contain my excitement!

What Is Happening with 116street Soccer?

2007-09-27T11:21:00.000-04:00

It's no secret that my posting to this site has been more than spotty, pretty much all year, and I feel like I owe everyone an explanation for this. 2007 has been an unimaginably difficult year for me, both personally and professionally, which has made it hard to find either the time, resources or energy to maintain this site. It was far easier in 2006, when everything was going well and I was an office temp with nothing to do other than write in my soccer blog all day.
With that being said, my year has certainly turned a corner, which means my opportunities and quality of life have improved dramatically, but which now leaves me with even less time to operate the blog. In the midst of such drastic change, I am very hesitant to stop blogging altogether, as it has been a source of great pleasure and (at times) sanity for me, and as I really like this blog and everything it stands for. I don't even want to announce a hiatus, because that would entail me putting some kind of limit on my blogging activity, which I'd rather not do. I guess the main thing here is that when my personal and professional life settle back into normalcy (something not seen since maybe December of 2006), I will have the clarity and time to get back into blogging again. The lack of updates have not been due to a lack of desire, and I have certainly continued to follow the beautiful game with the same passion as always, but sometimes times are hard, and when they finally become good again, establishing new patterns can be a bit of a challenge, you know?

Broats, Thugs & Injustice

2007-08-20T13:54:00.000-04:00

I was walking down Third Avenue with Jeff, a Gooner who was making the convincing argument that since Eduardo da Silva had emigrated from Brazil to Croatia, he should no longer be referred to as "Crozilian," but rather as a "Broatian." "Doesn't it sound like more of a nationality to you? He's a Broat!" All of this was really cracking me up, and within minutes I was going around calling Eduardo the "Broatian Sensation," which put me in good spirits, considering my earlier frustration watching Liverpool blow numerous chances as well as piss away a good 4 minutes of stoppage time, failing to capitalize on a vulnerable Chelsea squad.
Liverpool's lack of efficiency was nothing, however, compared to the awful, awful, awful marking from Derby County on Saturday against Liverpool. This is where Benny Feilhaber is going to be continuing his footballing education? Yikes. The Rams looked as if they had stayed up all night watching the defensive clinic known as Galaxy vs. Red Bull, and any British pundit who questions the quality of MLS defenders had better take in a couple of Derby matches before casting the first stone.
For those of you saying that newly-promoted Derby cannot serve as an indictment of Premiership quality, allow me to serve you a healthy slice of Blackburn Rovers. About as mid-table as they come (they finished 10th last season), Blackburn gave us some of the most negative, thuggish football I've seen in a while in their 1-1 draw at home with Arsenal yesterday. To compare what happened at Ewood Park with rugby would be at great insult to those league and union professionals. In a continuation of a theme from last season, Rovers cared little to maintain possession, and attacking seemed thoroughly out of the question. They came to maul the Gunners, and while I am certainly not against physical play, it seemed that Blackburn's intent was particularly violent. Arsenal, to its credit, did not back down (well maybe our favorite Broatian shied away from the contact, but he's new to the league), but, in a continuation of a theme from last season, a Jens Lehmann gaffe cost them the three points (his mishandling of David Dunn's screamer only shows that there is little justice in the world; then again, I've been watching a great deal of The Wire on DVD and I might just be cynical).
But how about Man City? They might just be the new darlings of the Premiership (well, except for the fact that everyone hates Thaksin Shinawatra and, well, except for the fact that everyone hates Sven-Goran Eriksson). "It is the natural way of the universe," I explained to Jeff in discussing United's ill fortune so far this season. "If you sneak through a whole season with little depth and no injuries, you better believe you'll get hit hard the next." Perhaps there is some kind of justice, in that case (especially now that Rob Styles, the referee who awarded that egregious penalty against Liverpool after Florent Malouda leaped into Steve Finnan, has been suspended for a week by the Premiership).

Becks Scores, and Keano Hates the WAGs

2007-08-17T12:37:00.000-04:00

With a brilliant free-kick strike against D.C., the bequeathing of Galaxy captaincy from Landon Donovan, an appearance in the SuperLiga final and an England call-up in the works, it appears as though the David Beckham experiment is finally beginning to run according to script. Perhaps some of the adversity of the past month has been a bit of a blessing in disguise, as it appears as though the hoopla was enabled to extend itself just a little bit longer than it would had everything gone swimmingly from the start. MLS has to finally be able to breathe a quick sigh of relief, what with Steve McLaren calling its standard "Championship top half, lower Premier," and with even more investors lining up to start up or sponsor clubs. Indeed, it would seem as though the league's profile is slowly rising.

"It was nice to see Cesc get in there; that showed the spirit you're going to see from us this year. People have been saying it's not his game to play like that but he's showed he can score, he can pass and he can kick people, so everything is perfect." - Gael Clichy, in my favorite quote of the week, after Cesc Fabregas got into it with Sparta Praha obhájce Thomas Repka. I can't say I'm quite convinced that Cesc can make the full transformation into a tough guy, but it's always fun to see a young player maturing into a great one.

I almost forgot to mention my favorite rant of the week, which comes from the always 'bout it Keano:
"Priorities have changed for footballers and they are being dictated to by their wives and girlfriends. I find it surprising that geography seems to play such a big part or that players let their wives decide. I think it's weak. You see it with a couple of big players now. Clearly their wives and girlfriends are running their lives and that's a bad sign. I realise it is part of the package and more so when there are children and schools involved, but ultimately you're a footballer. Retire at 35 or 36, you can live wherever you bloody well like -- London, Monaco, wherever -- and any half-decent footballer will be a multi-millionaire anyway. Why is there such a big attraction with London? It would be different if it was Chelsea, Arsenal or maybe Tottenham, but when they go to a smaller club just because it's in London, then it's clearly because of the shops. Their priorities are not the same as mine. We will do the best for our players' families, but we've had a player this summer who didn't even ring us back because his wife wanted to move to London. And shopping was mentioned. It might astonish many people, but it's true."

Roy Keane sounds pissed (and we all know he is not the kind of man you'd want to upset) - what happened, did he try to bring Sheva to Sunderland?

Premiership Predictions (2007-08 Edition)

2007-08-09T10:36:00.000-04:00

The Premiership season is upon us, and I can't really say that I'm ready. I am, without a doubt, excited, but in terms of actual preparedness I find myself a step behind. This could be due to the fact that I'm preparing for a weekend that includes both a bachelor party and a christening (if I go missing from this blog, it's probably a result of the lightning bolt that's coming my way for being at a strip club and church within a span of mere hours) and I'm likely to miss the opening of the season, or it could be the result of an unusual summer overload of football due to international competitions, SuperLiga and what's-his-name. Whatever the case may be, the start of the Barclay's Premier League has caught me slightly flat-footed, and now I must play catch-up.
Last season, I predicted that Liverpool would surprise everyone and carry off the trophy, led by the newfound superstardom of Luis Garcia. This prediction only confirmed the status of this blog as a "lesser" authority, as Manchester United combined a stunning seasonal performance from Cristiano Ronaldo with an injury-free campaign to win the league (there is an adage about how people who write about sports spend so much time writing about things that have already happened that they are no good at predicting future events. I suppose it applies). United, perhaps wary of trying to get through another season unharmed with a slim squad, spent quite a bit on reinforcements this summer, which would logically make them favorites again, which brings up an interesting question regarding the transfer market: does summer spending actually translate to seasonal success?
Arsenal (slight squad adjustments), Man United (reinforcements/ future starters + Carlos Tevez), Chelsea (veterans competing for spots), Liverpool (everyone on the market + Fernando Torres) and Tottenham (strengthening positions they were already deep in) all took different approaches to the transfer market this season in an effort to boost their standing in the league. With so many competing philosophies, it can be difficult to determine exactly which overriding philosophy works best, but we here on 116th Street decided to take a very uncomprehensive stab at figuring out transfer market success, looking at the past five Premiership champions.

1. Don't fret over losing a big name striker.
This bodes well for all of you panicking Gooners, who will rest easier knowing that Man U lost Ruud van Nistelrooy last year and still won the title. Going a little further back, Chelsea lost both of their front line strikers (Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Hernan Crespo) in the summer prior to their 2005 title, replacing them with Didier Drogba and Mateja Kezman, neither of whom exactly lit the world on fire that season.

2. A new starting midfielder goes a long way.
It's not certain whether players such as Kevin-Prince Boateng, Yossi Benayoun or even Owen Hargreaves will make major impacts at their new clubs, but Michael Carrick, Michael Essien and Arjen Robben are testament to the championship-providing boost a key midfield player can provide. In other words, all you ManYoo fans out there should be excited about the Hargreaves pickup.

3. Get a new keeper.
None of the big clubs did this (unless Lukasz Fabianski suddenly takes over at Arsenal), but it's worth noting that both Jens Lehmann and Petr Cech won the league in their first seasons minding the nets at their respective clubs.

4. Who added a stalwart defender?
That would be Chelsea, whose pickup of Alex could be as key to winning as, say, Ricardo Carvalho, Rio Ferdinand or Sol Campbell were in their first seasons with championship-winning sides.

5. Beware the established superstar (especially if he's switching leagues).
I'm looking in the direction of the Kop here. Don't put ALL of your faith in Torres, ye Liverpool faithful lest he go the way of Shevchenko, Ballack or Veron. Switching to English football can be quite an adjustment, after all.

6. Let the kids grow up.
Those (occasionally) under-the-radar youngsters you picked up a couple of years ago? When they mature, they bring championship winning results with them (we don't even need to mention names here, do we?).

Now that we've gone through our (completely!) scientific and comprehensive breakdown of the transfer market, we predict that the Premiership champion of 2007-08 will be Chelsea, narrowly edging out Manchester United for the title (we can really go out on a limb sometimes around here). Getting both Florent Malouda and Alex will push them over the top, while Man U's lack of defensive cover will come back to haunt them this season. As for Arsenal, they remain a year away, while Tottenham and Liverpool remain a little too unfocused for true title contention in the near future. Of course, we've been wrong many times before, so feel free to jump all over us when Fernando Torres dominates the league and Liverpool lifts the trophy, but just remember one thing: Luis Garcia is set for stardom, any day now...

Quick Hits

2007-07-30T13:47:00.000-04:00

Raise your hand if you are enjoying SuperLiga as much as I am. There is some real passion on display in these matches, not to mention a nice bit of skill from the much-maligned MLS players. Christian Gomez was magnificent for D.C. against Club America yesterday, and I think my newest favorite MLS player might be Joseph Ngwenya (who Houston subbed off too early last night, in my opinion). Mexican League teams might have expected a series of glorified friendlies, but this tourney looks as if it will be a dogfight to the end. Over time, this could shape up to be the tournament MLS fans have been waiting for, and let's hope that future editions feature a true "home-away" format for added drama!

Freddy Adu is going to Benfica, which is a great move on his part. In Lisbon he will be able to participate in a big club, but under less of a microscope than he would find among the pundits in England and Spain. He also moves directly under the wing of one of the game's most venerable playmakers, the distinguished Manuel Rui Costa, who teamed with Gabriel Batistuta years ago to make Fiorentina one of the most enjoyable Serie A teams of recent memory, before helping mentor the great Kaka at AC Milan. He was also defeated by the USA in the '02 World Cup, as a member of a Portugal squad that will forever be near and dear to the hearts of Gringos everywhere; Freddy should learn much from him! Lastly (and perhaps most importantly), Freddy will be in a side with an annual shot at Champions League action, which is more than you can say about Tottenham. Playing in such a high-pressure environment against the world's best will certainly help Adu's game; now all he has to do is earn that playing time. Best of luck, Freddy.

Robin van Persie is going to be a very big star this season (I know I said that about Luis Garcia last year, but I'm certain of this). He was absolutely phenomenal against Inter in the Emirates Cup yesterday. The scariest part of his dominant play on Sunday was the seeming discovery of his right foot, which he used to score a stunner:

Perhaps those rumors of the demise of Arsenal are a bit exaggerated (then again, they might be pleading for Henry to come back by January)!

Can't wait for Becks to make his SuperLiga debut, here's to hoping the Galaxy go through, just in case he can't play against FC Dallas on Tuesday. A little star power goes a long way, after all, and it's a shame Chicago wasn't included in this tournament as well; while walking home on 116th Street (a stronghold for Chivas and Club America supporters) yesterday, I saw a group of Mexican teens in Fire jerseys. That was certainly a first! David Beckham and Cuauhtemoc Blanco have been marketing coups for MLS thus far, and their impact has the potential to stretch far beyond the U.S. market. For proof, check out this MLS-themed show from the UK, "David Beckham's Soccer USA" (shown below in five parts):

Finally, congratulations to Iraq for their Asian Cup victory. Although many players will not be able to return home in the near future for safety reasons, hopefully their sense of unity and sacrifice will provide some inspiration to a nation in desperate need of it. Soccer may be a small thing, but it incites passion like few other things in the world; let's hope Iraq gets to experience similar joy in the years ahead.

Kissing the Cup

2007-07-19T10:39:00.000-04:00

That's right, this is a photo of yours truly kissing the European Cup (try your hardest to contain your envy - jealousy will lead you down a dark path). How did this come about, you ask? Evidently, AC Milan is touring the trophy in an attempt to turn some unfortunate saps into Serie A fans (Milan fans at that - even worse!), and they made a stop at a prominent NYC soccer pub, Nevada Smith's.
Although they displayed the trophy most of the night, a disappointing number of patrons came through to see it, possibly due to the rain or the steam pipe explosion that crippled the East Side of Manhattan for much of the night. Milan gave out some promotional knick-knacks for the event, and its devil mascot, Milanello, was in the house along with some models (I missed that part, sadly), but the main attraction was the trophy.
Security around the Cup was surprisingly lax - there was just one representative from Milan, along with the aforementioned mascot and models, and a couple of bouncers - which meant that fans could pick up the trophy, kiss it, pose with it, basically do everything short of drink from it (and having gotten a good look at the inside of that thing, there's no way I'm doing that). I approached the trophy nervously, just hoping to reach out and touch it the way a runner-up would on the way to collect his second-place medallion. I put my hands around its handles and gave it a nervous lift; it wasn't all that heavy, and now a gleeful, childlike grin was sweeping across my face. I lifted it higher, and was instantly transported into the center of the field, confetti flying everywhere. I was Fernando Hierro, Paolo Maldini and Steven Gerrard, all at once (I imagine that any captain who lifts this thing must instantly feel as if he'd become every captain before him; it's quite a rush). Without many other patrons in the pub (and without a Pirlo-esque teammate to take the trophy and start a victory lap), I felt no pressre to put it back down, so I held onto it as long as I could. Eventually, I did put it down to examine its contents: in addition to the UEFA logo on the front, there is a French inscription that loosely translates to "Cup of European Champions." On the back, another French inscription; I interpreted this as saying "Vanquishers." There were names of memorable Cup winners of the past: Manchester United, powered by David Beckham corner kicks to take down Bayern Munich in injury time; Real Madrid, inspired by Nicolas Anelka, of all people, then two years later through a piece of Zinedine Zidane magic; and AC Milan, who I can't stand but to whom I am grateful for making this whole thing happen.
While there were few people around, the football fanatics who did arrive had the fan experience of their lives. I've never seen so many adults turn into little kids right before my eyes! One woman was just taking a walk down the street when she saw the advertisement outside of the bar; she came in, eyes widened at seeing the trophy, then went home to fetch her Milan shirt. When she returned, she lifted the trophy as if she were a member of the Maldini family herself. A girl visiting NYU had no idea what the trophy represented; when I explained to her that it was equivalent to the Super Bowl trophy (only way better), she exclaimed, "I'm going to be a soccer fan now!" One girl came in and giggled, "The World Cup is here!" I let her be. A Newcastle fan held it and said "One day, there will be black-and-white ribbons on this," to which a fellow patron countered, "Yeah, when Juve wins it." All and all, it was a fantastic evening, although my buddy Joe was slow in arriving and missed the trophy. Maybe next year, Joseph, maybe next year.

Brazil Returns

2007-07-16T08:20:00.000-04:00

I was shamelessly front-running, bouncing up and down to "Popazuda Rock 'N Roll" while some extremely attractive Brazilian girls were shimmying with the Robinho lookalike to my right, and who could blame me? Brazil, with a B squad full of players I was barely familiar with, had just pistol-whipped their more celebrated archrivals, vanquishing Argentina to claim another Copa America title, and since I had never partied with a bunch of Brazilians postgame, I couldn't think of a better occasion.
Wendell, the aforementioned Robinho doppelganger, was filling me in on the appeal of cheering for Brazil, and I have to say it was quite a nice pitch. "Today, you are Brazilian," he said, then directing his attention to another non-Brazilian in the room, he added, "so is he. So is she! Today, everyone is Brazilian!" That's how it looked on the field, too, as the swarm of yellow and blue made a previously dominant Argentina side look completely irrelevant. The Albicelestes, so accustomed to controlling the pace of the game, were simply overwhelmed by the pure pace of the Brazilians.
Playing with neither a classic target man or wingers, Argentina has relied primarily on its composure and passing in midfield to pinpoint openings in the defense, at the expense of width and a consistent aerial game. Against Brazil, however, that lack of width was telling, as the Brazilian counterattack caught Argentine fullbacks too far upfield and wreaked vengeance with stunning precision. By the 40th minute, Argentina's defenders were already hunched over and pulling at their shorts, and only seconds later Roberto Ayala was trying to pick himself off the ground, an own-goal scoring victim of Brazil's fearsome counterattack.
Thus it appears that Brazil, written off as a work in progress, are players on the world stage once again; we will have to get familiar with a few new names, such as Josue, Elano, and Daniel Alves. The match has also proven just how tough it is to win a major competition (USA fans, don't be so impatient!); the last time Argentina won one of these, Saved By The Bell was on the air.

Embracing Beckham

2007-07-13T11:38:00.000-04:00

I am honestly excited by all of it. I can't wait for the hoopla, the impossible to fulfill expectations, the mocking and guffawing, the eventual backlash from the anti-soccer dolts, the eventual Spice Girls reunion, the eventual Landon Donovan beeyotch session where he cries about not being the center of LA's galaxy, the curling free kicks, and even the hairstyles. I am positively ready for the David Beckham experience to land right here in the USA, where hype truly belongs, because at the end of the day, the Mancs and Madridistas can't do it quite the way we can. This is high drama here, people, the kind that we soccer fans eat up in spades.
A refresher: Beckham's biggest challenges to date have been (1997) snagging Victoria away from pretty-boy teammate Ryan Giggs; (1998) convincing the English public not to hate him, it's not entirely his fault that Diego Simeone is a flopping actor who played his part in getting Beckham sent off; (2003) escaping Sir Alex Ferguson's warpath of anger to flee to Madrid, then somehow supplanting Luis Figo as Real's main man on the right; and (2007) making himself indispensable to Real and England squads that had totally rejected him. Now, he is faced with the most Sisyphean of all his challenges to date, making soccer relevant in the USA, and there is no question that we won't succeed in this endeavor.
That's right, it's a lost cause. David Beckham will not cause the American public to care about soccer anymore than it already does. In this regard, his endeavor is hopeless. There is, however, a very fine line between caring about something and noticing something, and people will pay attention, whether it's to the free kicks or the hair or Posh's implants. The sportswriters will notice enough to slam soccer once again, but the difference this time will be that it is not a World Cup year and there is otherwise no reason to even discuss the game in this country. So while David Beckham won't get anyone to care, his arrival takes us once step closer to the day when other factors do convince the public to invest their time, emotions and interest in the sport.
With all of that being said, this is going to be fun, which is why I don't quite get all of the sarcasm associated with his arrival. Sometimes I feel as if American soccer fans want to be closed off to everyone, as if we're some super-cool club no one gets invited into. Maybe Beckham's arrival is exposing us as the band geeks we are, but so what? We get it, we get him, we get the circus. It's been going on for years, now it's just in our back yard. I say we go ride the Ferris wheel and down some funnel cakes. It's David Beckham, you know what I'm saying? This is a guy with an uncanny sense of the dramatic, a true professional, a guy who just made the hot female factor at MLS games increase by about 5000%. Now is not the time to be loathsome or irritable, it's time to make some friends. David Beckham is here. He's not the Messiah, but he's a start. Let's show him some love.

Wednesday Night Paradise

2007-07-12T11:01:00.000-04:00

Michael Bradley was pantomiming "2-1" to a group of Uruguayan sore losers, and I was texting a friend to drunkenly inform him that, yes indeed, Leo Messi is the best player in the world. It was soccer paradise, celebrating a hard fought win by the U.S. Under-20 while anticipating the thorough annihilation of Mexico at the hands of Argentina. Only a few moments later, Messi backed up my inebriated text message by lofting a spectacular floater just over the outstretched hand of douchebag supreme Oswaldo Sanchez, causing a number of Mexican patrons to sarcastically begin chanting "U-S-A!". Last night was made for us, fellow futbol fanaticos.
A couple of years ago, I was watching a Champions League match between Barcelona and some random European power they stepped all over en route to the European Cup, when Ronaldinho snaked his way between three random world class defenders (remember when he used to do that?), in order to make an otherwise pedestrian back pass. Derek Rae commented that "we are all privileged to watch this young man in his prime," or something to that effect. In other words, true genius doesn't always come before a goal, it is not always a spectacular volley. Sometimes a great first touch or a magic turn is all it takes to recognize the purest form of genius on the field. That is how I felt watching Messi last night.
At the time I sent my drunken text to my appreciative (I'm sure) friend, Messi hadn't yet scored his lovely chip, or sent a spectacular through ball through magic space (well, he might have done that), but he left all of us agape with his ability to change direction, weave through tight places and maintain possession where it appeared that none existed. The fact is that every time he received the ball, we all expected something spectacular to happen, and then, when it finally did, it was even better than we had hoped. That, my friends, is the mark of true genius, the kind that makes you say to yourself "you know, playing with Riquelme and Cambiasso and Mascherano and Veron is really holding Messi back right now."
I know, I know, I'm gushing right now (by tomorrow I'll probably be telling my friends that Robinho will outplay Messi in the final; isn't that how we soccer fans can be sometimes?), but I have one more thing to say about yesterday's rainy night of soccer Valhalla. Can we please stop talking about Mexico as if they are good? What a predictable, unimaginative squad they are. They overdribble, can't pass and don't finish, and in that half a sentence I just gave you the entire scouting report on their side (all future opponents of Mexico reading this, you can thank me later). They looked like eleven Justin Mapps out there, and they are lucky Argentina called off the dogs in the 70th minute, or else it could have been 5-nil (maybe even six). No wonder Landon Donovan beats them all the time, they are the epitome of wackness. How did they get this far in the Copa? The USA could beat them anyday (ha!).

