Six Days and Twelve Games

After a weekend of exciting fixtures and key results across the globe, the footballing world more or less had a day off on Monday (my apologies to the hardcore Serie B and 2nd Bundesliga fans). But over the next six days, there will be important matches - local derbies, cup ties, potential relegation battles, as well as top of the table duels - and this guide will let you know where to keep your attention focused between now and Sunday afternoon.

Tuesday
1) The first match deserving your attention will be at Vicarage Road where Watford will host fellow relegation zone inhabitants, Sheffield United. These two newly promoted clubs have found life in the Premiership anything but easy, and through 27 games have combined for a meager 19 points. That would only be good enough for 11th in the table due to a goal differential of -20. Pitted against each other in what has to be considered a must win game for both managers, there should be plenty of fireworks.

Verdict: Adrian Boothroyd's men have only lost once at home in all competitions this season, and that was to Man U back in August when player of the month Ryan Giggs put the Red Devils back on top in the second half of a very competitive match. Watford wins 2-1 and Sheffield United are forced to seek consolation in their next match up.

Wednesday
The midweek fixtures in the Premiership keep the attention focused in England, as two matches in particular deserve a closer look.

2) Bolton's form had been woeful since their last league win on October 22nd before trouncing the visiting Gunners at the Reebok over the weekend 3 to 1. The win moved them to third in the table and feeling good about the production coming from their three-headed attack of Anelka, Davies, and El-Hadji Diouf. Next into town will be another London club and defending champions, Chelsea.

After a much-deserved equalizing goal from Ricardo Carvalho saw the Blues keep within three points of league leaders Manchester United, Chelsea, much like Sam Allardyce's men will be hard pressed not to fall victim to the dreaded let down game. Spirits were certainly higher for the boys from Bolton following their three point scalp of Arsenal, but Jose Mourinho's men must also guard against a lackluster display on Wednesday.

Verdict: Chelsea has proven to be almost ceaselessly mentally prepared for every challenge set before them with Mourinho at the helm. Allardyce also seems to find ways to get enough good results from a less than jaw-dropping squad sheet to keep his club in the top half of the table. This one ends in a draw, 1-1.

3) The other enticing Wednesday fixture in the Premiership is the first London derby between Fulham and Arsenal this season. While this match doesn't bring the same heated rivalry as their respective duels against closer neighbors Chelsea and Tottenham, this game will still be worth keeping an eye on.

Neither club has shown marked improvement over inconsistent league form from last year and seem to be stuck in similar funks again in this campaign. Which Gunners club will arrive in West London: the same side that lost at the City of Manchester Stadium, or the squad that won at Old Trafford? And after last year's success at Craven Cottage and nearly hapless attempts away from home, Fulham are still looking for any modicum of consistency. Will Chris Coleman send out the same bunch that beat Everton at home, or will their evil twins who lost to Reading this weekend rear their heads again?

Verdict: In an upset and a healthy dose of wishful thinking, I'm looking for the home side to squeak out a win, 1-0.

Thursday:
Enough of this Anglophile stuff.

4) Besides plenty of action in the UEFA Cup, tonight's big match up in the pits Pachuca of Mexico against Colo Colo of Chile in the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final. Despite playing at home, Pachuca will be at a slight disadvantage heading into the match. Due to the domestic league playoffs, the club is scheduled to play Toluca the night before. Assuming they field entirely different lineups, it will be interesting to see which game is given precedence. It is still hard to imagine how the schedulers could create such a headache to begin with, but what can they do?

Verdict: Without knowing who will be available to suit up for the home side, a certain amount of the home field advantage is certainly forfeited. Colo Colo has been far from intimidating away from home in domestic play, but very efficient in the tournament. I think the Chileans will get the all important away goal, but the first leg will end in a draw, 1-1.

Friday:
5) If you like local derbies, Friday's big showdown is for you. Sporting Lisboa will be hosting cross-town rivals Benfica at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in the Portuguese capital. A win for the hosts would move them to the top of the table heading into the weekend, whereas a win by the visitors would pull them within six points (and they will still have a game in hand) of current leaders, Porto.

