SOCCERBUFF

Siasia Sack Solves Nothing

2011-10-31T20:06:00.001-07:00

We took it all for granted. Never quite appreciated the magnitude of it all, what it took to finally achieve it. And when it all came to an end, taking Italy to the brink in the 2nd round of our very first World Cup was somehow deemed a failure. Our team left the US in twos and threes, never getting the kind of welcome back home their efforts deserved. And their coach – the very same one that had, a few months earlier, led the team to a first African title in 14 years – was swiftly kicked out, without so much as the farewell that decency and good sense demanded.

If you hadn’t put it together yet, I write of course, of the Nigeria team – the Super Eagles – of 1994 and Clemens Westerhof, the Dutch coach whose five-year tenure culminated in the very best team Nigeria has ever produced at full international level. And even if you disagree with that, last weekend’s 2-2 draw with Guinea – and especially it’s condemnation of the Eagles to a seat on the sidelines when the Nations Cup finals kick off next year – must surely have you yearning for those long gone days.

But I bring up those glory days of 1994, not for some nostalgic trip down memory lane, but to highlight some of the ills – coupled with the delusions of grandeur - that have plagued Nigerian football for years. Because, while Westerhof was achieving what had never been achieved in Nigerian football – and reaching heights we have been struggling to reach ever since – he was constantly vilified and belittled by know-it-all Nigerian fans and officials. This was supposed to be easy, right? Just call up a bunch of Europe based pros and that’s that. Any coach worth his salt can do that.

Well, after 12 coaches and 17 years – even longer than we had to wait for that second Nations Cup – here we are, still waiting for number 3. In all that time, we haven’t won anything at international level, only getting close to Nations Cup glory on that one occasion when Cameroon rubbed our noses in it in Lagos. Yet, our sense of greatness has just continued to grow and other coaches have felt the brush of our disdain. In 1997, Phillipe Troussier was appointed late, yet won World Cup qualification with a game to spare. We sacked him. Loathe him all you want, Shaibu Amodu has now led the Eagles to two world cup qualifications – losing just one of 15 matches – and finished third in two Nations Cup finals. Not good enough. “A world class team deserves a world class coach” has often been the refrain. I would have thought you had to actually achieve something to be considered world class.

Now it’s the turn of Samson Siasia, fired last week in the wake of the Eagles’ failure to reach the Nations Cup finals for the first time in 25 years. Now, on the face of it, there are many justifications for Siasia’s sacking – failure to even reach the finals is grounds enough, especially if his contract included this milestone as a clear target. And when you consider that the likes of Amodu, Troussier, and Austin Eguavoen saw the wrong end of the Football Federation’s boot despite achieving much more, it isn’t surprising that we have arrived at this pass.

But this sacking, rather than proving an answer to the problems plaguing the national team, raises a couple of questions.

The first concerns the criteria for rating a coach’s performance and hence deciding on firing and retention matters. While there’s no question that hard results have to play a part in these matters, a more nuanced approach could be of greater long-term benefit. Let’s face it; there’s much more to a team’s success than just the coach’s ability, and when it comes to results, there’s such a fine line between success and failure.

Take, for instance, the case of Shaibu Amodu. On the eve of Nigeria’s last World Cup qualifier against Kenya in November 2009, he was all but done. World Cup qualification seemed an impossible feat after Tunisia had secured a 2-2 draw in Abuja a couple of months earlier, and Amodu was already considered a “failure”. Yet, a 3-2 win in Nairobi helped secure a place in South Africa after the Tunisians failed to win in Mozambique and Amodu had gone from “dead man walking” to a coach with a second world cup qualification on his CV. Plain luck or great management?

Also, consider this: had just one of those many clear chances missed against Guinea the other week been converted, the Eagles would be on their way to Equatorial Guinea and Siasia would still be in charge. Or if we go even further back, had the Eagles not given up two comical goals in Addis Ababa – again down to individual errors – a win in that match would have been enough to secure a place in the finals and Siasia would still be coach. Poor management or sheer bad luck?

Here’s my point: if Amodu hadn’t shown enough to prove he was good enough for the Eagles job over the previous 18 months (he was set to lose his job), should one win in Nairobi – and the lucky break from Maputo – have been enough to save his job, regardless of how the team was playing?

And if Siasia had proved good enough in the previous 12 months prior to the Guinea game (he was set to keep his job), should that 2-2 draw and the consequent non-qualification be enough to kick him out, regardless of how the team was playing?

Should one match, regardless of its consequences, be the prime factor in deciding whether a coach is retained or fired?

But the second, more pertinent question all these raises is whether just making changes at coaching level at the highest level of our football is the way to achieve success at international level. Is the answer really as simple as finding the right coach and giving him a couple of years to take us to glory?

Successful countries obviously take a different tack. In Germany, failure at Euro 2000 sparked a renewed focus on youth development and the results are already coming in, with the national team – packed with young talent like Mesut Ozil, Thomas Muller and Manuel Neuer – impressing on their way to the semi finals at the World Cup finals last year. Just watch the German clubs in the Champions League and marvel at the number of young German talent on display – in sharp contrast to English sides like Manchester City or Chelsea. And they’ve only been at this for 10 years.

The Barcelona model is well known around the world now, with La Masia products leading the Catalan club to domestic and European glory – and the national team to the Euro and World Cup titles. But it’s not just about Barcelona. The Spanish FA has focused on youth development for years – even the Germans are looking to catch up with them - and the benefits just keep trickling up to the highest level.

Yet, with no discernible vision or plan in place, a country like Nigeria expects to compete on the same level as these countries – and fans, for some reason, get disappointed when they can’t.

For all the thought we put into these matters, we should just be happy for the opportunity to compete in the same sport.

Usual Suspects & Banana Skins

2011-04-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

There’s a lot to be excited about as the Champions League quarter finals take centre stage this week. Heck, I’m so excited I’m writing again.

Seriously, I simply can’t wait for hostilities to commence and a quick glance at the remaining contenders for club football’s biggest prize is enough to explain my glee.

Experienced defending champions Inter Milan; a sublime Barcelona side that have won this cup twice in the last 5 years; 2008 champions Man Utd; the galacticos of Real Madrid – with two-time winner Jose Mourinho at the helm; Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea – finalists in 2008 and semi-finalists four times in the last six seasons, and also led by a two-time winner in Carlo Ancelotti. And then there are the potential banana skins represented by Tottenham, Shakhtar Donetsk and Schalke 04.

But beyond the cast of usual suspects and tricky underdogs, the quarter final and semi final draws also throw up several must-see scenarios.

Top of the list, at least for anglophiles (and who isn’t in these days of Premiership hegemony?) must be the Man Utd v Chelsea match up, a clash of England’s top teams of the last five years and a rematch of the 2008 final. Both sides have been far from their best this season, even if the Reds still sit atop the Premiership with 7 games to go. Injuries may well be the game changer here, and its Man U that are hurting the most, with Rio Ferdinand out for most of the season and Nemanja Vidic just returning to the side. Even with Wayne Rooney’s recent renaissance and the emergence of Javier Hernandez, it’s hard to see how Man U’s inexperienced defense and “over-experienced” midfield – Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs – will get past Ancelotti’s team over two legs. The Blues certainly have the defence and midfield for the job – John Terry, Ashley Cole, Michael Essien and Frank Lampard – but they’ll have to sort out the attacking situation post-haste. Fernando Torres still resembles the out-of-sorts striker of South Africa 2010 and Didier Drogba looks even more unsettled since the Spaniard’s arrival has seen him spend more time on the bench. If Ancelotti can sort things out, Chelsea should get their revenge here and reach yet another Champions League semi final.

Inter Milan miraculously saw off Bayern Munich in the round of 16 and they return to Germany to take on Schalke 04 in the quarters. I doubt this will be the cake-walk everyone expects though; you don’t get past Valencia, as Schalke did, without being a decent side, even if the Germans have since fired coach Felix Magath. His replacement, former Hoffenheim boss Ralf Ragnick is one of the most progressive coaches in world football and should get the best out of a Schalke team brilliantly bookended by national team goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and evergreen Spanish striker Raul. Yet, a rejuvenated Inter Milan should have too much in the tank for Schalke. The defending champions are hardly purveyors of the beautiful game, yet the team Mourinho built - now coached by Leonardo – is full of game savvy and street smarts, as well as a good number of big game players. Dutch schemer Wesley Sneijder is back to his brilliant best and there’s the ever prolific Samuel Eto’o (Africa’s greatest ever?). Inter should shake off the disappointment of their Milan derby loss and progress to the last four to set up one of those mouth-watering scenarios I alluded to earlier – a semi final against the winners (whoever that may be) of the Chelsea v Man U tie.

If anything, the other side of the draw could turn up an even bigger clash, if the form book proves true, and Real Madrid and Barcelona pull through to set up one more El Clasico match-up, in a season in which they are already scheduled to add a Copa del Rey Final to their two La Liga games.

First the quarter finals though, and both Spanish giants will start as firm favourites to come through unscathed against two clubs experiencing the rarefied air of a Champions League quarter final for the very first time. Indeed, Tottenham, in their debut campaign have adjusted with remarkable ease, banging in more goals than any other team in the first round and seeing off AC Milan in the last round. Their exciting, in-your-face attacking attitude as been quite refreshing to watch and in Gareth Bale they have one of the break-out stars of the season. Rafael van der Vaart has also been a revelation, proving an outstanding partner for the towering Peter Crouch since arriving from Real in the summer.

But, I think Real Madrid will prove a bridge too far for Harry Redknapp’s lads. For one thing, the Madridistas have Mourinho on the bench. Love him or loathe him, there’s no denying the quality of “the Special One”, especially when he has a squad of superstars at his beck and call. This isn’t the unbalanced Galacticos of a few years back; Sergio Ramos, Pepe, Carvalho and Marcelo look pretty solid in front of the superb Casillas; Alonso and Khedira do the heavy lifting in midfield, where Mesut Ozil conducts for the trio of Ronaldo, Angel di Maria and Karim Benzema (or the returning Gonzalo Higuain) upfront. It’s hard to pinpoint a weakness in this team at the moment – even if Ronaldo, Benzema and Marcelo may well miss the first leg through injury – and I’d be really shocked if they failed to reach the semis.

Barcelona should await them there, although they will find Shakhtar Donetsk anything but pushovers. Shakhtar may represent Ukraine but this team, coached by the Portuguese-speaking Romanian Mircea Lucescu, is almost as Brazilian as the Selecao itself, with no less than 8 Brazilians on the roster. They won 5 of their 6 first round matches to top Group H ahead of Arsenal, and then beat Roma, home and away to get this far. Those are pretty good creds and Barca will have to watch out for strikers Eduardo and Adriano Luiz – each with four goals so far – as well as the likes of Jadson and Douglas Costa in midfield, and experienced full backs Darijo Srna and Razvan Rat.

For all that, it will be the upset of the year if they can overcome Pep Guardiola’s Barcelona. What else is there to say about the best team in the world? It’s not just that they have Pique, Puyol, Iniesta, Xavi, Villa and Messi, it’s the way they weave their pretty little patterns around the pitch and always find a way past the tightest of defences.

Now, I’m all for shocks and surprises – all part of the beautiful game for sure – but I have to say that I hope this quarter final round goes to the favourites.

Why? Well, Man U fans will disagree, but I really can’t think of a more exciting semi final round than one that reads:

Inter Milan v Chelsea
Real Madrid v Barcelona

That’s my last four pick. What’s yours?

Bad Hair Black Stars

2011-03-21T20:38:00.001-07:00

Forget the Premiership title race for a minute; what’s the deal with Ghanaian players and those wonky hairdos? I was watching Sunderland play Liverpool last Sunday and I just couldn’t get over what I was seeing.

Of course, it was kind of impressive to see three Black Stars in the Black Cats’ starting eleven, but what’s with the hair?

First, there’s Sulley Muntari. Okay, his do wasn’t that bad – just a tad untidy - and he did limp off injured after 25 minutes or so.

John Mensah didn’t see out the match either, capping off a miserable afternoon with a second half red card for a foul. But he probably should have been sent off for that thing on his head anyway. It just looked scruffy – untrimmed, uncombed and just unruly, like someone just dragged him out of bed just before kick off.

But if Mensah deserved a sanction, I suppose Asamoah Gyan should never have been allowed on the pitch in the first place. I’m really not sure if he’s trying to grow a Mohawk - looked more like a “’frohawk” – or maybe it’s just something in transition. It just looked horribly wrong. Do these guys have a clipper allergy or is there just a shortage of barbers in Sunderland?

Not that their compatriot in London was much better though. Michael Essien bossed midfield as Chelsea tamed Man City at the bridge, but he wore the same “I need a barber” look – and we no there’s certainly no shortage of barbers in that most metropolitan of cities.

On a more positive note, it’s great to see some other African players sporting a more clean-cut look these days. Super Eagles forward Peter Odemwingie finally got rid of those corn-row braids, favouring a nice crew cut in their stead; and Emmanuel Adebayor discarded that horrid “perm-sheen” look for a more appealing short ‘fro.
Now if someone can just get Didier Drogba to follow suit….

Pep’s Barca: One For the Ages

2010-12-21T18:16:00.000-08:00

Okay. I’ll keep this simple: if you haven’t been watching Barcelona out-pass and out-score all before them over the past two months, you need to repent. Seriously. And I’m not just talking about that 5-0 trouncing of Jose Mourinho’s lot at the Nou Camp the other week. That was just the icing on the cake, given that it was against their biggest opponents, and even more significantly, against the coach responsible for their Champions League exit last season.

The thing is, Barca have been doing this week in week out for the past couple of months, racking up an amazing 29 goals along the way and conceding just two – almost 600 minutes apart – in their last six league games. I know, it’s easy to dismiss Barca’s impressive run if you haven’t been watching – especially if you have concluded that, because La Liga is a two-horse race, the rest of the league isn’t up to scratch. Nothing could be farther from the truth of course; trust me, it’s no mean feat to bash five goals past local rivals Espanyol, as Barca did in hostile territory last Saturday; or to put three past Villareal and five past Sevilla.

But it’s not just Barca’s numbers that make this team deserving of your attention. It’s the manner in which they have gone about their business. For me, this Barcelona incarnation is playing the very best football seen anywhere on the planet in the last twenty years at the very least. Yes, better than Arrigo Sacchi’s Milan, Johan Cruyff’s Barcelona “Dream Team”, Louis van Gaal’s Ajax and any of Man Utd’s impressive teams of the last two decades.

This is history in the making, folks. We’ll be talking about this team for years to come, kind of like how the old-timers go on about Real Madrid’s five-time European champions; or Brazil’s sparkling 1970 vintage. It’s not just that they pass the ball better than any team we’ve seen in eons; or that they all seem to be on the same wavelength. It’s the mind-blowing speed at which they carry on that sets them apart. It’s not just that they boast the best players on the planet in Lionel Messi, Andres Iniesta and Xavi; it’s the manner in which those big names all graft and sacrifice for the greater good of the team. It’s not just that their patient, creative tiki taka style often results in loads of often spectacular goals; they’re actually pretty good at keeping goals out too. I suppose the simplest way to describe this team, at least for you Premiership-addicted anglophiles out there, is to say they are the team that Arsenal would like to become when they grow up – and Arsenal fans should take that as a compliment.

For all that high praise though, Barcelona may well end the season empty handed. Only two points separate them from Real Madrid in La Liga, and the minefield that is the Champions’ League is pretty hard to predict – as we saw last year when “the best team in Europe” knocked out the best team in Europe. They even drew 0-0 with Athletic Bilbao in the Cope del Rey on Tuesday night – proving they are human after all.

I’m pretty confident they’ll see off Real’s challenge again, but it really doesn’t matter one bit; Pep Guardiola’s team is putting on a show for the ages right now. If you’ve been missing it, it’s time to get with it.

Time to Shine!

2010-07-10T23:48:00.000-07:00

First, a confession; I have been a Holland fan for over 30 years now - even own one of those bright orange shirts. Ever since Mario Kempes scored twice to condemn the Dutch to a 2nd consecutive World Cup final defeat in Beunos Aires all those years ago, I have been a staunch Dutch sympathiser, living through the Euro glory days of Rijkaard, Gullit and van Basten; and plumbing the depths of despair brought on by penalty shoot out woes at Euro 92, Euro 96, France 98 and Euro 2000. Of course, the one thing that's been missing in all those years is another trip to the championship game at the World Cup final and an opportunity to ease the pain of 1974 and 1978. Until now. You'll probably understand my angst then, that now that the world cup is finally within reach, the one team that stands in the way of Dutch glory is the very same one that has, over the last three years , stolen my heart with its very special brand of the beautiful game - Spain.
So, can this latest incarnation of the Oranje succeed where their illustrious forebears faltered and trounce the best team on the planet to make history? And on which side of this divide will I now sit?
I'll tell you this much; the first question is easier answered. As world cup runs go, Holland have been pretty solid at this tourney having won all six of their games so far. They've scored 12 goals and let in 5 - but that number doesn't do their defensive record justice when you consider the manner of those conceded goals. Two were from the penalty spot - one for handball in the wall from a Cameroon free kick; the other an injury time consolation for Slovakia in the round of 16 - and another, late against Uruguay came after the game was effectively over. That might indicate lapses in concentration, but, save for a torrid 1st half against Brazil Holland's backline has hardly been troubled. Johnny Heitinga and Joris Mathijsen have looked competent enough in central defence, especially with van Bommel and the tigrish Nigel de Jong patrolling in front of them. Oddly, their biggest defensive tool may well be flankman Dirk Kuyt, whose tireless efforts down the left wing stifled the overlapping tendencies of Brazil's Maicon. Expect him to play in like mode against Spain's Sergio Ramos. On the attacking end, much will depend on how much of the ball Wesley Sneijder sees, and if Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie get in the game. And the Dutch bench looks good too, with the likes of Ibrahim Affelay and the tricky Eljero Elia offering alternatives to the tried and tested. (By the way, if Holland really mean all the pre-match talk about attacking Spain, they have got to find a way to play Elia - he's skilful and quick). The Dutch will look to keep the ball and build patiently, as they have done to great effect on their run to the final, and again look to Sneijder to make things happen.
For all the positives though, Holland enter this final as clear underdogs. What else is there to say about European champions, Spain? High quality in every position and unbelievable team cohesion; team depth to die for - Fabregas, Torres, David Silva on the bench - and that mental steel that enables great teams to eke out results even on a bad day. Spain for me, arrived South Africa as favourites so it's perhaps not surprising that they've made it this far. No one doubted they had the skill, but they've displayed immense character to overcome the extra pressure that early defeat to Switzerland must have imposed - practically forcing them into the knockout phase right from their second game. It's hard to bet against a team that has Xavi and Iniesta carving openings for David Villa - especially if they are on their game and bad luck doesn't have it on for them. But la Roja isn't just about offence; Pique and Puyol are as good as any defensive pairing anywhere; Busquets is underrated but very effective and Xabi Alonso never stops running.
I think this game will be decided in two areas: For Holland, van Bommel, de Jong and Sneijder will have to close the spaces in midfield, and Robben will need to do a lot of tracking back on the right wing if they are to keep Spain at bay. Spain must watch for the quick long diagonal pass, especially from Sneijder to Robben - but of course they prefer to defend by keeping the ball.
It should be great game to watch - if you love watching passes like I do - and after the last three rounds the smart money must be on another 1-0 win for Spain. I wouldn't wager money on the scores, but I think it's Spain's time to shine.
Oh, and as for my side of the divide; a big part of me will always support the Dutch but for this one, I think I'll be rooting for Spain. We'll see........

Fortune Smiles

2010-07-05T21:08:00.000-07:00

It’s a well-worn sporting cliché: you don’t win anything without some luck. Last weekend’s quarter final clashes sure underlined that point. No, I am not referring to Germany’s 4-0 annihilation of erstwhile favourites Argentina – no luck there, just a well planned and executed dismantling of Diego Maradona’s best laid plans.

For the other three ties though, fortune certainly smiled broadly on the victors. Okay, I will not argue that Holland was anything less than deserving of the win that knocked Brazil (another erstwhile favourite) out of the finals, but the tide only turned in their favour after goalkeeper Julio Cesar – with a lot of help from Felipe Melo – made a mess of what should have been a routine catch from Wesley Sneijder’s hopeful cross. There wasn’t even a single Dutch player anywhere near the ball! That the Brazilians then allowed Sneijder, the smallest man on the field, to head home from a corner kick wasn’t down to luck though – just poor defending.

That, of course, was nothing compared to the dramatic scenes that would herald Ghana’s exit at the hands of Uruguay in Friday’s late game. In the end, the Black Stars’ inability to stick the ball in the net - from open play over 120 minutes, and from the spot thereafter – proved their undoing. Asamoah Gyan’s unfortunate miss in the last minute of extra time broke hearts all over Africa and proved the slice of luck that Uruguay needed to sail through to the last four.

Much as since been made of the desperate handball offence that denied Dominic Adiyiah a winning goal and gifted Ghana the penalty from which Gyan missed. There have been suggestions that Luis Suarez - who got a red card and a one game suspension for his trouble – hasn’t been adequately punished for his unsportsmanlike action. I am not one of those calling for more sanctions though, and I am quite glad that Fifa has refused the urge to yield to such an emotional reaction to Ghana’s sad exit. Sure, Suarez’s action was deplorable, but what player wouldn’t have done exactly the same thing? Besides, aren’t a red card and a penalty sufficient punishment? That’s all you’d get for tripping up a player clean through on goal, and I don’t see how this is any different. The main issue really is that Gyan missed; had he scored we wouldn’t even be having this discussion.

But I digress; Spain certainly took their time seeing off the challenge of plucky Paraguay on Sunday, David Villa’s goal finally arriving 7 minutes from time, but despite dominating possession as usual they could have easily been two down by then. First, Nelson Valdez had a goal wrongly ruled out, ostensibly for offside, and then Iker Casillas guessed right to stop Cardozo’s penalty right on the hour to keep Spain in the game. Of course, two minutes after that, Xabi Alonso also had his twice taken penalty stopped to cap what must be the most exciting three minute spell of this World Cup. What I don’t get though, is how Alonso’s first successful effort could have been stricken off for encroachment, while Cardozo didn’t get a do-over even though there were just as many players in the box when his penalty was stopped at the other end.

It’s another of those infuriating refereeing inconsistencies that have plagued football for years. The one that really gets my goat came in the Argentina v Germany game and could ultimately hurt the Germans in their semi final clash against Spain. In the 5th minute, after Germany broke up an Argentina attack, winger Angel di Maria clearly stretched out his left hand, like a goalkeeper, to knock down Phillip Lahm’s attempted pass. Referee Ravshan Irmatov gave the foul but only verbally warned di Maria for what was clearly a bookable offence. Yet, midway through the second half, Thomas Muller attempted to chest a ball just on the edge of the German area, only for Jabulani to bounce up against his left arm – which was normally positioned in line with his torso. Irmatov again gave the foul, only this time he flashed a yellow card Muller’s way, ensuring the young star – scorer of four goals in these finals – will miss Tuesday’s semi final.

Speaking of that semi final clash, a rematch of the Euro 2008 final won by Spain, it’s another that would fit snugly under the too-close-to-call column. The Spaniards came into the World Cup as one of the firm favourites, but it’s the Germans that have been the more convincing side over the past three weeks and – even without Muller – appear to have the edge over a Spanish team that has only seldom played as well as we know they can. It should make for a nice contrast in styles – Spain’s patient, sometimes over-ponderous approach, to Germany’s rapid-fire, all-out attacking style. The German attack will come up against a sterner defence than they faced in the last two rounds, and midfield schemers Bastian Schweinsteiger and Mesut Ozil will have to be at their best to dominate Spain in the engine room. Top scorer David Villa will again be Spain’s key man upfront, having scored 5 of their six goals here. But Germany will know better than to just focus on him; the likes of Xavi, Iniesta and Alonso can do damage from midfield and this might just be the occasion for Fernando Torres to finally live up to his huge reputation. I think Spain will dominate possession again, without creating a ton of chances, and this game could well be decided by how well they keep the ball and deny Germany those quick counter attacks. We could be in for a long night.

Holland will be expected to see off Uruguay, but I doubt anyone will be writing off a team that boasts the shooting skills of Diego Forlan. The Atletico striker has three goals to his name so far, including two of the better goals seen at this World Cup, and there’ll be a lot riding on his abilities, especially with the aforementioned Suarez missing. The rage in the Dutch squad is all about Arjen Robben, yet it’s the diminutive Sneijder (4 goals) that has proved the team’s talisman. Mark van Bommel as also been solid in defensive midfield, but Uruguay has his match in the tireless Diego Perez and they also proved they have the depth to persevere in defence after losing both first choice centre backs against Ghana. This will probably be a closer game than most people expect, but if the Dutch can shake off the pressures that come with being favourites they have enough guile to book a place in the final.

I should probably stay away from predictions this time – too hard to factor for luck - but I do expect Holland to scale through. As for the other one; my heart says Spain, my head Germany.

For my sanity and well being, I’ll just try and keep the peace.

Enjoy.

World Cup Quarter Finals: History Beckons

2010-07-01T20:28:00.001-07:00

With eight teams left at South Africa 2010, I guess it’s fair to say that the men have been clearly separated from the boys. That countries like Ghana, Uruguay and Paraguay have come this far, while their more storied counterparts – France, England and Italy – are already on their summer holidays is proof positive that the beautiful game is no respecter of reputations. Needless to say, the big guns left in the running – Germany, Argentina, Spain, Holland and Brazil – will do well to heed that point when the quarter finals kick off today.

Holland and Brazil kick things off in Port Elizabeth and it will be a pity to see one of them depart at this stage. Both remain unbeaten after four matches and are both quite capable of playing patient, possession football. Brazil proved they could step it up a notch against Chile in the last round, scoring in typical fashion from a set-piece and two quick-fire counter-attacks, and the Dutch will have to watch out for Robinho, Kaka and Luis Fabiano – at least one of them has been involved in some way in 6 of the 8 goals Brazil have scored so far in South Africa. Holland will be able to call on the dangerous Arjen Robben once again, and the Dutch will make a game of it if Bert Van Marwijk dares to call on the impressive Eljero Elia. Defences could well make the difference in this tie, and despite the best efforts of Nigel de Jong and Mark van Bommel in front of Holland’s back four, it’s hard to bet against Lucio and co. I think Brazil will take a close game 2-0 or 2-1.

Two of the finals’ surprise performers clash in Friday’s other game in Johannesburg’s impressive Soccercity. Ghana v Uruguay on paper may not get the juices running but this could well be the most exciting of the last 8 ties, with the Black Stars trying to become the first African team to reach the last four, and Uruguay, winners in 1930 and 1950, looking to relive their illustrious past and reach the semis for the first time in 40 years.
History beckons, and two evenly matched sides could serve up a delight in the calabash. Uruguay have been one of the more positive sides at the finals, playing Diego Forlan behind Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani upfront, and they also have real steel down the spine of their side, with Diego Perez in midfield shielding a back four led by the hard-as-nails captain Diego Lugano. Ghana will again look to prove that a good team should surpass the sum of its individual parts, especially with the skilful Andre Ayew missing through suspension. The Ghanaians play a very organised formation that makes them tough to score against, and their neat passing game ensures they can keep possession for long periods and create openings at the other end. Their one failing has been an astonishing profligacy in front of goal – even if lone striker Asamoah Gyan has three goals (2 penalties) to his name. If they can remedy that, the Black Stars should be making African history come Friday night. I’ll stick my neck out there and pick Ghana to win 1-0.

Saturday’s first game, featuring Argentina and Germany in Cape Town, should be a delight to watch and will be much tougher to call. Both teams have been consistently impressive and have played arguably the best football seen at these finals so far. Germany’s young team are clearly primed to attack, with Bastien Schweinsteiger impressively dictating the pace and the young Mesut Ozil building a reputation as one of the best creative midfielders in the game. Argentina, of course, already boast the cream of the crop in Leo Messi, Carlos Tevez and Gonzalo Higuain and have plenty in reserve to trouble a young German backline. Not many would be betting against an Argentina win in this game, yet I think it would be a real close affair and I have my concerns about the Argentine defence and their ability to cope with the pacy young Germans. Four years ago, this tie went to a penalty shoot out won by the Germans. We may well need that again this time, and this is one of those games that could truly go either way. But if I have to pick a winner, I’ll be backing the Germans to shade this one again.

Spain will definitely be expected to take their place in the last four after their clash with Paraguay at Ellis Park on Saturday evening. I have long admired their excellent ball passing and teamwork and after watching them dismantle a decent Portugal side on Tuesday it’s no surprise I am backing them to win this one. If Xavi and Iniesta play as they can, and David Villa remains as clinical as ever – or if Torres finally recovers some sharpness – Paraguay will have little chance of upsetting the European champions. Then again, this is football and the Swiss did beat Spain in the first round just 3 weeks ago. Besides, Paraguay boast some exciting attacking talent too, in Nelson Valdez, Roque Santa Cruz, Lucas Barrios and Oscar Cardozo. If one of those can grab a goal – or if they can nick one from a set piece – they’ll be counting on ‘keeper Justo Villar to keep La Roja out. I don’t think so though. I’m going for a 2-0 Spain win.

If I’m right, it’ll be Brazil v Ghana and Spain v Germany in the semis. And if I’m wrong….well, then I’m wrong. It’s football.

Enjoy.

World Cup Early Thoughts - June 18, 2010

2010-06-27T17:18:00.000-07:00

This post should have appeared here over a week ago, after the first two rounds of group matches. Technical problems made this impossible but I've decided to post it anyway.

As I sit through what is looking likely to end up a surprise draw between Algeria and England, I can’t help but think that perhaps focus on organisation and teamwork may have just narrowed the gap between smaller nations and the more established ones in world football. After watching one week of football at the World Cup here in South Africa, it’s definitely a feeling that’s growing stronger and stronger. Without even dwelling on the real upsets – Switzerland over Spain comes to mind – of the 21 games played so far, only three can be considered a real trouncing (Germany 4 Australia 0; Argentina 4 South Korea 1; Uruguay 3 South Africa 0). Of the rest, there have been six draws and only two of the wins have had a two-goal margin. Of course, some of that is down to early tournament caution, or in the case of Nigeria excellent goalkeeping, and things should open up as the first round progresses. But I certainly think that results like South Africa 1 Mexico 1, Ivory Coast 0 Portugal 0 and Serbia 0 Ghana 1 are proof positive that this is going to be close run thing, and most of the groups won’t be settled till the very last round of matches.

Tactically speaking, its clear that the 4-2-3-1 has fully taken the football world hostage now, with several of the teams on show here opting for the two holding midfielders and one striker that seems to suggest – and indeed many have concluded to mean – a negative mindset. Yet, as I have tried to argue in the past, this system need not be a defensive or cautious one. How it works out ultimately depends on the philosophy of the coach, the quality of players available and their ability to execute the game plan.

Germany’s impressive start to the tournament probably best illustrates the point. In their opening match against Australia, they set up with two deep lying midfielders in Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira, but theirs is clearly an attacking mindset, with the impressive Mesut Ozil threading passes through to the quick pair of widemen, Lukas Podolski and Thomas Muller, as well as striker Milo Klose, and the whole team pretty much looking to get forward at every turn. Spain, the pre-tournament favourites, didn’t get off to such a great start, but they also set up in like fashion – Xabi Alonso and Busquets sitting deep, and David Villa alone upfront – but you can hardly call their approach cautious. Nevertheless, it was quite refreshing to see Uruguay shake off their defensive reputation by lining up Diego Forlan behind two strikers – Luis Suarez and Edison Cavani – to great effect in their 3-0 thumping of hosts South Africa.

It’s much too early to reach conclusions as to the likely destination of the cup as things tend to change drastically in world cup finals. Germany made the early impression with that 4-0 spanking of Australia, but they’ve been pegged back by the narrow loss to Serbia and will now need a result against Ghana on Wednesday night to make progress sure. Jogi Low’s team play with pace, purpose and real attacking intent but the Serbs have proved that they are in what I consider the most competitive of the groups. I am not one of those who consider Serbia’s win an upset though. The Serbs are a very good team comprising some of Europe’s best players and despite losing to Ghana they might yet make it to the next round.

Argentina have also looked strong without really breaking sweat and have all but tied up a second round place after beating both Nigeria and South Korea. With the players at Diego Maradona’s disposal they’ll prove a hard nut for any team here and are probably the early favourites as we stand, although I do think their defence can be breached by teams better than they’ve faced so far.

Brazil will also be considered one of the real contenders here, but they still have some convincing to do, having labored hard to get past a well organised North Korea side. Then again, Dunga’s team are probably never going to win the style plaudits –they are more about efficiency these days. That honour seems to sit well with Spain though, and they were a joy to watch even as they lost that first game to Switzerland. They’ll have to return to winning ways against Honduras on Monday though; else they’ll be facing a first round elimination that would prove the biggest shock of the finals.

England too hang on a thread, needing to beat Slovenia on Wednesday after struggling to two unconvincing draws against USA and Algeria, but they at least still have their destiny in their hands. Not so France, who have been quite disjointed in their two games so far and are yet to score. They will need to beat the hosts and then pray for a high margin win in the Mexico-Uruguay match if they are not repeat their 2002 feat and crash out early.

As for Nigeria, they’ve played like a team that just got introduced to its coach and his tactics only a few weeks ago. Oh, wait a minute…they did only just meet their coach a few weeks ago. But that’s a different story altogether, and I will get into it a little later. Suffice to say; they might yet get to the last 16 if they can beat South Korea on Tuesday and Argentina do the business – as expected – against Greece. That would at least give us long suffering fans something to smile about – especially if you are making the long trek to Durban like yours truly – but, even if by some stroke of fortune that happens, I doubt this team will be leaving any lasting impressions on this finals – except, of course, the outstanding goalkeeping of Vincent Enyeama.

I’ll be back.

SA 2010: Yellow Fever!

2010-06-18T05:26:00.001-07:00

It’s kind of ironic that the first thing you get asked to show on arrival at Johannesburg’s Oliver Tambo International Airport – if you are arriving from any of a number of tropical countres, that is – is your Yellow Fever vaccination card. For once you have walked past immigration and baggage claim, and out of the airport it quickly hits you that South Africa is very much in the throes of a raging “yellow fever” outbreak of sorts.

Thankfully, it’s not the viral sort, but everywhere you look on the streets – and offices and stores – of this beautiful, football crazy country, you can see the unmistakable yellow and green kit of the national team, Bafana Bafana, proudly adorned by the excited, overjoyed and enthusiastic throngs that have embraced kick off to Africa’s first World Cup finals.

This may be the rainbow nation, but yellow will certainly remain its color of choice for the course of this month-long mundial. Then again, in the light of South Africa’s 3-0 debacle against Uruguay on Wednesday night, some would argue that all that enthusiasm could well vanish in a cloud of disappointment as early as next Monday when Bafana Bafana wraps up its Group A schedule against France. Of course, if the home team bows out there’s bound to be a level of disinterest in any finals, but what I have seen of South Africa 2010 so far suggests that might not be as significant as one would expect.

All the games have been pretty well attended so far, and not just the ones involving the home side, which have been absolutely packed, or the ones involving the big countries. It’s perhaps understandable that Spain would draw 62,000 for Wednesday’s clash against Switzerland, but considering that Honduras v Chile drew 32,000; Slovenia v Algeria 30,000; and even New Zealand v Slovakia 24,000, it’s clear the turnout has been pretty decent.

I have attended three games myself: the Argentina-Nigeria clash at Johannesburg’s Ellis Park where 43,000 odd fans showed up to see Gabriel Heinze’s header earn the Albiceleste the points; two days later, on a Monday afternoon no less, 85,000 of us showed up at the impressive Soccercity “calabash” to see Holland put two goals past Denmark; and then, I made the long trek to Bloemfoentein on Thursday to join 30,000 fans watch Nigeria lose again.

