IOSS

Premier League Week 10:

I've got a little bit of swagger back after The Reds taking down Chelsea, and winning 6 of 10, the midweek games should turn up ripe.
Last Week: 6 out of 10 (60%), with 0 exact.
Overall: 35 out of 69 (51%), with 8 exact.
Some quick picks before this week's games:

Tuesday

Newcastle 1-0 West Brom

Wednesday
Aston Villa 2-1 Blackburn Rovers

Fulham 0-1 Wigan

Hull City 0-2 Chelsea

Stoke City 1-2 Sunderland

Arsenal 3-1 Tottenham

Bolton 0-1 Everton

Liverpool 2-0 Portsmouth

Manchester United 2-0 West Ham United

Middlesbrough 2-2 Manchester City

Premier League Week 9: Clash at the Top

The marquee match-up this week is, of course, the Reds and the Blues. Liverpool clashes with Chelsea for somewhere around the thousandth time in the last few years. While the tie will not be nearly as volatile or boring as it once was, when Rafa and Mourinho played their little clog up the midfield and pray for a bounce style that thrilled so many fans, it should be hotly contested. Both squads, while still probably two of the top three defensive teams in the League, have opened things up a bit and are willing to sacrifice a little bit of form and defense for creativity and attack.

A lot of 0-0 draws last week set me back a little in the prediction tally, delaying my overseas calls to the bookies until I start dropping winners like De Niro in Casino. Do they do EPL betting lines in Vegas, hmmmm. I hope not for my sake. Anywick, here goes Week 9:
Last Week: 4 out of 10 (40%), with 0 exact.
Overall: 29 out of 59 (49%), with 8 exact.
My goal was 60 percent at the beginning of the season, which means I will either have to start using the other 90% of my brain or get in good with some Middle Eastern oil barons, for they will probably own half the league by January.

Saturday
Everton v Manchester United
Why David Moyes cannot get Everton to play like they did in the first half of last week’s Arsenal game is a mystery. They looked like the fifth place squad that they were last year, before they fell apart in the second half, losing 3-1. The Blues will have to do it the full 90+ to be any near the Red Devils. Mikel Arteta should be begging to be let out of Merseyside, as his talent is being wasted.

Wayne Rooney returns to Goodison Park in the best form of his career. Man Utd looks to be the stampeding force that ran over the PL last year. Berbatov is starting to pour them in, Nani is playing more consistent and their depth is not going anywhere. Once Ronaldo rounds into form, Liverpool and Chelsea will be forced to take notice of the charging Devils.
Everton 0-2 Man Utd


Sunderland v Newcastle
The Black Cats want to establish themselves in the Premier League. They have the manager; they have mid-table talent, now they have to hold their home ground. They welcome Newcastle this week after squandering a game against Fulham. The Tynesiders are not playing as dreadfully as they were earlier in the season, so expect them to give Roy Keane’s boys a game.

Joe Kinnear swears that the Magpies will bring it this week. We have to go to ****ing Sunderland this weekend! Anyway, Kinnear has decided to add Joey Barton back into the fold for this week’s fixture at the Stadium of Light. Brilliant move Joe! Because we all know what wonders Joey Barton can do for a manager. Why doesn’t he just unleash an airborne disease out on to the pitch at the start of the match? That was unfair.....I don’t want to give airborne diseases a bad name.
Sunderland 1-0 Newcastle


West Brom v Hull City
West Brom is playing a squad who have gutted out victories with hard work, determination, heart and timely skill. The Baggies have got 3 of those things down, but the skill may not be enough for them to push past the PL’s new wonderboys.

The Tigers sit, shockingly, in 3rd position in the table right now, as the world waits for that promotion collapse that will inevitably befall them. It could start this week if Phil Brown and company are caught looking ahead to their huge match-ups; at home against Chelsea and in Old Trafford against Man Utd. Any points from those two games will be huge, considering they won’t have the option of sneaking up on either team. It is imperative that they take care of business against the Baggies.
West Brom 0-1 Hull


Blackburn Rovers v Middlesbrough
Paul Ince has established himself as a competent manager early on this season, but now he will have to start racking up home wins. The question of holding on to Roque Santa Cruz still lingers for Rovers, but a winning record and the presence of his younger brother Julio, could convince the Paraguin (That can’t be right, that was some kind of strange Paraguay and penguin hybrid, my apologies.) striker to stay. When will Ince start the two brothers up top?

Inconsistency had dogged ‘Boro for much of the season. The 5-0 beat down they received at the hands of Chelsea last week will not do anything for their confidence. Normally, after a beating like that, the manager, in this case Gareth Southgate, will hole his team up and try to eke out a 1-0 victory. I think that the best thing for ‘Boro’s confidence is to take on Rovers and try to pound out a blow out themselves. They have the talent.
Blackburn 1-2 Middlesbrough



Sunday
Chelsea v Liverpool
This is the most important match-up of this young season. Two months in and two of the “Big Four” meet up, neither having lost a game in any competition so far this season. Both have injuries and a lot of fatigue from Europe and internationals, but both are playing good football.

86 straight games Premier League teams have come into Stamford Bridge and failed to leave with a victory. That stat is as astonishing as it is daunting to any team coming into London to face the Blues. Chelsea has some of the best players in the world out with injury right now (Essien, Drogba, Ballack, the Coles, Joe and Ashley), yet they are still playing like the best team in the world. That’s a scary thought. The only problem is what to do once the stars return. Malouda, Lampard, Deco, and Mikel have been holding down the midfield nicely, but some will have to make way. They are certainly the favorite going into this important match.

Liverpool will be without the services of Fernando Torres, and Steven Gerrard, Xabi Alonso, and Robbie Keane all figure to be nicked up, but in the lineup on Sunday. The Reds would love nothing more than to end Chelsea’s home streak, and I look for them to go for it. For them to clog up midfield and hope for a 1-0 victory would be foolish and not how they have been winning games. Hopefully they will play Gerrard in behind Keane and have Alonso and Mascher pair up in central midfield, with the wings, Riera and Kuyt, pushing forward. Rafa’s boys have yet to hit their top form this season, winning games without firing on all cylinders. Stamford Bridge would be a great place to hit their stride.
Chelsea 2-2 Liverpool


Man City v Stoke City
Last week, Stephen Ireland rescued City from a loss to 10-man Blackburn, giving them a 2-2 draw. Mark Hughes will be able to win some games on talent alone, but they will never be a good, consistent team unless they figure out how to put together a string of games with a cohesive style of play. City has lost Petrov for two months, which is a huge blow to the squad’s depth. Wright-Phillips, Ireland, and Robinho will be forced to come up big each week until his return.

Stoke will defend and try to keep it tight once again. Asking their fans to hold their breath for 90 minutes while the opposing team takes pot shots at them is no way to go through life. Stand up and be men Stoke, get blown out once and awhile, it might be cathartic.
Man City 2-0 Stoke


Tottenham v Bolton
Alright Spurs, this is your last chance. I mean it. I will not pick you guys again if you lose to Bolton at home. I cannot think of a Bolton player who would make Tottenham’s starting lineup, yet Juande Ramos would take their record in a heartbeat. Thursday’s loss to Udinese in the UEFA Cup is just another disappointment to pile on the hapless Spurs. If they lose this one, I may start to feel sorry for them, but I will not stop sending David Bentley the Premier League table with Blackburn and Tottenham highlighted each week. Good call Bents, you thought that Hotspur was your ticket to the Champions League and International caps. Who knew it could be your ticket to the Championship?

Bolton inspires me about as much as the Jenna Bush 2020 presidential campaign. Their football is not attractive, their talent is suspect, and they will narrowly escape relegation once again this season. Damn. Hard to believe that they finished 7th in the table just a couple of years ago.
Tottenham Hotspur 1-0 Bolton


Wigan v Aston Villa
The Villans ride into the JJB coming off a 2-1 victory over Ajax in the UEFA Cup. The would be impressive if it were 10 years ago, but the Eredivisie is a far cry from what it once was, and Ajax is no longer a world force. Aston Villa still looks like the fifth best squad in the League right now, but a couple of major injuries would cripple this depth-lacking squad.

Wigan’s new Egyptian goal bagger is looking more dominant each week. Zaki’s second goal against Liverpool was the work of a player who is zeroed in completely right now. They will be without Valencia, which means Heskey and Zaki will have to provide on the attack. The Latics are better than their place in the table and this would be a great fixture to prove it.
Wigan 1-2 Aston Villa


West Ham v Arsenal
West Ham has had a promising start stalled with consecutive losses to Hull City and Bolton. If Zola plans to take it to Arsene and the Gunners, it could be a long night for West Ham.

