Vol I, Issue 6 - The Ire of SAF

Although I did not post my prediction, the 2-2 result was exactly what I predicted. I did not predict that Arsenal would score 3 goals though. Either way, it was a deserved draw. The game was not broadcast on FSC so I unable to catch it. My Sirius Radio told me the game would be broadcast on delay at 8:40 pm, but it was not true. So I am totally frustrated about this because by all accounts it was a fantastic match. The review show really conveyed that it was very evenly matched.

The Goals:

45' Gallas (og) - Unfortunate, really. Almunia had a good beat on the ball's original path set on by Rooney. I have a feeling that without Gallas' deflection, the scoreline would have read nothing but doughnuts at the break.

48' Fabregas - All the ladies out there probably think to call this man 'The Cesc Machine.' Forgive the pun. All he does is lead and open play and put the ball in the net. But!!!! Hold on. This goal, while scored by Cesc, was all about the effort put forth by Bacary Sagna at the end line to feed the ball to Cesc who had the entire net to work with. While Sagna's play this year has been mostly stellar and crucial, it was none more apparent than in this play. Brilliant!

83' Ronaldo - Now to the Premierships representative closet homosexual. Christiano Ronaldo had it easy with this goal. Patrice Evra made a phenomenal play at the touchline to open the play and feed Ronaldo the ball. Late goal momentum swing - result should have held, but...

90' Gallas - ...Gallas scored his unofficial second of the match on a beautiful one-footed volley from the left of goal that clearly made it past the goal line before being punch out by Edwin Van Der Sar. It was simply impressive especially considering that he is no goal scorer, but a pure centre back. Class goal, and after the pregame comments, class leadership. It's very good to have him healthy.

Now for Sir Alex Ferguson. What a twat!! Here are some quotes and my responses:

'I think Howard Webb has a great chance to be the top referee but today was a big game for him and, at times, he favoured Arsenal.' - Grow up dude. How many times do we have to hear him blame a ref when the result does not go his way. Bottom line is overcome your adversities, you prat - if they even exist.

'There is a lack of security here...there is an absolute danger here.' - Now, you're just trying to take pot shots and act like a spoiled bitch on this on Fergs. There is no security problem at Emirates.

'Arsenal are good football team and they had plenty of possession but they didn't actually make anything of their chances.' - Really? So actually having credit for both our goals which were created by some fantastic play is not making anything of our chances? Do you listen to the drivel that spills from your mouth?

'We produced some good football for our goals but their goals were a bit scrappy.' - Again, Sagna's effort on assisting Fabregas' goal wasn't good football? Gallas putting a good strike on net to equalize isn't good football? But, you get an ugly goal via deflection to start things off and it's proper sport? You are simply a bitter Scotsman.

I honestly tire of this man when it comes to post match comments against a team that id directly challenging his team's position in the table. Points are never lost at the volition of the players. It's always 'we play well', 'the ref was shocking', 'they were lucky'. I just have very little respect for him regarding how he, personally, handles any so-called 'bad result.'

Vol I, Issue 5 - Does England Deserve Another World Cup?

Yes.

That is the long and short of it. UEFA and FIFA have had a long, long bitter anti-England attitude as a result of fan behavior from the 1970's and 1980's and it is time that is put to bed. Everyone in England who run the game have taken a lot of improvements to ensure that violence in the stadiums has been minimized from being the norm to being isolated incidents. Also, stadium safety has been placed at supreme importance as well.

The bitterness toward hooliganism needs to be stopped. I don't condone the behavior of those participants what-so-ever, but hanging that over England's proverbial head is unnecessary. England deserves to host the tournament again - deserves to host the game that they empirically brought to the rest of us.

Here is another reason:

By the 2018 Cup opens play, it will have been 52 years since it has been played there. Italy waited 56 years (take away 12 years for World War II and it was 44). Germany waited 32 years before it was brought back. And think! Mexico only waited an appallingly short 16 years. Brazil, by 2014, will have waited 64 years. France waited 60 years for a return trip (48 if you subtract the WWII years). It's the right time for the World Cup to be hosted again by England.

Sepp Blatter will have been appeased by getting the World Cup into Africa by 2010. That was the reason for the rotation policy. UEFA has received the hosting responsibilities every other World Cup since it hosted back-to-backs in 1954 and 1958. In fact, with the World Cup going to Africa in '10 and South America in '14, it will be the longest wait for the World Cup to be played in Europe.

