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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Time for change at Barcelona

It's time to stop the ticky tacky passing and possession play and adapt to the way that soccer is being played now by teams much younger and much quicker than them. Barcelona's two recent defeats to AC Milan and Real Madrid have left many to wonder what is happening right now to Barcelona? Why are they in a slump?

The brilliance of Barcelona is hard to question. How can you argue with a team that has won 15 titles in the past 5 years. Barcelona has always been a team that is about possession and build up play. They frustrate opponents by keeping the ball with quick, crisp passing and by letting their superb midfielders feed whoever they have up front attacking for them. It has been proven, however, you can counter Barcelona's style with the exact opposite of their style, by playing all defense. Chelsea showed this in last years Champions League semifinals when they played 9-10 men on defense and stymied the Barcelona attack. Recently, AC Milan deployed a similar tactic, but with more offense than Chelsea and produced a 2-0 win over Barcelona heading into Camp Nou.

So what is wrong with the Barcelona system as of late? They are miles clear in La Liga so nothing right? Wrong. The Spanish La Liga is a weak league in general, fielding 3 quality clubs and the rest mid table to bottom table clubs in any other division. So it is no surprise that Barcelona ran away with the league title in sights this season, who besides Real Madrid can stop them? No one in La Liga because no other team besides Real Madrid has the talent to match the Catalans. The real problem I see is the lack of a pure striker. Barcelona has not needed a pure striker for the most part, as Lionel Messi emerged onto the scene as (arguably) the greatest player in the game today. But Messi has his flaws that other player for Barca do not mask. He is relatively weak, able to be knocked off the ball by bigger opposition. He is short, though Barcelona rarely plays air crosses, he can't reach a cross in the air over defenders 6 feet tall. But this is obviously all nitpicking at a player who virtually mastered his craft.

What we have seen throughout the past 2 games is something else though, teams that field a reliable striker or another superstar can bother Barcelona greatly. AC Milan used Stephan El Shaarawy and his pace and skill up front to bother the slow, aging Barcelona central defenders, and Real Madrid utilized their own goal machine, Cristiano Ronaldo, to cause massive problems in the back. Teams will soon start to realize if you field a dominant striker up front and can plant enough men on defense to basically form a wall against Barcelona, you can beat them. 

Another huge problem is the "Messi or bust" system Barcelona seems to go into when they are in trouble. The Argentinian may be amazing, but he can't do it all alone. Countless times I have seen Barcelona struggle to score against quality defenses, and when they get frustrated everyone that gets the ball looks to Messi. Is this a terrible strategy? Of course not, more times than not Messi will find the back of the net, but against rapidly increasing big, skillful, fast defenders a smaller player like Messi may find it hard to run past these players, which is where a central striker would come in handy. 

So who should Barcelona look into this upcoming transfer window if they fail in the Champions League because of the lack of a striker? The big name that comes to mind is Mario Gomez. With Mario Mandzukic taking over attacking responsibility for Bayern and the rumored transfers of Falcao and Robert Lewandowski said to be in the works, Gomez will struggle to find playing time. Gomez would fit the Barca system in a way not usually seen by Barca fans. He is a striker that doesn't need the ball at his feet when the going gets tough, he wants it in the box, in the air preferably, so he can put the goals away. Would he be a perfect fit? No, but with Sanchez/Pedro/Iniesta/Xavi/Messi feeding him the ball, the big German would be an invaluable goal machine for the Catalans.

What do you think? Is it time for a change at Barcelona?

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No respect for the Bundesliga

When you think of major soccer leagues in the world which come to mind? The English Premier League? La Liga? Serie A? All are valid responses to the biggest leagues in the world, but one that goes vastly unnoticed is Germany's Bundesliga.

For years the German first division has been growing rapidly, but most outside of soccer enthusiasts and German citizens have seen that. Many factors play into it, German soccer isn't as flair oriented so the media doesn't cover it as much and the league only fields 2 truly dominant clubs in Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund. But if you look past the surface you will see a league with the qualities to rival the other top leagues in the world.

