I know it isn’t any different from any other chronological sequence FIFA has going on but I get the feeling I’m getting spoiled. I mean since FIFA has been around they have been rolling out the international tournaments back to back. It seems like every year now there is a tourney for me to cast my eye over but that isn’t the case. Just so happens the events are hot on the heels of each...first it was the World Cup in Brazil in 2014 then we had the CONCACAF Gold Cup and CONMEBOL’s Copa America making magic happen in the United States and Chile respectively this year. These competitions thank goodness haven’t been coming every two or three years like a good James Bond flick, they are stacked against each other and I for one am very grateful. In journalism class they said you have name what your actually talking about pretty much from the first sentence, fortunately I barely scraped by that course and as a result I’m now mentioning the phrase "EURO 2016 France.” Maybe I should have paid a little more attention in my schooling but forgive me I was too busy watching soccer anyway to on my iPad and come June 10th of next year I plan to do the same thing as this peach of a tournament fires up in Paris. A new dynamic was added to this addition of the Euros in the form of team expansion, instead of a field of 16 there will be 24 teams prancing around France in the summer. So let’s take a look at who’s in the mix.
Group A
France
Albania
Romania
Switzerland
Group B
England
Russia
Slovakia
Wales
Group C
Germany
Northern Ireland
Poland
Ukraine
Group D
Croatia
Czech Republic
Spain
Turkey
Group E
Belgium
Italy
Republic of Ireland
Sweden
Group F
Austria
Hungary
Iceland
Portugal
As every sports entity that covers European football has noted millions of times over this Euros will not feature The Netherlands! From a personal standpoint its something that I won’t look forward to seeing and not having one the marquee teams in the showpiece event is a shame but we move on! Having an expanded feel makes for a more drawn out effect for me, especially when you look at some of the teams who made it. I definitely won’t be circling the date when Romania takes on Albania in "Group A." I find it hilarious that FIFA is aiming to “grow the game,” all over the globe. Obliviously they didn’t get the memo when it came to Europe. UEFA does not need any help whatsoever in branding and especially involvement of it’s peoples in the sport. If UEFA guaranteed me that; The Netherlands, Norway, Denmark, Serbia, Montenegro, Bosnia & Herzegovina and maybe a Finland were all in play at an UEFA tourney along with the tradition heavyweights and exciting new sides like Iceland sure...but if they can’t, they can keep their expansion. The whole point for me tucking into the Euros every four years is to see the exclusivity. This isn’t the Gold Cup. I don’t wanna see minnows who hit form at the right time and get hot and are able to sneak in. If I didn’t love soccer to be very honest I couldn’t watch the Gold Cup! There is only so much I can take of Haiti blasting balls at Jamaica’s shaky goalkeeper from 40 yards out. I come to the Euros and to a lesser extent the Copa America for seeing top quality ball per match constantly. With the wider class I have watch Hungary fluke the ball up the pitch and hope Balázs Dzsudzsák can somehow rain dance the ball through the back of the net. Hopefully I’m wrong and all participants put worth pure quality.
New day! New series. I’ve got a little momentum going and I’m going to capitalize on it. I won’t be
too wordy on this one. This article will be pure and factual. “The Club,” will be my way to highlight great league based teams and for this post I wanted it to be really special. There is a clear lack of Women’s football on my website and I want to increase the numbers. So why not kill two birds with one stone? In this segment I will be bringing to you the viewer, the familiarity of a very special Ladies’ soccer side in the form of the ultra popular and successful Seattle Reign Football Club. I’m extremely excited and a little nervous to showcase this new category on my site simply because I just want to get it right and do these wonderful institutions a good service. Reputation is everything these clubs have massive ones so I will do all in my power to safeguard them. So without further adieu I bring to you “The Club!”
Formed in November of 2012 the Seattle Reign make up what is currently a nine club National Women’s Soccer League. A league in which itself has only been in existence since around the Reign’s formation in 2012. When a club and the newly minted league was announced it was Bill Predmore who would be the owner of franchise.
The colors of the club are described as white, platinum, royal blue and midnight black. A combo that does lend a regal touch. The majesty however comes in the crest. Like Ajax of the Netherlands, Olympiacos of Greece and the Kaizer Chiefs of South Africa, Seattle Reign FC boast a herm or an image of a human head. The Reign have chosen a beautiful image of a crowned queen or monarch which ties in with the name of the club. A name that taken from city’s first women’s professional sports team. A defunct basketball team that plied it’s trade in the American Basketball League. The NWSL outfit calls Memorial Stadium her home and since the inaugural season of the league back in 2012 the Seattle side has amassed two NWSL Shields. The most recent coming in the 2015.
As with all American Northwest rivalries between Seattle and Portland they are hotly contested and the Reign’s beef with fellow NWSL side Portland Thorns FC is no different. When these two tangle there is the usual flair and intensity with passions shared on both sides. What’s not shared however is the affiliation that with Major League Soccer. The Thorns are connected to the Portland Timbers of the MLS however the Reign are not joint to the hugely successful Seattle Sounders due to the fact that Sounders have their own women’s team. A team that ply their trade in theUnited Soccer LeaguesW-League.
What the Seattle Reign do have is the support and certainly the players the current roster boast some sublime players. Ladies like Wold Cup winners Hope Solo and Megan Rapinoe. Who arguably the the best in their positions in the game. I’m also a huge fan of creative midfielder Kim Little. The Scot puts in some dynamic performances in front of the Reign’s Royal Guard at home and on the road. A player with wonderful balance and dribbling skills. I understand that rosters change that is the nature of American sports and also soccer but with those I just mentioned I’m hard press to find a better spine in women’s soccer States side.
