Since their marvelous triumph of Euro 2008 Spain have been dominating international football. They have won match after match except for that Confederations Cup semi final against USA. Spain are currently the bookies and also a lot of pundits and fans favorite for glory in South Africa even ahead of Brazil. This writer is a huge fan of Spain. They are one of the teams he strongly supports and want to see do well but he does not share this enthusiasm. No matter how he sees it he just cannot see Iker Casillas lifting the trophy in Johannesburg.
Now before you think that this writer is either drunk, drugged or bitten by a mad dog, he has a long list of reasons to believe this and he will elaborate them here. It does sound strange that this writer claims that the team which has been winning match after match and is currently number 1 in the Fifa rankings has no chance of winning the world cup. Unfortunately that's how he thinks it will pan out. Let's elaborate on the reasons.
1. Absence Of A Suitable Defensive Midfielder - Not for a second is this writer saying that he does not rate Marcos Senna high. In fact this writer will be the first one to say that Senna did a superb job in Euro 2008 and was almost indispensable in Spain's triumph. The problem now is that by the time the world cup starts Senna will be almost 34 years old. To expect him to show that kind of energy and fighting spirit continuously for several matches is just too much. By this age even the decade's best defensive midfielder Claude Makelele had decided that his time with the French national team was up. The big problem is that Spain has not even prepared a replacement for Senna. Xabi Alonso is just not that type of player. He is a wonderful possession player and a great passer of the ball but he just cannot play the role of the tackling midfield hard man. The other player being kind of groomed for this is Barcelona's Sergio Busquets who again is more like Alonso than like Senna. He has played this role for his club and will make a decent attempt but when push comes to shove it's clear that he would lack the physical toughness required for this role.
2. Unable To Break Down Rigid Defenses - Spain have maximum problems trying to break down teams who sit in front of the goal line and defend in numbers. In such a situation Spain maintain a very high percentage of possession but there is a clear lack of cutting edge. Since Spain hardly has tall players or players who are good in the air they just rely on their ability to pass the ball well and create goal scoring chances. Against teams that defend for their lives this often doesn't work. Any African team is bound to give Spain problems and also some of the predominantly defensive European teams.
3. Poor At Set Pieces - Spain just don't have that one world class free kick taker who can score a goal from a free kick when their is no other way to score one. Xavi is a very decent free kick taker but he is not lethal. It's almost guaranteed that in each match they play Spain will win lots of free kicks and waste every one of them. Also players not being very tall or that strong in the air will hurt in this aspect.
4. Suspect Defense - Spain's central defense is likely to be made up of Barcelona's pairing of Puyol and Pique. Now Barcelona's defense is not bad by any stretch of the imagination. Yet Puyol will be 32 years when the tournament comes on and will have gone through a very rigorous season just before that. It might be difficult for his aging legs to come up with one brilliant performance after another. Pique is no doubt promising but he must not let enthusiasm get the better of him. Nevertheless it's the full backs which are a bigger cause for worry. Sergio Ramos, who has always been seen as very promising, and who in fact has been playing quite well the last few weeks, is well capable of the most catastrophic of gaffes in the most crucial of moments. Joan Capdevila is not really world class and while he does a decent job he could be exposed by the best of the right sided attackers.
5. Villa And Torres Do Not Combine Well - If you consider the opinion of those who matter in the football world it's almost sure that their vote for the best striker in the world would go to Fernando Torres. And if you look at other equally good ones David Villa is sure to be included. Unfortunately both are very different kinds of players and are not able to adjust to each others game. Torres' game is about playing off the shoulders of the last defender and making dangerous runs towards goal whenever possible. Villa's game is about combining with the midfielders as if he were a midfielder himself and then after exchanging several passes looking for the right moment to score a goal or create a chance for someone else. When playing for Spain alongside Villa, Torres just does not get the space he needs to make his runs. Is this not absolutely shocking that a striker of Torres' unquestionable capability did not score even one goal in the WC 2010 qualifiers? The sensible option no matter how crazy it sounds would be to play only one striker in a 4-2-3-1 or a similar formation. Unfortunately the two strikers are the world's very best. It's not easy for any coach to drop either of them. Villa is Mr. Consistency and just does not stop scoring. Torres is so lethal that we can call him a one chance one goal striker. Still they just don't combine well and when playing for Spain Torres hardly gets chances to score.
6. Over Reliance On Xavi ( Lack Of Plan B ) - Every single potential opponent of Spain knows that their entire game revolves around Xavi. After beating Spain in the only match they have lost recently USA coach Bob Bradley told the world media that the key to beating Spain was to mark Xavi out of the game. Many teams are likely to employ the same tactic. If Spain's pass and move game is disrupted they just don't have any other style of playing. In other words they just don't have a plan B which is crucial for any team in a tournament like the world cup.
7. The History Factor - Since Spain won Euro 2008 people seem to have forgotten that they do not have much pedigree in the world cup. In a world cup as the tournament reaches the later rounds the results have an almost mythical way of favoring the teams with pedigree. That means you will hardly ever get a world cup finalist who hasn't been there before. Spain has never even been to the semi finals of a world cup. They did finish 4th once in 1950 but there were no semi finals then and even there they were 4th by some distance. Other than that they have never finished in the top 4 in any world cup. Expecting a team with that kind of record to go on and win the tournament itself is a very big ask.
If right now this writer is to gaze into his crystal ball and predict where Spain will finish in WC 2010 he would say that after crossing the group stage and entering the second round Spain is virtually certain to meet either the physicality of the Ivory Coast, the enthusiastic determination of Portugal or the power of Brazil and in any case that will be the end of them.
If this writer's predictions come true he will feel vindicated but also saddened that such a talented group of wonderful players could not win the ultimate prize in football. On the other hand if his predictions turn out totally wrong he would feel foolish for sure but also glad to see that a team which plays in such an aesthetically pleasing manner is able to lift the biggest prize of all in what surely would be a victory for the beautiful game.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Reflections : UCL Draw Review
This reflections article is being posted in advance for next week. Most probably there will be no reflections article posted next week. However given the nature of the subject in hand it made more sense to post it now rather than two days later.
Before starting with the analysis there is something personal that this writer would like to share. Friday 18th December was the date of the UCL second round knock out draw. And this writer was having a terrible day in office with even the most minor of issues taking ages to resolve and one or more altercations with some colleagues. This had reached such a limit that by 4:30 PM IST he had even forgotten about the UCL draw. Fortunately he remembered half an hour later and upon connecting to the Uefa site, decided to replay the draw to enjoy it as if it were live rather than looking at the resultant fixtures. At the end of it his day had changed. He couldn't have been happier or have asked for more from the draw. The primary reasons for this were that his club were handed a really good draw and the two major heavy weight clashes that had resulted were exactly the ones he had wanted to see. In these two clashes no matter which heavy weight loses this writer will still win because he has an axe to grind against one or more persons from each camp.
As far as Inter is concerned, that's a team he would have ideally wanted to see go far and re-establish the quality of Italian teams in European football. However two things have happened which have soured his sentiments. The appointment of Mourinho as coach is the most important. From his thoroughly reprehensible behavior towards almost everyone else to his excessive hype, it's just too much fun to see the loud mouthed Portuguese taste defeat. And the second reason of course is their purchase of Eto'o. This writer doesn't really have much against Eto'o. However when the Ibra-Eto'o swap happened during the summer transfer window, Barcelona were scoffed at big time by a considerable section of pundits and fans, almost exclusively English for having bought a "big match flop" and that too for such a huge price and sold a proven goal scorer instead. Now if Inter with Eto'o were to claim their first major victory in UCL knock outs in a very long time, the naysayers would feel that they have been vindicated. Of course it would be extremely short sighted of them to ignore that Inter have improved as a whole with a playmaker like Sneijder, another great goal scorer like Milito and some improvements in defense and midfield as well but still they would find a way to link virtually everything with Eto'o somehow.
However in spite of all these issues that this writer has with Inter it's nowhere near the antagonism that he's had for Chelsea right since the time they came into limelight. A club without a worthwhile academy to boast of which created a team purely by buying the best for all positions and then hired one of the most or even the most arrogant coach the world has ever seen. To this add the lack of any refined playing style and an annoying ability to eek out results when they have done little to deserve it. That's not all though. They even find a way to hire the most world class of coaches like no other club can and then show them the door like they were never needed. A world cup winner and erstwhile considered one of the world's top coaches namely Luiz Felipe Scolari has been turned into a nonentity by Chelsea.
Milan used to be one of the favorite teams of this writer. However they bought Ronaldinho who has been on this writer's hate list for his on and off field behavior during WC 2006 ever since that tournament. To that add the short sightedness of Berlusconi and Galliani who have continued to rely on an age old team for years when no other club in the world does the same. Finally this writer must also say that he was among those who predicted an absolute disaster of a season for Milan and their recent resurgence has left him very perplexed. If they were to get the better of one of the most fancied teams in world football, all theories of their decay would be thrown out of the window for good.
Now that he has stated his feelings about Milan, is this writer going to root for ManUtd? Certainly not! Since the time he started watching club football ManUtd have been number one on his hate list. Later they became second to Chelsea but the reasons for that have already been elaborated. ManUtd is a typical English club and this writer has a distaste for all things English. In EPL he always supported Arsene Wenger's stylish Gunners to get the better of old fox Fergie. The English media and it's habit of hyping up it's teams and players to nonsensical extents have irked this writer no end. This summer after the sale of C.Ronaldo and lack of reinforcements in midfield, he predicted a lack luster season for ManUtd. Of course he made the same prediction last season as well but was proved horribly wrong. ManUtd's talisman is now Wayne Rooney a player who just in the views of this writer in spite of being extremely hard working is not really one of the world's top most players in terms of ability and performance. This writer sees him as somewhat hyped and overrated. If Rooney without C.Ronaldo were to carry ManUtd to glory or nearly there, he would have finally earned a right to be considered with the very best.
Yes so far this article has concentrated on elaborating this writer's sentiments rather than starting the actual analysis. This has been done just for a change and will not be the norm in other reflections articles. Any way let's start the match by match analysis now trying to keep the perspective as neutral as possible.
1. Olympiakos vs. Bordeaux - Most would agree that after having been the best team of the group stage Bordeaux deserved an easier draw. And they have got just that. A club of their size will get the chance to progress to the quarter finals of UCL very rarely. Their future could be in turmoil since it's very likely that the extremely impressive Laurent Blanc will leave his position as head coach next summer. Marouane Chamakh has said repeatedly that he cannot wait to move to a bigger club. Yoann Gourcuff too may not want to stick around for too long. This is Bordeaux's time in the sun and they must take it - quite simply it's now or never. In front of them stands an opponent who they are well capable of beating but must not take lightly.
2. A C Milan vs. Manchester United - It may seem slightly surprising but Milan will not be very unhappy with this draw. Above all they wanted to avoid Barcelona and then also former manager Ancelotti's Chelsea. ManUtd is a team which they have a psychological edge over having beaten them several times in the past in somewhat one sided contests. Of course this is not the great Milan of those days but a closer look would suggest that ManUtd are not without their problems either. Their midfield is still run by veterans since the young players have not yet proven themselves to be up to the mark. The wide players have not yet come close to replicating what the earlier combo of Giggs and C.Ronaldo used to produce. And most surprising the water tight defense of the last few seasons has begun to leak goals with Rio Ferdinand's form being particularly called into question. ManUtd fans will not fancy this match up due to the history between them but the old war horse Ferguson would also see this as a chance to finally get the monkey off his back.
3. Lyon vs. Real Madrid - Real Madrid most incredibly have not made it to the UCL quarter finals for five consecutive seasons. In their defense they have always had very competent opponents and this one is no different. However with the biggest shopping spree of any summer in football, Florentino Perez will not accept failure this time. Lyon themselves aren't going through a good phase. Bordeaux is taking the Ligue 1 title further and further from their eyesight every week. And their defense is an Achilees heel for sure. However Lyon may see this draw as just what they needed to get back their morale. In the words of their president they wanted to avoid Barcelona after the hammering suffered last season and also avoid Chelsea. Real instead is a team which they would see themselves well capable of beating having got the better of them in the past few seasons. Having said that all concerned with football know that the squads are not even comparable on paper. With Alonso, on fire Higuain, old Lyon favorite Benzema, the classy Kaka and of course superstar C.Ronaldo, Real Madrid will be fancied to win this one and end their miserable run in UCL knock outs. Once that is done they may even see this as their year in UCL all the more given that the final will be held on home ground.
4. Inter Milan vs. Chelsea - Undoubtedly this just has to be the tie of the second round. Jose Mourinho would want to show that Chelsea have become a lot worse since his exit. He would also want to prove that he is a superior coach to Carlo Ancelotti in spite of having won fewer UCL titles and reached fewer finals than the former Milan manager. In Mourinho's glorious coaching career laden with trophies if this writer is asked what his biggest failing has been the answer would be his being outwitted by several tacticians in major match ups in knock out competitions. Rafael Benitez has got the better of Mourinho several times in the past in spite of not being half the manager at league level that Jose is. Then we need to look at Inter's recent history in UCL. Off hand this writer is unable to think of the last victory that Inter have had against a major team in UCL knock outs. On research it seems to be their victory against the then formidable Valencia team in the quarter finals of UCL 2002-03 which must sound like an eternity. Given all these considerations this writer would go so far as to say that this is the biggest challenge in Mourinho's coaching career. If Inter still continue to be out of their depth in European competition then Mourinho's detractors would have enough reason to claim that he has added little or no value to them since they were still continuously winning Serie A before he took over and the league is becoming even more one sided every passing year. Most pundits and even the bookies see Chelsea as very strong favorites but it's high time Inter showed they deserve to be counted with the very best. Also a personal challenge for Samuel Eto'o to show that he can excel in Europe without having his illustrious former Barcelona team mates along side him. For Ancelotti one more UCL win would put him right there with the all time greats since this is something even Sir Alex has been unable to accomplish. Beating Inter would set the tone for just that. As for Chelsea it's been a case of so near yet so far during these last few and many fans see this season with the appointment of Ancelotti as the one which will finally see them lay their hands at the most coveted prize in club football.
5. Bayern Munich vs. Fiorentina - If you are a Fiorentina fan you are bound to be feeling hurt now. The nature of the draw was such that having finished top of their group ahead of Lyon and being an Italian team the only big team that Fiorentina could have been drawn against was Bayern Munich. Sadly the devil wrote their destiny and that's exactly what they got. Bayern look like a continuously improving side with Louis Van Gaal finally looking like the right man for the job. If stalwarts Ribery and Robben could somehow both be 100% fit at the same time they have an attack to give almost anyone a run for their money. However once Fiorentina have recovered from this temporary depression they must not forget two things. First that Fiorentina were the second most impressive side in the group stage after Bordeaux. And secondly that Bayern no matter how powerful in squad strength are a very beatable team with the defense not looking convincing at all. There isn't much reason to treat this as a one sided encounter since Fiorentina have one of the best tacticians around in Cesare Prandelli. An added edge to this tie is provided by the small matter of the Uefa coefficients contest between Italy and Germany given that most pundits are predicting the remaining Italian and German sides to lose their matches with this tie deciding who out of Italy and Germany will be left standing.
6. Stuttgart vs. Barcelona - Yes everyone including fans and haters alike are saying that Barcelona couldn't have been given a better draw. A club with very little pedigree in European competition. A team not at all in form. Barcelona can have problems against lesser sides who are well organized and have tight defenses but Stuttgart is nothing like that. Besides Stuttgart could be involved in a relegation battle which could see them not even put 100% effort in this tie. In such a scenario the Blaugrana's biggest enemy is bound to be complacency. In a tie that they are expected to blaze through, a failure, if it happens would be just what all those whose eyes are growing increasingly greener with envy seeing the Catalan club win title after title need to finally afford themselves a laugh at the expense of the defending European champions. As for Barcelona no club to date has yet won the UCL consecutively but they remain the odds on favorites to do just that.
7. CSKA Moksva vs. Sevilla - Yes Sevilla have gotten a good draw. Two problems cannot be ignored though. One is that it's always difficult to play an away tie against a Russian club. Secondly Sevilla can sometimes produce their very best against the biggest of clubs and then astonish their supporters by failing against the less fancied ones. Having said that this is just the chance they need to be thought of as more than the double Uefa cup winners that they have been in the past. Given the strength in depth of their squad and the firm establishment of Manolo Jimenez as an able leader they should be well capable of meeting the challenge successfully this time.
8. Porto vs. Arsenal - Like Barcelona Arsenal too have been granted just the kind of draw they wanted though Porto have much greater pedigree than Stuttgart. Last season they even gave ManUtd a real run for their money and this time gave Chelsea a more than considerable fight in the group stage. However what Arsenal want above all is teams which play an open game that allows them to play their own eye catching stylish game and with Porto they get just that while they would not get that with many others who they could possibly have been drawn against. Not many fancy Arsenal to lift the UCL trophy but a quarter final appearance is the least that would be expected of them.
Before starting with the analysis there is something personal that this writer would like to share. Friday 18th December was the date of the UCL second round knock out draw. And this writer was having a terrible day in office with even the most minor of issues taking ages to resolve and one or more altercations with some colleagues. This had reached such a limit that by 4:30 PM IST he had even forgotten about the UCL draw. Fortunately he remembered half an hour later and upon connecting to the Uefa site, decided to replay the draw to enjoy it as if it were live rather than looking at the resultant fixtures. At the end of it his day had changed. He couldn't have been happier or have asked for more from the draw. The primary reasons for this were that his club were handed a really good draw and the two major heavy weight clashes that had resulted were exactly the ones he had wanted to see. In these two clashes no matter which heavy weight loses this writer will still win because he has an axe to grind against one or more persons from each camp.
