I wouldn’t have [signed] had I known that things were going to turn out like this,I would be a bad footballer if I contented myself with sitting on the bench. This is too much! I’m not making any progress here.

Lukas Podolski on his situation with Bayern Munich

With such a talented player, several teams have reportedly shown interest in the striker. So far rumors have circulated that Manchester City, Roma, and Fiorentina will all try to pursue Podolski. Manchester City has been adament on trying to get a big name player as a part of their squad but has failed to do so. During the summer, they tried to acquire Ronaldinho but failed to do so as he signed with AC Milan.

Podolski deserves to be a starter somewhere and it’s a shame he can’t get enough playing time on Bayern Munich. It’s amazing to think that Bayern has one of the most talented young players coming off the bench behind the likes of Toni and Klose. This may be a trade that Manchester City can actually complete as Podolski has shown interest in coming to England to play. He would without a doubt be a starter at City and may be the proper place for him to land at.

]]> http://soccerusa1.com/podolski-trade-rumors-heat-up/feed/ 0 http://soccerusa1.com/welcome-home-brian/ http://soccerusa1.com/welcome-home-brian/#comments Wed, 30 Jul 2008 21:31:40 +0000 Sean Connolly http://soccerusa1.com/?p=66

By Sean Connolly After 4 years in England Brian McBride is back where he belongs, the MLS. McBride is out of England and back in the States after being traded to the Chicago Fire, McBride's hometown. This is great for the MLS as McBride Read more

By Sean Connolly

After 4 years in England Brian McBride is back where he belongs, the MLS. McBride is out of England and back in the States after being traded to the Chicago Fire, McBride’s hometown.

McBride out of England and back in the States

This is great for the MLS as McBride was such an intregal part of the MLS’ development with the Columbus Crew. McBride who has played for the U.S. National team hopefully will begin a trend in which American players return to play club ball in the MLS. In 8 seasons with the crew McBride was an all-star 7 times and scored 62 goals along with 45 assists.

It's been a while since we've seen him in an MLS uniform, but he's back

McBride’s return means a lot to this league. He is an innovator and the quintessential American soccer player. His success in England was amazing but after not seeing McBride in America for 4 years it’s hard not to have missed him after the last time we saw him all bloody during America’s loss to Italy in the 2006 World Cup.

McBride in the 2006 World Cup

McBride retired from international play after the 2006 World Cup so McBride will make his first return to American soccer in two years after he comes back from the Olympics where his serving as an “overage player” and a captain. The Fire gave up a good amount for the hometown kid, trading away Chad Barrett and a first round pick to Toronto FC (they had McBride through an allocation process to get him to the US). The 36 year-old McBride should be welcomed back with open arms as he is a US Soccer legend and a hero to anybody who plays the sport of soccer in America.

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In one of the most drawn out signings in recent memory, Ronaldinho has officially signed with AC Milan. It seems like such a long time ago when it was first said that Ronaldinho would be a part of AC Milan, and after several months and several teams getting involved it’s finally over with.

Many things have happened but in the end I have become a Rossonero player. I am happy to find so many Brazilians but also all the champions that wear the Rossoneri colors. I am really happy. After many years I am here. I am delighted to have arrived to AC Milan and I hope to be able to give a lot of joy to everyone.

Ronaldinho on Finally Signing With AC Milan

AC Milan’s new product will be shown off on Thursday as Ronaldinho will be welcomed with welcomed arms at the San Siro Stadium at 9:30 P.M. This tedious transfer hasn’t taken its toll though. Both Inter Milan, and Manchester City were very well involved in looking to pick up the once world’s greatest player. It has also affected other players who have been unsure where to go, with a portion of their decision in the hands of Ronaldinho. Emmanuel Adebayor seemed the likely choice for Milan but suddenly chose Ronaldinho over the Arsenal star. There has also been rumors that Frank Lampard and Ronaldinho wanted to join forces and that a trade could put those two together.

This transfer should open the flood gates for a lot of moves in the next week or two. It seemed like this and the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer seemed to be blocking the door for a lot of teams. Barcelona haven’t looked back on Ronaldinho as they themselves have signed Alexander Hleb to a 4 year deal from Arsenal.

