Fall Clearing

My apologies for the lack of updates in the past month, but a lot has been happening, both domestically and internationally, without me.

For starters, this past week of international games has determined what countries will be at the World Cup this summer. South Africa, Denmark, Germany, England, Italy, the Netherlands, Serbia, Spain, Brazil, Chile, Paraguay, Ghana, the Ivory Coast, Mexico, the Untied States, Australia, Japan, South Korea, and Korea DPR have all officially qualified. Other teams in Europe and else where are deciding the last few remaining spots through play-offs. Some of these European teams include France, Russia, Ireland, Greece, Portugal, Ukraine, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Slovenia. This is very exciting and there is a lot of drama surrounding some of these teams as well as Argentina and Honduras who are still fighting to get into the World Cup.

The US had a spectacular game or should I say last 15 minutes against Costa Rica. However, the US has seemed to fallen into a predictable pattern the last few games: give up a few early goals and then wait to the very end to tie or win. The US has gotten away with this in the CONCACAF, but will not be able to get away with it in the World Cup. With the lose of Davies because of the horrible car accident, the US will have a harder time in the tournament, and hopefully the injury to Onyewu is not too serious to keep him out of the cup as well. It was a very emotional game on Wednesday with all of the fans support for Davies. A lot of players will need to step up if the US is going to make it out of the group stages this summer. They will probably not win the World Cup, but that doesn't mean that they can't hang with the big boys.

What would be a blog without mentioning the Premier League or David Beckham? Well, I have news on both! Beckham will be playing for AC Milan in January on yet another loan.

Saturday kicks off league play once again. Chelsea will be protecting their number one position in the league and will play Aston Villa, who could find themselves in the top 5 with a win against the Blues. Man U will be playing Bolton, which should be an easy win for the Manchester even without Rooney. The Spurs should have an easy welcome back win against Portsmouth who were once again taken over. However, there could be an upset brewing at Sunderland when they take on Liverpool, who will be without both Torres and Gerrard.

There should be some great games this weekend

as always

GO CHELSEA

Home Grown Premier League

Next season, the English Premier League is going green...kinda. The League has announced that each club has a 25 player limit roster and 8 of those players need to be home grown. Home grown refers to any player who has played for an English or Welsh club for three years before their 21st birthday. In addition, out of the 25 players, no more than 17 of them can be over the age of 21 and not home grown. As of right now, every club in the Premier League team meets these new restrictions, however; Chelsea and Liverpool both barely meet the requirements. With the new transfer ban on Chelsea, the Blues will rely more heavily now on their Academy reserves to meet all criteria.

It can get worse for Chelsea too. The League has announced also that Chelsea cannot recall loan players at this point in time...so Chelsea will have to play with the players that they have for the rest of the season...more or less...

The new rules will help the Premier League. The League has been under attack the last few years for buying foreign players. Billionaire club owners have open their wallets to attract some of the best talent in the game to England. England would like to see more English players in the top flight, and with more opportunities for English players to be in the top flight, England's national team will benefit. If everything goes according to plan, this new legislation can only help the Premier League.

Blues seeing Blue?

Last week, FIFA places a one year transfer ban on Chelsea for acquiring French youth international star Gael Kakuta two years ago. Allegedly, Chelsea encouraged Kakuta to break his contract with then French club Lens. In addition, Chelsea has also been charged by FIFA for violating rules pertaining to acquiring youth players.

In response to FIFA's attack on the current Premier League leader, many other English clubs have come under attack including Manchester United, Manchester City, and Arsenal. I am assuming allocations will also be presented for Spanish club Real Madrid after their summer long spending spree to get many of the top names in the sport. Chelsea is appealing the harsh penalty that FIFA has issued, and like many people, I believe the ban will be lifted. But then again, everyone has their own opinion. FIFA and Chelsea have clashed heads many times in the last few years, the most notable incident happened in last season's UEFA Champions League. Drogba, Ballack, and Belletti were all fined and suspended for outbursts during the semi-finals match against Barca. Like many reporters, I believe that FIFA is still trying to make an example out of the London team.

Yet, if Chelsea is unable to secure a reduced punishment, it may be a long year for the club. The Blues have an aging line up which include 8 players that are over the age of 30 (Belletti, Ferreira, Carvalho, Deco, Ballack, Lampard, Anelka, Drogba). Chelsea will need to find replacements or substitutes for many of these players in the next couple of years. With the year transfer ban, Chelsea will not be able to find replacements for these players for the next 2 yeras (this season plus the next). By then, most of those players may be thinking about retirement...especially with the World Cup coming up this summer.

However, things might not be so bleak yet. Currently, Chelsea is holding their own in the Premier League, and is a dominating force. Their line up is strong and they have much more depth this season than last. In addition, many of their youth squad is receiving Premier League experience via loan spells (Michael Mancienne to Wolverhampton Wanderers, Scott Sinclair to Wigan Athletic, and Franco Di Santo to Blackburn Rovers), not to mention the numerous other loans to the Championship League. If there is a mass exit like Former Chelsea winger Arjen Robben believes there will be if FIFA holds firm on the ban, there will be many opportunities for Chelsea's youth system. This can only help the Blues, even if they are not as competitive.

Win, lose, or draw in the courtroom, you can bet that the Blues will bounce back and will be more ferocious than ever before.

It's good to be back!!

Well it has been a very exciting opener in the English Premier League, and it only seems to keep heating up with the trading deadline a few days ago. As of right now, Chelsea is on top of the table with Tottenham, Manchester City and United right behind the Blues. I think these teams along with Liverpool will be in the top 5 at the end of the season. I am going to say it now: Chelsea is winning the Premiership this year. I think that with their new diamond formation brought in by Carlo Ancelotti, along with a deep, healthy line up will give Chelsea the extra push to bring their dreams of the Premier League Title closer. In addition to a new head coach and formation, the Blues added a few more players in the off-season including Nemanja Matic, Yuri Zhirkov, and Ross Turnbull. Chelsea has started the season strong, and will only get better when Joe Cole, Zhirkov, and Alex come back from injury.

Many of the Premier League clubs have a lot of new faces. Manchester United has spent the whole off-season buying a new team which now includes Tevez, Cruz, Adebayor, Toure, Lescott, and Barry. These new faces might be enough to break into the top 4, if not the top 3 with a deep offensive line up. Tottenham also added a few new members. The Spurs might have one of the best teams in the league with Bently, Pavlyuchenko, Keane, Defoe, and Modric. Hull also took advantage in the summer window and made a great move to sign Altidore on a season long loan from Villarreal. Newly promoted Wolverhampton, Birmingham, and Burnley all made numerous moves in hopes to stay in the top flight at the end of the season. So far it has paid off for some of these clubs. Burnley did beat Manchester United, and both Wolverhampton and Birmingham have 4 points and are sitting in the middle of the table.

However, while some teams added new faces, some clubs have lost some familiar faces. Both Manchester United and Liverpool fell victim to Real Madrid’s summer spending spree. Manchester United lost Ronaldo while Liverpool conceded Xabi Alonso to the Spanish club. Although these clubs have replacements, it still will be hard for those replacements to fill the gaps that Ronaldo and Xabi left at their respective clubs. Depending on how these clubs do in the first half of the season, I foresee that they will be splashing some cash in the Januarry transfer window. Portsmouth fell victim to a mass exit of players and a take over by new owner Sulaiman Abdul Kareem Mohammad Al-Fahim. Key striker Peter Crouch left Pompey and moved over to Tottenham in the off-season and star defender Glen Johnson transferred over to Liverpool. As of this point in time, Portsmouth is the anchor in the table with no points in 4 outings…things are not looking good for this club.