The NWSL is a very young league but already we are seeing a trend of dominance from Seattle Reign. Those two NWSL Shields in three years just shows there is something there. The Seattle Seahawks, Seattle Mariners, Seattle Sounders and even the now defunct Seattle SuperSonics were and are champions of their respective disciplines. There is a great platform for pro sports in Washington state, as evidence in the list of champions above. There is no doubt that the Seattle Reign will carry on to lift that great Pacific city.
Regrets is something I don’t do I’m the type that let things play out. The denouement of my life will
read that I was a man that stood by his own convictions and who decided to fall on his own sword. An old friend of mine told me a long time ago that if I ever decide to write online it shouldn't be just about soccer and to add other facets so I don’t become one dimensional. I agreed for a little while but quickly rubbished it because simply, nothing appeals to my soul more than slipping thoughts onto a page about soccer. He was right! I could had conquered the world a lot sooner. Believe it or not I actually have more things to say besides discussing the woes of Andalusian outfit Xerez who make their living in one of the lower regional leagues of Spain. I meet a ton of wonderful people every week and my life experiences are so varied sometimes I feel the need to share it. For example a few months ago I think I met the smartest man I have ever met in my life. I won’t say his name because I believe brilliance like his has to be sought out and not revealed. Well...we spoke for a bit while we were traveling together and he was spewing his thoughts to me which was a treat but with all conversations my turn had come and I told him I wanted to be a soccer writer. He said you must right a lot! My honesty got the best of me and I said not as often as I should. “I had a roommate that was a writer, he writes everyday until his hand cramps up and is sick of it...but when you read his work it is really good. You have to write and read everyday that’s the only way you make it.” He said. Here is a man I only had a working relationship for no more than two days and his words had more impact on my mind than people I’ve known my whole life. My soccer blog can’t highlight my life but know I will drop some gems along the way. I will though leave this kind of talk for my memoirs. A collection I will compile when I retire in my native Barbados somewhere on empty beach. Right now it’s soccer time and I’m bringing back an old underutilized favorite of mine the “Eye On Asia,” series. So let me hop into that.
The last “Eye On Asia,” post was on Monday March 26th 2012. That was a crunching three and a half years ago and that's just not going to cut it. In fact this post that you're happening to skim over right now was planned like two years ago. The player that is the focus of this piece has since move to another club. Embarrassing! I know trust me I know but we are here to rectify. If you aren’t aware this series looks to highlight the players, the leagues and rumors emitting out of Asia. This edition I will be raving about South Korean hybrid forward Heung Min-Son. A rave that is long over do like as I mentioned before. Son makes his living in the German Bundesliga a league that that is very hospitable to Asian players. At the moment he is one out of 21 players from the Asian Federation working in the German top flight. Players coming from Asia have been ultra successful while playing in Germany a fact that I find a little odd. I don't if it's the culture in Germany or the mindset of Asian players but there seems to a real level of comfort when it comes to the scenario on both ends. I urge anyone to watch a documentary or scan over the multiple articles on why Asian players flock and thrive on the German soccer scene. I think Son is not only the best Asian player in the Bundesliga he is to me the best Asian player in the world. Never has there been an Asian player ever considered to be the best player in the world overall and I won’t say the 23-year-old forward is even close to that but he is a tidy footballer. The fading star of Japan’s Keisuke Honda and the inconsistency of his countryman Shinji Kagawa has open the door for the young Korean to take up the idea of being the best player from Asia.
The fact of the matter is his current club Bayern Leverkusen has and his former club Hamburg SV had the best player from Asia for what is now the past three years. Evidence of this is his Asian Player of the Year award he snapped up in the 2014-15 campaign. As much as I have been watching Son over the years I couldn’t put a finger on who he reminds me of. It’s a weird combination I’ve pegged him to. In full flow he reminds me of Pedro the Spanish international. The way he cuts inside and the close the little touches he uses the manipulate the ball reminds me of the once Barcelona man. When he strikes the ball he has a quick snapshot sort of like Ronaldo and Bale. The ball leaves his foot so quick while in stride the opposition just can’t react. He isn’t of the calibre of those players but this young man is special. Hamburg couldn’t hold onto him and if he has another stellar season in a Bayer 04 shirt I will bet they won’t be able to keep grasp of him either. The energy he posses is a typical trait of players from Asia but his ball control sets him apart from the rest in the region. Him and Shinji Kagawa definitely are the point guards of the AFC. They handle the ball with such dexterity it’s unsettling. I get uneasy when I see Son and Kagawa on the ball just because it seems surreal.
It’s not like Heung Min-Son is a mystery at this point I should had hopped on this article years ago. Hence why this article is a little short on the footballing side. Ironically as I write this I checked my Twitter and saw Tottenham Hotspur just tabled an 18 million bid for the Korean. I couldn’t even make this up! The week I decided to put this article to rest something comes about to debunk my findings. Let this be a lesson to all.Don’t put off till tomorrow what you can do today. In my case don’t put off till three and a half years.