Dear Soccer-Haters: Sorry...

2007-07-06T15:04:00.000-04:00

So the U.S. is out of the Copa America, the Beckham hype machine is underway, and Gene Wojciechowski is making fun of soccer, mainly because, well, he doesn't know anything about it. Meanwhile, over at The Big Lead, commenters are making the argument that soccer is actually over-covered. It's just a day in the life of the American soccer fan, having to endure the USA getting the $#!+ kicked out of it in major competitions only to be soothed by mockery. But since we are all un-American idiots, let's take some time out of our day to observe the really important matters in the sporting world, shall we?

1. Looks like steroids are played out among baseball players; the way to go is stimulants!

2. NFL players are real Americans - they don't watch a girly sport like soccer because dog fighting is so much more manly.

3. Some whiny beeyotch on the Lakers says he's sorry for being such a whiny beeyotch; now he's just an ambiguously whiny beeyotch.

4. Thierry Henry's best friend married a primetime soap star!

Of course, absolutely, positively none of this stuff is old news; the American sports scene is so full of fresh and interesting developments, that it is only natural for people like us to be a bunch of stupid pansies, allowing our beloved soccer to steal headlines away from the Earth-shattering competition to decide who's "Now." We should all apologize for being a bunch of dull, flopping, head-butting Commies, and realize once and for all that A-Rod's wife's t-shirt is much more important than whoever this Beckham guy is.

Linkage

2007-07-03T13:21:00.000-04:00

Work obligations kept me from watching the USA-Paraguay match, although I did manage to catch the first 20 minutes, including Sacha Kljestan's missed header. Since I haven't really seen the match, I thought I'd direct you over to Mike Cardillo's blog That's On Point, where he has some observations:

http://thatsonpoint.blogspot.com/2007/07/guay-guay-guay.html

I Hate The Galaxy's New Shirt

2007-07-02T11:04:00.000-04:00

A Comparison:

Old - unique color scheme, cool sash...

New (via The Offside Rules) - Adidas templated, Real Madrid knocked-off garbage (but with a better crest)...

EDIT: Maybe it's starting to grow on me a little?

USA - Argentina Observations (And A Rant)

2007-06-29T10:20:00.000-04:00

I saw Esteban Cambiasso coming off the pitch and wondered aloud, "who is coming on?" I slumped my shoulders, let out a deep sigh and said "oh #*^%, it's Aimar." A few moments later, Pablo Aimar scored, the USA was cooked, and then they brought on Tevez. A few observations:

Eddie Johnson looked better in this one than he has in most recent performances, but he still appears to lack confidence going forward. Had he played this match with the "A" team, he might have had more chances. He scored a well-earned and well-taken penalty, however.
Marvell Wynne didn't appear rattled at all, and delivered a strong performance at right-back, although he did tire late in the match.
Fatigue on the back line killed the U.S., as Crespo, Aimar and Tevez had their way with a tired back four. Bradley would have done well to make a defensive substitution late in the game.
Jonathan Bornstein probably had his best defensive match in a USA shirt thus far, going to toe-to-toe with Leo Messi and not giving an inch.
Hernan Crespo is a wildly underrated striker; how has a guy this good been bounced around by so many clubs? He destroyed the USA back line all game.
I think it's time to close the Kasey Keller chapter of USA soccer. Kasey is obviously a national team icon, but his reaction, handling and distribution are all pretty suspect at this stage of his career. Let's see what Brad Guzan can do the rest of the way.
After observing last night's early game, I think the USA beats Columbia but loses to a very organized and dangerous Paraguay team. Roque Santa Cruz was a terror last night.

What is up with Americans who cheer against the USA? I'm not talking about Argentine transplants, I'm talking about the group of American dudes at the pub last night who were not only cheering on the other team, but antagonizing USA supporters. You front-running, wannabe posers, what the eff are you trying to prove by rooting against your home nation? Are you trying to impress the hot Argentine girls at the bar (as if they can't tell you're a bunch of glory-chasing dorks)? Do you think you look cool singing "You Only Win In Chicago," while everyone around you is singing in Spanish? Get the #*^% outta here. Try being a real fan who experiences real emotion for a team that carries personal pride, rather than trying to fit in with a bunch of fans who won't even speak to you because you don't speak their #*^%!#& language. Jerks.

Diminishing Returns

2007-06-27T10:31:00.000-04:00

What happens when an established superstar joins a club with no defined role for him? When David Beckham joined a Real Madrid team that already had Luis Figo manning his position in 2003, the result was an awkward tactical squeeze made to accomodate the talents of both players, thereby diluting the very qualities that made those players effective in the first place. The same occurred when Michael Owen joined Los Galacticos late in 2004; on a team stacked up front with Raul, Ronaldo and Guti, he went from world-renowned striker to super-sub, eventually opting out to Newcastle United for the chance to play first-team football. Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack, anyone?
I'm not predicting the downfall of Thierry Henry, mind you, but it should be fairly evident that at this stage he is a square peg trying to fit into a round hole. How can Frank Rijkaard fit Titi into an attack that already features Ronaldinho, Eto'o and Messi without diluting Henry's unique abilities? For all of his winger-like qualities, Henry's time at Juventus proved that he is not cut out for that position; his at-times awkward play for France suggests that he is not suited to play as a single striker; and let's not even get into the question of who will sit for Barca to accomodate their superstar signing.
Even so, the question of who will sit remains at the core of all of these big-name signings, because in the end it is the fans who lose out. As terrific a story as their transfers made, watching Shevchenko and Ballack struggle for Chelsea robbed all of us of a chance to observe their previous brilliance, particularly since their talents are so rare that there is no one to fill the void left by their departures. Beckham's resurgence has been so uniquely tied to the fact that Real Madrid, having divested itself of much of the superstar dead weight that preceded him, now had to rely on his abilities rather than simply accomodate them, that talk of him being "only good on set pieces" has dissipated. Of course, to get to this point we had to endure three years of "Galacticos" stepping on each others' toes while trying to make nice with each other.
Thus it is that from a fan's perspective, we don't really win; if Henry struggles, well, that sucks. If he's great but Eto'o has to sit the bench, where are we going to find another Eto'o? If Messi gets lost in the shuffle because there's not enough of the ball to go around, how is that any fun? What happens if they all start infighting (like Barca started to do this season)? Do we really want to see Ronaldinho, rotational striker?

(A Brief) Catharsis

2007-06-25T16:06:00.000-04:00

It was about 5 PM yesterday, and I was standing outside, jumping up and down with a bunch of USA supporters while being videotaped for Univision, and I realized that this feeling of optimism was something I hadn't experienced since May 2006. Way back then, when I was writing "Know Your Yanks" blurbs and generally anticipating the coming surge of U.S. soccer supremacy, I could have sworn that DaMarcus Beasley was on his way to true stardom and that the USA was only one World Cup away from actual contention.
Since we all know what happened subsequently, I won't rehash, other than to point out the general cloud that has hung over all of U.S. fandom since. We didn't get Jurgen Klinsmann, we reached the limit of patience with Sunil Gulati, we endured the departure of Thierry Henry (oops, that's a different post). The thing about fandom, however, is that without hope, support is hopeless; this why Benny Feilhaber's thunderous volley that sunk Mexico (and kept the Gold Cup in its rightful place) elicited not just a cheer of celebration from USA fans, but also a feeling of cleansing.

The U.S. picked a fantastic occasion to play its best match thus far under Bob Bradley, and we were treated to the promise of a future of fast-paced, attacking football. For fans, younger players and a new ideology are usually the cure for what ails, and yet these aspects of the game can be so difficult to implement. This is why the Bradley era has been successful thus far; not necessarily due to results (we're winning an awful lot, but much of our competition has been substandard) but rather because the teaching aspect of the game has gone so well. The increasing confidence of our younger players is testament to Bradley's ability to implement a new philosophy, and while all is not perfect (Beasley continues to play inconsistently, we haven't seen the best of Clint Dempsey, and let's not even talk about the finishing), it feels terrific to have our hope in the National Team restored. Let's go into the Copa America not focusing on the negatives, but rather with the mindset that this young (young, young, young) American team has nothing to lose - and let's bring on Lee Nguyen!

Ballad of the Forgotten Star

2007-06-18T11:31:00.000-04:00

Years from now (such as 2008), when observers and historians look back upon the footballing saga of 2007, categorized by Ronaldo brilliance, Ronaldo obesity, Kaka reality and life post-Zidane, the story that will stand above all others will be that of David Beckham, disgraced ex-England captain. Blamed for World Cup failure, stripped of his captaincy, benched at Real Madrid in favor of Jose Antonio Reyes (!), exiled to Major League Soccer (!!), recalled to the Real Madrid lineup due to an injury to Jose Antonio Reyes, suddenly hailed as an indispensable leader, begged not to leave for Major League Soccer, crowned La Liga champion and destined to headline Major League Soccer. For Becks, such an epic finale to his European career could not have been more fitting, but that's all I'm going to say about him until he puts on a Galaxy shirt (incidentally, although we almost never discuss him here, we here on 116th Street are fascinated by Beckham; count us among those who can't wait for him to get here).
For a story with similar origins, yet much more somber in nature, one must look to Real Madrid's claret-and-blue Catalan rivals, FC Barcelona. It is here that we find a player with talent to electrify, but no one to appreciate his ability. Javier Saviola, he of the twelve goals in sixteen appearances this season, has found himself a pariah at Barca since Frank Rijkaard took over the squad in 2004. His goal-scoring record has never faltered, and his displays were enough to convince Jose Pekerman to make him a first-choice striker for Argentina during the 2006 World Cup, and yet Barcelona has never wanted him. While it is easy to justify Saviola's place behind Samuel Eto'o on the Barca pecking order, the disdain the Blaugrana have shown him has been downright disgraceful. To send a player of Saviola's renown and skills on loan (without even requesting a transfer fee!) should never happen, yet Barcelona did this twice, in 2004 to Monaco and in 2005 to Sevilla (yet, somehow, Santi Ezquerro got to stay at the Nou Camp). It wasn't until he led Sevilla to the UEFA Cup in'06 that FCB brought him back, and this was only after they couldn't agree a transfer for him (Saviola wanted to prove himself at the club; they didn't even assign him a squad number until right before the season began).
Even so, when Eto'o went down with an injury earlier this season, it was Saviola who rescued Barca's season, scoring 8 goals in 6 consecutive games. Unlike Beckham, who was hailed as a savior, Saviola was promptly benched upon Eto'o's return and did not even dress for Barcelona's final home match against Espanyol. Now that the season is over, Saviola plans to leave the club in the wake of a contract offer that seemed "more of an invitation to leave the club than anything else." He has been linked to a move to Real Madrid, of all places, although I'm sure there are many clubs willing to offer El Conejo better treatment than he has received thus far from FCB. Let's hope that he, much like his former rival in the capital, can make a triumphant return to the footballing stage.

Round One Review

2007-06-13T11:15:00.000-04:00

With the first round over, it is nice to see the U.S. Men are beginning to round into form. Watching last night's match on Telefutura, it was difficult to immediately see which formation the USA was using, but my guess of a 4-3-3 with Dempsey up top proved correct, and I was glad to see that Bob Bradley remains willing to experiment and use players outside of their "traditional" roles within the squad. What I was not happy to see was the continued shaky play of Michael Bradley, who at this point has done nothing to convince me that he deserves a spot ahead of Ricardo Clark in the National Team's plans.
Benny Feilhaber, meanwhile, continues to be a revelation in the center of midfield for the Stars and Stripes, full of versatility and skill, while Jonathan Spector seems to be making strides in terms of becoming more comfortable in a USA shirt. Oguchi Onyewu, meanwhile, continues to appear out of synch for the most part, although I'm not yet part of the "bench Gooch" movement that has seemed to pick up steam since the end of the World Cup.
My main observation about this iteration of the U.S. team is that it is evident that this squad has simply not had enough face time with each other as of yet. Without the continuity and experience provided by Brian McBride, Claudio Reyna, Eddie Pope and Steve Cherundolo, along with the depth that players like Cory Gibbs, Jimmy Conrad and even Josh Wolff have given the side, it should come as no surprise that the team has looked out of synch, even (especially?) against sub-par competition. New faces such as Bradley, Feilhaber, Clark, Jonathan Bornstein, Jay DeMerit, Frank Simek, Justin Mapp and Michael Parkhurst not only have to show that they fit the framework of the (still uncertain) USA plan, but they also have to impress technically. Is it any wonder they are out of synch? In retrospect, it is good that they played their toughest, most physically demanding match thus far in the first game; now they can focus on playing faster and in tighter spaces, while having experience in the pace and physicality of the tournament. I fully expect this U.S. team to win the Gold Cup, and hopefully, by the end, to have enough of a foundation to make a decent showing in Copa America.

The Transfer Check-In (Part I)

2007-06-07T11:28:00.000-04:00

You know, for the life of me, I cannot even begin to understand the legality of transfer dealings. On the one hand, you have Peter Kenyon writing to FIFA (isn't this more of a UEFA matter to begin with?) about Real Madrid contacting Arjen Robben, creating something akin to an international incident over a practice seemingly perfected by Chelsea to begin with. On the other hand, Miroslav Klose just "decides" he wants to join Bayern Munich, even though he is still under contract with Werder Bremen, and it's a-okay? Where's Bremen's demand of an investigation? I know this is supposed to be footballing from a lesser authority and all, but I just don't get it. Aren't there better ways to posture for higher value than writing to FIFA? Isn't there something fishy about this Klose business?
Getting back to Bayern, it appears as though they are serious about getting back into the Champions League at the end of next season. With Luca Toni, Franck Ribery and now Klose already on board along with reinforcements Jan Schlaudraff, Marcell Jansen, Hamit Altintop and Jose Ernesto Sosa, it looks like a makeover of FC Hollywood is in the works. Owen Hargreaves and Claudio Pizarro have already been shown the door, which means that Roy Makaay, Oliver Kahn and other Bayern veterans are likely in close contact with their agents at the moment.
Big signings, or course, do not guarantee success, and now it appears that Arsenal's summer 06 approach of signing heralded youngsters has been copied by Manchester United. How much Anderson and Nani contribute in the upcoming season remains to be seen; Arsene Wenger's teenaged red-and-white army is far from ready, after all. But give Man U props (or patiently await their downfall; either will do for now), for they have managed to spend the kind of money nobody thought they actually had, and it is still early in the transfer season.
Speaking of giving props, Chelsea, tantrums aside, has done well to bolster thier squad depth. They may not have achieved their goal of Champions League success this year, but look for them to come back stronger next season. Getting Pizarro and Alex on the cheap gives them bench options they lacked this past season, and having a healthy Joe Cole won't hurt either. The key to a successful off-season for Chelsea now is holding on to Robben. They can't win the league without him.
Everything else at this stage bores me; the Thierry Henry melodrama, Liverpool expecting to sign even more players to rotate every single week, Real Madrid and AC Milan stirring the passions of their fan bases: wake me up when something happens. In the meantime, I will be watching the Gold Cup, cheering on my beloved Yanks in the hope that, at least at the end, we might end up playing a halfway decent team (Mexico, please do your part, please, please, please). Copa America, kids; it's just around the corner!

4-3-3 Fever

2007-06-04T16:17:00.000-04:00

The 4-3-3, that beautiful, reflexive, attacking innovation of the Dutch, was finally embraced by a U.S. team that has been suited to it for quite some time on Saturday. It wasn't quite a flawless execution of the system by the Stars and Stripes, but it was a pretty fair attempt against an obviously weak opponent, and that is a good thing. Bob Bradley seems fairly dedicated at this point to introducing new variations to a once-predictable U.S. attack, and it was great to see our Nats playing imaginative, creative soccer without having to rely on a single playmaker (who might that be, I wonder?).
Bradley, pulling together a squad that still lacks a dynamic threat in front of goal but in possession of a plethora of wingers and central mids, is obviously pursuing every option available going into the Gold Cup (and by extension, the Copa America), and this 4-3-3 he had going against China seems to have created a little spark in the side. DaMarcus Beasley, in particular, seemed more at home in a USA shirt Saturday than at any time before 2006; empowered to go far forward at will, he was able to overcome an inconsistent performance with some truly dangerous runs. His goal was deserved. Clint Dempsey, seemingly unsure of where to go early in the match, similarly found his stride in the formation as the game wore on, and I am certain he would thrive as a wing forward in this formation.
Despite the solid contribution of his wingers, the most interesting part of Bradley's 4-3-3 was the midfield. The U.S. midfield, faced with the loss of Claudio Reyna, the inconsistency of Pablo Mastroeni and the lack of a dominant playmaker (count me in the camp that thinks Landon Donovan should be a forward for the Nats), is certain to undergo a makeover in the current cycle; thing is, much of the young U.S. midfield exists as neither clear-cut defensive or attacking, creating a logjam in more traditional 4-4-2 or 4-5-1 formations, but ideally suited for a three-man midfield. The poise and comfort displayed on the ball by Kljestan and Feilhaber was revelatory, and while Michael Bradley was unspectacular, he was also effective. It will be interesting to see what formation Bob Bradley goes with when Donovan, Ricardo Clark and Pablo Mastroeni come back into the mix.
The change to the 4-3-3 against China, naturally, does not mean a sudden shift in the playing style of the U.S. Men. In fact, I'm sure they'll be 4-4-2-ing it again in no time (although I hope we never have to see the 4-5-1 for as long as I live). It does represent a tactical shift in the American philosophy, however; it seems clear that Bob Bradley wants the team to play faster, attack more and become more confident in tight spaces. The team seemed unsure of just how to play in this formation, but was also willing to allow its instincts to take over, and it served them well on Saturday. It was refreshing to see an attacking, less rigid approach, and I hope to see much more of it in the future.

Big Finish

2007-05-09T10:39:00.000-04:00

Let's take a moment to generously welcome Michael Owen, Sunderland (we see you, Keano), and Birmingham City back to the Premiership. Generally speaking, we here on 116th Street are big fans of promotion/ relegation, but with that being said, there is no way I'm getting up in time to watch Wolverhampton vs. West Brom at 7:15 AM on Sunday. Nevertheless, there is so much drama taking place this weekend that it puts a nice cap on a generally lackluster season.

Clint Dempsey is now a goal hero for Fulham, and Rafa Benitez has his third-place spot on the line. He may not care at all, considering that winning the Champions League this year is more important than playing for position in next season's tournament, but with Arsenal bearing down on the Reds, you have to wonder what kind of lineup he's going to field against an already relegated Charlton side. It will be interesting to see how hard Charlton plays on Sunday, particularly in light of a Portsmouth-Arsenal match in which the Gunners should be throwing everything but the kitchen sink at Pompey.
Any Wolves fans out there? I like their logo, and generally like to see teams get into the Prem who haven't been there in a while. Nevertheless, I'm hitting the snooze button on the Championship until the final. After all, with such a tight race (not to mention later games) in La Liga, I can only devote my time to so many races! Seriously, does anybody want to win that league? Saturday brings us Real Madrid vs. Espanyol, as well as Sevilla playing Recreativo Huelva, with Barcelona matching up against Real Betis on Sunday. You never know which team is going to fold from week to week in Spain, so this ought to be fun. I say the Madridistas take the title, but then again, I've never been any good at predictions. So this is it, last weekend of the Premiership, last truly exciting weekend before the Champions League final. What am I going to do with myself when the season is over?

The Ascension?

2007-05-03T12:43:00.000-04:00

While far from a fan of either side, I can say with full honesty that I was hoping for a Manchester United vs. Chelsea Champions League final. Here on 116th street, we love the unprecedented and the unusual; thus the thought of two teams meeting head to head three times, once to decide the Premiership, once to decide the FA Cup and once more to decide the Champions League, had us in full salivation mode. Now, thanks to Bolton Wanderers, Liverpool and AC Milan (in addition to the phenomenally generous contributions of the aforementioned Manchester United and Chelsea), very little of this will actually come to pass, and we are forced to look elsewhere in our search for footballing perfection.
Where will we look? As exciting as it may be to wait for Steven Gerrard to bail out Liverpool in yet another cup final, I've just about had it with Bolo Zenden, Peter Crouch and the rest of the Reds' decidedly unimaginative band of scrappers. Ronaldo, Rooney and the rest of Man U were pretty crappy against Milan yesterday, and while they may yet shine again in the FA Cup final, I can't shake the feeling that their opportunity for true magic this season vanished at the San Siro. No kids, there is only one place to look for redemption for this dreadful season (what absolutely terrible league champions we've had to endure this season, all across Europe; does anyone in Spain even deserve to win?); all objections to catennaccio and match-fixing aside, we must look to Italy to find our answer.

The greatest philosophical minds couldn't have said it any better; "Reality is Kaka." Long-overshadowed by more famous teammates such as Shevchenko and Maldini, I believe we have finally arrived at the point in which Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite (hereby dubbed "Reality") makes his mark upon football history. He was brilliant for 45 minutes two years ago against Liverpool, but bad tactics, Liverpool's resilience and Steven Gerrard robbed him of his moment. He is back for revenge this year, and I surely hope he gets it, for the sake of all that is beautiful and right about the game. I want the diamond to make a comeback. Nothing against flashy wingers like Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho, but I want my Zidanes and Rui Costas back. Kaka embodies that spirit, the spirit of the perfect through ball, the trailing finish, the unselfish playmaker. Not reliant upon dribbling, but still capable of dribbling circles around the opposition, he is the player at the top of the diamond that we desperately needed during a World Cup of 4-5-1's and "magic squares." So while my distaste for Italian soccer makes me feel somewhat guilty for saying this, I will be rooting for Milan, for Kaka, for the hope of the spectacular, in the final. May he finally take his place alongside the icons.