As far as Inter is concerned, that's a team he would have ideally wanted to see go far and re-establish the quality of Italian teams in European football. However two things have happened which have soured his sentiments. The appointment of Mourinho as coach is the most important. From his thoroughly reprehensible behavior towards almost everyone else to his excessive hype, it's just too much fun to see the loud mouthed Portuguese taste defeat. And the second reason of course is their purchase of Eto'o. This writer doesn't really have much against Eto'o. However when the Ibra-Eto'o swap happened during the summer transfer window, Barcelona were scoffed at big time by a considerable section of pundits and fans, almost exclusively English for having bought a "big match flop" and that too for such a huge price and sold a proven goal scorer instead. Now if Inter with Eto'o were to claim their first major victory in UCL knock outs in a very long time, the naysayers would feel that they have been vindicated. Of course it would be extremely short sighted of them to ignore that Inter have improved as a whole with a playmaker like Sneijder, another great goal scorer like Milito and some improvements in defense and midfield as well but still they would find a way to link virtually everything with Eto'o somehow.
However in spite of all these issues that this writer has with Inter it's nowhere near the antagonism that he's had for Chelsea right since the time they came into limelight. A club without a worthwhile academy to boast of which created a team purely by buying the best for all positions and then hired one of the most or even the most arrogant coach the world has ever seen. To this add the lack of any refined playing style and an annoying ability to eek out results when they have done little to deserve it. That's not all though. They even find a way to hire the most world class of coaches like no other club can and then show them the door like they were never needed. A world cup winner and erstwhile considered one of the world's top coaches namely Luiz Felipe Scolari has been turned into a nonentity by Chelsea.
Milan used to be one of the favorite teams of this writer. However they bought Ronaldinho who has been on this writer's hate list for his on and off field behavior during WC 2006 ever since that tournament. To that add the short sightedness of Berlusconi and Galliani who have continued to rely on an age old team for years when no other club in the world does the same. Finally this writer must also say that he was among those who predicted an absolute disaster of a season for Milan and their recent resurgence has left him very perplexed. If they were to get the better of one of the most fancied teams in world football, all theories of their decay would be thrown out of the window for good.
Now that he has stated his feelings about Milan, is this writer going to root for ManUtd? Certainly not! Since the time he started watching club football ManUtd have been number one on his hate list. Later they became second to Chelsea but the reasons for that have already been elaborated. ManUtd is a typical English club and this writer has a distaste for all things English. In EPL he always supported Arsene Wenger's stylish Gunners to get the better of old fox Fergie. The English media and it's habit of hyping up it's teams and players to nonsensical extents have irked this writer no end. This summer after the sale of C.Ronaldo and lack of reinforcements in midfield, he predicted a lack luster season for ManUtd. Of course he made the same prediction last season as well but was proved horribly wrong. ManUtd's talisman is now Wayne Rooney a player who just in the views of this writer in spite of being extremely hard working is not really one of the world's top most players in terms of ability and performance. This writer sees him as somewhat hyped and overrated. If Rooney without C.Ronaldo were to carry ManUtd to glory or nearly there, he would have finally earned a right to be considered with the very best.
Yes so far this article has concentrated on elaborating this writer's sentiments rather than starting the actual analysis. This has been done just for a change and will not be the norm in other reflections articles. Any way let's start the match by match analysis now trying to keep the perspective as neutral as possible.
1. Olympiakos vs. Bordeaux - Most would agree that after having been the best team of the group stage Bordeaux deserved an easier draw. And they have got just that. A club of their size will get the chance to progress to the quarter finals of UCL very rarely. Their future could be in turmoil since it's very likely that the extremely impressive Laurent Blanc will leave his position as head coach next summer. Marouane Chamakh has said repeatedly that he cannot wait to move to a bigger club. Yoann Gourcuff too may not want to stick around for too long. This is Bordeaux's time in the sun and they must take it - quite simply it's now or never. In front of them stands an opponent who they are well capable of beating but must not take lightly.
2. A C Milan vs. Manchester United - It may seem slightly surprising but Milan will not be very unhappy with this draw. Above all they wanted to avoid Barcelona and then also former manager Ancelotti's Chelsea. ManUtd is a team which they have a psychological edge over having beaten them several times in the past in somewhat one sided contests. Of course this is not the great Milan of those days but a closer look would suggest that ManUtd are not without their problems either. Their midfield is still run by veterans since the young players have not yet proven themselves to be up to the mark. The wide players have not yet come close to replicating what the earlier combo of Giggs and C.Ronaldo used to produce. And most surprising the water tight defense of the last few seasons has begun to leak goals with Rio Ferdinand's form being particularly called into question. ManUtd fans will not fancy this match up due to the history between them but the old war horse Ferguson would also see this as a chance to finally get the monkey off his back.
3. Lyon vs. Real Madrid - Real Madrid most incredibly have not made it to the UCL quarter finals for five consecutive seasons. In their defense they have always had very competent opponents and this one is no different. However with the biggest shopping spree of any summer in football, Florentino Perez will not accept failure this time. Lyon themselves aren't going through a good phase. Bordeaux is taking the Ligue 1 title further and further from their eyesight every week. And their defense is an Achilees heel for sure. However Lyon may see this draw as just what they needed to get back their morale. In the words of their president they wanted to avoid Barcelona after the hammering suffered last season and also avoid Chelsea. Real instead is a team which they would see themselves well capable of beating having got the better of them in the past few seasons. Having said that all concerned with football know that the squads are not even comparable on paper. With Alonso, on fire Higuain, old Lyon favorite Benzema, the classy Kaka and of course superstar C.Ronaldo, Real Madrid will be fancied to win this one and end their miserable run in UCL knock outs. Once that is done they may even see this as their year in UCL all the more given that the final will be held on home ground.
4. Inter Milan vs. Chelsea - Undoubtedly this just has to be the tie of the second round. Jose Mourinho would want to show that Chelsea have become a lot worse since his exit. He would also want to prove that he is a superior coach to Carlo Ancelotti in spite of having won fewer UCL titles and reached fewer finals than the former Milan manager. In Mourinho's glorious coaching career laden with trophies if this writer is asked what his biggest failing has been the answer would be his being outwitted by several tacticians in major match ups in knock out competitions. Rafael Benitez has got the better of Mourinho several times in the past in spite of not being half the manager at league level that Jose is. Then we need to look at Inter's recent history in UCL. Off hand this writer is unable to think of the last victory that Inter have had against a major team in UCL knock outs. On research it seems to be their victory against the then formidable Valencia team in the quarter finals of UCL 2002-03 which must sound like an eternity. Given all these considerations this writer would go so far as to say that this is the biggest challenge in Mourinho's coaching career. If Inter still continue to be out of their depth in European competition then Mourinho's detractors would have enough reason to claim that he has added little or no value to them since they were still continuously winning Serie A before he took over and the league is becoming even more one sided every passing year. Most pundits and even the bookies see Chelsea as very strong favorites but it's high time Inter showed they deserve to be counted with the very best. Also a personal challenge for Samuel Eto'o to show that he can excel in Europe without having his illustrious former Barcelona team mates along side him. For Ancelotti one more UCL win would put him right there with the all time greats since this is something even Sir Alex has been unable to accomplish. Beating Inter would set the tone for just that. As for Chelsea it's been a case of so near yet so far during these last few and many fans see this season with the appointment of Ancelotti as the one which will finally see them lay their hands at the most coveted prize in club football.
5. Bayern Munich vs. Fiorentina - If you are a Fiorentina fan you are bound to be feeling hurt now. The nature of the draw was such that having finished top of their group ahead of Lyon and being an Italian team the only big team that Fiorentina could have been drawn against was Bayern Munich. Sadly the devil wrote their destiny and that's exactly what they got. Bayern look like a continuously improving side with Louis Van Gaal finally looking like the right man for the job. If stalwarts Ribery and Robben could somehow both be 100% fit at the same time they have an attack to give almost anyone a run for their money. However once Fiorentina have recovered from this temporary depression they must not forget two things. First that Fiorentina were the second most impressive side in the group stage after Bordeaux. And secondly that Bayern no matter how powerful in squad strength are a very beatable team with the defense not looking convincing at all. There isn't much reason to treat this as a one sided encounter since Fiorentina have one of the best tacticians around in Cesare Prandelli. An added edge to this tie is provided by the small matter of the Uefa coefficients contest between Italy and Germany given that most pundits are predicting the remaining Italian and German sides to lose their matches with this tie deciding who out of Italy and Germany will be left standing.
6. Stuttgart vs. Barcelona - Yes everyone including fans and haters alike are saying that Barcelona couldn't have been given a better draw. A club with very little pedigree in European competition. A team not at all in form. Barcelona can have problems against lesser sides who are well organized and have tight defenses but Stuttgart is nothing like that. Besides Stuttgart could be involved in a relegation battle which could see them not even put 100% effort in this tie. In such a scenario the Blaugrana's biggest enemy is bound to be complacency. In a tie that they are expected to blaze through, a failure, if it happens would be just what all those whose eyes are growing increasingly greener with envy seeing the Catalan club win title after title need to finally afford themselves a laugh at the expense of the defending European champions. As for Barcelona no club to date has yet won the UCL consecutively but they remain the odds on favorites to do just that.
7. CSKA Moksva vs. Sevilla - Yes Sevilla have gotten a good draw. Two problems cannot be ignored though. One is that it's always difficult to play an away tie against a Russian club. Secondly Sevilla can sometimes produce their very best against the biggest of clubs and then astonish their supporters by failing against the less fancied ones. Having said that this is just the chance they need to be thought of as more than the double Uefa cup winners that they have been in the past. Given the strength in depth of their squad and the firm establishment of Manolo Jimenez as an able leader they should be well capable of meeting the challenge successfully this time.
8. Porto vs. Arsenal - Like Barcelona Arsenal too have been granted just the kind of draw they wanted though Porto have much greater pedigree than Stuttgart. Last season they even gave ManUtd a real run for their money and this time gave Chelsea a more than considerable fight in the group stage. However what Arsenal want above all is teams which play an open game that allows them to play their own eye catching stylish game and with Porto they get just that while they would not get that with many others who they could possibly have been drawn against. Not many fancy Arsenal to lift the UCL trophy but a quarter final appearance is the least that would be expected of them.
Wednesday, December 2, 2009
Reflections : Ballon D'or 2000 to 2009
Now that the Ballon D'or results have been announced, this writer thought it would be a good idea to look back at the top three finishers of each year from 2000 to 2009 and make some comments about how much each individual deserved the honor they got. While reading this article, please note that such an article is bound to be very subjective. While posting comments and debating the pros and cons of a decision, please keep in mind that this writer is not trying to insist that this is how the world of football in general sees this. Having said that let us get the ball rolling and proceed in reverse chronological order.
2009 - Lionel Messi was bound to be the winner and he did so by a landslide. However Cristiano Ronaldo finishing second is really hard to justify. He did have some great moments and carried ManUtd at times in UCL but Xavi was consistently excellent and at almost 100% perfection through out the year and before while being the lynch pin for two of the most successful sides in world football - Barcelona and Spain. It's hard to find any reasons for his not finishing second except that the world is obsessed with goal scorers and flashy stars. A more debatable question is whether C.Ronaldo deserved to finish third or should have been replaced on the podium by Andres Iniesta. San Andes suffered due to his time out with injuries and he is not a known goal scorer. Yet he was involved in some of the most decisive moments in Barcelona's treble triumph, particularly their UCL victory. These awards are known to take key moments into account. Perhaps Iniesta deserved to be chosen as the third player also due to the fact that Barcelona deserved the same recognition that Bayern Munich got in 1972 and A C Milan got in 1988 whereby all three of their players finished on the podium since the club's achievements were at least as magnificent as the other two clubs mentioned. Overall this remains a more debatable point with this writer clearly favoring Iniesta's inclusion while also admitting to being a huge fan of the anti-galactico.
2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo was the outstanding winner. However the other two positions were debatable. In spite of being a die hard fan of Lionel Messi this writer believes that he did not deserve to finish in the top three in spite of having an excellent second half of the year because titles are decided in the first half. Along with Fernando Torres who finished third, the other two most deserving players were Iker Casillas and Xavi. While the latter was named player of the tournament at Eruro 2008, his club side had been disappointing that season. Still San Iker just had to finish in the top three because he was outstanding with excellent performances for Spain in Euro 2008 and a comfortable La liga win for Real Madrid along with the Zamora trophy.
2007 - Kaka was a very deserving winner having been responsible for the key moments which led A C Milan to the UCL title. Cristiano Ronaldo also deserved to finish second for having an outstanding season with ManUtd. The third position was more debatable. While Lionel Messi was one of the deserving candidates, there was a very strong case for Zlatan Ibrahimovic who was outstanding in Inter Milan's march to the Serie A title.
2006 - Not many people agree with this writer but he thought Fabio Cannavaro's award was completely justified. Not only was it very pleasing to see the award go to a defender for a change but as a defender who stood out at a world cup with one of the most legendary performances of all times when the world's eyes are completely focused on the attackers, he deserved to be recognized. To that add titles with his club Juventus and consistency throughout the season. The only valid criticism put forward was the drop in his performances since joining Real Madrid. However in the views of this writer the performances post the season end when the titles have been decided should not be given too much importance. Gianluigi Buffon finished a deserving second. A lot of people insisted that Thierry Henry should have won the award due to the fact that he had been nominated several times before and never won and also that he made it to both the UCL and the world cup final. This writer does not agree with that since such awards should not go by emotions or sympathy vote. Contrary to what some people may have said this was not near Henry's best years of his heydays and while he did reach the two big finals, he was underwhelming in both. So a third place seemed like a very justified finish to this writer.
2005 - Perhaps one of the best decisions ever in terms of all three positions. Barcelona did not win the UCL but were widely acknowledged as the best team on the planet and had won La Liga as well. Ronaldinho was at a different level and a very deserving winner. Frank Lampard was a deserving second having taken Chelsea to the EPL title after ages. Steven Gerrard had to be there and he came third. He had been the inspiration behind Liverpool's surprising victory at the UCL.
2004 - Andriy Shevchenko won the award but it was not entirely justified even though he did win the Serie A title since there were other equally strong candidates. Deco who finished second may have had a stronger case for being the key player in Porto's shock triumph at the UCL. Perhaps he was let down by a disappointing performance at Euro 2004. And while Ronaldinho finished third and was recognized as the most outstanding upcoming talent, perhaps Thierry Henry who was so brilliant in Arsenal's undefeated season in EPL deserved the spot ahead of him.
2003 - The winner was very well chosen. Pavel Nedved had been extraordinary throughout the year winning Serie A and extremely unlucky to miss the UCL final. Thierry Henry came second in spite of not winning EPL that season. Perhaps he should have been taken into greater consideration in the better years for his club. Paolo Maldini came third when he should have probably finished second. Ruud Van Nistelrooy who had been prolific in ManUtd's EPL victory may have also deserved a position in the top three. And then there were the stars of Real Madrid's La Liga win - Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo.
2002 - Ronaldo was virtually the unquestionable winner. Oliver Kahn came third but he deserved to come second because of his extraordinary performance at WC 2002 where he even won player of the tournament. Roberto Carlos came second. Perhaps he should have come third instead.
2001 - A lot of people have still not been able to accept the fact that Michael Owen won this year's award. He was brilliant throughout and won all three of the Uefa Cup, FA Cup and the League Cup but it's common knowledge in club football that the titles that count are UCL and the league titles of which Owen didn't win any. Raul who came second may have been a more deserving winner since he was at his peak then and Real Madrid had won the La Liga title. Oliver Kahn came third which was more than justified to celebrate Bayern Munich's UCL triumph. Other significant options could have been David Beckham for his EPL triumph with ManUtd and Franceso Totti and Gabriel Batistuta for Roma's Serie A victory.
2000 - This is supposed to have been the closest race for the top spot. Luis Figo eventually won it but this writer feels that Zinedine Zidane who finished second deserved to win instead. Figo had won no titles that year. Zidane had not just won Euro 2000 but was also player of the tournament. Besides he is arguably the best player of the decade. The third position went to Andriy Shevchenko who did not win anything major either. Perhaps Raul could have been chosen for Real Madrid' s UCL triumph.
Here is the deserving top three for each year in this writer's opinion. As far as possible he does not wish to choose players who did not win anything major that year.
2009 - Messi, Xavi, Iniesta
2008 - C.Ronaldo, Casillas, Torres/Xavi
2007 - Kaka, C.Ronaldo, Messi/Ibrahimovic
2006 - Cannavaro, Buffon, Henry
2005 - Ronaldinho, Lampard, Gerrard
2004 - Deco, Henry, Shevchenko
2003 - Nedved, Maldini, Zidane/Ronaldo/Henry
2002 - Ronaldo, Kahn, R.Carlos
2001 - Raul, Kahn, Owen/Beckham/Totti/Batistuta
2000 - Zidane, Figo, Raul
On the whole this writer would say that the Ballon D'or has done quite well in choosing the overall winner but could have been much more consistent with the second and third place selections.
2009 - Lionel Messi was bound to be the winner and he did so by a landslide. However Cristiano Ronaldo finishing second is really hard to justify. He did have some great moments and carried ManUtd at times in UCL but Xavi was consistently excellent and at almost 100% perfection through out the year and before while being the lynch pin for two of the most successful sides in world football - Barcelona and Spain. It's hard to find any reasons for his not finishing second except that the world is obsessed with goal scorers and flashy stars. A more debatable question is whether C.Ronaldo deserved to finish third or should have been replaced on the podium by Andres Iniesta. San Andes suffered due to his time out with injuries and he is not a known goal scorer. Yet he was involved in some of the most decisive moments in Barcelona's treble triumph, particularly their UCL victory. These awards are known to take key moments into account. Perhaps Iniesta deserved to be chosen as the third player also due to the fact that Barcelona deserved the same recognition that Bayern Munich got in 1972 and A C Milan got in 1988 whereby all three of their players finished on the podium since the club's achievements were at least as magnificent as the other two clubs mentioned. Overall this remains a more debatable point with this writer clearly favoring Iniesta's inclusion while also admitting to being a huge fan of the anti-galactico.
