Soccer is known as the worlds game. Everyone knows that soccer is the most popular sport in the world, outside of America. But the real question is why this game is so popular. What has led to the popularity of soccer across the globe, and what effect does this game have on the people it touches? Soccer uses the power of passion, to inspire young kids and adults a like to follow the game, no matter where it takes them.
If you were to take a guess at where soccer is the most popular, you'd probably say in the wealthy cities, of the big European soccer nations, like Spain, Germany, England, Italy, France. Although this is true to some extent, it's not really true at all. Soccer is the most played sport in the countries that have nothing. In these places, the ball, and a field, bring joy to areas that find joy as a scarcity. Young kids, living in poverty have their lives shaped by the game of soccer. Picture for a second a field of dirt. Few parched shrubs are growing in the dust. A slight breeze is blowing, stirring up sand and dirt and gravel. In the distance, a sandstorm seems to have arose, followed by the yells and shrieks that can only be distinguished as little kids having a good time. As you get closer to the whirlwind of dust, a clearer image begins to emerge. Kids of all ages are running around, and what do they all have in common? They're finding joy through a soccer ball, but wait. It's not even a soccer ball. It is a makeshift soccer ball made of rolled up rags tied into a ball. Or maybe its an old dolls head, that had long been neglected. Or perhaps a ball of tape or some other odd object. All that matters is that it is round, and can be passed and dribbled. With your feet. Speaking of feet, the cleats on these kids are all-natural. Bare skin meets the Earth as kids run around with the ball. It is all they know in a world of so much despair. Their only escape from the hardship that us rich folk know nothing about.
To this day there are many foundations that have been set up to help kids in 3rd world countries through the beautiful game. People donate old cleats, balls, and shinguards, so that somewhere, some kid can have the chance to enhance his game even more. This small act of kindness can hold of the beast of poverty for some lucky kids. If they can get recognized by anyone with connections in soccer, their life can turn around for the better. But they need the support that only we can give for that to happen for them. Next time you look to get rid of old soccer stuff, take a second thought and try to find the nearest place you could donate them to. You never know when your small act of generosity will have a lasting impact on a child's life, while poverty thrives around them.
Monday, May 19, 2014
The Champions
After a long and exciting season, the BPL has finally wrapped up with a very exciting last few weeks. Coming into the final week of play this last weekend, the team on top was Manchester City and they were in control of their own fate. They were two points ahead of the second place team, Liverpool, who had choked away the title a few weeks ago after losing to Chelsea at home, needed Manchester City to lose and they needed to win. Chelsea who had thrown away their hopes the previous weekend by losing to Sunderland, had nothing to play for in their final game of the season.
Manchester City was set to play West Ham, and Liverpool had to play Newcastle. Liverpool was down 1-0 for the majority of the game, until they scored two quick goals within minutes of each other to give them hope for the title crown. But it was all in the hands of Manchester City, and they took care of business getting a convincing 2-0 win. After the game the party started as City hoisted the most prestigious trophy in English Football high so all their fans could see. The picture from around the stadium was amazing. Vincent Kompany, the captain of the team was first to raise the trophy as the crowd cheered, but soon all the players were having a go at the trophy. The craziest scene though from the whole event was seeing the Manchester City manager Manuel Pelligrini hoisted into the air by his adoring team as they all celebrated this coveted moment.
The last time Manchester City won the Barclays Premier League was two years ago. That season was won by a Sergio Aguero goal in stoppage time that gave Manchester City the win they needed to secure the top spot in the league. In total the last 4 seasons have all been won by Manchester clubs, either United or City.
As for the teams that came close to winning of the most upsetting it would have to be Liverpool. They had complete control of their season, up until a fatal lose to Chelsea cost them the season. Of the other notable disappointments, Arsenal would have to be among them as they were top of the table for 17 straight weeks at the beginning of the season before dropping off to finish in 4th place. The biggest disappointment this season though by far was the performance of Manchester United. After winning the league the previous year, they struck out this year finishing in an abysmal 7th place and not even getting in a qualification spot for the Champions League.
Manchester City was set to play West Ham, and Liverpool had to play Newcastle. Liverpool was down 1-0 for the majority of the game, until they scored two quick goals within minutes of each other to give them hope for the title crown. But it was all in the hands of Manchester City, and they took care of business getting a convincing 2-0 win. After the game the party started as City hoisted the most prestigious trophy in English Football high so all their fans could see. The picture from around the stadium was amazing. Vincent Kompany, the captain of the team was first to raise the trophy as the crowd cheered, but soon all the players were having a go at the trophy. The craziest scene though from the whole event was seeing the Manchester City manager Manuel Pelligrini hoisted into the air by his adoring team as they all celebrated this coveted moment.
The last time Manchester City won the Barclays Premier League was two years ago. That season was won by a Sergio Aguero goal in stoppage time that gave Manchester City the win they needed to secure the top spot in the league. In total the last 4 seasons have all been won by Manchester clubs, either United or City.
As for the teams that came close to winning of the most upsetting it would have to be Liverpool. They had complete control of their season, up until a fatal lose to Chelsea cost them the season. Of the other notable disappointments, Arsenal would have to be among them as they were top of the table for 17 straight weeks at the beginning of the season before dropping off to finish in 4th place. The biggest disappointment this season though by far was the performance of Manchester United. After winning the league the previous year, they struck out this year finishing in an abysmal 7th place and not even getting in a qualification spot for the Champions League.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Chelsea Off Season Improvements
By no means did Chelsea have a terrible season this year. Yes, they didn't win any titles, and finished off the Barclays Premier League Season on a pretty bad note after putting themselves out of the driver seat after tying Sunderland at home. They finished quite poorly in the FA Cup after suffering a bad lose to Manchester City in the quarterfinals. They also couldn't quite reach the top in the UEFA Champions League after falling short in the semi finals to Athletico Madrid. But even with all that hasn't gone well this year for Chelsea, they still have much to look forward to for next year, as long as a few things happen.
For starters the Blues can't afford to lose any of their young talent. They have so much youth at Chelsea, and the young players are the ones who really shined for the team this year. Players like Eden Hazard, Oscar, Andre Schurrle, Lukaku (who was out on loan at Everton), Courtois (who was loaned out at Athletico Madrid), Azpilicueta, and Mohamad Salah cannot be let go by any means necessary. They must stay at the club if they wish to be successful. The second thing they need to do is get Courtois back from his loan with Athletico Madrid. He is only 22 years old, and already probably one of the top three keepers in the world. Cech is still very good, but he's also getting old, and Courtois would step in perfectly. The final thing that Chelsea need to do is go out this summer and buy a world class striker. If I had to pick one thing that really hurt the Blues in their quest for trophies this year, it would be their lack of a top notch striker to compliment the midfield that they possess. That being said, there are already a lot of heavy speculations and rumors surrounding the player that Chelsea will be pursuing. That player is the Athletico Madrid striker Diego Costa. He has been heavily linked with Chelsea, and there seems to be a good chance that he will end up at the club next season. If this happens that spells great news for Chelsea, and bad news for the rest of the BPL. Costa has had a world class year in the La Liga, scoring more goals than anyone but Messi and Ronaldo. If he can come to Chelsea and continue that form, it would make amazing things happen.
I would love to see this transfer happen for Chelsea, because that would make for an extremely deadly team at Chelsea, as well as a for sure title for Chelsea next year in the league, and hopefully a deeper cup run and Champions League run.
For starters the Blues can't afford to lose any of their young talent. They have so much youth at Chelsea, and the young players are the ones who really shined for the team this year. Players like Eden Hazard, Oscar, Andre Schurrle, Lukaku (who was out on loan at Everton), Courtois (who was loaned out at Athletico Madrid), Azpilicueta, and Mohamad Salah cannot be let go by any means necessary. They must stay at the club if they wish to be successful. The second thing they need to do is get Courtois back from his loan with Athletico Madrid. He is only 22 years old, and already probably one of the top three keepers in the world. Cech is still very good, but he's also getting old, and Courtois would step in perfectly. The final thing that Chelsea need to do is go out this summer and buy a world class striker. If I had to pick one thing that really hurt the Blues in their quest for trophies this year, it would be their lack of a top notch striker to compliment the midfield that they possess. That being said, there are already a lot of heavy speculations and rumors surrounding the player that Chelsea will be pursuing. That player is the Athletico Madrid striker Diego Costa. He has been heavily linked with Chelsea, and there seems to be a good chance that he will end up at the club next season. If this happens that spells great news for Chelsea, and bad news for the rest of the BPL. Costa has had a world class year in the La Liga, scoring more goals than anyone but Messi and Ronaldo. If he can come to Chelsea and continue that form, it would make amazing things happen.
I would love to see this transfer happen for Chelsea, because that would make for an extremely deadly team at Chelsea, as well as a for sure title for Chelsea next year in the league, and hopefully a deeper cup run and Champions League run.
My Best Players in FUT
Because I have been playing the game FIFA Ultimate Team all year, and have become quite good at it, and amassed quite the group of players, I really wanted to do a review on the top 3 players I've used so far in this FIFA 14. I'll talk a little bit about the players stats, and then move on to talk about what I thought of the player. I'll pick players from different positions as well, so one from up top, one from the midfield, and one from the defense. So here it goes!
1. The first player on the list is a player that I've only had for a short time, TOTS Daniel Sturridge. Some of his stand out stats are 93 pace, 90 dribbling, 89 shooting, and 79 heading. He is also extremely tall and physical which is really good for a striker. The really amazing thing about TOTS Sturridge is his insane shooting. He is left footed, and if you get him on his left foot you can shoot from pretty much any where. If the shot doesn't go in it will at least require the keeper to make an acrobatic save of some sort. This shooting coupled with his pace make him one of my favorite players in this game.