                 For the past few years Bayern and Dortmund have dominated German soccer, that is all set to change soon.

This season may not be a good indicator of how strong the league and teams are, with Bayern Munich dominating the league table and controlling a 17 point lead on second place Dortmund, but look past the top club and you see a packed table of teams who have European hopes. The clubs in spots 2 and 9 are only separated by 10 points, which isn't a huge margin if you think about the quality in the clubs. Teams such as Frankfurt, Freiburg, Mainz, Hamburg, Hannover, and Schalke are all chasing the second and third place teams Dortmund and Leverkusen.

Take a look at the league table for the Bundesliga so far this season: http://espnfc.com/tables/_/league/ger.1/german-bundesliga?cc=5901

Nothing special right? It isn't if you just look at it by numbers, but if you watch the teams play you will see a league full of stars that are ready to emerge but don't get the coverage they need to become known and hlep the league grow. The leading scorer in the Bundesliga isn't a member of Bayern Munich or Borussia Dortmund, but in fact it is Stefan Kießling from Bayer Leverkusen. The top assist man? Szabolcs Huszti from Hannover 96. These players play for teams not as flashy and known as others, but are just as excited to watch.

I've heard many arguments for people not interested in the league, and that is lack of scoring and lack of competitiveness. But take a look at this weekends past scores and you can see that these stats are not true. If you want scoring and don't feel like watching Bayern Munich, look at the score of the Hannover and Hamburg game that ended 5-1 in Hannovers favor. If you want to see competitiveness but don't see it in the score, look at the stats of a game between 2 of the bottom tier teams in the Bundesliga this weekend, Augsburg and Hoffenheim. Between them there were 27 shots, 41 fouls, and 3 goals. One of which came at the brink of stoppage time.

Just reading about the non top teams in Bundesliga might not make you want to watch the league, but the top teams are trying to change that. The three Bundesliga teams that were in this years Champions League spots all made it out of their groups on top, with Dortmund topping the group of death that included Ajax, Manchester City, and Real Madrid. You cannot tell me that isn't impressive. Schalke are proving their worth as they hold an advantage over much hyped Galatasary that includes Wesley Sneijder and Didier Drogba. And Bayern Munich are on a tear this Champions League campaign so far, after having made 2 of the past 3 Champions League finals they seem set to make another CL finals run.

So I recommend you look into the league I call my personal favorite, not just because my favorite team plays in it but because it is ready to emerge as the next big, much talked about league. The league is no longer Bayern, Dortmund, and some other teams. The league is full of teams ready to challenge for European competition spots, with rosters filled with young, talented players.

The future is bright for the Bundesliga, it just needs to get the respect it deserves.

What do you think? Is the Bundesliga set to breakout into a major competition? Do you want to see more from the German league?

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Ronaldo to return to United this summer?

It has been highly speculated that Ronaldo would be leaving the Bernabeu this summer ever since he stated he was "sad" at Real Madrid. This prompted many to speculate high spending clubs like PSG and Manchester City could snatch up the Portuguese star.

After reading through some transfer rumors one caught my eye, Manchester United plan a 55 million pound bid to bring CR7 back to Old Trafford. People have speculated that departing Real Madrid boss, Jose Mourinho could take over at Old Trafford if Sir Alex Ferguson decided to leave the club on a high note after this season. But reports also link Mourinho to possibly a job at french giants PSG. But in the case of Ronaldo his preferred destination is Manchester United, where he became an international superstar.

                                                    Will the Special One replace Sir Alex at Manchester United?

There are some financial statistics that are also important, none of which I will outline here because they do not really pertain to the relevance.

                                                                         Is a reunion on the way?

