WIN (and then tie) OR GO HOME: 2012-2013 Champions League Preview Part II

Written by: Andy Chiang

Manchester United vs. Real Madrid
Leg 1: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
Leg 2: Old Trafford

Let’s be honest. Manchester United got the worst draw of the UEFA Champions League 2012-2013 Knockout rounds. But it’s overcoming obstacles like this that make the stuff of legend. You become the best by beating the best. 

My last post was about how it won’t be the individuals that will be the key to this tie, but the performance of these 22 players as teams. Specifically, United’s midfield 5 (or 4) will need to rely on smart, organized, and unified team play to stifle Madrid’s counter attack and overcome their high pressure style. I fear that the usual Fergie tactic of turtle up and hit on the counter will not work against Madrid. As we saw recently against Tottenham, United must take the initiative. Madrid have too much speed and too many match winners on the field for United to be chasing the ball.

Today I am going to present the single exception. There are two individuals that do matter, but they aren’t Ronaldo or Van Persie... 

It’s going to be the two men standing between the sticks: De Gea and Adan/Lopez.

On paper, both these men face a daunting task. Something on the order of staving off an avalanche with a shovel. The amount of offense that will be on the field when the game starts makes a video game scoreline feel like a possibility. Both these keepers could make 6 or 7 saves a game and still give up 3-4 goals. I think everyone is looking forward to a goal-fest (even from a Mourinho team). So why do I say the crucial component to this tie is the keeper and not the offense?

Neither of these keepers are particularly dominant. Adan has already been benched in the wake of Iker’s hand injury after a horror start. Lopez has started the last two games, but only made 3 saves against Barca and was bailed out twice: once by the woodwork after being left for dead on a Xavi free kick, and once by a goal line clearance by the excellent Raphael Varane. An inch here or there and his record in that game would have been 3 saves 3 goals leaked. Meanwhile he only faced 4 shots against relegation bound Granada, of which only one was on target.

Meanwhile, De Gea has also had a rocky campaign. The young Spanish stopper with the up-sweeping-reverse-Bieber hair has finally enjoyed a run of consistent starts, featuring in the United’s last Champion’s League group loss to CFR Cluj and the last 10 United Premier League games. Unfortunately, his play has been erratic and, fair or unfair, has drawn much so much public criticism that his teammates have had to come out publicly to speak up for him. Trade rumors also abounded during the January transfer window. From where I am sitting, De Gea has played well over the last few games. His quickness and reactions are a major reason for United’s current comfortable league position. De Gea’s weakness is in his catching skills. Either he can’t catch, or he doesn’t trust himself to catch balls, and more than a few saves have rebounded to delighted opposition players. While he has improved in defending the cross and in set pieces (having Vidic back has also helped), he has not fully mastered the punch yet. In the end he will always be hounded by critics because he is not Van Der Sar and he is not Schmeichel. Pretty tough gloves to fill. As a youngster (he is just 22) I hope he will be mentally strong enough to continue to develop and perform into the world-class player he should and will one day be. My hope is that his piss poor English skills (I have never heard him speak a lick of English in interviews) prevent him from reading the papers and will protect his confidence.

Given the context, the man that makes the least mistakes, who keeps his concentration the longest, who marshals the defense at the critical time, may ultimately decide the victor. De Gea will have to confront the weaknesses in his game head on when he faces long shot specialists Ronaldo Essien, and Di Maria. Will he be able to minimize the number of times he punches or parries balls to a lurking poacher like Khedira, Benzema, and Higuain? Given their recent run of form, I don’t rate Adan or Lopez against United’s attacking unit of Van Persie, Welbeck, Chicharito, and Rooney. But can Adan not get himself sent off? Can Lopez limit United to 2 instead of shipping 3 or 4?

Doom and gloom aside, I think De Gea has a chance here to really shake the hater monkeys off his back if he can come up with solid performances against Madrid. De Gea is much more talented than either of the men on the other side of the pitch, and is the X factor for this tie without a doubt. Should he tame the Madrid attack, his place in the starting 11 and United lore will be assured and he can make a throw rug for his fireplace with the hides of the hater monkeys.

Conclusion:

Pound for pound Real Madrid look to be the stronger side on paper, but as their La Liga record suggests they lack consistency and can be beaten. Some final thoughts on the relative strengths and weaknesses of the sides... 

Real Madrid’s strengths are in the Midfield and their major weakness is in Goal.

I will be the first to admit I do not know a lot about Diego Lopez. But a glance at his statistics so far this year reveals an uninspiring record that started at Sevilla. In his 9 rated matches in La Liga 2012-2013, he has logged ratings over 6.5 twice, and logged ratings under 6.0 four times (per whoscored.com). One should also note that so far this season, he hasn’t played anyone. He was not a starter at Sevilla, and has played against top tier competition only 3 times this season. Besides the Barcelona Copa Del Rey meeting mentioned earlier (performance not rated) his ratings were ho-hum each time: (note: both these games were with Sevilla) 5.84 rating against Malaga where he faced 9 shots total, 2 on target and gave up 2 goals, 5.58 rating against Valencia where he faced 15 shots total, 4 on target, 7 blocked and gave up two goals.  Apparently he is a big framed player strong in the air and was a part of the Spain Euro 2008 Squad. It was also reported that he studied under the great Van Der Sar in 2007. Pundits point to his size and experience in international and European competition, but most of the plaudits Lopez has won were in the 2006-2009 time frame. Whatever he might have been in 2009, he might be an upgrade to the shaken Adan, but De Gea takes the edge in this matchup. On Madrid’s midfield advantage...I don’t think I need to write much here to support this statement of fact. I mean Kaka and Modric sit on the bench. Essien is often used as a right back. That’s just silly. Even Benzema and Higuain, while occupying a “lone striker” position on the team sheet and TV infographic, have attacking midfield tendencies.

