“This week’s analysis of all 16 Champions League games, courtesy of the excellent TotalFootball iPhone app” (Zonal Marking)
Champions League Chalkboards, matchday four
Leave a reply
Author Archives: 1960s: Days of Rage
Football managers pace 25 miles a season, study finds
“I try to imagine them, the sad, gray men in their laboratories, staring into grainy screens, lifting heavy pens to tick a piece of paper every time Big Sam takes a step. Was it a ‘big’ step? That’s two ticks. 6.7 miles he’s travelled so far, and only 3 more games to go before you move on to Harry Redknapp. You won’t sleep tonight, boy. Oh! He lumbered forward slightly! That’s half a tick!” (Yahoo! – Brian Phillips), (Football Manager)
The future of the football programme
“For over a hundred years football programmes have been the vital accompaniment to any match. Even the smallest, most insignificant game is normally commemorated by the issue of a matchday programme. I know some people who will not count that they have been to see a game unless they can get a programme or at least a team sheet.” (The Ball Is Round)
Five reasons why Chelsea rules
“Chelsea has made a stunning start to its Premier League campaign for the second successive season, currently sitting five points clear of Arsenal and Manchester United after 10 games. What makes them so good? Here are five points to consider.” (ESPN)
Villarreal’s transposable system – the return of the Brazilian 4-2-2-2
“The re-birth of Villarreal has come with the fruition of several events. Firstly, the partnership that Brazilian Nilmar and the Italian-American Giuseppe Rossi has cultivated week-on-week and will continue to be one of the most dangerous in La Liga. The two have scored eleven of Villarreal’s nineteen goals and Rossi has shown ruthless finishing that was once missing; Nilmar, as well as scoring five goals, is joint third in the assist rankings up to this point.” (Talking About Football)
Liverpool 3 – 1 Napoli
“Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard came to his side’s aid once again as his late hat-trick inspired the side to a 3-1 Europa League victory against Napoli which highlighted the gulf in class within the squad. The Reds were deservedly behind to Ezequiel Lavezzi’s goal after a dire first-half performance but the England midfielder’s introduction at the interval changed the dynamic.” (ESPN)
Liverpool 3-1 Napoli – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Europa League
(The 90th Minute)
La semaine en France: Week 11
“Torrential downpours in southern France prompted the postponement of two matches over the weekend, and when the skies finally cleared the unlikely team sitting on top of the table was Brest. Marseille’s game at home to previous leaders Rennes appeared to represent OM’s chance to recapture top spot for the first time since the end of last season, but incessant rain saw the match at Stade Vélodrome pushed back from Saturday until Sunday and then postponed definitively when the poor weather continued.” (Football Further)
FIFA, the FA and the British Press: No-One Really Wins the Moral Debate
“‘Please accept my resignation. I wouldn’t belong to a club that would accept me as a member’, said the telegram that Groucho Marx in his famous telegram to the Friar’s Club of Beverly Hills, and the Football Association must be inwardly feeling the same as Marx with their admission that recent press revelations into the behaviour of various senior FIFA delegates has had an extremely damaging effect on their bid to host the 2018 World Cup. The FA had apparently at first thought that they had managed to escape the ire of those at the top of the world’s governing body over the revelations made by The Sunday Times, but with an edition of the BBCs Panorama on the subject also due to be shown before the vote next month it is now widely anticipated that the award will go to Russia.” (twohundredpercent)
Kuban and Volga go up, Russia’s regions go down
“I read a statistic the other day which gave me pause for thought: Russia, the world’s largest country by area, takes up approximately 11.5% of the Earth’s entire land mass. Actually as a journalist covering Russia I’ve have to learn by rote a good number of shorthand statistics to express the country’s size. 7,500 kilometres from East to West; a ten hour flight from its Baltic to Pacific coasts; nine time zones (thought it used to be eleven until earlier this year).” (The Football Ramble)
Bye-Bye Bielsa: The Governance of Soccer and Chile’s Forking Path
“Recent news reports from South America indicate that the coach of Chile’s national team, Marcelo Bielsa, will be leaving his post with immediacy. To the casual observer, this comes as a shock. Bielsa has been credited with restoring discipline and professionalism to a national soccer association known more in recent years for scandal than for footballing feat.” (Soccer Politics)
Football Manager 2011 Review
“Football Manager 2011 (FM) is released this Friday in Europe and tentatively dated the 16 of November in the US. A Football Management ‘simulator’ you are put in charge of basically any club of your choice in a ridiculously realistic setting. Playing Football Manager can often be like taking a degree in football, you learn the rules of each league, the transfer rules regarding ‘Bosman’s’ and the compensation clauses in signing youth players and also you will learn to love, hate and covet players you may never have heard of.” (EPL Talk)
Milan 2-2 Real Madrid: Real lead, mistakes put them behind, Leon grabs a late equaliser
“A pulsating game that finished all square, with both sides disappointed to have given up the victory. Milan recalled Ronaldinho in place of Robinho, and moved back to a 4-3-3 rather than the 4-3-1-2 they used in the first half against Juventus. Only Alessandro Nesta remained from that back four, with Gianluca Zambrotta, Ignazio Abate and Thiago Silva coming into the side.” (Zonal Marking)
AC Milan 2-2 Real Madrid – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Champions League
(The 90th Minute)
Chelsea 4-1 Spartak Moscow: a stuttering start, but Chelsea eventually power past the Russians
“Chelsea took longer than usual to get into their stride, but recorded a familiar comfortable victory.
