“It’s all happening in Brazil. We’re just two months away from the start of a three-year sporting bonanza beginning with the 2013 Confederations Cup and ending with the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. In the middle of that is the 2014 World Cup, a tournament that has belonged to Brazil more than any other country in international history. And the pressure is on for Seleção boss Luiz Felipe Scolari.” Outside of the Boot
“A reaction to the Champions League draw last Friday saw commentator Klaus-Dieter Frankenberger write about fears of a German hegemony in Europe. It is correct, 2 German clubs in the semi-final of Europe’s premier football competition is a Novum. However, there is no reason to bring hegemony into play. Hegemony is described as indirect rule by the means of cultural and political ideas in order to maintain a status quo. The Italian philosopher Antonio Gramsci used the term ‘Cultural Hegemony’ to describe how the ruling class dominate the working class by setting an agenda of ideas and beliefs.” Do not mention the war
“The fight for Europe continued in the Serie A as 3rd placed Milan faced 2nd place Napoli. Juventus have a clear path through to the Serie A crown but its the teams below them than are competing for places. Games like this one at the San Siro can be crucial for teams who have aspirations for the Champions League next season. Milan were without Balotelli who was suspended for 3 games while El Sharaawy started (surprisingly) on the bench. Allegri opted to go with Robinho and Boateng either side of Pazzini in place of Niang and Sharaawy. The game was a closely fought affair. Napoli should feel disappointed at not taking advantage of Flamini’s red card. Milan however continued to look to get the victory despite being down to 10 men for the last 20 minutes.” Outside of the Boot
AC Milan 1-1 Napoli: Tactical Analysis
“The fight for Europe continued in the Serie A as 3rd placed Milan faced 2nd place Napoli. Juventus have a clear path through to the Serie A crown but it’s the teams below them that are competing for places. Games like this one at the San Siro can be crucial for teams who have aspirations for the Champions League next season. Milan were without Balotelli who was suspended for 3 games, while El Sharaawy started (surprisingly) on the bench. Allegri opted to go with Robinho and Boateng either side of Pazzini, in place of Niang and Sharaawy.” SportsKeeda
“After an obscenely cold beginning to 2013, the great British summer is finally approaching, which means Britons will be subjected to various familiar treats in the coming months — rain-soaked barbecues, miserable family trips to uninspiring wind-swept beaches and, with no domestic football to discuss for two months, the same old transfer rumours splashed across the tabloids. One of the summer’s main targets will be Everton’s Marouane Fellaini. After significant speculation over the past two years, it seems that he’ll finally bid farewell to Goodison Park this summer.” ESPN
“Historically it’s been said, in football, getting to the top of the league is one thing but staying there is a whole different ball game. More often than not teams fail to defend the league title that they had worked so hard to gain in the first place. Over the past 20 years in some of Europe’s biggest leagues, only a handful of sides have managed to successfully defend their league titles. The question remains what, if any trends, exist between the sides that have managed to win back to back titles and whether there are lessons to be learned by new-be champions from their predecessors who had failed to defend their titles.” Not Just the Bottom Line…
“As five-time World Cup champion, the Brazilian national team has become known the world over not just for winning, but for winning with a joyous panache that has become synonymous with the beautiful game. However, behind every one of Ronaldinho’s toothy grins and camouflaged by the color-shocked mohawk clinging to Neymar’s head lies an intensely complicated relationship between nation and sport.” World Soccer
“Brazil is a country commonly associated with the highest level of soccer. The world has grown used to Brazil winning, but the Brazilians themselves seem to have an insatiable appetite for world football dominance. Their nation has produced soccer players that have come to represent spontaneity, creativity and skill on the playing field. The bandy-legged Garincha, a walking paradox, the goal scoring machines Friedenreich and Ronaldo, the modern hope Kaká, and, of course, the eternally great Pelé – all these players have left their indelible marks on football’s canon.” Soccer Politics
Zero Dark Thirteen – Brazilian football wallows in the mire of corruption
“If the 2014 World Cup is to signal the arrival of Brazilian football’s brave new world, a desperately needed fresh start for the game in a country where on-field majesty is usually matched by administrative skulduggery, it can’t come soon enough. The year is not yet four months old but it feels, to misquote autocratic former president Getúlio Vargas, as though Brazilian football is standing in a sea of mud. Worse, it often appears as though chaos has become the norm.” Independent
Socrates and the Corinthians’ Democracy
“As the global sporting world faces one corruption scandal after another, former Manchester United star Eric Cantona presents the stories of five football heroes whose social conscience led them to challenge unjust regimes, join opposition movements and lead the fight for democracy and human rights. Football Rebels looks at a side of football that does not always make the headlines.” Aljazeera (Video)
All the President’s Torturers