Manchester United have an edge going forward and are hoping for a Real Madrid dip in form.

While it is true that United have a better scoring record in their respective domestic league - having scored 60 goals so far this season, almost a third coming against top 10 EPL defenses based on total goals against numbers - Madrid (on paper) can field more game changing goal scorers at once. Ronaldo, Benzema, Ozil, Di Maria, Higuain, even Khedira and Ramos, and who can forget Essien’s memorable strikes once upon a time. In reality, Ronaldo scores all the goals. CR7 has scored almost 40% of all of Madrid’s goals so far this year in La Liga. No one else on the team has reached double digits in goals yet (Higuain has 8). To contrast, Rooney and Van Persie have double digit goals (Hernandez has 8). I give the edge here to United based on the fact that we have a more balanced attacking threat in the forward positions. I think the goal scoring exploits of Van Persie and Ronaldo about cancel each other out. I think Rooney blows Benzema/Higuain out of the water. (Of course I also realize that Madrid’s offense is mainly generated and executed by the midfield, so of course United’s forwards have better stats...

If the Giant’s and the Raven’s NFL success has shown us anything in the past few years it’s come playoff time it’s not about which team is the best but which team is playing the best at the moment. World football has known this for years, conceptualized by talks of a teams “form”. In this sense, I think United have had a great run of form as late and haven't lost a meaningful contest since November 20th of last year. On the flip side, United haven’t played a meaningful Champions League game since beating braga in November of last year and duly lost the last two “gimme” games. United will face a tough Everton squad this weekend, a tie which is increasingly becoming our “bogey” tie. On the brightside, Rooney has enjoyed a stellar run of form in the last few games and will hopefully be peaking against Real Madrid. United will also enjoy a spell of easy league games between the first and the second legs - all our opponents in between ties are fighting relegation. If United can find its rhythm and beat Everton on Sunday, the squad will be in good shape for the trip to Madrid. Meanwhile, Madrid face an easy Sevilla matchup before meeting United, but will have to play four games before the two sides meet again (United will only be playing three), and two of those games will be against Barcelona. These two games against Barca will be back to back, the last being played 2 days before United and Madrid meet again. Given the rivalry, it will be difficult for Mourinho to bench his starters for these games, and fatigue may become a critical factor for this matchup - and the edge United need to go through! The odds may be against us, but the game isn’t played on a sheet of paper. When the whistle blows United will have a chance to re-establish itself in Europe after recent disappointments. To the holder of the biggest scalp goes the greatest glory! COME ON YOU REDS! Prediction Leg 1: MUTD 2:2 RMA Leg 2: MUTD 3:2 RMA

Photo and video content courtesy of uefa.com

Connect with Albert Nguyen!

Bio: http://www.gymclassallstars.com/p/albert-nguyen_26.html

Email: albertn@gymclassallstars.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/alnguyen84

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WIN (and then tie) OR GO HOME: 2012-2013 Champions League Preview Part I

Written by: Andy Chiang

Manchester United vs. Real Madrid

February 13, 2013
2:45pm Eastern
Leg 1: Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
Leg 2: Old Trafford

With the Knockout stages of the Champions League finally upon us, I and footy loving Americans everywhere are probably already planting the seeds for our impending Tuesday and Wednesday sickies. While one may opt for a more traditional “I woke up this morning and I don’t feel well” on a Tuesday, a more prudent fan may start quietly dropping hints of a cough or severe allergy/cold/flu/stomach virus throughout the week or so prior so that an innocuous Tuesday/Wednesday absence won’t seem out of the ordinary. Of course there is always the “morning traffic accident” that can buy you a half day, but that will really only work once, so you would have to choose. Regardless of which way you go, in my humble and biased opinion Manchester United vs. Real Madrid is by far the most intriguing matchup of the round followed closely by Porto vs. Malaga (two evenly matched and hungry sides with something to prove), and AC Milan vs. Barcelona (will Balotelli shine against a beatable Barca?).

The storylines between these two sides would be fit for a Peter Jackson trilogy. Mourinho vs. Ferguson, The Return of Ronaldo, Van Persie the Reincarnation of Cantona. The clash of the two biggest and richest clubs on the planet playing out in two of the footballing worlds’ most storied stadiums against a backdrop of hundreds’ of years of prestigious history between them. What more can a fan ask for? It’s a matchup like this one and the promise of those magical “European nights” that makes me ache for a mega millions jackpot win to be able to experience this tie in person. With the Superbowl only a few days past, it is also striking how different the feel of the Champions League is in comparison. In my eyes the Superbowl, even when taken as a weeklong football fest, pales when compared to a UCL final...but maybe that’s just because I live in Dallas? But I digress - the romantics of the Champions League aside, lets get into the key matchups of the tie.

Let me start by saying I will spare you all the historical matchup stats between United x Madrid or Fergie x Mourinho. I don’t know why European news outlets love to publish this information...but they are completely meaningless in giving us insight into next weeks’ match. Different time, different team, different players, different circumstances, etc. I don’t know why viewers would care about these stats. So...