Chelsea rested John Terry and Michael Essien, so Branislav Ivanovic moved to the centre of the defence, and Ramires came in on the right side of midfield. Saloman Kalou replaced Florent Malouda. Spartak moved Yevgeni Makeev to right-back and brought in Andrei Ivanov on the left. Alex returned, so Ari dropped to the bench.” (Zonal Marking)
Blues forced to play out second billing
“It has been many a long year since Chelsea supporters looked upon those who swear allegiance to Tottenham Hotspur with an envious eye, but that might just have been the case this week. Carlo Ancelotti’s Blues may be riding high at the top of the Premier League table and assured of a placed in the last 16 of the Champions League after this comfortable romp against an outclassed opponent, yet such serene progress becomes a little mundane when it is the norm.” (ESPN)
Chelsea 4-1 Spartak Moscow – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Champions League
(The 90th Minute)
The Pide Piper Pippo: A Bale Comparison
“Yesterday everybody screamed the praises of one Gareth Bale, one week after a certain disreputable website sang his praises by comparison to the Garbage Pale kids. That disreputable website was this one. And I admit my mistake. Gareth Bale is a shining example of athleticism, a white knight, the hero at the end of the fairy tale who smooches the princess, slays the dragon, and lives happily every after. But Pippo Inzaghi is not. Which is why I love him.” (futfanatico)
Auxerre 2 – 1 Ajax: Finding the right formation took Ajax too long…
“Ajax adapted their formation to finally find the right solution to the problems that Auxerre’s 4-4-1-1 caused them. Unfortunately it was too little too late for Ajax, as Auxerre managed to win through a deflected shot and a debatable offside situation in a quickly taken free-kick.” (11 tegen 11)
We Don’t Fight, We Paint Flags Instead…
“Ultras, a word in football that immediately brings to mind certain negative images. However, a new movement of ‘Ultra’ fan groups are organizing themselves in a different way, intimidating through artistic displays of support for their team. Martyn Fisher reports.” (In Bed With Maradona)
Damned lies, statistics and sabermetrics
“Much like Rafael Benitez’s time as Liverpool manager the arrival of Damien Comolli at Anfield as the club’s director of football strategy is likely to divide opinion both with fans and pundits – good or bad, genius or idiot?” (BBC)
Tottenham 3-1 Inter: Inter fail to deal with Bale
Calumny of Apelles, Botticelli.
“Gareth Bale dominated the game to a staggering extent as Tottenham recorded a famous victory. Spurs went with their expected XI. Carlo Cudicini came in for the suspended Heurelho Gomes. Elsewhere, Tom Huddlestone and Peter Crouch returned, with the rest of the side the same as the one which faced Manchester United at the weekend.” (Zonal Marking)
Tactics: What is Gareth Bale’s best position?