“Chosen to host both the 2014 football World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games and with abundant natural resources and one of the fastest growing economies in the world, one way or another Brazil is set to become a major player in the affairs of the 21st century. With an ambitious, progressive government, a population of around 193 million, now well established federal democratic structures and apparent political stability, many even see it as a global superpower in the making, perhaps even deserving of a permanent seat on the UN Security Council in the not too distant future. But its solid international reputation has not always been so glossy.” Aljazeera (Video)
The Copa Libertadores and differing stories for Ronaldinho and Riquelme
“The Copa Libertadores this season has been the story of two brilliant players in the twilights of their careers: one having immense fun as though he can’t quite believe he’s still getting away with it, the other grumpily raging against his waning powers. For Ronaldinho and Atlético Mineiro, this has been, so far, a tournament of glee, of great goals and big wins; for Juan Román Riquelme and Boca Juniors, it has been all about suffering. Both will be in the last 16, but their journeys could hardly have been more different. It’s also been the story of the continuing development of Ecuadorean football.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson
Neymar! Reducing Brazil’s Football ‘Trade Surplus’
“It’s time for another sporting feature since we haven’t had one for quite some time now. Fortunately, there’s interesting stuff courtesy of TIME Magazine about the changing complexion of ‘the beautiful game.’ Even if the Brazilian economy has cooled off markedly in recent times, it has had a strong run-up and most folks remain optimistic about its economy’s future. Contrast its fate with that of the European football powerhouses that traditionally import South American players in droves–especially Portugal, Spain,and the United Kingdom–and you begin to understand the reduced “trade surplus” of Brazil sending away its best footballers time and again…” International Political Economy Zone
“Manchester City won a surprisingly attack-minded game at Wembley. Roberto Mancini was without David Silva, so started Sergio Aguero after his excellent goal at Old Trafford on Monday. Costel Pantilimon continued as City’s dedicated FA Cup goalkeeper. Rafael Benitez used his three creators behind Demba Ba – Frank Lampard and John Terry continue to be left out. City played better football over the 90 minutes, although frequently made the wrong decisions in the final third.” Zonal Marking
Statistical Analysis: Do Chelsea need to sign a ball-playing centre-back?
“Of the top fourty passers in Europe in terms of passes played, 8 players are central defenders. Not one of these players though is a Premier League centre-back. Chico, of Swansea, is the only Premier League centre-back in the top 50 passers. That being said, there is still a growing emphasis on ball playing defenders in England, particularly at Swansea but also now at Liverpool. Nine of the top 50 passers in the Premier League are centre-backs, but not one of these defenders is a Chelsea player.” Think Football
“There will be those who insist the violence that broke out toward the end of Saturday’s FA Cup semifinal between Millwall and Wigan Athletic was an isolated incident; it’s the usual way of downplaying such things. But it wasn’t. I saw three separate scuffles in the Millwall end before the brawl that was shown on T. I saw around 30 men going toe-to-toe, swinging punches at each other and then turning on police when, belatedly, an effort was made to stop them. Other journalists spoke of at least two other incidents, and there had been an unpleasant edge to the atmosphere all day.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
“Matt Le Tissier is coming out of retirement, and I’m going to type that again, because it contains words that deserve to be repeated. Matt Le Tissier is coming out of retirement. If you don’t know who that is — and there’s a good chance you don’t, if you’re American, not a soccer fan, or under 25 — watch the YouTube clip of him scoring against Newcastle on October 24, 1993. This is the second season of the Premier League, all lunging tackles and signboards for Street Fighter II. Le Tissier’s playing midfield for Southampton, the team in red-and-white stripes. The ball comes flying over the left flank to the Southampton striker, Iain Dowie, who heads it down toward the middle of the pitch, where Le Tissier’s running forward at a smooth trot. It’s a bad header; the ball scuds directly behind him. The move should be over. But watch what Le Tissier does.” Grantland – Brian Phillips
“In the middle of the 4th century B.C., the all-conquering army of Philip II of Macedon swept southwards through the Balkans, thus setting into motion an enduring legacy that would be continued and expanded upon by Philip’s more renowned son; the famous, infamous, and glorious Colin Farrell.” World Soccer
“Neither manager opted for a surprising selection in terms of personnel, yet both managers surprised with their choice of starting formation. Both teams used a shape unfamiliar to them in recent games. Adkins used 4-4-2, with Pogrebnyak and Hunt up front. The latter was told to play deeper and often drop on Lucas when out of possession. Rodgers selected his ‘lopsided’ variant of the 4-2-3-1 shape with Henderson tucked inside from the left flank. Surprisingly, Coutinho was handed his first start playing centrally between the lines. With Suarez as the centre-forward, it meant Sturridge had to play on the right flank.” Tomkins Times
