Midweek Mailbag - 19 December 2006

The holiday season is upon us, and what better gift to give our readers than a holiday edition of the mailbag. Brian will have the honors this week. As always, these are real questions from real readers. Enjoy the festivities.

Miles in Yonkers, NY: Wow! What an upset at Upton Park. Do you think Curbs will be the difference and keep West Ham out of the relegation zone? Does this loss mean Mourinho is in Manchester United's head?

Brian: The surprise of the weekend was certainly West Ham's inspiring victory over Manchester United on Sunday. The Hammers' defense was absolutely superb, with young American Jonathan Spector looking particularly good. Rooney was non-existent (when Rooney is bad - which has happened on more than one occasion this term - you can't even tell he's on the pitch). And captain Nigel Reo-Coker's goal was the result of a beautiful piece of patient attacking football (although I'm not convinced Marlon Harewood actually picked out Reo-Coker's run). Inspiring stuff on Curbs' debut, but will it be enough to keep the Hammers out of trouble? West Ham certainly has the talent to steer clear of the relegation zone, but the key will be squeaking out points away from Upton Park. West Ham has zero wins, only one point, and has scored but two goals away from home this year.

As for Man Utd's side of the story, this was the Red Devil's first hiccup in quite some time. Chelsea is grinding out wins every week, just about. A two point lead can be erased in a single weekend. With the fixtures coming hot and heavy, Chelsea might catch Man Utd within the next two weeks. The Special One's club got through their toughest stretch of the season (Man Utd, Bolton, Arsenal, Newcastle) in even better shape than before it started. The game to keep an eye on is the New Year's Day tilt at St. James' Park. If a resurgent Newcastle United takes points off the Red Devils, we could have a tie atop the table for the new year.

Joanie in Grand Fork, ND: Did you see (Tivo) the Club World Cup final between Internacional and Barcelona? Were you surprised by the outcome? Does it mean anything about the true strength of European soccer that they can't seem to defeat the Copa Libertadores winners?

Brian: Joanie, our friends at Fox Football Fone-In were posed the same question today, and I agree with their answer 100%. This game is a glorified exhibition. While Barca did field the big guns (thanks to FIFA pressure, no doubt), to expect a team in the middle of a club and European game to travel halfway around the world and care about what happens in an exhibition game is asking a bit much. These kinds of games matter much more for the South American teams taking part, since they get their one shot at a big European power. I wouldn't read too much into this result.

Trent in Alexandria, VA: The transfer window is creeping closer. Which teams across Europe will be the busiest shoppers and sellers?

Brian: January is always an interesting time. However, the high prices and possibilities of players being cup-tied usually prevent big moves. It's a little too early to start throwing names around, but I'll pick a couple of teams to look at, Trent. In Italy, I'd expect AC Milan to "double down" and bring in a defender and a forward. That team has been ravaged by injuries this season and needs help in the Champions League and to avoid relegation in Serie A. Also look for Roma to bring in a money forward (although not a big-money forward). Fiorentina could be a seller, and teams may want to try to bring Luca Toni on board.

In England, Newcastle will look to bring in a forward. I was going to pick West Ham as a seller, but with a new big-money owner and a new manager, they may want to right the ship. Also look for the teams sniffing at a Champions League place in England, such as Bolton, Portsmouth, and Tottenham, to look at making moves. Big Sam has been openly courting David Beckham in recent weeks. And you know, if anyone could rescue Becks' career, it might just be Big Sam!

Jim in Tucson, AZ: Any reactions to the Champions League draw?

Brian: I was very satisfied with the draw. We have some really compelling match-ups. The two heavyweight contests will be Barca-Liverpool and Madrid-Munich. Liverpool absolutely must draw or stay within one goal of Barca at the Nou Camp, and the same could be said for Bayern at the Bernabeu.