The Young & The Trophyless

2007-05-01T10:03:00.000-04:00

Heading into the home stretch, with the final legs of the Champions League semifinals today and tomorrow, a Serie A champion already crowned, the Premiership all but decided and La Liga limping into a hazy conclusion, I've had to stop and ask myself the question of what actually constitutes success in the footballing world. I recall teasing Chelsea for what I thought was an over-celebration of the Carling Cup, with at least one Chelsea fan telling me such a celebration is warranted, a trophy is a trophy, after all.
Thing is, after watching the events of the past weekend, is there any question that the Blues will be more than dissatisfied if the only thing they walk away with this season is the Carling Cup? What if they "only" claim the FA Cup this year? Would they then look upon the season as a success, or is it Premiership, Champions League or bust?
Gennaro Gattuso is shocked at how far Milan have come in the Champions League. Nearly relegated at the start of the season, deducted eight points and forced to go through European pre-qualifying, the Rossoneri find themselves down 3-2 on aggregate to Manchester United, but hold two away goals going into the second leg. For Milan, this season did not begin with the usual expectations, yet they stand a more than reasonable chance to achieve European glory yet again. Should they fail, would their loss be the icing on a disappointing season, or do they walk away with their heads held high, morally victorious? Does Milan ever even consider a moral victory to be a legitimate outcome?
Manchester United, within sniffing distance of the Premiership title, doesn't really have to worry about moral victories or what ifs, barring a total and unlikely collapse. They are focused on the league, pushing for a double and dreaming of a treble. What a luxury it must be, the ability to dream this big this late in the season. Suppose they do pull off the treble this year, leaving a Carling Cup to Chelsea and scraps to Liverpool and AC Milan. Suppose, going further, that Liverpool beats Chelsea to make the Champions League final. Would that give a trophy-less Liverpool team a better season than Carling Cup winners Chelsea? Would AC Milan have the most to be proud of, considering all they've been through? I can't say I can really sort any of this out, but it is fascinating to contemplate.

Quick Hits From 116th Street

2007-04-27T10:01:00.000-04:00

I called out early for the wrong match. Not that I should really come down on myself too harshly; the opportunity to watch a match of any kind has been so difficult lately that I viewed the second half of Colorado vs. D.C. with the kind of glee usually reserved for Champions League knockout clashes. But dammit, these were the Champions League knockout clashes, and I could only find time to catch the second half of one; why did it have to be Chelsea vs. Liverpool?

Since I missed the master class of showmanship from Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo on Tuesday, perhaps I deserve the fate of having to watch Boudewijn Zenden (for the 11,000th time in his career), take a long pass, stutter awkwardly with the ball, then pass back to John Arne Riise for a full 45 minutes plus stoppage. It's Friday, and thinking about that game even now makes me sleepy.

I've been thinking that maybe I should get into the Red Bulls. I've been withdrawing my full MLS support for the day a Philly team arrives in the league, but since global warming has delayed the freezing over of hell even further, perhaps I should back Bruce's boys. After all, I've been living in New York for nearly three years, with my only attachment to New York teams being benign amusement (Yankees), mocking amusement (Knicks), general dislike (Rangers), outright hatred (Giants, Mets, Devils), pity (Jets) and thorough indifference (Nets, Islanders). Furthermore, I appreciate the fact that the drink itself provides a nice pick-me-up at 3 PM on a lagging work day, plus I love Claudio Reyna. The downside to this whole "becoming a Red Bulls fan" thing is that I'd have to start hating D.C. United, a team I kind of like, and I'd have to start becoming outraged at things like Youri Djorkaeff hanging out at the World Cup, rather than finding such incidents hilarious. I'm just not sure Red Bull is the team for me, we'll see how this all plays out (I sound like Simmons now. Sigh...).

With so much American money pouring into the Premiership at the moment, my guess is that there will be changes on the horizon. If this trend continues, could we eventually see a more "Americanized" version of English soccer? Could the Premier League break away from the FA, do away with promotion/ relegation and adopt a playoff system? This is pretty extreme stuff to speculate about, of course, and there's nothing out there that even suggests such a thing to be occurring. That being said, there are a lot of American dollars pumping into England right now, and if there's anything in the world more meddling than an American sports owner, I don't know what it is. At the very least, I would expect the G14 to get significantly weaker in the upcoming years.

And now, for those of you who haven't seen it (all two of you), and as a way of saying "I'm sorry I haven't posted to my blog in two months," I give you this:

Coming To Terms

2007-02-25T23:56:00.000-05:00

It's about time that I took this step; I now see that there are times when one must face facts and acknowledge certain truths previously ignored. That's right, I am going to do the unthinkable and give Didier Drogba his due. I can't recall dissing Drogba here on the site (which is fairly surprising considering the number of shots I've taken at Spurs over the same time period), but private conversations here on 116th Street have yielded a plethora of insults. We've hammered Didier over his lack of technique, lack of goals, perceived arrogance, perpetual diving, theatrics rivalled only by his drama queen of a manager, his first-choice status over Hernan Crespo, his benefit of playing alongside the World's Most Expensive Decoy (Andriy Shevchenko), and, first and foremost, that hideous perm. Plainly speaking, we are player-haters.
So maybe it is that we're in a slightly sympathetic mood towards Chelsea because of John Terry's injury, or perhaps Drogba's new cornrows instill a newfound sense of respectability, but we are here to say (gulp) that Didier Drogba is indeed a great striker. Where we once scratched our heads over his inclusion in the Chelsea side at the expense of Crespo, we now wonder where the Blues would be without him this season. Watching him in the Carling Cup final today (by the way, is it me or did Chelsea seriously over-celebrate that trophy?) there was no question that he was the most lethal threat by far from a fairly pedestrian Chelsea attack. The Arsenal back four was traumatically overmatched against him, and he's been doing this all season, in all competitions. With most of Chelsea's attackers underperforming this season, he's taken it upon himself to carry the load, and he's likely to finish at 35 goals or higher this season. Did the Shevchenko signing motivate him? Had he finally become fed up with Frank Lampard leading the squad in goals every season? Did his FIFA 07 rating really piss him off that much? Perhaps it's just that he's finally settled in England, or maybe he decided to really go after that Vidal Sassoon money, but either way, he's having a hell of a season. Didier Drogba, I salute you; now drop those braids and let that soul glow!

And In Other News...

2007-02-23T12:14:00.000-05:00

Didn't I write about this (mostly in jest) just a few months ago?

Gangsta's Paradise

2007-02-22T10:26:00.000-05:00

While watching Craig Bellamy, John Arne Riise and the rest of the Liverpool Karaoke All-Stars deliver a nicely placed nine-iron to the knee of mighty Barca last night, I couldn't help but notice the lack of form displayed by many of the Champions League's leading lights. Barcelona, known for its nearly-telepathic on-field chemistry, snipped and griped with each other as if they had suddenly been body-snatched and replaced with Madridistas. How fiercely does this Samuel Eto'o fire burn, that they cannot summon the teamwork required to dispatch a team who recently had one star player beat the $#!+ out of a teammate over a few notes of karaoke?
But no matter who you are (we're looking at you, Rafa Marquez), you have to give credit where it's due, and Liverpool were never rattled, even after going a goal down in the Camp Nou pressure-cooker. While nobody ever said the Reds don't have any fight in them, their ability to come from behind in pressure situations is beginning to border on legendary. Milan, West Ham and now Barca fans know of Liverpool's fighting spirit, but Craig Bellamy wants to make sure everyone knows just how ballsy they are:

That's right, kids; he celebrated his goal with a golf swing! Craig Bellamy is straight up gangsta.

Speaking of goal celebrations, Mark van Bommel's "up yours" to the Real Madrid supporters was pretty classic as well. Sure, Bayern lost the match, but they are steps closer to winning the war, getting two key away goals before heading home. Real Madrid, after looking unstoppable in the first half, wilted away in the second, and the infighting has begun anew at the Bernabeu. While it's true that it's only Jose Antonio Reyes doing the yapping (he always seems to be whining about something), there can be no doubt that Fabio Capello is losing the squad. How can you not second-guess Capello after seeing the nearly-banished David Beckham dominate the first half so thoroughly? To give (begrudging) credit to Reyes, he has a fair point; Capello's tinkering with positions and playing time has undermined the confidence of his squad. Real's failure to bury their old German rivals underscores this point.

In light of the situation at Lille, as well as in Italy, I don't think there's any question that the Premiership is poised to run away as the best league in soccer over the next few seasons. With so much TV money coming in, along with new investors and stadiums to provide stability, as well as overseas marketing clout, the league already has a leg up on its less-organized European counterparts. Add better security and safety for fans and players than is available elsewhere, and I don't see how more of the world's top starts choose not to play there. Serie A's problems are so severe and unfixable, expect a mass exodus to England by its biggest stars in the near future.

In the same vein, watching the Dynamo play in that unsafe stadium in Costa Rica makes the think that SuperLiga is an especially good idea. Nothing against the CONCACAF Champions Cup, but the field conditions and security situation in some of the smaller island countries is not on par with a Champions-League style tournament. In future years, SuperLiga should add a play-in round to add one club from a smaller country entry into the tournament, similar to the play-in rounds of the Champions League.

Last but not least, congratulations to AEG and the Los Angeles Galaxy for essentially getting David Beckham for free. If the San Diego Union Tribune is to be believed, bidding for the Galaxy's shirt-sponsorship rights is up to $49 million for 5 years, with Citibank holding the edge at the moment. That would more or less cover Beckham's salary, wouldn't it? We'll keep an eye on this one.

Garbage, Garbage Arsenal

2007-02-21T09:20:00.000-05:00

Tomas Rosicky couldn't get them to follow. For all of his bounce, zip and attacking might Tuesday evening, Rosicky couldn't get one of his famous teammates to follow his passionate example: Thierry Henry's theatrics of fatigue were not matched by his actual work rate; Gilberto Silva could not make an imprint on the match if he tried (and he could have tried harder); Alexander Hleb seemed overwhelmed by the whole thing, and William Gallas is nowhere near match-ready at the moment; as for Emmanuel Adebayor, was he even playing the same match as everyone else?

Arsenal's ineptitude yesterday could be blamed on a number of maladies, whether Gallas' propensity for giving the ball to players in the wrong shirt, Henry's ineffectiveness against PSV's Brobdingnagian center-half Alex, or Adebayor's curious decision making process (at times I think he thinks he's playing a video game out there, the way he tries to go one-on-eleven), but after watching last night's match, along with several other lackluster Arsenal affairs, we here on 116th Street think it's time to focus our lens squarely on the boy wonder himself, Cesc Fabregas.

Far be it from us to go overboard in criticizing a 19-year-old starting in the spotlight of one of Europe's most glamorous clubs, but it was around this time a year ago that Cesc first started earning plaudits for his play in Arsenal's stunning run through the Champions League. Cesc was composed on the ball, capable of threading a perfect pass, and confident in his marking assignments; he remains all of those things today, and while he was no more or less passive than any of his teammates yesterday, the fact is that his spirit means more to the success of the club than that of any other player, just as it did when Patrick Vieira was captain at Highbury.

Arsenal's renowned style is dependent upon a quick transition from defense to attack, usually generated by a composed, decisive central midfielder; thus it is that when Fabregas plays slow, Arsenal plays slow. For the Gunners, Henry may be captain, and Gilberto may be the heart and soul of the side, but Cesc is the engine. That may be more pressure than should be given to a 19-year-old (and Arsene Wenger might do well to alleviate Cesc some by playing the 4-5-1 that worked so well last season), but for the club to improve it will need more urgency from its precocious midfielder. Thankfully for The Arsenal, time is on the side of Cesc Fabregas.

Major League Posing

2007-02-02T16:17:00.000-05:00

We here on 116th Street are very big fans of the Champions League. It is, in fact one of the primary things that attracts us to the game, and the fact that it has been on hiatus for the better part of a month gives us no joy (in fact, one could even go as far as to say that the lack of Champions League activity and the lack of posts on this blog have more than an indirect relationship). We are also big fans of any tournament idea that tries to mimic Champions League-style action, which is why we are such strong proponents of the SuperLiga. There is, however, one thing that is presently bugging us to no end, and that is Major League Soccer's attempt to not only recreate a Champions League-style competition, but to seemingly recreate the clubs of the very league on U.S. soil.
To recap: months ago, rumors of a rebrand of the Colorado Rapids began surfacing on BigSoccer.com; part of the speculation became reality when the Rapids' claret and sky blue uniforms were leaked not long ago. The second part of the rumor, a proposed name change to "Colorado Arsenal" was summarily brushed aside as a dead-end proposal, until yesterday. Once the lords in charge of the Rapids' website got caught testing a few pages online, some of which contained Colorado Arsenal imagery, the cat was out of the bag, and the fires of Rapids rebranding innuendo ignited once again.
While we here on 116th Street are not MLS aficionados, per se, we do like the league well enough and hope for its success. So while we can go along with a couple of FC's (Dallas and Toronto are tolerable, but no more after, please), we cannot justify the total ripoff of a more famous club's identity for the sake of luring in more "hardcore" supporters. So while we know that there is more than one United, Real, Inter and even Arsenal in the world, we also know that having a United, Real, Arsenal, and Inter (which was going to be Toronto FC's name, I don't care how anyone spins it), not to mention a Chivas, Dynamo and Red Bull (not quite as easily associated with European soccer but still the name of another team) is an effing joke. How can you have six teams in your league that share a name with a club overseas, plus a couple of "FC's" and convince anyone that you're not a bunch of posers?
So this is what we've come to, Arsenal vs. United, with nary a Champions League berth or Premiership standing on the line. Nope, we won't have any North Londoners or Geordies or Hammers or Red Devils supporters around. Next time Arsenal plays United, there will be more Broncos and Redskins colors on display than anything else. Sure, if you own an MLS team you can name it whatever you want; but isn't this naming thing running a little rampant? After all, if I ever really wanted to watch a fake Champions League club, I'd just watch Tottenham.

What's Beef?

2007-01-20T22:38:00.000-05:00

Why is everybody so unhappy these days? After listening to Bruce Arena go the full 90 bitching and moaning about Bob Bradley's interim status (as if Bradley's the first guy to ever be hired on an interim basis), I couldn't help but take a moment to reflect on just how many soccer personalities are beefing these days. Let's start in Madrid, where Fabio Capello has decided to kick-start the blame game in response to Real's disappointing season. The reason Madrid is faltering, evidently, is because two players who never play are holding the club back. Capello's indiscretion in calling out Ronaldo and Beckham at every opportunity is not only tiresome, but it has also enabled club president Ramon Calderon to feel entitled to do the same. Real Madrid is a club with fragile egos, however, meaning the discord must continue. This weekend, it was the players' turn to swipe back at management with no less of a company man than Raul firing back at the Bernabeu hierarchy's unprofessionalism (poll for my fellow USA fans: who'd you rather have: Sensitive Sunil or Ramon Calderon?).
Now that we're all so happy to see Real back to mid-season form (at least off the pitch), we must turn our attention to the Galacticos North at Stamford Bridge, where Jose Mourinho seems quite unhappy with his Chelsea superiors. While we here on 116th Street can't really say we're surprised about this development, we never would have guessed Oguchi Onyewu would be so prominently involved in the breakup. Who knew so much beef had so many U.S. implications? We must truly be living in a new century.
While we're on the topic of anger, the Beckham saga and American defenders, what is Peter Vagenas mad about exactly? This fool really said, "On the one hand you would say more power to him but on the other hand you think why can't I be earning that?" Why can't you be earning that, Peter? Maybe, just maybe it's because you are an unspectacular MLS defender. Perhaps it is due to the fact that you, sir, are not David Beckham. I mainly suspect, however, that you cannot earn $250 million because your last name is Vagenas, which, no matter how you may pronounce it, is likely the most un-marketable, squirm-enducing name I have ever encountered. Not even Danny Shittu would trade places with you.
Notes from USA-Denmark: Fun game this evening, nice to see the USA boys back in action. Jonathan Bornstein has a very bright future. Landon Donovan has no reason to appear intimidated by Denmark's B squad. Chris Albright, I hope that flu passes soon (why did he even play? It was a friendly!). Overall, it was a very inconsistent performance from the USA Men, which was to be expected after such a long layoff. Mastroeni is one of our favorites, but a guy with his experience needs to play with a lot more discipline. Where will this team get its veteran leadership from?

Crossing the Border

2007-01-14T19:01:00.000-05:00

For those of you desperately searching for a dope rhyme to step to, have no fear, I have returned; what did I miss? Very special thanks to my guest bloggers, who helped keep the site going during an insanely hectic period here on 116th Street...

You know, with some of the dollar figures we have been reading about lately, it can be easy to miss a $1 million prize laying around for the taking. Yet, as MLS basks in the glow of the Beckham signing (of which I will only say that since the league is only footing $2 million over five years for him, announcing a "$250 million deal" could potentially leave them with some serious egg on their faces), an announcement of possibly greater long-term significance slid right under the radar. Yesterday's unveiling of the SuperLiga, an eight-team tournament pitting the best of Major League Soccer against that of the Mexican First Division, may not be the first attempt at creating a Champions League-style tournament in North America, but in terms of organization and (more importantly) marketing dollars, it stands the best chance of making an imprint in the U.S. sporting scene.
The SuperLiga brings to the table what the CONCACAF Champions Cup fails to deliver; a sexy, uncomplicated name, a simple format, and a primetime Univision audience. What it fails to deliver is a spot in the FIFA Club World Cup, but the greater financial muscle behind this tournament may change that situation in future years as well. It also formally establishes a club version of the blood fued USA and Mexico fans have shared internationally over the years, raising the stakes in a way that the CCC could never achieve. The $1 million prize seems largely cosmetic, but makes for a good selling point as the potential for soccer in the U.S. television market continues to be explored.
What this tournament (along with the Beckham signing, shirt-sponsorship deals, etc.) means to me is that MLS is staking a bolder path than that of the national team program, which is good for the league but probably bad for the Nats. While the USSF has dissapointingly chosen to play things safe (no need to revisit any of that), MLS seems perfectly willing to throw ideas at the wall to see what sticks. There have been so many reasons to question whether or not soccer will ever work in this country, but I have to say that I am pleased with the league's willingness to take risks now that they have a solid base of stability. While the SuperLiga isn't perfect, it is a good idea that could have enormous ramifications if carried out properly; isn't that all we're really asking for?

Dubious Mid-Season Awards

2006-12-26T10:53:00.000-05:00

When Michael Packard sent me this piece for the guest-blog, I knew he wasn't the sort to celebrate Christmas, because it was impossible to edit! So while it took me until the day after Christmas to get this up, I soldiered on nonetheless, maybe not in time to coincide with Fabio Cannavaro's fleecing of the Player of the Year award, but on a somewhat reasonable schedule regardless...

When I got this opportunity to guest write in this footy blog, I had so many ideas. The USMNT is always an interesting subject, but that's been covered already. I was thinking about writing a mid-season report card on the Premiership as the title race is shaping up to be so very exciting this year. Let's be honest, there are enough pundits covering that subject as well. There are also so many great goals to talk about as well, such as Matty Taylor's 45-yard strike against Everton, or Crouch's athletic bicycle kick against Galatasaray. The beautiful game is alive and well in England, so why should I state the obvious?
I was feeling so very cheerful this holiday season, celebrating the festival of lights and X-mas, drinking Guiness to wash down my latkes and holiday cookies, but nonetheless have decided to write about those players and managers that irk me. I think it's great that there are awards that honor the best in the game, but we need to also acknowledge those people in the game who are just absolute @$$&^!*$. I have watched so many games already this year, and from my personal experience it seems that everyone in the pubs around NYC have their own opinion on this matter.
I have "honored" both a Premiership manager and a player with my first First Annual Landon Donovan W@^%*r of the Year Award. I figured that was the only way Donovan would have any association with the Premiership so i was trying to be nice. My apologies to Max Bretos and Tommy Smyth as the award was this close to being named after you two +#*+$. Obviously the finalists for the manager award came down to the big three, Mourinho, Wenger, and Sir Alex. Although Mourinho and Ferguson both have a tendency to moan and blame everyone from refs to supporters to stewards for their clubs' losses or draws, I feel that they do have a shred of likeability. Mourinho can make us all laugh with some of his quotes and SAF does get under all of our skins, but he has been at Man U forever and I just think we have to accept his gruff demeanor.
The manager I have chosen to receive this prestigous award is a slam dunk and Arsene "I didn't see it" Wenger is a deserved winner. Congrats Mr. Wenger. Your fight with Martin Jol last spring made us all warm and fuzzy inside, but it was the exchange of handbags with Alan Pardew this year that made this decision a lay-up. No one likes you, except for Gooner supporters, and what does that tell you? While I was writing this article last Saturday you also had the courtesy of justifying my decision by getting sent to the stands against Pompey. You, my friend, are the definition of w@^%*r. Good work.

The decision of who was most deserving of this award from the field of play was not as easy as Mr. Wenger's landslide victory. I mean with Robbie Savage, Gary Neville, Craig Bellamy, El-Hadji Diouf, Ben Thatcher, Arjen Robben, Wayne "I will stomp on your nuts" Rooney, etc., etc., the list just goes on, but I have chosen three finalists for the coveted award. Cashley Cole from Roman's blue army is an obvious choice. I mean who the hell can live on 85 grand a week at Arsenal? To claim how poorly he was treated just makes him even more out of touch with reality (The only good news about Cashley going to Chelsea is if Wayne Bridge has any sack he will leave in January and go to a certain club in close proximity to Cole's old stomping grounds who could desperately use a left-sided defender. C'mon Wayne, don't let Jose ruin your career. Look at SWP sitting next to you.). The second finalist is a certain greasy-haired Portuguese flopper who likes to leave his feet all too often. His skills are world class but his antics do make many sane men want to pick up a gun and shoot. The third and final player I have chosen is Jens Lehmann. Let's be honest Gooner supporters, he is a psycho, there are no two ways about it. His little song and dance with Didier (would have been nominated last year but his diving has stopped and he is in a rich vein of form) Drogba two weeks ago was laughable. He seems to always be yelling at the referees and pretty much just losing his mind on a regular basis. His entertainment value is high, but he is a w@^%*r nonetheless.

The winner was a rather easy decision. Ronaldo gets eliminated because he is the best player in the Premiership. Even with all of his antics, how can you dispute that? I would normally let Lehman join his manager at the award podium, but do not want to be accused of bias against a certain North London club (OK, thats not the truth. There are two huge Germans who drink a lot at my local pub who have a strong affinity for Jens, and if they knew I spoke poorly about him they might hurt me. I mean really hurt me.). So without further delay, in my humble opinion the biggest W@^%*r, *^&+, @$$&^!*, etc., etc. in the Premiership is Cashley Cole from Chelsea. I think it is rather nice of me to reunite Mr. Wenger and Mr Cole. with the Donovan awards, mazel tov to both of you. I am sure many of you do not agree, but it really doesnt matter because I thought of this award. Enjoy the rest of the season!

If You Haven't Heard, There's A Team Called Chelsea

2006-12-20T21:43:00.000-05:00

Two weeks without posting to this blog, plus I haven't done one iota of Christmas shopping yet; I am a restless mess. Thank god for guest bloggers, such as Paul Kanarek, who has a Chelsea prediction in mind...