The atmosphere at the games has been truly incredible, with opposing fans enjoying the occasion together in a great spirit of fun and camaraderie. Of course, the most iconic symbol of South Africa 2010 has been the vuvuzela and the never ending, highly irritating constant drone it produces at every game. I know on the TV it sounds like a pack of bees on the hunt – or the sound of a bunch of houseflies busily attacking a half-eaten over-ripe mango – yet in the stadium itself it’s a little different. Kind of like a thousand cars honking persistently, with no rhyme or reason, sometimes high pitched at other times just loud. Attempting to decipher the method to this madness is totally futile too; sometimes it’s loud when there’s a goal chance, at other times it’s when the fans are bored. Considering that it often starts well before the game even kicks off – and continues well after the game, on your way home – it’s probably safe to conclude that the game itself as nothing to do with this. Perhaps it’s just some sort of human craving to be heard – or just another symptom of “yellow fever”.

Champions League Final Preview: Redemption Time

2010-05-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

It doesn’t get any more traditional than Bayern Munich v Internazionale as far as the European Cup goes. With no less than six titles between them, these two giants of the European game should serve up a true clash of the titans when the Champions League Final kicks off in Madrid on Saturday night.

Yet, rather than consolidation, it will be redemption that will be on the mind of these two clubs as they battle for football’s biggest prize. It’s been nine long years since Bayern were crowned champions of Europe, beating Valencia on penalties to win its 4th title, yet that’s nothing in comparison to Inter’s 45-year wait. The Milan club haven’t tasted success in this competition since winning back-to-back titles under the legendary Helenio Herrera in 1964 and 1965.

But - for all that pedigree’s worth - that’s all history now, and Saturday’s game would very much be about the here and now.

All the talk has so far revolved around Inter and their celebrity coach, the “Special One”, Jose Mourinho, and that’s not without good reason too. Having seen off both Chelsea and defending champions Barcelona, Inter have more than earned their favourite status for this final. But their credentials reach far beyond those impressive results. While the whole football world has been preoccupied with Real Madrid’s so-called “Galacticos”, Mourinho as quietly put together a squad capable of going toe-to-toe with any in Europe.

Inter’s back five include three players (Julio Cesar, Maicon, Lucio) that will start for World Cup favourites Brazil in South Africa in June, one hard-as nails Argentina starter (Walter Samuel) and a vastly experienced full back in captain Javier Zanetti.

In midfield, another experienced Argentine (Esteban Cambiasso) offers defensive security and neat distribution, while a brilliant Dutch schemer (Wesley Sneidjer) serves up the creation and invention for the strikers to polish off.

And they are no lightweights upfront too: Samuel Eto’o is a two-time Champions League winner – scoring in both finals – and Diego Milito, another World Cup-bound Argentine, finished the Serie A season with 22 goals.

Then there’s the depth that the likes of Marco Materrazzi, Christian Chivu, Dejan Stankovic, Goran Pandev, Sulley Muntari and Mario Balotelli provide.

Inter play decent, effective football, but aesthetics won’t be Mourinho’s primary goal, and as his team as showed time and again, work ethic is their watchword and they can defend with the very best of them. Watching Eto’o harry and chase Barcelona in wide areas at the Camp Nou, it was clear to see why Mourinho had gladly swapped Zlatan Ibrahimovic for the Cameroonian last summer. Can you even imagine the big Swede taking to defensive duties in such fashion? Not likely.

In contrast, German champions Bayern will look to play the patient passing game that is the hallmark of Louis Van Gaal’s favoured 4-4-2, and that proved so effective against Man Utd in the quarter finals. Of course, while Van Gaal may not currently enjoy the celebrity status of his counterpart, he is no flash in the pan either, having produced that amazing Ajax team that reached two Champions League finals in the mid-90s, before winning two league titles in Spain with Barcelona.

Bayern don’t quite boast the marquee names that make Inter such a formidable side – their success has more to do with teamwork – and Franck Ribery’s suspension leaves them without one of their biggest stars. But Bayern are no pushovers either.

Right back Phillip Lahm is one the best defenders in the world; Argentine Martin Demichelis forms an impressive, if inconsistent, partnership with Daniel van Buyten in central defence; and captain Mark van Bommel – a winner with Barcelona in 2006 – brings neat passing, industry and direction to a midfield that also includes German star Bastien Schweinsteiger.

Dutch winger Arjen Robben as already played a huge part in getting Bayern to the final -scoring crucial spectacular goals against Juventus, Fiorentina, Man U and Lyon – and they might well need something special from him again.

Upfront, newcomer Thomas Muller is likely to start, alongside the prolific Croatian Ivica Olic – although van Gaal may well plump for the power of Mario Gomez or the experience of Miro Klose.

These finals seldom see both sides at their best and it’s hard to imagine this one being the spectacle we all hope for. Two well organized sides, coached by two perfectionists with a keen eye for detail, would point to a close, cagy affair.

Bayern look the more likely to blink – van Buyten and Demichelis may just find Eto’o and Milito to hot to handle. Yet, if they keep the game close and Robben finds another magical moment, they might just sneak it.

It’s hard to bet against Mourinho though, so I’ll stick my neck out and pick Inter to end their 45 year drought and make it European Cup No.3.

And it’s about time too.

Hot Hotspurs!

2010-05-18T21:09:00.000-07:00

Well, if this wasn’t the most exciting end to a Premiership season in a long time, I am hard pressed to recall one. Not only did the title race drag on till the very last game – with Chelsea making sure with that eight-goal drubbing of Wigan at the Bridge – the race for fourth place, the last of the Champions League places, proved an even more intriguing contest with no less than four clubs still in the hunt with a handful of rounds to go.
In the end, London club Tottenham Hotspurs took the spoils after seeing off nouveau riche Man City in a winner-takes-all face-off at the City of Manchester Stadium in the penultimate round.

Of course, that win only capped what has been a truly remarkable season for Harry Redknapp’s side, and when you consider that they finished the season with perhaps the toughest schedule of the club’s chasing fourth-place, there can be no denying that they richly deserve their place amongst Europe’s elite next season.

I will confess that I was one of those who doubted ‘Spurs ability to survive a one week spell that would see them face Arsenal, Chelsea and Man U in consecutive matches. After all, this was the very kind of test upon which Spurs’ previous attempts to breach the top four had foundered miserably in seasons past. Yet, despite losing the last of those matches at Old Trafford, impressive wins in the first two firmly established Spurs top four creds and helped build an ultimately unbeatable lead.

Redknapp will take most of the credit for Spurs achievement, especially considering that the club was floundering in the relegation zone when he arrived at White Hart Lane in October 2008. There’s no question he has put his mark on a Spurs side that seemed to have lost its motivation after beating Chelsea to win the 2008 Carling Cup. Although he inherited a decent enough squad, Redknapp, as is his wont, has bought often – and wisely - since arriving, bringing in Sebastian Bassong and Younes Kaboul to strengthen an injury-prone backline; Wilson Palacios to add bite to midfield, and England forwards Peter Crouch and Jermaine Defoe.

More significantly, Redknapp imbued his team with a confident, attacking mindset, especially in the run-in, when they were well rewarded with those big name scalps. The Man City win was especially telling of the new Spurs. Despite the high-stakes and the fact that a draw would have still left them ahead of City with one game to play, Redknapp started with his most attacking line-up, leaving out the defensive Palacios for Huddlestone, starting fast wingers Aaron Lennon and Gareth Bale, and Defoe and Crouch upfront.

And so on to the Champions League next season and Redknapp will be hoping his teams fortunes do not mirror that of Everton – the last team outside the so-called “Big Four” to reach the big stage. They didn’t make it past the qualifying round.

Angola 2010: Drama Is Here!

2010-01-27T22:40:00.000-08:00

Well, Angola 2010 certainly came to life in the quarter final round. Exciting games, spectacular goals, upsets, controversy and the added drama of extra time and a penalty shoot out – and to cap it all off, it left us with semi final pairings featuring two of the most contentious and hard-fought rivalries in African soccer.

Ghana got things started with the first upset on Sunday, beating hosts Angola in front of a disappointed crowd in Luanda, but it was Algeria’s elimination of favourites Ivory Coast that really caught the eye. After losing 3-0 to Malawi in their first game, there were those who had questioned the Algerians World Cup credentials. They certainly addressed those questions with a superb performance well worthy of the win, despite going behind S as early as the 4th minute. Indeed, that the game only finished 3-2 is down to some shockingly profligate finishing on the part of the Algeria strikers, especially in extra time.

The Ivoriens will feel hard done by, especially after Kader Keita’s spectacular 25 yard scorcher, the best goal seen at these finals so far, seemed to have won them the game in the last minute of regulation. And then there’s Kolo Toure’s “goal”, right at the end of extra time, which should surely have stood – he wasn’t even close to offside. Yet they have to ask serious questions of their defending, particularly Boubacar Barry’s reluctance to come out for crosses.

The other two games finished as expected with Egypt and Nigeria reaching the last four – but the matches hardly went to script. Cameroon dominated for long periods against the defending champions – who didn’t have a corner kick until extra time – even if both sides had chances to win it. In the end, all four goals came down to errors. Ahmed Hassan headed into his own net for Cameroon’s goal, and Geremi’s short back pass gifted Mohammed Gedo Egypt’s second goal early in extra time. Before that, Cameroon ‘keeper Idris Kameni was at fault for Hassan’s 35 yard equalizer, and the Espanyol keeper should have done better on Hassan’s free-kick that led to the third goal as well. Of course, the real villain for that disgraceful third goal decision has to be referee Jerome Damon, who hardly hesitated before declaring a goal after the ball struck the cross bar and bounced clear.

Of course, this should once again highlight the clear need for some manner of video assistance on these kinds of decisions, yet it’s been 10 years since a similar decision helped Cameroon (well, well…) win the 2000 Nations Cup in Lagos and nothing’s happened in all that time. I’m not holding my breath but what I don’t understand is: how can the ref give a decision like that if he didn’t see it? Really, it would be one thing if the ball had crossed the line and the ref failed to give a goal because he couldn’t see it. For me, that’s understandable – even if it is the wrong decision. But to give a decision you didn’t see? I just don’t get that.

Nigeria had to go through the lottery of penalty kicks to get past a spirited and ultimately unlucky Zambia, who certainly had enough chances to beat their more illustrious counterparts. Needless to say, the manner of the win heaped even more pressure on the embattled Shaibu Amodu and the Eagles will definitely have to play better if they are to get the better of the young Black Stars in today’s semi final.

That will be the first of two games charged with history, tradition and keen rivalry. The Ghanaians have sent a young squad here, which takes a little something away from the occasion, and – on paper, at least – makes them the underdogs this time. Yet, this is still Nigeria v Ghana and you can bet it will be a fiercely fought game. The Super Eagles have only shown glimpses of quality here and will need to be sharper to get past a well-organised and resilient Ghana team. It will be interesting to see if Amodu finally dispenses with the ineffective Aiyegbeni Yakubu and finds room for the pacy Obafemi Martins and Obinna Nsofor in the Eagles attack. The Black Stars don’t score a lot of goals so I don’t expect a high scoring game. It might be another ugly game, but I think the Super Eagles will just about edge this one – no bias!

As for the other game, well, in case anyone had forgotten about the Algeria-Egypt rivalry, last November’s World Cup playoff in Libya should have refreshed memories. This one will not be any less bitterly fought, especially with the Algerians re-discovering their confidence with that defeat of Ivory Coast. Derby games are seldom just about form though, and Egypt will be itching to put one over the team that denied them a World Cup place. It should be a good game to watch and may well go into extra time, but I think Egypt will get their revenge.

There you go. What’s your take?

Angola 2010: Race For Last Four

2010-01-24T00:02:00.000-08:00

It’s quarter final time at the Nations Cup – win or go home. Who’s got what it takes to make it to the last four? Here’s my take.

Hosts Angola open the round with an intriguing clash in Luanda against a Ghana team that will give them their best chance of reaching the semi finals for the first time. With all their big names missing, the young Black Stars were well beaten by Ivory Coast in the group stage and Angolas Palancas Negras will be favourites in front of a partisan crowd. Flavio and Manucho have combined for 5 goals so far and with Gilberto and the returning Dede prompting from midfield they’ll have their chances against a far-from-solid Black Stars defence. Ghana are without their powerful midfield trio of Michael Essien, Stephen Appiah and Sully Muntari, and have lacked both power and invention. They will be counting on the industry of Dede Ayew, experienced striker Asamoah Gyan, and winger Haminu Draman, in the hope of pulling an unlikely upset.

It would be the biggest shock of the finals if Ivory Coast fail to overcome Algeria in Sunday’s other match up in Cabinda. Everyone knows about the Elephants’ big name players – Drogba, the Toures et al. – and despite their opening goalless draw against Burkina Faso they remain favourites to win the competition, and in midfield ace Gervinho they boast one of the stars of the finals so far. Algeria have hardly impressed, losing 3-0 to Malawi and scoring just once in three games. Yet, if the Desert Warriors – who also boast the likes of Karim Ziani and Mourad Meghni - show the kind of commitment that put them into the World Cup finals ahead of Egypt, they might yet make a game of it. But it’s hard to see them getting past the skilful, determined Ivoriens.

The match of the quarter finals must be the clash between defending champions Egypt and Cameroon’s Indomitable Lions in Benguela on Monday. Egypt have the only 100% record of the first round and with the brilliant Ahmed Hassan still going strong in midfield, this settled, experienced side will be favourites to reach the last four. Yet, Cameroon – led by the prolific Samuel Eto’o - cannot be under-rated, even if they did struggle to get out Group D. Coach Paul Le Guen rang the changes after the narrow 3-2 win over Zambia, finally dispensing with veterans Rigobert Song and Geremi Njitap, and the new faces rose to the occasion in a bruising 2-2 draw with Tunisia last Thursday, and will fancy their chances of ending Egypt’s four-year stranglehold on the Cup. It’s a must-see match that could go either way, but I think Egypt’s superior team ethic will trump the Lions physicality and work-rate.

Zambia did well to finish top of Group D, ahead of Cameroon and Tunisia, and they’ll fancy their chances against the enigmatic Super Eagles in Monday’s second game in Lubango. Yet, it’s the Nigerians who will start as favourites, both on the basis of reputation and personnel. Shaibu Amodu’s team has been heavily criticised after an opening loss to Egypt and an unconvincing win against Benin, but they showed glimpses of improvement in despatching Mozambique 3-0 on Wednesday. With the emergence of Sani Kaita as midfield anchor and Osaze Odemwingie and Chinedu Obasi running the flanks, Nigeria should prove too strong for a Zambia side for whom Jacob Mulenga and Chris Katongo have been influential, but who will be without suspended midfielder Rainford Kalaba and centre-back Kampanba Chintu. French coach Herve Renaud insists the pressure will be on Nigeria, but that’s always the case for the Eagles, and I think they will continue to improve and book a place in the last four.

So my last four pick is: Egypt v Ivory Coast, Angola v Nigeria.

Let’s see yours.

Amodu Must Match Westerhof

2010-01-23T18:33:00.000-08:00

I can't say I was surprised about the criticism that has gone the way of Nigeria coach Shaibu Amodu since the Nations Cup kicked off in Angola two weeks ago. After all, such is the following and passion that football attracts in these days of universal coverage that every fan fashions himself smarter than the men who have actually made a vocation of what is but a pleasurable distraction for many. Now, some criticism is in order, and there's no denying that the Super Eagles have been far from the finished article we'd all love to see. But it must gall the coach no end to have every little decision he makes questioned. Why was Mikel substituted? Why is Yakubu starting? Why is Yusuf playing instead of Odiah? Why are we playing three defensive midfielders? Why doesn't the coach stand and yell instructions for 90 minutes? (By the way, the most active coach I ever saw was Camacho of Spain at France 98, waving frantically for 90 minutes like a "yellow fever" traffic warden, armpits soaked through with sweat. His team crashed out in the 1st round !)
We are all experts now, even though we haven't seen one Eagles training session, or ever attempted to coach even at the most basic level of the game. It sure looks easy on paper from the comfort of our couches.
Of course, none of these is new, and Amodu can take some comfort in that. Even in 1994, when Clemens Westerhof was leading our best ever team to Nations Cup glory in Tunisia, the Dutchman had his detractors and had to face similar questions. Why is Amuneke not starting? Why is Okocha being substituted? Why take off a striker for a midfielder?
Indeed there are those who still blame Westerhof for our 2nd round exit at the World Cup that year.
Makes one wonder: If the succesful Westerhof couldn't please this lot, what chance the very unpopular Amodu?
For that there can only be one answer: Amodu and his team must emulate Westerhof to win over a nation of doubters. If not by matching the class of 94's triumphant campaign, then at the very least by matching the bouncebackability that took the 1990 set all the way to the final after a wretched 5-1 loss to Algeria in their opening match.
That quest continues in Lubango tommorow when the Eagles take on Zambia in a quarter final match they'll be expected to win. As often happens in championships, Amodu seems to have stumbled open his best line up, especially with the vastly under-rated Sani Kaita taking a major role in midfield ahead of bigger names like Ayila and Olofinjana. When you consider that, in addition to Amodu's preference of Echiejile over Taiwo, and of Yusuf over Odiah, it's hard to believe that this team is picked on anything but merit - as defined by the coaching crew, who certainly know more about the current form, fitness, attitude and capabilities of players they see in training everyday than any of us. Like many, I would like to see more of Nsofor and Martins - their 10 minute cameo against Mozambique certainly promised plenty - and I would love to see the team attack with a bit more urgency, especially on transitions (like they did to great effect for the second goal against Mozambique). If the Eagles play like I know they are capable of - and I know many don't share my belief in this lot - we should be previewing our semi final opponents come Monday night.

No Advantage For World Cup Africans

2009-12-17T21:26:00.000-08:00

The World Cup comes to Africa for the first time next year, but I am not convinced South Africa 2010 will increase the probability of an African country finally winning the big one.

It’s not that I intend to rain on anyone’s parade, but way too much has been made of Africa’s World Cup chances purely on the strength of the finals holding on the continent for the first time. Of course, hosts South Africa will be lifted by playing on familiar territory, in a climate they’re used to and in front of large partisan crowds, but will Ghana, Nigeria, Ivory Coast and Algeria really have an edge over their group opponents purely as a consequence of playing in Johannesburg, Durban and Pretoria? I am not convinced, and there are two reasons why.

First, the climate doesn’t offer any extra advantage to these countries, all from west and North Africa. If anything, the South African winter may provide more of an edge for the Europeans and South Americans. Of course, all the African teams are staffed by Europe based pros now so they shouldn’t have a problem adjusting, but clearly the weather will not give them any kind of edge.

Second, I don’t think the African representatives will have that much of an edge with supporters either. For one thing, it’s still unclear how many African fans will be making the long trek to South Africa – probably not a lot, given the sheer size of the continent and the relatively high costs of air travel. We are quite unlikely to see the kind of influx Germany experienced from neighbouring countries like Holland, Italy and France at the last finals. For all we know, there may well be more fans travelling from Europe for the finals than from within the continent. South African fans can be counted on to turn out in large numbers, at least when Bafana Bafana play. I’d be surprised if they came out in significant numbers to cheer on the other African countries.

Nevertheless, this may well turn out to be one of Africa’s better showings at the mundial – even if the draw could have been kinder.

No one would argue that the continent’s biggest hope is Ivory Coast, yet they have again been dropped into one of the toughest groups, alongside Brazil, Portugal and North Korea. The Elephants boast an impressive array of stars, led by the experienced bunch of Didier Drogba, the Toure brothers and Didier Zokora, as well as an emerging younger cadre represented by Lille youngster Gervinho, but they’ll need to be at their best to secure one of the two spots in Group G. Of course, Brazil and Portugal also know they’ll need to be on their game to see off this Ivory Coast team.

Ghana will be no pushovers either, especially if their midfield tandem of Michael Essien, Sulley Muntari and Stephen Appiah stay in-form and healthy. They remain a little light-weight in attack and will be hoping that Under-20 World Cup winning sensation Dominic Adiyiah matures in time to support Asamoah Gyan and Matthew Amoah up front. But they’ve got an even tougher draw, in a more evenly matched Group D where they face Australia, Germany and Serbia.

Oddly enough, I think the host country – home advantage and all – have the slimmest chance of progressing. South Africa, in Group A with Uruguay, Mexico and France, have a group that both the Elephants and Black Stars would have loved, and although they will have improved by June, I doubt that the midfield promptings of Stephen Pienaar and Kagisho Dikgacoi, the defensive nous of Matthew Booth and Aaron Mokoena, and all the vuvuzelas in Jo’burg will be enough to see them through to the next round.

Cameroon return to the finals after missing out last time and the Indomitable Lions will fancy their chances against Holland, Denmark and Japan. Not only do they boast, in Samuel Eto’o, one of the very best strikers in world football, he also leads a fine cast of accomplished players – Idris Kameni, Jean Makoun, Stephane Mbia, Alex Song and Achille Emana – and they should ruffle more than a few feathers in South Africa.

Algeria will have to continue their giant-killing ways to get out of Group C, where England awaits them alongside the dangerous but under-rated duo of USA and Slovenia. A team with few star names, the Algerians persevere on their strong work ethic and one-for-all attitude. Nevertheless, experienced pros like Rafik Saifi, Karim Ziani and Nadir Belhadj will give their opponents a few worries come June.

Then there’s Nigeria’s Super Eagles, drawn in an eerily familiar group with Argentina and Greece – two of the teams they faced in 1994 – as well as the tricky South Koreans. Of course, Greece, champions of Europe in 2004, are far from the whipping-boys they were 16 years ago and that should make for a keenly contested group. Then again, the Eagles are not the Super team they were in ‘94 either and were hardly impressive in the qualifiers. A team blessed with a surfeit of attacking options – Obafemi Martins, Aiyegbeni Yakubu, Victor Obinna, Ike Uche, Osaze Odemwingie and Chinedu Obasi– has looked severely handicapped by a lack of creative types in midfield and a general lack of cohesion. If coach Shaibu Amodu can coax a performance from this bunch at the Nations Cup finals, that would bode well for their chances in June.

Still, a lot could happen between now and June and the Nations Cup finals – scheduled for Angola in January - may well reveal much about what to expect in June.

We’ll wait and see.

Notes on El Clasico

2009-12-05T10:38:00.000-08:00

If you missed last Sunday’s El Clasico – that much hyped clash between European champions Barcelona and moneybags Real Madrid – then you missed something quite special. Okay, it wasn’t on the same level as last year’s eight-goal barnstormer at Madrid’s Stadio Bernabeu but this game certainly lived up to the hype. Real’s big names carved the best openings and worked hard to stifle Barca’s intricate play, but the blaugranas’ teamwork and finishing triumphed in the end, a spectacular goal from Zlatan Ibrahimovic separating the two sides after ninety minutes.

For me, three things came to mind:

First, while a lot has been made of Barcelona’s attacking play – with good reason too – a big part of their success has to be an often overlooked yet equally resilient defence. Carles Puyol yet again proved a barrier too solid to breach for Real, and two last ditch blocks – on shots by Marcelo and Karim Benzema – helped maintain Barca’s clean sheet. A bigger part of their success for me is the poise and sterling team play of Gerard Pique, the ex-Man U reserve who has thrived superbly - he’s now a starter for Spain - since returning home last season. This guy is fast becoming one of the best ball-playing centre-backs in the game – kind of like Rio Ferdinand used to be before injuries and age took their toll. Take Barca’s winning goal on Sunday. The move actually started with Pique smoothly taking the ball off Ronaldo in the Barca box, then rather than hoof it upfield, he strode to the centre line before passing it off to Messi deep in Real territory. The little Argentinian then found Dani Alvez wide on the right and his pin-point cross was smartly finished by Ibra. From one box to the other, just three passes, and all started by the solid defending and smart ball-playing of Pique.

Second, the brilliance and impact of Lionel Messi was again to the fore in another high profile game. To think some bozo on a BBC chatroom – don’t know why I bother - had actually stated a few months ago that Messi is over-rated! Sure, this was on the strength of Argentina’s struggles to qualify for the World Cup, but I daresay that can only be down to other factors – management, tactics, teammates – rather than any failing on the part of the little magician. For all the close attention he gets and the knocks he takes, Messi never hides, always looks for the ball, never shies away from taking on defenders – no matter how tight the space – and always carves chances for himself and others. Of course, having great teammates always helps and playing alongside Xavi and Andres Iniesta – experts in finding space where there seems to be none – only brings out the best in Messi’s game. But that can’t be the whole story. After all, Real Madrid’s Marcelo, rather than look good with all the stars around him, only sticks out like a sore thumb. Messi’s the real deal. If his U-20 World Cup exploits in 2005 didn’t convince you; or last year’s Champions League Final left you with doubts; or Barca’s 6-2 win at the Bernabeu last season still didn’t do the trick, then last week’s El Clasico should be more than enough.

Third, the interesting contrast between Barcelona and Real Madrid was again clear to see on Sunday. And not just with regards to their style of play either. Granted, the Madridistas are still a work in progress following the high profile arrivals of Kaka, Ronaldo, Benzema, Alonso, Albiol and Diarra in the last 12 months, but their quick counter-attacking game, relying largely on individual skills - the passing of Alonso, and the speed and craft of Kaka and Ronaldo - was a stark contrast to Barcelona’s team-focused, patient, possession-based passing game. Beyond that though, is the different philosophies adopted by both teams; while Real Madrid is clearly a side built by buying the best players money can buy, Barca’s focus is more on building from within. Of the eleven starters for Real on Sunday, only two – goalkeeper Iker Casillas and the recently-returned Alvaro Arbeloa – are home-grown. Indeed, only five of that team were even at the Madrid club just 12 months ago. Barcelona on the other hand, started with seven homebred players, all well-steeped in the club’s traditions and playing style. Of course, that is not to suggest that Barcelona do not buy big name players. Far from it; they currently have Ibrahimovic, one of the most expensive players in world football, and Dani Alvez, the most expensive full back in history, and their past his littered with names like Cruyff, Laudrup, Stoichkov, Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho.

Yet the core of this current team – ably managed by another home-grown former star, Pep Guardiola – is very clearly home-bred. It sure helps if those players are named Messi, Xavi and Iniesta, but it is Barcelona that has nurtured them to these heights and with the likes of Pedro and Sergio Busquets also coming through, there is definitely much to praise about the club’s grooming traditions.

Indeed, if Barcelona needed any further commendation, it came this week when the results of the Ballon d’Or poll – for European player of the year – was published. Messi, as expected, took the prize with a record number of points, while teammates Xavi and Iniesta finished 3rd and 4th.

One more thing: the next El Clasico is scheduled for Madrid on April 11 2010.

Make it a date.

No SA for Egypt, Guus and Trap

2009-11-19T22:01:00.000-08:00

Forget about who’s going to the World Cup, the real story is who’s NOT going. African champions Egypt, Russia’s Andrii Arshavin and Yuri Zhirkov, fading Ukrainian legend Andrii Shevchenko, and Bosnia-Herzegovina’s classy striking duo of Edin Dzeko and Vedad Ibisevic – if you haven’t heard of those two, you should really get your nose out of the Premiership and catch some Bundesliga action. Of course, I haven’t even mentioned top coaches Giovanni Trapattoni and Guus Hiddink, both of whom fell short at the last hurdle, but more on those later.

Egypt’s World Cup jinx continued in Khartoum, where they lost out to Algeria in what must be the biggest match ever staged in Sudan. Two things struck me about this game: First, if ever a goal deserved to send a country into the World Cup finals, it was Antar Yahia’s superb volley, a cracking effort from an acute angle that flew into the roof of the net on Essam el Hadary’s near post. It will certainly live in Algerian memories for years to come.

Second is the fact that sealing qualification on neutral territory – rather than in Cairo last Saturday – was probably best for the Algerians. Remember, four Algerian players had already been hurt when the team bus was attacked BEFORE the Cairo match-up. I shudder to think how that Cairo crowd would have reacted had Emad Motaeb’s late header not forced the Khartoum playoff.

I think the African challenge will be weakened by Egypt’s absence though – we all saw what they are capable of at the Confederations Cup in June – and the finals will certainly be the poorer for the absence of players like Wael Gomaa, Mohammed Aboutrika, Mohammed Zidan, Hosni Abd Rabou and the evergreen Ahmed Hassan.

All the talk in Europe is about France and their handball-assisted conquest of Ireland at the Parc des Princes. There’s no question about the foul, even the main villain in the plot, Thierry Henry, has admitted as much. Yet, it’s naïve to expect that the French could have done anything different once the goal was given – there’s way too much at stake and besides, I doubt the ref would have chalked off the goal even if Henry had admitted he “had a hand in it”. Was this some big conspiracy to help France reach South Africa? I don’t buy that – even if UEFA president Michel Platini is French. I think the ref and his assistant, who were behind the play and had several players between them and the incident, just missed what looked an obvious call to Irish ‘keeper Shay Given, who was three yards away – and the rest of us who had the benefit of several replays from four different angles.

The real debate here should be about the use of technology in football officiating, something I’ve been railing about since Victor Ikpeba’s penalty was wrongly ruled out in the African Nations Cup final shoot out nine long years ago, and something the powers that be at Fifa have been too quick to dismiss. A quick review of the video would have confirmed Henry’s handball and helped the ref to make the right decision in this case. There’s an argument that it would slow down the game to stop for every little decision. Fair enough, but it could just be reserved for cases like this in which the ball is already in the net – or otherwise dead - and it would surely have taken less time than it took the ref to fight off the incensed Irish protests that followed William Gallas’s goal.

I may be wrong, but I kinda think that had France been on the wrong end of this decision, we may well be closer to the use of technology than we are now.

The other game I caught midweek was what I had hoped, given what transpired in the first leg, would be a cracking affair between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Portugal. In the end, the Portuguese won easily leaving their hosts rueing the absence, through injury, of four key regulars who had featured in the first leg, especially their inspirational captain and midfield muse Zvjezdan Misimovic. There were still a few Bosnian players that caught the eye though, not least the aforementioned strikers, Dzeko and Ibisevic, and Lyon youngster Miralem Pjanic.

I couldn’t help but wonder what could have been had the old Yugoslavia still been in existence today. Just think, they could have lined these Bosnians up alongside Croatian stars Luka Modric, Niko Kranjcar, Mladen Petric, Ivica Olic and Eduardo; Serbians Nemanja Vidic, Neven Subotic, Dejan Stankovic, Milan Jovanovic and Nikola Zigic, who will be in SA; and the less heralded but also World Cup bound Slovenians Robert Koren and Milivoje Novakovic. Mouth watering, no doubt, but just a thought.

On a final note, a word about those top coaches that will not be making the trip to SA – at least not with their current employers. I know a lot of Nigerians are hoping Mr Amodu gets canned right away to make way for another of those fly-by-night foreign “Technical Advisers” – think Messrs Bora and Vogts. It’s not that I have anything against foreign managers – I really liked Clemens Westerhof and I think sacking Philipe Troussier in 1997 was a big mistake – as long as they are of the right calibre and we give them time to work. I certainly don’t think six months to the World Cup – or two months to the Nations Cup - is the best time to appoint a new coach, yet if we must then we have to get the cream of the crop. Two of those may just be newly available in the shape of Hiddink and Trapattoni, fresh from their respective disappointments with Russia and Ireland. Now would be the time to start talking.

Enough said.

Super Eagles: Kudos For Job Done

2009-11-14T23:28:00.000-08:00

It sure wasn’t pretty, but somehow Nigeria’s Super Eagles booked their place at next year’s World Cup with that 3-2 win after a topsy-turvy game in Nairobi – and after a topsy-turvy qualifying campaign. For Super Eagles’ fans, it a time to celebrate a return to the big time, and also a time to reflect, with the benefit of some perspective, on what has been an emotional rollercoaster for many.

While Nigeria’s performance at Nyayo Stadium was hardly mouth-watering, Tunisia’s last minute capitulation in Maputo added a rather interesting twist to the Eagles’ qualifying odyssey. It’s just seven months ago that they kicked off their campaign with a much maligned and heavily criticised goalless draw at the very same Maputo Stadium that’s just dealt the death knell to Tunisia’s Mundial hopes.

Hindsight is always 20/20, but that one point gained in Maputo – by the way, the only point gained in Mozambique by any visiting team in this group - sure turned out valuable, and in the final analysis, that draw wasn’t quite the disaster it had been made out to be back in March. Of course, had Tunisia managed the win they so badly needed on Saturday, this would be a different story.

It’s not only about hindsight though; it’s also about knowledge and expectations, and how the former should inform the latter. For instance, a little research would have revealed to the interested that Maputo hasn’t been the easiest of places to visit in recent times. Just over a year ago, Ivory Coast – a far better team than Nigeria, let’s face it – only got away with a 1-1 draw. But, of course, many Super Eagles fans – some in ignorance, some in arrogance - always expect a win AND a spectacular performance, regardless of opposition or venue, or else the coach has to go, and the team “overhauled”, whatever that means. It’s great to expect the most from your team – nothing wrong with ambition – yet it seems those expectations often stray into the realms of the unrealistic. Like when some fans criticise the team for getting “only” a draw in Tunis.

I will admit that the performance on the field hasn’t been impressive – and I’ll get into that later – but now that all the chips are down, we can reflect on what in my opinion has been a decent, if nerve-wracking, qualifying campaign. The goal was to qualify and that, despite some twists and turns, was accomplished. If there was one dark spot, it was the shocking inability to hang on to a lead in the 2-2 draw with Tunisia in Abuja. It was surely an opportunity lost in a game that seemed a must-win at the time, and it took our fate out of our hands. Yet it came after a well-deserved 0-0 draw in Tunis and surely didn’t merit the vile reaction of some fans who took to booing the team in the next home match against Mozambique. One would have thought the journey was over at that point, yet what would prove the pivotal point of the campaign came in that Mozambique game, when Victor Obinna scored the winning goal in the 3rd minute of added time to keep the Eagles in contention till the final round.

A year ago, after six wins from six first round qualifiers, I wrote commending Shaibu Amodu for a job well done – you can’t argue with results like that – and also to point out areas of concern. Now, given that I didn’t expect another 100% sweep, I again have to commend the coach and his team for another unbeaten run, and for grabbing the much wanted ticket. It might not sound like much, but only one other country – Ivory Coast - got through its 12 match schedule without a single loss. Contrast that to African champions Egypt, who’ve lost twice – to Malawi and Algeria; or Ghana, who lost in Gabon, Libya and Benin; or Cameroon, who lost to Togo and were then held goalless at home by Morocco, before winning four straight to secure qualification.

The truth is; it’s tough to get through World Cup qualifiers. There are no easy games anymore. Everyone is well organised and everyone has savvy foreign-based pros, and the fact that there are only a few days to prepare for each match is far from ideal, even for established teams like Cameroon, Egypt and Ghana. Nigeria, with a team in transition after the mess of the last Nations Cup finals, was bound to have some challenges too, and in that light should be commended for seeing the job through.

There are issues to resolve and I am not suggesting that the fact that qualification was achieved should paper over obvious cracks. I have my thoughts about this team, the coach and its chances at the upcoming Nations Cup and World Cup Finals. But those are issues for another day – and in the near future too. Today, I’ll like you to join me as I charge my glass and sip a toast in honour of Shaibu Amodu and the Super Eagles of Nigeria.

See you in SA!

Gunners Reborn

2009-11-11T20:37:00.000-08:00

On a weekend when Chelsea beat Man U to build a sizeable lead at the top of the Premiership, I can’t help but think that Arsenal may yet be the team to watch this season. Of course, no one could ever argue that the Gunners aren’t always a joy to watch; Wenger’s kids, with the free flowing passing game the professor favours, are always easy on the eye. But after four barren seasons, Arsenal may just be ready to step back into the silverware this season.