“Ajax recorded a crucial victory over their major rivals for the league title. Frank De Boer brought Christian Poulsen into the side in the holding role, meaning Lasse Schone moved out to the right in place of Derk Boerrigter, who was on the bench. Dick Advocaat left out Tim Matavz, with Dries Mertens returning to the side on the left flank, and Jeremain Lens playing as the primary striker. In terms of quality, this match was underwhelming – neither played their best football.” Zonal Marking
“This was expected to be the closest tie of the Champions League quarter-final stage, but was actually won by the biggest margin. Antonio Conte was without the suspended duo of Arturo Vidal and Stephane Lichtsteiner, so he played Paul Pogba and Federico Peluso. Mirko Vucinic returned to the side upfront. Jupp Heynckes welcomed back Javi Martinez from suspension, but otherwise continued with the side that played the majority of the first leg, after Toni Kroos’ injury. Juventus started the game brightly, but Bayern eventually took command and calmed the tempo of the game.” Zonal Marking
Juventus 0-2 Bayern Munich- Tactical Analysis
“Juventus welcomed Bayern Munich to the Juventus arena on a night where they needed a minor miracle to turn around a 2-0 deficit from the first leg. The feat had only been replicated once before, by Barcelona in the previous round against AC Milan. The home side made two mandatory changes, Lichtsteiner and Vidal, sitting out through suspension, were replaced by Padoin and Pogba respectively. The rest of the team was familiar, as they started in their 3-5-2 formation, with Kwadwo Asamoah returning on the left wing. Up front, Vucinic started along side Fabio Quagliarella. The back 3 remained the same, along with Pirlo and Marchisio, who along with Pogba completed the midfield.” Outside of the Boot
Scramble Tactics – How Borussia Dortmund came back against Malaga
“You see this scenario all too often in football. A team trails or needs goals in the dying minutes of a game. Coaches throw on the additional striker or instruct their center-backs to play in the opponent’s box and wait for long balls or crosses to come in, hoping for the right bounce or opportunity to strike. What Jürgen Klopp and Borussia Dortmund did in the Champions League quarterfinal second leg against Malaga was similar of course with a very interesting variation worth deconstructing.” Bundesliga Fanatic
“Teams from the same country were kept apart in the Champions League semifinal draw Friday, with the intriguing prospect of a Wembley final featuring the two best teams in Spain or their equivalent from Germany. Here is the draw breakdown …” SI
“Barcelona’s narrow away-goals victory over PSG was a fantastic tie, the type of contest European Cup football is all about. There were a variety of subplots: Zlatan Ibrahimovic against his former side, David Beckham’s surprise start in Paris, Lionel Messi’s fitness in the second leg. Barca emerged victorious, but the French league leaders enhanced their reputation and strengthened Carlo Ancelotti’s chances of remaining in his job next season.” ESPN
“As a previous visitor to the small group of islands known as Antigua & Barbuda I was pleasantly surprised to see the media coverage their national side received in the UK in the summer of 2012 and for the few months afterwards. This coverage came in light of the appointment of Englishman and former Chesterfield midfielder Tom Curtis. His first venture into management Curtis’ appointment certainly helped raised the profile of the national side within England and there was a good degree of optimism going into their World Cup Qualifying clashes with Guatemala.” In Bed With Maradona
“What a strange, and indeed disturbing, occasion this was. Wigan are in the FA Cup final for the first time in their history after beating Millwall 2-0, but this Wembley semi-final will be remembered instead for the extreme, concentrated outbreak of violence among spectators at the end behind Millwall’s goal – the Millwall end – during the final 10 minutes of the match, apparently a continuation of two smaller second-half flare-ups in the same area.” Guardian
“Tottenham Hotspurs’ European dreams were shattered on Thursday night as Swiss club FC Basel got the better of the North Londoners in an enthralling penalty shoot-out after 120 minutes of torrid football were unable to separate the two teams on aggregate. Frankly, Spurs were far from their best and it was surprising to see Andres Villas-Boas’ troops even hang on to a 2-2 stalemate.” Think Football
“PSG were elimintated on the away goals rule following a good counter-attacking display. Tito Vilanova named Lionel Messi on the bench, with Cesc Fabregas deployed upfront after his weekend hattrick. Adriano played alongside Gerard Pique at the back. Carlo Ancelotti was without the suspended Blaise Matudi, so used Marco Verratti alongside Thiago Motta, with David Beckham on the bench. This was similar to the first leg – both sides used broadly the same strategy, and while Barcelona dominated possession, PSG threatened on the break.” Zonal Marking
Barcelona, Bayern complete Champions League semifinals
“The two favorites may have progressed into the Champions League semifinals, but it was not easy for either team. Barcelona came from a goal down against Paris Saint-Germain to draw 1-1 to get through on away goals, while Bayern Munich needed to weather some early Juventus pressure before winning 2-0 in Italy. Here is the breakdown …” SI
“Astronauts looking down on earth in February 2011 would’ve been greeted with an unusual sight. Alongside the Great Wall of China and Felix Baumgartner on practice missions, thousands of flares lit up the night sky as the Torcida celebrated the 100th year of their beloved club Hajduk Split. Their slogan, ‘Hajduk lives forever’, appears apt.” World Soccer
