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The 2011 edition of the Copa America ended on Sunday afternoon, with a clearly defined all-time champion that was neither Brazil nor Argentina.  The two large countries may laugh at the idea that Uruguay’s consistency has made them the foremost footballing nation in South America.  They may even ask, where is their Pele or Maradona?

The answer is simply that he is still in the pipeline.  If football survives long enough (and why not?), the odds suggest that Uruguay will one day produce the best player in the world.  The numbers are simple:  Brazil 190, Argentina 40 and Uruguay 3.5.  Those are the people, in the millions, which inhabit each nation.  With those numbers and football at the core of their collective consciousness, it’s no wonder that Brazil has, at one time or another, sent Pele, Garrincha, Socrates, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, Roberto Carlos, Kaka, Ronaldhino and (possibly) Neymar, to the head of the world class, while Argentina has, over the same period, produced Alfredo di Stefano, Diego Maradona and Lionel Messi.  The frequency at which Uruguay will develop players of that calibre will obviously be far less.  Diego Forlan has briefly touched the mark but not held it.  Yet, all the ingredients are there for a ‘Last Ball Bender’ to one day be born to Uruguay.

What cannot be denied is that Uruguay have, on a far more consistent basis, made the most of their limited resources than have their vastly wealthier neighbours..  Their level of dedication is evident in the fact that they have one more continental championship than a nation which has almost twelve times their population and almost twice as many as one that dwarfs them more than fifty times over.

Brazil and Argentina may point to their World Cup records and claim that they have reached the highest level more often than Uruguay but, with their advantages, that is to be expected.  Yet, both have also, for one reason or another, quite often political, taken a holiday from their greatness.   Uruguay, involved in the same political and economic circles, have not.

Since the tournament began in 1916, Uruguay has had two dry spells of more than a decade. Their longest, 16 years, was aided by the absence of the Copa America between 1967 and 1975, and their victory on Sunday ended a fourteen-year spell without a trophy, whilst Brazil were claiming four of the five tournaments in between.

Conversely, it took Argentina five years to win its first Copa America, which they then dominated from 1925  until 1959, winning eleven of their fourteen during that span.  Between 1959 and the present, though, the Albiceleste have managed just the 1978 and 1986 World Cups and the 1991 and 1993 Copa Americas.

Brazil, of course, have been the least consistent of the trio.  Five of their Copa Americas and two World Cups have come since 1989 and the remaining six triumphs were spread over fifty-one years, between 1919 and 1970.

Despite the recent parade of stars from the other two nations, the numbers surprisingly suggest that Uruguay is indeed the foremost footballing nation in South America.

Commitment often raises the ordinary above the gifted and Uruguay have that in abundance.  Whatever you throw at them they just keep coming.  Just ask Messi, Sergio Kun Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Angel di Maria, Carlos Tevez, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Javier Pastore; they’ll remember this year’s semi-final and Fernando Muslera for some time to come.

Further, if you take the pitch with anything less than your best, Uruguay will simply run you over.  Gerrardo Martino and Gerardo Pautasso could see that from their seats in the stands, after being banned for their dissent in the semi-final against Venezuela.  Roque Santa Cruz and Aureliano Torres would have confirmed it from their place on the trainer’s table.  With those four key components missing, Paraguay simply amounted to target practice for the relentless Uruguayan squad.

From the outset, La Celeste smelled blood and struck quickly.  What looked like an early handball in the box kept a Diego Lugano header out but Uruguay kept coming.  With the ball pinballing just outside the box, along the right flank, it finally bounced to Forlan, whose intended volley into the box caromed off a defender and floated towards the end line.  Luis Suarez ran it down, brought it into the middle with one touch and drove it past Justo Villar with his left foot.  With barely ten minutes gone, the severely undermanned Guaranies were down a goal.

Forlan, who hadn’t bulged the twine for a dozen international matches, would soon turn the serendipitous into the superfluous.  Just before the half, Uruguay would pressure the left side of the Paraguayan defence again.  Egidio Arevalo would pick the pocket of a careless Guarani midfielder and feed Forlan, breaking in on the opposite flank.  The World Cup Ballon d’Or winner put another big match away with a left-footed blast that left Villar helpless.

In the second half, coach Oscar Tabares made sure that his troops did not allow Paraguay back into the match.  Uruguay controlled the remainder of the game and Forlan’s second goal came at the death, courtesy of Suarez and a returning Edinson Cavani.  Napoli owner Aurelio de Laurentiis will be breathing a sigh of relief that he won’t have to make good on his bizarre threats to the Uruguayan FA, should they decide to play his hobbled striker in the final.  They did but Serie A’s number two scorer managed to get through the match without further damage, finally shaking off the rust to lead a final counter attack.  Streaking down the left flank, Cavani sent a high cross to Suarez on the opposite side.  The Liverpool new boy lined it up and headed the ball into the path of Forlan, who calmly slotted past an onrushing Villar and just inside the far post.

It has to be said that whilst new Galatasaray number one Muslera was barely tested, after an excellent tournament, his opposite number was forced to continue his own stellar work.  Three made it past Villar on the day but had it been another man between the sticks, it could easily have been two or three times that.  Suarez’ four goals overall netted him the Player of the Tournament honours, ahead of third place Peru’s five-goal man, Paolo Guerrero, but it was the man in the net for Paraguay who offered the performance of the tournament, to my mind, even if it ended in defeat.

After the match, Forlan paid tribute to the consistency of this squad, which, under the firm guidance of Tabares, has come so far.

“This has been a lot of work, going back many years. It’s been a job of doing things well and it’s yielded results.”

The captain now returns to the uncertainty of the Vicente Calderon, where he endured a difficult 2010-11 season, eventually falling out of favour with Quique Sánchez Flores and riding the bench.  Flores is gone, however, as is David de Gea and, most likely, Sergio Kun Aguero.  New boss Gregorio Manzano will be looking for a leader as he rebuilds Los Colchoneros and this final has surely put Forlan in the mood to take on the task.

Suarez, of course, embarks on his first full season with the Reds and Muslera will be joining his now Fenerbahce rival Diego Lugano on the long flight to Turkey.  Whilst they all have new projects to challenge them, they’ll be smiling at the thought of reuniting as champions over the next few years, to forge their way to the next World Cup.

As mentioned, Peru took the third place match, with a 4-1 victory over Venezuela.  Out of the running for the championship and emotionally spent after the post-match set-to with Paraguay, the Vinotinto just weren’t up for this game and Peru’s Paolo Guerrero took advantage, netting a hat trick to garner the tournament’s golden boot.

Meanwhile, the axe appears to be poised above Argentina coach Sergio Batista’s head, with a meeting scheduled early this week, where he will be called onto the carpet by Julio Grondona and the AFA board.  Speculation is that the animated Paraguay coach, Gerardo Martino, who is Argentine born, has already been approached to succeed ‘the man who could not do any better than Diego Maradona’.  Should he accept the post, Paraguayans will be more upset with his departure than not seeing Larissa Riquelme strip on the pitch.  After all, she’s never been caught without a reason to undress in the past.

In the end, it’s all about consistency.

]]> http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2011/07/25/copious-notes-on-the-copa-america-the-fat-lady-sings-the-skinny-one-remains-clothed/feed/ 0 Uruguay Copa America Champions resulteditor Uruguay Copa America Champions copa america 2011 logo CONMEBOL Consistency CONMEBOL Ball Breakers.001 http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2011/07/18/copious-notes-on-the-copa-america-turning-the-world-on-its-head/ http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2011/07/18/copious-notes-on-the-copa-america-turning-the-world-on-its-head/#comments Mon, 18 Jul 2011 21:51:45 +0000 Martin Palazzotto http://worldfootballcolumns.com/?p=19323 Continue reading »]]> ___________________________________________________________________________

Close your eyes and pretend it’s mid-April. Now, can you imagine a La Liga where Barcelona and Real Madrid are stuck in the middle of the table, with no chance of catching the clubs at the top? Difficult, isn’t it? Almost laughable, in fact.

Okay, now open your eyes and look out the window onto a Buenos Aires or Rio de Janeiro street. You’ll find that it’s a cloudy grey Monday morning with host Argentina and erstwhile holders Brazil no longer in the Copa America. Both sides lost on penalty kicks over the weekend, Argentina to Uruguay and Brazil to Paraguay.

It was not a weekend to be a world power in football, as the US women surrendered not one but two leads and then missed their first three penalty kicks in losing the World Cup to Japan. Despite being behind twice, the Lady Samurai held onto their faith in each other and displayed remarkable determination to be crowned world champions. It’s well deserved and also heartwarming to see them accomplish such a feat after the ordeal that their entire nation has gone through this year.

If someone had told you last year that Japan would win a World Cup and Brazil and Argentina would both be knocked out of the Copa America in the quarterfinals, you might have laughed and said that it would signal the apocalypse. Yet the volcanoes, earthquakes, tsunamis and nuclear meltdowns all occurred first. This was the healing.

Of course, Japanese citizens don’t much care what happens in the Copa America but it’s about time that other South American sides received some recognition for being world-class. Uruguay went all the way to the semifinals in South Africa, yet short shrift was given to their chances in this tournament by most pundits. Paraguay also went deep into the World Cup, marshaled by the combustible Gerardo Martino, who continually draws excellent performances from the attacking triumvirate of Nelson Valdez, Roque Santa Cruz and Lucas Barrios and timely goalkeeping from Justo Villar. What really catches the eye, however, is their support, led by lingerie model Larissa Riquelme, whose loud exhortations from the stands and repeatedly offered incentive of posing nude publicly should the Guaranies triumph at either Copa, Mundial or America, make her something of a cross between Lady Godiva and Joan of Arc. They are both in the semifinals, along with Peru and Venezuela, two dogged sides which came into this competition with reputations as the continent’s whipping boys.

It should be noted that another strong side, Chile, was eliminated in the quarters, as well. That country has suffered its own devastating earthquake and, of course, the mining disaster which captivated the world’s attention but still managed an excellent tournament in South Africa. There has been upheaval within the club in the interim, with their brilliant tactician Marcelo Bielsa losing his power struggle against figures within the Chilean FA. Still, the side, now coached by Claudio Borghi, won their group easily in this competition but ultimately could not overcome the precocious Venezuelans.

So, the world has two choices:

1. Shrug your shoulders at Brazil and Argentina’s failure and cast your eye elsewhere for summer football. Man United, City and Real Madrid are headlining a troupe of European clubs touring America and Liverpool and Arsenal are doing their thing in Asia. Or…
2. Realise that it takes quality to put down the likes of Lionel Messi and Sergio Kun Aguero or Neymar and Ganso and tune in to see four evenly matched clubs going after an historic title rather than some club or other, on holiday, running up the score (assuming you’re not an Arsenal fan) against game but inferior local sides.

Think long and choose well, grasshopper.

If you’ve picked door number one, then the post ends here and have a nice day. If you’ve opted for door number two, though, here’s a look back at the quarters and a glance ahead to the semifinals.

On Saturday, Colombia and Peru kicked off the knockout rounds, with Los Cafeteros favoured to move on, especially in light of Porto demigod Falcao’s brace in their final group match against Bolivia. They were certainly the better team in the first ninety minutes but Peru held them off. Finally, just after the hour, Colombia had their best chance, when Falcao stepped up to the spot after Alberto Rodriguez interfered with Dayro Moreno inside the area. Colombian coach Hernan Dario Gomez summed it up well.

“It came down to scoring. We couldn’t capitalize. It came to details, because we have the scorers. Falcao never misses, he never misses.”

Falcao missed.

The game went to extra time and Peru capitalised on two errors from normally reliable Colombian keeper Luis Enrique Martinez. Martinez came out to fist away a free kick and, in colliding with a Peruvian player knocked it down to the ground rather than up and away. Carlos Lobaton rushed onto the ball and volleyed into the open net from distance. Ten minutes later, a lazy Martinez clearance was picked off and Juan Manuel Vargas made the netminder pay.

In the evening match, the hosts took on Uruguay. These are the two sides with the most victories in the competition, with fourteen apiece, but neither had enjoyed much success lately. Argentina came into the match overloaded with talent, Uruguay with resolve. The Albiceleste peppered the Uruguayan goal but Lazio keeper Fernando Muslera refused to let anything past, reaching double digits in saves on the night. Messi could not find a way through, tournament scoring leader Sergio Kun Aguero was frustrated and only Gonzalo Higuain, in the early going, managed find the target.

Higuain’s header, after running into the box to latch onto a Messi cross, on seventeen minutes, leveled terms after Diego Perez hit off the end of a Diego Forlan set-piece in the sixth minute. It was typical Forlan, the number ten nearer to the center line than the goal to take the set-piece, but he sent it floating into the box to be flicked back to the near post where Perez, who three minutes earlier had been cautioned, was waiting.

For the next hundred and three minutes, it was the Fernando Muslera show, with the Uruguayan stymying Argentina’s endless array of attackers at every turn, finally turning aside Carlos Tevez’ spot kick in the penalty phase to seal the victory.

Given the talent at his disposal, his inability to forge it into a cohesive unit, and his disdain for fan favourite Carlos Tevez, it’s fair to say that the death vigil is on for manager Sergio Batiste.

On Sunday evening, Chile took on Venezuela with the Estadio del Bicentenario already abuzz with the news that Brazil had joined Argentina on the tournament rubbish heap.  The Chileans, not heeding the trend in the competition, had to be confident that their superior skills would hold up against the workmanlike Venezuelan approach.  With Alexis Sánchez and Monterrey’s bullet-headed assassin, Humberto Suazo, up front and Arturo Vidal pulling the strings, the goals, which came consistently in the group stage, seemed assured.  Yet, Venezuela had found goals, as well, three of them against Paraguay in a wild shootout which ended in a draw, marring their previous clean sheets against Ecuador and Brazil.

Chile should have been prepared, then, when the Vinotinto rushed the goal on a thirty-fourth minute set piece and Oswaldo Vizcarrondo, you know him, he plays for Deportivo Anzoategui, headed inside the near post from ten yards.

It would take that much time again, plus a minute, for Chile to equalise.

Sánchez took a pass at the top right corner of the eighteen, skirted the box and sent a short cross into the penalty area for Suazo.  Taking advantage of a defender victimised by the frosty pitch, it is winter in the Southern Hemisphere, remember, the Mexican league star moved to his right and squeezed a shot between the post and keeper Renny Vicente Vega.

If La Roja thought they had siezed the momentum, they were dispelled of the notion ten minutes later, again from a set-piece.  The ball, delivered from near the touch-line bounced straight to Chilean goaltender Claudio André Bravo, who promptly spilled his treasure right into the path of Gabriel Cichero.  Venezuela held on for the final ten minutes and cashed in a date in the semifinal.

If Uruguay goalkeeper Fernando Muslera has an undiscovered twin brother, separated from him at birth, his name is probably Justo Villar.  The Paraguayan goalkeeper put in an almost identical performance to Muslera in the Guaranies quarterfinal match against Brazil.   Unlike their group encounter, when the Paraguayans almost stole a 2-1 victory from Brazil, before Neymar’s equaliser, the defending champions had no trouble with the ten men in the red and white stripes.  It was Villar, all in blue, who gave them fits.

Neymar had several good chances and Ganso was absolutely robbed by the Valladolid netminder.  In extra time, the best chance went to Paraguay’s Nelson Valdez, sending a first touch effort just wide of the mark.  When it was time for penalties, the wayward shooting continued for both sides, with Brazil missing three and having another turned aside by Villar.  Paraguay missed their first, before finally beating Julio Cesar twice.  That was enough to put them in the semifinal.

Afterwards, Brazil coach Mano Menezes bemoaned the fact that Paraguay had made it through, despite not winning any of their four matches.  That Brazil had only won the one and Paraguay had almost gotten the better of his side in their first encounter seemed to escape him.  He also delivered an indirect message to his demanding and impatient superiors at the CBF.

“It’s important to keep our calm after a loss and avoid thinking that it was all negative. We improved after the (goalless) start in the competition and we will continue working hard so we can reach the positive results in the future. It’s always disappointing when things don’t go our way. We lost to a team which hasn’t won a match yet and now has reached the semifinals. But that’s football and we have to learn how to live with that to avoid compromising the work that we’ve done so far. And at the same time we have to understand what we need to do to improve from now on.”

Menezes is correct in that his is a young squad and setbacks like this can be learning experiences on which to build in looking ahead to the 2014 World Cup.  CBF President Ricardo Texeira would be well advised to take the time to examine the pressure that was on the Argentines in this tournament.  Theirs was a veteran team and, although they didn’t score as frequently as the Brazilians, despite an arguably more potent attack, did play well in their final two matches.  Yet, there is no question that they did not respond to the moment and Texeira will be desperate to prevent the same from occurring to his squad in three years time.

With South American football’s reputation for attractive football, it’s somewhat ironic that the Copa America quarterfinals weren’t decided by goalscoring but, in Uruguay and Paraguay’s case, goaltending, and, in Colombia and Chile’s, the lack of it.   That irony has seen the grown-ups, Brazil and Argentina, sent packing, leaving the children to play for all the glory.