Individuals and personalities steal headlines, but unit play is the key

Even by Champions League standards, the 2013 United x Madrid matchup features some of the biggest current personalities and names in the game. Sir Alex is enjoying a happy 2012-2013 season that has seen his much criticized United squad defy many of the critics and build a comfortable lead atop one of the most competitive leagues in the world. In between he has found time to abuse match officials, wine and dine with Pep Guardiola in NYC, and grace the halls of Harvard Business School. Just another year at the top for Fergie and United: more often than not finding ways to come back for the win, more often than not finding someone to step up.

At the other end of the spectrum is the roller-coaster-telenovela world of Real Madrid. Cristiano Ronaldo is sad, but he won’t say why and he still scores goals (why are there no good memes on this?!). Mourinho is a genius, then he benches Iker and is an egotistical maniac. Iker and Sergio demand his ouster says Madrid’s media friend Marca, but then the players refute this story and the club counter-attack their former friend like a mid-table La Liga opponent. All of a sudden Mourinho can’t control his dressing room, but they go on a 21 goal 8 game tear to open welcome 2013.

While individuals may be stealing the headlines leading up to this tie, the key battle of the game will most likely play out between how well each side’s midfield unit can play organized and play together. CR7 came out on Monday saying that he thought Real Madrid were better than United. Especially in the midfield, I would heartily agree. Tongue in cheek, EA sports and FIFA13 do too. Real Madrid’s midfield rating on the game is 4 points higher than United (as of 5 Feb 2013 - it was higher the week prior). Especially for United, organization and intelligence will be the key to control the middle third, stifle Madrid’s attack, and provide service to Van Persie, Chicharito, and Welbeck. 

This will definitely be an uphill battle for United. Of all the teams they could have drawn, Real Madrid’s style may be one of the toughest for United to cope with. We have struggled this season when playing against teams with Real Madrid’s uptempo, speedy, pressing style. Like the last few times United have crashed out of Europe, teams have learned that pressing Michael Carrick is an easy way to disrupt United’s rhythm. Carrick is having a banner year, and the team relies on him more than ever to do a Xavi and pull the strings. Also, the safety net here is thin. We no longer have Scholes to bail us out and Cleverley and Anderson have been wildly inconsistent. Kagawa has been playing well, but has not been able to impact a game like he did at Dortmund. He is poor in defense, but his quickness will be important in getting into passing lanes and disrupting the Madrid defense-to-midfield transition. On the brightside Rooney has been on fire the last few games playing out of the midfield. Rooney’s willingness to track back and defend as well as his touch and vision will make him invaluable in the coming battle, but he can’t do it alone. It will take a true team effort.

Meanwhile, Madrid are one of the few teams on the planet that can boast a counter attack faster than Manchester United. Facing 4-5 players with world-class breakaway speed (Ronaldo, Ozil, Di Maria, Modric, Callejon?), United’s midfield will have to move up and down the field together, swarm the passing lanes, and be careful with their positioning, knowing that even a slight misstep can leave a teammate exposed and result in De Gea picking the ball out of his net.

That’s all for this edition. Feel free to smite me in the comments. Stay tuned for part 2 coming tomorrow!

Photo and video content courtesy of uefa.com

Connect with Albert Nguyen!

Bio: http://www.gymclassallstars.com/p/albert-nguyen_26.html

Email: albertn@gymclassallstars.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/alnguyen84

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Mama Said There’d Be Days Like This

By: Andy Chiang

Obligatory Salute to the Hillsborough  96

Much was made about the Hillsborough Tragedy in the run-up to the storied Manchester United v Liverpool derby this past Sunday. On September 12^th the Hillsborough Independent Panel released a report pointing the finger at the Government for the 96 fans who lost their lives on that fateful April day in Sheffield in 1989. Until then, the official blame had fallen on the shoulders of the fans themselves. All around the EPL fans and teams showed solidarity with those affected and left behind with various tributes (i.e. minutes of silence, “You’ll Never Walk Alone” banners, etc.). Already the EPL’s most storied rivalry, this weekend’s game lived up to its billing by featuring plenty of hard tackles, contentious refereeing, a pivotal red card, and a winning PK awarded to Man United. Plenty of reading material and commentary if your interested in the Hillsborough Tragedy – Commentary from The Guardian, a summary of the panel’s findings, a more cynical view of this weekends tributes.

I have watched the Man Utd v. Liverpool fixture for the last ten years. I have never heard the Kop rock as much as it did in the first 15 minutes of this game. Against the backdrop of “The Truth” and “Justice” as spelled out in the terraces of Anfield, even my Red Devil blood was stirred by the sounds of “You’ll Never Walk Alone” (skip to 3:00).

From where I’m sitting however (across the pond), while the deaths of 96 fans is tragic I still think the tributes this weekend pale in comparison to tributes that the NFL, NBA, NHL, NASCAR, MLS, etc. do for U.S. servicemen/women…of course I am an American, and many of my friends have served overseas in “The Suck” so my perspective is biased.

Those sentiments aside, United played terribly. Though victorious in the end, words like “laborious” and “lucky” come to mind upon even shallow reflection. Looking at the final stats, Liverpool held only a 52 to 48 edge in possession…but this is playing with ten men for the majority of the match, with Jonjo Shelvey sent off in the 39^th minute. (A tough call as both players involved left their feet in the challenge.) No bones about it, Liverpool’s midfield of Shelvey, Gerrard,  Joe Allen, and flop master Suarez completely outnumbered and dominated Carrick, Giggs, and Kagawa. As a result, Liverpool completed over 100 passes in the first half[1]. Great breakdown from a tactical pro on how they did it.

