Saturday, October 4, 2008

Jose Francisco Torres




Born in America. Raised under Mexican heritage. That describes Jose Francisco Torres, the 20 year old midfielder who is currently plying his trade over at Pachuca in Mexico. The youngster can play on the left side of the midfield or in a center (attacking) midfield spot. The addition of Torres to the squad will provide for more cover at positions in which the United States is lacking depth.

Mexico, however, is still interested in Torres playing for their team. Mexico had been scouting the player before he made his announcement. They were shocked when he revealed that he would rather play for the red, white, and blue instead of the "tri-color". Even after the announcement, Mexico has attempted to persuade Torres to change his mind.

Credit must also be given to fellow U.S. National Team player Michael Orozco, as he has kept in contact with the Texas-born Torres, telling him about the team and how things are run. If Torres sees even a nano-second of playing time against either Cuba, or Trinidad and Tobago, he will be cap-tied to the Yanks, something Mexico must be dreading at this point.


Did Torres make the right decision? Do you think he is capable of making the 2010 World Cup squad for the United States? With Orozco and Torres choosing the United States, is this a sign of things to come with more fellow Mexican-Americans? Share your thoughts below.

Friday, October 3, 2008

Oh, Happy Day!




It's official, the masses are content. After all, Bob Bradley has just released a 23-man roster that is made up of the usual suspects, mixed in with some younger talent for the upcoming World Cup Qualifiers against Cuba and Trinidad and Tobago.

Fans had been pleading for the inclusion of the likes of Freddy Adu, Josmer Altidore, and other young talented players since the beginning of this round of Qualification. Many believed that the younger group would provide for more exciting soccer, and would have pulled out better results than the 1-0 scorelines witnessed at Cuba and Guatemala.

However, Bob Bradley continued to call in mostly veterans to his camps, much to the dismay of the fans. What many fans overlooked though, was the fact that Bradley was indeed incorporating young talent into his rosters. Sacha Kljestan, Maurice Edu, and Heath Pearce all saw extended time during the first three matches, and that's invaluable experience gained to young players who look to be apart of the 2010 squad.

What was important for the team was to secure qualification as quickly as possible and they've pretty much assured that by winning their first three games with a goal differential of +5. The team would have to lose the next three matches, two of which are at home, to possibly be knocked out of qualifying. To be honest, the chances of Sunil Gulati winning the lottery is more probable than the American's not making it to the Hex in 2009.

During the three games, although the play wasn't always pretty, it was effective. The older veterans like Brian Ching, Frankie Hejduk, and Eddie Lewis all made contributions to the team's success. Ching, especially, should be applauded for the job he put forth against Guatemala. Not sure that Jozy Altidore - for all the talent he has - would've been able to hold the ball up like Ching did in the closing minutes of that grueling encounter.

Regardless, the United States has put itself in a good position to advance, and now has the flexibility to insert some of the younger players into the mix, which looks to have been Bradley's plan all along. The roster called up for the next two matches includes a little bit of everything for everyone. You have the veterans such as Ching, and Landon Donovan mixed in with some of the younger regulars like Pearce, and Michael Bradley. Then there's the talented youngsters looking to impress including Freddy Adu, Charlie Davies and even surprise call-up, Jose Francisco Torres of Pachuca, who just announced he'd play for America instead of Mexico.

With a win against Cuba, the Americans will officially be through to the final stage of qualifying, with two games remaining. Those two games will most likely be served as a way for Bob Bradley to continue his scouting of younger players. It looks plainly obvious, that Donovan, Tim Howard and other mainstays at the club level will be released to their clubs if the Yanks beat Cuba on the the 11th. That would leave for a much younger, inexperienced lineup with a sprinkle of veteran leadership for the match at Trinidad and Tobago.

Regardless of the results in the next two matches, we will see new faces get playing time. Bob Bradley has done a superb job mixing youth with experience for this roster and still, some fans will complain that there is no Kenny Cooper, Robbie Rogers, Marvell Wynne, or Chad Marshall on this roster. Those fans are either related to one of those individuals, or they'll probably never be satisfied.

For the time being though, the majority are pleased with the roster, and that in itself, is a rare occasion.


23 Man Roster

GOALKEEPERS (3): Brad Guzan (Aston Villa), Tim Howard (Everton FC), Troy Perkins (Valerenga IF).

DEFENDERS (8): Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes), Danny Califf (FC Midtjylland), Steve Cherundolo (Hannover 96), Jay DeMerit (Watford FC), Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew), Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege), Michael Orozco (San Luis), Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock).