And FIFA is not about to allow the United States to get the 2018 bid and keep the tournament away from Europe for an unprecedented third straight time. And here is my conspiracy theory - by most accounts, South Africa's preparations are going well, especially when you don't consider the crime issue that they have. But, it is all goes south, or the crime gets way, WAY out of control, rumor has it that the United States are the back-up for South Africa. The same would also be said for 2014 if the U.S. doesn't host the 2010. And either case can be very convincing that the Rose Bowl could host another final at those times, therefore, appeasing officials enough that if it doesn't happen, a promise for 2022 would suffice.

That is where the window opens up for UEFA to make England the easy selection. And I cannot disagree with it even if the FIFA officials creep around with behind the scene agreements to make it work rather than just stating up front what the deal is.

But here is the next argument - if the USA replaces as the host for '10 or '14 - does UEFA get another one in 2022? I for one hope not. After England and the United States, I want to see the Cup hosting going to Australia in either '22 or '26. But my vote for 2018 goes to England.

Vol 1, Issue 4 - MLS Best XI

Here's an e-mail I sent to Allan Hopkins regarding his MLS Best XI picks. He might as well have nominated that guy from his movies - GOAL! The Dreams Begins.

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=476294&root=mls&cc=5901

So, how do you say that Landon Donovan is one of the MLS's best XI?

• "...make no mistake, Donovan is still the straw that stirs the Galaxy's drink."
• "...few players in the league with double-double potential (8 goals, 13 assists) each season..."
• "...no attacking player more feared and respected than Donovan..."

Quite honestly, this is sad. Take the first quote - "stirs the Galaxy's drink." That's assuming that there really is one player doing that in LA. But, being in the best XI means that you absolutely have to do that all the time, not just when you feel like it. And let's face it, for the first two-thirds of the season, Dandy-Landy certainly seemed AWOL.

The second quote is just moronic. "Double-Double potential" and "each season" ...Last I checked, this was football not basketball. Secondly, even applying it for THIS YEAR means that you're clutching at straws because he didn't have one. And potential for year-in, year-out performance means nothing. Concentrate on this year. By the way, did you know that only two of his goals were from open play? 75% of the were from the spot, where he does that stupid routine that is one step away from sacrificing a live chicken before he kicks. He last open play goal was back in July. I'll credit him for the assists, but anyone can make penalties.

And finally, "more feared and respected." That is the biggest line of propagandic bull that I have ever heard. So, Jaime Moreno, Ante Razov, Guillermo Barros Schelotto, Blanco, Fred, Emilio, Altidore, Juan Pablo Angel and Twellman (some attacking players to name a few) are not more feared than this guy? I know Donovan can create, but look at who I've named. Not only can these guys create like Landon, but they can also finish the job. ALL OR MOST OF THESE GUYS I HAVE MENTIONED, have score more goals from OPEN PLAY than Landon.

There are two guys in the league that I'd put ahead of Landon in your midfield best XI - Steve Ralston and Schelotto. By far. It's no contest. Both have double Landon's open play goals with four and their assists are all comparable (Ralston - 14, GBS - 11). But, when you take Ralston out of the Revs, I contend they still make the playoffs. I will also contend that without Donovan, LA could have made enough points early on to have made the playoffs this year. But that is an argument that is solely based without any statistical analysis.

So my pick would go to one Guilllermo Barros Schelotto for MLS Best XI. No man improved his team like GBS. In the 8 matches Columbus played without him, the Crew could muster only 9 points and played extremely poorly. The best run of play for Columbus this year was done with GBS leading the team. The Crew obtained their remaining 28 points with him playing. Columbus also finished 9th - 1 spot from the playoffs.

In comparison to every one's favorite in Landon Donovan, Schelotto is far more creative, intimidating, dangerous and reliable. You, my friend, just put Donovan in your starting XI because the MLS told you to. You're a mouthpiece and you're certainly not placing him in there from an objective perspective. Just another reason why I do not enjoy hearing MLS talk about premier players - it's not realistic or honest. It's about promoting undeserving players whom they've invested the most in. It's a joke.

Vol 1, Issue 3 - Dire Match, Good Result

Liverpool 1:1 Arsenal

7' Gerrard 80' Fabregas

Let me lead off with a little trivia here:

April 7, 2007 is the last time Arsenal have lost.

That's 22 straight matches overall, including 17 league ties.

I sat down with my brother, Liverpool fan, in some anticipation for what could have been a very telling match for both teams this year. The match ended without much of a story and failed to impress in general.

The first seven minutes was pretty much all Liverpool out of the gates. At one point, I remember seeing that Liverpool had 60% of the possession which as I said on my previous post would not happen. They ended the match with only 47% total possession.