All in all, I think your top 3 teams will be 1) Chelsea 2) Manchester United 3) Tottenham. I feel that Chelsea will be too much for Man U this season and that Tottenham has the depth this season to do very well…I mean they are currently undefeated. In addition, Tottenham has a ton of offensive talent and will be a hand ful for virtually every club. Liverpool and Man City will be rounding off the top 5. I think it will be a close foot race for the fifth position with Arsenal. Everyone has been writing the club off since they did not make many moves in the off season and the only headlines before the season started was exiting of key placers. However, they started the season strong and are currently at the top half of the league with 6 points. However, I think that their lack of depth could plague them later in the season, especially when the Champions League picks up. One of the big surprise is Everton’s performance has been so far. Many experts believed that this club would be in the top 5, but they have only one win to show so far and only 3 points in 3 games. I hope that they get their act together.

The thing that is on the back of many clubs’ minds is relegation. Yes, it is very early to talk about this, but it’s never too early for predictions. As of right now, Portsmouth, Bolton and Blackburn are at the bottom of the table. My prediction is that Portsmouth will be relegated at the end of the season, as well as Blackburn and Sunderland. So far this season, Portsmouth has not look well at all, and were nearly relegated last season. Sunderland seems to be in the same position as Portsmouth…I thought that they were going to be relegated last season. Finally, I am getting a bad feeling from Blackburn, I just don’t see them winning a game in October. Then again, this is just my opinion…feel free to chirp in.

hey its summer time....updates will be coming soon

Soccer getting a foothold in American Market

A little while ago ESPN announced that they had secured a contract to broadcast a number of live English Premier League matches. Recently, ESPN has now acquired the right to air 30 live Scottish Premier League matches for the next 3 seasons with the possibility of a 2 year extension. Soccer may have found a place in the competitive US sports market.

Depth Charge: Can the US Succeed with a Depleted Roster?

If the competition for the Gold Cup was not hard enough for the American squad, a rapidly thinning roster is becoming the next challenge facing the US team. The US will face Panama in their next match this weekend without many of their offensive weapons. Charlie Davies, Benny Feilhaber, Steve Cherundolo, and Michael Parkhurst are just some of the players that have left the US roster to prepare for preseason play for their respective European clubs. ESPN also had an article about Freddy Adu also leaving for his European club; however, he was listed in the line up against Haiti on the same day as the article was released. This is disastrous for the US.

The Confederation Cup seemed to be a golden opportunity for the United States, and many thought that the Gold Cup was in the bag before the first kick off. However, the roster from cup to cup changed dramatically. This current roster is composed mostly of new and young talent with a few internationally experienced veterans. With much of the US’s offensive arsenal depleted, the match against Panama could be closer than initially expected. The US will have to find a way to win and will be relying on players like Ching, Holden, and Rogers to apply pressure on the opposite side of the field. Ching will probably be paired with either Davy Arnaud or Kenny Cooper for the attack, but neither of these forwards seems to be effective. I think Beckerman is out for the Panama game because of yellow cards, but I could be mistaken.

Defensively, the US still looks strong, but the big question will be if and when the US can score.

No One Likes You

Well I thought it was funny when I came upon an article from ESPN today. Apparently, newly acquired Man U striker, Michael Owen, is not too popular among the Red Devils' supporters...so much so that NO...I say again NO request has been made by anyone for a Michael Owen jersey. That is right, no one has purchased his jersey since his signing last week. And since a request has still not been made to the club's official shop, there is no rush to flood the market with his merchandise as of yet. Man U may not be able to capitalize on his marketability.

Check out the link to ESPN's article: http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=659544&sec=england&cc=5901

Too funny

Magpies to Devils: A New Lease on Life

Michael Owen has a new home at Old Trafford after he left relegated club Newcastle United. Owen will make a fine addition to the Red Devil's offense after the club has lost both Tevez and Ronaldo. Owen is also hoping that this upcoming season with Man U will help him crack into the national team. Owen has been overlooked by Capello on several occasions mostly due to his fitness. Owen was plagued by injuries at Newcastle and was only able to score 10 goals all season. This move could breathe new life into this 29 year old forward.

Only Gold can Stay

The Gold Cup starts tomorrow and the US is still making revisions to their roster. Recently, Bob Bradley added 7 more names to his roster from the Confederation Cup: Jozy Altidore, Ricardo Clark, Conor Casey, Jonathan Bornstein, Benny Feilhaber, Sacha Kljestan, and Brad Guzan. The US roster also includes both Steve Cherundolo and Brian Ching who are returning from injuries. The US now has an expanded roster of 30 men while only 18 can dress for a match.

It will be very exciting to see how Altidore and Ching can combine on the offensive end. Jozy is coming off a fairly successful stint from the Confederation Cup, while a scoring veteran Ching is coming back from a hamstring strain. Holding down the midfield will be a combination of MLS stars and Ricardo Clark and Benny Feilhaber from the Confederation Cup roster. It is important to note that the US will be without the skills of Landon Donovan. Defense and goaltending may be lacking in this roster. Bornstein is the only returning defender from the last tournament. Sacha Kljestan is also returning to the line up, but as a defender and not as a midfielder. The US will even be without Tim Howard between the posts.

I am not sure if I like all of these changes to the roster. I understand that the US is looking for some more talent to add to their final roster for the World Cup, but I have a feeling that many fair-weather fans may be disappointed. Many people that have just jumped on the US bandwagon during the Confederation Cup may not recognize the roster or the type of play that they demonstrated against the likes of Spain. 19 of the 30 men in the line up play in the MLS…nearly 2/3rds! This could be a great opportunity to showcase how strong our league is…or it can signal how weak it is. The CONCACAF teams will not be as strong as the Confederation Cup teams, but we have seen the US struggle against them.

Curtain Call

Sorry this one is a little late; I thought I had posted it, but apparently not.

In a lively fashion, Brazil scored 3 goals in the second half to beat the US and win the Confederation Cup for the third time.

The match seemed to favor the US after Clint Dempsey and Landon Donovan scored goals in the first half, but Brazil battled back in the second. Luis Fabiano caught the US off guard in the 46th minute and came back less than 20 minutes later with the equalizer. Lucio scored the game winner in the 83rd minute. As the final whistle echoed throughout the stadium, the US had to wonder what they did wrong…

One of the biggest problems that the US faced in the match is the same one that has plagued the team since its creation: depth. With the red card to Bradly during the Spain game; injuries to Edu, Cherundolo, and Ching; and lack of international experience left the US with few strong substitutes that could make an impact to the game.

Another issue was the timing of the US substitutions. Both Sacha Kljestan and Jonathan Bornstein were subbed in after Luis Fabiano’s second goal. Bornstein is a good defender, but he replaced a midfielder, and changed the US changed formation. The formation favored a more defensive approach…one that helped the US defeat Spain. However, the US no longer had a lead and Brazil was able to keep possession of the ball in the US side of the pitch. As a side note, midfielder Conor Casey was substituted for Ricardo Clark, but he made little impact to the game…he was only on for the last 3 minutes of the game.

