This Nation

In Greek mythology there is a reoccurring theme that pops up. Which is the relationships between father and son. Oedipus fulfilled the prophecy that he would kill his father to marry his mother. Further back in this wonderful tradition there was the epic saga of Titans and Olympians. In the beginning there was Uranus the first god. His youngest son Cronus rose up to take his place. Castrated him and banished him to the Underworld, so that he could become king. Cronus in turn had a son, Zeus who rose his hand against him and took his place. In almost every case the son supersedes the father and in football similar scripts are written. Portugal spawned Brazil in every since word, politically, historically and economically but on a football pitch Portugal are the paupers compared to the South Americans. The thing is it's very painful living under the thumb of anyone. New Zealand lives in Australia's shadow as does Canada in America's. It's not easy living next to a giant as Austria will tell you.
 It's a pity that no matter what Austria does in football it will always fall short when stacked against Germany's pedigree. So where does Austria lie on the football totem pole? As I type this, the men from Vienna sit 60th in FIFA world rankings. The highest they have ever been so far is 17th and the lowest was 105th. If you are one who puts great weight behind FIFA rankings one could say the Austrians tend to float around in the upper middle class in football while periodically dipping from time to time. Austria made it's first bow in the international realm against her oldest ally Hungary in 1902 in a friendly, the Austrians coming out 5-0 winners in the match. In the first World Cup held in Uruguay, Austria didn't enter along with Germany in 1930 due to political reasons.Withdrawal and deciding not to compete in major international tournaments is a theme that Austria knows all to well. Despite obtaining the fourth position in the 1934 World Cup in Italy, Austria made itself scarce in the two World Cups preceding Italy. Austria's annexation from Germany in 1938 meant although the Austrian's had qualified for the World Cup in France they weren't able to play due to the dissolving of the Austrian Football Association thus Austria could not field a team so the Germans stood in their stead. "Purely," a footballing decision saw the Austrians pull out of qualification for Brazil 1950. The Austrians stating the team was, "too inexperienced." In 1954 the Austrians crossed the border to Switzerland where the close proximity to home pushed them to a 3rd place showing, only ousted by the familiar figure of Germany the eventual tournament champions. The year 1958 brought the World Cup to Sweden where Austria finished at the bottom just amassing one point. Austria, from World Cups 1962 to 1974 were missing and went through a lull on the international stage for more than a decade until they found their way back in 1978 at the games in Argentina. World Cups in Spain in 1982 and Italy in 1990 followed, with France 98 the last time the Austrians played in football's marquee to this date.The European Championships hasn't been very kind to them either. Since the Euros inception in 1960 the Austrians have only qualified for one to this date and that was only because they co-host the venture with Switzerland in 2008. They finished bottom of their group, with them once again looking up at the Germans.
  It hasn't been an iconic footballing history for Austria mainly because they have not produced a crop of players to really spur them on. Hans Krankl is without a doubt the "wunderkid," of Austrian football. Back in the day he was as it got for Austria. Since then the likes of Andreas Herzog and Ivica Vastic had Austria plugging along for a bit but the fact is the most recent crop and maybe those directly after the Krankl has been very ordinary. Paul Schraner is the first person who comes to mind when I certainly think of present day Austria, second is Sebastian Prodl. Both fine players in their own right but not good enough to push Austria on, in a very tough UEFA qualifying zone. Then there is the nearly men. Christoph Leitgeb, Andreas Ivanschitz and Emmanuel Pogatetz. These guys were suppose to lift the national team from the mire. What Austria got was flashes from the trio, the fact that all of them played the bulk of their careers so far at middle level clubs says a lot. We have had cameos from the likes of Roland Linz, Martin Harnik, Erwin Hoffer, Marc Janko and the giant Stefan Maierhofer but none have really done the job. Then there is the future, which is pretty much David Alaba and Marko Arnautovic. In contrast the Swiss seem to making Xherdan Shaqiri(s) every week and the Germans...I don't even have to say anything about their production line it speaks for itself.
  Austria may not be able to produce wave of players on mass like the other European aristocrats but it does have a rich history and with that they can hopefully inspire a desperately needed star. The formula is, pluck the best youngsters from the Austrian Bundesliga thrust them into the first teams in Austria or export them. They won't master Germany but Cronus thought that about Zeus.