Steven Gerrard needs to be sure to send a thank you note to the wall set up on the free kick - specifically to one Matthieu Flamini who move position that created the hole that the ball flew through on it's way to the back of the net. No doubt it was a quality strike for Gerrard, but it was certainly not the kind of start that Arsenal wanted. It was definitely reminiscent of the Tottenham match where the wall allowed the hated Spurs to take a 1-0 lead.

After the goal, though, Liverpool seemed to be more inclined to watch the match. Arsenal's passing was shockingly sub par and I will say that until his goal, Cesc Fabregas was in poor form for the first time this season. He made bad passes, got in the way of a few through balls and had little good effect in the first two-thirds of the match.

My brother actually was cussing Gerrard's name up one wall and down the other after he scored his goal. And tactically, Rafa was left wonting. Why with a one goal lead at home against Arsenal do you bring in Arbeloa (defense) for Alonso (midfield) when you have Ryan Babel (midfield) on the bench? Rafa was playing for a draw at home. I would like to think that to Liverpool fans, this is inexcusable. I know that if Wenger did that in a match where Arsenal desperately needed the points, I'd be very displeased.

The commentating mentioned that Crouch was Liverpool's player of the 2nd half... honestly, that was true, but it was sad all at the same time. Crouch was not very good up front either. Arsenal's weakness in the air was not capitalized on and Crouch is they kind of guy you want in there to exploit that. That's either an ineffective use of him, or he's just plain crap.

Man of the match for me was Manuel Almunia. Liverpool was quite a few clean takes on the goal due to porous defending and Almunia was forced to a full-stretch save 2 or 3 times. He really was quality for a majority of the match.

And now, the tying goal. This was one of the most purely majestic moments of the match. Where was Carragher? He allowed Cesc to make a run unmanned onto the perfectly placed through ball before he slotted near-post by Reina, who was caught in between steps and was leaning slightly to the far-post side. Carragher though made me smile. He rightly and deservedly gets the blame on this one and, if you believe in karma, it stuck here after Carragher got away Scot-free with an elbow to Eboue's face in the box in the first half.

So, Arsenal gets the job done, getting the road draw and continue to be top of the table going into next week's clash at the Emirates against fellow top-tabler, Manchester United. Should be a cracking match!

Vol 1, Issue 2 - Anfield? No Problem.

I'm going to have a Preview here of the match between Liverpool and Arsenal. My prediction will be at the end. Afterwards, I will post a review regardless of the result with my opinion of the match. Hopefully, I will be able to do this with most of the matches for Arsenal, the Crew and the US - these matches being on my television or me being at the match will be the only requirement for these blog posts.

So, my brother and his girlfriend are coming over for the match on Sunday. My brother is a Liverpool fan so his deluded and misguided ways are something that I must live with. Good thing that I love my brother, eh?

Okay, the biggest difference between this year and last year for Arsenal that is apparent is the fact that Arsenal are pulling maximum points against opponents that are far inferior to their position in the table. They're finishing their chances too, which is apparent with the fact that in Arsenal's 15 matches across all competitions, they've scored 3 goals or more 7 of those times. 39 goals in 15 matches works to an average of 2.6 goals per match which will win you games providing that you have a decent starting goalkeeper.

Arsenal's precarious position is that they don't have a decent starting goalkeeper. In fact, their only decent goalkeeper sits third on the charts in 22-year-old Lukasz Fabianski. Current number one Manuel Almunia, 30, does not exactly give any defense confidence heading into play and does not seem to have the command of the area that is necessary for any keeper to have. Wanna-be number one is the temperamental Jens Lehmann, 37. He has clearly fallen out of favor with Arsene Wenger and it seems that his constant jabs at Almunia and his recent statement of 'humiliation' have only made his ground more shaky with the team. Add to that, his form when playing for the club this year is poor and also is responsible for the only two points that Arsenal have dropped this season to date.

The only reason I think that Arsenal have maintained such consistent play in the back is a result of an honestly fortunate defense, not because they have played all that well. Sure you can point to the fact that Arsenal have only given up 6 goals all year and have posted 10 clean sheets in those 15 matches, but it hasn't been as easy a ride as that would suggest. Consider that the captain and center-defenseman, William Gallas, has been injured for the majority of the season to date. This has forced Wenger to play the likes of Philip Senderos to play the position that has proven difficult for him. And when he was injured, the spot was filled with out-of-position Gilberto Silva who clearly looked unsettled. The other CB would be Kolo Toure. While his play has been much more dependable, he has had stretches of play where you just wonder where his head is.