Two months into the season Arsenal sit just four points shy of Chelsea and Liverpool for the top spot in the League. Upon closer inspection, their title ambitions could be in a bit of trouble. The Gunner’s schedule has been cake and they have dropped 2 games to lesser opponents. They rarely have put 90 minutes of solid play together, evidenced last week when Everton outplayed them in the first half. Two more winnable matches, this week at Upton Park and Wednesday against Tottenham at the Emirates, before they hit a rough stretch that includes consecutive matches against Man U, Aston Villa, Man City, and Chelsea. However, three out of those four will be at home.
West Ham 1-3 Arsenal


Portsmouth v Fulham
Pompey received an embarrassing 3-0 lashing against FC Braga on Thursday, denting their confidence going into their match at Fratton Park against Fulham. They have top ten talent, where they go will have to do with how Rednapp deftly approaches each match-up and how Crouch and Defoe continue to progress. Last week’s 0-0 draw was a bit of a backslide.

Fulham showed promise earlier this season, but they are not winning games that they play well in, a bad sign for a team that is sure to have a bad run of form or two this season.
Portsmouth 2-0 Fulham

Champions League: An Anti-climatic Night in Madrid for the Reds

Atletico Madrid 1-1 Liverpool

From the moment that the Champion’s League group stages were announced, the match between Atletico Madrid and Liverpool looked to be one of the most intriguing. Fernando Torres had spent seven seasons in Madrid before heading off to Anfield and being vaulted into superstardom with 33 goals in 46 matches in his first season. Tonight, he was meant to return to play his old team in his home country of Spain, a country he helped to the Euro 2008 title this summer.

However, the hero’s return was not meant to be, as “El Nino” picked up a hamstring injury that ruled him out of even making the trip to Madrid. Adding to the game’s lack of luster was the exclusion of emerging Atletico star, Sergio Aguero. Aguero, hampered by a minor ankle problem and a harsh stretch in La Liga, started the game on the bench.

While the two stars were not immediately involved, there were plenty of stars on both sides to make this match a thrilling fixture. The game itself did little to live of to its original billing. On a windy, miserable night in Madrid, both squads played sloppy ball throughout the first half, Atletico more so, as Liverpool had most of the threatening play.

The first goal came on a Gerrard pass up the middle to a wide-open and slightly offside Robbie Keane. Keane buried the ball into the back of the net, giving his squad a 1-0 lead. With the lack of attack from Atletico, a Liverpool win looked imminent.

Aguero did hit the field in the second half and the offense got a short burst from his presence. Both teams looked dangerous only in short bursts. The game started to settle after that, and Benitez, feeling confident in holding the lead, made some changes to his form and attack. He removed Keane, Gerrard, and Xabi Alonso in succession, hoping to rest them for Sunday’s top-of-the-league battle with Chelsea. This was a mistake, as Rafa robbed his team of much of their attack and the squad settled in to defend. Atletico pushed forward and got the goal they were looking for, after an defensive miscue, Arbeloa drifting over to cover Carragher’s man and leaving Portuguese winger, Simao, wide open to drill a low ball far side past Pepe Reina.

The game ended in a 1-1 draw, not traumatic to either team’s bid to make it out of the group stage, as they remain tied at the top of the group with 7 points, but it certainly was not a confidence booster.

The game was negatively marked by some poor calls as well. The referee and his assistants had a dreadful game, missing on several instances. The game was called solidly in the midfield, with tight control on harsh tackles, something that can get out of hand in a sloppy game. But the penalty and offside decisions had a big impact on the final score.

First, the Robbie Keane goal was slightly offside, a forgivable mistake, considered it was only by an arm. Later on in the half, Yossi Benayoun scored on another great Gerrard pass, but the goal was disallowed due to offside, which the Israel international was not. Later in the first half, Liverpool winger Albert Riera was taken out by the back-swinging foot of an Atletico defender in the box, yet he was given a yellow card for a dive. A horrible call by the referee, who was standing just a couple of yards away, right on top of them. Later in the first half, Madrid midfielder, Maniche, fell down in the box, and the correct call was made, as he fell hard with a two second delay after he was nicked by Arbeloa. Did I mention that Arbeloa had another crap game? He did.

In the second half, Atletico were the victims, as a goal was taken away by another offside call that wasn’t. Later, Forlan ran onto a ball that was saved by Reina, and he was called offside, despite the fact that he was about a yard or so onside. There were a couple more bad offside calls in the game, that didn’t have any real impact, but come to think of it, most of the poor calls came on one side of the pitch.

The two squads will meet again at Anfield in two weeks.

Morinho- Drogba, Torres, Ronaldo: Diving Lessons

I'm On Setanta Sports

Premier League Week 8: Wigan Out

Off for a weekend wilderness vacation. Here's some quick picks before I'm off:

Liverpool v Wigan
The Reds will have to do without Fernando Torres, out for two weeks and the next three games with a thigh injury, for their home tie with an improved Wigan side. The real worry for Benitez will be missing his services against Atletico Madrid in the CL and against co-leaders Chelsea next week. However, with no Torres and those important matches coming up, Liverpool would be wise not to overlook Wigan.
Prediction: Liverpool 2-0 Wigan

Arsenal v Everton
Can’t say that I agree with Cesc Fabregas’ comments this week, selling out his new midfield partners in Denilson, Nasri, and Walcott. Sure, losing Mathieu Flamini was a big loss, but Hleb and Rosicky rarely were both in the lineup, so I’m not sure what exactly he is missing. Yes, they are young, but I don’t think it’s a lack of skillful play that is hampering them.
Having said that, playing at home against a struggling Everton will help the Gunners cause. Gallas and Sagna won’t be available, so look for Eboue and Senderos to step in. After a loss to Hull and escaping with a draw at the Stadium of Light, Wenger’s boys will look to return to form on Saturday.
Prediction: Arsenal 1-0 Everton

More Quick Picks:
Saturday
Middlesbrough 1-2 Chelsea

Aston Villa 2-1 Portsmouth

Bolton 1-2 Blackburn

Fulham 0-1 Sunderland

Man Utd 3-0 West Brom


Sunday
Hull 1-1 West Ham

Stoke 0-1 Tottenham


Monday
Newcastle 2-3 Man City

World Cup Qualifiers: Brazil and Argentina Struggle, Again

World Cup Qualifying in South America always ends with Argentina and Brazil retaining a place somewhere in the top four, but it has never really been easy for them. The difference this time around is the struggles that these squads are having at home, especially Brazil. More than half way through qualification, Paraguay has six points on second place Brazil, with Argentina and Chile a point behind, tied for third.

CONMEBOL
Brazil 0-0 Colombia
Dunga is on thin ice as the Brazilian manager after a third consecutive 0-0 draw at home. You read correctly, it is now three straight games that Brazil has been held scoreless at home. Fans are calling for Dunga's head and they may be justified. The Brazilians ran out a team consisting of Kaka, Robinho, Jo, and a host of other world class talent and couldn't manage a goal or more than five shots against Colombia. True, Colombia has South America's most negative playing style, giving up just 8 goals in 10 games, but what was their excuse against Bolivia.

I'm sure I will expand on this thought in a future article, but could it be, with players like Pato, Jo, and Anderson going over to play in Europe at such a young age, that the squad is starting to lose some of the Brazilian flare that has defined their national side for so many decades? Are they becoming more Euro-style? Something to think about.

Chile 1-0 Argentina
Chile has now pulled even with Argentina in third place after defeating them 1-0 at home. Again, with Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero up front, how is it possible that Alfio Basile's squad only managed four shots? Argentina looked like the team to beat going in to Germany, but this time around they may be caught in between, a host of talent being too young, and their old talent losing a bit of steam.


Top Three
1. Brazil
2. Argentina
3. Paraguay

World Cup Qualifiers: USA Falls to T&T, Jamaica Rising

For Mexico and the United States, World Cup qualifying has become more like a series of tune up matches against weaker opponents, than a battle to make it to South Africa. They act as the only serious threat to one another and are usually unprepared for the type of competition they see once the arrive on the grand stage. Wednesday night, we saw a sign that these two teams will not be able to coast through the next stage of qualifying as easily as they have in the past. True, neither team had to win their matches, but with players fighting for spots and a plethora of talent, compared to other North and Central American teams, they should be dominate each time out.