On Tuesday, Uruguay will face Peru, with la Celeste now sliding into the role of favourite.  In the other match, that mantle falls to Paraguay but Venezuela have made a compelling case for the rest of the continent to fear them even when they don’t have a bat in their hands.  Who knows?  If the eighth and tenth placed sides from CONMEBOL’s World Cup 2010 qualifying pull off two more upsets and meet in the Copa America final, maybe it is a sign of the apocalypse.

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It’s the silly season, so it shouldn’t be surprising that Friday’s headlines were much ado about nothing.  Or, to be more specific, much ado about players who have pretty much been doing nothing.

Owen Hargreaves, who is to match fitness what Diego Maradona is to managing, has apparently been invited by Sven-Goran Ericksson to drop his exercise video start-up and give footy one more try with Leicester City.  Ezequiel Garay, who spent 2010-11 sitting in the Santiago Bernabeu dugout guarding Jose Mourinho’s chewing gum, has apparently decided that Benfica would be more challenging.  Michael Essien, who, over the past eighteen months has morphed into the Ghanaian Owen Hargreaves has apparently done his knee once more and in serious fashion.  Lord Coe, who couldn’t get the 2018 England World Cup bid off the ground is now spending his time attempting to convince Britons that there will be a comprehensive UK team at the London Olympics.  Good luck with that.  Ryan Giggs is hardly comprehensive, unless you’re a female inlaw or into reality television.

Finally, as if Roberto Mancini didn’t have enough problems with vertically challenged footballers at Manchester City, Craig Bellamy has announced that he will not be going out on loan this season, not be training according to his manager’s wishes and not be conceding a single penny from his current £80,000/week wages to facilitate a move to another club.

At the writing, the Italian manager has not had a lot to say about that but whilst we wait on his considered opinion, here is a list of matches, all of which have something to offer on this weekend’s slate.

Women’s World Cup – Quarterfinals

England v France (Saturday) —  Sepp Blatter’s remarks about fashionable kits aside, football shows no distinction between the genders.  Thus, for England, Germany looms in the background whilst their immediate focus in the first knockout round is a strong French squad.  Les Bleus may have been unable to better the hosts in Group A but Hope Powell’s side did enough to top Group B.

The Three Lionesses’ back line will focus on stopping the partnership of Gaëtane Thiney and Marie-Laure Delie, who each have two goals in the tournament.   They will have to mind their teammates, as well, considering that three other players have also found the target.

England began slowly with a draw against Mexico, improved by fighting back against the Kiwis for a 2-1 victory and then hit their stride, knocking off second-place finishers Japan 2-0.  Like Les Bleus, Hope Powell’s side spreads the scoring around but they’ve also shown a more resolute defence, to this point.

They will have to continue that discipline to get to the finals.

Brazil v USA (Sunday) — The Americans fell behind early in their final group match against Sweden.  Before they knew what had hit them they were down two goals.  In particular, Amy le Pelbeit will be feeling the anguish as she drew a penalty for tripping Lotta Schelin on the quarter-hour.  Twenty minutes later, her misfortune grew as Nilla Fischer’s free kick ricocheted wildly off her, much to the dismay of goalkeeper Hope Solo.  The US pegged one back but couldn’t find another.

As a result, they now face mighty Brazil in the quarterfinal.  Marta and Rosana lead a Lady Selecao squad that is becoming every bit as impressive as the men.  They swept through the group with seven goals and three clean sheets and fully deserve their role as favourites.  The US will have to hope that their opponents are taken in by their own hype.  Otherwise, it will be a long afternoon in Dresden.

Kashiwa Reysol v Vegalta Sendai (Saturday) – League leaders Kashiwa Reysol had an absolutely horrible day at the office last weekend, dropping a 5-0 decision to thirteenth-placed Cerezo Osaka.  There’s no time to dwell on that performance, however, as Vegalta Sendai, just three points behind them in third, are coming to town intent on adding to the top side’s misery.

Reysol’s tandem of Junya Tanaka and Jorge Wagner need to re-ignite the attack or their season could head south in a hurry.  Shingo Akamine and Naoke Sugai have ten goals between them, though, for the Vegalta club, and they will be well-rested, having not played in eight days, that match a one-goal draw against Nagoya Grampus Eight.

NY Red Bull v DC United (Saturday) — The Red Bulls don’t think much of my compatriot Dwayne de Rosario, and to be honest, I can see their point, but I’ll expound on that elsewhere, over the weekend.  With their squad revitalised by the return of their remaining Gold Cup participants, the Red Bulls traded de Rosario, only just added to the roster this season, to a squad they were scheduled to meet a week later, that being DC United.

Having sent him packing, the Red Bulls didn’t miss de Ro much, hammering yet another of the Canadian’s former employers, Toronto FC, 5-0.  Thierry Henry and the pleasantly surprising Luke Rodgers, who has a similar reputation but hasn’t exhibited the selfishness of de Ro, kick started the party just beyond the half-hour.  Joel Lindpere put the match on ice in the second half and then Juan Agudelo, on for Rodgers, added a late brace.

Meanwhile, de Rosario made a good impression with his newest club, setting up Josh Wolff for the first goal in a 2-2 draw with the Philadelphia Union, thus helping his latest old side move into the top spot in the East.  Charlie Davies started the match for United but his ankle was still a bit tender and he was brought off just before the hour.

The question is will Ben Olsen sit Davies and hope that the de Ro/Wolff partnership exploits the revenge factor to knock off a second table topper in the space of a week, or has the prolific Davies, with eight goals over eight starts and six relief stints, done enough to hold his spot in the starting XI?  Of course, there’s always the possibility that all three will be in the line-up, which could turn this match into an old-fashioned shootout.

Real Salt Lake v FC Dallas (Saturday) — RSL have games in hand over all three teams that they are chasing in the West, including the Hoops, but they need to start winning for that to be a meaningful statistic.  It pains me to say it, but they haven’t beaten a non-Canadian side since the first week of May when they came out on top against Chivas USA in a 1-0 snoozefest.  In the interim, there have been ten matches, featuring difficult losses on the road to Columbus, at home to Sounders FC, victories against the expansion Vancouver Whitecaps and everyone’s whipping boys, my hometown TFC (thank you very much!) and six uninspiring draws.

Admittedly they opened up in Monday’s Fourth of July match against the New England Revolution.  The 3-3 scoreline set the tone for the post-match fireworks display, but whilst it suggested that RSL were hitting their stride offensively, it was not the typical performance one expects from the league’s stingiest defence.

Normally, this match would represent a chance for payback, with FCD having knocked them out of the playoffs last season.  Instead, Jason Kreis must be more concerned with his side’s current lack of focus.

British Virgin Islands v US Virgin Islands (Sunday) – It’s been the same old story since 1776.  The English just can’t keep the Americans under their thumbs.

Last week, the Catch previewed the first match of this two-legged affair.  The US Virgins - I’ll wait for you to stop laughing – took advantage of their home ground to open a 2-0 lead in the tie, thanks to goals from Alderman Lesmond in the opening ten minutes and Reid Klopp – no relation to Bayer Leverkusen coach Juergen, I’m fairly certain –  just before the hour.

The Brits now have it all to do in the Road Town leg and whatever happens, they can’t afford to let the Americans score again.

Brazil v Paraguay (Saturday) — Speaking of virgins, this is an inviting early match-up in the South American championship, and one which holds an intriguing promise.  All four teams in Group C drew their opening matches without a single goal being scored.  Yet, both Brazil and Paraguay have the players up front to change that.  The Paraguayans came into the tournament confident that they could win it all and if that wasn’t enough, they now have added motivation.

Their number one World Cup fan, lingerie model Larissa Riquelme has promised to pose nude (again) should los Guaranies manage the feat.  The pressure is on Nelson Valdez, Roque Santa Cruz and Lucas Barrios to break through the Selecao back line, then.  It won’t be easy and worse, it will be more difficult still to keep Neymar, Robinho and Pato from ravaging keeper Justo Villar.

I think I need a cold shower.

Argentina v Costa Rica (Monday) – “¡Peligro, Guillermo de Petirrojos, peligro!”

The hosts are lost in space at the Copa America.  Despite possessing the offensive talents of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Sergio Kun Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Diego Milito, Javier Pastore, Angel di Maria, Ever Banega and Esteban Cambiasso, manager Sergio Batista has seen his side collect just one goal in two matches against Bolivia and Colombia.

Where’s Dr. Smith when you need him?

The Albiceleste do have two points from two draws but that is only good enough for third place in the group.  If they do not win their final match against the Ticos, they will need a great deal of help from teams in the other two groups to reach the quarter-finals.  On the face of it, they obviously have the talent to do the job themselves.  All they need do is relax and let their ability flow freely.  Unfortunately, with the tournament on the line in front of their home support, tension seems to be ruling the day.

Fluminense v Flamengo (Sunday) — With their talented triumvirate of Neymar, Ganso and Elano all on Copa America duty, Libertadores champions Santos are near the bottom of the table, and when (if, in Neymar and Ganso’s case) the trio return, the focus will be merely in moving into the top half of the table.

Ronaldinho and his five goals, meanwhile, are not in Mano Manezes’ squad and Flamengo is taking advantage by pressing Corinthians for the top spot in the Campeonato.  Fluminense, struggling to find goals in eighth place, is without Fred, leaving Deco one less target to pick out from his place at the heart of the offence.  Thus, it will be two old gunslingers who can still pull off some tricky shooting facing one another on a lonely street, sadly overshadowed by the spectacle of the Copa America.

That’s what happens, however, when it’s well past high noon in one’s career.

See you next week!

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As the opening round of the Copa America wound down on Monday evening there was a cavalcade of celebrations including concerts galore, each with thunderous fireworks.  But that was only because I live in the US, where the Fourth of July is Independence Day.

In Argentina,  the only people who had anything to celebrate were the Chile National Team and their traveling support.  Virtually every other side in the competition had a less than auspicious beginning to their tournament and Chile’s opponents had seen enough celebrating before the tournament began to last them until the next World Cup.

La Roja wrapped up the first set of matches by claiming a 2-1 victory over a severely understaffed Mexico side.  El Tri were already without the five players suspended for testing positive for the banned substance clenbuterol and key players from their just completed Gold Cup victory, most notably Javier Hernandez.  Then they were left with a short bench when eight members of the Copa America squad were suspended for hosting several very friendly women in their hotel rooms after the final tune-up against Ecuador last week.  Their private slumber party became public knowledge when the players were robbed by accomplices of their female guests.  One of the players lost to the squad was Barcelona’s Giovanni dos Santos, the younger brother of erstwhile Tottenham forward Jonathan.

Despite the lack of resources, the Mexicans took the lead five minutes before half-time on a goal from Nestor Araujo of Cruz Azul.  The header was a bit of a shocker considering that it is the youngster’s initial first team goal for either club or country.  Although this was just his third international start, he has appeared seventeen times for Los Cementeros.

The Central Americans’ joy was short-lived, however.  Just past the hour, Esteban Paredes of Colo Colo, on for the ineffective Birmingham winger Jean Beausejour, equalised.  Six minutes later, Bayer Leverkusen’s Arturo Vidal put La Roja ahead to stay.

The three goals in the last of the six opening matches were almost half of the total in the round.  Only five of the other ten teams in the competition scored and each only once.

Luis Suarez made Liverpool fans happy by leveling terms for Uruguay against Peru at the stroke of half-time in the evening’s other match.  The Peruvians had gone ahead on twenty-three minutes through Hamburg SV’s Paolo Guerrero’s long breakaway goal.  Uruguay wasn’t able to finish off their overmatched opponents, though, as the second forty-five went scoreless.

On Friday, the tournament opened in nearly disastrous fashion for the hosts.  The Albiceleste, despite dominating possession and boasting a front line of Lionel Messi, Carlos Tevez and Ezequiel Lavezzi could not find goal.  After Edivaldo Rojas of Portugal second division club Naval staked upstart Bolivia to an early second stanza lead, it began to look like Argentina might begin their quest for glory in embarrassing fashion.  Finally, Atletico Madrid’s want-away star Sergio Kun Aguero came on and salvaged a point for coach Sergio Batista.

On Saturday, the other Group A match saw Colombia play ineffectively yet somehow claim a 1-0 victory over the tournament’s second guest country, Costa Rica.  Hertha Berlin’s Adrian Ramos scored just before the break and it proved to be enough.  Like Mexico, Costa Rica are without several players from their Gold Cup squad.  Especially missed is Real Salt Lake talisman Alvaro Saborio, who has returned to the MLS club, which is struggling to keep pace with the rampant LA Galaxy in the US league’s Western Conference.

Sunday was a forgettable day in the tournament, with both Brazil and Paraguay failing to get on the scoresheet.  The Selecao were all over lowly Venezuela but their northern neighbours survived through equal parts luck and stalwart defending.  Paraguay, with a wealth of dangerous forwards were unable to break through Ecuador.  On the other side, Manchester United winger was wishing that he could have Wayne Rooney or Javier Hernandez waiting to receive his service, rather than Mexican giant America’s inconsistent hitman Cristian Benitez.

Still, of the competition’s four favourites, only Chile should have concerns.  After all, if the past two World Cups are any indication, Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay are more likely to have success.  In South Africa, Spain struggled early and, in fact, only got their attack in gear against Honduras, throughout their entire championship drive.  Italy did much the same four years earlier.  Meanwhile, in the 2008 Euros, the Netherlands were scorching in the group stage, outscoring opponents 9-1, but their flame was doused emphatically by Russia in the quarter-final.  Strong play out of the gate is not necessarily a good omen.

On the business side, tournament organisers have yet to announce whether an alternative venue will be sought for the final.  The Monumental suffered severe damage in the rioting after River Plate were relegated to the second division in June.  Interestingly, that match was the only one scheduled for Buenos Aires.  The rest of the games are taking place in lesser known stadia in outlying cities.  It is good to see the AFA recognising that the rest of the country deserves some time in the spotlight, not to mention a lucrative boost in tourism.

See you in four days, with a further update!

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In the winter window, Liverpool left it until the death to sign Luis Suarez and then swooped for Andy Carroll just before UEFA could blow the whistle for full time.  While circumstances dictated the situation, it was still an expensive and undesirable way to conduct business, and almost parallel to their fortunes in the league.  This summer, the Reds got out of the gate early, hoping to get the jump on other teams, signing Sunderland starlet Jordan Henderson.

Unfortunately, they are still playing catch up, thanks to Manchester United’s aggressive dealings early on.  Sir Alex Ferguson beat Kenny Dalglish to both Phil Jones and Ashley Young and has now signed coveted keeper David de Gea.  The total bill to date is just over £50 million but, if United’s Premier League history is any indication, Ferguson is far from finished.  United like to get ahead of the field early to avoid the pressure of chasing but they are also known for finishing strongly.  It wouldn’t be a surprise to see the same philosophy applied to the transfer market now that United have committed themselves,  They’ve got the young nucleus they sought at forward (Danny Welbeck, Javier Hernandez), in defence (Chris Smalling, Jones and the da Silva twins) and in goal (de Gea). Now look for Fergie to add some fresh legs to an aging midfield.

However, while you’re sorting through all the rumours, trying to decide if a young veteran like Wesley Sneijder or a relatively unknown talent such as Steven Defour is in the Old Trafford crosshairs, have a look at the fixtures on tap for this weekend,

Women’s World Cup

So much for excitement.  My Lady Leafs had their heads handed to them by a rampant French side and are left with only their pride to play for in Germany, as the hosts and Les Bleus have both ensured their progression by taking maximum points from the group.  At least England fans will be happy, after the Three Lionesses overcame an early goal from Kiwi Sarah Gregorius to defeat New Zealand 2-1, with strikes from Jill Scott and Jess Clarke, and book a place in the knockout round.

USA v Colombia (Saturday) — The US women have gotten off to a good start as they look to regain their status as the world’s best side, defeating North Korea 2-0 on Tuesday.  Colombia, meanwhile, were beaten by Sweden in their opening match.  A victory for the Americans will see them into the knockout rounds.  Unfortunately, the match brings back memories of the men’s encounter in 1994, in which Andres Escobar’s own goal sent the American’s through and led to the defender’s tragic murder upon returning to Colombia.  If there is one benefit to the women’s comparatively low profile, it’s that people outside the squad aren’t likely to take defeat as badly as the players themselves.

Australia v Equatorial Guinea (Sunday) — The Matildas are up against it.  In their opening game against powerhouse Brazil, the Aussies gave as good as they got but failed to capitalise on their early chances.  It would cost them dearly ten minutes into the second half, when Marta played keepy-uppy with the Australian back line on the edge of the eighteen.  She then headed the ball to Rosana, who made a beautiful lunging touch to wrong-foot her marker, get the ball onto her own left foot and beat a stunned Melissa Barbieri in goal.

With Norway beating Equatorial Guinea in their first match, the Matildas must come away from this tilt with all three points to guarantee themselves a chance in the final group match against the Norwegians.

Urawa Diamonds v Gamba Osaka (Saturday) – In last week’s matches, three of the big four claimed draws in critical contests and came away from the round treading water in the table.  The problem for Urawa is that treading water is the same as drowning when you are just one point above the drop zone.