Verdict: Simao will get a cross into the box for Nuno Gomes, who will head the ball down for the hard-charging Angolan substitute, Mantorras, whose left footed drive will wrong-foot Sporting 'keeper Ricardo and end up the match winner. Benfica wins, 3-2.

Saturday

The biggest day of action this week features two intriguing derbies, a death match, and three top of the table clashes.

Derbies
Local rivalries will be rekindled when 6) Tottenham Hotspur travels for the first time to the Emirates Stadium and 7) Porto plays host to Boavista in Portugal.

As for the real London derby, Spurs have been playing good football of late at White Heart Lane, but their away form has been dreadful all season. And as pointed out earlier, Arsenal have been far from reliable (did I mention the draw at home to Newcastle followed by a loss to Bolton?), regardless of locale. I think both clubs will remember how to play their best game when they take the pitch on Saturday.

Verdict: Just because I really, really hope it comes true, I'll say Tottenham wins in a wild one, 3-2.*

*This result could change on account of mysterious food poisoning or some other form of unsportsmanlike conduct on behalf of Arsenhole.

In the other cross-town clash, I don't see Boavista managing anything better than a share of the points. Now, if it were a contest for the coolest stadium, I might give them a slight edge. But the Dragao is pretty amazing in its own right. And when it fills up on Saturday, the home supporters will walk away winners. 2-1, Porto.

Death match
Let's just say for the sake of argument, that I am correct and Watford defeats Sheffield United on Tuesday. That would make 8) United's next match against last place Charlton all the more pivotal. Losing two relegation battles in one week would surely spell doom for Neil Warnock and company. Charlton are hoping to find some positives after the departure of Iain Dowie (besides the obvious benefit of the departure of Iain Dowie). A share of the points against Everton was a good start, but this match will tell us a lot about the future of both of these clubs in England's top flight division.

Verdict: With one team potentially coming off a loss and playing desperate football and the other coming in with more self-belief under a new manager, these two rather unimpressive sides will cancel each other out. Darren Bent continues scoring, but so does Rob Hulse, and it ends 1-1, helping neither side reach safety.

Top o' the Table
In Germany, title contenders 9) Werder Bremen will play hosts to the surprising Hertha Berlin, while down in Mexico, 10) Club America will take on Guadalajara in the second leg of their semifinal playoff, and way out East, 11) first place Urawa Reds will host second place Gamba Osaka in Japan.

Bremen have managed to surface near the top of the Bundesliga through the first 14 fixtures as well as position themselves to escape the Group of Death in Champions League play at the expense of title holders Barcelona. They play an attractive style of football and are loaded with top class talent. They will be playing host to the capital club that hasn't won a ton on its travels yet, but has consistently found ways to earn points.

Verdict: Bremen prove to be a cut above Hertha and win convincingly, 2-0.

Down in Mexico, Saturday's game will be the return leg after Wednesday night's game in Guadalajara (second leg fixtures are just more exciting, I think). It's anyone's guess what the result midweek will be.

Verdict: You gotta like the Goats, right? Usually, I'd say yes, but I think America's superior away form will give them the leg up heading home for the rematch. 3-2 aggregate.

When it comes to J League clashes, anything involving traveling to Saitama Stadium
is perilous business. Urawa have not lost at home this season, in no small part due to their fanatical supporters, and I just don't think Gamba will have enough to get the job done.

Verdict: I like the Reds chances of locking up another league title with a convincing effort against their nearest challengers. 3-1 Urawa.

Sunday

The best match on the 3rd will be 12) Toluca at home against Pachuca, who will come in drained after the first leg of this semifinal series as well as the first leg of the Copa Sudamericana final. How much energy and focus the visitors can muster will be something to keep an eye on.

Verdict: There is simply no way Toluca should let this match up slip away from them. Three games in five days should leave their opponents fatigued and given the nature of those games, banged up as well. I like Toluca to run away with this one, especially with Pachuca's primary concern being the Copa final. 4-2 on aggregate.

And that my friends is how the next six days are going to shape up (give or take a few UEFA Cup games, mind you.) Enjoy!

Pics courtesy of 4thegame.com, some Urawa supporter, spurodyssey.com, slbenfica.pt, bbc.co.uk, aljazeera.net, and mweb.co.zw.