The most compelling ties will be Inter-Valencia and Roma-Lyon. Lyon is my sleeper to win the whole thing this year. That team is quietly scary. The most exciting tie will be Celtic-Milan. Celtic Park will be electric for that first leg. There's something magical about that ground in European play. And let's not forget the Special One going back to his old stomping grounds in Porto. Good stuff all around!

While we're at it, here are my predictions. Winners are in bold:

PSV v. Arsenal
Real Madrid v. Bayern Munich
Lille v. Manchester United
Celtic v. AC Milan
Internazionale v. Valencia
Porto v. Chelsea
Roma v. Lyon
Barcelona v. Liverpool

Bryce in San Jose, CA: Were you aware that Newcastle United has already won more silverware than Arsenal this year? How you like them Intertoto apples!

Brian: The Inter-what? You win a trophy for that? I thought you just got a nice little ribbon like when you make the best apple pie at the county fair. By the way, sources tell me you need a new razor for Christmas. Let's hope Santa leaves one in your stocking and you clean yourself up a little bit.

Photos courtesy yahoo.com, imageshack.us, wikimedia.org. Bryce is up next. Send your letters to him. Happy Holidays!

The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

What a week it has been already in the footballing universe. Big results in midweek Champions League and EPL action, stunning developments surrounding the future of US soccer, and of course, far too many ugly incidences on and off the field. Think of this as a quick review of the week that has been.

The Good

I would be labeled a narrow-minded gushing Newcastle supporter if I started this section by praising them for a dramatic come-from-behind victory on Wednesday night at St. James' Park, so I'll first mention even a neutral observer would have been wildly entertained by the Magpie's battle with visiting Reading.

In a match that certainly did contain good, bad, and ugly elements, Glen Roeder's men showed impressive resolve to storm back to win after a trademark quick collapse, this time despite taking an early lead.

Goal-scoring hero (that's just scary) Antoine Sibierski gave the home side the lead with a simple headed finish from a Nol Solano cross in the 23rd minute. James Harper grabbed two quick goals before the break in demoralizing fashion. A wicked rebound on a partially blocked shot left 'keeper Shay Given with no chance on the first, and a bit of sloppy play allowed Harper to uncork the second not long after. Worst of all, however, was the jig Harper did with someone on the Royals coaching staff after the first goal. Thankfully, this is not as of yet available on youtube.

Second half strikes from Martins and Emre brought the Toon all the way back, got them a much needed three points, and saw them leapfrog to the astounding heights of 15th in the Premiership table. It didn't look to be their day before those strikes as Celestine Babayaro was being jeered by the home supporters and Sibierski had a second clear goal wiped away for no reason.

The Other Good

For most fans here in the States, the Champions League coverage this week featured the Barcelona/Bremen and the Man U/Benfica matches. The first twenty minutes of the match at the Nou Camp was certainly bad, ugly, and terrifying for Werder Bremen fans, but boy did they make Barca look good. The defending champs were all over the German side from the outset and were relentless in their quick strikes. Only blown chances prevented this match from being truly lopsided, but the field of 16 should be on notice: the champs aren't going anywhere quietly.

As for yesterday's match at Old Trafford, I would have to describe the first half of that match as the most entertaining I've seen in quite some time. Benfica needed a win on the road, Manchester only needed a draw, which you would think would lead to a rather defensive approach from the Red Devils unless they somehow found themselves behind. That's exactly what happened on Benfica's first shot on net in the 27th minute. Manchester had dominated possession up to that point and were hurt on a quick counter attack. Nelson's strike was a thing of absolute beauty. Forced to chase the game at that point, Sir Alex's boys were relentless in their pursuit of an equalizer. It came just before the stroke of halftime on a powerful header from Vidic. In the second half, United's pressure quickly tipped the balance of the game in their favor, but it was a truly exciting match in that opening 45 minutes.

The Bad

Bob Bradley?

Are you kidding me? What's going to become of Chivas USA? Please tell me he will maintain control of the Goats, for God's sake!