MIDFIELDERS (7): Freddy Adu (AS Monaco), DaMarcus Beasley (Glasgow Rangers), Michael Bradley (Borussia Moenchengladbach), Maurice Edu (Glasgow Rangers), Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA), Danny Szetela (Brescia Calcio), José Francisco Torres (Pachuca).

FORWARDS (5): Jozy Altidore (Villarreal C.F.), Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo), Charlie Davies (Hammarby IF), Clint Dempsey (Fulham FC), Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy).



What do you think of the roster? Which players are you most excited to see? Anyone make the team that should've been left off? Anyone not make the team that you'd like to see? How do feel about the call-up of Jose Francisco Torres and him deciding to play for America? Share your comments below.

Thursday, October 2, 2008

FIFA or Pro Evolution Soccer?




Alright, cough it up, who plays what? Which game do you spend countless hours of your life playing?

I, myself, use to be an avid PES (Winning Eleven) fan, playing the game like if it were part of my tradition, but last year's version of the game, dissapointed me tremendously. Things just didn't add up. The graphics were improved, but still looked PS2-ish, the gameplay had more holes than swiss cheese, and it just wasn't the same video game I had fallen in love with years before.

I gave into the dark side and gave FIFA a shot. I was Anakin Skywalker, as I betrayed my PES days to jump on FIFA's bandwagon. I surprisingly was blown away by how FIFA had improved their gameplay. A lot of the game did resemble PES, such as the double teams, crossing system, fake shots etc, but it also added a little of its' own spice. The numerous tricks and flicks you could perform were fun to mess with, and the graphics really did look like a next-generation video game.

I let my PES gather dust while I played FIFA as much as possible. Although I didn't have much fun playing multiplayer matches - the exceptions being my brother and online - I figured this year I'd just go with FIFA. But, like an old ex-girlfriend who you just can't get enough of, PES appears to be back on track, at least according to the gossip being shared on forums, and blogs all over the world.

PES has agreed to a four year deal to have the official licensing of UEFA's Champions League and has also corrected the so many wrongs that hurt its reputation last year. The gameplay is also as good as its ever been, according to some video gaming websites. I'm still tempted to pass, but then I picture the old days, memories of me having tournaments with friends at my house where the grand prize was a whopping $30 ($3-5 a person. Hey, we were jobless teenagers!) and it gives me goosebumps. If PES has been able to sprinkle some of its magic fairy dust that was misplaced last year and can return to that, then I'll be one happy customer.

FIFA, however, have not sat back either. The guys over at EA Canada have continued to build on the solid game play of FIFA 08, and have fixed the kinks one would encounter when playing the game. The goalkeepers react smarter, the gameplay is smoother, it is more difficult to score and FIFA has incorporated "tactics" which could make the game un-droppable (err, is that a word?). It has also added "250 improvements". The reason I put quotation marks around that, is because I highly doubt we'll notice anything close to 250, and that FIFA is just self-promoting itself more than Paris Hilton does. Regardless, it appears that FIFA could turn out to be the better product this year.

I've played the demos for both, and have been rather impressed with each, so I've decided to give each one a try. With FIFA hitting the stores in 2 weeks, and PES trying to get its North American customers back in its good graces by releasing the game in early November, (as opposed to February-March) it looks to be one interesting year.

Ah, it's good to be a video-gaming footy fan!


Which game do you plan on buying? Both? Any specific things you're really looking forward to? Ps3 or Xbox 360? Anything you'd wish these games would incorporate into their series? Share below.

Wednesday, October 1, 2008

Once Upon a Time




It seems like just yesterday, Benny Feilhaber was basking in the glory of a solid 2007 year with the United States Men's National Team, which was highlighted by his game-winning golazo in the Gold Cup Final against arch-rival Mexico.

The Brazilian-born player's career looked promising, and a move to newly promoted Derby County in the Premiership seemed like a step forward. It didn't turn out that way.

Coaching changes, injuries, and poor play all plagued Feilhaber's stint at Derby, as he saw little playing time. Yet fans remained optimistic that the 23-year-old still had the talent to get it it done with the National Team.

Feilhaber made an appearance off the bench in a friendly against Mexico back in February and provided the Americans with a calming presence in the midfield that had been absent all game long.

A month later, he was surprisingly cut by Peter Nowak from a group of U-23 players that would attempt to qualify for the Olympic games. Fans speculated that poor attitude, and an on-the-field argument with teenage sensation, Freddy Adu, contributed to his dismissal.