I first started supporting my beloved Blues in 1966. I think it was a combination of the blue togs, the cool looking lion and the fact that my father was an avid Tottenham Hotspur supporter. There were two great lessons that the old man taught me from his own errors - don't smoke, and never be a Spurs fan. Every year, he would pore agonizingly over the squad sheets, look at the fixtures and forlornly repeat his mantra of, "Looks like another mid-table finish for the lads but maybe they'll have a nice FA Cup run." The first was always true and the second remained as useless a hope as intelligence in the Oval Office.
But I digress. I said it before the season started and I repeat it here now. My Chelsea will not lift the Premier League trophy this year. If the maxim that "the hardest thing to do is repeat a championship run" is true, then it becomes exponentially more difficult to manage the trick three times on the trot, and while the flesh is willing, I think the spirit is just a little bit weaker this year. This Chelsea team rarely plays the inspired, flowing football of the previous two seasons, and I can see them wilting slightly under the feral and inspired efforts of the rest of the Premiership. Jose, the board and his players have set their eyes on the European prize and you can see it in the level of their play against the continent.
Yes, the Arsenal draw and Newcastle and Everton wins were all brave and showed the grit and determination that any fan loves to see in his team, but I think this is the season where Chelsea finally makes its Champions League run and settles for a solid second in the home league. How wonderfully ironic would it be if the Blues were to fall 2 points short based upon Spurs’ once every 16 years victory? 2-1 and someplace Daddy’s eyes are smiling.

Malicious Matchups

2006-12-18T18:48:00.000-05:00

Seems as though our guest bloggers have the state of the U.S. game on their minds. Today we have Joe Sweigart, who seems to want the USMNT to go up against... the Axis of Evil? I'll let him explain further...

What’s more exciting to an American sports fan than The Grudge Game? Redskins vs. Cowboys. Yankees vs. Red Sox. Islanders vs. Rangers. Who can forget the days of Dr J’s Sixers taking on Larry Bird’s Celtics? You find yourself drawn to the contest. The drama of the contest draws you deeper into the sport. You find yourself talking about it. Looking forward to the next Grudge Game. Checking the papers, researching statistics on the Internet, watching SportsCenter for highlights, team news and gossip. And that, simply put, is what is missing from U.S. football.
Other than Mexico, the USMNT rarely plays meaningful games against quality opponents. Even for the rabid football fan it’s tough to get excited about watching USA vs. Jamaica (again). You can sell it (I paid $20 to watch England vs. Macedonia from the comfort of my sofa), but only if there is the promise of something better (like England vs. Croatia) coming soon. The matches against Mexico are always highly charged affairs that even the novice can appreciate. We’ve all seen it happen; our regular footie bar is invaded by people we’ve never seen before, and they lose their minds screaming “USA! USA!” when we score. They sense the animosity on the
field. They sense the passion in the crowd. They get caught up in the moment at the bar. Naturally, the next game the USA plays is against Canada (Yawn). There is no momentum, people lose interest, the fan base doesn’t grow.
If the big brains in charge of the U.S. program are serious about building the sport, give the public something to get excited about and a reason to follow it. How about a whole grudge series? USA vs Mexico followed by USA vs. Russia, Iran, North Korea. How about giving everyone in the world with a chip on their shoulders about America a chance to take a shot at us on the pitch? And how about this for a dream; schedule a double header on ABC – USA vs. Russia, followed by an international “friendly” between England and Argentina. Promote the hell out of it and show the American public what football – proper football – is all about. And for the love of all that is holy and true, hire Andy Gray and Martin Tyler to do the commentary.

Blatherers United

2006-12-15T12:31:00.000-05:00

Real-life obligations have caused me to neglect the blog a bit more than I'd like lately, and will do so for at least one more week. Since we here on 116th Street often feel terribly guilty about not posting, we have assembled a crew of moderately decent people to take us to the doorstep of the January transfer window. This crew assembles every Saturday morning to watch matches, drink Guinness, discuss the issues of the game and display a seriously backward version of male camaraderie; thus do I name them Kinsale Blatherers FC.

First up is Steve Quattrociocchi, a friendly sort who has been known to sport a Vialli-era "Autoglass" Chelsea shirt in an ill-fated attempt to prove to everyone that he's not another Chelsea poseur. He was nice enough to be the sacrificial lamb of the group and go first, so here are his words:

As tempting as it is to use this opportunity to rail against the hypocritical mewlings and delusional rants of Arsene Wanker, I thought I’d use this opportunity to discuss U.S. Soccer.

Folks, you need to wake up. U.S. Soccer is leagues away from truly competing on the world stage – either in International or Club competitions. Worse, we’re heading in the wrong direction. Whatever momentary optimism is to be found in inspired efforts against over-confident Portuguese, German and Italian sides in recent Cups, the reality is that the US program is comparable to Korea and Australia . The idea that we are anywhere near ready to compete against even quality African sides on a consistent basis is laughable.

MLS play is poor. Sure, the game is beautiful even in its lower levels. I enjoy watching early round FA Cup fixtures. I pull for, and enjoy, Peterborough in the English fourth division. But the Champion Houston Dynamo would be second, or even third, division in the Spanish, English, Italian, German, and Dutch leagues. And this is where we are developing our young talent? Eddie Johnson is going to become a world-class talent in this environment? You’re surprised he’s backsliding? Really?

Internationally, we rely on the likes of Landon Donovan. Landon’s lazy, self-satisfied refusal to get off the beach and submit himself to the highest competition is borderline treasonous – but that point has been made and really is inarguable. U.S. Soccer’s unerring faith in him is symbolic, however, of what is wrong.

Yes, we have great athletes. Yes, our high-workrate, heart-over-style personality is something to build upon. But neither will overcome squandering talent and lazy, PR-driven hype of the likes of Freddy Adu. Our athletes and our personality are foundations, not football power in themselves.

The entire system needs to be overhauled, from the youth program (where I coach and watch my colleagues systematically destroy our future with their emphasis on unselfish play and basketball-like tactics at the expense of joy and ball skill) on up through the academies to our relationship with Europe. MLS should end the salary cap nonsense and sell its clubs to crazy egomaniacs who will spend what it takes to build quality and dominate the league. As to the Nats, Juergen Klinsmann was the perfect man for destroying and rebuilding U.S. Soccer, but there are others. Anyone Dutch would be nice. Forget Bob Bradley, god save us from Pekerman or Houllier. God Bless Clint Dempsey.

Major Disaster Averted!

2006-12-12T21:17:00.000-05:00

Yes, I did accidentally almost erase the entire blog, but it is back up and in working order, although it is missing quite a few links at the moment. I'm pretty worn out from redoing the HTML, so I'll finish up the links tomorrow. In any case, I am very happy to report that this site is nearly 100% restored, sorry for all the technical glitches lately.

One More Item Today...

2006-12-09T12:43:00.000-05:00

Adam over at This Is American Soccer has written a must-read, live and direct from Bradenton; some U.S. Soccer reactions to the Klinsmann/Bradley saga.

Status Quo

2006-12-09T12:13:00.000-05:00

Out of the fog of the Klinsmann debacle/Bradley appointment, comes the most pertinent question facing the National Team; how much of an overhaul does USA Soccer really need? We spent most of the past four-and-a-half months believing that this entire program needed rebuilding from the ground up, beginning with Bruce Arena but ultimately filtering down to even the grassroots levels of the game. American players need to learn a new style, we said. Natural evolution was no longer enough, we needed a Jurgen Klinsmann to inject a whole new outlook on the way we play the game. The cautious counterattack of Bruce Arena's era would give way to a Jose-Pekerman-esque style of flowing, attractive football, and a new generation of talent, divorced from Arena's steady, low-risk/low-reward system, would lead the new frontier of American soccer.
Now we have Bob Bradley, quite the competent individual, but in the minds of fans, sponsors and everyone who has some kind of stake in the U.S. game, not the man who will overhaul the game. We look to Sunil Gulati, the "superfan" seemingly most actively advocating this new version of USA Soccer, to provide answers as to how so much of the status quo has been reestablished. When one is talking about radically changing the landscape and culture of the game in this country, how much meaning does a word like "control" hold in the conversation? Without clear knowledge of the issues at stake, we fans cannot justify how such a deal does not come to be. How do I wish I could talk to Sunil Gulati over the next few weeks and find out what exactly went wrong with the Klinsmann hiring; of course, that will never happen (or will it?)...

Couldn't Close the Deal

2006-12-07T15:29:00.000-05:00

If Jonah Freedman is to be believed, it looks like Bob Bradley will take over as interim U.S. coach now that Klinsmann is out, with an eye towards an eventual permanent position. These are uncertain times for USA fans, indeed. While I will be rooting for Bradley, or Jose Pekerman, or Sigi Schmid or whoever ends up taking over this team, I can't help escape the feeling that the status quo won out this time. I hope I'm wrong.

And While We're Still Talking About Diving...

2006-12-06T14:46:00.000-05:00

I found this little goodie on Caught Offside:

Legalize Diving?

2006-12-06T09:43:00.000-05:00

Who Ate All The Pies? has a pretty good set of quotes today from Wigan manager Paul Jewell, who, in an interview with Sky Sports News, has started advocating the legalization of diving in the wake of Saturday's Middlesbrough incident.

"The pubs open 24 hours a day and everybody was worried people would be drunk on the streets, well there are less drunks on the streets now than when they used to close at three o'clock. So we just allow it and stop everyone talking about it. One week you get away with it, the next week you wouldn't. So stop it in my opinion. People say it is cheating, but you ask any supporter and if one of our players goes down in the box and we need a penalty to stay in the league or win a cup. Do you know what they are going to say?"

This is an interesting opinion, and sure to be unpopular, but let's take some time to consider it. Would legalized diving take the pressure off of referees? If accountability is a two-way street, what protection would defenders have from facing yellow cards, following the embellishment of an attacker? Perhaps Jewell is right, however, and there really is nothing to see here. Taking away restrictions on diving could be interpreted as a sign of faith in the officials, who then might train a sharper eye towards recognizing play-acting; maybe officiating as a whole might improve.
The real question isn't whether or not diving should be legal, but whether or not it already is by default. Players go to ground all the time and get away with it, whether to earn free kicks, penalties, draw yellow cards on defenders or simply to catch a breather. The FA set a precedent earlier this year in choosing not to punish Didier Zokora after his dive against Portsmouth, and on pitches worldwide the idea of not going to ground is often considered a tactical miscue. I'd go so far as to say that most fans actually tolerate diving, so long as it's not carried out on a regular basis.
With all of that being said, of course diving should be punished. If defenders aren't allowed to hack away at attacking players, then strikers and wingers the world over shouldn't be allowed to act like they've been amputated by a challenge either. If anything, diving should be punished more often, and punitive measures such as video replay and retroactive yellow cards ought to be initiated. Such steps might not eliminate the practice altogether, but they may help make diving illegal, for a change.

So Yeah...

2006-12-05T16:58:00.000-05:00

Sorry if you've been having trouble viewing the site, I've been trying to add a few elements, if you will, without causing too many intrusions or aesthetic interruptions. Thanks for being patient, I promise not to go overboard...

West Ham Rapids

2006-12-05T15:32:00.000-05:00

Here's a first live-action look (via sportslogos.net), at the new Colorado Rapids kit:

They are pretty much in line with the specs that Logan's Revenge put up in October, and I have to say that I quite like them. Nevertheless, we here on 116th Street feel compelled to send a little urgent memo over to Colorado: no more color changes, ok?

Do I Really Have To Write About Spurs Again?

2006-12-04T09:40:00.000-05:00

Cristiano Ronaldo is a splendid talent, but also a serial diver who should face some kind of punishment for what he pulled Saturday night; of course, had he stayed on his feet, he would have scored anyway, so if I'm slightly less than sympathetic to the cause of Middlesbrough, please don't vilify me. In fact, if there is a theme to be found in this weekend's games, it would be that of not blaming the official for a loss, as exemplified by Tottenham boss Martin Jol following Spurs' defeat in the North London Derby.
In a match in which three "dubious" calls (a non-offside and two penalties) led to three goals for the home side, how could Tottenham blame the officiating when they weren't even aware that a match was being played that day? Those Ambien-ed zombies in white who took the field against Arsenal on Saturday showed none of the passion usually reserved for one of English football's most revered and contentious rivalries (perhaps not beating a side in seven years numbs the emotions of a derby). If all you need is "a team of Robbie Keanes," perhaps an investment in eleven alarm clocks should be in order as well.
Alright, I hear you, I'm being a bit harsh on Tottenham Hotspur; there were fleeting moments of passion, such as Benoit Assou-Ekotto's personal vendetta against Freddy Ljungberg, as well as a 15-20 minute stretch early in the second half in which Lee Young-Pyo (on for the dreadful Assou-Ekotto) and Jermaine Jenas helped establish some semblance of attack. Tottenham, who couldn't find the net if you spotted them a compass, two atlases and a freaking net, might even have been remedied by the insertion of Jermaine Defoe for the comatose Keane, but by the time he got on in the 80th minute, there wasn't much to do except get ready for Tuesday's Middlesbrough clash. How could Jol blame the officiating when he was just as asleep at the wheel as his players?

Look At All These Rumors

2006-11-29T11:29:00.000-05:00

When Freddy Adu set out on his two-week trek to Manchester to find out how good he actually is, many observers figured the training/trial/whatever to be a mere publicity stunt, yet the word out of Old Trafford so far has been nil. A few Freddy photos made the rounds last week, but no one has heard anything from Adu, Sir Alex Ferguson, Malcolm Glazer or ManYoo's third ballboy. Even the messageboards have been devoid of info, and yet, emerging from the abyss, comes this ~~completely uncredited~~ article from Soccer365, dubiously explaining exactly what is happening behind those closed doors:

Teenage sensation Freddy Adu will turn his back on Manchester United at the end of this week despite an impressive trial at the world’s biggest club.

The Ghanaian born winger has surprised a skeptical team, with his skill while training with The Red Devils youth academy, but he has insisted that he wants to play for Real Madrid citing a belief that the EPL is too physical for him.

The rumor mill is flying fast and furious, with so many changes occurring within the U.S. soccer scene that it is almost impossible to keep up with all the speculation. When Red Issue, the Manchester United fan magazine, reported that Malcolm Glazer would buy the LA Galaxy, rename the team (ManUSA? ha!) and make David Beckham the centerpiece of this ill-fated business plan, the story was picked up by The Mirror. Sports Illustrated subsequently picked the story up and headlined it in their "Truth and Rumors" section. MLS fans, generally inclined to disbelieve such a report, started paying attention this time, having learned from last year's Red Bull wildfire that such rumors are not to be discounted.

The question, with so much innuendo flying around, is how does one go about separating legitimate speculation and insider info from mere wheel-spinning? When La Opinion reported that Luis Figo, David Beckham, Ronaldo, Zinedine Zidane and Hernan Crespo (of all people) were all confirmed to join MLS next season in deals totaling $100 million, most MLS fans scoffed at such a preposterous rumor, but when the very same paper reported that Jose Pekerman would be taking over the U.S. national team, more than a few USA supporters took this new report a little more seriously.
The funny thing is that the rumor mill is not confined merely to fanzines or alternative-language publications. Just yesterday, Paul Gardner at Soccer America wrote that one of the Red Bulls' allocations "presumably will be Figo," which is great news for Red Bull fans who didn't read Soccernet's Ives Galarcep in his Monday blog entry. According to Ives, "(Bruce) Arena has plans and the Portuguese winger apparently doesn't fit into them." Even the insiders are getting conflicting reports these days.
What then to do with all of this inside info? If you love football gossip like we do, you get a conversation piece and a laugh, and try not to take it too seriously (who am I kidding; I took that Pekerman rumor to heart!). Besides, if you ignore the rumor mill, how can you get to enjoy a good one, like this one?

Andriy Shevchenko could be sent out on loan to former club AC Milan in the January transfer window...

...they claim he would only be allowed to return to Italy on a six-month loan deal for 'personal problems', as Shevchenko's wife is struggling to settle.

...reports on Tuesday claimed the Premiership champions were lining up a bid for Valencia's David Villa.

Ah yes, Sheva's wife; the twinkle in his eye, the bane of his existence?

He Should Have Won the Damn Thing In '04, Anyway...

2006-11-29T09:31:00.000-05:00

Thierry Henry is not even a finalist for this year's FIFA World Player of the Year. Considering that he was probably the best player in the world last year (if not, he was one of two, and the other was neither Fabio Cannavaro or Zinedine Zidane), I am now declaring all year-end awards officially bogus. That is all.

On Second Thought...

2006-11-28T14:10:00.000-05:00

So I was all set to do the Lee Bowyer post today, but after Googling him awhile to get sources, I realized that he has been involved in so much disgusting behavior that I can't even joke about him with a clean conscience (although I still think the McDonald's story is pretty funny in a very perverse way). Even so, his on-field bust up with then-Newcastle-teammate Kieron Dyer is the stuff of legend, so if you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and check it out:

The Ballad of Andriy Shevchenko

2006-11-26T15:45:00.000-05:00

While we here on 116th Street were busy this weekend watching Arsenal officially declare their intentions for fourth place, we completely missed this gem of a goal (although, in our defense, it's a bit hard to concentrate on multiple screens while trying to keep your prized possessions from being potentially thieved by David Hirshey):

Even so, most likely because we enjoy both the Premiership and beer a little bit more than is socially acceptable, we made our way right back to Kinsale Tavern on Sunday to check out the main event, which turned out to be as highly entertaining as we had hoped, but as ultimately dissatisfying as we had expected. United owned a first half in which Chelsea seemed disinterested and tactically inept, but I'm pretty sure everyone expected them to play for a draw anyway, so their lack of width and willingness to weather United's attacking storm came as no surprise.
When Arjen Robben came on in the second half, however, the Blues' response was swift and dangerous, albeit not exactly lethal. Their lack of polish in the final third has caused me to wonder what they can do to get Andriy Shevchenko more involved in attack. Mike Cardillo gave the opinion that Sheva simply isn't suited to the Premiership, but I have observed a striker that, while out of synch with the squad, hasn't been given anywhere near the level of service needed to perform at his highest level. As the game wore on, Shevchenko pushed wider and wider left, and further and further into the midfield; these are the signs of a striker desperate for a touch. After the Robben substitution, Chelsea's newfound width seemed to give Sheva a bit of relief, as he moved back toward the center and even made one or two decent runs, but by then it had become a case of too little, too late.
Because Chelsea knocked long and hard on United's door, and Ricardo Carvalho managed an equalizer, they will stay within striking distance of the title, but the system of playing Shevchenko, Lampard and Ballack at the same time is leaving everyone (with the exception of Lampard) out in the cold. As far as attacking midfielders go, providing service is far from Lampard's strong point, which is one reason why you see that perpetual look of discouragement of Sheva's face. Ballack, for all of his money, looks so lost out there that smoke signals might become a part of his future. And yes, I know that having tons of Chelsea money and being married to an American model is not exactly grounds for sympathy, but can't we do something to cheer Sheva up? How about getting him some quality time out there with Joe Cole for a start?

What of the Prem?

2006-11-22T09:50:00.000-05:00

Liam must be distraught. Liam is my current favorite bartender of the moment, occasional drinking buddy and full time Manchester United fan, and the prospect of facing Champions League elimination against Benfica, for the second year in a row, must be making him sick. On more than one occasion I have listened to him drown his Red Devil sorrows in a pint of Stella, bemoaning ManYoo's schizophrenia with his thick Irish accent. "Why can't Rooney score in Europe?" he says. "We need another striker," he moans. I remind him that they're top of the table, but he says, "this is the worst Manchester United team that would even win the Premier League."
I've got to say, he has a point: if this Manchester United team wins the league, they would be miles behind previous Man U teams, in terms of talent, depth and cohesion. Let's take a look at the on-field results, first: not that anyone really cares about the Carling Cup, but losing to Southend? Now that they've sputtered in the group stage of the Champions League again, they face another do or die (this time at home) against Benfica. In years past, they would have been overwhelming favorites; this year, few would be surprised if they crash out once again.
Even so, they still find themselves at the top of the league, even without their once-legendary midfield and famous squad depth. This leads to a very honest question: has the quality of the Premiership declined in recent years? There is probably no way to actually quantify whether or not the talent level of English soccer is any better or worse than in years past, but it does seem that way. The wizardry of Zola, grace of Bergkamp, explosiveness of Owen, and excellence of Giggs, Scholes, Keane and Beckham seems to be in shorter supply. The league has stars, to be sure, but something seems to be missing this season. Out of the top four teams (Man U, Chelsea, Portsmouth, Arsenal), has any truly displayed the kind of form befitting a champion?
It is entirely possible that I'm overreaching here, I don't deny it. It is still early in the season, many teams are still shaking off a post-World Cup hangover, and the meat of the schedule (Champions League knockout, F.A. Cup, etc.) has yet to kick in. Perhaps I'm getting carried away with nostalgia. Maybe I'm sour over the fact that I picked Liverpool to win the league, and, well, the less said about that the better. But maybe the league's quality really is declining. Either way, I'm still going to try to assemble my soccer-novice friends to watch the Man U-Chelsea game on Sunday, so it can't be that bad...

The 116th Street Beckham Rule Wishlist

2006-11-17T12:29:00.000-05:00

Quick show of hands: who ever heard of XanGo before yesterday? On the strength of that alone, their four year, $4-5 million shirt sponsorship deal with Real Salt Lake has already started paying dividends. So let's all take a moment to celebrate the league's first shirt sponsor with a nice big gulp of "the Power of Xanthones from the Whole Mangosteen Fruit" (apparently, one sip of XanGo, and you get your very own Battle Cat).
But XanGo, shirt sponsorships and the Masters of the Universe are not what I am here to talk about today; we here on 116th Street are way too busy doing a happy-dance over the passage of the Beckham Rule to even begin to try to figure out what Xanthones are. Why are we so happy, you ask? Doesn't the passage of the Designated Player rule divert funds from the further development of young American players? Yeah, it probably does, but if I had billions of dollars to spend on soccer, I'd try to spend it on both (why not?). This is why I'm not bent out of shape over the rule; the NASL isn't coming back, and to me this is a sign of the league's actual health.
But I'm also not here to give speeches: I have demands. There are ten players I want to see in this league, and I will do everything in my power to make sure they arrive (and by "everything," I mean, "write a single blog post"). So with all fanfare removed, I present the 2006 116th Street Beckham Rule Wishlist:

10. Lee Bowyer.
If there is one thing this league is sorely missing, it is a nutjob crazy enough to brawl with his own teammates on the pitch, or even throw a drunken tirade, late night, at McDonald's. Add a guy like Lee Bowyer, however, and just sit back and watch the amusing social deviance run its course! We need you, Lee, we need you (and yes, there will, unequivocally, be a "Gangstas of Football" post on Lee Bowyer in the near future).