Now they find themselves defending Saitama Stadium against the only one of their brethren to come out of last week’s action with a victory.  Gamba Osaka overcame  Sanfrecce Hiroshima in an eight goal thriller to make it three wins on the trot, during which they’ve hit for eleven goals.  The moral of the story for Diamonds is that they cannot let up for a moment or Gamba will put one past them.

The home side needs to distance itself from the danger zone and the visitors will want maximum points to keep top side Kashiwa Reysol within six points.

DC United v Philadelphia Union (Saturday) — These two cities have an historic rivalry in the NFL, recently exacerbated by the Eagles trading their star quarterback, Donovan McNabb, to the capital city’s Redskins to make way for the incredibly athletic but morally flawed Michael Vick, recently released after serving a prison term for organising a dog fighting ring.

In Major League Soccer, United, the league’s original champions are now a faded dynasty trying to rebound with an untested young coach, in Ben Olsen, and a completely overhauled roster.  The Union are in just their second year of existence but Piotr Nowak’s tightly disciplined unit leads the Eastern Conference and, most notably, the NY Red Bull by two points.  Yet, Olsen has done well in the first half of the season and has his charges on the cusp of the playoffs.

Of late, Philadelphia’s stingy defence has begun to show a few cracks; they are still yielding less than a goal per game but at one point it was closer to one in every two.  What their excellent traveling support, the Sons of Ben (Franklin, a famous scion of the City of Brotherly Love, himself), do not want to see is Charlie Davies on the pitch recovered from the ankle injury which has kept him out for a game or two.  The one-time US International, on his way back from a tragic car accident which killed a friend and left him severely injured, has struck for eight goals over seven starts and six substitute appearances.  He is questionable for the match but, if he is ready to go, will surely test the Union back four.

US Virgin Islands v British Virgin Islands (Sunday) – Anglo footy fans on both sides of the Atlantic are aware of the huge upset in the 1950 World Cup and the subsequent rematch in South Africa last year, where Robert Green’s howler off a Clint Dempsey dribbler spoilt Captain Steven Gerrard’s early strike and split the points between friendly rivals England and the US.

The pair rarely meet in friendlies and more than half a century went by between their last two competitive matches, so this World Cup qualifier between the two Caribbean mini-me versions of the big boys might serve nicely as a between-meals snack.  The game may not register on the mainland radar but St. Thomas and Road Harbour should be rocking!

The Copa America got under way on Friday night with hosts Argentina taking on Bolivia and on Sunday Brazil will open defence of their title against Venezuela.  Neither of the giants are expected to encounter significant resistance in the group stages, so this is the time for the lesser lights to shine.

Paraguay v Ecuador (Sunday) – This affair is the best matchup on the weekend slate.

The Paraguayans, similar to Argentina, have a wealth of options up front.  Young Lucas Barrios of Bundesliga Champions Borussia Dortmund will try to uproot one of the established pair from the World Cup campaign, Nelson Valdez and Roque Santa Cruz.  Between that trio and netminder Justo Villar is a solid but unspectacular lineup, which combustible boss Gerrardo Martino has forged into a difficult group to crack.

Ecuador doesn’t have the depth of their opponents.  The only name which will ring a bell with Premier and Champions League fans is midfielder Antonio Valencia of Manchester United.  Instead of Wayne Rooney, his main target will be Club América (of Mexico) talisman Cristian Benitez.  New manager Reinaldo Rueda, who has just arrived after guiding Honduras through the World Cup, is charged with transforming La Tri from a side on the edge of respectability – they narrowly missed out on World Cup qualification in 2010 – into a team with which to be reckoned.

See you next week!

What I mean, of course, is that the average US citizen believes that patriotism demands complete dismissal of matters beyond his/her own borders.  That goes for left-wing liberals who quote Michael Moore as much as it does for Sarah Palin and her Tea Party devotees.  I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard the phrase, “America, Love It or Leave It!”

There may be a Lexus or a BMW in the garage, a Sony Playstation hooked up to a Mitsubishi big screen in the rumpus room and closets scattered throughout the house, full of clothes made in third world sweat shops, but when it comes to political, linguistic and cultural influences, it’s the American way or the highway.  I’m not going to delve into the ironies of trying to shut the rest of the planet out after practising 150 years of empirical foreign policy or ignoring that the nation was founded on the backs of wave after wave of poor unskilled immigrant labourers who were only to happy to take the menial jobs suddenly beneath those who had come before but I will say that MLS’ disregard for the rest of the footballing world is hindering their development.

This past week was an international one on the FIFA schedule.  Yet, even as the rest of the world shut down its top leagues while the best players went off to play for their countries, MLS played out a full slate of matches.  They didn’t even have the courtesy not to schedule any games on the same night as the US played Argentina in the new Meadowlands Stadium in New Jersey.  As a result, what should have been a marquee matchup between two of America’s best clubs, Real Salt Lake and LA Galaxy, was a blase one-sided affair with the Galaxy playing within spitting distance of the Pacific while their captain was giving his all for the Red, White and Blue a stone’s throw from the Atlantic.

Even though it was merely a friendly and the US remains several rungs down the ladder from Argentina, this was a special opportunity, a rare test against the world’s best player and FIFA’s fourth ranked country.  What’s more, both sides committed to playing full-strength starting XIs, unlike last fall’s clash with Brazil.  The result was an exciting encounter, where Lionel Messi and company ran rampant in the first half, held to just one goal by desperate defending and inhuman goalkeeping from Tim Howard, only for the US to come out in the second frame and take it to the Albiceleste with 18-year-old Juan Agudelo announcing that he is the real deal and leveling for the Yanks.  Yet, because seven of nine league matches were scheduled so close to the game in the Meadowlands, many young MLS fans who regularly attend their favourite club’s matches were asked to choose between club and country.

MLS commissioner Don Garber has displayed a patient hand and long-term vision in most aspects of the league’s developments, especially in not succumbing to the temptation of throwing dollars at every foreign talent willing to come to these shores to make MLS a larger, wealthier version of the Premier League.  Instead, he has linked the league to the development of the US Men’s National Team, slowly raising the calibre of play amongst an untapped pool of talent numbering in the millions.  Still, by choosing to play a full fixture list on Saturday, instead of on a Sunday when there was no NFL, no baseball and no NCAA Basketball tournament matches to compete against, the league sent a message that international football wasn’t really that important.  To MLS, its elite players being made unavailable is a slight inconvenience rather than a compliment to the rise in its competitive quality.  Imagine how they will feel if the league develops sufficiently to rival the Premier League, La Liga et al.

Last summer, much was made of the fact that the league finally stopped play during the World Cup, as every other nation does.  However, it wasn’t the full commitment it was made out to be. MLS merely paused for the early portions of the tournament.  Once the group stages and the round of 16 were completed, American soccer was back online.  As well, then, that the US crashed out in the first elimination round to Ghana.  Foreign managers such as Arsene Wenger and Sir Alex Ferguson may complain bitterly when players return from internationals injured and may protest the increasing amount of friendlies scheduled by FIFA but they would never dream of trying to wrest the spotlight from the world’s biggest competition.

Nor is FIFA blind.  They can see that the US league does the minimum required to warrant FIFA sanctioning.  That is why they laugh when Americans cry foul and claim that they were far more deserving of hosting the 2022 World Cup than Qatar.  Like anything else, you get out what you put in and, in December’s election, the Yanks were returned the same lip service that they constantly offer FIFA.

The large bloc of American fans who follow European or South American leagues see it, as well.  As long as they perceive MLS as a sideshow, rather than a league committed to the world’s game, the league will struggle to earn more than a niche-sized share of the American sporting market.

As great as he is, Little Leo has a much more down-to-earth sense of his place in the scheme of things than American soccer.

Youth players realise it.  That American independence is one reason that talented young stars like Neven Subotic and Giuseppe Rossi have chosen to play for Serbia and Italy, respectively, instead of the USMNT.  They want to be part of the world’s sporting consciousness, not just America’s.

Obviously, I see it, myself.  To my mind, it is possible to love one’s country best without having to show scorn for the rest of the planet.  That is why, without a moment’s thought, I chose to watch the US v Argentina match on Saturday evening and two or three other intriguing matchups, including England v Wales, the Dutch v Hungary and Slovenia v Italy over the weekend and completely skipped MLS.  TFC, Charlie Davies, the Red Bulls, Galaxy, Real Salt Lake and the quick-out-of-the-blocks Philadelphia Union will all be here next week but there won’t be further international matches until June.

With all the competition that the league faces from other American sports, it amazes me that they also distance themselves from FIFA.  Surely, the full support of the world’s most powerful sporting organisation would be helpful in breaking down the decades old prejudices of the game in America?  While it remains a climactic and financial impossibility to align their schedule to the European model, there are many other gestures that MLS and the USSF can make to show that they wish to be a full partner in the world’s game.  Giving proper deference to international play by not competing for the same audience would help.  Taking a different road than the NBA and its players, who often find it inconvenient to represent one’s country, might also raise the league’s esteem with FIFA, fans of the foreign leagues and patriotic-minded fans of other games, not to mention setting a proper example for its youngest supporters.  MLS holds the potential and, at times, the promise of becoming one of the greatest leagues on the planet but until they begin to walk more in step with the rest of the globe, they’ll remain a Johnny Come Lately.

Brazil “hosted” Scotland in their semi-official European digs, Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium.  No matter what Neymar says, this matchup provided great atmosphere with both sides of the crowd in a celebratory mood and, for once, a sunny London day but not such great football. The Scots are not the greatest team in Europe but they have a good defense, and that is what they did, defend all day.

Without much work to do, the makeshift Brazilian defense with Lucio and goalie Julio Cesar back but no David Luis, cannot be addressed seriously. The midfielders, though, were much busier, creating some chances against a deadlock defense. Elano was not in his preferred position and couldn’t deliver.  Jadson was unimpressive as well, playing almost as a right winger. It is clear for me that this version of the Seleção lacks the star quality of Kaká and Paulo Henrique Ganso.  Were that pair in the line-up, it would change this team upside down.

Subsequently, the spotlight was on the front duo in London. Leandro Damião made an honest debut in yellow, with a strong aerial game to match the Scot’s solid defense and some interesting movement with the ball at his feet and outnumbered by burly defenders. Neymar made two goals, some unfortunate headlines and paved the way for a more permanent return to London in the future.  Admittedly, he goes to ground too often and easily, is overly sensitive to criticism and will have to learn a lot about European football after his move to - insert name of wealthy club here -.  That said the penalty was well given and the first goal was beautiful. Now believe it when I say it that this game was just a glimpse of what this kid can do; he is much better than that.

Since Kentaro, the company which brokers Brazil’s friendlies, couldn’t find another opponent, Mano Manezes’ side played just the one game. Argentina on the other hand had two matches, but they were not as interesting as they appeared.  In New Jersey against the USA, coach Sergio Batista confirmed the same team that had played in his previous matches with just a change in goal, with Mariano Andujar getting an opportunity to prove his worth. The Argentinians dominated the first half and scored their goal at the 41st minute.  After a brilliant Lionel Messi run, Esteban Cambiasso just touched down. Messi indeed was the bright spot , perhaps the only Albiceleste who truly sought to make forward moves and create any danger. The second half was a bit different with the Americans controlling the ball for more time and tying the match through Juan Agudelo.

Messi terrorised the US in the first half of their match and, a few days later, the Ticos players were far less disappointed than their fans that he was left out in San Jose.

Three days later the Argentinians played in San Jose, to help the Costa Ricans celebrate their shiny new stadium.   The Ticos actually played the Chinese in their debut match in the new ground, as a thank you to the Chinese company which designed and built the facility, if you can call a 2-0 victory gratitude. The follow-up was a less exciting affair.  Batista made several changes, most notably resting Leo Messi, and a dull goalless draw ensued.

Elsewhere, Chile, without the imaginative Marcel Bielsa at the helm, went through the motions in another lacklustre draw, against Portugal, who were idle in Euro qualification.  They did show some life in a victory over Colombia, played in the Netherlands, strangely enough. Paraguay surprised the  Americans in Nashville after losing badly to the Mexicans over the weekend and Uruguay had two games as well.  Their first was a defeat against Estonia on the snowy Tallinn pitch but it was followed by a win in Ireland highlighted by a good display from defender Lugano.

Given that most clubs used the friendlies to experiment, it’s difficult to offer any real analysis as to how they will fare when the Copa America rolls around.  From Argentina, one would expect something closer to the first half performance against the US than the drab exhibition put on in San Jose and hope for the type of football played in their second matches from both Chile and Uruguay.  As for Brazil, much will depend on the health and fitness of players like Kaka but even at less than full strength, the Seleção will be dangerous and eager to make a statement ahead of 2014.  Sepp Blatter may think Brazil is behind schedule with its infrastructure preparations but the players are chomping at the bit.

Certainly, there was some skullduggery from the Americans in utilising their home-field advantage to the fullest.  Usually outnumbered in the stands by supporters of the visiting club, the numbers were close to fifty-fifty in New Jersey, which was nice to see and hear.  But the Yanks were more literal in their application of the home-field edge, refusing to water down the pitch before the match.  Somewhat ironically, the grass in New Meadowlands Stadium, built on a marshy swamp, was dry as a bone.  As a result, long balls died when they hit the ground, rather than skittering as they would on a slick surface.  The intent was to artificially slow down the speedy Argentine attack to help the US defenders keep them in check.

As it was, the Americans were very hard pressed to do that in the opening 45 minutes.  The full strength side sent out by Sergio Batista spent virtually the entire half camped out in the attacking end.  If Lionel Messi wasn’t pinballing off the opposition left and right, the ball only leaving his foot to work a one-two with a teammate or to attempt a shot, then Angel di Maria was scampering in from either flank, testing every last one of US and Everton keeper Tim Howard’s nerves.  Banished by Diego Maradona, Inter duo Javier Zanetti and Esteban Cambiasso were winning the ball back and resetting the attack as though they had never left.  When the ball wasn’t delivered to Messi or di Maria, Ever Banega or Ezequiel Lavezzi would latch onto it and give the centre pairing of Jay de Merit and Oguchi Onweyu fits.

As ESPN analyst John Harkes noted, there was no Carlos Tevez, no Gonzalo Higuain and no Diego Milito but it really didn’t matter.  Argentina simply has too many top-class players ready to step into their attack and, whoever is on the pitch, they just keep coming at you.

Yet for 42 minutes, the US defence held back the perfect storm.  Finally, Messi would make a run around the box and down to the end line, to the right of goal, before poking a pass between Carlos Bocanegra’s wickets to a waiting teammate.  As he had been for the entire half, making countless saves, Howard was there to get a leg in front of the shot.  Unfortunately, the rebound came to a charging Esteban Cambiasso, who nearly tore the netting from the crossbar, such was the force of his shot into the roof of the goal.

Leo Messi gathers in the ball after Cambiasso's thunderous strike put the Yanks in arrears.

A disappointed American side managed to hold the fort for the final 3 minutes before heading into the tunnel to regroup.  As has been typical of the side under coach Bob Bradley, regroup is exactly what they did.  He has faults which I will soon address but he is definitely a master motivator.  Bradley brought on 18-year-old Red Bull NY striker Juan Agudelo, to the thrill of the New York crowd, for struggling Blackburn Rovers holding mid Jermaine Jones.  The adjustment paid off, as the youngster was on hand to tap in a spilt save from a Landon Donovan set-piece.

Nor did Agudelo’s goal come against the run of play.  The second half possession was much more even and the Americans tested Argentine keeper Mariano Andujdar often.  In fact, they exerted enough pressure that a few of the suddenly harassed Albicieleste, most notably former Liverpool anchor Javier Mascherano, felt the need to resort to play-acting, playing on the Mexican referee’s sympathies to draw fouls that halted some promising American movements.  Yet, turnabout is fair play, I suppose.  If the Yanks were willing to alter the pitch in their favour, why shouldn’t their guests influence the official?

As it was, the Americans were able to keep Messi and company at bay in the final 45, to hold on for a famous draw.  Certainly, the US fans at the match continued their party long into the night afterwards, although I did have to laugh at one knucklehead in a crowd of youthful revelers that ESPN kept featuring.  The group was in a raucous mood and more than willing to ham it up everytime the camera was turned on them.  Unfortunately, this one gangsta wannabe stood out from his friends, all draped in stars-and-stripes gear.  Bedecked in a jaunty red, white and blue Montreal Expos cap, he was representing the correct colours but his geography was just a bit off.

For me, however, there were some glaring issues that the result and the calibre of opponent obscured.

The biggest issue is Bob Bradley’s continuing inability to get his squad and tactics right from the get-go.  For five years now, the American team has been known as a strong, hardworking side that never gives up.  Time after time, they have fought back from an adversarial beginning to secure at least a draw.  It’s wonderful that the squad had the confidence to suck it up against FIFA’s 4th ranked team and claim a draw but life would be so much easier if they could get off on the front foot and put the other guy behind the eight ball.  As I’ve said elsewhere and more than once, when the same problem remains uncorrected for so long, it’s down to the coaching, not the players.

