Check me out on YouTube!

I have started to do more and more videos related to all things football with my buddy Nate. You can check out the channel here and a like, subscribe, or anything on the videos would be much appreciated!

My World XI for 2013

At the Ballon d'Or ceremony the FIFA World XI was unveiled, and many felt there were some huge snubs. I was among those people. The FIFA XI was as followed:

Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer

Defenders: Philipp Lahm, Sergio Ramos, Thiago Silva, Dani Alves

Midfielders: Xavi, Iniesta, Franck Ribery

Forwards: Cristiano Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, Lionel Messi

Amongst those chosen I felt too much praise had been given to the two La Liga giants again. Here is my World XI:

Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer; No argument here. Neuer was far and above the best goalkeeper in the world last year. He was a huge part of Bayerns historic trophy haul.

Defenders: Philipp Lahm, Thiago Silva, Dante, David Alaba; Removing the La Liga duo and replacing them with two Bayern players. Dante stepped right into the Bayern starting line-up and helped transform them into a team that was near impossible to score against, just ask Barcelona. David Alaba moves into the team after basically solidifying himself as one of the top 2 left backs in the world, and he's my age.

Midfielders: Franck Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Gareth Bale; No more Barcelona favoritism people!!! Xavi and Iniesta shouldn't have even SNIFFED the world XI. I replace them with Schweinsteiger and Bale. Schweinsteiger was by far the best box to box midfielder in the world last year and he was the heart of the 5 star Bayern team. Bale is the most debatable here. While having a great season it would be easy to leave him out and throw someone else in, but just by the eye test Bale was quite possibly the best player in the world not named Ronaldo or Messi towards the end of last year. His health was an issue, but his quality is nothing to scoff at. 

Forwards: Ronaldo, Ibrahimovic, Messi; I mean, c'mon. 

So there you have it, my World XI. We need to acknowledge that last season the spanish teams weren't the best in the world and don't deserve to have a crazy amount of players in these teams! Let me know what you think of the replacements. Who deserves to be in it, who doesn't, and why should your player be in instead!

The Boot Room Video Blogs

Hey everyone, just wanted to let you know you can check my buddy Nate and I out on YouTube at youtube.com/clsoccer2012 making our weekly video blog for The Boot Room, my more professional site!

Here is this weeks video, if you like it please thumbs it up, subscribe to the channel, comment, and share the link!

Potential Young Stars, Revised

A few days ago I made a post with players that have the potential to have huge breakout years this upcoming season. To expand on that post I came up with a data sheet with all their past data from pass completion percentage to average match rating. I also added a few names onto the list that weren't in the post. To see the original post go here: http://theinformsoccer.blogspot.com/2013/06/potential-20132014-season-breakout-stars.html

Player Name	Pass Success	Shots on goal	Clean Sheets	Avg Match Rtg	Tackles Won	Dribbles Completed	World Class Potential
Thiago Alcantara	91.9	0.8	N/A	7.25	1.5	1.6	Yes
Paul Pogba	82.5	1.8	N/A	7.21	2.4	1.5	Yes
David Alaba	88.8	1.2	N/A	7.3	1.9	0.7	Yes
Isco	85.6	1.9	N/A	7.17	1.2	2.2	Yes
Thibaut Courtois	47.3	N/A	20	6.82	N/A	N/A	Yes
David De Gea	60.3	N/A	11	6.83	N/A	N/A	Yes
Julian Draxler	81.7	2.1	N/A	7.39	1.4	2.7	Yes
Stephan El Shaarawy	84.2	2.6	N/A	7.16	1	1.1	Maybe
Kevin De Bruyne	76.8	2.7	N/A	7.58	1.5	3	Maybe
M'baye Niang	76.5	1.2	N/A	6.6	1.3	1.2	No
Raheem Sterling	84.1	1.2	N/A	6.77	1.5	1.5	No
Marc-Andre ter Stegen	63	N/A	9	6.86	N/A	N/A	No

I made this list of players that are some of the hottest young commodities I could think of and looked up some key stats that pertain to players and used those stats along with the "eye test" of how well they play when you watch them to determine if they can be considered world class one day.

Players that got a "Yes" in the World Class Potential category did so because they have shown that they can be great players on the biggest stages, and are at a young stage in their careers at which they are still improving. Not only did the players with a "Yes" have pretty good statistics this past season, but during the eye test it was clear these players had what it takes to become truly great.