2008 - Cristiano Ronaldo was the outstanding winner. However the other two positions were debatable. In spite of being a die hard fan of Lionel Messi this writer believes that he did not deserve to finish in the top three in spite of having an excellent second half of the year because titles are decided in the first half. Along with Fernando Torres who finished third, the other two most deserving players were Iker Casillas and Xavi. While the latter was named player of the tournament at Eruro 2008, his club side had been disappointing that season. Still San Iker just had to finish in the top three because he was outstanding with excellent performances for Spain in Euro 2008 and a comfortable La liga win for Real Madrid along with the Zamora trophy.
2007 - Kaka was a very deserving winner having been responsible for the key moments which led A C Milan to the UCL title. Cristiano Ronaldo also deserved to finish second for having an outstanding season with ManUtd. The third position was more debatable. While Lionel Messi was one of the deserving candidates, there was a very strong case for Zlatan Ibrahimovic who was outstanding in Inter Milan's march to the Serie A title.
2006 - Not many people agree with this writer but he thought Fabio Cannavaro's award was completely justified. Not only was it very pleasing to see the award go to a defender for a change but as a defender who stood out at a world cup with one of the most legendary performances of all times when the world's eyes are completely focused on the attackers, he deserved to be recognized. To that add titles with his club Juventus and consistency throughout the season. The only valid criticism put forward was the drop in his performances since joining Real Madrid. However in the views of this writer the performances post the season end when the titles have been decided should not be given too much importance. Gianluigi Buffon finished a deserving second. A lot of people insisted that Thierry Henry should have won the award due to the fact that he had been nominated several times before and never won and also that he made it to both the UCL and the world cup final. This writer does not agree with that since such awards should not go by emotions or sympathy vote. Contrary to what some people may have said this was not near Henry's best years of his heydays and while he did reach the two big finals, he was underwhelming in both. So a third place seemed like a very justified finish to this writer.
2005 - Perhaps one of the best decisions ever in terms of all three positions. Barcelona did not win the UCL but were widely acknowledged as the best team on the planet and had won La Liga as well. Ronaldinho was at a different level and a very deserving winner. Frank Lampard was a deserving second having taken Chelsea to the EPL title after ages. Steven Gerrard had to be there and he came third. He had been the inspiration behind Liverpool's surprising victory at the UCL.
2004 - Andriy Shevchenko won the award but it was not entirely justified even though he did win the Serie A title since there were other equally strong candidates. Deco who finished second may have had a stronger case for being the key player in Porto's shock triumph at the UCL. Perhaps he was let down by a disappointing performance at Euro 2004. And while Ronaldinho finished third and was recognized as the most outstanding upcoming talent, perhaps Thierry Henry who was so brilliant in Arsenal's undefeated season in EPL deserved the spot ahead of him.
2003 - The winner was very well chosen. Pavel Nedved had been extraordinary throughout the year winning Serie A and extremely unlucky to miss the UCL final. Thierry Henry came second in spite of not winning EPL that season. Perhaps he should have been taken into greater consideration in the better years for his club. Paolo Maldini came third when he should have probably finished second. Ruud Van Nistelrooy who had been prolific in ManUtd's EPL victory may have also deserved a position in the top three. And then there were the stars of Real Madrid's La Liga win - Zinedine Zidane and Ronaldo.
2002 - Ronaldo was virtually the unquestionable winner. Oliver Kahn came third but he deserved to come second because of his extraordinary performance at WC 2002 where he even won player of the tournament. Roberto Carlos came second. Perhaps he should have come third instead.
2001 - A lot of people have still not been able to accept the fact that Michael Owen won this year's award. He was brilliant throughout and won all three of the Uefa Cup, FA Cup and the League Cup but it's common knowledge in club football that the titles that count are UCL and the league titles of which Owen didn't win any. Raul who came second may have been a more deserving winner since he was at his peak then and Real Madrid had won the La Liga title. Oliver Kahn came third which was more than justified to celebrate Bayern Munich's UCL triumph. Other significant options could have been David Beckham for his EPL triumph with ManUtd and Franceso Totti and Gabriel Batistuta for Roma's Serie A victory.
2000 - This is supposed to have been the closest race for the top spot. Luis Figo eventually won it but this writer feels that Zinedine Zidane who finished second deserved to win instead. Figo had won no titles that year. Zidane had not just won Euro 2000 but was also player of the tournament. Besides he is arguably the best player of the decade. The third position went to Andriy Shevchenko who did not win anything major either. Perhaps Raul could have been chosen for Real Madrid' s UCL triumph.
Here is the deserving top three for each year in this writer's opinion. As far as possible he does not wish to choose players who did not win anything major that year.
2009 - Messi, Xavi, Iniesta
2008 - C.Ronaldo, Casillas, Torres/Xavi
2007 - Kaka, C.Ronaldo, Messi/Ibrahimovic
2006 - Cannavaro, Buffon, Henry
2005 - Ronaldinho, Lampard, Gerrard
2004 - Deco, Henry, Shevchenko
2003 - Nedved, Maldini, Zidane/Ronaldo/Henry
2002 - Ronaldo, Kahn, R.Carlos
2001 - Raul, Kahn, Owen/Beckham/Totti/Batistuta
2000 - Zidane, Figo, Raul
On the whole this writer would say that the Ballon D'or has done quite well in choosing the overall winner but could have been much more consistent with the second and third place selections.
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Reflections : UCL Match Day 5
At the end of match day 5, let us take a look at the position in the different groups and also comment on the overall prospects and performances of some of the teams.
Group A - Bordeuax has quite simply been the most pleasantly surprising team of the competition so far. Even though they had already qualified at the end of match day 4, it is commendable that they put in such a determined and impressive performance in their match against Juventus. Now they have even ensured that they top the group. Major competitions often have one surprise team - an unfancied team which over performs. This year Bordeuax seems to be the best bet for being that team. As for the two giants in this group, Juventus and Bayern Munich, it can be reasonably argued that neither of them deserve to go to the next round. And it's hard to say who's been more shambolic than the other. Pitted in some of the other groups, they would have deservedly made their exit. And to think that Goal.com actually predicted Juventus would play the UCL final in 2010. This writer certainly did not share their enthusiasm but still did not expect them to capitulate so badly. As it stands one of Juventus or Bayern Munich will go through as the second team from this group. Bayern need to beat Juve in Turin to progress. Any other result will see Juve advance.
Group B - Manchester United had already qualified but last night's defeat to Besiktas at home would raise a lot of questions. They have not yet ensured top spot in their group and may not do so. Not many first teamers were missing last night and they were playing at home. On the whole it wouldn't be incorrect to say that ManUtd are going through a slump. Most would point to the exit of superstar C.Ronaldo but their key midfielders Giggs and Scholes not having the legs any more and the team not having found anyone of similar levels of competence to replace them has also adversely affected ManUtd. They may even have to make shrewd use of the January transfer window. As it stands ManUtd do not look like one of the favorites for the title this year. The other spot in this group is open and will go to either of Wolfsburg or CSKA. Wolfsburg have to play at home against ManUtd but will need to at least match the result of CSKA playing away at Besiktas in order to qualify.
Group C - Marseille have really given the giants of Real Madrid and A C Milan a good fight in this group. While they never reached the performance levels shown by compatriots Bordeaux, they could even be considered a little unlucky. As it stands qualification has become virtually impossible for them. Even if in the unlikely scenario they beat Real Madrid at home, they have a 3-0 deficit from the match day 2 result to turn over. So it's now just a question of which of the traditional giants would top the group. Milan will play away to Zurich and in spite of the shock result on match day 2, they now look sufficiently recovered to claim a victory there. If Milan win then Real must beat Marseille away in order to bag top spot as any other result will see Milan topping the group.
Group D - It's all over here. Chelsea have topped the group. Porto have also qualified. Chelsea this season look like one of the hottest favorites for the UCL title. Also they could end up making this season's EPL a one horse race.
Group E - Liverpool is out. It can be argued with good reason that had Benitez been in charge of any other one of the big clubs in Europe, he would have been out of the job by now. Why does Benitez get so much leeway? There are a number of reasons for this. Winning UCL in 2005 against all expectations gave the Kop faithful a taste of such glory after a very long time. This more than anything else has produced some sentimentalism towards him in a considerable section of the Liverpool fans. Add to that the fact that the fans hate the American owners and Benitez smartly manipulates the media to keep the blame away from himself. With all this he still in spite of everything manages to retain the faith of a good number of Liverpool fans. To this we must also look at the American owners who may be successful businessmen but are so completely ignorant about football that they are unable to take the right decisions at the right time and execute them properly. Finally Benitez has just signed a new contract and sacking him now would mean a huge payoff while if a top class manager such as Guus Hiddink were to be brought in, he would not come cheap. The massive debt that the club has would perhaps make this a step not worth taking. The net result is that Benitez stays in the job with Liverpool's season objectives being limited to aim for 4th spot in EPL and try to win the FA Cup or the Europa League - clearly not the most prestigious of competitions. Fiorentina have been a revelation. While being inconsistent in Serie A, they have managed to qualify for the knock stage in UCL after more than 10 years. The ever consistent Lyon joins them. Fiorentina's success has made it possible for Serie A to boast as many as 4 teams in the knock outs - something EPL and La Liga would be unable to do. The top spot still remains to be decided. In their next match Lyon would be expected to beat Debreceni at home. Fiorentina will play away to Liverpool in the last match which would mean nothing to the latter side and they could use it to experiment with fringe players unless they really want to exhibit their now severely damaged pride instead. A victory for Fiorentina would make them the group winners. A defeat would hand the honor to Lyon. A draw would make it a matter of overall goal difference.
Group F - Finally the reigning European champions demonstrated their true mettle and came up with one of their best performances of the season in spite of missing their two best forwards - Messi and Ibrahimovic. They only need to avoid a heavy defeat of 2-0 or by three goals or more when playing Dynamo Kyiv away and they will be through. Inter on the other hand while being so dominant domestically just don't convince anyone that they are ready to lay their hands on the UCL trophy. They seem to have a major mental block and play with a certain degree of trepidation in any major UCL match. This is all the more surprising since they are led by one of the greatest motivators in Jose Mourinho. A victory against Rubin Kazan at home is what Inter need to qualify and in spite of all of Inter's struggles and Rubin's surprises they should be able to get just that. A 0-0 draw or a 1-1 draw will also see Inter qualify if Dynamo do not beat Barcelona.
Group G - Sevilla had already qualified. In spite of their away loss to Unirea last night this team can go a long way in this competition because of the overall competence and balance in their squad and being led by a coach who may not be one of the elite but has performed remarkably well within the resources available to him and is by now very familiar with the club and the team. Still Sevilla have not ensured top spot yet but need only a draw at home against the hapless Rangers to get just that. The second spot in the group is still open. The excitement is multiplied by the fact that the two contenders Unirea and Stuttgart play each other with Unirea being at home. Stuttgart need to win this match to qualify as any other result will see Unirea go to the knock outs instead.
Group H - Arsenal have qualified and ensured top spot. This writer just has to say that right now it must be really frustrating to be an Arsenal supporter. The kind of attacking flair that this team possesses can be matched by very few teams in Europe. Yet dropping points carelessly and not getting the results when they would be easily expected to continues to dent their chances in major competitions. Not many people take them seriously in the EPL title race. And while they are more than capable of giving a game to the best of teams in UCL, they are also perfectly capable of capitulating against the lower rated ones. Still one thing that this writer would hope and expect is that no matter who they face, they at least put up a fight instead of a repeat of the very meek performance in the first leg of last season's semi final against ManUtd. It's incredible that Standard Leige who have just 4 points till now are still not out of the competition. However the only way they can go through is if they beat AZ Alkmaar at home and Olympiacos lose to Arsenal at home. Any other scenario would see Olympiacos take the second spot.
Group A - Bordeuax has quite simply been the most pleasantly surprising team of the competition so far. Even though they had already qualified at the end of match day 4, it is commendable that they put in such a determined and impressive performance in their match against Juventus. Now they have even ensured that they top the group. Major competitions often have one surprise team - an unfancied team which over performs. This year Bordeuax seems to be the best bet for being that team. As for the two giants in this group, Juventus and Bayern Munich, it can be reasonably argued that neither of them deserve to go to the next round. And it's hard to say who's been more shambolic than the other. Pitted in some of the other groups, they would have deservedly made their exit. And to think that Goal.com actually predicted Juventus would play the UCL final in 2010. This writer certainly did not share their enthusiasm but still did not expect them to capitulate so badly. As it stands one of Juventus or Bayern Munich will go through as the second team from this group. Bayern need to beat Juve in Turin to progress. Any other result will see Juve advance.
Group B - Manchester United had already qualified but last night's defeat to Besiktas at home would raise a lot of questions. They have not yet ensured top spot in their group and may not do so. Not many first teamers were missing last night and they were playing at home. On the whole it wouldn't be incorrect to say that ManUtd are going through a slump. Most would point to the exit of superstar C.Ronaldo but their key midfielders Giggs and Scholes not having the legs any more and the team not having found anyone of similar levels of competence to replace them has also adversely affected ManUtd. They may even have to make shrewd use of the January transfer window. As it stands ManUtd do not look like one of the favorites for the title this year. The other spot in this group is open and will go to either of Wolfsburg or CSKA. Wolfsburg have to play at home against ManUtd but will need to at least match the result of CSKA playing away at Besiktas in order to qualify.
Group C - Marseille have really given the giants of Real Madrid and A C Milan a good fight in this group. While they never reached the performance levels shown by compatriots Bordeaux, they could even be considered a little unlucky. As it stands qualification has become virtually impossible for them. Even if in the unlikely scenario they beat Real Madrid at home, they have a 3-0 deficit from the match day 2 result to turn over. So it's now just a question of which of the traditional giants would top the group. Milan will play away to Zurich and in spite of the shock result on match day 2, they now look sufficiently recovered to claim a victory there. If Milan win then Real must beat Marseille away in order to bag top spot as any other result will see Milan topping the group.
Group D - It's all over here. Chelsea have topped the group. Porto have also qualified. Chelsea this season look like one of the hottest favorites for the UCL title. Also they could end up making this season's EPL a one horse race.
Group E - Liverpool is out. It can be argued with good reason that had Benitez been in charge of any other one of the big clubs in Europe, he would have been out of the job by now. Why does Benitez get so much leeway? There are a number of reasons for this. Winning UCL in 2005 against all expectations gave the Kop faithful a taste of such glory after a very long time. This more than anything else has produced some sentimentalism towards him in a considerable section of the Liverpool fans. Add to that the fact that the fans hate the American owners and Benitez smartly manipulates the media to keep the blame away from himself. With all this he still in spite of everything manages to retain the faith of a good number of Liverpool fans. To this we must also look at the American owners who may be successful businessmen but are so completely ignorant about football that they are unable to take the right decisions at the right time and execute them properly. Finally Benitez has just signed a new contract and sacking him now would mean a huge payoff while if a top class manager such as Guus Hiddink were to be brought in, he would not come cheap. The massive debt that the club has would perhaps make this a step not worth taking. The net result is that Benitez stays in the job with Liverpool's season objectives being limited to aim for 4th spot in EPL and try to win the FA Cup or the Europa League - clearly not the most prestigious of competitions. Fiorentina have been a revelation. While being inconsistent in Serie A, they have managed to qualify for the knock stage in UCL after more than 10 years. The ever consistent Lyon joins them. Fiorentina's success has made it possible for Serie A to boast as many as 4 teams in the knock outs - something EPL and La Liga would be unable to do. The top spot still remains to be decided. In their next match Lyon would be expected to beat Debreceni at home. Fiorentina will play away to Liverpool in the last match which would mean nothing to the latter side and they could use it to experiment with fringe players unless they really want to exhibit their now severely damaged pride instead. A victory for Fiorentina would make them the group winners. A defeat would hand the honor to Lyon. A draw would make it a matter of overall goal difference.
Group F - Finally the reigning European champions demonstrated their true mettle and came up with one of their best performances of the season in spite of missing their two best forwards - Messi and Ibrahimovic. They only need to avoid a heavy defeat of 2-0 or by three goals or more when playing Dynamo Kyiv away and they will be through. Inter on the other hand while being so dominant domestically just don't convince anyone that they are ready to lay their hands on the UCL trophy. They seem to have a major mental block and play with a certain degree of trepidation in any major UCL match. This is all the more surprising since they are led by one of the greatest motivators in Jose Mourinho. A victory against Rubin Kazan at home is what Inter need to qualify and in spite of all of Inter's struggles and Rubin's surprises they should be able to get just that. A 0-0 draw or a 1-1 draw will also see Inter qualify if Dynamo do not beat Barcelona.
Group G - Sevilla had already qualified. In spite of their away loss to Unirea last night this team can go a long way in this competition because of the overall competence and balance in their squad and being led by a coach who may not be one of the elite but has performed remarkably well within the resources available to him and is by now very familiar with the club and the team. Still Sevilla have not ensured top spot yet but need only a draw at home against the hapless Rangers to get just that. The second spot in the group is still open. The excitement is multiplied by the fact that the two contenders Unirea and Stuttgart play each other with Unirea being at home. Stuttgart need to win this match to qualify as any other result will see Unirea go to the knock outs instead.
Group H - Arsenal have qualified and ensured top spot. This writer just has to say that right now it must be really frustrating to be an Arsenal supporter. The kind of attacking flair that this team possesses can be matched by very few teams in Europe. Yet dropping points carelessly and not getting the results when they would be easily expected to continues to dent their chances in major competitions. Not many people take them seriously in the EPL title race. And while they are more than capable of giving a game to the best of teams in UCL, they are also perfectly capable of capitulating against the lower rated ones. Still one thing that this writer would hope and expect is that no matter who they face, they at least put up a fight instead of a repeat of the very meek performance in the first leg of last season's semi final against ManUtd. It's incredible that Standard Leige who have just 4 points till now are still not out of the competition. However the only way they can go through is if they beat AZ Alkmaar at home and Olympiacos lose to Arsenal at home. Any other scenario would see Olympiacos take the second spot.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Reflections : WC 2010 Draw
Now that we know the identity of the thirty two teams who will be part of the biggest event in world sport next summer, let us try to analyze how these teams will get divided into eight groups of four teams each. Please note that this article is largely speculative since Fifa will make official announcements only some time later. And thus there should be much more to add/modify, once the draw comes even closer. This writer is mainly using what was done in WC 2006 as the basis for the analysis.
