tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-116102352024-03-23T13:54:18.392-04:00Daves On SoccerTwo guys named Dave. A lot of talk about soccer.Dave Ciskowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11108606440814124794noreply@blogger.comBlogger238125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1166652238122789562006-12-25T22:04:00.000-05:002006-12-25T22:25:50.510-05:00News Flash: Arsenal are InconsistentMerry Christmas, everybody!<br /><br />I haven't written anything about Arsenal's <A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6164309.stm">2-2 draw with Pompey</A> or their more satisfying <A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6185615.stm">6-2 dismantling of Blackburn</A>, mostly because I wasn't able to see either game. And what can you say? When the Gunners were down 0-2 in the Pompey game, I was convinced we would see their first loss in Ashburton Grove. And yet they were able to fight back for the win, nearly finding a winner in the dying minutes. One point is better than none, and it's good to see that the boys can fight with their backs against the wall. Still, Portsmouth is the kind of team they should handle easily at home, so it's not helpful to see another 2 points left on the floor.<br /><br />Then, the Blackburn game. Once again, the Gunners gave up that silly early goal -- this time handing a penalty to David Bentley before two minutes were gone. Yet this time Arsenal fought their way back into it, led once again by Messers. Silva and Adebayor. Those two are leading the team in Thierry Henry's absence, and doing a good bit of work with it. 3-1 at the half felt safe, but another preventable Rovers goal made for an uncomfortable 3-2 before the wheels came off and Arsenal ran off three more in quick succession. It looks like a spectacular win, but at times it felt like a nail-biter.<br /><br />That match is a perfect illustration of the Gunners this season. This Arsenal team is frustrating precisely because they're so inconsistent. It's great to see them dismantle Liverpool, or to get the win at Old Trafford. And the draw at Stamford Bridge was well-earned too. Yet they've been crap against the more mediocre teams. I've <A HREF = "http://davesonsoccer.blogspot.com/2006/12/whats-story-with-arsenal.html">gone on before</A> about my thoughts on what's wrong with Arsenal at the moment. Suffice to say that the Portsmouth and Blackburn games didn't change my mind. But then I started to wonder, are Arsenal really that inconsistent?<br /><br />Well, yes.<br /><br />Let's compare to the other Big Four teams: Chelsea, Liverpool, and Manchester United. Including Arsenal, these are clearly the top teams in the Prem. In the past five years, none of them have finished below fifth, and only twice has another team cracked the top four. The Gunners fully expect to stay among that elite group.<br /><br />So then we need to define consistency. I'd say that you're always going to have a difficult game against the other Big Four teams; consistency is how well you do against the rest of the league. That's 16 teams, so in a season you could take a max of 96 points against the 'other guys'. <br /><br />So I took a look at that, back over the last 4.5 years, counting up how many points the Big Four took against the other teams, and marking that as a percent of possible points. So, for instance, this year Arsenal have taken 21 points from a possible 45 against the non-Big Four teams, giving them 51%. I compared those to the team's finishing position. How does that stack up?<PRE> Team Year Pos % points vs 'others'<br /> Man Utd 2006/2007* 1 89%<br /> Chelsea 2004/2005 1 84<br /> Lvrpool 2005/2006 3 81<br /> Arsenal 2004/2005 2 81<br /> Chelsea 2006/2007* 2 81<br /> Arsenal 2003/2004 1 79<br /> Chelsea 2005/2006 1 79<br /> Chelsea 2003/2004 2 75<br /> Man Utd 2005/2006 2 75<br /> Arsenal 2002/2003 2 74<br /> Man Utd 2002/2003 1 72<br /> Man Utd 2003/2004 3 72<br /> Lvrpool 2006/2007* 3 70<br /> Man Utd 2004/2005 3 68<br /> Arsenal 2005/2006 4 66<br /> Chelsea 2002/2003 4 65<br /> Lvrpool 2002/2003 5 61<br /> Lvrpool 2004/2005 5 57<br /> Lvrpool 2003/2004 4 56<br /> Arsenal 2006/2007* 4 54<br /> *Current on 25 Dec 2006.</PRE>So. There are a couple interesting things about this list. First, teams that take care of business against the non-Top Four tend to win the league. No surprise there. And this year's Arsenal, so far, are absolutely the worst of all these teams at taking points from lower-placed sides. Thankfully there's still half a season to cover.<br /><br />But this can't tell the whole story. Teams that do poorly against both good and bad teams will be at the bottom of the list. But that's just consistent, isn't it? Arsenal this year are so maddening because of their inconsistency.<br /><br />So let's look at it this way. Arsenal have taken 54% of possible points against the non-Big Four teams. But they've taken 7 of 9 against the Big Four; that's 78% of possible points. From 54% to 78% — that's a swing of +24%. How do other teams stack up?<PRE> Team Year Pos %-oth %-big4 diff<br /> Arsenal 2006/2007* 4 54 78 +24<br /> Man Utd 2002/2003 1 72 78 +06<br /> Chelsea 2005/2006 1 79 83 +04<br /> Man Utd 2004/2005 3 68 67 -01<br /> Arsenal 2003/2004 1 79 78 -01<br /> Chelsea 2004/2005 1 84 78 -06<br /> Man Utd 2005/2006 2 75 61 -14<br /> Chelsea 2006/2007* 2 81 66 -15<br /> Lvrpool 2003/2004 4 56 33 -23<br /> Lvrpool 2002/2003 5 61 28 -33<br /> Arsenal 2002/2003 2 74 39 -35<br /> Chelsea 2003/2004 2 75 39 -36<br /> Chelsea 2002/2003 4 65 28 -37<br /> Man Utd 2003/2004 3 72 33 -39<br /> Lvrpool 2004/2005 5 57 17 -40<br /> Arsenal 2005/2006 4 66 22 -44<br /> Man Utd 2006/2007* 1 89 45 -44<br /> Arsenal 2004/2005 2 81 28 -53<br /> Lvrpool 2005/2006 3 81 22 -59<br /> Lvrpool 2006/2007* 3 70 0 -70<br /> *Current on 25 Dec 2006.</PRE>Yes: This year's Arsenal are so far the most inconsistent team. Now, that doesn't mean much in itself. Several other top inconsistent teams won the league. But that's because they just didn't drop many points overall. For instance, the Man Utd of 02/03 took 78% against the Big Four, but they also took 72% against everybody else. They were just a solid team overall. Last year's Chelsea were much the same, and many of the points they did drop came at the end of the year when their title was virtually certain.<br /><br />And those are the only other teams who did better against the Big Four than everyone else. Which makes sense: you don't expect a team to play better against the league elite than they do against the rabble. I looked at 20 teams, and that was true for 17 of them — and nearly true for two more. What makes Arsenal so unusual?<br /><br />I've a few thoughts on that, but this post is too long as it is. I will say this, though. It's tempting to blame it on the coaching, and many signs point in that direction. Arsène may have to rethink some things... but in the end, the players have more to answer for.<br /><br />I'll write on that later. But for now, I'm looking forward to watching Arsenal take on Watford tomorrow. Let's get the second half kicked off right. COME ON YOU GUNNERS!Dave Ciskowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11108606440814124794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1166054675177637862006-12-13T18:24:00.000-05:002006-12-13T19:04:35.353-05:00Chelsea 1-1 Arsenal; Wigan 0-1 ArsenalIt's not easy, but the Gunners are making progress.<br /><br />Continuing my tradition of "better late than never," I thought I'd put in a few words about the <A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6201520.stm">1-1 draw with Chelsea</A> on Sunday. Heck of a match, wasn't it? It's the classic kind of tense draw: at different times you're thinking your team will win, lose, and draw; in the end, you feel exhausted and reluctantly satisfied to call it even.<br /><br />Both teams wanted the three points, but in the end Arsenal feel better about taking one. Chelsea will rue their missed chances, especially from Drogba and Lampard, and the Gunners had to leave feeling a bit lucky there. But on the other hand, it took a seriously good strike from Michael Essien to even bring the Blues level. Were it not for his one good moment, Chelsea could have lost at home for the first time in forever.<br /><br />And Arsenal? They had some nervy moments in defense, most notably from a few Senderos miscues, and from the fullbacks after Mourinho switched gears with Robben and Wright-Phillips. But they were hard in the tackle all day, and the Flamini goal was extremely well-worked. Mathieu is starting to take on some leadership with the club, and it's gratifying to see him have an impact in games like this and with Liverpool. And I have to give a shout for Gilberto, who has backed up the captain's armband with some magnificent performances.<br /><br />The quality of play was excellent from both sides; Chelsea are not the dour defenders that they were last year. Which makes their whining and diving even more annoying. It's always hideous to see Drogba throwing himself to the floor, but it's even worse (if possible) when he's having such a great season. As it is, he'll never have a solid reputation if he can't stop his flailing. And the whole team is just pathetic in how they argue with the referees. I have no idea why it is tolerated; were it me, I'd be very tempted to show an early yellow (or two!) for dissent to put a stop to it.<br /><br />But despite that, it was an interesting match, with good ebb and flow, and a thrilling finish. The draw is a fair result, though both teams will feel they should have done better. The rematch should be an interesting affair.<br /><br />And then, three points today as <A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6164251.stm">Arsenal nick it from Wigan</A>, 0-1 on the late Adebayor goal. Another match that could have gone either way; Henri Camara did much to trouble the Gunners, and Wigan could have easily had a couple goals. But this time, there was no Essien wonder-strike, and instead Arsenal's surging pressure finally forced open the gates.<br /><br />I haven't seen the game — I heard it online from ATVO. It sounds like the Gunners missed some chances and gave Wigan some too, but in general held the upper hand for much of the match. That's gratifying, particularly when Arsenal fielded a reduced lineup after Sunday's game. Adebayor continued his frustrating but rewarding run, missing a few chances before getting the crucial winner. (His play is fascinating to me, due to its inconsistency, but that's a post for another time.) Much will be made of the fact that it took a Fabregas pass to crack open Wigan; Cesc sat out until 75' and may be seen as the Gunners' savior. But Arsenal did a lot even before he and van Persie came on.