At the end of the day, Brazil is just a better team. They have amazing depth, great skills, and amazing talent. This was the second time that Brazil beat the US in this tournament. However, the US gave Brazil a run for their money on this outing. For a dress rehearsal in South Africa, the US showed that they can hang with some of the best counties in the world. They looked very shaky and unstable in their first 2 matches, but they found their pace and confidence later in the tournament. The US has the Gold Cup starting in a few days. It will be interesting to see which US squad will show up to play against Grenada…will it be the team that lost to Italy or Brazil (1st game), or the team that beat Egypt and Spain and that held their ground against Brazil? We will find out on the 4th.

A New Hope

For the first time ever the US Soccer team has advanced to the Confederation Cup finals after a major upset against number 1 world ranked Spain. All the pieces seemed to come together for the US in this amazing match: great goalkeeping from Howard, spectacular defense from everyone on the pitch, great heads up playing by the midfielders, and some amazing finishes from the strikers. The US took the lead by a goal from Jozy Altidore in the 25th minute. Clint Dempsey sealed Spain's fate with a great finish in the 73rd minute. Spain was unable to find the back of the US net and was defeated...for the first time since November of 2006. Congrats USA!!!!!

Dressed to Kill?

Ok so the US National Team had a rocky first few games in the Confederation Cup. They looked strong in the first half against Italy, but after the red card to Ricardo Clark, the US was doomed. The second half of the game was devoted to defending and there were very few offensive opportunities for the US. Italy took advantage of being up one man and punished the US with a 3-1 decision after 90 minutes.

America’s next match was against Brazil…that should be enough to describe that situation.

However, with each lose, the US team seems to have learned from their mistakes. In what should have been their final game in the Confederation Cup, the US adjusted their line up and scored 3 goals against a strong Egyptian team that beat Italy and nearly tied Brazil. With the Italians losing to Brazil 3-0 and the Americans winning 3-0, the US advances to play top ranked Spain on Wednesday. I am sure that Spain will come out with a win, but it will be interesting to see how the US will stack up against the Euro ‘08 winners.

The main question on many people’s mind is if the US is ready for the World Cup. The Confederation Cup is supposed to be a “dress rehearsal”, and yet they did not seem ready or prepared to go up against the best in the world. However, I do think that the US is ready for the World Cup. Will they win the World Cup in 2010 in South Africa? No…I’m just being realistic. I think that the US has a lot of young talent and there is a good deal of competition for starting positions. This can only breed a faster, smarter, and more determined squad if Bob Bradley can properly implement his roster.

As far as the dress rehearsal goes, the US did well. They can still learn a few things, but they are heading in the right direction. Some of the things that the Confederation Cup has done for the US team involves:
1) It gives the US more overall experience
2) The US has played against some of the top teams in the world
3) Expose strength and weaknesses in their starting roster
4) Test some of the younger players
5) Legitimize the MLS

With the injury and retirement of several seasoned veterans, the national team is looking for young players to become the backbone. Names like Adu, Altidore, Torres, and Spector are some aspiring youths that can fill much needed positions. However, only Altidore and Spector saw major playing time, while Adu and Torres have yet to set foot on the pitch. In addition, DeMarcus Beasley has come under fire for his poor performances not only in the Confederation Cup but also in the CONCACAF competition. There is definitely a clash between aging experienced veterans and the youth on the squad, and Bob Bradley is caught in the middle of it. Players like Adu, Edu, and Torres may become key players for the US, but they need to be able to step on the pitch during international play in order to prove themselves.

Disciple is also a key issue. The US was awarded 2 red cards (Clark and Kljestan) and four yellow cards (Spector, Bradley, Onyewu, and Bornstein) in only 3 games. If this is a sign to come for the World Cup, then this will plague the starting roster and will have a major impact on player selection. If the US wants to field their best roster, they will have to address the disciple issue.

It is vital that the US takes what they have learned and apply it in the remaining qualification games. The key to the US’s survival depends on how well the young stars perform. The key to the MLS survival depends on how well the US national team does at the World Cup in South Africa. As I mentioned before in earlier postings, the success of the national team dictates the success of their league.

Real Means Business

Remember the saying that revenge is a dish best served cold, but in Real Madrid’s case, it is a dish best served with cold hard cash. After losing the Spanish Premier League to Barcelona this season, Real Madrid has opened up their wallet and has made some pretty amazing moves to sign and attract the best players in the world. This week alone Real has signed Kaka from AC Milan and Ronaldo from Manchester United. Ronaldo’s contract is the largest in football history. The next players on Real’s shopping list include the likes of Valencia striker David Villa, Bayern Munich midfielder Franck Ribery, and Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso. David Villa was linked to a move to Chelsea, but Valencia just turned down Chelsea’s proposal today. This latest action might be a signal that Villa may be on the verge of signing for Real Madrid. Frank Ribery is still the talk of the town since his contract has expired with his German club and is a hot item on every clubs list. If Real Madrid can sign all of the players on their shopping list, then this club will not only win the Spanish Premier League, but probably the UEFA Champions League.

With these recent actions, it will be interesting to see how both Manchester United and Chelsea will go about their summer transfer lists with Ronaldo’s move and Villa’s interest in Real Madrid.

Get ready for the Confederations Cup as many national teams gear up. This is a great mock World Cup as Team USA will play the likes of Italy and Brazil.

Transfer News

Just because the season has ended abroad does not mean that things are cooling down in the football world. There have been several major changes to rosters in the Premier League and even more speculations of potential moves.

Recently, Manchester City has announced that they have successfully completed a transfer of Aston Villa’s Gareth Barry. Barry has been with Aston Villa for the last 12 seasons, however, he was interested in a move last summer, but the transfer window closed before anything concrete could happen. Man City has also confirmed their interest in one of the hottest strikers on the market, former Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez. If Manchester City can capture Tevez, then this club may be able to crack the top 4 next season.

At Liverpool, both Gerrard and Torres have signed new contracts and have confirmed their future with the Reds.

The Premier League Champions, Manchester United, have not made any changes to their roster with the exception of Carlos Tevez. However, the club has announced a new shirt deal with Aon Corporation for the 2010/11 season.

The big news has come out of Stamford Bridge. Roman Abramovich has attracted AC Milan’s manager, Carlo Ancelotti to England. With this move, hopefully Chelsea can build a championship team around Ancelotti. In addition to just acquiring Ancelotti, the AC Milan manager has many ties to other superstar players like Beckham and Kaka. Chelsea and Real Madrid are very interested in Kaka, and are currently in a bidding war for this midfielder. Also, Roman Abramovich’s appeal in Russia has attracted the likes of CSAK star Yuri Zhirkov. Although this is all speculation, Michael Ballack has penned a new contract with the club. I don’t understand why Chelsea would offer him another chance, but maybe they actually have a plan for him. When he signed in 2006, he had problems cracking into the starting line up. He was fairly unproductive with only 1 goal in 29 games. It is not that he is too old or outmatched in England; he just doesn’t seem to fit Chelsea’s style of play. Ricardo Carvalho has request a transfer from the London club after a unsuccessful personal year with his injury.