“Through, over or around? The more we talk the more I have become interested in what seems like a key patch of grass. It is the strip between the edge of the box and the start of the final third. In terms of lines of play it is the patch between the deep sitting back line and the midfield and will include the ‘hole’. We’ve talked about how everything that happens everywhere on the pitch has importance, but this seems to be a key place, where attacking teams seek penetration, and defending teams seek preservation. The penetration/preservation zone.” Tomkins Times
“Cristiano Ronaldo’s early strike left Galatasaray needing five – and they created enough chances to give Real a fright. Without Burak Yilmaz, Fatih Terim brought in Umut Bulut and stuck to his diamond system, rather than switching to a 4-4-1-1, as rumoured. Jose Mourinho was without Xabi Alonso and Sergio Ramos – he named the expected outfield side with Gonzalo Higuain upfront. Diego Lopez continued in goal. Real’s early goal suggested the tie was over – but Galatasaray stormed back.” Zonal Marking
“An astonishing stoppage time turnaround means Dortmund to progress to the semi-finals. Jurgen Klopp used Jakub Blaszczykowski as his winger, rather than left-sided Kevin Grosskreutz, so Marco Reus started from the left. Sven Bender returned, but Mats Hummels was only on the bench. With a couple of suspensions to cope with, Manuel Pellegrini brought in Sergio Sanchez and Ignacio Camacho. He pushed Julio Baptista upfront, dropping Javier Saviola, with Duda coming into the side. Malaga coped well for most of the game – and two goals should have been enough to see them through.” Zonal Marking
“What a night of Champions League action. A night that provided us with the semifinalists our heads told us to expect — Real Madrid and Borussia Dortmund — as well as the kind of thrilling narrative that our hearts hoped might be possible.” SI
“Manchester City produced a fine performance to record a rare victory at Old Trafford. Sir Alex Ferguson played two attack-minded wide players, with Ryan Giggs in the centre and Tom Cleverley only on the bench. Phil Jones continued alongside Rio Ferdinand in the centre of defence. Roberto Mancini left out Sergio Aguero, favouring Carlos Tevez as a lone striker with David Silva just behind. City were significantly better here – they dominated the first half, took the lead in the second, and Mancini used his bench better too.” Zonal Marking
Man City has formula for countering powerful Manchester United
“Even if Manchester City wins its seven remaining games this season, Manchester United needs only to take 10 points from its last seven games to clinch a 20th league title. As Roberto Mancini said, “It’s finished.” And yet for all that, there is a strange feeling of City ending the season on a high after winning the Manchester derby 2-1, while United has questions to answer. In a sense, the league this season has almost been so easy for United that it’s hard for it to derive any great satisfaction from its (almost certain) success.” SI – Jonathan Wilson
Tottenham 2-2 Everton: Spurs go ahead very early, then equalise very late
“An interesting battle between two sides both without their key attacking player. Gareth Bale was injured – as were Jermain Defoe and Aaron Lennon. Andre Villas-Boas was forced to select a ‘mezzala’ on either side – Clint Dempsey and Gylfi Sigurdsson – in the absence of natural wide players. Jan Vertonghen was at left-back. David Moyes was without Steven Pienaar and Marouane Fellaini. He handed a rare start to Ross Barkley, and used Leon Osman behind Victor Anichebe, rather than selecting two strikers. This was an interesting but disjointed game, where both sides had spells of dominance. There were lots of small tactical features, rather than a clear overall pattern.” Zonal Marking
“Despite a numerical disadvantage and two men injured early on, Fiorentina came back from 2-0 down to keep their Champions League hopes alive. Vincenzo Montella was surprisingly able to call upon Stevan Jovetic – although he didn’t look 100% fit, and didn’t make it to the second half. Gonzalo Rodriguez was unavailable, so Nenad Tomovic started at the back. Max Allegri used Riccardo Montolivo in the deep-lying role against his old club, while Cristian Zapata returned in place of Daniele Bonera. Milan took control in the first hour, but the way Fiorentina responded was highly impressive.” Zonol Marking (Video)
“Last month, Freddy Adu arrived in Salvador, Brazil, to meet with officials of what is now his latest club, Bahia. He had worn out his welcome in Philadelphia after two troubled seasons with the Union; the team’s management was just unwilling to keep paying him a star’s wage (rumored to be upward of $500,000) to play like a journeyman. Whether Adu was misused by his coaches, bored by the competition or weighed down by the city’s excellent cheesesteaks, he delivered a total of seven goals and two assists in 35 league appearances, hardly the kind of résumé you expect from a guy who dated pop singer JoJo and had a $1 million contract at 14. So, in a now very familiar scene, Adu packed his soft-sided suitcase of promise and headed to the airport.” ESPN
“Of all the great football rivalries, my favourite is the one between the national teams of Brazil and Argentina. There is nothing to get in the way – no real military history between the two countries, as is the case with the Netherlands and Germany, for example, of England and Germany, and even England and Argentina. When Brazil meets Argentina the rivalry is one of pure football, a battle for supremacy on the pitch between two neighbours vying to be considered the number one nation of the global game.” The World Game – Tim Vickery