Players that got a "Maybe" still have some question marks about them. The standout of the two will probably be El Shaarawy. Now I absolutely love El Shaarawy but he fell into the "Maybe" category for reasons mostly due to becoming second fiddle to Mario Balotelli, which raised question marks for me if AC Milan saw something we didn't in that maybe he isn't a viable number 1 option. But instead of dropping him in the "No" category I had to give him a "Maybe" because last summer I saw him play in person against Chelsea in Miami and the kid had a flair and confidence about him that looked like no other on the field.

Lastly we have the players that got a "No" and that doesn't necessarily mean I don't think they will be world class level, but it means at the moment from what I have seen I can't give them a "Maybe" or a "Yes" because their body of work just isn't enough to make that judgement.

So what do you think? Should we weigh the potential of players on stats and the eye test alone? One more than the other? And what do you think of the list? Let me know!

Potential 2013/2014 Season Breakout Stars

Great young talent is the key to the development of our sport. While established names are fun to watch and discuss, the young talent of the world can be just as fun to talk about. Everyone knows about the young stars of today that have already made a name for themselves such as Neymar, Mario Gotze, Eden Hazard, and Oscar, but there is a plethora of young talent that you probably wouldn't pay attention to unless they were playing at a big club or on big stages. Here we will highlight a few.

Julian Draxler – Julian Draxler could be the next great German attacking midfielder. This season at Schalke he put up astounding numbers, in 36 appearances for the German club he netted 11 goals and assisted on 3. Now this may not seem like much, but given the fact he is only 19 years old and thrusted himself into the starting line-up for Schalke, he shows lots of promise going forward. Draxler is more than capable of using both feet, is creative on the ball, a great passer (he completed roughly 82% of his passes this season), and is as lethal a finisher as midfielders go. Draxler is one to watch for this upcoming season, and I don't expect him to stay at Schalke for long if he keeps improving his performances.

Raheem Sterling – Outside of England you may not find many people that rate Raheem Sterling very high. Sterling found himself in the Premier League spotlight after he made a move to Liverpool from the QPR youth team at the tender age of 17. Sterling shows lots of promise, a speedy, crafty winger with great agility. The downside to Sterling is that we haven't seen enough of him in the first team for Liverpool, as he usually comes on as a substitute. In 31 matches for Liverpool this season, he only had 2 goals and 2 assists. That isn't that impressive for a player of his potential and its hard to give other stats for him because of his lack of playing time, but what is impressive is how much he improves each and every game. I see Sterling breaking into the starting line-up consistently next season and seeing his output improve in turn.

Deulofeu – His name may be hard to pronounce, but his quality isn't hard to recognize. Deulofeu looks like he could become another one of Barcelona's, La Masia, prodigies. Speed, ball control, vision, great passing. Deulofeu possess all of these qualities, qualities that a winger needs to have to be effective at the top level. His chance to get permanently promoted to Barcelona from Barcelona B seems to have dwindled a bit with the addition of Neymar, but a player with his potential won't be playing in a second tier league for long.

Marc-Andre ter Stegen – A lot of us like to talk about field players as they are usually more exciting to talk about, but we can't forget about the men between the sticks. Ter Stegen is one of the most, if not the most, promising young goal keeper out there today and some in Germany don't think it will be too long before he can find his way to more first team appearances for the National Team. At the age of 21 years old it seems like ter Stegen already has amazing skills that many veteran keepers took years to develop.

Top Rivalries in the MLS

This week the MLS spotlights the rivalries created over the past 18 years. This is the type of week fans of the MLS wish would come around every week. For ESPNFC's take on the rivalry games this weekend click here. Here are my top rivalries in the MLS.

1. Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers - The definitive rivalry in the MLS. These two clubs have arguably the biggest fanbases in the MLS and the atmosphere at a game between Sounders and Timbers rivals most games in Europe. This rivalry has it all: history, geography, passion, and die hard fans. This is one rivalry even MLS haters should watch.

2. Los Angeles Galaxy and San Jose Earthquakes - This might not be a rivalry game being played this weekend, but on the west coast only this comes second to Sounders and Timbers. It's a battle for California bragging rights and the games these two teams produce are always exciting and keep you entertained thoroughly.

3. New York Red Bulls and DC United - One of the most known rivalries in the MLS, New York and DC have a history of dislike for one another. DC has been more successful, but New York gets the media coverage and the revenue being in the Big Apple. The addition of Thierry Henry to the rivalry mixed with former MLS MVP Dwayne De Rosario have spiced it up even more than before. A game between these two never disappoints. 