Okay, I’m not going to go as far as declare the title race over right now. Afterall, Chelsea still have the lead and are looking pretty strong, and the defending champions, Man U, are not likely to give up without a fight. After 11 matches though, I think Arsenal will be very much in the mix this season.

That’s not a notion that was widely shared when Arsenal started the season with Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure jumping ship to join nouveau riche Man City. But Mr Wenger always has a trick up his sleeve and his wards have responded superbly to get them off to a flying start. It’s early days yet, but their can be no complaints about a young team that now lie in second place, just five points behind the leaders – and with one game in hand too.

And they have been simply rampant in their march up the table too, scoring a league high 36 goals and posting a goal difference of +22 in the process. Not impressed yet? That’s an average of more than 3 goals per game. In contrast, leaders Chelsea have scored 29 goals, while 3rd place Man U – level with Arsenal on 25 points – have just 23 goals. And they’ve both played one game more too.

Sure, they’ve lost twice already, but defeats at Man U and Man City are hardly catastrophic, and save for the 2-2 draw at West Ham they’ve been simply perfect so far.

So how has last season’s 4th placed team turned things around so spectacularly?
First, the arrival of Philip Vermaelen from Ajax has added much needed steel and guile to central defence. The Belgian international settled in right away and has contributed immensely in both defence and attack. Toure has hardly been missed.

In midfield, captain Cesc Fabregas is back to his very best – especially with Alex Song finally settling into the defensive role beside him (I always thought his skills were wasted in defence) – and farther forward, Dutchman Robin Van Persie is finally injury free and scoring freely, and Russian Andrii Arshavin has adjusted nicely to the Premiership pace, and the whole team just seems to be getting along like a house on fire.

Then there’s Theo Walcott, Samir Nasri, Tomas Rosicky, Carlos Vela, Eduardo and up and coming kids Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere. Well, you get the picture.

Of course, there are still some weak spots – not least in goal – but the Gunners sure have the ammo and the swagger to go all the way this term. I think they’ll get much closer than last term for sure, but on current form I doubt they’ll get past those Stamford Bridge millionaires.

Eagles Must Play Smart

2009-06-19T21:18:00.000-07:00

Tunisia once again stands between Nigeria’s Super Eagles and a place in the World Cup Finals. I suppose that would be simplifying matters a little bit – after all, the Eagles do have to play both Kenya and Mozambique as well before the Group’s sole ticket is decided later this year.

But it’s the Tunisians who have emerged – as expected – as the team we’ll have to better to win a place in South Africa next year. We’ve been down this road before of course – and the memories are from sweet. In 1977, a Godwin Odiye own goal gave the Tunisians a most painful victory in Lagos, and cost the Eagles a place at the Argentina 78 finals. Then, 8 years later, the Tunisans again triumphed, 2-1 on aggregate, to end Nigeria’s dreams of reaching Mexico 86.

This weekend’s clash in Rades could well be the make or break tie of these series. The Tunisians lead the group with 6 points, while the Eagles, on account of that goalless draw in Mozambique, trail them by two points. Nigeria need to avoid defeat to stay in touch – they have to assume that Kenya and Mozambique won’t be doing them any favours – while a win either way will put the victors firmly in the driver’s seat.

So, this is definitely not a must-win for Shaibu Amodu and his wards. If they draw here, that’ll come in the home tie in September, and that gives the much-criticised coach a little room in terms of tactical approach and game plan. I am not suggesting that the Eagles play for a draw – God knows that carries enormous risk – but while I certainly expect them to play for the win, they don’t have to throw all caution to the wind as though anything less than three points would spell disaster.

In two words: play smart. Leave the desperation to the Tunisians. Yes, they don’t have to win either, but they’ll have to attack in front of their home fans, and knowing that they still have to travel to Nigeria in the next round, they’ll be under pressure to get the business done as quickly as possible.

The bigger debate, of course, regards what kind of team Amodu will name. Should he stick with the youngsters who were so impressive in the 1-0 defeat of France three weeks ago, yet so disjointed even as they saw off Kenya in the last round? Or put in all the so-called “tired legs” that got them through the last round without defeat, but looked uninterested in Maputo last March?

How about a little bit of both? For me, the key word in any line-up is balance – both in terms of attack to defense and in terms of youth/energy to experience. Amodu clearly has to make some brave decisions, and it’s how brave he proves that will ultimately decide how well he does at international level.

Courage apart, here’s what else we’ll need to take something away from Rades:

First, he has to pick a side that is both experienced and able enough in defence to match what could be a relentless onslaught of Tunisian attack, at least early in the game. For me that would indicate a return of Joseph Yobo and Taiye Taiwo in defence, to support the impressive Niyi Adeleye.

Second, the Eagles have to be savvy and skilful enough to patiently keep possession for long periods and use the ball very very smartly, pretty much as they did for long stretches of the France game. I think that would call for a role of some sort for John Obi Mikel, who remains our best passer of the ball, as well as team captain Nwankwo Kanu, who sure knows how to play keep-ball and whose introduction against Kenya proved decisive.

Third, this team will have to have pace, mobility and aggression on the attacking end, since counter-attacks may well prove our best hope of grabbing what would be a truly crucial win. Here’s where the younger players must come to the fore. The injury enforced absence of Oba Martins and Aiyegbeni Yakubu as already forced Amodu’s hand somewhat, but I really think the trio of Osaze Odemwingie, Ike Uche and Victor Obinna have earned their place on merit, and – along with Chinedu Ogbuke - they embody the, smarts and finishing touch that the Eagles will need to see them through this group.

If I had to pick – and I obviously lack Amodu’s first hand knowledge of his players and any kind of coaching experience – our team for this match would look something like this:

(4-4-1-1) Enyeama; Odiah, Yobo, Adeleye, Taiwo; Odemwingie, Mikel, Olofinjana, Obinna; Kanu; Uche I

I’ll take a draw – but I’ll be most grateful for a win.

Champions League: Red Devils Favoured, But Barca Is It

2009-05-26T21:54:00.000-07:00

I’m beginning to sound like a Manchester United supporter but I think the Red Devils are favourites to win a second consecutive Champions League title when they face Barcelona in Rome tonight.

Man U have the edge for two reasons. First, while everyone raves about the potency of their attack, Man U, on their day, have the defensive nous to keep Barcelona’s equally frightening attack at bay. They’ll miss the work rate of the suspended Darren Fletcher in midfield, but Anderson will be a more than adequate replacement alongside Michael Carrick in front of the back four. If Rio Ferdinand returns, as expected to partner Nemanja Vidic in central defence – and they have a good game – Braca’s attack will have a hard time breaking them down.

Second, and perhaps more importantly, Braca’s defence is racked with suspensions and injury trouble. Full backs Dani Alvez and Eric Abidal are out suspended; centre backs Rafa Marquez and Gaby Milito are out injured, and although Carles Puyol should return to partner Gerard Pique - or fill one of the full back slots – it’s going to be a make-shift Barca defence against the guile and power of Wayne Rooney and Ronaldo in one of the most potent attacking pairs in Europe. If they don’t improve on their showing at Stamford Bridge in the semis it could be a long night.

So, it’s advantage Man U – at least on paper.

But having said all that, there are two things that could swing this for Barcelona.
First, of course, is the crazy attacking talent on this team and their ability to keep the ball and carve openings out of nothing. There’s no question that they’ll dominate possession, and those pint-sized maestros, Xavi and Andres Iniesta, are as creative as they come, and if anyone can breach United’s vaunted defence, they can. Then ahead of them are three of the most skilled poachers in world football – Thierry Henry, Lionel Messi and Samuel Eto’o - who have already scored 97 goals between them this season. They weren’t quite as prolific against Chelsea in the semis, but I doubt Man U will play as defensively as the Blues did, and that might well give Barca room to play.

The second factor in favour of a Barca win is tradition. The Champions League – and the European Cup before it - is strewn with a long history of final upsets – underdogs overcoming their favoured rivals time and again to lift “the cup with the big ears”.

Where to begin? I could go as far back as 1962, when a favoured Barcelona fell short against Benfica, but I’ll try and keep it a little more contemporary – lest I begin to date myself. In 1983, Juventus, packed with Italian World Cup winners from the previous year – Rossi, Tardelli, Gentile etc. – and superstars Platini and Boniek, were taken out by German upstarts Hamburg; three years later, Barcelona lost to Steau Bucharest on penalties, in Spain, and the following year, Rabah Madjer’s cheeky back-heel helped Porto beat Bayern Munich.

There’s more: Red Star Belgrade topped star-studded Marseilles in 1991, and then Marseilles themselves beat much-favoured AC Milan in ’93. The following year, Barcelona’s “Dream Team” – Romario, Stoichkov and co – was expected to run over a Milan side deprived of regulars Baresi, Costacurta and Marco van Basten yet it was the Italians that won 4-1.

Two more: Juventus were big favourites against Dortmund in 1997, yet a pimply-faced teenager called Lars Ricken scored the decider in a 3-1 Dortmund win. And then there’s Istanbul in 2005, when Liverpool came from three down to beat Milan.

Man U may be favourites, but I’m not sure that tag means much where Champions League finals are concerned.

I’m looking forward to a Barcelona win – against all the odds.

Enjoy.

Good Season for 'Pool, but Man U Better

2009-05-26T19:40:00.000-07:00

Man Utd may have claimed a third consecutive title, but for me, that’s not the real story of 2008/09 English Premiership season.

Don’t get me wrong, Man U were certainly worthy winners – you get what you deserve after a 38 game season – and there can be no arguments about why they finished top of the pile again. They obviously boast the biggest and best squad in the league, have quality players all over the pitch (and bench and beyond), had a time-tested and pretty stable team in place, and in Sir Alex Ferguson, they have the most accomplished football coach of this generation – and any other for that matter. They started the season as favourites, and despite some rough patches along the way, finished as many expected they would.

For me though, the real story is the emergence of Liverpool – ahead of Chelsea and Arsenal - as the biggest threat to Man U’s crown. As a Liverpool fan, I know I’m going to get slated for bias, but numbers don’t lie and the fact that the Anfield Road side finished just four points behind the champions (and greatly improved on last term’s 4th place finish) is just the tip of the iceberg. For one thing, when the season kicked off in August, only the most hardcore of Liverpool fans would have truly believed that they would still be within shouting distance of the title in May.

Yet Liverpool turned in what, in Premiership terms, was a watershed season to push Man U all the way to the tape. In the process, they lost just two matches all season (Man U lost 4, Chelsea 5 and Arsenal 6) and finished with 86 points – their best ever tally in the Premiership, and a 10 point improvement on last season.

Liverpool also scored more goals than any other team (77); had the best goal difference (+50); and were the only Premiership team not to lose on their home field – the first time they’ve achieved that since 1988. Add to these home and away conquests of BOTH Chelsea and Man Utd, and it’s clear that Liverpool have just had a season like they haven’t since the halcyon days of the 1980s.

That they didn’t crown a great season with the title is for me just another testament to the quality of the team that finished above them, and not – as some would argue – down to the “failings” of manager Rafa Benitez, or “too many draws”.

To address the first point, it’s curious that the very same critics that have labelled Liverpool a “two-man team” can now turn around and criticise a manager that has led that same team within 4 points of the title. Surely, if the players aren’t up to scratch, - and, remember, those two trees that make a forest were missing for large chunks of the season - the manager must have had something to do with the team’s progress. Benitez has slowly and surely built a team that has proved that it can compete with the best teams in Europe and I find it ridiculous that some are quite happy to blame the man for every little slip while failing to acknowledge the tremendous strides he’s made in 5 years at Anfield.

As for the second point, how many draws is too many? It’s all relative, isn’t it? Sure, Liverpool should have won a few more games, especially at home, but 11 draws is only too many because Man U drew just 6. But it’s become almost gospel for all the TV talking heads to say “they drew too many games”.

The funny thing, as I just learnt, is that the last time Liverpool lost two matches in a season, back in 1988, they drew 12 matches – and still won the title by 9 points! And did you know that Arsenal drew 12 matches in 2004? Yes, that was the same season they completed a full season without a single defeat and won the title by 11 points!

So can we really pinpoint how the title was lost in such simple terms? After all, if Liverpool had won at both Tottenham and Middlesbrough – the two matches they lost – they’d be champions now. Even one win and a draw would have sufficed. So, maybe they lost too many matches??

And you know what else? Chelsea drew “only” 8 matches, but I’m sure they would have loved to swap their 5 losses for draws, a scenario that would have left them with 12 draws. Too many, surely, but good enough to overhaul Liverpool and earn 2nd place.

Of course, there are no prizes for second place, and all these are scant consolation for us Liverpool die-hards. Yet, when earlier this week a friend asked why Liverpool “failed to win the title”, it was hard for me, as you might have gleaned, to think of this season as a failure.

My answer: Liverpool had a very good season, better than most – except Man U, who had a great season.

Red Men, Wenger’s Boys and Blues’ blues

2009-05-08T22:58:00.000-07:00

I think Patrice Evra hit the nail on the head when he described that Arsenal – Man U Champions’ League semi-final in midweek as “Eleven men against Eleven babies”. Quite frankly, I was thinking along similar lines – men v boys, actually – as the Red Devils toyed with Arsene Wenger’s team at the Emirates on Tuesday. Man U showed yet again why they are favorites to retain the Champions League this season while Arsenal looked, yet again, like a group of promising youngsters. Nothing wrong with that, of course, except that Arsenal has been a team of promising youngsters for three to four years now.

Will they ever fulfill that potential? Time will tell, and if they keep buying the likes of Andrei Arshavin they’ll certainly have a good chance. But if, like last year, their best players keep leaving for greener pastures, that trophy drought may extend well beyond the current five year mark.

Tuesday certainly did nothing to bring to mind the thrilling Arsenal-Man U clashes of just a few years ago. When the likes of Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires and Thierry Henry often matched and sometimes bested whatever Man U had to offer. Those days sure served up a more compelling contest than the one-sided fare we sat through last week.

As for Man U, what else is there to say? On Tuesday’s form, the Premiership title is a sure lock. Or can Arsenal, with nothing to play for save pride, be truly expected to mess things up at Old Trafford next week? It was another demonstration of both the resources at Sir Alex’s disposal as well as the wily old man’s tactical acumen. How many managers – if they had them - would leave 60 million pounds worth of strikers on the bench in a Champions’ League semi final, even if they did have a slender lead from the first leg? Yet, with Ronaldo’s special abilities, Man U could afford to start with both Berbatov and Tevez on the bench, and still win convincingly without ever getting out of second gear. Sure, the early goals helped, but, let’s face it; the rest of the game was hardly a contest.

You can’t say the same about what transpired at Stamford Bridge the next day though. That was a full-fledged battle between two highly committed teams. Chelsea’s early goal meant they could then spin their spider-web across their penalty area and sit back and watch Barcelona constantly get entangled in it. Barcelona, needing to come forward in search of a goal, invariably left gaps at the back and Chelsea – who defended superbly - had the better of the game and certainly had the chances to put it away.

Some people say Chelsea’s gameplan was negative and not what they’d call “good football”. I say that’s nonsense. Defending is as much a part of the game as attacking, and it would have been foolhardy on Guus Hiddink’s part to set up his team to Barcelona’s advantage. The only failing in Chelsea’s strategy is that they didn’t see it through. Barcelona had a poor game by their standards, but that’s largely because Chelsea wouldn’t let them play. Ballack and Essien played like an advanced pair of centre backs, denying Eto’o and Iniesta any space in the middle, while Malouda tracked Dani Alvez at every turn. It must irk every Chelsea fan that the one decent cross Dani Alvez managed all game, led to Iniesta’s late, late equalizer – which was also Barca’s first shot on target.

Then there were all those penalty appeals that had the Chelsea players in attack mode – on referee Ovebro – after the game. Okay, Pique’s ball-handling was clear enough and should have been a penalty – unless the ref was unsighted and didn’t see it or ruled it unintentional. As for the other three, I think they were all debatable. When Dani Alvez fouled Malouda in the first half, it’s clear that the initial contact happened outside the box. Drogba did have his shirt pulled – and then left – when he went past Abidal in the box, but he didn’t need to collapse so dramatically and you have admit, that would have been a really soft penalty. As for the last minute Ballack shot into Eto’o, yes, I’ve seen them given but surely a man jumping in the box with his back to the ball shouldn’t be called for a penalty. Besides, Ovebro then sent off Abidal, giving Chelsea a one-man advantage – they never made it count – with a quarter of the game to play.

Nevertheless, I’ll concede that Chelsea were unlucky that they didn’t have another referee on the day, but that’s part of the game. You don’t always get the calls you want or deserve and it’s quite futile to attack the ref after the fact, as Drogba and co. shamefully did on Wednesday night.

It’s often said that small details determine close games and for me, Chelsea fans should consider two incidents as the seek answers for their team’s failure to reach Rome:

First, on 51 minutes, Anelka set Drogba up with a perfect pass and a great opportunity to put Barca away. He did well to calmly take Pique out with a neat cutback, but then, with a gaping goal beckoning, he hit his shot straight at the onrushing Valdez and the chance was gone.

Then, right at the end, when John Terry’s clearance of Alvez’s cross fell to Eto’o in the box, his heavy first touch gave Essien the opportunity to toe poke the ball to safety. He missed the ball completely, allowing Messi to set up Iniesta and, well, to use that time-worn cliché, the rest is history.

Sure, you can blame the referee, but, right or wrong, what he does isn’t within the team’s control. But Drogba had the chance to score, and Essien the chance to stop Barcelona. It was within their control. They failed, and Chelsea failed.

And that’s why it’ll be Barcelona v Man U in Rome on May 27.

A few words on the Premiership race, which could very well end this weekend. It’s Man Utd’s title to lose now since they have to drop 6 points for Liverpool to have any chance at all.

With four games left to play, that’s unlikely to happen, even when you consider that two of those games are usually two of the toughest tests that Man U would face in any season. They host city rivals Man City on Sunday, and then welcome Arsenal to Old Trafford a week later.
With the other two games away to Wigan and Hull, there’s no question that the two home matches offer the only hope of a Man U upset and Liverpool fans everywhere – including yours truly – will be hoping against all hope.

But when you consider that Man U have won 15 of 17 matches at home this season, you’ll understand why it’ll take a minor miracle to dethrone them from their perch. That’s not to say it’s impossible though –even if Liverpool must take maximum points from their last three games (West Ham, West Brom and Spurs) to complete this unlikely scenario.

Bottom Line: If Man City don’t repeat last season’s Old Trafford win on Sunday, the race is done and dusted.

Don't Bet On Chelsea

2009-05-04T19:44:00.000-07:00

I know. It’s been a while. But is there a better time to return to action than now? With matters coming to a head in the Champions League and the Premiership race dragging on I have little choice but to put pen to paper - or fingers to keyboard, I suppose – and offer up my tuppence worth. Of course, there’s also the little matter of the battle for supremacy in La Liga - which by the way appears to have been settled at the Bernabeu last Saturday. And even Ligue One in France has it’s share of drama, with both Bordeaux and Marseilles looking to upstage perennial champions Lyons, who are looking for a 8th consecutive title.

After last week’s semi-final first leg results, the odds must be on Man Utd and Chelsea making it a repeat of last year’s Champions League Final, although I am positive that both Arsenal and Barcelona will yet have a say in how things turn out. Indeed, anyone who witnessed Barcelona’s weekend demolition of Real Madrid in La Liga would hesitate to put any money on Chelsea reaching a second consecutive final. If you missed it, you sure missed a treat, as Xavi, Iniesta and Messi painted little passing patterns around the Meringues, and Thierry Henry – looking like his old Arsenal version – plundering two goals on their way to an emphatic 6-2 rout - and on enemy turf, to boot.

Chelsea’s stiff defensive showing at the Nou Camp did just about enough to stifle Pep Guardiola’s attacking machine in the first leg, but I’ll be shocked if the Blues resort to the same negative mindset in front of their home fans and this one should be a more open affair. As Barcelona showed at the weekend, they’ll play the same way, home or away, and if Chelsea give them the room they could be on the end of a hiding. Chelsea will be looking to take advantage of Barcelona’s less than stellar defense, especially with Carles Puyol suspended and Rafa Marquez injured, and they could do some damage from set-pieces where their superior physique – think Ballack, Drogba, Terry, Ivanovic, Alex – puts them at an advantage. It’s a tough call, and Chelsea will be no pushovers, but I think Barcelona will shade this one.

Arsenal managed to escape Old Trafford with a slim one goal deficit last week, but they’ll need to be at their very best to see off an in-form Man Utd at the Emirates. Sadly, Arsenal at their best includes Andrei Arshavin these days and the little Russian is ineligible for Champions League play. Man U seem to have found their best form again, since Sir Alex switched Wayne Rooney to that wide left role and let Carlos Tevez run riot down the middle, and if they have a good day it’s hard to see Arsenal winning this one. Most teams would be adequately distracted by a league championship race to take their eyes of the ball, but Man U boast a squad of both depth and quality and the likes of Ronaldo, Michael Carrick and Rio Ferdinand will return refreshed after sitting out the weekend win at Middlesbrough. Regardless of what happened last week, Arsenal have been playing with confidence and the craft of Cesc Fabregas, Theo Walcott and Emmanuel Adebayor should be enough to earn them a goal or two. But keeping United off the scoresheet will prove a mountain too high to climb and the Red Devils should be on course for Rome come Tuesday night.

Whatever happens, enjoy the football. I‘ll be back with more on the Premiership, La Liga and France later in the week.

Nothing To Fear…..But Man U

2009-01-11T19:17:00.000-08:00

Just in case you thought they weren’t paying attention, Manchester United laid down a marker at the weekend in what was a comprehensive 3-0 trouncing of close rivals Chelsea.

With Liverpool failing to beat Stoke City for the second time this season, Man U’s win at Old Trafford puts them just one point behind Chelsea and five points behind leaders Liverpool. Of course, the fact they still have two outstanding matches – at home to Wigan and Fulham – means they now firmly hold the aces in the race for the Premiership title.

How’s it all going to end? No one knows for sure, but Man U’s demolition job clearly emphasized two things:

First, the defending champions are without question the team to beat this season. They’ve now gone 8 games without a loss - and without conceding a single goal as well – and, in terms of quality and balance, they certainly boast the best squad in the league. And it’s not just about big name players either; teamwork is the key to United’s success. Consider that Man U took Chelsea apart without Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Paul Scholes and Carlos Tevez. Man for man, Chelsea certainly looked the stronger side on paper. They had Frank Lampard and Michael Ballack in central midfield facing off with the unsung Darren Fletcher and 35-year-old Ryan Giggs. Yet, Man U clearly posed the bigger threat and Chelsea did not manage a single shot on target.

Man U’s schedule also puts them in a better position than any of the other contenders. Apart from their outstanding matches – which they still need to win – all their rivals still have to visit Old Trafford before the season is over, and the defending champions seldom slip up at the ‘Theatre of Dreams” where they’ve now won 23 of their last 25 matches.

Second, Big Phil Scolari’s regime at Chelsea is going anything but smoothly. It’s true that Chelsea have been injury-plagued all season, with Joe Cole, Didier Drogba and Ricardo Carvalho all just returning and the influential Michael Essien still out missing. Yet Chelsea’s capitulation on Sunday wasn’t just down to underperforming personnel and questions have to be raised about Big Phil’s game approach and attention to detail. This was a far cry from Jose Mourinho’s well-drilled, ruthlessly swift attacking machine and a preponderance of square midfield passes and lack of width took the edge off their attacking game, leaving Drogba increasingly isolated and constantly tracking back into midfield.

The defensive lapses were even more alarming. Individually, Chelsea’s star-studded back four are more than a match for any attack, yet the team’s collective defending of set-pieces left much to be desired on Sunday. For the first goal, Nemanja Vidic’s free header could have been kept out by a defender on the far post, as was the constant in years past. To be fair, Chelsea are hardly the only top team to have abandoned this practice and I am constantly amazed at the number of goals that go in from corner kicks for lack of a defender at the post.

The third goal was even more shocking – or maybe Chelsea had already given up by then. I shook my head in disbelief when Chelsea left 19-year-old substitute striker Franco di Santo – 6 feet 4 but inexperienced - to mark Dimitar Berbatov as Ronaldo shaped up for a free kick from the left and it was no surprise when the youngster was easily screened off by Vidic leaving Berbatov free to
score. I’m no big Mourinho fan but there is no way di Santo would have been marking Berbatov under his watch – little details like that can make or break a season.

Chelsea will still trouble many teams this season, especially once their returnees settle in, but they are more vulnerable than they’ve been in years and the manner of their loss at Old Trafford – not just the result itself – only confirms what earlier draws with West Ham and Fulham had suggested.

As for leaders Liverpool? Well, another frustrating draw at Stoke suggests that Rafa Benitez’s team isn’t the finished article yet and the wait for a Premiership title isn’t quite over yet. Steven Gerrard very nearly saved the day again, but his supporting cast will have to take a little more of the burden if Liverpool want to stay in the running till March. The missing link at Stoke was the calm control and distribution of the injured Xabi Alonso, for my money, Liverpool’s most consistent player of the season so far.

Liverpool fans would have been further frustrated by Benitez’s refusal to go for broke and toss Robbie Keane into the mix as the clock ebbed away. Yet, that would have meant pulling Gerrard back into midfield for Lucas or Javi Mascherano – and thus moving the team’s top scorer and most likely goal scorer farther away from goal. It’s easy to point fingers after the fact, but Rafa’s decision came within a post’s width of paying off.

Nevertheless, Liverpool will rue results like these if they fall short in April. It’s been a decent run so far – one loss in 21 matches – and their taste for the big occasion might well keep them on track. A team that has given up a lead just once all season – in that defeat at Spurs – shouldn’t be written off too hastily but they’ll need to keep pace with United to have any chance at all.

It's Barcelona's Title

2008-12-23T19:59:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was pondering the tight race for the Spanish La Liga title and marvelling at what was shaping up to be a really open race with no less than six credible contenders.

Well, no more. It may still be December but it’s become pretty clear that Catalan giants Barcelona will more than likely be crowned champions come season’s end. In fact, it will take a collapse of monumental proportions for Barca to lose their grip on what would be a wonderful debut season for new coach Josep Guardiola.

It’s not just that Barcelona’s 2-1 defeat of Villarreal on Sunday now puts them 10 points clear of second-placed Sevilla, even though that would be enough to stake their claim. It’s more the manner in which they have brushed aside all opposition in the last few weeks. And it’s not been your run of the mill, mid-table opposition either.

Barca’s last three fixtures have seen them play three of their title rivals and they’ve comprehensively dismissed each of them with stylish aplomb. Fourth placed Valencia were the visitors at the Nou Camp a fortnight ago when Thierry Henry’s hat-trick paved the way to a 4-0 dismissal. Then, arch-rivals Real Madrid, hardly having a vintage season and now sitting in 5th place, came calling last week and finished on the wrong end of a 2-0 score line. Villarreal are just behind Real in 6th place, and they actually took the lead on Sunday – the first goal conceded by Guardiola’s team in three matches – before Malian Seydou Keita tied the game and Henry put away the winner.

So, three games against teams in the top six have yielded maximum points, eight goals scored and just one conceded. But that still doesn’t tell the full story of Barcelona’s dominance. In particular, you may wonder how they have fared against their closest title contenders, 2nd placed Sevilla and 3rd placed Atletico Madrid, both of whom the played much earlier in the season.

Well, let’s just say it’s been more of the same. Atletico found themselves 3 goals down after 12 minutes at the Nou Camp and eventually lost 6-1; Sevilla, on the other hand played hosts at Montjuic and lost 3-0 in front of their own fans.

So, if we revise that table, in 5 games against the toughest teams in La Liga, Barcelona have won all 5, scored 17 goals and conceded 2! If that’s not championship winning form, then I sure don’t know what is.

And it’s not just the big boys that have felt the wrath of Barca’s blistering form. Since surprisingly losing their opening day match to Numancia, Barcelona have simply been in unbeatable form, winning 13 of their last 15 games, and bashing in a bucketful of goals in the process.

On this form, you might as well break out the champagne and crown Barcelona champions right now.

The “Africanisation” of French Football

2008-12-18T21:13:00.000-08:00

You’ve all heard about globalisation, right? It’s certainly no new phenomenon in the world of football, with Brazilians all over the globe, Spaniards and Frenchmen starring England, Dutchmen dominating in Spain and all that.

Yet, the situation in France takes all this to a whole different level. Indeed, it’s not just globalization where French football is concerned; it’s what I’d describe as the “Africanisation” of French football.

Consider this: No less than 100 players of African descent currently ply their trade in French Ligue 1 – that’s an average of more than 5 players per club. Of course, this being France, a good number of those players are African in name only, having been born and raised in France – like the now-retired Zinedine Zidane. Then, there are those who were born in Africa but have made France their home from a young age and have either opted to represent their adopted nation – think Patrick Vieira – or have reached back to represent the country of their forebears – like Ivory Coast striker Didier Drogba.
A third category would be African players who have arrived France as full-fledged professionals, like Nigerian Taye Taiwo, at Marseilles.

Still, African is African and there’s no mistaking the African names when any two French clubs do battle in Ligue 1 these days. Don’t even get me started on the number of Traores playing in France! Perennial champions Lyons boast no less than five Africans of different stripes; Les Bleus defender Alain Boumsong was born in Douala, Cameroon, while his national teammate Karim Benzema was born and raised in France. On the other hand, defender John Mensah (Ghana) and winger Kader Keita (Ivory Coast) already made their names elsewhere before moving to France.

Lyons are hardly unique too. Marseilles have six Africans on the books, Toulouse have seven and Nice lead the way with no less than eight African players in their first team squad.

Yet, this preponderance of Africans in Ligue 1 tells only half the story of the Africanisation of French football; Africans are also taking over at national team level.

You can argue that African players are no new thing at this level – and you’d be right too. Mali born Jean Tigana was a star of the great French team of the 1980s; Basile Boli was a fixture under Michel Platini in the early 1990s and more recently, Zidane, Vieira and Congo-born Claude Makelele have been national team icons.

But never have there been so many African players in and around the French national team and the prospect of an All-African French national team isn’t as far-fetched as you might imagine.

You think I’m exaggerating? Well, just consider this eleven:

Goalkeeper
Steve Mandanda (Marseilles) – born in Kinshasa, Congo, this 23-year-old is already club captain and boasts 6 caps for France.

Right Back
Bacary Sagna (Arsenal) – born in France of Senegalese parents, he was voted best right back in the Premiership last season. The 25-year-old has 5 caps.

Left Back
Patrice Evra (Man Utd) – born in Dakar, Senegal and arguably the best left back in England. Evra, 27, made his name with Marseilles and has 16 caps.

Centre Back
Jean Alain Boumsong (Lyons) – experienced 29-year-old born in Douala, Cameroon. Has 24 caps and should win more with Lillian Thuram now retired.

Centre Back
Adil Rami (Lille) – the only uncapped member of this eleven, but has been called up for recent games. Born in France of Moroccan parents, Rami, 23, is an up and coming Ligue 1 star.

Right Midfield
Lassana Diarra (Portsmouth) – heading to Real Madrid in January after bouncing around England with Chelsea, Arsenal and Portsmouth, the 23 year-old Diarra is of Malian descent and has 16 caps.

Defensive Midfield
Alou Diarra (Bordeaux) – 27-year-old captain of Bordeaux and also of Malian descent, he has 17 caps

Attacking midfield
Samir Nasri (Arsenal) - coming of age at Arsenal, he is of Algerian descent and at 21, already boasts 14 caps (2 goals)

Left Midfield
Hatem Ben Arfa (Marseilles) – gifted midfield star who came to the fore at Lyons. Born in France of Moroccan descent, the 21-year-old has 7 caps.

Striker
Bafetimbi Gomis (St Etienne) – surprise choice at the Euros in June, the 23-year-old of Senegalese descent has scored twice in his 4 appearances for Le Bleus.

Striker
Karim Benzema (Lyons) – the new golden boy of French football is already a big star and national team regular at 21. He has 19 caps (5 goals).

In a nutshell: Mandanda – Sagna, Boumsong, Rami, Evra – Diarra.L, Diarra.A, Nasri, Ben Arfa, - Gomis, Benzema

Obviously, these lads aren’t all first choice for France right now. Yet, the prospect of a good number of them starting together for Les Bleus in the near future is very likely.

It might just be fitting for the most African league in Europe – and most appropriate for the first African World Cup Finals in 2010.

No Prem Monopoly on Exciting Football

2008-12-11T20:03:00.000-08:00

If all you watch is the English Premiership, trust me, you’re selling yourself way short. Now, I’m not even going to get into that debate about which country’s league is best – that’s one for another day. Suffice to say there’s loads of exciting football going on all over the place, and even if the English game (can we still call it that with all the foreign players?) is well known for it’s pace and overall attacking emphasis, it by no means holds a monopoly in this regard.

I had the pleasure of catching a few really great games last weekend and not one of them was in the Prem. Oh, just to be clear, I did watch a number of Prem games, but I can’t quite bring myself to describe any of them as exciting. I suppose the dramatic Everton – Aston Villa clash - with two goals in injury time – would probably fit the bill, but since it wasn’t one of the games I saw, I wouldn’t really know.

Anyway, my odyssey started Saturday afternoon with Barcelona serving up another masterpiece to dismiss a decent Valencia side. Thierry Henry’s hat-trick helped the Catalans to a 4-0 win and an almost insurmountable lead at the top of the table. Barcelona are really looking the business this season and Josep Guardiola has quickly put his stamp on a team that was badly off kilter last season. New buys Dani Alves and Seydou Keita have settled in superbly, and even home-grown talent – the young Sergio Busquets, in particular – are making an impact. Barca look to be running away with La Liga this season and this comprehensive dismissal of one of their main rivals would boost their confidence no end. They host Real Madrid in what should be another thriller this weekend, even if the defending champions shocked everyone by appointing Juande Ramos (ex-Sevilla, ex-Tottenham) in place of the embattled Bernd Schuster on Tuesday.

That followed another Real defeat, this time at home to Sevilla, in what should go down as one of the matches of the season. It finished 4-3 at the Bernabeu and featured as many twists and turns as a Formula 1 circuit. It’s been a while since I enjoyed the pleasure of two teams going all out for the win, no holds barred, but this was a fast paced display of attacking football from both sides. Real probably had little option anyway, after finding themselves 3-1 behind at the break, but they were irresistible just after the break when Dutchmen Royston Drenthe and Arjen Robben turned up the heat and it was no surprise that they clawed back to level terms with 20 minutes to play. Robben’s subsequent red card probably turned the tide, but all credit to Sevilla who never let up on the attacking end and had their own star performers in goalkeeper Andres Palop, winger Jesus Navas and striker Freddie Kanoute.

Sevilla were pretty impressive and they have certainly recovered from the departure of star players Alves, Keita and Christian Poulsen, and they looked pretty solid, especially in central midfield, where the duo of Romaric Ndri (from Ivory Coast) and Argentine veteran Aldo Duscher have been surprisingly effective.

My weekend ended, oddly enough, where it should have started. I mentioned Friday’s top of the table Bundesliga clash between Bayern Munich and surprise league leaders TSG Hoffenheim last week, and just as I expected, what a cracker it turned out to be – even if I ended up watching the taped game on Sunday.

Bayern took the spoils, handing the new boys their first defeat of the season, but it took a deflected Phillip Lahm equaliser and a late, late Luca Toni strike to see off the upstarts from Hoffenheim. Before then though, Hoffenheim did a lot to win over new friends, yours truly included. If this team from a village of 3000 people are top of the Bundesliga, it’s strictly because they deserve to be.