That’s not even what I most disappointed about in this game. When United bought Shinji Kagawa from Dortmund this summer, I won’t lie, I was ecstatic. I think the general feel in world football today is that world-class creative AMF’s only come from Brazil, Argentina, Spain, The Netherlands, Germany, Italy, France, basically all your traditional continental and South American footballing powerhouses. Asia is always left out of the elite class conversation, with the exceptions of Shunsuke Nakamura and Hidetoshi Nakata in the 90’s and early 2000’s. And to be honest, they were only really talked about every four years. And to be brutally honest, Nakamura played in the Scottish Premier League. A few years ago Keisuke Honda rose to prominence with a big money move to CSKA Moscow (a transfer record for an Asian player at the time), but has since fallen out of the headlines. I had high hopes that Kagawa would blow up and hopefully help spur the next generation of Asian playmakers. On Sunday, when the world was watching, on the EPL’s biggest stage, in what will probably be one of the biggest games of the season for footballing reasons and others, Kagawa’s performance fell woefully flat.

Watching the game, I waited for Kagawa lead the break, make runs to pull defense’s out of shape, to make incisive passes to befuddle and emasculate Liverpool’s defenders.  What I saw was a timid performance, too conservative and too nervy to be effective. To be honest, I would have hauled him off for Chicharito much earlier than 81”. Kagawa played the vast majority of his passes back to Scholes or the backline. The key word there is “backward”. Safe. Conservative. Make the safe pass, then turn around and make a run. Best way to look like your contributing when your really not. He made almost no passes forward, and very rarely did he try and take anyone on. Of his few passes forward, some were to no one and point to a continued lack of understanding with his fullbacks.

[I wish The Guardian still offered their Chalkboard service so I could back up these contentions with some numbers, but that is no longer available. If anyone wants to help an android brother out (and has an iphone) pick up the excellent fourfourtwo statszone app and pull up Kagawa’s passing chart for me. ]

Every time Kagawa made a back pass to Scholes (who would then make an incisive pass up field, or switch the angle of attack with a pin point cross field ball) I cringed. In my head, I envisioned Salaryman Kagawa deferring responsibility to his elders in fine Confucian fashion. Where is the boldness?! Where is the risk-taking?! You’re in England, Who Dares Wins! It is clear that Kagawa is still not adjusted to the EPL and his teammates. Most of his give and go attempts end after his give. Much of United’s attacking impetus is now concentrated at the flanks, with Rafael/Valencia/Evra/Buttner all playing brightly as of late. At the end of his runs. Kagawa seems to have a tendency to end up right in the 8-yd box in front of the keeper, to do what, attack a cross with a thumping header? It’s probably the worst place on the field to put a 5 ft. 7 inch man that wins 0.3 aerial duels a game[2].  I think I would be relieved if I thought that Kagawa’s only problem was his size or strength. Of course some in the media have already begun mutter about Kagawa’s small stature, saying he is too “weak” for the EPL, this of course is a load of crap (see 5’5” Santi Cazorla). I am hoping the issue is one more one of team chemistry and confidence that should be addressed with time.

Whatever ails Kagawa (maybe its because he has only had 5 games?), it’s clear that Sir Alex has not yet solved United’s midfield conundrum as evidenced by the number of Paul Scholes appearances this season (started 3, subbed in in 2). With injuries continuing to plague United’s defenders (Vidic, Jones, Smalling), the midfield battle becomes that much more important in covering for what will be a makeshift defensive line.

Other United midfield disappointments for me:

·    Tom Cleverly – Started for England against Ukraine in early September (Yay!). His performance featured turnovers and errant passes galore, and three missed goal opportunities that the 70-yr old Sir Alex Ferguson could have converted (Boo!)

·    Nani – The Portuguese Black Hole loves to stall United’s attack flow by striking a pose over the ball in front of opposing defenders only to make the easy pass out. He is also obviously practicing for his future NFL kicking career by blazing all his shots as high up in the stands as possible.

Photo courtesy of www.guardian.co.uk

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UEFA Champions League Draw 2012-2013, Part II

[Continued from UEFA Champions League Draw 2012-2013, Part I]

Group of Death
Came back from lunch and saw the results of the draw. No question about it, Group D is the Group of Death, with 4 winners of their respective leagues, with representation from the 3 toughest leagues (Real, Man City, Ajax, and Dortmund). About the only possible combination that would have been harder was if Juventus (Serie A champion) and Ajax switched places from the Pot 3 draw.

Group of Life
At first glance, I thought the corresponding Group of Life - that is the group where anyone could advance, but they're weak - might have been Group A, with no teams from the any of the Top 4 leagues, i.e., Premier League, La Liga, Bundesliga, Serie A. However, I'd say that Porto, as the Primeira Liga champion, and PSG, which pulled a Man City last year with an influx of oil money, probably have the inside track to advance. So the Group of Life might actually be Group H, where Man U are guaranteed Group winners, but each of the other 3 have a shot at getting through.

Luckily, my beloved Gunners escaped the most difficult pairing possibilities, although there is some stiff competition from Schalke, which can play with highly technical German teams and Montpellier, the Ligue 1 champ.

The 2012-2013 UCL Group Draw & Predictions:
Top 2 teams in each group advance.