Let us start off by looking at who the seeds will be. As per the usual Fifa policy, the hosts South Africa will be seeded. We need to work out the seven others. Since the Fifa team rankings for November have not yet been announced, let us go by the rankings of October giving them 50% weight age. The remaining 50% weight age will be given to the performance in the past two world cups with WC 2006 accounting for 2/3 and WC 2002 accounting for 1/3.
Now here are the teams ranked from WC 2002. The teams who will not be in WC 2010 are not listed. The points will be worked out as equal to ( 33 - rank ) for each team that made it to the round of 16 or beyond from each world cup and then the weighted average will be calculated. For those that were eliminated in the group stage, there are 9 points for coming third and 8 points for sitting at the bottom. Not appearing at the tournament means 0 points.
1. Brazil
2. Germany
3. Turkey
4. Korea
5. Spain
6. England
8. USA
9. Japan
10. Denmark
11. Mexico
15. Italy
16. Paraguay
Similarly for WC 2006, the teams are ranked as follows.
1. Italy
2. France
3. Germany
4. Portugal
5. Brazil
6. Argentina
7. England
9. Spain
10. Switzerland
11. Netherlands
13. Ghana
15. Mexico
16. Australia
So on the basis of these two world cups as well as the current Fifa team ranking, the teams which would be in contention for seeding are being evaluated below and their points computed.
Brazil = 0.67*28 + 0.33*32 + 32 = 61.33
Spain = 0.67*24 + 0.33*28 + 31 = 56.33
Netherlands = 0.67*22 + 0.33*0 + 30 = 44.67
Italy = 0.67*32 + 0.33*18 + 29 = 56.33
Germany = 0.67*30 + 0.33*31 + 28 = 58.33
Argentina = 0.67*27 + 0.33*9 + 27 = 48.00
England = 0.67*26 + 0.33*27 + 26 = 52.33
France = 0.67*31 + 0.33*8 + 24 = 47.33
Portugal = 0.67*29 + 0.33*9 + 23 = 45.33
So going by this calculation and working out our top seven seeds, this is what our pot 1 would look like.
Pot 1 - South Africa, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Argentina, France
Now pot 2 would contain the eight remaining European teams.
Pot 2 - Portugal, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Slovakia, Serbia, Slovenia, Greece
All seeds would so desperately want to avoid Portugal and Netherlands.
Pot 3 would contain the remaining teams from South America and Africa.
Pot 3 - Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria
All look like very competent teams. There may be an extra desire to avoid the physically strong and unpredictable African sides even more on their own turf but the three teams from South America look very competitive as well.
Pot 4 would contain the teams from North America, Asia and Oceania.
Pot 4 - USA, Mexico, Honduras, South Korea, Japan, Australia, North Korea, New Zealand
This is the only pot which can possibly provide push overs. Such teams could be New Zealand, Honduras and North Korea. Teams will specially want to avoid USA and Mexico from this pot.
Let us end by discussing what is usually most talked about at the end of the draw - the group(s) of death. From this analysis, it looks like two groups of death are possible while one is a certainty. WC 2006 had two groups of death with Argentina and Italy the unlucky seeded teams in them. This time Portugal and Netherlands look like they will be the most dangerous floaters. Now if one of them were to be drawn into the group containing South Africa, one group of death would be avoided. If not, there would be two groups of death. These groups could become even tighter if either of USA or Mexico happen to be drawn in any of them.
All in all, the world cup draw is almost as exciting as a top class football match. This writer for one is eagerly awaiting it with bated breath.
Let us start off by looking at who the seeds will be. As per the usual Fifa policy, the hosts South Africa will be seeded. We need to work out the seven others. Since the Fifa team rankings for November have not yet been announced, let us go by the rankings of October giving them 50% weight age. The remaining 50% weight age will be given to the performance in the past two world cups with WC 2006 accounting for 2/3 and WC 2002 accounting for 1/3.
Now here are the teams ranked from WC 2002. The teams who will not be in WC 2010 are not listed. The points will be worked out as equal to ( 33 - rank ) for each team that made it to the round of 16 or beyond from each world cup and then the weighted average will be calculated. For those that were eliminated in the group stage, there are 9 points for coming third and 8 points for sitting at the bottom. Not appearing at the tournament means 0 points.
1. Brazil
2. Germany
3. Turkey
4. Korea
5. Spain
6. England
8. USA
9. Japan
10. Denmark
11. Mexico
15. Italy
16. Paraguay
Similarly for WC 2006, the teams are ranked as follows.
1. Italy
2. France
3. Germany
4. Portugal
5. Brazil
6. Argentina
7. England
9. Spain
10. Switzerland
11. Netherlands
13. Ghana
15. Mexico
16. Australia
So on the basis of these two world cups as well as the current Fifa team ranking, the teams which would be in contention for seeding are being evaluated below and their points computed.
Brazil = 0.67*28 + 0.33*32 + 32 = 61.33
Spain = 0.67*24 + 0.33*28 + 31 = 56.33
Netherlands = 0.67*22 + 0.33*0 + 30 = 44.67
Italy = 0.67*32 + 0.33*18 + 29 = 56.33
Germany = 0.67*30 + 0.33*31 + 28 = 58.33
Argentina = 0.67*27 + 0.33*9 + 27 = 48.00
England = 0.67*26 + 0.33*27 + 26 = 52.33
France = 0.67*31 + 0.33*8 + 24 = 47.33
Portugal = 0.67*29 + 0.33*9 + 23 = 45.33
So going by this calculation and working out our top seven seeds, this is what our pot 1 would look like.
Pot 1 - South Africa, Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain, England, Argentina, France
Now pot 2 would contain the eight remaining European teams.
Pot 2 - Portugal, Netherlands, Denmark, Switzerland, Slovakia, Serbia, Slovenia, Greece
All seeds would so desperately want to avoid Portugal and Netherlands.
Pot 3 would contain the remaining teams from South America and Africa.
Pot 3 - Paraguay, Chile, Uruguay, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Nigeria, Algeria
All look like very competent teams. There may be an extra desire to avoid the physically strong and unpredictable African sides even more on their own turf but the three teams from South America look very competitive as well.
Pot 4 would contain the teams from North America, Asia and Oceania.
Pot 4 - USA, Mexico, Honduras, South Korea, Japan, Australia, North Korea, New Zealand
This is the only pot which can possibly provide push overs. Such teams could be New Zealand, Honduras and North Korea. Teams will specially want to avoid USA and Mexico from this pot.
Let us end by discussing what is usually most talked about at the end of the draw - the group(s) of death. From this analysis, it looks like two groups of death are possible while one is a certainty. WC 2006 had two groups of death with Argentina and Italy the unlucky seeded teams in them. This time Portugal and Netherlands look like they will be the most dangerous floaters. Now if one of them were to be drawn into the group containing South Africa, one group of death would be avoided. If not, there would be two groups of death. These groups could become even tighter if either of USA or Mexico happen to be drawn in any of them.
All in all, the world cup draw is almost as exciting as a top class football match. This writer for one is eagerly awaiting it with bated breath.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Reflections : Spain vs. Argentina Friendly
At this time we should perhaps be most interested in the world cup playoffs as well as the last of the qualifiers which are due this weekend. However in most of these playoffs and qualifiers, one team seems better placed or considerably stronger than the other. So it's not motivating enough for this writer to analyze them at this point in time. Of course after the first leg, some of the playoffs could throw up interesting scenarios which may make this writer want to analyze them but right now his main interest lies somewhere else. And that is with the mouth watering friendly between Spain and Argentina. Two very strong teams who are also expected to play really beautiful football. Let us first analyze each team individually. After all this is only a friendly and our larger interest lies in being able to measure the world cup prospects of these teams using among other things their performance in this friendly.
Ask anyone today - a fan or a pundit - they will all put Spain among the top favorites for WC 2010. Some say they are second to Brazil while for others they are the top favorite. It's not that this writer does not look up to Spain as a national team and is not impressed by their showings or does not feel that their coach has done a great job. It's just that he cannot help but have a few doubts - doubts which not many other people find worth worrying about and which have been mostly easily papered due to the streak of results obtained by this team. Yet when push comes to shove does Spain have the requisite physical and mental toughness to really win a match which is not really a match any more but a battle? Of course they won Euro 2008 and did so in some style. Fans all over the world felt that for once the best team playing the best football had won such a major tournament. It was a victory for football. However there was also a key element of physical and mental toughness in this team - a certain Marcos Senna. Unfortunately Senna is now 33 years old. And what horrifies this writer most is that there has been no attempt to find a like for like replacement or even an understudy for him. Yes Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets are used but both are essentially possession players rather than battlers. This writer feels that without Senna at his best on the pitch, Spain look a little light weight when compared to the other physically and mentally tough teams. The other major problem is Fernando Torres. Oh, how can Torres be a problem? He should be a blessing. Is this writer trying to say that Torres is not one of the best strikers in the world? Certainly not - if anything this writer is also among the many fans of El Nino. Yet how do you explain that Torres did not score a single goal in the entire WC 2010 qualification campaign. This is the same Torres we are talking about who for Liverpool is like a one chance one goal man. In the views of this writer, David Villa and Torres are just not compatible. While Villa fits exactly into the way Spain play, Torres is often left out. This writer feels that Spain would be better playing a 4-2-3-1 or any kind of 4-5-1 with the in form Cesc Fabregas getting the nod instead of Torres. However can Del Bosque really put Torres on the bench? This last statement actually leads to two other problems that should be mentioned here. Spain have too many world class attacking players and it's hard for even one of them to accept a place on the bench. Add to that the fact that even though Del Bosque is a great coach, there have been doubts as to how good a tactician he is. That was the reason Real Madrid gave when they surprisingly fired him after a title winning campaign in 2003. Can Del Bosque really match wits against the likes of Fabio Capello and Guus Hiddink? This writer is not so sure.
Now let's come to Argentina. They made a real mess of the qualification campaign but finally came out of it. Their main strengths are the extraordinary individual qualities of several of their players and the fighting spirit that they showed in their last few matches which was reminiscent of the tough as nails but unbearably ugly Argentina team of WC 1990. That's where the positives end and the negatives begin. No major team today has a more unsettled starting 11 than Argentina. The defense has indeed shown signs of improvement but the attacking play often looks pedestrian. It seems that they are still in a state of constant experimentation - hardly a desirable state to be in when the world cup is little more than 6 months away. And with the kind of talent at their disposal, they are just not playing the way their innumerable fans all around the world ( which includes this writer ) long to see them play.
So what about the match between the two? Well Spain do look better placed at the moment. They also have home advantage. Yet hardly anyone would rule out the possibility of one or more of Argentina's brilliant individuals deciding the match in their favor.
Ask anyone today - a fan or a pundit - they will all put Spain among the top favorites for WC 2010. Some say they are second to Brazil while for others they are the top favorite. It's not that this writer does not look up to Spain as a national team and is not impressed by their showings or does not feel that their coach has done a great job. It's just that he cannot help but have a few doubts - doubts which not many other people find worth worrying about and which have been mostly easily papered due to the streak of results obtained by this team. Yet when push comes to shove does Spain have the requisite physical and mental toughness to really win a match which is not really a match any more but a battle? Of course they won Euro 2008 and did so in some style. Fans all over the world felt that for once the best team playing the best football had won such a major tournament. It was a victory for football. However there was also a key element of physical and mental toughness in this team - a certain Marcos Senna. Unfortunately Senna is now 33 years old. And what horrifies this writer most is that there has been no attempt to find a like for like replacement or even an understudy for him. Yes Xabi Alonso and Sergio Busquets are used but both are essentially possession players rather than battlers. This writer feels that without Senna at his best on the pitch, Spain look a little light weight when compared to the other physically and mentally tough teams. The other major problem is Fernando Torres. Oh, how can Torres be a problem? He should be a blessing. Is this writer trying to say that Torres is not one of the best strikers in the world? Certainly not - if anything this writer is also among the many fans of El Nino. Yet how do you explain that Torres did not score a single goal in the entire WC 2010 qualification campaign. This is the same Torres we are talking about who for Liverpool is like a one chance one goal man. In the views of this writer, David Villa and Torres are just not compatible. While Villa fits exactly into the way Spain play, Torres is often left out. This writer feels that Spain would be better playing a 4-2-3-1 or any kind of 4-5-1 with the in form Cesc Fabregas getting the nod instead of Torres. However can Del Bosque really put Torres on the bench? This last statement actually leads to two other problems that should be mentioned here. Spain have too many world class attacking players and it's hard for even one of them to accept a place on the bench. Add to that the fact that even though Del Bosque is a great coach, there have been doubts as to how good a tactician he is. That was the reason Real Madrid gave when they surprisingly fired him after a title winning campaign in 2003. Can Del Bosque really match wits against the likes of Fabio Capello and Guus Hiddink? This writer is not so sure.
Now let's come to Argentina. They made a real mess of the qualification campaign but finally came out of it. Their main strengths are the extraordinary individual qualities of several of their players and the fighting spirit that they showed in their last few matches which was reminiscent of the tough as nails but unbearably ugly Argentina team of WC 1990. That's where the positives end and the negatives begin. No major team today has a more unsettled starting 11 than Argentina. The defense has indeed shown signs of improvement but the attacking play often looks pedestrian. It seems that they are still in a state of constant experimentation - hardly a desirable state to be in when the world cup is little more than 6 months away. And with the kind of talent at their disposal, they are just not playing the way their innumerable fans all around the world ( which includes this writer ) long to see them play.
So what about the match between the two? Well Spain do look better placed at the moment. They also have home advantage. Yet hardly anyone would rule out the possibility of one or more of Argentina's brilliant individuals deciding the match in their favor.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Reflections : UCL Match Day 4
At the end of UCL match day 4, let us take a look at where all the teams stand and make some comments about the teams especially the more well known ones.
Group A - Bordeaux could be called the most outstanding team of the competition so far. Placed in a group where they were supposedly third best they have qualified with two games to spare and could easily top the group. If we compare this with their last appearance in UCL when they seemed so out of their depth that after a while it merely became a burden for them to play along with all the league fixtures, we realize just how far they have come. Laurent Blanc is quite simply one of the most promising young managers today. As for who will join them Juventus are likely to do so in spite of having not put on even a single convincing performance so far. However if Juventus fail to win on Bordeaux's home territory as Bordeaux have both their long time unbeaten home record as well as top place in the group to play for, the last match between Juventus and Bayern Munich in Turin becomes a cracker.
Group B - In a comparatively easier group, Manchester United have already qualified and Wolfsburg look likely to join them.
Group C - Although A C Milan and Real Madrid lead Marseille by only a point, it's hard to see even one of them not going through. In spite of their previous slip ups, by now they have acquired enough rhythm to get the better of Zurich. So considering that both of them manage to beat Zurich, the only way Marseille can qualify is by beating one of them and at least drawing with the other which looks a very tall order.
Group D - Chelsea and Porto have both qualified. Atletico Madrid have been a hopeless disappointment just like they have been in La Liga so far. However at least the latter offers a way back while the former doesn't other than the chance to play in Uefa Europa League.
Group E - Liverpool may consider themselves unlucky for having been the better team last night and yet coming back with only a draw. In fact anyone who watched Lyon last night would probably agree that their passing especially in the first half was so poor that it just didn't look like a Lyon side playing at home. However the detractors of Benitez insist that he has been lucky too many times in the UCL and his luck would have to run out some time. Still they are not totally out of it. If Fiorentina beat Lyon in Florence, then Benitez's luck will indeed run out for good. However if they only draw it will be all to play for between the two on the last match day. Liverpool will be at home but will be required to overturn a 2-0 deficit keeping the away goals rule well in mind. A win for Lyon though would have Liverpool only needing a win in the last match to qualify provided they beat Debrecen away as expected. Anything less than that and they will be out.
Group F - You must have heard the term death the leveler but at times football can be a real leveler too. The defending champions, the winners of the unprecedented treble, the envy of the rest of the football world, the one and only F C Barcelona are actually struggling to get out of their group in the very next season of UCL!!! What has gone wrong? Well we all give different explanations but are a little puzzled as well. The defense looked unconvincing since the very beginning of this season and there is an increased tendency to give the ball away in dangerous positions but even that does not explain the main problem which is that teams are lining up multiple walls of uncompromising defenders against the Blaugrana and they simply have no answer to it. Ibrahimovic was expected by some including this writer to be a plan B which could help Barca win such games by winning balls in the air and taking long shots at goal. On the evidence of last night, that plan is not even in it's nascent stages yet. Besides in the opinion of this writer, the world player incumbent Lionel Messi appears to be slightly slower nowadays. On the other hand Inter who are known to struggle in the UCL somehow managed to score an equalizer against Dynamo Kyiv in the 86th minute and then went on to win the game. Some of us including this writer do not like Jose Mourinho for his overly arrogant ways and the help he receives from Lady Luck at crucial times but the man does know how to get the job done. Now in the next match at Camp Nou, this writer expects Mourinho to line up multiple walls of defenders as is the fashion but also use the pace of Balotelli to run behind the high defensive line of the Catalans. If Barcelona lose to Inter which is by no means impossible and Rubin win against Dynamo at home, the world's best team will be knocked out even before the knock outs have begun. Football indeed is a leveler.
Group G - Sevilla have gone through as expected. Instead of celebrating that they are actually feeling a little disappointed not having already ensured top place which is understandable since this is one of the easiest groups. The other qualifying place is still open to all of the other teams.
Group H - Arsenal at times do look like being very close to a truly great team. With Fabregas having been one of the most outstanding individual performers of this season and Arshavin proving every day that a list of world class players is incomplete without him, Arsenal do have flair in abundance. Playing Van Persie as a target man seems to suit the 4-3-3 formation they now play. It will be interesting to see how they react if teams start putting multiple defensive walls against them as they do against Barcelona. However the defensive midfield and the defense could have been stronger with more world class battlers and the goal keeper position is now called their number one worry by several pundits. In a group as easy as this they have almost qualified and the second place still remains open to all of the remaining three teams.