What do you think? What are the top MLS rivalries in your opinion? What's your favorite? 

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The Other Champions League

Everyone who pays attention soccer has at least heard of the UEFA Champions League, the single biggest club competition in all of soccer and the competition every club aspires to be a part of. But did you know that in North America there is another Champions League? No? Don't feel like a terrible soccer fan, most people don't know either.

The CONCACAF Champions League is the western hemispheres answer to the UEFA Champions League. The problem is the CONCACAF Champions League is, to put it lightly, boring. The teams aren't interesting, at least not interesting enough to spark the interest of enough people so that it is a known competition. The CCL doesn't offer much in terms of star power, when your marquee names are MLS teams and Liga MX teams you don't get much of an audience outside of the west. When I say the CCL is boring, I don't mean the action is. Actually, some of the CCL games I have seen have been more competitive and exciting than UCL games, but that is because the quality of players is level throughout the whole competition. You don't really see powerhouse clubs in the CCL because there aren't any in the leagues that send clubs to the competition.

Did you know the quarterfinals of the CCL just wrapped up?

A big problem for CCL is that there isn't enough star power for the media to want to cover it. There are no globally known names that are in the competition besides Landon Donovan, and he isn't even with the Galaxy squad at the moment. Quite frankly, no one really seems to care about the CCL. Would there be a nationally televised game on ESPN if an American side didn't get to the final of the CCL? Probably not. Come to think of it they probably wouldn't put it on ESPN2 if TWO American teams made it to the final.

The CCL just seems like a waste of time to most people, why watch CCL when you could watch college basketball or heck even spring training baseball. The lack of caring when it comes to CCL is due in large part to the MLS not being globally recognized as a good league. It also has a lot to due with the quality of the other leagues that contribute to the CCL's pool of teams.

Just like when it comes to the MLS I advise you to give the CCL a try, it might not give you the same exhilaration as watching Real Madrid v Manchester United in the UCL but there is some quality ball that is played in the CCL if you catch the two right teams playing.

What do you think? Do you watch CONCACAF Champions League? Why hasn't it been more successful?

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Why you should stop being a Euro snob and watch the MLS

After reading the ESPNFC article "Can you call yourself a U.S. soccer fan if you don't support MLS?" (read the article here) I decided to give my take on this. And my answer to that question is yes, and no. The MLS is one of the most intriguing leagues in the world. You either think the league is filled with a mixture of over the hill stars and talentless rookies or you think it is a league full of potential and that others should give it a chance.

If you are one of those who thinks the MLS is a wasted league you fall into the Euro snob category. The loose definition of a Euro snob is someone who refuses to give leagues outside of Europe a chance to be a fun and exciting league. This category is filled with about 70% of the people who talk about the MLS. These people feel that the MLS is filled with bad passing, boring goals, and slow pace of play. Now in some instances they are right about all those things, sometimes watching a MLS game can feel like torture, but you could say that about any game where the play is sloppy and unorganized. I'm going to tell you why you need to stop being a Euro snob and give the MLS a chance.

Major League Soccer is only 18 years old. That is younger than most of the people that follow the league. So the fact people want to say MLS doesn't have any real talent in the league can be a valid argument, but not for long. We are slowly seeing more and more talent start to shine through the cracks of the MLS and these players are very promising. Young talent such as Juan Agudelo, Darlington Nagbe, Freddy Montero, and others look to be the next stars of the MLS.

With a young league comes young league mistakes. Many of the players are right either right out of college, have never played overseas, or are aging stars who are past their prime. In theory the mixture of inexperience and experience should produce for more exciting soccer and a better development for those inexperienced players, but as we have seen this isn't always the case. This is why we see bad passes, a lower game IQ, and a slower pace of play. But this can all change once the MLS teams start to adopt a youth system that really teaches their youth players how to play the game properly. The MLS should look to model itself after the Bundesliga, a league where big name stars are there but the focus is really on homegrown talent that starts at clubs youth levels.

The MLS also suffers from having a playoff system as their way of crowning a champion. It seems like they tried to appease the fact the American public wants to see a Super Bowl every time there is a champion crowned. They want to see underdogs win and upset favorites, but that is not the approach the league should have taken. Look at all the major leagues in the world and you will see a model that is proven successful: whoever wins the most games all season and racks up the most points wins the championship. Simple right? It seems like the MLS doesn't want to change for fear of this way of crowning a champion not appealing to the public, but as long as you keep the US Open Cup the way it is you still get your playoffs and a Super Bowl style game to crown a champion.