Somewhere in Brooklyn at my 9 to 5 about a few months ago I had the pleasure of meeting a friendly
Austrian traveller. He told me how much he loved New York City while I replied by saying Vienna looks like a charm. To move the story along it has to be said we were in a NBA store. So the eventual topic of basketball came about. He is a foreigner and let’s be honest their fascination with basketball is not like the average American fan of the game who is more like a cross between a moose in musk and a jaded ex wife. His fandom was innocent. He was excited to be in a NBA arena (if you haven’t figured out where I work by now you may be dense). We talked about basketball...my knowledge of the game kind of overwhelmed him and he tentatively backed into a zone of comfort and said he was a more of a football (soccer) man as a way I guess to gain a little advantage in a scenario that was not even threatening. I had no problem with talking about soccer and allowing him to feel maybe a little superior and comfortable after all I am in the service industry to offer comfort is my mo’. Problem with that is that he picked the wrong black guy to talk soccer with. Our Austrian friend said he was from Innsbruck but supported FK Austrian Wien. Here is where I wish writing some how allowed people to see the story unfold in pictures because words fail to do convey his reaction when I came with my response. He said in his Germanic laced English. “Yes I love love my Wien!” I simply looked at him and in my bland Baritone voice said.”I prefer Sturm Graz.” I don’t if it was the fact that I was black, living in America or I worked for a basketball team but he was shocked. Our conversation got serious I mention to him it’s a shame Andreas Weimann has not been able to kick on and that David Alaba’s injuries real curtailed his career so far. I even threw a little Andreas Herzog factoids for good measure. The man was impressed but I struck a nerve with him when I mentioned something. Somehow the New York Red Bulls entered this footballing frenzy between the two of us and it definitely tempered his tone. It was like watching a blacksmith taking magma laced piece of iron and setting into a vat of ice water from the most northern fjord. Our footy friend said he hate the Red Bull. Well with that I knew to only offer him Gatorade if he was in need of liquid energy...but all jokes aside I knew what he meant. I know Red Bull Salzburg of Austria was seen as marketing tool for a big cooperation and how its seen to be a blot to some in Austria on their league, a symbol of unwanted modernization in a traditional sphere which is European soccer. Patrick (that was our traveler’s name by the way) echoed what I had thought when he said “In Europe we do not like franchising like America!” Ironic that he said that in a NBA arena which was the home of a newly minted NBA team the Brooklyn Nets. A team he was raving about just a few minutes ago.
It got me thinking. Why are people not just in Europe but in the Americas, so against a and I use these terms loosely “farm or commercialized,” team? I happen to go to my fair share of New York RedBull games and I’m demonized by some of my friends for it...simply because the team is attached with a major cooperation and it’s root the New York/New Jersey MetroStars has been shushed away into the background. If you've ever gone on some Major League Soccer or local soccer forums the hate is venomous! Especially for the New York teams. The common term around the snooty circle of this newly found soccer bravado is “plastic.” Many claim the Red Bulls and their new crosstown rivals Manchester City’s American appendage New York City Football Club are not “real,” clubs because of their branding and new found history does not fit into the traditional. The strange thing is the concept of these type of teams popping up isn’t new. If you just scroll up you would see the iconic crest of Ajax. One of the most treasured teams in all of world football but if one knows what one is looking for the Ajax in the photo isn’t the one I speak off. I am referring to the Ajax of Amsterdam the great European power. The crest on display belongs to her feeder/farm side Ajax Cape Town of South Africa. Now I don’t live in South Africa and as hard as I try I don’t know how South African football fans feel about Ajax of Cape Town. I simply don’t know and I won’t speculate. The question I would direct to people who are opposed to these types of symbiotic relationships is if they think if these new “farm,” teams help anyone?
Ajax Cape Town came about due to the merger of two football clubs in the city. Seven Stars and Cape Town Stars in 1999. Ajax solidified the union by financing and instilling her philosophy and the club was born. Ajax Amsterdam placed a huge emphasis on youth and player development offering the children of locals to join a professional side not only in their own neighborhood and country but also a shot to ply their trade in the Netherlands. A reward for the most ardent students. By all accounts it is a formula that works. Go ask Everton’s Steven Pienaar. A South African kid that joined their ranks. A guy who would say and I’ve read quotes of him saying that he did not have the easiest of childhoods. A man who joined Ajax Cape Town then moved on to Amsterdam and then to the promise land of the Barclays Premier League. He isn’t the only South African boy whose dreams came true because of this Dutch outpost club. Ajax Amsterdam over the years have plucked the likes Thulani Serero who has been incorporated into their system as I speak. I’m not a fool. A dreamer but not a fool. Austria and New York isn’t South Africa. A feeder club in the prior two, yes can change a live of a young man but in the latter it can literally save a young man’s life. Ajax Orlando (yes there is an Ajax Orlando) in the United States is probably is a cash cow a ploy to tap into Americans’ wallets and the probability of a star emerging out of that organization will be a far stretch and I don’t think this will boost a community like it’s South African counterpart will. If Red Bull decides to create a team in Namibia there is no doubt even if the players produced aren’t that good there is no doubt the amount of good it will do for the area. A Red Bull team in New York isn’t really going to do anything...well except tick off a fan base.
My Austrian friend and those soccer hipsters on the on their MacBook keyboards are right to bark on about tradition in the game it is a massive part of the sport and it should not be overlook. I get it. Where they stand from having a big corporation or another club coming and absorbing their side or creating a new team out of the air could be bothersome. It makes the game look cheap. They are not wrong but I will also put forth the case of the teams that are created in troubled areas of the world. What likes of Ajax Cape Town and SuperSport United Football Club in South Africa an affiliate Feyenoord Rotterdam...Yet another super club from the Netherlands has done for these areas is phenomenal. I personally love sides steep in tradition. By all accounts England’s Notts County Football Club is the oldest professional team in the world. If I was a Notts County fan I would feel just a warm glow every time I see them play. It is this kind of feeling of belonging to an old honor that makes people adore such clubs. So when a team that just was thought up in a board room by a corporate stud emerges I can see why traditionalist would be irked.