9. David Beckham.
He would bring instant (albeit short-term) marketability, credibility, sex-appeal and professionalism to the league. He would be the league's first crossover superstar, his face would be on magazines throughout the country, and, if he gets knighted, we'd all have to call him "Sir David." He can still pass it with the best of them, and would destroy MLS opponents in dead-ball situations. On the downside, Galaxy fans, be prepared for an endless siege of ill-advised long balls.

8. Ronaldo.
I know, I know, he's gained weight/out of shape/fat/lost a step/doesn't take the game seriously enough/spends too much time trying to date models/another Lothar Matthaeus situation in the making, but guess what? He is still a very effective striker, who still scores a ton of goals, and he would be quite an addition to any team in this league. Furthermore, unlike Matthaeus, he is well-known (even here) and charismatic, a true icon of the game. If he ends up becoming the toast of New York, don't be surprised.

7. Manuel Rui Costa.
One of the most underrated magicians of recent times, he unselfishly gave way to Kaka at AC Milan when he still had plenty of game left in him. Most Americans might have never heard of him, but he would dazzle MLS crowds with his skills. As an added bonus, he probably wouldn't cost as much as some of his more well-known European brethren. Who doesn't want to see Rui Costa?

6. Robinho.
Just wanted to make sure you were all still paying attention.

5. Dennis Bergkamp.
In all honesty, we're just curious to see how he'd get here, and what he'd do when it's time to take that cross-country to Salt Lake City.

4. Oliver Kahn.
That's right, America, we know what you want. Just admit it, you are tantalized at the possibility of seeing a goalkeeper who looks like he should have been a Roger Moore-era Bond henchman, on a weekly basis.

3. Alessandro Del Piero.
A lion's mane, a goalscorer's touch, exquisite ball control, and expert free-kick taker; how could he not be a hit over here? Plus, he bears a strong resemblance to our favorite Entourage character of all time, Billy Walsh.

2. Luis Figo.
Who is cooler than Figo? He's got that special dribbling style, where he's just flashy enough for you to notice, yet not too flashy; he'll be setting up goals at age 50; everybody seems to like him; he's always dressed for the occasion; have we mentioned dude's wife? We could picture him suited up for the Fire, being the damn man about town in Chicago. Figo is so good, he would well be our favorite player, if only it weren't for...

1. Zinedine Zidane.
I know he isn't coming, you know he isn't coming, we all know he isn't coming; but let's all just take a moment and dare to dream, shall we? Visions of turns, perfect passes, otherworldly dribbling and the mostly impossible dance in our head...

John Terry, Still An OK Guy

2006-11-15T14:30:00.000-05:00

* Thanks to reader Matt for bringing this to my attention.

Most of the rumors regarding the Premiership's phantom racial incident have centered around John Terry's second yellow card on November 5th against Spurs, but Donna Cullen, Tottenham Hotspur Director of Communications, had this to say in response:

'Dear xxxx, I am happy to, unequivocally, tell you that there was absolutely nothing said on the pitch of a racist nature. We certainly would not cover up any racist incident. It was a nasty, unsupported rumour which started doing the rounds in the press, who themselves now admit it was wrong information. Having spoken to at least two of the players involved I am quite clear that this is total nonsense and I should be grateful if you could pass this on to whoever is still minded to believe there is any truth in it. Best regards, Donna'

So there, you have it: John Terry, staunch defender, emergency goalkeeper, not a racist, and still an OK guy (at least if you're not a Chelsea hater).

Stand Up, Speak Up

2006-11-14T14:38:00.000-05:00

Did an England player racially abuse another England player during a Premiership match? According to The Voice, (via Caught Offside), the incident occurred sometime in early November, "just days after Kick It Out, football's anti-racist campaign, concluded their annual period of action during Black History Month."
The Voice story, which was also picked up by a few other British media outlets, alleges that the culprit is such a "high-profile England international" that they expect further details of the incident to be "brushed under the carpet." According to the piece, "details of the said incident are widely known amongst the country’s most in tune media houses," but no one is willing to speak up. The Voice itself would not reveal any further details of the incident, "for legal reasons."
So now we have arrived at the moment in which we here on 116th Street feel obligated to call "BS" on everyone involved. The Voice deserves credit for breaking the story, if true, but I find it hard to believe that they cannot legally reveal a name in the incident. Caught Offside used their powers of deduction to offer an educated guess as to the incident in question, why couldn't a (supposedly) legitimate news source do the same?
As for the players, officials and media members who may be attempting to cover this incident up, shame on all of you. How are we supposed to rid the game of the ugliness that seems to often pervade it without the cooperation of its gatekeepers? What a mixed message; racism is absolutely intolerable until one of England's favorite players is accused, then we pretend like it doesn't exist. Give me a break. I sincerely hope one of England's non-white internationals finally comes forward and names the culprit (again, if the incident really did occur). In order to better the game, it's time we started holding everyone accountable, including those who say nothing.

State of the League

2006-11-13T09:15:00.000-05:00

How will we know when MLS has arrived? Perhaps one indicator would be when the news on the field actually manages to trump what happens away from the pitch. Houston became the first orange-clad MLS champion (actually, off the top of my head, I can't really think of the last time an American team won a championship wearing orange, so good for them), but the bigger story of the weekend has been the avalanche of initiatives, rumors, deals and general innuendo coming from Don Garber & co. Here on 116th Street, we couldn't let the weekend go by without some kind of analysis, so here goes.
As usual, Grant Wahl has all the good stuff, giving us the lowdown on the Designated Player Rule. We've all been hearing about the "Beckham Exemption" for quite a while, but the logistics of signing players to unlimited salary have been hazy until now. We now know that every team will receive one Designated Player allocation, the salary of which will be paid individually by the team's owner. Knowing that some owners have been pushing hard to sign more star attractions while others are wary of overspending, it will be interesting to see how this impacts the league; for the first time, we are seeing a departure from the single-entity mentality. Are we entering a phase in which MLS owners begin to decide to go it alone?
Getting back to the details, the allocation will count $400,000 against the cap, and can be traded. No team can have more than two Designated Players at a time, and the second allocation will count $325,000 against the cap. How this will affect the league economically remains to be seen, but I, for one, am very excited. I know there are many who would rather that money go to developing American players, but eff that, I want to see Luis Figo. Interestingly, according to the league, players already receiving above-cap salaries (money paid collectively by the league's owners) will be grandfathered in after a year as Designated Players. Can't wait to see which owner wants to pay Eddie Johnson out of pocket.
The league will be keeping the conference format for the foreseeable future (I've already argued that this is a good idea), and I have to say that I like the new schedule format quite a bit. Each team will play each other twice (24 games) plus six additional intra-conference games, bringing the season total to 30. With Toronto FC joining the Eastern Conference next year, each Western team will play one extra intra-conference game (the East will have 7 teams, versus 6 for the West), with preference given to rivalries.
While some would argue for more regular season games instead of two fewer, I have to say that this is a win-win. Having fewer regular season games puts more importance on each matchup; furthermore, the additional intra-conference games should add a little spice to the season, creating stronger rivalries. MLS, of course, would not be MLS without missing a key opportunity every year, however; these intra-conference games should have severe playoff implications, yet they will not, because the league has implemented an even more idiotic playoff format than they previously had.
How did this happen? How did they manage to make the regular season even more irrelevant than it already was? We still have eight playoff teams, and conference hierarchy has been virtually abolished. The top two teams in each conference get ranked (good idea), but the reamining four playoff spots are up for grabs, regardless of conference (bad idea). So after playing six extra intra-conference games for playoff spots, the playoffs won't even be conference-based? Beyond that, they still kept the eight-team format, even though everybody wants to get rid of it? Even six teams, with the top two teams getting a first-round bye, is a better idea than that!
The league really piled on the news this weekend, announcing a very ambitious youth development initiative (in short, each team is required to start an "academy" system, with each team retaining the rights to development players), as well as a worldwide scouting network (not really sure how they will implement that, but time will tell). These measures, in addition to being very potentially beneficial as a long-term investment in quality of play, signify that the league is serious about its place, not just in the American sporting hierarchy, but also in the overall global soccer scheme. This is very good news.
A few other tidbits emerged from the weekend, such as each team getting a bigger share of transfer revenue (more ownership independence?), the possibility of a second New York team (I want a Philly side, dammit!), some more non-news on the partnership with the Mexican league (will they ever have anything concrete to say about it?) and Freddy Ady training with Manchester United (probably not such a bad idea for right now). Oh yeah, and the MLS champ (Houston Dynamo) gets to use a special silver ball for all of their home games next year, in a move of actual marketing brilliance (who knew the league had it in them?). Surprisingly, not much was said regarding the next year's ESPN partnership, but overall the State of the League seems pretty positive. Congrats to the Dynamo, enjoy that silver ball!

Results Are Coming In...

2006-11-07T10:00:00.000-05:00

This year I had the privilege to vote in the 2006 BASAs (Blogosphere American Soccer Awards), presented by the always-excellent Climbing the Ladder. Scaryice has been posting the results over the course of the past two weeks, and since today is election day, I figured there is no more fitting time than to tell you to check over there and take a look at the voting results (especially since he announced the BASA for USMNT Player of the Year today). If you have yet to check out the BASAs, I highly recommend you do so! Oh yeah, remember to vote today, seriously...

Really Needs Fixing?

2006-11-06T12:18:00.000-05:00

This may be an unpopular opinion in some circles, but I am going to set my passive Eurosnobbery aside and say it outright: I like the MLS playoffs, I like the two-conference format, and I think going single-table with no playoffs is a bad idea. Let's be perfectly honest here; if D.C. United had lifted the trophy weeks ago, would there be any incentive to follow the league from that moment forward?
I am perfectly aware that the current format makes the regular season less relevant than Studio 60, and I have taken into account the fact that promotion/relegation would spice things up a little, but we need to seriously evaluate the landscape faced by MLS. European, single-table leagues are augmented by the alternate, season-long pursuit of the Champions League, as well as domestic cup competition, the equivalents of which are executed sloppily here in the States.
Let's take a look, for instance, at the Concacaf Champions Cup, a tournament for which public awareness and interest is at a minimum in this country, and is at times seen as a nuisance by its own participants. For public interest in this tournament to exceed that of MLS Cup (in a similar manner to that of the UEFA Champions League), some serious structural work would need to be performed (starting over, perhaps?), work that might exceed the grasp of the league and its partners.
The Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup has a higher profile, but currently lacks the marketing and television partnerships required to make it a serious competitor to MLS Cup as a domestic championship. Teams do take it seriously, and public interest is decent, but for an MLS single-table to actually work, the Open Cup Final would have to have national television coverage and take place after the season (the former would be very hard to pull off at this point, while the latter could be viable).
As for promotion/relegation, MLS' single-entity structure and stadium initiatives, as well as shared ownership of some teams, puts it a very long way off, and I for one, think that is a very good thing. Honestly, if there is anything worse than watching bad MLS teams, it's watching teams that are worse than bad MLS teams, and there are not enough quality players in this country to go around at the moment. I love promotion and relegation as much as the next guy, but this league is not ready for it, nor will it be for quite a while.
This, of course, brings us back to the MLS format, which really isn't so bad, all things being equal. The playoffs brought us the Dario Sala incident, a renewed rivalry between New York and D.C., the Arena-Wynalda broadcast pairing, and a very fun final matchup between Houston and New England. Fan interest remains high, the rivalries are intensifying and the league's profile continues to progress. What's so wrong about that? Maybe it isn't formatted exactly like the Premiership, but it's been enjoyable all the same. As for the regular season, my remedy would be to cut the number of playoff teams from eight to four. Have a two-leg conference final, followed by one final match, and the stakes are upped for everyone. Honestly, if you think having fewer playoff teams would decrease interest for fans of teams out of the playoff race, what do you think single-table would do? Only truly deserving teams would make the playoffs, and the playoff push would provide great entertainment. Let's not be in such a rush to emulate everything European.

A Truer Champions League?

2006-11-03T11:09:00.000-05:00

We here on 116th Street will now be paying special attention to the UEFA elections, apparently being held on January 26th, mainly because they stand to decide the future of the Champions League. At issue (and this really does seem to be the only issue, for some reason) is the number of slots granted to clubs from the big three nations. Incumbent president Lennart Johansson has vowed to keep the four slots from England, Spain and Italy, whereas legend and challenger Michel Platini would prefer to see that number reduced to three each.
I have to admit to being of a mixed opinion in this case; does any nation really deserve to place four teams into the Champions League? I would say probably not, as finishing fourth wouldn't get you any kind of medal in any kind of competition, thus diluting the meaning of the term "Champions League." Furthermore, out of the fourth-place finishers from last season's big three (Arsenal, Osasuna, Chievo), only Arsenal draws a significant following outside its home country. Would it really be such a bad thing to see those three slots go to actual domestic champions, or runners-up?
Actually, this does present a problem, of sorts. Who should these slots be given to? Simply taking away the three slots (without re-assigning spots to UEFA's lower leagues) would then equate the Premiership, La Liga and Serie A as being at the same level as Ligue 1, the Bundesliga and the Portuguese Liga. Is that such a bad idea? Perhaps not, but I would advocate taking away one slot to each league, regardless of coefficient. That would, of course, alter the entire format of the Champions League, but would make it more of a meritocracy (of course, the prospect of seeing Debrecen instead of Arsenal makes for a very strong counter-argument).
Are you still with me? Anyway, I personally like the idea of the Champions League existing slightly truer to its name. Furthermore, any UEFA president willing to step to the line against the G-14 on this earns my respect (and is probably doomed, as well). If I had a vote, it would be for Platini and his less bloated version of the Champions League. At the same time, I thoroughly enjoyed Liverpool's triumph two years ago, so maybe I'm flopping on this one.

Get Off My Lawn

2006-10-24T21:31:00.000-04:00

When we first laid eyes upon Wayne Rooney in 2002, he was the rarest of footballing delights, a genuine teenage sensation. Those of us who had been tantalized and amazed by Michael Owen five years earlier could only wonder what gifts Everton's then-16-year-old would bestow upon the soccer world, and it is safe to say we have not been disappointed thus far. By 18, Rooney was ready to step up to the highest levels of international play, and by 19 he was starring for Manchester United, eventually becoming a key man in England's most high-profile side. What amazes me, however, is that as our man Roo turns 21 today, he stands at the head of not only a spectacular generation of young attackers (Cristiano Ronaldo, Lukas Podolski, Kaka, Robinho and Carlos Tevez could be considered early-twenties contemporaries), but that had he debuted today he would only be one of a galaxy of teenage sensations.
Has there ever been a time when so many teenagers had the talent and poise to play as full internationals, as well as key members of their respective clubs? Argentina gave us the spectacular Lionel Messi in 2005, and is now set to introduce Sergio Aguero and Fernando Gago to their collection of stars this season. Cesc Fabregas became an Arsenal mainstay by 18, and is on the short track to superstardom with Spain. Andres Guardado was a teenage regular for Mexico during the World Cup, and El Tri will be displaying Giovanni Dos Santos any day now. Theo Walcott could be ready for the big-time with Arsenal and England by season's end, and Chelsea's John Obi Mikel could do the same with Nigeria. It seems that in 2006, teenagers are not merely curiosities; rather, they are expected to have an impact.
I was thinking about all of this the other day, when I was reading of how Manchester United and Bayern Munich were gearing up for a bidding war over a teenage player named Nani. "Who the eff is Nani?" was my initial thought, expecting some academy-level tussle over a player who wouldn't surface until 2009. Then I learned that the Nani in question is a 19-year-old Sporting Lisbon winger, currently carving up defenses in the Champions League and earning a Portugal callup. Remind you of anyone?
All of this spectacular young talent has us here on 116th Street on the lookout for any new teenagers on the horizon. Arsenal signs an 18-year-old named Denilson? We must investigate. Is Johan Djourou ready to be a starter? Of course he is. Where are the American youngsters? We've got them, both domestically (Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore) and abroad (Benny Feilhaber, Lee Nguyen). With all of this (very) young talent on display, this game is going to be (very) exciting for a (very) long time, and I, for one, cannot wait!

Ronaldinho Is Fat?

2006-10-10T21:31:00.000-04:00

Who told me Brazil had Ecuador in a friendly tonight? That's right, it was the Brazilian woman I started a conversation with while having a drink the other night. The bartender thought we were together (I swear, if she sticks me on the same bill with a complete stranger one more time, that's it!), and our utter unfamiliarity with each other led to conversation, most of it surrounding Brazil's World Cup failure. "It is the fault of the - how do you say it - technical," she started. You mean the coach? "Yes, the coach, the technical, whatever." It couldn't be all his fault; he had good players, they just didn't step up (I like a good argument). "Yes, but he didn't have to pick players on name, they have a lot of good players. Honaldo -" Well, Ronaldo is fat. "Yes, I know, Honaldo, he is fat! He can't run! When he was young, he could run around everybody, but now he is too fat! It is all the money." Well, you can't put all the blame on him, he did score some goals. Now Ronaldinho, on the other hand - "Oh my god, Honaljeeyo, he is fat!" Ronaldinho is fat? "Yes, he is fat!" I'm not sure about that. "Look at him, when he was young, he was good! But now he has all this money, and he has too much in the bum-bum now!" I've never heard that one before, I'm not quite sure I agree. "Next time you watch, look at him! He has too much in the bum-bum!"
Lots of laughter, but hey alcohol and talk of Ronaldinho's bum-bum will do that. "Hobinyo, he is good! Kaka is good! Honaljeeyo, no," she continued. I couldn't really argue with that, our love for Robinho here on 116th Street is well documented, and Kaka, no matter how inexplicably he reminds us of Mandy Moore, is quite a good player, possibly Brazil's best. "We need to put in the younger players. That is what our new technical -" Dunga? "Dunga! Yes! He will put in the younger players who can still run!"
There was a lot more laughter, and she soon exited the bar, which brings us to now, where we here on 116th Street are watching Fox Soccer Channel with the score 2-1 Brazil. A few observations: well, what do you know, Ronaldinho does indeed seem to have added a few kilograms to his "bum-bum." We will consider this a developing storyline. Robinho, Kaka and Fred are Brazil's best players on form right now (Juninho as well, but as he has retired from the national team, we may never see his full abilities in a canary jersey). I normally hate international friendlies this early in the club season, but any game involving Brazil is quite an event. Seeing how fired up this crowd is, you can't tell me this game doesn't mean anything. Also, Ecuador has very sharp change kits.

One final note, R.I.P. to Mooch Myernick, and best wishes to his family.

Step Up

2006-10-03T10:16:00.001-04:00

By now, most soccer fans have seen Didier Zokora's shameful dive against Portsmouth, which was such a disgraceful act that it blighted an otherwise fantastic weekend. Robin van Persie gave us all a reminder of why we watch the game against Charlton, but that high quickly dissipated in light of Zokora's theatrics.
The Zokora incident speaks to a much larger problem in the game, and that is the inability of the powers running the sport to solve any of the problems associated with professional soccer. Racism, corruption and cheating are the game's three plagues, and in combination they threaten the game's popularity and possibly even survival. Have FIFA, UEFA or even any association done anything to clean up the game? It appears not.
The problem is one of accountability. FIFA says it needs the support of its confederations to enforce regulations, but it never carries out any of its threats. UEFA, swayed by powerful clubs as it is, won't lift a finger if it means endaging FC Barcelona, Ajax, Manchester United or even Porto. Meanwhile, the FA's choose to look for FIFA and UEFA to make their decisions for them, meaning that resolution is hard to come by. It is time for at least one of these factions to take a stand and carry out real solutions to what ails the game; you would never see the NFL sitting on its hands on matters of blatant cheating.

Bed-Ridden Observations from 116th Street

2006-09-28T18:13:00.000-04:00

Now that my illness is dissipating, much has transpired that I feel the need to touch upon. Many topics have gone around the blogosphere more than once, so I'll try to be brief, and hopefully bring a fresh perspective. As always, every viewpoint comes from a lesser (and possibly hallucinatory) authority...

First off, the soccer crew at SI.com has absolutely been on fire in recent weeks. Jonah Freedman, in addition to keeping his often-entertaining, always-informative World Soccer Club Rankings rolling along each week, has the interviewing game on lock. His humorous, thoughtful conversations with stars such as Luis Figo and Owen Hargreaves, as well as USA and Red Bulls up-and-comer Marvell Wynne have been must-read material. Nobody gets to the heart of a story better than Grant Wahl, and his chats with Bruce Arena, combined with his terrific breakdown of the U.S. National Team coaching search, continue to certify my opinion of him as the best soccer writer in the U.S. Furthermore, no mainstream outlet covers Mexican and South American soccer as well as they do, and they try to keep the perspective as distinctly American (i.e. outsider) as possible. By the same token, Gabriele Marcotti's writing on the European game remains top-notch. We here on 116th Street also love SI's concise format, allowing the best stories to get play, keeping the rumors separate from the actual news and making the site the best mainstream outlet for American fans of the game abroad.

Late Pass, first edition: count me in on the bandwagon of latecomers to The Wire. HBO On Demand comes in quite handy when one is bed-ridden, and I have managed to see every episode of the new season. Twice. Seriously. I try not to be one given to hyperbole, but when I read a critic (I can't recall who specifically, possibly Slate, possibly Simmons - yikes) refer to it as the most important fictional drama in the history of American television, I didn't even flinch. It is the only show I have seen that has me consistenly processing the real-life implications of what I have just watched, for days on end. It is a drama that will keep you engrossed, entertained, and challenging yourself. But I'm sure you're not reading any of that for the first time, so I'll move on.

Nice to see my man Raul Gonzalez Blanco (a longtime Favorite Player of 116th Street) hit two against Dinamo Kyiv on Tuesday. We may never again see the Raul of his "Golden Boy" days, but nobody epitomizes the spirit of Real Madrid (the "real" Real; the one that used to scare the Manchester out of United a few years back) quite like he does. At the same time, I have a message for Mr. Capello: free Robinho! We need more Robinho!

Just as Marlo Stanfield is sure to find out, it's hard being on top. Barcelona had better take this lesson to heart, because sleepwalking through a match like they did against Werder Bremen does not win this grand tournament. We have no problem with Ludovic Giuly at all, but why was he starting over Leo Messi?

