Charlie Davies is Back

The MLS season kicked into full gear this weekend, as all 18 teams played their first games of the season. There were a few interesting match-ups. Seattle were at New York, there was an all Canadian affair between Vancouver and Toronto, and Charlie Davies started on the bench for DC United’s game vs Columbus.

I’ll start by saying that I flipped between the DC United and Seattle games, so I can’t really comment on the overall performance of the teams involved. I can say, however, that the Red Bulls looked very good during the times that I watched them. Juan Agudelo stood out for the Red Bulls. The 18 year old scored the only goal of the game and looked very dangerous and composed on the ball. I’m hoping that he starts alongside Jozy Altidore in the upcoming USA friendlies.

As for the DC United game, well, there was really only one reason I was watching it. Charlie Davies was starting on the bench and I really wanted to see him play. He came in mid-way through the first half and soon after that DC won a penalty. Davies stepped up and buried it for his first competitive goal in his first competitive appearance in a year and a half. I went nuts. It was so good to see him back on the field and dancing after scoring a goal. To make things even better, he went on to score again from open play. Then I really went nuts. I’m hoping he can build on the goals and get back to where he was as a player before the car accident. They have surely given him a massive confidence boost. His comeback is amazing and inspiring, considering that he is lucky to be alive. You heard it here first: Charlie Davies to win the MLS Golden Boot!

Finally, a bit of European news, starting with Stuart Holden. The midfielder was victim of a rather daft challenge by Jonny Evans in Bolton’s game vs Manchester United. The Guardian is reporting that he will be out for six months. It’s a huge shame. He has been one of Bolton’s best players and, in my opinion (but obviously not Bob Bradley’s), the USA’s best center mid. Bolton were also unlucky to lose that game to  United 1-0. United’s win, coupled with Arsenal tying West Brom, puts them five points clear of Arsenal, who have a game in hand.

Champions League Round of 16

The first half of the Champions League Round of 16 is over, and it didn’t disappoint. Four teams have booked their place in the final eight of the world most prestigious club competition: Schalke, Shakhtar, Tottenham, and Barcelona.

Without argument the Arsenal-Barcelona game was the biggest of the week, and it was probably one of the strangest games I’ve ever seen. Barcelona completely dominated the game, yet almost didn’t go through. They scored first, just before halftime, via a brilliant goal by Messi (shocker, I know), although credit should be showered upon Iniesta for the ball he played for the assist. Arsenal couldn’t string more than three passes pretty much all game, but I can’t even say they played poorly. Barca didn’t really give them a chance to be anything, good or bad.

But the weirdest thing about this game, apart from the Van Persie red card, was the fact that due to Barca’s own goal in the second half, and their almost letting Arsenal in very late in the game, Arsenal could have gone through. Despite not having a single shot, on target or off. And only completing 214 passes, to Barca’s 768. It was a strange game indeed, but Barca were brilliant, and in the end I think they deserved to go through.

On to Tottenham. Who would have thought they would be in the last eight? It’s been a magical run and I must say I’m glad to see them where they are. They are brilliant to watch. When they’re playing well, I would argue that they are one of the most exciting teams in the world. They won the first leg at AC Milan, so all they needed was a 0-0 draw. And that’s what they got. It wasn’t their best game, and AC Milan had them penned back in their own half for long periods during the game. But Spurs held strong, and good for them. I’m looking forward to seeing them in the next round.

Champions League Returns, Doesn’t Dissapoint

The Champions League finally returned this week with the round of 16. Tottenham were at AC Milan while Stuttgart were at Valencia on Tuesday. On Wednesday it was Shakhtar vs Roma, and the big one: Arsenal vs Barcelona.

Tottenham came into the Milan game in the midst of a mini injury-crisis. Luka Modric was only fit enough for the bench, Gareth Bale was out along with two center backs. To make matters worse, Vedran Ćorluka was the victim of a horrible tackle by Mathieu Flamini and will probably be out for a while. The player that came in for Ćorluka, Jonathan Woodgate, had been out for over a year due to injury and he also picked up a muscle strain. But despite all these injuries, Spurs managed to come away from Milan with a win. They played superbly. In the first half they bossed the game, and while Milan began to dominate in the second half, Spurs held their ground and got a goal in the break. Milan were disappointing throughout. They lacked creativity and speed,  and will need to up their game if they want to get a result in the second leg.

On to the game that everybody has been waiting months for: Barcelona vs Arsenal. I have to say, it didn’t disappoint. Barcelona were dominant for much of the first half and took the lead through David Villa. But Arsenal commanded the game in the second half. Barcelona paid for missing a few chances in the first half as Arsenal came roaring back. They scored two goals and could have had more. The second leg is going to be very interesting. Barcelona have an away goal and will only need to keep Arsenal from scoring, while scoring at least one goal themselves. I have a feeling that Barcelona will turn it around at home. Arsenal will have to produce something special if they want to go through – and they’re certainly capable of it, as we saw last night.