OK, maybe that isn't the real reason I am not very excited about Bob Bradley being named the next US men's national team coach. As opined here and half the known universe, Juergen Klinsmann was the ideal candidate for this job. It was reported earlier this week that he had accepted the position, then word came out that no deal was done just yet, and now finally today he released a statement stating that he will not be taking the job.

Well, crap.

The second best we've got is Bob "My Mission in Life is to Coach Every Team in MLS" Bradley? What happened to Jose Peckerman? Carlos Queiroz and Gerard Houllier? Mia Hamm?

That last one might not have been circulated as much, but she was my idea. I know she is busy these days, what with carrying our first child and all, but I digress (oh right Nomar, you think she's got nothing to do with you on those road trips?).

The only thing I can hope for is that this interim position will only last as long as it takes for Juergen or someone else with some clout, to get on board in 2008 at the latest to have the team ready for the World Cup in South Africa. I just hope it won't already be too late. Hopefully Gulati and the rest of the US Soccer Federation took enough notes on what Juergen would do and can pass out red, white, and blue wristbands with WWJD written on them to keep the organization moving in a positive direction.

Still, a bad day for US Soccer.

The Ugly

The ugly portion of this week comes from reports of violent incidents across Europe. There was the bruhaha between Spurs and Middlesbrough players on Tuesday night resulting in red cards and possible disciplinary sanctions against both clubs, a former Man United player stabbed nearly to death in a bar, and the disturbing (if not particularly well-written) piece on the state of Italian football appearing on ESPN.com this week.

Clearly, not all is right in the world. All the more reason to bring back what is good, pure, and beautiful in the game we all love.

And that is exactly why Mia Hamm should be the next coach of the US men's international team.

Pics courtesy of hanscomfamily.com, intheknow.co.uk, soccernet.com, hooligan.epp6.com

Special Edition Mailbag - 4 December 2006

With Brian taking pot shots at me and my club, I felt it was time to dig into the ol' mailbag to see if I couldn't exact some revenge. These are all real emails sent by real readers. Let's have a look.

Ricardo in Plano, TX: Greetings! Big week of Champions League action ahead of us, wouldn't you say? There's a chance that Barcelona, Roma, Arsenal, and Manchester United might not make the final 16! Who will make it, and who won't? Any chance the defending champions don't make it?

Bryce: As Brian broke down in his Arsenal-centric Free Kicks, the Gunners are one of a few big name clubs in danger of not progressing to the knock-out stages. Let's look at this one day at a time.

Tuesday features two games that have real implications. The most widely publicized match is Bremen traveling to the Nou Camp needing "just a draw" to advance at the expense of the defending champions. Messi and Eto'o are both still out for Barca, which puts more pressure on that one Brazilian guy, who I hear is still pretty good. In fact, I believe he is sometimes known as "Ronaldinho Gaucho", which should sound familiar to our faithful readers who took notice of Brian's annual college soccer tidbit. The Gauchos of UCSB rode their luck to an NCAA championship, so look for the spirit of the Gauchos to carry the Catalan giants to all three points and a ticket to the next round.

In Group D, Roma could be headed for the UEFA Cup should they lose at home to Valencia and Shakhtar Donetsk were to travel to Greece and defeat Olympiakos. Too many road victories needed on Matchday Six. Roma will get through to the round of 16.

The Wednesday night matches also feature plenty of compelling match-ups. Benfica will be traveling to Old Trafford trying to duplicate last year's elimination of Manchester United. Last season, however, they pulled off the upset with a win in Lisbon. Despite the Red Devils back-to-back losses in Champions League play, both of those matches were away from the Theatre of Dreams and with Sir Alex feeling perhaps a bit overconfident. With Rooney firing on all cylinders again, Ronaldo who never ceases to be in top form these days, and a defensive back four that make the days of Wes Brown and John O'Shea seem like ages ago, the current EPL leaders should get at least a share of the spoils - their only need to worry would be if they approached the game looking for a draw. If they play to win, they'll be in.