“Claims that Gareth Bale’s two scintillating performances against Internazionale have turned him into the best player in the world may be a little far-fetched, but it is no exaggeration to say that in Tuesday night’s match at White Hart Lane, almost everything he did with the ball at his feet was magnificent. Speculation is already rife about which European giant he will elect to join if and when the time comes to leave Spurs, but an important decision also needs to be made about where on the pitch he should play.” (Football Further)
The inevitable rise of Gareth Bale
“It’s amazing what two games of football can do to a player’s reputation. Following a pair of sublime performances against Rafael Benitez’s Internazionale, Gareth Bale has come to be spoken of in the most glowing of terms. From Tottenham’s unlucky charm to arguably their most influential player, the speed of Bale’s development seems to have turned hyperactive of late, the Welshman now being considered by some as one of the best left-sided players in European football.” (Equaliser Football)
Match of the Midweek: Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Internazionale
“Maicon is not a bad player, by any stretch of the imagination. He didn’t win the Italian national lottery to win a place in the Inter side, and he isn’t related to Massimo Moratti. He broke through the youth system in the fiercely competitive world of Brazilian football and into the Cruzeiro team. From there he was transferred to Monaco, where he again managed to hold onto his place in the first team and attract the interest of the Italian giants, Internazionale. He has played well over one hundred games for Inter, and has won four Serie A champions and, earlier this year, the UEFA Champions League. He has also played over sixty games for Brazil.” (twohundredpercent)
Tottenham Hotspur 3-1 Inter Milan – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Champions League
(The 90th Minute)
FC Copenhagen 1 – 1 Barcelona
“Barcelona will have to wait to book their spot in the last 16 of the Champions League after being held by FC Copenhagen at the Parken Stadion this evening. Barca knew a victory in Denmark would guarantee themselves a place in the knock-out stages and the two-time reigning Spanish champions looked on course to achieve that after taking a 31st-minute lead through Lionel Messi.” (ESPN)
Mou given warm homecoming as Pep’s boys struggle away again
“The Barcelona players are single-handedly destroying the notion that footballers are more than comfortable playing away from home, as it has been almost a year since Pep’s Dream Boys managed to get their metaphorical legs over by winning on their travels in the Champions League.” (FourFourTwo)
FC Copenhagen 1-1 FC Barcelona – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Champions League
(The 90th Minute)
Valencia 3-0 Rangers – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Champions League
“Two goals from Roberto Saldado were the difference as Valencia cruised past Rangers in Champions League. Soldado’s goals came in the 33rd minute and 71st minute while Alberto Costa added the final goal in the 90th minute. It’s a tough loss for Rangers who need to finish strong to move into the knockout stage.” (The 90th Minute)
Bursaspor 0-3 Manchester United – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – Champions League
(The 90th Marking)
Benfica 4-3 Lyon: four assists for Carlos Martins
“A scoreline that makes the game seem closer than it was – Benfica were 4-0 up and cruising before switching off in the final minutes. Benfica played a cross between their 4-4-2 diamond shape and a classic 4-4-2, influenced by the late withdrawal of Pablo Aimar through injury, with Salvio coming in. Oscar Cardozo was still out so Alan Kardec started upfront. Javi Garcia played in the holding role, and sometimes dropped into the backline when Benfica had the ball, with Martins moving deeper.” (Zonal Marking)
Arsenal 1-0 West Ham: Analysis of Arsene’s new-look midfield
“For the 2nd Premier League game running, Arsene Wenger chose to field a Denilson-Song-Fabregas midfield three but unlike the City game last weekend, Arsenal had to make do with playing against the 11 men of West Ham in a fixture that has been quite tight and low-scoring in recent years. As such, this was the first true test of this new midfield’s ability to break down a deep-lying defensive team. A similar system was in place against Partizan with Denilson the deepest midfielder and Song more box-to-box, but on that occasion Jack Wilshere played as the attacking midfielder in place of the injured Cesc Fabregas. Wilshere was of course suspended for this fixture and the one at Eastlands, had he been available it’s likely we may not have seen this novel midfield system in place.” (The Backwards Gooner)
Arsenal yearn for the drive of Alex Song