I won’t ramble on any further, I could all day about the issue and for the sake of editorial quality I will close this chapter the best way I could...let’s not forget I am a fledgling writer. This notion that newly created teams are phony, cheap and a way for guys in a suit to make money is a harsh way to look at it because there always will be a scenario where that form of business will work and let’s not fool ourselves a Wolf of Wall Street character in a suit will always profit. Which is cute but I don’t care about that what so ever. If a little kid may he or she be from a football hotbed or a place that is trying to enter the heralded soccer circle...if a club can invest in that child and give them a tangible future in the sport I don’t see a problem. The kid that is in Red Bull Leipzig’s youth academy has much as a right as his counterpart in Hamburger SV to take a crack at this football thing. These arguments of newly minted and old gold football sides isn’t silly what they are is distracting. Fans and students of the game won’t ever get pass the surface level of the argument which is understandable but they should be reminded it is about the play on the pitch and the players produced and it shouldn’t matter how they got their start. What is important is that a get a start...One thing before I go and I put it to the those who despise these “farm,” or “commercialized,” teams. What if the best player in the world or of all time came from New York City FC or Red Bull Salzburg? When we tell his story will we omit the start of his career and the place where it all started because it had something to do with an energy drink?
If this Copa America 2015 preview seems rushed to you I apologize...because it is. In fact when it
comes to a preview of the last group at a major competition I usually just want to get it out of the way. I did it last World Cup in Brazil with Group H. At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa Group H felt the brunt of my laziness and rashness editorial flaws as well. So what now of this Group C of the Copa America? Normally I would have some complicated retort to my own ridiculous question but I’m so fatigued I just want to get the each country’s preview and be done with it. It’s a bad attitude to have but I like to keep it honest with you guys something a lot of columnist won’t do. Of course I will keep what integrity I have when it comes to the actual content but just like an athlete wear and tear does effect performances and your boy is feeling it. On top of that the fact that I have to preview Peru and Venezuela is not something that get my juices flowing. I can only talk about Jefferson Farfan and Claudio Pizzaro for so long without losing a part of my soul. I will do my research as usual but I’m not going to like it. Again a sucky attitude to have especially if you are me, a person who swears they want to do this as a profession for the rest of their life. It's potentially a bad PR move on my part by being so lax but let’s hope that future employers of mine in the sports media world don’t come across this particular article. If they do hopefully they don’t read this intro and are amused by the pretty bright colors of the website. All I have to say is thank goodness Brazil and Colombia are up first in this preview.
Group C
Brazil
Colombia
Peru
Venezuela
Brazil
This is a big tournament for Brazil. We all know they hosted the last FIFA World Cup and we all know how they preformed even the novices. A 7-1 semi final exit to the eventual tournament winners Germany was embarrassing and unacceptable on every level and that display will forever tarnish the Seleção. Dunga the coach of Brazil will be looking for absolute redemption and is expected to come good at this regional competition. This is a serious matter and a business like tone should accompany the Brazilians all throughout this championship. They should come out ready to treat Peru and Venezuela like step children and punch Colombia square in the mouth to assert it’s position as alpha male straight away. Brazil need to get over what malaise they are under and be ruthless if not she will not capture that 9th Copa America crown. I’m not Brazilian and even I feel an overwhelming sense of retribution casted over this Brazilian squad. Every notable voice on the Brazilian football scene feels the same way. It’s like an unfinished project that needs to know completion. I’ve heard former players like Taffarel, Rivellino and Bebeto speak of the need to restore Brazil’s honor. That crushing exit in the World Cup has left Brazil scarred and frankly bruised her ego and now the whole vibe about them seems just vengeful. One of my favorite books of all time is “The Count of Monte Cristo,” by Alexandre Dumas. The main character was a dude called Edmond Dantes a lucky go happy man who wanted nothing out of life but had everything taken away from him through wrongful persecution to one day return to the peak of his powers. I see a lot of comparisons between Brazil right now and Mr. Dantes. There is sense of theft and Brazil will look to right it. Dunga has called on players like Philippe Coutinho and Neymar to perform sorcery and return Brazil the head turners they once were. If those two can brew up some magical moments I know for sure only Messi and cohorts can debunk their road to glory.
Key Man- Neymar has gone from a showman to the shaman Brazil needs to cure them of their ills. I doubted Neymar’s maturity at some point but he has grown into a pretty decent leader and figurehead. The guy is talent probably the second best talent at the competition behind Lionel Messi but one thing is for sure he won’t want to be finishing second.