Group A
1. FC Porto
2. Paris Saint Germain
3. Dynamo Kyiv
4. Dinamo Zagreb

Group B
1. Arsenal
2. Schalke 04
3. Montpellier
4. Olympiakos

Group C
1. AC Milan
2. Zenit St Petersburg
3. Malaga
4. Anderlecht

Group D
1. Real Madrid
2. Manchester City
3. Borussia Dortmund
4. Ajax Amsterdam

Group E
1. Chelsea
2. Juventus
3. Shakhtar Donetsk
4. FC Nordsjaelland

Group F
1. Bayern Munich
2. Valencia
3. Lille
4. BATE Borisov

Group G
1. Barcelona
2. Benfica
3. Spartak Moskva
4. Celtic


Group H
1. Manchester United
2. Galatasaray
3. SC Braga
4. CFR Cluj

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UEFA Champions League Draw 2012-2013, Part I

Every year, the world watches as UEFA kicks off the Champions League season with a draw determining the makeup of the Group Stage of the competition. The intent is to create balanced groups that permit the best teams from across Europe to advance to the knockout stages. There are 32 teams seeded and divvied up into 4 "pots" of 8 teams each Which pot a team is classified in is based on a combination of national league strength and UCL record over the last five years, with Pot 1 holding the strongest teams and Pot 4 the weakest They are randomly placed into 1 of 8 Groups - each group gets 1 team from each Pot Only exception is that each group cannot have more than 1 team from the same national league Because the seedings don't necessarily reflect the actual, current strength of the team, there are inevitably mismatches that create a lot of the drama and hype leading up to group play. Somehow, every year has a "Group of Death" that will include teams like Man City (Group 2??), Juventus (Group 3??). UEFA should really scrap the "last 5 years' performance" metric that completely don't take reality into account. Like Man City's meteoric rise from Qatari money. Or Juventus' suspension hurting them in this ranking. I suppose this is all part of soccer's drama. In any case, I'll be rating the chances of advancing in a follow up post once the draw is over in 'Part 2.' Here are the Pots: Pot 1 Chelsea Barcelona Manchester United Bayern Munich Real Madrid Arsenal FC Porto AC Milan Pot 2 Valencia Benfica Shakhtar Donetsk Zenit St Petersburg Schalke 04 Manchester City SC Braga Dynamo Kiev Pot 3 Olympiakos Ajax Amsterdam Anderlecht Juventus Spartak Moscow Paris Saint Germain Lille Galatasaray Pot 4 Celtic Borussia Dortmund BATE Borisov Dinamo Zagreb CFR Cluj Malaga Montpellier FC Nordsjaelland

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2012 - 2013 Barclays' Premier League Primer and Predictions!

For those of you unfamiliar with English soccer, the Barclays Premier League, aka English Premier League or EPL, is the top level of soccer in England.  It’s an easy league for Americans to follow and there are a number of good squads to choose from. Catching a match is easier than you think (ESPN, Fox Soccer Network, and the occasional live stream from some illegitimate website) and with the recent success of the US Women’s team in the Olympics and the USMNT victory over Mexico this week, why not give soccer a chance?

Here’s a quick rundown of how the season goes.  There are 20 teams that make up the league and they play each other twice (home and away) for a total of 38 matches a season per team. The top four finishers get the opportunity to play in The Champions League, which brings the top teams across each of the top European leagues (Spanish La Liga, English Premier League, German Bundesliga, and Italian Serie A to name the most popular) together for a tournament to determine the best club team in Europe.  It’s also the most prestigious and lucrative of all tournaments, so most teams are more concerned with making this tournament than actually winning the league.  To add another wrinkle, the bottom three finishers are RELEGATED to a lower division and the top three finishers in that division move up!  This would be like sending the Astros, Rockies (wow, didn’t know they were this bad), and the Twins to Triple A and bringing up the top three minor league teams.  I, for one, wished every league did this!  

The 20 teams in the EPL can easily be divided into Tiers:

                

Tier 1 – “Championship Contenders” – Usually 2 or 3 teams, the ones with the most money and are in to not only make Champions League, but compete for the league title.

Tier 2 – “Also Rans” – 4-5 very good, but not great teams, battling for that final Champions League spot.

Tier 3 – “Midtable” – 8-9 teams that are not going to challenge for a Champions League spot, but are just happy to stick around and play some competitive matches and not get relegated.

Tier 4 – “Relegation Fodder” – 4-5 teams that are in danger of getting relegated, which makes for high drama and comedy at the end of the season.  Often, this is more exciting that the actual championship race. 

I’m only covering 9 teams that I think you can actually follow or are worth looking into.  Here are my predictions of the finish of the bottom 11 teams in order from highest to lowest:

Stoke City, Swansea City, Norwich City, Sunderland, Aston Villa, Wigan Atletic, West Bromwich Albion, West Ham United, Queens Park Rangers, Southhampton, Reading

Not that we got that out of the way, let’s take a deeper look at the remaining clubs:

Manchester United

Nickname: Red Devils

Grounds: Old Trafford

Shirt Sponsor: AON

The most storied club in England with a renowned manager in Sir (seriously SIR!) Alex Ferguson. He runs a tight ship at Old Trafford and it seems like they have a never-ending cycle of young players who can plug into the starting XI and get good results. United is by far the most popular team in England and probably the most popular sports franchise in the entire world.  The Red Devils are similar to the New York Yankees in terms of having a huge international fanbase, but are generally despised by all the supporters of other teams.  

Arsenal

Nickname: Gunners

Grounds: Emirates Stadium

Shirt Sponsor: Air Emirates

Arsenal is a storied franchise that plays in North London and are another extremely popular club with many fans across the world.  They also have a legendary manager in Arsene Wenger, a Frenchman who brought beautiful football to England back in the ‘90s that essentially revolutionized the game.  Arsenal has fallen on some “hard times” recently, having not won a major trophy in 7 years and seeing the exit of many of their star players, leading many to call them a “feeder team”.  However, Wenger has done a great job in bringing in new blood this offseason and will be looking to compete with the big boys of European soccer once again.