All that aside the MLS can be one of the most exciting leagues to watch. It seems like a lot of the time that amazing goals are produced out of thin air. Honestly I have seen more overhead kick goals scored in the MLS than in any of the top leagues in the world. Does this mean the MLS is better than any of the top leagues? No of course not, but it doesn't mean the league is in any way terrible. In the past few years the quality of the MLS has started to really rise.

I looked up a lot of responses and discussions about if you can really be a U.S. fan if you don't support MLS and why people say to give the MLS a chance and I agreed with what most people said. Yes, you can be a U.S. soccer fan if you don't support MLS but that doesn't mean you shouldn't give it a chance. Pick a MLS team, support it, follow it, maybe even go to a game and I swear to you that you will have a change of heart if you think the MLS is a terrible league.

Go watch kicktv's video about why you should watch the MLS, it might give you a little more incentive to give it a chance. (watch the video here)

What do you think? Is the MLS a terrible league? What should the MLS do to improve?

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Check out my contributions to other sites out there!

I have recently started contributing to EPLTalk.com and CLsoccer.com

Go check those sites out, find my posts and leave comments!

The Biggest Debate in Soccer

Soccers biggest debate, who is truly the best player in the world. Is it Barcelonas goal machine, Lionel Messi or is it Madrids talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo? Both players posses skills far beyond any other players on the planet, but who is truly the better superstar?

The similarities of Ronaldo and Messi are actually harder to draw up then the differences, while Messi enjoys being on the ball he knows how to move methodically through the field without the ball and into prime positions to score. Ronaldo on the other hand is more of a bombarder. Preferring to get the ball on the wing and use his pace and skills to beat opponents while cutting inside to score. Both players have mastered their craft, but who does the most for their team, who is better?

My money is on the Portuguese man, Cristiano Ronaldo. CR7 when he wants to, can take over a game all on his own, and teams don't know how to stop him. Unlike Messi for Barcelona, if Ronaldo is having an off day it's usually game over for Madrid that day. But Ronaldo is rarely off his game. Able to play any striker role on the field, Ronaldo is a complete attacker. Possessing world class speed, agility, and goal prowess he is deadly from any situation. You can never count madrid out of a game as long as CR7 is on the pitch. There is some fair criticism that comes with picking Ronaldo over Messi though, how can you not pick a 4 time ballon d'or winner? Messi has won 19 trophies, Ronaldo only has 12. Messi has scored 200 la liga goals and last calendar year he broke Gerd Müllers goal record. All those stats are very nice and super impressive, but it came down to a few factors for me. 

First, marketability. It's one thing to have immense talents but if you aren't marketable no one will know who you are. Messi, putting it nicely, is boring. He scores and does a regular hugging celebration with teammates, he has boring press conferences, he isn't overly flashy, doesn't date supermodels, etc. and all that is truly great and is admirable, any young player looking to be respected in the future of their careers should take note of how Messi conducts himself, but when it comes to being a player young kids want to idolize for how cool it is to be a superstar, they look to Ronaldo. Ronaldo has all the attributes to be a world icon. The looks, the charisma, the swagger. On top of that he has world class abilities on the field. He is flashy when he plays, using lots of fancy flicks and skills against opponents. When he scores you never know what type of celebration you will get, and that is exciting. I bet if you asked most young players in the world right now who they want to shape their game to be like, it would be Ronaldo.

My main point that led me to pick Ronaldo is the fact that if you put Messi or Ronaldo on any mid level team in any league who leads a team farther in their careers. In my opinion if you put Ronaldo on a team that is mid level he will lead that team to not only a league title, but a Champions League spot and I think he could lead a mediocre team to at least the knockout stage of the Champions League. Now Messi, he could possibly do the same, but he is a different type of player. Higher game IQ but less physical ability than Ronaldo. Ronaldo is a safer bet to accomplish those things with another team than Messi.

This is all my opinion, of course. So what do you think? Is Messi the greatest in the game? Is it CR7? Have another player you want to make a case for? Let me know in the comments!

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Why Brek Shea can save US soccer

As of right now the state of United States soccer is up in the air. Players that have established themselves as needed in the team get picked whenever their healthy, but that leaves almost 4-5 spots left on the pitch to fill with players who have played little to no international games at the senior level. Players like Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey, Michael Bradley, and Carlos Bocanegra are consistently picked, and they provide the veteran experience needed, but what the United States needs now is someone to get excited over.