Has Altidore's time in the spotlight during the Confederations Cup made him unwilling to be a selfless contributor to the team?

In this match, the coach began with a 4-5-1, with Bradley the younger, Jones and Maurice Edu forming a mid-field triangle in front of the defence.  The idea was to outnumber and shut down the attacks of Messi and Lavezzi who make a living picking their way through multiple defenders.

Unfortunately, the scheme uncovered another weakness.  Jozy Altidore was left up top by himself, where he was either unable to put enough pressure on Argentina’s weak link, their unproven defence.  The yet-to-be-broken-in pairing of Nicolas Burdisso and Gabriel Milito had no problems collecting American clearances and avoiding Altidore, thus freely initiating an unending wave of first-half attacks.

Worse, when Altidore did get to a clearance first, he was unwilling to hold the ball until support arrived, preferring to attempt to break down two or three blue and white shirts alone.  Even if he hasn’t been playing much, Altidore has been around the national team long enough to know better.  Of course, that’s assuming he was coached beforehand to wait for help. Surely, he was but  felt the need to press his own case by going his own way.   If so, perhaps it is time to let him do just that.  Agudelo has shown that he can work with teammates and, despite his tender years, has the confidence and skill to lead the line.  Moreover, Charlie Davies’ 3 goals in two games as a late substitute for DC United hint that his return is imminent.  Altidore, on the other hand, has yet, over two or three years, to make himself more than just the best option at hand.

In the second half, Bradley was able to rally the troops – and correct his tactical error – by bringing in Agudelo to partner Altidore.  Suddenly, when the ball was sent up the pitch, Burdisso, Milito and Mascherano, in front of them, had little time to pick out teammates and the USA’s high pressure quickly paid off in the leveller.  Yet, the shift in the match’s balance of power exposed another concern for the Americans.

In the opening stanza, there was so much pressure on the US defenders that it was difficult to blame them for simply letting the ball fly whenever they had the opportunity.  Yet, after the tactics were changed, Onweyu continued to hoof and hope, even though he now had time.  Like Altidore, Guch mostly sat on the bench in Milan and now that he is at Twente, he is being used at left back rather than in front of goal, as he is accustomed.  As a result his play is hurried and he is occasionally out of position.

Onweyu's rust has caused him to be dangerously out of sync.

Moreover, much as Andujdar’s bobble gifted Agudelo his goal on the doorstep, it was Onweyu’s error, in turning towards the goal and ball watching, rather than facing the attack and picking up the unmarked Cambiasso, which was key in presenting Argentina with the lead.  Onweyu’s panicky play on the evening was a worry, although not so much as Altidore’s selfishness.

Hopefully, a few more matches under his belt will bring Onweyu’s old confidence back.  It would be a sorry thing for him to become the American version of Rio Ferdinand, once feared and respected but slowed by injury and transformed into a serious liability.  As if to reassure everyone that his poor form is temporary, Guch moved well, late in the game, to cut out Angel di Maria after the winger had beaten Jay de Merit badly.

So, the primary dilemma for the US remains Bob Bradley.  USSF president Sunil Gulati flirted twice with bringing Jürgen Klinsmann aboard but was ultimately unwilling to cede the control over football matters which the German required.  Now, there is talk of former Chile manager, Marcel Bielsa being brought in as technical director.  To my mind, the Mad Scientist’s greatest skill is his tactical nous, although there is much to be said for his development of Alexis Sánchez especially, but also Jorge Valdivia, Jean Beausejour and Mark Gonzalez.  I am not sure what he would bring to the US program as managing director, as any contact he had with the squad would be through Bradley, but it would be interesting to see how the side would respond if he were installed in the dugout.

In parting, I want to apologise to any foreigners who had to listen to John Harkes repeated Maradona bashing.  Yes, the Albiceleste are much improved under Sergio Batista but it is not, as Harkes incessantly alleged, because that they are out from under El Pibe’s massive ego and have more freedom to express themselves.  Under football’s version of Napoleon, Argentina had complete freedom to play as they wished in South Africa, in complete contrast to the rigid structure of virtually every other squad in the tournament, including Brazil and Spain.   The only other squad which came close to the Albiceleste’s attacking flair was their eventual nemesis, Germany.

Worse, Harkes was in South Africa and raving about how beautiful the Argentines looked with the ball at their feet. Still, on Saturday night, he hammered away at this new perspective until it was deader than Maradona’s brief managerial career.  How is it that America are now expected to reach the final 16 in the World Cup but easily have the world’s worst commentators?  If Gulati ever lets Bob Bradley go, I wonder how he’d do behind a microphone?

It’s an international weekend, which means Fergie and Wenger can complain about the referees to their heart’s content and Carlos Tevez, Arjen Robben and Antonio di Natale will enjoy a week off.  Most importantly, John Terry will be sporting the armband for England but Craig Bellamy hasn’t revealed whether he’ll be playing a wedge or a nine iron.  In any event, here’s the cream of the international crop, according to our cracked WFC writing staff.

Wales v England, Euro 2012 Group G (Saturday) – The Welsh haven’t had much to crow about in international competition beyond a lone World Cup appearance in 1958 and a final eight berth in the 1976 Euros.  Yet, a new generation of Dragons led by Aaron Ramsey, Gareth Bale and veteran Craig Bellamy have the firepower to cause concerns for group favourites England.  Unfortunately for the Welsh, their most exciting player, Bale, has been ruled out of the contest with a wonky hamstring.  Thus, Gary Speed’s side will be hard-pressed to cope with a Three Lions squad which is eager to get back on track after a dismal World Cup and must also make up ground on Montenegro, who lead them by 3 points, having played one game extra.

The press has played up every angle of the rivalry between the neighbours, dredging up Bellamy’s damning assessment of reinstated England captain John Terry and criticising Capello’s call-up of Wolves’ winger Matt Jarvis.  With the absence of Bale and the captaincy issue finally settled, England should take all 3 points but, as with any derby, form goes out the window and Wales will be confident when they take the pitch at the Millennium Stadium. – Martin Palazzotto

♦   ◊   ♦

Brazil v Scotland, Friendly (Sunday) – I’m really looking forward to this one as I will be in the Emirates Stadium to witness it first hand. I have always wanted to see the magical Yellow Brazilian tops up close.

For Brazil, Robinho and Ronaldinho have not been selected but they will bring hotshot youngsters Neymar from Santos and Lucas of rival Sao Paolo, with a view to next years London Olympics. They do have some of the old guard with Lucio, Elano & Julio Cesar in the squad.  I am  very interested to see if classy defenders David Luiz and Thiago Silva can play alongside each other.

For Scotland, the question is will they be able to cope?  Allan McGregor will have a busy time in goal and Charlie Adam has a lot of pressure on his shoulders to make the Scots tick, whilst the lack of striking options means Kenny Miller will play as a lone striker yet again.  Still, whatever the score, the Tartan Army will revel in taking over London for the weekend and trying their hand at a bit of Samba dancing. – Scott Johnston

There is only one acceptable outcome possible for this match, a Brazilian win. The Seleção have been in a rare run of poor form, with consecutive losses to Argentina and France. Although coach Mano Menezes seem to be fairly secure in his job, he is none too happy with recent results. To change that, he has recalled veterans like Julio Cesar, Maicon and Lucio, who have been out of the squad since their early exit in South Africa.

Real Madrid fullback Marcelo’s excellent form has earned him a spot among the starting eleven but the big surprise is at the forward position. With Nilmar and Pato sidelined due to injuries, Leandro Damião will start the match alongside Neymar. Damião has been an impressive force at Internacional, here in Brazil, leading the line in the Campeonato Gaucho (Porto Alegre State Championship) and the Copa Libertadores. Both the youngsters and returning veterans will wish to impress the coach – and the media – to prove that they deserve a spot in this year’s Copa América, the first official step on the road to 2014. – Fab Presilli

♦   ◊   ♦

Germany v Kazakstan, Euro 2012 Group (Saturday) – Top v bottom meet in Group A and surely no one can look past Germany for this game.  It would take a miracle for Bernd Storck to lead his side past one of the strongest teams in Europe. Joachim Low’s latest squad has a mixture of the World Cup side and some young faces pushing through. The Dortmund trio of Mat Hummels, Mario Götze and Sven Bender might get a chance to show their worth. – Bachelor-no-more Andrew Gibney

♦   ◊   ♦

Luxembourg v France, Euro 2012 Group D (Friday) – The big story in France is the call-up of two of the ringleaders in the World Cup training ground strike, Franck Ribery and Patrice Evra. While Laurent Blanc has claimed the door is open for the transgressors, their presence can be put down at least partially to injuries, with normal starters Eric Abidal and Mathieu Valbuena sidelined for both clashes this week. The French media’s obsession with this one story more than faintly echoes the crazed attention given by the British tabloids to John Terry taking back the armband.

Both Evra and Ribery may go straight into the starting line-up,the latter likely assigned the right wing, although the possibility remains he could start in place of Malouda on the left. Otherwise, Les Bleus should look familiar to their recent outings.  The one disputed territory for the Luxembourg match is midfield, where Blanc may deploy the more attacking Yoann Gourcuff instead of his former Bordeaux favourite Alou Diarra.  That means, then, that Karim Benzema – who stunned Brazil last time out – will lead the line.

Predicted line-up for Friday:  G – Hugo Lloris/ D – Bacary Sagna, Adil Rami, Phillippe Mexès, Patrice Evra/ MF - Yoann Gourcuff, Yann M’Vila, Franck Ribéry, Samir Nasri, Florent Malouda/ F – Karim Benzema

France v Croatia, Friendly (Tuesday) — This match will be a much better spectacle and could see some of the younger players, like Mamadou Sakho, Abou Diaby, Jeremy Menez, and Kevin Gameiro, given their chance. Rest assured, however, that Blanc will still take this game very seriously, looking to follow up impressive wins – in display, if not in scoreline – against Brazil and England with yet another at the Stade de France. – Tapesh Patel

♦   ◊   ♦

Hungary v Holland – (Friday) then Holland vs. Hungary (Tuesday) Euro 2012 Group E — Two countries with a proud and rich footballing traditions meet for the first time in a competitive game in over two decades on Friday.   Then, as if to make up for lost time, they do it all again on Tuesday.  The Dutch go into the first game in Budapest without a competitive defeat over 90 minutes, under the managerial reign of Bert van Marwijk, but have a couple of injuries to deal with.  Most notable will be the continuing absence of influential winger Arjen Robben.  The Bayern Munich man, since his initial return early this year, has been riding the crest of a wave and would have benefited the national team greatly.

Yet his misfortune will once again be Ibrahim Afellay’s gain.  The ex-PSV captain who moved to sunny Catalonia in the winter transfer window, has greatly benefited from a run out in the Oranje first team, giving a stellar performance against Sweden in the last qualifier game.  However, a lack of minutes at Barcelona may go against him, although I can’t see who else van Marwijk would opt for in that wide left berth.  There’s Urby Emanuelson but, like Afellay, he hasn’t featured much for AC Milan – hardly, in truth.

Another worry for van Marwijk is who will replace Maarten Stekelenburg in the Dutch goal?  The Ajax keeper has done very well to fill the void left by Edwin van der Sar’s international retirement. I’d expect FC Utrecht keeper Michel Vorm to deputise, being the best of what is a very average bunch in reserve.

On the other side there will be a familiar face, in PSV winger Balázs Dzsudzsák, who is confident that his side can get a result but is urging caution.  As the lack of recent meetings between the sides is largely down to the Hungarians’ long absence from the top echelon of European powers, guarded optimism is certainly understandable.  Still, the Magyars would love to surprise the Dutch much as the Golden Team surprised the World at the 1954 World Cup. – Mohamed Moallim

♦   ◊   ♦

Lithuania v Spain, Euro 2012 Group I (Tuesday) — Defending Euro champions Spain visit Lithuania in midweek, bidding to cement their place in next year’s finals.  Currently sitting on top of Group I with a 100% record, two wins from their next two games should be enough to take the Spanish through.  While the hosts will have warmed up with a friendly against Poland, Spain have to negotiate a tricky game with Czech Republic.  Yet, neither match will be a siesta in the sunshine.  A Fernando Llorente double helped Spain to a 3-1 win over the Baltic state back in October.  The Athletic Bilbao hitman could be called upon to deliver once more, with first choice marksmen Fernando Torres and David Villa currently out of form.  Injured trio Cesc Fabregas, Carlos Puyol and Pedro miss out, so Javi Martinez and Juan Mata have been promoted from the Under-21 squad.

Lithuania have four points from their opening three games, with a credible 1-0 victory away against the Czechs being their highlight thus far.  That said, qualification was always going to be hard after being paired with Spain.  Defenders Marius Stankevicius (Valencia), Marius Zaliukas (Hearts), midfielder Arvydas Novikovas (St Johnstone), and striker Tomas Danilevicius (Livorno) are the notable inclusions in a 26 man squad. – Shaun Best

♦   ◊   ♦

Portugal v Chile, Friendly (Saturday) — Without Cristiano Ronaldo, the Portuguese side has to rely on some new names, like André Santos, and some old ones, like Nelson. Liédson could, or better, should be there with his compatriots, as he is in excellent form in Brazil, playing for Corinthians.

Mauricio Pinilla is usually the big name for Chile, however he is probably out due to an injury. Hector Mancilla has been playing well in Mexican side Tigres and will have his chance to appear in the national spotlight. This will be a big test for La Roja under new coach Claudio Borghi, who must keep the squad on track for the Copa America in the wake of Marcelo Bielsa’s protracted departure.

After facing Chile, Portugal will pick up where they left in the Euro qualifiers, playing Finland in Aveiro. – Fab Presilli

♦   ◊   ♦

Slovenia v Italy, Euro 2012 Group C (Friday) — “We’ll win easily on Friday, 2-0. More than that, I’ll say Slovenia will have 70 per cent possession. Am I exaggerating? No.” – Former Slovenian great Zlatko Zahovic, speaking to an Italian newspaper this week.

Cesare Prandelli hopes to do what no other Italian national manager has done before:  win in Slovenia.  Lucky to draw in 1994, ten years later, the Azzurri were narrowly beaten by a late strike, which saw Slovenia leapfrog them in their qualification group.  A defeat in Ljubljana will bring about the same result but perhaps third time’s a charm?

The last four meetings have been decided by a solitary goal, so defence will be key.  Two survivors from the 2004 defeat, Gianluigi Buffon and Alberto Gilardino, are in the squad but there is no place for the country’s top marksman, Antonio Di Natale. At age 33, Toto is being snubbed in favour of younger players for Prandelli’s next generation Italy.

Also out of the squad are Daniele De Rossi and Mario Balotelli after both fell afoul of Prandelli’s new code of ethics.  Prandelli has confirmed he will lineup with a 4-3-1-2 formation, with former Sampdoria teammates Antonio Cassano and Giampaolo Pazzini reuniting upfront.  Italy tested the new team and formation in an hour-long game against the Under 18 side with the seniors winning 4-0.

Seven members of the Slovenian squad currently ply their trade in Serie A.  They have tasted defeat once so far in this campaign as the usually goal-shy Northern Ireland emerged with a 1-0 victory back in September.  Since then, the home side have drawn with Serbia, thrashed the Faroe Islands and narrowly beaten Estonia.  Top scorer Tim Matavz may start from the bench as the Groningen forward is carrying an injury. – Shaun Best

♦   ◊   ♦

USA v Argentina, Friendly (Saturday) — Carlos Tevez. That has been the main name coach Sergio Batista keeps leaving out of the Albiceleste squad.  While Batista claims it is not a punishment for the Man City player opting out of the Brazil friendly, claiming injury, only to play 90 minutes for his club just days later, the diminutive striker has been a dynamo for the Eastlands outfit.  To be fair, Tevez did miss the Chelsea match with a niggly groin but has been cleared for next weekend’s Sunderland game.

Lionel Messi is the big name on hand but the Americans are a real test for the Argentinians, ahead of a home tournament. Javier Pastore and Nicolas Gaitan will form the rest of the offensive trio in New Jersey. The goalie will be a last minute surprise, although Agustin Marchesin of Lanus is the most probable starter. Argentina plays against Costa Rica next Tuesday. I expect two wins but with less than impressive football leading more fans and reporters loudly calling for Tevez’ return. – Fab Presilli

♦   ◊   ♦

See you next week, when we can all tap into our inner Craig Bellamy and get back to the club grind.

So angry was I that I couldn’t see the good in my life. Lucky enough to be privately educated, I could have gone on to a top university, travelled and begun a promising career. Instead, I spent eight years blaming fate for the sorrows it had visited on me.

Curiously enough, Liverpool endured a very similar incident, during that time, to the one it is going through now. Club legend Michael Owen left for greener pastures, having made noises about the desire to win trophies. Of course, he didn’t get exactly what he was looking for at Real Madrid and was snapped up by Newcastle, for £18 million, after a season on the Galactico bench.

It's a sad fact of life that sooner or later, we all have to move on.

