Perfection and Frustration

Top drawer is the only appropriate description for Barcelona’s three goals against Mallorca on Saturday. They were made all the more brilliant by their uniqueness; three different players scoring three very different goals. First up, on 38 minutes, was a Messi header. An unusual sight to be sure; as Barça prefer to see the ball trundle over the grass. In fact, of his 26 goals this season this was the first header of the lot. Yet, Messi showed there were no rusted tools in his tool box when Keita skyed the ball over two lines of Mallorca men to catch Messi running at pace toward the goalie. Then the Argentine just had to get in the correct position to lob it over the goalkeeper coming out to make the claim; piece of cake (yeah, for the best player in the world maybe).

David Villa was not to be outdone. An inch perfect pass from Busquets let him run right through the defense. He then skirted the keeper despite the goalie’s lashing attempt to throw him off. Villa stayed strong, and on his feet. The rest was side netting; the good kind. It was now the 57^th minute, Barcelona were 2-0 up, and Mallorca had all the wind sucked from their sails.

That might have been the end of it if not for Pedro’s decision to bail himself out of his scoring drought with a wind that capsized Mallorca 10 minutes later. He caught site of goal between Mallorca defenders and sent a ball whistling past everyone up into the top right corner. So it was that Barça’s three strikers each found a different way to hit the netting.

The outcome might have been very different. Mallorca has robed points from many of La Liga’s best sides including a 1-1 tie in the Camp Nou the last time Barcelona faced the side. Without the services of Valdés, Alves, Puyol, or Xavi, Guardiola was forced to send out a weakened side, but it made no never mind to the starting eleven, who broke down Mallorca’s formation with patience and ingenuity after a trying first half hour. In the end things turned out so swimmingly that Barcelona youth player Montoya got first team debut.

Just as Barcelona wrapped up Real Madrid took the field against Deportivo La Coruna. The Merengues were lacking in some combination of their usual luck and skill that normally turns a 0-0 starting score into a Mourinho win (also known as 1-0) as they simply couldn’t locate the net. The tie means they move back to seven points behind Barcelona with 61 and 68 points respectively. Barça travel to third place Valencia midweek while Madrid play host to last place Malaga. It’s easy to say who should have the harder time sealing these must win games but if this weekend is anything to go by there could be more surprises in store.

Heading home,

H.

The Binary Opposition Battle (AC Milan vs. Napoli Preview)

North vs. South; first vs. second; red vs. blue; Monday’s mach up between AC Milan and SSC Napoli can easily be placed on opposite sides of a scale but determining which way it will tip is not so black and white. The two Italian sides are only separated by three points, so if Napoli wins that gap would vanish, leaving only Milan’s superior goal difference to stave off the Azzurri. If history repeats itself in this return tie Milan will climb six points clear at the top of the table. Napoli fell 1-2 to Milan back in October before their home fans at the San Paolo. AC Milan will then have both history and a home side advantage to see them through the upcoming 90 minutes.

Yet, there is good reason to doubt this outcome. AC Milan has seen more than its fair share of ties; seven so far in the league. Napoli will be desperate to push for victory in the league after Spanish side Villarreal saw them out of the Europa League. Of course, AC Milan also lost out at home to Tottenham Hotspur in the first leg of the Champions League. In point of fact, none of the Italian clubs have won in Europe recently. This might come as a shock to the rest of Europe, but those watching Serie A will likely be less surprised. There is plenty of talent and good teams to be found in Italy, but they have been sneaking wins against moderately difficult sides and crushing only the weakest of teams this season. I’ll be surprised if any of the Italian sides survive to the next round. Any league where a team can have as wretched a first half as Inter did and come back to third, just five points off AC Milan, without needing to remain unbeaten is not the toughest you could find.

Back to the league; history can’t repeat itself exactly because Lavezzi, who scored Napoli’s only goal in the clubs last meeting will be out serving his three game suspension for spitting at a player (ah, Italian football). His strike partner Cavani hasn’t found the back of the net of late. He missed a penalty last weekend in spectacular fashion, giving all the Napoli fans heart failure. It’s been left then to Hamsik to find what goals he can. He’s done well with about a goal a game of late but that may not be enough against striker heavy Milan. 