Enter Brek Shea. Shea looked to be one of the most promising young US players in 2012, being subbed on in multiple friendlies and providing an immediate spark. Though plagued by injury, Shea has returned to soccer and now plays in the biggest league on the planets, the English Premier League for Stoke City.

Shea has all the qualities needed to become the next major star for the United States. He is brilliant on the ball, has excellent vision, high IQ for the game, and has a boatload of confidence. Match that with the fact he is super young and marketable to the new generation of people discovering United States soccer, it can be great for the United States.

The United States need someone they can market to the younger audiences that watch soccer, to get them excited, drive jersey sales, drive ticket sales, and ultimately help soccer take off in America. Shea can be that ambassador. Although now playing in England, Shea could help make soccer in America bigger than it is now in the post-Beckham era. Shea has the style and charisma that can relate to younger audiences, his eccentric hairstyles and tattoos show his youthfulness and style. He also is active on social networks, which we all know is huge with teenagers to young adults, what also helps is he actually interacts with his fans on social networks. You can find Shea regularly tweeting responses to people on twitter when he is active.

But what makes Shea exciting isn't just his social marketability, but also the fact he is a great player. Shea had a breakout year in 2010 with MLS side FC Dallas, playing 30 games and scoring 5 goals. He also led Dallas to the MLS playoffs that year. 2011 was the year he landed on bigger clubs radars. Playing 39 games for Dallas he scored 11 times and again led Dallas to the playoffs. He was elected an MLS All Star in 2011 and was also in talks to be 2011 MLS MVP. In November 2011 it was announced he would train with Arsenal. Now playing in the Premier League, Shea is sure to be a major piece for the USMNT, a team that desperately needs a spark.

Working his way to full match fitness, it is exciting to see if Brek Shea can become the United States new poster boy. I say he can, he has all the ability and the intangibles to be the next big thing not just in the US, but globally. The world is ready to Brekkenize.

What do you think? Is Brek Shea worth the hype? Is there another player you see being the new face of US Soccer?

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Beginner's Guide to Soccer: Part 1

As recent events has allowed me to get introduced and interested in the world of soccer I have decided to start a beginners guide to soccer. The Informer has helped me get a better grasp on this sport which I believe is very under underappreciated in the United States and I believe more Americans need to take the time to understand and enjoy this sport.

    I was finally able to watch a game of soccer at Disney's Wide World of Sport during the Pro Soccer Classic and it was a very disappointing game in very disappointing weather. However I still enjoyed it thoroughly. Also with the introduction of FOX Soccer at our house I've been watching many games and have decided that my favorite teams are Inter and Liverpool. (often criticized by The Informer) ...anyhow I will continue to write posts as my knowledge of soccer increases and show the transformation into a true soccer fan.

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Arsenal crash out of FA Cup

Arsenal's trophy drought seems to be set to continue as the Gunners crashed out of the FA cup with a 1-0 loss to Blackburn Rovers.

                                              Arsene Wenger and Arsenal look set for another trophyless season.

For most of the game Arsenal controlled the ball and tempo, but their finishing was not on point at all. An Arsenal squad that did not field all it's starters, yet was a much better side then Blackburn, should have finished the game off early in the first half. Instead the game ended in disappointment even after dominating. The Gunners shot the ball 26 times, 12 of which were on target. They won 16 corner kicks and held the ball for 54% of the game.

Yet it was Blackburn that found the back of the net by a Colin Kazim-Richards goal in the 72nd minute.

                                                               Blackburn celebrate their goal against Arsenal.

Arsenal were simply not good enough against a squad they should have easily beat, and should be weary going into Tuesday's Champions League matchup against high flying Bayern Munich. Even for an Arsenal team that wasn't at full strength they did not look dominant. Arsene Wenger must be cautious as to how he approaches this upcoming Champions League game as the Germans have the capability to put 3 to 4 away goals against them if Arsenal can not finish their chances.

What do you think the Gunners need to change? Are Bayern going to run all over them this week? Leave your thoughts and comments below.

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Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic

Yesterday I had the chance to go and watch a few of the games that were being played at the Walt Disney World Pro Soccer Classic. This even showcases MLS teams as well as local Florida pro teams.

This year MLS teams Sporting Kansas City, DC United, Philadelphia Union, Toronto FC, Columbus Crew, and Impact Montreal were paired with Florida teams Orlando City and the Tampa Bay Rowdies.