“For eighty minutes of the game, it looked like one of the most effective man-marking jobs in football. Given West Ham’s desperate position at the bottom of the Premier League, Scott Parker’s shackling of Cesc Fabregas was ever more selfless as Parker kept Arsenal’s captain as quiet as he’s ever been. It was like Berti Vogts on Johan Cruyff in West Germany’s 2-1 win over Netherlands or Michael Essien’s shadowing of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard in 2009. Except it seems Fabregas was playing with a handicap – a tight hamstring meant he was unable to, in his own words, turn or sprint without suffering great pain as he took part in his ‘worst’ first-half ever.” (Arsenal Column)
Milan 1-2 Juventus: Allegri’s side dominate early on, but weakness in wide areas costs them again
“Milan had more chances, but Juventus were more clinical and took three points away from the San Siro. Milan kept the same team that beat Napoli 2-1 in the previous Serie A round, in a fairly traditional 4-3-1-2 shape. Robinho started as a trequartista but drifted to the left. Luca Antonini was back at left-back, and got forward well early on.” (Zonal Marking)
Blackpool 2-1 West Brom: nine-man West Brom almost snatch unlikely draw
“Two men sent off in the first half hour put West Brom on the back foot, but Blackpool couldn’t kill off the game. Blackpool continued to use the 4-1-2-3 system that has won both points and plaudits so far this campaign. One change was made – Marlon Harewood did not start, instead Gary Taylor-Fletcher moved upfront and Elliot Grandin came into the midfield.” (Zonal Marking)
Match of the Midweek: Blackpool 2-1 West Bromwich Albion“The early season is over now. The clocks have gone back, which means that there will be precious few matches that finish in daylight between now and next spring, and in commemoration of this fact the Premier League rolled out the luminous yellow ball last weekend. There is something deeply aesthetically unsatisfying about the yellow ball. Marketing fools still doubtlessly proffer the argument that it is somehow more ‘visible’ than a white ball, as if we are incapable of seeing through their guff, but still they press ahead with it. The ball isn’t the only affront to the eyes at Bloomfield Road this evening, either. Both Blackpool and West Bromwich Albion have their shirts adorned with sponsors’ logos which defy all logic by making the companies – a payday loan company and an emergency insurance company respectively – that they are flogging even less unattractive than they may already be.” (twohundredpercent)
Biscuits, liquidators & drugs cartels
“Oscar Ewolo is a trained pastor. But most of his sermons come in the dressing room. The 32-year-old’s congregation is Brest, which incidentally is the team he captains, his church the Stade Francis-Le Blé – the unlikely setting of a football miracle on Saturday night. It was third versus fourth in Ligue 1, Brest against Saint-Étienne, a top of the table clash by default after Marseille’s eagerly anticipated match against Rennes was postponed following a rainstorm of truly biblical proportions flooded the pitch at the Stade Vélodrome.” (FourFourTwo)
Hughton’s future still undetermined
“There are times when football makes no sense. Two weeks ago, the initial reports that Newcastle United manager Chris Hughton was under pressure sounded absurd. Even more so when they were accompanied by rumors that owner Mike Ashley might be considering turning back to Joe Kinnear, an abrasive and unpopular relic of the 1990s who had been forced to leave the job in February 2009 after heart problems.” (SI – Jonathan Wilson)
Football Weekly: Mancini on the ropes as City fall to Wolves
“We start with the Premier League, and, with talk of a player revolt, we ask: is it all over for Roberto Mancini after Manchester City slumped to another defeat at Wolverhampton Wanderers? Just what was going on with the officials for Manchester United’s controversial second goal against Tottenham Hotspur? And how come Kevin Nolan can’t stop scoring now that Newcastle United team-mate Andy Carroll has come to stay? Next, Paolo Bandini joins us to marvel at Lazio, who are setting the pace in Serie A, and we look forward to Internazionale’s visit to White Hart Lane in the Champions League. Finally, Sid Lowe tells us that it’s now officially a two-horse-race between Barcelona and Real Madrid in La Liga (and it might even come down to a shoot-out between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo), and we wonder whether Cardiff City and Swansea will grace England’s top division next season.” (Guardian – James Richardson)
Tactical view: How Spartak might halt the Chelsea steamroller
“Three wins from three so far for Chelsea, and a fourth would effectively seal progression to the second round of the Champions League. They start as odds-on favourites to win this game against a Spartak side who would unquestionably be content with a draw. How can the Russians contain Chelsea? Here’s five key tactical points.” (itv)
Barcelona 5-0 Sevilla: Sevilla unable to cope with high pressing, movement, or Daniel Alves
“The showcase game of this La Liga round was effectively over before half-time. Barcelona played what many consider to be their strongest line-up. Xavi Hernandez was back in the side, Andres Iniesta was alongside him, with Pedro in the front three. Eric Abidal was at left-back.” (Zonal Marking)
