CSKA Moscow v. Inter Milan FSC 10:30am

Arsenal and Barcelona are stealing the headlines for this match day, but Inter vs. CSKA Moscow should be a very exciting match.  Inter Milan take a 1-0 lead to Moscow. The Italian champions had a tough time breaking down CSKA’s defense in the first leg despite playing some good soccer.  The Moscow club has played some fantastic soccer throughout the tournament; including an impressive 3-3 draw against Manchester United at Old Trafford.  Mourinho believes Inter has removed their mental block and thinks that European success is a real possibility this year.  Inter is still waiting to see if influential Dutch midfielder Wesley Snjeider is fit to play after picking up a knock on Monday. Despite the playing on turf, I still give the edge to Inter Milan.  They have more experience and the discipline to get to the next round. It should be a great match.

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Barcelona v. Arsenal, FSC 12:30pm

The first leg of this match saw Barcelona dominate Arsenal for 70 minutes.  The Spanish champions out shot Arsenal 23 to 11 and held 65% of the possession.   Arsenal would not go quietly and fought back to earn 2-2 draw thanks to the fantastic play of Theo Walcott.  The return leg has dominated the headlines mainly because there are some big name absences for this match.  Arsenal will be without midfield maestro Cesc Fabergas, winger Andrei Arshavin, defender William Gallas, and defensive midfielder Alexander Song.  Barcelona has to play without striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, starting defenders Puyol and Gerard Pique, and possibly Andres Iniesta.  Both sides have plenty of quality on their bench to fill the gaps.  Arsenal will look to Samir Nasri and Theo Walcott to spark the attack.  Barcelona have young Bojan Krkic and the veteran Theirry Henry to supplement the attack and Gabriel Milito should step in at center back.  I give the edge to Barcelona in this one. They are playing at home and they still have Lionel Messi.

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Trezeguet put Juventus 1-0 up on Fulham in the second minute of the game.  Fulham now needed four goals to get past Juventus in Europa action.  The Cottagers did the impossible and beat Juventus 4-1 to advance to the next round with a 5-4 aggregate.

Clint Dempsey, entering the match in the 71st minute, scored the fourth goal off an amazing chip.  Clint’s goal sealed Fulham’s passage to the next round of matches.  Here is ESPN’s full match report: Cottagers Complete Comeback

Check out the goal here:

ESPN released a list of the top 50 players that will be playing at the World Cup. Landon Donovan made the list at #50.

1 Lionel Messi, Argentina
2 Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal
3 Wayne Rooney, England
4 Kaka, Brazil
5 Xavi, Spain
6 Didier Drogba, Ivory Coast
7 Andres Iniesta, Spain
8 Fernando Torres, Spain
9 Steven Gerrard, England
10 Michael Essien, Ghana
11 David Villa, Spain
12 Franck Ribery, France
13 Samuel Eto’o, Cameroon
14 Luis Fabiano, Brazil
15 Iker Casillas, Spain
16 Cesc Fabregas, Spain
17 Gianluigi Buffon, Italy
18 Dani Alves, Brazil
19 Nemanja Vidic, Serbia
20 Wesley Sneijder, Netherlands
21 Maicon, Brazil
22 Frank Lampard, England
23 Andrea Pirlo, Italy
24 Carlos Tevez, Argentina
25 Robin van Persie, Netherlands
26 Gonzalo Higuain, Argentina
27 Diego Forlan, Uruguay
28 Thierry Henry, France
29 Sergio Aguero, Argentina
30 Michael Ballack, Germany
31 Julio Cesar, Brazil
32 Arjen Robben, Netherlands
33 Gerard Pique, Spain
34 Miroslav Klose, Germany
35 Lucio, Brazil
36 Javier Mascherano, Argentina
37 John Terry, England
38 David Silva, Spain
39 Carles Puyol, Spain
40 Nicolas Anelka, France
41 Ashley Cole, England
42 Patrice Evra, France
43 Marek Hamsik, Slovakia
44 Karim Benzema, France
45 Yoann Gourcuff, France
46 Daniele De Rossi, Italy
47 Philipp Lahm, Germany
48 Yaya Toure, Ivory Coast
49 Giorgio Chiellini, Italy
50 Landon Donovan, United States