“Jens Keller lined his side up in a 4-2-3-1 with Ciprian Marica leading the line. Julian Draxler, Michel Bastos and Jefferson Farfán played behind Ciprian Marica, while Marco Höger and Roman Neustädter played in the midfield. Thomas Schaaf opted for a 4-3-3, which saw Nils Petersen, Elijero Elia and Marko Arnautovic upfront. Kevin De Bruyne, Aaron Hunt and Tom Trybull formed the midfield three. Werder Bremen were looking to snap their six game winless streak, and they started the match in fine fashion. Schaaf’s men pressed high up the pitch and forced Schalke’s centrebacks Benedikt Höwedes and Joël Matip to play passes from the back. By applying pressure on the Schalke fullbacks, who were looking to get the balls to their wingers, Matip and Höwedes had no passing options available due to Bremen’s pressing, which often forced them to concede possession.” Bundesliga Fanatic
“It’s quiz time! Your club is one point outside of the relegation zone and sinking fast. Do you: a) call your players and coaching staff together for an energetic pep talk, b) sit in the dark and allow a few tears to roll down your cheeks and into your single malt, c) sack the manager and appoint a man of whom the newspapers have plenty of stock images — you know, the ones in which he is giving a straight-armed salute. Sunderland’s move this week — sacking Martin O’Neill and his coaching team and replacing them with former Swindon Town manager (and until-very-recently self-proclaimed ‘fascist’) Paolo di Canio and his backroom staff — is either one of the worst ideas ever, or a masterstroke.” SI
A Gamble, Wrapped Up In A Gamble, Inside A Gamble: Di Canio To Sunderland
“Perhaps the most surprising aspect of the kerfuffle that has blown up surrounding the appointment of Paolo Di Canio as the manager of Sunderland is how much of a surprise certain aspects of his past seem to have been to so many people. After all, he was hired as the manager of Swindon Town almost two years ago, and the “Roman Salute” business at Lazio happened eight years ago. You might not have thought this had you opened a newspaper this morning, though. It was screaming from the front page of The Sun, whilst other newspapers weren’t far behind with their opinions on the matter. On a week that might be otherwise characterised by a distinct lack of English clubs in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, though, this is a story that the press can really sink its teeth into.” twohundredpercent
“It is an unwanted Anfield tradition, dating back many a year. The damaging draw was a feature of the reigns of Rafa Benitez and Kenny Dalglish and, while Brendan Rodgers’ Liverpool have tended to deal in boom or bust, veering between emphatic wins and hurtful defeats with no half-way house, a stalemate nonetheless conformed to a familiar theme.” ESPN
“I came across a new TV documentary this evening that I hadn’t seen before about Brian Clough. It’s from 1969-70. Uniquely, the TV documentary starts off by asking then Derby County manager Brian Clough what his expectations are for the season. He goes through his entire squad and offers his critique of each player, what they can contribute and how he thinks his just-promoted side will do. Then in the second half of the interview, the same interviewer goes back to Brian Clough at Derby and reviews how well (or not) his predictions did, as well as discussing how the season went.” EPL Talk (Video)
“Barcelona twice took the lead, PSG twice equalised. Carlo Ancelotti surprisingly named David Beckham as part of a midfield two, with four outright attacking players used in a 4-4-1-1 system. Tito Vilanova played Alexis Sanchez, rather than Cristian Tello, as part of his front three. Barcelona dominated in terms of possession and territory, and there was an element of fortune for both PSG’s goals – but overall Ancelotti’s side defended solidly and counter-attacked effectively.” Zonal Marking
Messi expected to return soon, but Mascherano loss leaves Barca weak
” They say that the secret to great comedy is great timing, so it was hard not to giggle when just after 1pm on Wednesday FC Barcelona announced the launch of a new App called “Barcelona fitness.” Not that Barcelona’s fans would have seen the funny side of course. Not while they anxiously awaited news of Lionel Messi’s injury. Minor scare or total disaster? Muscle tear or muscle pull? Three weeks? Six? Or just ten days? And nor is it just Leo Messi. Soon after he departed, so did Javier Mascherano, the latest victim of a defensive injury crisis. A fitness app? Oh, the irony.” SI
“Perhaps no position is undergoing such evolution so rapidly as the playmaker – or, as it is probably more accurate to call him in his present guise, the creative midfielder. This week, the Champions League quarter-finals seemed almost to showcase the changing interpretations of the position – albeit in the most modern case in unfortunately truncated form.” Guardian – Jonathan Wilson
“Bayern take a commanding lead into the second leg, after a dominant first leg performance. Jupp Heynckes named his expected side – Luiz Gustavo came in for the suspended Javi Martinez – although Toni Kroos’ early injury pushed Thomas Muller inside, with Arjen Robben introduced on the right. Despite strong rumours Antonio Conte would select a 3-5-1-1 formation, he went for the usual 3-5-2 with Alessandro Matri and Fabio Quagliarella (his least favoured strike duo this season) upfront. This was all about Bayern – they pressed excellently and Juventus struggled to put together good attacking moves, or bring their strike duo into play.” Zonal Marking
Bayern 2-0 Juventus: Tactical Analysis