CONCACAF
Trinidad & Tobago 2-1 United States
The U.S., with a place in the next round of qualification already secure, gave a lackluster performance Wednesday night in Port-of-Spain, Trinidad. With goals by Russell Latapy and former Man U striker Dwight Yorke, a combined 76 years of age between them, T&T moved into second position in Group 1.

The United States was missing many of their top players, but still fielded a lineup with the likes of DaMarcus Beasley, Frankie Hejduk, Freddy Adu, and Brad Guzan. Plus, the rest of the starting eleven, Jozy Altidore and Maurice Edu among them, were fighting for a spot on the World Cup roster. It is clear when I watch the Americans without Michael Bradley, that he is the most important player on their squad. He runs the show in midfield and can get forward to pop in some goals for them as well. Now, if only there was some way for me to signal Bob Bradley when to pull Landon Donovan off the pitch when he is having one of his games. That's right Bruce Arena, I'm looking at you!

The Rest
-Mexico went far north to play Canada in Edmonton. That's right, not exactly the perfect environment for a visiting team. The final result was a 2-2 draw, with Canada, already eliminated, playing for pride.
-Jamaica has looked great in their last two games, 1-0 home wins against Mexico and Honduras. I like Jamal Campbell-Ryce and Ricardo Fuller up front, and it looks like former Liverpool man, John Barnes, has them headed in the right direction. With a home win over Canada and a home loss by Honduras against Mexico, the Jamaicans will qualify for the next round with a ton of confidence.

Top 3
1. United States
2. Mexico
3. Costa Rica

World Cup Qualifiers: Rooney Double, Ronaldo and Portugal Held Again

Another round of World Cup Qualifiers were played today, with more surprising results from South America and, for the most part, status quo in Europe.

UEFA
Belarus 1-3 England
Capello had Steven Gerrard starting on the left, which although against his wishes, did yield the opening goal. Stevie G pounced on the ball from 30 yards out, after some handy work by Wayne Rooney. Gerrard scores these types of goals more than most players in the world, and he will be less likely to produce a wonder-strike stuck out on the left. He was hampered after his goal and only began to produce effectively when he started to roam the pitch more often. Lampard and Barry are good in holding position, but if Gerrard is to settle on the wing, he must be allowed freedom.

Belarus would even things up before Rooney redirected a low Emile Heskey cross. Heskey showed a rare piece of skill, deking the defender and sending it to a poorly marked Rooney. Rooney would later get on to a nice Gerrard lead pass, before crossing up the defender with a couple of neat dribbles and putting it near post. Gerrard missed a chance to make it 4-1 with a shot that clanged off the post.

With Rooney at this level, finishing and working as hard as he always does, England is a legitimate World Cup contender. But the streaky forward cannot offer any assurances come summer of 2010. I believe this is why Capello must start slotting Crouch in the Heskey role. He is a good target man, and can set up much better than he is given credit for. Plus, if Rooney goes cold, Crouchie's strike rate has been good for England. Fabio will have to the spring now to comfortably sit back and watch how his players develop over the season.

Spain and The Netherlands joined England as the only squads with perfect marks so far, as they beat Belgium and Norway, respectively, away from home. The only real surprise was Portugal, failing to win at home against Albania, with a 0-0 draw. The Portuguese have now failed to score in two straight games. Apparently having a small army of talented wingers and no world class strikers is hampering them. Who knew? Here's my rank of the top five in Europe right now.

1. Spain
2. Germany
3. Netherlands
4. England
5. Italy

Top Four Reasons that Cristiano Ronaldo SHOULDN’T move to Real Madrid.

(I know, why four instead of five, right? Well, shortly after writing this I discovered that another site had something similar, so I ditched the reason that had some snide remark about the English paps and Spanish gypsies.)
Anyway, Bernd Schuster cannot seem to keep quiet about the prospect of bringing Cristiano to Real Madrid. He wakes up in a cold sweat clutching a Real Madrid Ronaldo jersey, screaming his name into the night. Ronaldo wants to play for the team he idolizes and they want him just as much. So why shouldn't he head south next summer?
Well, here are four reasons that Ronaldo SHOULDN'T move to Real Madrid:

4) Comparative Effects of His Gorgeousness
Let's face it, Ronaldo is a pretty, pretty young man. Spain has a lot good-looking feminine-quality laden attackers, so defenders there will not get lost looking into his eyes, convince themselves he is a beautiful woman, and give up a clear path to the goal. Whereas in England, they are used to the nightmarish likes of Wayne Rooney and Peter Crouch bearing down on them, and are stunned by the pretty boy dancing their way at Old Trafford. You ever notice how Tottenham defenders seem to swoon as he flies by them?

3) Public Perception
He will be forced to speak in his own language during post-game interviews. At which point accusations of being an arrogant narcissist cannot be countered with the excuse that he doesn’t speak great English. Quick, how do you say, “I am really fantastic, I score fantastic goal.” in Portuguese? (And what is it with Mourinho and Ronaldo and their ‘fantastics’? Is that a translation for a common word in Portugal, or does everyone in that country have a God complex?)

2) The Needy Girlfriend Theory
Sir Alex and Man Utd do not need Ronnie, Real has been pleading with him to come for months now. Real Madrid is infatuated with Cristiano. They are a needy girlfriend that is going to pester him constantly, “do you want more passes, Ronnie?”, “Would you like a new batch of hookers?”, “So, you wanted your hair cut just on the sides, and you want the back to scraggle down unkempt?”. At Old Trafford, Ronaldo gets to be with the super hot girl that everyone wants. Sure, they love him, but they don’t need him to stay.
Did I just compare Sir-guson to a super hot girl? Awesome.

1) Recent history
Sure, Real has won some La Liga titles recently, but they have been hit and miss with Los Galacticos. David Beckham, Zidane, Ronaldo (gordo), and Luis Figo had varying degrees of success, but all of them had some of the luster taken off their careers due to signing with Madrid. And Michael Owen and Roberto Carlos were devalued properties after their stay at the Bernabeu. Also, if Beckham is any indicator, then after spending some time in Spain, Ronnie will have to change his hair, marry some kind of freakish doll-looking plastic pop star person, and then it is off to Los Angeles where the likes of Xavier will be holding down the back line. Good luck with that.

Top Five: Football's Teenage Future Stars

Predicting the emergence of young stars in football is never easy. Take Theo Walcott, a star from the age of 16, before he ever even laced up for Arsenal. His move to the Gunners from Southampton put the eyes of England on the young forward at far too young an age. Add to that, Sven-Goran Eriksson’s inexplicable decision to add Walcott to England’s 2006 World Cup squad, leaving off much more capable strikers. Expectation had no chance of being met at such a young age. Two years into his stay at Arsenal and some people even went as far as to say he was a bust. A bust at 18? He is now 19 and has earned a regular spot on one of the most prominent squads in the world. He had a break out performance in England’s important World Cup qualifier against Croatia, opening his national side account with a hat trick, in a 4-1 victory.

This happens much too often in today’s sporting world. The hype is created and then when the young player fails to meet the expectations, he is ridiculed. Part of this is media created and part is due to overzealous managers and owners introducing young starlets into the squad too early. Take a look at a player like Freddy Adu. He was touted as a superstar at age 14, played for DC United at 15 and criticized for not being a superstar by the time he was 17. After his role as MLS savior faded away, Adu settled in as an all-star midfielder in the MLS, eventually moving to Benefica in Portugal. He now plays for AC Monaco, and at such a young age, can still be a star player for the US squad, and sign with a big team in Europe.

Having said that, sometimes a young player’s talent should have a light shining upon it. Last season, we saw the emergence of several teenage talents. Karim Benzema, although he has been playing with Lyon’s top team for a couple of years now, burst out for his French national side and his club. Spaniard, Bojan Krkic and Agentina international, Sergio Aguero, did the same for Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, respectively. In Italy, Brazilian Alexandre Pato, rejuvenated an aging AC Milan up front, scoring in half of his matches. The Premier League opened last season with several promising young talents. While Gareth Bale was held back by injury, Michah Richards emerged as a force on the left for Manchester City.

So who will emerge this season? Officially joining the ranks of the slimy hype machine, I will present five players that could break into stardom in the 2008/09 campaign. This list is comprised of only those players that I have had a chance to watch play more than a couple of times. I have made an effort to steer away from players who have already had a good share of top-flight games. Players like Gareth Bale, Lucas Leiva, Adel Taarabt, Gio Dos Santos, Denilson, and Gerard Pique, have gotten their fair share of press and time on the pitch, and I wanted to select some lesser known names.