Colombia
Forget Radamel Falcao and James Rodriguez they both can take a backseat to my main man Carlos Bacca. This guy has absolutely starred for Sevilla this past season. His 20 goals in La Liga helped his club to a 5th place finish. One point off a Champions League birth but that didn’t even matter because his seven goals in the Europa League allowed his side to win the tournament thus cemented their place in Champions League for next season. So I’ve got him pegged to have an excellent tournament and I think coach José Pékerman would be a crazy man not to start him despite having the likes of Victor Ibarbo, Teo Gutiérrez, Jackson Martinez and the already mentioned Falcao to chose from. The truth is Colombia is incredibly top heavy, all of those names I just mentioned plus Juan Cuadrado and James Rodriguez makes “Los Cafeteros,” saturated with buzzing goal scorers. The defense and midfield are nothing to get excited about. Cristian Zapata and James holding rank in both departments while between the sticks David Ospina should be solid for them. Pékerman is a great coach, him and Óscar Tábarez of Uruguay are real mentalists and the prior will look to deliver his side a second Copa America title. A task that I don’t think he can do. I just look at Colombia’s defense and I get critical. Sure the Colombia can gun down the opposition with their goal scoring ability but if they want to play the “Goal Blitz Game,” I know three sides that play that game even better...Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay and they don’t lose at it! If Colombia is going to win this competition Pékerman will have to find the right mix of defense and attacking flair but that’s pretty cliche and every coach will be looking to find that combo. What he really needs to do is get men like Bacca and James to play like extraterrestrials only then could they take home the silverware.
Key Man- I would say Carlos Bacca should be the key man here but I don’t even know if José Pékerman will actually play from the start. So my nod will go to James Rodriguez a legitimate star. I think the world has figured out the young Colombian’s game by now. It isn’t like the last World Cup where he was relatively unknown to those outside the major leagues of Europe. I love his game, a hybrid midfield man with pace. He should do well this summer.
Peru
What is alarming about coach Ricardo Gareca’s squad is the lack of defenders...I only count six! I know I said I was tired and was feeling sluggish but I don’t know if it’s injuries or if Gareca think he can get away with just six ball stoppers or if this is a typo. Surely there must be a problem or maybe he feels that the Andean country is depleted of defenders but anyway we carry forth and I won’t dwell on it any further. Gareca will have a task ahead of him because Peru has not been percolating now for a very long time now. In fact their last World Cup appearance was in 1982 six years before I was born. What I won’t do is paint Peru with all doom and gloom and one point that Peruvians can rally around is the fact they did win the Copa America twice. These wonder marks in this nation’s history came way back in 1939 and more recently in 1975. So they have some pedigree at the tournament and not to mention they finished 3rd in the 2011 Copa but I don’t think they will have what it takes to even bother the opposition this time around. One problem I have highlighted for Gareca is the fact that Peru's stars are aging. Striker Claudio Pizarro is currently 36, Juan Manuel Vargas a talented left sided player is 31 so is forward Paolo Guerrero and Jefferson Farfan their best player is 30. Going into a tournament like this one’s age is not a problem because in reality the most games you can play is like seven but having players long in the tooth doesn’t help your chances to do well either. I predict a quick and swift lesson for Peru and Gareca.
Key Man- Jefferson Farfan is the liveliest of the aging lions and still plays with tremendous energy and the Peruvians will need his quick tempo to rouse them against Brazil and Colombia and to get pass Venezuela.
Venezuela
Here is a side that I have huge respect for. Venezuela and Bolivia have been seen for a very long time as a running bad joke. Bolivia are still the brunt of a bad joke but Venezuela has really raised their game. They haven’t turned into Portugal overnight but they certainly aren’t as meek as before. “Los Vinotinto,” will look to build on their best ever Copa America finish of 4th in 2011. Where they loss on penalties to losing finalist Paraguay. Then went on to lose to ironically Peru in 3rd place game. New man at the helm of the national team is Noel Sanvincente and he will need to keep the good vibes high for the men from Caracas. It will be hard because Brazil and Colombia are not meant for the moving and Peru do fancy themselves against the Venezuelans. What Sanvincente has to work with is good but not great. Veteran Juan Arango is a serious threat over a dead ball but at age 35 one has to wonder if he can really be heavily relied on? Fernando Amorbieta and Oswaldo Vizcarrondo are both rough and tumble defenders but they are not the most mobile. While midfield man Tomás Rincón is like a Duracell battery but a puller of strings he is not so don’t look for him to be very influential. Venezuela's super hero comes in the form of now Zenit St. Petersburg striker Salomón Rondón. He has impressive stats over there in Russia. In the 36 appearances to date he has 20 goals. I’m not good at goal per game averages but to me that seems like pretty a tidy ratio. To add more to his fame, while playing for his homeland he has netted 12 goals in 38 appearances so far which isn’t bad. If Venezuela are even thinking of getting a point he will have a lot to with it.
Key Man- I will go for Oswaldo Vizcarrondo. Not only do I think his surname is kind of cool but given who the Venezuelans are playing in Group C they will need an Atlas like figure at the back to hold things together. Vizcarrondo and his equally sturdy partner Fernando Amorbieta will need to play perfect games.
Predictions- Brazil 1st, Colombia 2nd, Venezuela 3rd, Peru 4th. Brazil has a point to prove. Colombia has more fire power than the old Soviet Union. Venezuela are willing but are four players too short to make a real impact. While Peru will look to give their fading stars their last hooray.