Ralf Ragnick’s side matched – and often surpassed - the Bayern millionaires on their own turf for the better part of a thrilling game, and their star striker Vedad Ibisevic more than confirmed all the good things I had heard about him. He troubled Lucio for a full ninety minutes and grabbed the opening goal with a superb touch, spin and volley in the Bayern box. Little wonder he’s now scored 18 goals in 15 games of his first season in the top flight. I wouldn’t be too surprised if he ends up at Bayern in a few years. The Bavarians have that annoying habit of snatching up the best young talent from around their league – although if it’s down to cash Hoffenheim benefactor Dietmar Hopp can prove more than a match for Bayern.

Hoffenheim isn’t just about Ibisevic though. They play a high-energy, all-for-one brand of football, closing down opponents from well upfield and attacking with pace and purpose once they have possession. They kind of remind one of the Energizer bunny – always going, never stopping. Captain Marvin Compper leads by example in the heart of the defence with fullbacks Andreas Beck and Andreas Ibertsberger pushing up at every opportunity.

In midfield, Tobias Weis and Brazilian Luis Gustavo do all the heavy lifting, chasing and harrying opponents as well as starting up Hoffenheim’s quick-fire raids. But it is the quartet upfront that really gives this team its edge. Nigerian Chinedu Ogbuke (Obasi) and Brazilian Carlos Eduardo start in the wide positions, with Demba Ba and Ibisevic filling the middle. In practise though, Hoffenheim adopt a really fluid formation, with lots of inter-changing and they easily flex from a 4-5-1, when defending to an aggressive 4-2-4 when on the offensive.

Bayern’s win puts them level on points, but Hoffenheim’s superior goal difference leaves them one win away from being crowned winter champions when the Bundesliga takes a break next week.

If they can keep up the tempo – and Ibisevic keeps scoring – they could take the whole thing come April.

Arsenal, Liverpool..Hoffenheim

2008-12-03T21:04:00.000-08:00

First word is for Arsenal fans. Kudos on that win at Stamford Bridge on Sunday, where Robin van Persie’s impressive brace overturned Chelsea’s first half lead and put Arsenal back in the hunt for the title - technically, at least. Even if the Dutchman’s first goal was clearly offside, there is no denying the quality of the winning goal and you guys must be pretty pleased to have put an end to that worrying sequence of losses.

Chelsea’s second home loss of the season - and Liverpool’s second straight goalless return at Anfield – leaves the Gunners “only” 8 points off the top after 15 matches, and if you guys need any encouragement you need only look back to last December. Then, it was Arsenal flying high at the top, and eventual champions Man Utd trailing by five points. Of course, all that changed by the end of the season when Wenger’s boys fell apart in the run in and could only finish in third place.

In that light, Arsenal are certainly still in the title race, especially with both Chelsea and new leaders Liverpool looking anything but solid at the moment. The main worry for you guys must be that the five losses the Gunners have suffered so far have come against Stoke, Fulham, Hull, Man City and Aston Villa – even if they have beaten both Chelsea and Man U. They’ll have to avoid any further slip-ups to stand any chance of taking the title, and they still have to visit Anfield, Old Trafford, Villa Park…..you get the picture.

Liverpool surely know a thing or two about slip-ups, having claimed just two points - and zero goals – from their last two home matches against Fulham and West Ham. A win from either of those games would have given Liverpool a three point cushion at the top. Instead they endured the bizarre sensation of getting booed off at Anfield even as they reclaimed top spot from Chelsea by one point on Monday night.

Liverpool remain very strong at the back – just 8 goals conceded so far - but they are struggling to score goals, especially against hyper-defensive teams at Anfield. Fernando Torres’ continued injury trouble leaves Benitez’s side short of firepower upfront, especially with Robbie Keane still struggling to settle in. Liverpool will have to find a new path to goal, at least until Torres’ returns to form, otherwise that slender lead will soon vanish and it’ll be another disappointing season. It must surely be worrying for Benitez that his team have only scored 21 goals this season – the lowest tally of any of the top six clubs and one goal less than 6th placed Premiership new boys, Hull City.

The good news for Liverpool is, despite the goal shortage and some below par performances, they are still top of the table with nearly half of the season gone. If their form improves they should still be in the title chase come the spring. But they’ll do well to heed the lessons of Arsenal’s fall last season – just as the Gunners, ironically, take some encouragement from it.

A league with a less familiar look at the top of the table is the Bundesliga, where newly promoted TSG Hoffenheim hold a three point lead over giants Bayern Munich. The small town club, funded by billionaire and SAP founder Dietmar Hopp, have surpassed all expectations in their first ever top flight sojourn, winning 11 of their 15 games to date and impressing with their attractive attacking game.

Not that Hoffenheim are much loved in Germany though. In truth, they are widely despised by fans of other teams – Hopp recently received death threats from Borussia Dortmund fans – and there are those who believe they have simply spent their way to the top, kind of like Chelsea.

But while it’s true that Hopp has sunk millions into the club, I don’t think the Chelsea comparisons come even close. The London club were already one of the Premiership’s top four before Roman Abramovich’s millions took them to back-to-back titles. Besides, Chelsea’s riches have led to an influx of world-renown stars at the very top of world football – Essien, Drogba, Shevchenko, Ballack, Anelka, Carvalho, Deco.

On the one hand Hopp has been sinking money into Hoffenheim for the past 20 years and the club were still playing the in 3rd division just five years ago. Besides, Hoffenheim’s star players – “big-money buys” - are little-known Brazilian Carlos Eduardo, the impressive Vedad Ibisevic, Senegalese Demba Ba and Nigerian Chinedu Ogbuke. Hardly household names, if you ask me.

Okay, maybe they were big names by Bundesliga 2 standards, and they certainly secured promotion in grand style, but these are hardly big money buys by Bundesliga standards. Take their main rivals and defending champions Bayern Munich, who are so packed with big-name players that national team striker Lukas Podolski struggles to get a game.

Apart from the attacking duo of Luca Toni and Miro Klose, Bayern also boast French star Frank Ribery, Bastian Schweinsteiger, Mark van Bommel, Ze Roberto, Lucio, and Phillipe Lahm.

If it were about money, Bayern should be well ahead of the pack and Hoffenheim struggling in mid-table.

That should make this Friday’s clash between the two sides a must-see. Hoffenheim have been excellent so far, but this top of the table clash against the Bavarian giants will prove their toughest test yet. We’ll see how they do.

La Liga Up For Grabs

2008-10-28T19:30:00.002-07:00

It’s an interesting start to the season in Spain’s La Liga where, in a rather sharp contrast to last season’s two- horse race, it appears no less than five clubs are pulling out the stops in what could prove the most exciting title race in years. Sure, it’s early days yet and some of these pretenders are sure to drop off when the going gets tough, but it’s sure made for fascinating viewing in the early weeks and after eight rounds only three points separate first-place Valencia from fifth-placed Sevilla.

Valencia is a team reborn, after the shenanigans of last season when in-house fighting and a leadership crisis led to a disappointing 10th place finish. That new coach Unai Emery has revived pretty much the same bunch of players in such a short time speaks volumes about the failings at the top and is a sure testament to his growing reputation. Yet any team featuring the likes of David Albelda – marginalised by Ronald Koeman last term – David Silva, Joaquin and the free-scoring David Villa, should be challenging for honours and I think they’ll be in the hunt to the very end this time.

A new manager is also at the heart of 2nd placed Barcelona’s resurgence. Club legend Pep Guardiola has put his stamp on a team now shorn of the Brazilian influence of Ronaldinho and Deco, and with Xavi and Iniesta pulling the midfield strings for Messi and Eto’o upfront, the Catalans have been in free-scoring form with 12 goals in their last three league games. Eto’o, in particular, as settled back in the fold after all the transfer talk in the summer, and tops the scorers’ chart with 9 goals. If he stays in form, and Messi stays fit, Barcelona should be champions come May.

Then there’s champions Real Madrid, who will have tougher time keeping the title this time. On the plus side, new signing Rafael van der Vaart as settled in nicely, and they can still count on the goals of Ruud van Nistelrooy, even if the Dutch goal-machine has struggled with injuries this term. Yet, Bernd Schuster’s side have been far from convincing, and with their key opponents back in the groove, they’ll struggle to make it three in a row.

Villareal, the Yellow Submarine, continue to impress despite having no major superstars on the books. Manuel Pellegrini took the club to a 2nd place finish last term and will be hoping to go one better this season. Not many would bet against a club that remains unbeaten this season. Javi Venta and Joan Capdevila provide leadership at the back; Santi Cazorla, Marcos Senna and Robert Pires hold things together in midfield, and in ‘Beppe Rossi and Nihat Kahveci they boast two of the sharpest forwards in La Liga. Villareal will certainly have a say before all is said and done.

Sevilla, in fifth place, have adjusted very well to the loss of Dani Alves, Seydou Keita and Christian Poulsen in the off-season, and are almost looking like the side that won two-UEFA Cups under Juande Ramos. Freddie Kanoute and Luis Fabiano are still a handful upfront, with Jesus Navas and Diego Capel providing width. Central midfield will make or break their challenge though, and it remains to be seen if the likes of Enzo Maresca, Romaric Ndri and Renato will prove adequate replaements for Poulsen and Keita.

Atletico Madrid should be among this group of title contenders yet four losses so far leaves them well off the pace in 10th place and suggests that they’ll struggle to claim a Champions League slot. Yet in Sergio Aguero and Diego Forlan they boast the league’s most prolific strike force, and they can call on the likes of Simao, Maniche and Maxi Rodrigues in midfield, and new boys Johnny Heitinga and Tomas Ujfalusi in defence. Manager Javier Aguirre will be hoping to turn things around as the season progresses – especially if any of the leading pack slip up.

All told, it should be exciting times in Spain.

Liverpool Keep Rolling

2008-10-28T19:30:00.001-07:00

So, is Liverpool the real deal? Well, that 1-0 defeat of Chelsea on Sunday would have the optimists breaking out the champagne already…and the cynics chirping on about another false dawn. As I’ve said before, I don’t know if Liverpool will win the title this season, but I think they’ll be in the thick of the title chase, something that hasn’t happened in 12 years.

It’s not just the fact that the Reds have now beaten both Man U and Chelsea; it’s more the manner in which they have overcome the two toughest teams in the Premiership. I’ve said enough about the Man U game at Anfield, but at Stamford Bridge it was fascinating to see Liverpool on top of the Blues for the full 90 minutes.

Sure, Chelsea dominated the ball but they created precious little with it and save for a frantic dash to punch out a Bosingwa cross, Pepe Reina was never called upon in the Liverpool goal. There are those who would label this just another game crushing defensive display, yet it’s not for nothing that Chelsea had been unbeaten at the Bridge for more than four years. Besides, just ask Middlesbrough how easy it is to keep Chelsea quiet for 90 minutes. Sure, Liverpool defended very well – hey, that’s part of the game – but Petr Cech was clearly the busier of the two ‘keepers and the margin could well have been wider.

Some would also argue that Alonso’s goal was a lucky strike, given the deflection off Bosingwa. No matter. That’s part of the game too, and many long-suffering Liverpool fans – yours truly included – will recall Joe Cole’s deflected winner at Anfield in 2005, after Liverpool had been denied two clear penalty appeals.

But that’s all water under the bridge. One win against Chelsea will not bring the title to Anfield and the season is only nine weeks old. Liverpool clearly have the quality and the character to make a title challenge. Only time will tell if they can stay consistent and Liverpool fans will do well to heed the lessons of 2002.

Then, as now, the Reds got the season off to a flyer, winning 9 and drawing three of their first 12 matches…..before disaster struck and they followed with 5 draws and 6 losses in the next eleven!

Of course, Gerard Houllier’s squad included such leading lights as Bruno Cheyrou, Salif Diao, El Hadji Diouf and Djimi Traore. Benitez’s squad is clearly of much brighter vintage and I doubt they’ll implode in such spectacular manner. Exciting times at Anfield but there’s a long, long way to go.

Kudos to Amodu

2008-10-20T19:05:00.000-07:00

I suppose after six games played, six wins and one goal conceded, its time to doff my hat to Super Eagles coach Shaibu Amodu.

I’ll confess I wasn’t exactly jumping for joy when the Federation named the former BCC coach to the top job five months ago, but it’s hard to fault Amodu’s short term achievements – at least as far as the results go.

Super Eagles fans certainly needed a lift after the disappointment of their team’s poorest Nations Cup showing in 26 years at Ghana 2008, and Amodu’s new team has delivered in fine fashion, setting up a smooth qualification for the 2nd round of the South Africa 2010 World Cup.

I know there have been mumblings about the team’s performances and I suppose the Eagles haven’t exactly been winning any style accolades. Take the Sierra Leone game in Freetown, where the Leone Stars hit the post twice, only for Joseph Yobo to pop up in the last minute with the goal that secured the three points. Yobo was again the hero in Malabo, scoring in the 5th minute to help the Eagles to another road win. Even the win, against South Africa in Port Elizabeth, was achieved against the run of play.

But a little perspective here: Remember that these were all away games – the Eagles were much more dominant at home - so it’s hardly surprising that the home teams dominated the play. After all, they would be better motivated to win in front of their home fans. Sure, Nigeria fans expect to dominate the likes of Sierra Leone and Equatorial Guinea, regardless of venue, but it would be unreasonable to expect them to simply roll over because the Eagles are in town. Besides, compare the Eagles run to that of other so-called giants: Ivory Coast did not win once on the road in three games against Mozambique, Botswana and Madagascar; Ghana lost twice, in Gabon and Libya; and Senegal finished behind Gambia and failed to progress.

Moreover, history tells us there are no easy games at this level. Just eight years ago, the Eagles almost crashed out of World Cup contention after Jo Bonfrere’s team lost crucial games in Sierra Leone and Liberia. And who can forget that Nigeria didn’t make it to Germany 2006 after losing to Angola in Luanda. So let’s not get cocky and take these commendable results for granted.

It’s understandable that Amodu’s team hasn’t exactly run seamlessly either. He inherited a disjointed, uncoordinated and demoralized lot from Berti Vogts to start with, and preparing a team for just a few days before matches is hardly enough time to build a solid team.

There’s definitely room improvement and we are unlikely to see this team at its very best until a major final comes around. At least then, Amodu and his crew will have a couple of weeks to whip his wards into shape and figure out his best team. Hopefully, they will have enough quality in the interim to earn a place at those finals.

Nevertheless, there have been some positives to draw from the last few months. I have certainly been impressed by Amodu’s willingness to blood some new faces, notably right back Yusuf Mohammed from local club Kano Pillars. Rather than fitting square pegs in round holes, as Vogts was wont to do with the likes of Ifeanyi Emeghara, Obinna Nwaneri and Onyekachi Apam, it’s refreshing to see a natural right back in that role.

Also refreshing as been the growing influence of the Uche brothers – Kalu and Ike – who have become key members of the team. Ike, from Spanish side Getafe, is the Eagles’ top scorer in the qualifiers and Kalu, from Almeria, has more than pulled his weight in midfield.

Amodu has also smartly started pulling from Samson Siasia’s brilliant Olympic silver medallists, a group that include some of the brightest young players Nigeria has produced in a decade. Midfield anchor Sani Kaita, so impressive in Beijing and now a starter at French side Monaco, featured in the last game against Sierra Leone, as did the ever impressive Victor Obinna, now with Italian champions Inter – for whom he scored a cracking goal at the weekend. Add the drive and skill of Chinedu Ogbuke, one of the leading lights of Bundesliga new boys, TSG Hoffenheim, and a substitute against Sierra Leone, and the pace and versatility of the experienced Osaze Odemwingie, and you have the cream of Siasia’s team.

Now, Amodu must figure out how to blend the “new” faces into a squad that already includes Nwankwo Kanu, Obafemi Martins, Aiyegbeni Yakubu, John Utaka, Victor Anichebe and Mikel Obi – all missing from the Sierra Leone game.

As at the Nations Cup in February, I still worry about midfield where there seems to be a dearth of creative sorts coming through, but if Amodu has the courage to make the tough decisions (i.e. drop some big names for the young) and get the mix right, the Super Eagles should be on their way to another World Cup finals come 2010.

Not The End Of The Road

2008-09-24T20:24:00.000-07:00

Two points lost. No other words can adequately describe a weekend in which Liverpool failed to capitalize on events elsewhere to cement top spot on the Premiership table.

As I hinted last week, it’s all well and good to beat title contenders like Man U, but it’s consistency that wins titles and that’s precisely what the Reds were missing at Anfield on Saturday.

Of course, had that early Steve Gerrard “goal” been allowed to stand, it would have been a different story and, like the rest of the world, I still can’t understand why referee Andy Mariner ruled it out. Stoke certainly didn’t have an equalizer in them. They managed two shots all game – both off target – and they were obviously set up to defend, with two banks of four in front of the ‘keeper, and they did a fine job of it too.

Yet, Liverpool must expect those kinds of games at Anfield and their ability to break down such pragmatic tactics would go a long way in determining how well they do this season. The truth is, for Liverpool to be real contenders they simply have to put away teams like Stoke at Anfield.

Then again, it’s hard to imagine Liverpool dominating another game this much without getting on the scoresheet. Stoke gave Gerrard and Xabi Alonso the run of midfield and posed so little threat in attack that full backs Alvaro Arbeloa and Andrea Dossena were practically camped upfield all game. But for all that, Liverpool showed little creativity in the final third and most of their 30 shots at goal came from distance. Sadly, neither Gerrard nor Alonso could find their shooting range. Strikers Robbie Keane and Fernando Torres had very few chances, but they weren’t exactly on their best game either. Keane saw two tame efforts stopped by Sorensen and Torres’ booted one high into the stands and saw another – Liverpool’s best chance of the game - deflect off the chest of Leon Cort and out for a corner kick.

So, after last week’s encouraging win, this was quite the let down. And I know there are many detractors who will point to this result as another sign that Liverpool will be off the pace again this season.

They’ll conveniently forget of course that the other big teams have already slipped up this season as well: Chelsea were held at home by Tottenham, Man U drew with Newcastle at Old Trafford and Arsenal lost at Fulham.

Trust me, the Liverpool challenge is far from over.

Elsewhere, Chelsea preserved their incredible unbeaten home run against Man U and one has to wonder what it would take to beat this team at the Bridge. Man U came pretty close this time, sitting on that one goal lead for most of the game before super-sub Solomon Kalou saved the day yet again.

Man U are certainly taking their sweet time getting going, although they have the depth and know-how to be there are thereabouts come May. I think Chelsea look best positioned to win the title – even if my loyalties lie elsewhere – but Nicolas Anelka will have to start finishing better than he did at Stamford Bridge last week.

Meanwhile, Arsene Wenger’s youngsters have the early lead again and have bounced back very well since the Fulham loss. As they did last season, the Gunners are playing the most attractive soccer in the Prem, even if they still need to resolve the defensive midfield position. Looks like Cameroon’s Alexandre Song might get the nod. He certainly did a decent enough job at Bolton last Saturday and I’ve always felt Wenger was wasting his talents in central defence.

I don’t think Arsenal have been really tested yet though – they are yet to face a top ten side – and I wonder how long they’ll last at the top.

On a final note, isn’t it amazing how easily Amr Zaki has taken to the Premiership? The Egyptian striker has hit four goals for Wigan already, having arrived from Zamalek of Cairo in the summer. Sure, he’s got a good enough reputation in Africa – what with two Nations Cup winners’ medals and 29 goals in 48 appearances for Egypt – but who would have bet that the 25-year-old would have more goals than the likes of Torres and Berbatov at this stage of the season?

So much for all that talk about “Premiership Experience”.

Liverpool Draw First Blood

2008-09-17T18:39:00.000-07:00

You’ll pardon me for borrowing the Barak Obama presidential slogan, but Liverpool fans everywhere must be thinking “Yes we can” after what was a most enjoyable 2-1 defeat of arch rivals Manchester United on Saturday.

A victory over the defending champions is always an occasion to savour, but this was especially pleasing in that it had been over four years since Liverpool tasted victory over Man U – thanks to Danny Murphy’s penalty at Old Trafford in April 2004. For an Anfield win, you have to go even further back, to November 2001 when Michael Owen’s brace inspired a 3-1 win. And it certainly gave hope to those who have been longing to see a league championship at Anfield for the past 18 years.

Of course, when Carlos Tevez left Javier Mascherano in his wake to smash home Dimitar Berbatov’s cross after just 3 minutes, it looked like it would be another of those frustrating Man U visits.

Not this time though, even if it took a stroke of luck to get Liverpool back on level terms – Edwin van der Sar’s attempted save bouncing in off the hapless Wes Brown. But it was no more than Liverpool deserved and Dirk Kuyt had already seen a point blank effort stopped on the line. Ryan Babel’s winner was less fortuitous, more down to Mascherano’s persistence and Kuyt’s composure.

Benitez set out to deny United space and time on the ball, and it worked well with Xabi Alonso and Mascherano dominating Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick in midfield, and the constant chasing and running by Robbie Keane and Kuyt upfront denying Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic and van der Sar the space to start things from the back.

But Liverpool also attacked with much more verve and purpose than they have in recent times. New boy Albert Riera looks a promising prospect on the left, the mobility of the front two kept the United defenders on edge all day and Babel’s pace and trickery proved a useful asset.

Even the full backs got involved, with Alvaro Arbeloa, on the right, and Fabio Aurelio, on the left, persistently offering width and options on the attacking end. But the pick of the lot, for me, were the central midfield duo – the ever-running, never-flagging Mascherano and a much-improved Alonso, my pick for Man Of The Match. After an injury-riddled 2007/08 season and a summer of uncertainty, the Spaniard has been Liverpool’s most consistent player of the season so far and Benitez should be somewhat pleased that the Gareth Barry move didn’t pan out affterall.

So, Liverpool draw first blood, but let’s not get carried away; it’s just one win and there’s still a long way to go. Consider also: Liverpool did the double over Man U in 2001/02, yet that didn’t bring the title to Anfield. More ominously, Man City also did the double over Man U last season, and we all know how their season ended.

Those who say that Liverpool need to improve against the rest of the top four to be considered real contenders may have a point. Yet, there’s more to winning the title than those six games. That comes down to consistency, even in the supposedly easy games, and the ability to get results even on a bad day.

The early results certainly bode well. Liverpool were well below par against Sunderland, yet won on the strength of a wonder strike from Torres; they struggled at home against Middlesbrough, yet scored twice in the last seven minutes to claim all three points. And the manner in which they turned this one around against the Old Enemy – their best performance of the season so far - certainly suggests a mental toughness that has been lacking in previous seasons.

The fact that they turned it on without their two best players – Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard – should put a lie to all these suggestions that Liverpool are just a two-man team, even if any team would be that much stronger with those two on board. Benitez as slowly but surely put together a solid squad of winners – his strongest since arriving in 2004 – and, even if there are still areas that could use some work, they certainly look like they can compete with the best this season.

Yes, they can.

Premiership: Big Four in League of Their Own

2008-09-09T20:34:00.000-07:00

I know it’s already three rounds old, but I think this is exactly the right time to talk about the new English Premiership season. For one thing, we’ve had a chance to see all the pretenders in action – I know, it’s still early days and we haven’t seen enough – and, for another, all the transfers are done now. Or what would have been the point of talking about the Spurs attack – only for Dimitar Berbatov to jump ship at the last minute. Or, indeed, of hyping Chelsea’s credentials, only for that “inevitable” Robinho deal to suddenly go awry. And don’t even get me started on the Gareth Barry-Aston Villa-Liverpool tug-of-war.

That’s not to say surprises can’t still happen – injuries, sackings and all that – and, of course, come January, that transfer window opens again. By then though, we’ll be half way through the race – and it could very well be over bar the shouting.

But I seriously doubt this is going to be one of those seasons. At best, we may have only three or four clubs still in contention at that stage, but a January one-horse race appears very unlikely.

The big four seem to have carved out a league of their own at the top of the Premiership and I wouldn’t be looking beyond those clubs for this year’s champions. Of course, the shape of that top four may well change with the new cash infusion at Manchester City but - Robinho notwithstanding - I don’t think this’ll be the year.

Defending champions Manchester United will again be the team to beat, despite very little transfer activity. But it’s not like they had that much to fix; their one problem area has been upfront – Ronaldo’s free-scoring sufficed last season - and Dimitar Berbatov should prove a more than adequate foil for the likes of Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez. Sir Alex has spent heavily and wisely over the last few seasons – spending megabucks on Michael Carrick, Owen Hargreaves, Nani, Anderson and Tevez – and his best piece of business in the off-season was keeping Ronaldo at Old Trafford.

Chelsea have made the best signings of the lot, bringing in Jose Bosingwa at right back and the creative Deco in midfield to fill the two main problem areas from last term. Didier Drogba’s injury still leaves them below par in the early running, but Chelsea fans must be concerned about the lack of width in midfield and I still wonder how Scolari is going to fit Michael Ballack, Frank Lampard, Deco, Michael Essien and John Obi Mikel into his midfield.

I think Arsenal will struggle to reach the heights of last season when, in truth, they over-achieved. Last season’s squad could have taken a step forward this year, but Arsene Wenger’s inability to hold on to Alex Hleb and Matthieu Flamini has weakened his squad and not even the arrival of the skilful Samir Nasri and the growing influence of Theo Walcott can paper over the cracks. They still have a soft underbelly in central defence and Flamini’s departure doesn’t help matters. Much will once again depend on the superb Cesc Fabregas, who faded slightly last term, the form of Emmanuel Adebayor, who spent the summer trying to get away, and the fitness of the fragile Robin van Persie.

At my beloved Liverpool, Rafa Benitez would have been pretty cross that the long-running Gareth Barry deal eventually foundered, yet he starts another season with an improved squad – and with the in-form Xabi Alonso still on the staff. Robbie Keane offers new options upfront, Albert Riera brings much-needed left-footed width, and Andrea Dossena replaces the departed John Arne Riise at left back. More importantly, Liverpool have kept last season’s spine – Reina, Carragher, Skrtel, Mascherano, Alonso, Gerrard, Torres – and if Benitez can sort out the right formation – and quickly – this should be a much better season for the Reds. Last season’s largely successful 4-2-3-1 formation will have to change to accommodate Keane though, and there’s a risk that the players may not adapt quickly enough.

As for the chasing pack, the name on every lip will now be Manchester City, especially with the surprise arrival of Robinho. But I think Man City started the stronger anyway, even before the arrival of the skilful Brazilian. They’ve bought very smartly and if the new faces settle quickly it will be a different City this season. The Argentine full back Pablo Zabaleta arrives fresh from the Olympics to replace Spurs-bound Vedrun Corluka; Belgian defender Vincent Kompany, from Hamburg, is one of the best young players in Europe; striker Jo, from CSKA Moscow, is another excellent Brazilian prospect; and Shaun Wright-Phillips, back after two wasted years on the Chelsea bench, should regain his confidence in familiar climes. Plus, Man City already boast some decent players – Elano, Martin Petrov, Micah Richards – and new manager Mark Hughes should thrive in the new air of stability.

For sheer entertainment, I wouldn’t look too far from Aston Villa either. Martin O’Neill’s side play exciting attacking soccer and with Barry staying, they’ve kept most of the team that finished 6th last term. Luke Young and Nickey Shorey arrive to fill weaknesses at full back, and James Milner will offer new width on the right, to complement the efforts of the impressive Ashley Young on the left. Stilian Petrov should be a key player this season, after taking his time settling in after joining from Celtic two years ago. His partnership with Barry in central midfield looks a promising one for Villa.

Spurs will be interesting to watch again – if only for the tactical manoeuvrings of Spanish coach Juande Ramos. They’ve lost Keane and Berbatov, who scored over 40 goals between them last season, and it remains to be seen if Marcus Bent and Roman Pavlyuchenko can replace that duo. If centre backs Ledley King and Jon Woodgate stay healthy, they should be a bit more secure at the back, and new arrivals, Luka Modric and David Bentley will need to settle in quickly. I think they have too many new faces though, and only the fearless tinkering of Ramos will keep them competitive.

Everton look like they will struggle to match last season’s 5th place finish – despite the acumen of manager David Moyes and the goals of Yakubu Aiyegbeni. Lee Carsley’s departure leaves an experience vacuum in central midfield, even with the arrival of new boys Segundo Castillo and Marouane Fellaini. Louis Saha should contribute on the goal scoring end – if he stays healthy – as should Tim Cahill – if he stays healthy.

FA Cup holders Portsmouth are also depleted in midfield, having let Pedro Mendes and Ghanaian Sulley Muntari leave in the off season. Yet, Harry Redknapp knows a thing or two about putting together a competitive side - even if the signing of Younes Kaboul makes one wonder – and Pompey should be in the running for the UEFA Cup places. Jermaine Defoe is a proven goal scorer and should benefit from playing with the towering Peter Crouch. Makes me wonder what’ll become of Nigeria captain Nwankwo Kanu.

For the rest, it’ll be business as usual, from mid-table respectability to relegation-battle mediocrity.

As for who will win it all, you’ll get no prediction from me – not this early in the season, anyway. I hope it is Liverpool, even if the odds suggest otherwise, and the first test will come up at Anfield on Saturday when Manchester United come calling. A win would be a nice confidence boost and three points in the bag, but it won’t make a season – and a loss, unpalatable as that may sound, wouldn’t be the end of the world either

I’ll be watching.

Pride in Defeat...But What Next?

2008-09-01T16:03:00.000-07:00

As expected Argentina took home gold in what turned out to be a pretty close Olympic final against Nigeria. Sure, I got it right and yes, I was rather saddened – like any die-hard Nigeria supporter – yet I came away from this experience with a tremendous amount of pride.

Argentina, with all the star players and the big reputation, were expected to see off a relatively less accomplished Nigeria team with minimum fuss. Yet, the Nigerians gave a performance worthy of champions, matching their counterparts all the way and only succumbing to one moment of madness on the part of the hitherto reliable shot-stopper Ambrose Vanzekin. They played with poise, confidence and discipline, refusing to be intimidated by the Argentine big names in a performance that must go down as one of the best from a Nigerian team since the glory days of the mid 1990s.

Indeed, had captain Promise Isaac converted one of two first half opportunities that came his way, the gold medal may well be resting in the Nigerian capital today. The first arrived after Peter Odemwingie burst past Pareja to slide a perfect low cross across the six yard box. Promise, sliding in, arrived a second too late to convert, but he was certainly well placed when Adefemi zipped in another cross from the right flank. This time, he couldn’t control the fast ball and his effort rebounded safely into the grateful arms of Romero in the Argentina goal.

Argentina, for their part, looked to Riquelme, Messi and Aguero to do the damage and they certainly looked the part when they had the room to operate. The Nigerian defence were well prepared though and they gave the Argentine stars precious little room to manoeuvre. Kaita and Ajilore were all over Riquelme’s every move in midfield and central defenders Apam and Adeleye did very well to restrict Messi and Aguero to barely a sniff of a chance.

Argentina controlled most of the play, yet their best chances came from distance, with first Di Maria and then Messi testing Vanzekin with well-struck shots from outside the area. It was the unsung Di Maria – one of the revelations of this Olympics – who finally put out the Nigerian challenge after an excellent Messi pass had pierced the Nigerian rear guard. Vanzekin’s wayward rush off his line left the Benfica striker with an easy lob for the game’s only goal.

Nigeria’s forwards did well to respond but came up against a savvy defensive shield. Mascherano and Gago lived up to their reputations as top class defensive midfielders and Promise hardly got anything out of Garay. Yet, the Eagles came pretty close to an equaliser after Anichebe came on for Promise. His first attempt, after an excellent over-lapping run by Adefemi, was blocked by Pareja from 4 yards out, and he had another close effort well fielded by Romero.

In all, the Nigerians can leave with their heads held high – and not just because they came into this game as clear underdogs. I think they gave as good as they got and it’s hard to fault any part of their performance in that final. Of course, it’s easy to blame Vanzekin for the goal and there’s no question that it would have been a harder task for Di Maria had he stayed closer to his goal line. Yet, he’d made a number of brilliant saves to keep his team alive up till that point. And if I had to pick a weak link, it would be Okonkwo’s efforts down the left flank, which hardly matched the over-lapping runs of Adefemi on the right – of course, he was only filling in for the missing Taiye Taiwo.

Otherwise, the back four stood firm, the midfield played with calm authority and even if the attack didn’t flow at will, they did enough to open up a resolute Argentina back line on a few occasions. Which is a lot more than those Brazilians could manage in their 3-0 semi final thrashing.

Considering that this team was missing Chelsea’s John Mikel Obi and left back Taye Taiwo – and then striker Chinedu Ogbuke for the final - Siasia certainly proved his worth as a coach in this competition, and in an ideal world, he should be stepping up to the big job of handling the Super Eagles now. That’s not likely to happen though – Shaibu Amodu is firmly in that seat right now and the Super Eagles are winning again.

But there’s no reason why a good number of his squad shouldn’t make the step up right away. Obinna, Odemwingie, and Apam are already regular Super Eagles squad members; Adeleye, Kaita, Ogbuke, Adefemi and Okoronkwo should follow suit. That, for me, would be the real gain of Siasia’s four-year project.

Can Nigeria translate this silver medal – and that runners-up finish at U-20 level three years ago – to success at senior level? That’s the big question. I know Nigerians worldwide are disappointed about this Olympic loss, but the real disappointment, for me, would be a failure to capitalise on the positives and build a senior team capable of matching the likes of Argentina and Brazil.

World Cup 2010 will be the litmus test and I am positive that Siasia can take Nigeria to the next level. Siasia’s teams have matched the world’s best at U-20 and U-23 levels and the next step would be for Nigeria – with or without Siasia - to match them at the highest level. Now, that would be real success. Anything less – after the gains of the past three years - would be a disappointment.

Beijing 2008 Final: Happy To Be Wrong This Time

2008-08-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

This is a situation I seldom find myself in, but there’s no question that I’ll be watching the Olympic final on Saturday fervently hoping that my pre-tournament prediction doesn’t pan out.

Argentina – the Albiceleste – will be highly favoured to see of Nigeria’s Dream Team IV – I hate that tag – yet Samson Siasia’s side have more than proved that they are worth their place in this final.

From that goalless start against Holland, to the comprehensive destruction of Belgium in Tuesday’s semi final, the Nigerian team has shown remarkable progress, getting better as the tournament as rolled on and they’ll certainly have to be at their very best to achieve what would be an ever greater feat than that famous 1996 victory in Atlanta.

And, for those who need reminding, that was quite the feat. It’s easy to think back now and marvel at that original Dream Team (that tag again) - JayJay Okocha, Nwankwo Kanu, Daniel Amokachi and co – and figure it must have been easy for that strong squad to overturn both Brazil and Argentina on their way to gold. Of course, we know better. As with today’s squads, Brazil and Argentina lined up several established internationals back then – Ronaldo, Aldair, Roberto Carlos, Rivaldo and Bebeto for Brazil; and Crespo, Lopez, Ortega, Veron, Zanetti and Ayala, for Argentina.

Yet, the Nigerians somehow overcame against all the odds. That can only give the class of 2008 much needed encouragement.

Samson Siasia’s side may lack the star quality of their forebears, but they are a team in every sense of the word. Sure, they have quality performers all over the field – from the shot-stopping ability of Ambrose Vanzekin in goal, through the calm yet gritty defending of Dele Adeleye and the tidy ball-winning of Sani Kaita, to the drive and finishing of captain Victor Nsofor up front – but for all their promise these lads pale in comparison to their more accomplished counterparts.

Then again, the key to this team’s success is superb organisation, teamwork and the all-for-one attitude instilled by the continuity of years of playing together and the will of their smart coach. And for that, all Nigeria supporters should be grateful. The sight of Nsofor, deep in his own box, making a defensive clearance, and of Chinedu Ogbuke relentlessly chasing down Belgian midfielders was surely a joy to see, and that fighting attitude can only bode well as the Eagles look to overturn a highly-skilled Argentina team.