There was no happy ending for him on Tyneside, either. He continued to struggle with the injuries that had plagued him at Anfield, eventually losing his England place, unthinkable for the man who had scored ‘the’ goal against Argentina in the France ’98 World Cup. At St. James Park, he would endure the lowest point of his career, unable to find the goals that would keep the Geordies in the Premier League and reduced to shopping his CV to prospective clubs when the consensus was that he should just quit the game entirely.

When Owen left Anfield Road, I took it personally. Depression breeds from negativity and what could be more negative than your hero turning his back on you, as Owen did to the Kop when he joined Real? For the longest time afterward, I hated Michael Owen with a ferocity I now find difficult to imagine.

Today, some would argue that Fernando Torres has gone even further, not just turning his back on Merseysiders but selling his soul to the blue devil that is Roman Abramovich. As with Owen, the internet is roiling with hate for the once beloved Spaniard. Suddenly, Torres worshippers see fit to burn his shirt, forgetting that it still bears the Liverbird we all hold dear.

Yet, what exactly does Torres owe us? While here, he has given everything he has for the club and going to Chelsea, of all places, must have been an emotionally tearing decision. Like Owen, Nando wishes to win and to provide for his family. He has seen the money come out for Luis Suarez and likely approached the club with regards to his own needs.

However, also like Owen, he has begun to be hampered by injury. The new ownership, while pledged to listen to the Kop, doesn’t yet have the emotional ties to the ‘Liverpool Way.’ It is not difficult to imagine that when they finally identified their targets and swooped for Suarez, Fenway Sports Group felt that a large investment in Torres was not the risk they wished to take.

Instead, they followed Ajax’s example and hardballed the Blues into paying a premium for El Nino and used the money to claim Andy Carroll. While Carroll has also had some knocks, he is a much stronger specimen than Torres, not to mention younger.

For everyone but the fans, football is a business. In whichever order it came about, both the club and Torres made decisions about their future. What right do we have to castigate a man for looking out for his own best interests? If he feels that this is the time to move on, then we should at least afford him the respect that he deserves for his previous efforts.

While Torres is chauffeured to London, Carroll is carted to Anfield. Limo drivers must have 31 January circled in their day planners.

I am still in a state of shock over the whole matter, if I am honest, and I think it will be a good while before I can emotionally come to grips with Torres’ leaving. These days, though, I have a much wiser head. I’ve worked very hard to get my life back on track, into a semblance of what it could have been. I’ve realised that fate doesn’t always deliver what I expect from it but that I can make the best from what it does offer, if I only open my mind to the possibilities.

If I can do that for myself, how can I deny another man the same opportunity? This time around, I will not hate my sporting hero. Instead, I will wish him well. There is a reason that we all worshipped him and I, for one, will not simply abandon those memories to replace them with hate. He may have broken my heart by moving to Chelsea, but he has to do what is right for himself and his family. I sincerely hope that he has gone for the proper reasons, as regret is one of the most difficult emotions you can ever have to deal with.

El Niño, you will always have a place in my heart. Thank you for the good times and good luck in your future. I hope you rediscover your best, especially in the two matches to come against Man United, just not when you play my Reds!

♦   ◊   ♦

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This week, that means the first spate of qualifiers for Euro 2012, as well as plenty of fixtures in Australia, Argentina, Brazil, and the US.  If you didn’t catch our big Euro preview midweek, it’s right here.  The upcoming matches aren’t all that has fans of the European game abuzz this week, though.  The transfer market has closed, although not without a flurry of last minute business.

Now that Alex has this transfer thingy down, maybe he can find a decent barber.

If you see a smiling Harry Redknapp walking about London, during the break, don’t ask him for an autograph.  His hands are still swollen from a last desperate grab, just as the transfer window slammed shut.  His grin is genuine,  though, because coming away with Real Madrid’s surplus midfield magician, Rafael van der Vaart, for Tottenham, was certainly worth the pain.

In Birmingham, Alex McLeish has no need of painkillers.  His timing was much better than Redknapp’s, as he landed Barca benchwarmer, Alex Hleb, Chilean World Cup winger Jean Beausejour and the towering Spartak Moscow centre back, Martin Jiranek, all earlier on deadline day,.  With the trio joining the likes of Matt Derbyshire and Ben Foster as newcomers to City, the Blues are looking good to improve on their ninth place finish, last term.  Now chairman, Peter Pannu is on the hook to sign the Scot to a new deal, after having made some unflattering remarks regarding his ability.

Most players only do this after scoring a goal; For Robinho, this is his reaction to everything.

While McLeish and Redknapp were adding to David Cameron’s headaches over immigration, Man City provided some relief for the Tory PM, shipping the red tagged Brazilian, Robinho, to AC Milan, at well over a 50% discount on his £32M purchase price of two years ago.  Although Silvio Berlusconi will need to find some spare change hidden under his mistress, sorry, mattress to exercise the option to purchase Zlatan Ibrahimovic from Barcelona, for €24M in one year’s time, the suddenly economically minded Italian president at least broke even on the Robinho deal, by sending Klaas-Jan Huntelaar to Schalke 04 for €13M.  With the aging squad he has, if the lecherous Berlusconi can keep getting these kinds of players through the door without cracking open his wallet, maybe he does deserve to continue running the entire country for a while longer.

Back in England, all twenty Premier League clubs submitted their 2010 rosters on Wednesday.  Despite all the kerfluffle, no one seemed to have much trouble complying with the Homegrown Rule.  Many clubs simply named less than the maximum 25 non-homegrown players to their squad and supplemented those they did with a bevy of youngsters.  In fact, Arsene Wenger, who is known the world over as a despiser of the rule, got in one last dig, by naming just a 20 man roster, accompanied by a whopping 56 under-21′s.

Oh, and we almost forgot.  Mikel Arteta won’t be playing for England.  The FIFA archivists, working long into the night in their Zurich vaults, uncovered an obscure rule which prevents the Everton midfielder from featuring for the Three Lions.  Apparently, since he played for Spain as a wet-behind-the-ears teenager, without holding a UK passport at the time, it won’t matter if he obtains one now.  That’ll teach us to write a feature article on the subject.

Not a person to be reasoned with.

The  international matches, all scheduled on Friday, make for an early weekend in Europe,  but Monday is the Labour Day holiday in North America.  For MLS fans, that’s not a reason to celebrate.  To them, the holiday is like some horribly mutated version of Groundhogs Day.  The difference, in this case, is that instead of a cute little bucktoothed rodent popping out of a hole, hoping to avoid its own shadow, a pair of terrifyingly large and hideous monsters, known as the NFL and NCAA football emerge from their lairs and stomp on anyone not wearing a football jersey decorated with large numbers on both sides.

Outsized and outnumbered, MLS will soldier on with a full slate of fixtures this weekend.  Mexico, however, features just a single match on its calendar.  Experts believe this has direct relation to the fact that most US Border Patrol agents are massive grid-iron fans, who would never miss opening day.

In the southern half of the Americas, Corinthians legend Roberto Carlos can rest easier tonight.  After years of study, French physicists have confirmed that the incredible bend that the former galactico put on his infamous 1997 free kick against their home side, was indeed no fluke and that the Brazilian deserves every accolade for greatness he receives.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=crSkWaJqx-Y

It’s one thing for a planet full of pubcrawlers to argue that you’re the most amazing left back of all time but it’s another when science is on your side.  Forget string theory and quantum mechanics, this is research grant money well spent.

Now to what’s on tap this weekend.  The WFC gang is back to serve it up but you’ll have to supply your own pretzels.

That mad Baggins is off again...

From the desk of the vacationing Geoff Edwards

Belgium v Germany, Euro ’12 Group A

Given that many of the day’s headline matches are of the killer whale versus minnow variety, this tilt stands out at first glance.  Unfortunately, Geoff notes that Die Mannschaft haven’t lost to the Belgians since 1954, which, and I don’t get to say this often enough anymore, is before I was born.  In that match, the Rote Teufel (think ManU or AC Milan) caught the Germans with a major hangover, it being the champions’ first game after winning their initial World Cup.  Thomas Vermaelen wears the armband for the hosts, while Philip Lahm, now officially caretaking for Michael Ballack, leads out the visitors.  As well, Manuel Neuer’s stellar turn in South Africa has earned him the Nr. Ein for Germany.

Chris Mann

Chris Mann

Liechtenstein v Spain Euro ’12 Group I

Undoubtedly the biggest mismatch of the week, newly-crowned world champions Spain will travel to Liechtenstein (population 34,761) on Friday, where they will face a country ranked an incredible 140 places below them in the FIFA rankings. Vicente Del Bosque has named a full-strength team despite the lowly nature of Spain’s opposition and it would hardly be surprising if David Villa, Fernando Torres and friends racked up a double-figure margin of victory at the Rheinpark Stadion.

Estonia v Italy Euro ’12 Group C

The Cesare Prandelli era begins in earnest tomorrow evening, as the Azzurri take on Estonia at the Lillekula Stadium in Tallinn. If a new-look Italian side can gel from the off, led out by redemption minded Daniel De Rossi and Giorgio Chiellini, then Prandelli’s men shouldn’t have a problem with their Baltic opponents, but Estonia – ranked 94th in the world – should not be underestimated. Players such as Tarmo Kink and Andres Oper are more than capable of punishing the Italians should they lose concentration. It should be an straightforward victory for the Azzurri but, as we saw so clearly in South Africa, Italy can be prone to self-destruction.

Eliot Rothwell

Eliot Rothwell

Slovenia v Northern Ireland Euro ’12 Group C

The Slovenians, under Matjez Kek, have made real progress, of late. A play-off victory over Russia cemented their rise to the top table of global football and rocketed them up 60 (yes, 60!) places in the FIFA rankings, all the way to 19th.  The rangy figure of striker Mile Novakovic may cause the likes of Jonny Evans problems, as the slippery Köln striker looks to evade the clutches of his markers.

Meanwhile, Northern Ireland have a problem. They never seem able to get out of a group situation. Even in their last World Cup qualifying group, they were pipped by Slovakia and (you’ve guessed it) Slovenia. Manager Nigel Worthington will no doubt be scratching his silver mane trying to fathom how his side can conquer the likes of England and Spain, yet fail dismally against weaker teams. The Northern Irish cause should be aided by long-time saviour David Healy who, reminiscent of Lukas Podolski, remains out-of-form with his club side, while invariably turning up in spades for his country.

When not whipping Wales into shape, Toshack sings lead on PS Guitar Hero.

Montenegro v Wales Euro ’12 Group G

Recently established on the international stage themselves, Montenegro, host John Toshack’s Wales, in what could be a contender for match of the week.  The Welsh posses an in-form Gareth Bale, lightning quick and blessed with a traction engine in his left boot.  Montenegro, meanwhile are blessed with two goofy-footed technicians of their own. AS Roma’s Mirko Vucinic and Stevan Jovetic, of Anfield goalscoring fame, are more than a match for the weary defence of James Collins and Danny Gabbidon.

With both sides blessed with attacking menace and cursed with frail defences, the highlight reel should be lengthy.

England v Bulgaria Euro ’12 Group G

With the retirement of talisman Dimitar Berbatov, Bulgaria have adopted a 4-2-3-1 in recent matches, with the clear aim of controlling the ball for as long as possible. Martin and Stilian Petrov, in the midfield, should provide the Bulgarians with some creative spark against the too often lacklustre English.

With the English press heavily criticising Fabio Capello of late, the knives will be out should England not win this game and comfortably. Unfortunately for Capello, his side are suffering from any number of injury problems, most notably missing first choice centre-backs John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, as well as rangy impact sub Peter Crouch. This leaves the Italian the tough choice of relying on his out of favour World Cup squad or blooding unproven youngsters in a game that actually matters.

England have often struggled against possession minded sides and whilst they may run out eventual winners, I predict it to be a frustrating one, with the Bulgarians combining technique and tactics to stifle Englands attackers.

Tapesh Patel

Tapesh Patel

France v Belarus Euro ’12 Group D

While this match ushers in a new era for the French, Laurent Blanc probably still doesn’t know his best eleven.  We can therefore expect wholesale changes from the World Cup team.  Philippe Mexes will likely team up with Adil Rami in defence and Loic Rémy with Guillaume Hoarau in attack. The formation Blanc will play is also a complete mystery; the 4-4-2 diamond deployed against Norway will probably change to a straight 4-4-2 or a 4-3-3, due to the lack of an attacking playmaker (with Samir Nasri, Franck Ribery and Yoann Gourcuff all ruled out). The diamond in the rough is undoubtedly Florent Malouda, who has arguably been the best player in the Premiership so far this season.

Belarus will look to spring a shock on France if the hosts start slowly, but it may prove a difficult task, as key winger Aliaksandr Hleb has hardly played since April.  To be honest, though, I wouldn’t like to predict how this will pan out.

Lithuania v Scotland Euro ’12 Group I

Lithuania are still seen as minnows but Scotland will undoubtedly know the threat of their opposition, with many of the home side being current or former practitioners in the Scottish Premier League. Aberdeen’s Andruis Velicka leads the line for the hosts, while former Hearts man Saulius Mykoliunas is sure to get a hot reception, after being banned for play-acting the last time both sides met.  Eight changes have been made by Craig Levein for the match. The most notable are the omission of James McFadden and the inclusion of 40-year-old David Weir, who will become the oldest player ever to have donned the Tartan Blue.

This match will undoubtedly be a tight one, with both sides seeing the match as a proverbial six-pointer.

Avi Goldberg

Avi Goldberg

San Marino v The Netherlands

For their first qualification game, Netherlands coach Bert Van Marwijk must like the thought of San Marino.  The Oranje can afford to play more attacking football but the question is will coach Van Marwijk change the formation and test the new boys, midfielders Hedwiges Maduro, Theo Janssen and the ‘old’ come back of Ruud Van Nistelrooy? The coach has not given any hints whatsoever on the details of the line up but one thing is sure, the fans are expecting a lot of goals.  Playing with a 3 man defence will definitely increase their chances for a nice goal fest.

Martin Palazzotto

Martin Palazzotto

Major League Soccer

As the season hits the stretch run, with most clubs having played 22 of their 34 matches, the top clubs in both conferences are feeling some pressure.  In the east, Columbus are clinging to a four point lead over the hard charging NY Red Bulls.  The Crew are in the capital, hoping to take 3 points from lowly DC United, while Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez face a strong challenge out west, in Rio Tinto Stadium, versus holders Real Salt Lake.

Real are trying to reel in the west leading Galaxy, who have cooled of late, and would like to take more than a draw from a home match, no matter the opponent.  At the same time, they must look over their shoulders, as FC Dallas have risen out of the midden heap and are breathing down their necks.

LA are in Chicago to face a Fire side that, with the addition of Freddie Ljungberg, has rediscovered its spark.  Fully 13 points behind the 2nd place Red Bulls, with two clubs to climb over before they can even consider the New Yorkers, the Fire have a great deal of work to do.  The good news is that, through some scheduling quirks, they have 3 matches in hand on the rest of the field.  They need to make every one of those count, however.

The Mexican Apertura

If you absolutely, positively can’t do without some Mexican football this weekend, you’ll have to settle for the Guadalajara derby; it’s the only show in town. Chivas and Tecos are propping up the Group 1 table, so if it weren’t for the local rivalry, you might not think much of the prospects for entertainment.  On the other hand, Chivas haven’t really been taking the Apertura seriously, chasing, as they were, after the Copa Libertadores.  Having come up just short in that pursuit, the Goats can fully focus on butting heads with their neighbours and serving notice to the rest of the league that they are baa-a-a-ck.

Argentine Primera Division

On Sunday, Velez Sarsfield, battling it out for second place, with who else but Arsenal (de Sarandi), are confronted with a golden opportunity.  They go into Estadio Jose Amalfitani to face top of the table River Plate.  It’s a heavy-weight battle and the winner will rule the Primera Division roost.  On the other hand, if the aforementioned Argentine Gunners take an inviting 3 points at home against minnows Argentina Juniors, a draw in Buenos Aires could see both of the big boys looking up at a surprise leader.

Kris Dwyer

The Oz Files with Kris Dwyer

After last weekend, when the A-League took a ‘dive’ it’s only fitting that theres some tasty matches coming up.  First though, it’s the Socceroos.

Australia v Switzerland in Qatar

It’s a big game for Holger Osieck, the new $2million man at the head of the Socceroos.  However the ‘Roos have been dealt a blow with injuries to Michael Beauchamp (ankle), Josh Kennedy (back) and Harry Kewell (groin) limiting the squad for the upcoming international friendly match against Switzerland.  After consultation with the  three players and their clubs, Osieck has decided that they would not be required in camp.  Instead, the German has added Jon McKain and Tommy Oar into the squad.

On to the A-League, then…

Apparently, Perth have this nice chap named Fowler in their squad. Supposed to be famous or something.

Grudge Match – Perth Glory v Wellington Phoenix @ nib Stadium

Last season, the two play-off debutants faced each other in the first round, with the Phoenix taking out the match in a heart breaking penalty shootout.  The Kiwis ended up going all the way to the Preliminary Final only to be knocked out by eventual champions Sydney FC, whilst the Purple Army from the west seethed and dreamt of what might have been.