I’ll keep you guys updated. Until then, US Men’s National Team plays tonight…Go Red, White, and Blue!!!!!!!

Blue IS the Colour

In the exciting clash between Everton and Chelsea for the FA Cup, Chelsea came out holding the cup after the 90 minute battle. Everton struck first inside the first minute of play by a strike from Louis Saha. However, a combination from Malouda and Drogba soon but Chelsea on the board and pressure back on Everton. Everton was unable to respond to Drogba’s goal, and Lampard was able to score the winner in the 72nd minute. Once again, Everton did not respond.

Chelsea FC once again won the FA Cup, and has capped their season off with some hardware. Their success and celebration will be short lived. There will be many changes to not only the roster at Stamford Bridge, but also to the manager. Chelsea’s owner has hinted that there will be a few new faces next season to replace some of the underperforming talent at the Bridge. One could image that some players that Scolari signed will not be returning. In addition, whoever becomes the new manager will surely attract some more talent to the club.

Congrats Blues

Civil War in England

Tomorrow, Premier League teams Chelsea and Everton will square off in the oldest cup competition in the world. This will be the 128th year the cup has been around. This match up could be much more thrilling than the Man U vs. Barca match. On one side you have Chelsea…a team struggling to bring back hardware to Stamford Bridge after defeats in the Carling Cup and Champions League, and finishing third in the Premier League. This team is desperate for a championship win this season. Winning the FA Cup will not satisfy Chelsea’s season expectations, but hardware is hardware, and at least they will not go home empty handed. Frank Lampard and Alex are scheduled to be back in action for the match, and Skipper John Terry has dedicated the match to Guus Hiddink as a going away gift. On paper, Chelsea seems to be the favorite in this match up; they have some of the best strikers and offense in the league, as well as a strong midfield and defense. They have a lot of tools in their arsenal to get the job done, and could create some interesting match ups. However, Everton should by no means be counted out before the whistle is blown.

Everton isn’t looking shabby either. Everton had a tough road to make it to the finals. Everton beat not only Manchester United, but also Liverpool and Aston Villa…all three of these clubs finished higher in the Premier League than Everton. In addition, Chelsea has never beat Everton this season. On both occasions that these teams have met, they have left with a 0-0 tie. The FA Cup will fix this…someone will have to walk away a winner this weekend. Everton will feature both Phil Neville and winger Steven Pienaar in their line up after both suffered hamstring injuries in last weeks Premier League match against Fulham. These two players could add a huge moral boost, but will it be enough to sway the tide of the match in their favor?

Besides the bragging rights and the trophy, there is also a pretty penny on the line. The winner of this match up will walk away with £2m from the Football Association and the runner-up £1m.

Clash of the Titans?

If you have been watching ESPN in the past few days then you already know what’s up. However, if you haven’t been fortunate to see the Man U vs. Barca UEFA Champions League final match in Rome that has been replayed 8 times, it will be on for the next few weeks. In what was hyped to be the battle of the titans…Premier winners Manchester United and La Liga champions Barcelona, met in Rome for one of the most anticipated matches this year. Unfortunately it did not live up to the hype. Manchester United was favored to dominate the game, but after the first 5 minutes into the match, the Red Devils were no where to be found.

Barcelona stuck first with a goal from Samuel Eto'o in the tenth minute a play. It wasn’t until Lionel Messi scored an hour later that ended Ronaldo’s and Man U’s chances of a third cup of the year. This was not a well played game for Manchester United, and the favorites were defeated 2-0.

There will be another replay of the match this weekend on one of the ESPN channels.

Side Note

So Manchester United sealed not only a point over the weekend, but also clinched the Premier League with their draw over Arsenal.

Also, Shakhtar Donetsk defeated Werder Bremen 2-1 in the UEFA Cup final.

Shopping for Talent : Rebuilding and Reloading for 2009/10

With the conclusion of the Premier League in a short while, every team will be looking to beef up their roster with players and managers. There are a lot of big stars that will be eager to sign new contracts at the end of the season including former Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez, Chelsea’s Didier Drogba, AC Milan’s Ronaldinho and Kaka, Manchester City’s Robinho, and possibly even David Silva from Valencia!!!!!!!

Off hand, I know that there will be a lot of changes for Chelsea and Liverpool. The Blues are in a difficult situation. Not only do they have many contracts expiring at the end of the season, they also are in search of a new manager. Inconsistent management has plagued Chelsea in the last few seasons. In the last 3 seasons, Chelsea has been managed by 4 different people (Mourinho, Grant, Scolari, and Hiddink), with 4 different philosophies, and 4 different player preferences. With the conclusion of this season, Guss Hiddink will not renew his temporary contract with the Blues, forcing Chelsea to search for another manager.

In addition to the management problems at Stamford Bridge, many contracts on star players are expiring. The future of stars like Drogba and Ballack are uncertain. Anelka has proven himself all season to be the star striker for the Blues by raking up 17 goals in 23 games, while Drogba has only managed 5 in the same amount of games. Micheal Ballack has proven to be ineffective at the club. He was brought in by Jose Mourinho, but Ballack still has not found his place or his rhythm on the squad. These two players have been connected with the killing Scolari’s career with the Blues earlier this season. With many skilled strikers and midfielders available in the market, maybe the Blues should shop around…Tevez would be a nice addition, so would Andrei Arshavin, who has been reported to be in talks with Chelsea.

Liverpool is in a completely different situation, but, nevertheless, what they do this summer will have a huge impact on their title run for next season. Liverpool needs to cut a few players for financial reasons, but they also need to sign up one or two quality players. Currently, David Silva has been linked with a move to Liverpool this summer, which if signed, could be all the support Liverpool would need for next season.

You can expect a few moves from both Manchester City, who is still trying to buy players left and right with little or no impact on their current disposition, and Aston Villa, who sit 5th in the league.

It is interesting to note that Portsmouth is in a financial crisis due to ownership issues. Term players like Jermain Defoe, Sulley Muntari, Pedro Mendes and Lassana Diarra had to be sold to help balance the books in the credit crunch. Portsmouth may even need to sell key players like Glen Johnson, Peter Crouch, and even Niko Kranjcar. This could spell disaster for a team that has hinged on relegation this season.

The newly promoted Champions League teams will be dying to make trades once they have been officially promoted. In one of my previous blogs, I talked about all the changes that just Hull and Stroke made before their 08/09 debut in the Premier League.

However, with all of these teams making some or many changes to their roster, Arsenal’s manager has stated that the club will not seek additional players and that their current roster will be able to challenge Manchester United for the Premiership next season. Cocky words coming from a team that has struggled to hold their 4th spot in the League. With Manchester United being a dominate club, and Liverpool and Chelsea making some key moves during the off-season, which may include signing some key players from Arsenal, Arsenal’s comments seem hollow.. Arsenal’s current roster is far from the team that went undefeated in the Premier League a few years back. I am not seeing Arsenal winning the Premier League next year…it is either going to be Liverpool, Manchester United, or Chelsea. I can see Manchester City finishing higher than Arsenal next season if Arsenal does not make any key moves.