Group A - Bordeaux could be called the most outstanding team of the competition so far. Placed in a group where they were supposedly third best they have qualified with two games to spare and could easily top the group. If we compare this with their last appearance in UCL when they seemed so out of their depth that after a while it merely became a burden for them to play along with all the league fixtures, we realize just how far they have come. Laurent Blanc is quite simply one of the most promising young managers today. As for who will join them Juventus are likely to do so in spite of having not put on even a single convincing performance so far. However if Juventus fail to win on Bordeaux's home territory as Bordeaux have both their long time unbeaten home record as well as top place in the group to play for, the last match between Juventus and Bayern Munich in Turin becomes a cracker.
Group B - In a comparatively easier group, Manchester United have already qualified and Wolfsburg look likely to join them.
Group C - Although A C Milan and Real Madrid lead Marseille by only a point, it's hard to see even one of them not going through. In spite of their previous slip ups, by now they have acquired enough rhythm to get the better of Zurich. So considering that both of them manage to beat Zurich, the only way Marseille can qualify is by beating one of them and at least drawing with the other which looks a very tall order.
Group D - Chelsea and Porto have both qualified. Atletico Madrid have been a hopeless disappointment just like they have been in La Liga so far. However at least the latter offers a way back while the former doesn't other than the chance to play in Uefa Europa League.
Group E - Liverpool may consider themselves unlucky for having been the better team last night and yet coming back with only a draw. In fact anyone who watched Lyon last night would probably agree that their passing especially in the first half was so poor that it just didn't look like a Lyon side playing at home. However the detractors of Benitez insist that he has been lucky too many times in the UCL and his luck would have to run out some time. Still they are not totally out of it. If Fiorentina beat Lyon in Florence, then Benitez's luck will indeed run out for good. However if they only draw it will be all to play for between the two on the last match day. Liverpool will be at home but will be required to overturn a 2-0 deficit keeping the away goals rule well in mind. A win for Lyon though would have Liverpool only needing a win in the last match to qualify provided they beat Debrecen away as expected. Anything less than that and they will be out.
Group F - You must have heard the term death the leveler but at times football can be a real leveler too. The defending champions, the winners of the unprecedented treble, the envy of the rest of the football world, the one and only F C Barcelona are actually struggling to get out of their group in the very next season of UCL!!! What has gone wrong? Well we all give different explanations but are a little puzzled as well. The defense looked unconvincing since the very beginning of this season and there is an increased tendency to give the ball away in dangerous positions but even that does not explain the main problem which is that teams are lining up multiple walls of uncompromising defenders against the Blaugrana and they simply have no answer to it. Ibrahimovic was expected by some including this writer to be a plan B which could help Barca win such games by winning balls in the air and taking long shots at goal. On the evidence of last night, that plan is not even in it's nascent stages yet. Besides in the opinion of this writer, the world player incumbent Lionel Messi appears to be slightly slower nowadays. On the other hand Inter who are known to struggle in the UCL somehow managed to score an equalizer against Dynamo Kyiv in the 86th minute and then went on to win the game. Some of us including this writer do not like Jose Mourinho for his overly arrogant ways and the help he receives from Lady Luck at crucial times but the man does know how to get the job done. Now in the next match at Camp Nou, this writer expects Mourinho to line up multiple walls of defenders as is the fashion but also use the pace of Balotelli to run behind the high defensive line of the Catalans. If Barcelona lose to Inter which is by no means impossible and Rubin win against Dynamo at home, the world's best team will be knocked out even before the knock outs have begun. Football indeed is a leveler.
Group G - Sevilla have gone through as expected. Instead of celebrating that they are actually feeling a little disappointed not having already ensured top place which is understandable since this is one of the easiest groups. The other qualifying place is still open to all of the other teams.
Group H - Arsenal at times do look like being very close to a truly great team. With Fabregas having been one of the most outstanding individual performers of this season and Arshavin proving every day that a list of world class players is incomplete without him, Arsenal do have flair in abundance. Playing Van Persie as a target man seems to suit the 4-3-3 formation they now play. It will be interesting to see how they react if teams start putting multiple defensive walls against them as they do against Barcelona. However the defensive midfield and the defense could have been stronger with more world class battlers and the goal keeper position is now called their number one worry by several pundits. In a group as easy as this they have almost qualified and the second place still remains open to all of the remaining three teams.
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Reflections : Confessions Of A Mistaken Analyst
On some days it is best to just hold up your hand and say I was wrong. And today is that day for me. Readers, please don't be offended but for me this was a bigger upset than Rubin beating Barcelona. The Russian team had shown that they were a wild card - an unpredictable team. Milan on the other hand seemed like a retirement home that should be knocked out in the group stage but had been aided by a Marseille team which at times can outdo anyone in poverty of performance.
Did I underestimate Milan? Perhaps a little but not that much. Did I overestimate Real Madrid? Grossly.
What really did happen yesterday? Even now the mind keeps trying to make sense of it all. Here is a brief summary of what these eyes saw.
The match starts. Madrid strolls around the pitch passing with comfort. Milan seem like they are not even capable of attacking but Seedorf, the lone crusader does not agree. Dida may have stepped on the pitch after a long time but he's certainly not forgotten his ritual of buttering his fingers well. So we have one goal. Oh we also have a penalty which the referee rules out and he would be lucky to find one other person in the entire world who agrees with him. Yet apart from those two incidents, this seems like the dullest possible match. The two biggest giants of European football could not have come up with something more mundane than this. I am not one of those who enjoy a match only when there is a lot of goal mouth action. However this match really offers nothing to see - not one great dribble, not one truly amazing pass, just no inventiveness. Madrid seem like they can rout Milan 3-0 or more any time they want to but the trouble is they just don't want to. Why spend energy when all the football pundits in the world have said that Milan is virtually incapable of scoring a goal - might as well save something for the upcoming much tougher La Liga match! We will defend 1-0. Oh but we forgot to study our own defense, forget studying the opponents! The second half starts and after some time Borriello comes on. I can't help saying to myself - this is just what this match needed - a Borriello to bore us even more. And then when I am almost half sleepy - what just happened! Oh, Milan scored a goal with a chance that goes in with 1% probability. And what does it do - well makes the aging warhorses of Milan believe that the supernatural is with them. And then we see a team of players who have forgotten how old they are - some running around like spring chickens. Seedorf and now Pirlo show so much enthusiasm that even the partying Ronaldinho cannot resist showing off one or two of his trademark runs from his Barcelona days. And then what. Both sides are attacking. Madrid have San Iker while Milan have Butter Dida. So why give it a thought what will happen. Unfortunately Milan also have Alessandro Nesta - too bad Madrid didn't spend their millions in trying to buy someone like him. Oh yes they bought Albiol but in recent days it seems not just us but Albiol himself is confused about who he is and what he is doing on the pitch. Well, what happens then. What hot head Pepe, confused Albiol, never was Marcelo and the chosen one S.Ramos are doing needs to be worded appropriately - this ain't defending my sons! In fact even San Iker has lost his patience - I can't keep saving you game after game especially after what I get in return is angry arguing from Guti. I am human even though I may seem saintly to you - it's my right to make a few blunders as well. So virtually every attack Milan makes seems to be capable of becoming a goal. And what about the other end - surely Butterman would spill at least one more. No but Butterman is now feeling blessed with the presence of the class act Nesta by his side and is actually making a few good saves. Well after this it's no use saying what the final result will be. But the match needs more drama to compensate for the drudgery of the first sixty minutes. So the referee decides to rule out a goal - a decision that he may have trouble explaining even to himself later.
That's the match but what did this self-styled analyst learn. Well firstly that the game remains superior to us all. You can arrive at the same logical conclusion in hundred different ways but fate may have something totally different in store. It was, is and always will be more powerful than you. And finally that's what makes the game - why would we watch it if everything could be predicted on paper.
What remains. Two things - need to pay homage to some true masters and need to understand just why I was so badly deceived by the second generation of galacticos. Honors come first.
If Paolo Maldini is considered at times the greatest defender ever, then surely the world will some day find an appropriate label for Alessandro Nesta as well. It's great to be as skilled as a Messi, C.Ronaldo or a Ronaldinho but is it less worthy to truly understand just what the game of football is all about? Nesta's understanding is second to none - a player as great as any other but will never be hyped up since he is a defender and not an attacker. Of course he could have made a better midfielder than some others playing the game today but that's a different story. What did he have to help him - Butterman Dida, too old and outdated Oddo, just not the legs Zambrotta, the promising but not yet finished article Thiago Silva and virtually just one half decent defensive midfielder. In fact when I saw the line up, I thought Milan had played into Madrid's hands - two slow creative midfielders and one aging half way defensive midfielder to protect an aging defense - it's like committing suicide. Well it was just one of the many mistakes I made last night. Amidst all this Nesta stood out and not just in the game. After one particularly heated argument which surprised me since Nesta of all players lost his head, Nesta got booked by the referee but what does he do next? On his own he goes up to Raul and gives him a hug. It's all very well to be the best player ever to have played the game like Diego Maradona but you have also ensured that you become an equally pathetic human being. It's rare to find those like Nesta who just exude class in all aspects of life.
And then I must talk about Andrea Pirlo. Suffice it to say one of my favorite players of this decade - I almost worship him. What he did in WC 2006 remains committed to my football memory. And now that he cannot perform day in day out like he used to, the master is always capable of coming up with moments of pure magic even when you least expect it.
When Milan won against Marseille the whole world talked about Inzaghi. Last night the whole world talked about Pato. Putting the ball in the back of the net is a great art but must everything else be neglected? The architect in both the matches was the same - Clarence Seedorf. This man was vilified last season by his own supporters who thought that only the coach's favoritism put him in the starting eleven. People thought Ancelotti was crazy to want to try to purchase him for Chelsea. Seedorf simply is one of those people for whom the quote was invented - form is temporary but class is permanent.
So can this aging Milan team still play? Yes they can provided you let them. And Madrid last night thought no harm in doing so.
What about Madrid then? What went wrong for the most expensive team in recent history? Well this may sound harsh but every single flaw that I have seen in Madrid teams since 2004-05 was on display yesterday. Let's elaborate the major ones.
Marcelo can never be taught to defend - perhaps he became a defender just because he was not good enough to be a winger or something like that. S.Ramos will forever remain the promise. Surely if people still consider him world class, they must explain how a top class player can be allowed to make so many mistakes! I worry for the Spanish national team - this guy is capable of single handedly costing them a game especially against shrewd teams like Brazil and England. In recent memory no player has deceived me more than Albiol. I thought successor to Puyol, better than Pique, etc. etc. and now what is he - yet to justify that he even deserves to play for a top club. Last season it was so fashionable to point out Cannavaro's mistakes - that's because he did five things right and got two wrong. Well this season nobody is interested in pointing out mistakes because they are everywhere and next to nothing is right with this defense. Perhaps defending goes out of fashion as soon as Florentino Perez comes in. Now Perez will never understand football half as well as he understands business. So he just does not bother to educate himself on what defense can bring to a game leading all the defenders in the team to feel that the only way to get salary raises would be to create and score goals.
There is something called solidity and compactness of a team. Perhaps Pellegrini forgot to educate his players about that because they seriously had no idea how to help each other when the tough times came towards the end. If they could not dominate against a team with so little pace, why can't the likes of Lyon have a field day against them? What can be said when even a Xabi Alonso was more disciplined at Liverpool!
I hate to say this but how much of a player is the Kaka of today compared to the Kaka of 2007. Last season and more at Milan were forgettable. At Madrid he performed only in meaningless friendlies. His staunch supporters would say that he's been very consistent for Brazil. That's not untrue but to be honest with you, it is a bit hyped as well. How many magical moments has he shown? He actually won the best player award at Confederations Cup 2009 but it made very little sense. Even a couple of players from USA had deserved it more but Sepp Blatter's Fifa is nothing if not star struck.
I have saved the best for last - complacency of the highest order not seen since the pre-Capello era. Fabio Capello had made a Herculean effort and banished this disease for good. Schuster didn't let it creep in either. J.Ramos also kept it away for sure. So how could Pellegrini who made a name by taking a very unassuming team to levels they had not seen before have brought something like this. Once again Mr. Perez will have to take the honors. Madrid strolling around like it is a practice game thinking that the actual match already won. A little more verve and commitment and Milan were there for the taking but why spend that much energy?
For once let me tip my hat to the English pundits who said at the start of the season that with this defense, they won't take Real Madrid seriously in UCL. Given what was on display yesterday and the fact that the current team in spite of all its galacticos is clearly inferior to J.Ramos's team, Madrid would do well to reach the quarter finals for the first time in six years even if C.Ronaldo can overcome all the curses of injuries and witchcraft and they sure will celebrate this if they manage it. It seems that the greatest team in European football history has forgotten how to play in UCL and need to be taught all over again.
So what am I left with? Real will never learn to defend. Inter will always struggle to attack. So is it back to the usual suspects for the umpteenth time? Oh how nice it would be to see a repeat of 2003-04 - Lyon and Sevilla rip apart all the illustrious big names. I know it's wishful thinking and is not going to happen. So once again I will get a final featuring Chelsea against ManUtd who incidentally are the tow best placed and performing big teams so far - might as well give up watching UCL. And what about our beloved Barcelona - well we better be careful or a repeat of 2006-07 with both the Spanish giants knocked out in the second round could very well be on the cards.
Did I underestimate Milan? Perhaps a little but not that much. Did I overestimate Real Madrid? Grossly.
What really did happen yesterday? Even now the mind keeps trying to make sense of it all. Here is a brief summary of what these eyes saw.
The match starts. Madrid strolls around the pitch passing with comfort. Milan seem like they are not even capable of attacking but Seedorf, the lone crusader does not agree. Dida may have stepped on the pitch after a long time but he's certainly not forgotten his ritual of buttering his fingers well. So we have one goal. Oh we also have a penalty which the referee rules out and he would be lucky to find one other person in the entire world who agrees with him. Yet apart from those two incidents, this seems like the dullest possible match. The two biggest giants of European football could not have come up with something more mundane than this. I am not one of those who enjoy a match only when there is a lot of goal mouth action. However this match really offers nothing to see - not one great dribble, not one truly amazing pass, just no inventiveness. Madrid seem like they can rout Milan 3-0 or more any time they want to but the trouble is they just don't want to. Why spend energy when all the football pundits in the world have said that Milan is virtually incapable of scoring a goal - might as well save something for the upcoming much tougher La Liga match! We will defend 1-0. Oh but we forgot to study our own defense, forget studying the opponents! The second half starts and after some time Borriello comes on. I can't help saying to myself - this is just what this match needed - a Borriello to bore us even more. And then when I am almost half sleepy - what just happened! Oh, Milan scored a goal with a chance that goes in with 1% probability. And what does it do - well makes the aging warhorses of Milan believe that the supernatural is with them. And then we see a team of players who have forgotten how old they are - some running around like spring chickens. Seedorf and now Pirlo show so much enthusiasm that even the partying Ronaldinho cannot resist showing off one or two of his trademark runs from his Barcelona days. And then what. Both sides are attacking. Madrid have San Iker while Milan have Butter Dida. So why give it a thought what will happen. Unfortunately Milan also have Alessandro Nesta - too bad Madrid didn't spend their millions in trying to buy someone like him. Oh yes they bought Albiol but in recent days it seems not just us but Albiol himself is confused about who he is and what he is doing on the pitch. Well, what happens then. What hot head Pepe, confused Albiol, never was Marcelo and the chosen one S.Ramos are doing needs to be worded appropriately - this ain't defending my sons! In fact even San Iker has lost his patience - I can't keep saving you game after game especially after what I get in return is angry arguing from Guti. I am human even though I may seem saintly to you - it's my right to make a few blunders as well. So virtually every attack Milan makes seems to be capable of becoming a goal. And what about the other end - surely Butterman would spill at least one more. No but Butterman is now feeling blessed with the presence of the class act Nesta by his side and is actually making a few good saves. Well after this it's no use saying what the final result will be. But the match needs more drama to compensate for the drudgery of the first sixty minutes. So the referee decides to rule out a goal - a decision that he may have trouble explaining even to himself later.
That's the match but what did this self-styled analyst learn. Well firstly that the game remains superior to us all. You can arrive at the same logical conclusion in hundred different ways but fate may have something totally different in store. It was, is and always will be more powerful than you. And finally that's what makes the game - why would we watch it if everything could be predicted on paper.
What remains. Two things - need to pay homage to some true masters and need to understand just why I was so badly deceived by the second generation of galacticos. Honors come first.
If Paolo Maldini is considered at times the greatest defender ever, then surely the world will some day find an appropriate label for Alessandro Nesta as well. It's great to be as skilled as a Messi, C.Ronaldo or a Ronaldinho but is it less worthy to truly understand just what the game of football is all about? Nesta's understanding is second to none - a player as great as any other but will never be hyped up since he is a defender and not an attacker. Of course he could have made a better midfielder than some others playing the game today but that's a different story. What did he have to help him - Butterman Dida, too old and outdated Oddo, just not the legs Zambrotta, the promising but not yet finished article Thiago Silva and virtually just one half decent defensive midfielder. In fact when I saw the line up, I thought Milan had played into Madrid's hands - two slow creative midfielders and one aging half way defensive midfielder to protect an aging defense - it's like committing suicide. Well it was just one of the many mistakes I made last night. Amidst all this Nesta stood out and not just in the game. After one particularly heated argument which surprised me since Nesta of all players lost his head, Nesta got booked by the referee but what does he do next? On his own he goes up to Raul and gives him a hug. It's all very well to be the best player ever to have played the game like Diego Maradona but you have also ensured that you become an equally pathetic human being. It's rare to find those like Nesta who just exude class in all aspects of life.
And then I must talk about Andrea Pirlo. Suffice it to say one of my favorite players of this decade - I almost worship him. What he did in WC 2006 remains committed to my football memory. And now that he cannot perform day in day out like he used to, the master is always capable of coming up with moments of pure magic even when you least expect it.