With the home side branding this as their chance for revenge, you can only expect fireworks, especially with former Glory players Jade North, Leo Bertos and new signing Nicky Ward, all making the trip west.  The Glory are at near full strength, with only Michael Baird (suspension) and Victor Sikora (long term hip injury) unavailable.

One to Watch – Melbourne Heart v North Queensland Fury @ AAMI Stadium

Melbourne Heart are desperate to get their first win ever in the Hyundai A-League and North Queensland Fury are a team desperate to get back to winning ways.  Both sides play fluid Euro-esque attacking football, and, without a doubt, have two of the most passionate, flamboyant managers in the league, making this match a real cracker for the neutral.

..

Well, that about wraps it up.  We’ll be back on Monday with more news, reaction to the matches and, if we can twist the right arms, even a few highlights.  Enjoy the footy and we’ll see you then!

]]> http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2010/09/02/catch-them-if-you-can-3-5-sept-2010/feed/ 0 wfctagteam McLeish, Alex - finger snack Robinho raider fan the friendly skies chris mann eliot Toshack, John - Wales Tapesh Avigdor Goldberg MyPicture Kris Dwyer Fowler, Robbie - Perth Glory http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2010/09/02/over-a-pint-mikel-arteta-making-sense-of-the-rules-of-eligibility/ http://worldfootballcolumns.com/2010/09/02/over-a-pint-mikel-arteta-making-sense-of-the-rules-of-eligibility/#comments Thu, 02 Sep 2010 01:01:19 +0000 The WFC Staff http://www.worldfootballcolumns.com/?p=5315 Continue reading »]]> ..

Editor’s note:  Just as this article was being made ready for posting, Mikel Arteta’s ineligibility was announced.  However, WFC still believes the issues of player eligibility remain unresolved, even if Mikel Arteta’s case has been.  So, please read on and decide for yourself.

In South africa, England was lacking a creative spark...

Do you remember way back, in the springtime of England’s 2010 World Cup dreams, when anything seemed possible?  Brazil and Spain were within reach and the only real problem that Fabio Capello had was the lack of a proven goalkeeper.  Oh, to be young again.  Sadly, another generation of England fans have been forced to grow up too quickly, discovering that the footballing world is a cruel, hard place.

Now it’s autumn and the FA are trying to pick up the pieces of a crumbled dream.  Under pressure from fans and the media to not make the same mistakes and perform as is expected of an England team when the Euros arrive in 2012, new chairman Roger Burden, Sir Dave Richards, the Premier League overlord, and the rest of the board have had to consider suggestions from all quarters on how best to go about it.

The FA has made several decisions quite quickly, in laying plans for the reconstruction.  Should they let Capello go? (No, he stays)  What to do to resolve the poor pitch issues at Wembley? (Install a real and artificial hybrid blend)  What can be done to accelerate the development of young English players? (To begin, the implementation of the Homegrown Rule on 1 September)  The shape of the Euro squad has slowed them up, however.

In their first action since waking up from their pleasant dreams to the horrible realities of Rustenburg, Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and, at the last, Blomfontein, the Three Lions took to the pitch against Hungary, receiving an ambivalent welcome from those faithful who did decide to come.  Much like their greeting, the squad was a mix of the fallen heroes and new faces eager to make their mark.  Unfortunately, Phil Jagielka’s own goal didn’t do much for the hopes of the youngbloods, although their blushes were spared by a brace from captain Steven Gerrard.  The England team, despite the win, seem trapped in a dark place, casting about for some light.

...but would Arteta bowing to the Queen, rather than a king, truly make him an Englishman?

Last week, however, there came either a ray of hope or an oncoming train, dependent upon your worldly outlook.  Everton’s wonderfully talented midfielder Mikel Arteta, who has had the misfortune of being only the ninth or tenth best player at his position in his home country of Spain, suggested that he might be very pleased to play for England, where he would likely be considered in the top three, alongside Gerrard and Frank Lampard.

Amongst the many who raised their half full glasses and drained it to the health of the Toffee’s playmaker (and took up a petition for his canonisation), there were a few old gaffers, frowning at the barmaid’s tardiness in topping off their empty looking mugs, whilst muttering thatsomething just wasn’t right about this.  Unfortunately, WFC editor Martin Palazzotto falls into the latter category , while new writer Tapesh Patel is firmly in the camp of the former.  In the interests of world peace and the general entertainment of others, the pair have agreed to sit down together, sample some Tucher’s on draught and see if they can come to an understanding.

Tapesh: When we talk about Mikel Arteta, I think we should talk about the player himself, before approaching the whole nationality issue. The key point is: if he obtained dual nationality and became eligible for England, would he get into the squad? In my opinion, he most definitely would. In fact, I personally would put him into the starting eleven.

There's no question the Three Lions would welcome him, as well.

One of England’s current problems is a perceived lack of creativity in midfield. This is strange, because the main pairing, Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, are both fairly creative players. What we have seen over the years, though, is that both like to get forward when possible.

What England have lacked, then, is a foot-on-ball playmaker, with the ability to pass to a Gerrard or a Lampard.  Hence the outcry for the return of Paul Scholes (who, by the way, is too old). This lack of such a passer meant that Wayne Rooney tended to drop deep to make the play, which left the now departed Emile Heskey (yikes!) up front.

I believe Arteta is the solution. His ability to dictate play, combined with excellent technique and outstanding passing ability, cannot be matched at the moment by any English player. Tom Huddlestone or Jack Wilshere might become that player in the future, but they are not ready to be regulars yet.

Also, the guy takes a decent penalty!

...but are mercenaries what we want at the World Cup?

Martin: You’re not going to get any argument out of me on Arteta’s ability or where he would fit in with the England squad.  If he were from just about anywhere other than Spain (Brazil and Argentina spring to mind as exceptions), he might very well be a veteran of three World Cups by now.  But the plain, unvarnished truth is that he is a Spaniard.  As such, he should not be available to play for England.

Mikel Arteta is far from the first player to be considered for inclusion in a foreign squad.  There have been several before him and many more are likely to follow.  Some, like Kevin-Prince Boateng, Lukas Podolski and Giuseppe Rossi are doing it for the love of the nation they represent.  I applaud and welcome that.  On the other hand, there’s the onetime Chelsea midfielder Deco, a Brazilian, who just concluded his international career with Portugal and promptly returned home to play out the string with Fluminese.  As his tenure with the Iberians went on, it was rationalised that the two nations were, culturally speaking, close cousins.  That is true enough and if Deco had made his permanent home in Portugal, I would have been content with that line of reasoning.  Yet, the abruptness of his return to Brazil laid bare his true intent.  He was playing for himself, rather than for love of country.  We should never forget (Ashley Cole) that the latter is what the World Cup is about.

Tapesh: I definitely agree with you that this question is ultimately one of pride.  So, these questions really need to be taken on a player-by-player basis. We live in a world where many people have divided identities, especially in football. In fact, the case of Kevin-Prince Boateng is one of the best examples of this.  Infamously, he did not talk to his brother Jerome before facing him in the World Cup. That really goes to show that people from the same background can view their identities in completely different ways.

Unlike his countryman, Senna settled permanently in his adopted country.

A case very similar to that of Arteta, was Marcos Senna. The Brazilian began playing in his native country before moving abroad, to further his career. He went to La Liga, with Villareal, settling there, before gaining citizenship and playing for Spain.  One could not doubt Senna’s commitment to the cause; it was something integral to his role.  Starring in Euro 2008 as midfield enforcer, his displays led many to name him as one of the players of the tournament.

Coming back to Arteta, he seems a very loyal player, as well as a person of substance, having stated that he wouldn’t want to move to clubs like Arsenal or Manchester City in the hope of reaching the Spain team. He’s braved Scottish winters in Glasgow, having played for Rangers from 2002-04, and has learnt the intricacies of the Scouse accent. Given his background, I think he would be proud to step out for England, the country where his career has really blossomed.

Martin: I can appreciate that Arteta seems to be a more honourable candidate than Deco. It’s very loyal of him to publicly decline a possible move to another club, after Everton has treated him so well,  even though it might help him crack the Spanish lineup.  Still, by his own statement, his preferred choice would be Spain.  And there lies the rub.  Boateng’s first choice was Ghana, even though Germany, where he was both eligible and wanted, offered a better chance for glory.  That’s what I mean by love of country.

That he is a ‘person of substance,’ as you put it, and a great player certainly garners Arteta my sympathy and while these cases do have to be judged on individual merit, the criteria used to decide the matter must ultimately be whether or not the candidate has cultural ties, of some kind, to the nation he would represent.

Georgie may be the best of but not the only great to have never been to the World Cup.

Take George Best as an example.  The Northern Irishman was perhaps the greatest British player ever.  Yet, with his country being minnows, he never played in a World Cup.  For most of his adult life, he lived (and partied) in England and was a stand out for United.  What if he had pulled a Stephen Ireland, early in his career, and declined to represent his homeland, instead repatriating to England.  Think how that would have lessened his legacy within the game.  Sometimes, your greatness is also measured by what you weren’t able to accomplish.

Andy Carroll, for all his supposed immaturity, has passed this test by declining the invitation of Craig Levein and the Scots.  No, for me, Mikel Arteta must make do with the cards life has dealt him.

Tapesh: I think cultural ties are usually fixed at a young age, but can also be gained or transformed later on in life. The fact is that naturalised citizens will always face the question of when their identity shifts to that of the nation in which they live.

Different people, understandably, have different views on the matter but I think government is designed to represent the views of a nation. As such, I think that Arteta should be considered an Englishman since he now qualifies for dual-nationality by law. The country has a long history of successful assimilation of immigrants, which I think is also demonstrated within the domain of sport. For this reason, I think that most English people would welcome him playing for our national team.

If managers are eligible, why not players?

It’s also fair to argue that the England team lost part of its identity in 2000, when Sven-Goran Eriksson became the first foreign manager of England. This then set the precedent for Fabio Capello to manage the team, and while many opposed the very idea of a foreign manager, at first, no-one was complaining when England flawlessly gained qualification for the World Cup this summer. If there is one person who symbolises the team, it has to be the England manager, who takes a post frequently described around the world as ‘the toughest job in football’.

I was one of those that felt English patriotism took a blow with Eriksson’s appointment. The fact is, though, that the game is different nowadays – even at international level. Therefore, if Arteta wished to become part of the national setup, I see no reason for denying him what is rightfully his.

Martin: I’ve got no truck with foreign managers being involved in a national program; it helps develop the game, especially in the far corners of the football world.  Let them have at it, I say.  They can coach, advise and play the figurehead all they like, because when you get right down to it, championships are won on the pitch, by the players.  That simple fact puts them into two different categories.

As for Arteta, I’m not sure what you mean by rightfully his.  He’s been in England long enough to apply for a passport, yes, but hasn’t actually gotten, or even asked for one yet.  There is a process to go through, after all.  It’s not like he’s trying to buy a Premier League club.  If that were the case, then, naturally, you’d just hand it to him with no questions asked.

I take your point, though.  If he had an English passport, he’d have the right to play for England, given that he’s good enough, and who am I to deny him?  That is the letter of the law.  What I’m trying to champion, however, is its spirit.  In order to do that, I don’t believe FIFA can be as trusting, even judging on an individual basis, as you would have them be.   I don’t like to be redundant but the ‘alright, you seem like a nice guy’ policy hasn’t worked out too well for the likes of Liverpool and Pompey and won’t, if things continue as they are, for Manchester United.

...Greed is good.

In football, like any other big business...

That English fans would welcome him with open arms goes without saying, as well.  It’s human nature, after all, to take advantage in any way we can.  We got to the top of the food chain by adapting, being innovative and turning any opportunity to our advantage .  Winning at all costs in business and sport is just a product of evolution.  And that’s where you’re wrong about government.  It’s not there to give us what we want but to make sure we don’t kill each other trying to get it.  Allowing foreign players who can’t get a game in their own country to play for any country desperate enough to take them will eventually kill the World Cup.

Look at the America’s Cup of yachting.  It was going along nicely for the better part of a century until big money became involved.  Suddenly, rules began changing at an alarming pace, until you had the Swiss being crowned champions two times running.  The last time I checked an atlas, Switzerland was still a landlocked country.  If it had been bankers’ sons, raised on Lake Geneva crewing the Alinghi and its successor, I’d have no complaint.  Unfortunately, it was the best Kiwi and Aussie sailors that the Swiss Franc could buy.  So much for the battle of nations.

Is that what you want for the World Cup?

..

Of course, while Tapesh and Martin were busy having at it, FIFA weighed in and ruled Arteta ineligible due to a little known rule:

Article 18.1.a within the Fifa statutes outlines that any player who has represented their country in an official competition, at whatever level, would at that time need to have held a passport for the country they later wish to play for in order to be permitted to make the switch. –BBC report on Arteta’s eligibility to play for England

Arteta did play in an Under 16 competition for Spain and, of course, didn’t have a British passport at the time.  So that’s that.  Unless, of course, FIFA were to decide to change their rules or make an exception to an existing one, as they’ve been known to do, on occasion.  After all, Sepp Blatter is quite happy to have the UK represented by the separate home nations but is unwilling to sanction the Basques or Catalonia to field teams separate from the rest of Spain.

Meanwhile, having been informed that all their arguing was moot, Martin and Tapesh have resolved to go back to the bar and get falling down drunk.  How do the rest of you feel?  Answer the poll below and, if you like, add a comment through the Intense Debate comment section.

[poll id="13"]

Antony Scher's villainous Richard, deformed both in body and mind, was nothing like the real monarch...

“Now is the winter of our discontent, made glorious summer by this sun of York.”

Shakespeare’s Richard III has nothing to do with American soccer.  Still, if the Bard can use poetic license, for the sake of his art, to transform an effective, benevolent and visionary monarch, as most modern historians believe old Dick to have been, into a greedy and conniving blackard, then I say deal me in.  I’ll happily turn Bill’s immortal phrase on its head, to help illustrate how many pundits are not at all content with Major League Soccer playing its season under the – if not glorious, then at least blazing – summer sun.  And hey, if it makes me look cultured in the bargain, all the better.

Those who would see the league march in step with its European cousins are many and reside on both sides of the Atlantic.  They offer up a long list of benefits that, they claim, the switch to a winter schedule will achieve for the fledgling competition.

... But Pacino? This is taking it way too far!

Admittedly, playing in the summer does cause one headache for MLS, in international competition.  The CONCACAF Champions League qualifying begins during the off season.  Thus, the best clubs in a league attempting to gain relevance, in international discussion, are at a disadvantage in the early rounds of the competition most likely to help them gain that status.

With players not match fit and disgruntled at having to cut their vacation time short, US clubs are ill prepared for the CCL and, throughout their history, it has shown.  The only period in which they have had success was when the elimination rounds of the tournament were held entirely within the US.

There’s no arguing with that; it’s completely true.  As long as MLS takes its offseason in the winter, it will have to deal with this dilemma.  However, most of the other arguments offered in support of winter play are, to be polite, specious.

For instance, there’s the premise that MLS is out of sync with the FIFA transfer windows.  Supposedly, this scheduling snafu places the Americans at a disadvantage in attracting high profile players, through purchase or on permanent loan.  According to some, the summer window arrives when MLS, in mid-season, has settled its rosters and has no need of players.  The winter window comes in the off season, when the league isn’t looking to make any signings.

Remember, this drivel is coming from supposed fans of European leagues.  Don’t UEFA clubs use the summer window, in their offseason, to acquire new players for the coming year?  As well, don’t they use the January window to supplement their squads in the middle of the campaign?  Why can’t MLS, if it were of a mind, not approach this from the opposite direction, as in fact, they already have?  Just this summer, Thierry Henry and Rafa Marquez were both signed to improve the Red Bulls, while the MLS season was in progress.

Offered the chance to bid for the likes of Balotelli, MLS would say, "Thanks but no thanks."

It’s true that the January window, being half the length of the summer version, is typically less active.   American clubs might be at a disadvantage in finding talent for the new season.

MLS, though, is not too terribly interested in engaging in massive bidding wars for the best players available.  Their mandate is to develop as a league, with North American players, and thus improve the quality of both the US and Canadian national teams, rather than to chase themselves into debt, as any number of European sides are doing.

All they require is a few players, of slightly better quality with each yearly foray into the market, to raise the bar for the homegrown talent.  The Designated Player Rule permits the affordable signing of foreign talent (Henry, Rafa Marquez and, of course, David Beckham), while also addressing the need to keep elite homegrown players (Landon Donovan) stateside.

Having a league filled to bursting with Designated Players has already been tried (NASL & the NY Cosmos) and was a spectacular failure.

Apparently, the juxtaposed seasons inconvenience not only clubs but players wishing to transfer, because they will be moving either to or from a league in mid session to one on holiday.  Give me a break.  The player will either get a nice little vacay or will have to play his way into shape, to earn the pay raise that, like as not, motivated the transfer.

David Beckham’s misadventure in Serie A, admittedly instigated by the desire to play in South Africa, rather than for money, is often brought up in relation to this, with the suggestion that he played too much, leading to a serious injury.  The fact is, that as a dedicated professional, he knew to take at least a four week break in between his stints with LA and AC Milan.  The injury was simply unfortunate.  Landon Donovan had no such issue in his brief sojourn with Everton.