I asked myself why do I write? Probably for the same reason why I use the word “I,” 79% of the time
when I start off a post. I am self absorbed. I know full well that I’m up against the likes of ESPN, Sky Sports and Fox Sports but still I plug on with my little blog. It would be easy to say I do it because I love it but if you know me I hate saying cliche stuff and there is no doubt that I do love getting on here and spreading what knowledge I have. Simply for me it’s more then that. I wanted to be apart of a long and great tradition of being a writer. Be I a bad or a good one, I have always wanted to be apart of this fraternity. I’m no different to any other young kid who wanted to be a soccer player. Of course they love to play but when they pick their idols they are essentially buying into the idea of the culture and induct themselves into game. Richard Stearman is not Cafu but who is not to say he does not have as much passion as the former. Talent is very important in everything, yes but the right to compete is even more powerful. In this Copa America sure I will make fun of the likes of Bolivia who will be put to the sword by their more lofty opponents but I will never question their right to be there. I hadn’t mentioned my actual writing skills but in an attempt to be a better communicator I will try to link the non football of the first few lines to the football jargon I came up with in the last few sentences...I actually can’t think of how I can do it so I’m just going to say I could do with a little more grammar classes at the local community college. Which I know can only help me in my crusade against goalkeepers who still where long pants while playing. I’m looking at you Gábor Király. It’s a shame...if you are a goalkeeper your still wearing long pants and it’s not 1978 and I’m pretty sure it’s not you should be arrested but that’s enough about that I have a group preview to do so let’s get to it. Before I do that just to show you how self absorbed I am the the word “I,” alone has been used 33 times just in this brief introduction. Just saying.
Group B
Argentina
Jamaica
Paraguay
Uruguay
Argentina
If you are familiar with football I really don’t have to sit here and waste my breathe about how great Argentina is because you already know. Now if that is not the case and you are new to the site and the soccer scene, let me put you on. Mind you this will be brief because Argentina is so good at the game that it really is self explanatory. Currently and this is debatable, the best player in the world is a fellow called Lionel Messi. Another debatable point is that countryman Diego Armando Maradona Franco is considered by a lot of people as being the best player who ever played the game. Sergio Agüero the father of Maradona's grandson is one of Europe’s elite strikers at the moment. Argentina has won the FIFA World Cup twice and since this the Copa America I’m talking about I think I should mention that the Argentines will be going for their 15th South American crown. Meaning they have won the continental competition 14 times. They have a strong domestic league almost on par with Europe. They tons of players playing in Europe and have a reputation of producing excellent footballers. Footballers that include the following: Nicolás Otamendi, Éver Banega, Carlos Tevez, Erik Lamela, Marcos Rojo, Pablo Zabaleta, Javier Pastore, Gonzalo Higuain and Ángel Di María. All of these fine gentlemen will be playing in Chile come June 11th and I didn’t even bother naming the rest because they are just as impressive. Now that the novices are up to speed with Argentina I can delve into the Patagonian nation’s chances. In my previous post I mentioned how Chile and Argentina are the only countries in South America to experience winter like conditions and how right now it is winter over there. I also mention how this will aid the Chileans and could boost their chances. Well if Chile is getting a boost I don’t know what the already overpowered Argentines will get. I could spout and say how the cool European like conditions will help Argentina but with all the stats and facts I laid down these guys don’t need any cheat codes. Argentina is a cheat code when it comes to this sport. Gerardo Martino is the current coach of the “Albiceleste,” a very strict and rigid coach but for all his pragmatic ways I can’t see him not letting Argentina’s attacking armada set sail. Brazil are the only team that can stand up to Argentina this time around and I fear for their chances. Argentina will win this tournament.
Key Man- Straight off the treble with FC Barcelona, Lionel Messi will look to cap a great season with a title for his country. Although ever brilliant, Messi does has his critics and they tend to be from within his homeland. Claims are that he has not always pulled out all the stocks when he is draped in sky blue and white of Argentina but rather leaves his magic in Catalonia. It has been a long year for him. Last year was the World Cup, a competition that saw the forward come up short in the final. A fact he will want to forget and this is the perfect chance. Fresh or fresh not Messi is just too good to discount.
Jamaica
antithesis
noun |
an·tith·e·sis | \an-ˈti-thə-səs\
:the exact opposite of something or someone
:the state of two things that are directly opposite to each other
This the definition of one of my favorite words according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary. Latin and Greek in origin the word “antithesis,” is as you see it above. I am actually very fond of the second definition. "The state of two things that are directly opposite to each other.” This being sport I think it is an appropriate meaning. Pitting two “states,” against each other. So why the English lesson? Well if you are observant you would see that lovely Jamaica Federation crest directly above our little “Word of the Day.” Above that logo is my detailed description of Argentina. If you read it you would know how glorious and illustrious Argentina is; they are truly the blue bloods of the game with few equals. Aristocrats, the Bourgeoisie or whatever antiquated fancy term you can think of. In contrast Jamaica are everything they are not. Few honors and what honors she does have don’t count for much. Jamaica's players sit at the fringes of Europe or settle for the pandering Major League Soccer. Millions if not billions know Leo Messi while a handful know Darren Mattocks. Jamaica is the antithesis of Argentina! One can even go a step further and say Jamaica literally and figuratively does not belong in the same company as Argentina. Harsh...I know but these are facts but yet I still feel a lot of hope for my Caribbean neighbor here. Let me explain for those who are lost on the last stanza. Jamaica belong to another FIFA qualifying zone called CONCACAF so it should not even be in this competition that is a CONMEBOL event, the federation in which Argentina is apart of. Like Mexico, Jamaica has been invited as a guest to take part in Chile. Looking at how I set up this preview on Jamaica you would think I have a vendetta against them but that is far from the case. I have the upmost respect and admiration for the men from the Greater Antilles and think they are the standard bearers for Caribbean football. This Copa America experience can only boost the island’s football pedigree and I didn’t always think so. I was skeptical about their chances but I stepped back and looked for positives. That being said I don’t think those pluses will outweigh the minuses at this tourney. This is a tough group and Jamaica isn’t lining up against Dominica, Bermuda and Grenada it will be Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay, sides that savage even the best opponents. The man who will look to make Jamaica a real player in this Group B is German Winfried Schäfer who has an impressive coaching resume with the likes of VfB Stuttgart, Cameroon and Thailand on his dossier. Schäfer has chosen a Jamaican side full of European and North American based players. Most notable are Leicester’s Wes Morgan, Houston Dynamo’s Giles Barnes and New York Red Bulls’ Kemar Lawrence all of which had or are having tidy campaigns currently. These three if healthy will no doubt bring respectability to Jamaica’s Copa America.