When Milan won against Marseille the whole world talked about Inzaghi. Last night the whole world talked about Pato. Putting the ball in the back of the net is a great art but must everything else be neglected? The architect in both the matches was the same - Clarence Seedorf. This man was vilified last season by his own supporters who thought that only the coach's favoritism put him in the starting eleven. People thought Ancelotti was crazy to want to try to purchase him for Chelsea. Seedorf simply is one of those people for whom the quote was invented - form is temporary but class is permanent.
So can this aging Milan team still play? Yes they can provided you let them. And Madrid last night thought no harm in doing so.
What about Madrid then? What went wrong for the most expensive team in recent history? Well this may sound harsh but every single flaw that I have seen in Madrid teams since 2004-05 was on display yesterday. Let's elaborate the major ones.
Marcelo can never be taught to defend - perhaps he became a defender just because he was not good enough to be a winger or something like that. S.Ramos will forever remain the promise. Surely if people still consider him world class, they must explain how a top class player can be allowed to make so many mistakes! I worry for the Spanish national team - this guy is capable of single handedly costing them a game especially against shrewd teams like Brazil and England. In recent memory no player has deceived me more than Albiol. I thought successor to Puyol, better than Pique, etc. etc. and now what is he - yet to justify that he even deserves to play for a top club. Last season it was so fashionable to point out Cannavaro's mistakes - that's because he did five things right and got two wrong. Well this season nobody is interested in pointing out mistakes because they are everywhere and next to nothing is right with this defense. Perhaps defending goes out of fashion as soon as Florentino Perez comes in. Now Perez will never understand football half as well as he understands business. So he just does not bother to educate himself on what defense can bring to a game leading all the defenders in the team to feel that the only way to get salary raises would be to create and score goals.
There is something called solidity and compactness of a team. Perhaps Pellegrini forgot to educate his players about that because they seriously had no idea how to help each other when the tough times came towards the end. If they could not dominate against a team with so little pace, why can't the likes of Lyon have a field day against them? What can be said when even a Xabi Alonso was more disciplined at Liverpool!
I hate to say this but how much of a player is the Kaka of today compared to the Kaka of 2007. Last season and more at Milan were forgettable. At Madrid he performed only in meaningless friendlies. His staunch supporters would say that he's been very consistent for Brazil. That's not untrue but to be honest with you, it is a bit hyped as well. How many magical moments has he shown? He actually won the best player award at Confederations Cup 2009 but it made very little sense. Even a couple of players from USA had deserved it more but Sepp Blatter's Fifa is nothing if not star struck.
I have saved the best for last - complacency of the highest order not seen since the pre-Capello era. Fabio Capello had made a Herculean effort and banished this disease for good. Schuster didn't let it creep in either. J.Ramos also kept it away for sure. So how could Pellegrini who made a name by taking a very unassuming team to levels they had not seen before have brought something like this. Once again Mr. Perez will have to take the honors. Madrid strolling around like it is a practice game thinking that the actual match already won. A little more verve and commitment and Milan were there for the taking but why spend that much energy?
For once let me tip my hat to the English pundits who said at the start of the season that with this defense, they won't take Real Madrid seriously in UCL. Given what was on display yesterday and the fact that the current team in spite of all its galacticos is clearly inferior to J.Ramos's team, Madrid would do well to reach the quarter finals for the first time in six years even if C.Ronaldo can overcome all the curses of injuries and witchcraft and they sure will celebrate this if they manage it. It seems that the greatest team in European football history has forgotten how to play in UCL and need to be taught all over again.
So what am I left with? Real will never learn to defend. Inter will always struggle to attack. So is it back to the usual suspects for the umpteenth time? Oh how nice it would be to see a repeat of 2003-04 - Lyon and Sevilla rip apart all the illustrious big names. I know it's wishful thinking and is not going to happen. So once again I will get a final featuring Chelsea against ManUtd who incidentally are the tow best placed and performing big teams so far - might as well give up watching UCL. And what about our beloved Barcelona - well we better be careful or a repeat of 2006-07 with both the Spanish giants knocked out in the second round could very well be on the cards.
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Reflections : Ballon D'or Nominations
Usually when looking at a list like this, one is tempted to be a cynic and try to find as many faults as possible. In this article that is not intended.
Still the one glaring flaw that stands out ( see the tendency to start the discussion with a flaw is so powerful ) is the undervaluation of defensive players - only 5 chosen in a list of 30. Since between the goal keeper, central defenders, left back, right back and defensive midfielder, they occupy at least 6 and often 7 of the 11 positions on the pitch, they surely deserved a higher number of nominations.
Barring that one glaring flaw, the list is made quite well. Yes there are a few significant omissions but it's a list of only 30 - not even 50 players.
There could be some protests against some players who have been selected even though their clubs performed badly last season and they themselves weren't exemplary either. However what works in favor of these players is that most of them have started the current season off very well and count among the biggest football stars today. Selections such as those of Iker Casillas, Cesc Fabregas, Kaka, Fernando Torres and Karim Benzema could be mentioned here. The first three however also have great international form to justify their selection.
Goal.com deserve some credit. Out of the top 21 players that they announced in their top 50 list for the 2008-09 season, 18 have been chosen in the Ballon D'or list. And the 3 which have been left out are perhaps the three most glaring omissions in this list namely Daniel Alves, Xabi Alonso and Gonzalo Higuain.
Daniel Alves not being chosen is debatable but there is something it indicates since Maicon is the only right back chosen. It's often argued who is better among the two compatriots who play at the same position on the pitch but based on recent performances and current form, it seems that Maicon holds a slight edge.
Xabi Alonso not being chosen is perhaps even harder to take. It seems that just like defensive players, even deep lying creative players have been by and large ignored.
As for Gonzalo Higuain, the omission could be defended by saying that there are already too many strikers in the list. Yet it can be argued with good reason that Higuain deserved the spot ahead of someone like Karim Benzema.
All said and done, in the views of this writer, the most indigestible omission is that of Alonso.
Having said that this writer must also not fail to mention that single selection which pleased him the most. The man who is rarely if ever praised by his club, his coach, even his team mates and was even totally ignored by Goal.com has surprisingly not been ignored by France Football. Yes, I mean none other than Yaya Toure who is the only defensive midfielder chosen. His selection over his competitors such as Javier Mascherano, Lassana Diarra and Felipe Melo seems to suggest that he was the best defensive midfielder of the 2008-09 season and for once showers on him some very well deserved accolades.
Let's end the discussion by making predictions for the eventual winner(s). As almost every football fan knows, Lionel Messi not winning the award would be nothing short of a minor miracle. As for the other top three finishers, Xavi is virtually guaranteed to be there. The third player to win the honor is more difficult to predict. It seems a straight toss up between two very strong candidates. Will it be Cristiano Ronaldo - the only player other than Lionel Messi to command that kind of star power in the world today? Or will it be Andres Iniesta - the anti-galactico whose contribution in Barcelona's treble win of last year is no less than that of Messi or Xavi?
Still the one glaring flaw that stands out ( see the tendency to start the discussion with a flaw is so powerful ) is the undervaluation of defensive players - only 5 chosen in a list of 30. Since between the goal keeper, central defenders, left back, right back and defensive midfielder, they occupy at least 6 and often 7 of the 11 positions on the pitch, they surely deserved a higher number of nominations.
Barring that one glaring flaw, the list is made quite well. Yes there are a few significant omissions but it's a list of only 30 - not even 50 players.
There could be some protests against some players who have been selected even though their clubs performed badly last season and they themselves weren't exemplary either. However what works in favor of these players is that most of them have started the current season off very well and count among the biggest football stars today. Selections such as those of Iker Casillas, Cesc Fabregas, Kaka, Fernando Torres and Karim Benzema could be mentioned here. The first three however also have great international form to justify their selection.
Goal.com deserve some credit. Out of the top 21 players that they announced in their top 50 list for the 2008-09 season, 18 have been chosen in the Ballon D'or list. And the 3 which have been left out are perhaps the three most glaring omissions in this list namely Daniel Alves, Xabi Alonso and Gonzalo Higuain.
Daniel Alves not being chosen is debatable but there is something it indicates since Maicon is the only right back chosen. It's often argued who is better among the two compatriots who play at the same position on the pitch but based on recent performances and current form, it seems that Maicon holds a slight edge.
Xabi Alonso not being chosen is perhaps even harder to take. It seems that just like defensive players, even deep lying creative players have been by and large ignored.
As for Gonzalo Higuain, the omission could be defended by saying that there are already too many strikers in the list. Yet it can be argued with good reason that Higuain deserved the spot ahead of someone like Karim Benzema.
All said and done, in the views of this writer, the most indigestible omission is that of Alonso.
Having said that this writer must also not fail to mention that single selection which pleased him the most. The man who is rarely if ever praised by his club, his coach, even his team mates and was even totally ignored by Goal.com has surprisingly not been ignored by France Football. Yes, I mean none other than Yaya Toure who is the only defensive midfielder chosen. His selection over his competitors such as Javier Mascherano, Lassana Diarra and Felipe Melo seems to suggest that he was the best defensive midfielder of the 2008-09 season and for once showers on him some very well deserved accolades.
Let's end the discussion by making predictions for the eventual winner(s). As almost every football fan knows, Lionel Messi not winning the award would be nothing short of a minor miracle. As for the other top three finishers, Xavi is virtually guaranteed to be there. The third player to win the honor is more difficult to predict. It seems a straight toss up between two very strong candidates. Will it be Cristiano Ronaldo - the only player other than Lionel Messi to command that kind of star power in the world today? Or will it be Andres Iniesta - the anti-galactico whose contribution in Barcelona's treble win of last year is no less than that of Messi or Xavi?
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Reflections : WC 2010 - Before Last Round
Now that only the last round of matches are left, here is where all the teams stand at present.
We take a look at each qualification group zone by zone.
Africa :-
Group A :-
Camerooon play away at Morocco on 14th November and only need to match the result of Gabon playing away at Togo to reach the world cup.
Group B :-
Tunisia play away at Mozambique and only need to match the result of Nigeria playing against Kenya away in order to qualify.
Group C :-
The crunch tie still remains but it's completely in Algeria's hands now to throw it away. Egypt at home need to beat Algeria by three goals at least in order to qualify. Otherwise Algeria will qualify as group winners except if they lose by two goals which will open up different mathematical possibilities between the two of them.
Group D :-
It's done and dusted as Ghana have already qualified.
Group E :-
It's done and dusted as Ivory Coast have already qualified.
Asia / Oceania
The advantage is with the all whites as the first leg in Bahrain finished 0-0. However this tie is still very close to call.
Europe :-
Group 1 :-
Sweden can consider themselves a little unlucky since before conceding the goal, they had been the better team on the pitch. Their game was being run almost entirely through Ibrahimovic who with his touches and some excellent passes created a few scoring chances which either his team mates missed or somehow did not result in goals such as Henrik Larsson being marginally offside. However after the result, Denmark have already qualified as group winners and Portugal when playing against Malta at home on 14th October only need to match the result of Sweden playing against Albania at home and they will make the playoffs.
Group 2 :-
Switzerland only need a draw against Israel at home to qualify as group winners. Greece need to win at home against lowly Luxembourg to make the playoffs although a draw may also suffice.
Group 3 :-
Contrary to all expectations Slovakia blew an excellent chance by losing to Slovenia at home. They are still sure to make the playoffs but in order to qualify directly, they must aim to win away at Poland since Slovenia will be expected to beat lowly San Marino away from home. If Slovakia only get a draw, it would come down to goal difference. As for the Czechs, this match has almost put paid to their hopes since they must now hope for San Marino to get something out of their game against Slovenia.
Group 4 :-
Like Sweden, Russia can consider themselves unlucky - perhaps even more than Sweden. They were the better side on the field against Germany but could not prevent Germany scoring from one great move. Also their misfiring strikers such as Pavlyuchenko who was clearly lacking sharpness didn't help matters at all. However Arshavin demonstrated once again that he probably deserves to be named with the world's best - showing good skill, at times using pace to incite attacks and giving great passes to team mates all the time. Still Russia have made the playoffs where they will be formidable but it's Germany who have qualified as group winners.
Group 5 :-
The European champions Spain have already qualified without dropping a point. Also Bosnia Herzegovina have sealed a playoff spot.
Group 6 :-
Well, the so far unbeaten England got beaten by Ukraine. Still looking at the match it would be unfair to say that the English did not put their heart in the match. England of course had already qualified as group winners. As things stand, Ukraine when playing Andorra away only need to match the result of Croatia playing away at Kazakhsthan and they will be through to the playoffs.
Group 7 :-
Serbia have qualified directly as group winners. France have made the playoffs.
Group 8 :-
The world champions Italy have qualified as group winners. Perhaps they were a bit lucky against Ireland, but due to the points difference between them, even a victory was perhaps not enough for Ireland to qualify directly. They have now ensured the playoffs.
Group 9 :-
It's already done and dusted. Netherlands have qualified without dropping a point. Norway have come second but their points tally is so low that they are almost certain to miss the playoffs.
North America :-
Finally the two conventional giants of USA and Mexico are through. Also the other two places will go to Costa Rica and Honduras. It only remains to be seen which of these sides can qualify directly. Costa Rica play USA away and need to match the result of Honduras playing away at a much weaker El Salvador in order to claim the last automatic spot. However there are still twists and turns here since no one can say what will happen between USA and Costa Rica.
South America :-
It would be an understatement to say that it was a night of immense drama. Argentina are now in a much better position and had lady luck smiling on them in more ways than one. The same can be said of Uruguay while Ecuador can consider themselves to be a little unlucky. However Venezuela have been almost eliminated and Colombia have been completely eliminated while Chile have taken the third automatic qualifying spot. It's hard to cite any reasons to suggest that any of these three nations did not deserve their eventual fate. As things stand, all three of the remaining teams hold at least a part of their destiny in their own hands. Let's discuss each one separately.
1. If Argentina win away at Uruguay they bag the fourth qualifying spot. A draw gives them the same outcome barring only absurd mathematical possibilities. Even a loss sees them bag the playoff spot unless Ecuador win away at Chile.
2. If Uruguay win at home against Argentina it's they who claim the fourth qualifying spot. A draw gives them the playoff spot. A loss also gives them the playoff spot unless Ecuador win away at Chile. A draw for Ecuador will also play into Uruguay's hands barring absurd mathematical possibilities.
3. Ecuador can realistically hope for a playoff spot only and the only likely way to get it is to win away at Chile.
We take a look at each qualification group zone by zone.
Africa :-
Group A :-
Camerooon play away at Morocco on 14th November and only need to match the result of Gabon playing away at Togo to reach the world cup.
Group B :-
Tunisia play away at Mozambique and only need to match the result of Nigeria playing against Kenya away in order to qualify.
Group C :-
The crunch tie still remains but it's completely in Algeria's hands now to throw it away. Egypt at home need to beat Algeria by three goals at least in order to qualify. Otherwise Algeria will qualify as group winners except if they lose by two goals which will open up different mathematical possibilities between the two of them.
Group D :-
It's done and dusted as Ghana have already qualified.
Group E :-
It's done and dusted as Ivory Coast have already qualified.
Asia / Oceania
The advantage is with the all whites as the first leg in Bahrain finished 0-0. However this tie is still very close to call.
Europe :-
Group 1 :-
Sweden can consider themselves a little unlucky since before conceding the goal, they had been the better team on the pitch. Their game was being run almost entirely through Ibrahimovic who with his touches and some excellent passes created a few scoring chances which either his team mates missed or somehow did not result in goals such as Henrik Larsson being marginally offside. However after the result, Denmark have already qualified as group winners and Portugal when playing against Malta at home on 14th October only need to match the result of Sweden playing against Albania at home and they will make the playoffs.
Group 2 :-
Switzerland only need a draw against Israel at home to qualify as group winners. Greece need to win at home against lowly Luxembourg to make the playoffs although a draw may also suffice.
Group 3 :-
Contrary to all expectations Slovakia blew an excellent chance by losing to Slovenia at home. They are still sure to make the playoffs but in order to qualify directly, they must aim to win away at Poland since Slovenia will be expected to beat lowly San Marino away from home. If Slovakia only get a draw, it would come down to goal difference. As for the Czechs, this match has almost put paid to their hopes since they must now hope for San Marino to get something out of their game against Slovenia.
Group 4 :-
Like Sweden, Russia can consider themselves unlucky - perhaps even more than Sweden. They were the better side on the field against Germany but could not prevent Germany scoring from one great move. Also their misfiring strikers such as Pavlyuchenko who was clearly lacking sharpness didn't help matters at all. However Arshavin demonstrated once again that he probably deserves to be named with the world's best - showing good skill, at times using pace to incite attacks and giving great passes to team mates all the time. Still Russia have made the playoffs where they will be formidable but it's Germany who have qualified as group winners.
Group 5 :-
The European champions Spain have already qualified without dropping a point. Also Bosnia Herzegovina have sealed a playoff spot.
Group 6 :-
Well, the so far unbeaten England got beaten by Ukraine. Still looking at the match it would be unfair to say that the English did not put their heart in the match. England of course had already qualified as group winners. As things stand, Ukraine when playing Andorra away only need to match the result of Croatia playing away at Kazakhsthan and they will be through to the playoffs.
Group 7 :-
Serbia have qualified directly as group winners. France have made the playoffs.
Group 8 :-
The world champions Italy have qualified as group winners. Perhaps they were a bit lucky against Ireland, but due to the points difference between them, even a victory was perhaps not enough for Ireland to qualify directly. They have now ensured the playoffs.
Group 9 :-
It's already done and dusted. Netherlands have qualified without dropping a point. Norway have come second but their points tally is so low that they are almost certain to miss the playoffs.
North America :-
Finally the two conventional giants of USA and Mexico are through. Also the other two places will go to Costa Rica and Honduras. It only remains to be seen which of these sides can qualify directly. Costa Rica play USA away and need to match the result of Honduras playing away at a much weaker El Salvador in order to claim the last automatic spot. However there are still twists and turns here since no one can say what will happen between USA and Costa Rica.