Goals for the Rossoneri seem to come in two forms; on and off. If they score, they usually rack up two or three, but finding that first strike is sometimes elusive. Ibrahimovic is always dangerous, but he has been very unlucky of late. While his movements have been excellent there seems to be a force field around the goal when he shoots. Yet, a side as chock full of world renowned strikers as Milan shouldn’t be too distraught by an Ibra mini drought. The fate of Serie A’s top three spots, then, will be decided by confidence and luck of Napoli and Milan’s strikers as neither side’s defensive strength is under much doubt. Third place Inter will be licking their lips hoping for a tie (which will keep second and third within their reach; a Napoli win would do too), and a tie they may well get. 

Outside the technical area,

H.

Sunk and Saved

Napoli was sunk by the yellow submarines (also known as Villareal) in the second leg of Europa League’s round of 32 today. A goalless draw in the first leg meant it was all up for grabs when the two teams entered the Estadio El Madrigal in Spain. An away goal seemed destined to see the Azzurri through when Marek Hamsik headed the ball down from Ezequiel Lavezzi’s cross to open the scoring. The one goal lead, however, was quashed just before half time when Villarreal strike partners Nilmar and Giuseppe Rossi scored in quick succession. A determined Napoli squad was to come bouncing up the stairs for the second half, but despite getting stuck in they could not sick the ball in the net.

Just before Napoli’s kick off, Liverpool was finding the miracle that evaded the Italians. Liverpool started out in the same condition as the Azzurri; the first leg had ended 0-0, but they were playing the second leg at home. Anfield was rocking, but the Reds missed captain Steven Gerrard and still haven’t quite figured out their front line after trading out most of it in the January transfer season. It was not surprise then that the side found breaking the deadlock against a very defensive minded Sparta Praha difficult. Going on to extra time or penalties would favor the home side and seemed to be the inevitable outcome as the 90 minutes waned, enter Dirk Kuyt. In the 86^th minute the Dutchman got his head to Raul Meireles’s corner kick to see Liverpool through to the round of 16. No doubt Kuyt will credit the goal and win to his DJing skills in the dressing room. The Reds have not lost a game since his music took over the pre-match preparations. Let’s hope the boys will be signing Kings of Leon, The Killers and Amy Winehouse for the rest of the season. 

Dirk: My iPod has inspired us 

Stevie cheers on Reds 

Keeping the ball in play,

H.

0-0 and likely to remain so (Bayern München vs. Inter Milan)

Bayern München and Inter Milan found themselves in a rematch of last years’ Champions League final when they faced each other down in the San Siro today. When they met last May, the then, Mourinho’s Inter had taken the Germans to school (2-0). The student (Mourinho) had become the master in defeating the man he had worked under (van Gaal) at Barcelona.

But that was all in the past. A new season found both sides off the mark in their respective leagues though gaining ground. It was anyone’s game for the taking, but it appeared that it wouldn’t be either’s. Two sides known for their attacking prowess came out with guns blazing. It was goal to goal action as players made runs, created changes, and looked dangerous. Yet, the strikers could find no joy. The woodwork thwarted some, the offside trap ensnared others, and keepers, ah the keepers. Bayern’s goalie Thomas Kraft made several outstanding stops against Wesley Sneijder and Samuel Eto’o (insurmountable pests to any defense). Speaking of defenses both sides held strong despite Bayern’s musical chairs with the back four. In the 38 minute Pranjic was forced off with a groin strain causing Breno to come in at center-back while Badstuber moved out to left back (Go Figure! But hey, it worked).  

Julio Cesar isn’t going to be in the mood to play Mario Brothers any time soon. Inter’s goal keeper will have bad memories of another Super Mario. As Bayern’s lone striker Mario Gomez made himself a nuisance in Inter’s six yard box. Cesar probably thought he’d seen the worst of it when play was halted for treatment of both men after they clattered together mid-air going after the ball in the 78^th minute. But the fat lady hadn’t even started to warm up and just before she sang the game stats were backed up by the score board. Bayern had 18 shots on goal, 54% of possession, and 17 fouls to prove it. After all the blood, sweat, and a few tears from some nasty collisions the prospect of a draw seemed inevitable. Then Cesar spilled Robben’s shot onto Gomez’s feet. 90’ TOOOOOOOOOOOR fur Gomezzzzz! Das 1:0! And that my friends is all she wrote, well, at least until the second leg in Bavaria.

FCB Match Gallery

Gutten nacht 🙂

H.

Champions League Strike Force

Real Madrid ties Lyon 1-1. Benzama came on as a sub for Adebayor in the 64^th minute to give Madrid the critical away goal in the 65^th. The Frenchmen kept his promise to put up a fight against his former club. You’ve got to be happy when Benzama scores; he’s had such a hard time finding his form in Real Madrid and you hardly see him smile except when he’s put the ball in the net. Congrats mate!