The top three are unquestionable at the moment but they might not shine the brightest at this coming World Cup.  I think soccer fans should pay attention to the Netherlands dynamic midfielder Wesley Sneijder, Brazil’s dominating right back Maicon, Slovakia’s young playmaker Marek Hamsik, and Argentina’s new prophet, striker Carlos “el Apache” Tevez.

I would have found a spot for American goalkeeper Tim Howard but it is tough to argue with most of these selections.  Who do you think belongs on the list?  Who do you think will shine in South Africa?

The US beat El Salvador last night 2-1, thanks to two late strikes by Brian Ching and Sacha Kljestan.

The first 30-35 minutes were unwatchable.  El Salvador was overly casual with the ball and the US’s pressure forced multiple turnovers.  The US failed to do anything with their possession and looked like they needed someone to remind them what they were supposed to do with the ball.  Its called soccer fellas . . . the sport you get paid to play!!!!

After the “Amateur Hour in Tampa Show” was over the US started to put things together a little better.  Conor Casey  got a few nice touches and set up Kljestan with the best scoring opportunity of the first half.   Beckerman dominated the midfield for the US giving Kljestan a little bit more time to create.  The defense was rarely troubled in the first half, and Goodson, Bornstein, and Pierce enjoyed a solid half defensively. Brad Davis had a good half, demonstrating some poise and skill.

The second half was more of the same.  Brian Ching and Eddie Gaven, subbed in at the half, were creating chances for the US.  Rogers moved to the left and started to produce a little more. The US dominated El Salvador physically but a mistake by Brad Evans saw El Salvador take the lead. El Salvador’s keeper, Miguel Montes, batted away several good US chances.  The US finally leveled in the 76th minute when Brian Ching headed home a Heath Pearce cross.  Kljestan found the game winner two minutes into stoppage time. Kljestan collected an errant pass and played a quick 1-2 pass with Ching for any easy finish.

Positives:

The US was willing to attack.  It was good to see the US players aggressive and hungry to find the goal.  Miguel Montes was in great form for El Salvador and he saved them from a possible 5-1 scoreline.  I think they were also a little lucky that our finishing was poor all night.

Negatives:

I can’t believe the US can still field players with such a disturbing lack of fundamentals, both technical and tactical.  I thought we were passed these days but I guess we still have a few years to go.

Players, the good:

I thought Eddie Gaven, Brian Ching, Beckerman, Heath Pierce, and Brad Davis did themselves a favor last night.  Ching was mobile and hungry.  It doesn’t hurt that he got the tieing goal and assisted on the game winner.  Gaven was lively and showed some clever ball skill.  His final touch to pass or shoot failed him, but he had some highlight reel moments.  Beckerman is reliable and coaches love players they can depend on.  Pearce was lucky that he played on El Salvador’s weak side.  He locked down the left side defensively and put in a nice cross for Ching’s goal. Davis’s performance on the left was probably bolstered by Robbie Rogers poor play, but Davis looked sharp and dangerous in the first half.

Players, the bad:

Robbie Rogers was a mess last night.  On the right side of the field he looked like he belonged on a Wednesday night coed team.  He moved to the left and played much better but still didn’t have a good night.  Robbie Findley needs to rely on more than just his speed.  His fundamentals looked poor, and in my opinion, he shouldn’t wear the US jersey until he cleans that up.  Similarly, Jeff Cunningham might have worn the US jersey for the last time.  He started brightly but disappeared completely from the match.  Brad Evans . . . poor Brad Evans . . . he is a good player but he isn’t a right back.  I want him to get a chance at center mid and show that he can play.  It’s tough not to blame him for El Salvador’s goal but we all knew that if El Salvador was going to score, it would be down our right side.