Group G looks ominous for a certain club from North London. First, the good news for the Gunners: a draw on the road would be enough to see them through, and the only chance of them being knocked out would be if Arsenal lost and CSKA Moscow were to win on the road. But now for the good news for the rest of us: Porto are not to be taken lightly at any venue, let alone the Dragao with Champions League survival on the line, and CSKA Moscow have finished their domestic season and are completely focused on going to Hamburg to take three points from one of the only two clubs in the competition yet to win a single point. There will be plenty of scoreboard watching on Wednesday night, I'll say that.

Brian in Los Angeles, CA: Bryce, we all know how much you love to rip on Arsenal. I would get joy out of seeing my pal's favorite team fail too if I was a Newcastle supporter. But all jokes aside, I'd be interested to see what you have to say about the Gunners' troubles with consistency the past couple of seasons. What is keeping Arsenal from being on par with Manchester United and Chelsea, and what steps do you think they need to take to compete for EPL titles again?

Bryce: Honestly, there is a lot to like about the talent assembled in the Gunners' locker room, as much as it pains me to admit it. I think last year's run in the Champions League and the occasional flashes of brilliance from the side demonstrate without a doubt that talent is certainly not what his lacking on this club. But, I would point to three things that still bug me about this version of Arsenal.

First of all, this is a team still rebuilding. There are a lot of young, exciting faces in the line-up that have been brought in and given prominent roles. Some weeks, everything flows together perfectly and the young and old faces blend seamlessly, and it looks like the Gunners of their championship form. What is missing, it seems to me, is a true sense of their own identity. It looks like they are playing dress up, and occasionally pulling it off, but they might be guilty of attempting to carry out the (recent) old Arsenal tradition at all costs. Cesc has to be like Vieira, Van Persie has to be like Bergkamp (when he is actually quite like a Duke University Lacrosse player), Hleb has to be like Pires, etc., etc. I say let them develop their own identity.

The second obvious factor which stems from this first point is the gaping hole left by Patrick Vieira as team captain. I don't see the kind of leadership you expect at a club of that stature. Is Henry ever going to be as good of a captain as John Terry? Are you kidding? Maybe Gary Neville doesn't knock your socks off either, but the Red Devils have fewer youngsters and new faces. This transition period for Arsenal would be much smoother if they had stronger leadership from their captain, and surely their next captain will have to be chosen for reasons other than a remarkable goal scoring record.

The third major reason for Arsenal inconsistency, at least from what I have seen as a neutral, (not so-) impartial observer, is Arsene Wenger's insistence that his club score pretty goals. Pretty goals they definitely score, no question about that. But what is missing are the ugly goals that make the difference between dropping points and keeping pace with the big guns. Didier Drogba has been on fire this entire season, but not all of his goals have been pretty (although some have also been breathtaking). Until the Gunners find more ways to score goals (with their heads for instance...), I think they will be too reliant on pretty goals to really challenge Chelsea and ManU over the marathon that is the EPL season. Maybe that's why last year's Champions League run makes sense- fewer games to rue missed opportunities.

Just my two cents.

Steven in Mission Viejo, CA: It's looking more and more like Jurgen Klinsmann will soon be named US National Team manager. While we may soon have a big name manager, I'm still worried about the current talent pool. The failure at the World Cup had a lot to do with the inability of our players to compete physically and talent-wise with our opposition, and not just with coaching issues. What are your thoughts? I'd hate to see the Argentina and Brazil B-teams beat up on us at Copa America this summer!

Bryce: As much as it has been said, it still bears repeating: not advancing out of group play at the World Cup is not the end of the world. 16 teams advance. Sometimes good teams don't even qualify for the World Cup (Scotland has missed the last two!).