2. The second player, the midfielder, is one of my overall just favorite cards ever. He is from Manchester City, and is one of the best all around players in the game. This is Yaya Toure's regular card. He has all of his stats over 74. He does everything on the field. You can play him at CAM, CM, or CDM, and he will do you a great job at any. The fact that he is so big and muscular also really helps, because he can completely dominate and out muscle people off the ball. I've been dying to try out his 92 overall TOTS card, but I don't have the coins to afford it at the moment. Overall he is a phenomenal player, and if you have the coins I would highly recommend putting him in your team.
3. The third and final player, the defender, is a toss up between two brazilian center backs, and if you play FIFA you probably know who I'm talking about. They are Thiago Silva, and David Luiz, two of the most overpowered center backs in the game of FIFA. The amount of strength and heading ability they have is unparalleled to any other defender I've used in the game, and what's even greater is that they are cheap as dirt, especially now with the market crash. Thiago Silva has 80 pace, 87 defending, and 83 heading, while David Luiz has 77 pace, 79 defending, and 80 heading. If you put these two at the center backs of any team, I promise you will not give up many goals, especially those stupid header goals that are conceded far to much in FIFA.
Well, thats it for my 3, or 4 I guess, favorite players in FIFA Ultimate Team. Like I said above, I would highly recommend trying out any or all of the players above, because you will be amazed with just how good they really are. My words can only praise so much, it reaches a point where sometimes seeing is believing.
1. The first player on the list is a player that I've only had for a short time, TOTS Daniel Sturridge. Some of his stand out stats are 93 pace, 90 dribbling, 89 shooting, and 79 heading. He is also extremely tall and physical which is really good for a striker. The really amazing thing about TOTS Sturridge is his insane shooting. He is left footed, and if you get him on his left foot you can shoot from pretty much any where. If the shot doesn't go in it will at least require the keeper to make an acrobatic save of some sort. This shooting coupled with his pace make him one of my favorite players in this game.
2. The second player, the midfielder, is one of my overall just favorite cards ever. He is from Manchester City, and is one of the best all around players in the game. This is Yaya Toure's regular card. He has all of his stats over 74. He does everything on the field. You can play him at CAM, CM, or CDM, and he will do you a great job at any. The fact that he is so big and muscular also really helps, because he can completely dominate and out muscle people off the ball. I've been dying to try out his 92 overall TOTS card, but I don't have the coins to afford it at the moment. Overall he is a phenomenal player, and if you have the coins I would highly recommend putting him in your team.
3. The third and final player, the defender, is a toss up between two brazilian center backs, and if you play FIFA you probably know who I'm talking about. They are Thiago Silva, and David Luiz, two of the most overpowered center backs in the game of FIFA. The amount of strength and heading ability they have is unparalleled to any other defender I've used in the game, and what's even greater is that they are cheap as dirt, especially now with the market crash. Thiago Silva has 80 pace, 87 defending, and 83 heading, while David Luiz has 77 pace, 79 defending, and 80 heading. If you put these two at the center backs of any team, I promise you will not give up many goals, especially those stupid header goals that are conceded far to much in FIFA.
Well, thats it for my 3, or 4 I guess, favorite players in FIFA Ultimate Team. Like I said above, I would highly recommend trying out any or all of the players above, because you will be amazed with just how good they really are. My words can only praise so much, it reaches a point where sometimes seeing is believing.
Game in Review: Clash of Clans
For this latest blog, I wanted to switch it up a little bit and get away from the same stuff that I've been blogging about all year. I wanted to get away from the soccer, and instead do a game review on an iPhone and Android game that has really been quite an addiction for me in the recent few months. The game is called Clash of Clans, and I'll tell you a little bit about it.
The game Clash of Clans is an extremely popular iPhone game that has been out since August 2nd of 2012. Since that time it has become a top five downloaded game since December of 2012. Millions of people around the world participate in the frenzy that comes with building your village and raiding other people, and I would like to share what I like so much about the game.
To start with, Clash of Clans is all about building a village, and then raising armies to go and fight other peoples bases/villages to gain trophies and loot. This loot is then used to upgrade your village and buy new things to constantly improve things. You have to upgrade your troops so you can have better attacks, but at the same time you have to make sure you upgrade your defenses so people can't come in and destroy your base with ease. The two big things that I like most about this game are the strategy side to it, and the way you can play it with your friends and make the game last a long time. For the strategy, it is a very strategic game in the way you play it. From your base layout, to clan wars, to how you attack other bases there are tons of strategy based events in this game, and it makes it really fun to think through and play it. The second part of the fun is playing with your friends. In the game you can join clans with other members in them, and if you play with your friends all of you can be in a clan together. It makes the game much more enjoyable, and then you can even go to war with them in the newest addition called clan wars. Another good part of the game is that you never run out of things to do. There are always upgrades, and the farther along you get, the longer it takes for things to upgrade, which will leave you playing for ages!
All in all, I would definitely recommend trying out this game. It's a free game and it may seem a little slow at start, but if you can get past the beginning stage, then you'll have a lot of fun from there!
The game Clash of Clans is an extremely popular iPhone game that has been out since August 2nd of 2012. Since that time it has become a top five downloaded game since December of 2012. Millions of people around the world participate in the frenzy that comes with building your village and raiding other people, and I would like to share what I like so much about the game.
To start with, Clash of Clans is all about building a village, and then raising armies to go and fight other peoples bases/villages to gain trophies and loot. This loot is then used to upgrade your village and buy new things to constantly improve things. You have to upgrade your troops so you can have better attacks, but at the same time you have to make sure you upgrade your defenses so people can't come in and destroy your base with ease. The two big things that I like most about this game are the strategy side to it, and the way you can play it with your friends and make the game last a long time. For the strategy, it is a very strategic game in the way you play it. From your base layout, to clan wars, to how you attack other bases there are tons of strategy based events in this game, and it makes it really fun to think through and play it. The second part of the fun is playing with your friends. In the game you can join clans with other members in them, and if you play with your friends all of you can be in a clan together. It makes the game much more enjoyable, and then you can even go to war with them in the newest addition called clan wars. Another good part of the game is that you never run out of things to do. There are always upgrades, and the farther along you get, the longer it takes for things to upgrade, which will leave you playing for ages!
All in all, I would definitely recommend trying out this game. It's a free game and it may seem a little slow at start, but if you can get past the beginning stage, then you'll have a lot of fun from there!
Saturday, May 17, 2014
UEFA Champions League Final Prediction
The stage was set a few weeks ago. The two teams to play in the final of the UEFA Champions League, were Athletico Madrid, and Real Madrid. Two teams from the same city, sharing an intense, heated rivalry, in one of the biggest stages in world soccer. Too add even more drama to the game, Athletico, just 5 minutes ago, clinched the La Liga title with a 1-1 draw against Barcelona. With Athletico winning the League title, Real Madrid is desperately in need of a big tournament win and Athletico will have every intention of stopping them in their tracks. It would be quite the year for Athletico if they could win the double in Spain. Always being in the shadow of the greats, Barcelona and Real Madrid, has made this season for the other Madrid team even greater. No one expected this out of a team from Madrid, unless it was Real Madrid. Here is what I think will happen next saturday when these two teams face off.
My prediction for the final of the Champions League is that Athletico will beat Real Madrid, in what will definitely be a great game.
My prediction for the final of the Champions League is that Athletico will beat Real Madrid, in what will definitely be a great game.
Substate Brackets
In high school soccer it has finally reached that amazing point during the season, when there are very few games remaining in the regular season, and everyone has their sights set on the playoffs and what lies ahead. Every team wants to win their sub state and get a chance at the coveted state championship, but only the top 8 teams in the state will advance and get the opportunity in Des Moines. How the pairings work, is during the season you get ranked every week based on how you did the previous week, and at the end of the first 6 weeks the teams are looked at and evaluated based on their ranking, and given a spot in sub state. The two most important spots are the one and two seeds. If you're a one seed you have the best chances, because you won't get paired up with any other one seeds. This year Kennedy got a two seed, but boy did we luck out with our draw. I'll break down how Kennedy shaped up in their sub state pairing as well as some other key match ups.
So the draw that Kennedy received this year is a great one in my opinion. We have a first round bye, and then we play the winner of Waterloo West vs. Waterloo East, which will most likely be Waterloo West, considering the fact that East hasn't won a game all season. On the other side of the substate, Cedar Rapids Washington has a first round bye and they play the winner of Cedar Falls vs. Mason City, which will most likely be Cedar Falls, considering Mason City hasn't won a game all year as well. If the best teams make it to the final, then Cedar Rapids Kennedy will play Cedar Rapids Washington in the substate final, with each team looking to get back to the state tournament. It will be a rematch of a game earlier this season in which Washington walked away with a 1-0 victory, over a Kennedy team that dominated the entire game. As a Kennedy player, I know how well we did against Washington, and we beat Waterloo West earlier in the season 5-0, so I think that we should feel extremely confident about our chances going into substate.
This year the goal is to win state. In order to do so, we need to make state in the first place. I feel extremely confident with the spot we're in, and I can't wait to get back to Des Moines, and make some history in the process!