The the other first leg matches of the round of 16 will be played next week. The fixtures are: Manchester United vs Marseille, Inter vs Munich, Real Madrid vs Lyon, and Chelsea vs Copenhagen.

Manchester United Win Derby, Barcelona Drop Points

Manchester United defeated their crosstown rivals Manchester City 2-1 this weekend. Wayne Rooney scored a stunning overhead kick that won the match for United. The win moves them eight points clear of City, and four points ahead of Arsenal, who kept up the pressure on United with a win against Wolves. I’m glad for Rooney, as he’s had a tough season. Hopefully he can push on from here and start scoring more regularly.

Also in the Premier League, Tottenham came from behind to win against Sunderland. The Spurs showed some fighting spirit to recover from being 1-0 down. They went on to win 2-1 via a brilliant goal by Niko Kranjcar. That result will keep them in fourth place, at least until Chelsea play later today. Bolton also defeated Everton 2-0. American Stuart Holden started and played well.

There were also a couple of big results on the European continent. Barcelona were held to a 1-1 tie against Sporting Gijón, which saw their lead at the top of La Liga weakened, although they still lead Real Madrid by five points. In Italy, Juventus defeated Inter on the ”Derby D’Italia.”  The title race in Serie A is shaping up very nicely and should be quite exciting towards the end of the season.

Finally, the Champions League returns this week. Some of the headline matches include Tottenham vs AC Milan, Arsenal vs Barcelona, and a rematch of last year’s final between Bayern Munich and Inter Milan. Should be exciting!

Whirlwind Weekend

This weekend promised drama, but I wasn’t expecting this much! Goals were abundant as Manchester United and Chelsea fell, Newcastle produced a comeback for the ages, and Barcelona made history.

On Saturday, Manchester United finally lost their first game this season, but not to an opponent you would have expected; it was Wolves who defeated United 2-1. I only saw the last 25 minutes, but from what I did see United looked awful and deserved to lose. This result led me to the following conclusion: there should be no Premier League title given out this year. All of the teams that have competed for the crown in the last few years have been sub-par – it’s almost like no one wants the title, and in my opinion, none of them deserve it!

But I digress. Also played on Saturday was the astonishing game between Arsenal and Newcastle. Arsenal were 4-0 up at halftime, but completely fell apart in the second half. Abou Diaby was sent off and Newcastle came storming back. Cheik Toite capped their shocking comeback with a brilliant goal in stoppage time, and the game ended 4-4. An amazing game. I feel bad for the Newcastle fans who left while they were still losing!

On to the big game: Chelsea vs Liverpool. With Fernando Torres moving from Liverpool to Chelsea earlier in the week, the hype leading up to the game was immense. It didn’t really live up to  it, though. Torres started but only lasted 66 poor minutes before being replaced by Salomon Kalou. Liverpool scored soon after Torres came off, much to the delight of their fans, and the game ended 1-0. I’m not really sure how Chelsea are going to use Torres. I don’t think they will have much success using him in their normal 4-3-3. I guess time will tell.

Finally, Barcelona have made La Liga history by winning their 16th game in a row. They defeated Atlético Madrid this time, behind a Messi hat-trick. They have some big games coming up including Arsenal in the Champions League, but they look unstoppable right now and are a joy to watch.

The Future of the US Men’s National Team

This past weekend saw the first game of the year for the US Men’s National Team. Bob Bradley called up a very young squad that trained for three weeks before their game against Chile.  Clint Dempsey, Landon Donavon, Tim Horward, Oguchi Onyewu, Jay DeMerit, Steve Cherundolo, and Carlos Bocanegra will all be over 30 (some more-so than others) by the next World Cup. I find that a little worrying, so I was really excited to watch these new, young players, as I’m curious to see where the USMNT is heading. We have a few quite talented young players who are close to breaking into the team (Holden, Torres), along with Altidore and Bradley, who already start. But the list of players that are getting older is long, and losing all that talent will be a big blow.

But back to the game. It was played at a frantic pace. The players had barely any time on the ball, but a few stood out to me. Dax McCarty played well in midfield. Tim Ream looked quite promising in the back. He was very composed on the ball and minus Chile’s goal and a few errant passes, was very solid. Mixx Diskerud looked lively as well. He touch was a bit off, but he got in good positions and tried to make things happen. Zach Loyd also looked good at left-back.

For me, the whole game changed when Bob Bradley brought in Teal Bunbury and Juan Agudelo. They brought pace and a spark to the team. I was particularly impressed with Juan Agudelo. He looked very confident, and won the penalty that Bunbury scored. I have high hopes for him in the future. He is at a good club with a good coach, and probably the best mentor a young striker could want in Thierry Henry.  As long as he keeps improving,  I think he could be very good.