Who are the losers in this move though? It has to be Manchester City. At one point it seemed imminent that Manchester City would in fact steal Ronaldinho from AC Milan and sign the star but even after offering more than the 21 million Euros that AC Milan will pay Ronaldinho, his heart is in Milan. Signing Ronaldinho looked like such a smart and promising move for Manchester City that would have garnered them much attraction and could possibly allow them to compete with Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United. Now, even after signing Brazilian Jo, things look bleak for Manchester City as they may need to pull out another blockbuster to bring them up the table.

What does moving to Serie A mean for Ronaldinho? Personally I think this is where it ends for the star. The league is way too strong defensively for Ronaldinho to pull out his magic and he will soon become an average player whose impact won’t reflect his paycheck. I think it’s time to bid Ronaldinho farewell as he will become lost in Italy.

Depending on the health of David Villa, Spain will have the three most effective strikers in the game this Sunday in the UEFA Euro Final against Germany. They were also good enough to get past the bad luck of the yellow jerseys.

Germany’s defense has squandered silly goals throughout these Euro Finals, and behind that defense is, how should I put this, inept keeper in Jens Lehmann. He made two crucial errors that resulted in goals in the game against Turkey, so don’t be surprised if Fernando Torres, David Villa, and Cesc Fabregas make him look just as awful.

If you’re a Germany fan, you have to admit that the Germans haven’t been convincing. If not for the foot of Lucas Podolski, Germany wouldn’t have even made it out of the group stage. Other than his header against Turkey yesterday (which thanks to a lightning strike that ruined the video feed for ESPN, I did not get to see live on television), Miroslav Klose has yet to be as effective as he was in the 2006 World Cup. Michael Ballack has looked sluggish at times and Podolski seems unable to play 100% for 90 minutes. Germany is limping into this final and they will need much more to win over Spain who comes into the final in stride.

For the second time in the tournament today Spain picked apart Gus Hiddink’s Russia. They looked unstoppable on offense, and their one minor weakness in their defense played brilliantly. Puyol and company shut down Russia giving them little to no chance of putting the ball passed Iker Casillas. The most impressive part of Spain’s dismantle of Russia, was on their third and final goal. After a turnover by Russia, Spain played keep away from Russia’s Andrei Arshavin (who, with his tremendous performance throughout these Euro Finals, may find himself in the English Premiership, more specifically Chelsea, with a lot of money), forming a perfect triangle and passing around him. In what looked like a set drill in a practice session in which you have to pass the ball a certain amount of times before you moved forward, the ball was dumped forward to a wide open Cesc Fabregas who had room to roam. He broke away down the pitch with David Silva trailing down the middle and Fabregas placed it perfectly on Silva’s foot and he buried the ball past Igor Akinfeev and ended any chances of Russia coming back.

Fabregas’ performance off the bench was by far the most impressive in Euro this year. He came on for the leading scorer in these Euro Finals and put on a scintillating performance. As soon as he graced the field he brought enthusiasm, excitement, and ultimately goals to the Spanish side. Fabregas ended up with two remarkable assists. With Torres creating chances but not finishing them, expect Fabregas to start in the final against Germany.

Throughout this tournament Spain has been the most convincing team. Of the four powerhouse teams, Portugal, Germany, Italy, and Spain, Spain has been the only team play to their potential. They come into this game at their best with Cesc Fabregas at the start of becoming the most successful Spanish player in the past 25 years. Sunday’s match will have little competition, my prediction…3-1 Spain. Their first Euro title since 1964.

So far, so good. This Euro had a slow start but now is beginning to pick up as it should. We are now at the knockout stage with Russia upsetting Sweden in the final decisive game to get to the knockout round. Already I am salivating at most of the match ups…mainly Portugal against Germany.