So the draw that Kennedy received this year is a great one in my opinion. We have a first round bye, and then we play the winner of Waterloo West vs. Waterloo East, which will most likely be Waterloo West, considering the fact that East hasn't won a game all season. On the other side of the substate, Cedar Rapids Washington has a first round bye and they play the winner of Cedar Falls vs. Mason City, which will most likely be Cedar Falls, considering Mason City hasn't won a game all year as well. If the best teams make it to the final, then Cedar Rapids Kennedy will play Cedar Rapids Washington in the substate final, with each team looking to get back to the state tournament. It will be a rematch of a game earlier this season in which Washington walked away with a 1-0 victory, over a Kennedy team that dominated the entire game. As a Kennedy player, I know how well we did against Washington, and we beat Waterloo West earlier in the season 5-0, so I think that we should feel extremely confident about our chances going into substate.
This year the goal is to win state. In order to do so, we need to make state in the first place. I feel extremely confident with the spot we're in, and I can't wait to get back to Des Moines, and make some history in the process!
Wednesday, May 14, 2014
Vedad Ibesivic
On my club soccer team in Des Moines, Iowa, I play with a kid named Elvir Ibisevic. He's a sophomore at Johnston High School in Des Moines, and it's no surprise that he is amazing at soccer. His cousin, Vedad Ibisevic, is a professional soccer player in Germany, where he plays for the Bundesliga team VFB Stuttgart. His background story is amazing and teaches us all that we shouldn't take things for granted, because there are many people that start from nothing, and still make it to farther places than many of us.
Vedad started out his life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the time of the Bosnian War. At the age of five he was made to flee his hometown and country because of the mass genocide that was occurring. He traveled around with his family, but one thing remained constant where ever he went; he always found soccer as a way to distract himself from the pain. His family went to Switzerland, where he joined a small pro team there. When he was 15 his family decided to head to the United States. They settled in St. Louis, which is a major hub of Bosnian refugees. He played high school soccer in St. Louis, before he went to play college at the University of St. Louis. He attended college with hardly any english speaking ability, but still managed to make a year at the university work. After a year he was named the Rookie of the Year for the NCAA, and that was when his career took off. He was spotted by a Bosnian scout for the club Paris St. Germaine in France, and signed a contract with them at the age of 19. From there he was loaned out to a French second division team and then joined Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. At the age of 23 he had the season of his life, scoring 18 goals with 7 assists in only 17 games. Then tragedy struck and he tore his ACL that winter in a training game during the season break. He returned the next season, but never got the amazing form back. He then transferred to VFB Stuttgart where he currently continues to play at the age of 29. His story is amazing, coming out of Bosnia as a war refugee, and having the strength and determination to become what he always what he wanted to be.
Everyone can learn something from this amazing story of perseverance and hard work. It also shows how much we take for granted in our middle class lifestyle that we live these days. It really makes you realize that even though we think we have struggles in our lives, whether it be dealing with a girlfriend, or plagiarizing blogs when you really should have written them in the first place, we never have truly experienced hardship of the like that Vedad Ibisevic has.
Vedad started out his life in Bosnia and Herzegovina, during the time of the Bosnian War. At the age of five he was made to flee his hometown and country because of the mass genocide that was occurring. He traveled around with his family, but one thing remained constant where ever he went; he always found soccer as a way to distract himself from the pain. His family went to Switzerland, where he joined a small pro team there. When he was 15 his family decided to head to the United States. They settled in St. Louis, which is a major hub of Bosnian refugees. He played high school soccer in St. Louis, before he went to play college at the University of St. Louis. He attended college with hardly any english speaking ability, but still managed to make a year at the university work. After a year he was named the Rookie of the Year for the NCAA, and that was when his career took off. He was spotted by a Bosnian scout for the club Paris St. Germaine in France, and signed a contract with them at the age of 19. From there he was loaned out to a French second division team and then joined Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga. At the age of 23 he had the season of his life, scoring 18 goals with 7 assists in only 17 games. Then tragedy struck and he tore his ACL that winter in a training game during the season break. He returned the next season, but never got the amazing form back. He then transferred to VFB Stuttgart where he currently continues to play at the age of 29. His story is amazing, coming out of Bosnia as a war refugee, and having the strength and determination to become what he always what he wanted to be.
Everyone can learn something from this amazing story of perseverance and hard work. It also shows how much we take for granted in our middle class lifestyle that we live these days. It really makes you realize that even though we think we have struggles in our lives, whether it be dealing with a girlfriend, or plagiarizing blogs when you really should have written them in the first place, we never have truly experienced hardship of the like that Vedad Ibisevic has.
Monday, May 12, 2014
Sporting Iowa
In recent years of youth soccer there has been a huge uprising of a new type of club soccer. Before there was always all the regular soccer clubs. These are pretty much in every city and town in the United States and its just a local team that you play with from kids around the area. The next big thing to happen in youth soccer was the establishment of a program called ODP. This stands for Olympic Development Program, and basically it is a soccer program in every state of the country, and kids from within that state try out for their respective ODP teams. At the state level you can make your ODP state team, and from there go play against other states from within your region. From that state ODP team you can make a Regional ODP team comprised of the best players from the Midwest region for example. Then from the Regional team the players have the chance to make a National ODP team which, as you can probably guess, is the best players in the country. Now after the ODP fad faded, youth soccer ushered in a new era of the game. This new era is known as the Academy Programs. These have been introduced into states across the country recently, and they are an elite level of soccer. They are club soccer teams on steroids, where the tryouts are extremely selective and the teams are prestigious. They play in their very own league and they only take the best of the best players.
The reason this is important, is because since the start of the academy system there hasn't been a single academy in the state of Iowa. But that has just recently changed. The club that I play at, in Des Moines, just recently signed a partnership deal with an academy team from Kansas City, called Sporting KC. This is a big deal because not only is my club team linked with an academy team, but we're linked with one of the biggest academies in the country. We're supposedly an academy affiliate, which means the club will go by the name of Sporting Iowa, and fall under the control of the Sporting KC Academy program. Me, and the rest of my teammates will all have the opportunity to participate in this academy program, something we would never had been able to do in Iowa before.
This is a huge step forward for Iowa soccer, and now hopefully players have a much closer option if they ever want to try to take that step to the academy level of soccer. This should help to improve the soccer quality in the state immensely and I can't wait to see what the future holds for the future of the program.
The reason this is important, is because since the start of the academy system there hasn't been a single academy in the state of Iowa. But that has just recently changed. The club that I play at, in Des Moines, just recently signed a partnership deal with an academy team from Kansas City, called Sporting KC. This is a big deal because not only is my club team linked with an academy team, but we're linked with one of the biggest academies in the country. We're supposedly an academy affiliate, which means the club will go by the name of Sporting Iowa, and fall under the control of the Sporting KC Academy program. Me, and the rest of my teammates will all have the opportunity to participate in this academy program, something we would never had been able to do in Iowa before.
This is a huge step forward for Iowa soccer, and now hopefully players have a much closer option if they ever want to try to take that step to the academy level of soccer. This should help to improve the soccer quality in the state immensely and I can't wait to see what the future holds for the future of the program.
The FIFA 14 Market Crash
Just like the stock market in the real world can experience crashes and drastic drops, the EA Sports FIFA 14 Ultimate Team Market has experienced a drastic crash with the release of TOTS starting just two weeks ago. This crash has been extremely annoying on side, but also extremely helpful on the other. It all depends on how you want to perceive it.
Before I talk about how I've perceived the market crash, I want to look at just how exactly it happened. Now basically with the release of TOTS, a bunch of amazing cards were being released out to Ultimate Team for only a week at a time. During that week people were spamming packs in order to try to acquire one of these rare blue cards. With the opening of so many packs, the market was bombed with millions of players being put up on the transfer market because people want as many coins as possible in order to open as many packs as possible. Because people are spending all their money on packs, they aren't worrying about buying players off of the transfer market. Due to this rise in players on the transfer market, and the shortage of people buying these players, there has been a substantial drop in players prices, resulting in extremely cheap players that can be bought.
Now, for me this has been glorious. The drop of player prices means that I can get some extremely good deals on really good players, that I wouldn't be able to get deals on normally. For example, one of the best players in the game Lionel Messi, usually goes for around 1.2 or 1.4 million coins on Ultimate team, which is a heck of a lot, but because of this huge market crash, I was able to find one on the transfer market for less than 800k. This is a price drop between 400-600 thousand coins, which is crazy in a game like Ultimate Team. Players that were previously going for 50k or 60k are now going for 10k or 20k. It allows the people who aren't sidetracked by opening packs to get some extremely good deals on players and make some amazing teams.
Another thing that EA has done to make this TOTS time even more beneficial to some, is they have made the card weight of the TOTS players a lot lower than in previous years. Basically what this means is that these rare blue cards, although hard to get, are a lot easier than in previous years to get. Due to this more people are getting more of these cards, and that means there are more of them to buy which means their prices will go down.
All in all this is a great time for me in FIFA. I can spend my coins, not on packs, but on really good players that I may not have had the chance to buy before the market crash, but because of the price drops I can now afford these amazing players!
Before I talk about how I've perceived the market crash, I want to look at just how exactly it happened. Now basically with the release of TOTS, a bunch of amazing cards were being released out to Ultimate Team for only a week at a time. During that week people were spamming packs in order to try to acquire one of these rare blue cards. With the opening of so many packs, the market was bombed with millions of players being put up on the transfer market because people want as many coins as possible in order to open as many packs as possible. Because people are spending all their money on packs, they aren't worrying about buying players off of the transfer market. Due to this rise in players on the transfer market, and the shortage of people buying these players, there has been a substantial drop in players prices, resulting in extremely cheap players that can be bought.