While Benzama was saving the day, another out of form and luck striker wasn’t fairing as well. The words “poor Fernando Torres” may be contested by Liverpool fans, but I think you have to feel bad for the boy considering the position he’s in. Fifty million pounds can by a lot of things (including a world class Spanish striker from Liverpool) but it can’t buy confidence. I don’t care if Torres wanted to leave Liverpool or if the money was too good to turn away; being shifted from red to blue in the dying hours of the January transfer window was bad enough, but as luck would have it that would the easy part.

Who was Chelsea playing just days after his arrival; Liverpool. Thank God they were playing at Stanford Bridge because if Torres had to go back to Anfield to play his old mates it probably would have done him in. As it was, he still must have experienced some significant trauma. In any case Liverpool won (1-0) and Torres didn’t score.

Fast forward to today’s game where Chelsea faced down Kobenhavn. Having not yet scored for the Blues, Torres was desperate to see the ball into the net. That desperation turned his clinical finishing power into something ethereal, like the white wisps of breath, which came on the frigid night in Parken Station; it could be seen but not captured. Luckily, for Torres and Chelsea Anelka was in outstanding form and picked up a brace to see them nearly in the clear with a 2-0 score line away from home.

Torres will score one of these days, and Chelsea will find him a striking partner amid their lineup of quality attacking players. I only hope that for Torres’ sake the words of his Liverpool song, “He gets the ball. He scores again,” will once more apply, and the 50 million pound sword of Damocles hanging over his head will turn into a halo.

– Confidence requires blind, thoughtless faith that can only be maintained by a constant stream of miracles.

H.

Eight of four is not twice as nice (State of defence in Bayern)

All eyes have been fixed on Robbery, Bayern München’s answer to Bennifer (who comes up with this stuff!). The paring of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery has certainly given the Bavarians something to cheer about. They rejoin a side that has had no trouble scouring. Super Mario Gomez is up to 18 goals after Bayern’s 3-1 win over Mainz on Saturday, making him the top scorer in the Bundesliga. Thomas Muller picked up another one of those goals as he too has come into goal scoring form. The last, which was actually the first, came from Bastian Schweinsteiger’s close range header after an arching headed pass from Robben.

In fact, Bayern can find goals from just about anywhere on the pitch. Back in November, when Bayern was in danger of going down to bottom of the league Borussia Monchengladbach 2-3, the then co-captain Philipp Lahm took on the responsibility to both shore up the defense and find the tying goal in the 84’.

So there is no lack of heart or creativity in Bayern, but while the attacking side is in form and stable the defensive line has suffered from too much of a good thing. Since January there has been no less than eight men rotating their way through the back four, yet, according to the team sheet there should only be five options. No sane person would shift Lahm from right back (see above if you don’t know why), and he’s, thank God, remained uninjured, so he’s stayed put while the rest of back four has changed more than the tide.

The season started with Demichelis and van Buyten in the center and Contento on the left. That didn’t last long though as Demichelis fell out of favor and went happily to Malaga in Spain in the January transfer window where he scored in his first game. Despite that brilliant start Malaga remains in the last slot in the Primera Division.

Back in Germany injuries plagued the Bavarians causing Louis van Gaal to start a new tradition; rotating defensive midfielders through the haphazard defense. Danijel Pranjic was turned into a second left back. Anatolly Tymoshchuk performed incredibly well in his new home as a central defender. Despite promises from the winter training camp that Breno and Badstuber would become the new center back pairing the Brazilian has barely been seen while German international Badstuber has been partnered with Tymoshchuk most often since his return from injury. Van Buyten has also disappeared into what seems to be the back hole of Bayern’s bench. The January transfer season saw Brazilian Luiz Gustavo join the team as a versatile defender, but he too is in reality a midfielder, though since joining he’s been tried out as both a central defender and left back.