Players we loooooove to talk $#!+ about (Lampard, Drogba, Jose Antonio Reyes) have been stepping it up lately. We don't like to apologize for things, so they'd better not keep it up. Players we simply love (Shevchenko, Rooney, Adriano) are playing like they deserve to have us talk $#!+ about them. Our Favorite Player of Them All has two goals so far, both with his head (he never scores with his head!), and everyone is talking up Peter Crouch at the moment. I guess that's why they play the games...

How corrupt is the state of the game? The bung expose happened, and nobody even battered an eyelash (Ashley Cole has a pretty bad agent and publicist, however; he's not the epitome of everything wrong with the game, but he's coming off really bad right now. Somehow Gallas has escaped this scrutiny when he was probably just as bad).

Speaking of bad publicity, Landon Donovan just needs to shut up. Seriously, Landon, just shut the eff up! Learn the phrase "no comment." Stop doing P.R. interviews. Landon is a good player, thus he should let his play do the talking, and let his play sell the Nikes, and let his play reassure his place with the national team. The only thing these interviews are doing is giving haters (such as us here on 116th Street) more ammunition with which to call for his head. By the same token, Clint Dempsey needs to shut the eff up. Everyone's favorite player after the World Cup has given everyone a negative impression through his multi-faceted campaign to free himself from MLS. The suspensions and verbal attacks only bring to mind another Clint who was once a favorite of USA fans. Clint, let your play do the talking; it will set you free.

All hail the Royals of Reading! Those cats are going to give me a heart attack, for sure.

Late pass, second edition: I picked up Winning Eleven 9 just before I got sick. That game is ridiculous! Consider me a convert, I can't even imagine picking up FIFA 2007 at this point. When you're holed up sick with nowhere to go, there are few better ways to pass the time.

Craig Bellamy is still gangsta.

Is it scary that Chelsea is top of the table without hitting their best form, or will all the new additions keep them from ever hitting their best form? Can anyone keep up with them? I would be inclined to answer "Yes" to 1 and "No" to 2, but I'm still sticking with my Liverpool pick, because I like when coaches use 95 different lineups. It did wonders for Larry Brown with the Knicks last year...

Apologies..

2006-09-26T09:27:00.001-04:00

...for the lack of recent updates, I have been fighting a bad case of flu lately, but I expect to be back on my own two very soon, and will serenade you all with my opinions on this crazy game in no time...

Z

Barca Comes to El Barrio

2006-09-16T11:25:00.000-04:00

I caught a terrific match this morning between FC Barcelona and Real Betis. Yes, I am fully aware that Barcelona plays Racing Santander today, but before you call me crazy, allow me to set the scene. Having awakened by all miracles without a hangover, I set about the East Harlem streets to see what the newly spectacular weather might bring. I myself got a cup of hazelnut coffee, and made a right onto 114th Street, bringing myself to Thomas Jefferson Park.
Upon my arrival, some youth soccer games were about to begin, so I took a look around to see exactly what would unfold. Directly in front of me were two teams of six and seven-year-olds. One team was wearing exact replicas of Barcelona's famous kit, with the scarlet and blue shining brightly under the sunlight, and the yellow numbers making it pretty easy to pick each kid out. The other was in a slightly more generic, but similarly well-made kit; their green and white allowed me to mentally connect them to Betis. Looking around, I saw that another game was already in progress, featuring significantly older kids (late teens) in similarly detailed Barca unis, against a bunch of dudes in t-shirts. Less interested in that game, I turned my attention back to the little ones.
Nearly every kid on the field was Mexican-American, save for one black kid playing up top for Barca as the lone striker. Being the sort who uses racial identifiers, I branded him "Eto'o" for the rest of the game. Kickoff came, and I found the skill level to be much higher than I expected for a bunch of seven-year-olds. The Barcelona kids were especially well-organized for a bunch of little kids; they kept their shape and spread the ball around, whereas the Betis kids, seemingly older and bigger, crowded around the ball and followed each other around, never passing. A very small Barcelona kid, wearing number 6 ("Little Xavi," as I referred to him from then on), tried to manuever around a skilled Betis defender, and flopped in a way that would do Francesco Totti proud. He got the call, and I couldn't help but laugh to myself, they learn these things at such a young age.
Betis came charging back on the counterattack, six of them crowded around the ball, each screaming for a pass that none of them deserved. Barca's very tall girl, marshalling the central defense, stepped forward and cleared it away with ease. More kids were now coming to the park, including a team of middle-school-age kids, also wearing complete Barcelona uniforms. Either Barca started a U.S. academy and didn't tell anyone, or Leo Messi is going to show up at the park any minute now.
The Betis team, for all of their tactical deficiencies, were bigger and more skilled with the ball, and it was starting to show. Another hive-like counterattack yields a goal, and it's 1-0 Real Betis. Barca is still digging in though, with Little Xavi all over the place, providing inspiration. For a kid who can't be older than six, he's definitely the best player on the field, but he's no ball-hog. He's all-action, much like Barca's real number 6, breaking up plays and trying to distribute the ball to his teammates; for a six-year-old, he has a real feel for the game.
Another bad clearance from the kiddie Blaugrana, and the team in green buries the sitter, two-nil, Betis. I spy a couple of African-American kids, about eleven or twelve, warming up on the sideline, one in a Stephon Marbury Knicks t-shirt, the other in a Che Guevara shirt and cargo pants, displaying more skill on the ball than any of the other kids at the park. Little Xavi flops again, and this time doesn't get the call. He writhes on the ground in fake pain for a while, and the referee starts laughing, so much so that he misses a handball.
A kid from Betis puts a sweet nutmeg on the female Carles Puyol, but hits the post with his shot. Eto'o takes off on a great countering run, getting one-on-one with the keeper before being taken out from behind from a Betis defender. The ref awards a corner, no penalty, but all the parents here are sane, so nobody gets carried away protesting the call. The kid in the Stephon Marbury t-shirt walks by, effortlessly switching his dribbling from basketball to soccer, working on both crossovers and stepovers with skill and ease. The game has real a future in this country, I think to myself.
The smaller Barcelona kids are losing, but they stay in their formations and keep passing. They might be losing the game, but they are going to be the better players in the long run. A kid named Danny from Betis is hogging the ball, and all the kids are pissed off. Soon enough, though, they pull off a rare display of good passing, and put the final ball away, 3-0 Betis. A couple of Mexican kids in Brazil jerseys are anxious for the game to end, so they can get on the field. Stephon Marbury and Che Guevara are on the other side, feeling the same way.
The final whistle blows, the game ends, 3-0 to the team in green and white. The Barca kids don't look very disappointed, but they go to get a drink of water. The Betis kids want to keep playing, so they stay on the field and have a kick around. The two Mexican kids and the two black kids hang out by one goal, doing the same.
The two Mexican kids in the Brazil shirts don't appear to speak any English, and the two black kids in the t-shirts don't seem to speak any Spanish, yet somehow they have organized a game of "21," with one kid as goalkeeper and the other three playing every man for himself. They are having a great time with it, and I'm amazed at how kids are able to immediately move beyond boundaries that adults struggle with consistently. The ball goes wide and the designated keeper retrieves it, throwing it back in before he can get back to goal. The other three, their eyes wide with anticipation, all go for the header that will catch the keeper off his line; they all miss, and a collective "AWW!!!" rings out. I laugh out loud, finish my coffee and head home to write about all that I saw.

Galacticos Gone Soft

2006-09-14T00:10:00.000-04:00

It was a hell of a Matchday 1, with plenty of notable developments, from the fairly ridiculous (Jose Mourinho's conspicacy theories) to the head-scratching (Liverpool fielding a squad that would have a tough time beating Bolton Wanderers, let alone playing in the Champions League), and with a hint of the spectacular (Shunsuke Nakamura's sweet free kick, Barca's general excellence, as well as Tomas Rosicky's screamer). I know I lamented the number of games just the other day, but there's nothing better than some classic Champions League action, and the game's best were on display these past two days.
Even with all of the incredible action and developing storylines, no Champions League subplot interests us more than what is going on with Real Madrid these days. The former bullies of the UEFA block turned in such an uninspired, unimaginative performance, you would have thought they started the game with Luis Garcia, Steven Gerrard, and Xabi Alonso on the bench. This is a team whose apparent sense of entitlement, and resistance to any kind of gritty play, allowed Olympique Lyonnais to run circles around them. The miracle was not that Lyon handled them in CL play once again, nor was it that Real's ballyhooed defense gave up two goals; the miracle was that Lyon didn't tack on an additional two or three. Real looked every bit the bunch of over-the-hill, overrated fat cats that they've spent the offseason trying to convince everyone they weren't.
Fabio Capello, the man Real have enlisted to right their incredibly fast-sinking ship, seemed so tactically rigid that Lyon could have fielded Boudewijn Zenden, Jermaine Pennant and Steve Finnan, and still 4-3-3-ed the isht out of the old Galacticos. Late in the match, needing two to come back and at least one to save face, Real eschewed creative play, crisp passing or even general teamwork in favor of cheap flopping.
But why should we care how Real Madrid does in the Champions League? Perhaps, due to their star power, it is because we look forward to seeing the world's best players performing at their best. Thing is, when those big names underperform, they become no better than those squads undeserving to be in the tournament. When Fabio Cannavaro gets beat straight up by Fred, or when David Beckham is about as useful as Drew Bledsoe under pressure, or when Raul is about as useful as, well, David Beckham, it's time to start over. Other clubs keep passion high by developing a fair number of their own players. For Real, that ship has sailed; nevertheless, they still have quite a bit of young talent, and perhaps it's time for the old guard to step back for the next generation of Real stars (save for Jose Antonio Reyes; he sucks). But since we're footballing from a lesser authority over here, what do I know? I'm the one on the Liverpool bandwagon, after all.

Trim the Fat

2006-09-11T20:04:00.000-04:00

Our excitement regarding Matchday One, limitless as it may seem, has to be reduced in the light of the absolute glut of events on the current footballing calendar. Is FIFA (and, by association, UEFA) cannibalizing itself? It seems as though there is an overhyped matchup everywhere you look at the moment. Not even two months after the end of the World Cup, the international schedule started up in earnest, with Argentina and Brazil facing off in England to decide... well, what exactly? Do we really need international friendlies, in any form, any time before 2007? I know Euro 2008 is supposed to be a big deal, but why on Earth would UEFA start up qualification at a time when their cash cows, domestic competition and the Champions League, are ready to kick off?
The problem with so many disparate storylines is that it dilutes the interesting factors of the game. The World Cup just ended (JUST ended), yet somehow we have to attach meaning to another France-Italy clash. Claude Makelele has just barely gotten a start for Chelsea, but somehow the story of his inclusion with France overshadows the start of his club season. With so many different competitions going on at once, what is the point of paying attention to any of them? They surely can't all carry the same amount of significance. If Germany hangs 13 on San Marino, and Everton beats Liverpool by the same score that Brazil beat Argentina by, and the very same Reds are about to face PSV tomorrow, and these are from four different competitions, in the span of about a week, what the eff is the point? What was even the point of the World Cup? It's about time the soccer world took the time to learn that less is more (unless we're talking about Robinho; we need more Robinho).

Breakups Can Be So Messy

2006-09-05T17:23:00.000-04:00

Do you remember that girl you used to date? She was the really sexy one, and you went to all of the best parties together; all the world was jealous of you. Thing is, you were never really into her that much, and when you knew it was time to let her go, her ego couldn't handle it. She had never been dumped before (after all, everyone wanted to be with her), so to keep from losing face, she started giving you the cold treatment and saying mean things about you to anyone who would ask.
Of course, once you started seeing that other girl, the classy one who didn't party as much but was sexy as hell in her own right, the one that she hated, all hell broke loose. She started dissing you to complete strangers; started hooking up with the other girl's ex; she even resorted to making up asinine stories about you that no one could even begin to take seriously. Things got so bad that when you ran into the girl that you'd see from time to time on the side, you couldn't help but crack up, laughing at how bizarre your ex's behavior had become.
Her self-esteem issues were now showing through, and while you were so very ready for a fresh start with your new lady, your ex's increasingly strange antics were keeping you from moving on. Even t hose dudes from back in the day, the ones who were so jealous before, would come up to you asking, "What's up with Chelsea?"
Does any of this sound familiar to you? Yeah, me neither.

Another Arsenal Signing?

2006-09-01T12:25:00.000-04:00

This one seems to have slipped under the radar of most news reports, but apparently Arsenal signed Brazilian Under-19 captain Denilson from Sao Paulo. I only learned of it by seeing it posted on the PremierLeague.com website. I don't know anything about this "new" Denilson, other than that his Wiki page says he is a defensive midfielder. Of course, given Arsenal's penchant for unearthing teenage gems, not mention his status as Brazil Under-19 captain, I'm sure we'll be hearing more from him in the future.

The Wizards Stay, After All

2006-09-01T10:43:00.000-04:00

The craziest transfer deadline in recent memory came to a close yesterday, with the Cole-Gallas sagas coming to an intertwined, anticlimactic conclusion (they really needed to go down to the wire for this one?), conspiracy theories already popping up about the Tevez-Mascherano deal (and really, who doesn't love a good conspiracy theory?), Vinny Chase finally getting a shot with Mandy Moore (be careful what you ask for), and, surprise, Run DMB joining up with City. Good times all around, unless you're a Man U fan, in which case, you've got nothing, or if you're Jose Mourinho and you just lost your best defender in exchange for Ashley Cole (I feel you, Jose).
Getting significantly less press, but perhaps just as significant, was yesterday's handover of the Kansas City Wizards, from Lamar Hunt to entrepreneurs Neal Patterson and Cliff Illig. Whether or not this move manages to save the Wizards remains to be seen, but in the short term, it gives a struggling franchise a new lease on life, and gives MLS some slightly firmer ground upon which to stand. MLS is a league that simply cannot survive waves of franchise relocation or contraction, and even though moving the Wizards from Kansas City to Philadelphia does have its benefits, the league needs to prove that it can keep its clubs established for it to achieve any kind of legitimacy.
Now that the Wizards have ownership, the team can focus on finding a location in which to play for next year, with Arrowhead Stadium off-limits, and the odds of building a soccer-specific stadium improve with dedicated ownership backing the team. MLS needs to show that it can survive a rough marketplace, not just to win over a tough U.S. audience, but also just to keep itself growing. Hopefully with this, as well as the recent developments in Utah, the league has outgrown its contraction/relocation phase, and can begin making some actual inroads in becoming a lasting part of the communities it caters to.

Le Sulk Returns

2006-08-29T14:00:00.000-04:00

We here on 116th Street would like to take this time to warmly welcome Nicolas Anelka back to the Premiership, in this, Arsenal's summer of discontent. Nobody, of course, knows how to pout his way out of an ideal situation quite like Anelka, and the current want-aways of North London, Ashley Cole and Jose Antonio Reyes (who I henceforth dub "Vincent Chase," due to his shoddy publicity, bridge-burning agent and Mandy Moore-like obsession with Real Madrid) should really take notes on how to properly abandon the Gunners. Anelka, after all, is the one who left the Gunners, only to join a star-studded Real Madrid lineup and walk away with a Champions League title. Sure his London departure paved the way for Thierry Henry's ascension, consequently ruining his future with France, but who really cares about that? Do any Arsenal players have a European Cup on their resumes?
Of course, following Anelka's example can be a pretty slippery slope, but that's why we love him. Who else can boast of headlining eight different clubs across four different countries by the age of 27? I guess Bolton Wanderers would be apropos, in his case. Thing is, we here on 116th Street, really, really like Nicolas Anelka. There is something about the way in which he never promises to mature or apologize that somehow makes him seem more sincere than the Jermaine Pennants of the world. The prospect of him pissing off yet another authoritarian English manager warms our hearts to no end, and we can't wait to hear the first rumblings of yet another move. We missed the guy, what can we say? In a year of pretenders, the original malcontent has returned.

And In Other News...

2006-08-24T15:16:00.000-04:00

I just thought this picture was funny...

It's Time To End This

2006-08-23T08:26:00.000-04:00

If you are waiting for those harsh FIFA racism punishments to start kicking in, then join the club. After yet another incident in which a section of ultras subjected a player to fierce racial abuse, followed by a paltry fine, one can't help but wonder what kind of follow-up FIFA has undertaken to ensure that their new punishment system (three points for a first offence, six for a second and relegation for further offences) is more than an empty promise. Even moreso than punishment, however, one wonders what can be done to change the culture that produces such ugliness.
I, for one, believe that as big a part that ultras play in the game, it is time to curtail a bit of the anything-goes atmosphere that surrounds their sections. England has taken great steps in this regard, banning banners and flares, as well as setting up video surveillance to identify troublemakers. Some may say that such steps detract from the general atmosphere, but nobody complains that English stadiums lack charisma, do they? I am of the belief that if you establish a sense of order, people will behave more orderly. English fans had to learn this the hard way, during the dark times of the 1980's, but seem to have come out ok, even if they no longer have fences, banners, flares or standing sections.
So now we must turn our attention to the Santos Lagunas, Real Zaragozas and SS Lazios of the world, where uprooting a racist culture cannot be done at the club level, where ultras often have too much power and clubs often don't care enough to address the issue. FIFA must take up this cause itself, and start imposing its own rules upon wayward clubs. I cannot wait for the day when FIFA makes an example out of a club and hands out a hefty point deduction, or bans banners in all FIFA-sanctioned matches, or even relegates a habitual offender. It is right and it is necessary, and it's about time FIFA grew a pair and did it.

Anfield Anticipation

2006-08-18T21:25:00.000-04:00

The FA Premier League kicks off tomorrow, and while we Americans may annoy the Brits with our fixation on this league above all others, and our insistence on referring to it as the "EPL," there is no question that we here on 116th Street cannot get enough of this competition. Everyone and their cousin seems to be making EPL previews these days (and yes, I have no qualms about referring to it as the EPL; as long as Scotland calls their league the SPL, I'm doing what I want to do, it's a free country), so rather than to dally in who's whos and American equivalents, I am going to take this time to talk about the most compelling Premiership storylines making the rounds of 116th Street.
No player has us more fixated presently than Frank Lampard, Chelsea superstar, England underperformer and general enigma. Lampard scores goals by the boatload, works pretty hard on the field and seems as invaluable a member of the squad as Chelsea has. Thing is, he hasn't really been in form for quite some time; Chelsea's slip in the table last season (they barely hung on to win the title, nearly squandering a 15-point lead, if you'll recall) could be more than slightly attributed to Lampard's slip in play, and he carried his lack of sharpness over to the World Cup, where he might have been the worst high-profile player in Germany. Lampard's inability to create chances for others, or find the net at the World Cup, has reared itself again in the preseason, as Chelsea has struggled to put together a cohesive side. If he cannot find his form soon, the formerly indispensable player may find his way to the bench, usurped by high-profile names such as Ballack, Essien, or even Obi Mikel.
Lots of new Americans in the Prem this year, and the boys from Reading arrive with much fanfare. We get our first look at Bobby Convey and Marcus Hahnemann this year when Reading hosts Middlesbrough tomorrow afternoon, in a match televised (perhaps not coincidentally) by Fox Soccer Channel. Of course, we are already pretty familiar with both Convey and Hahnemann, both from their days in our own domestic league as well as through their lofty status as members of the U.S. national team. So no disrespect to them or Cory Gibbs (newly signed to Charlton but sidelind by injury), but the Yank we really want to see is Jay DeMerit, on-the-rise defender from newly-promoted Watford. With roster spots on the U.S. team up for grabs as the squad enters its next cycle, players such as DeMerit and West Ham's Jonathan Spector bear special attention. Naturally, we will be keeping up on the activities of the other Americans scattered throughout the league, but we always like to give extra props to the new kids on the block.
Over at Old Trafford, we couldn't care less whether Wayne Rooney and Cristiano Ronaldo are getting along, because there is a much more important conflict going on at Manchester United: who is going to rock the mullet harder this year, Michael Carrick or Darren Fletcher? Both players were working on fairly impressive "starter kits" last season, but now that they are teammates, the stakes have been raised. Carrick, for his part, seems headed for a full on Billy Ray Cyrus look, while Fletcher appears to be going for more of a Tyler from "Life Goes On" kind of thing. Which mullet will win? Hopefully neither player got a haircut during the offseason.
We loved the rise of West Ham last season, with their collection of kids taking them all the way to the FA Cup final (I know, it's not technically the Prem, but it was still fun). West Ham's academy is unparalleled, but it has been raided before; how long can Nigel Reo-Coker, Anton Ferdinand and Bobby Zamora stick with the Hammers? Will they follow in the footsteps of Carrick, Lampard, Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe and Rio Ferdinand away from Upton Park? For this season, at least until January, Hammers fans can enjoy the youngsters, who could potentially bring United one more memorable season.
Who the eff is going to score for Newcastle? With Michael Owen out, possibly for the season, the Magpies have only one striker to start the season with, Shola Ameobi. For a Toon Army used to the scoring heroics of now-retired Alan Shearer, the lack of goals may be difficult to stomach. This squad needs to make a serious move before the window closes, or it could be an ugly, ugly season at St. James' Park. Newcastle has already missed out on attainable targets like Craig Bellamy, Andy Johnson, Dean Ashton and Dirk Kuyt, so the pickings at forward are somewhat slim at this point. Nevertheless, this squad is in dire need of forwards, and playing a 4-5-1 might not help them this year. Damien Duff might have to pull off some real miracles from the wing to save Newcastle.
Speaking of transfers, Arsenal's offseason drama surrounding Ashley Cole and Jose Antonio Reyes are not helping a squad trying to keep North London rivals Tottenham at bay. The Gunners need to find reinforcements immediately, as the squad has a ton of young talent but little depth. Spurs, meanwhile, will need a strong performance from new signing Didier Zokora to effectively replace their engine, Carrick. The battle for fourth place was decided by two points last season, and key losses could sink either of these squads.
Finally, we here on 116th Street nominate Luis Garcia of Liverpool as the breakout star of the Barclaycard Permiership for 2006-07. Luis Garcia has excelled in a few different roles for the Reds in seasons past, but we feel that he has all the potential to be the next Raul (yes, we really did just say that) if given a proper opportunity. Given the chance to partner up front with Dirk Kuyt, we expect him to supplant Craig Bellamy in Liverpool's pecking order and become one of the true stars of this league. It is due to the potential of the Kuyt/Luis Garcia combination, as well as the continued brilliance of Steven Gerrard and a nightmarishly stifling defense, that we here on 116th Street predict Liverpool to win their first Premier League crown and 19th English championship overall. Chelsea will take a while to get it together, Arsenal and Manchester United are not title ready, and Tottenham is too far away from serious contention, meaning that in 2007, you'll never walk alone.