Now, for me this has been glorious. The drop of player prices means that I can get some extremely good deals on really good players, that I wouldn't be able to get deals on normally. For example, one of the best players in the game Lionel Messi, usually goes for around 1.2 or 1.4 million coins on Ultimate team, which is a heck of a lot, but because of this huge market crash, I was able to find one on the transfer market for less than 800k. This is a price drop between 400-600 thousand coins, which is crazy in a game like Ultimate Team. Players that were previously going for 50k or 60k are now going for 10k or 20k. It allows the people who aren't sidetracked by opening packs to get some extremely good deals on players and make some amazing teams.
Another thing that EA has done to make this TOTS time even more beneficial to some, is they have made the card weight of the TOTS players a lot lower than in previous years. Basically what this means is that these rare blue cards, although hard to get, are a lot easier than in previous years to get. Due to this more people are getting more of these cards, and that means there are more of them to buy which means their prices will go down.
All in all this is a great time for me in FIFA. I can spend my coins, not on packs, but on really good players that I may not have had the chance to buy before the market crash, but because of the price drops I can now afford these amazing players!
Thursday, May 1, 2014
FIFA 14: TOTS
It's finally that coveted time of the year in FIFA Ultimate Team. It's the time when millions of people from all across the globe spend loads of money trying to get those coveted blue cards that come with the numerous Team of the Season player releases. Basically what TOTS (Team of the Season) is, is its a special release of upgraded players at the end of all the leagues throughout Europe and the world. Starting a week before the beginning of May, the first TOTS is released. The first one is usually a team called the "Most Consistent". This means that the team will be comprised the best players in the world that didn't get an inform card through out the year in FIFA. Some of the players that highlighted this years team were Wayne Rooney of Manchester United, Danny of Zenit, and De Rossi of Roma. These player cards are highly sought after due to the massive upgrades that the cards get and because of how rare they are. I'm going to break down the rest of TOTS and how it works.
Now after the first TOTS is released it stays around for a week before leaving, and when the TOTS is gone, that means no one can get those players in packs ever again. This is why people madly rush in order to try to open packs during this time in order to snag one of these rare blue cards. So, after the first TOTS, they release another one, and now you start getting into the leagues. The first league to be released is the BPL TOTS, and this is the one that just came out yesterday. In it this year are player like 95 rated Luis Suarez, 94 rated Eden Hazard, and 93 rated Sergio Aguero, and that's not all the players. A lot of these big league players go for over a million coins, maybe even two and that is why so many people want them, on top of the fact that they are just amazing players. I was actually pretty happy when just last night I was able to get 87 rated TOTS Daniel Sturridge in a pack. He sells for 550k which is a lot of money in FIFA.
After the BPL team of the season is there for a week, it will go away and another league will take its spot as you're probably seeing the trend. The other leagues that are usually covered are the Bundesliga, Liga BBVA, Ligue 1, Serie A, and the Eredivise. There could also be a few more that EA have decided to release this year, but we will just have to wait and see on that. As a big FIFA player myself I am extremely excited to see the release of these players and I hope I can spoil myself with a few blue cards in the weeks to come :)
Now after the first TOTS is released it stays around for a week before leaving, and when the TOTS is gone, that means no one can get those players in packs ever again. This is why people madly rush in order to try to open packs during this time in order to snag one of these rare blue cards. So, after the first TOTS, they release another one, and now you start getting into the leagues. The first league to be released is the BPL TOTS, and this is the one that just came out yesterday. In it this year are player like 95 rated Luis Suarez, 94 rated Eden Hazard, and 93 rated Sergio Aguero, and that's not all the players. A lot of these big league players go for over a million coins, maybe even two and that is why so many people want them, on top of the fact that they are just amazing players. I was actually pretty happy when just last night I was able to get 87 rated TOTS Daniel Sturridge in a pack. He sells for 550k which is a lot of money in FIFA.
After the BPL team of the season is there for a week, it will go away and another league will take its spot as you're probably seeing the trend. The other leagues that are usually covered are the Bundesliga, Liga BBVA, Ligue 1, Serie A, and the Eredivise. There could also be a few more that EA have decided to release this year, but we will just have to wait and see on that. As a big FIFA player myself I am extremely excited to see the release of these players and I hope I can spoil myself with a few blue cards in the weeks to come :)
Thursday, April 10, 2014
After the First Leg....
The Champions League Semi-finals wrapped up their first leg yesterday in what has been some very good soccer. I wanted to look at the games and break them down individually and take a look at which teams have the advantage going into the second leg of games next week.
In the first game on Tuesday, Chelsea took on the top team recently in Athletico Madrid. Athletico has been streaking have scored in all their Champions league games thus far, and currently at the top of the Liga BBVA. They have been led by quality players in Koke, Diego Godin, Diego Costa, and Arda Turan. The team has looked extremely dangerous, having knocked off Barcelona in the previous stage. Chelsea on the other hand have been stumbling. They recently all but scratched their title hopes, by losing at home to Sunderland in a crushing BPL game. It was Jose Mourinho's first lose at home and he had a 77 game unbeaten streak snapped by a team that was at the bottom of the standings. The game was in Athleticos favor, as they were the home team. Chelsea came in and did what they are very famous for doing. They "parked the bus" which means they sat pretty much there entire team behind the ball and defended the entire game, in what ended as a 0-0 draw. This definitely favorites Chelsea now going into the second leg. They are in a prime position to make it to the Champions League Final for the 2nd time in 3 years. The one thing that is very worrisome is the fact that if Athletico gets one goal at Chelsea, that means they can move on with a draw, because they would have the away goal. It will be a very tense contest next week when these two teams meet in the second leg of the semi-finals.
The second game was the match up of the two world power houses, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Both teams are playing better soccer right now then any other team in the world. Bayern won the champions league last year and are looking to make it a second, while Real Madrid search for their first in 7 years. It was at the Santiago Bernebeau, the home of Real Madrid, and it was Real Madrid who managed to sneak away with the 1-0 victory. Bayern dominated the game and had more scoring chances and much more possession, but in the end the attacking force of Cristiano Ronaldo came through in the clutch for Real Madrid as he has done many times before.
In the first game on Tuesday, Chelsea took on the top team recently in Athletico Madrid. Athletico has been streaking have scored in all their Champions league games thus far, and currently at the top of the Liga BBVA. They have been led by quality players in Koke, Diego Godin, Diego Costa, and Arda Turan. The team has looked extremely dangerous, having knocked off Barcelona in the previous stage. Chelsea on the other hand have been stumbling. They recently all but scratched their title hopes, by losing at home to Sunderland in a crushing BPL game. It was Jose Mourinho's first lose at home and he had a 77 game unbeaten streak snapped by a team that was at the bottom of the standings. The game was in Athleticos favor, as they were the home team. Chelsea came in and did what they are very famous for doing. They "parked the bus" which means they sat pretty much there entire team behind the ball and defended the entire game, in what ended as a 0-0 draw. This definitely favorites Chelsea now going into the second leg. They are in a prime position to make it to the Champions League Final for the 2nd time in 3 years. The one thing that is very worrisome is the fact that if Athletico gets one goal at Chelsea, that means they can move on with a draw, because they would have the away goal. It will be a very tense contest next week when these two teams meet in the second leg of the semi-finals.
The second game was the match up of the two world power houses, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. Both teams are playing better soccer right now then any other team in the world. Bayern won the champions league last year and are looking to make it a second, while Real Madrid search for their first in 7 years. It was at the Santiago Bernebeau, the home of Real Madrid, and it was Real Madrid who managed to sneak away with the 1-0 victory. Bayern dominated the game and had more scoring chances and much more possession, but in the end the attacking force of Cristiano Ronaldo came through in the clutch for Real Madrid as he has done many times before.
Sunday, April 6, 2014
Oldie But Goodie
The age old striker Dimitar Berbitav was at his old tricks again this past weekend. The former Manchester United and Fulham striker, who now plays for Monaco in the Ligue 1 in France, bagged the only goal of a 1-0 win. This win sealed a champion’s league spot for Monaco meet year. Berbitav made it look easy, just as he does on numerous amounts of goals. The striker in this instense had taken the ball from over the top and was a little outside the far right side of the six yard box. Berbitav brought the ball down and let it bounce, and with a cool and calm composure, he chipped it up and over the keeper and into the far post netting. The keeper could do nothing but swing at air as the Monaco fans watched in jubilation as the ball went in. Monaco continued to dominate the rest of the game and it was a shock to many that the game only ended 1-0 because there were so many chances that could have been put in the back of net. After the match Berbitav wanted to remind everyone out there who had written him off and forgotten about him that he was still around and just as sly and great a striker as ever.
Not only was this a great day for the individual player, but it was a great day for Monaco itself. Just a year removed from being promoted to the Ligue 1 from Ligue 2, the big French club made some major signings in the summer and has seen them pay dividends as the team has now clinched a spot in the 2014/2015 UEFA Champions league for the first time in over a decade. Not only that but they have risen to 2nd in the Ligue 1 behind only the power house team of Paris Saint Germaine. This is an amazing story of just what having a lot of money in soccer can do for you as the club was able to rise from the bottom thanks in part to huge sponsorship deals that left a lot of money to be spent on much needed players. Key signings in the summer included former Athletico striker Falcao, as well as midfielder James Rodriguez. A big congrats to Monaco, and I'm very excited to see the commotion they can create in next year’s champions league. It's something very exciting to look forward to.