Yesterday's game I saw was Sporting Kansas City v DC United. The game started slow, with both teams having starters out on the field I was expecting a more exciting first half of soccer. What I got was a disappointing exhibition of cautious play. There seemed to be no urgency from the teams with their established players out on the field. It wasn't until the second half when the teams brought on players that were on a trial run and nonestablished players that the game took off. The flow of the game, the creativity, and the fact it started raining made the game much more exciting to watch. I found myself actually getting involved with the game, moaning at misses, getting excited about chances being created, complaining about fouls and calls. For the small turnout because of the weather (hopefully that is why there was a small turnout) it was a great fan atmosphere.

The result of the match was 2-0 to SKC, but that wasn't the real reason I enjoyed yesterdays event. The fact I got to see a competitive match of soccer live for the first time in months.

The event overall was lacking in total support, it seemed a bit thrown together, even for an event that has been going for a few years now. No clear signs directed you to the field, field announcer would randomly just stop announcing for a good while and would only talk when subs came in. As I said, I did enjoy the event for what it was, not so much a pro soccer event, but an event that was trying to get more people in America interested in soccer. And that is something this country really needs, more support for the MLS and other pro soccer leagues.

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Top 5 Young Players

The future of soccer is bright with these 5 players leading the way for a new era of players.

5. Mario Götze

Mario Götze emerged onto the scene during the 2010-2011 Bundesliga season, having become an integral part of his club, Borussia Dortmund, upending reigning champions Bayern Munich to capture the league title. Götze, age 20, is heralded as an up-and-coming player, possessing world class speed, decision making, and technical ability. Already becoming a staple in his clubs side, Götze is on pace to break into a starting spot with the German national team. Already notching 30 caps for his country, Götze is a hot commodity and is sure to be courted by the major European clubs soon. Götze's future is bright, and as long as he can stay healthy the sky is the limit for the young German.

4. Jack Wilshere

Jack Wilshere is one of the most promising young players on the planet. Possessing mental and physical toughness, great vision, great speed, and having a commanding presence in the center of the field Wilshere is an all around midfielder. Wilshere suffered a setback in 2011, suffering a stress fracture in his ankle during a friendly. Having made his return this season to Arsenal, Wilshere has cemented his spot in the starting 11, proving to be invaluable for his club, Arsenal. Having picked up 3 goals and 5 caps this campaign on 85 appearances, Wilshere is proving his worth. Wilshere also has made his way into the England squad, having a breakout performance recently against Brazil.

3. Stephan El Shaarawy/Gareth Bale

Stephan El Shaarawy made headlines early in his career starting his first game at the age of 16 for Serie A side Genoa. It was evident then that El Shaarawy would be a future star. In 2011 he signed for AC Milan and just recently has becoming a vital part of their attack. El Shaarawy is a complete attacker, able to play on the wing or up front he is skilled with both feet. He makes life difficult for defenses with his speed and excellent ball control, matched with his nose for goals he is deadly. Having featured only 3 times for his country, Italy, El Shaarawy is sure to become more of a frequent player in the Italian squad.

Gareth Bale tends to fly under a lot of peoples radars when it comes to young players. Being anchored to a team that doesn't play Champions League soccer is probably a main reason, but Bale is one of the most exciting players in the world today. Already establishing himself in Tottenham's starting squad, Bale is the undisputed leader of the team. With world class speed, ball control, and goal scoring capability it is no surprise Bale has been courted by major clubs, having been linked with a move to Real Madrid in the upcoming summer.

2. Eden Hazard

Eden Hazard is no stranger to top young players lists. On some lists he is the best in the world at the moment in terms of young players. Hazard is a world class player, with speed, vision, agility, ball control, and goal scoring capabilities it is no wonder that Chelsea broke the bank to bring in the young Belgian. Having featured 24 times for Chelsea, Hazard has scored 9 goals and tallied 16 assists. The reason he doesn't make the top of this list is his production when it comes to his national team. Hazard has featured 34 times for his country, but has only produced 3 goals. It is exciting to see what becomes of him in the future, as his future looks bright especially if he can keep his production up like he has this season with Chelsea.

1. Neymar

Heralded as the next Lionel Messi, Neymar tops this list of the best young players in the world. It is not hard to see why Neymar has been linked to almost every major club in Europe when you see him play. Possessing the abilities you would expect out of every great striker, speed, technical ability, playmaking, goal scoring, etc. Neymar is the most sought after player in the world at the moment. Linked with moves to Barcelona and Real Madrid, Neymar has yet to decide his future when he inevitably leaves Brazil. Having made 102 appearances for club, Santos, he has scored 54 goals. For Brazil he has been equally impressive, in 28 appearances he has scored 17 goals. Neymar's potential is limitless, especially if he goes to the right team that has proven leaders and a manager that teaches him the European game.

