Soccer – Barca win, now Messi “Best Player”..

Barcelona 2, Manchester United 0. Final score.

As the Champions League ground down to the Final, between not only the two best teams, Manchester United and Barcelona.. it was also the moment to decide the “World’s Best Player”.  And now that title goes to Lionel Messi of Barcelona, and Argentina.

Messi scored the decisive goal in the premier competition in Europe. And how can you score that goal, of all goals, and not be considered the “Best Player”.  Messi is virtually a lock to receive that award. It was billed as a clash of the Titans, and Titans it was.  For Man United Ronoldo had several chances early, but could not capitalize. Samuel Eto’o did just that.

Soccer’s Champions League Finale’ – Finally

Wednesday, 2:45 pm EDT. Thats showdown time for arguably the top two club teams in the world, as they face off to see who is THE best team in the Champions League Final, in Rome. Manchester United won it last year. Barcelona is always in the mix, and indeed won it all several years ago.

This is a significant game, not only because of the match itself, but also because it will be the last Champions League game broadcast by ESPN in their current TV package. Next season it goes to a satellite channel. In this writers opinion Europe’s UEFA organization, as well as the English Premier League have failed. You could stipuilate that right now- European soccer is reaching a high interest- and thus they should have ignored temporary money for the long-range effects of being in many households in America.

Man Utd wins it all in England, with Barcelona in Spain, but who’s the best?

This years Champions League title will actually pit the two best (club) teams in all the world against each other. That being Barcelona in Spain against Manchester United from England. But who will be crowned the “best team” in the world?

At last some angst in American soccer..

On the weekend past the upstart Seattle Sounders hosted MLS’s always hopfull “Americas Team”, in the LA Galaxy. But as any soccer fan may know the Galaxy have sucked eggs the last few seasons. So what might happen when the new expansion team, the Sounders of Seattle take on the former perennial golden boy of American soccer?

Its expected that David Beckham will rejoin the American “Galacticos” in July after his stint in Milan. But what kind of team will he rejoin? Even star Landon Donovan failed to make a place in Germany with Bayern Munich. So what are we to make of these Minor Leagues?

Soccer’s Champions League – the best on planet earth

This year soccer’s European Champions League has perhaps both of the two best club teams in the world, and the two best players on the planet.  That is Manchester United’s Cristiano Ronaldo, and Barcelona’s Lionel Messi. Both going for one of soccer’s biggest trophies.

Soccer’s Champions League semi’s this week

If the Final Four in college basketball is big, you can imagine how all of Europe feels about the final four of the Champions League. Scores of the biggest and best teams in all Europe have been playing extra games (away from their regular season) once or twice a month since August to get to this point.

This week arguably the best four have made it to the final four…

WHAT TURNED ME ON TO SOCCER

I have many friends who are sports fans, and many of them have at times asked me, “dude, how can you love a boring sport like soccer so much?” My answer is always the same. I tell them about my seminal moment when it all changed for me. World Cup 1998, France.

The thing is, if you watch any sport when its played poorly you might think that sport is boring or over-hyped. But then when you watch the World Series go to seven games, or see Lebron James take over a game, or witness Tiger Woods come back from 6-strokes down- when you see greatness, you appreciate how great the sport really can be. That is what happened for me watching World Cup ’98.

Champions League – Return legs this week

Four all-important matches over the next days, as the european Champions League narrows the field down to four teams. On Tuesday is the match of the week as Chelsea go home to defend their 3-1 lead against Liverpool. The Reds from the west coast would have to win outright by 3 goals to move on.  Plus, Bayern play at home, but must overcome an almost insurmountable lead from red-hot Barcelona, trailing 4-0.

Then there is Wednesday..

MLS features the “Super Clasico” Saturday night – on ESPN

If you were to pick one true grudge match in Major League Soccer it would be Saturday nights so-called Super Clasico. It matches two teams who share the same stadium in Los Angeles. LA Galaxy v. Chivas USA. Certainly worth watching Saturday night, 10:30.

 

The original tenants of Carson California’s beautiful stadium were the Galaxy. Then a few years later along came the expansion team, Chivas. It seemed that the Galaxy players took it as an affront that another team might call their stadium home- and that created immediate tension. An atmosphere that has lasted to this day. So in MLS, this is the one true Derby Match.