Save Them Alaba  

Euro 2012 Loser Squad

I do love these summer tournaments. The Gold Cup is nice. I'm a huge fan of the Copa America and of course it doesn't get any bigger than the World Cup. This summer solstice we had Euro 2012 to keep our attentions in Poland and Ukraine. We have seen the wonderful the odd surprise like the Dutch leaving the tournament with out a single point in the group stage. Don't know if I can call it a big surprise but the Italians making it to the final was a really nice touch seeing that the country is amidst yet another match fixing scandal. We have had the late drama. You had your extra time and penalty shoot outs for those who like to sweat it out and let's forget last gasp scenarios for advancement. The Greeks sat bottom of Group A, beats the heavily tipped Russia to qualify for the knockout round and the Czechs ousting the hometown heroes the Poles, all good stuff. We did have the ugly. Polish and Russian fans clashed. The Germans decided to throw things at players and not lets not forget the good ole fashion racism. All horrific and there is nothing worse than racism but the play at Poland and Ukraine by some off the players has been absolutely toxic and with that here is the worse 23 the summer had to offer.


Euro 2012 Squad


(Coach)


Bert van Marwijk (NED)


(Goalkeepers)


Woijech Szczesny (POL), Shay Given (IRL), Andriy Pyatov (UKR)


(Defenders)


Andreas Granqvist (SWE), Richard Dunne (IRL), Ron Vlaar (NED), Yuri Zhrikov (RUS), John O'Shea (IRL), Jetro Willems (NED), Michael Kadlec (CZE), Sergei Ignashevich (RUS)


(Midfielders)


Ashley Young (ENG), Keith Andrews (IRL), Mark van Bommel (NED), Arjen Robben (NED), Andrei Arshavin (RUS), Nigel De Jong (NED), Bastian Schweinsteiger (GER), Anders Svensson (SWE)


(Forwards)


Aleksandr Kerzhakov (RUS), Robbie Keane (IRL), Milan Baros (CZE), Karim Benzema (FRA)


Formation


4-4-2


Standard old school set up. No false number "9," or any of that for these gentleman. Plus I don't think with the outings these guys showed they couldn't even handle a tactical reshuffle on the fly, it might make some of them pull a hamstring. Simple but the simple isn't always that easy hence why they  are in the worse Euro squad.


Starting XI


Goalkeeper- Woijech Szczesny (POL)
Right Back- Andreas Granqvist (SWE)
Centre Back- Richard Dunne (IRL)
Centre Back-Ron Vlaar (NED)
Left Back- Yuri Zhrikov (RUS)
Right Midfielder- Ashley Young (ENG)
Centre Midfielder- Keith Andrews (IRL)
Centre Midfielder- Mark van Bommel (NED)
Left Midfielder- Arjen Robben (NED)
Striker- Robbie Keane (IRL)
Striker- Aleksandr Kerzhakov (RUS) (captain)


WHY?


Woijech Szczesny- It took me awhile to first to pronounce his name when I first heard of him. I got to know him and with time I learnt how to spell his name with out looking at wikipedia or the computer and finally it took me a while to actually rate young Woijech as a goalkeeper when Arsenal acquired him. Well at least I now know how to spell and call out his name properly because he is awful. I have discounted the shaky Arsenal performances because he really started to come around but this tournament in "POLAND," I took back every nice word written or said about him. He had a prime opportunity to give Poland a solid base but what does he do? Concedes a weak goal to the Greeks then gets himself sent off and gives up a penalty. If not for back up Tyton's brave spot shot save, Greece would have won the game probably. The red card meant that he would be suspended the game after. Poland could have really used his help but through a moment of madness he left his nation adrift and Poland couldn't make it through.

Andreas Granqvist- I really do feel for this guy and on a normal day he wouldn't even come nearly close to this squad but he is. Sweden didn't have the tournament they were looking to have. Ibrahimovich couldn't inspire the men from the north to even get out of the group but one man I think suffered due to bad coaching in this tourney has been Granqvist. Who I really do like and rate but the Swedish coach farming him out to the right back position was cruel and unusual. The massive defender is to slow to gallop forward like modern fullback's do and his natural instinct as a centre back led him to just hold a position which didn't help when wide men ran passed him. I do have some sympathy because he isn't a right back but as a professional player you have to be more adaptable. Shame on Erik Hamren for not knowing what best suits his team and more importantly his players.