What are your thoughts? Disagree with me? Leave a comment below and rank your top 5!

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Exciting International Friendlies This Week.

This week, club soccer takes a break to make way for international friendlies. Don't fret though, because there are some surprisingly exciting fixtures this week!

Spain v Uruguay

A game between Spain and Uruguay is never a dull one. With such stars as Iniesta, Pique, Suarez, Ramos, Fabregas, David Villa, David Silva, Diego Forlan, and Edison Cavani you can expect lots of quality soccer to be played. Fans of crisp passing and excellent build up play will want to keep an eye on this one.

Netherlands v Italy (Watch on espn3)

A battle of soccer powerhouses, Netherlands and Italy square off for a sure to be exciting friendly. Watch for Robin Van Persie up front to bother the Italians. On the other side of the pitch look for exciting striker duo, and new teammates, Mario Balotelli and Stephen El Shaarawy to provide much needed creativity and speed.

France v Germany (Watch on espn3)

Another battle of soccer powerhouses, France and Germany square off at the Stade de France. Two of the most promising and exciting sides in international soccer, watch for Karim Benzema, Franck Ribery, and new Chelsea star Moussa Sissoko to attempt to torment the German defense. On the other side, be on the lookout for Bayern stars Thomas Müller, Mario Gomez, and Toni Kroos to attempt to link up early and often for Die Mannschaft.

England v Brazil (Watch on Fox Soccer)

Probably the most anticipated match of the week, England and Brazil face off at Wembley. England and Brazil both field star studded squads for this one. Watch for England's Wayne Rooney to linger in the penalty box while Theo Walcott uses his speed on the wings. Keep an eye on Brazilian sensation, Neymar, to use his superb skills on the ball to get by defenders. Also watch for Ronaldinho as he makes his return to the Brazilian squad.

Other notable games: Sweden v Argentina, Ireland v Poland, Greece v Switzerland, Portugal v Ecuador

Match fixing on the biggest stages?

Europol, the European Union police organization, uncovered more than 380 cases of match fixing that included games in the World Cup, European Championship, and Champions League. The evidence linked the crimes to a Singapore based crime group.

"This is a sad day for European football," Rob Wainwright, head of Europol, said. The probe uncovered over 8 million euros ($10.9 million) in profits from betting and 2 million euros ($2.7 million) in bribes to various players and officials.

More info on this is sure to come soon.

Soccer Weekend in Review

What a weekend it was in the soccer world, with exciting matches, debuts, and drama.

Friday saw the first day since the transfer window closed and it solidified the teams, with the exclusion of contract releases, for the rest of the season. The window saw Mario Balotelli return home to Italy, Lewis Holtby join Spurs a bit sooner than expected, Arsenal fail to bring in a striker, Loic Remy join AND score for QPR, and David Beckham take his talents to Paris. Friday also saw the first of the matches since the closing of the window, with PSG easily handling Toulouse and Zlatan Ibrahimovic taking his goal tally to 20 in the league.

                                           PSG reveal their newest addition, midfielder David Beckham.


Saturday was the first full day of matches, and it came with a few surprises. The weekend saw the teams you'd expect to win do just that, win. Bayern Munich cruised to a comfortable 3-0 win over Mainz in the Bundesliga, with Arsenal and Manchester United leaving both their games late to each take 3 points over Stoke City and Fulham, respectively. Then came the surprises, Newcastle shocked Chelsea late at St. James Park on a 90th minute goal by French international Moussa Sissoko. Chelsea fell 16 points behind the Red Devils and 7 points behind second place Manchester City. In maybe the biggest surprise of the weekend Real Madrid fell to Granada on an own goal by Cristiano Ronaldo. It was CR7's first own goal of his career, and it couldn't have come at a worse time for Los Blancos as it saw them fall 16 points behind Barcelona in the league table.

                   Newcastle midfielder, Moussa Sissoko, celebrates after scoring against Chelsea on Saturday.