<br /><br />And full credit to Wigan. In their 1.5 seasons in the Prem, they've been a genuine threat despite their short history. Unlike the standard dour relegation candidates that settle like sediment to the bottom of the table every year, Wigan always look to play a positive match, and have earned some surprising and rewarding wins because of it. It surprises me that Paul Jewell has lasted this long without being snapped up by a larger club, but for now I'm glad to see him craft a team that looks up for a win on Any Given Saturday.<br /><br />So after three solid performances on the road, Arsenal return home to face Portsmouth. Pompey aren't in their best form, with 2-3-2 in their last 7. But this can be a dangerous team. If you haven't yet, see their goals against Everton from <A HREF = "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otT5kp5SYqo">Matt Taylor</A> and <A HREF = "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0Q0WHeDyXXg">Kanu</A>. If the Arsenal defense falls asleep, we could see another early goal for the visitors.Dave Ciskowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11108606440814124794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1165522520095539382006-12-07T15:06:00.000-05:002006-12-07T22:11:47.730-05:00Klinsmann Withdraws. Dammit.<A HREF = "http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=394971&cc=5901">Well, Klinsmann is out</A> as the next US Men's coach.<br /><br />I'm convinced he would have been a great choice. What's more troubling is the reason behind it -- if rumors are true. Sports Illustrated is reporting that it's due to <A HREF = "http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/soccer/12/07/klinsmann.us/index.html">questions of control:</A><BLOCKQUOTE>Klinsmann and USSF president Sunil Gulati apparently are far apart on issues of executive control over the U.S. program, which is more of an issue than money. It was earlier reported that Klinsmann was looking for a deal of up to $2 million a year.</BLOCKQUOTE>If that's true, it's quite disappointing. It's not as if US Soccer has a great reputation for managing the Men's National Team, particularly in terms of achieving international success. These guys think too much about marketing and not enough about soccer. We can live without Klinsmann. But if the suits are looking to assert control? Watch out.<br /><br />Evidently, US Soccer will make an announcement later this afternoon. We'll see what happens. But I'm worried that it will not be good news.<br /><br /><B>Update:</B> The more I think about this, the more disappointed I get. At any rate, US Soccer is holding a conference call tomorrow (Friday) afternoon. We'll see what the deal is then.Dave Ciskowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11108606440814124794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1165518322966025122006-12-07T14:02:00.000-05:002006-12-07T14:05:23.083-05:00What's The Story With Arsenal?I haven't posted much about the last few games; frankly I haven't known what to say in any depth. Up and down doesn't even describe it. Let's recap. Since the win over Hamburg, we've seen:<br /><br /><B><A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6161058.stm">Bolton 3-1 Arsenal:</A></B> What a depressing game. Everyone knew this would be a tough match; Bolton have been a struggle for the Gunners for some time now and they're playing pretty well again this season. But still, the match and the result were depressing. Despite their respective reputations, it was Bolton that looked to have all the ideas, while Arsenal were naive and uninspired.<br /><br />That was followed by...<br /><br /><B><A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6183154.stm">Fulham 2-1 Arsenal:</A></B> If the Bolton match had a feeling of doom wrapped around it, the trip to Fulham was like a nightmare. And we couldn't wake up. Fulham are better than their reputation, but still the Gunners should have been able to keep them in check. Not so; once again an early goal put us under the gun and even a late run forward by Jens Lehmann couldn't buy us a second goal.<br /><br />Then came relief, in the form of...<br /><br /><B><A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6183214.stm">Arsenal 3-0 Tottenham:</A></B> Finally, the breaks went Arsenal's way. Some close refereeing decisions resulted in all three Arsenal goals, as the Gunners took the lead at 20 minutes. Once again, Arsenal showed that an early lead is the prescription; it allows them to attack and relieves the pressure on the defense. And it helped that Spurs were just about woeful.<br /><br />Finally, we had the spectacle of...<br /><br /><B><A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/6201488.stm">Porto 0-0 Arsenal:</A></B> There's not much to say about this one, other than the Gunners (and Porto) did what they needed to do. Porto looked more likely to score, but the woodwork was kind and the danger evaporated.<br /><br />So, there you have it. In 11 days, Arsenal are 1-1-2. Two punishing, humiliating losses, a huge derby win, and a functional draw that saw Arsenal to the top of their group. Emotionally, it's a roller-coaster. But despite the inconsistent outcomes, there's a clear pattern, and I'm not the first to see it.<br /><br />The first goal is the key. If Arsenal score first, they win. If not, it's a draw or a loss. Rarely this season have Arsenal come from behind to win. Once was the second leg against Dinamo Zagreb, and that's misleading as the Gunners already had a 3-0 lead in the tie. Once was against woeful Charlton. And once was against disappointing Hamburg.<br /><br />This is fairly surprising, as Arsenal are a high-scoring team (1.64 goals per game so far). With their potent offense, Arsenal should have the ability to come back against anyone. And yet, once they're behind, they struggle to even get the first goal. And lately, they've been behind a lot. Here's a list of all games where Arsenal's opponents have scored, and when the goal came:<br /><PRE>19 Aug D vs Villa: 53' (Mellberg )<br />23 Aug W vs D Zagreb: 12' (Eduardo)<br />26 Aug L @ Man City: 41' (Barton pen)<br /> 9 Sep D vs Boro: 22' (Morrison)<br />13 Sep W @ Hamburg: 90' (Sanogo)<br />30 Sep W @ Charlton: 21' (Bent)<br />17 Oct L @ Moscow: 24' (Carvalho)<br />28 Oct D @ Everton: 11' (Cahill)<br /> 5 Nov L @ West Ham: 89' (Harewood)<br />18 Nov D vs Newcastle: 30' (Dyer)<br />21 Nov W vs Hamburg: 4' (van der Vaart)<br />25 Nov L @ Bolton: 9' (Faye)<br />29 Nov L @ Fulham: 6' (McBride)</PRE>To put it another way: In the 13 matches where Arsenal have given up a goal, on average it comes at 31'. Only 3 times has that goal come in the second half; 5 times that goal came in the first 15 minutes.<br /><br />That's shocking.<br /><br />And compare that to some of the matches that Arsenal have won. Just two recent examples, quoting from the BBC:<br /><br /><A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6116254.stm">Liverpool:</A> "Liverpool thought they had taken the lead after 13 minutes when Peter Crouch turned home Alonso's cross, but he had strayed offside. The visitors had enjoyed more than their fair share of possession and territory in the first half..."<br /><br /><A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6183214.stm">Spurs:</A> "Their one and only moment of note came in the 11th minute."<br /><br />What's going on here?<br /><br />Well, no surprise from my comments above, but I think it all begins with the defense. Those early goals make the opponents comfortable, allowing them to defend aggressively and counterattack. Defenders lose confidence, becoming jittery and nervous. The midfield bunkers down, afraid to pass to the defenders or to take risks going forward. And the strikers receive no service since the midfielders are tied up. I don't want to oversimplify -- this doesn't explain our poor finishing -- but I do believe it's the root of our challenges. The defense provides the foundation for the team, and the shaky foundation we're seeing now results in an inconsistent team.<br /><br />You can see it on the flip side, too. No team has come back against Arsenal this year. Once they take the lead, they don't give up goals. The only exceptions are late, meaningless goals in both Hamburg games. Arsenal are a great team once they have the lead. The pressure's no longer on the defense, and that steadies the whole ship. <br /><br />Which brings us back to the key question: why are the Gunners conceding those early goals? In a word: organization. Watch the tapes. It's not simply poor defending at set pieces; we have given up goals on counterattacks too. But it's confusion and missed assignments that cut us open: a man left unmarked, indecision between two defenders, a poor pass. Even when the goal comes from a great shot, like Anelka's first goal, you can see that the defenders didn't communicate who should pick up the man.<br /><br />I put that down to two reasons. First, this is a very young defense. Gallas is 29 and Toure is 25; they are the veterans of the back line. After that, you have Eboue (23), Hoyte (22), Senderos (21), Clichy (21), and Djourou (19). Those are young ages for any player, but defenders take longer to bloom because their role depends more on knowledge and decision-making than physical skill. Gallas and Toure have been starters for years, but none of the other players have seen significant playing time in the first team before last year.<br /><br />That ties to the second reason: the defense has been anything but stable over the last two years. Injuries and youth have driven Wenger to constantly improvise the back line. I'm not going to go look it up, but I suspect we've had seven or eight different defensive alignments this year. Think about it -- if you're Kolo, you have to react differently depending on whether it's Gallas, Senderos, Djourou, or Hoyte playing next to you. And then you have players like Djourou and Hoyte who have switched back and forth between center-half and fullback. That's a hard enough transition for a veteran, but for the kids it has to be daunting. It's no coincidence that our two worst performances (Bolton and Fulham) came right after Gallas was injured. That leaves three players getting on-the-job training for every match.