Richard Dunne-One of my all time favorite players. Richard Dunne is an old fashion center half who is tough as nails but this tournament, he and Ireland received a real lashing from the opposition. Ireland concede the most goals of any team at the Euros and Dunne has been the focal point for the Irish's woes.























Ron Vlaar- I also use to ask. How is John Heitinga a starting player for the Netherlands? Well when you have Ron Vlaar in reserve you see why. I have been hearing about Feyenoord's Ron Vlaar for what has to seem like ages now and the fact of the matter is Dutch players travel well...maybe accept for Dennis player. I mean a Dutch can play in any of the top leagues in Europe. Cryuff, Van Basten, Van Persie you know the story but why hasn't Ron Vlaar left Holland after all this time? I'll tell you why Ron is very good.. I mean you could say he wants to stay loyal to Feyenoord but that doesn't hold water. Against Denmark with an absent Joris Mathijsen Vlaar was asked to deputize. He basically let Michael Krohn Dehli score. Heitinga and Vlaar what a combination. The Netherlands really have to find some commanding centre halves. Maybe they can steal one or two from Belgium across the border I heard they have a couple of good ones.

Yuri Zhrikov- The Chelsea man turn Anzhi man. I remember a time Yuri called himself a left winger but some where along the line or someone told him left back is the spot for him. Now if Yuri wasn't a great winger to begin with what makes people feel he will be a revelation in the back line and at Euro 2012 he wasn't. He ball watches, pushes to far forward and string a pass, lacks basic concentration and most importantly he doesn't know how to defend. You would think Russia would try to go for at least a defender that can actually be tactically aware of the opposition. Too may times I just saw him up the field idling.The bad thing is he is probably one of the more mobile Russians in the team so you would think he would he would be a nice addition. The Czech Republic really left Zhrikov with egg on his face on the last group stage day.

Ashley Young-The English winger was mean unproductive to say the least and I can either peg it at Roy Hodgson playing him just behind the centre forward is not an ideal place for him and then there is fatigue. In a short spell Ashley Young has gone from Aston Villa poster child to a mere foot soldier at Manchester United. He didn't play well. Hardly got to influence any play and when England did get forward it was a ball over the top of his head to whatever striker he was paired with. He didn't get a chance to run and England might not have a slick passing game but one does feel that Young needs passers around him to be able to be effective. He didn't have a good tournament simple as that. It didn't help that he missed his penalty against the Italians either.

Keith Andrews- I almost don't want to write anything about this man because has been so terrible. Of course a possession game is not Ireland's strong suit but my goodness I don't think I have seen Andrews actually pass the ball in the three matches I have seen him play. As a defensive sided midfielder I expect certain things. Like tenacity, work ethic, controlled and measured tackling and most of all a knack for getting your team ball back. Keith did none of that. Every time he played he was absolutely was over ran my the opposition's midfield. Funny side note. I heard the commentator mention that he had played in all of England's four divisions I personally think he should start all over again. How can Ireland rely on a man that has no guile to him in the middle and even more can't even get close to the opposition is beyond me. Spain, Croatia and Italy made him look way less than ordinary.























Mark van Bommel- Euro 2012 might have been a tournament to far for van Bommel. I mean on the other side of the coin we have Andrea Pirlo who seems like he can go on forever but everyone is not like that and van Bommel I feel just wasn't able to catch up with the pace. I don't want to be so hard on the Dutch as a whole because to be in a group with Portugal, Germany and even Denmark isn't an easy thing but some of her players were merely passengers  Mark van Bommel being one of them it doesn't help. His role isn't to score goals or create plays but to stop the play in midfield and offer some help to his defense none was forthcoming. Sad really for a man who has been such a dynamic player over the years.