Good Day, Bad Day: Brilliant Barça and Awful Arizmendi
“The Barcelona-barmy sports papers have more sensitive skin than that of the ludicrously pale La Liga Loca, so any slur and slurry thrown in the direction of the cash-strapped Camp Nou club tends to bring them to a bawling, lip-quiver before Sandro Rosell can say ‘cancel that UNICEF contract and sign the Halliburton deal!’” (FourFourTwo)
Normal Spanish Service Is Resumed
“As far as wake-up calls go, it was like being roused from the stickiest, most sensational of dreams by your ear drums being hooked up to church bells. This weekend’s football in la Primera stomped on any last, desperate and ultimately naive hope that this season’s title race might be anything other than a repeat of a Michael Bay-directed, deafening slugfest between Barcelona and Real Madrid.” (Football 365)
IBWM Meets Zonal Marking
“Zonal Marking has become the standard bearer for tactical analysis on the web and beyond. It’s creator & regular contributor to ’Football Weekly’ Michael Cox took time out to speak to IBWM’s David Hartrick…” (In Bed With Maradona)
English Premier League Match Of The Day (MOTD) Video Highlights For Saturday, October 30, 2010
“Below are MOTD video highlights for all the EPL matches on October 30, 2010. The full edition of Match Of The Day (which includes all the matches) can be found here.” (The 90th Minute)
Bolton Wanderers 0 – 1 Liverpool
Roy Hodgson
“Maxi Rodriguez struck a late winner at Bolton as relieved Liverpool finally climbed out of the Barclays Premier League relegation zone. The Argentinian latched onto a brilliant Fernando Torres backheel to settle a competitive encounter at the Reebok Stadium four minutes from time. Both sides created numerous chances in an evenly-matched contest but Liverpool left satisfied knowing their near month-long stay in the bottom three was over.” (ESPN)
Bolton 0-1 Liverpool: An unconvincing performance but the Reds snatch 3 vital points
“Neither side dominated an even first half which saw both teams threaten without capitalising on their opportunities. Liverpool’s main offenders were Torres and Gerrard who both should have done better with decent chances. Bolton were happy to sit deep for long periods and let Liverpool keep the ball. (Presumably they saw how well this worked for Everton.) When they had an opportunity Bolton broke quickly and committed large numbers to their attacks. They were impressively drilled – Coyle is forging a tidy team at the Reebok.” (Micro LFC)
Roy’s 10-Game Rating
“Judge me after ten games, Roy Hodgson said earlier in the season. Well, it’s a damn sight better than it was after eight games, so he had a point. That said, it’s still only three wins in those ten games. That these wins were at home to West Brom and Blackburn, and away at Bolton, each by a single goal, in itself tells a story. Inspiring? No. Not even slightly.” (Tomkins Times)
Bolton Wanderers 0-1 Liverpool – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – EPL
(The 90th Minute)
La semaine en France: Week 10
“Setbacks for all of their major rivals allowed Marseille to move into second place last weekend and victory at home to leaders Rennes on Saturday night is guaranteed to take the defending champions back to the top of the pile for the first time since the end of 2009-10.” (Football Further)
Wayne’s World spins on its axis to an Old Trafford second coming
“It’s not often you can proclaim a stoic full back like Gary Neville a visionary, a man ahead of his time, but in an interview in March of this year – yes, a full seven months ago – the Manchester United veteran painted a picture. Displaying the prescience of a man who’d made a living from reading tea leaves all his life, he painted a future dilemma Wayne Rooney might face.” (Tribune)
The Rooney Saga A Little Historical Perspective
“Following Rooney Week earlier in October, when the Manchester United forward went from publicly requesting a move away from Old Trafford to signing a new five-year contract at the club within the space of 72 hours, the fallout from those days’ events lingers on. Rooney is likely to be out of first team action for longer than expected with an ankle injury – sustained after a training-ground tackle from Paul Scholes – that was evidently much easier to diagnose than the one his manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, alleged the player was already carrying, a verdict that Rooney contested. For as long as the forward is injured he will be unable to break a scoring record that stands at no goals at club level from open play since 30th March.” (twohundredpercent)
Ronaldinho offered chance for final hurrah
“Ronaldinho has been recalled to the Brazil squad for the forthcoming friendly against Argentina and there are some who might think the call has come six months too late. When it all went wrong in the second half of that World Cup semi-final against the Netherlands, and coach Dunga looked along his substitutes bench in search of a saviour, was he really more pleased to see the likes of Julio Baptista than Ronaldinho?” (BBC – Tim Vickery)
Is the Award of a 3-0 Win a Suitable Punishment?