Chelsea

Nickname: Blues

Grounds: Stamford Bridge

Shirt Sponsor: Samsung

Purchased by a Russian billionaire in 2003 like it was a new summer home, owner Roman Abramovich quickly dropped 100 million pounds into his new toy to bring in new personnel. Since then, the West London squad has been a mainstay at the top of the table and is one of the more hated teams in the league.  Like Man City, the Blues have money and are not afraid to throw it around. They had a tough season last year, finishing 6^th, but they made up for it by winning the Champions League over top German club, Bayern Munich.  They have also had a big offseason and will look to build upon their late season success.  

Liverpool

Nickname: Reds

Grounds: Anfield

Shirt Sponsor: Standard Chartered

Liverpool was recently purchased by New England Sports Ventures (the same owners of the Boston Red Sox) and has increased spending the past two years to get back into the top four after not qualifying for the Champions League for the last three seasons.  New boss Brendan Rogers hopes to return this proud club to its former glory after a disappointing 8th place finish last season. The Reds have a large and intense international fan base, and for some reason, most of my friends happen to be Liverpool fans.  

Manchester City

Nicknames: City, Citizens, Sky Blues

Grounds: Etihad Stadium

Shirt Sponsor: Etihad

The team that oil built, Manchester City was considered the little red-headed stepbrother to Manchester United before it was purchased by the Abu Dhabi United Group in 2008. Since then, ownership has sunk hundreds of millions of pounds into acquiring players from every corner of the world. The Citizens’ roster has so many stars and good players that their substitutes could beat half the league. If Manchester United is the New York Yankees of soccer, guess Manchester City can be the New York Mets -- if the Mets had money, bought really good players that panned out, and were owned by a Sheikh.  So yeah, they are nothing like the Mets.  Rooting for Man City would probably get people to call you a “bandwagon” fan, so tread carefully.  

Tottenham

Nicknames: Spurs, Lilywhites

Grounds: White Hart Lane

Shirt Sponsor:  Autonomy (HP)

Tottenham have played well as of late and finished fourth this past season, but because Chelsea won the Champions League, Tottenham will be excluded so that Chelsea can defend its title.  Another North London squad, they consider themselves “rivals” to their bigger, more popular, neighbor, Arsenal, but the rivalry has been fairly one-sided.  The Spurs are a smaller budget team than the five clubs listed above and will continue to play the underdog role under new manager (ex-Chelsea boss) Andre Villas-Boas. I am a Spurs supporter and would love to see the team make the jump to the next level and/or get purchased by a maple syrup or social media baron.  They are a great team to root for if you don't want to pick one of the more popular squads!

Newcastle United

Nicknames: Magpies, Toon

Grounds: St. James Park

Shirt Sponsor: Virgin Money

The Toon saw a major resurgence last year under Alan Pardew and will look to build on a 5th place finish. Newcastle has had its ups and downs the past few years, but is looking to join the handful of teams that compete for Champions League spots.  I think they are a real sleeper pick to do well and if they can fix some issues on their backline, you never know!

Everton
Nicknames: Toffees, Blues
Grounds: Goodison Park
Shirt Sponsor: Chang (Thai Beer Company)

Everton has always been known as the other club that plays in Liverpool and the two clubs have an intense rivalry.  Last year, they finished above Liverpool for the first time in a really long time. However, the team has some current financial troubles and will most likely not compete for a Champions League spot.  The reason I'm listing them here as a team you might consider rooting for is because their goalkeeper is American Tim Howard.  Also, Landon Donovan has done a couple of loan spells here and has performed admirably, which bodes well for American soccer.  I also love their new soccer kits, which you can read about here.

Fulham
Nicknames: Cottagers, Whites
Grounds: Craven Cottage
Shirt Sponsor: FxPro

Fulham is another West London squad that also has a history of having Americans on their roster. Clint Dempsey currently plays for the Cottagers and was great for them last season.  The transfer window is still open and there are rumors that Dempsey might move to Liverpoool, which would be great for him, but awful for Fulham.  That being said, Fulham is a fun club to root for and while they might not compete for one of the top spots, they play competitive football and can surprise some teams.

Season Predictions

Face of a traitor

1. I'm predicting a title repeat. Manchester City is just too deep and coach Roberto Mancini has done a good job managing his stars and getting results.  They did not do much in the offseason, Jack Rodwell was the only real acquisition.  The return of Carlos Tevez could either bode well or lead to more drama in the front with Aguero, Balotelli, and Dzeko.  The team is really deep in the mid-field with Silva, Nasri, and Toure, and they have one of the premier goalkeepers in Joe Hart.

2. The other Manchester squad should give City a run for its money, but the whole year will revolve around newly acquired striker, Robin Van Persie.  RVP forced his way out of Arsenal this offseason and ended up moving to one of Arsenal's bitter rivals.  The former Gunner captain will add incredible depth to the Red Devils attack, which already includes Rooney and Welbeck.  With the addition of Shinji Kagawa, the team has a strong lineup of stars and youngsters in Vidic, Ferdinand, Evra, Young, Giggs, Scholes, Nani, and Valencia.  Goaltender David De Gea is still a bit of a question mark, but will have a strong backline in front of him.