Arjen Robben- I personally am tired of this guy. I think he can be summed up as a great talent with a weak heart. You ask Bayern Munich about him in the 2011-2012 Champions League Final. He simply is not brave enough. In qualifying and the normal running of a league season he is absolutely stunning but when it matters like that final I just spoke of or the World Cup in South Africa you might as well turn off the TV when he has the ball. He didn't play well this tournament, looked uninterested and I'm starting to think that Robben is a limited player. In his late twenties they won't be an upheaval in his style of play and I don't think he can redefine himself and I will say this over time I think people will forget about Arjen Robben unless he does something major.

Robbie Keane-This is another reason why Ireland got the boot from the Euros early, lack of scoring power. Let's be real if the bulk of your squad is comprised of relegated Premier League players and those who play for sides in the bottom have of that division your going to have a problem. Kevin Doyle played for Wolverhampton Wanderers last season  that's pretty bad. What's even worse is that Robbie Keane plays for the LA Galaxy. I like the MLS, I really do but you can't come to a major tournament well maybe the Gold Cup with your main attacker playing against the likes of Chivas USA and Toronto FC it's not going to be a good look and it wasn't for Keane and the Irish. Keane at this point in his career has to be for me a super sub, an impact player and to ask the former Spurs man to find the goal against Italy, Spain and the Croats is a tough ask. The striker barley got a touch in the opposition's half.

























Aleksandr Kerzhakov- Aleksandr has to be a part time butcher or mason because I can't believe any team in Europe actually pays this man a wage to play football. Having a striker that can't shoot is like having a fish that can't swim. What's the point? Kerzhakov in three games took a whooping 12 shots at goal. Only one hit the target. So that means he had 11 shots off target and if I was Pavel Progrebnyak and Roman Pavlyuchenko I would have been laughing on the sidelines. Alan Dzagoev performances for the Russians masked Kerzhakov's performance. We were all saying what a player Dzagoev is so we turned a blind eye to how bad Zenit St. Petersburgh man is and he is all types of bad. He works hard but his skills are shocking.

Bert Van Marwijk- I don't understand what really happened. Van Marwijk a mere two years ago led this almost identical Dutch team minus Giovanni van Bronckhorst to a World Cup final. It was like the problem of having two strikers in good form in Van Persie and Huntelaar was confusing so ultimately a proper system was in place. I don't want to heap too much blame on him, having a weakened Joris Mathijsen who I think is better than what people give him credit for didn't help his cause. Fact is alot of players let him down. The aforementioned strike force, Arjen Robben certainly did, so did Sneijder. Jetro Willems the young kid was not up for the moment. Gregory van der Wiel had a poor tournament and Vlaar and Heitinga played like they were afraid the ball might hit them in the face. All leaving poor Stekelenburg stranded. I think what hurt him is he couldn't get the guys heads lifted after the defeat to the Danes if he had done that they could have beaten the Germans and the Portuguese and who knows what would have happened after that. As the coach you don't just deal with the tactics but you have to lift morale when things go wrong van Marwijk didn't do that.

Substitutes


(GK) Shay Given- It seem this summer all the Irishman did was pick up the ball out of his net. It was a close ran thing between him and Szczesny for the worse goalie of the summer but the Pole barely edged him.


(GK) Andriy Pyatov- He had a lot of work to do and he made some saves but still altogether shaky.


(CB) John O'Shea- At least St. Ledger scored a goal. Can't believe he was a Manchester United player at one point. That Mario Balotelli goal against Ireland when he was suppose to be marking him sums it up for me.


(LB) Jetro Willems- A Dutch reporter asked in a press conference if the next time the Dutch play do they have to play with a left back.That is how bad the youngster was, I feel for him.


(RB/CB) Michael Kadlec- The Czech defender found himself out of position  numerous times in that hammering against the Russians. Settled as the tourney progressed but still need bailing out many a time.


(CB) Sergei Ignashevich- Russia needs a whole new back line. Ignashevich needs to retire.


(CAM/FW) Andrei Arshavin- He actually had a good tournament I felt, had three assists good movement and was fired up but he's in this team for being a jerk. This guy had the nerve to tell the Russian fans some of which spent their hard earned cash to see their country play that Russia's early exit was their fault. I wouldn't want to play on the same team as this guy.,


(CDM) Nigel de Jong- Had a tough tourney with him and van Bommel in there. The lack of game time last season and Manchester City really hampered him.