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Team Review: Belgium
As the Fifa World Cup is fast approaching this coming June, I really wanted to start breaking down some of the national teams that will be seen on the big stage. Not only breaking down, but predicting the starting lineups before they are released for good at the end of May. When it came to picking a team for this first review I didn't have to rack my brain for too long. I decided to take a closer look at the country of Belgium. They are a very young team, and many people believe they are the dark horses of this years World Cup. We should all be looking for them to surprise a fair amount of us when it comes time for the tournament to kick off.
Now when we look deeper into the roster of the team the first thing you notice is how young it is. Every position is extremely young and talented meaning this won't be Belgium's last World Cup run for awhile. As for the personnel that they possess, they have some of the worlds top class young players. In goal, they have Simone Mignolet and Thebuis Courteius. Both keepers have led their respective teams Liverpool and Athletico Madrid to the top of their leagues and they are phenomenal keepers. In the backline Belgium possess from very solid defenders. Vertonghen, Vermaelan, and Kompany make up the core of this Belgium defense. The midfield and attack is even better than the defense. Players to note are Kevin De Bruyne, Eden Hazard a 23 year old rising star who has been compared to both Messi and Ronaldo. They also have Axel Witsel, and Naingollen to finish up the midfield, and then up top the deadly duo of the young prodigies Benteke and Lukaku finishes up the team. This team is deep all the way through. They lack a little bit of depth that some of the other teams have, like the Spain's and Germanys of the world, but what they lack in depth they make up in a skill and young talent.
This is a team that may like the experience that older teams possess, but what they lack in experience is more than made up for in the talent of this squad. Like I said early I look for them to do big things at the upcoming World Cup and I can't wait to sit back and watch the young talent go to work.
The Future of Soccer in America
Ever since I've started soccer and to this very day, the United States has trailed in the rest of the worlds wake when it comes to soccer. In every other country around the world soccer is by far either the number one or number two sport in the country. In America its maybe the 4th, and even that might be stretching it a little bit. Not only are there many more soccer players and teams in other countries, but the quality of soccer doesn't even compare between the USA and the rest of the world. Now, this may be beginning to feel extremely negative, but I'm here to say that there is some hope. There has been a steady improvement from what soccer used to be, to what it is today in America.
Now a days, soccer is becoming much more popular, not only at the youth level but also from a fans point of view at a professional level. More teams are being added every year to the MLS (Major League Soccer) and more people are beginning to watch. A big help to this is the recent trend of some of the best players in the world coming over to play in the MLS once they finish their careers in Europe. Players like Thierry Henry, David Beckham, Clint Dempsey, and Jermaine Defoe have all come from playing over seas to finish their careers in the MLS. This adds a great deal of hype and popularity to the sport, which is much needed. As more kids continue to grow up around the game of soccer it will grow bigger than ever. The youth of America holds the fate of the future of soccer in their hands. They determine whether or not soccer prospers or fails in America. The more kids that begin to promote soccer and play it, the better reputation that the game will have. This is also helped on by the major players coming over to finish their careers in the United States. Hopefully a combination of the two things will see soccer soar.
With a growing pool of soccer players in America coupled with the increasing popularity of soccer in college as well as in the pros, it's not a surprise that soccer is making a case for one of the favorite sports in America. I mean after all it was only a matter of time before we caught on to the rest of the world, right?
Sunday, March 23, 2014
UEFA Champions League: Quarterfinal Review
With the completion of the all the Champions League quarter final second leg games this week, there was a lot of hype and buzz following the results and what transpired. It was a very thrilling week of soccer, and ended with some very surprising results.
In the first match up, Paris St. Germain against Chelsea, Chelsea barely squeaked by and into the semi-finals. They were down 3-1 on aggregate after the first leg, and needed to win 2-0 in order to advance. It was an intense game and when Chelsea's best player went off in the 15th minute with a leg injury, the task looked daunting. Never fear though, Andre Schurrle came on and scored almost instantly to give some hope to the home team. This game came right down to the closing stages. Just as everyone thought all chances of winning were gone, Demba Ba scored in the 89th minute to send Chelsea into the next round.
The second match, Real Madrid against Borussia Dortmund, was another nail biter of a game. Real Madrid had won the previous game 3-0 at home and all they needed to do was hold of a Borussia Dortmund team that had been plagued by injuries, and wasn't even playing their best players. In what was almost the comeback of the century, Marco Reus scored two goals for Dortmund in the first half, making the aggregate 3-2 in favor of Real Madrid. Unfortunately the comeback couldn't be completed as Real Madrid held on by a sliver to escape into the semis.
The third game was played yesterday and it featured Manchester United against Bayern Munich. In this game Manchester United were the heavy underdogs from the very beginning and that's why everyone was surprised that they managed to get a 1-1 tie in the first leg at home. They had their backs up against the wall though, as they had to play at the Allianz Arena. United shocked everyone when they scored in the second half to take a 1-0 lead, which would have sent them through, but Bayern responded just 22 seconds later to tie it at 1-1. Then, 2 minutes after that Thomas Muller sealed the deal with another goal, and later on Arjen Robben put the icing on the cake when he put Bayern up 3-1 and into the semi-finals.
The fourth, and final game was probably the biggest upset of the entire tournament. FC Barcelona, the heavy favorite, had tied Athletico Madrid, their Spanish rivals at home in their previous game, but was looking for revenge in this final game. In just the fifth minute, Koke scored for Athletico, and that goal would see them into the Semi-finals. Athletico completely outplayed Barcelona and deserved to win for sure. This is the first time ever that Athletico Madrid has made it to the UEFA Champions League Semi-final, and for the past 5 years, the team that knocks out Barcelona has gone on to win the entire tournament. Lets see if Athletico has what it takes!
So that wraps up what has been a very exciting two weeks of UEFA Champions League quarter-final action. As the fans, we can only hope that the Semis carry as much action and great soccer as we've seen so far. The draw to see who will play each other will be taking place this Friday, so make sure to tune in for that.
In the first match up, Paris St. Germain against Chelsea, Chelsea barely squeaked by and into the semi-finals. They were down 3-1 on aggregate after the first leg, and needed to win 2-0 in order to advance. It was an intense game and when Chelsea's best player went off in the 15th minute with a leg injury, the task looked daunting. Never fear though, Andre Schurrle came on and scored almost instantly to give some hope to the home team. This game came right down to the closing stages. Just as everyone thought all chances of winning were gone, Demba Ba scored in the 89th minute to send Chelsea into the next round.
The second match, Real Madrid against Borussia Dortmund, was another nail biter of a game. Real Madrid had won the previous game 3-0 at home and all they needed to do was hold of a Borussia Dortmund team that had been plagued by injuries, and wasn't even playing their best players. In what was almost the comeback of the century, Marco Reus scored two goals for Dortmund in the first half, making the aggregate 3-2 in favor of Real Madrid. Unfortunately the comeback couldn't be completed as Real Madrid held on by a sliver to escape into the semis.
The third game was played yesterday and it featured Manchester United against Bayern Munich. In this game Manchester United were the heavy underdogs from the very beginning and that's why everyone was surprised that they managed to get a 1-1 tie in the first leg at home. They had their backs up against the wall though, as they had to play at the Allianz Arena. United shocked everyone when they scored in the second half to take a 1-0 lead, which would have sent them through, but Bayern responded just 22 seconds later to tie it at 1-1. Then, 2 minutes after that Thomas Muller sealed the deal with another goal, and later on Arjen Robben put the icing on the cake when he put Bayern up 3-1 and into the semi-finals.
The fourth, and final game was probably the biggest upset of the entire tournament. FC Barcelona, the heavy favorite, had tied Athletico Madrid, their Spanish rivals at home in their previous game, but was looking for revenge in this final game. In just the fifth minute, Koke scored for Athletico, and that goal would see them into the Semi-finals. Athletico completely outplayed Barcelona and deserved to win for sure. This is the first time ever that Athletico Madrid has made it to the UEFA Champions League Semi-final, and for the past 5 years, the team that knocks out Barcelona has gone on to win the entire tournament. Lets see if Athletico has what it takes!
So that wraps up what has been a very exciting two weeks of UEFA Champions League quarter-final action. As the fans, we can only hope that the Semis carry as much action and great soccer as we've seen so far. The draw to see who will play each other will be taking place this Friday, so make sure to tune in for that.
Saturday, March 22, 2014
The Art of Buying Low and Selling High: FIFA 14
In the ever popular video game FIFA 14, which I did a review on when the game was released in September, the goal is to start from scratch with some of the worst soccer players in the world, and build up the best possible team. Each soccer player in the world has a card on the game. The card has an overall rating and stats for six different categories, like dribbling, shooting, and defense for example. Depending on how good the player is in real life determines how good there card in FIFA 14 will be. As you can guess the better the card the more it will be worth in the game. Now the way the game works is you start out with zero coins. As you play games you gain coins, and what you can do with those coins is buy players to start building a better team. Now there are millions of players playing FUT (Fifa Ultimate Team), and therefore lots of players on the market to buy. People originally get these players from spending actual money to buy fifa points, which is a form of FUT currency used to buy fifa packs. In the packs you can get players, and if you're lucky enough to get a really good player you can sell him for a lot of money. Now as players flood the market this is when you can purchase players for your teams, or even better to make a profit.
The art of buying low and selling high is an age old tactic in the game of FIFA. How it works is you want to make sure you buy a player when they are at a low point in their price, and then wait for the market to rise again in order to sell the player and make a profit. This works exactly like the stock market in the real world. Now as for when players prices will drop. This usually happens when a really good TOTW is out or when there are going to be very good players released in packs, like TOTY or TOTS (Team of the Year and Team of the Season). When these kinds of players are out, you can only get them in packs, meaning that tons of people will be opening loads of packs hoping to get these new players. What they'll do is flood the market with all the regular players at this time and the mass amount of the players will cause their price to go down in the market. This is when you want to capitalize and buy the players for cheap, and then just wait for the market to return to normal and sell the cards for a bunch of profit! This works like a charm and is a great way to make lots of money on FUT!