“On Friday, UEFA announced the punishments for the abandonment of the Italy-Serbia European Championship Qualifier. As expected, Serbia did not get off lightly. The Football Association of Serbia (FSS) were fined €120,000, ordered to play a home qualifier behind closed doors, with a second game behind closed doors suspended for two years, as well as having their supporters banned from travelling to the rest of their qualifiers. The Italian Football Federation (FIGC) were also fined the smaller amount of €100,000, and also ordered to play a game behind closed doors, suspended for two years. While the FSS were punished because their supporters were the cause of the trouble in Genoa on the night of the game, the FIGC were punished for failing to stop the Serbian fans entering the Luigi Ferraris stadium with flares and fireworks, and for the security operation failing to stop the pitch invasion that gave Scottish referee Craig Thomson no option but to initially delay the kick-off, and ultimately abandon the match.” (twohundredpercent)
PSV 0 –1 Twente: An excellent team effort by the reigning Eredivisie champions.
“This week’s top clash in the Eredivisie was without a doubt the match between the first and second ranked teams. And PSV – Twente did not disappoint at all. Both teams played a very open match and the high amount of midfield pressing in the first half did the game a lot of good. Not for the first time this season Twente converted a 0-0 half-time score into a win.” (11 tegen 11)
Arsenal 1 – 0 West Ham United
Fanatics of Tangier, Eugene Delacroix
“Alex Song’s late header gave Premier League title chasers Arsenal a narrow victory over West Ham to deny the bottom club a deserved point at Emirates Stadium. Robert Green, in front of watching England manager Fabio Capello, had pulled off a string of fine saves to keep the Gunners at bay.” (ESPN)
Arsenal 1-0 West Ham United – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – EPL(The 90th Minute)
Blackburn Rovers 1 – 2 Chelsea
“Branislav Ivanovic nodded home a late winner for Barclays Premier League leaders Chelsea as Blackburn squandered a golden chance to upset the odds at Ewood Park. Rovers controlled the game for long periods and could have gone in front for the second time when Jason Roberts shot wide in the 81st minute with the goal at his mercy.” (ESPN)
Chelsea pull one out of the hat
“The Premier League appears to be embarked upon a perpetual quest for another Roman Abramovich or a second Sheikh Mansour. For most, this particular Holy Grail is unattainable. Instead, there were Ewood Park debuts for Venky’s managing director Balaji Rao and his brother Venkatesh, the men intent on making Blackburn a brand in India.” (ESPN)
Blackburn Rovers 1-2 Chelsea – Video Highlights, Recap, and Match Stats – EPL
(The 90th Minute)
Political football
“Wednesday was quite a day to be in Buenos Aires. Aside from the national census – which was done by closing every business in the country and ordering people to stay at home to be counted rather than simply sending forms out and asking people to return them – the country’s former president Nestor Kirchner died suddenly of a heart attack in the morning. This might not have been such a pressing issue in terms of national affairs, but for the fact that Kirchner was also married to the current president, and was widely expected to succeed her following next year’s elections.” (ESPN)
The Cosmos Interviews
“This is what we know. The New York Cosmos are back with intentions on being the 20th MLS franchise in 2013. It’s run by famous industry names like Paul Kemsley, Terry Byrne, and famed advertising executive Carl Johnson, as well as more locally entrenched talent like Giovanni Savarese and Joe Fraga. They got Pele as the honorary president. They purchased Copa NYC (soon to be called Cosmos Copa), a citywide amateur World Cup of sorts.” (this is american soccer – pt. 1), (this is american soccer – pt. 2)
Spain yet to discover the root of cardiac problems among players
“When the final whistle blew, the cameras closed in as the two men embraced. These were not adversaries recognizing each other’s merits after the most honorable of contests. Nor were they teammates sharing the spoils of victory. In fact, they weren’t footballers at all. But they were heroes. Together, the two doctors, José Ignacio Garrido and Tomás Calero, had just saved someone’s life. Live on TV.” (SI)
Leeds United 0-4 Cardiff City
“Clinical Cardiff destroyed lacklustre Leeds as Dave Jones’s side moved level on points with fellow Championship high-flyers QPR. Three quickfire goals in the second half killed the game as a contest, but the home-side could so easily have made more of a spell in the first half when they were on top.” (Defensive Midfielder)
Matthias Sindelar And The Death Of Austrian Football