Siasia’s sophisticated 4-2-3-1 formation emphasizes width, pace, precision passing and hard work and that might just be enough to bridge the individual quality gap. Their key men will have to be at their best though and, for one thing, that means the central defensive pairing of Adeleye and Onyekachi Apam must keep their concentration and avoid rash tackles in and around the box. Kaita’s performance in the midfield holding role will also be crucial, but it’s upfront, where they boast the trickery, pace and finishing of Nsofor, and the incisive Peter Odemwingie, that Nigeria can really hurt Argentina.

Make no mistake, though; this final will be the Eagles greatest test yet. Argentina have won the last two U-20 World Youth championships – beating virtually the same Nigerian team in Holland three years ago – and this Olympic squad includes a healthy mix of those two sides, plus a few top class additions.

Those U-20 grads include two of the best young forwards on the world stage today. Barcelona’s Leo Messi, a fixture on anyone’s shortlist for world’s best player, lit up the 2005 finals and scored the two goals – both penalties - that beat Nigeria in the final; and his compatriot Sergio Aguero, from Spain’s Atletico Madrid, played in the last two finals, and was top scorer and best player in Canada last year. Of course, the Nigerian team will remember these two – not fondly - from their last meeting: Messi was fouled by Adeleye for the first penalty; while it was a trip on Aguero – by Monday James – that set up the second.

The over-age selections add even more quality. Take Liverpool’s Javi Mascherano, a star of the gold winning team in Athens four years ago and in my view the best defensive midfielder in world football. And then there’s the mercurial midfield maestro, Juan Roman Riquelme, a dead-ball specialist who also pulls the strings for the senior team.

If Nigeria have a reputation for fielding strong age-group sides, Argentina – with five of the last seven U-20 world cups in their kitty - boast an even greater pedigree, and it’s not for nothing that they’ll be considered clear favourites on Saturday. Or that I tipped them for gold from the start.

Sergio Batista’s team also lines up in the now ubiquitous 4-2-3-1 formation, with Mascherano and Real Madrid’s Fernando Gago sitting in front of a back line ably led by the highly-rated Ezequiel Garay. Riquelme, with his passing, and Messi, with his dribbling runs, will control the show in midfield while Aguero looks to finish off in the box.

I think it’ll be a great game to watch, not so much a contrast in styles but more a stage for the best of African and South American skill and guile to come to the fore, and history suggests we might see an Argentina penalty – they had one in the 1996 final, too.

The wise money certainly points to an Argentina victory – as does everything I know about this game. Yet, the wise money’s been known to be wrong – think 1996 – and, let’s face it: what do I really know about this beautiful, unpredictable game we call football?

We’ll talk after the game. I’ll either be right and sad, or wrong ………. and blissfully overjoyed.

Olympics: Can Anyone Stop Argentina and Brazil?

2008-08-06T20:47:00.000-07:00

The Europeans may not take it seriously but Olympic soccer is certainly a big deal to the rest of the world, and as Beijing 2008 kicks off tomorrow, all eyes will focus on some of the greatest names in world football – even if this is basically an Under-23 competition.

Indeed, this is shaping up to be one of the most star-studded Olympic football competitions in recent memory. Not that past editions haven’t featured big names – Argentina had Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano in 2004, and the likes of Hernan Crespo and Roberto Ayala in 1996 – but it’s certainly different this time. No longer is Olympic football seen as a stepping stone to the big time – as it was for Michel Platini (1976), Dunga (1984), Romario (1988), Guardiola (1992), Crespo (1996), Xavi (2000) and Tevez (2004) – it’s become a prize to be coveted in its own right.

That’s exactly what’s brought the likes of World Cup veterans Ronaldinho and Riquelme out to smoggy Beijing, and sparked the numerous club v country head-to-heads that have dotted this European pre-season. All told, it should make for a fascinating two weeks and a cursory look at the various squads on show here leaves little doubt that the favourites will be the two South American countries – defending champions Argentina and Brazil.

Argentina will certainly fancy their chances of reclaiming gold in Beijing. If anything, they’ll present an even stronger team than the one that won in style in Greece four years ago. There’ll be no Tevez this time, but Mascherano returns as an over-age player and coach Sergio Batista will rely on a number of players from the squad that won the U-20 World Cup in Canada last year – especially midfield ace Ever Banega and striker Sergio Aguero. The most important pieces of this jigsaw though will be national team playmaker Juan Roman Riquelme, who brings unrivalled game control and deadly accuracy from set-pieces, and the sheer genius of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi.

Brazil will be expecting pretty much the same from Milan new boy Ronaldinho, although coach Dunga also brings a stacked deck. Midfielders Lucas (Liverpool), Anderson (Man Utd) and Diego (Werder Bremen), will bring top level experience, and strikers Pato (Milan) and Jo (Man City) – who both featured at the U-20 World Cup last year – are among the best young strikers in the European game today. Brazil have never won Olympic gold, and Dunga will be under pressure to break that hoodoo in Beijing. He’ll do well to remember the fate of Vanderlei Luxemburgo, who lost his job in 2000 after Brazil crashed out to Cameroon in the quarter finals.

That of course is only proof that, as with other levels of the beautiful game, surprise is very much a big part of Olympic soccer and the biggest shocks have come from African teams. Nigeria, led by Jay Jay Okocha and Nwankwo Kanu, saw off both Brazil and Argentina to win in 1996, and Cameroon followed suit to beat Spain to gold four years later. Both countries return to Beijing looking to repeat that feat, but it may well prove an even taller order this time.

Nigeria bring a new generation built on the foundations of the U-20 team that finished second to Argentina at the 2005 World Cup, and continuity will be one the team’s strong points. Samson Siasia’s team will be well-prepped and play with lots of confidence, yet the absence of Chelsea’s John Obi Mikel and Marseilles full back Taiye Taiwo leaves the “Dream Team” somewhat short of quality individuals. Still, that may well provide an opportunity for others to shine. Captain Promise Isaac will provide drive from midfield and much will depend on the form and fitness of strikers Chinedu Ogbuke, Victor Obinna and Everton’s Victor Anichebe. Oladapo Olufemi only made the squad as a result of Taiwo’s absence, yet he may well prove the pick of Siasia’s unsung heroes.

Cameroon will also feature a side that’s a far cry from the triumphant class of 2000, which included the likes of Samuel Eto’o, Geremi Njitap, Pierre Wome, Lauren Mayer and Patrick Mboma, players who had months earlier starred as the Lions were crowned African champions in Nigeria. Arsenal’s Alexandre Song will feature in midfield, alongside the promising duo of Stephane Mbia and Landry Nguemo, but it’s hard to see where the goals will come from.

Ivory Coast completes the African challenge in what will be a first appearance at this level. Of course, after impressing pundits at the World Cup in 2006, there’ll be no raised eyebrows if the young Elephants were to shine in Beijing. Their main threat will come from Chelsea star Salomon Kalou, although Ivory Coast also boast an emerging generation of new talent led by strikers Gervinho (Le Mans) and Sekou Cisse (Roda JC). Defence may prove the weak point of this physical side though and a place in the last eight may prove the limits of their potential.

That the three African reps may well fall short of repeating the glory of 1996 and 2000 doesn’t mean there’ll be a shortage of spoilers waiting in the wings. The United States, for one, will be looking to surpass their fourth place finish at Sydney eight years ago, and all eyes will again be on the gifted Freddie Adu. But there’s more to this team than Adu: Goalkeeper Brad Guzan is Premiership bound with Aston Villa; Michael Bradley is an accomplished midfielder in the Dutch league with Hereenven; striker Jozy Altidore has just signed a multi-million dollar deal with Spain’s Villareal; and veteran Brian McBride will lend loads of experience in attack.

But the biggest challenge to what threatens to be a South American party should come from Holland. The Dutch arrive Beijing on the back of two consecutive European U-21 championships and boast some of the best young players in Europe – including Royston Drenthe (Real Madrid), Ryan Babel (Liverpool) and Hedwiges Maduro (Valencia). Even then, it’s the team ethic that Foppe de Haan has instilled in these players over the past four years that will be Holland’s biggest asset and I think they’ll definitely go far in Beijing.

But can anyone really turnover the super-skilled teams from Argentina and Brazil? That’ll certainly take some doing and I seriously cannot see it happening. If you were hoping for a Brazil-Argentina final though, that’s not likely to happen either – the draws point to a semi-final clash.

I think Argentina will make it two in a row – especially if they can keep Messi – but watch out for those pesky Dutch boys.

Euro 2008: Belated Last Word

2008-07-30T20:50:00.000-07:00

It’s about time I drew the curtains on Euro 2008, wouldn’t you say? I can’t believe it’s already been 3 weeks since Spain trumped Germany in that final in Vienna. It’s even more shocking that I haven’t posted a single word since then. Technology problems and the other usual excuses….or maybe I’ve just been too busy celebrating the latest, long awaited Spanish conquest.

There can’t be any arguments that the best side won the Cup, but beyond that, this was a victory for adventurous attacking football and the teams that dared to go for it came out on top. Spain certainly had the most complete squad – as I have emphasized severally in earlier posts – and the quality and persistence of their passing game proved irresistible.

It’s easy to disregard the coach when team’s succeed yet Luis Aragones has to be commended for Spain’s success. If only for his courage, first in sticking to his guns and leaving the iconic Raul at home, and then for consistently taking off star players like Torres – who was substituted in every game – and Xavi, often to such great effect. Courage apart, Aragones’ team refused to be unduly burdened by the fear of losing that so often proves the undoing of many teams in finals like this.

By contrast, defending champions Greece were trapped in a 2004 bubble, sticking to the anti-football tactics that had proved so successful four years ago. Yet, a squad that included many hold-overs from that winning team simply lacked the ambition to challenge for goals. It was pretty depressing watching the Greeks playing keep-ball ad nauseum with lateral passes across a five-man defence line when the scores were still goaless in their opening match against Sweden. It’s one thing to kill off a game when you have the lead, but who ever heard of defending a 0-0 draw in your first group game?

The surprise semi finalists, Russia and Turkey, were two other teams that showed a true commitment to attacking football. The Russians were certainly a different proposition once the impressive Andrei Arshavin returned to the fold and they served up a masterpiece in the quarter final trouncing of Holland. Turkey, on the other hand just never knew when to quit. I doubt we’ll ever see any team score in the final minutes of four consecutive championship games again.

Germany somehow reached another final despite impressing in only two of their six matches – the last group game against Austria and the quarter final defeat of Portugal. This was a shadow of Jurgen Klinsmann’s attacking machine from the World Cup and, although Joachim Low made the most of his squad, he will have to start looking for replacements for the aging Lehman, Frings and Ballack.

Surprisingly, three of the hottest teams in the first round crashed out in the quarter finals. Holland looked very impressive while blowing past Italy, France and Romania in the so-called Group of Death, but then lost their way against Russia and the brilliance of Arshavin. Portugal paid for poor set-piece defending against Germany and not even the skills of Ronaldo – who had a poor tournament – could see them through. Croatia suffered perhaps the cruelest of fates in losing to Turkey on penalties – after Ivan Klasnic had put them ahead in the very last minute of extra time. I suppose that’s what makes knockout games so exciting – one slip up and it’s goodnight.

As for the rest, spare a thought for Italy. They started horribly against Holland, but I think Donadoni made the right changes and the Azzurri were certainly on the attack for most of their next match against Romania. Yet, it took Gigi Buffon’s penalty save to see Italy through to the last eight, where even the Juventus ‘keeper’s heroics couldn’t see them past Spain.

Euro 2008 was another of those finals that didn’t have one outstanding performer. Guess that’s the nature of the game these days. The team was certainly the star of the conquering Spaniards and midfielder Xavi was named Player of the Tournament more for his importance to the Spanish set up than for any individual exploits.

Nevertheless, I’ve attempted to pick my team of the tournament, something I’ve done for every major tournament since 1986. I’ve had to agonize over all but a couple of these choices and I’ve seen several contrasting picks over the past few weeks, but I’ll try to justify each of my picks in what will be an attacking 4-2-3-1 formation.

In goal, Edwin Van der Sar (Holland) gets my vote, despite letting in three against Russia. His safe hands played a big part in Holland’s flying start and he virtually single-handedly kept his team alive until extra-time in the Russia game. Spain’s Casillas and Italy’s Buffon also deserve a mention, as does Poland's Artur Boruc.

At right back, I have to go with Turkey’s Hamit Altintop, even if he’s nominally a midfielder. The Bayern man filled this role superbly in several games and particularly proved his mettle against Czech Republic when he set up all three Turkish goals. Russia’s Yuri Anyukov also impressed but the Turkish star gets the nod for his attacking bent.

Left back was one of the easier picks and few would argue that Yuri Zhirkov (Russia) was outstanding throughout the finals, defending superbly and contributing more than his fair share on the attacking end. Honorable mention: Gio Van Bronkhorst (Holland).

Central defence was one of the harder spots to pick, but I’ve gone with Spain’s Carles Puyol, for his all out commitment, and Italy’s unsung Giorgio Chiellini, who played a big part in the Azzurri’s quarter final stalemate against Spain. Honorable mention: Carlos Machado (Spain).

In the defensive midfield spots I have picked the Spanish duo of Marcos Senna, the closest thing to an outstading player at Euro 2008, and UEFA’s official MVP Xavi.

There were several impressive players in attacking midfield too. Germans Bastien Schweinsteiger and Lukas Podolski had their moments down the flanks, while their captain Michael Ballack put in a couple of classy performances. Deco was also impressive for Portugal, and Cesc Fabregas proved a match winner for Spain, but for sheer consistency I have gone with Croatia’s Luka Modric on the right, Holland’s Wesley Sneijder on the left – his goal scoring puts him just ahead of the impressive David Silva (Spain) – and the duminitive Russian Andrei Arshavin in the middle.

At lone striker, Russia’s Roman Pavlyuchenko was an impressive new face and Fernando Torres put up a superb performance in the final, yet I have to go with tournament top scorer David Villa, who was always a threat to opposing defences.

There you have it: Van der Sar – Altintop, Puyol, Chiellini, Zhirkov – Senna, Xavi – Modric, Arshavin, Sneijder – Villa

And I am sure you completely disagree.

Anyway, that’s that for Euro 2008. Hopefully we can have a competition this exciting at the World Cup in two years.

In the meantime, we have the Olympics kicking off next week and then league football kicks off in a couple of weeks. I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait - what with all the exciting transfer activity.

Guess you know what my next post is about.

Spain's Youth Investment Pays Off

2008-06-30T19:49:00.000-07:00

So, to Spain go the spoils. And deservedly so too. But before I get into my final thoughts about Euro 2008, I unearthed a little piece I wrote back in 2000 - eight long years ago - which seems just appropriate to ponder again at this time. Enjoy.

SPANISH LESSONS FOR AFRICAN SOCCER
Sola Egunjobi

A week after Cameroon’s historic Olympic victory, it’s difficult to stray away from the issue of youth development in football. Not just because the Olympic soccer event, which features U-23 teams, so easily demonstrates the gains of a well-laid out development programme, but also because, for African countries that lack the professional structures of the Europeans, there can be no other way to achieve international success on the playing fields.

Of course, the fact that Africa’s top countries boast players from the top European leagues suggests that it is in exporting players, rather than youth development, that the path to international success lies. For many countries that is certainly true, but the export of young players certainly goes hand in hand with youth development. For one thing, European clubs are more likely to import promising young players – Kanu left Nigeria at 17, ASEC’s Aruna Dindane, 18, has just joined Anderlecht. Secondly, it is no coincidence that player exports from Africa have grown with the growing profile of FIFA’s age group world championships over the last fifteen years. What better incentive to focus on youth development than a chance to compete against the world’s best at that level? And what better setting for European clubs to poach than from a collection of the world’s most promising youngsters?

Cameroon and Nigeria offer two African examples of countries that have reaped the benefit of youth development. Ghana have promised much, but the fruits of their youth endeavours could still lie in the future and South Africa have the right idea but, having just returned to the football fold eight years ago, are still new to the party.

For my money though, perhaps the best example for African countries comes from outside the continent. Olympic silver medallists, Spain once again showed the world the benefits of investing in youth, and this from a country whose clubs invest very heavily on foreign imports.

There indeed lies the lesson for Africa. Spanish clubs, one would assume, have little use for untried young players, or so the evidence suggests. Big clubs like Real Madrid so often line up sides with only a sprinkling of Spanish players and Barcelona once had more Dutchmen than Spaniards in their squad. Even smaller clubs, like Real Betis, Celta Vigo and Valencia have large foreign contingents and many young Spanish players seldom get a chance to prove their mettle. Yet, Spanish clubs continue to produce more than a fair share of talented youth. Barcelona, for all their riches, produced three of the Olympic team regulars – defender Carlos Puyol, midfielder Xavi, and striker Gabri - while from Valencia came David Albelda, and Miguel Angulo, regulars in the club’s Champions League run last season. More impressive perhaps is the quality of U-23 talent that couldn’t make the trip: Real Madrid keeper Iker Casillas, Barcelona new boy Gerrard and Inter Milan midfielder Paco Farinos.

But the Spanish example doesn’t end with clubs producing players. The Spanish federation gives top priority to youth football and they have done well in harnessing that talent into well-honed youth teams. Coach Inaki Saez Ruiz has handled the U-20 side for close to four years leading them to two world youth championships the last of which they won in Nigeria last year. So, if it seems as though Spain has simply filled its Olympic squad with talented youngsters from the clubs that isn’t the whole truth: four of the first team in Sydney played regularly in the championship winning team of 1999 and another three – as well as the missing Farinos - played at Malaysia 97. Beyond that, the likes of Xavi, Gerrard, and Casillas also played for the U-17 side at the 1997 world championships in Egypt where Spain finished third. Such continuity is hard to come by, yet it is clearly the way to go.

Of course it also requires loads of patience before the benefits are reaped at senior level and even Spain, for all their promise, are yet to win major honours. But that may not be too far down the road.

Rather prophetic, isnt it? Well, if anything, this argument is even stronger today. Of that silver winning team of 2000, four players featured at Euro 2008 - Puyol, Marchena, Capdevila and Xavi - and a fifth, David Albelda, would have made the trip but for some personal club problems. Then there's Casillas, who didn't go to Sydney. And that youth system continues to florish: eight other members of this squad have represented Spain at either U-17 or U-20 world championships - both for some -in the last nine years (Reina, Iniesta, Torres, Fabregas, David Silva, Navarro, Albiol and Sergio Garcia). That's a total of 13 players from a squad of 23. Impressive.

More on the Euros in my next post when I'll try and pick my team of the tournament. Yikes!

Euro 2008: This One's For Spain

2008-06-28T22:09:00.000-07:00

I’ll try not to be glib but I fully expect Spain to clinch Euro 2008 this afternoon with a convincing victory over Germany. As you must know by now, the Spaniards have been my pick to win it right from the start, so – I’ll admit – it would feel great to be right, for once!

But that’s not the main reason I’m sticking my neck out for a Spanish conquest today.

That Spain would play superb possession football was no surprise to anyone coming into these finals. With a midfield featuring the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas and David Silva, Spain were always going to dominate the ball. But they’ve also proved very effective in converting possession into goals – they’ve got a tournament high 11 so far – and they’ve defended pretty well too, letting in just 3 goals in 5 matches.

Beyond those tangibles though, the sheer quality of Spain’s play in these finals has been simply breathtaking at times. They again proved why they would be worthy champions in the 3-0 demolition of Russia last Thursday, so much so that the dreaded Andrei Arshavin – nemesis of both Sweden and Holland - was completely played out of the game.

I have alluded to Spain’s strength in depth in the past and they again proved the point in the Russia game. Not only did top scorer David Villa limp off injured in the first half, Aragones then decided to take off Fernando Torres and Xavi in the second half. Now, that would be akin to Russia taking off Arshavin, striker Roman Pavlyuchenko and Yuri Zhirkov, basically their three best players. Yet, if anything, the Spaniards looked even stronger, scoring two more goals after Fabregas, Xabi Alonso and Guiza took the field.

Spain will be without Villa – the tournament leading scorer - in the final and that would be a great loss for any other team. For Spain though, in a perverse kind of way, Villa’s absence could well make them even stronger. Aragones will more than likely stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation that saw out the semi-final, with Xavi dropping back alongside Marcos Senna and Fabregas starting between Iniesta and David Silva, just behind Torres. We’ve all seen what havoc Fabregas can wreak and I still think his vision and early passing suits Torres much better.

Furthermore, Aragones is far from unhappy with this “Plan B” given that his team had played in this formation for the better part of the last 12 months and there were a few raised eyebrows when he opted to start with two strikers in a 4-4-2 formation when Euro 2008 kicked off three weeks ago. So, in a sense, this is more a return to Plan A for Spain.

Now, contrast Spain’s comfort with seemingly second string choices to the hue and cry on the German side over the possibility of Michael Ballack missing the final and you’ll perhaps understand my conviction that this Euro title is heading to Madrid. A full strength Germany will have to be at their very best to overcome this Spain side – something we haven’t seen very often at these finals – and without Ballack they’ll certainly be missing their key inspiration.

Of course, this being the crazy game of football - and this being Euro 2008 - anything is possible and only the foolhardy would write Germany off, especially given their illustrious history. And Germany do have their strengths too – Ballack or no Ballack.

Their quick, direct play – especially through Lukas Podolski and Bastien Schweinsteiger – proved most effective against Portugal and Turkey and would contrast starkly with Spain’s patient approach. They also pose a potent threat from set-pieces and Spain will have to be wary of the aerial prowess of the likes of Ballack and Miro Klose who have plundered 3 headed goals in the last two matches.

Other than Ballack, Germany’s main threat will again come from Podolski on the left wing, but he’ll come up against Sergio Ramos, who was in excellent form against Russia’s Zhirkov in the semis. Of course, Ramos struggled earlier in the finals too and Germany will be looking to catch him stranded upfield on one of his usual overlapping raids.

Torsten Frings will be crucial in front of the back four, as he proved after coming on as a second half sub against Turkey. Germany’s defence certainly needs all the shielding it can get after conceding 4 goals in the last two matches.

This should be an exciting finish to what’s proved a great three weeks of thrilling football. Spanish finesse against German resilience should prove quite the contest, but I see the Spaniards taking this one – and it won’t be that close either.

The last three weeks have been a great advert for attacking football with loads of surprises and drama all the way.

Now, if we can just finish with some exciting football – and no surprises – Spain should be all set for a long awaited celebration. Viva Espana!!

Euro 2008 Semi Finals: Predict At Your Own Risk!!

2008-06-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

Just when you think you finally understand football, Euro 2008 comes along and blows everything out of the water. What can I say? That’s why we love this crazy game. Of my four picks for the semi finals only one remains in contention as the first of those games kick off this evening.

I am sure I’m not alone too. Did anyone out there really think Russia or Turkey would still be standing this late in the competition? Or that a Dutch team that had been irresistible in group play would be so summarily beaten by the unknown Russians? Well, one thing is for sure: these Russians are no longer unknown. The most popular name at Euro 2008 is now that of Andrei Arshavin, and the likes of left back Yuri Zhirkov and striker Roman Pavlyuchenko aren’t too far behind.

In truth, we should have known better. With Guus Hiddink at the helm, anything is possible and, just because of him, I kind of had an eye on the Russians from the off. Yet, after that 4-1 trouncing by Spain, I had to downgrade my expectations. Of course, like everyone else, I hadn’t heard of the phenomenon called Arshavin, who missed the first two games due to suspension. That is certainly an indictment of the polarization of the game today, since Arshavin had just inspired Russian club Zenit St. Petersburg to UEFA Cup glory. With all the attention on the high-profile Champions League we’d all kind off missed all that. But that’s a topic for another day. Now after dominating the last two games, scoring twice and setting up another two goals, the tiny No. 10 certainly has our attention. He will need to be at his best if Russia are to see off the Spaniards tomorrow. I don’t think that’ll happen though.

Spain remain my one consolation in the Euro 2008 prediction stakes. Not only are they the only one of my last four picks to get that far, I also picked them to win the whole thing and I still believe they’ll win this one. Spain’s biggest advantage is the depth of the squad. Not many teams at these finals can change it’s entire midfield without a drop in quality, yet Luis Aragones can take off Xavi, Iniesta and Silva, and put in Fabregas, Xabi Alonso and Cazorla. Up front, Torres was the pre-finals favorite, yet it’s David Villa that’s been taking the plaudits with his tireless running, trickery and finishing prowess. I think the Spain’s measured, patient approach doesn’t exactly play to Torres’ more instinctive, speedy style. He would benefit more from playing in front of Liverpool mate Xabi Alonso and Fabregas – who’s also used to the faster transition of the Premier League – but Aragones is unlikely to sacrifice ball winner Marcos Senna against the skillful Russians. Spain struggled to break down the Italians in the last round but I think they’ll fare better against a Russian backline that will be without centreback Denis Kolodin.

Can any one really be surprised that Germany is in the semi finals? Well, maybe considering that they got the better of a Portugal team that looked to have finally overcome its past failings on the goal-scoring end. Yet, the German “machine” is well known for eking out results without actually impressing the purists. They were solid against Portugal and took advantage of sloppy defending at free-kicks and I see them carrying on in the same manner to the final. In my last post, I said Michael Ballack would have to play better – he has – and someone other than Lucas Podolski would have to contribute some goals – they have. Joachim Loew has proved he can adapt tactics to match the opposition and it would be interesting to see how he sets up against the Turks tonight. If the Germans keep improving – especially Ballack and Bastien Schweinsteiger – and keep their concentration to the very end, Germany should be celebrating a place in the final.

And what can one say about Turkey? If this hasn’t been a miraculous sojourn so far, it sure would be if they pulled off one more win against Germany. Of course, the journey so far as been simply incredible. After losing to Portugal in the opening game, they’ve not only come from behind to win each of their last three games, they’ve also scored last minute goals in all those games, the most dramatic being Semih Senturk’s 120th minute equalizer against Croatia in the quarter finals – just a minute after Ivan Klasnic seemed to have put Croatia through. Another escape against Germany would simply put this into the folkloric realm, especially with Fatih Terim’s squad pared down to 15 players – including 2 goalkeepers – as a result of injuries and suspensions. They’ll be fighting to the very end but I don’t see Turkey getting past a savvy German side tonight.

Anyway, that’s just a few hours away now so we’ll wait and see. I can’t say I’ve got a good predicting record in this competition so far, but like the Turks I think I’ll come good right at the end.

So, here’s to a Spain v Germany final come Sunday. Enjoy the semis.

EURO 2008: Great Advert For International Football

2008-06-15T21:37:00.000-07:00

And they say international football is on its last legs. That’s what the advocates of all-encompassing club football have been telling us for the past decade or so. Yet looking at the faces of the Italian players as they belted out the national anthem before the Holland match on Monday, you could see the sheer emotional depth that comes with the donning of the Azzuri shirt. Ditto for their Dutch opponents and I daresay, any of the other teams duking it out for the title of European champions in Austra and Switzerland.

Not to mention the overflowing stands and the sheer atmosphere at most of the matches seen so far at Euro 2008.

International football is very much alive and well. And we wouldn’t have it any other way. Clubs are fine, and the day-to-day slog of following your favorite club through the season is all well and good, but for true passion and nationalistic fervor you can’t do better than international soccer. More so in these days of cosmopolitan clubsides that hardly reflect the cities in which they are based. I mean, is there anything English about the Arsenal Football Club club these days?

But the real case for international soccer is being made on the field and Euro 2008 is proving one of the most exciting championships I’ve seen in recent years. After the first two rounds, there’ve been a couple of poor games – France v Romania, for example – but the number of exciting, top quality matches on view has far outweighed that.

And it’s not just the usual suspects – Spain, Holland and Portugal - that are providing the thrills either. On the contrary, while the likes of France and defending champions Greece have been off colour, some of the best team performances have come from unsung teams from Croatia and Romania. That’s certainly made for some surprising results and some really exciting soccer.

The best games have so far come from Group C. Holland have surprised and impressed everyone with their tenacious defence and fast, counter-attacking game, seeing off both Italy and France in two entertaining goal-filled games. The controversy surrounding Ruud van Nistelrooy’s first goal dominated the Italy game, but the execution of the other two goals was quite breathtaking. France lacked inspiration, despite the best efforts of Frank Ribery, but even their usually tight backline couldn’t cope with the pace and industry of Dutch substitutes Robin van Persie and Arjen Robben. Beyond the players at his disposal though, Marco van Basten’s positive outlook is one of the reasons why the Dutch have suddenly become everyone’s favorite. Many coaches would go cautious with a one goal lead, yet with the Dutch leading France at the break on Friday, van Basten took off defensive midfielder Orlando Engelaar for Robben, a move that would prove decisive.

But the more surprising showing in Group C has been the performance of unsung Romania. Let’s face it, when this was dubbed the “Group of Death”, no one expected that Romania would be one of the “killers”. Yet their 1-1 draw with Italy was one of the best games of the first round and they could have sent home the Italians had Adrian Mutu been more accurate from the penalty spot. That could still happen, if Romania find a way to beat what will likely be an under-strength Dutch team in the final group game.

As for the Italians, I was impressed with the persistence of their attacking play against Romania – especially full backs Gianluca Zambrotta and Fabio Grosso – yet they have struggled to find the net in their two games. Roberto Donadoni’s wholesale changes improved on the first game performance, yet one wonders if he knows what his best team is. I think they deserve a place in the quarter finals – it’s a fun team to watch – and they should beat the French in the last group game on Tuesday.

The less said about France the better. Raymond Domenech’s decision to leave out Mathieu Flamini and pick an injured Patrick Vieira is only one symptom of his continued reliance on old, tired players at the expense of a new generation. Vieira is yet to feature at this finals and even if he makes an appearance against Italy, as with Zidane in 2002, it’s likely to be too little too late.

As for the other groups, Portugal have looked pretty solid with Deco back to his very best and Ronaldo always a menace. They should reach the last four again – regardless of who they face in the quarter finals. Turkey pulled off a minor miracle - with a little help from Petr Cech – in that comeback win against Czech Republic, but they proved they can play attacking football when they need to and will be pumped up for their clash with Croatia in the last eight. Villareal striker Nihat Kavechi may have stole the show with his two late goals, but the man to watch is Hamit Altintop, the Bayern midfielder who took a more central role in the second half and had a hand in both goals.

Croatia have looked pretty solid too – no surprise that they beat England at Wembley in the qualifiers – and that match with Turkey should be an exciting one that I expect the Croats to shade. The Germans still look like a team in transition, although losing to Croatia is certainly no disgrace. They could still come good, if Michael Ballack can step his game and someone other than Lukas Podolski figures out how to score goals. Otherwise, they’ll have a really tough time coping with Portugal in the last eight.

I tipped Spain to win it all and they’ve looked pretty good after two games in Group D. This was supposed to be Fernando Torres’ finals yet it’s David Villa that’s banging in all the goals. No matter. That only underlines the attacking quality available to Luis Aragones and with creative riches in midfield they should continue to thrive for a while yet. At least till the semi finals where they seem destined to play…Holland.

If I had to call the semi final line up today, I’d pick Portugal, Croatia, Holland and Spain. Yet, as Greece proved four years ago, upsets can happen. So I certainly won’t be counting out Germany, Turkey or even Romania.

Italy-Holland - What A Thriller!

2008-06-09T21:20:00.000-07:00

WOW! What a game!! After the damp squid that France and Romania served up at the Euros yesterday, it was quite refreshing to take in the Holland-Italy game. A thrilling game by all standards - even if you are a Italy fan. The quality of football was clearly at a higher level than the excrutiating stuff France and Romania put out. Italy didn't score - and greatly struggled to get past a resolute Dutch backline. On the few occassions that they did, they found in Ed Van Der Sar a master shot stopper.

Okay, Holland got a lucky break with that first goal when Ruud van Nistelrooy was clearly offside, but there can be no arguments about the other two goals - poached in fine fashion after two classic counter-attacking raids.

I still think Italy will go through from this so-called group of death, even if they now have to overcome this three-goal deficit. I think France have let their team get just a little long in the tooth, and Romania will eventually break under some quality pressure. France continue to rely on Sagnol, Thuram, Makelele, Vieira and Henry and with the latter two missing against Romania, they just couldn't get it going. Makelele was competent as always, but when the defensive lynchpin is your best passer, there'll be trouble on the attacking end. Even with the undeniable ability of Frank Ribery, just as they did at the 2002 World Cup, France look lost without Zinedine Zidane.

As for the whole tournament, I doubt if we'll have another Greece surprise this year. My favorites would be Spain, Germany, Portugal, Italy and Holland. I've always had a soft spot for the Dutch so I'd be pretty pleased if they win it. But I think this might just be the year that Spain finally get their act together. They've got an embarrasment of riches in midfield and attack and it'll come down to how Aragones decides to deploy his troops.

We'll have to wait and see. I just hope that in the meantime we get to see more games like this Italy-Holland clash.

Is Amodu The Right Man?

2008-06-05T19:32:00.000-07:00

It’s been at least six weeks since the Nigeria Football Association named Shaibu Amodu Super Eagles coach and I’ve been pondering that decision ever since. At first look, it’s another poor decision from an organization that’s not exactly known for making many smart ones. With good reasons too; first, the NFA dragged its feet through out March – ostensibly to let Berti Vogts’ contract to lapse, and then named James Peters interim coach. Worse still, after interviewing several candidates for the job, they allowed Stephen Keshi – the best of the lot - to leave in frustration to sign up with Mali. With Samson Siasia tied up with the Olympic squad, Amodu appears to be the last recourse open to the NFA.

But the benefit of hindsight has left me wondering why the notion of Amodu’s return appears to have rubbed so many Eagles’ fans the wrong way. Surely, if local coaches are again flavor of the month in Nigerian soccer (after the Berti Vogts’ disaster, they seem to be) it’s hard to look too far beyond the experience and accomplishments of Amodu. Now, whether that is a testament to Amodu’s creds or merely a reflection of the poor state of local coaches is for you to decide, but Amodu’s records with the likes of BCC Lions, El Kanemi and Orlando Pirates speak for themselves – even if more recent spells at Sharks and Nassarawa have been less than stellar. As for international experience, once you look beyond Adegboye Onigbinde and perhaps Siasia, - and the recently departed Austin Eguavoen and his predecessor Christian Chukwu - it’s nigh on impossible to name any other credible options.

So we’re back to Amodu and, don’t get me wrong, I am not entirely thrilled by this development – I was hoping for Keshi. I certainly remember Amodu’s last term at the helm, when an uninspiring, out-of-sorts team crashed out to Senegal at the semi final of Mali 2002. Amodu’s greatest failing was an inability to get a handle on his big name players, leading to anarchy in camp and an ultimately disastrous clash between the players – led by Sunday Oliseh – and the powers that be at the NFA. As coach, Amodu has to carry the can for that debacle, and he certainly paid the price when he lost his job after the finals and missed out on leading the Eagles to the World Cup.

Yet, when it comes to Amodu’s coaching abilities, I am not sure we have given the coach a fair shake. The truth is, for all the Super Eagles experience Amodu boasts, we’ve never really given him a chance to actually coach the team. Seriously. Chukwu had three years and Eguavoen two years, Amodu’s been given a few months here and there, totaling no more than two years spread over an eight-year period. Certainly not the kind of continuity required to leave a mark on a team.

Amodu first took the helm in 1994, with the nation basking in the euphoria of Nigeria’s first World Cup appearance and a triumphant Nations Cup campaign in Tunisia. Understandably, expectations were sky high, and that would always prove an unwieldy albatross, yet Amodu was blessed with a team and players of genuine quality, with the likes of Okocha, Oliseh, Amuneke, George and Amokachi just reaching the heights of their powers and a younger corps – Kanu, Babayaro, West – coming through the ranks. But Amodu never quite got a chance to prove his worth. He was gone within a year, with only a handful of inconsequential matches – in the Confederation Cup and a tour of the US – under his belt. It’s not that the results or performances were that bad, especially since the first choice players hardly featured, but there was that constant clamor for a foreign hand (guess, they were flavor of the month then) and the wave of unrealistic expectations was way too high. Case in point: many Nigeria fans considered a 1-0 loss to England at Wembley unacceptable, even if the Eagles had played some breath-taking football. I wonder what they make of our recent struggles against the likes of Mali now.