Players, did just enough:

Conor Casey, Jonothan Bornstein, and Clarence Goodson demonstrated more of the same.  Goodson looked solid against a weak El Salvador attack.  He was also dangerous on set pieces.  Casey reminded Bradley that he can win the physical battles and play good passes up top, but he won’t work like Brian Ching.  Bornstein didn’t shine but he was steady and that is what Bradley was expecting from him.

Sacha Kljestan found the game winner last and put himself into good spots.  Before the game winner, I was going to put him in the bad category because I don’t think he did enough on either side of the ball to say he had an overall good game.  I’ve always liked Kljestan’s style and hopefully this game winner will spark his confidence and get him out of the slump.

Final Thoughts:

The season of the B-team is over. THANK GOD!!!  It was ugly, painful, and embarrassing but we survived.  As terrible as these last few games were, I still think they are necessary for the growth of our national team. Our MLS guys need to play international matches and top competition in order to grow.

I’m looking forward to our next friendly against the Netherlands.  I think Ching has earned a right to make the trip, along with Bornstein, Goodson, Perkins, and Beckerman.   I’m still hoping for Conor Casey to make the trip but if Bradley can only take one target forward, I think Ching edged him last night.

Share your thoughts on last night’s match. Who do you think should make the trip to the Netherlands?

Faraoni.com has put together a competition for the best football video editors on the internet.  Plenty of youtube video highlight compilations have been produced over the years but the submissions for this competition are top notch.  There is some serious quality in the videos being produced for this competition and you should do yourself a favor and check them out.  If you think you can hang with the videos being produced for this competition, you should submit your work. The deadline is at the end of this month.

Check out some of the videos already submitted:

Here is an intro video for the competition:

Here is one of my favorites, “This is Football”

This is a great Messi compilation: “Season of Memories”

You can see more videos on Faraoni’s website or by searcing BFVECC on youtube.

Adu scored his first goal for Aris today and it proved to be the game winner.  Adu put in a fantastic performance before being subbed out late in the game for tactical reasons.  Eddie Johnson also got the nod and had some highlight reel moments but couldn’t find the back of the net.

Here is Freddy’s goal:

A goal and an assist so far for Freddy in Greece.  What do you think about his progress so far?  Do you think this will be a career making move for Freddy? This isn’t the first time Freddy has had early success with a team before slowly disappearing from the first team.

Chelsea’s victory over Arsenal this past weekend left a nine point gap between first place and the Gunners.  Chelsea midfielder Michael Ballack believes that Arsenal are out of the title race.  Ballack also went to say that Arsenal don’t play effective soccer.  You can read the full story here: Arsenal out of the title race

Is Arsenal out of the title race? With 13 games and 3 1/2 months of soccer left on the calendar I’m not ready to throw in the towel.  Although nine points is a large gap it isn’t insurmountable.  Chelsea still needs to face Manchester United, Tottenham, Aston Villa, Manchester City, and Liverpool.  Each of those teams could easily chip away at Chelsea’s lead.  I think it is unwise for Chelsea to count out more workman like teams such as Everton and Stoke as well.  We can’t forget how Chelsea struggled to find a goal in their 1-1 tie against Hull City only a few weeks ago.

The fact of the matter is that Chelsea hasn’t won anything yet and still faces plenty of competition that, at second glance, makes their 9 point lead look more fragile. Michael Ballack is speaking too soon.  He should focus his attention on Chelsea’s match against Everton this weekend and leave title predictions for April. I think the bigger problem is an in form Manchester United.

This doesn’t mean Arsenal doesn’t have work to do. Their ineffective soccer was exploited two weeks in a row and some question their resolve to bounce back and make a title run.  Arsenal’s schedule still consists of Manchester City, Liverpool, and Tottenham.  All winnable games but the Gunners will need to show more than they did against Chelsea and Manchester United.

