“How come there aren’t more that three goals scored after all that time running around?” This is question most often posed about soccer. To that end I ask: “How can you play 22 innings and have a combined three runs scored?” Just recently, the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres took an offensive break from hitting the ball and engaged in a six-hour plus game that saw a grand total of three runs.
As a former high school soccer player, I can tell you that games which end 2-1, 1-1 or nil-nil (0-0) are exciting. The main reason being that you don’t want to end up on the wrong end of one goal loss that happens in the final 15 minutes. So, a tie can be a good thing.
The reason I bring up this topic of low scoring games, if in fact any goals are scored, is to prepare soccer fans for what Group A is going to offer. Every team in the group is defensive minded, which will make watching the games a bit tough for some. Not me, though. I’m ready for 12 tough games.
Headlining Group A is one-half of the co-hosting nations, Switzerland. Their M.O is defense. During the 2006 World Cup, the Swiss allow a grand total of zero goals in three group matches.
Led by coach Jakob Kuhn, the Swiss team is in every sense of the word fundamental. Their zonal defending, team-orientated positioning and tackling can keep the Swiss in any game, but their defensive mindset could cause an offensive shortage.
Perhaps the group favorite is Portugal. They’ve been on the verge on being good for some years now. Could this be the year that they break through in a major competition and become a European power? We’ll see.
The Portuguese, along with coach Luiz Felipe Scolari, are hoping that Manchester United star Cristiano Ronaldo can continue his great year all the way through June. There is a lot resting on the shoulders of the 23 year-old who is officially the face of the team after veterans like Luis Figo and Pauleta retired after the 2006 World Cup.
Portugal is very deep at the winger position, but their left backs are prone to injury. What Scolari can do in order to prevent serious harm is change the formations. The 3-4-3 won Scolari a World Cup in 2002 with Brazil. Maybe he’ll revert back to what was successful six years ago.
The Czech Republic, who I think is going to be the second team out of the group, has the potential to have a very deep run. Karel Bruckner’s group won its qualifying group despite Germany receiving all the attention (i.e. Germany 13, San Marino 0).
During qualifying, the Czech Republic allowed only five goals. Teams shouldn’t get too used to the idea of scoring because even if they do get by the backline, Petr Cech awaits. Cech is considered one of the best goalies in the world.
What the Czech have that seems to work in their favor is the right balance between talented youngsters and veterans that are still playing at a high level.
The final team of the group is Turkey. I hate to say it, but I’m not sure how much can be expected out of Fatih Terim’s team. There has been a constant flux and an unsettled atmosphere sine the team’s third-place finish at the World Cup in 2002. While they have solid goalkeeping and defense along with a few offensive threats, there doesn’t seem to be enough upside to see Turkey as one of the two teams that come out of Group A.
Match Schedules
2008.06.07 (18:00) Switzerland v. Czech Republic
2008.06.07 (20:45) Portugal v. Turkey
2008.06.11 (18:00) Czech Republic v. Portugal
2008.06.11 (20:45) Switzerland v. Turkey
2008.06.15 (20:45) Switzerland v. Portugal
2008.06.15 (20:45) Turkey v. Czech Republic
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
What About Major League Soccer?
I know that there may be a few MLS fans out there, but I am not one of them. Watching MLS games is at times very brutal. Nothing about the flow of the game is smooth like the English Premier League or Serie A in Italy.
I shouldn’t downplay soccer in this country because the MLS has been in business for 14 years now. You can’t be in business that long and not be doing something right. As of right now, there are 14 teams with plans of creating two more teams by 2010.
What I have noticed over the past few years is that media coverage has increased. ESPN is leading the way when promoting MLS Primetime Thursday. As nice as it is to see, soccer will never be able to overtake Major League Baseball, the NFL (the other football), the NBA and NASCAR in popularity. Because of this upward climb that soccer faces, it will be a niche sport enjoyed by a select few who are loyal to the game.
And in case you have been living under a rock for the past year or so, the MLS has pinned its future on the right leg of David Beckham. You may or may not have heard of him and you may and may not care, but he is now the poster boy for the league.
After signing a five-year contract worth up to 250 million dollars with the L.A. Galaxy, there are high expectations for Becks. The initial return has been very mixed. Last year, he was injured and missed a lot of time. This year, he is healthy and has shown flashes of why he is still considered a very good soccer player. These flashes come every time that he or his skill is questioned. I would suggest that people stop wasting their breath.
For all the media attention and celebrity that Beckham and his wife, Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham, bring to the game, there is a cautionary tale that always resurfaces. In 1975, the North American Soccer League and the New York Cosmos tapped Pele to make soccer big in the States. While there was a three-year period where the Cosmos were relevant, soccer didn’t catch on. Over two decades later, absolutely nothing has changed.
On occasion, I tune in for a MLS game. Normally, I try and find a Galaxy game to watch Beckham. There is an utter fascination with watching him play at full strength. Nobody, and I do mean nobody, in all of soccer can place a better ball than Becks. He is a tremendous presence on the field that makes his teammates better.