1) Breno- Bayern Munich- 19 years old
Brazilian born defender, Breno, signed with Bayern last winter, but did not get his first game until the start of this season. In a 1-0 loss at Hannover 96, Breno was his team’s best player. He is currently sitting behind Lucio, Daniel van Buyten, and Martin Demichelis on the depth chart at center back. But with Bayern’s early season defensive struggles, he should start to see a lot more playing time.


2) Carlos Vela- Mexico- Arsenal- 18 years old
Mexican striker, Vela, is part of Arsene Wenger’s never-ending crop of young talent. With Jack Wilshire and Aaron Ramsey, the future looks bright at the Emirates. Vela, already with top international experience, looks the most likely to get some Premier League action this season. RVP is fragile, Bendtner is inconsistent, and who knows what kind of condition Eduardo will be in when he comes back. If Arsene wants some new blood up front, Vela could be his man. His Carling Cup hat trick against Sheffield United may be just the beginning.

3) Toni Kroos- Germany- Bayern Munich- 18 years old
Another young uber-talent in the Bayern system is Toni Kroos. Kroos has already been dominate for his German U-17 and U-21 sides, and now looks to shine in the Bundesliga. In the few times he has hit the pitch for Munich, the midfielder has looked impressive. His crossing ability and ball striking are advanced for such a young player, and his presence on the pitch is also that of a player well beyond his years.

4) Franco Di Santo- Argentina- Chelsea- 19 years old
Di Santo has been doing well for the Chelsea reserves, and he has managed to get into three games for the top team so far this season. While Chelsea is currently competing with Tottenham in the, “who has the most ridiculous amount of talented midfielders on their squad” competition, they are very thin at striker. With the injury to Didier Drogba, only Nicolas Anelka and Salomon Kalou stand in front of Di Santo on the depth chart.

5) Macauley Chrisantus- Nigeria- Hamburg SV- 18 years old
Chrisantus burst onto the scene at the U-17 World Cup, with seven goals in seven games. His pace and talent are evident, but he sits behind two experienced Croatian strikers at Hamburg, in Petric and Olic, and Peruvian goal scorer, Jose Guerrero, stands in his way as well. Competing with another youngster, Eric Choupo-Moting, Chrisantus will have to make the most of his appearances for the early Bundesliga leaders.

World Cup Qualifiers: The Gerrard/Lampard Debate

John Terry has been ruled out of Saturday qualifying match with Kazakhstan. This could be a good thing for England, as the Ferdinand/ Terry center back combo has not really been what it should be in recent games. Seeing how Ferdinand works with another center back will be a good thing for England. The dilemma, however, is not the one that everyone will be watching on Saturday. The focus will be on the pairing in midfield. The Gerrard/Lampard debate has always been a two fold one. One, who is the better player? And two, how should England play them together in midfield? The first question, in my opinion, shouldn't even be a question. Steven Gerrard is BY FAR the superior player.

Frank Lampard has been a consistently terrific player during his career with Chelsea. He has been exceptional this season. He is, however, blessed with playing for a squad that has allowed him to blossom in his very defined role. I don't want to say that he is a product of the system at Chelsea, because that robs him of any true credit for his accomplishments. But extraordinary players and talent have surrounded him since Abramovich's arrival at Stamford Bridge. His runs forward come with no concern for position, as has always been soundly backed by a solid defense in midfield, as well as the backline. He is great at jumping on rebounds or finding a seam for his teammates to set him up, but he rarely creates or controls the play. He is dependent upon others for his offense, most of the time.

This isn't to say that he isn't capable of a great pass, or a short run for a goal. Lampard has the ability to maneuver his way into an open shot and score class goals. His shot can be excellent (not while playing for England though), and his corners and free kicks are of decent quality, although not as good as Gerrard. In terms of a defensive presence, it is non-existent. He is a dreadful tackler and loses more balls than he wins. He is class attacking midfield player, a great player even, but he would never flourish outside of Chelsea in the same way.

Gerrard, on the other hand, is the spark that has ignited Liverpool over the last five years. He is the quintessential box-to-box midfielder, providing help on defense and driving the attack. He can sit back and direct an offense (although he has a penchant for some risky balls, that sometimes get him in trouble), or he can get forward with amazing runs and make a perfect pass or be a scoring threat from close or long range. When it comes to this long-range ability, he is as good as anyone in the world in firing or placing one in the back of the net.
Perhaps the most important part of his game is his instinctual play. Gerrard always seems to be a play ahead of everyone else. His leading passes or give and gos can be spectacular, because he is reading things so much faster than the defense.

Gerrard lifts up the Reds and carries them when they are in tough situations. How many times have we seen it? Last year against Derby, it was like he just decided he was going to take over and win the game, and he did. He is a true leader and captain for Liverpool, a star who can create and do things that few players have ever done on the pitch.

To be honest, I think it is ridiculous that anyone could see Lampard as being at the same level of Gerrard. For all of Lampard’s goal scoring and consistency, I don’t believe I’ve ever heard anyone make a solid argument for the Chelsea midfielder being a better player. Does he fit in well with Chelsea? Yes, and maybe that’s where the problem lies. This brings us to the problem with England.

The England Dilemma
The problem with Gerrard/Lampard is that they both have to play in center midfield. Gerrard can spread out to a wing or even play a stretch at right back if he absolutely had to. He even has the pace to join a forward up front. His preferred and most effective role is in the center mid. The versatility is what hampers him. Playing both in midfield just isn’t practical, unless you want to put the reigns on one of them, and limit the impact they could have on the attack.

Lampard has the ability to run a midfield on the attack, but he needs to be surrounded by quality defensive midfielders. He has had the luxury of Makelele, Essien, and Ballack playing along side him. Gerrard can play this role, but he won’t always be able to cover for Lampard, if instinct kicks in, he will have to make his runs.

I believe that Capello will ultimately have to either chose one or put Gerrard right in behind Rooney at center attacking midfield with Lampard and Barry behind him and two wings flanking. If you are going to have Defoe, Heskey, or Crouch up front with Rooney, it will have to be one or the other. I believe that eventually it will be Hargreaves or Barry with Gerrard in center midfield and Lampard off the bench as a late goal-scoring substitute.

It does look like Capello prefers Lampard to take the far and angled free kicks, with Gerrard taking the more straight on ones. Lampard is also lining up for more corners. Lampard is very consistent, but when he plays badly, his confidence suffers greatly and he plays dreadful football. That is exactly what happened in the last World Cup. Gerrard never has a crisis of confidence. He can be playing poorly and still pull out a classic goal.

If they can put together a string of games in qualifying and find some cohesion, maybe just maybe the combo can work. Games against the likes of Kazakhstan are great trials, but the real test will come against the big competition.

Premier League: Friday Football Fun

With a off week in the Prem due to the World Cup qualifiers, teams will have some extra time to look ahead to the January transfer window and figure out how to run up a little more debt. As the global economy collapses around us, the PL braintrust is considering holding some games in Asia as part of the regular season. Just as the idea for games in the US was broached earlier in the year, this one looks to be heavily opposed but also inevitable. The League has gone global, and just like salary increases and billionaire owners, you cannot stop progress that you've already opened the door to.

The PL is marketed strongly in Asia, with plenty of exihibition games held each summer, to draw the line here would be arbitrary. Is it a good thing? I'm not sure. There is a point where a sport can get to its height, and then loses some of its romanticism on the way down. What was once so deeply tied to small English towns, has become a world commodity. The nature of our society determines how sport progresses. Now, do officials have to be cautious and prudent when figuring out which route to go in terms of expansion? Absolutely. But to fight the progress would be contrary to the direction that the League has already been headed in.


Let's get to some fun:

-Ronaldo (the prostitute-loving one.....wait, that doesn't help, the chubby one with the Madonna teeth), is still reported to be interested in Manchester City. Say what you want about the Brazilian striker, but even a bloated Ronaldo won the Bronze Shoe at the last World Cup. He can score in his sleep, and he is still only 32 years old. That seems amazing, but if he seriously whipped himself into shape, he could start pouring in goals for a couple of more years. It makes sense for City to bring him in for the rest of the season, although they have distanced themselves from him and are seemingly set on bigger targets. It would do him good to be out in Eastlands where the supermodels and nightlife are sparse, compared to Paris Saint-Germain, where fun-loving Ronaldo will be up to his bloodshot eyeballs in nightlife.