I personally hope Manchester United can bring Ronaldo back to Old Trafford. Everyone says that the English league is where the best players go to hone their skills, which I agree with for the most part. It will be interesting to see if Ronaldo can emulate his scoring prowess in a league that fields more than 3 quality teams. The only thing that would be sad about United capturing Ronaldo again would be no more duels between the two biggest names in the sport, Messi and Ronaldo. This season may be the last chance for the Portuguese star to best his old rival for a while, so if these reports are to be believed look for Ronaldo to try extra hard to oust Barcelona in their next 2 meetings.

What do you think? Will Ronaldo return to Manchester United? Will he stay at Real Madrid? Or will he end up somewhere else? 

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Is it time for a change at Arsenal?

Arsene Wenger must be feeling a whole lot of pressure right about now. His Arsenal squad is one of the most difficult to understand sides in all of football. A team that can produce a great counter attack and build up play on offense with the defense that makes it all look in vain.

Arsenal have the excuse of losing captain Robin Van Persie in the summer to Manchester United, but can you blame the Dutchman for leaving a team that has not won a trophy in 8 years. How many times have people for the past 8 years said, "this could be the year!" and how many of them were right? None. Arsene Wenger for as great of a tactician he is when it comes to game planning and for as a great of a breeder of young talent, should be sacked.

Arsene Wenger has been a great coach for Arsenal, winning three league titles, 4 FA Cups, and the FA Community Shield 4 times. But the selling of key players over the past few years (Samir Nasri, Cesc Fabregas, Robin Van Persie) has seen fans turn on Arsene as those players have gone on to achieve more and play significantly better. Nasri went on to win the Premier League with Manchester City last year, Cesc Fabregas won 3 trophies after transferring to Barcelona, and Robin Van Persie is set to be the leagues leading scoring with Manchester United while also being set to win the league. With all the money that Arsenal have acquired from their selling of top players, you would think they would have enough money to go out and buy adequate replacements for their essential pieces that left. But Arsenal and Wenger seem so frugal with their money, instead of spending preferring to breed from their youth academy and save money. Jack Wilshere is working out for them, as he is already heralded as one of the best at his position, but other than that Arsenal have no big names to show from their youth academy yet.

The buying of Lukas Podolski, Olivier Giroud, and Santi Cazorla looked promising in the beginning, but now in fifth place fans are calling for the purchase of another striker. If Arsene is allowed another season to try for a trophy and doesn't buy a striker in the summer window and Arsenal struggles, look for a new face on the sidelines for the Gunners early. Arsene knows he is having his head called for, now is the time for him to respond.

Is Arsene's time up at Arsenal? If so, who should replace him?

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Landon Donovan

There has been lots of talk about Landon Donovan as of late, for the past few weeks a close friend and I have been having an ongoing debate about Donovan, whether he is fully committed to the game anymore, if his break is stupid, etc.

Unlike a lot of the people I have talked to, I am pro-Landon on this situation. For as much as some want to say he should be out there with the USMNT helping them qualify for the 2014 World Cup, I must think he just isn't match ready. Is that a valid excuse for a player that is heralded as THE GUY for the national team? Maybe not, maybe he should have been ready to go and retired instead of taking a break, but what I feel is most important is that he is making the effort to be back. 

Arguably the greatest American to ever represent the United States, Donovan has carried the weight of being the USMNT savior for years now. Being one of the most reliable players for the United States, Donovan has racked up 49 goals for his country and has made 144 appearances. Is he the player he used to be? Of course not. Due to injury and age Donovan has lost a little bit, but what he has lost in physical ability he makes up for with his mental understanding of the game. 

The debate of if he should be out with the US now training and competing is a valid one. Do I wish he was available for the next game in the hex? Yes, because Donovan gives the US something they are short on right now, a scoring threat. With Donovan on the field you free up the man poised to take the #1 role from Donovan, Clint Dempsey. As it was evident against Honduras, Dempsey can't do it alone. As great of a player as he is, he needs another threat on the field. With Brek Shea being far from ready to return to national team action, and other attacking players on the USMNT roster being non factors for most of the game when playing, whenever Donovan makes his return will be a changing point for the USMNT. 