How do we right this ship?  Arsenal needs to find more conviction and creativity.  For all their quick passing and clever dribbling, they are incredibly predictable and easily contained.  While that style can dazzle lesser teams, more worthy competition won’t be bothered. Arshavin, Fabergas, and Nasri all bring flash but they need to find the back of the net. They aren’t strikers but they get the looks and can’t put the ball away.

If I was the coach I’d start Bendtnar at center forward, partnered by Rosicky and Arshavin.  I don’t think Arshavin is used appropriately at center forward.  Fabergas is phenomenal but I think the coach has too much confidence in his play.  Fabergas isn’t an every game player or at least not at attacking mid. Push him higher up the line as a second forward and give the attacking mid reigns to Rosicky or Arshavin.  I’d play Diaby higher up the field as well and possibly slide in Aaron Ramsey as a center mid.  Eboue needs to be back in the starting lineup, and Nasri and Walcott need to be used sparingly.

Hopefully this summer will see some big changes.  News that Fabergas hasn’t signed a new contract with Arsenal and is looking towards Barcelona doesn’t bother me.  He is a phenomenal player but maybe not the right player for Arsenal.  Fabergas is a player that can only excel if the team is built around him and that ties Arsenal down.  Additionally, I think our captain needs to be a grittier player, a Patrick Vieira type.

The good news is that Van Persie’s ankle rehab is right on schedule and he is predicted to be back in action some time in April to help Arsenal close out the season.

Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh is still interested in joining Arsenal even though Wenger denies any deal has been made.  I think he would be a good summer pick up.

Share your thoughts on Arsenal seasons.

Jozy Altidore scored his first Premiership goal today.  He gave Hull City the lead in 31st minute against Manchester City.  Boateng scored the winning the goal for Hull in the 54th.  Adebayor pulled one back for City but Hull was able to hold on for the win.  Altidore was subbed out in the 66th minute and walked off with a slight limp.

Here is the goal:

All I have to say about this is . . . THANK GOD!!!  I thought the kid was never going to score.  He’s played well for Hull, but the goals have eluded him.  Hopefully Altidore gets on a long scoring run from here on out.  We’ll need him in top goal scoring form this summer.

Share your thoughts on the goal.

Before we start this morning’s news and notes sections. I would like to bring to your attention a very interesting and important piece of news.   The Green Army is the first annual FC DENVER MLS FANTASY LEAGUE CHAMPION!!!!  Was there any doubt who would win this league.  Like I said when the fantasy league started, this competition was really to see who would be in second place.

Anyways I’m going to give you guys a moment to bask in my awesomeness . . . that’s right take it all in.

The Green Army finished the season with 3670 points and placed 600 overall.  I didn’t get into the top 400 like I hoped, but I was close for most of the second half of the season.  The Texian Army, led by Jeff Crow, finished second with 3396 points.  The second place finish was only 15 points better than third place finisher Straight Red with 3381 points, led by Kyle Firebaugh.

Congrats to the top three finishers and thank you to everyone for playing.  We’ll do this again next season and next time please remember to bring some Kryptonite cause I’m bullet proof son!!!!

US U17 set to fact Italy in the Round of 16:

The US defeated the UAE 1-0 on Sunday to book a place into the second round.  The loan goal was scored by Jack McInerney who followed up a spilled shot by the UAE goalkeeper.  Italy finished first in group F and are looking like favorites to win the whole the tournament.

The US has played some good soccer in this tournament they just haven’t finished.  All of their games could have ended in clear and large victories, including the game against Spain, if the US just converted.  If they US can find their goal scoring touch, they should advance past Italy.

Here is a list of the other round of 16 matches: Argentina vs. Colombia; Turkey vs. United Arab Emirates; Switzerland vs. Germany; Italy vs. United States; Spain vs. Burkina Faso; Iran vs. Uruguay; Mexico vs. Korea Republic; Nigeria vs. New Zealand

MLS Top Seeds Struggle:

After the first round of play Real Salt Lake (8th seed) and New England(7th seed) were able to find victories against Columbus (1st seed) and Chicago (4th seed), respectively.  The remaining top 4 seeds, LA and Houston, both finished with ties.  Here is how the games turned out:

Houston v. Seattle: 0-0, the next match is in Houston, last year Houston took a 0-0 scoreline home and ended up losing to NY Red Bulls.