His next attempt is hardly worth mentioning, lasting just the first two matches of the 1998 World Cup qualifiers. He was gone after a 1-1 draw in Kenya and replaced by Frenchman Phillipe Troussier. Had he stayed, Amodu would have benefited from working with perhaps the best collection of talent the country has ever had. Fresh from Olympic glory in Atlanta and blessed with a nucleus of players featuring at the highest club level in Europe. But that never happened. Another opportunity lost.

Then came Mali 2002 – the one championship Amodu actually led the Eagles to. A third-place finish –and the team’s uninspiring performances - may have proved ultimately disappointing, yet the fact that the team arrived for those finals as one of the favorites – and with a World Cup ticket in hand – was down to the near-miraculous turn-around job that Amodu and his crew had accomplished after taking over the mess that Jo Bonfrere had bequeathed on them six months earlier.

Need reminding? Bonfrere led the Eagles to losses in Liberia and Sierra Leone (!), leaving the World Cup campaign teetering on the edge of disaster before the FA gave him the boot.

Amodu led the team to three straight wins – including an impressive 4-0 win in Sudan – and took advantage of Liberia’s home loss to Ghana to seal World Cup qualification. Bonfrere’s team managed to garner just 7 points from five matches; Amodu’s – featuring the same players - got the maximum 12 points from 3 matches. In total, between May 2001 and February 2002, the only time he was given a decent run of matches, Amodu’s Eagles played 10 matches, won 7, drew 2 and lost 1- and only one of those games was a friendly. Good numbers by any standard.

The mess in Mali took much away from those early successes, especially since that one defeat was to Senegal in the semi-final, but in retrospect, I think Amodu should have been given a chance to right the ship and lead the team to Japan/Korea 2002. I doubt the outcome could have been any worse than the first round elimination we suffered in the orient.

Ironically, Amodu’s longest spell in charge coincided with the decline of the all-conquering team of the 1990s. In truth, the 2002 squad was at best, a team in transition. In that light, finishing 3rd at the Nations Cup can hardly be labeled a disaster. Certainly not when compared to the class of 2008.

The real test of Amodu’s mettle would have been to transition that aging team to a new, potent force. I would like to think that process was already under way – the likes of Yobo, Udeze, Aghahowa, Agali and Ayegbeni were already important squad players. Yet, Amodu’s lack of control over the squad and the lack of young options in midfield – a condition that continues to dog the Super Eagles – suggest otherwise. Again, we lost the opportunity to see if he is up to the task.

Sadly, Amodu faces an even tougher battle this time. Nigeria no longer has the quality or the depth of talent that comprised the Super Eagles between 1994 and 2002, and Ghana 2008 further underlined the lack of midfield talent. Perversely, the Eagles’ recent failings may also prove a positive for Amodu; expectations are probably more reasonable now that the team’s limitations have been exposed.

Of course, there are no guarantees that he would be allowed any more time than he had in the past. There’s already talk that he is only holding the forte until Siasia makes a triumphant return from Beijing.

I don’t know if Amodu is the right man to re-build Super Eagles. But I would sure like to find out and I hope he gets enough time to make his case – for once.

Chelsea Heartbreak in Moscow

2008-05-28T19:54:00.000-07:00

I suppose it’s about time I broke my long silence and finally let rip on last week’s Champions League final. As they say, no time like the present. Especially since it’s been seven days- time sure flies - since Man U overcame Chelsea to lift the cup in the middle of the Moscow night. More importantly, we are a mere ten days away from the start of the summer jamboree that is Euro 2008. No better time to get all the club stuff out of the way and start thinking international soccer, at least for a few weeks.

Well, Moscow proved to be all I had expected and more – save for the red card, penalties and the destination of the cup, of course. Okay, my prediction didn’t pan out. Let’s get that out of the way from the off. A highly attritional affair climaxed with the sending off of Didier Drogba and the high drama of the penalty shoot-out lottery. This was one of those finals that could fairly have gone either way, and I guess that should be true of any final that goes to the dreaded shoot-out. But that isn’t always the case. I am a Liverpool fan but there can be no denying that Milan should have won the 2005 final after dominating the first half and leading by three goals at half time.

Man U dominated the first period in Moscow and in truth should have been well ahead by the time Frank Lampard arrived in the box – as he does – to cancel out Ronaldo’s opening goal. That Chelsea were still in it at this point was down to the brilliance of Petr Cech and the profligate finishing of Carlos Tevez. Sir Alex won the early tactical game by playing Ronaldo wide on the left with a two-fold effect. First, with Michael Essien filling in at right back, the Portuguese winger had the advantage of facing an out-of-position defender, and he took full advantage getting past the Ghanaian at will, and heading home the opening goal with Essien caught in no-man’s land.
Second, the constant threat Ronaldo posed on the flank effectively kept the usually marauding Essien out of the Man U half for the entire first half. Indeed, the one time Essien ventured forward in the first half, his deflected shot ended at the feet of Lampard for the equalizer.

Chelsea never quite got going in the first half. Their midfielders kept treating the ball like a hot potato, seemingly unwilling – or unable – to keep possession and constantly pumping long balls in the direction of the outnumbered Drogba in attack. They were certainly lucky to be back on level terms by the break, but they started the 2nd period in much better form, effectively stifling Man U’s free-flowing game while attacking with more poise, purpose and imagination. The more patient build up allowed Ashley Cole and Essien to join the attack down the flanks, something that was wholly missing in the first half and Chelsea gradually established a stranglehold on the game. Sir Alex addressed that with the entry of Ryan Giggs for Paul Scholes, bringing Owen Hargreaves into the middle alongside Michael Carrick. But it was Chelsea that came closest to the winning goal when Drogba cracked a shot against the upright with Van der Sar well beaten.

Extra time was especially notable for three incidents: Lampard hit the cross bar from seven yards out; Giggs’ goal bound effort was headed clear by John Terry; and then Drogba waded into the scrum that followed a disagreement between Terry and Tevez to slap Vidic across the face and earn himself a well-deserved red card.

Well, we know what happened in the shoot-out: Ronaldo was well on his way to being the villain – after the season he’s had, that would have been quite the twist – until Terry’s wayward effort saved his bacon and gave Man U a dramatic lifeline. But did Terry miss because he slipped? Or did he slip after he had hit the shot? It wasn’t all that clear to me, nor should it matter. Either way, it’s hard not to feel for the Chelsea captain. I bet he could just picture himself lifting the Cup - as we all did – as he strode forward for that decisive penalty kick.

Now we can only wonder what might have been had Drogba not been sent off. Chelsea fans are convinced he would have scored one of the penalties – perhaps even that final one that Terry fluffed. It’s been suggested that Terry only stepped up for the last kick because Drogba was missing and I have no doubt the big striker would have been one of the five. Yet, no one is infallible from the spot and Drogba could very well have missed too. After all, Ronaldo is Man U’s most reliable penalty taker – he took all of his club’s penalties this season - yet he was the only one of seven Man U players not to score. Had the tables been turned and Ronaldo been sent off, I am sure Man U fans would have blamed a subsequent loss on his absence.

Still not convinced? Well, think back two years to the final of the African Nations Cup in Cairo. Egypt beat Ivory Coast to lift the cup after a penalty shoot out in which Mr. Drogba missed one of the Elephants’ kicks.

In any case, this is all conjecture now. Man U win another one just when it seemed to be out of reach – shades of Barcelona nine years ago – and Chelsea’s hunt for European respectability continues. I can’t but recall the telling words of Fox Soccer Channel’s Bobby McMahon in the aftermath of last Wednesday’s final: “No team will come closer to winning the cup without actually winning it.”

That will be scant consolation for Roman Abramovich, the man who’s billions have yet to land the “holy grail”. Manager Avram Grant has already paid the price after getting the sack just days after the final. Okay, Grant is no Mourinho, but I don’t think the Israeli has performed poorly since taking over from “The Special One” in mid-season. Chelsea finished the season runners-up in the Premiership, the Carling Cup and the Champions League. That’s certainly not a disaster for your everyday club. But Chelsea is anything but normal. If that is the standard that future Chelsea managers would be held to, I think Abramovich will be sacking a fair number of managers in the years ahead.

For my last word on this year’s Champions League, I’d like to pay tribute to one of the game’s biggest unsung heroes. Was I the only one marveling at the performance of Claude Makelele in the Chelsea midfield last Wednesday? What a player this tiny defensive midfielder is! And it wasn’t just about man-marking, game-reading and breaking up the play either. Makelele put on a one-man clinic on how to keep the ball on Wednesday night. As the likes of Ballack, Lampard and Malouda struggled, he hardly played a bad pass, never got caught in possession and always managed to twist and turn his way out of tight spots. For a player with hardly any pace left, it’s a wonder to see how he uses space and his opponents’ movements in his role just in front of the back four. Little wonder that he’s still playing comfortably at the highest level at the ripe old age of 35 years.

Watch out for more Makelele when France take the field at Euro 2008 – yes, he’s still in the squad.

But I’ll delve more into the Euros in my next post. Later

No Double for Man U

2008-05-07T20:32:00.000-07:00

It’s what they call the business end of the season and it’s down to a dog-fight between Man U and Chelsea for the major spoils – on two fronts, no less.

First, the Premiership comes to a potentially thrilling climax this weekend with the two clubs neck and neck at the top of the table. It’s been 9 years since the title chase went all the way to the wire – Man U pipping Arsenal at the tape in 1999 – and I think we’ll have the same winner again this year.

Man U’s vastly superior goal difference gives them the clear edge as they travel to the bumpy Wigan pitch on Sunday, and I just don’t see Alex Ferguson’s team slipping up here. Yet slip-ups are rife in the history of the beautiful game so I won’t be taking anything for granted. Luckily for Man U fans neither will Sir Alex. The wily Scot’s been here one too many times and surely his young wards will be well prepared to give everything on Sunday.

Chelsea entertain Bolton at the Bridge and they must win to have any chance of unseating Man U. That shouldn’t be a problem for Avram Grant’s in-form team, yet I don’t think it’ll be enough to bring the title back to London this year.

It’s Man U’s title to lose now and, on the whole, it would be a well deserved title for the Red Devils. They’ve won more games than any team in the top flight (26), while scoring the most goals (78) and conceding the fewest (22). They’ve been simply magic at Old Trafford too, winning 17 of 19 matches and dropping just 5 points of a possible 57.

Championship stuff indeed, but for all that, I don’t think Man U will be celebrating a double this year. That’s right, I think Chelsea will win the Moscow showdown on May 21 and claim its first Champions League Cup.

Don’t get me wrong, this will be no walk in the park for the Blues. It will be a hard fought final between two highly skilled and motivated teams, yet I think Chelsea will edge this one.

Why? Well, for one thing Chelsea seem to have found their form at the right time. As is their wont, this side has been grounding out results all season but it’s only in the last month or so that they have looked anything like the side Mourinho built. Key players have either returned from injury – as with John Terry and Frank Lampard – or to back to form – as with Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba – and Man U will be stretched to cope with the sheer physicality and never-say-die attitude of this team.

In addition, for all the skill and resilience of Man U, their opponents just seem to have winners all over the pitch. Not necessarily more skilled, just the kind of players that somehow grind out a result against all odds. Think Carvalho, Essien, Ballack, Makelele, Lampard and Drogba. While Man U’s style and players like Ferdinand, Scholes, Carrick, Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo are far easier on the eyes, I think Chelsea’s lot would be much more at home in a dog-fight, if you know what I mean.

So, here’s the thing. I think Moscow will be a dog-fight of a football match. When Man U are on top of their game, they’re very hard to beat. But I don’t think Chelsea will let them play to the best of their ability in Moscow. The difference is that Chelsea, on current form, don’t need to play well to win. I think they’ll make a scrap of it and something tells me that Chelsea’s fighters will find a way to win the battle and take the ‘Cup with the big ears’ to Stamford Bridge for the first time. History beckons.

Kudos to Man U and Chelsea

2008-05-02T06:55:00.000-07:00

I know it feels like I've been in mourning - after the Liverpool heartbreaker on Wednesday night - but that's not why you haven't read from me in two days. Just life getting in the way.

Kudos to Man U and Chelsea for making it through to Moscow. And don't forget Zenit St. Petersburg, who put the mighty Bayern Munich to the sword in the UEFA Cup. Tuesday night went as expected; Barca playing, Man U scoring. But Wednesday was something else. Great game that could have swung either way. In the end, the home team got the breaks but Liverpool gave as good as they got and contributed to a fantastic game.My extended thoughts on all these will come in a later post.

But wasn't it odd how injuries and substitutions setled this affair? Riise came in for the injured Fabio Aurelio in the 1st leg, and scored an own goal at the death. Then in the 2nd leg, Hyppia replaced Skrtel and gave away a sloppy penalty in extra time. Even on the Chelsea side, substitute Kalou provided the cross that led to Riise's blunder at Anfield, and subs Malouda and Anelka set up Drogba's ultimately decisive 3rd goal at the Bridge. C'est la vie.

Advantage Chelsea & Ronaldo v Messi II

2008-04-28T21:14:00.000-07:00

Two words: Advantage Chelsea. And before you Blues fans, get carried away and start dreaming of the title, I refer only to the Champions League semi final battle with Liverpool, the second leg of which we all await with bated breath. Certainly not the Premiership, where Man U’s commanding goal difference leaves them in control of their fate. Chelsea, on the other hand have to fast and pray for a Man U slip-up in the last two rounds. But …it’s Champions League time so let’s stay focused.

Chelsea’s late equalizer at Anfield clearly puts them in the driving seat for the return leg at Stamford Bridge on Wednesday. An away goal is always valuable in these tight ties and it means Chelsea can go through to the final without having to score a goal at home. I guess, giving Liverpool’s proven ability to squeeze out 0-0 draws in Europe, Chelsea and their fans will derive some level of comfort from that situation. Liverpool would have loved to take that one-goal lead to London, yet I don’t think the 1-1 scoreline makes as big a difference as all that. I doubt that Rafa Benitez would have been playing for a goalless draw at the Bridge regardless and to assume that Chelsea wouldn’t score at least once at home would have been sheer folly.

In essence, Liverpool – had they kept their one-goal lead – would have traveled knowing they’d probably have to score at the Bridge to go through. This is the exact situation they find themselves in now. On the other hand, though a goalless finish suits Chelsea, I doubt they’ll play for that in front of their fans and that should make it quite a game – perhaps the most open game between these two in years.

Liverpool may well rue the missed opportunities at Anfield – not to mention Riise’s injury time gift – but if they play as well as they did at home, and Torres and Gerrard gel as they can, I wouldn’t be writing them off yet. Rafa may decide to start Crouch alongside Torres in his search for goals, but I think he’ll go for Ryan Babel’s pace and trickery to start with.

Chelsea will have to play much better than they did last week – they usually do at home - and they should be on a high after seeing off Man U on Saturday. Their biggest boost though would be the return of Ghanaian Michael Essien after suspension. Ballack and Lampard were well dominated by Mascherano and Alonso at Anfield, but they’ll find in Essien a tougher proposition. The sheer power and industry of the “Bionic Man” could well give Chelsea the edge in this one.

Yet, I am going to stop short of making a prediction. It looks all set up for Chelsea to reach the Champions League final for the first time, but like Liverpool fans everywhere, I’ll be hoping for the contrary.

Before the Reds v Blues on Wednesday though, there’s the little matter of Man U hosting Barcelona at the “Theatre of Dreams” later today. I thought Man U would see off the Catalans quite easily before the first leg, but I suppose I am not the only one who’s having a re-think now.
Before you Man U fans go loco on me, I’m not saying that Ferguson’s team won’t go through to Moscow. Not yet, anyway. But I certainly thought they’d put up more of a fight at the Nou Camp, where Barca completely dominated play and Man U resorted to parking the bus in front of their goal in a desperate bid not to concede. Okay, maybe that’s what’s required to succeed in the Champions’ League, and a 0-0 draw at the Nou Camp is a good result by all means. It was the manner of the performance that got me though. and Barcelona showed enough to suggest that they could pull an upset at Old Trafford.

Still, Man U at home should be a different deal. They’ll definitely come out to play – as they eventually did at Stamford Bridge on Saturday – and we all know how dangerous they can be at their attacking best. I am not even going to discuss the possibility of Rooney’s absence; doesn’t matter, they’ve got Tevez, Nani,….

Barcelona are hardly the strongest team in defence, even if captain Puyol returns after suspension, and they are having trouble finding the net as well, yet if they dominate the ball as they can – Xavi, Iniesta and Messi put up a clinic last week – Man U fans will be in for a long night.

It should be an intriguing contrast in styles – Barca’s measured, controlled passing approach against the swift, incisive attacking style of Man U. In addition, we get another look at two of the contenders for the title of ‘best player in the world’.

Leo Messi certainly took the first round last week, running the United defence ragged for an hour before making his exit. And this from a youngster who’d been out injured for several weeks prior. Ronaldo’s had a great season, but he was clearly not at the races in Barcelona, missing that early penalty to boot. He’ll have another chance to show-up the Argentine wonder-kid tonight.

In all, it should be a great game to see. Barcelona may well dominate the play again, but I think Man U, at Old Trafford, have enough attacking guile and finishing power to win this one. Of course, I won’t be shedding any tears if they don’t.

See ya!

Champions League: It's gotta be Man U v Liverpool

2008-04-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

There seems to be no escaping the Premiership these days. As one contemplates this week’s Champions League semi finals, the names Man U, Chelsea and Liverpool are front and centre yet again, and the fact that the first two clubs also face off in a potential title decider at the weekend only spices up the situation.

Of course, that can only be good news for Liverpool, who have no title aspirations and are just one point away from securing Champions League action next season. They’ll hope that the Chelsea’s league distractions weigh heavy when they visit Anfield on Tuesday.

Having beaten Chelsea at the same stage twice in the last three seasons, Liverpool will be confident of over-turning the London club yet again. It’s going to be tight again – both teams are strong defensively – yet I think Liverpool are a much stronger team than they were last year, especially in attack. Benitez knows his best team and best formation now and they’ve been in great form over the last two months.

Chelsea isn’t the most exciting team to watch yet they remain very solid and hard to beat, as their league position indicates, yet without Jose Mourinho they’re hardly the all-conquering machine of the last three seasons. They’ll also be without the “bionic” Essien in the first leg. He'll be greatly missed.

I think this will come down to the bench – Benitez v Grant – and my money will be on the Spaniard. If he could outsmart Mourinho twice, I think he can do likewise to Grant. The only twist this time is that the 2nd leg will be at Stamford Bridge, giving Chelsea a chance to right whatever goes wrong in the first leg. Liverpool will need a two-goal margin at Anfield to feel comfortable but I think they’ll beat Chelsea over two-legs and reach another final.

Man U remain favourites to win the whole thing, and Barcelona’s current form doesn’t suggest that an upset is in the offing. That near miss at Blackburn on Saturday would give Barca some hope though, as will the fact that Man U will have Chelsea on their mind when they visit the Nou Camp on Wednesday. It should be fascinating tie though, especially since Barca have Leo Messi back and Samuel Eto’o in fine scoring form. It’s not been a fine season for Rijkaard’s team but I hesitate to write off any team that includes midfielders like Xavi, Iniesta and Yaya Toure.

Nonetheless, Man U have been in flying form and they have the squad to overcome the stiffest of challenges. Ronaldo has been the key man, but match winners abound in this squad – Tevez, Hargreaves, Rooney, Scholes etc. – and I expect they’ll get past Barcelona, even if they fail to win at the Nou Camp.

So, I guess I’m sticking my neck out and plumping for a Man U v Liverpool final. We’ll see how the first legs go.

Laudrup's Getafe Prove La Liga Quality

2008-04-20T20:52:00.000-07:00

Amidst all the excitement of Liverpool’s Champions League exertions against Arsenal the other week, it was easy to overlook an even more dramatic encounter unfolding in the UEFA Cup, that poor relative of the money-spinning Champions’ League.

I speak of that cracking quarter final tie between German giants Bayern Munich and Spanish “minnows” Getafe. On paper, this looked like a straight forward affair – the moneyed, star-studded German side expected to run, rough shod over the provincial upstarts. Instead we got two exciting, drama-packed matches only settled in the very last minute of extra time in the second leg. If you think the Liverpool v Arsenal ending – with 3 goals in the last 6 minutes - was pure drama, well, this one was on a different level.

The excitement started in Munich when, with Bayern sitting on a one-goal first half lead, Getafe took the game to the hosts till late in the game, persistently pounding on the door until substitute Cosmin Contra beat Oliver Kahn and two defenders on the goal line with the most delicate of chips in the 90th minute.

Then came the second leg in Spain. Getafe were reduced to 10 men after 7 minutes, losing star defender De La Red to a straight red card. Then, Nigerian striker Uche, limped off with a pulled hamstring after 20 minutes. Yet Contra scored again, this time to give Getafe the lead just before half time, and they seemed all set for a giant killing……only for Bayern to tie it all up, again in the 90th minute, and send the game to extra time. Two quick Getafe goals swung the tie back in the Spaniards favour as they now led 4-2 on aggregate with five minutes to play. Then came the climax to beat all climaxes.

In the 116th minute - four minutes to safety - Getafe ‘keeper Abbondanzieri dropped a harmless-looking long punt into the box, gifting Luca Toni the easiest of tap-ins. Now, Bayern needed just one more goal to get through on away goals. Well, they got it right on the dot of time, Toni again nodding in to bring a dramatic end to an exciting affair.

Just goes to show that great football can still be found outside of the super-hyped Champions League. Bayern were expected to stroll through the UEFA Cup field this season, and they remain favourites to take the cup. But Getafe, with no household names on the books, showed what good teamwork, organization and attacking football can achieve, while once again highlighting the quality of the Spanish La Liga. English clubs may dominate the latter stages of the Champions League, but it’s always the same English clubs. Getafe’s achievement and performance would be akin to a club like Birmingham or Reading reaching the UEFA Cup quarter finals – and stretching a giant like Bayern. Can you imagine that happening? I can’t. I don’t even see those teams qualifying for the UEFA Cup especially with stronger, under-performing clubs like Portsmouth, Tottenham and Newcastle – all packed with well paid international – seating ahead of them in the Premiership.

I suppose my point is this: the Premiership’s top four are as good as it gets in Europe today, but that doesn’t make the Premiership the best league. It’s exciting to watch, no doubt, it has several of the best players in the world – as Serie A did in the early 1990s – and it’s certainly well-marketed, but I’d pick La Liga over the Premiership for competitive depth. Real Madrid and Barcelona may be the standard bearers but Valencia have reached two Champions League finals and won the UEFA Cup all in the last 8 years; Sevilla won the last two UEFA Cups and beat Espanyol in the last final, and “little” Villareall were Champions League semi-finalists two years ago.

I really wasn’t planning to get into this “war of the leagues” when I started this piece, so I think I’ll give it a rest now. More to the point keep an eye out for Getafe’s manager, a certain Michael Laudrup, the former Denmark striker. He’s certainly done a fine job in his first year at the club and I wouldn’t be surprised if his name begins to come up in association with the bigger clubs.

As a former star player with both Barcelona and Real Madrid, I have little doubt that he will one day end up at the helm of one of those two clubs. Getafe, of course, has already proved a sound stepping stone to the big job: Laudrup took over from current Real boss Bernd Schuster.

Litmus Test For Reborn Liverpool

2008-03-22T21:33:00.000-07:00

Amazing how tides turn, isn’t it? Six short weeks ago, Liverpool looked a side in dire trouble and manager Rafa Benitez a match away from losing his job. All the brouhaha surrounding the American owners and their spat with the manager certainly didn’t help matters, but then neither did a shocking run of six matches without a win – including an embarrassing 2-1 home loss to lowly Barnsley in the FA Cup.

That’s all history now. Five straight Premiership wins and two impressive Champions League wins have suddenly made Liverpool a key factor in the championship race. Sure, with 11 points separating the Anfield side from leaders Man U, Rafa’s boys are unlikely to claim the title now. But they play both Man U and Arsenal in the weeks ahead, and with the kind of form Liverpool have been in, there’s a good chance that one of those two will be lamenting at the end of the season.

It’s not just that Liverpool are winning again, but they’ve been playing some great football too. For a perfect example of that, look no further than the two Champions League games against an Inter Milan side that has dominated Serie A for the past 18 months. The first leg at Anfield came right on the heels of that debacle against Barnsley and I am sure I wasn’t the only one who was less than optimistic about Liverpool’s chances against the nerrazurri.

Yet, the Italians hardly got a shot on target as Liverpool dominated the game and deservedly grabbed two late goals. Inter were admittedly reduced to 10-men for most of the game but that usually makes top teams harder to break down.

Inter were again reduced to 10 men in the return at the San Siro and Liverpool – riding their luck at times – came away with an impressive 1-0 win.

Liverpool’s new lease of life can be put down to a number of factors, primary among which is the great scoring instincts of star striker Fernando Torres. The Spanish “El Nino” has 27 goals in all competitions this season and hit the target 8 times in the last five league games.

Then there is Torres’ growing partnership with captain Steve Gerrard, which is gradually becoming one of the most unorthodox and effective tandems in the Premiership. Benitez seems to have finally resolved the long-standing question about the best way to use the exuberant skills of his captain, and in the process he’s found the best formation for his talented squad.

The early season tactical flirtations have finally given way to a regular 4-2-3-1 formation that – despite the presence of two “defensive” midfielders - is certainly much more offensive than it would appear. In effect, this is more an attack minded 4-2-4 than the pragmatic-sounding 4-2-3-1 looks on paper: the free-roving Gerrard is more striker than midfielder, and the flanking Dutchmen Dirk Kuyt and Ryan Babel are capable forwards in their own right.

In addition, Benitez has finally settled on his best team. The wholesale team changes are no more and Liverpool now show a greater team consistency built around the spine of Pepe Reina in goal, Jamie Carragher in defense, Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano in midfield, and Gerrard roving behind the prolific Torres upfront. Add to that the resurgent veteran Sami Hyppia, newboy Martin Skrtel and the exciting Babel and you have the reasons for Liverpool’s new found pizzazz.

Liverpool have looked fresh too, a consequence, perhaps, of the much maligned rotation policy that was often blamed for some of the team’s failings in the early going.

Nevertheless, the jury is still out on Liverpool’s season and the real test of this new-found lease of life begins this afternoon with the usually dreaded trip to Old Trafford. It’s one thing to rack up 15 goals in an unbeaten sequence against Middlesbrough, Reading, Bolton, West Ham and Newcastle, it’s another to come up with the goods against Man U, Everton and Arsenal, all of whom they face over the next two weeks.

I think Rafa’s team is up to the challenge – yes, I’m a Liverpool fan. Man U usually win these games, even if Liverpool more than often dominate the play. I still remember Rio Ferdinand heading home a late winner last season, and of course, John O’Shea’s last minute goal achieved the same result at Anfield last year.

If Liverpool maintain their new-found effectiveness in front of goal – and manage to shackle the rampant Ronaldo - they just might sneak this one.

Liverpool fans everywhere will be hoping for a return to those days in 2001 and 2003, when Danny Murphy’s goals earned memorable wins at Old Trafford.

PS: If you’re reading this after the Man U game – very likely – well, I’m either spot on or dead wrong. If it’s the former, let the comments flow. Otherwise, don’t!

Should Have Been Keshi

2008-03-17T22:09:00.000-07:00

I thought I’d be ushering in the new season of change in Nigerian soccer this week; instead I’m left to marvel at what can only be described as the failure of leadership that continues to plague our game.

I can think of no more civil way to describe the NFA’s decision to chicken out of naming a new coach for the Super Eagles, and instead drag our football back 30 years by naming James Peters interim coach.

If this is the quality of decision-making that will guide Nigerian football into the future, then I guess we’d better enjoy the “success” of Ghana 2008 now. No, I’m not kidding. If Nigerian football continues along this road to mediocrity, Ghana 2008 would go down as a success compared to what lies ahead.

After all, just six years ago Shaibu Amodu was kicked out for finishing 3rd at the Nations Cup finals. With the benefit of hindsight – and compared to the debacle of 2008 – those sure look like the good old days now, don’t they?

Here’s what really gets me: Why go through the whole rigmarole of interviewing candidates if the best you can come up with is James Peters?

And there I was thinking the NFA would do the right thing – for once – and name Stephen Keshi to the top job. I thought they would show courage and leadership and at least apply a bit of logic at this most crucial time in our soccer history.

I must have been dreaming, I guess. This is the NFA we’re talking about after all. Words like logic, leadership and courage aren’t exactly what one would usually associate with an oganisation that has appointed nine coaches in the 14 years since Clemens Westerhoff was hounded out in 1994.

So, instead of looking forward to new beginnings this week, I am left to lament the news that Keshi is about to be named new coach of the Eagles ……..of Mali. Great news for Mali, of course, but another missed opportunity for Nigeria.

I suppose that leaves two contenders on the NFA’s shortlist for the job – Amodu and Samson Siasia – but here’s why I think Keshi should have been given the nod:

Leadership

No matter what else might be said about Keshi, there can be no denying that this guy is a born leader. Captain of the national team by the age of 23, he would go on to skipper almost every club he played for – NNB, Stade Abidjan, Anderlecht and Strasbourg. It’s not for nothing that Keshi became known as the “Big Boss” during his 14 year tenure in the national side, even if that often led to accusations of undue influence over team selections during the Westeroff era.

Experience

Starting with an unsuccessful spell with the Nigeria U-20s in 2001, Keshi has spent the better part of the last seven years learning his craft in international football. He was part of the Amodu-led team that turned around a near-disastrous campaign to lead the Super Eagles to World Cup qualification in 2002, and then went on to achieve the miraculous four years later by qualifying Togo for the 2006 World Cup. That Mali have come calling only underlines the growing profile of one of Africa’s top emerging coaches.

European exposure

Sure, playing experience doesn’t necessarily translate to coaching pedigree, but there’s no question that an understanding of the workings of the European game can only be an asset in today’s Eurocentric soccer environment. For newcomers to the game, six years at Anderlecht might seem to be a career in the minors, but those in the know would acknowledge that Anderlecht were a true European power during Keshi’s spell in Brussells, regularly reaching the latter stages of the Champions Cup and Cup Winners Cup. At a time when African players were few and far between at those levels, Keshi was making a a name for himself and gaining invaluable experience that can only serve him in good stead as a coach.

Of the three candidates, I believe Keshi has the best mix of qualities required to lead the Super Eagles. Sure, Siasia also boasts valuable European experience and has proved a resourceful leader of the U-20 and U-23 teams in the last three years, but Keshi’s record at full international level gives him an edge.

Amodu boasts an impressive CV coaching at club level, but his international credentials, after two spells at the helm, are less stellar. On the plus side, he led the Eagles to World Cup qualification in 2002, but his leadership was seriously called to question after the chaotic Nations Cup of 2002. Then, there’s that whole European exposure thing. Sure, one can coach effectively without it – after all the very European Berti Vogts proved a disaster – but that would require a functional, effective NFA. Good luck with that.

This is all moot now anyway. With Keshi almost certainly heading to Bamako, one of Amodu or Siasia will get the job. I would pick Siasia because I believe his performance with the age-group teams have earned him a chance, and also just to have a fresh-face with new ideas, rather than wheeling Amodu out for the third time.

Siasia’s duties with the Olympic-bound U-23 team may well preclude him in the end – meaning that the NFA, when they eventually name a coach, could end up picking the third best man for the job by default.

All thanks to a confused, rudderless and cowardly approach to decision-making.

End Of A Milan Era

2008-03-06T20:11:00.000-08:00

Arsene Wenger’s youngsters ended AC Milan’s hold on the Champions League trophy in midweek, beating the Rossoneri 2-0 at the San Siro, no less.

Guess we should have seen that one coming. As I hinted in my Serie A preview several months ago, this could well be the year when age finally catches up with Milan’s battle-weathered warriors. They’ve been far from impressive in Serie A, failing to win any of their first 7 home matches, and it’s only since the New Year – and the arrival of the Brazilian prodigy Pato – that they’ve slowly creeped up the table and back into contention for 4th place.

They haven’t had the best of luck with injuries either. Talisman Kaka has just returned from a spell on the sidelines, and was far from his brilliant best on Tuesday, while first choice ‘keeper Dida, Dutchman Clarence Seedorf and striker Ronaldo are all nursing injuries on the sidelines.

No doubt, Seedorf and Ronaldo were sorely missed against the Premiership leading Gunners, but Milan’s overall showing betrayed a glaring waning in the team’s legendary powers. This was not the Milan side that dominated Man U over two legs of last year’s quarter final. Far from it: Arsenal dominated possession for most of the game and Milan’s famed ball possession and game control was only conspicuous in its absence.
The youthful pair of Fabregas and Flamini cramped Kaka and Pirlo in midfield, reducing the Italian side to an uncharacteristic reliance on hopeful long balls to Inzaghi and Pato upfront.

Milan were as disciplined and organized as ever in defense, and it took a superb 25-yard shot from Fabregas to break the deadlock, although in truth, the Gunners had spurned a number of chances before then. More alarming was Milan’s impotence at the other end where they hardly ever looked capable of scoring. Arsenal’s second goal, deep into injury time, was no less than the Londoners deserved and it was as indicative as anything else of the key difference between these two teams. The prodigious, fleet-footed Theo Walcott chased down a long optimistic pass down the right flank, leaving the lumbering, lunging Kaladze in his youthful wake before setting Adebayor up in front of a gaping goal. It was the triumph of youth over experience, of exciting flair and pace over stodgy steadiness. Milan, with eight players over the age of 30, had been put to the sword by Wenger’s kid brigade.

This defeat surely now marks the end of Milan’s latest triumphant era. An era marked by two Champions League wins – 2003 and 2007 – flanking of course the spectacular reversal against Liverpool in the 2005 final. Sadly, it also marks the final bow in this competition for the evergreen Paolo Maldini, first choice in the Milan team since making his debut in 1986. After 22 years and 5 Champions League winners’ medals, the 40-year-old defender draws the curtains on an illustrious career at the end of this season.
Others are likely to follow: Think 30-somethings like Ambrosini, Cafu, Emerson etc.

Milan clearly need to rebuild, but it’s unlikely that process will be under the stewardship of Carlo Ancelotti. The former Milan player has enjoyed a successful six year spell, but he should have started re-tooling this team last year, after his oldies squeezed out that Champions League win in Athens. Instead, the only new arrivals were Pato and the 34-year-old Emerson. As a result, this summer would more than likely herald the arrival of a new high-profile coach, the key suspects being “Special One” Jose Mourinho and former Milan favourite Frank Rijkaard. My money is on Mourinho.

In Brazilians Kaka and Pato, as well as creative fulcrum Pirlo, Milan boast the beginnings of another great team, but they’ll need to add a few new faces to take some of the pressure off the aging legs of Nesta, Gattuso, Seedorf et al.

So expect wholesale changes at Milanello in the summer. A new coach and some quality personnel should see Milan once again challenging for top honors pretty soon.

NOW IS THE TIME FOR "LOCAL COACHES"

2008-02-26T20:31:00.000-08:00

I know apologies are in order. I didn't plan to be away from this page for so long, but alas it's been five long weeks already. So much to write, yet, so little time. In that time, the Nations Cup finals have come and gone - Egypt deservedly claiming another title and Nigeria unsurprisingly failing woefully.

Egypt were coached by former international Ali Shehata, Nigeria - and several other countries - had an European on the bench so this was perhaps a victory of sorts for African coaches. That would appear even more so since the Nigerian FA is this week debating which former Super Eagles' player to name as Berti Vogts replacement.