-Fernando Torres is excited about the prospect of winning the Baloon d' Or. It looks like Ronaldo has it wrapped up, but Messi had a strong Olympics to go with his fantastic season, and Torres scored the Euro 2008 winner for Spain to go with his 33 goals last year. I think that these three players are the favorites, with Iker Casillas garnering consideration as well.

-The Tottenham Hotspur situation has gone well beyond the point of an adjustment period for new players. Luka Modric, David Bentley, Gomes, Roman Pavlyuchenko, Giovanni Dos Santos. All came to Tottenham with dreams of Champions League football. Now they sit on two points, no wins, and remain in last place in the Premier League. The only good sign in London right now, is that Spurs have not yet had their doors blown off in a match. Yes, they are a laughing stock, but in many games they have controlled possession, and they've have only lost by more than one goal once, away to Pompey. The next two matches will be the tipping point at White Hart Lane. They face fellow bottom dwellers, Stoke City (away) and Bolton (home). It is a neccessity that they win both matches, not only to move up the table, but to resemble anything close to a confident football team.

Liverpool Player Reviews: Week 7- Manchester City

Man City 2-3 Liverpool
Liverpool's charging comeback shouldn't have come as a surprise to anyone who watched Sunday's match. The Reds looked dangerous all second half, with their first half possession being squandered with poor final balls that left only one quality opportunity, a shot that Dirk Kuyt shanked well over the bar. In the first 45, City defended in numbers and made sure that Liverpool's possession and control of the pace of the game didn't materialize into any solid scoring chances.

On the Liverpool side, their solid team defense had a few first half lapses. City netted goals on a defensive scramble, fired home by Stephen Ireland, and a free kick goal by Javier Garrido, after a bumbling Albert Riera tackle. The first goal was a result of poor execution and communication between Arbeloa and Skrtel, and the good ball hawking quality of Ireland. Garrido's free kick goal was a great effort, the ball tailing away from a late reacting Pepe Reina. Shawn Wright-Phillips seemed to have the best luck in giving the Liverpool backline fits, while Robinho was pretty much kept in check. A 2-0 halftime lead for City was more than they deserved.

With the confidence of having slightly outplayed City in the first half, Liverpool came out with purpose and always looked likely to get some back. Fernando Torres slid on to a rare quality cross from Alvaro Arbeloa, after Steven Gerrard released him with a brilliant pass. After a red card for Pablo Zabaleta, coming from his two-footed challenge on Xabi Alonso, Torres netted another goal to tie the game. He ran on to a great Gerrard cross at the near post, and directed it far side, a pure striker's goal.

Torres had a chance for a third goal less than ten minutes later, but his volley sailed high over the open goal after his run to the back post. The game clincher came in extra time, as sub Yossi Benayoun, manuevered his way into the left side of the box and cut a pass towards the middle where Torres attempted to direct the ball in. His attempt was blocked and ricocheted to the far post, where Dirk Kuyt was waiting to bash the ball high into the empty net. The goal completed their comeback from down 2-0, and kept the Reds tied atop the league with Chelsea, trailing only in goal difference.

In Focus:
Martin Skrtel

23 year-old Martin Skrtel, is a Slovak defender who came over from Zenit St. Petersburg during last January's transfer deadline. His bold tackling, solid marking, good defensive heading, and attacking runs up the middle, have earned him the starting center back position alongside Jamie Carragher. He beat out longtime Red, Sami Hyypia, and former starter Daniel Agger, who spent almost all of last season laid out with injury. Besides the fact that Skrtel's menacing sneer and shaved head make him a scary looking dude, along with Carra, he has formed the backbone of what has been the Premier League's top defense.

Sunday's matchup with Man City left Skrtel to deal with the attacking prowess of Brazilian forwards Robinho and Jo, not to mention the likes of Ireland, Wright-Phillips, and another Brazilian, Blumer Elano. Skrtel spent much of the time marking another player who spent time in Russia, Jo.

Skrtel came out, as he usually does, hyped up and ready to attack. He seems to get out of position and make a lot of dangerous tackles early on in games. Then he will settle down and form a rock solid backline with Carra. City seemed to try and lure him out early on, a strategy that they hoped would open up Jo or Robinho up the middle. The first goal, coming in the 19th minute, has to be partially blamed on Skrtel, although, Arbeloa should take the brunt of the scorn. The Slovak stuck with Robinho in front who received a pass from the Wright-Phillips. The ball squirted out past Arbeloa, who had unneccessarily come to help out with Robinho, and into the waiting run of Ireland, who blasted an unsaveable effort past Reina.

Now you could blame Skrtel for not communicating with Arbeloa that he had Robinho, but he was staying with his man in the center, so it really was Arbeloa's responsibility to pick up the trailer. Having said that, from that point on, Skrtel was a lot more disciplined in his play. The Garrido free kick was a great effort that was given due to clumsy backtracking by Riera. After the second goal, Man City was reduced to mostly defending, and long balling, a poor strategy, especially after the 71st minute when Jo left the game, and Robinho was left alone up front.

Skrtel had a couple of positive runs up the center of the pitch during the game. He had a early header that he got on to from a corner, and squared up for a shot from outside the box that was easily taken by Joe Hart at the center of goal. Despite these forays into the offensive end, he never got too adventurous in coming out on defenders for big tackles. With only a small spurt of pressure from Man City in the second half, attacks in which the Liverpool defense dealt with cooly each time, Skrtel had little to do but to control the possession efficiently during workups, and win the balls in the air that came flying into his end. He did this effectively as the Reds charged back.

Then, with the scored level at two, Skrtel scrambled back for a long ball, and tussled with Ched Evans. Perhaps distracted by Evans' silly first name, Skrtel caught his right leg awkwardly on the turf, and damaged his posterior cruciate ligament. The injury looked pretty awful, and he was stretched off to the concern of Rafa Benitez and the Liverpool faithful.

Fortunately, what looked to be a long absence, may only last until Christmas, as Skrtel is due back then after learning he does not need surgery.

Grade: B


Player Grades:
Pepe Reina- C+
Reina had no chance on the Ireland blast, but his positioning for the Garrido free kick was a little off. If he position his wall for a shot to the far post, then why did he not cover the near post? He also got off to a poor jump on the ball, as the shot most has completely fooled him. He didn't have much to do the rest of the way, as Man City failed to really test him. He didn't have a particularly brilliant game distributing as well.

Alvaro Arbeloa- C+
Arbeloa had a big time screw up on the first goal. True, Ireland was roving and came from out of the box to bury the ball in the net, but Arbeloa had no reason to double up on Robinho in front when it was clear that Skrtel had him. His cross on the Torres goal was, intentional or not, a quality one. His workups and crossing weren't all that impressive, neither was his defense. He does seem to be gaining a little more confidence though, which hopefully will turn up in his future performances.

Jamie Carragher- A-
Hard to fault Carragher for either of the Man City goals, and the rest of the time, he held down the backline pretty well, as neither Jo, nor Robinho gave the Reds any fits.

Fabio Aurelio- B-
The Brazilian had a little bit of trouble on Sunday with Shaun Wright-Phillips. He was broken down a couple of times on the wing, and wandered out of position as well, which caused Riera to have to get back and take out Wright-Phillips. Fabio did do well in getting the ball into to Riera on a lot of occasions, but he did not have a lot of chances to get forward.

Albert Riera- B
Riera looked good early on, sending in a shot that was turned away by Hart, and setting up Kuyt for a shot that the Dutchman should have done better with. Much of the attack ran through Riera on the left in the first half, and although his final ball left a lot to be desired, he showed great skill in manipulating the play, moving forward or holding up, to get numbers in his favor. He will only get better as the season goes, and become a bigger part of the Reds attack. He was subbed off for Benayoun late in the game.

Javier Mascherano- B
Benitez returned Mascherano to the starting XI in favor of Robbie Keane, in a surprise move. Mascher had a decent game, and was effective shutting down in midfield as usual, but he looked less comfortable in his role, as he deferred to Alonso and Gerrard much of the time. He was subbed in the 71st minute for Keane. Benitez will have a tough time deciding between Mascher and Xabi, as it will ultimately come down to that, unless the form is changed.

Xabi Alonso- B+
Alonso kept the possession in midfield going, working as a fulcrum in solid fashion once again. He has yet to hit on long range effort this season, and if he does, they could start to poor in. He does seem to be a magnet for harsh tackles, as he was on the painful end of another red card. Zabaleta's tackle left the Spaniard writhing in pain. It's the 3rd time this year he has been the victim of a red card offense.