“Former champions Juventus traveled to Munich to take on German giants, Bayern Munich at the Allianz arena in the first leg of their Champions League quarter final which eventually finished Bayern 2-0 Juventus. The home side started as expected, with Lahm, van Buyten, Dante and Alaba in defence. Luiz Gustavo played in midfield alongside Bastian Schweinsteiger. The wide areas were patrolled by Ribery and Thomas Muller, while Toni Kroos played behind the lone frontman Mario Mandzukic. The Bianconeri had veteran keeper Buffon in goal, and played their usual 3-5-2 formation. At the back, Chiellini, Barzagli and Bonucci were selected. The midfield trio of Marchisio, Pirlo and Vidal were handed the unenviable task of stopping Bayern’s midfield. Out wide, Lichtsteiner started on the right, and Peluso on the left. The front line consisted of Matri and Quagliarella to start with.” Outside of the Boot
“As five-time World Cup champion, the Brazilian national team has become known the world over not just for winning, but for winning with a joyous panache that has become synonymous with the beautiful game. However, behind every one of Ronaldinho’s toothy grins and camouflaged by the color-shocked mohawk clinging to Neymar’s head lies an intensely complicated relationship between nation and sport. Over the course of the 20th century, the average Brazilian’s rabid devotion to football allowed the game to be manipulated – serving as an opiate to anesthetize the Brazilian people toward the actions of their government. This wicked transformation has never been more apparent than during the 1970’s. Then, the military dictatorship under Emílio Médici spared no expense to ensure that its brutal totalitarian measures were shaded by the blinding brilliance of joga bonito.” In Bed With Maradona
“‘In the modern game, you don’t need tacklers the same way you used to. There’s no call for it. It’s about anticipation and reading the game.’ Which moron said that? The most successful manager in the history of English football, that’s who. Sir Alex Ferguson has a point – a well-founded, deep-rooted one. Football is incontrovertibly becoming a more technically-reliant sport. A refined, thinking game.” Think Football
“Jose Mourinho managed to neutralize his former players Didier Drogba and Wesley Sneijder as Real Madrid ran out comfortable 3-0 winners over Galatasaray in its Champions League quarterfinal first leg. Meanwhile Borussia Dortmund remains the only unbeaten team left in the competition after drawing 0-0 with Malaga, even though it created more chances. Here is the rundown of tonight’s action…” SI
“Juan Mata and Demba Ba combined for a brilliant goal in an otherwise quiet match. Rafael Benitez made various changes from the side that lost at Southampton on Saturday – he fielded his three exciting creators together behind Demba Ba. Sir Alex Ferguson left out Robin van Persie and Shinji Kagawa, while Wayne Rooney was injured, so Javier Hernandez and Danny Welbeck were upfront. A terrible first half was followed by a much more open second.” Zonal Marking
Chelsea beat Manchester United thanks to Demba Ba’s touch of brilliance
“It will probably register as the most satisfying result of Rafael Benítez’s short and difficult time in office and not just because it was possibly the first time he was spared the condemnation of Chelsea’s supporters. His team can look forward to an FA Cup semi-final against Manchester City and, after all the personal indignities Benítez has suffered, he will probably not care too much that it was such a scruffy game to get them to Wembley.” Guardian
“In the middle of the 4th century B.C., the all-conquering army of Philip II of Macedon swept southwards through the Balkans, thus setting into motion an enduring legacy that would be continued and expanded upon by Philip’s more renowned son; the famous, infamous, and glorious Colin Farrell. In the course of that marauding charge – in 342 B.C., to be precise – Philip passed through the now-Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, renaming it after himself as he did so (Philippopolis). The arrival of Philip preceded centuries – millennia, even – of invading forces pitching their tents at the walls of Plovdiv, attempting to make the city their own. 72 B.C. saw the Romans give it a shot, under the leadership of Marcus Lucullus. More than a hundred years later, in 46 A.D., Plovdiv finally ceded to the Romans and their Emperor Claudius.” In Bed With Maradona
“A wet evening at the Vicente Calderón stadium, Atlético Madrid failed to capitalize on the opportunity to go 2nd following Real Madrid’s draw with Real Zaragoza on Saturday. Valencia had the chance to leapfrog Málaga and go level on points with La Real, but both teams had to settle for a point each – a game full of overloads provided a stalemate.” Outside of the Boot
“Christian Benteke has been one of the standout signings this year. His league form has been essential for Villa who are desperately trying to survive the drop. Benteke’s contribution to Villa’s survival campaign cannot be overstated with him scoring 14 league goals (44% of his sides total goals) and getting a further 4 assists. Having done so well in his debut season and being aged just 22, he has been linked with potential moves away from the side, most notably to Spurs, who themselves need a new striker.” Think Football
“Liverpool legend striker John Aldridge says that the current Liverpool side under Brendan Rodgers are playing the club’s best attacking soccer since the 1980′s. ‘That’s not to say the team is as good, of course, but their commitment to passing football, the variety in their play and the way in which they attack teams is a joy to watch at times,’ said Aldridge, in his Liverpool Echo column. ‘They go forward as well as any team in the league.’” EPL Talk (Video)