<br /><br />Look, I'm not offering excuses. If the kids want to be Arsenal players, they have to do better than they have. And that includes times when we lose players due to injury or suspension or whatever. The time to learn is now. The good news is that these kids are talented players. For every mistake, we've seen flashes of brilliance. Once the dust settles -- once the kids get experience and confidence -- the Gunners could have another legendary Back Four.<br /><br />But in the meantime, Arsenal face Chelsea. Toure is suspended, Djourou may have a hamstring injury, and Gallas is only 20% to play. More turnover in defense.<br /><br />So there's only one solution: get that early goal! COME ON YOU GUNNERS!Dave Ciskowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11108606440814124794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1164204956547558312006-11-22T07:32:00.000-05:002006-11-22T09:15:56.730-05:00Arsenal 3-1 HamburgIsn't it great when a loved one gives you a <A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/europe/6160894.stm">pleasant surprise?</A><br /><br />Now, it's no surprise for Arsenal to win over Hamburg. They started the night at 0-0-4 in Group G and had nothing to play for. Which of course gave them every freedom to attack the game. And they did so, taking the early lead through a killer shot from Rafael van der Vaart at 4':<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fo9z5aa8EdU"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/Fo9z5aa8EdU" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />This was a plot that every Gunner will recognize from this season: lower-ranked team gets an early goal at the Grove. Arsenal fight hard, and work a goal to equalize, but are never able to take the lead. (See also: Boro, Everton, Newcastle.) It is always incredibly frustrating, not least because Arsenal has had dozens of chances in these games, with tons of pressure but not enough end product. This game was no exception, with Alexander Hleb hitting woodwork and Robin van Persie going just over the bar in the first half alone.<br /><br />The Gunners got the requisite equalizer soon after the half, on a fine goal from van Persie. But the goal was created by the excellent pass from Cesc Fabregas. Watch how Cesc never looks at van Persie before putting the ball right at his feet. Simply magic.<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/j41Pe2tIQU8"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/j41Pe2tIQU8" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />So, 1-1 with 38 minutes to play. But Arsenal fans have seen this before, and we're not fooled by extended possession or near misses. We know that 1-1 is in the cards. Even for an optimistic guy like me, the sour taste of disappointment began to take hold around 80'.<br /><br />But fortunately, Emmanuel Eboue didn't read the script. At 83' he cut into the box and fired a low, hard shot that skipped past keeper Stefan Wachter. It was a tight angle and might easily have been saved. But note this: for once, the box is <I>filled</I> with Gunners attacking the goal. Cesc, Adebayor, Baptista, and Henry are all in quality attacking positions, and that's going to give the defense fits. And instead Eboue takes the shot. <I>Hard.</I> It was a high-quality goal despite Wachter's miss, and no less than Arsenal deserved (though perhaps more than we expected).<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ozl_JcCV4m4"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ozl_JcCV4m4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />To their credit, Hamburg continued to fight for a goal, but that's bread and butter for the Gunners and led to their third. Theo Walcott continued his super-sub performance by hanging a pinpoint cross for Baptista to thunderously head home. It's a classic Premiership-style goal and hopefully a sign of things to come for both Walcott and the Beast.<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/a86FsJWCI3M"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/a86FsJWCI3M" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />And there you have it, 3-1 to the Arsenal. It's good to see them finally overcome the frustration they've faced with other disappointing results. Time and again they've threatened to score, only to see wasted chances and bad luck. What was different this time?<br /><br /><B>Tactics.</B> Arsenal started once again in the 4-5-1 (really a 4-1-4-1) they've used so often this year, but at halftime they switched to 4-4-2. I'm not against using the 4-5-1 in many situations; it was the key to our run to the CL Finals last year and it's worked well at other times too. But it's been less effective against the more workmanlike formations of less polished teams. In those situations -- and particularly if it's clear that the opposition is looking to close shop and get behind the ball, such as when they score a goal -- we need that second striker in the attack.<br /><br /><B>Scrappiness.</B> Look again at the Eboue goal and notice two things. First, Eboue is willing to take an imperfect shot. Wachter had a good chance to save it, and Eboue didn't try for either the far post or high at the near post. But he did put the ball on frame, with a hard shot. He got lucky... but he made that luck. Second, it's great to see the other attacking players in the box. Even if Wachter makes the save, there's a very good chance the ball would spill to another Gunner well positioned to hammer it home.<br /><br />In normal Arsenal play, I would expect to see several of those players dropping back or making horizontal runs to open themselves for passes. That kind of unselfish play can result in the kinds of beautiful Arsenal attacks that we love to see. But sometimes you just need pressure.<br /><br /><B>Egalitarianism.</B> Thierry Henry is perhaps the best pure player in soccer right now, and one of the all-time greats. He can do amazing, wonderful things, and at times can carry the Gunners on his back. <I>But.</I> If Arsenal rely on him to score their goals, they won't win many games. He can do a lot, but if he's the only significant scoring threat, the defense can adjust to (usually) stop him. So we need other players to pick up the slack.<br /><br />And we saw this last night. Look at the Baptista goal. Henry is making a great run down the throat of the defense. And they're forced to react -- after all, it's <I>Thierry effin' Henry</I> coming at them! He's been in that situation before, and it's his genius that he can sometimes work himself open even with two defenders shadowing him. So he was still looking hopefully for the pass from Walcott. But Theo had a better idea, spotting Baptista's unmarked run.<br /><br />Think about it -- who's going to criticize a kid like Theo if he passes to Henry? It takes a lot of confidence in yourself and your teammates to overlook him for another option. It's a combination of things: other players having the aggressiveness to seek out chances, the confidence to take them, and the willingness to look at all the options. When guys like van Persie and Eboue and Baptista are scoring goals, that will just open things up for Henry. And that's when Arsenal will be at their best.<br /><br />So the Gunners surprised us all and pulled out the victory. They're now well-positioned in Group G, needing just one point to advance when they visit Porto next week. (They can even advance with a loss, if Hamburg win or draw over CSKA Moscow... but nobody wants to rely on that scenario.) Yesterday's win was crucial for that, but more importantly, it was an important victory for the mental health of the Gunners -- and their fans.Dave Ciskowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11108606440814124794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1164133770401825762006-11-21T12:08:00.000-05:002006-11-21T13:29:30.516-05:00Video ReviewShould soccer move to using video replays?<br /><br />Landry and I have debated this before, and I tend to be rather skeptical about it. But it would seem I'm in the minority. <A HREF = "http://www.inthenews.co.uk/sports/sport/football/wenger-backs-call-technology-$458697.htm">Arsene Wenger</A> and <A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6164412.stm">Mark Hughes</A>, among others, have called for it. And now the call is coming from <A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6168126.stm">Keith Hackett</A>, which is pretty important because he's in charge of the Premiership referees. If the Prem wants it, it's likely to happen.<br /><br />Most of the English arguments for and against video review are based on its use in rugby and cricket. I don't watch either, so it's impossible for me to judge how well it works there. But I have seen it used often in American football (gridiron) and it's clear that this model wouldn't work in soccer. (Here are the <A HREF = "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Instant_replay#National_Football_League">American football instant replay rules.</A>) The key factor is that the referee has 90 seconds to review the play. In reality, it takes far longer. For one thing, the referees tend to take as much time as they need, and often will take two minutes or longer. Add to that the time that it takes the referee to walk to the monitor on the sideline, get the headphones on, and then to walk back after the review, and the whole process can take three or four minutes.<br /><br />That kind of delay would be hideous in a soccer game. The arguments I've heard -- and this is from people who I respect -- say that it would never take so long. I'm unconvinced. For one thing, the referee has to travel to and from the monitor on the sidelines; there's no way around that. And if there's any situation that's less than completely obvious, the referee will need to see things several times to make a decision. That includes any situation where there's a very close decision, or a player blocking the camera, or multiple camera angles to consider. Again, other people will argue that it can be quick. But I remain convinced that a video decision would take between 90 seconds and three minutes to complete. That's all added to the existing stoppage time, of course.<br /><br />So what kinds of things would be reviewed? It's important to be clear about what things the referee can and can't consider. The current discussion is around whether the ball crossed the goal line. And I can see that this would be a reasonable application. But these situations are quite rare -- maybe one or two in a season. Are there any other situations where video replay could be used?<UL><LI><B>Offsides?