The end result of this current attempt by soccer to be a major factor in American sports will come after five years when Beckham’s contract is finished. If it works, chalk it up to the MLS brass for landing the most marquee name in soccer. If not, I don’t think anyone will be surprised and lives will move on as normal.
I shouldn’t downplay soccer in this country because the MLS has been in business for 14 years now. You can’t be in business that long and not be doing something right. As of right now, there are 14 teams with plans of creating two more teams by 2010.
What I have noticed over the past few years is that media coverage has increased. ESPN is leading the way when promoting MLS Primetime Thursday. As nice as it is to see, soccer will never be able to overtake Major League Baseball, the NFL (the other football), the NBA and NASCAR in popularity. Because of this upward climb that soccer faces, it will be a niche sport enjoyed by a select few who are loyal to the game.
And in case you have been living under a rock for the past year or so, the MLS has pinned its future on the right leg of David Beckham. You may or may not have heard of him and you may and may not care, but he is now the poster boy for the league.
After signing a five-year contract worth up to 250 million dollars with the L.A. Galaxy, there are high expectations for Becks. The initial return has been very mixed. Last year, he was injured and missed a lot of time. This year, he is healthy and has shown flashes of why he is still considered a very good soccer player. These flashes come every time that he or his skill is questioned. I would suggest that people stop wasting their breath.
For all the media attention and celebrity that Beckham and his wife, Victoria “Posh Spice” Beckham, bring to the game, there is a cautionary tale that always resurfaces. In 1975, the North American Soccer League and the New York Cosmos tapped Pele to make soccer big in the States. While there was a three-year period where the Cosmos were relevant, soccer didn’t catch on. Over two decades later, absolutely nothing has changed.
On occasion, I tune in for a MLS game. Normally, I try and find a Galaxy game to watch Beckham. There is an utter fascination with watching him play at full strength. Nobody, and I do mean nobody, in all of soccer can place a better ball than Becks. He is a tremendous presence on the field that makes his teammates better.
The end result of this current attempt by soccer to be a major factor in American sports will come after five years when Beckham’s contract is finished. If it works, chalk it up to the MLS brass for landing the most marquee name in soccer. If not, I don’t think anyone will be surprised and lives will move on as normal.
Tuesday, April 15, 2008
Are You Ready For Some Football?
Wait! It’s April. Is that correct? It is. The sport I’m talking about is vastly different. Still confused? Football, in this case, is soccer. It’s okay if you don’t know it. The rest of the world does.
In June, the best soccer teams in Europe will gather in Austria and Switzerland for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship. Over the course of the three-week tournament, absolutely anything can happen. As Greece proved in 2004, anything can happen. And, as an added bonus, the winner of UEFA Euro 2008 will also receive a cool 7.5 million euros for their trouble.
Noticeably absent from this years competition is England. The country that is widely recognized as the creator of soccer will not be in attendance. A desire to plug in new, more youthful players and remove ‘aging’ ones, like David Beckham, caused Steve McClaren his job after only 18 games.
Here is the reason for this blog. I was born in Romania and was always around soccer until I moved to the States. At that point, baseball took over, but soccer seems to catch my attention every two years for either the World Cup or, in this case, the Euro tournament.
It’s been eight years since the Romanian national team qualified for any kind of competition. In the 2000 Euros, they defeated England 3-2 to advance to the quarterfinals before falling to Italy. As the 12th ranked team in the world (according to FIFA), hopes are high for the Tricolori (The Tricolours).
Over the course of the next few weeks to months, I’m going to break down each group, standout players and make a prediction as to who may end up winning. I wouldn’t put a whole lot of stock into the ladder because in soccer, anything can and will happen.
In June, the best soccer teams in Europe will gather in Austria and Switzerland for the 2008 UEFA European Football Championship. Over the course of the three-week tournament, absolutely anything can happen. As Greece proved in 2004, anything can happen. And, as an added bonus, the winner of UEFA Euro 2008 will also receive a cool 7.5 million euros for their trouble.
Noticeably absent from this years competition is England. The country that is widely recognized as the creator of soccer will not be in attendance. A desire to plug in new, more youthful players and remove ‘aging’ ones, like David Beckham, caused Steve McClaren his job after only 18 games.
Here is the reason for this blog. I was born in Romania and was always around soccer until I moved to the States. At that point, baseball took over, but soccer seems to catch my attention every two years for either the World Cup or, in this case, the Euro tournament.
It’s been eight years since the Romanian national team qualified for any kind of competition. In the 2000 Euros, they defeated England 3-2 to advance to the quarterfinals before falling to Italy. As the 12th ranked team in the world (according to FIFA), hopes are high for the Tricolori (The Tricolours).
Over the course of the next few weeks to months, I’m going to break down each group, standout players and make a prediction as to who may end up winning. I wouldn’t put a whole lot of stock into the ladder because in soccer, anything can and will happen.
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