Key Man- Argentina and Uruguay can be had at the back and don’t have the most mobile back lines. Vancouver Whitecaps' Darren Mattocks is very mobile and very strong. Balls over the top should be Jamaica’s game plan from the onset. This guy can get to them.
Paraguay
Over recent times I’ve grown a little disappointed in Paraguay simply because they just seem to be ticking along. I make sure I watch as much FIFA youth tournaments as I possibly can. The U-23s and U-20s are apart of my diet and I also particularly love to view the Toulon Tournament. At these tourneys Paraguay seem to be an ever present and each and every time I am absolutely blown away by their youth teams. I ogle at their young stars and rub my palms like a villain who is about to carry out the dirtiest of deeds. I legitimately look forward to see them playing for Paraguay senior team but for whatever reason they never make a clean transition. I don’t know what is wrong but to me and this is my tentative observation so don’t kill me. It seems that there is a disconnect between the youth set up and the full national team. I can comfortably say I am not an expert on Paraguayan football but I just want to know if the jump is too great for their young players or if they are not getting the best out of them right now. Paraguay a few years ago were to me at least the fourth best team in the region right behind Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. Now Colombia and Chile have surpassed them and they are rubbing shoulders with dear I say Venezuela and Peru. They didn’t make the last World Cup in Brazil and in an attempt to reach it they finished rock bottom of the CONMEBOL. A far cry from when they topped their group at the World Cup 2010 in South Africa. There is hope though, Paraguay were the losing finalist at the last Copa in 2011 so they do have that to fall back on despite that turbulent World Cup campaign. There is no shame in losing to an excellent Uruguay in a continental tournament but I just feel Paraguay need to do more. They have lifted the Copa America twice in their history first of which came in 1953 with the second coming in 1979 so they are decorated. Now it’s up to coach Ramón Díaz to motivate his side so they can raise the cup. Díaz has chosen a team packed with players who ply their trade in the Americas. With the most familiar faces being veteran striker Roque Santa Cruz, Lucas Barrios, Nelson Valdez and Raúl Bobadilla. My concern is that this quartet is aging and if Paraguay is going to get something from this group their best players are going to have to be on form. Luckily that isn't my job it’s the coach’s duty and he definitely has his work cut out for him.
Key Man- Lucas Barrios went on loan from Spartak Moscow to French side Montpellier where he scored 11 goals from 27 appearances. A good haul, so no doubt Barrios will look to carry forward that good energy into the Paraguayan camp this summer. All in all he is a good player and his country will need his contribution in a big way.
Uruguay
So many emphasis is placed on players and match ups but I think coaches are just as important as any man on the field. Uruguay’s Óscar Tabárez is one of the finest managers walking and he isn’t a bad coach either. All sport aside his numerous tenures with Uruguay has yielded some wonderful results. I won’t rattle them off but I will say he and Uruguay will be defending their Copa America crown and will look to add No.16 to their trophy cabinet back in Montevideo. A feat that will extend their lead on eternal enemies Argentina who are going into the tournament on 14 Copa titles. Tabárez as grand of a master he is will no doubt face a tough task without two men who have served him so well in previous campaigns. Diego Forlán Uruguay’s golden boy has now retired from international football and will not be available for selection. While the country’s most dangerous and most productive player Luis Suárez will not be in Chile either. The Uruguayan front man is not allowed to take part in the Copa due to his nine match ban inflicted by FIFA for his incident at the last World Cup with Italian defender Giorgio Chellini. These two omission has left a huge void in Tabárez’s squad but lucky he has the predatory Edison Cavani at his disposal. Backing up the lanky forward will be staples of Uruguayan national team, men like Fernando Muslera, Diego Godín and all around tough guy Maximiliano Pereira. Which is all well and good but I feel with Luis Suárez Uruguay could had blasted it’s way through to the final and maybe grab that 16th Copa America title. Without him I’m sorry they are third best behind Argentina and Brazil.
Key Man- Edison Cavani needs to become the Edison Cavani of his Napoli days. Ligue 1 and PSG has watered him down. Cavani in Serie A was the Grim Reaper of defenses and he would crucify goalkeepers. Without Luis Suárez it all falls to him.
Predictions- Argentina 1st, Uruguay 2nd, Paraguay 3rd and Jamaica 4th. This will be easy work for Argentina I really don’t have to explain much here. Uruguay minus Luis Suárez is not the same and their chances of winning the tournament has been marred by his absence. Paraguay will be looking to prove a point due to their poor performances internationally but unfortunately this group will not help them exorcise those demons. The two nations divided by the Rio de la Plata Argentina and Uruguay will not be in the mood to let them pass. As for Jamaica as much as I want them to do well I know that they simply won’t.
With summer fast approaching here in the Northern Hemisphere that only means one thing.