(CM) Bastian Schweinsteiger- I think the further coaches ask him to retreat into the midfield the worse he will become. He started his career as a winger then for moved to the top of midfield now he is a deep lying ball winner? I think they should just let him play where he wants.


(CDM) Anders Svensson- He is a foul machine. Couldn't stop the Ukraine or the English from getting to that very slow and juxtapose Swedish back line.


(CF) Milan Baros- In Euro 2004 Baros had a ton of goals even finished as the top scorer in the tournament. This time around can't remember him taking a shot.


(ST) Karim Benzema- Admittedly I don't think he had a bad tournament. Made some assists but for a top player like Benzema to not have not one goal is really bad. Even Girogios Samaras got himself goal.

That is the worse of the worse in Poland and Ukraine. Feel free to add your own disappointment to this list.

CONCACAF Chronicles

 Can they do it? A fairly direct question if I must say so. That query is aim at the Caribbean contingent left in World Cup Qualifiers for Brazil 2014. Guyana (South American Nation), Antigua and Barbuda and Jamaica are all that remain from the West Indies. To think Antigua's name is still in the hat for qualification at this the group stage proper while Trinidad sit in Port of Spain still reminiscing about Germany 2006 and have left to pick up their teeth from the haymakers landed by the Guyanese this World Cup campaign. As for Jamaica finally they maybe starting to accept the title as the premier Caribbean team. Too long now the Jamaicans have just  been content to humble the the smaller islands and lose in close encounters to sides on the main land like Panama and the United States. Some may argue that Guyana should even be in CONCACAF with the nation fixed at the apex of South America but everyone familiar with the geo-political runnings of the region knows that Guyana is just as Caribbean of any of the islands in the archipelago. I certainly didn't expect Guyana to get this far and well I don't think much of them as a threat outside the realm of cricket but they are here not at the very end but in touching distance.
 So where are we? Let's start alphabetically and team least likely to progress and that would be, Antigua and Barbuda. The men from St.John's find themselves in Group A this term with the Jamaicans, the enigmatic Guatemala and the United States who need know introduction. The dual island nation will find little joy in this group and to be honest, as much I would  like them to sneak their way through the back door. I can only see pure punishment for the Antiguans. Although some of their players ply their trade in the lower leagues of America and Britain the gulf is too great.
 The "Golden Jaguars," of Guyana sit in Group B with the Central American elite. I find it ironic that Mexico, gave birth to the Aztec civilization one of the richest  cultures in the New World, the Aztecs had an order a of warrior called the Jaguar Knight. This class of warrior got their name because they wore a jaguars skinned pelt into battle. Guyana's first game is against Mexico. That is a pretty bad omen for the South Americans. This could be a real hard lesson for the Guyanese. Luckily that is as bad as it gets for them. The Guyanese them have to take their talents to Mexico's skillful neighbour Costa Rica who are a staple in CONCACAF and can count themselves as being one of the marquee teams in the region. Led by Bryan Ruiz no doubt they will be there at the end of CONCACAF qualifying. Guatemala may not be as stern as the Mexicans and the Costa Ricans but they have had many a battle with the hegemony of the region for years so they know how to carry themselves. I liken them to Peek-A-Boo boxer who doesn't have the a strong inside game or the power of a brawler but waits and wears down opponents with quick jabs. Guyana has something about them this term though but whatever it is they are going to need a flux of it if they are to have any chance.
 Jamaica is the only side out of the trio I have a glimmer of hope for progression. Highlight the word,  "glimmer." Jamaica has been here before. They have made it to the hex before and they have gone further by even making it to a World Cup finals but that was a long time ago. Jamaica were afforded big boy status by starting their campaign like the USA and Mexico at this stage of the qualifiers. They didn't have to go through the long process of wading through teams like Bermuda and St. Lucia to get to this point. Sounds good right? It does in theory but to me, Jamaica is a momentum team who need to steam roll teams from the on set. Simply put, Jamaica has not been playing meaningful games of late, only friendlies so I fear they may have rust or more importantly a blunted edge. Jamaica is a team that has a fair set of runners and they are powerful but are they actually good with the ball? A side can easily pass around them . They have nothing to fear from Antigua they should put them in their place. As for Guatemala that will be close if Jamaica is really energized. The United States is different. They know they have Jamaica's number and Jamaica in recent games against "Uncle Sam's Army," have played really cautious and strained. America know if they can hit Jamaica early it's over for Kinston's finest. Jamaica must and has to play their running, a quick game to progress to the next round. 
 The next stage after this is the hexagonal. The top two from these three groups and if one of these three Caribbean nations could make it to the hex they certainly have a chance to make it to Brazil. 