In May, the midfielder was called up to an U-23 team that would compete in the Toulon Tournament in France. The team consisted of mostly back-ups looking to impress Nowak and it was captained by Feilhaber himself. That was until he picked up a serious injury against Turkey. The injury would force him to not return to action for club or country for the most part of the summer. The five-foot, nine-inch player missed three big friendlies against England, Spain, and Argentina that could've raised a few scouts' eyebrows.

However, Feilhaber went through rehab and was released by the relegated Rams, as they prepared for their Coca-Cola Championship season. Speculation began between fans on where Benny would go. Many thought he would go to Maccabi Tel Aviv of Israel, who had expressed interest in the American during the Winter Transfer Window. Another possible destination was the MLS, but Benny seemed determined to stay abroad.

Feilhaber made the Olympic squad that played in Beijing. He didn't start any of the group stage matches, although he was used as a sub in all three. His most impressive game during the Olympics was in the final match against Nigeria, where he looked composed, receiving balls from the defense, and starting attacks by stringing passes together with the forwards. The 10-man USA team almost managed to come from behind and tie Nigiera, but they fell just short losing 2-1. The American midfielder however, made an impression.

The valiant effort in the final Olympic match brought a potential new suitor for the former Hamburg player. AGF Aarhus of the Danish Superliga had expressed interest before the Olympics, and offered Feilhaber a contract afterwards. He put pen to paper in mid-August. Fans thought it was a good move as he would finally see consistant playing time.

Unfortunately, once again, it didn't work out that way. It took Feilhaber a few weeks to be granted a work permit, but once it was received, he began to play. Shortly after, the American picked up a slight injury in a league match. A closer examination revealed that the once promising player needed surgery and would be out until the Spring of 2009.

Feilhaber has remained positive, but with so much gone wrong for the talented midfielder, he may miss out on the World Cup in 2010. By the time he even returns to his club, he'll have little more than a year to get back in Bob Bradley's good graces. If that's enough time, remains to be seen, especially with young midfielders Sacha Kljestan, and Maurice Edu emerging as potential starters for South Africa.

Most fans have given up hope on the talented midfielder, and with good reason. However, there's no denying that Feilhaber has a skill set rarely seen in an American and could still make the 2010 team if he returns from injury and plays to the level that he's capable of.

If he can accomplish that, then just maybe, fans will embrace him once again and be able to remember him for more than a Gold Cup winning wonder-strike against Mexico.


Does Feilhaber have any chance of making the 2010 squad? Can he revive his career, or is it too late? Is Aarhus a good fit for him, or should he make a move to MLS? Share your thoughts below.

Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Running Commentary - Manchester United v Aalborg Bk




Manchester United are looking for their first victory of this season's Champions League Group Stage after a dissapointing 0-0 tie with Villarreal back at Old Trafford on September 17th. Aalborg, the Champions of Denmark, also opened up their group stage with a scoreless draw against Celtic. If they could steal a point (or three) at home from heavily favored Manchester United, they would put themselves in a much better position to possibly get out of this tough group.

Lots to play for today for both squads, especially the local team. Can Aalborg pull of an upset of mammoth proportions? We'll see.

Here are the starting line-ups...


Aalborg BK
1. Karim Zaza
3. Steve Olfers
6. Martin Pedersen
16. Kasper Bogelund
4. Michael Beauchamp
8. Andreas Johansson
21. Kasper Risgard
14. Jeppe Curth
23. Thomas Enevoldsen
10. Marek Saganowski
9. Thomas Augustinussen

Manchester United
1. Edwin Van der Sar
5. Rio Ferdinand
22. John O'Shea
3. Patrice Evra
21. Rafael
15. Nemanja Vidic
18. Paul Scholes
7. Cristiano Ronaldo
17. Nani
10. Wayne Rooney
9. Dimitar Berbatov


0' - And we're off! Can Aalborg manage to upset the reigning champs? We're about to find out..

5' - Manchester has earned a corner kick after some sloppy man marking

6' - A flubbed clearance by Zaza found Berbatov, who hit the ball as it came in front of the net but it went just wide! Big mistake by Aalborg there.

7' - The Cristiano Ronaldo show has begun. Some nice moves in the center of the park.

8' - Another corner earned for Manchester as a Rafael shot was deflected out of bounds.

8' - Ferdinand gets to the back post on the corner and rips a shot from a tough angle! Zaza makes the save with his leg.

9' - Lots of pressure from Manchester's forwards. Aalborg is having a tough time finding the open man.

10' - Aalborg manages to get a low cross that painfully rolled across the 6 yard box with noone able to get a shot on goal. The ball gets hit out and a corner is awarded for Aalborg.

10' - Nothing ensues from the corner...

13' - The Aalborg fans are quite lively tonight.