</B> It's a notoriously difficult call to make, and one that can have a huge impact on the game. If offsides was not called, and a goal was scored, you could review it. But in the opposite case -- offsides is whistled incorrectly -- the video review will do no good. Once the whistle blows, the scoring opportunitiy is gone. So if you can review one case but not the other, you're really balancing things towards the defense. Verdict: <B>NO.</B><br /><LI><B>Penalties?</B> This suffers from the same problem. If the ref whistles a foul, you could review to see if it's valid or not. But you can't stop play unless the whistle blows, so reviewing these would again serve to take away penalties but not restore them where deserved. Verdict: <B>NO.</B> But... the one area I could see it apply to is when a foul is called close to the edge of the box. The referee could use video evidence to check whether it should be a penalty or a free kick. In that specific case -- verdict: <B>YES.</B><br /><LI><B>Yellow cards?</B> Too frequent, too much based on judgement. Verdict: <B>NO.</B><br /><LI><B>Red cards?</B> In the case of a straight red, I can see a referee taking another look at the foul before deciding to send a player off. If it's limited to fouls where there's a serious consideration of a red card, then... Verdict: <B>MAYBE.</B><br /><LI><B>Other questions?</B> There are a few other situations that could maybe use a video review, but everything I can think of is either so common that it's impractical to review it each time, or so uncommon that it's not worth the effort. The best I can come up with is whether a corner kick curved out of bounds before coming back in... but that's pretty obscure. I may be missing something big, though.</UL>So there are a very few situations where video review could possibly be used. But in the end, I don't expect that it would make a huge difference in the quality of games we would watch. The one situation that seriously needs refereeing help -- offsides -- is not going to be reviewable. And the situations that are practical are uncommon enough that they won't make a major impact.<br /><br />There is one area where I would be a big proponent of video review, however. And that's for post-game analysis. Leagues already do this to review violent play and other offenses. I would extend this practice, so that players can accumulate red and yellow cards based on events that the ref doesn't see -- as well as allowing the ref to subsequently upgrade a yellow card to a red if the incident was more serious than he realized.<br /><br />I'd also use video evidence to review diving. It's much easier to see some of the blatant dives in slow motion, and retroactive yellow cards would be a very reasonable deterrent. Five dives and you're suspended for a game -- that works for me.<br /><br />But perhaps most importantly: video review of games should be a regular practice -- in order to evaluate how well the referees perform. Maybe this is done already, but if so it's secretive. I would personally love to see referees held to public account for their performances. Even with a perfect video review system, there would still be hundreds of unreviewable refereeing decisions in every match, so referees will always have the ability to screw things up royally.<br /><br />Which is comforting, if you think about it. Can we really afford to lose the best excuse for a team's poor result?Dave Ciskowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11108606440814124794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1164049370820158982006-11-20T13:38:00.000-05:002006-11-20T17:18:05.673-05:00US MNT MakeoverWith action gearing up for the US NATs, what changes should we expect in the new squad? Here are some predictions: <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OUT</span><br />Several players have already announced their international retirements: Claudio Reyna, Eddie Pope, Brian McBride. Of those who haven't, I see these as the most at risk of not earning more caps.<br /><ul><li>Kasey Keller - So many times, the savior of the U.S. back line, Keller's just a bit too old to be the starter in South Africa '10. And with so many talented understudies- Howard, Hahnemann, etc.- it's time to pass the goalkeeping torch.</li><br /><li>Gregg Berhalter - Always a fringe member of the Nats, a younger crop of defenders should displace him from future squads.</li><br /><li>Eddie Lewis - Guilty of some <a href="http://www.sportingnews.com/yourturn/viewtopic.php?t=99767">slack defending against the Czech Republic</a>, Eddie's crossing abilities aren't enough to earn him a recall.</li><br /><li>Josh Wolff - Unless he can <a href="http://www.yanks-abroad.com/content.php?mode=news&id=2429">catch on with a European side</a> and prove his fitness and form over a few season, it's time to look elsewhere for front line help.</li></ul><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">IN</span><br />What new faces should the NATs incorporate? How about these:<br /><ul><li>Jay DeMerit - It's been a <a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=383160&root=americansabroad&cc=5901">long road to overnight success</a> for Jay, but the Watford defender has earned the chance to win a spot in a new look back line.</li><br /><li>Freddy Adu - The <a href="http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/10/19/sports/NA_SPT_SOC_MLS_United_Adu.php">phenom's been maturing</a>, both personally and professionally, these past few years and might be able to provide that bit of vision and creativity the Nats have always lacked.</li><br /><li>Marvell Wynne - A man among boys at the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, <a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=355618&root=mls&cc=5901">Wynne has quietly been improving his game</a>. He still needs experience at the highest level, but his natural abilities shouldn't be overlooked.</li> <br /><li>Jonathan Spector - Spector's been <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_Spector">gaining invaluable experience in the EPL</a> for the past few seasons with Manchester United, Charlton and, currently, West Ham. He should become a fixture in the back line.</li> <br /><li>These youngsters should get some looks also: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eddie_Gaven">Eddie Gaven</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santino_Quaranta">Santino Quaranta</a>, <a href="http://www.washingtonpremiersoccer.com/Zimmerman.html">Preston Zimmerman</a></li></ul>David Landryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00813428559471984822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1163644712910142082006-11-15T20:46:00.000-05:002006-11-15T21:42:24.323-05:00US MNT UpdateWell, it's been almost five months since the <A HREF = "http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=191959&cc=5901">US lost to Ghana</A> to crash out of the World Cup finals, and four months since <A HREF = "http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=373876&root=us25&cc=5901&cc=5901">Bruce Arena was canned.</A> And there's been little news out of <A HREF = "http://www.ussoccer.com/about/house.jsp.html">South Prairie Avenue.</A> So what's going on?<br /><br />Well, I had some good news in my email inbox this morning. The US Men are close to taking action again. They'll begin with a friendly, taking on <A HREF = "http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_281505.html">Denmark on January 20</A> at the Home Depot Center. I'm pretty darn jealous, given that the other Dave has just relocated to the greater Los Angeles area. (You'd better be getting tickets, boyo.) It's not a bad way to begin the recovery. Denmark are a quality opponent, yet also reasonable, and if you want a January match, southern California's not a bad place to be. (I expect a lot of sunburned Danes.) It's good to see that things are taking off again.<br /><br />The US men have also recently announced their next competitions. Of course, the <A HREF = "http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_281470.html">Gold Cup</A> is coming up in 2007. CONCACAF is once again hosting the tournament in the US, which makes things easier for the hosts (and defending champions). However, there's a significant change in that no non-CONCACAF teams will participate. It's pitched as a move that shows the strength of the region, but it has to lower the quality of the teams in the tournament. Replacing Colombia with Haiti, or South Africa with Grenada, is a simple loss of talent. The region's teams need to face top-quality opposition if they want to improve, and so the news is a bit disappointing.<br /><br />Yet that news isn't as hard to take given the other US tournament news: the Nats will participate in the <A HREF = "http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_281460.html">2007 Copa America,</A> the top COMNEBOL tournament. There's nothing better for our national team than to play top-quality opponents, and they don't get better than Brazil and Argentina (not to mention the other fine teams in the region). Plus, playing in the surely hostile stadiums of Venezuela will provide a useful preparation for other harsh international venues. The US hasn't played in the Copa America since 1995, so it's great to see them get involved once again. A solid performance in Venezuela will be a good first step to taking the sour taste of Germany 2006 from the mouths of fans.<br /><br />All in all, there will be plenty of Nats soccer to see next year. And that's great... but who's going to coach the team? Well, that news may only be <A HREF = "http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_281468.html">a few weeks away.</A> US Soccer President Sunil Gulati said "I am still very hopeful and expect that we will announce a coach in November" or early December. And who will that be? Gulati of course wouldn't say, but he did indicate that five candidates are in serious consideration, and specifically mentioned that Juergen Klinsmann (the perennial DavesOnSoccer favorite) was one of the five.<br /><br />There were a few hints in the conversation about other possibilities. It sounds like a few of the candidates may be currently coaching in Europe, and there's probably an MLS coach or two in there as well. He did specifically rule out Arsene Wenger (whew!), Felipe Scolari, and Guus Hiddink. Scolari and Hiddink have been mentioned as candidates before so that does clear the picture a bit. There was no mention of Sven Goran-Eriksson, so he may still be on the list. (Oh, please please, not Sven!) <br /><br />There are plenty of possibilities but hopefully we'll know the answer in a few weeks. That will really mark the transition; we can then move past Germany 06 and start thinking about the upcoming cup competitions. It's been a while since I've been eager to discuss the Nats, but that era is coming to a close. I can't wait.Dave Ciskowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11108606440814124794noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1163518518373395902006-11-14T09:51:00.000-05:002006-11-14T10:41:46.596-05:00Dowie OutWell, <A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/c/charlton_athletic/6146620.stm">Charlton have sacked Iain Dowie.