Weekend Mailbag - 17 November 2006

Hey, look who we found out back digging through the rubbish bins! It's Brian, back from the dead. Let's dust him off with a few questions from the mailbag. Who knows, if he gets through this unscathed, he might actually start posting something of interest on this website again. As always, these are actual questions from actual readers...

Daniyal in Chu, Kazakhstan: Hello. I hope you like very much read this mail. I can say, we Kazakh peoples much happiness with new film by famous television star, Borat. But today, our Kazakh football team were slaughtered like daughters touched by different family in place of romance. What will world think of Kazakh peoples without very success and making World Cup? Thank you.

Brian: Daniyal, it's great to hear from you. Welcome to the internet, and welcome to Bookable Offense. Please come visit us anytime. We've been down with the Kazakhs ever since Nabby's rookie season. People here in U.S. and A. are very interested in your country thanks to your ambassador of peace, Borat. High five!

Unfortunately, your Kazakh football team must feel like they got kicked in the khrum after this week's loss to the Portuguese. While there's really no shame in losing to Portugal, your country has two points after five games, and has only managed to score one goal. While apparently it's ok to score with one's own sister in your country, perhaps you should encourage your forwards to try scoring in the opponent's goal.

If there is one silver lining, I don't think you need to worry so much about the world's perception of your country if your football team does not make Euro 2008. We already have a wonderful view on all things Kazakh thanks to our friend Borat. Chenquieh!

Chester in Longford Mills, Ontario, Canada: Hey guys! Unbelievable finish to the MLS Cup Final, eh? But what I am thinking aboot is the upcoming MLS expansion draft. Who would you take if you were running Toronto FC?

Brian: Chester, I'm sorry you didn't catch Bryce's turn with the mailbag since most regular readers know my thoughts on MLS these days. I will say that the MLS Cup Final was quite a riveting contest. Everyone loves extra time goals. Nice to see the former San Jose Earthquakes win title number 3.

It's also encouraging to find a person actually excited about professional football coming to Canada. Since you took the time to write, I'm humor you with a thoughtful response.

Toronto FC is allowed to take one player from each team. Not accounting for that mettlesome salary cap, here's who I would take: C.J. Brown (Chicago), Matt Taylor (Chivas), Jordan Harvey (Colorado), Ezra Hendrickson (Columbus), Greg Vanney (Dallas), Nick Rimando (DC), Craig Waibel (Houston), Tyson Wahl (Kansas City), Paolo Nagamura (Los Angeles), Daniel Hernandez (New England), Chris Henderson (New York), and Andy Williams (Salt Lake).

Peter in St. Pete, FL: What was the most surprising result this week in the international fixtures? I can't believe Germany was held to a draw by friggin Cyprus!

Brian: Friendlies don't matter. I've been saying it for years, and no one will listen. Germany only could muster a draw against lowly Cyprus. Big deal. The German team won't even get together again until February and doesn't have a competitive match until the end of March. So what happens on a random Wednesday in November does not matter. Ask me again in March.

Stacy in Memphis, TN: Hi, my question is for Brian (We met at that wild Playboy party). I know what a big England supporter you are, and I was just wondering what you thought of Wednesday's friendly in Holland after their two previous disappointing. And Brian, call me....

Brian: These kinds of emails make me blush. Stacy, it was lovely meeting you and I'm glad you found me here on the web. Seldom does one meet such a lovely lady at a party who is double jointed and can talk football. I hope you made it back to Memphis in one piece.

Again, I don't put much stock in friendlies. But we learned a few things from England's draw with Holland. First, 4-3-3 does not suit the English. It never has, and it never will. What McClaren is trying to do is beyond me. 3-5-2 against the Croats, and now 4-3-3? Don't change your formation to match your opponent. Stick with what the English do best, the 4-4-2, and make them adapt to you. Second, it's evident that there's something wrong with Frank Lampard when he puts on the England shirt these days. I don't know if he's pressing too much, or perhaps he's being exposed without Makelele behind him, but he's been woeful for England in the past year. Third, don't screw around with the defense! Put four in the back - any four, really, since English defenders are the best in the world - and go with it. Last, without any dynamic dribblers in midfield, England must use speed to overcome that deficiency.

Photos courtesy smh.com.au and yahoo.com. Send in your questions to bookableoffense@gmail.com.