16' - Paul Scholes was fouled, and is subbed out for number 11, Ryan Giggs. The foul didn't look like much from here, but Scholes was carted off. Hopefully for Scholes, it's not too serious.

20' - Rafael manages to get forward and found enough space to rip a shot that's saved by Zaza! Aalborg hits the rebound out for a Manchester corner.

21' - Corner is cleared out with no real problem.

22' - GOAL! Nani passes the ball to Ryan Giggs in the middle of the attacking third, who strings a beautiful pass to Wayne Rooney. Rooney, left 1v1 with Zaza, finishes with a strong low shot to the left.

25' - Ronaldo makes something out of nothing and sees his shot just sail over the crossbar.

28' - Aalborg seems content to sit back and watch Manchester play with the ball. Not much pressure from the Danish side.

29' - Van der Sar punches the ball clear after a shot took a deflection off a Manchester defender.

32' - Cristiano is fouled and Manchester take a quick Free Kick. Ronaldo crosses a nice ball that gets knocked out of bounds.

33' - Michael Beauchamp seems to be in pain after the corner was taken and cleared.

34' - A shove fest initiates between Ronaldo and Pedersen. What a peculiar hairstyle Pedersen is sporting today, maybe that sparked the argument.

38' - Bad challenge by Rafael sees him given a yellow card after he dove in to tackle Pedersen.

39' - Beauchamp can't go any longer and is replaced by Caca.

40' - A quick counter ends up turning into a corner for Manchester United. A reoccuring theme tonight.

43' - Rafael fights for the ball and manages to get a left-footed shot off that Zaza barely got a hand too! Impressive game thus far for Rafael.

44' - Nice buildup by Aalborg ends with a Jeppe Curth shot that goes well above the goal.

45+' - End of the first half. Manchester is up 1-0 thanks to a Wayne Rooney strike. Aalborg look overmatched as the team can't handle all the offensive fire power Manchester has to offer. Manchester is unlucky to be only up by one right now.

46' - And the second half is underway!

46' - Corner for Aalborg. Lets see if they can make something out of it. Pedersen will take the corner.

47' - The ball is knocked away before Rafael is tripped up and fouled.

49' - Long range shot by Enevolsen poses no pressure on Van der Sar as it flies into the stands.

50' - Berbatov looks out of sorts. Rooney was making a nice run in front of him and Dimitar decided to try and pass it wide only to have it intercepted. Tevez anyone?

52' - Rafael is fouled by Johanssen, who is given a yellow card for the challenge. The 18 year old just keeps cutting to the inside and leaving Aalborg defenders in the dust. Very impressive game thus far for the Brazilian teen.

54' - Zaza is awarded a yellow card for time waisting on a goal kick. Not sure why he took so long, his team is trailing 1-0.

55' - GOAL! Berbatov rifles one home, after capitalizing on a huge mistake by Augustinussen. The poor first touch bounced into the air and the Bulgarian striker took care of business. Berbatov didn't even celebrate his goal, he must know he's playing poorly.

59' - Rooney is replaced by Carlos Tevez who will want to impress here so as to show Sir Alex, that he does not want to get too comfortable with the bench.

60' - Tevez stumbled with the ball into the back of the net after a Nani shot was saved. No goal awarded though as the ref is indicate Tevez brought it down with his arm. I didn't see any infraction, should've been a goal for the Argentine forward.

63' - Rafael is asking for a sub. Must be because of one of the numerous fouls he picked up with his hip-breaking moves.

66' - Wes Brown steps in for Rafael, who had himself quite a debut. More looks are sure to come his way.

67' - Brown surprisingly did get forward and crossed one into the area. It was headered out and a quick counter is building up for Aalborg.

68' - Aalborg had an opportunity on the counter but Curth fails to get the ball on frame from 10 yards out. Big opportunity lost there.

72' - Ronaldo rolls a ball forward before taking a stinging shot that Zaza manages to pounce on.

74' - Aalborg looks to respond with their own chance on goal...a nicely weighted cross is headered just wide of the net by Johanssen!

75' - Tevez puts a nice move on his defender and finds space to get a shot off but it goes high and wide.

79' - GOAL! Ronaldo does a traditional move, leaving a defender behind, before looking up and placing a well weighted ball to the center of the area. Berbatov adjusts to a deflection and hits it with a well timed volley.

81' - Aalborg never had a chance. They looked like a deer in the headlights all game long.

85' - Berbatov has looked better in the last 15 minutes, then he has all game. He puts a beautiful pass into space that finds Cristiano Ronaldo on the run. Ronaldo's shot hits the side netting as he couldn't get a good shot off due to Zaza closing off his angle.