3. Chelsea should finish 3rd after a strong offseason with the acquisitions of Oscar, Hazard, and Marin.  However, they did lose Didier Drogba, the man responsible for winning them the Champions League last year.  They will need to see improvements from Torres, Sturridge, Mata as well as strong years from veterans Terry, Cole and Cahill.  Coach Roberto Di Matteo had this squad performing very well at the end of the year and with new toys at his disposal, the Blues should move firmly into third.

4. Always the toughest spot to project, I think my preseason favorite to finish fourth is Arsenal.  Even with the loss of Robin Van Persie, I think that Arsene Wenger has brought in enough potential and talent to keep his squad in fourth.  Giroud, Podolski, and Cazorla will add much need firepower and creativity to a squad that was too dependent on RVP last season.  They will have strong midfielders in Walcott, Arteta, and Song and this could be the year that Oxlade-Chamberlain and Wilshere actually contribute.  They have a decent backline with Vermaelen and Koscielny, but only time will tell if they have done enough to return to winning titles.

5. As the roster currently stands, I am giving fifth place to Liverpool.  I think new boss Brendan Rogers will help, but the most important thing is getting their new acquisitions and guys coming off injuries/suspensions up to speed.  Gerrard, Suarez, and Lucas need to be mainstays for the Reds and new guys Allen and Borini will help this team a lot.  The major question marks for Liverpool will be what they will get from Carroll, Henderson, and one of my favorite guys, Joe Cole.  All these guys have a shot at redemption and if they perform, this team can challenge for fourth.  However, the defense is aging and lacks depth, which could be a problem when they face top clubs.

6.  Tottenham is my team, so it pains me to put them in sixth, but that's how I feel going into this new year.  Spurs currently only have one "proven" striker in Defoe, they are losing one of their best players to Real Madrid in Modric, and Parker will be sidelined for a month with an Achilles injury.  With that said, they still have a strong midfield anchored by Bale, Van der Vaart, Sandro, and recently acquired Sigurdsson.  The defense should be stronger this year with Vertonghen, Dawson, Kaboul, and Walker, but we will see how they adjust to Andre Villas-Boas' tactics and strategy.  If the Spurs can acquire an additional striker and creative midfielder before the end of the transfer window, I would move them up, but right now, sixth is the right call.

7. Newcastle is incredibly dangerous up front with Ba and Cisse and have a reloaded midfield with newly acquired Ben Arfa and Anita.  They are a team that could really surprise, but their weakness in the back could be their biggest weakness.  Goalie Tim Krul, however, is one of the rising stars in the league and could prove to be a difference maker.

8. Everton would be hardpressed to finish seventh like last season having not done much in the offseason.  They will need another big year from Jelavic and they have a few good players at each position in Baines, Fellaini, Neville, Pienaar, and goalie Tim Howard, but this team isn't deep enough for a long season.

9.  Fulham still has Clint Dempsey and will need a big year from him to stay competitive.  They will also need more from Ruiz than what they got from him last season and will need Dembele and Diarra to continue their strong midfield play.  I see them finishing in the top half, but it could be a struggle, especially if Dempsey is sold in the transfer window.

There you have it.  The season starts tomorrow so get ready!  Arsenal and Sunderland are on ESPN tomorrow morning at 10AM EST.  Let's see how the Gunners move on now that RVP is no longer on the team.  Here's hoping for a draw!

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Haterade: Where is the Love? United States Women's National Team (USWNT)

I realize that it's soccer. I realize that it's women's sports. And I realize that it only counts as one medal. But what has transpired with the United States women's soccer team, not only during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London but in last year's World Cup as well, has been nothing short of amazing.

After a heartbreaking loss to Japan in the 2011 World Cup final, the Americans vowed redemption in the Olympics. Stars such as Abby Wambach even alluded to the fact that it would be "gold or bust" for her team in London. Personally, I believe Japan won the World Cup final outright, instead of the Americans giving it away. The Japanese team's heart and soul, Sawa, was just too much for the Americans to handle as she dominated possession in the midfield. With that being said, I wanted to "hate" on two things concerning this game in particular and American soccer as a whole.

First, the reactions a large number of Americans had in regards to the outcome of the game was extremely disappointing and embarrassing. The country of Japan was in the midst of going through one of the most horrific tragedies the world has ever seen (earthquake, tsunami, & nuclear meltdown). Unfortunately, the lack of tactfulness and compassion really came through in social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter immediately after the conclusion of the game.

Here are a few examples that dominated most people's timelines and feeds (bad language not included):

"We may have lost in soccer, but we won in World War II."
"So Japan won the World Cup. Its okay, we still have Hiroshima."
"I hope another tsunami hits them."

Seriously? Just plain sickening.

Secondly, we have grown increasingly fickle when it comes to fandom. I am guilty of this. With 24/7 sports news cycles like ESPN and Fox Sports, the internet, and the millions of blogs, we've become prisoners of the moment when it comes to sports. It was really exciting witnessing the country unite as the Americans played well enough to earn a spot in the finals. But as soon as that game ended in a loss, it was like nobody cared anymore. What happened to supporting your team (and country) through thick and thin?

Fast forward to 2012 and you can't script it any better than this. The United States and Japan are meeting again, only one year after the World Cup final -- this time for the gold medal. The Americans played in arguably one of the most memorable women's soccer game in the history of the sport to earn a spot in the gold medal game.