The thing that can change all of this is the fact that many clubs are cutting back their spending and have been influenced by rules that could cause a sharp decline in the amount of foreign players in the Premier League. Although not as strict as the 6-5 rule that FIFA has been pushing, the Premier League is supporting a home grown policy that will favor more English talent than foreign talent and help to strengthen the English National Team.

Dream Match vs. Re-Match: Let Ovrebo Decide

So last weeks sorry excuse of a game that pitted Chelsea against Barcelona for the UEFA Champions League ended with a foreign team stealing a win at the Bridge and a country ready to execute the Norwegian who masqueraded as a referee.

Chelsea was poised to advance among many disarrayed announcers and analysts who had Barcelona running up the score against the Blues. These very professionals even began pairing Man U and Barca in the finals weeks before the match even started. For more than 90 minutes, Chelsea kept their 1-0 lead. However, 2 minutes into stoppage time in the second half, Andrés Iniesta marched downfield and scored the equalizer. It was not the last minute goal that caused all of the problems at Stamford Bridge, although it contributed to it; it was the inability of referee Tom Henning Ovrebo to make obvious calls that cost Chelsea the match. Chelsea players, coaches, staff, and supporters believed that they were screwed out of win and their rightful ticket…and with good reason. One of the first issues came in the first half when Malouda was fouled in the box, which would have resulted in a penalty kick, but the ball was placed outside of the box. Drogba was also pulled down on multiple occasions…yes, I know he is a good actor and does not deserve all the calls he gets, but there were a few occasions where there should have been penalties called, some of which were in the box. In addition to this, there were also 2 blatant hand balls in the box. There were 4 legit penalty kicks owed to Chelsea. What did the ref do? Nothing at all. No fouls were called on these plays. I am not complaining just because I am a Chelsea supporter, but for crying out loud, that was the worse officiating I have ever seen…even worse than that zebra’s inability to see a goal go into the net 4 feet from him during the Red Wings game against the Ducks.

Even if Chelsea won the game, I do not think that they would be able to beat Manchester United in the finals. However, the finals should be a rematch of last year…not the English Premier Champions vs. the Spanish La Liga Champions. Personally, I think that UEFA may have planned this. Think about this: the two best teams in the world right now fighting it out for the Champions League Title in a winner take all game in Rome. Think of the marketing, the ticket sales, the media coverage, the merchandise sales, the hype, and more importantly the potential to create a lasting rivalry that could mark up ticket prices for future competitions between these teams. This type of game would appeal to a much wider audience if both Manchester United and Barca were playing than if Man U were to play Chelsea. Just saying…it could just be me.

Anyways, UEFA seemed more distracted with potentially disciplining various Chelsea players like Drogba for his remarks and behavior after the game and Ballack’s actions on the field after he did not agree with Ovrebo’s decision not to penalize Gerard Pique for a hand ball. UEFA has announced that both of these athletes have undermined the UEFA’s respect campaign, however, I do not think that Drogba cares for the UEFA big wigs.

Sorry I havent updated in the last few weeks, but with graduation, track championship, finding a job, and a place to live has taken priority. I should have a new post in the next few days....



pbo

The 2 Front War: Relegation and Promotion

With 6 games left in the Premier League, tensions are mounting as clubs try to surpass each other in hopes of hoisting the elusive trophy. The Reds and Blues are making a strong bid for the trophy, but Manchester United seems to be too much for either club to overcome. Last week, Man Utd robbed Aston Villa in the last 10 minutes by scoring 2 times to secure 3 points. Earlier today, Manchester United used some of their magic again to clinch a victory against Sunderland in the 76th minute. Currently, the Red Devils are 1 point above Liverpool and 4 points ahead of Chelsea. However, Manchester United still has a game in hand over these two clubs.

Another spotlight in the Premier League is on the last 7 ranked clubs: West Bromwich, Middlesbrough, Newcastle United, Sunderland, Blackburn, Hull City, and Portsmouth. The last 3 clubs in the Premier League will be relegated to the Coca Cola League Championship. The top 3 teams in the League Championship get promoted to the Premier League. Wolverhampton is the current leader of the League Championship and has almost clinched a certain spot in the Premiership, while Birmingham, Sheffield United, Cardiff City, Reading, and Burnley are fighting for the other 2 promotion spots.

As you can imagine, promotion or relegation can seriously impact a club. Promotion not only draws more attention to the club, it also allows the club to have access to better players, more fans, more sponsorships, more televised games, more exposure, and more gate revenue (charge higher premiums). Stoke City, one of the three clubs promoted last season, netted 10 players in the summer, while Hull City was able to acquire 14 players. Access to these markets is critical to a club’s success.

Relegation has more negative consequences. West Bromwich, the club that lead the League Championship last season, boasts a 6-19-7 record for a whooping 25 points. This club will be back in the League Championship next season, but will the fans? Fans can be disconnected to their club for multiple reasons including mismanagement, poor performances, and lack of star power. Many big name stars refuse to go down with the club and look for other opportunities. Portsmouth’s Peter Crouch, a huge transfer from Liverpool last season, may not want to associate with the cub if they fall into relegation. Regardless of what club it is, new management and players are usually brought in to attempt to restore the club back to its previous league. Derby County learned this last year f as they fell toward the bottom half of the League Championship after being relegated from the Premiership last season.

As some clubs are reaching for the stars, other clubs are hanging on for the ride of their life. It would be nice to welcome Birmingham and Reading back into the Premier League after being relegated last season along with Derby County.

Putting Pine Riders to Use

When tradition marketing tactics are unavailable, an organization must find a new way to communicate their product to the consumer. A prime example of this is the brand new Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league. The league debuted a week ago and already the deck is stacked against this league from succeeding. Some of the challenges t this new league faces include an already crowded American sports market; a long lead time to develop a following; no regional television contracts; a downward world economy; and a real struggle to sustain pro women sports like the WNBA. Yeah, this seems like a tall order to overcome just to survive. However, the WPS has a few tricks up their sleeves.
The WPS has specified a target market of tween and pre-tween girls and has selecting smaller, more “cozier” arenas to give their fans a more intimate feeling. In addition to a specified target market and arena selection, the WPS is experimenting with media technology called Twitter. Twitter has become the third largest social media network. It allows a user to post a mini blog of about 140 characters to subscribers. This has been a great way to stay connected, but it has an even cooler function: up to the minute interactions on events that are occurring on the pitch. Yes, that’s right; the ladies of the WPS are being encouraged to twitter while on the bench, before the game, during half time, after the game, and after being subbed out. Not only is this a revolutionary way of using this technology, but it also provides a subscriber and fan a new dimension of interaction.
Aided by Twitter, the WPS is expanding in the digital world through their interactive website. The website has had some considerable foot traffic in the last few days and weeks leading up the debut game. On the website, the WPS has other social connection points via Facebook, Youtube, and Fan Corner, the WPS fan community.
New media networks are being developed all around us. If a game isn’t being televised, it can be found on the radio or can be streamed to your computer through the internet. Up to the minute stats and results can even be texted to your cell phone!
If this new media device is successful, imagine how it could transform other sports: Kevin Garnett could be twittering about his game while on the bench, Jeff Gordon could talk about his race strategy at a pit stop, Tiger could post after each hole while on the course, and yes, A-Rod can twitter about what roids to use to enhance our performance. What, too soon?