“There’s always a clash of cultures in my household. Having a half-Austrian wife and being of Greek descent myself, often throws up half-jovial debates as to which country has given the world more in an artistic and philosophical sense. For every Greek philosopher, she counters with Freud. For every Mozart and Strauss, she gets a Homer or Sophocles in response. And for a Telly Savalas, she can always trump me with an Arnie. But its within the realm of football, that I’ve had the upper hand since Greece’s triumph at Euro 2004. That is until a recent visit to Vienna opened my eyes to a modestly lauded footballing history that makes the Austrian national side’s current stagnation, all the more saddening.” (In Bed With Maradona)
FIFA Get Set To Weed Out Corruption
“So today and tomorrow, in Zurich, FIFA are discussing what – if anything – to do to rescue the reputation of its World Cup bidding process, a process which has descended very publically into the pettiest of playground squabbling in the couple of weeks since The Sunday Times first called its integrity into question with its allegations of cash-for-votes. I expect they’ll do the absolute minimum they think they can get away with – which might be as little as nothing, but will probably involve some token gestures, possibly including the delay of the 2022 vote until sometime next year.” (twohundredpercent)
Chivas are missing their Little Pea
“Mexican striker Javier Hernandez stole the Monday morning headlines following his match-winning brace for Manchester Utd against Stoke City but things aren’t so rosy back at his old club Guadalajara Chivas. Sunday’s ‘clasico of the clasicos’ against bitter capital city rivals America ended 0-0, the second half of which was at times exasperating to watch. The clash pits the all-Mexican, provincial ‘people’s club’ from second city Guadalajara against Mexico City’s America, whose name alone alludes to intentions of grandeur.” (WSC)
Borussia Dortmund’s Road To Recovery
“Amid all the excitement about Mainz’s exhilarating start to the new German season, Borussia Dortmund’s surge into second place in the Bundesliga, winning seven of their first nine matches, including the impressive disposal of fierce local rivals Schalke 04 in the Revierderby, has gone largely unnoticed, even though Jürgen Klopp’s young, athletic team puts on show a similar brand of aggressive, attacking football.” (The Swiss Ramble)
Video of the Week 2: Match of the Eighties, 1984/85
“With the benefit of hindsight the 1984/85 season and its hideous denouement had been coming, but it wasn’t any less of a surprise when it played out before our very eyes. The safety of football grounds had not been properly addressed in decades and clubs themselves didn’t have either the inclination or the resources to do very much about spectators that they didn’t seem to consider to be much above vermin in the food chain. Meanwhile, crowds had long before started to plummet and trouble at matches had become part of the match day routine for many thousands, whether they wanted to be or not.” (twohundredpercent)
African Champions League: Renewed hope for Esperance
“Jonathan Wilson recalls the events that took place in the final of the African Champions League ten years ago, the last time Tunisian giants Esperance got that far. On Sunday they’re looking to make amends for that fateful afternoon…” (Betting)
More Wonderful Soccer Postcards
“A lot of people asked to see more of these, so here’s a second batch, extending a bit later into the twentieth century.” (Run of Play)
Football Weekly Extra: The Carling Cup and RIP Paul the psychic octopus
“The latest round of the Carling Cup; the Ballon d’Or; a look ahead to the weekend’s fixtures; plus, we mourn the passing of Paul the psychic octopus” (Guardian – James Richardson)
Feyenoord 3 – 0 VVV: Midfield problems frustrating Feyenoord…
“Feyenoord managed to recover from their historical 10-0 defeat at the hands of PSV last weekend. At least in the sense that they managed to get the three points playing VVV at home. Despite this positive result, their performance did not provide the sparks of light that may have been hoped for.” (11 tegen 11)
Defence and justice
“‘It’s like we’re girls, in England it happens all the time.’ So said Estudiantes captain Juan Sebastián Verón last week, after a photo of River Plate winger Erik Lamela’s bloodied and bruised knee circulated in the media. ‘Verón’s right, you can’t come out showing what they did to you,’ said Godoy Cruz playmaker David Ramírez. ‘For me he’s a poof. I get hit hard, but I also tackle hard, because that’s football’, ‘Mincing about and showing his leg isn’t a manly thing to do,’ opined Argentinos Juniors midfielder, Néstor Ortigoza.” (The Football Ramble)
Wonderful Old Soccer Postcards
“I haven’t read, or even seen, Hunter Davies’s Postcards from the Edge of Football, but I love looking at old football postcards. I like the thought that underneath all the large public channels of media and culture, the world is being crisscrossed with these incidental private images of the game, carrying greetings, questions, and experiences from one person to another.” (Run of Play)
My Promise To Roy
“There was pressing. There was a higher defensive line. There was no Poulsen to slow the game down. Meireles was not marooned on the wing. The game was taken to the opposition. There was passing and movement, playing to the strengths of the players. It was what so many of us have been calling for. Play like that in six of the next eight games, and Roy Hodgson might find the criticism from fans (myself included) dissipating. So that’s my promise: more of this, on a consistent basis, and all can still be forgiven.” (Tomkins Times)