Sunday was a day filled with one of the most, if not the most, anticipated matches of the weekend. Manchester City took on Liverpool at the Etihad and it lived up to all it's hype. Newly re-energized Liverpool took the fight right to City, but conceded the first goal on a superb finish by Edin Dzeko. Moments later Daniel Sturridge brought it back to level on an absolutely stunning strike from outside the box that left keeper Joe Hart with no chance at a save. The game looked even, until Steven Gerrard hit a strike that reminded you that with all the talk of Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge, Stevie G is still the man. Hitting an absolute cracker on a half volley from 30 yards out, a dipping shot left Joe Hart with no chance. But minutes later Sergio Aguero hit back on the other side of the pitch, capitalizing on a HUGE mistake from Liverpool keeper Pepe Reina as he came too far out of the box, Aguero finished from an impossible angle to end the scoring and bring the two teams level. City fall 9 points adrift from cross town rivals United.

                     Liverpool Captain, Steven Gerrard, celebrates his fantastic goal against Manchester City.


Messi came to the rescue for Barcelona against Valencia in a game that should not have been as difficult as it was for the Catalans. Valencia took the lead on an Ever Banega goal, but conceded a penalty to Barcelona just minutes later which gave Messi the opportunity to equalize. Sharing the spoils in this match does not hurt Barca one bit, as they are so far ahead in La Liga.

                                                         Messi brings Barcelona level against Valencia.


In maybe the biggest news and debut of the week, Mario Balotelli made his return to Milan, this time as a member of the Rossoneri. Balotelli's impact on the attack for AC Milan was evident from the get-go as he scored a brace in his debut. He helped give Milan the lead 25 minutes in with a spectacular finish. After a lay off cross from Stephan El Shaarawy, Balotelli struck it on the half volley and left Udinese's keeper with no chance as Balotelli's close range shot was unstoppable. Udinese pulled a goal back through Giampiero Pinzi, but it was evident AC Milan had more goals left in them. In the 90th minute it was once again Balotelli and El Shaarawy combining for a goal, but in a different way. Balotelli played a through ball to El Shaarawy who was brought down in the box by Udinese defender Thomas Heurtaux. Stepping up to the spot was none other than Balotelli who slotted the penalty away with ease at the brink of stoppage time to grab the Rossoneri all 3 points. Balotelli's amazing performance and the way he and El Shaarawy linked up easily in their first match together should serve as warning to the rest of the Serie A teams, this is a completely different team than just a week ago.

                             Stephen El Shaarawy and Mario Balotelli lead AC Milan to victory over Udinese.

And that's all the major news from the weekend. What were your favorite parts? Leave a comment below or send me an email and let me know what you thought.

Balotelli Sparkles in Debut

                             New superstar signing Mario Balotelli scored a double for AC Milan in his debut.

Mario Balotelli put on an amazing performance in his return to Serie A, scoring a brace for his new side to lead them past Udinese. Balotelli looked happy and comfortable being back at the San Siro, and that showed in his play.

Linking up effortlessly with Stephan El Shaarawy, Balotelli's first goal was a sensational half volley off of a semi-deflected El Shaarawy cross. It was evident from that point that this new striker combo would be deadly. Udinese did equalize through a goal by Gianpiero Pinzi, but it was evident Milan were the better team.

With only moments left in the game, Balotelli played a through ball to El Shaarawy who was brought down in the box by Udinese defender Thomas Heurtaux. Stepping up to the spot was (who else?) Mario Balotelli. The former Manchester City striker put away the game winner with ease from the spot and secured the Rossoneri 3 points.

What's wrong with QPR?

                        Harry Redknapp has seen his team slump to a league low 17 points so far in the season.


Harry Redknapp's QPR side has been dreadful so far in the premier league season. Having brought in almost a completely different squad, it looked like a promising season for QPR, but it has been far from what people expected.

Huge signings Julio Cesar, Ji-Sung Park, Jose Bosingwa, Esteban Granero, Stephane Mbia, Samba Diakite, Junior Hoilett, Loic Remy, Tal Ben Haim, and Christopher Samba can't seem to help QPR thrive in the BPL. So what is wrong at Loftus Road? Is it Harry Redknapp? A lack of team chemistry? It seems to me that the QPR players aren't playing with enough urgency.

What I mean by that is when you watch top clubs like Manchester United or Manchester City they always look be on the attack early and often. Searching for that first goal to open the game up, to play the game the way that they want it played. Even some of the non top tier clubs have developed that strategy such as Everton and Swansea. When playing in the top league in the world you need to play with urgency. You need to go out and play like you have something to prove right from the start.

QPR can spend as much as they want bringing player after player into Loftus Road, but if they do not find a way to step up their play no amount of money will save them from relegation.