The art of buying low and selling high is an age old tactic in the game of FIFA. How it works is you want to make sure you buy a player when they are at a low point in their price, and then wait for the market to rise again in order to sell the player and make a profit. This works exactly like the stock market in the real world. Now as for when players prices will drop. This usually happens when a really good TOTW is out or when there are going to be very good players released in packs, like TOTY or TOTS (Team of the Year and Team of the Season). When these kinds of players are out, you can only get them in packs, meaning that tons of people will be opening loads of packs hoping to get these new players. What they'll do is flood the market with all the regular players at this time and the mass amount of the players will cause their price to go down in the market. This is when you want to capitalize and buy the players for cheap, and then just wait for the market to return to normal and sell the cards for a bunch of profit! This works like a charm and is a great way to make lots of money on FUT!
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Can Chelsea Recover?
Was Chelsea burning out during this season? As a fan of the team I follow them religiously, and I have begun to notice that players seem to be tiring and the team is lacking that extra spice they had in previous times during the season. I feel like the wear of the season has taken a toll on the players and they have begun to perform at less than the standards that us Chelsea fans are used to seeing. It's obvious with the shocking results that the team has been getting and if they don't get focused soon they are going to find themselves sliding out of contention for the Barclays Premier League Title. Here are a few reasons why I think they will soon be out of this slump though.
For one the blues have the one and only Jose Mourinho. The man is a legend among soccer managers and if anyone can get chelsea out of their slump he's the man for the job. He has won countless titles with countless different teams, and really knows how to get what he wants out of his players. With him at the helm I don't see Chelsea skidding for much longer.
Second, the new signings that just were made for chelsea. The team recently released Juan Mata to Manchester United, a shocking transfer to say the least. But at the same time they brought in two new very solid players that will be sure to have an impact on the field. The first player is Nemanija Matic. They signed him from benfica, and he used to be a Chelsea player back when he was young. This is a good signing because it gives some depth at the holding mid position, something that chelsea need with an aging frank Lampard. The second signing was a young star by the name of Mohammad Salah. He is egyptian and played for the swiss team FC Basel. He had scored numerous goals on chelsea when they had played back in previous meetings and he is a great signing for someone who can play on the wing and in the midfield.
These are just some of the reasons why I don't think Chelsea Fans should be worried at all about what's to come from their team. They still have plenty of fuel left in the tank and I hope to see a late push to win the title this year.
For one the blues have the one and only Jose Mourinho. The man is a legend among soccer managers and if anyone can get chelsea out of their slump he's the man for the job. He has won countless titles with countless different teams, and really knows how to get what he wants out of his players. With him at the helm I don't see Chelsea skidding for much longer.
Second, the new signings that just were made for chelsea. The team recently released Juan Mata to Manchester United, a shocking transfer to say the least. But at the same time they brought in two new very solid players that will be sure to have an impact on the field. The first player is Nemanija Matic. They signed him from benfica, and he used to be a Chelsea player back when he was young. This is a good signing because it gives some depth at the holding mid position, something that chelsea need with an aging frank Lampard. The second signing was a young star by the name of Mohammad Salah. He is egyptian and played for the swiss team FC Basel. He had scored numerous goals on chelsea when they had played back in previous meetings and he is a great signing for someone who can play on the wing and in the midfield.
These are just some of the reasons why I don't think Chelsea Fans should be worried at all about what's to come from their team. They still have plenty of fuel left in the tank and I hope to see a late push to win the title this year.
Friday, March 14, 2014
The Key to Success
Without a doubt Manchester United is having one of there worst seasons in the history of club. They have dropped into 7th place in the Barclays Premier League this season and if you ask anyone they will say that the team is terrible this year. Under the management of David Moyes the team has tanked from the best team in the Premier League to a mid table contender. I feel like David Moyes has not run things well since taking over the helm from Sir Alex Fergusen. If I were in charge I would do things a lot different and I think this is what David Moyes has to do in order to find success at a pivotal point in his career.
For one he needs to fix the midfield problem that Manchester United has this year. I have to applaud him for actually going out and getting Juan Mata from Chelsea. That was a very good move and you have to give credit where credit is due, but there is still much that needs to change in order for Manchester United to get back to winning ways. There are numerous players that I think they should try to go out and get in order to make them a title contending team. The top player at this list is Ikay Gundogen from Borussia Dortmund. He is the all around package player for a midfielder and is exactly what Manchester United needs to replace Carrick and some of the older guys in the middle of the park. Gundogen's contract is running out in 18 months and the summer transfer window would be a great time for manchester United to snatch up this star player. As well as Gundogen, Manchester United should also think about going after his teammate Marco Reus, the German winger/midfielder from Borussia Dortmund. Reus is one of the best players in the world and he's only 24 years old to boot. He would be exactly the kind of player that would be needed to strengthen this wilting United team.
These are just a few things that need to change in order for Manchester United to even start to take a step in the right direction, and if they fail to do this, then who knows what might happen with David Moyes job.
For one he needs to fix the midfield problem that Manchester United has this year. I have to applaud him for actually going out and getting Juan Mata from Chelsea. That was a very good move and you have to give credit where credit is due, but there is still much that needs to change in order for Manchester United to get back to winning ways. There are numerous players that I think they should try to go out and get in order to make them a title contending team. The top player at this list is Ikay Gundogen from Borussia Dortmund. He is the all around package player for a midfielder and is exactly what Manchester United needs to replace Carrick and some of the older guys in the middle of the park. Gundogen's contract is running out in 18 months and the summer transfer window would be a great time for manchester United to snatch up this star player. As well as Gundogen, Manchester United should also think about going after his teammate Marco Reus, the German winger/midfielder from Borussia Dortmund. Reus is one of the best players in the world and he's only 24 years old to boot. He would be exactly the kind of player that would be needed to strengthen this wilting United team.
These are just a few things that need to change in order for Manchester United to even start to take a step in the right direction, and if they fail to do this, then who knows what might happen with David Moyes job.
Thursday, March 13, 2014
What Separates the Good From the Great?
Throughout the history of soccer there always comes along a team/s that turn the game around for the next decade to come. For the latest decade it has been the revolution of Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, and Barcelona. By investigating what these teams do or have done to reach these next levels, we can also see how the game of soccer has taken on a new shade of color over these last few years and reveal the secrets to success in the ever growing game of soccer.
For the longest time soccer has been a game of play down the sideline and cross. This style is evident from the English soccer still present today. Eventually a new era began to arise. This was brought along by the Brazilians and the Spanish when they began to establish their own style of play. The term for this style is "tiki-taka" and was coined by a Spanish reporter after having watched the Spanish team Barcelona in action. This changed from the kick and run way of play to a very more controlled, possession oriented style of soccer. Not only is this new way to play more effective, but it also requires a level of difficulty that hasn't been seen in any other area of the game. This is the main reason why so many teams fail to achieve this, and this is what makes the good teams great. So why is this style of soccer so much better than anything else that has graced the game? Well, it requires a level of discipline that is only seen in the best of teams. The entire team needs to move as a unit and work together, and nothing can ever be forced. Every pass is simple and carefully calculated and the soccer ball has to always be moving. One of the best ways to beat a team is to never let them touch the ball, and that's exactly what this style attempts to do. By being patient and keeping the ball for 75% of the game, it greatly limits what the other team can do with it.
This style of soccer has been ushered in by some of the world's greatest teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. It is because of this distinct style that they came, they saw, and they conquered. They will remain dominate for years to come, until the next genius mastermind of the game comes along and introduces the next unbeatable strategy that outshines the old and makes them succumb to the next revolution.
For the longest time soccer has been a game of play down the sideline and cross. This style is evident from the English soccer still present today. Eventually a new era began to arise. This was brought along by the Brazilians and the Spanish when they began to establish their own style of play. The term for this style is "tiki-taka" and was coined by a Spanish reporter after having watched the Spanish team Barcelona in action. This changed from the kick and run way of play to a very more controlled, possession oriented style of soccer. Not only is this new way to play more effective, but it also requires a level of difficulty that hasn't been seen in any other area of the game. This is the main reason why so many teams fail to achieve this, and this is what makes the good teams great. So why is this style of soccer so much better than anything else that has graced the game? Well, it requires a level of discipline that is only seen in the best of teams. The entire team needs to move as a unit and work together, and nothing can ever be forced. Every pass is simple and carefully calculated and the soccer ball has to always be moving. One of the best ways to beat a team is to never let them touch the ball, and that's exactly what this style attempts to do. By being patient and keeping the ball for 75% of the game, it greatly limits what the other team can do with it.
This style of soccer has been ushered in by some of the world's greatest teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Bayern Munich. It is because of this distinct style that they came, they saw, and they conquered. They will remain dominate for years to come, until the next genius mastermind of the game comes along and introduces the next unbeatable strategy that outshines the old and makes them succumb to the next revolution.
Why Messi is the World's Legend
Lionel Messi has left a mark on the game of soccer ever since he stepped foot on a pitch for the first time in his famous number 10 Barcelona uniform. He has left people speechless at the feats he accomplished, the dazzling ball skills, uncanny free kicks, and curling goals that are all produced from this 5"6 soccer wizard. It is for his world class soccer ability, and his sheer brilliance he displays in the game of soccer, that he is the best soccer player in the world.