That being said, I do think Jurgen Klinsmann would be the perfect fit for US Soccer and could make a huge difference in player development here in the States. More and more Americans are going abroad and playing in England, Holland, and Germany, which is great. Do the kids making the journey to Denmark's lower divisions really help themselves or US Soccer? Probably not. Pretty soon the likes of Sunil Gulati and his new national team coach will be devising ways to get the most out of the existing MLS and college structures, while at the same time maximizing the opportunities for talented Americans to play in the top leagues in the world. Klinsmann will have the insight, connections, and experience to help guide his players into appropriate development opportunities in Europe, but whoever is placed in the coach's position should also have an advisory role with MLS to help improve the league's structure (especially since it is about to over-expand again).

In the end, a coach like Klinsmann could help the culture of player development on a national level in significant ways. I just wish they'd make the friggin' announcement already.

The other key development is the US national team's involvement in the Copa America. I hate to break it to the Gold Cup organizers, but our players don't play in many meaningful games against world class international opponents. A big part of developing our players will be fielding them against stronger competition more often at both the club and international levels.

Noah in Duluth, MN: Bryce, are Newcastle going to get relegated? That would be pretty funny if that happened, eh? Michael Owen says he'll be back - yeah, back in time for bus rides to Ipswich and Coventry!

Bryce: Noah, Noah, Noah. First of all, you should know that our recent run of good form is only the tip of the iceberg. In typical Newcastle form, the Magpies are a little slow coming out of the starting blocks. No biggie. We've got a monster run in us that will see us finish in the top half of the table. Not good enough for a club of Newcastle's stature, but given the injury list that at one point or another has contained, or still does contain, the names Owen, Ameobi, Given, Parker, Dyer, Emre, Solano, Duff, Carr,N'Zogbia, Milner, Moore, Babayaro, and Bernard to name a few, Glen Roeder shouldn't be tarred and feathered just yet.

Second, the same can not be said for you after than relegation joke. Duluth aint that big, pal. You'll know when I find you.

Cesare in Hoeboken, NJ: Who will win the Scudetto? I think it's down to two teams: Inter Milan and Roma. Inter has the firepower, but they always choke! Just you watch. What do you think? Caio!

Bryce: If ever "choke" were the optimal term, it would have to be for a blown Scudetto on the part of Inter this season. This title was practically gift wrapped by the match-fixing scandal and subsequent point deductions for Milan and Juventus (among others, of course), which leads to the obvious question of how much the directors of Inter paid to the authorities to frame all those other clubs.

But seriously, right now the gap is 4 points, but Roma has played one more game at home, which they happened to lose to the leaders from Milan. Inter has also already defeated AC Milan "on the road," as well as third place Palermo and fourth place Catania Calcio. They have already gone through the worst of their schedule. Unless they get distracted by bribery scandals or a Champions League run, Inter should have too much talent to let the Scudetto escape them.

Thanks for the emails everybody. Don't forget to get your questions to us here.

Pictures courtesy of fc-barcelone.com, fcporto-poland.com, 4thegame.com, fotball.aftenposten.no, usinmagine.com, and soccerline.co.kr.

Free Kicks - 4 December

If Arsenal Stinks, Then What About Tottenham???

It's been no secret that Arsenal has been struggling of late. Regular readers are I'm sure overly aware of Bryce's joy in Arsenal's recent misfortune. On the heels of consecutive losses to Bolton and West Ham to cap off a dreary November, the Gunners welcomed rivals Tottenham to Emirates Stadium on Saturday. After a horrid start to the season, Spurs had rebounded in November and managed to climb away from the likes of Newcastle at the bottom up to mid-table. Without an "injured" Thierry Henry on Saturday (more on that later), certainly this was Spurs time to take points off their bitter rivals, right?

Well, not so fast. I guess you could say that order was restored in the universe at least for one afternoon, as Arsenal put quite a whooping on their North London rivals. Emmanuel Adebayor opened the scoring by beating the Tottenham offside trap, and stand-in captain Gilberto slotted home two penalties in a 3-0 win that saw Arsenal return to 3rd place. While no one knows which Arsenal team will show up in this weeks pivotal games against Porto and Chelsea, at least everything was right again for one day.