What does all this volleyball like rotation mean for Bayern, well maybe nothing in the league as Borussia Dortmund is likely out of reach; a full 10 points above second place Bayer Leverkusen, with whom Bayern can probably swap places without much hassle. Yet, to take on the phoenix rebirth of Inter Milan in the Champions League on Wednesday they are going to need to be perfect at the back. Two months ago I’d have said Bayern could beat Inter hands down; put in whoever you like. Now, Bayern’s striking prowess won’t be enough save them. The appearance of Leonardo has reformed the Inter squad over night. They have ghosted into third place in Serie A just two points behind Napoli and five behind AC Milan. Aside from the usual suspects of Sneijder and Eto’o Inter has found goal scorers all over its lineup. To top it off, they have had more than their fair share of clean sheets of late. I’ve got no idea what sage words Mourinho will whisper into Leonardo’s ear to see that his beloved holders move to the next round, but the Germans had better watch their backs and hope their backline holds and the fount line worms its way through.   

Breathless,

H.

Rain in Spain and the curse of France (Real Madrid 2-0 Levante)

Ronaldo’s spiked hair had no problem penetrating the surface tension of the relentless barrage of rain drops Sunday night in Madrid, but the prolific forward couldn’t translate his hair’s efficiency to the rest of his body. Real Madrid’s number 7 saw chance after chance go begging. As the frustration grow his tongue became firmly entrenched in the corner of his mouth except when trading quips with Levante’s captain.

Luckily, Real Madrid was not without finishing power. Di Maria made an outstanding run to pick out Benzama and Ronaldo assisted his countrymen, Carvalho, with an equally impressive free kick from the far side of the goal to give the Madridistas a solid 2-0 win. Despite their good showing it must be said that Adan, filling in for Casillas (who knew Madrid even had other goal keepers? It’s got to be hard to be a back up keeper with the world’s best ahead of you in the pack.), had little to do, though he did it well.

 As moral boosting as this win might have been ahead of tomorrow’s encounter with Lyon is anyone else still scared for Ronaldo and Co.? Lyon has had a nasty habit of keeping Real Madrid out of the next round of the Champions League. They’ve never beaten the French outfit. Worse yet their attacking power has been a bit temperamental of late. Ronaldo has hit what he would probably consider a major goal scoring drought. After a stunning season so far with 24 goals in the league, he’s seen comparatively little of the grass behind the white line in the last few games. He’ll need to get back his razor focus if the ball is once more to nestle in the back of the net from his strike. Meanwhile, Benzama has fought a long battle to find his striking stride. With the arrival of Adebayor he has had to share playing time, preventing him from really getting things to cook. Adebayor has done well from the side since day one but he is still finding his feet with a new group.

Luckily, all these great talents could be out to lunch and Real Madrid would still have plenty of shots flying in. Thanks to long distance marksmen in the midfield and bombing fullbacks. Expect Real Madrid to turn up in force on the front foot, while the backline will put up quite a wall. Let’s just hope they find the back of net and don’t just shoot at it.

Crossed fingers,

H.

Never a Neutral

Hi All,

As the Blog title suggests I’m mad about football…err…I mean soccer, wait no I don’t. Sorry Americans, but since I will be talking about soccer happenings everywhere else in the world but here I’ll be calling it what everyone else does; football. Don’t get me wrong I’m a fan of rugby and all of its derivatives, but I’m obsessed when it comes to European football/fussball/futbol.

OK, now that’s settled, on to the mysterious existence of neutrals. Are there seriously people who sit down for two hours to watch a bunch of random people kick a ball around the pitch? I understand that commentators inevitably end up being neutrals (you can’t possibly be a fan in every match up when you’re watching them all), but what about the viewers at home? If you watch more than 10 minutes of a game you should eventually have a preference for who wins.

If you are, for some reason unbeknownst to me, watching a game with no vested interest at all let me help you to an opinion.

How to pick a team:

Winners Never Lose: Pick the historical winners of the match, the ones who are higher up the table, or are currently wining the game. If you’re going to go from neutral to supporter you might as well have something to cheer about.
Underdogs: There is something attractive about coming in from the middle ground on the side of those who probably won’t win. Of course, if they pull off a historical upset you can relish the massive bragging rights of being a “good luck charm.”
Affiliations: If you are a fan of a team somewhere out there find any association you can to like or dislike one of the teams playing. This could be geographic connections or if you are in the know you can play the Kevin Bacon Game with players/managers.
Fashionistas: Clothes do make the man or team. Pick out the team with the better uniforms. Who’s got the better color combination or classier sponsors?
Players/Managers: Pick out a person to follow; someone of interest for whatever reason and root for them and their team.
Let me know if you’ve got another method to pick your favorite in a one off match.

If these five reasons don’t get you out of your chair to cheer than I suggest you change the channel or require your spouse to fill out an IOU card, ‘cause you’re not really having any fun.

Chipping the keeper,

H.