Portugal vs. Germany- Coming into this game the better side is obviously Portugal. They easily won group A and showed their firepower throughout. Germany on the other hand limp into the knockout stage beat up and bruised. They will be without their coach, Joakim Low, after UEFA issued a one game ban for arguing in the game against Austria. Their top scorer in Lucas Podolski is tired and beat up and his fitness is in question. But don’t ever count out the Germans. They come in playing their best soccer after beating Austria, and Ballack’s masterful free kick might be just what the German captain needed. As for Portugal they have steadily improved throughout this tournament and in the last game against Switzerland they were able to rest a majority of their starters. I just think that Portugal is fitter and playing much better soccer at the moment. Cristiano Ronaldo doesn’t seemed phased by the trade rumors going on between Manchester United and Real Madrid and the same goes for Deco and his possible exit out of Barcelona. Portugal right now is the better side and I see a 2-1 win for Scolari and his Portuguese.

Croatia vs. Turkey- After one of the best comebacks in Euro history, Turkey comes into the knockout round with an heir of invincibility and a great deal of confidence. Turkey is the only team to come back from a deficit in the tournament, achieving that feat in two separate games. Their upset comeback over Petr Cech’s Czech Republic solidified that Turkey is no fluke and have the team that could make it deep into this tournament. As for Croatia, well they have simply played great in their last two games. In their first game, a 1-0 win over hosts Austria, it looked as if Croatia may be in trouble against Germany. They easily handled the Germans and went on to win group B with an outstanding 9 points. This should be a magnificent game with another late Turkey comeback. I expect a Croatian goal though in extra time to give Croatia a 2-1 victory over Turkey.

Netherlands vs. Russia- After easily beating a heavily favored Sweden side, Gus Hiddink has proved that the magic he has performed in the past was indeed no fluke. It looks as if this young Russian squad could be another one of Hiddik’s teams that surprise everyone. Hiddink did it with his counterpart in Netherlands several years ago and they match up in the knock out round. Netherlands came out of the “Group of Death” which included France, Italy, and Romania, without even breaking a sweat and quickly proved that they are the strongest, deepest team in the tournament. I fear though that Russian’s young side will be no match for the well rounded Dutch. 3-1 Netherlands in another easy game for the Dutchmen.

Spain vs. Italy- The Italians have been a bit of a mystery in this tournament. They were blown out by Netherlands in the first game, nearly lost to the Romanians if not for Buffon’s amazing penalty save on Romania’s Mutu, and they beat up on the French. So, what will come of the Italian side in the knockout round? I’m not sure, but what I am sure of is that Spain has the firepower to rip apart any defense at any time during the game. Italy’s great defense has been anything but in this tournament and I think Fernando Torres and David Villa will easily put a few past Buffon. I’m only going against Italy because they have played so erratically. Spain have played well in all their games and I predict a 2-1 win for the Spanish.

Alright, if you’re looking for predictions for Euro 2008 you came to the right place. Lets start with the first group, group A. You got Czech Republic, Turkey, Switzerland, and Portugal. Expect Portugal to have an outstanding Euro this year as they will easily top Group A. Cristiano Ronaldo will lead the Portugal side, despite trade rumors that he may leave United to go to Real Madrid, deep into the tournament. He is coming off his best season with Manchester United, and now knows what it takes to be the best in Europe as he won the UEFA Champions League title. Czech Republic should be the second team to come out of Group A thanks to the best goalie in the world, Petr Cech.

Group B has Austria, Germany, Croatia, and Poland. Although Austria will be playing on their home turf, I don’t think they’ll have a chance to get out of this solid group. Germany, an absolute soccer power house, will top the Group. My surprise pick of the entire group stage will be Poland. This is Poland’s first debut in Euro 2008 and I think they have a great chance to be this year’s Greece. Europe should not underestimate Poland.

In the most exciting group France, Italy, Netherlands, and Romania will fight it out in Group C. Now this is obviously the most difficult group as the group contains the World Cup winners and runner up in France and Italy. Both France and Italy will top the group but not without a fight from Netherlands. Luca Toni will put up a huge number of goals just like he did in 2006 and Italy’s defense will lead them to the top of this group. This will be the most entertaining group so make sure you tune in.