A Final Word on the Topic of Eurosnobbery

2006-08-12T21:53:00.000-04:00

These may be the headiest times our little domestic league has ever seen, with good showings against some of the world's greatest clubs, unprecedented American interest in soccer and very good stadium news from both New York and Salt Lake. As the league continues to demonstrate its value, the debate between the Eurosnobs and MLS fans has heated up once again, perhaps even moreso than ever before. Many MLS fans, you see, armed with newfound confidence, are coming hard at the naysayers, some of whom continue to cling to an overwhelmingly negative perception of the league. The funny thing, of course, is that MLS is neither as good as its staunchest defenders say it is, or even close to being as bad off as its detractors might suggest. What do we then make of these factions?
The Eurosnobs (we here on 116th Street probably lean closest to belonging to this group), due to their contentious argument that MLS is an inferior league (it is), seem to bear the guilt of an entire generation, according to the MLS faction. What guilt do I speak of? The guilt of being "damaging to American soccer," of course. The argument, which seems to be gaining quite a bit of steam these days, is that any American fan who is not actively watching, attending and supporting the domestic league is (and not entirely in this order) making MLS stadiums appear empty on television, thereby turning casual American sports fans away from MLS; turning the atmosphere at MLS stadiums into a mausoleum, thereby turning casual American sports fans away from MLS; keeping MLS ratings down, thereby keeping MLS matches off of SportsCenter, and thereby turning casual American fans away from MLS; essentially, anything that could potentially contribute to the downfall of the league can be attributed to the Eurosnobs, due to their failure to support MLS. The cousin to this argument is the one that says that any American who is not supporting the league is no true soccer fan. Sorry, but I'm not buying.
Contrary to being a detriment to the league, the Eurosnob is actually of considerable help (yes, even Jamie Trecker). It is the Eurosnob who helps keep the league and the American game honest. MLS, hybrid of American sports and European soccer traditions that it is, is held to a higher standard by those who would look down upon it. Without the Eurosnob, Alexi Lalas can make vague references to millions worldwide worshipping an inferior brand of soccer, and actually get away with it. The redesign of Red Bull Park has Eurosnob appeal in spades, and all of these big exhibitions between MLS and Euro superpowers were scheduled with Eurosnobs in mind. Without the Eurosnob, we'd still have the Dallas Burn and the San Jose Clash (well, maybe not San Jose). To MLS, Eurosnobbery is inspiration personified. Don't hate the Europoser, MLS fan; look upon him or her and see the face of motivation.
But all you Eurosnobs out there, you need to be nicer to the league, too. Stop raining on MLS fans' parades! If they want to get all gassed about the MLS All-Stars beating Chelsea (and friendly or not, Chelski looked pathetic out there), let them do so. MLS won the game, fair and square, and if MLS fans want to talk trash to every Chelsea fan they see, they have every right. If the league wants to look silly with confetti after the game, let it. Nobody makes fun of Bolton fans for getting piss drunk after beating Chelsea, so why torment an underdog of a different sort? Furthermore, if you're gonna talk trash about MLS, at least do so from the perspective of having watched an entire match. Sure, it's not as good a league as the Bundesliga, but it's probably as good as the Scottish Premiership, sans Rangers and Celtic (although D.C. United fans might take me to task for that one) and its best teams can hold their own with anybody. It may lack star power and stepovers, but it's worth watching if you're a soccer fan.
So now, instead of calling each other names and going Old Firm at each other over message boards, let's all take a step back and realize that both sides, far from being a detriment to the American game, are quite good for it. After all, it's America, and there is a passionate, serious debate going on about soccer. When is the last time that ever happened?

Sign Borgetti (while you can)!

2006-08-08T11:48:00.000-04:00

We here on 116th Street are well aware of the general hate that most American soccer fans have for Jared Borgetti, but with his place at Bolton long gone, and his move to Saudi Arabia on the outs, it is a no-brainer that MLS should go in for the striker. I'm not advising that the league should break the bank for him, but if reasonable terms can be worked out, Borgetti's arrival would mean much to a league that presently struggles with name recognition.
Beyond his obvious appeal to Mexican communities in MLS cities, Borgetti is a productive player, with an eye for goal that the league could use in a major way. Furthermore, his polarizing presence would add fuel to rivalries wherever he plays (imagine what Borgetti's presence on FC Dallas would do to the Dallas-Houston rivalry, or as a member of the Galaxy, deepening the LA-Chivas rift!). He might (this could be a major stretch) even help the Red Bulls, on the field and off. MLS, we are watching you: this deal should be a no-brainer (especially since you already missed out on Jay-Jay Okocha).

A Good Night For Soccer

2006-08-06T11:29:00.000-04:00

There are some out there, inexplicably employed at major media outlets, and with an obvious agenda against American soccer, who somehow find a way to look for negatives in what was an overwhelmingly positive night for the league. In case you missed it, the MLS All Stars defeated Chelsea last night, 1-0, in a thoroughly entertaining game, and the exact kind of showcase the league should be putting on annually. Prior to the game, some were decrying the league for an obvious lack of star power, made even more glaring by the absences of talents like Landon Donovan and Clint Dempsey, and many (including we here on 116th Street) feared that the league may face a repeat of last year's 5-0 debacle against Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.
But credit MLS for turning the entire affair into a celebration of the league. It was a good move to put the injured Donovan in the booth as co-host. Say what you will about his World Cup performance (and I've said plenty), but he brought a good deal of enthusiasm about the league to the broadcast, and provided the league with a much-needed familiar face, even if not on the field. ESPN put on quite a good broadcast, with the kind of production values we will hope to see under the newly-announced television rights contract. Lots of cameras, crisp graphics, few hiccups (they made one bad mistake, however, cutting away to a wide shot when the MLS All Stars had a throw-in near the Chelsea goal, causing ESPN to miss the first part of De Rosario's goal), hopefully they will continue to work out the bugs as they improve their soccer coverage.
ESPN finally got it right and tossed Marcelo Balboa out of the booth, hopefully never to return. With Eric Wynalda in his place, rough edges abounded, but he generally kept the discourse intelligent, kept the stammering to a minimum, provided a much-needed "on-field" perspective, and was quite funny (one note to ESPN: work harder on getting your facts straight. Transfer fees go to clubs, not the players, and Wynalda, at the least, should have set that fact straight). His late-game trash-talking style is exactly the kind of thing the American game needs, to feel the emotional aspect of the game and claim it for ourselves (I loved his, "we'll cut the grass shorter for you next time," remark to John Terry post-game).
On to Peter Nowak and the players, a very big thank you for lining up 3-5-2 and pressing the attack. Clumsy and deferential early in the match, the MLS team picked up confidence as the game went on, and provided an entertaining style that Chelsea chose not to match (Chelsea, an exciting team? Not under Jose Mourinho). I couldn't believe my eyes; a mostly American outfit, playing short passes, keeping the ball on the ground, maintaining possession and attacking? Too good to be true! I went into the match expecting Arena-ish long balls, and was pleasantly surprised to find a well-organized, wide-open attack. It brought smiles to the faces of 116th Street.
Special props go to Eddie Robinson for his game saving clearance, a spectacular, exciting play; Chris Albright, for attacking the Chelsea defense from the beginning; Jimmy Conrad, for fouling Didier Drogba every chance he got; Freddy Adu, for playing fearlessly, even though he was getting thrown around like a rag doll; and Dwayne De Rosario, for providing a great deal of class throughout, as well as scoring an exciting winner. Is this really the breakthrough match for U.S. soccer? Probably not, Chelsea looked about as interested in this match as I am in finding a handbag to carry little-@$$ dogs around in, although they did turn up the heat late in the match. But there is much to be happy about. The league, while still inferior, showed that it does have some talent, and a lot of heart, and is capable of hanging with the best teams in the world on its best day. More important than gaining respect from the Chelseas of the world, the league showed itself valuable to American fans, many of whom showed up to cheer on the Blues, but ended the night shouting "Over-Rated!" at Lampard and company. The only negatives to find in a night like last night are the dubious ones you'd have to dig for, Jamie Trecker.

A Win-Win All Around

2006-07-31T19:07:00.000-04:00

Manchester United has signed Michael Carrick, and while some United supporters are a bit uptight about the 18 million pound transfer fee (by some accounts, Man U could have had Carrick two years ago, for significantly less), the move is undoubtedly the right one for the Reds. Fact is, Manchester United, due to their status in the football hierarchy, combined with their desperate need for a holding midfielder, were destined all along to pay an unusually high transfer fee for a player of Carrick's caliber.
Had Man U a stand in midfielder even slightly better than Darren Fletcher (or non-midfielders Alan Smith and John O'Shea) their demand for Carrick would have been lower, along with the transfer fee. As it stands now, the signing of the 25-year-old enables Sir Alex to continue to retool his midfield, with Kieran Richardson likely to play a greater role on the left, and a combination of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs providing enough moxie and guile to threaten defenses from the center, for at least one more year. United fans should then expect the arrival of a new left wing and attacking mid after this season (and they should take heart, considering that the club finished second last year with a lesser squad).
For Carrick, this move represents a chance to prove himself. Like most English players, he had a subpar World Cup, but pointing to his play in Germany alone ignores the fact that he was one of the Premiership's top midfielders last season, and a major reason why Spurs nearly made the Champions League. There is a reason Tottenham was so reluctant to let him go, but Spurs fans needn't get to carried away mourning the loss of their midfield engine. Letting Carrick go allows Tottenham a means to work Didier Zokora into the mix, get Jermaine Jenas on the pitch with more regularity, plus the transfer money will allow them to pursue Stewart Downing, a perfect left-wing compliment to Aaron Lennon's blossoming, right-sided genius (Tottenham claims they aren't pursuing Downing, but that sounds like mere posturing to us). Finally, for United, the sale of Ruud van Nistelrooy means the club isn't money-starved at the moment. With Carrick as their first signing, you can be sure they will pursue a few more options before the window closes. Fear not, United faithful; your team is better than you think.

Paper Champs

2006-07-27T12:26:00.000-04:00

I suppose Juventus is going to try to appeal its way back to the Scudetto now. Now that Juve has gotten its Serie B point deduction shortened to minus-17, the club has focused its energies on going forward with yet another appeals process. The sad part of this is that where the courts had initially come down hard and displayed zero tolerance for cheaters, powerful clubs like Juve can use their resources and influence to eventually wear out the system, gaining only an eventual slap on the wrist instead. Thus, it becomes a farce when Lazio and Fiorentina end up back in the top flight, and AC Milan, pending a UEFA decision, can find themselves back in the Champions League (let's hope UEFA shows some courage and puts Milan out to pasture where they belong). In the meantime, Inter gets a much-undeserved Scudetto. In light of all of the circumstances, the Italian federation should have just declared no champion for the past two seasons, and started over.

On Eurosnobbery and New Fans

2006-07-25T10:37:00.000-04:00

MLS is an inferior league. Call me "heinous" for saying so, tell me that my opinion is detrimental to American soccer, call me a "Eurosnob" if you'd like, but MLS' standing as an inferior league negates all such statements. Contrary to what you might think, however, MLS' inferiority does not turn me away from the league, but rather gives me all the more reason to follow it. Inferiority does not imply utter unwatchability, after all, and we here on 116th Street care a great deal about the American game, which Major League Soccer is a substantial part of. So I pose the question to all of the great fans of MLS: why all the sensitivity?
Bill Simmons chooses to follow the Premiership, and MLS fans jump all over him as if he's some kind of Benedict Arnold, choosing the foreign product over an American team. Since when did we American soccer fans suddenly become so choosy? The most popular sportswriter in the country decides to follow soccer, and all of a sudden we forget the DeFords of the world and get mad at The Sports Guy, just because he (who until about a week ago didn't know Chelsea from Chelsea Clinton) doesn't quite see the value in following Chivas USA? In light of the success of the World Cup in this country, and an upswing in national interest in soccer, we who are fans should be using this time to make ourselves accessible to outsiders, rather than drawing meaningless lines in the sand. I'm sorry to say it, but no one who got turned on to the sport by following the passion and drama of the World Cup is going to maintain their interest by getting into the Kansas City Wizards. At the same time, many who become captivated by the game, as it is played at its highest levels in other countries, may just become curious about following it right here at home.
No matter how a new fan chooses to participate in the beautiful game, the addition of new fans is only good for soccer here, and cannot be detrimental to the American game in the long run. So I say to you, MLS fan, be patient, the league will grow, just as the game itself continues to do so. The growth of the league, after all, is intrinsically linked to the growth of the game.

New Kits Preview '06-'07

2006-07-20T13:22:00.000-04:00

The world truly has gone bizarro, now that The Sports Guy is a Tottenham fan and Real Madrid actually bought some (gasp!) defensive players, but we here on 116th Street can roll with the changes. If that means putting up with Simmons explaining to us how Robbie Keane is exactly like Manny, or Madridistas having fewer things to complain about (they still have Ronaldo, so it will only be a little less noise to tune out), we are ready.
This is why, in the spirit of change, we have to decided to get you all caught up on who's wearing what this season. Nothing could be more embarrassing that still rocking that "redcurrant" Arsenal shirt when everyone else is doing the "Fly Emirates" thing and proudly displaying their newfound red-and-white glow. Now, of course, about 3,478 teams changed kits this season, so there's no way we could keep up with all of the changes (if you really want to punish yourself, though, you can start by looking here). Instead, we will cover the famous clubs and the noteworthy changes, so that you're not taken by surpise when you see Chelsea and Liverpool in Adidas this year. Let's start with the Prem.
Manchester United, having spent the past two seasons trapped in a futuristic nightmare, has abandoned the whole "uneven faux-collar with strange sleeve-swoosh" look, in favor of a much more traditional appearance. The new kit, a one-year-only "special edition" (whatever, Nike), was designed to "honor" the "Busby Babes" of 1966, and takes many features from the United uniform of that era, resulting in a pretty classy, old-school look. Man U also gets a new sponsor this year (AIG replaces Vodafone), as well as a pretty snappy, white change shirt.
Chelsea certainly looked like a championship squad in their blue-and-gold outfits from last season, but now that they fancy themselves a "super-club," they have ditched Umbro in favor of the greener pastures (i.e., more lucrative dollars ) of Adidas. The resulting home shirt looks fairly pedestrian to the kit critics here on 116th Street, as the absence of gold accents makes this kit fairly basic.
Arsenal's special "Highbury farewell" shirts ("redcurrant" with gold lettering) may have been the sharpest of last season, but most fans seem ready to make a return to the bright red shirts with white sleeves that made the Gunners famous. The new kit is far from disappointing, as well; losing O2 as a sponsor only slightly diminishes from the kit's overall impact, as Emirates Airlines, with their snappy "Fly Emirates" slogan, picks up the slack. The new kits are bold yet traditional, and Arsenal will open their new Emirates Stadium in style wearing them.
Adidas' buyout of Reebok means that Liverpool gets a new brand identity. The most recent edition of the famous red strip, last seen hoisting the European Cup in '05 and the FA Cup in '06, has been retired, making way for a new Adidas shirt that doesn't deviate too much from the script (Adidas did manage to add a collar, though, and the three stripes look pretty cool on this shirt). The Reds figure to sell a lot of these. Liverpool has also added a yellow change shirt, and a cool white-and-midnight-green shirt for Champions League away games. Elsewhere in the Premiership, Tottenham has ditched their smiley-faced cycling shirt for a tougher-looking white shirt (Simmons will love these), Manchester City got rid of their terrific sky blue shirts in favor of some not-terrific sky blue shirts, and Newcastle United has some pre-season numbering issues to resolve.
The Old Firm will be heating up once again in Scotland, with Celtic returning to defend their title in the same green-and-white "Hoops" that they wore last year, but with a new green-and-black change kit as well as a classy, white third. Rangers, on the other hand, seem to have given their cross-town rivals in green a bit of a slap in the face, debuting a new shirt with the flag of Scotland stitched into the shoulder (I thought these teams were trying to tone down the fan violence surrounding this rivalry; sectarianism - catch the fever!). Rangers have also added a fairly disjointed (yet brightly colored) change kit.
Over in Italy, the scandal has brought about the demise of still-stripy Juventus, and will keep us from getting a good look at those super-sweet new Lazio shirts, but Serie A still has some goodies left. AS Roma has ditched their futuristic monstrosities of last season, in favor of a retro look for Totti and company (still not a fan of the faux-collar look, though). Wannabe scudetto champs Inter make a fairly minor change, adding a white V-neck to their traditional stripes (we're not entirely sure it works, but it doesn't look bad, either). AC Milan, meanwhile, gets very slight gold piping and a new sponsor (Opel, you and your line of automobiles will be missed).
As usual, all of the best action is in Spain, where FC Barcelona has followed up last season's superior kit with yet another winner. Lots of nice touches here - check out the Catalan flag on the sleeve, and the "Mes que un Club" ("More than a Club") slogan on the inner collar, not to mention some super-snappy gold lettering on the back. Barca also ditched their highlighter-yellow away shirts from last year, in favor of a more mellow orange kit.
Archrivals Real Madrid, having gone with such a clean look these past few seasons, have added a few bells and whistles to this year's kits, and lets face the facts: these. kits. suck. Beyond the ugly silver piping, and the dopey number font (Real always seems to be so proud of their crappy numbers), wtf is up with that FIFA badge? It's supposed to celebrate Real Madrid as the team of the 20th Century, but the 20th Century has been over for nearly 8 years, so what's the point of that? At least they did better than Sevilla, who will wear 5 (that's right, 5!) different kits this season.
We need to wrap this up, all of this hyperlinking is making us fatigued. We'll do a Big Finish, PTI-style. FC Porto gets some ridiculously nice home and away kits, thanks to Nike. Valencia goes traditional, and so does PSV Eindhoven (very sharp!). Paris Saint-Germain and Olympique Lyon maintain the status quo, while Borussia Dortmund gets stripy (for no apparent reason, I might add). Blue finally makes a return to Bayern Munich, via their new change kit, and Monchengladbach gets a cool shirt. As for Ajax Amsterdam's new change strip... the less said about it, the better. Well, that's all for now, we here on 116th Street are exhausted (who knew a new kit preview would require so many links?). For those of you who are new to the game, and are unsure of where to look to pick up a fancy soccer shirt that will impress your friends, there are a couple of good links to the left (Subside and Kitbag, specifically).

No News Is No Fun

2006-07-18T11:32:00.000-04:00

And so we find ourselves living through the dog days, the days when speculation is rampant and news is scarce (at least Bruce Arena signed on with the Red Bulls; if I were a RBNY fan, I'd be excited). We know that nobody is for sale, because Fernando Torres, Franck Ribery and Cristiano Ronaldo are key components of their teams and are absolutely, positively not for sale, unless, you know, you can sweeten the deal a little bit (expect all three to get moved by August). We know that the USSF would really like to hire Jurgen Klinsmann, except that they keep acting like they're indifferent about it.
Really, there's so much posturing going on at the moment that it's pointless to even follow the rumor mill. I read somewhere that Chelsea is about to drop 70 million pounds on Kaka, who signed a five-year deal with Milan less than a month ago! Anyway, this is such a crappy time of year. I've got the post-World Cup hangover going on, which would be at least tolerable if the WC didn't end on such a downer, plus I flipped past Fox Soccer Channel, only to find a repeat of a Juventus-Cagliari tilt from last season. Does it get any bummier than that? Actually, it kind of does: have you seen Guadalajara's new kit?

Embracing Change

2006-07-16T10:05:00.000-04:00

The end of the week was a bit bizarro, to say the least, with the Italian verdict, Bill Simmons becoming an overnight EPL fan, and ESPN.com and SI.com both running Jurgen Klinsmann as the main story on their front pages Saturday. I still say it's a fluke, but that's not what I came here to write about, anyway. My weekend partying has caused me to be a bit late to the party, and I also feel a bit obligated (never a good thing), but at last I have come to give my two cents on the big USA story of the weekend.

We here on 116th Street have always liked Bruce Arena. His opinionated style, enthusiasm for the U.S. game, and rapport with players helped carry U.S. soccer further than ever before. His work didn't just carry us to a World Cup quarterfinal; it established a foundation upon which to build for the future, gave us new sets of expectations, and made many observers care about the USA team. Because of Arena's success, the public now cares enough to call for his head.
We here on 116th Street didn't exactly do a happy dance when we heard Il Bruce wasn't coming back, but we certainly didn't disagree, either. Where in 2002 Bruce was brazen enough to start youngsters over more established players, in '06 he let Eddie Johnson languish, was reluctant to use Clint Dempsey and showed no faith in Brian Ching. His unending loyalty to Landon Donovan was rewarded with a no-show from the golden boy, and his once-maverick style gave way to a sense of caution that unfortunately infected the U.S. team. Plus, after eight years, it was time to move in a new direction.
But most of the Bruce memories are positive. Under Arena, we managed to defeat some of the world's best (Germany, Argentina), began to even out the score with Mexico, earned some begrudging respect in the international community and actually formed a pipeline of talented youngsters to help the team in the future. Sure, we still have a long way to go, but we're no longer playing seven-touch soccer (now we're at three-touch; our day of becoming a one-touch attacking team is just around the corner!). Who do we have to thank for that? Bruce Arena, of course.
So now, even though U.S. soccer is such a big deal that both ESPN and SI will put non-U.S. coach Klinsmann on their front pages (on a day when the Yankees and White Sox are squaring off, at that), we still have some work to do, such as finding a coach. We here on 116th Street are in absolute favor of Klinsmann, if only to change the attitude of the team and to develop a stylistic identity for the team (never really Arena's strong point). A faster, quicker, more organized U.S. team helps not only the national program but also MLS. Furthermore, Klinsmann's bold ideology will help shake many USA players out of their comfort zones (Donovan, for one, shouldn't wear the captain's armband for at least a year, until he earns it back). This deal should be a no-brainer, and we here on 116th Street (just like everybody else in the entire world) are pretty sure it's going to get done.

The Verdict

2006-07-14T15:31:00.000-04:00

So the punishments are in, and they are not pretty:

Juventus: Stripped of '05 and '06 scudetto championships; relegated to Serie B and deducted 30 points; removed from Champions League.

Fiorentina: Relegated to Serie B and deducted 12 points; removed from Champions League.

Lazio: Relegated to Serie B and deducted 7 points.

AC Milan: Stay in Serie A, but deducted 15 points; removed from Champions League.

So, there will be fallout to come, such as what to do with the past two Scudettos, how UEFA will fill the open Champions League slots, which players will be sold and to whom, and who will fill the new Italian vacuum of power. It is a very ugly time for the game, though. Help us, Ronaldinho, you're our only hope.