Another complaint is that the current MLS schedule conflicts with the World Cup and other competitions.  Sepp Blatter has been one of the most critical voices, on this issue, and has pushed for the Americans to move to winter play.  Sepp, however, also thinks that female players should wear more revealing kits and that referees should be hung out to dry, while the media pours over instant replay evidence of their mistakes.

This year, MLS suspended play, to allow players to train with their international squads and compete in South Africa, without the league sides suffering from their absence.  Play started up again, after the round of sixteen, when most international players were available to return to their clubs.  To do this once every four years, is surely not too serious an imposition?

As for other competitons, such as the Euros and Copa America, MLS will just have to do without some of its players.  UEFA clubs already endure the loss of  stars, to the African Cup  of Nations, every other year, with no interruption in their schedule.  No system is perfect and to demand more of a developing league than an established one is simply unfair.  As MLS develops into a nice fluffy omellette, rather than just the bunch of scrambled eggs they are currently perceived to be, some shells will be cracked and yolks spilled.

Then there’s what I like to call the Cole Porter Argument.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IyWArxIbn7w

I keep hearing how the heat of summer wears down players in well under ninety minutes, lowering the quality of the game.  Funny thing, but the greatest player ever to grace a pitch, Pele, stayed in the hot Brazilian sun for all but the last two years of his career, when he finally came to New York, where the Cosmos played in, you guessed it, the summer.  He never went to Europe.

Athletes can and do train themselves to excel in extreme conditions at both ends of the thermometer, or else how could Brazil have five World Cups and Germany three?  Surprisingly, it’s the fans that can’t take the heat, at least in America.

In the late nineties, when Don Garber was appointed commissioner, MLS had expanded to twelve teams but were at a crossroads, financially.  After observing each club’s situation firsthand, he decided that the league would have to terminate its two franchises in Florida, the Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny.

It wasn’t that the sport wasn’t catching on in Florida. There were plenty of fans.  I know; I live here.  Both cities have substantial minority populations from all over Latin America and the Caribbean, all starved for a little footy.  As well, if the ubiquity of youth leagues are any indication, the mainstream population is equally drawn to the sport.

Quality of play wasn’t the issue, either.  Both clubs were reasonably competitive.  In fact, in its lame duck 2001 season, the Fusion, led by Colombian World Cup star Carlos Valderrama, came very close to winning the MLS Cup, succumbing in a hard fought semi final, to the eventual champion, San Jose Earthquakes, featuring two young stars of whom you may have heard, American, Landon Donovan, and Canadian, Dwayne DeRosario.

... If the sun don't come, you get your chance gettin' drenched in the Florida rain.

Sitting in an empty stadium, waiting for the sun...

The trouble was that, even playing virtually every home game at night, the clubs couldn’t keep fans in the seats.  The conditions were just too uncomfortable.

Major League Baseball’s Florida Marlins suffer the same problem.  Despite being competitive year in and year out, even winning two World Series, the Marlins rank near the bottom in league attendance, of thirty teams, every season.  No sports fan likes to sit through three or more hours of searing heat and humidity, with the frequently realised chance of heavy thunderstorms.

After a decade of wrangling with politicians, the baseball club has finally struck a deal for a covered stadium that will keep the club in South Florida.  As upstart soccer clubs, the Fusion and Mutiny had neither the patience, nor resources, for such a protracted battle.  It was better for the league to step away and revisit the area when it was stronger.

All of that would seem to favour a conversion to a winter schedule but, remember, we’ve only been discussing two clubs.  Were MLS to make the proposed change, the severe American winters would adversely effect no less than ten of the nineteen clubs which will be competing in the league by 2012.

What do I mean by severely effect?  Look at the charts below.  They show the average monthly temperatures, as well as monthly high and low averages, for a cross section of  eight American, six European and three Latin American footballing cities.

.

..

..

..

As you can see, only Germany and Russia, the latter following an [ahem] summer schedule, endure anything close to the severity of an American winter.  You might say that Germany appears to have just as nasty a winter as Chicago, by the evidence.  Look again, though, taking closer note of the ranges between highs and lows.  The Windy City’s range’s are six or seven degrees greater.

No, Garber does not moonlight as a Secret Service agent, he'd just prefer that MLS continue to bask in the sun.

Translation:  At night it’s a heck of a lot colder on the shores of Lake Erie, than on the banks of the Isar.   That makes scheduling mid week evening matches a much less profitable option.

When you also consider that North American winters typically endure higher rates of snowfall than the European variety, issues with quality of both pitch and play also enter the equation.

In order to overcome that, MLS would need to construct stadiums with retractable domes in more than half of its existing markets.  As Commissioner Garber told the NY Times in November of 2008, that just isn’t in the budget:

“Play(ing) a European schedule, to give you my best answer, would cost us millions of dollars, we wouldn’t be able to have a business. Basically that decision, if we were to schedule that way, (means) we’d have to fold the league because we couldn’t afford to do it.”

Simply put, MLS can develop a better, more entertaining and profitable product if they continue with a summer schedule.

If you just snorted at that statement, take another look at the Latin American chart.  As the region doesn’t have to put up with what those well north of the Equator call winter, children can play the game in near perfect conditions for twelve months of the year.  As a consequence, that part of the world has produced some of the most skillful and entertaining football on the planet.

Did I hear another snort?  I suppose that’s no surprise.  Proponents of European football do tend to look down their noses at other regions.  Loyalty and pride are  good qualities in a fan but facts are facts.  Clubs from Argentina and Brazil have more than held their own in both the current FIFA Club World Cup competition and its predecessor, the Intercontinental Cup.  Not to mention that the three South American World Cup winning countries have won only one less trophy, at nine, than the five European nations who have stood on the podium.

If MLS is looking for an improvement on its existing schedule, there is more than one place from which it can draw inspiration.

In fact, most leagues in Latin America now play under a format which I haven’t heard discussed stateside, at all.  I’m speaking of the Apertura/Clausura (opening and closing) system, of course.  Most Central and South American leagues conduct two seasons every year.  One begins in the fall and the other in spring.  In each, a club plays every other league side only once, not home and home.  In the second season, they do it again, this time hosting the clubs they visited earlier.  Many leagues follow each mini-season with that American sporting staple, a playoff, to decide the champion but, whatever the method, two champions (or a double winner) are crowned each year.

The North koreans are famous for it...

This is a completely foreign concept to the American sports fan, which is why it’s been largely ignored.  Trying to get the average US citizen to adopt another country’s customs is simply un-American.  It’s like convincing Kim Jong-il  to announce free and democratic elections in North Korea.  Fat chance of that happening.

Ironically, those same Yanks often refer to their own long, drawn out league playoffs, in other sports, as ‘the second season’ and bemoan as meaningless their regular seasons.  Wouldn’t two shorter, meaningful campaigns, each followed by knockout rounds, offer much more intrigue than watching your team play out the string or rest its stars, while waiting for the playoffs to arrive?

... But Americans are known for their inflexibility, as well.

Additionally, when you factor in the economic and geographical obstacles that make promotion and relegation a non-starter in American soccer, there would be several benefits to MLS adopting their own version of Apertura/Clausura.

For the sake of patriotic fervor, let’s begin by American-ising the term.  We’ll christen the two yearly championships the Spring and Fall Cups.  That should do nicely, at least until some wealthy sponsors, looking for something on which to put their brand, can be found.

The point is that, with two mini seasons, MLS would be better able to avoid conflicts with the World Cup, simply by expanding the break between the two campaigns to accommodate the international tournament, once every four years.

Next, without promotion and relegation, the shorter seasons would keep more teams (and their fans) involved in the playoff hunts, meaning more games would have meaning and, thus, optimal marketability.  If the league developed, over time, to the point of being on equal footing with the top European and South American leagues (I’ll pretend not to have heard that snort), the split season would also lessen the previously mentioned concerns regarding the timing of transfers and loans.

The World Series & Super Bowl trophies are contested by the American & National League champions & NFC & AFC champions, respectively

Despite what some of you have probably been thinking, it wouldn’t even mean the end of the MLS Cup, given to the yearly champion of the league.  Instead of being played in November, that contest could be held prior to the opening of the Spring Cup season.  The previous year’s two Cup winners, or the double winner and the club with the best overall record, over the entire year, could meet to decide a grand champion.

Under this format, such a match might even one day rival the Super Bowl.  In fact, playing the match in the immediate wake of the NFL’s mega-popular championship might attract and convert a sizable amount of new fans.  If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em, as the saying goes.

Speaking of which, the status of grid-iron football, in America, is often an argument made for not switching to a winter format.  As much as I oppose the conversion, the NFL’s dominance of the market is, to me, no excuse.  MLS is already engaged in a much more difficult battle for fans and ratings, against America’s traditional summer pastime, baseball.

... So, why not have two champions challenge for MLS' greatest prize?

Baseball clubs draw between twenty and thirty thousand fans on average, a little more than MLS.  However, they play virtually every day.  Major college and professional grid-iron teams play on Saturdays and Sundays, respectively, and it’s rare to find a major college and NFL squad in the same city.  It would be fairly easy to schedule your matches, as an MLS side, around certain Saturdays or Sundays, to co-exist with a grid-iron club.  With their ticket prices, it would even be easy to market yourself as a more family friendly and affordable option.  On the other hand, baseball tickets are comparable in price to MLS and  it’s impossible to schedule around every day.  Soccer is already fighting the tougher rival and not doing too badly, either.

So, as crazy as it may sound, I not only think MLS should stick to their summer schedule, I urge them to take it a step further.   Begin the Spring and Fall Cup format.  Play the MLS Cup, as the English Premier League does the Community Shield, at the outset of the calendar year.  Only, the MLS Cup will actually be a trophy worth winning.

P.S.  Don Garber, if you read this, consider that your own fans will be engaged year round, while those of traditional American sports might actually be attracted to all the excitement.  The rest of you, get started on those North Korean election posters!

There are other factors, as well.  First, is the obvious scheduling difficulties inherent in trying to win a winter competition when you play in a summer league.  The lack of match fitness in the qualifying stages puts American clubs at a disadvantage.  Still, as MLS grows, the quality of the sides makes that less of an excuse every year.

For LA, a funny thing happened on the way to the group stage.

Then there is the case of last month’s LA Galaxy debacle.  Well past the point where match fitness was a concern and on the verge of qualifying for the group stage, they played an absolutely horrendous home leg against the pedestrian but determined Division II Puerto Rico Islanders, losing by an abysmal 4-1 tally.  As the Puerto Ricans are well coached defensively, they were quite content to advance with a 2-1 loss at home in the return leg, getting everyone and their grandmother behind the ball for the entire 90 minutes.

Much of that defeat can be blamed on two other talking points in this debate.  The first is that the Galaxy were looking past the lowly Caribbean club to more important domestic fixtures upcoming, which of course, is an utterly lame copout and no one’s fault but their own.  The second is that MLS clubs don’t place much emphasis on the competition, as it’s not as lucrative as the league matches, domestic cup and full summer plate of friendlies against touring Euro mega-clubs.

The commish wants his clubs to step it up

That’s as may be but money is not a valid excuse for failure once you’re on the pitch.  The richest players in Europe maneuver to be on clubs that are perennially involved in continental competitions, not so much for the money (or Man City would have a squad of 80, instead of the 40 it’s trying to sort out at the moment) but for the glory of winning.

While it’s understandable that the players are already taxed by a full and soon to be expanded schedule, if they have any pride or ambition beyond pure economics,they need to raise their voices and insist on time being made for this competition.  They already have a strong backer in their own league commissioner, Don Garber.

After all, with the resources available to them, it’s Major League Soccer that stands the best chance of breaking the Mexican stranglehold on the CONCACAF Champions League.

At any rate, here’s a look at how the draw has played out in this year’s tournament.

Group A

Deportivo Arabe Unido

Arabe Unido is a Panamanian club, based in Colon, a city at the northern end of the Canal. Only formed in 1990, as Atletico Argentina, the young squad is enjoying its second consecutive trip to the CL group stages.  In 1994, it was bought by a group of Arab businessmen, possibly stranded at the airport, who decided a soccer club in a busy port city on the isthmus between the Gulf of Mexico and the Pacific Ocean was a perfect investment.

The side plays in a comfortable 4,000 seat stadium and features a predominantly Panamanian roster, with five nationally capped players. The only imported players are the four Colombians in the squad, which is not so surprising if you know your regional history. At the turn of the twentieth century, before the intervention of empirical minded Americans (seeking to build and control the Panama Canal) influenced their bid for independence, Panama was a part of Colombia.

Last year DAU finished second in their group, to eventual champions Pachuca, and will this year be looking for revenge in the group stage, against another Mexican side, Cruz Azul, who humbled the Panamanians in the quarter-finals, 4-0 on aggregate.

Cruz Azul

The renowned Mexican side, which now plays in the Colonia Nochebuena section of the capital, has been around a little longer than their aggrieved Panamanian rivals. Founded in 1927, in the small town of Jasso, Hidalgo by the workers of the ‘Blue Cross’ Cement Company, los Cementeros have long since established themselves as one of the giants of the Primera Division de Mexico, winning eight top flight championships.

In its previous two appearances in the CL, the club has been frustrated, losing in the final each time to Mexican rivals Atlante and Pachuca. Cruz Azul can also claim the distinction of being the only Mexican, and, by extension, CONCACAF side to reach the finals of South America’s version of the Champions League, the Copa Libertadores, where they lost on penalties to the legendary Argentine squad, Boca Juniors.

The roster is almost entirely Mexican, with just three imported players, all Argentines, added to the mix. The club is captained by veteran international midfielder Gerrardo Torrado. “El Borrego” (transl. as The Sheep), so named for his fleecy locks, has featured 118 times for his country, contributing six goals. He is famous for his not very lamb like physical style. Willing to foul when necessary, Torrado’s rough and ready demeanor has permeated the play of the whole squad, making them very tough to beat and worthy of their longstanding nickname.

Real Salt Lake

As a long time fan of the European leagues and a budding MLS aficionado, I applaud the league’s respect for tradition in naming many of its clubs after well known clubs in both Europe and Mexico. Still, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to say Real Salt Lake with a straight face. Somehow, the conservative, strait laced Mormon and easygoing, festive Iberian cultures just don’t seem to blend in my mind. The Utah outfit is the defending MLS champion, however, currently sitting third overall in the upstart American league and second in the Western Conference to the Galaxy.

Captained by the dreadlocked US international, Kyle Beckerman, and featuring the speedy World Cup forward, Robbie Findley, the MLS holders have a more cosmopolitan roster than their Latino group opponents. With Argentine Fabio Espindola and Jamison Olave of Colombia the most notable, their roster is populated by players from nine countries and three continents, thus belying the conservative nature of their home base.

Toronto FC

It’s probably unpatriotic, though honest, for me to bring up the fact that the Reds had an easier route to the CL than the rest of their MLS counterparts. It’s a quirk of the whole MLS and USSF system, with its lack of promotion and relegation and leagues which are, in fact, continental rather than national. Regardless of their finish in MLS, or for Montreal and Vancouver in Division II, the three clubs play a mini tournament similar to the Tri Nations Rugby competition between South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, to determine a ‘Canadian’ entrant in the CL.

TFC, under new head coach, Preki, are back for their second go at an international competition. After struggling early in MLS, they have settled into their manager’s program and are pressuring the talent laden NY Red Bull for second place in the Eastern Conference. The roster, like all MLS sides, is a rainbow coalition but is centered around the offensive prowess of Canadian internationals Dwayne DeRosario and Julian deGuzman, the latter formerly of Deportivo de la Coruna. Martin Saric, the Argentine, controls the midfield and young Swiss netminder Stefan Frei is a burgeoning talent between the posts.

Toronto will be tested early, with their opening match pitting them against last year’s finalists, Cruz Azul.

Analysis: This is a very tough group in which to find yourself, very much the grupo de muerta.  Obviously, two time bridesmaids, Cruz Azul have to be considered favourites to win the group and go through.  Their partner should be one of the two MLS sides, who are both playing very well domestically, but the Panamanians have done well in this competition, themselves.  No one can afford to take any match lightly, if they have ambitions.

Group B

Columbus Crew

The Eastern Conference leading Crew, one year removed from their first MLS championship, are an aptly named club.  Their steady workmanlike approach has made them consistently competitive and garnered them a strong fan following in one of the league’s smaller markets.

The side are fronted by former league MVP Guillermo Ballos Schelotto, an Argentine striker whose play is as sweet as the frozen ice treat that subliminally springs to mind when you hear his name.  As you would expect, the defence is especially solid, featuring two US internationals, Chad Marshall and club captain, Frankie Hejduk.

Joe Public

Sporting perhaps the greatest name ever for a professional football side, the Trinidad and Tobago power are coming off the most successful domestic season in their history.  The Eastern Lions captured an unheard of domestic quadruple last year.

The club is owned by CONCACAF president Jack Warner, who founded it and the Trini professional league, after the country’s disappointing campaign, pursuing a berth in the 1998 World Cup. His hope was to provide a competitive atmosphere in which to develop young Trini talent.  Newly signed Stoke forward, Kenwyne Jones, is a product of Joe Public.