“Robert Lewandowski, Jakub Blaszczykowski, and Lukasz Piszczek are three of Borussia Dortmund’s deadliest players. “Polonia Dortmund,” as they are called in Germany, were major parts in Dortmund’s league and cup double last term, and seem to be replicating that scintillating form for the second year running. It comes as no surprise then, that Lewandowski, Blaszczykowski, and Piszczeck are linked with moves to numerous of England’s top clubs, and in the case of Piszczek, even Real Madrid.” EPL Talk
“Probably the last thing English football wanted was another racism scandal, but it’s got one regardless. With Football Against Racism in Europe raising an official complaint about England fans for the abusive chanting directed towards him during the San Marino game, we’re set for yet another round of accusation, counter allegation and all-round ugliness. We have of course been here before – in a situation such as this, there are no winners.” 2nd Yellow
English football is racist, and the FA looks the other way
“Reporting from the Mall during the Queen’s jubilee celebrations last summer, I remember an impromptu rendition of God Save the Queen and feeling quite surprised that its fourth line wasn’t “No surrender”. If you’re used to hearing the national anthem at England football matches, you get so conditioned to those words being bellowed over the four notes between ‘God save the Queen’ and ‘Send her victorious’ that their absence is practically the twitch of a phantom limb.” Guardian
“Spain recorded a narrow victory, and go one point clear of France at the top of Group I. Didier Deschamps used Patrice Evra rather than Gael Clichy at left-back, and the late withdrawal of Mamadou Sakho saw Laurent Koscielny start at centre-back. But the key change was higher up – from the side that defeated Georgia 3-1, Olivier Giroud was dropped, with Yohan Cabaye coming into the centre of midfield, turning a 4-4-2 into a 4-5-1 / 4-3-3.” Zonal Marking
“Borussia Dortmund travelled to play Stuttgart in a key game for the home team. Stuttgart sat in mid table before this game and needed to get a win, or least a draw in order to keep their challenge for the Europa League spots alive. Dortmund needed a win to tighten their group on second spot in the league table. The home side started with a make shift defence as some key players like Serdar Tasci and Cristian Molinaro, resulting in Felipe Lopez making only his 2nd appearance of the season. Stuttgart lined up with a 4-1-4-1 formation. This was done to stop Dortmund playing through their midfield with ease.” Outside of the Boot
“Five Minutes of Your Time is a series of interviews with people from different areas and eras within the game. This one features Leo Morris, a former non-league player and for twenty seven years, Assistant Manager to Gordon Bartlett….” 2nd Yellow (Video)
“Certain ways of playing have become imbued with moral values, with certain styles becoming accepted as being the ‘right’ way to play, of representing ‘good’ football. For instance, when Oldham Athletic put Liverpool out of the FA Cup in January by playing a direct game based around the raw physicality of their centre-forward Matt Smith, there was much chortling about their robustness and how Liverpool’s delicate, academy-groomed youngsters ‘didn’t like it up ’em’.” World Soccer – Jonathan Wilson
“Sensational title, eh? Here it comes–the outlandish claim of a rift between Bayer Leverkusen’s Tandem Trainer Saschimi Lewandyypia (see what I did there?) for the site hits! There’s a battle brewing in the North Rhine-Westphalia that might spell DOOM for Leverkusen’s remaining league campaign! Champions League football will be lost–lost I tell you!–if this is allowed to blister in the strengthening spring sun! What’s the limit on exclamation points to start a blog post, by the way?” Bundesliga Fanatic
“Barcelona achieved a draw against Celta de Vigo at the Estadio Balaidos in Matchday 29 of La Liga. Cristian Tello and Lionel Messi scored the goals for the Blaugrana, who enjoyed 71 percent of possession, created eight goal-scoring chances and attempted five shots, three of them on target. Surprise, surprise: Once again, Barcelona was considerably hurt by the international break. As a result of their efforts to try to achieve qualification for Spain for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Xavi Hernandez and Jordi Alba are now suffering from strained hamstrings and Pedro Rodriguez has sustained a tear in his right calf muscle.” ESPN (Video)
“Aston Villa remain in the Premier League bottom three after Liverpool came from behind to claim the three points and keep alive their faint hopes of securing a Champions League spot. Villa looked on course for a third successive win after leading at the interval through Christian Benteke’s 18th goal of the campaign. But the Reds equalised through Jordan Henderson early in the second period and then skipper Steven Gerrard’s penalty sealed victory for the visitors.” ESPN
“Branko Brnovic surprisingly started with a lone forward, but ended up with four outright attackers as Montenegro deservedly claimed a point. Brnovic’s selection was hampered by injuries and suspensions – Miodrag Dzudovic, Mitar Novakovic and Simon Vukcevic all came into the side. Roy Hodgson made significant changes from the side that comfortably defeated San Marino on Friday evening, with Danny Welbeck, Steven Gerrard, Michael Carrick, James Milner, Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson returning. A game of two halves – England dominated against an oddly passive Montenegro, but were unable to deal with the increased attacking threat after half-time.” Zonal Marking
England manager Roy Hodgson needs to wake up to some harsh realities as spectre of World Cup play-offs looms