Now I understand what you must be saying. There are so many other players out there who could be in contention for this title. You might even be saying that someone else outright deserves this more than Messi. But after looking at the facts there is no way you can't take the side of this legend. He has won more Ballon D'or's then any other soccer player in history, and for those who don't know what this is, it is an award that is voted on and given to the world's best player each season. He has scored a whopping total of 377 goals for his Club and Country teams, and he is only 26 years old, meaning he still has many good years to come. His list of numerous other awards goes on and on, and he is one of the most well respected footballers of this day.
Know the one thing that many people discuss when they have this debate is how much Lionel Messi has struggled on the International stage. He scored one measly goal in the last world cup in 2010, a year when many people expected a whole lot out of the youngster, who was only 22 at the time. Now at this World Cup the spotlight will be even brighter on the Worlds best player as he looks to erase the past, and show everyone who's doubted him that he has what it takes to shine not only in domestic leagues, but in the World stage as well.
To this day there will always be the controversy over who is the better soccer player. Some might argue that it should be Ronaldo. Others might argue it should be Ribery. As for me, I will always stick to the side of the greatest footballer of his time, the one and only, Lionel Messi. The story of his life and what he has gone through to be where he is today is so moving and touching, and to see the skill that he's amassed makes you wonder why anyone would ever question the young starlet.
Now I understand what you must be saying. There are so many other players out there who could be in contention for this title. You might even be saying that someone else outright deserves this more than Messi. But after looking at the facts there is no way you can't take the side of this legend. He has won more Ballon D'or's then any other soccer player in history, and for those who don't know what this is, it is an award that is voted on and given to the world's best player each season. He has scored a whopping total of 377 goals for his Club and Country teams, and he is only 26 years old, meaning he still has many good years to come. His list of numerous other awards goes on and on, and he is one of the most well respected footballers of this day.
Know the one thing that many people discuss when they have this debate is how much Lionel Messi has struggled on the International stage. He scored one measly goal in the last world cup in 2010, a year when many people expected a whole lot out of the youngster, who was only 22 at the time. Now at this World Cup the spotlight will be even brighter on the Worlds best player as he looks to erase the past, and show everyone who's doubted him that he has what it takes to shine not only in domestic leagues, but in the World stage as well.
To this day there will always be the controversy over who is the better soccer player. Some might argue that it should be Ronaldo. Others might argue it should be Ribery. As for me, I will always stick to the side of the greatest footballer of his time, the one and only, Lionel Messi. The story of his life and what he has gone through to be where he is today is so moving and touching, and to see the skill that he's amassed makes you wonder why anyone would ever question the young starlet.
Monday, March 3, 2014
Soccer in Hollywood
Many criticisms have been raised against soccer movies in general. For starters, in the US the sport has never achieved the high status it has achieved in the rest of the world; this has, unfortunately, affected how soccer movies have fared to American audiences.
The two other problematic areas are the fact that soccer movies often have difficulty defining themselves as a documentary or a movie; secondly, some people find that soccer movies either have too much soccer or not enough of it (of the high quality usually expected).
In spite of the criticisms, some excellent films have been produced about soccer. Although whether these films are the best ever produced is a matter of opinion, there is enough good material in each of these to merit the highest grades possible.
Once in a Lifetime—the Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos
This film details the true story of the risky and daring move to popularize soccer with American audiences in the 1970’s. In an attempt to get Americans to like soccer as much as the rest of the world, some investors put together a new team, The New York Cosmos. Bringing the greatest soccer player of all time out of retirement, Pele, gave the team visibility and helped draw in a fan base. Unfortunately, the team disbanded in 1985 due to lack of interest. Matt Damon narrates this documentary that interviews the players and tells the story of how soccer almost became a mainstream sport in North America.
Green Street
It’s no secret that soccer fans are some of the most devoted fans in the world of sports, but how far would you go for your favorite team? This film follows a group of soccer hooligans, the Green Street Elite, as they fight rival hooligan firms for bragging rights. The theme of this movie is the exploration of loyalty and standing up for yourself in the face of adversity. Which team actually plays better isn’t as important as the desire to defend their name.
Escape to Victory
Taking place in Nazi Germany during WWII, this film follows a group of POW’s as they plan an escape from their Nazi captors. The POWs form a football club to play against the German team. Eventually they hatch a plan to use an upcoming match as cover to escape. As true fans of the sport however, the POWs want to play out their match against the Germans rather than run and escape.
Looking for Eric
Many soccer fans turn to the sport as a means of escaping the doldrums of everyday life. For one fan this goes to a whole different level when he begins imagining he is talking to Eric Cantona, one of Manchester United’s greatest players ever. Cantona offers advice to the protagonist about how to improve his relationship with his family as well as deal with a drug lord who is threatening his son. Indeed, soccer can inspire its fans to greatness, even if it’s all in their head.
Luke Shaw Latest
Whilst Southhampton have caught the eye this season with their free-flowing attacking football, the club’s top brass will be well aware that there’s a tough summer ahead. This is an exciting group of players, who are likely to attract a fair amount of attention from bigger clubs when the transfer window re-opens.
Unfortunately the Saints have neither the money, nor the promise of regular silverware with which to tempt their players to stay.
One of the players who is drawing the most attention is young left back, Luke Shaw, The 18-year-old has been so impressive this season, that some have suggested he should be a part of the England squad that goes to Brazil this summer, despite both Ashley Cole and Leighton Baines being available.
What’s most impressive about Shaw is his confidence on the ball at such a young age. He never looks over-awed by the situation, always seems to be in charge, isn’t afraid to carry the ball forward, take players on or cut inside. This combined with his passing ability and his stinging crosses make him a real threat.
It’s the attacking part of his game that has caught the most attention, but he’s no defensive slouch either.
As a result, he’s attracted attention from Manchester City, Chelsea and Manchester United.
There have also been rumors that he’s a boyhood Chelsea fan and could favour a move to Stamford Bridge. That’s all well and good, but I’m not sure this would be the best move for his career. After all, the Blues do have a habit of chewing up young talent and spitting it out. The same can be said of Manchester City.
Manchester United, on the other hand, have a rather pressing need. It looks like the club will face a defensive exodus over the summer, so signing a left-back with as much talent as Luke Shaw could prove to be a necessity.
Having slipped down the Premier League table, it’ll be interesting to see whether The Red Devils can still compete with the big boys in the transfer market. When it comes to Luke Shaw, I certainly hope that David Moyes pulls out all the stops.
Take it Easy On Him!
I’ve been so disappointed to see Mesut Özil come under heavy criticism over the past few weeks. You expect it from pundits and fans of other teams, but never from your own fans. A lot of people are saying he is off-form and the criticism is deserved, but I just don’t agree with that.
Because we spent so much on Özil there is a level of expectancy and I can understand that for some people he just hasn’t lived up to what they were hoping to see from him. Statistically he isn’t actually doing that bad: he covers a lot of ground during games and his contribution to most matches is evident.
He has scored 5 goals and assisted 11 and that is only half of what he scored and assisted last season for Real Madrid, so he’s still on course for achieving or even beating that. He is not a lazy player. He is working hard and trying his best to fit within an established team and when things go wrong his frustrations are laid bare for all of us to see.
When he first joined it’s fair to say his first few months, leading up to December, was when we saw him at his best. But that was also when Arsenal were playing better football. The standard has dropped slightly since then and whether that is due to the loss of Ramsey and Walcott or injury or a lack of physical energy after a run of tough games is unclear.
But, it has affected the whole team and not just Ozil. His penalty miss last week was an obvious sign that he just needs to take a break, it’s a lot of pressure when you are playing against national team mates.
Sometimes you can only be as good as the team around you and despite the fact that Arsenal have made some major improvement this season, there are still lots of issues within the team that need tweaking. The fact is, we simply don’t have the same quality of players as Real Madrid in every position. We are still in desperate need of strengthening up and that is imperative, so players like Özil can fulfil their true ability.
I think there is still so much to see from our new German this year. He has already added to the team and few off games doesn’t make him a bad player. If we invest in an new striker in the summer then I can honestly see Özil thriving and becoming a very important player for us.
United Comeback
Manchester United have just returned back to Manchester from their warm weather training camp in Dubai. The Red Devils of Manchester are in action this weekend once again attempting to fight their way up the Premier League table. According to the current points tally Manchester United trail Liverpool, Tottenham and Everton in their quest for the coveted champions league spot.
It is only a matter of time before Manchester United overtake Everton and Tottenham and start threatening Liverpool intently for the fourth spot in the table.
Both Everton and Tottenham have scored fewer goals than the reigning champions and conceded more or marginally fewer goals. Tottenham are riding on the sparkling form of Emmanuel Adebayor whereas Everton are grinding out results to stay in the top half of the table.
It is interesting to note that Manchester United have not played the football they are capable of and their star players Robin Van Persie, Wayne Rooney and Michael Carrick have all returned recently from injuries. Furthermore the likes of Phil Jones and Maraoun Fellaini resumed training and the latter even made it to the bench against Arsenal. Finally, David Moyes will have his full squad at this disposal, something which has been a rarity this season for him.
Once all the aforementioned factors are considered it really seems rational to suggest that Manchester United will edge out Tottenham and Everton. This is because they have kept themselves in the hunt without their best players and the best football they are capable of. Their squad has been stretched to the maximum and the injuries have taken their toll already. The club, the manager and the players have been crucified (read criticized) intensely by the media. The pressure of defending the title is no longer there. All that is required is a string of wins and the belief will be back.