Heading into the semifinals, Canada was the clear underdog, having never held a lead against the Americans... ever. But that quickly changed after they went ahead 1-0 early in the game, and it was held until the second half when the U.S. tied it off a Rapinoe corner kick / shot. They subsequently went ahead again 2-1 and 3-2, but relinquished their lead each time with the last one coming off a controversial call that led to an indirect free kick in the box which led to a hand ball which led to a penalty kick. Yes, that really happened.

When the game went into overtime, the Canadians must have felt that nothing could go their way -- Christine Sinclair provided the scoring with a once-in-a-lifetime performance and the defenders were dictating the game with their ultra-aggressive play, but it simply was not enough.

When Alex Morgan, who was getting dominated all day by the Canadians' physical play, somehow got her head on a corner kick, you knew it was just destiny. And that is the brilliance of sports as a whole -- there is such a fine line between being a winner and a loser.

The Americans now have to find a way to mentally and physically recover from such a demanding game against Canada and get prepared for their arch nemesis, Japan. It would be a great sense of redemption if they are able to pull out a victory. This is the same team that beat them last year in the World Cup final that left the Americans in tears. This is the same team that took care of Brazil and France with ease leading up to the gold medal match. This is the same team that has only given up 2 goals during the entire Olympic Games. This is the same team that beat the Canadian team that the U.S. struggled with 2-0.

Live Running Diary of the Gold Medal Match:

1st minute: With over 85,000 fans at Wembley, the crowd noise and electricity can be felt through the TV screen.
16th minute: The U.S. quickly went ahead on a beautiful cross by Alex Morgan. Both Lloyd and Wambach were there and either of them could have scored. A big mistake for not having a body constantly marking Abby.
26th minute: The Americans got away with a handball in the box. The German referee wanted no part of the Japanese coach.
27th minute: Japan almost scored an own goal, hitting the side post while trying to clear a cross. Wow.
34th minute: Another shot that hits the crossbar for the Japanese.
45th minute: The first half is over. Japan has had a multitude of scoring chances and the U.S. back line looked somewhat shaky but the Americans are up 1-0 and that's all that matters.
52nd minute: It's been helter-skelter so far in the beginning of the second half. No real flow. It looks like the U.S. is going to pack it in and take advantage of counter attacks when they arise. Can Hope Solo hold up?
53rd minute: Just as I typed that, the Americans go on a perfect counter which culminated in a beautiful shot by Carli Lloyd. 2-0. Let's go!!
57th minute: My favorite American soccer player (including both male and female), Megan Rapinoe, is subbed out for defensive minded, Lauren Cheney. 33 minutes to go!
62nd minute: Goal for Japan. The American defense is looking horrible. We need to change the alignment. It's not working. The Japanese are making free runs.
82nd minute: WHAT A SAVE Hope Solo!! Her diving save preserves a 2-1 lead.
90th minute: Two more minutes of stoppage time. The anticipation is unbearable!
92nd minute: Game over!

Great job, Japan. World champions in 2011. Silver medalists in 2012. They should be proud.

Congratulations USA!! Gold for the US!! America the Beautiful!! How sweet it is! Redemption! We are the champions.

U-S-A U-S-A U-S-A







Photo content courtesy of: www.newsday.com, www.sportsillustrated.com

Connect with Albert Nguyen!

Bio: http://www.gymclassallstars.com/p/albert-nguyen_26.html

Email: albertn@gymclassallstars.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/alnguyen84

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Post-Game Review: USA vs France

It's here.  Finally.  Yes, I know, the 2012 London Olympics do not officially start until Friday, but the beauty of a full-slate tournament is we get to see great games a couple days early.  So without further ado...

The United States and France started off Group G play, with the winner almost assured to win the group and avoid Japan, who are favored to win Group F, in the knockout stages.  Both teams began the match working out the kinks in their games.

The US had some decent chances brought on by a mix of brilliant passes and not-so-nice ones that France just failed to get to. Within 15 minutes of play, the French scored two brilliant goals from two of their top goal scorers and had the Americans on their heels.  The French are a talented squad, but seriously, how can you be losing to them when you have talent beyond belief?  American midfield and forward play should be running circles around the French.  

Abby Wambach set the tone in minute 18 and scored on yet another scorching header.  Add that to her already growing list of amazing hits and you can basically see that if you lob the ball to your practically six-foot forward who is taller than most of the ladies on the field, you stand to score pretty much at will.   Her fiery demeanor after that goal was evident as she called for the American women to rally and hit back.


Alex Morgan scored twice in between a Carli Lloyd curler, which was definitely the top goal in the game alongside Gaëtane Thiney.  Morgan's second goal was icing on the cake.  I wasn't sure exactly if the French defense was just too focused on Abby that they allowed the ball to slip by five players right to Alex's foot, but either way, if you have three defenders marking your best player, you need to capitalize on it.

The game ended 4-2, and with the first game under their belts, I have to say the Americans looked okay.  I'm impressed with the comeback but disappointed in the fact they were down 2-nil to begin with.  Sundhage's switch to a 4-4-2 format really opened up American offensive play and probably just needed some kinks in the beginning to adjust to.  Pairing the two strikers made things easy for Megan Rapinoe, Carli Lloyd, Tobin Heath, and the rest of the American offense to create and wear down the French defense.

No, Sydney is not actually that tall ... both stand at 5'7.  

We even had a Sydney Leroux sighting in the 84th minute.  Sundhage definitely needs to find a way to get her in the game more.  In her second game as a US team member, she scored 5 goals.  Some players don't even do that in their lifetime.  Maybe a switch to a 4-3-3 formation could be in order?  


Photos courtesy of bagofnothing.com, equalizersoccer.com, and bleacherreport.com

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