Is the U.S. Ready for Another Soccer League?

With the steady success of the MLS in the United States, another soccer league will try to find their niche in the U.S. sports market. The Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS) league is the new 7 team league to immerge in the United States. The WPS is the newest women’s soccer league to come to this country after the failure of the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA). The WUSA was the world’s first women’s soccer league in which all the players were paid professionals. However, the WUSA suspended operations after their third season. The WPS hopefully will stick around for longer.

The WPS comprises 7 of the 8 WUSA clubs, including the Boston Breakers, Chicago Red Stars, FC Gold Pride, Los Angeles Sol, Saint Louis Athletica, Sky Blue FC, and the Washington Freedom. The WPS already has 3 expansion teams formed in Atlanta, Dallas, and Philadelphia. Philadelphia will also have a MLS team in 2010. Puma is a major sponsor of the league, and every club dawns the animal on their jerseys.

The WPS had their debut game last Sunday with the Los Angeles Sol shutting out the Washington Freedom 2-0 in front of a crowd of 14,832 at the Home Depot Center in Los Angeles.

While the debut game drew more attention then expected, the league has not been able to make any regional television deals, and only Fox Sport’s Channel games will be broadcasted online. It will be a challenge to keep fans involved in this league without having good TV access to games. The league is hoping to average 6,000-8,000 people per game. This does not seem like a lot, but this league is important for the development of the United State’s Women’s National Soccer Team. Hopefully this league can stick around and be successful.

It Isn't Always About the Benjamins

It is no secret that the world’s economy is in bad shape. In the U.S., we have been hit hard; unemployment has risen to an all time high of 11% in Michigan. We are in troubled times. Families are focusing their income on necessities and are spending less money outside of their home. The entertainment industry is just one industry that has been hit hard by the crisis. Sporting events have always competed against each other, and various other attractions such as movies, concerts, circuses, and other live attractions. However, the sporting industry is also competing to survive in this financial crisis.

Every team, no matter what sport or league they are affiliated with, are offering discounted tickets, side attractions, ticket and souvenir packages, and other bundles to attract families and fans in order to sustain their business. In an industry where competition thrives, what are some competitors doing? While some teams are promoting cheaper concessions, discounted merchandise, more access to players to stimulate fan turnout, side attractions (like concerts after the game), and cheaper tickets, one team has soared past the competition by offering free…that’s right…FREE season tickets for next years season to their unemployed season ticket holders. What team can possibly afford to do this for their loyal fans? The Yankees? The Red Sox? The Cowboys? The Red Wings? How about Villarreal? Yep, Spanish Premier League (La Liga) club Villarreal will offer their unemployed season ticket holders free tickets for the 2009-10 season to help fans that have been hit hard from the current global economic crisis. Villarreal’s President, Fernando Roig, made this announcement earlier today. He said that the club has an obligation to its supporters who are the base of their organization.

Fans are a major aspect of any sports team. This announcement illustrates how important fans are to Villarreal, and also how important Villarreal is to the fans. Fernando Roig made this announcement because he knew how passionate his fan base was toward the team. It seems like a win-win situation: Villarreal will have a full stadium full of grateful, loyal supporters.

David Who? Beckham When? MLS Now.

I am taking a break from football coverage in England this week to talk more about our home grown league, the MLS. Yes, the United States has a soccer league…

MLS has officially started, and there have been a lot of headlines regarding Major League Soccer this week. The first big announcement came from the new expansion team, the Seattle Sounders. Comedian Drew Carey became a part owner of the Seattle Sounders, and is the celebrity face for the organization. His team went on to win their opener against the New York Red Bull. The opening game was praised by many experts. They went on to say that the game had a feel much like matches similar to European football…a great complement. The MLS has struggled to retain talent and attract new foreign players because of the perceived as having poor competition. Looking at the new U.S. Men’s National Team would support this feeling. Of the 22 men listed, only 5 of them play in the MLS, while 9 play in the United Kingdom, and 8 play in various European leagues. This is staggering. The MLS was founded to prepare the United States for the World Cup tournaments, yet most of the American players do not even play within our borders.

Thursday’s game was a signal that maybe, just maybe, that the MLS may survive in America. Seattle, a brand new market, has already set the record in attendance for a regular season game. The Sounders’ offensive focused style of play makes the game more exciting and allows for more scoring opportunities. Seattle could be the club that changes soccer in America.

In addition to Seattle’s celebrity presence, style and popularity, the Sounders also have one of the biggest sponsors in the business: Microsoft. All of these factors can lead to a very successful club, and hopefully attract more talent to the MLS.

In other MLS news, Vancouver, British Columbia, and Portland were all selected to join MLS in 2011, bringing the total number of teams to 18. David Beckham is still in Italy, and has recently come out and stated that he would like to win a Champions League title with AC Milan. Do we really want/need him? LA opens up their season today without Beckham. The whole situation seems to be more comical as it progresses. ESPN’s MLS page even has a “Beckham Watch” so fans can get up to date information about everything going on in the saga. After this week of impressive matches, maybe the MLS can find another star. Seattle’s Freddy Montero netted 2 goals and had an assist in their electrifying opener win. There is a lot of new talent in the MLS that can help the league establish them in the U.S.

The Thrill of the Race

With the conclusion of last weeks Round 16 of UEFA Champions League, England once again showed its dominance in football. Four English Premier teams have advanced to the next round, which accounts for half of the teams left in the tournament. It is no surprise that those 4 English teams are at the top of the Premier League right now: Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal. The Champions League could see an all English final.

As the European Theatre heats up, England is red hot. New life has been instilled in Liverpool and Chelsea as they frantically try to catch Manchester United for top spot in the league. With the Reds defeating Man Utd on their own turf this past week and clenching a crucial 3 points, Manchester United’s lead has been cut to 4, but with a game in hand. Chelsea cleaned up Manchester City with a 1-0 win to match Liverpool and move into second place.

The Premier League Title is not the only coveted trophy up for grabs in England though. The FA Cup is still going on with Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal still poised at a chance to collect hardware.

Manchester United has already won the Carling Cup. Many supporters and experts believe that they could sweep all the English championships and claim the Champions League to add 4 trophies to the season’s success.

Liverpool seems to be living up to their hopes of cracking the top 3 in the league and making a run for the Premier League Championship. Liverpool’s future success will be closely tied with the health of Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres.

After all of the controversy at Stamford Bridge regarding managers and the return of Michael Essien, the Blues are showing signs of their earlier swagger. Chelsea has been undefeated in their last 4 outings under new manager Guus Hiddink and has begun to rebuild fans’ confidence in the club. Chelsea showed off their skills by scoring late in Tuesday’s game against Juventus to advance in the Champions League, as well as scoring in the first 17 minutes against Manchester City and hold them off the board in a 1-0 win in the Premiership.

Manchester United will recover from this loss. They are not going to roll over and let any team take any trophy from their grasps. The Red Devils still have a game in hand, and previous to this lost, they were unbeaten for the last 16 games. One of those victories includes a 3-0 win over Chelsea. Expect the Red Army to be in full force on Sunday when they compete against Fulham.