Random Bite

I never paid attention to statistics. Lionel 

Messi seems to break a new record every week. Here is a random fact, Oliver Kahn has the most clean sheets in Bundesliga history with 196 in 557 games. Cameroon's Roger Milla is the oldest person to play in a World Cup at age 42, I can go on and on but to me these are nice little trivia bits to impress soccer aficionados  and make your self seem like a real scholar of the game but I'm not really a stat guy. Well I wasn't until I started to play fantasy soccer with a friend of mine and through this pass time I was force to take look at them. The competitor that I am obviously I want to win and knowing stats will definitely give you an edge, knowing who is on form, pass percentage, assist, goals will weigh heavily in your favor. That is just skimming the surface you can look at a players head to head performances against a certain team, their career records and even how they stack against certain players. After saying all of that stats can shed light more importantly arguments. Landon Donovan or Clint Dempsey? There is not a stat in the world that could convince be that Donovan is better than Dempsey.
 I don't want to argue or do I want to throw a ton of stats your way. I just have a healthy appreciation for the Texan's game. I wasn't always a fan of Clint Dempsey I just thought he was another average American playing at a mid table English club. See Brian McBride and Claudio Reyna for more detail there. He was, when I first saw him just another player and this article may not take the greatest structure but this is for lack of a better phrase, a rave session on my part about the American. Landon Donavan still holds America's more significant records like all time leading goal scorer and as the record for most assist on the international stage by any American all that for me is as I said before nice trivia because Donavan has never really in my eyes raised his hands and said "I am the face of US soccer," Simply because he never made a concerned effort to ply his trade in Europe and as any reader of my post know that I think Europe is the gold standard of world soccer. Every stat points to it. So Landon image in my head will always be of a maybe player. Maybe he could have dominated in the leagues, maybe he could have scored the spectacular. With Clint Dempsey there is no maybe there is doing. The work rate, the skill and the class in which he plays has come on these pass few seasons and to take a normal in every sense of the word club like Fulham and give them an air of danger about them is such a task. No disrespect to Mr. Donavan and I have loads of respect for the man but I don't rush to see him play. I don't get excited when he turns out for the LA Galaxy and when he plays for the United States it's more of a feeling of hopefully Donavan puts in a nice game. It's all very luke warm but with Dempsey I break my neck to try to get to the television when Fulham plays and when he has the stars and strips I just know he is about to put in work. There is a nastiness to Clint Dempsey I feel as a kid in class that if you fought with you had to go the nurse afterwards that is all part of his allure to me. He is a tough guy an old school player  and I really hope he can push on and America will finally realize they have a real world class player in it's mitts.