So far, consider the keepers and the center defense, you'd get the impression that I thought the base of the spine of Arsenal's defense was weak. And you'd be right. So how does the defense not give up so much? It's two things. A good offense built up through a very strong midfield and the defensive wing has been superior. Having the current best player in the Premiership in Cesc Fabregas certainly helps. But Liverpool must overcome the strength of the midfield and attack through the center of the defense to win this match. That, and Fernando Torres must play. It is too crucial of a match to sit him even if he is only 80%. Wing play will not beat Arsenal.

Here is the other deal. Liverpool, in the Premiership, has been poor at home - 1W-3D-0L. That's hardly intimidating. That one win was the 6-0 drubbing over Derby County. The draws were 0-0 to Birmingham (poor), 1-1 to Chelsea (bad call enabled Chelsea to level the match and 2-2 to Tottenham (which many feel Liverpool were lucky to get a point from). Arsenal's road form is 2-1-0 with wins over Tottenham and West Ham and then a draw to Blackburn (thank you, Jens).

Now, let's look at the performances on this past Wednesday in the Champions League. Liverpool lost 2-1 at Besiktas in a match that Liverpool dominated possession with 65%. That is seriously a tough loss and tough to lose in its own right. Rest assured though, that Pool will NOT have 65% of the possession against the Gunners. Arsenal, however, drubbed Slavia Prague 7-0 and has now won 12 matches on the trot.

My prediction with this match is simple - Torres plays and because of this, Liverpool will walk away with a home record of 1-4-0. I predict a 2-2 draw. If there is no Torres, this match is over before it begins and Arsenal will walk away with a 3-1 win. I believe that Torres will play so my prediction is a draw.

C'mon you Gunners!

Vol I, Issue 1 - We can win in Europe.

And we did it without our so-called 'talisman,' Landon Donovan.

I would like to tell Max Bretos that Landon Donovan is not the talisman player for the United States. He is only the face of US football, but even that does not mean he's worthy of it nor has the talent that one such designation would usually entail. The word talisman used in reference to Landon Donovan is honestly insulting to any knowledge football fan. Understand that this is no slight to the man's talents, but there is simply no reason to think that we cannot win without him.

The United States has not ever had a talismanic figure in the roster - ever. To be honest, it is one of the coolest things about the United States Men's team. Their rise to success and dominance in the region has been as a result of hard work ethic, belief in a system and teamwork. No one man is responsible for the rise of the sport and certainly not one Landon Donovan.

Talisman brings to mind the world's great players. Players that have taken their team of levels that were certainly not achievable without them in the line-up. Players like Thierry Henry in Arsenal's run to the Champions League final, Diego Maradona for Argentina. I debate off and on regarding Pele because his teammates were also of a superb quality that could have won championships with or without him. Michel Platini in the 80's for France is another name that comes to mind. They for all intents and purposes defined their team beyond all other recognizable outlets.

The closest player for the USA to a talisman would be Claudio Reyna but it still falls short for me. Why does the USA not have one then? I look at performances away from home as a major factor. This century, away from home, the US has a record of 13 wins, 10 draws and 21 losses. Another factor is how the team plays away from home and against opponents outside of the pussy cat CONCACAF region where the US sports a lowly 5-4-17 record - a 23% win rate. Talismans push these percentages beyond their normal positive limits.

Outside of CONCACAF, on the road, with Landon Donovan making an appearance on the pitch, the US Men's team is 2-3-12! Want a percentage? Okay - 14%. Talismans certainly don't make a negative impact on an overall performance. Here's another thing, when Landon Donovan scores a goal - home or away - 23-1-1. So there is a counter to my argument. The one loss was to Poland in the World Cup in 2002 - ironically, that one goal is his ONLY goal scored away from US soil against a team outside of the CONCACAF. Sure it was against a European team, but it was also not even scored on European soil.

Little known fact, of Landon Donovan's 34 goals scored for the national team, only 4 have been on the road - at Greneda and Panama for World Cup 2006 qualifying and against Poland and Mexico in the 2002 World Cup. The last one happened on June 8, 2005 - that's 12 home goals scored and 863 days ago. I'd like to say that is talismanic, but it isn't.

Regardless of location of the match, the United States this century plays teams from outside the CONCACAF better without Landon Donovan. With him, we win 44% of the time going 15-5-19. Without him playing, our record is 8-6-6, winning 57% of the time. Without their talismans, teams are supposed to not play nearly as well without them. But this statistic is not indicative of that.

You can quote that he is America's all-time leading goal scorer, but that just doesn't hold water for me. Football is so much more than just scoring goals. This is not baseball. You cannot use goals as a sole argument for the quality of a player. Wins are more dependable stats in my opinion. How the teams play without them on the roster is also indicative. There is no talisman for the United States. But that's no bad thing. Bob Bradley is managing this team to hopeful and greater heights and I, for one, am looking forward to it.