” England are in a dark place, a potentially damaging and hugely expensive place. They trail to bullish Montenegro in the race for automatic qualification, face the possibility of a play-off against France and risk losing out on the 2014 Brazilian bonanza of £26m to the FA and £100m to the nation’s economy. Hodgson is confident of overtaking Montenegro, who lead Group H by two points, but the spectre of the play-offs should really focus his thoughts sharply. November’s two-legged examination of psychological, tactical and technical strengths must be avoided. Hodgson needs to stop clutching at draws and start winning, instilling a more assertive culture in his players and his own response to difficulties.” Telegraph – Henry Winter
” The camera kept focusing on Iker Casillas, but his replacement took center stage. High in the stands at Saint-Denis, Spain’s captain sat watching his countrymen play France, a broken finger having denied him the chance to make his 144th appearance; down on the pitch, Víctor Valdés was the man chosen in goal instead. Like Casillas, he was about to prove decisive. For some he was about to prove a discovery — at the age of 31. Spain traveled to Paris knowing that if it did not win it risked not making it to Brazil in 2014; the world champions, unable to defend their crown.” SI
“Four thoughts after the U.S.’s 0-0 tie against Mexico in Tuesday’s World Cup qualifier: • The U.S. got a Golden Point in the vaunted Estadio Azteca. Sixteen years after the U.S. got its only competitive point against Mexico in the history of this stadium, another group of committed Yanks pulled off the same feat, earning a deserved tie in the Thunderdome that used to be the U.S.’s house of horrors. Mexico was a remarkable 68-1-6 in World Cup qualifiers in the history of the Azteca, but El Tri hasn’t played well here lately, and the U.S. weathered a storm of Mexican attacks down the right side (targeting left back DaMarcus Beasley) and kept its mettle in the most difficult of road environments. It’s amazing how much can change in a week.” SI
“Venezuela recorded an important victory to strengthen their chances of qualifying for their first-ever World Cup. Cesar Farias made two changes from the side which lost 3-0 to Argentina. Cesar Gonzalez replaced Luis Seijas on the right, while Fernando Aristeguieta played upfront rather than Frank Feltscher. Mario Yepes was out, so Luis Perea came in at the back. Jose Pekerman pushed Juan Cuadrado forward to the right wing, with Juan Zuniga at right-back. Venezuela deserved this victory – they were forced to withstand pressure as Colombia dominated possession throughout, but the home side produced more goalscoring opportunities.” Zonal Marking
“Reigning South American champions Uruguay recorded their third consecutive 1-1 home draw – their participation in Brazil remains in the balance. Oscar Tabarez fielded a familiar core to this side – Edinson Cavani was only on the bench, with Diego Forlan behind Luis Suarez upfront, the combination that won Uruguay the Copa America final against Paraguay in 2011. The major news was in the centre of midfield, where Tabarez played Nicolas Lodeiro rather than a second defensive midfielder. Uruguyan-born Gerard Pelusso selected a cautious 4-4-2 formation for bottom-placed Paraguay, having experimented with 4-3-3 earlier in the qualification process. Oscar Cardozo and Nelson Valdez were together upfront, while Ricard Ortiz pushed forward to the left of midfield. This game started slowly before gradually developing into something quite interesting – mainly because of Tabarez’s constant chances.” Zonal Marking
“Against Kazakhstan Germany lined up without a recognized striker in a competitive game for the first time in its history. It was a landmark tactical decision that symbolized both a growing talent pool of attacking midfielders in German football and the acclimatization to a generational trend in football tactics. With more and more of these versatile and technical attacking players being integrated and Löw expanding his tactical arsenal, just what are Germany’s options going forward? Let us examine the various tactical formations Löw has used and at his disposal and the strengths and weaknesses of each in the context of Germany’s continuing development as a team.” Bundesliga Fanatic
“Croatia’s two strikers – Ivica Olic and Mario Mandzukic – scored a goal apiece before half-time, to win an incredibly hotly-anticipated derby. Igor Stimac’s major decision was the surprise selection of 18-year-old Mateo Kovacic for his international debut in the centre of midfield. Sinisa Mihajlovic used Ivan Radovanovic as a holder, and Alen Stevanovic rather than Dusan Tadic on the left. Marko Scepovic played upfront, although he lasted less than ten minutes. Why Croatia v Serbia? Well, for both political and football reasons, this was an absolutely huge fixture – especially the meeting between fierce rivals Stimac and Mihajlovic. For the incredible background to the story, read this excellent summary – with that in mind, the main feature of the match was its surprisingly sporting nature.” Zonal Marking
“The latest debate in World football is getting ugly. A political agenda is being created. A heated discussion on culture. Questions are being raised over just the nature, ethics and customs of the host nation. As Marina Hyde puts in her piece for the Guardian ‘football may finally be about to go to war’. And this unfortunate chain of events has taken away the beauty of this beautiful game, and put it into a cringe-worthy and down right embarrassing situation. The respect that this ‘World’ sport demands, its very synonym of a ‘Global’ game may seize to exist.” Outside of the Boot
Scissors Kick 