And finally Group D. Group D contains the surprise Euro 2008 Champions in Greece so they will play with a huge target on their back. The group also has Russia, Spain, and Sweden. Spain will easily top this group as they along with Portugal, Italy, and Germany are the sure favorites for winning the tournament. Spain’s Torres is an absolute star and should lead the tournament in goals and bring Spain deep into the tournament. Following Spain in Group D will be Greece. They did it four years ago and I expect them to make a move again this year and be this year’s Greece (it does make sense).

Portugal, Italy, Germany, Spain. Pick one of those countries if you want a Euro 2008 champ. Don’t expect a huge surprise winner like in 2004 but don’t count out a couple spoilers like Poland, Greece, and Czech Republic who can ruin someone’s day.

Soccer in America is rising, but it will never be where England is and yesterday’s game proved it. In a friendly match at Wembley Stadium in England, the U.S. soccer team came out flat and got straight up beat by a much better squad 2-0. Personally, I have been looking forward to this game thinking that the U.S. could pull out an upset. Unforunately that wasn’t the case.

This game was so frustrating for so many reasons if you’re a fan of American soccer. First off the game wasn’t even slightly competitive. England ran circles around the U.S. and not at one point were they ever in danger of falling behind. Without Landon Donavon in the lineup, pulled groin, the American side had no offense and couldn’t threaten at all. Being a fan of English soccer and American soccer, I have always dreamed of a true competitive rivalry between the two sides. Instead, England just proves that Americans can’t play soccer and will never be up to their level.

It seems whenever the U.S. is building up a solid team and garnering some respect in the soccer community, they are given a great challenge and they fail. In the 2006 World Cup against Germany U.S. again failed to make a significant impact on the biggest soccer stage.

In the game, John Terry made up for his missed penalty shot for Chelsea in last weeks championship final. He headed in a goal from a free kick from, ironically, the possible savior of U.S. soccer, David Beckham. Steven Gerard scored also as a simple triangle pass picked the U.S. defense apart and gave Gerard an easy break away.

Some good news came from this game though as Brian McBride, one of America’s greatest players, announced that he will be leaving Fulham F.C. in the English Premiership to come to the MLS. I guess he liked where the MLS was headed, and it would be great to see him on a team like the New York Red Bulls.

With the World Cup qualifiers coming up soon, the U.S. soccer team better get their act together and realize that the time is now to show the world that American soccer is for real. Beckham, the world’s biggest soccer star, is playing in the United States and all eyes are on the national team to perform. If they keep playing like this they will be lucky to make it to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

With a slap Didier Drogba shattered Chelsea’s dreams of winning the Champion’s League. Today’s game will go down in history as the best game in Champion’s League history and includes the worst mistake in soccer since Zidane’s headbutt in the 2006 World Cup Final.

Before I get into the finer things of the game let me sum up the final penalty kicks that made this game so exciting.

Tied after two overtime periods, penalty kicks were the only solution. At about half past one in Moscow, Russia both teams would have to fight through rain and try and take the cup. Both Chelsea and Manchester United made their first two shots convincingly. Then, Cristiano Ronaldo stepped up for the third shot with the score still tied. Surprisingly, the best player in the world failed to step up and it’s all due to his dumb move that he thinks fools the keepers but in facts gives them a better chance. Ronaldo’s penalty approach has been talked about amongst fans and head officials in Europe as to whether it was legal or not. Either way the star stepped up, stopped, and then had his shot blocked by Petr Cech. This stop and go move could have easily cost Manchester United the title, and he should quickly get rid of it before it ends up costing United a game. The tension built up to the 5th and possibly final shot for the Chelsea Captain, John Terry. With rain pouring down in Russia, the captain had a chance to end the game and give Chelsea the cup. He slipped as he shot and forced the ball right, just glancing the outside of the post. Two feet to the right would have won the game with Van Der Sar diving to the opposite side. The conditions of the field were awful to begin with, and with heavy rain making the field worse, the captain’s left foot gave out just as he struck the ball forcing the shot wide. This mistake by John Terry opened the door for Manchester United. After a goal by Ryan Giggs, Nikolas Anelka who had come on late in the game would step up for Chelsea. Anelka went right, as did dutchman Edwin Van Der Sar and blocked the shot to the right. Anelka’s penalty was poorly taken with little strength and neither high nor low where Van Der Sar couldn’t reach. His approach was predictable, and you could see Van Der Sar begin to smile before the ball hit his hands. With that Manchester United had won the Champion’s League.