Eye on Asia

If you haven't been hiding in a cave or just don't care you probably know who Jeremy Lin is. If you are on this site you probably do but if your a passerby let me give you the low down on Mr. Lin. He is an Asian American of Taiwanese ilk. He went to Harvard, made it to the NBA floated around the D-League for a little while before he got scooped up by the New York Knicks. Knicks had a few injuries here and there and Lin gets thrown into the deep end. Long story short after his baptism in the NBA the New York Knicks find that they have a real gem on their hands, some one with immense potential and a real world wide star appeal. So, what does this have to do about soccer? Jeremy Lin is a superstar not only in the United States but also in China and his native Taiwan. I dear anyone to name a Chinese soccer player of any pedigree. I would go as far as ask the average Chinaman on the street to name me any of their blossoming soccer players and I think they would be hard press to do so. We all remember Yao Ming the 7 ft Centre that dominated the paint for the Houston Rockets. He was idolized, iconize and all types of prestigious tags were donned on him. Simply because he was good. In contrast Yi Jianlian another Chinese export to basketball isn't a great player but is still loved in China. So all it really takes is for a Chinese star to make it to the biggest stage for the billions in China to fall in love.That is the problem with Chinese soccer there isn't anyone of real class and has that superstar appeal for the Chinese people to venerate. Japan and South Korea has held the FIFA World Cup in the past and for the most part their respective leagues have enough quality in them to give the world of soccer mainly western Europe some very tactful players. These two have superstars that their peoples can cling to. Park Ji Sung of Manchester United is pretty much a demigod in South Korea. Likewise Japan's Hidetoshi Nakata in his day. These superstars that found themselves to the highest level being Europe were able to take their experiences and nurture their national sides, the result being South Koreans and the Japanese enjoy their lofty FIFA rankings and the title of regional favorites. Even North Korea has been producing the odd player that makes it to Europe and are frequents at World Cups but where is China? Where are her players? The fact is they hardly have ever produced a type of player that is attractive enough to ply trade in the wildes of Europe. There was Manchester City's Sun Ji Hai and he did do well but since then China has rarely put out a household name. Sun was one to begin with in fact talent wise he was very average. Soccer heads find it hard to drum up one or two Chinese players and the for those who rarely bat an eye to the sport they would not even know what to say. It seems  like a lot of belly aching from my end but there has been some movement and the heads of the Chinese game are doing all their can to get their boys and girls out there. Case and  point Brazilian powerhouse Chorintians in an odd move signed Chinese midfield man Chen Zhizhao on a two year loan deal. Some say it's a PR stunt and I myself am a bit perplexed by it but good for the young man who will if he takes in the tactics and soccer know how from the Brazilians will no doubt serve China well. Long Tan is a promising young forward who is in the MLS. Now, if the league doesn't ferry him around like they like to do in American sports style trade offs and allow him to settle and give him some game time he has an outside chance of doing something for his country both sporting wise and maybe as a culture icon. To sum up China's fascination with stars I leave you with this story. Two days into Jeremy Lin's whirlwind NBA dream I asked one of my Chinese friends. Do you know who Jeremy Lin is? He said. "I don't know who he is. Who is he?" I said he is a Taiwanese American who is helping the New York Knicks win a few ball games. His reply was, in the best English he could muster. "I'm sorry I don't watch basketball." A few weeks passed and I saw him again and he tapped me on the shoulder. I turned around and there he is a kid who just moved from China 2 years ago and he has on a Jeremy Lin Knicks jersey and he says to me. "I know who Jeremy Lin is now." Maybe China needs all her athletes to reach a cosmic level before her people could start caring and in that case it will take a while for soccer to have it's day in the sun over in the east.   

Eye on Asia

New segment!, really excited I finally had my dream come through. Finally a player out of China that is worth mention. Ladies and gentlemen may I introduce you to Long Tan of Liaoning province. This maybe the shortest post I ever made but I couldn't keep my excitement contained. I am one of those people who often poke fun at China for not yielding at least one decent footballer. Out of their billion they couldn't field 11 men of any great worth, skill or who could even kick the ball straight. It is too soon for me to detract these comments but Long Tan is a start for me and maybe I will jump on the Chinese bandwagon in a little while but for now I'm not ready to. I won't sit here and act like I am a premier on Chinese soccer, I fair somewhat better when it comes to the Korean and Japanese games but in Long Tan I see something very promising and I'm sure China has very useful players and maybe they are better than Long. As for right now in my mind I think Long Tan is the most hopeful candidate that the state has to offer. With all my verve for the guy I have to keep it in perspective. At the moment he is playing in Major League Soccer. For now he isn't a starter and also he hasn't to date have a Chinese cap to his name and to make matters worse their is a fellow called Gao Lin who is the premier frontman for "The Great Wall," as they are so affectionately known. There is another youngster named Zhang Chengdong who plies his trade in Portugal at the moment for Beira-Mar so he obviously has some talents that brought him to Europe. The good thing about Long Tan is that he is in North America, it isn't the most lucrative market when you compare it to South America and Europe but it does get the odd glance from the guys in Europe, ask Clint Demspsey and Sacha Kjlestan what those looks from the Old World did for them and they will tell you. Long story short no pun intended. I like Long Tan. Good dribbling skills and has some aerial ability about him and who knows he could be a North American superstar and may one day feature for China.