Columbus v. Real Salt Lake: 0-1, Robbie Findley 88th minute, Columbus has been struggling since they qualified for the playoffs, they’ll need to find their form if they want to beat an RSL team that is likely to buckle down and defend when they travel to Columbus.

Chicago v. New England: 1-2, Rolfe 17th, Olsei 47th, Joseph 75th, New England was able to hang onto their lead this game but Chicago will be tough to stop at Toyota Park.

Los Angeles v. Chivas: 2-2, Maicon 4th, Magee 14th, Donovan 41st, Galindo 50th, The game was a comedy of defensive errors. Both sides need more focus in the next match.

Edgar Castillo called for the US National Team:

Edgar Castillo has finally been called into the national team by Bob Bradley.  He will participate in the US’s two European friendlies in the middle of November against Slovakia and Denmark, both already qualified for the World Cup.  Castillo released the news of his call up to the Mexican media on Saturday and it has been subsequently confirmed.

For those that don’t know, Castillo turned his back on the US a few years ago to play for Mexico even though he was born and raised in New Mexico.  Castillo lost his place with the Mexican national team due to the constant coaching changes and a dip in his form and playing time.  Castillo appeared for Mexico several times but non of those appearances cap tied him.  When FIFA passed the law that allows players to switch national teams at any age as long as they are 1) eligible to play for that country, and 2) not cap tied, Castillo had a change of heart and petitioned to play for the US.  Castillo has been in great form for his current club Tigres and could be the answer at left back or left mid.

Clint Dempsey Scores Again:

Dempsey put the nail in Liverpool’s coffin this weekend by scoring Fulham’s 3rd goal.  Dempsey is finally returning to form after an injury lay off.  Now that Charlie Davies has practically been ruled out of the World Cup, barring a miracle recovery, we’ll need Dempsey in top goal scoring form come the summer.

Yanks Abroad getting minutes:

It was good weekend for American defenders this weekend.  Nine Americans went 90 minutes: Bocanengra, Spector, Cherundolo, Freeman, Castillo, Goodson (1 goal), Simek, Orozco, and Parkhurst.

Freidel, Perkins, and Howard played 90 for their clubs while a majority of the American keepers dressed but did not play. Including: Guzan, Hahnemann, Cervi, and Robles.

National team midfielders Dempsey (goal), Bradley, and Torres all played 90 minutes.  While Benny Feilhaber, White, and Bedoya all played at least 75 minutes.  Beasley once again made the first 18 for Rangers but did not play.

Up top, Altidore played the most minutes with 31 in Hull’s loss at Burnley.  Cooper was the only other American forward to see time (15 min).  Freddy Adu made the bench but didn’t play for Belenenses against Porto.  Little by little he’s working his way in.  Keep the faith.

Alright, that’s it for today. Let me know your thoughts!

After a long day of matches England, Paraguay, and Spain join the list of qualified teams.  A few other countries such as Denmark and Chile missed out on the opportunity to join this group and will have to wait until October to celebrate a berth. There are 11 teams qualified so far leaving 20 spots still in contention.  One of those spots will definitely go to either Bahrain or New Zealand.

This is the current list of qualified teams:

South Africa, Brazil, Paraguay, Ghana, Netherlands, England, Spain, South Korea, North Korea, Japan, and  Australia

There are still some big names not yet qualified such as Portugal, France, Argentina, Italy, Germany, Egypt, USA, Mexico, Croatia, Nigeria, and Chile.  While some of these teams are on the brink of a berth others look likely to miss out on the big show.

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Here are some videos of yesterday’s qualifiers:

Brazil 4-2 Chile

USA 1-0 T&T

England 5-1 Croatia

Share your thoughts on the qualifiers and the World Cup.