If you’re a Chelsea fan though, do not blame Nicolas Anelka for not going right, or John Terry for not being aware of the conditions of the field, blame Didier Drogba. Reminiscent of the 2006 World Cup final between France and Italy where France Superstar Zinedine Zidane head butted Marco Materazzi and was sent off, Didier Drogba lost his head in a confrontation and decided to slap Manchester United player Nemanja Vidic. And the worst part is, it wasn’t even a good slap. If you’re going to slap someone to get sent off in the Champion’s League Final, make sure you get him good. At least Zidane’s headbutt was creative, I mean who headbutts someone in the chest anyway? Instead Drogba barely glanced Vidic’s chin right in front of the Referee, Lubos Michel. Michel immediately sent Drogba off as the game headed into penalty kicks. With the game obviously heading to extra time Drogba made the worst mistake of the game. To play for that long and get kicked out of the biggest game of your career over something so small and dumb is beyond me. Drogba’s character was shown in this game and it should definitely hurt him as trade rumors surround him.

Surely if Drogba was in the game in penalty kicks, Chelsea would have won. His stupid antics cost his team a win and should be looked at as the goat of this game. If Drogba was in the game John Terry would not be taking the 5th and final shot to win the game, but Drogba would be. Instead, John Terry, a defender, stepped up and missed. This will most likely be Drogba’s last game as a Chelsea player and Chelsea fans should be happy.

The drama of Drogba’s slap of Viddic and the final penalty kicks will definitely overshadow an amazing game throughout. The first goal was scored by star Cristiano Ronaldo from a beautiful cross from Wes Brown. Ronaldo lifted high above marker Michael Essien and buried the ball perfectly into the lower left corner. Frank Lampard, overcoming the death of his mother, buried a goal after a deflect fell right to his feet minutes before half time which turned the momentum around for Chelsea in the 2nd half. The 2nd half wasn’t as eventful as the first half until Drogba took a shot outside the 18 yard box that hit off the post. If that shot was two feet to the right it would have ended the game and gave Chelsea the title. And then later in the game with the ball floating around Manchester United’s box, Frank Lampard found the ball at his feet about eight yards from the goal. With his back turned to the goal, Lampard turned and shot and drilled the ball off the crossbar. Again, two feet lower the cup would have been Chelsea’s. So, in total Chelsea came up two feet shy of the cup on three different occasions. Tough luck.

It’s amazing how many players could have ended up being criticized and blamed if the game turned out differently. If Manchester United doesn’t win you could easily blame Ryan Giggs for missing a wide open shot within the six yard box. Giggs recieved a perfect pass with the goal wide open and instead of drilling the ball home with his right, he decided to try and nudge it in with the outside of his left. This gave time for John Terry to get back to the line and push the ball away with his head. And then you could blame Alex Ferguson for taking Scholes out and putting Giggs in. You could easily blame Cristiano Ronaldo for trying to be too fancy and missing a penalty. The stop and go move by Ronaldo was so overt that if it went in the referee would have disallowed it. With Anelka’s miss though, both Giggs and Ronaldo were vindicated, leaving Ronaldo weeping in the middle of the field like a baby after Van Der Sar saved it.

This was the best game I’ve seen since the 2006 World Cup Final, and there are a lot of elements that remind me of it. If you’re a Chelsea fan feel bad for John Terry and maybe Anelka, but make sure you blame Didier Drogba’s slap for losing this game.

In one of the most drawn out signings in recent memory, Ronaldinho has officially signed with AC Milan. It seems like such a long time ago when it was first said that Ronaldinho would be a part of AC Milan, and after several months and several teams getting involved it’s finally over with.

Many things have happened but in the end I have become a Rossonero player. I am happy to find so many Brazilians but also all the champions that wear the Rossoneri colors. I am really happy. After many years I am here. I am delighted to have arrived to AC Milan and I hope to be able to give a lot of joy to everyone.