</A> With the Addicks in last place on 8 points, it was perhaps inevitable.<br /><br />Still, it's a bit disappointing to see him go. I've been a fan of Dowie for a couple years, after watching Crystal Palace in the Prem. They almost avoided relegation, but got demotion on the last day of the 2005 season -- a wild day that saw four teams fighting for the last safe spot. Palace were perhaps a bit naive, but they always came to play and produced entertaining soccer even when they lost. Aside from Andy Johnson, Palace had arguably the lowest overall level of talent in the Prem, and it was an accomplishment to even have a chance for survival so late in the year.<br /><br />Palace's subsequent promotion campaign faded in the second half of the season, and Dowie left Palace and quickly moved to Charlton. The move came with controversy and court cases -- Palace felt that Dowie had misled them about a move to another London team. But from a soccer standpoint, it seemed like a good move for Charlton. Led by Alan Curbishley, they'd been stuck in neutral for years, generally unable to compete with the better clubs. Since promotion in 2000, they've finished as follows: 9th, 14th, 12th, 7th, 11th, and 13th. That's almost the definition of midtable obscurity. And speaking subjectively, Charlton have been bland and uninteresting (kind of like Curbishley, come to think of it). They definitely needed a shake-up.<br /><br />Dowie is an interesting character. He has a Master's degree in mechanical engineering, and worked for British Aerospace before starting his playing career. On the sideline, he is animated and entertaining, shunning the standard manager's suit and tie for a warm-up suit and athletic shoes. And he's known for having a progressive approach to fitness and match preparation. So signing Dowie seemed like a good move for Charlton. Maybe he could bring a fresh spark that would light a fire in the team.<br /><br />Unfortunately the results have been more of a wet blanket. Charlton have faced an early-season rash of injuries that left them uncompetitive, completing 12 Prem matches with a record of 2-2-8. That record wouldn't leave many managers confident in their continued employment, but still it's surprising to see Charlton walk away from a manager that they worked so hard to bring in.<br /><br />I've long felt that Charlton needed to see something dramatic to shake them out of their midtable complacency. A credible campaign for a spot in Europe would do that. But relegation would have that effect too. Maybe changing the management will help them avoid the drop. But my suspicion is that losing Dowie makes it more likely rather than less. Either way, here's hoping that the Addicks can find a path to becoming a more interesting team -- and that Dowie can find another club that's interested in his services.Dave Ciskowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11108606440814124794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1163423375331509082006-11-13T07:21:00.000-05:002006-11-13T08:09:35.440-05:00Arsenal 3-0 Liverpool<B><A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6116254.stm">Arsenal 3-0 Liverpool</A></B><br />It is obvious to me that I have a finite amount of luck to share among the teams I follow. In the fall, it's a very simple equation. There are three teams that I want to win on a given weekend: Arsenal, the Indianapolis Colts, and the University of California. And I have about enough luck for 1.5 of them. This week, it deserted the Golden Bears, who lost a game against Arizona that they should have won. And Indianapolis barely had enough to get by, winning 17-16 against the lackluster Buffalo Bills.<br /><br />So that leaves the Arsenal, and their fine win over Liverpool. The stories today are all about Liverpool's poor performnace, but it's important to remember that this was a tense, cagey match until the first goal at 41'. Both Arsenal and Liverpool had the ball in the back of the net earlier, but both were (correctly) ruled out. Most of the game had been played in the middle third of the pitch, with two teams scrapping for the ball and refusing to yield ground. At 35', a draw seemed a distinct possibility.<br /><br />And then the Gunners broke through. I'm sure you've <A HREF = "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7A049XkryU">seen the goal,</A> which featured both the precise passing the Gunners are known for and the scrappy opportunism that they often miss. Both Alexander Hleb and Cesc Fabregas had great runs and sweet passes, but I would single out Mathieu Flamini for his willingness to throw himself at the goal. We need to attack the net like that more often.<br /><br />At halftime it wasn't a done deal, but things turned quickly and the Gunners were soon in control. The <A HREF = "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0wA6FwFZqHc">second goal</A> came at 56' and what a sweet goal it was. Despite a dodgy first touch, Robin van Persie hit a beautiful pass, and Kolo Toure finished sweetly. Kolo has been coming forward more often of late, regularly enough that it must be on orders from the manager. He always looks good doing it, and it's great to see his effort rewarded.<br /><br />After the second goal, Liverpool went from inconsistent to consistently bad. The third goal seemed inevitable, but <A HREF = "http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Td7pD1g7dE">when it came</A> it was due to amazingly bad defensive work from Liverpool on a corner. It understates things to say that William Gallas was unmarked. He was two yards from any defender -- and that's in the center of the six-yard box.<br /><br />After the game, much of the talk is about whether Rafael Benitez <A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/6141988.stm">should have played Steven Gerrard in central midfield.</A> Which rather misses the point that Gerrard was worse than useless yesterday. He was rarely involved, but when he did get into the run of play, it was most often to promptly yield possession. He was also at fault for failing to mark Gallas on the corner, and when moved to the middle, promptly shot well over the goal. Gerrard is generally a legitimate top talent, but yesterday he was a liability, and it's unfair to blame Benitez for it.<br /><br />The net result will be much debate and media attention for Liverpool. They are miles from contending for the title, and look like a team that's lost it's way. In the second half, they looked on the verge of collapse, with arguing teammates and senseless fouls born of frustration. Fortunately for Liverpool, their next few matches are winnable -- away to Middlesbrough, home to Man City, and home to Portsmouth. But if they take less than 7 points from these three games, I think there's a real chance that Benitez will be gone before January.<br /><br />But for Arsenal, things are looking up. The previous two league games were quite disappointing, but winning over one of the Big Four will surely restore their confidence. Hopefully next week's home match with Newcastle will continue that, because the following week brings a road trip to Bolton, and Sam Allardyce seems to know how to frustrate the Gunners. They'll need all the confidence they can muster.Dave Ciskowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11108606440814124794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1162917490782625992006-11-07T11:09:00.000-05:002006-11-07T11:45:16.810-05:00Fixing MLSCongratulations to the <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mls/recap?gid=2006110505&prov=ap">New England Revolution</a> and the <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/mls/recap?gid=2006110520&prov=ap">Houston Dynamo</a> for reaching this year's MLS Cup. I do try to be a supporter of MLS, but Revs keeper Matt Reis' comments will tell you why I find that a difficult proposition.<br /><blockquote>"It really doesn't matter what you do during the year as long as you get into the playoffs," Reis said. "And once you're in the playoffs, that's when the season really starts."</blockquote><br />While hardcore soccer fans have been pushing for a <a href="http://mlsfanblog.com/one-single-table/">single table format</a> for the MLS for years, it seems doubtful that such a system will be implemented any time soon. The primary argument against the single table is that with relegation be strictly <span style="font-style:italic;">verboten</span> in U.S. sports leagues, bottom dwelling teams will have little incentive to play hard in the final weeks, leading to many meaningless, boring matches. And while there is some validity to this notion (just watch EPL games between mid-level teams in the final weeks), I still believe it's possible to devise a single table system that rewards ALL teams in proportion to their final position in the table, thereby providing late season incentive to teams in lower positions.<br /><br />There are <a href="http://dcsundevil.blogspot.com/2006/10/single-table-theory.html">many ideas</a> out there and <a href="http://myverybrain.blogspot.com/2006/10/decent-proposali-dont-happen-to-like.html">much discussion</a> of <a href="http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/exclusives/476774.html">possible changes</a>. Until the MLS regular season actually starts to mean something, I can't be bothered to care too much about it.David Landryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00813428559471984822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1160829975966535862006-10-14T08:14:00.000-04:002006-10-14T08:46:16.490-04:00Weekend UpdateHi folks. My apologies for my long absence here. It's a busy time for me, first I had a <A HREF = "http://www.ciskowski.net/dave/rockies06/">long vacation</A>, and now I have my wedding coming up next week (followed by a honeymoon of course...). All in all, it's been a busy few months. I'm incredibly thankful that Mr. Landry has been able to keep up in my absence, but he's got a busy time coming up too, and so posts might be a bit sparse here until November or so. But we'll do our best to keep up.