Day of Ties

Three derby matches plus the much hyped Spurs – Manchester United game took place on Sunday, and they all ended in ties. Newcastle thought they had won their game, but Sunderland equalized in the final minutes of the game, which ended 1-1. Aston Villa and Birmingham City tied 1-1.

The Merseyside derby between Everton and Liverpool also ended in a tie: it finished 2-2. Liverpool were on top in the first half and were 1-0 up at halftime, but Everton showed some spirit and took the lead shortly after the restart. Liverpool tied the game on a penalty, and that’s where the scoring ended. Liverpool looked a little better than they have so far this season, and I was impressed by some of Everton’s play. I’m wondering what they’ll do without Steven Pienaar, who did not play and is probably leaving the club, which I think is a big loss for Everton.

Spurs played host to somehow still undefeated Manchester United in the last game of the weekend in the Premier League. To be completely honest, I expected Spurs to win this game. They are playing really well this season, and while consistency is a slight problem for them, they are a joy to watch. The final score was 0-0, which went along with the theme of the day: ties. It really was a contest of defenses. Both back lines played extremely well. I would have to say that Nemanja Vidic was the best player on the field – pretty much nothing got past him the whole game. Spurs played much better than United in attack. United are crying out for some kind of creative player in the midfield, because right now, they don’t have one. There is no one on that team that take the game by the scruff of the neck and change it in an instant with an incisive pass or other moment of magic, and they desperately need someone who can do that for them.

FA Cup Kicks Off, Ballon d’Or Awarded

The FA Cup began this past weekend. It is one of my favorite competitions. I love to watch the smaller teams in the lower divisions get their chance to take a shot at the Premier League teams. There were a few upsets and surprises. Stevenage F.C. dumped Newcastle out, beating them 3-1 at  home. Leeds drew 1-1 and earned a replay with Arsenal, while Leicester also earned a replay against Manchester City. Manchester United defeated Liverpool 1-0 in Liverpool’s first game without Roy Hodgson, who was sacked the day before the game. Chelsea will look to build on their 7-0 thrashing of Ipswich and use the momentum to recover their lost form in the Premier League.

The Ballon d’Or was awarded last night, and for the second year in a row it went to Lionel Messi. For me, he was the best player of 2010, and is on my list of the best ever. I feel bad for Xavi, who is also an outstanding player but in a completely different way. He is a conductor for both his club and country, and I would have liked to see him get the Ballon d’Or this year as he is getting up there in age and I think that he really deserves it. I can’t argue with the final vote, though. Messi is the best. Here are some of his highlights from last year.

Premier League Heats Up

The holidays are always a busy time of year, especial in the Premier League. While most other leagues take a break over the Christmas period, the number of fixtures in England actually increases. It makes for a lot of fun for the fans, although some players and managers don’t like it quite as much. It all starts on Boxing Day, and then continues through the week. Teams played on Boxing Day, Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday of last week, again on the weekend, and now once more today and tomorrow!

In the flurry of games during this time, there has been a flurry of action. Chelsea’s slump continues to hurt their chances of a title. They lost to Arsenal, won unconvincingly at home against Bolton, and then tied Aston Villa, who have not been at their best this season. That string of results leaves Chelsea out of the top four and six points behind league leaders Manchester United, who have played one fewer game. Things are not looking good at Stamford Bridge.

Manchester United managed to stay unbeaten through the Christmas schedule, although they were lucky to come away with a win against West Brom this past weekend. They went up quickly via a Rooney goal before West Brom drew level. From then on I thought West Brom were the better side. United should have had a player sent off, and were lucky when West Brom missed a penalty. Chicharito scored the winner for United off the bench, but West Brom were extremely unlucky to lose.

Champions League Round of 16 Set As England Freezes Again

The Champions League round of 16 draw took place Friday, and there will be some pretty interesting match-ups. Champions Inter face Bayern Munich in a rematch of last year’s final, while Arsenal will have a chance for revenge against Barcelona, who ousted the English club in the quarter-finals last year. Chelsea got perhaps the easiest draw: they will face FC København. Tottenham were handed a tricky encounter with AC Milan, and Real Madrid will try to get past Lyon.

Seven of the ten games in the Premier League were canceled due to freezing conditions this weekend. The games that went ahead for Bolton vs Sunderland, and Blackburn vs West Ham. Manchester City play Everton later today. Blackburn tied West Ham 1-1, while Bolton lost narrowly to Sunderland. Bolton didn’t play poorly, although they certainly weren’t at their best. They had numerous chances at the end of the match, and were unlucky not to come away with at least a point.

Finally, Barcelona continue to rampage in Spain. Their form right now is absolutely ridiculous. They smashed rivals Espanyol 5-1 without really breaking a sweat, although they did finally concede a goal. And it wasn’t as if Espanyol played badly. They actually played quite well considering their opponents. But Barcelona are on a different planet right now. I’m not sure I can remember watching a team that is more fun to watch than they are.