Gangstas of Football: Craig Bellamy

2006-07-14T12:31:00.000-04:00

We here on 116th Street had so much fun doing "Know Your Yanks," that we decided to punish ourselves all over again with a new feature. Learning can be fun, after all! Therefore, in the spirit of giving people the knowledge they really want, we have decided to chronicle the stories of soccer's gully-est. No bios here, just gangsta $#!+. Let's begin with new Liverpool signing, Craig Bellamy.

Craig Bellamy doesn't give a #*^% about Newcastle United. He doesn't give a #*^% who the chairman is, who the coach is, who the icon is. How do I know this? I know this because during his entire tenure with the club, his disregard for all things Magpie was straight up gangsta. How about sending Newcastle legend Alan Shearer a text message saying, "You couldn't even kiss my a**e"? How about skipping the honorary dinner for club chairman (and knight) Sir John Hall so that he could get plastered with his teammates?

Whatever you do, though, don't try to sell him to a lower-table Premiership club. Chairman Freddy Shepherd found that out the hard way, when, in trying to work out a deal to sell Bellamy to Birmingham City, he got a text message (Bellamy keeps his text game filthy) from the striker saying "I am Craig Bellamy and I don't sign for s*** football clubs!"

Bellamy's got no love for the ladies, either. He once stole on a chick for trying to get into Kieron Dyer's car, and he's so gangsta that he had to cut his own honeymoon short to go to the police station after an altercation with a girl in a Cardiff nightclub (to all the ladies out there, keep on fighting for your man Craig, he's a keeper!).

Don't get it twisted, though, Craig Bellamy doesn't just fight girls. He'll do whatever it takes - he'll throw a chair, at his coach, at the airport, over car parking! He is that gangsta, son! He can take a punch, too, like the time he fought his manager, Graeme Souness, at the training ground and got dragged into the gymnasium.

And do you think the threat of getting straight-up beat down will stop him from spewing a little racial abuse in a bouncer's direction? Think again! When he racially insulted an Asian bouncer at a Cardiff nightclub, he got thrown out, not only out of the club, but down the stairs. This actually happened in 2003, well before he threw the chair at his coach at the airport over car parking, or sent the nasty text messages, or cut his honeymoon short because he hit a girl. Craig Bellamy is too gangsta to even learn from his mistakes!

All I'm saying is, Liverpool, be warned: a true OG is coming to your town. And to those Norwich youth teammates who used to lock him in a cupboard because he was so annoying, you're on notice, too!

Oh yeah, I guess I'm supposed to say that these stories are alleged or something like that, and that you can find them here.

I Feel Smart Today...

2006-07-14T11:41:00.000-04:00

Because Time has now offered a very similar perspective to my Zidane commentary of a few days ago:

http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1213502,00.html

The Verdict?

2006-07-14T10:23:00.000-04:00

Football365 is reporting that the punishments in the Italian soccer scandal will be as follows:

Juventus - Demoted to Serie B, with a 15 point deduction. Out of Champions League.

Fiorentina - Demoted to Serie B. Out of Champions League.

Lazio - Demoted to Serie B.

AC Milan - Out of Champions League.

Also from 365:

"It remains unclear which club will be adjudged to have 'won' Serie A last season. Juve will be stripped of the championship, but it is inconceivable that it would then be handed to the tainted Milan instead. City rivals Inter Milan, who finished third, may yet be handed their first title since 1989."

I suppose we'll find out whether this report is accurate or not in a few hours.

Zidane: The People's Champ

2006-07-11T22:51:00.000-04:00

"Zidane was right." That's what Okayplayer "CliffDog" said in response to a post regarding the wave of celebration from Italy's far-right factions, who have regarded the Italian victory as a win over “Negroes, communists and Moslems.” It seems that the second wave of headbutt opinion is forming, and this wave paints Zizou in a much more favorable light, as that of the hero, rising up against the storm of racial abuse.
This is probably not surprising, considering the French team's already-lofty standing as torch bearers for multiculturalism, solidified by their stand against the forces of intolerance, both at home and abroad. It was under this microscope that Marco Materazzi leveled his still-to-be-determined insult, practically guaranteeing an assumption of racial overtones in the process.
Whether or not Materazzi called Zidane (famously of Algerian-Muslim descent) a "dirty terrorist," "son of a terrorist whore," or merely "stupidface," his whole "I do not know what an Islamic terrorist is" shtick certainly did not help clear his name (who mentioned Islam, anyway, Marco?), and Zidane now begins to manifest as the vigilante hero who, in the face of FIFA's powerlessness to remove racist behavior from the game, chose to take matters into his own hands. Sure, the timing of the incident didn't help his team at all, but the stage upon which the incident took place brings a brighter spotlight than ever to soccer's racism-equals-gamesmanship culture.
Indeed, Zizou's disregard for the circumstances and consequences of his actions has boosted his populist appeal, making him the ultimate anti-racist champion, whether deserved or not. Italy may have won the Cup, but Zidane gets the postmodern victory. The story of the final is centered upon him, and to the French he may be an even bigger champion than before (of course, I'd still want the Jules Rimet), because I suppose they dig this kind of defiance. Ultimately though, only an icon the magnitude of Zinedine Zidane could have the biggest in-game meltdown in sports history and be canonized for it by (inadvertently?) creating the quintessential anti-racism commercial.

The 116street World Cup Wrap-Up

2006-07-10T10:10:00.000-04:00

Congratulations to Italy, champions of the world, masters of stifling defense and headbutt-worthy trash talk. That they won a World Cup while displaying zero imagination or flair along the way is (almost) praiseworthy. Now for 2010, can we get some creativity back in the mix? Maybe the occasional striking pair? So while this year's WC will probably be ultimately known for cards of all varieties, poor sportsmanship and long-range goals, the widespread use of the single striker may ultimately be the Cup's most ill effect. Miroslav Klose, of all people, won the Golden Shoe, which would ordinarily cause many a striker to hang his head in shame, but with Henry, Rooney, Pauleta, Ronaldo, van Nistelrooy and Toni all flying solo at one point or another, there weren't many scraps to go around in the first place. So please, everyone in all the world, can you bring back attacking play, and leave the single-striker, counterattacking business to the Americans? It's a simple request.

Nevertheless, there were some golden goals scored in this World Cup (not to be confused with "Golden Goals," which should make a comeback, seriously), and this is why we here on 116th Street are pleased to give you the top five goals of the 2006 FIFA World Cup, all in embedded YouTube goodness (although not in any kind of hierarchical order).

England vs. Sweden: Joe Cole figures that since no one else on England is gonna shoot it (oh wait, there's Lampard again, can't give it to him), he might as well give it a go:

Argentina vs. Serbia & Montenegro: Argentina plays ultimate keep away, making 24 passes (24 passes!) before Hernan Crespo gives the ill back-heel to Esteban Cambiasso. Serbia (and the two Montenegrans on the team, for that matter) shouldn't have even bothered to show up (not like it really mattered... 24 passes!).

Spain vs. Ukraine: Carles Puyol with the ridiculous spin move, followed by some nifty one-touch passing, resulting in a fine finish from Fernando Torres:

Italy vs. Ukraine: Gianluca Zambrotta makes the run up from the back, executes the give-and-go, gets into space and blasts low with his left, in a stunner:

Argentina vs. Mexico: Maxi Rodriguez's extra-time shocker:

The 116street World Cup Best XI
Everyone is doing this kind of thing at the moment, so I'm going to dispense with the fanfare and captions and just name the squad. In honor of the hideous counterattacking tactics that took hold in Germany, my squad will be in the 4-5-1:

GK: Gianluigi Buffon, Italy

RB: Miguel, Portugal

CB: Lilian Thuram, France

CB: Fabio Cannavaro, Italy

LB: Fabio Grosso, Italy

CM: Claude Makelele, France

CM: Andrea Pirlo, Italy

RW: Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal

LW: Joe Cole, England

AM: Zinedine Zidane, France

ST: Miroslav Klose, Germany

Absolute Letdowns
Let's just take a little time to discuss Cristiano Ronaldo, a player of prodigious talent who displayed quite a bit of skill during the Copa Mundial. Too bad he was the most loathsome player I've ever seen. His theatrics, whining and unjustifiable diving cost him the chance to stake his claim as one of the fan favorites of the World Cup, and having his tantrum extend to his club may end up ruining his professional reputation. What an @$$clown.

But as bad as it was for C. Ronaldo, it couldn't get much worse than Frank Lampard, possibly the worst player in the tournament. When you take his unwillingness to pass, and combine that with his steadfast insistence on blasting the ball from 35 yards out every single time, and combine that with his neverending inaccuracy, you end up with a player who should have been benched eons ago. But Sven Goran Eriksson, tactical genius that he is, stuck with Lampard throughout, no matter how poorly developed the English attack was. Jose Mourinho, on the other hand, may not do the same, not with Michael Ballack joining Chelsea this season. Will Lampard get pushed out with Ballack and Michael Essien in the fold? Time will tell.

Next Gen
The World Cup can often have a sort of cleansing effect on the state of the game, introducing young talent to the biggest stage, while bringing storied careers to a necessary close. Let's welcome with open arms the new generation with stars (or begrudgingly, in the case of Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney): Lukas Podolski, Tranquillo Barnetta, Robinho, Lionel Messi, Andres Guardado, Phillippe Senderos, Cesc Fabregas, and yes, even Clint Dempsey represent the new generation players that we will be cheering for (or against) for the forseeable future. And while we're at it, let's bid adieu to Ronaldo, Raul, Luis Figo, Lilian Thuram, Patrick Vieira, Claude Makelele, Pauleta, Claudio Reyna and Brian McBride, all of whom have probably played their last World Cup matches.

And Finally...
Thanks to Zinedine Zidane, who gave us a last look at his full repertoire, and then some, during the knockout stages. Undoubtedly, he will be remembered for all of his greatest moments, although that temper of his is something fierce. His performance against Brazil was the best individual game of the tournament, and although he ultimately probably wasn't the best player in the entire World Cup (that honor should have gone to Fabio Cannavaro), his winning of the Golden Ball isn't quite a travesty, either.

Now that the World Cup has ended, we here on 116th Street can turn our attention to transfer season! Excited yet?

The Letdown

2006-07-09T18:23:00.000-04:00

This past week here on 116th street, for reasons entirely personal, we have been learning a great deal about the bonds that one person can form with another, whether real (yay!) or imagined. Little did we know that such a lesson would be manifested in today's World Cup finale.
Zinedine Zidane, legend, bald man and genius, has long been the embodiment of everything that I personally love about soccer. His vision, anticipation of the play, constant embrace of the impossible, and neverending class have been the vanguard of footballing excellence for as long as I have come to love this most gorgeous of games. That I rooted him on in his quest to achieve immortality of the most rarified form should surprise no one.
What happened this evening, however, was an act on his part so classless and idiotic that I could not help but feel personally betrayed. With my jaw still on the floor following his disgraceful headbutt of Marco Materazzi (who I'm sure is no saint in this episode), I looked down at my phone to discover a text message from a friend reading "Your boy is a prick." I was heartbroken.
While walking home postgame, all I could wonder was, why were my feelings hurt so bad? I don't know Zinedine Zidane, I'm not French, I don't particularly even like Real Madrid or Juventus. Where is my stake in his legacy? If he wants to disgrace the remembrance of his career, and potentially ruin his team's chance of winning the World Cup, what do I care? Why would I place so much faith and belief in a person I have never met? Is it because his exploits have inspired me so much in the past? I'm still working on the answer to that question, but in the meantime I have to prepare myself for the inevitable questions from my soccer newbie friends in the upcoming week.

All Good Things (Part 3)...

2006-07-09T11:29:00.000-04:00

About a week ago, I was down in the Lower East Side, saying what's up to my friend Abby as she worked behind the bar at Lucky Jack's. "Zach," she started, "I think I love soccer now." As startled as I had been that her fine @$$ even had a frame of reference for anything sports-related, she wasn't the first to confess her newfound enjoyment of the beautiful game. At work, people have come to me asking for my opinion on the U.S. team, or "The Great Zidane" (thank you, ABC/ ESPN, for coming up with a lame nickname for the legend, when we all know that "Zizou" is sufficient). Friends have called me asking why Portugal is such a diving bunch of cheaters. All in all, it's been a great month to be a "soccer obsessive," as the annoyingly highbrow crowd (Slate, anyone?) has taken to calling us.
Unfortunately for us, after this afternoon, our time among the cool kids shall come to an end. Has this year's World Cup raised the profile of soccer in this country? Sure it has, but does that mean that two months from now the guy from the office is going to be quizzing me about who I expect to win the Community Shield? I think not. No kids, after today, expect to return from the lofty status of "soccerphile" back to the slightly-above-comic-geek status of "soccer nerd." Nevertheless, my fellow footballing obsessives, we stay the course, because supporting the game was never about popularity, anyway. Be kind to the newfound fans, explain the seemingly obvious to them, and remember the days when all you had was Soccernet and the vague memories of a Chelsea FA Cup video to go on (maybe that was just me). Enjoy the transfer season, as only a true soccer nerd can, and remember the summer of '06, when the soccer fan was on top of the sporting food chain (sort of), with dignity.

A Family Affair

2006-07-06T12:39:00.000-04:00

Perhaps it is fitting that, as we prepare to write the Serie A obituary of sure-to-be-relegated Juventus, we would have a World Cup final with the Old Lady's fingerprints all over it. Match-fixing and nefarious activity notwithstanding, it is a fact that Juve has provided us with some of the greatest players the game has seen in recent years, and this World Cup final is pure evidence. Out of 46 total players in the Final, 13 are either current or former bianconeri.

Here's the breakdown:

France
Current: Patrick Vieira, Lilian Thuram, David Trezeguet.

Former: Zinedine Zidane, Thierry Henry (Two players they probably should have reconsidered getting rid of!).

Italy
Current: Gianluigi Buffon, Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Del Piero, Mauro Camoranesi, Gianluca Zambrotta.

Former: Filippo Inzaghi, Angelo Peruzzi, Simone Perrotta.

So when you watch the final, keep in mind the level of familiarity these two teams have with each other; it's not necessarily hostile!

Not Le Pen's France

2006-07-06T10:48:00.000-04:00

Jean Marie Le Pen, is, as we all know, a total idiot. In the midst of the fairly remarkable success of the French team, our favorite xenophobe has refrained his mantra, saying that the squad doesn't accurately reflect French society. Poor Monsieur Le Pen, the only man in France who won't be celebrating when France's dark-hued heroes carry off the Jules Rimet trophy on Sunday. I'll leave it to the more eloquent Lilian Thuram to say the rest:

"What can I say about Monsieur Le Pen? Clearly, he is unaware that there are Frenchmen who are black, Frenchmen who are white, Frenchmen who are brown. I think that reflects particularly badly on a man who has aspirations to be president of France but yet clearly doesn't know anything about French history or society.
"That's pretty serious. He's the type of person who'd turn on the television and see the American basketball team and wonder: 'Hold on, there are black people playing for America? What's going on?'
"When we take to the field, we do so as Frenchmen. All of us. When people were celebrating our win, they were celebrating us as Frenchmen, not black men or white men. It doesn't matter if we're black or not, because we're French. I've just got one thing to say to Jean Marie Le Pen. The French team are all very, very proud to be French. If he's got a problem with us, that's down to him but we are proud to represent this country. So Vive la France, but the true France. Not the France that he wants."

Is there a lesson in all of this? Well, as much as the World Cup is a forum for the shared commonalty of mankind, it also provides a forum by which the ugliest of our jealousy and strife can manifest itself. Fortunately for all of us, we have Thuram, with his beautiful words, or Thierry Henry, with his anti-racism campaign, or Zinedine Zidane, a role model to working-class immigrants, wherever they may find themselves. The French, long the supposed antithesis to American culture, have through their soccer team, achieved a universal ideal: the right to stand for oneself against those who try to destroy others based upon their differences. They defeated Spain, whose coach once famously called Henry a "black piece of $#!+," and whose fans greeted them at this very World Cup with monkey chants. Now, they continue to fight the bigots at home, who would use their very success to rally the ignorant and hateful. It is for this reason that we here on 116th Street will be supporting Les Bleus in their quest to take their second World Cup title. They inspire both on the field and off, and show us that even here in America, we can choose to see a full picture of our society, and not what the closed-minded might idealize.

Big Finish

2006-07-05T10:13:00.000-04:00

Sigh... I wish I had more to say about this one, but honestly, while the game was played with much pace and skill, it was sorely lacking in creativity. Thank god Andrea Pirlo didn't pull a Frank Lampard, and fire that rebound over the crossbar. His patience won the game for Italy. Also, David Odonkor, for all of his pace and skill on the ball, is a horrible crosser. He brought to mind bad memories of Eddie Lewis versus the Czechs. Also, Fabio Grosso is gonna get PAID when this World Cup is over (sorry, Palermo fans). Great finish though, and congratulations to Italy, who look quite formidable going into the Final (of course, who doesn't look formidable going into the World Cup Final?).

Zizou Owns Brazil

2006-07-01T17:23:00.000-04:00

Thank god I got over my hangover just in time for this one. The mockery of the game that was England-Portugal did much to dampen my expectations for this one, but with all of the star power on display, I couldn't help but get back into it pretty quickly. Here, on display, were the two best players of the last generation, as well as the current (proclaimed) best player in the world, and the current (actual) best player in the world, all lined up and ready to do the damn thing.
Zizou, the mighty, mighty Zizou, took it back to how it's supposed to be, controlling things from the outset and making everyone remember what a truly dominant individual performance actually looks like. Ronaldinho, for his part, actually had a pulse in this game, so maybe I won't have to answer post-Cup questions from my soccer novice friends like, "ESPN kept saying he was the best player in the world, but he didn't seem like he was doing $#!+. Is he really that good?" Henry drifted offside some more, but not as much as previously, and the French continued to perfect their previously disjointed 4-5-1. Ronaldo ate a couple sandwiches before actually showing up around the 80th minute or so.

So Zidane, after all these years, finally assisted on an Henry goal. You know, for a guy who saves his best for the biggest moments, he couldn't have picked a better occasion to do it, or in a more grandiose fashion. That goal was pure class! Ribery continues to be a revelation, while Florent Malouda actually contributed enough for me to maybe, possibly, stop calling him the Christian Karembeu of this year's France team.
The real story of this game, though, was the French defense, which somehow found a way to shut down a motivated Ronaldinho, and perhaps convince Ronaldo that there were donuts to be found somewhere other than at the back of their goal. Lilian Thuram, in particular, gets a medal, as he seemed to shut down every meaningful Brazilian attack, to the point to where the selecao didn't register a single shot on goal until very late in the match. Willy Sagnol was also positively brilliant in the game, and William Gallas and Eric Abidal get to be heroes as well.
As for Brazil, they learned the same lesson England did today: lazy play and sacrificing tactics for stars will only take you so far in this tournament. At the same time, when they finally had their backs to the wall, the Samba Boys abandoned their individuality and became a pretty dangerous attacking force. Unfortunately for them, it was too little, too late, and Zizou and company get to keep their moment going. Imagine if France actually wins this thing...

As an aside, I enjoyed seeing Robinho's enthusiastic post-match hug of Zidane. You learn a lot about the personalities of players when they match up against their usual teammates in international competitions, and it seemed clear that Zizou had been a strong influence on Robinho this past year at Real Madrid. This was much more enjoyable than the ugly scene from yesterday:

Catching Up

2006-06-28T11:19:00.000-04:00

Watching the legends of years gone by return to the forefront has been a treat. Ronaldo's dazzler against Ghana, Zizou's lesson in skill to the Spaniards, Patrick Vieira's sudden return to form, they have all been fantastic! Too bad Raul couldn't get in on any of that action. Now, we get to take a deep breath, in anticipation of two classics (Argentina v. Germany, France v. Brazil), with two other worthwhile games on tap as well, as we head towards the flourish of the final.
But what the eff happened to the Dutch? Where was the imagination, the selflessness, the flair and personality? When did the Netherlands suddenly turn into England? Patrick Kluivert, Marc Overmars, Dennis Bergkamp, Edgar Davids and Clarence Seedorf can still suit up, can't they? It is '98 all over again, after all. Portugal, meanwhile, will have to play their quarterfinal without Deco, recipient of the most dubious second yellow of the World Cup (a pretty admirable accomplishment, considering some of the second yellows we've seen thus far). They also lose Cristiano Ronaldo to injury, but that just means more PT for Simao, which is a plus in my book.
What can be said about Brazil? Are they overrated slouches or uber-scary? They played like dogshite yesterday, and still won, THREE-NIL. Any other team that plays like that in this tournament ends up getting vicitmized by Zidane (I'm looking at you, Aragones), but Brazil actually still managed to hit three, and give up zero. What happens when they actually play well?
By the way, has anyone seen Ronaldinho? He seems to have been replaced by an indifferent doppelganger. How in the world has he been outshined by Miroslav Klose? And how come Francesc Fabregas gets to have a one-word name now? Nobody calls him just plain "Cesc." It's not even a cool name, like when van Bronckhorst wears "Gio" for Barcelona.
I guess I'd better talk about a few of the calls thus far. First of all, the penalty against Australia, dive though it may have been, was legit. Grosso fought through the first tackle, then set up Lucas Neill perfectly by cutting back right. That Neill lost his ground, and obstructed Grosso, is completely his own fault. Did Grosso embellish? Sure he did, but he was also clearly in an attacking position, and Neill got none of the ball; therefore, it's a penalty. Anyone who says otherwise is just hating.
Yeah, Portugal-Netherlands was a farce, but it was fun nonetheless. Luis Figo is gangsta. There should have been more cards, too, the way Dutch players were clearly trying to injure Cristiano Ronaldo every time he got the ball. Sure, the ref lost control of the game, but the players weren't exactly class acts, either; van Basten should have put my man Ruud in the game, though. As for Spain, that's the best you can do? The Spaniards are whining about Henry's flop, the one that led to France's second goal off the resulting free-kick. Maybe you have a point, Espana, but what about the other two goals you conceded? No wonder you never win in this tournament. Enjoy your racism.
Oh, and congrats to Ronaldo, who has proved you can become a legend through hard work, training, imagination, skill, and all-you-can-eat at Bob's Big Boy. One thing I noticed though, while watching ESPN, is that Ronaldo has 15 goals over three World Cups (he didn't play in '94), Gerd Muller has 14 over four, Pele has 12 over four. But Just Fontaine of France scored 13 goals in one World Cup (1958)? Was he on steroids? Sheesh!