Ronaldinho on Finally Signing With AC Milan

AC Milan’s new product will be shown off on Thursday as Ronaldinho will be welcomed with welcomed arms at the San Siro Stadium at 9:30 P.M. This tedious transfer hasn’t taken its toll though. Both Inter Milan, and Manchester City were very well involved in looking to pick up the once world’s greatest player. It has also affected other players who have been unsure where to go, with a portion of their decision in the hands of Ronaldinho. Emmanuel Adebayor seemed the likely choice for Milan but suddenly chose Ronaldinho over the Arsenal star. There has also been rumors that Frank Lampard and Ronaldinho wanted to join forces and that a trade could put those two together.

This transfer should open the flood gates for a lot of moves in the next week or two. It seemed like this and the Cristiano Ronaldo transfer seemed to be blocking the door for a lot of teams. Barcelona haven’t looked back on Ronaldinho as they themselves have signed Alexander Hleb to a 4 year deal from Arsenal.

Who are the losers in this move though? It has to be Manchester City. At one point it seemed imminent that Manchester City would in fact steal Ronaldinho from AC Milan and sign the star but even after offering more than the 21 million Euros that AC Milan will pay Ronaldinho, his heart is in Milan. Signing Ronaldinho looked like such a smart and promising move for Manchester City that would have garnered them much attraction and could possibly allow them to compete with Chelsea, Liverpool, Arsenal, and Manchester United. Now, even after signing Brazilian Jo, things look bleak for Manchester City as they may need to pull out another blockbuster to bring them up the table.

What does moving to Serie A mean for Ronaldinho? Personally I think this is where it ends for the star. The league is way too strong defensively for Ronaldinho to pull out his magic and he will soon become an average player whose impact won’t reflect his paycheck. I think it’s time to bid Ronaldinho farewell as he will become lost in Italy as I said months ago in my earlier post…

April 13th 2008

Ronaldinho to AC Milan, and the Beginning of the End for the Star

With Ronaldinho headed to AC Milan in the best defensive league in the world, he will surely struggle again next season to find his form. His whole career has been offensive-minded, whether it be in Brazil or Spain, and changing his entire style of play to a defensive-minded atmosphere will be a total shock to the two-time FIFA World Player of the Year. His game will be slowed down not only by his own team but by others as the defensive patterns stress slowing down opponents’ midfield attack.

Ronaldinho, who up until this year has been considered the best player worldwide, will be headed to Italy when the season ends, as rules state that the season must complete for the transfer to be completed. AC Milan and Barcelona only have to agree on a few things and the deal should be done and Ronaldinho will be as Italian as spaghetti. OK, maybe not, but he will play in Italy nevertheless. Ronaldhino has had a tough season as he is out injured for the rest of the season, and before the injury that set Barcelona back to mediocrity, he struggled to find the fantastic form we are accustomed to.

This is a bad move for Ronaldinho. He will not be the Ronaldinho we saw cutting up defenses, making those who attempt to stop him fall flat on their face, and free-kicks hugging the edge of the wall and hitting the side-netting. We will see a semi-productive midfielder who can create chances for Kaka and others on AC MIlan, but he will not be the main fixture in Milan’s lineup. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Ronaldinho to become a 12th man for a majority of his career in Italy. But, that we cannot tell.

But, what if Ronaldinho does find his form again? If he does than AC MIlan will quickly, and easily become the most complete, dynamic, and talented teams in the world. If he and Kaka, last year’s player of the year award winner, can perform well together, who could possibly stop them in Italy, better yet, in all of Europe? Probably no one. But I fear that that is not possible, as Ronaldinho’s play has taken a toll on him and it looks as if these injuries may have a recurring role in Ronaldinho’s career.

Ronaldinho is a fantastic player, don’t get me wrong. He is one of the most exciting and entertaining players I have ever seen. But, I don’t see how going to a defensive-minded league will exacerbate his entertainment value. It will only hamper it. You will see him much more frustrated, as he attempts cutting passes that don’t make it pass the defensive third, leading him to play even worse and possibly create more injuries. There is nothing more that I would like to see than a little excitement to the monotonous, unexciting Italian league, but I don’t see it happening with Ronaldinho heading to AC Milan.