Steven Gerrard- B
It was a tale of two halves for the Skipper. In the first half, Stevie G hung back and distributed the ball on many occassions. He didn't do much venturing forward, a strange choice with no Keane up front and Alonso and Mascher back in midfield with him. In the second half, Stevie was a threat each time he went up with the attack. His great ball sent Arbeloa down the side to set up Torres for the first goal, and his wonderful corner to the near post was met by Torres for the second goal. Gerrard is most effective when he is bearing down on the defense with pace, and his subdued role in the first half was not where the Reds need him.

Dirk Kuyt- B
I could honestly write the same thing for Kuyt each week. He was solid, had some bad touches, worked hard, won some balls, miscued a couple of shots. But in the end, he put in the game winner. His first goal in the PL since last November!

Fernando Torres- A-
For the second straight week, Torres netted two goals in the second half to lead his team to victory. His goals were striker's goals, the first one all about him using his body position to sheild and put in with his right leg, and the second, just a magnificent header. He can score in every way a striker should. He should of had a hat trick late on, when he sent the ball into orbit at the back post with an open goal, but his ability to get to an open lane led to a deflected shot that Kuyt won the game with. Torres has had 4 goals in the last three games, and after having one taken back last week, missing an open one this week, and being snake bitten in a win at mid week, he should probably have eight or nine.


Subs:
Andrea Dossena- C+
Dossena came on in the 71st minute and got foward well. The problem is that his crossing left a lot to be desired. It's something I hope he is just struggling with at the moment, and not a reflection of his ability.

Robbie Keane- B
Keane did a good job getting back to the ball and working into the City defense. He also opened up space for Gerrard and Torres in the center of the attack zone. His introduction into the game opened things up and was a real positive for the team.

Yossi Benayoun- B
Yossi, despite only playing the final 10 minutes, did a good job of getting into the City backline. His crafty moves and great feed to Torres set up the game winning tally by Kuyt.



Man of the Match: Once again, Fernando Torres

Week 7: Predictions Part Deux

Sunday Predictions

Some more quick pics for tomorrow's games.

West Ham v Bolton
The Hammers soft schedule continues with Bolton at home. They haven't had any strikers arrested this week, so who knows what will spur them on for this one.
West Ham 1-0 Bolton

Portsmouth v Stoke
Will Stoke attempt to lock it up as they did with Liverpool and Chelsea? Or will they be adventurous and attempt to get some points?
Portsmouth 3-1 Stoke

Tottenham v Hull City
Spurs still looking for their first Prem win and Hull are riding high. Are the Tigers due for a let down? Could be a trap game.
Tottenham 2-1 Hull

Chelsea v Aston Villa
Drogba and Anelka are both out for this one, but Chelsea has options even with Kalou alone up front. Villa could make a big step up with a victory at Stamford Bridge. Then again, the Blues do not lose at Stamford Bridge. My opinion is wavering after the Anelka news, but I'll stick with my original thoughts.
Chelsea 2-1 Aston Villa

Man City v Liverpool
City has crushed Pompey, but they are still looking for that symbolic victory to show that they are legimate players in the race for the top 4. The Reds are still unbeaten in all competitions and have yet to play their best football. Torres did not bury his chances on Wednesday against PSV, and he could explode on Mark Hughes and City.
Man City 1-3 Liverpool

Everton v Newcastle
This is an interesting matchup. One team looks like a shell of the team that finished 5th last season, and the other is a sinking ship. David Moyes is getting more and more frustrated at Goodison Park and the Magpies and their supporters need something to lift their spirits.
Everton 0-1 Newcastle


Sorry about the abbreviated predictions this weekend, I'll make it up in two weeks for Week 8.

Week 7: Predictions

I'm gonna go ahead and make some quick picks before tommorrow's matches.

Saturday

Sunderland v Arsenal
Four dominate wins and two shock losses, which Arsenal will show up on Saturday?
Sunderland 1-2 Arsenal


West Brom v Fulham
Fulham suffered a tough luck loss at Craven Cottage last week. A loss against the Baggies could sour their improved early season form.
West Brom 0-1 Fulham


Wigan v Middlesbrough
Wigan has more talent than they have in their new run in the PL. 'Boro looked good early, but need some big results on the road to remain serious contenders for the top half.
Wigan 2-1 'Boro


Blackburn v Manchester United
Rooney has been ruled out for the Red Devils visit to Ewood Park, but with Berbatov rounding into form with 2 goals against Aalborg on Tuesday, they shouldn't be too concerned.
Blackburn 0-2 Man Utd

I'll make my Sunday predictions tommorrow, with more in-depth coverage. Laters.

Friday Football Fun

Love, Champions League, and the UEFA Cup

The Pitch is looking forward to a great weekend of football, with the Reds running into City on Sunday. Before I get into the weekend's action, let's take a little look back on the week that was and shall ever be thus.

*So apparently in August, Sergio Aguero, "El Kun", to the more douschebaggy amongst you, knocked up Maradona's daughter, Gianinna (Yes, that is Aguero rolling with Diego, I love it.). I don't know why I'm just finding out about this now, but if the child ends up being a boy, he has the chance of being the greatest "futboler" ever known to man. This is like Secretariat's daughter hooking up with Sunday Silence. Just keep the kid away from the blow when he is old enough.

"Grandpa what's this?"
"That, oh that's fuel for your nose. Take it. It will help your hands be virtually undetectable on the pitch in huge international games."

*Didier Drogba was injured in Wednesday's Champions League tilt with CFR Cluj. What are the rules on karma nailing players who topple on the pitch like a Jenga tower being handled by group of drunk weightlifters? I do like watching the Fallover Boy when he isn't crashing to the ground, and hopefully the latest news, that he will only be out for a short time, is accurate.

*Despite Chelsea's draw with Cluj, the Big 4 look like they are all good bets to go through the group stage once again this year. With Villa, City, Tottenham, and Pompey all advancing in the UEFA Cup, the Prem is once again looking like the world's top league in European competition. Advancing together is probably a good thing for all of these clubs, now they know that they won't be the only squads competing and tiring in Europe before big Premier League games.

*Everton has fallen out of the UEFA Cup with a loss to Standard Liege. I would normally ridicule such a failure, but after watching Standard give Liverpool a match in the CL qualifier, I'll admit that they have some talented players. Tragic for Marouane Fellaini, who left Standard for Everton just over a month ago, and had to watch in his street clothes, as he was cup-tied.

*Peter Crouch got two for Pompey in extra time to draw even with Guimaraes and advance on aggregate. I love to see Crouchy doing well, and I hope the goals start pouring in for him in the Prem. I'll have mixed emotions when Pete visits Anfield. Man, would I like for him to show up Rafa. In a Liverpool win, of course.



*Sol Campbell's abuse at White Hart Lane is yet another example of how the racist abuse is not going to end anytime soon at European football matches. I guess the truth is that there will always be that element at some level at matches, as long as it exists in society. But that is no way the end, Friday Football Fun.

It's been awhile, so I might as well leave you with:

****************************************************

Robo Crouch!

Jose's Back

"Shut up, Houston."
That is fantastic.

Champions League Group Stage: Liverpool v PSV

Liverpool 3-1 PSV Eindhoven
Steven Gerrard's picturesque blast sealed the victory for Liverpool and marked the 100th time he has scored for his beloved club. The free kick put Liverpool up 3-0 in a game they would eventually win 3-1, on a rainy night at Anfield.

PSV Eindhoven came in severe underdogs, their counterparts coming off a huge 2-0 away victory in the Merseyside derby putting them second in the league, behind Chelsea in only goal differential. Two years ago the same two squads met four times in the Champions League, with Liverpool winning three and drawing one. This PSV team, although still defending Dutch champions, were not as confident nor as talented as the squad which bowed to the Reds in that campaign.

From the opening kickoff Liverpool controlled the game, dominating possession and pushing forward with intent. In just the 4th minute, a wonderful Gerrard corner was met on the volley by Fernando Torres at point blank range, deftly thwarted by PSV keeper, Andreas Isaksson. The rebound darted out to Dirk Kuyt, who after quickly gaining control, fired the ball back towards Isaksson, now down and out, and only able to deflect the ball into the top corner of the goal.