87' - Manchester United are just toying with Aalborg now. Everytime Aalborg thinks they have a chance at the goal of honor, Manchester counters with a dangerous pass upfield.

90' - Two minutes of stoppage time added on.

90+' - Game over. Berbatov hits a pair tonight, and Manchester United have picked up three points as well as a few injuries. Brazilian right back, Rafael was the Man of the Match tonight in my opinion, with a strong overall performance. His timely defending mixed with his runs forward made for an impressive debut.


That wraps it up for today! What did you think of the game? What did you think of Rafael tonight? Who was your Man of the Match? Share your comments below.

Monday, September 29, 2008

Euro Weekend Round-up




At the conclusion of Sundays (maybe early Mondays), I'll try and give scores for most of the games that took place throughout the weekend. Here are the results for this past weekend's matches.


English Premier League

Everton 0-2 Liverpool
Aston Villa 2-1 Sunderland
Manchester United 2-0 Bolton Wanderers
Middlesbrough 0-1 West Bromwich Albion
Newcastle 1-2 Blackburn Rovers
Fulham 1-2 West Ham
Stoke City 0-2 Chelsea
Arsenal 1-2 Hull City
Portsmouth 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Wigan Athletic 2-1 Manchester City


La Liga

Real Betis 1-2 Real Madrid
Espanyol 1-2 Barcelona
Sporting Gijon 0-1 Villarreal
Almeria 1-0 Recreative Huelva
Racing Santander 1-2 Mallorca
Athletic Bilbao 0-1 Getafe
Valencia 4-2 Deportivo La Coruna
Malaga 2-1 Valladolid
Atletico Madrid 1-0 Sevilla FC
Numancia 0-0 Osasuna


Serie A

Sampdoria 0-0 Juventus
Fiorentina 1-0 Genoa
Bologna 0-1 Napoli
Lecce 2-0 Cagliari
AS Roma 2-0 Atalanta
Udinese 2-1 Siena
Torino 1-3 Lazio
Palermo 1-0 Reggina
Catania 1-0 Chievo
AC Milan 1-0 Inter Milan


Bundesliga

FC Koln 1-0 Schalke 04
Hertha Berlin 0-1 Energie Cottbus
Vfl Bochum 2-3 Bayer Leverkusen
Werder Bremen 5-4 1899 Hoffenheim
Borussia Dortmund 3-0 VfB Stuttgart
Hamburger SV 1-0 Borussia Monchengladbach
Hannover 96 1-0 Bayern Munich
Eintracht Frankfurt 1-1 Arminia Bielefeld
Karlsruhe 2-1 VfL Wolfsburg


Ligue 1

Lyon 2-1 Nancy
Auxerre 3-0 Le Havre
Sochaux 1-1 Lorient
Rennes 1-0 Nice
Le Mans 1-1 Marseille
Caen 3-0 Nantes
Paris Saint-Germain 0-1 Grenoble
Monaco 0-2 Lille
Valenciennes 0-1 Toulouse
Bordeaux 1-1 St. Etienne


Eredivisie

NAC Breda 4-2 Heerenveen
PSV Eindhoven 1-0 Volendam
Twente Enschede 3-0 De Graafschap
Willem II 2-5 AZ Alkmaar
ADO Den Haag 0-0 Utrecht
Ajax 3-0 Vitesse Arnhem
NEC Nijmegen 1-1 Heracles Almelo
Groningen 3-1 Feyenoord
Sparta Rotterdam 2-2 Roda JC


Which games did you get to watch this weekend? How did your favorite teams do? Any leagues I should include? Share your thoughts below.

Sunday, September 28, 2008

Ronaldinho Goal Tops Inter in Milan Derby



Did anyone else witness Ronaldinho's first goal in Italian Football? Well, if you didn't, you might've missed the beginning to a new start for the player also known as Jar Jar Binks, as his goal was the game winner against Inter in this season's first Milan Derby.

Ronaldinho played a pin-point long ball to fellow National Team player, Kaka. Kaka ran onto the ball and as he entered the 18, he paused, looked up, and saw Ronaldinho crashing into the area. Kaka returned the ball with a perfectly weighted pass that found Ronaldinho, who leaped over his defender and placed the ball into the upper right corner, leaving keeper Julio Cesar helpless.

The former player of the year, gave credit to Kaka for the assist, but also thanked the fans after the game, "I was hoping to score a goal. This is for the fans who made me feel at home. Every day I feel more at home here at Milan."

You can see the goal here.


What did you think of the goal/play? Will Ronaldinho thrive in Serie A? Will he lead AC Milan to the Serie A championship?