South America :-
It would be an understatement to say that it was a night of immense drama. Argentina are now in a much better position and had lady luck smiling on them in more ways than one. The same can be said of Uruguay while Ecuador can consider themselves to be a little unlucky. However Venezuela have been almost eliminated and Colombia have been completely eliminated while Chile have taken the third automatic qualifying spot. It's hard to cite any reasons to suggest that any of these three nations did not deserve their eventual fate. As things stand, all three of the remaining teams hold at least a part of their destiny in their own hands. Let's discuss each one separately.
1. If Argentina win away at Uruguay they bag the fourth qualifying spot. A draw gives them the same outcome barring only absurd mathematical possibilities. Even a loss sees them bag the playoff spot unless Ecuador win away at Chile.
2. If Uruguay win at home against Argentina it's they who claim the fourth qualifying spot. A draw gives them the playoff spot. A loss also gives them the playoff spot unless Ecuador win away at Chile. A draw for Ecuador will also play into Uruguay's hands barring absurd mathematical possibilities.
3. Ecuador can realistically hope for a playoff spot only and the only likely way to get it is to win away at Chile.
Monday, October 5, 2009
Reflections : WC 2010 - Before Second Last Round Of Qualifiers
This Saturday cannot come fast enough. The excitement has almost become unbearable. The fate of so many national teams will be decided or almost decided and there are some big names in there.
So let us take a look at where the teams who have not qualified yet but have a realistic chance of doing so stand at present. What exactly do they need to do in order to secure qualification? Is their fate in their own hands or they must pray for other results to go in their favor?
Here's a look at each qualification group zone by zone.
Africa :-
Group A :-
Camerooon are playing Togo at home and it's hard to see anything other than a home victory especially seeing the resurgence Cameroon has shown since the appointment of Paul Le Guen. Gabon who were in pole position not so long ago seem to have given up the ghost. Still they are at home and a victory against Morocco can help them keep in sight of Cameroon till the very last round of matches on 14th November.
Group B :-
Tunisia and Nigeria are both expected to win their home matches leaving Tunisia in pole position to qualify.
Group C :-
Algeria are playing Rwanda at home while Egypt is away at Zambia. Algeria only need to better Egypt's result and they will qualify. Otherwise this goes to the final round but Algeria still remain in pole position.
Group D :-
It's done and dusted as Ghana have already qualified.
Group E :-
Ivory Coast need only one point to qualify and surely no one would bet against them at this stage.
Asia / Oceania
An evenly matched two legged playoff between Bahrain and New Zealand. The Asians are perhaps just slightly stronger on paper but the Kiwis are very determined.
Europe :-
Group 1 :-
The crunch fixture is Sweden away at Denmark. If Denmark win they qualify as group winners. Even a draw may not be enough for Sweden's cause and a defeat will play completely into the hands of Portugal. This one's bound to be a cracker between the Scandinavian neighbors and tempers could easily flare up. Portugal on the other hand face a now out of steam Hungary at home, a match they should win even if C.Ronaldo does not play and with their last match at home to Malta, they look like making the playoffs unless Sweden and Zlatan Ibrahimovic can pull off something extra-special.
Group 2 :-
Switzerland will qualify if they win against Luxembourg and the match between Greece and Latvia ends in a draw. Even otherwise they will still be in a pole position but the winner of this match could run them close.
Group 3 :-
Slovakia are so near to fulfilling a national dream but have to be careful because opponents like Slovenia and Poland cannot be taken lightly. The Czechs can aim for the playoffs by beating Poland at home and trying to come out the winner in a four way tussle with Poland, Slovenia and Northern Ireland.
Group 4 :-
Now we come to one of the matches of the day. Would you fancy Germany in spite of their obvious pedigree to get a win or even a draw away to Russia who are ever improving and have the one and only Guus Hiddink in charge? This is the match that almost surely decides who qualifies directly and who makes the playoffs.
Group 5 :-
The European champions Spain have already qualified without dropping a point. All Bosnia-Herzegovina need to do is beat Estonia away and they will make the playoffs at the expense of Turkey. Edin Zdeko, Zvzezdan Misimovic, Daniel Pjanic, if ever your nation needed you most, it's now!
Group 6 :-
A Fabio Capello inspired England has already qualified without dropping a point. Will they be tempted to play it slightly soft in favor of Ukraine so as to give them the better of the team that was responsible for England not making Euro 2008 - Slaven Bilic's Croatia? With the last matches for both looking very easy, an England victory or a draw would put Croatia into the qualifiers but an England defeat would send Ukraine through instead. Hold your breath for this one!
Group 7 :-
Serbia remain in pole position to qualify directly. Although their last match is a relatively simple one against Lithuania, it's better for the nerves to beat Romania at home and qualify before that. France have two simple fixtures and are sure to make the playoffs at least.
Group 8 :-
Even if world champions Italy were to lose to fellow Italian Giovanni Trappatoni's Republic Of Ireland, they would still qualify directly by winning their last match which is an easy home fixture against Cyprus. Ireland could make the playoffs even if they lose this game but it would do their cause no harm to pick up as many points as possible from this fixture.
Group 9 :-
It's already done and dusted. Netherlands have qualified without dropping a point. Norway have come second but their points tally is so low that they are almost certain to miss the playoffs.
North America :-
Costa Rica must win against the already eliminated Trinidad and Tobago at home since not doing so would present a big advantage to their rivals. Mexico in their current form since the appointment of Javier Aguirre are almost certain to beat El Salvador at home. The crunch clash is USA away at Honduras. If Mexico win their match and this fixture results in anything other than a victory for Honduras, Mexico will be through. At the same time if USA win this fixture then USA will be through.
South America :-
And finally we come to where the eyes of the entire world will be - what will happen to footballing super power Argentina. Will Maradona's inexplicable tactics cause the impossible with them not qualifying? Will the world's best player incumbent Lionel Messi finally come up with a masterclass for his country as he keeps doing time and again for his club Barcelona? Argentina just have to win at home against Peru. Or else the situation will become virtually impossible. It will also help them if Chile beats Colombia away, Ecuador and Uruguay draw their game and Venezuela lose at home to the already qualified Paraguay. With as many as six teams still in the running for the two remaining automatic qualifying spots as well as the lone playoff spot, this group is so difficult to analyze completely due to the myriad number of permutations and combinations possible. Once the Saturday results are in our hands, we will know exactly what needs to happen on Wednesday for each team to qualify or make the playoff. However some may not be in the running after this Saturday itself. It just cannot get more heated up than this.
So let us take a look at where the teams who have not qualified yet but have a realistic chance of doing so stand at present. What exactly do they need to do in order to secure qualification? Is their fate in their own hands or they must pray for other results to go in their favor?
Here's a look at each qualification group zone by zone.
Africa :-
Group A :-
Camerooon are playing Togo at home and it's hard to see anything other than a home victory especially seeing the resurgence Cameroon has shown since the appointment of Paul Le Guen. Gabon who were in pole position not so long ago seem to have given up the ghost. Still they are at home and a victory against Morocco can help them keep in sight of Cameroon till the very last round of matches on 14th November.
Group B :-
Tunisia and Nigeria are both expected to win their home matches leaving Tunisia in pole position to qualify.
Group C :-
Algeria are playing Rwanda at home while Egypt is away at Zambia. Algeria only need to better Egypt's result and they will qualify. Otherwise this goes to the final round but Algeria still remain in pole position.
Group D :-
It's done and dusted as Ghana have already qualified.
Group E :-
Ivory Coast need only one point to qualify and surely no one would bet against them at this stage.
Asia / Oceania
An evenly matched two legged playoff between Bahrain and New Zealand. The Asians are perhaps just slightly stronger on paper but the Kiwis are very determined.
Europe :-
Group 1 :-
The crunch fixture is Sweden away at Denmark. If Denmark win they qualify as group winners. Even a draw may not be enough for Sweden's cause and a defeat will play completely into the hands of Portugal. This one's bound to be a cracker between the Scandinavian neighbors and tempers could easily flare up. Portugal on the other hand face a now out of steam Hungary at home, a match they should win even if C.Ronaldo does not play and with their last match at home to Malta, they look like making the playoffs unless Sweden and Zlatan Ibrahimovic can pull off something extra-special.
Group 2 :-
Switzerland will qualify if they win against Luxembourg and the match between Greece and Latvia ends in a draw. Even otherwise they will still be in a pole position but the winner of this match could run them close.
Group 3 :-
Slovakia are so near to fulfilling a national dream but have to be careful because opponents like Slovenia and Poland cannot be taken lightly. The Czechs can aim for the playoffs by beating Poland at home and trying to come out the winner in a four way tussle with Poland, Slovenia and Northern Ireland.
Group 4 :-
Now we come to one of the matches of the day. Would you fancy Germany in spite of their obvious pedigree to get a win or even a draw away to Russia who are ever improving and have the one and only Guus Hiddink in charge? This is the match that almost surely decides who qualifies directly and who makes the playoffs.
Group 5 :-
The European champions Spain have already qualified without dropping a point. All Bosnia-Herzegovina need to do is beat Estonia away and they will make the playoffs at the expense of Turkey. Edin Zdeko, Zvzezdan Misimovic, Daniel Pjanic, if ever your nation needed you most, it's now!
Group 6 :-
A Fabio Capello inspired England has already qualified without dropping a point. Will they be tempted to play it slightly soft in favor of Ukraine so as to give them the better of the team that was responsible for England not making Euro 2008 - Slaven Bilic's Croatia? With the last matches for both looking very easy, an England victory or a draw would put Croatia into the qualifiers but an England defeat would send Ukraine through instead. Hold your breath for this one!
Group 7 :-
Serbia remain in pole position to qualify directly. Although their last match is a relatively simple one against Lithuania, it's better for the nerves to beat Romania at home and qualify before that. France have two simple fixtures and are sure to make the playoffs at least.
Group 8 :-
Even if world champions Italy were to lose to fellow Italian Giovanni Trappatoni's Republic Of Ireland, they would still qualify directly by winning their last match which is an easy home fixture against Cyprus. Ireland could make the playoffs even if they lose this game but it would do their cause no harm to pick up as many points as possible from this fixture.
Group 9 :-
It's already done and dusted. Netherlands have qualified without dropping a point. Norway have come second but their points tally is so low that they are almost certain to miss the playoffs.
North America :-
Costa Rica must win against the already eliminated Trinidad and Tobago at home since not doing so would present a big advantage to their rivals. Mexico in their current form since the appointment of Javier Aguirre are almost certain to beat El Salvador at home. The crunch clash is USA away at Honduras. If Mexico win their match and this fixture results in anything other than a victory for Honduras, Mexico will be through. At the same time if USA win this fixture then USA will be through.
South America :-
And finally we come to where the eyes of the entire world will be - what will happen to footballing super power Argentina. Will Maradona's inexplicable tactics cause the impossible with them not qualifying? Will the world's best player incumbent Lionel Messi finally come up with a masterclass for his country as he keeps doing time and again for his club Barcelona? Argentina just have to win at home against Peru. Or else the situation will become virtually impossible. It will also help them if Chile beats Colombia away, Ecuador and Uruguay draw their game and Venezuela lose at home to the already qualified Paraguay. With as many as six teams still in the running for the two remaining automatic qualifying spots as well as the lone playoff spot, this group is so difficult to analyze completely due to the myriad number of permutations and combinations possible. Once the Saturday results are in our hands, we will know exactly what needs to happen on Wednesday for each team to qualify or make the playoff. However some may not be in the running after this Saturday itself. It just cannot get more heated up than this.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Reflections : Best Teams And Worst Performances
It seems strange to understand why four of the biggest teams in the world, all of whom are not just in the UCL but are also among the favorites to win it as well as favorites for winning their country's league, managed to come up with their worst performance of this season so far just before the two week long international break. Fatigue may have been the issue. Perhaps a few players had half a mind on the vital internationals coming up. Also most of these teams did have some key players missing. The case for each of these teams is described below.
1. Barcelona - Yes Barca still won their match but it was not a good performance by any standards. The control in midfield was missing. Almeria were allowed to enter Barca's box far too often and create attacks of their own. Even in such situations the defense was guilty of overplaying and cheeky passing within the box. Against a strong team such mistakes could be easily punished. In fact even the attack missed some clear cut chances. In a way perhaps nothing went all that well except the final result. However Barca can take heart from the fact that they did not lose anything and can regroup and come up with a much better performance which they will certainly need in their next match at the Mestalla. However the shrewd tactical play of man marking several Barca players employed by Almeria did not go waste. It has probably made other teams realize that beating Barca could be much easier than what they had previously thought.
2. Manchester United - Yes they did lose to Burnley earlier in the league and they only drew this one. However that was an away match in which they still created most of the chances. Here on their own home ground they were made to look foolish against a team which virtually no one gave a chance against ManUtd so much so that most neutrals probably did not bother to watch the game. Yet it was only a lucky own goal which ultimately saved ManUtd from an embarrassing defeat.
3. Real Madrid - Finally the galacticos were brought down to earth. With Lassana Diarra missing, the control in midfield was just not there. In fact they were completely outplayed by an excellent Sevilla midfield. To that let's add the fact that they were missing their biggest match winner in C. Ronaldo, who could win a match for them with just his goal scoring abilities even when they had been second best right through. Some pundits around the world believe that Real's defense is still not up to standard and they were completely vindicated yesterday. Marcelo was so completely dominated by Jesus Navas that we may be forced to wonder whether at all he should have ever become a footballer. In fact it was the one and only San Iker who pulled off more than a couple of blinders to keep the scoreline respectable for Los Merengues.
4. Juventus - Yet none of the insipid displays described above can compare with the one we are about to discuss. Real Madrid in spite of being badly outplayed still scored a goal and created a few more chances. Juventus on the other hand were so humiliatingly suppressed that it's worth a rethink whether at all they deserve to be called Inter's main challengers for the Scudetto. Yes it was an away match but also against a team which had made a bad beginning and should have been lacking in confidence. It can be said that Inter even if playing at their worst would probably not have been so terribly humiliated. Even after leading 2-0 half way into the match, it's Palermo who looked more likely to score another. In Juventus' match against Roma earlier in Serie A, Roma had not played badly but Juve had played as if they were in a different class raising hopes not just among their fans but also among neutrals who want to see a change in the Italian and world order. Yesterday's match has done enough to submerge all those hopes. Juve must come up with something special to make people believe that they can still be a great team. Yesterday's performance only gives hope to Bordeaux and Bayern Munich that it shouldn't be all that difficult to qualify at the expense of Juve from their UCL group.
1. Barcelona - Yes Barca still won their match but it was not a good performance by any standards. The control in midfield was missing. Almeria were allowed to enter Barca's box far too often and create attacks of their own. Even in such situations the defense was guilty of overplaying and cheeky passing within the box. Against a strong team such mistakes could be easily punished. In fact even the attack missed some clear cut chances. In a way perhaps nothing went all that well except the final result. However Barca can take heart from the fact that they did not lose anything and can regroup and come up with a much better performance which they will certainly need in their next match at the Mestalla. However the shrewd tactical play of man marking several Barca players employed by Almeria did not go waste. It has probably made other teams realize that beating Barca could be much easier than what they had previously thought.
2. Manchester United - Yes they did lose to Burnley earlier in the league and they only drew this one. However that was an away match in which they still created most of the chances. Here on their own home ground they were made to look foolish against a team which virtually no one gave a chance against ManUtd so much so that most neutrals probably did not bother to watch the game. Yet it was only a lucky own goal which ultimately saved ManUtd from an embarrassing defeat.
3. Real Madrid - Finally the galacticos were brought down to earth. With Lassana Diarra missing, the control in midfield was just not there. In fact they were completely outplayed by an excellent Sevilla midfield. To that let's add the fact that they were missing their biggest match winner in C. Ronaldo, who could win a match for them with just his goal scoring abilities even when they had been second best right through. Some pundits around the world believe that Real's defense is still not up to standard and they were completely vindicated yesterday. Marcelo was so completely dominated by Jesus Navas that we may be forced to wonder whether at all he should have ever become a footballer. In fact it was the one and only San Iker who pulled off more than a couple of blinders to keep the scoreline respectable for Los Merengues.
4. Juventus - Yet none of the insipid displays described above can compare with the one we are about to discuss. Real Madrid in spite of being badly outplayed still scored a goal and created a few more chances. Juventus on the other hand were so humiliatingly suppressed that it's worth a rethink whether at all they deserve to be called Inter's main challengers for the Scudetto. Yes it was an away match but also against a team which had made a bad beginning and should have been lacking in confidence. It can be said that Inter even if playing at their worst would probably not have been so terribly humiliated. Even after leading 2-0 half way into the match, it's Palermo who looked more likely to score another. In Juventus' match against Roma earlier in Serie A, Roma had not played badly but Juve had played as if they were in a different class raising hopes not just among their fans but also among neutrals who want to see a change in the Italian and world order. Yesterday's match has done enough to submerge all those hopes. Juve must come up with something special to make people believe that they can still be a great team. Yesterday's performance only gives hope to Bordeaux and Bayern Munich that it shouldn't be all that difficult to qualify at the expense of Juve from their UCL group.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Reflections : UCL Match Day 2
Since match day 2 is now complete, let us take a look at several of the teams in the competition including every one of those who are seen as favorites to win it as well as some others which we may like to discuss. The comments here have a little to do with the performances of the teams on match day 1 and 2 but more to do with how we see their overall prospects in the competition. Some of the views expressed are those of this writer while others are opinion gathered by him from reading postings and comments of both pundits and fans world wide.
1. Bayern Munich - With Ribery and Robben on the flanks, this is a team that excites the neutral. To that add the excellent form of Thomas Muller and the unquestionably talented Schweinsteiger and Lahm. Going forward one would rate them high. Unfortunately there are two major problems. Defensively this team convinces no one especially after the sale of Lucio in the summer. And add to that the fact that Robben is unfit more often than fit, it takes away a lot from the overall potential of this team. One can't help but wonder how good a player Robben would be ( right up there with the very best in this writer's opinion ) if he were not so injury prone.