After a lot more possession and turned away attacks, Robbie Keane finally, after eleven painful games, got on for Liverpool. Torres, out on the right wing, made a crafty move along the touch line and after a blazing run down the wing, sent a hard cross into the box, where Keane, after a slight adjustment back to remove himself from the defender, redirected the ball with his right foot into the bottom left corner of the goal. It was a great looking play between the two expensive strikers, followed by Keane's trademark cartwheel and a little somersault.

Gerrard would add his free kick goal in the second half, after El Nino was brought down on the break. It was wonderful strike from the left side, hit hard, straight on through the wall into the far left side of the goal, past a diving Isaksson. A goal one minute later, by PSV sub, Danny Koevermans, was the only blight on an otherwise solid game from Liverpool.

Young PSV striker, Nordin Amrabat, looked like a class player up front for the Red White Army. He was the only player who gave the Reds any trouble all night. The Morrocan born, Dutch Under-21 player has a great work rate and various skills. He was physically hard to knock off the ball, had class on the ball, and good pace. Look for him to go to a bigger club in the next year or two.

Steven Gerrard's 100th goal for Liverpool in all competitions, only supports his claim as one of the all-time greats at Anfield and one of the best midfielders of our time.

Torres
Fernando Torres, coming off his two goal performance at Goodison Park, had plenty of chances for more tallies. His volley off the Gerrard corner would almost have been a sure goal on another night. He would have a couple more chances in the game, where Gerrard put him into the box with the ball at his feet, and he lost his footing on the rain-soaked Anfield pitch.

Later on in the second half, he was in with a defender at his heels and Isaksson coming forward. El Nino employed his effective right side footed flick on and scooted the ball wide right, a play he would have never missed during last season's dream goal scoring binge. On yet another play, he had a free header in the box, which he pushed just wide. The good news for the Reds is that they are still winning while Torres is missing chances.

Rafa Benitez
Rafa seems to have learned his lesson from last season's rotation policy, keeping 10 of the 11 players intact from the weekend. His only change was replacing Andrea Dossena at left back with Fabio Aurelio. I believe Aurelio should be the permanent starter at left back, as he has become a force since the second half of last season.

A big surprise was that Javier Mascherano was left on the bench. Liverpool have somewhat of a dilemma here, as Mascher is one of the best in the world at defensive midfield, but the formation forces a decision between him and expert fulcrum Xabi Alonso, who has returned to form after a poor season. Hard to say what Rafa will do if he keeps a 4-4-2. Gerrard has been hanging back early this season, as a result of having to cover for Alonso's defensive liability in center midfield. The presence of Mascherano allows Stevie to run free, but do they need it with Keano and El Nino up front?

It's a good problem to have for Rafa, as Liverpool look to have some depth off the bench this year. Babel is a great option as a super sub, as he is clearly not disciplined enough to earn a start every time out. Benayoun can be brilliant in the right circumstance and he offers a little punch off the bench. Then there is Hyypia and Agger being able to step in at center midfield whenever possible. Now if only Rafa could find a decent right back.

Week 6 Roundup: Liverpool, Chelsea Tops, Hull Shocks

Saturday






Everton 0-2 Liverpool
The first half was played as most are in this usually booking-filled derby match-up. Both squads came out and played physical, and at times sloppy football, with very few genuine chances to speak of. Liverpool had the better possession, with the Blues looking more dangerous towards the end of the half.

The second half brought on a more purposeful Liverpool attack, and Torres exploded starting in the 59th minute, with two goals and one soon after that was taken away. Liverpool dominated possession and chances, and truly deserved the two goal victory. Tim Cahill received a red card in the dying minutes for a questionable tackle on Xabi Alonso. Not really a red, although he did go in with both legs and didn't get the ball. The win at Goodison Park showed the gap in class between the two Merseyside clubs.
Liverpool- Fernando Torres (59', 62')


Manchester United 2-0 Bolton
To say that Man Utd deserved this win is a tricky thing. Yes, they had the run of play and the chances at Old Trafford, but a ridiculous penalty, given by much maligned official, Rob Styles, turned the tide of a 0-0 match.

Ronaldo was given a penalty after Jlloyd Samuel clearly won the ball from him and Cristi went down in his own natural way of losing his equilibrium was he no longer feels the ball at his feet. Ronnie scored and Gary Megson was forced to change up his formation and push for a goal. Wayne Rooney then came on to score a spectacular goal, in which Ronaldo back-heeled a ball to Wayne, who brilliantly froze the defender with a quick fake shot and then slammed a shot into the far corner, the ball tailing away from Jussi Jaaskelainen.

This game could have finished 0-0 had no penalty been called, but we have all seen enough last second heroics at Old Trafford to know that Man U would have probably pulled something off during one of the seven minutes of stoppage time that would have given.
Man Utd.- Cristiano Ronaldo (pen 60'), Wayne Rooney (77')

Fulham 1-2 West Ham
The West Ham voodoo at Craven Cottage continues, as the the Hammers stole one from Fulham on the road. Fulham have never beaten West Ham at home, and after the first half they found themselves a man down and two goals down after dominating play for the first 40 minutes of the game.

A gifted Carlton Cole goal and a beautiful Mark Noble ball followed by Matthew Ettherington racing on and coolly dinking the ball over the keeper, put the Hammers up 2-0 just before half. Then, in stoppage time, Andy Johnson received a second yellow after a needless challenge and was sent off. West Ham had no business winning this game, as they played awful football in the first half, and held on to win a man up in the second. Bobby Zamora wasted too many good chances, which hurt Fulham, especially after Johnson left.

In a side note, Fabio Capello was on hand to watch a series of awful free kicks by England hopeful, Jimmy Bullard.
Fulham- Danny Murphy (59')
West Ham- Carlton Cole (43'), Matthew Etherington (45')

Stoke 0-2 Chelsea
Chelsea came in to Britannia Stadium not wanting to suffer the same fate as Liverpool did against Stoke a week earlier. Their championship seasons were filled with games where lower half teams came out in full force, but couldn't match their class. This was one of those matches, as Stoke looked up to the challenge, but a goals by Jose Bosingwa and Nicolas Anelka did them in.
Chelsea- Jose Bosingwa (36'), Nicolas Anelka (76')

Middlesbrough 0-1 West Brom
'Boro looked determined on offense, but could not put one past keeper Scott Carson. Jonas Olsson scored a second half goal for the Baggies, as they grabbed their first Premier League victory away from home this season. 'Boro's good early season form has been negated by poor results, as the perennial bottom-dwellers have not found a way to win games yet. Southgate likes his talented squad, but has to instill a winning attitude if they are to fulfill the promise they have shown off and on this season.
West Brom- Jonas Olsson (53')

Newcastle 1-2 Blackburn Rovers
Joe Kinnear was on hand at St. James' Park to watch his new team look relegation material in the first half. The Magpies look sapped of spirit and fight, as Blackburn Rovers took it to them in the first 45, going up 2 goals, and leaving the beleaguered fans with little to cheer for.

A Michael Owen penalty strike early in the second, and some improved play from Newcastle early on in the second half, offered little hope to a team whose only comfort right now is that Tottenham are more of a disappointment than they are. The game finished 1-2 to Rovers and left a lot of work for Kinnear this week.
Newcastle- Michael Owen (pen 50')
Blackburn- Christopher Samba (31'), Roque Santa Cruz (41')


Aston Villa 2-1 Sunderland
Aston Villa is looking like the prime candidate for fifth spot early on this season. Ashley Young continued to impress with his free kick ability, bending one low over the wall and into the short side. Sunderland looked impressive through midfield, and held a lot of possession, but could not add to class 10th minute goal by hair-morphing French striker Djibril Cisse.
Sunderland- Djibril Cisse (10')
Aston Villa- Ashley Young (18'), John Carew (33')


Arsenal 1-2 Hull City
The Gunners were frustrated at the Emirates in the first half, as neither team played particularly well. Hull seemed to change their track from earlier games, not wanting to press the dangerous Arsenal team too much, creating the sloppy midfield play that is never very entertaining. When the Gunners did get a chance, they reverted to their old, 'let's see if we can walk the ball into the net', method of football.

In the second half, the Gunners got a fortunate goal after a couple of great pace changing moves and low ball into the box by Theo Walcott. Bouncing off Adebayor, Fabregas came in and pressured as it came off Hull defender Paul McShane, giving Arsenal a 1-0 lead. Both squads seemed to open up from that point, Hull became more attacking, while Arsenal continued to fail themselves on their final ball.