Although only 30, he is nearing the end of his top of the tree playing career. I had a discussion last night in which my friend pointed out Lampard is playing at top level at 35 and Ibrahimovic at 31. And that's valid, they are performing at top level. Ibrahimovic is vital to club and country, as he is arguably the best pure striker in the world. But when it comes to Lampard, for as great as he is, he is not a NEEDED piece for club or country. The emergence of Jack Wilshere and the fact Steven Gerrard is still performing at top level for England means Lampard isn't needed. At Chelsea Mata, Hazard, and Oscar all are capable of playing in his position and it has been proven that although he produces for Chelsea, he isn't needed. Donovan, however, is needed for the United States to succeed in international play right now. As is evident watching the current squad, they lack attacking threats, as I stated before. Donovan would provide if not just a scoring threat, a leadership type of presence on the field. With him on the field you calm down, knowing in clutch moments if you need a goal, you can count on number 10. Donovan proved in the 2010 World Cup he was a clutch player, scoring the goal to tie Slovenia at the end of the game and the only goal in the United States 1-0 defeat of Algeria that put them through the group stage. 

Did Donovan pick a terrible time to take a break? Yes. But should we be thankful he is coming back to help guide the United States to the World Cup? Yes. 

Leave a thought below. Is Landon Donovan the greatest United States player ever? Does the current USMNT need him?

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Are Bayern the team to beat after dominating Arsenal?

Yesterday's marquee match-up in the Champions League saw two teams headed in completely different directions. Bayern met Arsenal at the Emirates stadium on Tuesday and thrashed the Gunners 3-1.

                                                 Bayern looked dominant in the first leg against Arsenal.


From the get-go it looked to be a long night for the London side, as the Bavarian's controlled the tempo of the game. It didn't take long for Bayern to rip the Arsenal defense to shreds, as Franck Ribery played a magnificent ball to Toni Kroos at the top of the penalty box, the German international then struck it on the half volley past Arsenal keeper Wojciech Szczesny. That was only 7 minutes into the game. From then on Bayern continued to pound the Arsenal defense only for Thomas Müller to score of a muffed save by Szczesny. It didn't look all bad for Arsenal though, as they pulled one back after halftime through a Lukas Podolski header, but Bayern would soon regain control. Terrific build-up play saw Mario Mandzukic score a circus goal to end the night 3-1 and virtually knock out the London side.

Are Bayern the team to beat? Their sound dismantling of Arsenal in this first leg leave little questions as to how strong Bayern can be against teams outside of Germany. Sure, Arsenal aren't flying high right now, but the England is a country in which German sides don't usually do well, and Bayern handled this game like it was just another game and not a Champions League game. Looking comfortable in a hostile atmosphere, controlling the tempo, and not even being at full strength (defenders Holger Badstuber and Jerome Boateng did not play) Bayern seemed in their element the whole game. Manuel Neuer looked to be in control between the sticks for Bayern, Phillip Lahm and David Alaba did a great job of bombing down the wings and getting back on defense when needed, Kroos controlled the attacking play while Schweinsteiger and Martinez commanded the midfield.

                                                  Bayern look poised to make another Champions League run.


The recipe for success was evident last night for Bayern, and while they have their flaws they seem to be able to mask them fairly easily. So what team is able to beat Bayern right now over 2 legs? The only team I see is Barcelona. Should we read into a 3-1 romping of a 5th place EPL side too much? No, of course not, but if you look at their body of work, the Germans are more than formidable and a daunting opponent for any team to face. In recent years Bayern have become a team very much under the radar even though they are one of the top 5 clubs in the world. Having made 2 of the last 3 Champions League finals Bayern knows how to get there. Finishing the job has been another thing for them, but this team looks poised to roll into a third Champions League final in 4 years.

What are your thoughts? Are Bayern a tournament favorite? Who do you think can beat the Bavarians?

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