Video: Adebayor scores for the Gunners



But Where Was Thierry?

As previously mentioned, Arsenal captain Thierry Henry missed the North London derby. The official explanation given is that Henry is suffering from a neck injury. However, sources report that manager Arsene Wenger is instead benching his off-form superstar for a few weeks, using injury as an excuse to keep the British press from blowing the situation out of proportion. The Sun newspaper (which Bryce refused to read when I bought it in Europe - what a snob!) reported last week that there was a rather nasty "bust up" between the manager and his star forward when Henry learned he would not be playing against Tottenham. Henry certainly looked healthy enough while celebrating Arsenal's goals on the sidelines. So what's going on?

Henry has been terribly off-form all year. Perhaps his body has not recovered from last year's gruelling campaign, which included a run to the Champions League final and World Cup final. Or perhaps he has grown complacent at a club that has coddled and catered to him, and now that he's committed his future to Arsenal he's taken his foot off the gas just a bit. He has scored seven goals this term (two from the penalty spot), but has not been his normal dominant self. He has drifted out of games more than usual, and is not linking up well with his partners up front. With Arsenal's inconsistent form and perceived lack of leadership (Tony Adams, Patrick Vieira, where are you?), one could argue that his value as a captain could be questioned.

Arsene Wenger has given Henry a free pass his entire career. Could he finally be getting tough with his captain? It's been suggested that Henry was benched, not injured, for the games he missed in September at Hamburg and at Manchester United (both Arsenal wins, coincidentally). And evidence - Henry playing 90 minutes at midweek at Fulham - suggests he is well enough to play now. Will he get the message? Or are Arsenal, who looked as good on Saturday than at any other point all season, better off without Henry?

Win or Go Home

Four of Europe's top teams, including both of last year's finalists, a former champion, and the second best team in Italy, all could be out of the Champions League by midweek if results don't go their way. Seldom has the Matchday 6 had such drama. But by day's end, we will know if the likes of Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester United, and Roma will make it to the knockout stages.

For Barcelona, it's simple: win, or go home. If Barcelona does not take three points from Bremen, the reigning champions will not be defending their title come Matchday 7. Arsenal top their group, likely will need at least a draw at Porto to move on. Man Utd also need a draw at home against Benfica. Roma's qualification for the Round of 16 is in doubt with talismanic captain Francesco Totti missing Tuesday's game at home against Valencia. Roma likely will progress with a draw, but that will be no easy feat against Valencia. Chances are that at least one of the four will not make it past Matchday 6. Who will it be?

The Mighty Gaucho

We rarely talk about college soccer in the United States here at Bookable Offense. But I have a special place in my heart for the UCLA men's soccer team. I got my break as a sports writer covering the team while in college, which also doubled as my first real exposure to soccer. So really, without the exposure and fondness I have for the UCLA men's soccer team, this very website that you know and love might not exist!

This past weekend, the Bruins (that's UCLA's mascot, for our international readers) attempted to win their fifth national title and record 100th athletic championship for the university at the College Cup. With a team of mostly freshman and sophomores, it was a big surprise that UCLA made it to the College Cup this term. But in snowy, frigid St. Louis, the Bruins put a whooping on fourth-seeded Virginia 4-0.

That set up an all-Southern California showdown on Sunday against the UC Santa Barbara Gauchos. I never knew there were many Argentine cowboys in the Santa Barbara area, but we'll take their word for it. The Gauchos were an even bigger surprise to make the title game than the Bruins. But unseeded UCSB took an agressive approach with the talented Bruins. The Gauchos dictated the tempo, got an early goal, and then stayed agressive. UCLA could barely muster a shot, and their forwards got zero service. The result was a deserved 2-1 victory, the first for the UCSB program. Congrats to the mighty Gauchos!

And that will do it for any mention of collegiate soccer for another year!

Pics courtesy yahoo.com. Video courtesy youtube.com. Send your emails to bookableoffense@gmail.com.