Free Kicks - 11 November 2006

No Excuses

I was going to come up with some sort of clever line to explain my absence over the past few weeks by pointing a finger at Newcastle's awful form and how I didn't want to have to think about it or face the taunts from Brian and all our favorite readers, but there really is no excuse. Jobs, the "real world", blah blah blah. It's been too long, and it won't happen again. Unless I am sent to cover the World Cup again.

As for the state of affairs on Tyneside, somehow, it's either Graeme Souness' fault, or possibly Freddy Shepherd's (just ask the boys at NUFC.com). The truth is, this team stinks. Third from the bottom after today's results in the EPL is simply not good enough. Maybe going after Martin O'Neil would have been better than bringing back Glen Roeder. Maybe securing the services of Jonathan Woodgate or another central defender would have made a difference (keeping Boumsong was not an option). Maybe things would be different with a healthy Michael Owen.

The truth is, something is fundamentally wrong with this club. Yes, Harper has often looked bad filling in for Shay Given, but the problems with this team are more often than not the central pair in front of the 'keeper, and not the man between the posts. Given certainly erased a huge number of errors last year, but counting on the last line of defense to win games every week just won't cut it on this level.

The other problem has been finishing chances. While things aren't quite as bad as Wayne Rooney's "finishing" (in quotes because it hardly qualified) against Blackburn today, putting the ball in the back of the net has been a huge problem. The fact that Sibierski has been singled out for praise by the manager raises any number of questions about the Toon "strike force" (ditto).

Something needs to change, and fast.

Is it Over Already?

Tomorrow afternoon on ABC, literally hundreds of viewers will tune in to see the MLS Cup championship match in Frisco, Texas. The game pits two-time bride's maids New England and two-time winners in a previous life, Houston, in what could prove to be a well-played, entertaining affair. However, given the Revolution's recent finals performances, it could turn out to be a slowed down slug fest.

In an ideal world, this game wouldn't be happening because DC United won the Supporters Shield for the best regular season record (see my MLS prediction in a Weekend Mailbag from April), which should determine the league winner. That, and the Dynamo would still be named the San Jose Earthquakes and they would have been properly viewed as the best team in MLS history since the dominant DC United teams of yesteryear.

However, since the game must be played, looking back at my predictions back in April, I still think New England will come out victorious. I like their depth and possession game, as well as the fact that they didn't stab anyone in the back and move the team during the off-season to some god-forsaken pollution monster in Texas. As much as I would like to see certain players in Orange lifting the trophy again, I would much rather not let their fans experience victory. Ever.

Eme Ve Pe

In other MLS news, Christian Gomez of DC United was crowned league MVP after turning in 14 goals and 11 assists for the Supporters Shield winners. The Argentinian midfielder (think Peckerman would like to reconsider that final World Cup roster now? Me neither.) was a dominant force, despite not being the league's fastest or flashiest player. He is just a crafty distributor and wily veteran with a nose for goal. iFelicitaciones!

Becks on Tap?

Could next year's league MVP be another foreign import? With contract talks with Real Madrid stalled while soon-to-be Sir Becks fights for a chance to remove those splinters from his backside by getting back in the starting eleven, rumors are circulating that the LA Galaxy are preparing to make a bid for David Beckham's services next season. If ever a player would fit in in Hollywood, Becks is certainly it. While I thought Red Bull would be more likely to arrange to break MLS salary rules to bring his services to New York, there would be something fitting about the former England captain landing in LA. It remains to be seen how long it would take him to realize that not having a center forward to speak of to cross to might affect his output, but if he were really willing to join MLS, would the quality of play really be an issue anymore?

The Old Lady Creeps Back to Life

And lastly, despite the point reductions for match fixing and signing Jean-Alain Boumsong, Italian giants Juventus are well on their way back to Serie A. With the point reduction reduced to 9, Del Pierro and Company are only 2 points behind first place Piacenza. It looks like talk of the Turin club's demise was a bit overzealous. In fact, AC Milan appears to be having a more difficult time adjusting to life with their point reductions in the top flight, as they currently sit in 16th place.

Pictures courtesy of revsnet.matchnight.com, football.guardian.co.uk, washingtonpost.com, and afrogoal.com.