Two Hull goals that were basically impossible for Almunia to get of hold of, did Arsenal in. First it was Geovanni, whose brilliant strike from 30 yards out moved from left to right and danced away from the Gunners keeper, into the far side of the goal. It was a perfect highlight reel goal, and displayed the class that the Brazilian has brought to the Tiger squad. Then, just four minutes later, Daniel Cousin got on to a Andy Dawson corner, and buried the ball into the far side of the goal.

Arsene Wenger and the Gunners were left shocked at home, falling from the top spot in the league, and dropping their second match of the young season.
Arsenal- Paul McShane (og 50')
Hull- Geovanni (62'), Daniel Cousin (66')


Sunday

Portsmouth 2-0 Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham's nightmare season continues as the ghost of Jermaine Defoe comes back to haunt Spurs and their lackluster strike-force. Defoe buried a first half penalty and Peter Crouch added a gimme header in the second half to secure the win.
Tottenham sits in last place still after falling to Pompey 2-0. Once again they dominated through midfield and had a ridiculous two-thirds possession. Defensive lapses and a lack of true finishing up front are plaguing Spurs right now, but will Juande Ramos be around long enough to fix it?
Portsmouth- Defoe (pen 34'), Crouch (68')


Wigan 2-1 Manchester City
A fantastic Antonio Valencia blast from over 30 yards out and another Amr Zaki goal vaulted the Latics over City, in this clash at the JJB. City continues their up and down season, as their potent offense failed to follow up on newcomer Vincent Kompany's first half goal.

Valencia and Zaki may be the only firepower that Wigan has, but they are both emerging as stars early on this season.
Wigan- Antonio Valencia (16'), Amr Zaki (pen 34')
Man City- Vincent Kompany (22')

Liverpool Player Reviews: Week 6- Everton

In Focus:
Fernando Torres

I had planned to focus on Robbie Keane, who was playing in his first Merseyside derby, but when about 2 minutes in to the game I saw Joseph Yobo put a shoulder into Fernando Torres, I decided that match-up was much more interesting.

Everton clearly had a plan with Torres, having seen his frustration in the last few Liverpool matches. It was a design that is all too common in sports. When your team faces off against a world class talent of an athlete, whose ability surpasses that of anyone of your squad, you take it to that player physically. This can manifest itself in two ways. One, you frustrate the hell out of the striker and his annoyance gets him off his game. Or two, the star player is angered just enough to step up his game and put your team away. The Toffees got a taste of both sides against the superstar Spanish striker.

Torres came into Saturday's match, already itching to get on the score sheet, having not scored in his last six games, and only notching one tally this season, a game winner in the opener against Sunderland. His first half played out exactly how Everton had hoped.

Yobo, Jolean Lescott, Phil Jagielka, and Tony Hibbert put the screws to El Nino, shouldering and pushing him on and off the ball. From Yobo's opening shove, to Lescott's shoulder check in the box later on in the half, Torres could not get a clear opportunity. He had a man attached each time the ball came his way, which isn't so bad for Nando, as he likes to use his body up against a defender, and make a move in tight.

But Everton had another two men right there when one wasn't enough, figuring that Torres isn't a great passer out of traffic, and three men was enough to shut him down. This was especially true when he received the ball more towards midfield. It was all clearly frustrating the Spaniard, putting him off his game.

Several times through the first half and at the start of the second, Torres could be seen shaking his head at ref Mike Riley for the treatment he was getting from Blue defenders. Fernando was finally booked in the 50th minute for a foul on Lescott, the yellow card coming out probably as much for his constant protests, as it was for his infringement. It didn't stop there, as just minutes later Torres broke free from Jagielka, creating a chance, but he was stunned when Everton was awarded the free kick.

This could have been the beginning of the end for an increasingly annoyed Torres, but a deftly placed left footed cross from Robbie Keane fell unto the unmarked striker in the box, and he made no mistake in putting the ball by Tim Howard for a Liverpool lead. Torres' right footed volley needed perfect placement between Howard and a scrambling Lescott, and the Spaniard finished with the cool nonchalance he has become known for.

Just three minutes later, another golden opportunity came along that Fernando did not waste. Liverpool was coming at the Toffees with much more purpose now, and a Keane rush was broken up, deflected off of Dirk Kuyt, and landing right in front of Torres. This time El Nino made no mistake in firing the ball into the top shelf, leaving no one any chance of stopping it. It was pure striker's finish.

Everton was obviously shaken by the two goals, as only moments later, the ball fell to the right foot of Torres once again, and he again buried the ball into the net. A cross came from left to right, sailing over the heads of the Everton defender and Kuyt, onto Torres at the far post. Fernando went back to the left post with a perfect left footed shot, for what he thought was a hat trick. However, Mike Riley quickly ruled the goal out for a phantom foul on Kuyt, who I guess had impeded the jumping Everton defender by just standing there.

It didn't matter, by this point Torres and Liverpool had reversed their fortunes and taken control of the game. Getting two goals in a huge derby game at Goodison Park will probably be the start to a goal scoring purge for Torres, who doesn't need to be playing well to score goals, but when he is, look out. His three hat tricks last season had come against teams who knew they had to game plan for him and Gerrard, but still could not stop his scoring spree.

Everton proved that poking the bear with a stick may work for a half, but eventually he will get free and attack.

Grade: A-


Player Grades: Pepe Reina- B
Reina keeps doing what has to be done for Liverpool. He doesn't get much action with the Reds defense rolling along the way it is. Mucking up the ball into the box, that Mike Riley's call on Fellaini and Jamie Carragher's recovery bailed him out on, was his only mistake.

Alvaro Arbeloa- C+
It's hard for me to keep ragging on Arbeloa when the defense looks as solid as a back four that there is in the PL right now. He is improving on defense each week, but that has as much to do with his team's possession as anything. Alvaro is still horrific in the final third, his crossing and final pass again lacking any quality.
Jamie Carragher- A
Carragher, on the defense end, has been perhaps the top center back in the PL this season. He directs the defense into a solid shape, both on set plays and coming back. He has a nack for bailing out a scrambling Reds defense, as well. Everton did not get a shot on goal in large part due to his work at the back.
Martin Skrtel- B+
It is the same story for Skrtel week after week. He starts out the match fired up and makes a few clumsy or harsh tackles. Then he settles in and works in tandem with Carra to shut the other team down. He put the clamps on Yakubu, rendering the Yak unfed throughout the match.

Andrea Dossena- B
The Italian left back did a good job in possession and getting forward, but his crossing and final ball were not on in this match. His ineptitude on that part of the pitch, is not a true indicator of his play, as I have seen him create some chances and good balls this season.
Albert Riera- C+
The summer signing did not have a particularly impressive game. He wasted a chance presented to him by Robbie Keane, and was to slow to get into the Everton defense on several instances where the Reds' had pushed forward. He shows a lot of quality in possession though, as he is hard to take off the ball with his subtle dribbling skills. Was subbed for Fabio Aurelio half way through the second half.

Xabi Alonso- B
Alonso was once again great in possession through midfield. Unless he is going for a home run pass, he rarely wastes a ball. His defensive coverage was acceptable, although no where near Mascherano's in the same role, and he did completely nubbed a left footed shot in the second half. He is the key to the Reds' holding control of the ball in midfield, and he is not failing in that role as he often did last season.

Steven Gerrard- B+
Had a couple of shots that presented danger to the Blues. Once for 25 yards out that just crept wide as it passed Tim Howard, another a free kick that inched over the bar. He did a lot getting back in midfield, making great tackles, or coming back to support the backs both in possession and coverage. Would like to see him get forward and work more give and go's with Torres.

Dirk Kuyt- B
Dirk worked hard, had some bad touches, freed up a little space for Torres and Keane. You know, all in a day's work for Liverpool enigmatic winger/striker/ midfielder guy. He tried a blast early on that missed the target. Let me know if anyone has a concrete opinion on whether he is good or bad for the Reds, because I can't make up my mind.

Robbie Keane- B
This grade is given taken into account his poor play up until this point. He didn't have a distinguished game outside of his wonderful cross on the first Torres goal, which he may or may not of known that much about. Keane got forward with possession a lot more in this one, but he was once again much to hesitant on the ball around the penalty area.


Subs: Fabio Aurelio- B
Aurelio came on for Riera and did a good job getting back and helping Dossena on the left, as well as getting forward and keeping possession and pressure through midfield.

Jermaine Pennant and Lucas Leiva- Incomplete
Came on at the end of the game and had little impact.


Man of the Match: Fernando Torres