This week has made the Premier League much more interesting, one mistake can and will end the hope for some of these clubs to hoist up a trophy after the smoke clears. This means every game counts. No game can be overlooked. It is still a must win situation for Chelsea and Liverpool. As these two clubs compete against each other to reach to the top, Manchester United is waiting for them. We will see how this will play out…

Great job Reds and Blues

Down, but Not Out

After Sir Alex Ferguson publically pronounced that “Chelsea has blown their chance in the league”, and Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher announced that the race for the Premiership Championship is a 2 horse race (Man Utd and Liverpool), and the arrogance of Aston Villa midfielder Stiliyan Petrov claiming that, “Chelsea is not anything special anymore”, and the wide reports of a split Chelsea locker room, the Blues fire back by defeating Aston Villa, 1-0, at Villa Park…ending Aston Villa’s 13 game unbeaten home streak. Furthermore, Liverpool struggled against Manchester City which resulted in a tie. This allows Chelsea to be in reach of second place and challenge Manchester United once again for the title. With 12 games left in the season, the League Title is still up for grabs, and this weekend has proven that anything can still happen. Aston Villa, Liverpool, and Chelsea are all in a must win state of mind; one slip up can cost them the title.

This weekend was a key win for Chelsea. This is the first game that new manager, Guus Hiddink, took complete control of the squad. This win also kept Aston Villa from passing them in the league standings. Their performance also settled some of the rumors and turmoil that have been plaguing the London team after their slump in the league the last few weeks.

There is a lot of uncertainty at Stamford Bridge, not only about this season, but also next season. Many of Chelsea’s superstars have been linked or approached by other clubs. Michael Ballack’s contract expires at the end of the season, and is uncertain about resigning. Didier Drogba has been linked to his former club Marseille and Inter Milan. Blues’ icon, Frank Lampard, has also been liked to Inter Milan. Captain John Terry has been linked with Manchester City and Salomon Kalou’s future is uncertain at Stamford Bridge. Losing any or all of these stars will have a huge impact on Chelsea’s profitability. If Frank or John leave, this could be a disaster for the Stamford Bridge image and brand. However, if Chelsea can bring back some hardware in the Champions League, FA Cup, and/or the Premier League, then many of these players should return for next season.

This Wednesday, Arsenal, Liverpool, Manchester United, and Chelsea will play against Italia Series A teams in the next round of the Champions League. Chelsea will be playing against second place Juventus. Once again, Chelsea is in a must win situation in order to advance to the next round.

Go Blues!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Beckham's Back, Sort of...

Amid all of the talk about David Beckham staying in Italy, AC Milan did not make LA Galaxy another offer for the midfielder. Since the deadline has passed, LA will retain Beckham after his loan expires. However, if David has his way, he will stay in Italy. He has made it clear that he would rather stay in Italy than return to LA.

Go figure!!!!!!!

new article @ http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=619598&sec=europe&cc=5901

initial artcle @ http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=618899&sec=mls&cc=5901

Another Victim of Instant Success: The Rise and Fall of Chelsea’s Managers

On Monday, Chelsea FC sacked their manger, Luiz Felipe Scolari midway through his first season with the club. Chelsea’s owner Roman Abramovich had enough of Scolari after the Blues failed to defeat both Manchester United and Liverpool, fell to fourth in the Premier League, were booed of their home pitch at Stamford Bridge and played a draw with mediocre Hull City. But should Scolari be the only one to blame for the Blues misfortune? Apparently so.

Midfielder and German National captain, Michael Ballack has gone on record admitting that Scolari is not the one to blame for Chelsea’s performance; the players are. He admits that many of the players are underperforming, which has led to the Blues current situation. Blues Captain John Terry publicly backed Scolari and was shocked to see him let go so early. The Brazilian had the backing of the whole team, and it was evident after Chelsea’s 2-1 win over Stroke, where after Lampard’s second goal, the whole team surrounded Scolari in the celebration.

It was obvious that something needed to be done at Stamford Bridge. There is no excuse for the team that was leading the Premier League to have fallen into 4th place. This was the team that had mastered the 1-0 game, the team that had not lost at home for the last two years, and the team that invocated fear into the league with their set pieces. Yet, Chelsea has struggled not only to win the 1-0 game, but also to win at home. Their recent appearances on the pitch have been less than sensational. Chelsea’s star forwards, Anelka and Drogba, have not contributed much to the team after showing a lot of potential. Anelka still leads the Premier League in goals, but has not scored during league play in over a month, maybe even two. Drogba is a completely different story. Drogba was the go-to-striker for Chelsea who scored 17 goals in the Premier League last year, but due to injury, was sidelined for most of the beginning matches, causing Anelka to fill his place. Since Drogba’s return, he has only caused controversy, not results. He has been kept from the roster on cup tournaments and has been Anelka’s backup, only being subbed in toward the end of matches. The Ivorian striker was Chelsea’s leading scorer last season and a skillful striker who terrorized the opponent’s backfield, now he can’t find the back of the net. In addition to his lack of presence on the pitch, he has shown some desire to leave the club. Speculation is placing him to Inter Milan, Man City, or his former club in Africa.

In addition to poor performances, Chelsea has been plagued by a record number of injuries that have kept star players like Deco, Ballack, Drogba, Terry, Essien, and Joe Cole off the pitch. At one point in time, Chelsea had 7 of11 starters out of the line up because of injury. It is obvious that some players are still playing through the pain and some that trying to get back into competitive shape after their leave of absence from the pitch.

So what does this all mean? Simple: uncertainty. This is Chelsea’s 4th manager since 2006. The newest manager to take the rains of the struggling club is Guus Hiddink, the Russian National coach, and a friend of Chelsea’s owner. However, amid the uncertainty, there are a few certainties. Either Chelsea will concentrate and put the past behind them to challenge Man United, Aston Villa, and Liverpool in the League, finish up on top in the FA and UEFA Cup, or win the Champions league; or call it a season and drop off with another season without hardware. Juventus goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon believes that Scolari’s dismissal will make Chelsea an even tougher opponent in their upcoming Champions League match. It all depends on who shows up to the match: The Chelsea from the beginning of the season that was destined for success or Chelsea of late, sluggish and unprepared.

The first step to turning around the club is to win back their fans. Blues supporters have been weary the past few matches and are displeased with the current performances that they have been witnessing. Chelsea needs to score more goals, prevent the other team from scoring, and win games. If Chelsea cannot win back their fans, it will be all over for the club. Their brand is in jeopardy if the Blues do not shake their present slump. They will have an opportunity to prove themselves against Watford this weekend in the next round of the FA Cup.

David Beckham: MLS Fallen Star

With each passing day, David Beckham’s temporary transfer to Italia Series A club AC Milan is looking more and more permanent. Beckham’s MLS club, the LA Galaxy, granted the English midfielder a loan agreement with AC Milan after Beckham’s desire to stay in favor with the English National Team. Since the MLS is not in season during the proposed loan spell, Beckham would be able to maintain his conditioning, play at a much higher level of competition, and continue to play a role in Fabio Capello’s side, aka the English National Team. This type of transfer is not unusual, especially not for Beckham. Just last year at this time, he trained with English Premier League club Arsenal. However, in the last few days, Beckham’s temporary arrangement in Milan seems to be more permanent.