<br /><br />Just a few notes. It's been an incredibly boring couple weeks due to the international break in Europe. There have been <A HREF = "http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=197275&cc=5901">a few</A> <A HREF = "http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=197258&cc=5901">interesting</A> <A HREF = "http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=197250&cc=5901">results,</A> but in the end it's just not that exciting. I'm sure I'll eventually find Euro 2008 exciting, but it's just too soon after the World Cup finals right now. UEFA should rework the qualifiers; it's just silly to have a 'group stage' with so many mismatched teams. International matches like <A HREF = "http://soccernet.espn.go.com/report?id=197279&cc=5901">Faroe Islands - France</A> or <A HREF = "http://soccernet.espn.go.com/match?id=197253&cc=5901">Czech Republic - San Marino</A> are frankly not worth the bother, and it's even worse when it takes so much time away from the club seasons that are just heating up. The big teams had most of their players away for international duty, will have league games this weekend, and then Champions League games in midweek. UEFA have to rebalance their priorities and reduce the international burden, if they want to stay relevant.<br /><br />And now we're back to the club scene, not a day too soon. The big teams will feel the pain of the internationals; as I write, Manchester United are down 1-0 to Wigan early on. Several players are missing due to injuries picked up while away, and even players who aren't injured will be a bit fatigued after the travel and the matches. Which is all to say that there could be some upsets this week. Beyond Man Utd - Wigan, we could see some competitive matches out of Arsenal - Watford, Liverpool - Blackburn, or Reading - Chelsea. A bit unfair to the big clubs, perhaps, but it does make the league a bit more interesting.<br /><br />It's a crucial point in the season, when we start to see if the early results are just anomalies or if the surprising early form will continue. The key questions I expect to see answered in the next few weeks:<UL><LI>Will the close race at the top of the Prem continue? Will either Man Utd or Chelsea start to run away with things -- or will they both continue to drop points and keep it close?<br /><LI>Will the trio of Portsmouth, Aston Villa, and Everton be able to hang around and keep the top of the table active? Or will they all fade into midtable obscurity?<br /><LI>Will Arsenal keep up their recent excellent form and march back to challenge the leaders? Or will they revisit their early-season poor form? Likewise, will Tottenham be able to pull themselves together, or will they continue to be the most surprising failure of the season?<br /><LI>Will Charlton be able to turn their season around and live up to expectations? Or will they continue to drop points and lead the relegation candidates?<br /><LI>Will Reading (and Fulham too, I suppose) be able to capitalize on their early-season success and stay away from relegation danger?</UL>I suspect that this weekend will begin to answer many of these questions. We're still early into a long season, and there will be many plot twists along the way. But I think this weekend marks the end of the beginning. It's been an interesting season so far, and I fully expect that to continue.Dave Ciskowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11108606440814124794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1160509557146875792006-10-10T15:41:00.000-04:002006-10-10T15:45:57.146-04:00Thanks, MoochThe <a href="http://www.ussoccer.com/articles/viewArticle.jsp_281417.html">untimely passing of Glenn Myernick</a> marks a very sad day for U.S. Soccer. He, along with Bruce Arena, have played pivotal roles in improving the quality of soccer in the U.S. Cheers, Mooch!David Landryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00813428559471984822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1159974539126789082006-10-04T09:35:00.000-04:002006-10-10T15:41:25.113-04:00U.S. Nats Next Steps?Three months have elapsed since this summer's World Cup and it's time for the U.S. Men's National Team to pick itself up from the disappoinment of Germany '06 and start the rebuilding process for South Africa '10. The MLS season is drawing to a close and the Nats need to start the gradual build-up to the summer competitions. The first step on that road is to name a successor to Bruce Arena. <br /><br />A <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=ap-us-copaamerica&prov=ap&type=lgns">number of candidates</a> have been tipped for the post, none more intriguing and better suited than <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Klinsmann">Jurgen Klinsmann</a>. Bruce Arena did a tremendous job of developing players and establishing the U.S. as a dominant regional team, but now it's time to take the next step. Klinsmann could build on the solid foundation that Arena has laid and bring some much needed style and saavy to the national team's play. Rumor has it, <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-klinsmannoffersdc&prov=reuters&type=lgns">Klinsmann has already been offered the job</a>.<br /><br />Whoever is named coach will need to temper his rebuilt team through stiff competition. In order to become a true World Cup contender, the U.S. must gain valuable experience playing top teams in hostile environments. That means a <a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=373319&root=us&cc=5901">return to the Copa America</a>. Sunil Gulati, president of the USSF has some big decisions to make in the coming weeks. The choice of a new coach will be difficult, the choice of whether or not to participate in Copa America shouldn't be. If you want to beat the best, you need to play the best, and our boys desperately need more experience playing in top competitions. As this summer proved, being the best in Concacaf doesn't amount to much on the world stage.<br /><br />There is a <a href="http://www.petitiononline.com/USCopaAm/petition.html">petition</a> afoot to encourage the USSF to participate in Copa America. I urge you to <a href="http://www.petitiononline.com/USCopaAm/petition.html">sign it</a>.David Landryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00813428559471984822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1158845661759283052006-09-21T09:03:00.000-04:002006-09-21T09:34:21.830-04:00Xavi Alonso. From Distance.Xavi Alonso scored a ridiculous long range goal to help Liverpool secure a <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/5351794.stm">2-0 win</a> over Newcastle yesterday. Admitedly, his effort benefited from the poor footwork of Steve Harper, who was deputising for the <a href="http://www.ireland.com/sports/soccer/2006/0919/1158590790038.html">injured Shay Given</a>. <br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=7032316303141404085&hl=en"></param><embed style="width:400px; height:326px;" id="VideoPlayback" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" src="http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=7032316303141404085&hl=en"> </embed></object><br /><br />It's not the first time Alonso's scored from distance either. Check out this previous goal against Luton Town from last season's FA Cup clash. It's a bit of an "empty netter", but it nevertheless takes some <span style="font-style:italic;">huevos</span> to attempt a shot like this - with his weaker left foot no less.<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/GZF0yIW-Imo"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/GZF0yIW-Imo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Don't miss this one either. No luck involved here, just a quality strike.<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/8Fc2djxWDBo"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/8Fc2djxWDBo" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>David Landryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00813428559471984822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1158608891712377232006-09-18T15:17:00.000-04:002006-09-18T15:49:00.776-04:00Once in a LifetimeMaybe I enjoyed the distractions of summer too much, but I've only just caught wind of a new documentary that looks very intriguing - the rather verbosely and unimaginatively titled <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0489247/">Once in a Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos</a>.<br /><blockquote><br />The true story of the team that brought Brazilian star Pele to the U.S. It shows the Cosmos' ascent set against the decadent, crime-ridden backdrop of 1970s New York, as well as its decline along with the North American Soccer League in the early 1980s.</blockquote><br />I can remember watching Pele's final game and lap of honor, but only the vaguest notion of <a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/story?page=cosmos">what it was like to play in that era</a>. The <a href="http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/onceinalifetime/trailer/">trailer</a> looks interesing enough, heck, the disco tunes and polyester suits alone should make it worthwhile. It airs on ESPN2, Wed. Sep. 20, at 8:00 pm EDT. Set your Tivos.David Landryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00813428559471984822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1158267903317117022006-09-14T16:57:00.000-04:002006-09-14T17:05:03.333-04:00Oops...In case you missed it, there was an absurd incident in a Brazilian soccer match over the weekend in which a <a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=reu-brazilballboy&prov=reuters&type=lgns">ball boy actually scored a goal</a>. I have no idea how such a lapse of concentration can happen, but here's the footage to prove it. Let it also be noted and commended that the Brazilian Football Federation is one of the few to allow women referees to arbitrate men's matches.<br /><br /><br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yht5mD0xnvk"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yht5mD0xnvk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object>David Landryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00813428559471984822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1158254160340960112006-09-14T13:01:00.000-04:002006-09-14T13:16:00.480-04:00Streaming Champions League MatchesOn the eve of the first Champions League match day, UEFA announced a <a href="http://www.sportbusiness.com/news/160413/uefa-introduces-new-innovations-for-2006-09">series of innovations</a> for this season's competition. Foremost among these is the availabilty of <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory?id=2425626">live internet feeds</a>. The feeds are available in both English and Spanish via <a href="http://video.uefa.com/Video/Live/Competitions/UCL/index.html">ESPN at this site</a> for the reasonable price of $9.95.David Landryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00813428559471984822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1157743525279361892006-09-08T13:38:00.000-04:002006-09-14T13:00:40.860-04:00Weekend EPL ActionDomestic league action cranks up again after the <a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/scoreboard?league=uefa.euroq&cc=5901">international break</a> and there are some exciting match-ups in the Premiership. Here's a quick overview of the action ranked in order of most intrigue.