The team plays in the 6,000 seat, synthetically surfaced Marvin Lee Stadium, another innovation of Mr. Warner, who somehow felt that artificial turf would give his side real credibility.   The current side is almost entirely homegrown, except for Columbian keeper, Alejandro Figueroa, and Japanese (yes, I said Japanese) midfielder, Yo Hoshide.

Municipal

As a people, the Guatemalans aren’t noted for their stature.  yet CSD Municipal literally reeks of it.  The club has no less than 28 league titles under its belt and are the lone Guatemalan conquerors of CONCACAF, having won the 1974 Champions Cup.  The domestic league switched to the Apertura/Clausura format in 2002 and Municipal did not blink an eye, winning 13 of the 22 possible trophies.

The club is led by talisman Juan Carlos Plata, who after twenty years with the side is sitting one shy of his 300th club goal and is second on the national squad, with another 35.

Santos Laguna

In Mexico, the club is simply known as Santos, but do not share the legacy of their Brazilian namesakes.  Founded in 1982, the club made it into the Mexican Primera League thanks in large part to their purchase of the former club Angeles de Puebla.

While the club loves to attack, featuring one time Birmingham forward Christian Benitez, the side’s most famous player is former Mexico keeper Osvaldo Sanchez.  Stuck on 99 caps, the talented keeper likely missed out on South Africa due to his squads emphasis on pushing forward.

Analysis: The Crew have an excellent chance to move on from this group and should be severely disappointed if they don’t.  Santos is a quality side but their defensive lapses can be exploited.  Municipal will be a concern, especially in their 30,000 seat home stadium, but the two northern clubs should be able to exploit their superior size.  The Trini’s youthful energy served them well in their own league but against more seasoned professionals, they will struggle.

Group C

Marathon

Marathon is one half of the rivalry between the two biggest clubs in Honduras.  Playing their matches in the country’s second city, San Pedro Sula, before 40,000 supporters in the Estadio Olimpico Metropolitano, which they share with the national team, the club has been in existence since 1925.  Their decades long derby against Tegucicalpa’s Olimpico is known as the Super Clasico Nacional.  These clubs are the Man United and Chelsea or the Yankees and Red Sox, if you will, of the tiny Central American nation.

Not only do the clubs share a rivalry but each has a player named Milton Palacios.  Unfortunately the one who plays for Marathon is not related to Wilson and the rest of the Hermanos Palacios, who are looked upon as national treasures, and thus further contributes to his side’s second class status in the local pecking order.

Monterrey

El Rayados (transl. as the striped ones) appropriately enough are the derby rivals of  Tigres.  Monterrey are also the defending Mexican Apertura champions but will be sorely missing the services of Humberto Suazo.  The Mexican international has moved, on loan, to Spanish side Real Zaragoza.  The club does have three other capped players still in residence, though, most notably midfielder Luis Perez.

Owned by Mexico’s largest beverage maker FEMSA, the club will soon be moving into a just constructed 50,000 seat home patterned after the new Wembley.  Here’s hoping the pitch wasn’t one of the elements closely imitated.

Deportivo Saprissa

El Monstruo Morado, the Purple Monster, has lived up to its fearsome nickname by not only dominating the domestic league but also being the most successful non-Mexican club from CONCACAF.  Saprissa have won three CONCACAF Champions Cups, the predecessor to the CL, are one of only two federation sides to finish third in the FIFA Club World Cup competition and the only non-Mexican side to actually represent the region in that tournament.

The entire outfield roster for the side is of national origin, with only Argentine keeper, Yader Balladeres, not being local.  Defender Victor Cordero captains the side but it is the twelfth man that is the club’s most influential player.

Estadio Ricardo Saprissa, also the home of the national squad, is notorious for its intimidating fans.  While visiting players await the start of the match in their dressing room, the walls literally shake from the thunderous stamping of the vociferous crowd, as though the players were trapped underground at the epicenter of a massive earthquake..

Once out on the pitch, the pressure only increases.  It is a very rare visitor, who escapes San Jose with a result.

Seattle Sounders FC

As noted, not too long ago on this site, the Sounders have gone through some recent changes.  With the exit of former Gunner, Freddy Ljungberg, the squad has lost a great deal of experience and talent.  However, with the addition of Blaise n’Kufo, the imposing Swiss forward and Alvaro Fernandez, the youthful Uruguayan midfielder, they may have improved.

If Fernandez and the even younger Colombian Fredy Montero can gel and get the ball forward to n’Kufo, then the big man will have plenty of opportunities to feed his more lithe and elusive strike partner, Steve Zakuani.

If not, then veteran US keeper Kasey Keller will have a lot of work to do.

Analysis: This is another tough group, although not quite as loaded as Group A.  Saprissa and Monterrey have to be looked on as the favourites, based upon their pedigree.  However, both Marathon and Seattle have the personnel to do some damage.

Group D

FAS

CD FAS are the winningest club in El Salvadoran football.  Based in Santa Ana, at the 15,000 seat Estadio Oscar Quiteno, the Tigers have won 17 national titles and are the current Apertura holders.

Although captained by attacking midfielder, Christian Alvarez, and anchored in the back by Alfredo Pacheco, possessor of 72 international caps, it’s Honduran William Reyes who provides the firepower, having just hit the century mark in goals, after six seasons with the side.  Forward Alejandro Bentos fulfills the seemingly necessary requirement of all Latin American clubs to have an Argentine on their roster.

Olimpia

The first team in the already described Honduran Super Clasico Nacional.  The aforementioned hermano Palacios, Milton, is joined by his World Cup capped sibling, Johnny, on the 2010 Clausera holders and 23 time national champions.  As well as their domestic success, el Leones are also two time Champions Cup winners and have earned famous victories against Cruz Azul, in 1988 in Mexico’s holy ground, the Azteca, and against Boca juniors.  Olimpia have not adhered to the unwritten Argentine roster rule but have made amends by signing 3 Brazilians and an Uruguayan.

As a side note, I’d like to include an interesting tidbit on the origins of the side, to keep my British readers humble and give some inspiration to my fellow fans, here in America.  The club was formed in 1912 but did not begin playing football until 5 years later.  Olimpia was, at its beginning ,and in fact, continues to be a baseball club.  So, make of that what you will.

Puerto Rico Islanders

The Caribbean club is another side, like Toronto FC, that has benefitted from alternate routes into the CL.  Although they play in the USSF’s Division II, they are governed by the Puerto Rican Football Federation (FPF).  This allows them to participate in the Caribbean Football Union tournament, the winner of which is entered into the CL.

The club has been coached by Northern Irishman Colin Clarke since the 2007 campaign and his strict regimen has paid dividends with the typically easygoing Islanders.  The club has pulled some major upsets in the tournament.  Two years ago they fought all the way to the semis, where they fell on penalties to Cruz Azul.  Along the way, the beat Marathon and Costa Rican powerhouse, LD Alajuelense.  Last season, they upset top flight Toronto FC but couldn’t get out of the group stage.

This year has been the piece de resistance for the underdog Islanders.  As mentioned, way back when in the introduction, they went into the Home Depot Center, in Los Angeles, and stunned the MLS leading Galaxy 4-1.  Returning home, they held off the Landon Donovan led American side, losing 1-2 but moving into the group stage on aggregate, 5-3.

The club consists of a blend of Puerto Rican, American, African and Caribbean players but also features a Honduran and an Englishman.  While there is no standout player on the squad, Clarke has harnessed his team into a selfless unit that, as underdogs go, seems to regularly schedule its day.

Toluca

Los Diablos Rojos (the Red Devils) have been a force in the top flight of Mexican football for a half century.  Having been coached by two Argentine legends, Ricardo la Volpe and Jose Pekerman, the side has enjoyed its fair share of success.  Playing its home matches in La Bombanera, aka the 27,000 seat Estadio Nemesio Diez, one of the oldest grounds in the country, the club seems to like to collect trophies in threes.  A trio of league championships, Torneos Verano (summer tournaments) and Aperturas decorate its halls.

Now captained by Brazilian born, Mexican international, Sinha, the club qualified for this year’s CL by beginning a new collection and winning its first Bicentenario, the Mexican version of the Clausura.  Last year, the side bowed out of the CL in the semis against holders Pachuca.

Is this not motivation enough?

Analysis: This is perhaps the lightest group in the competition.  Toluca should have no problems going through, although they should pay attention to any incoming tweets from Los Angeles, when the Islanders appear in their day-planner.  The second spot is there for whoever wants it the most.  With its past history of performing in the clutch, you have to like Puerto Rico’s chances.

On Wednesday, the group stages kick off. This season, MLS clubs start on even footing with the Mexican sides.  Each league is represented by four clubs in the competition.  Last year, the tournament concluded with four Primera clubs establishing a monopoly in the semi-finals.

The holders, Pachuca, are not here this year but Cruz Azul, who have finished second two years running, must be on a mission to get that monkey off their back.  Were someone to twist my arm and insist I put a fiver on the eventual champions, they would be my pick.

If one or two American sides can push deep into the elimination rounds, though, it may set the stage for a changing of the guard. The talent is there to get the job done.  The American clubs just have to want it as much as the rest of CONCACAF does.

The new Chѐ?

Diego Maradona, self described as “completely drained of energy” after his side was roughly treated by a young German squad at the World Cup, has stated his uncertainty about continuing as manager of the Argentine national team.  Despite the ridicule that much of the rest of the world (those not named Rob Hughes of the NY Times, at any rate) have foisted on his efforts as the man in charge, he is very much appreciated and loved in his home country.  The president of the Argentine federation has been lavishing el Pibe with praise and bending over backwards to get him to commit to another four years at the helm.

The man himself?  Well, he has been on a busman’s holiday of sorts, apparently advising good friend Hugo Chavez, the president of Venezuela, during his ongoing relationships issues with neighbouring Colombia.  In case you’re unaware, the two countries have been involved in a dispute over whether Venezuela is harboring Colombian rebels on their side of the border.  The Colombians brought what they claim is satellite surveillance, revealing rebel forces hunkered down in Venezuelan territory, to an OAS summit.  The Venezuelans, thinking creatively under pressure, replied that the photos could have been taken anywhere.  Maradona, who is known to have a leftist political view and has famously enjoyed the hospitality of Cuba’s Fidel Castro, was at Chavez’ side today as the Venezuelan severed diplomatic ties with those cheeky coca farmers.

The BBC, that solid bastion of journalistic integrity and staunch opponent of tabloidism, pictured Maradona and Chavez together in a very suggestive manner but somehow failed altogether to mention the Argentine, in the report itself.  Surely though, his council was of the greatest import in aiding Chavez in making such an important political decision?

Maradona is well known for catching his opponents off guard with surprise tactics.  Just ask the 1986 English squad. With Colombia’s government in a state of transition, after the recent election of Juan Manuel Santos, who doesn’t assume power for another two weeks, this is the perfect time to go on the offensive.

The political scene has become so dull in the last few years.  It’s all he said, she said, with plenty of finger pointing and shouting but no real action.  Maradona’s antics and eminently quotable press conferences in South Africa certainly made the World Cup much more interesting.  Maybe he could do the same for Latin American politics. After all, it’s been what, three decades, since we’ve had a good South American war?

Could Diego Maradona have a future as a political consultant?  At least we know his strategy.  Attack, attack, attack!

The three amigos, Maradona, Chavez and Bolivia's Evo Morales

That’s all I remember from his first season; cameo displays in the last twenty minutes where he would make and be given a plethora of chances – he’d take a few of them as well. It was the ease in which he’d beat a player that was so breathtaking – at just 17 people were already starting to talk.

Five years later and Leo Messi is a regular in the Barcelona team and in contention for the Ballon D’Or again. Highlights have included three La Liga titles, two Champions League wins and a Copa del Rey, which completed the treble last season. These titles have come with some unreal performances along the way – especially one night at the Bernabeu.

I wrote about how Del Piero received one of the highest accolades in football – a standing ovation at the Bernabeu for his displays last season, but for a player from Barcelona to receive it is something else – only Ronaldinho had achieved such feat in recent years. The Bernabeu know their football and can accept when they’re in the presence of greatness.

I think Leo Messi is the most gifted footballer currently playing the game. His touch, low centre of gravity and zero back-lift combined with his excellent footballing brain and his confidence in placing his shots instead of hammering them make him one of the most deadly and prolific players in today’s game.

I’m a Manchester United fan and a massive fan of Cristiano Ronaldo – but there is something that Messi offers that draws me in even more so. I’ve always wondered which is better; a player that is unpredictable and therefore unstoppable, or a player like Messi who is slightly more predictable, but nevertheless, unstoppable.

The ‘Maradona’ tag has been lambasted around too often. Pablo Aimar, Javier Savola and many others have accrued to this name but after much analysis it’s clear to see Messi comes closer than all of them. He’s even replicated Maradona’s two (in)famous goals. Beating the same amount of players and running roughly the same distance for his wonder goal and for the other, using his hand. Let’s be fair though, Messi is a great player in his own right.

If Maradona is the acid test at International level then Ronaldinho holds that mantle for his time at club level. Comparisons of his impact can be made to Ronaldinho having achieved the same at club level.

Nicknamed the “Messiah” he saved Barcelona a few times last season. The Champions League game against Shaktar the most memorable – 1-0 down with 15 minutes to play – enter Messi.

It has quickly become Messi’s team following the departure of Ronaldinho – and his levels of performance for his club team are not in question here – the ultra critical eye will look towards his tenure with the national team.

Last month in his hometown of Rosario, Messi was frustrated as Argentina lost to Brazil. He showed clear signs of disappointment due to the lack of quality from his team mates. It’s fair to say Argentina aren’t the best side in the world at the moment but would Maradona have acted in the same manner? Something which Messi has to learn when playing for his country is that he has to take on more responsibility.

Messi’s tendency to stay out wide could be considered a limitation. Cristiano Ronaldo for example often swaps flanks, goes down the middle and appears in the box. Messi does sometimes drift but he spends the majority of the game out on the right wing. This limitation may occur due to the nature of his Barcelona team, regardless it does restrict his impact on a game from time to time. It’s not a problem when Xavi and Iniesta are pulling the strings but the boy who moved to Spain at 11 to treat his growth hormone deficiency must adapt all over again because great players pull through no matter the circumstance.

Messi recently said he admired Rooney’s passion for the game.

“When he loses, it hurts and those are the sort of players you want to be playing with.

“I can understand the pressure on him, but to be honest, from what I have seen, Rooney is the sort of player who would thrive playing under pressure.”

That’s built in to Wayne Rooney it’s not something you learn, but something you have and the same could be said about Maradona. The question is, when it goes down to the wire can Messi put in that performance or score that goal that makes the difference on the International scene? Only then will he be considered truly one of the best – but time is on his side.

But you’d have to doubt Messi at your peril as he takes in a good goal scoring record to Argentina on Saturday where lowly Peru will undoubtedly struggle with a player that’s in a different league.

The two South American powerhouses will take their rivalry to Rosario, an industrial city around 150km from the capital Buenos Aires, to play in the Rosario Central venue “Gigante de Arroyito” (literal translation is “Giant from the little river”), a very intimidating stadium for the Brazilians – and one with a history in this confrontation as well.

Back in the 1978 World Cup, which Argentina hosted and eventually won, an almost all South American semifinal took place: Polland, Peru and the two giants played for a place in the final. The game between Brazil and Argentina took place in the mid-June- Argentine’s winter, with a high dose of intensity from the local players, really rough at times, and especially from the fans. One famous tale that is told about on that game is: the Brazilians’ bus was not allowed to enter the stadium, leaving the players across the street from it, so they had to walk some meters surrounded with local passionate fans screaming “nice” things in their ears. Maradona hand-picked this place to face Brazil beacuse he knows the power of 40,000 + Argentinian fans rooting against Brazil.

Fast forwarding 30 years into time, we have two really technical teams that most likely will be playing for the title next year. However, while Dunga maintained a style of game that gave Brazilians hope and a Confederations’ Cup this summer, Maradona looks a bit lost on how to give room to some really skillful players, like Messi and Aguero, and – at the same time – cut the spaces from the opponent. My bet is on a draw. Mainly because the defensive system of the Argentinians is not working well, to a point where even the people there think Brazil’s defense is better. Bear in mind: last time Brazil won in Argentinian soil was in 1995. The last two games there finished with normal wins for the local side.

After some good results, Brazil is leading the way to South Africa with 27 points, they can clinch their place there with a draw in Rosario or a win at their next game with Chile in Salvador. Argentina, on the other hand, is 5 points behind, and with Ecuador and Uruguay in its neck to get to the top four that have guaranteed places, and after Brazil they have to face another tough match in Paraguay. On the first encounter for these World Cup Qualifying Round, they drew without goals in Brazil.

Trash talk, passionate crowds, great players on both sides. That’s pretty much the best anyone can hope for a fine soccer match. Saturday night’s gonna be a special one, certainly to be remembered for years to come. It doesn’t matter if it makes into the world record of all times: Argentina and Brazil have a a rivalry of its own and seeing both countries fighting for. “whatever” is always good. Watch out!