Personally, I think it's a great idea, but not just because I am endorsing local coaches generally. You will see from my views below that I am particularly interested in a certain kind of "local coach".

Here's a little piece I wrote about seven years ago which I believe is still relevant today. The examples may be a little dated, but there've been even more evidence to buttress the point in the years since. Enjoy and let me know what you think. And by the way, I think the Nigeria job should go to Stephen Keshi and I'll explain why in my next post.

TIME TO TAP THAT WELL OF EXPERIENCE
Sola Egunjobi

It’s been long overdue and it seems to be happening now. Zambia’s Kalusha Bwalya has made a case for it while the likes of George Weah, Ezaki Badou and Stephen Keshi are already setting the trend. I am writing of course of the need for our much-travelled professionals to come back home, at the end of their playing days, to give something back to the countries that have helped put their names on the football map.

That is certainly the trend the world over and the likes of Daniel Pasarella, Franz Beckenbauer, Kevin Keegan, Dino Zoff and Rudi Voeller have all transformed from star players to national team coaches over the last couple of decades. Even in Africa, former players taking on the coaching mantle is certainly no strange occurrence, as the likes of Jomo Sono, Jean Manga Onguene and Mahmoud El Gohary have shown. But while these African coaches, and many more of their ilk have, performed reasonably, I speak of a different breed of former players. I speak of players of the experience and exposure of Weah, Bwalya and Abedi Pele; I speak of players who have played European club soccer at the highest level, players who have acquired the professional attitudes and organisational bent of the European game, players whose experience can match that of today’s breed of new, young coaches the world over.

Perhaps I am overstating the value of playing experience to a coach’s ability, and I certainly agree that a good playing career doesn’t necessarily translate into coaching success. But a look at recent evidence presents a strong case for my thinking. Take erstwhile Holland manager Frank Rijkaard, whose first coaching job, after a career at the top level with Ajax and AC Milan, was to take his country’s national team to the European championship. The taciturn coach performed superbly to lead his team to the semi final. Take current Germany manager Rudi Voeller, who was fortuitously pushed into his new job. The former world cup striker was so successful as interim coach that he was soon persuaded to take the job full time. Like Rijkaard, he had no prior coaching experience. Nor did Beckenbauer when he took over the German team in 1984. He led them to two world cup finals, winning the cup in 1990. There are other examples of players jumping straight into coaching and making a success of it, but the important point here is that African players had never played at the same level as the top Europeans and South Americans and hence have hitherto been unable to produce coaches with the same level of exposure to and experience of the game at that level. Until now, that is.

Today, if Italy can point to a Dino Zoff, Cameroon can boast of Thomas Nkono, who played in Spain, for Espanyol, for several years and also featured at two world cup finals. If Germany can sing the virtues of Rudi Voeller as a top European striker in his heyday, Liberia can make some noise about former world player of the year Weah, whose career has spanned top clubs Monaco, PSG, Milan, Chelsea and Marseilles. If Holland’s Rijkaard was a European Cup winner at Milan, so was Ghana’s Abedi Pele at Marseilles. As African players continue to grow in stature in world football, the trend is bound to continue. Several Africans now feature consistently in the UEFA Champions League and the likes of Bayern Munich defender Samuel Kuffour, Arsenal’s Nwankwo Kanu and Nouredine Naybet of Deportivo la Coruna would, by the end of their careers, have acquired as much experience as any top German, English or Spanish player.

But African countries must actively seek to tap from the deep well of knowledge of these exposed players and it is encouraging to see that a handful are already being utilised to good effect around the continent. Morocco’s 1986 world cup goalkeeper Ezaki Badou was one of the earliest to catch the eye when he coached the Wydad Casablanca club to the final of the Caf Cup in 1999. Erstwhile Nigerian captain, Stephen Keshi, whose career included spells at Lokeren, Anderlecht, and Strasbourg, was also recently included in the Super Eagles coaching crew, as was Nkono in the Indomitable Lions. But the case of Liberia and Weah must be the most inspiring. The Lone Stars have been transformed from a team of no-hopers into giant-killers in just a year since the experienced Weah changed to a player-coach role. There is certainly room for more of the same and I dream of a future in which African countries can stop relying on third-rate, journeymen expatriates and call on coaches who have the experience to match the very best in the world.

PS: Since this write-up was published in 2001, Ezaki Badou led Morocco to the 2004 Nations Cup final and Stephen Keshi qualified little Togo for the World Cup in 2006. How about that?

Ghana 2008: My Super Eagles' Wishful Desire

2008-01-09T21:29:00.000-08:00

I am not one for New Year’s resolutions – an exercise in futility if there ever was one – but I do allow myself a few wishful desires every January. At least, the fact that it’s not a “resolution” – and often not up to me - removes that inevitable feeling of disappointment that ultimately kicks optimism to the curb.

Hence, I feel adequately protected in my wish that the Super Eagles trump all comers and claim another Nations Cup title in February. Don’t laugh. The good thing about wishful desires is that they need not be grounded in any kind of logic whatsoever, and – who knows? – they just might come true. Certainly, where football is concerned, anything is possible.

You disagree? Well, I’ve been around long enough to remember Denmark – against all the odds - winning the European Championships in 1992. No one could even have wished for that in January of that year, giving that the Danes did not qualify for the finals. Only after Yugoslavia was barred from the finals – in May – did the Danes scramble together the squad that went on to triumph in Sweden, beating Holland and Germany along the way.

More recently, only the die-hard, ultra-patriotic – or heavily inebriated - Greek fan could have predicted that Greece would come out on top at Euro 2004.

Now don’t get me wrong; I am not saying that Nigeria can’t win it all in Ghana next month – there goes my optimistic side again – but I must say that Berti Vogts’ Nations Cup pre-squad hasn’t exactly spurred me to order up the celebratory booze. You know what I’m saying? When Westerhoff’s team won in 1994, there was that sense that we had a squad strong and balanced enough to take on the best on the continent. Even when we fell short at home in 2000, our squad, even on paper, looked - and proved - a capable one.

I just don’t get that same sense of optimism when I look at Vogts’ list.

Let’s start with the goalkeepers, and this is one of the positions I have no problems with. In Vincent Enyeama, Dele Aiyenugba and Austin Ejide, the Eagles surely have enough cover in goal. The key decision though, will be who gets to start. Vogts seems to prefer Ejide or Aiyenugba, while I would pick Enyeama in a heartbeat. He looks the more comfortable on crosses, always keeps his back four on their toes and has more experience at this level.

The defence isn’t bad either, especially with the central backs. Joseph Yobo, Rabiu Afolabi, Danny Shittu, Obinna Nwaneri, and Efe Ambrose give Vogts no shortage of options in that area but he needs to work out what partnership works best for his tactics. I would definitely start with Yobo, and pair him with either Shittu or Afolabi.

The full backs are another matter, simply because we have little or no options to pick from. Ifeanyi Emeghara will likely start on the right – or Nice defender Onyekachi Apam – with Taiye Taiwo a definite starter on the left. Neither right back options have looked particularly comfortable in that role, but in the absence of the long injured Chidi Odiah, Vogts has to make do. Taiwo is adequate enough, and also provides a goal-scoring threat with that booming left foot of his, but if he picks up an injury or gets suspended, Vogts will have another dilemma on his hands. I hear Ambrose can cover, but that would be another stop gap measure, and I’d be surprised if Vogts picks him anyway.

The one area that really keeps me up at night though is the midfield. Vogts’ list includes eight midfield players (don’t even mention those U-17 boys – they aren’t going): John Mikel, Yusuf Ayila, Seyi Olofinjana, Dickson Etuhu, Onyekachi Okonkwo, Richard Eromoigbe, Sani Kaita and Oladapo Olufemi. Of these, Olufemi – called up from the U-20 squad – is, sadly, unlikely to make the trip, even though I would definitely pick him ahead of Kaita and Eromoigbe.

Of the others, only Mikel looks capable of opening up defences and creating chances for the forwards - if he remembers how to play outside his defensive “Chelsea position” in front of the back-four (not likely) - and only Okonkwo looks capable of playing out on the flanks.

Ayila, at his best, is an excellent midfield anchor – as he proved in Egypt two years ago – but he’s been plagued by injury over the past year or so and we can only hope he has returned to form.

Olofinjana is not Mr. Creative either, although he might bring a bit more in the attacking end, giving that he plays farther forward – and gets a few goals too - for Wolves in the Championship.

Etuhu’s all-action physical style would serve the team well in the hurly burly of African soccer – he reminds of the late great Marc Vivien Foe, but without the passing skills. He’ll get away with some of his robust tackling and his “water-carrying” could yet prove an asset, but he’s not going to create much.

Okonkwo may add a bit more craft, but I must confess that the little I have seen of this guy hasn’t exactly convinced me. My sources tell me he was the brains behind Enyimba’s back-to-back Champions League triumphs so maybe there’s more to “Tico” than I have seen. I sure hope so. The Eagles can use any kind of help in midfield right now.

As for Eromoigbe and Kaita, the former as shown potential in his few appearances and his versatility would be useful as a squad player, but don’t even get me started on the latter. Vogts shoud just do us a favour and leave him at home.

It’s most likely that Vogts will play a three-man midfield but I am unconvinced he has enough depth in this squad to make it work. That formation calls for box-to-box midfielders who can keep the ball, pass accurately and dictate the pace of the game, just as Essien and Lampard do for Chelsea, Iniesta and Xavi for Barcelona or Zokora and Yaya Toure for Ivory Coast. Mikel, on account of his touch and excellent passing, fits the bill – if we can get him further upfield – as does Olufemi, whose all-round skills were a wonder to behold at the World Youth Championships. But I would only play one of Ayila, Olofinjana or Etuhu in the anchor role. For me, any two of these together in a 4-3-3 model would be ultra-defensive and take away from the team’s attacking capabilities.

Again there’s the question of depth. What happens if someone – say Mikel - gets injured or picks up a suspension? Certainly, this should be a key question when selecting a squad for a competition like the Nations Cup, but that doesn’t seem to have been a major concern for Vogts. Maybe he just couldn’t find players with the required qualities. Or maybe he just wasn’t looking.

Of course, one might look to our surplus of forwards as a viable pool for midfield substitutes. The likes of John Utaka, Osaze Odemwingie and Victor Obinna have certainly played in midfield in the past, albeit out on the flanks in a 4-4-2 formation. I prefer to think of these guys as forwards though, but I guess if push comes to shove they can suffice, especially if the German coach is flexible enough to switch tactics.

And that brings us to the forwards, without question the Eagles’ strongest asset. I think Vogts will have problems of a different sort here: who to drop and who to start. Utaka and Obinna should keep their places, if only for their utility value in midfield, but that still leaves captain Nwankwo Kanu, top scorer Obafemi Martins, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Ayo Makinwa, Manaseh Ishiaku, Ikechukwu Uche, and Odemwingie, vying for 5 spots. It’s a nice problem to have and I know who I would drop. I think the new boys – Ishiaku and Uche – would be the first to go, although I would send Makinwa home too. I can’t for the love of God understand how the Lazio striker gets picked ahead of Everton’s Victor Anichebe. Seniority counts, I guess, as does having friends in high places. Enough said. Frankly, Makinwa has never convinced at international level and I don’t think he’ll do anything different in Ghana. He may be good enough for low level Serie A clubs like Atalanta and Palermo, but he is yet to justify his place in a Eagles’ squad bursting at the seams with strikers.

The true contenders to start would be Kanu, Yakubu, Martins, Utaka, Obinna and Odemwingie. If Vogts sticks to 4-3-3 then he’ll be looking for a slightly deep lying “distributor” in the middle, someone who can hold the ball and wait for support, and some pace on the flanks. On paper, that points to Kanu or Yakubu in the middle, Utaka or Odemwingie on the right and Martins or Obinna on the left. Well, that’s how I would play it anyway.

Having said all that, there is one major concern with our strike force: only one of these guys – Yakubu - seems to be in any kind of scoring form right now. Odemwingie has been a disappointment since moving to Russia; Martins is suffering from “Newcastle malaise” – an acute lack of confidence; and Utaka and Kanu are hardly banging them in at Portsmouth. One can only hope the Nations Cup inspires some kind of renaissance. Maybe Kanu can finally get that long-elusive Nations Cup goal, but I would certainly start the in-form Yakubu ahead of him. Yak may lack Kanu’s silky skills, but he is more likely to get on the end of chances in the box.

I think Vogts final squad should read as follows:

G - Ejide, Enyeama, Aiyenugba
D - Emeghara, Apam, Nwaneri, Yobo, Shittu, Afolabi, Taiwo
M - Okonkwo, Mikel, Ayila, Etuhu, Olofinjana, Eromoigbe, Olufemi,
F - Odemwingie, Utaka, Yakubu, Kanu, Martins, Obinna

It’s not going to happen though: Vogts will probably stick to the status quo and take Kaita instead of Olufemi, and Makinwa instead of Eromoigbe. I wish he would prove me wrong, just as I wish the Eagles would stuff this rather (slightly) pessimistic piece in my face and actually win the cup.

But what do I know? I’m just an armchair coach with a wish list.

Berti Vogts and the Super Eagles: So Far So Mixed

2007-12-20T20:59:00.000-08:00

Before I get into Berti Vogts’ preliminary Nations Cup list, just a few words about my impressions of his tenure so far.

I know Vogts has his critics in Nigeria, not least those who believe he knows nothing about African soccer and hence couldn’t possibly know the first thing about coaching the Super Eagles. I have to disagree with that.

Knowledge of African soccer is certainly not a prerequisite for successfully coaching an African team. Clemens Westerhoff knew exactly zilch about our continent before taking on the Nigeria job in 1989. Yet, his five year stint remains the Super Eagles’ most successful spell in fifty years of international soccer.

Then there’s the question of Vogts’ not so impressive stint as manager of Scotland, especially in light of the Scots recent exploits in Euro 08 qualifiers. With Walter Smith and then Alex McLeish leading Scotland to the verge of Euro qualification – in a group including France and Italy – Vogts’ failures with the same team certainly appear ever so glaring. But there’s another side to that argument: Vogts’ laid the foundation for this new lease of life in Scottish fortunes - capping youngsters like Craig Gordon, Jamie McFadden and Darren Fletcher - but got fired before his best laid plans came to fruition.

Okay, no matter its merits, I wouldn’t spend too much time defending that position either. Let’s just put that period down as a black period in an otherwise decent resume.

Vogts, afterall, did lead Germany to glory at Euro 96, and was also at the helm when they lost to Denmark in the final of Euro 92. His World Cup record isn’t quite as impressive – quarter final losses to Bulgaria and Croatia in 94 and 98 respectively surely mark a departure from the Germans’ appearance in the previous three finals between 1982 and 1990.

On the whole, it’s not a bad resume and surely there can’t be any doubts about the German’s pedigree. It certainly beats that of any coach we’ve ever had, bar none.

But that’s all history. It’s the here and now that counts and after just 8 months on the job it’s fair to say that the jury is still out on Mr Vogts. A handful of Nations Cup qualifiers and friendly matches seem a little thin to base a decent conclusion on. On the plus side, Nations Cup qualification was achieved with room to spare, yet the two Uganda matches – especially that loss in Kampala - left much to be desired. But, the upcoming Nations Cup would be the real test of Vogts’ mettle – he would have had time to work with his squad so there’ll be little room for excuses. My impressions so far are quite the mixed bag. I’ve liked a few things about his regime, but I am bothered by a couple of things as well.

Here’s what I’ve liked:

1) For the first time in several years, Vogts has dug deeper into the increasingly growing pool of Europe-based players available for national duty. Hence, the blooding of the likes of Danny Shittu, Dickson Etuhu, Ike Uche, Ifeanyi Emeghara, Manasseh Ishiaku and the return of Rabiu Afolabi. That can only be a positive development for the Eagles – more competition should ensure that only the very best make the cut.

2) For once the Eagles are actually playing friendly matches on a regular basis – Romania, Mexico, Australia and Switzerland, all in the last two months. There’s even word that we have two more games lined up before the Nations Cup kicks off in 5 weeks time. What a big change from the good old days when all we did was talk about friendlies and went into major tournaments with poorly prepped teams.

3) Everyone’s on notice now. No more waltzing into camp at will and expecting to play regardless. Vogts has imposed a much needed dose of professionalism and discipline to the squad and that can only be a good thing. The players have even agreed to a bonus schedule with the NFA well ahead of the finals, so we should avoid the usual distracting money squabbles in Ghana.

And here’s what bothers me:

1) Vogts insistence on managing the Eagles from his base in Europe is certainly far from ideal. Sure, that’s where the talent is these days but there are certainly some areas of the squad that could benefit from some new blood from the local league. Not good enough? Give me a break. If Taiye Taiwo could stroll into Marseilles’ first team direct from the local league, what’s to say there aren’t many more like him just waiting for the chance? Don’t get me wrong, I am all for Europe-based players. There’s no better preparation for the international ranks than the improved coaching, exposure and competition that Europe’s top leagues offer. If Vogts can find a Europe-based player to fill any position on his team, I have no problems with giving that player a first crack at making it his own. What I am against is the persistent fitting of square pegs in round holes when the foreign-based pool offers no obvious fit for certain positions. In particular, consider the Eagles’ wide midfield positions. Since the period between 1993 and 2002 when the likes of Finidi George, Tijjani Babangida and Emmanuel Amuneke graced the Eagles flanks, the team has been conspicuously lacking in those areas. In their stead, over the last five years, we’ve seen the flank positions filled by strikers – John Utaka, Osaze Odemwingie, Obinna Nsofor - good players no doubt, but all playing out of position. And there are other positions too: Taiwo is the only natural left back in the Eagles set up, and, since Chidi Odiah’s injury, we’ve lacked a convincing replacement at right back. Now, if Vogts spent a little time checking out the local league, who knows what he might unearth.

We’ve been here before too. In the early days of the “soccer drain” – back in the late 80s when the player exodus to Europe really got under way – this same eagerness to fit in all the foreign-based players gave us lop-sided, unbalanced teams that consistently failed to succeed. Clemens Westerhof broke the pattern, primarily with the introduction of a then home-based Finidi back in 1991. I think Mr Vogts should look to do the same, particularly for those positions in which his squad is so clearly lacking.

2) Along the same lines is Vogts seeming reluctance to call up players from the U-20 and U-23 teams. That was certainly a big concern when I started thinking about this write-up 8 weeks ago. Those sentiments have been partially assuaged by the participation of Nsofor in the Switzerland game and the inclusion of Efe Ambrose and Oladapo Olufemi in the preliminary Nations Cup squad. And I say partially because I think he could have done much more and earlier too. Onyekachi Apam was not a resounding success in his run out against Mexico, but that’s just one game. He’s playing on a decent Nice team in France and can only improve with time. How about calling Uwa Echiejile to under-study Taiwo at left back? He was one of the very few to impress at the U-20 World Cup last summer and we are not exactly overflowing with talent in that position given the disappearance of erstwhile regulars Celestine Babayaro and Ifeanyi Udeze.

3) I have to say, this is only based on the Switzerland game in which many regulars were missing, and what I know of the players in the squad, but I am yet to be convinced that we have the right players for Vogts’ preferred 4-3-3 formation. I hope to be convinced by February, but I’ll talk more about tactical matters in my next post when I’ll sink my teeth into that preliminary squad and the Super Eagles chances in Ghana.

Have a merry Christmas.

Bojan:Another Barca Phenom

2007-12-18T21:18:00.000-08:00

I guess everyone’s heard about Bojan Krkic by now. If you caught any part of the recent Fifa U-17 World Cup Finals in China then his name should be familiar to you. Or maybe you’ve been fortunate enough to catch a glimpse of his few appearances in La Liga with Barcelona.

For those who haven’t had the pleasure, Bojan – as he is know for obvious reasons – was Spain’s best player and top scorer at China 07 where he weighed in with 5 goals in 5 matches, including the extra time winner that secured his country’s place in the final. Of course, he finished that game in tears after picking up a yellow card that would rule him out of the final against Nigeria.

The Spaniards felt their team was highly handicapped by his absence – they lost to Nigeria on penalties – and, based on what I’ve seen of this kid so far, I have to agree. It’s not that Nigeria did not deserve to win, they were certainly the real deal over the entire competition, but Golden Eaglet’s task would have been that much harder with Bojan on the pitch.

The 17-year-old came on at the break against Recreativo Huelva several Sundays ago and proceeded to turn a hitherto flaccid Barcelona into 3-0 winners. He scored an excellent goal after being set up by Thierry Henry, and was a thorn in the side of the visitors’ defence for the 45 minutes he was on the field. For one so young, Bojan shows maturity beyond his years, and if he reaches his full potential, La Liga – and Champions League – clubs must be dreading a future Bojan-Messi Barcelona striker force.

Watching this latest Barcelona phenom, it occurred to me that the Catalan club is hardly given enough credit for its youth development program. Not surprising, given the usual procession of big name imports: from Stoichkov, Koeman and Romario in the early 90s, through Ronaldo, Figo and Rivaldo, and now Ronaldinho, Eto’o, and Deco.

But consider this; of the current first team squad at Barcelona, no less than seven players have come up through the ranks: Olegeur Pressas , Carles Puyol, Xavi, Andres Iniesta, Bojan, Leo Messi, and Giovanni dos Santos. It’s true that the latter two are from Argentina and Mexico respectively, but they’ve both been at Barcelona since they were barely out of diapers. Of course, Barcelona have also produced a couple of youngsters that have since flown the coop – Arsenal duo Cesc Fabregas and Fran Merida, both scooped away prematurely by the wily Arsene Wenger. Fabregas, just 20, is already proving his worth in the Arsenal first team while Merida, still only 17 has yet to make the breakthrough. Then there’s the “Little Buddha”, Ivan De La Pena, now pulling the midfield strings at Espanyol. He also came through as a teenage wonder at Barcelona in the mid-90s before traipsing all over Europe and finally settling down at the other Barcelona club.

I can’t think of any other top European club with such an impressive turn out of young talent.

Switzerland v Nigeria: Super Eagles Concerns

2007-11-24T18:26:00.000-08:00

I had the opportunity to catch Nigeria’s friendly against Switzerland last Tuesday – my first viewing of the Super Eagles under Berti Vogts – so I figure it’s as good a time as any to put down my thoughts on the team, or at least that game, and begin looking ahead to the Nations Cup Finals.

Taiye Taiwo settled the match with a typical thunderous strike from 20 yards, yet neither side could have drawn any kind of conclusions from a largely sluggish affair on a chilly night in Zurich.

For one thing, neither side was at full strength. The Swiss – no superpowers but good enough to reach the World Cup 2nd round last year – were without many of their better known stars: Phillipe Senderos, Alexander Frei, Patrick Muller and Marco Streller.

The Eagles were hardly at full strength either. It’s hard to determine what Berti Vogts considers his first choice eleven – assuming he has his mind made up – but one can safely assume that a Nigerian line-up without captain Nwankwo Kanu, vice-captain Joseph Yobo, midfield marvel Mikel Obi and top striker Obafemi Martins, is not exactly full strength. And I haven’t even mentioned John Utaka, Yakubu Aiyegbeni, Vincent Enyeama and Chidi Odiah – players I would consider possible starters.

Even so, Eagles’ supporters – ever expecting the world – would have been looking for a convincing win, or at the least, a performance better than the reportedly shoddy show against Australia four days earlier (I didn’t see that game).

The Eagles lined up in what, nominally, looked like a 4-3-3 formation:

Ejide – Emeghara, Shittu, Nwaneri, Taiwo – Okonkwo, Ayila, Etuhu – Odemwingie, Makinwa, Uche.

Yet, as the game progressed, they seemed to morph into a 4-4-2/4-3-1-2 hybrid, with Odemwingie – captain on the day – attacking from deep, at times in the midfield role usually filled by the now retired JayJay Okocha, at other times filling the hole-behind-the strikers a la Nwankwo Kanu.

Not that this was a bad performance against admittedly sub-par opponents. The Eagles certainly had their moments. They started the stronger of the two sides – dominating the first 20 minutes without really troubling the Swiss goal. Etuhu had a long range effort tipped round the post and Odemwingie, looking pretty sharp, saw his dipping free kick parried for a corner kick.

Then they lost their way a little in the latter part of the first half, conceding possession far too easily and creating little in attack. The Swiss had the better chances early in the second half but Ejide saved from Yakin and Djourou, and Okonkwo cleared another effort off the line.
The Eagles settled after that though, and were clearly the better side for the last 30 minutes. Uche came very close with a lob after Makinwa’s flicked header, but it took the introduction of Obinna to give the Eagles the breakthrough. His first touch was the lobbed pass from which Odemwingie set up Taiwo for the winner, and that was that.

Mission accomplished, but….the Eagles’ performance left me wondering if Vogts’ masterplan could deliver the kind of results Nigeria fans will be hankering for come January. Or maybe the right question is if he can pick the right players to make his tactics work. Yes, I know the personnel will probably be vastly different by the time the Nations Cup kick off, but still…

Here are my concerns:

The three man midfield did a fine job of shielding Shittu and Nwaneri in defence, but it also left the team severely lacking in invention and width. The one midfielder who could play wide was Odemwingie, and though he played centrally, his free role enabled him to carve out a few crosses. One would expect that the narrow midfield would open up the flanks for the full backs to attack, but it wasn’t until the second half that Emeghara and even the usually adventurous Taiwo managed to venture forward with any purpose. In addition, while the Eagles deprived the Swiss room to play in the middle of the park, they hampered their own ability to move the ball as well – too many bodies in a confined space. It was often confusing to figure out which of Ayila and Etuhu was anchoring the midfield.

Without wide players, and with the full backs seating back, it was left to the strikers to create width by chasing passes into the corners. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing – provided you have midfielders arriving in the box to finish off the crosses. Too often, Uche’s crosses were aimed for his strike partner, Makinwa, isolated in a box full of Swiss defenders. Other than that, the Eagles just tried to bully their way down the middle or lumped long balls forward for Makinwa and Uche to battle for.

For a team playing three men in midfield, ball possession is particularly important. For one thing, if the opposing team plays 4 in midfield you don’t want the 3 midfielders chasing after them all day. That’ll be a recipe for failure. In addition, they need to dictate possession in order to give the full backs ample time to get forward down the flanks and keep the pressure on the opposing team. The best 4-3-3 teams are masters at keeping the ball – watch Barcelona or Mourinho’s Chelsea. The Eagles midfield certainly didn’t keep the ball well against Switzerland, easily coughing up possession time and again. Vogts has already confessed that his midfield needs more work – or new personnel. He can certainly do better than what was on show here.

Tactics – or their execution – apart, let’s talk about the players.

GK. Austin Ejide – Messed up a decent enough performance with one dropped corner kick. Otherwise, he proved a competent shot stopper and read the game well, coming off his line to stop a goal attempt in the first half.

RB. Ifeanyi Emeghara - defended very well; quick and smart, but did little on the attacking end – understandable for a converted centre-back. But will need to attack more if he wants the job.

LB Taiye Taiwo - decent performance, impressively highlighted with a stunning goal. His positioning has improved over the past couple of seasons, and I liked his passes down the left flank, but – in the absence of wide midfielders - he needs to get forward more.

CB Obinna Nwaneri – Defended well, but careless in possession. Over-complicated simple passes and gave the ball away far too easily.

CB Danny Shittu - Sound positioning– I was impressed with the way he cut off the angles – but a little subtlety and guile, and better ball distribution, would help his game no end.

MF Dickson Etuhu – Played with energy and aggression, breaking up many Swiss attacks with his ceaseless running. A bit too clumsy for my liking though, giving away needless fouls, and I wasn’t crazy about his distribution either.

MF Yusuf Ayila – Struggled to impose himself on this game. Strong defensively and showed good distribution early on but disappeared in the midfield crowd as the game wore on.

MF Onyekachi Okonkwo – Was anonymous for most of the first half. I expected more creativity from him but he never really got going.

F Osaze Odemwingie – The pick of the lot. Was excellent in roving role behind the strikers, and his great first touch and close control prompted the best attacking moves.

F Ayo Makinwa –.Showed little aggression, had no idea in one-on-one situations and was simply too predictable. Had his moments but missed a couple of free headers, gave up possession too easily.

F Ikechukwu Uche - Direct, aggressive and eager to take on defenders, but often tried to do too much, and faded as the game wore on.

F Victor Obinna – Full of purpose, fight and invention in his 20 minutes on the pitch. Replaced Uche and set up the only goal with an impressive run and excellent pass after just one minute on the pitch.

F Manasseh Ishiaku – Didn’t really get into the game after replacing Makinwa in the 67th minute.

F Seyi Olofinjana – Came on for Ayila in a like-for-like substitution. Strong defensively, and used the ball well.

FB Rabiu Afolabi – Replaced an injured Taiwo late on. Wasn’t on long enough to make an impression.

In all, of the 15 players on show, only 4 convinced me they could fight for a starting place in a full strength Super Eagles – Shittu, Taiwo, Odemwingie and Obinna.

What would be really useful now would be a chance to see Vogts’ first choice team in action. As to what that team will look like, your guess is as good as mine and chances are we won’t know until the Eagles reach Ghana in January. But I’ll definitely be sharing my thoughts about Berti Vogts and the Eagles’ Nations Cup squad in the weeks ahead.

England Loving Africans

2007-11-18T20:42:00.000-08:00

I did mention my intention to dive into African Nations Cup talk in my last post and something that really struck me as I started getting into that mode was the sheer number of African players playing in the English Premiership.

Sure, it’s no big deal these days to find three or four Africans featured in any Premiership game, but those of you who, like yours truly, have followed the English game for more than 20 years must just marvel at how common place the African player has become in England’s top division.

Actually, forget about African players, black players were still a novelty in England back in the late 70’s. You could count the number of black players in the top flight on the fingers of one hand back in the day. Heck, I can even name them – Laurie Cunningham, Cyrille Regis, Brendon Batson, Viv Anderson, Howard Gayle, Chris Houghton, Garth Brooks, Justin Fashanu…Okay, maybe a little more than five, but you get the picture.

Of course, these were the days when some yahoos subscribed to the insulting notion that “black players are lazy”. I can only imagine what they must have thought about African players. I can still recall watching the Tottenham Hotspurs of the day – circa. 1984 – and swelling with pride at the sight of John Chiedozie flying down the right wing, the first Nigerian player to make a mark in England, and the one black African face on display in the entire top division.

Ah, the good old days. Seems like a lifetime ago now, with Africans performing creditably week in and week out in the rough and tumble of the Premiership. Consider this: Of the 20 clubs in the Premiership this season, only one – champions Manchester United – have no African players on their books. Contrast that to 1979, when Justin Fashanu and Bruce Grobelaar were the only Africans in the top division - one, born and bred in England, the other, a white goalkeeper from Zimbabwe.

Indeed, some clubs today are so chockfull of African internationals, I wonder how they’ll cope when the Nations Cup Finals kick off in January. Take Portsmouth, with no less than six Africans - Kanu, Utaka, Muntari, Diop, Benjani, and Lauren. Newcastle have five – Martins, Abdou Faye, Beye, Babayaro and Geremi – while Everton have four – Pienaar, Yobo, Anichebe and Yakubu. Arsenal have only three Africans – Eboue. Toure and Adebayor – but a closer look at their other players betrays a strong African influence. Diaby, Diarra, Song, Traore and Sagna may all be French nationals, but – like Vieira before them - we all know where they “really” come from.

Chelsea were concerned enough to declare they wouldn’t be signing any African players this season. Of course, they already have fair number among their ranks. Essien, Mikel, Drogba and Kalou are all likely to be missing during the Nations Cup.

So why the sudden love for the African player? Well, the obvious answer would be that England as suddenly woken up to the wealth of talent that Africa has to offer. The performance of the first African faces in the Premiership certainly did a lot to recommend more of the same: the free-scoring Anthony Yeboah at Leeds in the mid-90s, South Africa’s impressive Lucas Radebe, also at Leeds in the late 90s and Kanu’s spectacular arrival at Arsenal in 1999.

Sure, there’s no doubting the skill level of the African player, but that’s only half the story. Let’s face it, South American countries Brazil and Argentina have a larger reputation for producing and exporting skilled players – check Italy and Spain – yet there are only a handful of them in the Premiership. Javier Mascherano (Liverpool) and Carlos Tevez (Man U) are the two Argentines of note in the Prem, while Brazil is represented by Gilberto Silva (Arsenal), Fabio Aurelio, Lucas Leiva (Liverpool) and Anderson (Man U). That’s it. By contrast, Real Madrid have four Argentines and three Brazilians while Barcelona have three Brazilians and two Argentines.

So, the other half to this allure for African players is surely economics. African players will cost you less than their South American counterparts – or even young Englishmen. Take Portsmouth’s purchase of John Utaka from French club Rennes. The Super Eagles striker – who played at the 2002 World Cup and the last two Nations Cup Finals, as well as impressing in four seasons in France – cost Pompey 7 million pounds. No small change, but Arsenal paid 5 million pounds for untried teenager Theo Walcott in 2006 and England fringe player Daren Bent joined Tottenham for 16.5 million pounds after just one season in the top flight. Trust me, English or South American player with Utaka’s pedigree would have cost at least twice as much. It’s an even better deal when players are shipped in straight from Africa, as Kolo Toure was when he arrived at Arsenal in 2001.

The increasing hue and cry for limits on foreign players in European leagues may yet stem this increasing African exodus to the Premiership although the likes of Arsene Wenger will be in vehement opposition. For now, English clubs can continue to get a bigger bang for their buck from African players and African fans have an even bigger reason to follow the Premiership. A win-win situation, don’t you think?

Liverpool & Rafa: Keep it Simple

2007-11-08T20:22:00.000-08:00

Ah, the joy of procrastination. I’ve been planning to tear into Liverpool’s season of diminishing returns for sometime now, and just as I get started the Reds go and put a whipping on Besiktas in the Champions League. Eight unreplied goals at Anfield mean I have to tone down on the vitriol I was about to hurl at my favorite club and especially manager Rafa Benitez. Eight goals mean that maybe Liverpool still has something in the tank for the rest of this season. Eight goals mean, perhaps, all is not lost yet and maybe, just maybe, this could be the confidence boost needed to re-ignite a season that had started with so much hope and optimism.

Okay, bear with me. I know it’s just one game and I know that Besiktas aren’t exactly in the top echelon of European soccer. But this is my MY TEAM in question here so if I get a little emotional and start clutching at straws I trust you’ll understand. Besides, no one mentioned Slavia Prague’s place in European soccer hierarchy when drooling about Arsenal’s 7-0 thrashing of the Czech’s 2 weeks ago. So there.

Truth is Liverpool’s form in the last four weeks as been simply frustrating, no less.
I couldn’t believe the poor fare they offered in the 2-1 loss at Besiktas two weeks ago. They certainly didn’t look anything like title contenders on that kind of form. The last-gasp win at Everton was wonderful, but again, the team hardly performed until Everton were reduced to 10 men in the second half. They played decently enough against Arsenal at Anfield, but couldn’t seal the deal, missing a great opportunity to close the gap on the Gunners. Then came the Blackburn game last weekend. With Arsenal and Man U having shared the spoils earlier in the day, here was another opportunity to get back in the mix with a road win. Okay, Blackburn on current form was never going to be easy. But Liverpool had the chances to win this one – once they got down to attacking in the second half – and, despite Blackburn hitting the woodwork twice, this can only be seen as another two lost points.

So what’s gone wrong with Liverpool after such an exciting start? They certainly looked the part in the thrilling 1-1 draw with Chelsea in week 2, and I was quite impressed with the 4-0 pounding of Toulouse in the Champions League Qualifiers, especially since this was achieved with almost a second-choice line-up. It’s always easy to blame Rafa and his constant tinkering – and, frankly, I wondered what he was smoking when he left Torres on the bench against Portsmouth and Birmingham, at a time when the Spaniard was in great form - and I do think that's part of the problem, especially with many new faces - Torres, Babel, Voronin, Benayoun - just getting adjusted to the team.