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Everton - Liverpool</span><br />There's added excitement surrounding this installment of the classic Liverpool derby given that both teams are likely to contend for European places this season. Everton have shown good early form while Liverpool have yet to fully hit their stride and integrate all their new signings. It should be a lively, highly entertaining match. Expect goals and a draw.<br />Prediction: 2-2<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Manchester Utd. - Tottenham</span><br />Man. U. are off to a flying start to the season having scored a league best ten goals in winning all three of their games. Tottenham have disappointed by contrast, losing at home to Everton in their last outing. Expect Spurs to make it difficult, but Man. U. should prevail.<br />Prediction: 2-0<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">West Ham - Aston Villa</span><br />The atmosphere should be phenomenal at Upton Park as Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano make their debut appearance for the Hammers. There's a lot of excitement at Villa as well with a new owner, Randy Lerner, and new coach, Matin O'Neill. As the home side, I might favor the Hammers a touch, but Villa could well earn a draw.<br />Prediction: 2-1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Portsmouth - Wigan</span><br />The rebirth of Kanu has inspired Portsmouth to its current second place standing in the table, but Wigan will prove a more difficult side to break down. Paul Jewell has made once again made some astute signings (Emile Heskey aside) and they should do enough to snatch a point.<br />Prediction: 1-1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;"><br />Arsenal - Middlesborough</span><br />The additions of Jonathan Woodgate and Robert Huth should greatly improve Boro's porous back line, but the central defenders will take some time to achieve solidity. Besides, Arsenal has had some rather lopsided wins against Boro recently (7-0 in the last meeting). This is a great opportunity for the Gunners to find some form.<br />Prediction: 3-0<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Sheffield Utd. - Blackburn</span><br />I'm not sure how much entertaining football this match will produce, but it will surely be physical. The Blades will depend on their results at home to keep them in the EPL. Even though Blackburn have looked awful so far this season, they should have enough to scrape a draw and point at Bramall Lane.<br />Prediction: 1-1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Chelsea - Charlton</span><br />It never ceases to amaze and annoy me that a team with the unmatched talent that Chelsea possess can produce such generally uninspiring on-field displays sprinkled with flashes of brilliance. Still, they should have no trouble disposing of a Charlton side still searching for an identity under new manager Iain Dowie. Poor Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink must surely ponder what might have been.<br />Prediction: 3-0<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Reading - Manchester City</span><br />Reading have looked capable of both scoring goals at this level and of giving them up. They'll need to defend much better and avoid injuries, but I'm backing them to stay up this season. Man. City have stronger side on paper, but their away record is fairly dismal.<br />Prediction: 2-1<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Newcastle - Fulham</span><br />It's going to be a long season of struggle for Fulham, I'm afraid. Newcastle, depleted though they may be, should have enough class (Nolberto Solano alone, should do it) to get past the Cottagers.<br />Prediction: 1-0<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">Bolton - Watford</span><br />Both teams employ a very "English" style of play- a very physical approach with lots of long balls. Bolton can be very disruptive to opponents' midfields and I don't believe Watford can cope with their pressure. It won't be pretty, but Bolton should win handily.<br />Prediction 2-0<br /><br />UPDATE: I'm not quitting my day job. 5 correct results (but no correct scorelines), 5 incorrect results.David Landryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00813428559471984822noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1157634079410486302006-09-07T08:55:00.000-04:002006-09-07T09:06:23.516-04:00How Long for the Hammers?Norman Hubbard provides some <a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=378023&root=england&cc=5901">good analysis</a> of the machinations and impact of the arrival of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano to West Ham. The Argentinian duo have already sent <a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=378037&root=england&cc=5901">ripples of anticipation</a> through the entire EPL, but it's doubtful they will have anything but the briefest of tenures with the Hammers. Still, it should be a great show, how ever long it lasts.David Landryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00813428559471984822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1157121975043621912006-09-01T09:55:00.000-04:002006-09-01T10:48:56.963-04:00Deadline Day. Whew.The transfer deadline has passed. <A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/5235160.stm">And what a day!</A><br /><br />I don't know why this year seems worse than previous years. Perhaps it's just because Arsenal had such a difficult transfer season. Or maybe everything was delayed because of the World Cup. In any event, it was a chaotic last day.<br /><br />Arsenal of course had a very trying day. The team lost three players and gained two. It's rare to see trades in world soccer, but Arsenal had two. <A HREF ="http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/5290366.stm">Jose Antonio Reyes</A> went to Real Madrid in exchange for Julio Baptista, and <A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/eng_prem/5297616.stm">Ashley Cole</A> went to Chelsea in return for William Gallas and about £5m. Additionally we lost <A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/a/arsenal/5304198.stm">Pascal Cygan</A>, to the secondhand Arsenal home of Villareal.<br /><br />If you look at it in absolute terms, I think the Gunners didn't do terribly well in the deals. Cole is probably better than Gallas at left back, and Reyes is at the least a better fit than Baptista. But both players were severely damaged goods, and it's difficult to imagine that either one would play for Arsenal again. And frankly, they'd worn out their welcome. Gallas will prove to be very useful and flexible in defense, while Baptista has a lot of talent and may be a better player for Arsenal than he was for Real Madrid.<br /><br />I'm actually more disappointed to lose Cygan. It's not that he was a great player -- far from it. But he was much better than fans gave him credit for. All he ever did was perform when he was called on, give his best, keep quiet, and do his job. Battleship Cygan: We will miss you.<br /><object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/D7SXpWF8IRk"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/D7SXpWF8IRk" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="350"></embed></object><br /><br />Perhaps the biggest transfer news was with West Ham. They made the stunning -- dare I say unbelievable -- twin signings of <A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/w/west_ham_utd/5301068.stm">Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano</A> from Argentine club Corinthians. Both players were big stars in the World Cup and it's no surprise that they would move to Europe. But it is a very huge surprise that they would end up at a relatively small club like West Ham, when multiple other clubs were interested in the duo. The players are both 'owned' by Media Sports Investments (MSI)... who had a failed bid to buy West Ham last year. MSI is owned by Kia Joorabchian, who also has a substantial ownership stake in Corinthians. And now there is <A HREF = "http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=377769&cc=5901">a new takeover bid on the table.</A> West Ham deny that the transfer deals are contractually tied to the takeover bid, but there's certainly a lot of reason to be suspicious. I don't know much about the business rules in the FA or the Premiership, but I suspect this might cause some problems for West Ham.<br /><br />As much as I'd like to see Arsenal get Mascherano in particular, I'm not that disappointed that West Ham were the winners here. Certainly it's better that West Ham make a signing like this rather than Chelsea or Man United or Real Madrid or Inter Milan. The Premiership only gets better if more teams are competitive; frankly, it's boring when only three or four teams have a legitimate shot at winning the league.So I guess I hope that this is all kosher. But it's just very unusual, and I wouldn't be surprised if a controversy brews up over this.<br /><br />So what about everybody else? Let's see:<UL><LI><B>Portsmouth</B> made some big moves. Andrew Cole, Roudolphe Douala, and Niko Kranjcar have all moved to Pompey. Joining the rest of the big names that have moved south, the last-minute deals could make for a different team.<br /><LI><B>Wigan</B> had a lot of turnover. David Cotterill, Kevin Kilbane, and Svetoslav Todorov all joined the Latics, but Pascal Chimbonda, David Connolly, and Graham Kavanagh all left the team. Whether they succeed or fail, Wigan is an immensely changed team from their success last year.<br /><LI><B>Tottenham</B> had some useful additons, grabbing Pascal Chimbonda from Wigan and Steed Malbranque from Fulham.<br /><LI><B>Manchester City</B> probably didn't make a huge move, but I'm happy to see DaMarcus Beasley coming to the Prem. He'll join fellow American Claudio Reyna at Camp Blue this year.