Thursday, January 23, 2014
Ozil: The Magician
Despite the proliferation of talent over the past decade, the price of £42 million seemed like a bargain for Ozil, one which Arsenal boss Wenger uncharacteristically grabbed with both hands, and one which has paid great dividends. With Ozil’s performances throughout the duration of his time at Real Madrid, some would argue a greater price tag should have been placed on Ozil, despite now becoming the most expensive German player of all time.
Real Madrid bought Ozil for an amount in the region of £12 million in 2010 from German side Werder Bremen. Congratulations to Arsenal on signing one of the world’s most intelligent players, however, why would Real Madrid allow a player described by Ruud Gullit, one of soccers greats, as “technically perfect”, to leave? He remains one of the most underrated players in the world; his humble demeanour off and on the pitch, his unquestionable ability and sportsmanship on the pitch also makes him one of the best midfielders in the sport has ever seen.
But could this be the reason why he failed to survive the pressures of the Bernabeu? Let’s face it, unless you are Ronaldo or Messi, it is unlikely that you’ll ever find yourself being as important as the club you play for.
Whilst in his native Germany, Ozil displayed performances him bring in double-figured assists on a season-by-season basis. There were 15 in his first season for Bremen with 3 goals, and 9 goals plus 17 assists in 31 Bundesliga appearances in his second. The next season saw Ozil finish with 25 assists in all competitions, the highest by any player in the world and this achievement placed him on the shortlist for 2011-12’s Ballon d’Or the following year, where he even managed to improve his season tally to 26 assists.
Due to the high demand for players with a high capacity for assisting attacking play around the world, even Real Madrid seemed to be punishing themselves through his sale, and have since relied on the ability of their new signing, Luka Modric from Tottenham, whilst focusing on the proliferation of their hot prospects – including the Brazilian Casemiro and the impressive Spaniard Isco.
In terms of impact, Ozil was, and has been the unrivalled master of assists to every team he has played for. Ozil has continued to bring the sort of contribution that players rarely illustrate these days; he represents the perfection of the Classic No.10 position, following in the footsteps of players such as Riquelme, Zidane and Maradona, and continuing on his legacy which will be remembered for years to come.
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Is Chelsea Headed in the Right Direction?
The sale of Chelsea star Juan Mata to ‘direct rivals’, Manchester United for £37 million is one that has evoked disbelief in the hearts of many Chelsea fans.
In his first two years at the club, the Spanish international won Chelsea’s Player of the Season, producing many fine performances to confirm his position as one of the best creative players in the Premier League. His performances in a Chelsea shirt to date have left many Chelsea fans questioning Mourinho’s decision to oust Mata, and make him surplus to requirements at Stamford Bridge.
Mourinho’s main argument is from a tactical perspective. He claims that Oscar and Mata cannot play together in the no.10 role and therefore, the “harder working” Oscar is more beneficial to the team in that position. Oscar is of course a fine creative talent, but his willingness to regain possession in dangerous parts of opposition territory, is something which Mourinho respects and requires, especially when playing with two ‘out and out’ wingers in the form of Eden Hazard and Willian.
When the “happy one” returned to Chelsea this summer, he made it immediately clear that his team would no longer revolve around one player and that Mata would have to adapt his style to fit into Mourinho’s formation. Whether this decision has proved fruitful or not is debatable. Chelsea are in the hunt for the title and have plenty of strength in depth in midfield, however his decision to sell the Spaniard could become costly if Oscar or Hazard begin to lose form or are injured.
The decision to sell Mata is a calculated risk, but the decision comes as no surprise when we consider Mourinho’s at times frayed relationships with many Spanish players, Xabi Alonso a possible exception. Even greater the risk when you are selling one of your best players to Manchester United, whatever their current circumstance is. The suggestions that this is a clever move from Mourinho to damage Arsenal and Manchester City’s title chances; letting Mata move to United, who are still to play the aforementioned title challengers – I’m sure has some substance, but there’s more to it than that.
This transfer represents a change in direction at Stamford Bridge. It’s a clear sign from Chelsea, that not only are they wary of the quite frankly ridiculous Financial Fair Play rules, which in my opinion are fundamentally flawed and punish small clubs for unaccountable losses which are beyond there control, but they are beginning to be more stringent with their financial affairs.
Chelsea will spend less as a club but they’ll still look to compete on the international transfer market – there’s no chance of that not happening whilst Abramovich remains owner. Chelsea no longer want to have to be mindful of their precarious positioning when it comes to Financial Fair Play, a view shared by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
Neymar Transfer Investigation
The controversy surrounding the transfer of Brazilian superstar Neymar to Spanish Liga football club Barcelona is to be investigated by a Spanish court, as it was announced today (Thursday).
Neymar was in June unveiled as a €57.1m ($77.7m) signing from Brazilian Campeonato Serie A club Santos, but the precise terms of the deal were not revealed at the time with Barcelona citing a confidentiality agreement. However, Barcelona last week revealed that it paid €40m to a company owned by the parents of Neymar as part of the transfer deal to acquire the Brazilian forward.
The exact terms of the transfer have come under increasing scrutiny in recent months and Barcelona said that the payment of €40m to N&N Consultoria Esportiva and Empresarial Ltd was disclosed “from the first moment” as part of the €57.1m total transfer fee for Neymar. Sao Paulo-based N&N is reportedly owned by the 21-year-old’s parents and Spanish state prosecutors backed a legal challenge launched by club member Jordi Cases, who had demanded clarity over the terms of the transfer.
Prosecutors called for a hearing after having decided that there were sufficient grounds to believe there could be a case of “contractual simulation,” and the Reuters news agency today said that Judge Pablo Ruz had decided to open a hearing. The judge will seek more information from Neymar, Santos and Barcelona, while a decision will be made at a later date over whether club president Sandro Rosell will be called in person to provide evidence. On the basis of the evidence already received, an order from the judge on Wednesday stated: “It leads to the conclusion that the facts given by the complainant are plausible in being a crime of misappropriation as laid down in article 252 of the penal code.”
Today’s development comes after Monday’s press conference to unveil Barcelona’s plans for the redevelopment of its Nou Camp stadium was dominated by questions concerning the Neymar deal. Spanish newspaper El Mundo had earlier claimed that the transfer was actually worth €95m and Rosell on Monday said that he would be willing to give evidence in a bid to clear his name.
Whether or not this Neymar case is turning into a huge scandal is beside the fact that he is one of the best young footballers in todays game and this should not be used against him to tarnish his image.
Whether or not this Neymar case is turning into a huge scandal is beside the fact that he is one of the best young footballers in todays game and this should not be used against him to tarnish his image.
What Juan Mata's Transfer Means for Chelsea
All you've heard in the last few days from the soccer world is all the hype and controversy surrounding the huge money deal proposed by Manchester United for Chelsea FC's midfielder Juan Mata. Everywhere I've looked I've seen news about this transfer, and being a Chelsea fan myself I have a lot of mixed feelings on the topic.
My first reaction to this big transfer deal was shock and awe at how dumb Jose Mourinho the manager of Chelsea could be. If you look at the last two seasons at Chelsea, Mata has arguably been the best player at the club, and therefore I couldn't see why Mourinho would be willing to let him go, especially to a club like Manchester United. The English Premier League is all to familiar with letting great players go to their bitter rival teams. As I thought about it more I just couldn't figure out what was going on, until I listened to a reporter interview Jose Mourinho on Fox Soccer Channel. As he was being interviewed he was asked what he was thinking when it came to the transfer of Juan Mata. With cool composure he looked the camera in the eye and told the reporter that even though Mata had been such a vital role in the system in previous years, Chelsea had reached a new era and they had younger, and more talented players that he wanted to build the team around. When I heard this it all made a lot more sense. As a manager if you have such a talented side as Chelsea does, then you're faced with the tough reality that eventually players will come in and that means other players have to be shown the exit. For me as a Chelsea fan, I trust Jose Mourinho enough to know that if he says he has plans for the team that don't revolve around Mata then he knows exactly what he's doing and has an even better plan following the Spaniards leave.
So for all those Chelsea fans out there worried about this capsizing Chelsea's chances this season, worry no longer. Have faith in Mourinho and understand that the club is moving on to bigger and better things, even if it means doing it without one of the teams top players.
My first reaction to this big transfer deal was shock and awe at how dumb Jose Mourinho the manager of Chelsea could be. If you look at the last two seasons at Chelsea, Mata has arguably been the best player at the club, and therefore I couldn't see why Mourinho would be willing to let him go, especially to a club like Manchester United. The English Premier League is all to familiar with letting great players go to their bitter rival teams. As I thought about it more I just couldn't figure out what was going on, until I listened to a reporter interview Jose Mourinho on Fox Soccer Channel. As he was being interviewed he was asked what he was thinking when it came to the transfer of Juan Mata. With cool composure he looked the camera in the eye and told the reporter that even though Mata had been such a vital role in the system in previous years, Chelsea had reached a new era and they had younger, and more talented players that he wanted to build the team around. When I heard this it all made a lot more sense. As a manager if you have such a talented side as Chelsea does, then you're faced with the tough reality that eventually players will come in and that means other players have to be shown the exit. For me as a Chelsea fan, I trust Jose Mourinho enough to know that if he says he has plans for the team that don't revolve around Mata then he knows exactly what he's doing and has an even better plan following the Spaniards leave.
So for all those Chelsea fans out there worried about this capsizing Chelsea's chances this season, worry no longer. Have faith in Mourinho and understand that the club is moving on to bigger and better things, even if it means doing it without one of the teams top players.
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