2. Bordeaux - It was a big surprise that Bordeaux managed to pull off a draw against Juventus in an away match. In fact they could have won the match and only Buffon's heroics prevented them from doing so. However in match day 2 they also made their inexperience and lack of confidence at this level quite apparent. So as of now Bordeaux can be rated as a team that will make life difficult for others but is bound to fall short. The big positive that comes out of it is the continuously growing profile of coach Laurent Blanc who is easily one of the most promising young managers today and is almost sure to move to a big club sooner rather than later.
3. Juventus - There's something about UCL and Juventus - they just don't go together. For the club of the size and stature of Juventus, it's impossible to believe that they have won only two European cups. Even in the days of Michel Platini when Juve were unquestionably the number one club in the world, their domestic success was always much more than their European achievements. Yes, they can say that they have been unlucky too often since they have been close so many times but then if they slip so often at the final stage, surely most of the blame is theirs to take. Even in the days of a peerless tactician in the form of Marcello Lippi, Juve reached the final of the UCL four times but won only once. As for the current team, you cannot say for sure that they will reach the knock outs since Group A looks like becoming a very tight battle between three teams. Even if they do reach the knock out rounds, it seems they still lack something to get the better of a top class Spanish or English side.
4. Manchester United - Not many people including this writer rated them as the big favorite to win UCL this season but it's clear that they will be there or thereabouts. Yes, they have lost some key players but the most important point is that after years of trial and error, they have finally discovered just what it takes to succeed on the grandest stage of all.
5. Wolfsburg - An exciting team that's been fortunate to get a group from which they should be able to reach the knock out stages. After that how far they go is hard to say. They could be out of their depth against really strong opposition but are surely capable of a surprise or two.
6. Real Madrid - Possibly the one team that most divides opinion at the moment. Some even see them as the number one favorite for the title. On the other hand some don't even think they will make the semi finals. Their team play is developing and has not yet reached it's zenith. However they are winning so many games mainly on the virtues of outstanding individuals like Kaka and the on fire C.Ronaldo. With Benzema starting to settle in and Alonso continuing from where he left off last season, not many see any reason to question the offensive capabilities of this team. It's the defense which most see as their Achilees heel which could see them get knocked out when push comes to shove.
7. A C Milan - At this point in time in the football world the one thing that you don't want to be is a Milan fan. A club which could have justifiably been called the world's best not too long ago and a team which could easily call themselves the number one team of UCL are in such shambles that it's difficult to see them win even a half way decent match or sometimes even score a goal. Will they reach the knock outs? They don't deserve to but may just make it. A double pummeling from Real Madrid in the next two matches is almost inevitable. If they reach the knock outs, they should be easy pickings for any of the favorites even if they make some decent buys in the winter. Winning the UCL in 2007 with an aging team was a huge achievement but that does not mean that you can play forever with the same players. Add to that the fact that with Rijkaard and Van Basten available, they decided to hire a man who himself says that he is not cut out to be a coach. In the views of this writer, the job of a manager at a top football club is one of the biggest dream jobs in the world and should certainly not go to someone who is not 100% made for it. Whether it was the fact that Berlusconi wanted a puppet or whether Leonardo was the cheapest coach available is anyone's guess.
8. Marseille - If this writer were to choose his biggest disappointment so far, he would surprise everyone by choosing Marseille. They missed a big trick on match day 1 because Milan were there for the taking. All in all one has to question how good a manager Didier Deschamps is. This is the same man who took unfancied Monaco to the UCL final in 2004 but looking at his recent performances not just in UCL but in Ligue 1, Bordeaux's Laurent Blanc may be called a better manager.
9. Chelsea - A lot of people's big favorite to win the competition. They have come close so far and should be able to take the final step now. This author understands that the team has many quality individuals throughout and is strong in almost every position but feels that they lack that extra bit of creative spark and are an aging team. Yes they now have the man who took an aging ( or should we say aged ) team to glory not so long ago but then there is also the jinx. Ancelotti has already won two UCLs. No manager other than Bob Paisley has won the European Cup three times. Even the legendary Sir Alex has so far failed to do that. Suffice it to say that were Ancelotti to do this, he would be acknowledged as one of the greatest football coaches in history but there's many a slip between the cup and the lip.
10. Porto - If there is one team on earth that can survive and do well even after selling off almost all their key performers, then it's Porto who have just developed such a model which is bound to be the envy of the entire world. They just know how to bring in the right replacements for the right price and become competitive once again before the world even has a chance to blink. So as of now they are almost sure to reach the knock outs and be more than a match for anyone who crosses their path after that.
11. Atletico Madrid - If Milan fans need empathy, they need look no further than Atletico fans. It's just so hard to believe that the team that performed beyond themselves at the end of last season to clinch the 4th spot in La Liga now lie in the relegation zone even when all their key players have been retained and the manager is the same. Why this has happened is beyond the scope of this article but at the moment this is a club that is going nowhere.
12. Lyon - There are enough signs to suggest that the old Lyon is back. A great team to watch in full flow and more than a match for absolutely anyone. Perhaps still not strong enough to win the competition but will carry with them the hopes and wishes of most neutrals around the world.
13. Fiorentina - It wouldn't be wrong to say that the far too many times wounded Italian pride has been at least temporarily somewhat restored by the heroics of Fiorentina against Liverpool. Still reaching the next stage is a big battle which they should at least now be able to face with confidence.
14. Liverpool - In some people's eyes, this is the second most consistent team of UCL in recent times after Milan. However this time is it entirely unthinkable that they fail to reach the knock outs? It's too early to write them off but a free flowing Lyon and a confident Fiorentina will make life difficult. If they do make it as expected, they are bound to be competitive. However with the sale of Alonso it's quite clear that the team lacks something vital and is possibly no one's favorite to win the competition at this moment.
15. Barcelona - Without the slightest shred of doubt, the big favorites and the team to beat in the eyes of most pundits and fans. Some in this world are so much in awe of them that they consider them a perfect team with no weaknesses. The more observant however can see a few causes for concern. The wafer thin nature of the squad cannot be ignored as the top players have virtually no replacements who can be expected to play at even 50% of their level in the really big matches. The defense is not all that convincing and to that add the fact that the solidity seems to be missing from Yaya Toure's game unlike last season. And last but not the least, how can we not discuss Ibrahimovic! No player in the world today divides opinion as much as Ibra does not only among fans but even pundits. Some rate him right up there with the very best while some don't consider him world class and usually call him a big match flop. You can say that Ibra will score the difficult goals in the easy matches but will he score the easy goals in the difficult matches? No matter how technically good you are it's unforgivable for a world class player to miss three clear cut scoring chances in a UCL knock out match as Ibra did last season when playing for Inter against ManUtd. Eto'o while not that gifted had the knack of finishing opportunities in a match where chances have been few and far between. This remains Ibra's make or break year and nothing will count more than his performances in the UCL knock out stages.
16. Inter Milan - It wouldn't be wrong to say that at the beginning of this season, there was a false and almost forced sense of optimism at Inter. Yes a world class performer like Eto'o had been bought but that wouldn't do anything to hide the lack of creativity in the team. What's worse is that this involved the sale of Ibrahimovic who could be dubbed the one way ticket which ensured victories for Inter when the rest of the team had done nothing to deserve one. All the focus is on head coach Mourinho - one of the world's best coaches who sometimes gives one the feeling that he is even more hyped than he is good. He can now not have any reason to complain in all fairness even if that's what he prefers to do most of the time. He asked for a defender ( Lucio ), a midfielder ( Motta ), a trequartista ( Sneijder ) and a striker ( Milito ) and got all. Last season Mourinho insisted his squad was not good enough to compete with the very best. This season he was allowed to improve the squad just as he wanted. The fans shouted for Cassano but Mourinho went for Sneijder. The latter is a very competent player but isn't a classic trequartista who can run with the ball at his feet and continuously make his presence felt in the opponent's box. At the moment Inter seem to lack the flair needed and all eyes are on Mourinho to somehow deliver since not doing so must be seen as his personal failure.
17. Sevilla - Just like Lyon this is a team to watch out for. Without possessing any world class star other than perhaps Luis Fabiano, the squad can boast of a high standard of competence in every position on the pitch - something that few big clubs can boast of. All in all one cannot help but admire the way this club is run since with their budget, it's not possible to do better than this.
18. Arsenal - A team whose play continuously mesmerizes the world and can lay claim to being the second most attractive team in the world after Barcelona. Still not many believe that they are capable of going all the way. The reasons are the same that have been stated over and over again - lack of battlers and leaders with the right amount of mental toughness to really ensure a win in the tightest of matches. Yes, they are always said to be very young but surely now that quite a few years have passed, the kids must have grown up. And there's no point using injuries for an excuse. All the teams in the world have to cope with this reality of football and some have definitely managed to do so. If you suffer more than others, then it's time to take a look at your medical facilities etc. and wonder why you suffer more injuries than others.
1. Bayern Munich - With Ribery and Robben on the flanks, this is a team that excites the neutral. To that add the excellent form of Thomas Muller and the unquestionably talented Schweinsteiger and Lahm. Going forward one would rate them high. Unfortunately there are two major problems. Defensively this team convinces no one especially after the sale of Lucio in the summer. And add to that the fact that Robben is unfit more often than fit, it takes away a lot from the overall potential of this team. One can't help but wonder how good a player Robben would be ( right up there with the very best in this writer's opinion ) if he were not so injury prone.
2. Bordeaux - It was a big surprise that Bordeaux managed to pull off a draw against Juventus in an away match. In fact they could have won the match and only Buffon's heroics prevented them from doing so. However in match day 2 they also made their inexperience and lack of confidence at this level quite apparent. So as of now Bordeaux can be rated as a team that will make life difficult for others but is bound to fall short. The big positive that comes out of it is the continuously growing profile of coach Laurent Blanc who is easily one of the most promising young managers today and is almost sure to move to a big club sooner rather than later.
3. Juventus - There's something about UCL and Juventus - they just don't go together. For the club of the size and stature of Juventus, it's impossible to believe that they have won only two European cups. Even in the days of Michel Platini when Juve were unquestionably the number one club in the world, their domestic success was always much more than their European achievements. Yes, they can say that they have been unlucky too often since they have been close so many times but then if they slip so often at the final stage, surely most of the blame is theirs to take. Even in the days of a peerless tactician in the form of Marcello Lippi, Juve reached the final of the UCL four times but won only once. As for the current team, you cannot say for sure that they will reach the knock outs since Group A looks like becoming a very tight battle between three teams. Even if they do reach the knock out rounds, it seems they still lack something to get the better of a top class Spanish or English side.
4. Manchester United - Not many people including this writer rated them as the big favorite to win UCL this season but it's clear that they will be there or thereabouts. Yes, they have lost some key players but the most important point is that after years of trial and error, they have finally discovered just what it takes to succeed on the grandest stage of all.
5. Wolfsburg - An exciting team that's been fortunate to get a group from which they should be able to reach the knock out stages. After that how far they go is hard to say. They could be out of their depth against really strong opposition but are surely capable of a surprise or two.
6. Real Madrid - Possibly the one team that most divides opinion at the moment. Some even see them as the number one favorite for the title. On the other hand some don't even think they will make the semi finals. Their team play is developing and has not yet reached it's zenith. However they are winning so many games mainly on the virtues of outstanding individuals like Kaka and the on fire C.Ronaldo. With Benzema starting to settle in and Alonso continuing from where he left off last season, not many see any reason to question the offensive capabilities of this team. It's the defense which most see as their Achilees heel which could see them get knocked out when push comes to shove.
7. A C Milan - At this point in time in the football world the one thing that you don't want to be is a Milan fan. A club which could have justifiably been called the world's best not too long ago and a team which could easily call themselves the number one team of UCL are in such shambles that it's difficult to see them win even a half way decent match or sometimes even score a goal. Will they reach the knock outs? They don't deserve to but may just make it. A double pummeling from Real Madrid in the next two matches is almost inevitable. If they reach the knock outs, they should be easy pickings for any of the favorites even if they make some decent buys in the winter. Winning the UCL in 2007 with an aging team was a huge achievement but that does not mean that you can play forever with the same players. Add to that the fact that with Rijkaard and Van Basten available, they decided to hire a man who himself says that he is not cut out to be a coach. In the views of this writer, the job of a manager at a top football club is one of the biggest dream jobs in the world and should certainly not go to someone who is not 100% made for it. Whether it was the fact that Berlusconi wanted a puppet or whether Leonardo was the cheapest coach available is anyone's guess.
8. Marseille - If this writer were to choose his biggest disappointment so far, he would surprise everyone by choosing Marseille. They missed a big trick on match day 1 because Milan were there for the taking. All in all one has to question how good a manager Didier Deschamps is. This is the same man who took unfancied Monaco to the UCL final in 2004 but looking at his recent performances not just in UCL but in Ligue 1, Bordeaux's Laurent Blanc may be called a better manager.
9. Chelsea - A lot of people's big favorite to win the competition. They have come close so far and should be able to take the final step now. This author understands that the team has many quality individuals throughout and is strong in almost every position but feels that they lack that extra bit of creative spark and are an aging team. Yes they now have the man who took an aging ( or should we say aged ) team to glory not so long ago but then there is also the jinx. Ancelotti has already won two UCLs. No manager other than Bob Paisley has won the European Cup three times. Even the legendary Sir Alex has so far failed to do that. Suffice it to say that were Ancelotti to do this, he would be acknowledged as one of the greatest football coaches in history but there's many a slip between the cup and the lip.
10. Porto - If there is one team on earth that can survive and do well even after selling off almost all their key performers, then it's Porto who have just developed such a model which is bound to be the envy of the entire world. They just know how to bring in the right replacements for the right price and become competitive once again before the world even has a chance to blink. So as of now they are almost sure to reach the knock outs and be more than a match for anyone who crosses their path after that.
11. Atletico Madrid - If Milan fans need empathy, they need look no further than Atletico fans. It's just so hard to believe that the team that performed beyond themselves at the end of last season to clinch the 4th spot in La Liga now lie in the relegation zone even when all their key players have been retained and the manager is the same. Why this has happened is beyond the scope of this article but at the moment this is a club that is going nowhere.
12. Lyon - There are enough signs to suggest that the old Lyon is back. A great team to watch in full flow and more than a match for absolutely anyone. Perhaps still not strong enough to win the competition but will carry with them the hopes and wishes of most neutrals around the world.
13. Fiorentina - It wouldn't be wrong to say that the far too many times wounded Italian pride has been at least temporarily somewhat restored by the heroics of Fiorentina against Liverpool. Still reaching the next stage is a big battle which they should at least now be able to face with confidence.
14. Liverpool - In some people's eyes, this is the second most consistent team of UCL in recent times after Milan. However this time is it entirely unthinkable that they fail to reach the knock outs? It's too early to write them off but a free flowing Lyon and a confident Fiorentina will make life difficult. If they do make it as expected, they are bound to be competitive. However with the sale of Alonso it's quite clear that the team lacks something vital and is possibly no one's favorite to win the competition at this moment.
15. Barcelona - Without the slightest shred of doubt, the big favorites and the team to beat in the eyes of most pundits and fans. Some in this world are so much in awe of them that they consider them a perfect team with no weaknesses. The more observant however can see a few causes for concern. The wafer thin nature of the squad cannot be ignored as the top players have virtually no replacements who can be expected to play at even 50% of their level in the really big matches. The defense is not all that convincing and to that add the fact that the solidity seems to be missing from Yaya Toure's game unlike last season. And last but not the least, how can we not discuss Ibrahimovic! No player in the world today divides opinion as much as Ibra does not only among fans but even pundits. Some rate him right up there with the very best while some don't consider him world class and usually call him a big match flop. You can say that Ibra will score the difficult goals in the easy matches but will he score the easy goals in the difficult matches? No matter how technically good you are it's unforgivable for a world class player to miss three clear cut scoring chances in a UCL knock out match as Ibra did last season when playing for Inter against ManUtd. Eto'o while not that gifted had the knack of finishing opportunities in a match where chances have been few and far between. This remains Ibra's make or break year and nothing will count more than his performances in the UCL knock out stages.
16. Inter Milan - It wouldn't be wrong to say that at the beginning of this season, there was a false and almost forced sense of optimism at Inter. Yes a world class performer like Eto'o had been bought but that wouldn't do anything to hide the lack of creativity in the team. What's worse is that this involved the sale of Ibrahimovic who could be dubbed the one way ticket which ensured victories for Inter when the rest of the team had done nothing to deserve one. All the focus is on head coach Mourinho - one of the world's best coaches who sometimes gives one the feeling that he is even more hyped than he is good. He can now not have any reason to complain in all fairness even if that's what he prefers to do most of the time. He asked for a defender ( Lucio ), a midfielder ( Motta ), a trequartista ( Sneijder ) and a striker ( Milito ) and got all. Last season Mourinho insisted his squad was not good enough to compete with the very best. This season he was allowed to improve the squad just as he wanted. The fans shouted for Cassano but Mourinho went for Sneijder. The latter is a very competent player but isn't a classic trequartista who can run with the ball at his feet and continuously make his presence felt in the opponent's box. At the moment Inter seem to lack the flair needed and all eyes are on Mourinho to somehow deliver since not doing so must be seen as his personal failure.
17. Sevilla - Just like Lyon this is a team to watch out for. Without possessing any world class star other than perhaps Luis Fabiano, the squad can boast of a high standard of competence in every position on the pitch - something that few big clubs can boast of. All in all one cannot help but admire the way this club is run since with their budget, it's not possible to do better than this.
18. Arsenal - A team whose play continuously mesmerizes the world and can lay claim to being the second most attractive team in the world after Barcelona. Still not many believe that they are capable of going all the way. The reasons are the same that have been stated over and over again - lack of battlers and leaders with the right amount of mental toughness to really ensure a win in the tightest of matches. Yes, they are always said to be very young but surely now that quite a few years have passed, the kids must have grown up. And there's no point using injuries for an excuse. All the teams in the world have to cope with this reality of football and some have definitely managed to do so. If you suffer more than others, then it's time to take a look at your medical facilities etc. and wonder why you suffer more injuries than others.
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