For me though, there are two key issues. One is the constantly changing tactics – 4-4-2 today, 4-2-3-1 the next – and the second is the never-ending search for Steve Gerrard’s best position.

Yes, it’s alright to amend your tactics to suit the opponents, but when you combine that with the kind of wholesale changes in personnel that Rafa so loves, then what you get are the kind of disorganized, off color performances that we have seen much too often this season. Now, that is not to say that Rafa's approach cannot work over the course of the season. But by the time the results start coming, it's more than likely that the championship would be well out of reach.

As for Gerrard, Rafa needs to trust the surrounding cast he has expensively assembled and just keep things simple. Gerrard is most comfortable and effective playing in the centre of midfield and that’s where he should play. Not in some advanced second striker position – as he did against Blackburn – or out on the flank. There's this sense in certain games that the team needs two defensive midfielders to accomodate Gerrard's contribution on the attacking end. On the contrary, this takes away from the team. For one thing, it's harder for Gerrard with his back to goal - he is certainly more dangerous driving through from midfield. And for another, the team misses his midfield passing and organization. Alonso, when he is in form can organize as well, but Sissoko's passing is far below par.

This was the beauty of Tuesday’s thrashing of Besiktas: Gerrard in the middle with the excellent Javier Mascherano – probably the best defensive midfielder in the game –in a straightforward 4-4-2, Benayoun and Riise raiding down the flanks, and Voronin - who was involved in 4 of the goals - buzzing around Crouch in attack. Liverpool fans will be looking for more of the same as the season progresses.

The African Nations Cup are coming up in January, and after some harassment from close quarters – they know themselves – I will be delving into the African scene over the next few weeks. The Nations Cup groupings sure look interesting and I’ll offer my humble opinion on the way I think things will go. I’ll also vent at will about my favourite team, Nigeria’s Super Eagles, and the stewardship of Mr. Berti Vogts. So, if you love the African game, keep an eye out – but if Liverpool run up another cricket score ………….

Enough Prem, Super Bundesliga and Santos Exports

2007-10-27T23:07:00.000-07:00

There are those who think the English Premiership is over-hyped, over-covered and over-rated. Okay, I guess I am part of the problem, if the general slant of my posts is anything to go by. What can I say? I grew up on a steady staple of English soccer – long before the advent of the Premiership, I must add – and with my long affair with the Liverpool football club it’s inevitable that I would have this close tie to the English game, if there’s any such thing these days.

Unfortunately that has left other leagues under-covered on these pages. Not least the German Bundesliga, which, for my money is producing some of the most entertaining soccer on view this season. And by that I don’t mean just Bayern Munich, even if the Bavarian giants are leading the pack again this season. After a disastrous 2006-07 season left them out of the Champions League, Bayern went on a shopping spree in the summer, digging deep to bring in Italian striker Luca Toni, French ace Franck Ribery, Germany striker Miroslav Klose and Turk Hamit Altintop.

They’ve been a transformed team this season as the newcomers have settled quickly. Ribery has been the outstanding player in the league this season, taunting and teasing opposing defences with his creative skills and proving the perfect foil for the Toni-Klose tandem upfront. Both strikers have scored 8 goals apiece after 10 games, but Bayern look strong all over. Oliver Kahn has been his old solid self, centre-backs Lucio and Martin Dimechelis make a formidable barrier at the back, and Ze Roberto - back from a year’s sabbatical in Brazil - has been equally impressive. For my money, Bayern are the best team outside the Champions League this season and I can’t wait to see them back next year.

But – as I’ve said – the Bundesliga isn’t all about Bayern. I caught the Schalke-Werder Bremen game on Saturday and it was probably the best game I’ve seen this season. Sure, I’ve seen some impressive soccer from Arsenal, Real Madrid and Barcelona, but those were mostly one-sided affairs, with the other team just hanging on. This was different. Exciting attacking soccer from both sides, loads of chances and solid defensive play as well – all that’s beautiful about our game.

My one criticism would be the low score line – it finished 1-1 – and missed chances, but the stalemate probably contributed to the occasion with neither side willing to settle for one point. The best player on view was Bremen midfielder Diego, the Brazilian voted player of the year last season. His ball control, vision and range of passing were simply superb. And to think he can’t get into the Brazil team.

There were others that caught the eye too: For Bremen, centre-backs Naldo (another Brazilian) and Per Mertesacker, captain Torsten Frings and strikers Boubacar Sanogo and Hugo Almeida. For Schalke: Brazilian midfielder Rafinha, strikers Kevin Kuranyi and Gerald Asamoah, and midfielders Ivan Rakitic, Carlos Grossmuller and Fabian Ernst.

I think Bayern will win the title this season, although both Schalke and especially Werder Bremen – currently 5th and 2nd respectively – should chase them all the way. Third-placed Hamburg, another exciting team admirably led by the young Dutchman Rafael van der Vaart, should also finish amongst the top four, while last season’s surprise champions Stuttgart are looking like a one-season wonder as they currently lie in 12th place.

On a more personal note, I was pleasantly surprised to see two young Nigerian strikers in fine form in the Bundesliga several weeks ago. Olympic team star Solomon Okoronkwo was on target with a beautiful 20 yard screamer into the top corner to give Hertha Berlin a 2-1 win against Wolfsburg, while Super Eagles new boy Manasseh Ishiaku went one better with two well taken goals as Duisburg beat Arminia Bielefeld 3-0. They are both havng decent seasons so far too; Ishiaku has five goals to his name after 10 rounds, while Okoronkwo has found the net four times. Little wonder Berti Vogts gave the Duisburg striker his international debut in the 2-2 draw against Mexico a fortnight ago.

It’s no surprise now that Brazil is the world’s number one exporter of soccer talent. But how often does one team produce no less than five exports that end up at the very top of the European game? That’s the remarkable story of Santos FC, class of 2002-03. Pele’s old team won the Brazilian championship in style in 2002 with a bunch of players that include some of the better known names in Europe today.

At centre back was Alex, the big stopper now plying his trade with Chelsea after several successful years with PSV; upfront was Luis Fabiano, now leading the line for Sevilla in Spain; and in midfield was the trio of Diego, Elano and Robinho. I’ve already waxed lyrical about Diego in this post, and Robinho has been making his mark, with both Real Madrid and Brazil, over the past couple of seasons. Elano is the latest of this bunch to come out of the dark, after Sven Goran Errikson paid 8 million pounds get him to Manchester City from Shakhtar Donetsk. Since then, the 27-year-old has been one of the best players in England this season – scoring 4 goals and creating many more to help City to its best season start in over 10 years.

I guess in retrospect it’s no surprise that Santos did so well with this bunch in its ranks. They would have done even better, had they succeeded in their bid for the 2003 Copa Libertadores. They did reach the final that year, before losing to Argentina’s Boca Juniors – a team led by a stocky young striker by the name of Carlos Tevez.

FIFA Shortlist: What??

2007-10-11T21:06:00.000-07:00

FIFA must be trapped in some kind of time warp. How else to explain the shortlist for the 2007 FIFA World Player of the year? For a moment there I thought the shortlist was for player of the decade, what with the inclusion of several players clearly past their best.

Okay, I have no problems with including five Italian players – they are, after all, World champions – but when that list includes Gianluigi Buffon and Fabio Cannavaro, one begins to wonder. Buffon, remember, was playing in Serie B last season, while Cannavaro, who won the award last year after an outstanding world cup, struggled to settle in his first season in Spain with Real Madrid. Then there’s Francesco Totti. He won the Golden Boot as top scorer in Europe last season, leading Roma to 2nd in Serie A and lifting the Italian Cup. Certainly deserving of mention, right? Wrong. FIFA couldn’t find room for him in a shortlist of the 30 best players of the last year.

And there is more. Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic, led Inter’s championship run last season with 15 goals. He’s also missing from the list. Instead, we have Samuel Eto’o, great player, but out with injury trouble for the better part of the year. Eto’o scored 11 goals for Barcelona last season, but 8 of those came in the early part of the season – in 2006 – before injuries hobbled the Cameroon star. No room also for Arsenal’s Cesc Fabregas, the inspiration of Arsenal’s amazing start to the new season. Instead we have Lillian Thuram, another veteran struggling to settle at a new club. I am sure he deserved a place on the 2006 shortlist, but certainly not this year’s. His teammate, Thierry Henry also has a place among the chosen thirty. Now, there’s no question that Henry is one of the very best strikers in the game, but not in 2007, when injuries restricted him to half of Arsenal’s matches and left him playing well below his high standards.

FIFA’s list frankly looks like nothing more than a collection of high profile names. At best, someone just got lazy at FIFA and decided to reel out all the usual suspects from years past. At worst, FIFA appears to be out of touch with the game it is supposed to be running. Now that’s a scary thought.

Then again, it could just be that FIFA knows there’s only going to be three real contenders anyway so it doesn’t really matter who else they pad up their list of thirty with.

That makes me wonder why they need to list 30 players in the first place. Wouldn’t it make more sense to name just ten? Well, here’s my personal top ten of 2007 – and the reasons why I have picked them.

1. Kaka (Milan & Brazil) – outstanding in Milan’s Champions League campaign
2. Lionel Messi (Barcelona & Argentina) – spectacular performances and goals for club and country
3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Man U & Portugal)– Man U’s inspiration in championship winning season
4. Didier Drogba (Chelsea & Ivory Coast) – 30 goals for Chelsea , including winning goals in both Carling and FA Cup finals
5. Michael Essien (Chelsea & Ghana) – excellent all round season in midfield (and right back)
6. Juan Riquelme (Villareal/Boca & Argentina) – inspired Boca to Copa Libertadores and was outstanding for his country at Copa America.
7. Francesco Totti (Roma & Italy) – Roma’s inspiration and European Golden Boot winner
8. Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Inter & Sweden) - Key player in Inter’s Scudetto winning season
9. Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal & Spain) – Midfield brain behind Arsenal’s spectacular start to new season
10. Ruud van Nistelrooy (Real Madrid & Holland) – His goals pushed Real to Spanish title

So, what do you think of my list? Better than FIFA’s effort I’d bet. Well, do let me know. I would pick the first four in that order; after that, well, it’s a free for all.

Mourinho: Annoying, But Great Coach

2007-10-09T18:45:00.000-07:00

It’s ironic that a few weeks after railing against the antics of the “Special One” I should be lamenting the departure of Jose Mourinho from Chelsea. It was quite a rude shock when I belatedly stumbled on news of his departure a good day and a half after the deed was done. It’s perhaps appropriate then that it’s taken me this long to put my thoughts down.

If you read my earlier posts you would know for sure that Mourinho isn’t exactly my favorite person. Arrogant, loud, full of himself, sore loser and just simply annoying, are all apt descriptions of the Portuguese coach. But there can be no denying that the man knows a thing or two about coaching.

Sure, he had Roman Abramovich’s millions to play around with, but I think it takes much more than money to achieve success. For one thing, his predecessor, Claudio Ranieri, came up short on all fronts in his one season at the helm of the “Roman Revolution”. Mourinho settled in quickly, claiming the Premiership title at his first attempt and repeating the feat the following year. Besides, Mourinho had already proved his worth in leading modest Porto to Champions League glory in 2004.

Mourinho certainly ruffled feathers in his three year stint in England, not least those of fellow high-flyers Arsene Wenger, Alex Ferguson and Rafa Benitez. And he was great entertainment for the press corps as well, spouting quotable quotes on almost every occasion. To my mind, Mourinho’s one failing was that same brash arrogance that made him such great copy. He started last season with a lean squad of 21 players, proclaiming that was all he needed to win a third championship and finally bring home the Champions League. In the end, an unexpected injury crisis left his team below par. Their saving grace was that goalscorers Frank Lampard and Didier Drogba stayed healthy – as their absence early this season as proved. Sure, they still won two cups, but a deeper squad could have achieved much more. Some would put that down to bad luck, but a manager – especially with that much financial muscle - has to factor in the possibility of injuries at the beginning of the season and Mourinho chose not to bother. Instead, he tried to beat all comers with one hand tied behind his back!

I think Chelsea will be the poorer for his absence, though, especially given that he had already deepened his squad this season with the arrival of the likes of Belletti, Alex, Ben Haim, Sidwell and Pizzaro. That is not saying they won’t be challenging for honours. They certainly have players to match any club in England. Watching Chelsea lose to Man U the other day, I couldn’t imagine Mourinho doing nothing to address Mikel Obi’s sending off with one of his astute substitutions. Avram Grant did just that – nothing – and Chelsea lost a game they could have shut down under Mourinho. For me, the game that best demonstrates Mourinho’s quality and courage as a coach was the spectacular FA Cup clash with Tottenham last season, when with his team trailing 3-1 at half time, he tossed in his full cavalry to salvage a remarkable draw.

Okay, I’d better stop waxing lyrical about Mourinho’s coaching before you think I’ve fallen in love with the man! Point is: For all his other annoying traits, Mourinho is a damned a good coach. It’ll be interesting to see where he goes next – my bet would be one of Italy’s top teams. Wouldn’t it be ironic if he ended up at Juventus – taking over from Ranieri yet again?? More interesting for me would be a move to AC Milan, my favourite Serie A team. Would I be forced to become a Mourinho fan then? Ouch!!

Gunners Looking Good

2007-09-24T20:52:00.000-07:00

So, Arsenal have the early lead in England – even if it’s early days yet – and they’ve looked well worth their place at the top, I must confess. To think all the “experts” had them well out of contention a few short weeks ago.

I’ve seen the Gunners twice in the last week now – plenty for a non-Arsenal fan – and if anything, they look far stronger this term than they did in the previous one. They showed great resolve and character while riding their luck to a comeback win against Tottenham at White Hart Lane on Saturday and their 3-0 demolition of Sevilla on Wednesday – in truth a closer game than the scoreline suggests – was an impressive display against one of Europe’s top teams.

Arsene Wenger’s team always play brilliant passing football, but they clearly lacked a clinical cutting edge last season, especially with Thierry Henry missing for long spells. How ironic then that they’ve become much more ruthless after the departure of the prolific Frenchman. Togolese Emmanuel Adebayor is looking pretty sharp upfront and the skillful midfield duo of Alexander Hleb and Tomas Rosicky are finally looking a part of the Emirates family.

The key man, of course is 20-year old midfield general Cesc Fabregas, despite his tender years, one of the best schemers in world football. Already with 4 goals to his name this season, the youngster is showing he can score goals as well as he’s created them over the past couple of seasons. Then again, despite his slim returns since joining Arsenal, Fabregas knows a thing or two about scoring goals. He won the Golden Boot as top scorer (as well as the Golden Ball, for best player) at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in 2003. If the Spanish genius can have what I call a Lampard season – 20 goals from midfield – then there’ll be no stopping the Gunners this season.

On another note, they say one should not speak ill of the dead – or in this case the departed – and so I’m being really careful with my take on the exit from Chelsea of a certain Mr. Jose Mourinho. Trust me, it’s not easy. But there’ll definitely be more on that topic later this week.

La Liga: It's Looking Like Real To Me

2007-09-19T20:57:00.000-07:00

I had this La Liga post in the pipeline a few weeks ago, after the first two rounds, but never quite got it done. The season’s three rounds old now, but not much has changed so here goes:

Ah, La Liga! After last season’s exciting finish, I think we can look forward to another superb season. All eyes, as usual, will be on Real Madrid and Barcelona, but Sevilla will be pushing them all the way again, even if they haven’t added many new faces like the big two.

Barcelona were my pre-season favorites for the title, but Real have made the more convincing start. The Catalans have lost Samuel Eto’o to injury for a couple of months but even that disappointing news has only made coach Frank Rijkaard appear to be something of a genius. His summer signing of Thierry Henry had everyone wondering how he would fit his four star forwards into three starting positions, but with the Cameroon striker out, Henry will partner Ronaldinho and Leo Messi in the meantime. Problem solved- at least in the short term. Of course, Barca have added more personnel elsewhere too and they should be more resilient than last season. Yaya Toure will be a useful addition in central midfield and Eric Abidal already looks a great buy at left back. Then there’s Gaby Milito, the Argentina centre back, who will provide much needed cover for Carles Puyol and the aging Lillian Thuram. Beyond that, Rijkaard has to restore team spirit, after the soap-opera-like spats of last season, if Barcelona are to return to their all-conquering form of 2006.

Unlike last season, Real Madrid – under new coach Bernd Schuster - have got off to a flying start. Not that they’ve had an easy start either. A local derby against arch-rivals Atletico Madrid, which they won 2-1 on a last-minute winner, was followed by an amazing 5-0 trouncing of Villareal at the dreaded Madrigal. It’s early days yet, but Schuster’s team has played with the swagger and style of a championship winning side. Where Fabio Capello moulded a pragmatic, effective but unexciting team last season, Real’s new arrivals have transformed this side into an attacking machine built on a solid defensive base. The German Christoph Metzelder is proving an able replacement for the departed Helguera in defence, and veteran Guti is excelling in his attacking midfield role. It’s the Dutch boys that are making all the difference though. Royston Drenthe, the dreadlocked U-20 star has been a revelation at left wing back while Wesley Sneijder, the oft under-rated former Ajax player as been the star so far with 3 goals and 4 assists from 2 games. If Ruud van Nistelrooy can keep scoring as is his wont, Real look a good bet for another title.

The good news for Sevilla is that they have managed to keep coach Juande Ramos and the bulk of their pretty solid squad. Newcomer Seydou Keita, the Mali international, should add depth and a creative edge to a midfield anchored by the energetic Christian Poulsen. The two-time UEFA Cup winners will also be looking to make an impact in the Champions League but I don’t think they’ll push the big two out of the top positions. Watch out for Atletico Madrid though. After letting star striker Fernando Torres leave for Liverpool, they have added loads of quality in the shape of Luis Garcia, Simao, and Diego Forlan, and they already have Argentine starlet Sergio Aguero on the books. If only they had been able to lure Juan Riquelme from Villareal…..

Eaglets Rule The World. So What Next??

2007-09-16T21:44:00.000-07:00

Nigeria claimed the U-17 World Cup in Korea for the 3rd time last weekend, after earlier wins in China (1985) and Japan (1993). They did it playing excellent soccer too, and for that much kudos to coach Yemi Tella and his well-drilled team. But, beyond the high of another win – and the players’ hopes of European contracts - what does that really mean for Nigerian soccer?

A friend actually got me thinking about this earlier in the week when he asked how come the Eaglets successes had not translated to better fortunes at senior level. Big question, that, and one I’ve pondered often over the years. I’ve heard many arguments too, the most common of which is that the alleged use of over-age players means that the boys are spent – too old – by the time they should be performing for the senior team.
Others blame the inevitable exodus to European clubs that makes it subsequently impossible to camp a team for several months, as we are wont to do with our U-17 teams. In fact, my friend wondered why, if we could raise a wholly home-based U-17 team to win the world cup, we couldn’t do the same at senior level. Now, that’s a thought.

Here’s what I think. There’s plenty to suggest that over-age players have often been used and there’s no question that moving abroad robs us of the easy camping logistics. But I don’t think that’s why our U-17 and U-20 successes have not translated to senior success. Frankly, I don’t think age-grade success is ever an indication of success at senior level. Just look at the evidence: Of all the past winners of the FIFA U-20 World Cup, only Argentina, Brazil and Germany have gone on to win at senior level, and only very rarely has any players been involved at both levels. Maradona (Argentina), Taffarel, Dunga, Bebeto (Brazil) – that’s the list of players who’ve won world cups at youth and senior level. Of course, when you consider that these major powers – all past World Cup winners before the advent of age-grade world cups – would probably have won the World Cup anyway, the value of their youth successes pales even further.

More starkly, consider what became of the other U-20 winners: USSR won in 1977 and the peak of their senior achievement was a European Championship final appearance in 1988; Yugoslavia, champions at Chile 87, did show promise at the World Cup in 1990 – reaching the last eight – but the subsequent Balkan split robbed us of a true evaluation of that team, even if Croatia did reach the World Cup semis in 1994 featuring some of the stars of that youth team. Portugal are perhaps the best example of the potential of a sound U-20 foundation, with the emergence of their “golden generation”, following consecutive World U-20 cup wins in ’89 and 91. But, despite giving us the likes of Luis Figo and Rui Costa, that side too ultimately under-achieved at senior level. Remember too, that Qatar were runners-up in 1981!

More recently, Argentina have won five of the last seven U-20 finals, playing great soccer and producing some of the best young talent in world soccer. Yet, the South Americans have not won a senior trophy in 14 years, and their last World Cup triumph was in 1986 when Maradona ruled the roost.

The evidence at U-17 level isn’t any more encouraging. Taking Brazil out of the picture, not one U-17 champion has repeated at U-20 level. Both Nigeria and Ghana have been beaten finalists at U-20 level years after being crowned at U-17 level; Argentina and Spain finished 3rd in 95 and 97 respectively, and then followed that with U-20 championship wins two years later. On the flip side, Saudi Arabia beat Scotland in the 1991 final, Guinea, Bahrain, Qatar and Oman have all finished third and Australia were runners-up in 1999.

Even with the players, standing out at youth level doesn’t ever guarantee a successful senior career. The truth is that nobody really knows how a sixteen year old is going to turn out. It all depends on attitude, character, clubs, coaches, luck, health etc. Remember the top scorer from the 1987 U-17 World Cup? I do. His name is Yuri Nikoforov, and he was a superb striker for the USSR team that beat Nigeria in that year’s final. He was good enough to play at U-20 level two years later and eventually made it to the senior Russia squad in the mid-90s. By then, of course, he had become a capable centre-back for Moscow club, Dynamo. From top-rated striker to central defender - who could have predicted that - yet he’s one of the lucky ones who made it all the way. Many others fall by the way side: James Will won the Golden Boot at Scotland 89, and then what?

Having said all that, age-grade soccer certainly has its merits, no more so than as a shop-window for clubs to view tomorrow’s potential stars. These championships also provide a valuable learning experience for young players on their way to the professional grade, and hopefully, to senior international prominence.

In this regard at least, Nigeria has not fared badly. Our Nations Cup winning squad of 1994 involved several players who had come through the age-grade ranks: Nduka Ugbade (U-17 85, U-20 87,89), Samson Siasia (U-20 83), Stephen Keshi (U-20 79), Willy Agbonavbare (U-20 83), Thompson Oliha (U-20 87), Mutiu Adepoju (U-20 89), Austin Okocha (U-20 93), Emmanuel Amuneke (U-23 91), Victor Ikpeba (U-17 89), Alloy Agu (U-20 85). And many more have been involved since then – think Nwankwo Kanu, Celestine Babayaro, Taribo West, Jonathan Akpoborie, Garba Lawal, Mobi Oparaku, Victor Agali, Yakub Ayegbeni, Julius Aghahowa and more recently, John Mikel Obi and Taiye Taiwo.

But curiously - and this is really interesting -we’ve also produced loads of players who never went through the age grade process. In fact, one could argue that the Super Eagles most successful years, between 1991 and 2000, was at a time when the core of the team was formed by players who had never been involved at age-grade international level. Goalkeeper Peter Rufai, defenders Uche Okechukwu, Chidi Nwanu, Ben Iroha, midfielders Sunday Oliseh and Finidi George and strikers Daniel Amokachi and Rashidi Yekini. Even today, a look at the current crop of Super Eagles regulars hardly shows a large number of age-grade graduates. Vincent Enyeama, Joseph Yobo, Danny Shittu, Chidi Odiah, Seyi Olofinjana, Yusuf Ayila, John Utaka, Osaze Odemwingie, Christian Obodo, and Obafemi Martins, all never played for Nigeria at U-17 or U-20 level. On the flip side, not one of the U-17 team that finished 2nd at the 2001 World Cup – six years ago – is even on the fringes of the senior team today. Makes you wonder how much value these teams really offer in terms of senior international success.

Much ado about Beckham

2007-09-04T20:24:00.000-07:00

The decision of Los Angeles MLS club, Galaxy, to bring David Beckham to the States – for all those millions – appears more and more ridiculous now, but not quite as ridiculous as England manager Steve McLaren’s about-turn on Beckham’s international career. Okay, maybe one can understand Galaxy’s decision. Afterall, the MLS has never enjoyed this much media buzz in its 11 year existence, and with crowds rushing in to catch a glimpse of Mr. Golden Balls, attendances at Galaxy games have increased and the club has already made a pretty buck on the deal. Whether that will translate to success on the field is another matter. So far, it has not - even if Beckham has weighed in with his fair share of assists and free-kicks – and the Messiah is now injured and out for the rest of the season. Cue another poor season for Galaxy. Now we’ll have to wait and see if the hype survives a long close season.

As for McLaren, the less said the better. An average club manager at Middlesbrough, he’s looked out of his depth at international level so far. Bringing back 31-year old Becks – after making such a huge show of dropping him after the world cup – only betrays the kind of lack of courage that is the hallmark of failure at this level. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Beckham had to make that unnecessary jaunt across the Atlantic for a mere friendly match against a far-from-full-strength Germany, and then dash back for another Galaxy match 2 days later. That would take its toll on a fully fit 20-year old player, let alone a veteran barely recovered from a long term ankle problem. But rather than try someone else – Liverpool’s Jermaine Pennant, perhaps or the resurgent Shaun Wright-Phillips – on that right flank, McLaren shipped in the old man and then gave him a full 90 minutes to boot. In a meaningless match! Now with Beckham crocked – along with Steve Gerrard and Frank Lampard – McLaren will have to try that new face on the flank in the crucial Euro qualifiers against Israel and Russia. Very wise!

Frankly, I fail to understand this fuss about Beckham. Yes, he is a master at free-kicks and crosses. But what about the rest of the game? Never blessed with pace or dribbling trickery – like the likes of Pennant, SWP or Aaron Lennon - he more than compensated with hard work and that determination to succeed. I’ll admit that, at his best, Beckham gave everything on the field and I grew to admire his industry. But that was six years ago. Beckham has done precious little at international level since that free-kick that won a world cup berth against Greece back in 2001.

Now, if soccer were like American football, Beckham would be perfect as a kicker – just wheel him in for the corner kicks and free-kicks and put him back on the bench afterwards. If the Galaxy can convince FIFA to amend the rules - another Beckham rule, perhaps? - they might actually have a trophy to show for all their millions.

Serie A: The Old Lady is back

2007-08-29T18:49:00.000-07:00

The Old Lady is back, so we can rightly say Serie A is back in full swing this season. No disrespect to Inter and their championship sweep last term, but Italy’s top division isn’t quite the same without Turin giants Juventus, and their absence last season certainly took some of the excitement out of Serie A. Of course, Inter’s title also owed much to the form of Juventus old boys Patrick Vieira and Zlatan Ibrahimovic – who opted out of the drop to Serie B – and when you consider that the likes of Lazio and Milan had huge points deficits to overcome, it’s no surprise that the Nerrazurri took the scudetto at a canter.

Things are sure going to be different this term, with Juve joining the usual pretenders – Inter, Milan and Roma – for what should be a closer race.

Inter are my favourites to repeat, after adding the prolific goalscoring of David Suazo to an already strong squad. They’ll have to do without Marco Materazzi early in the season, but they have the squad to cope with that, especially with the highly-rated Christian Chivu arriving from Roma. The stability of keeping virtually the same team will serve the Nerazurri well, but I think Roberto Mancini has his eyes firmly set on the Champions League this year. That could prove a distraction from Scudetto ambitions.

Milan look a little too old again – Paolo Maldini, Dida, Alessandro Nesta, Pippo Inzaghi, Ronaldo, Clarence Seedorf, Massimo Ambrosini are all over 30 – but we’ve been saying that for the past 4 years and they conquered Europe last season. The arrival of Brazilian Emerson from Real Madrid does nothing to reduce that average age – nor does it raise the team’s entertainment value – but they got a potential gem in the shape of 17-year old Alexandre Pato, one of Brazil’s few successes at the recent World Youth Championships. I think he’s one for the future though and much would depend on the form of Pirlo, Kaka and Seedorf his season.

Roma still have Francesco Totti – will he ever move? – and boast an impressive midfield with newcomers Mauro Esposito and Ludovic Guily complementing Daniele De Rossi and Alberto Aquilani. Brazilian centre-back Juan, arrives to replace the departing Chivu in defence but they just don’t look as solid a team as they did three to four years ago under Fabio Capello.

Juventus got off to flying start, scoring five goals last weekend, and that would boost confidence no end. Again, it’s a different team from the one that “won” back-to-back titles under Capello. David Trezeguet is back with old hands, Pavel Nedved, Gigi Buffon and Alex Del Piero, but there are several new faces as well. Vincezo Iaquinta has loads of serie A experience and should fit in well, and the likes of Tiago (ex-Porto, ex-Chelsea, ex-Lyon) and Jorge Andrade (ex-Deportivo la Coruna) have decent track records. But it’s all down to the “Tinkerman”, Claudio Ranieri, to mould these different parts into an effective whole.

I’ll bet you want me to stick my neck out and pick a winner – just so you can call me on it in May. Okay, fair enough. I don’t think Juve will win in their first season back, and I don’t think Roma have a deep enough squad to last the distance. It’ll be one of the Milan teams – my heart says Milan but my head disagrees: Internazionale to win again.

merry xmas, chelsea

2007-08-21T20:12:00.000-07:00

I have to dig into the Prem again this week, just because it would be criminal not to comment on the catastrophe that was referee Rob Styles performance at Anfield last Sunday. For those who didn’t see the Liverpool-Chelsea game, please bear with me. Those who saw it – and the generous gifting of a penalty equalizer to Chelsea – would certainly understand my fury. Unless they are Chelsea fans, of course. Then again, I would expect much more from those fans than we got from Jose Mourinho after his team had been handed a “Get out of jail” pass by Mr Styles.

Most media reports have described the penalty decision - given after Florent Malouda crashed into Steve Finnan in the Liverpool box - as questionable. That’s not right. It wasn’t questionable, it was outright wrong. The only thing questionable about that call was Mr. Styles’ eyesight. It wasn’t even close! Finnan was just standing there when Malouda, attempting a dummy, skipped over the ball and crashed into him. Not one Chelsea player appealed for a penalty and they must have thought Christmas had arrived early when the ref pointed to the spot.

Okay, the fact that Rob Styles has since admitted the error of his ways and apologized to the Liverpool club means I don’t need to convince anyone about the demerits of that decision. Except for Mourinho, that is. His comments after the game were, as usual, erm…what’s the word…baloney. The gall of that man! First, it was the Liverpool players “from another culture” who hadn’t helped the referee – suggesting that Liverpool’s foreign players were “simulating” (fancy word for diving). And then, of course his team was “naïve…. pure and clean” and not given to diving and violence. Indeed. Well, we all know which team won the dodgy penalty even if, to be fair, Malouda didn’t seem to be playing for it. Of course, not one member of the “pure and clean” team – like their manager - had the decency to admit that they had just escaped a crucial defeat on account of the referee’s charity. Pure and clean would have been one Chelsea player admitting the ref had got it wrong – as Robbie Fowler did at Highbury all those years ago when, having just won a penalty for his team, he told the ref he hadn’t been fouled. Not that he changed the ref’s decision, but at least he showed his honesty. Pure and clean would have been one Chelsea player – just one - admitting that Liverpool had been robbed by Rob (well!!) Styles. Instead what did we get? Well, whatever the opposite of pure and clean is I suppose. Next, Mourinho will be telling us – as he did last season - how penalty decisions never favor poor Chelsea. More “special” baloney from the “Special One”.

excuses and apologies

2007-08-19T13:37:00.000-07:00

Okay, let’s get through the excuses and apologies first. Truth is I used to be a fairly prolific writer – five to six pieces every week in a well-circulated Sunday paper. But – excuse number 1 – I’ve been out of that gig for the better part of six years now and this blog is my way of getting back in the game. The game of writing that is. As for the beautiful game itself, I never left. So, I hope you’ll forgive me – if there’s anyone out there – for the lack of activity of the first two weeks of soccereccos’ existence. And while you’re at it, you might as well forgive me if my posts do not come in as regularly as scheduled and for any hint of rust as I get my groove back.

I intend to post something here every week and you can bet it’ll be well worth your while. If you hadn’t guessed yet, it’s going to be soccer, soccer and more soccer and it’ll be as wide in scope as you like.

I‘ll be starting this week with a look at the four contenders for this season’s Premiership title. Or does anyone seriously think there are any other title contenders? Don’t be fooled though; this isn’t a Prem only blog – even if Liverpool is my number one club. But the season’s fresh and there’s loads going on so……here goes.

Sluggish start for Man U – no complaints here – and Chelsea are squeezing out wins as usual. I expect both teams to be there or thereabouts come season end in May. Talk of stating the obvious, right? Despite the slow start, I think Man U have made the stronger additions to their squad, especially in Hargreaves and Tevez. BTW, I’m pretty irritated that the Argentina striker ended up at Old Trafford. What Liverpool fan wouldn’t be?? Like they weren’t strong enough, already. But getting Tevez could well secure a successful title defence for Man U this season. He’s obviously one of the best young strikers in the world, and anyone who can make the Argentina team has got to be special. I don’t think he’s Leo Messi-special, but then again, who is? How West Ham, a team in a relegation battle, could have left Tevez and Javier Mascherano on the bench early last season still bugles my mind! But that’s a matter for another day. Everyone will be looking to stop Ronaldo this season so we may not get quite the same impact from the winger this term. But, of course, they have Wayne Rooney as well..

Last season appears to have taught Jose Mourinho the value of squad players, hence the arrival of the likes of Steve Sidwell, Claudio Pizzaro and Tal Ben-Haim. No silly talk of playing with a small squad from “The Special One” this season and hopefully, we won’t have to put up with all the whining about losing players to injury this season. Chelsea isn’t ever likely to ever win the entertainment award, but who needs that if you can keep winning. Mourinho’s a brilliant coach with quality players at his disposal and Didier Drogba and Frank Lampard keep scoring they’ll be fighting till the very end. For me though, the key to Chelsea’s success is a guy I call The Bionic Man – Ghana’s Michael Essien.

Expectations are high at Anfield where Rafa Benitez as assembled the most attack-minded Liverpool side in eons. I’ve been particularly thrilled with Ryan Babel, the young Dutch winger. He plays with pace, purpose and great skill – if 15 minutes against Aston Villa is enough to go on. He’s gonna bump Pennant to the bench pretty soon – if Rafa decides to play him on the right. Fernando Torres has looked sharp too, but there’ll be loads of competition from Andrii Voronin, Peter Crouch and Dirk Kuyt for places upfront. At the back, things should be as tight as ever – or even tighter, with Mascherano fully integrated in the team. Whether that’ll be enough to win a fist league title in 17 years remains to be seen, but Liverpool should be more fun to watch this season.

Then there’s Arsenal – sans Thierry Henry. Arsene Wenger’s latest creation sure looks lightweight without their record goal scorer, and even more so when you consider the established stars that have left in the just three seasons – Bergkamp, Vieira, Pires, Wiltord, Campbell, Cole, Lauren. But they’ll be as exciting to watch as ever and if Cesc Fabregas keeps performing, I think they’ll be even better this term. Sure they’ll miss Henry, but he was out for the better part of last season anyway, and in Robin van Persie – if he can stay healthy – they have a capable source of goals. Maybe not Henry-esque 30 goals per season, but if Nicholas Bendtner and Eduardo da Silva settle quickly and Emmanel Adebayor continues to develop the Gunners could be back on the way up. Okay, I guess there are too many ifs in there to suggest that the title will end up at the Emirates, so which of the other three will win it?

I kind of gave up soccer predictions several years ago and I’m going to chicken out of this one too. I hope it’s close and exciting and I very sincerely hope that Liverpool can edge out the other three and bring the title to back to Anfield. That’s my heart talking. My head is kinda quiet right now.
I’d love to read your thoughts though, so don’t be shy now!
Catch you later.