<br /><LI><B>Middlesbrough</B> have made some quality additions. Jason Euell joined, along with defender Robert Huth from Chelsea. Combined with Jonathan Woodgate's loan from Real Madrid, Boro have done a lot to shore up their defensive weakness.<br /><LI><B>Newcastle</B> added Antoine Sibierski to the recent signings of Obafemi Martins and Guiseppe Rossi.</UL>So what's odd about this list? The big clubs are mostly missing. Chelsea grabbed Ashley Cole but lost Gallas and Huth. Arsenal had movement but stayed pretty much even. Liverpool moved out Jan Kromkamp and Florent Sinama Pongolle (though they did make some decent moves earlier). And Manchester United didn't make any moves.<br /><br />So things could get very interesting. Several mid-tier teams have done a lot to improve, while the top teams are more or less static. It's not trivial to integrate a lot of new players into a team, and there's nothing guaranteed for these teams. But all of a sudden, West Ham, Pompey, Middlesboro, and Wigan join Tottenham and Newcastle as teams that can really hope to compete with the big boys. And even if they can't stay good consistently, they'll have the capability to win on any given Saturday. There are a lot fewer sure-thing wins than there were a few days ago. And that can only be a good thing.<br /><br />This could be a very, very interesting season in the Prem. Stay tuned.Dave Ciskowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11108606440814124794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1156516337997805032006-08-25T08:42:00.000-04:002006-08-25T10:47:33.576-04:00Thatcher, Mendes, GallagherWhat a horrid, horrid tackle. If you haven't seen it, <A HREF = "http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-6350551520137715640&q=thatcher+mendes">check out the video.</A> Fortunately it sounds like <A HREF = "http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1858264,00.html">Mendes will be OK.</A><br /><br />If that's all there was to it, I wouldn't bother to comment, other than perhaps to wish Mendes well. But what's interesting to me is the controversy over how to punish Thatcher. See, the problem is that he received a yellow card from referee Dermot Gallagher. According to the FA's inscrutable rulebook, that means that his punishment has been dealt with, making it very difficult to punish him further.<br /><br />Gallagher has a history of misjudgments like this, as I've <A HREF = "http://davesonsoccer.blogspot.com/2005/12/referee-incompetence.html">commented</A> <A HREF = "http://davesonsoccer.blogspot.com/2006/05/sunderland-0-3-arsenal.html">previously</A>. Once again, the FA is in agreement with me and have <A HREF="http://football.guardian.co.uk/News_Story/0,,1857932,00.html">sent Gallagher back to the Colaship</A>. Again. One might ask why they haven't learned their lesson with Gallagher, but nevermind that for now. Perhaps the third time is the charm. <br /><br />But the larger question is, <I>why is the FA so stupid about this rule?</I> Regardless of Gallagher's failings, it's easy to imagine how a referee can miss an isolated call like this. If he sees it from the wrong angle, it looks less damaging. Or he just makes a mistake. Why in the world should that limit the FA on video review?<br /><br />I'm a firm believer that the referee's decision is final... when it comes to the game. So there's no way that a match should be replayed or a result changed based on a reevaluation of a referee's call. Nor am I a fan of in-game video review. But neither of these points has anything to do with punishments that extend beyond the game itself. And this is an ideal example of a situation where the FA should have full authority to mete out punishment.<br /><br />There are clearly major issues with the way soccer is officiated and judged. Beyond this sort of thing, you also have:<UL><LI>Goal-line decisions<br /><LI>Offsides calls<br /><LI>Penalty calls<br /><LI>Stopping play for injuries<br /><LI>Diving</UL>I don't want to get into all this today. But this is one example of a way in which video evidence can really help out the FA, without any negative impact to the game. Perhaps the Ben Thatcher incident will be enough to cause a change. We can only hope.<br /><br />And a final note. Reports indicate that Greater Manchester Police <A HREF = "http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_city/5281686.stm">pursuing a criminal investigation</A> of the incident. I find this sort of thing rather troubling. There may be some cases, involving serious injury, where it's warranted. But I would be very reluctant to involve police in any more cases than absolutely necessary.Dave Ciskowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11108606440814124794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1155996235042292042006-08-19T09:56:00.000-04:002006-08-19T10:03:55.056-04:00Cisko's EPL PredictionsOK. Landry has tossed down the guantlet. A case of Fat Tire? Very well, I accept. And besides, you're clearly wrong on your positioning of the scum. Wish you were wrong about Chelsea though; I have hopes, but not expectations, that they might fade a bit this year. We'll see.<OL><LI>Chelsea<br /><LI>Arsenal<br /><LI>Liverpool<br /><LI>Man Utd<br /><LI>Tottenham<br /><LI>Portsmouth<br /><LI>Newcastle<br /><LI>Bolton<br /><LI>Aston Villa<br /><LI>West Ham<br /><LI>Blackburn<br /><LI>Charlton<br /><LI>Everton<br /><LI>Reading<br /><LI>Wigan<br /><LI>Middlesboro<br /><LI>Man City<br /><LI>Fulham<br /><LI>Sheffield Utd<br /><LI>Watford<br /></OL>Dave Ciskowskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11108606440814124794noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1155843554685303542006-08-17T15:28:00.000-04:002006-08-17T15:39:14.756-04:0006-07 EPL PredictionsAfter a glorious summer of World Cup action, it's once again time to raise the curtain on another season of enthralling EPL action. Once again, I'm throwing down the guantlet and challenging my blog partner to predict the standings at the end fo the 2006-07 campaign. Bragging rights, plaudits and, most importantly, a case of <a href="http://www.newbelgium.com/beers_ft.php">Fat Tire</a> to the winner. <br /><br />Here are my predictions for how the EPL table will look at the end of the 2005-06 campaign. Chelsea will have a much tougher go of it this season, but will still prevail. There's simply to much depth of talent on the squad. Reading will be the surprise of the promoted team and I'll be following their progress avidly. I can't wait to see how it will all play out!<br /><br /> <OL><LI>Chelsea<br /><LI>Liverpool<br /><LI>Man Utd<br /><LI>Tottenham<br /><LI>Arsenal<br /><LI>West Ham<br /><LI>Everton<br /><LI>Bolton<br /><LI>Newcastle<br /><LI>Aston Villa<br /><LI>Reading<br /><LI>Charlton<br /><LI>Portsmouth<br /><LI>Wigan<br /><LI>Blackburn<br /><LI>Middlesboro<br /><LI>Fulham<br /><LI>Sheffield Utd<br /><LI>Man City<br /><LI>Watford<br /></OL>David Landryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00813428559471984822noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-11610235.post-1155840427433223722006-08-17T14:28:00.000-04:002006-08-17T14:47:07.646-04:0005/06 EPL Predictions - Final AccountingBack in <a href="http://davesonsoccer.blogspot.com/2005_08_01_davesonsoccer_archive.html">August</a>, Cisko and I both made predicitions as to how the EPL standings would look at the end of the year. Lets see how we fared. I've calculated how many positions off each of us are based on the final standings and how the teams are fared against last season's finishing postions. Here's how things shake out...<br /><span style="font-family:courier new;"><br /><TABLE ALIGN="left" BORDER=0 CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 WIDTH="100%"><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD> </TD><TD> </TD><TD>Landry</TD><TD>Cisko</TD><TD>2004/05</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>1</TD><TD>Chelsea</TD><TD>*</TD><TD>+1</TD><TD>*</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>2</TD><TD>Man Utd</TD><TD>*</TD><TD>+2</TD><TD>+1</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>3</TD><TD>Liverpool</TD><TD>+1</TD><TD>*</TD><TD>+2</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>4</TD><TD>Arsenal</TD><TD>-1</TD><TD>-3</TD><TD>-2</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>5</TD><TD>Tottenham</TD><TD>*</TD><TD>*</TD><TD>+4</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>6</TD><TD>Blackburn</TD><TD>+7</TD><TD>+9</TD><TD>+9</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>7</TD><TD>Newcastle</TD><TD>+2</TD><TD>+4</TD><TD>+7</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>8</TD><TD>Bolton</TD><TD>-1</TD><TD>+2</TD><TD>-2</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>9</TD><TD>West Ham</TD><TD>+7</TD><TD>+7</TD><TD>na</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>10</TD><TD>Wigan</TD><TD>+9</TD><TD>+9</TD><TD>na</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>11</TD><TD>Everton</TD><TD>-3</TD><TD>-4</TD><TD>-7</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>12</TD><TD>Fulham</TD><TD>+6</TD><TD>+5</TD><TD>+1</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>13</TD><TD>Charlton</TD><TD>-3</TD><TD>+1</TD><TD>-2</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>14</TD><TD>Middlesboro</TD><TD>-8</TD><TD>-8</TD><TD>-7</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>15</TD><TD>Man City</TD><TD>-1</TD><TD>-3</TD><TD>-7</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>16</TD><TD>Aston Villa</TD><TD>-5</TD><TD>-8</TD><TD>-6</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>17</TD><TD>Portsmouth</TD><TD>-1</TD><TD>-8</TD><TD>-1</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>18</TD><TD>Birmangham</TD><TD>-6</TD><TD>-5</TD><TD>-6</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>19</TD><TD>West Brom</TD><TD>+1</TD><TD>-1</TD><TD>-2</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD>20</TD><TD>Sunderland</TD><TD>-3</TD><TD>*</TD><TD>na</TD></tr><TR ALIGN="left" VALIGN="middle"><TD colspan="2">total positions off</TD><TD><b>66</b></TD><TD><b>80</b></TD><TD></TD></tr></TABLE><br /><br /></span><br />Really these numbers just confirm what we already know...<br /><ul> <li>Wigan and West Ham outperformed after being promoted.</li> <li>Blackburn, Newcastle and Tottenham had excellent campaigns.<br /> </li> <li>Middlesborough, Manchester City, Everton, Aston Villa and Birmingham were the season's biggest disappointments.</li> <li>It is very difficult to break into the elite of the EPL (though Spurs nearly did).</li><br /> </ul>David Landryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00813428559471984822noreply@blogger.com0