There are two major concerns about this swap involving the future of both the MLS and the LA Galaxy. The MLS has spent a considerable amount of money in 2007 promoting the English midfielder and former national side captain. While I was in England during this time, this was front page news for the entire month I was there. There was so much hype surrounding this move and more speculation how this could transfer American soccer. The news of his MLS signing was a world wide spectacle. The MLS was fighting to survive in the U.S., and Beckham’s arrival began to breathe life into the dying sport.

Now that he is leaving, many soccer fans are concerned about the future of the MLS. Many question if the MLS and the LA Galaxy relied too much on Beckham’s star power. However, the MLS does not seem too torn up with Beckham’s departure. For starters, the MLS is in much better shape heading into the 2009 season than it was in 2007, when Beckham arrived. Before Beckham, the MLS was a 12 team league with the prospect of growth. However, it was also a league that needed a trigger to set off the expansion. When the 2009 season kicks off, the MLS will have grown to a 15 team league with an international television contract, a list of North American cities interested in expansion, and a far better global reputation than it had before Beckham arrived.

The English star has played his part in that growth, contributing to the league as the “ultimate world ambassador and domestic drawing card”, as described by some football commentators. The MLS knew that the buzz around Beckham would eventually diminish, but used its star to reach new markets in both the U.S. and the rest of the world. In addition, the MLS was able to establish long term relationships and global TV contracts. We will see if the MLS will be able to grow without Beckham’s star power.

Another issue over this trade is the effect on the LA Galaxy. LA is poised to lose their star midfielder, but this could be the least of their problems. Galaxy has switched their concern to forward Landon Donovan, who is currently on loan with Bayern Munich until March 8th. Like Beckham, there have been reports that Donovan may not want to leave Germany after his loan is complete. LA could find itself in deep trouble if two of their stars leave at the same time. Not only will this affect their market ability, but also hurt their competitiveness within the league.

Best of Luck MLS and LA,

Pbo

Closing Time: You Don't Have to Go Home, but You Can't Trade Here

February 3^rd marked the ending of the January transfer window in the Premier League. Originally, the window was supposed to close at 5 pm on the 2^nd, but due to a winter storm, the FA extended the window until the 3^rd. So why is this so important? Well, like the baseball trade deadline, teams are no longer allowed to sign or buy players from other teams. This was the last chance for the English League clubs to improve their roster for the last leg of league play and cup races. As the final extension closed, some big name teams were able to score some big names.

• Chelsea picked up midfielder Ricardo Quaresma from Inter Milan
• Tottenham picked up their former captain Robbie Keane after his short spell with Liverpool
• Arsenal added much needed fire power with forward Andrei Arshavin from Zenit St Petersburg
• Manchester City picked up Shay Given from struggling Newcastle United
• Aston Villa was able to persuade Gareth Barry to stay after he had requested a move during the summer

With 14 games left to play in the Premier League, the last few stages of the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup around the corner, these teams are hoping that they have made strong moves. Chelsea is in a must win situation to overcome Manchester United for the Premier League Championship, and to continue in the knock -out rounds in both the FA Cup and the UEFA Cup. Tottenham is also in a much win situation as the club faces relegation to the English League Championship and being knocked out in the UEFA Cup, and the finals of the Carling Cup. Arsenal is sitting in the 5^th position in the league after finishing in 3^rd place last year. Russian superstar Andrei Arshavin has been added to increase their forward striking and lead Arsenal into the top 3. Aston Villa was able to persuade Gareth Barry to stay with the club after his summer saga of wanting a transfer. His late change of heart may have something to do with the fact that the club tied Chelsea for the third spot in the Premier League, as well as opportunities to win hardware in both the FA Cup and UEFA Cup competition. Finally, Manchester City is continuing their spending spree. With their recent acquisition of goalie Shay Given, Manchester City hopes this final piece will complete their team so they can move up in the league standings.

Man City’s spending has caught the eye of yet another outsider. Bayern Munich general manager, Uli Hoeness, is taking great pleasure in watching Man City fail to capitalize in the league after spending large sums of money on players. Uli Hoeness has been known for running a tight budget and ironically has been a dominate force in the German League for the last two decades. This illustrates that dominate teams do not need an equally fantastic payroll in order to win championships…a lesson Manchester City can learn.

Cash and Caps: Movers and Shakers in the League

There have been some big headlines in England as the January window comes to a close. In New York Yankee style, Manchester City tried to buy legendary AC Milan midfielder Kaka for £108 million with a weekly salary of half a million pounds. If this transfer was successful, it would have been the biggest and most expensive move in the Premier League...ever. The closest to the £108 million offer was Real Madrid’s offer of £48.1 million for Zinédine Zidane in 2001! Manchester has made a lot of moves during this trade window to acquire players like De Jong (17m), Wayne Bridge, and Craig Bellamy (14m). Man City is still in talks and may yet acquire a few more players before the window closes.

With all of this attention on Man City and multi-millionaire/billionaire owners, less fortunate teams like Fulham are calling for a salary cap. Like in the NFL, NBA, and NHL, the Premier League may fall under some sort of cap. Currently, Chelsea and Manchester City are owned by billionaire oil tycoons. Roman Abramovich, Chelsea FC owner, has invested over £500 million in the team. One of the major concerns is that teams that have billionaire owners will throw their money around and offer huge contracts to star players, or corner the free agent market. On Chelsea’s team alone you have some amazing star talent from all over the world. Michael Ballack, German national captain; John Terry, English national captain; Petr Cech, considered one of the best goalies in the world, hails from the Czech Republic; Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Frank Lampard are all English national team regulars; Didier Drogba, star Ivorian national team striker; and a scattered array of other national team stars. Chelsea is fortunate to have all of these players, but if any salary cap was imposed, the Blues would have to sell off some, if not most of these players.

By throwing a lot of money around, the Premier League has been dominated by the Big 4: Arsenal, Manchester United, Liverpool, and Chelsea. They have been able to attract the best players in the business and be able to afford their giant price tags. This has caused an imbalance in the league. After every season, the bottom 3 teams are relegated or demoted to the league below their current league, while the top 3 teams are promoted to the league above theirs, all in an effort to keep the different leagues in England competitive and interesting. Chelsea, Manchester United, Arsenal, and Liverpool have never graced the lower level leagues since the creation of the league system due in part to the thick wallets these teams possess. A hard cap could possibly increase the competitiveness of the league, or backfire and make all of these stars go to the abroad leagues. This is a tough issue that the FA is considering.

Another big concern for the league is the possibility that these owners will write off their current losses and abandon their team, leaving the team with a huge debt and possible bankruptcy. Currently, Liverpool owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett are trying to sell their shares in the club. Yes, the same Tom Hicks who owns the Texas Rangers and the same George Gillett who has investments in NASCAR. They are seeking to sell Liverpool to the Al-Kharafi family, whose net worth is in the £8 billion range. If this deal goes down, then Liverpool could join the ranks of Manchester City and Chelsea as having billionaire owners. However, Chelsea is still holding their breath after their current owner, Roman Abramovich, was offered a substantial amount of money to sell the club. So who is the interested buyer? The same billionaires that own Manchester City. There is big concern in the Premier League if this deal goes through. However, at this point in time, Abramovich seems to be content as the owner of the Blues…but everyone has their price, at least according to the Manchester City’s owners. We will see how this plays out, especially if Chelsea does not come away with any hardware this season.