20 Years of New Stadia
“It’s now over twenty years since the publishing of Simon Inglis’s seminal The Football Grounds of Great Britain, a book that predated Hillsborough and the first of the breed of stadia, Scunthorpe United’s Glanford Park. So, I thought it would be informative to analyze some of the successes of the subsequent period: an era that has seen great change impinge upon the game. Debate as to what the turning point was – the aforementioned disaster, the setting up of the Premier League, Italia 90, MDMA, all seaters, Fever Pitch and even Michael Thomas’s 1989 winner at Anfield for chrissakes – all have their apologists and the changes have often not been for the better but, as far as stadia is concerned, and away from Goodison or Fratton Park, our forefathers wouldn’t recognise the match going experience as we would. Which clubs have gotten it largely right?” (thetwounfortunates)
Premier League title far from a formality for early leader Chelsea
“Under normal circumstances in the Premier League, you’d look at a side that was five points clear with a quarter of the season played and assume it was strolling toward the title. These, though, are not normal circumstances. Chelsea has been the best team, scoring four more goals than anybody else and conceding five fewer. Beyond statistics, it feels as though Chelsea has been playing the best football.” (SI – Jonathan Wilson)
FC Uniteds FA Cup Dilemma
“When the dust settled after a weekend of FA Cup Fourth Qualifying Round matches that were watched by over 40,000 people, one tie from the First Round draw stood out from the rest: Rochdale vs FC United of Manchester. It could hardly more apposite that FCUM earned their first appearance in the competition proper of the FA Cup in this of all months. The name of Manchester United has been dragged through the mud by the Wayne Rooney transfer debacle – an event that may have woken many up to the colossal lack of soul at the heart of Premier League football. The protest, meanwhile, goes on at Gigg Lane but such success brings new debates to be had for a club that is a protest against much of what is wrong with modern football.” (twohundredpercent)
Leverkusen 0-1: Mainz: Mainz go clear at the top thanks to Tuchel’s substitutions
“Another impressive tactical decision from Thomas Tuchel, and another victory for Mainz. Jupp Heynckes has played a variety of formations so far this season – here, he went for a 4-5-1 / 4-3-3. Stefan Reinartz played at the back in Sami Hyypia’s absence, whilst Sidney Sam was on the right wing, outside Lars Bender.” (Zonal Marking)
Fenerbahce 0-0 Galatasaray: not enough support for the lone strikers
“Galatasaray ended their incredible ten-year losing streak at the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium with a goalless draw. Fenerbahce played a fairly standard 4-2-3-1 systemwith few surprises. The powerful Mamadou Niang was the lone striker, with support from the Brazilian playmaker Alex. Miroslav Stoch started on the left and Issiar Dia on the right, but they switched flanks throughout.” (Zonal Marking)
Clearing Up A few Loose Ends: Celtic, Portsmouth and (Briefly) Wednesday
“It’s the football scandal of a generation. And it won’t go away. Colleen Rooney, photographed blatantly sipping a cool drink by a holiday swimming pool… while there’s a recession on!! I mean not one single British passport holder anywhere else in the world has done that in the last week. As to whether that shite really does sell newspapers, that’s a debate for someone else to start. I don’t know enough to offer an informed opinion, so I won’t offer any opinion. Something for Mail columnist Martin Samuel to ponder next time he writes about Uefa’s ‘financial fair play’ regulations.” (twohundredpercent)
The Question: Are Barcelona reinventing the W-W formation?
“Football is a holistic game. Advance a player here and you must retreat a player there. Give one player more attacking responsibility and you must give another increased defensive duties. As three at the back has become outmoded as a balanced or attacking formation – though not as a defensive formation – by the boom in lone-striker systems, coaches have had to address the problem of how to incorporate attacking full-backs without the loss of defensive cover.” (Guardian – Jonathan Wilson)
Barca face African adventure in the Cup
“For those who have been reading La Liga Loca for a year or two now it’s probably best to rejoin today’s ramblings a couple of paragraphs further down. It’s Copa del Rey rant time again. The Copa del Rey is the worst attempt at a competition since Maniche and James Beattie were the only two entrants in the ‘Best Salad Eater 2009’ jamboree. The whole fiasco is designed to clear out all the nasty, oinky, lower league riffraff as soon as possible to give as much chance to Spain’s Primera clubs to win it.” (Four Four Two)
Scissors Kick 