The Agony of the Feet

When it comes to passionate, knowledgeable soccer fans, few can top the fandom of Jose Barreiros.  Jose will join us from time-to-time, offering his opinionated  commentary on the World’s Game, among other things (and he’ll even dumb things down a tad for the non-soccer Elite among us – myself included).  With that, world, we introduce you to the scholastic sylings of Jose Barreiros: 

The Agony of the Feet; By Jose Bareiros

The cliché is old and well worn; the image of the spoiled rich athlete is – sadly- well deserved in most cases. The days of professional athletes mingling among mere mortals – otherwise known as everyday fans – are long gone. Today, most professional sports players are far removed from the people who play their salary. We tend to think of professional athletes as people who are overpaid and who for the most part under-perform; unless of course, our team that just won the Championship.

17 year old hits the soccer stage – big

OK, admittedly I am a few days late on this story, but it had to be told so here it is. Very often an entire season can come down to one glimmering moment. Soccer, as with any sport, is the same. And so it probably was on Sunday last when a young rookie took his rare moment in the sun and made the most of it.

 

The English Premier League (EPL), widely recognized as the best league in the world, has turned out to be especially tight as we get to the close of the season. Those chasing runaway leader Manchester United were thought to be done and dusted. But with the emergence of Liverpool in recent weeks, including a demolishing of United- the race has really become interesting.

Porto surprise Man Utd. – Arsenal also draw

Two matches on the first day of the Quarterfinals of the Champions League, and both were draws. But the difference with each was that the visiting team has the edge.

Villarreal 1 – Arsenal 1

Manchester United 2 – Porto 2

For Arsenal it is seen as an advantage scoring away, as you gain extra credit for away goals, and the second leg is at home.  Unfortunately the same can be said about the other match, with Manchester United only securing a draw as well, with Porto scoring two goals in their match at Man Utd’s home ground of Old Trafford.

This means that next week in the return match both Arsenal and Porto with have destinct advantages in trying to move on to the Final Four. Both Arsenal and Manchester United will need to win, but for Man Utd they will have to win decisively and win away- to move on.  They can do the job, of course, but it is now much harder.

The big match of the week is Wednesdays show down (once again) in the knock-out stages of the Champions League between Liverpool and Chelsea. These teams seem destined to meet other almost every year in this round or the final four.

World club soccer: The Power Poll

Much like the vaunted much talked about Major League Baseball Power Poll that has begun on MikeFahmie.com, and swept the nation, you can now access the new Soccer Power Poll. In the same style of the MLB rankings, this will be a poll of the top 10 soccer club teams in the world, with one small exception- all votes come from me.

 

Just as MLB’s poll includes all the teams in baseball, I considered ranking all the club soccer teams in the world, but that list would be starting at about 10,000- so after much painful consternation and soul-searching I decided on just the Top-10. Plus, in a striking change in philosophy from the MLB Poll, I will add a small blip of information as to why they are in their position.

 

Also, I considered the world’s bottom 10 teams, but as they all would be in America’s Major League Soccer it was decided to just drop that idea. Although with this week’s 6-goal drubbing of Argentina by lowly Bolivia, they could have squeaked in at #10.

 

1)      Manchester United, England.

Soccer rumor confirmed – Eriksson fired in Mexico

As reported in the earlier Blog, Sven Goran Eriksson has been fired as coach of Mexico, in their bid to make the World Cup in 2010.  After an embarrassing loss to Honduras El Tri are now quickly looking for a replacement. For Eriksson it may be a trip back to England, as he has long been rumored to be in line for the head position at Portsmouth in the English Premier League.

World Cup Qualifiers – USA & England win, Mexico loses

About half way through the World Cup campaign and some teams are now quietly packing their bags while some others are having their bags packed for them. Three of the interesting stories developing are:

 

USA over Trinidad & Tobago 3-0.  Young Jozy Altadore became the youngest American player  ever to get a hat-trick in international competition, with 3 goals at the age of 19.  A year ago he was a rising star in MLS, and everyone thought he was headed straight for sure stardom as he was sold to Spain’s Villarreal, only then to be sent “down to the minors” as it were, to their second tier team Xerez.  It was humbling, but he has been learning, and it has paid off- for him and the U.S.