Unfortunately the demise of the European football season. Titles are being wrapped up, the losers are being sucked into the abyss, literally, just ask Parma and frankly the only thing to look forward to is the transfer market. I get excited like everybody else for the summer window because really there is not much going on. So for months I have the pleasure of wondering if my favorite Tahitian player Marama Vahirua will retire, a thought that will have the powerhouse of Tahitian football AS Pirae sick to it’s core, while divisional rivals AS Sport Central salivating and pondering on it’s next assault like Mandark from Dexter’s Laboratory. Outside of my weekly Major League Soccer fix things look grim or so I thought! Last year around this time we all were gearing up for the World Cup in Brazil and to be honest it was a great show. It had every thing. Color, what else should we expect from place like Brazil. It had surprises. Who could forget Spain’s capitulation, Brazil’s humiliation and Costa Rica and coach Jorge Luis Pinto’s manipulation of the tournament to shock everyone. It was a terrific time in Brazil. Shoot...Luis Suarez even bit someone! That is must see TV my friends. All of that happened last summer...that is a hard high to come down from. Fast forward to this year around the same time and everything looks passive until I realized something. Something that completely slipped my mind and that was the Copa America. I’m a little embarrassed to admit it too. For a guy who prides himself of being a football snob forgetting something like that is unforgivable. So here we are. This is me bringing to you a group and team breakdown. Let me give some information in case you guys haven’t heard. the tournament will be held in Chile from June 11th to July 4th. It features all 10 CONMEBOL teams and this edition of the tourney will sport two guests sides in Jamaica and Mexico from the neighboring CONCACAF region, thus taking the field up to 12. With that 12 divided into three groups of four. That being said I think I’m ready to get started with the crux of the article which is this breakdown and preview. My fixation and fanatical following of the Tahitian superstar Vahirua will just have to take a back seat...well at least for a month.
Group A
Chile
Bolivia
Ecuador
Mexico
Chile
I’m pretty meticulous and not starting this little preview in alphabetical order is kind of killing me. But for the sake of trying something new and expanding my editorial range I carry on. I even just started a sentence with the word “but,” and that’s something I don’t believe in. Anyway, I just feel it right that since Chile are the host of this edition of Copa America that they go first. Bolivia will just have to wait her turn. So what can we expect from the Chileans? Well, if last summer’s World Cup is any measuring stick we are looking at a dynamic and gifted team that definitely has a puncher’s chance. Led by the same man that guided then to a Round of 16 spot in Brazil, Jorge Sampaoli. The Chileans look to figuratively and literally press their opposition. The host energetic game will only be buoyed by their home field advantage making them a tentative contender to Uruguay’s crown. Which will be difficult since Chile has never won the tournament and have been losing runner ups four times. Hearing that makes me really feel for them and this the seventh time hosting the tournament so you never know this maybe lucky No.7. At least Sampaoli will certainly hope so. The intense Argentine will rely heavily on the duo of Alexis Sanchez and Arturo Vidal who are having seismic seasons over in Europe. Especially Vidal, a player that Sampaoli didn’t have at the peak of his powers at the World Cup due to injury. He will be key to what the host do. I full expect Chile to boss their group with Mexico in tow. I’ve never bought what Ecuador is selling and well...Bolivia are keen but not ready. What I find really interesting is the timing and location of this tourney. Chile and Argentina are the only two nations on the continent that experience a winter and in this time of the year Chile will be going through her cooling months. This might not count for much because a lot of South Americans play in Europe but I just have the feeling these dip in temperatures will only help the Chileans and Argentines. That energetic and pressing game Chile loves to play doesn’t have to fear the sapping powers of the sun and this can make them very dangerous.
Key Man- Although I put Arturo Vidal and key in the same sentence earlier I really think Chile will get their heat from one Alexis Sanchez. Bad jokes aside I think he will have a big say in Chile’s performance.
Bolivia
Let’s be honest if Bolivia had to qualify for the Copa America it probably would not had made it. I love to research, so that when I come on here I don’t look like a fool but the lack of content that Bolivia drums up will have me looking like bozo. Of course they have a long history in the game but simply there is not much in the way success to convey. The biggest accolade I can give the Andean state is that she won what was the old Copa America, the South American Championship back in 1963 when they defeated Paraguay. In 1997 sneakily Bolivia made it all the way to the finals but loss to eventual winners Brazil. On those two occasions Bolivia played host. Sounds harmless enough, right? Maybe they played well and with the home crowd whipping the national side into a frenzy maybe the guys brought their best. All possibilities but I know Bolivia’s dirty little secret and I feel it had a lot to do with their Herculean performances. Bolivia is a nation literally in the clouds. The capital La Paz sits above sea level and many tourist when they visit this mystic city often complain of altitude sickness. So guess where Bolivia play their international fixtures? You guessed it La Paz. Now imagine you were an opposing team playing against an acclimatized Bolivian side for 90 mins. You can’t breathe, you want to throw up and dizziness is your only companion. Teams that have played here have been subjected to these conditions for years and frankly it’s not safe so much so that FIFA has been in Bolivia’s ear about it. It is an advantage. An advantage that they won’t have when they play in Chile this summer. Bolivia will be looking to have a tidy campaign at the tournament and will have to put out the ole stone wall if they are thinking out of their group. The man tasked with leading the men from La Paz is Mauricio Soria. I read somewhere he had plans on spying on his opponents. I don’t know if this is true or not but it should be worth looking into because Bolivia isn’t very good. So Soria’s tactics has to be precise. I think it will be more about his coaching skills and chess work than the actual talents of his troops. Soria does not have star power at his disposal. What he does have is work horses like captain Ronald Raldes. Who at even at 34 has the lungs to breathe life into Bolivia. We talked a lot about the respiratory system this paragraph...but in all seriousness if Bolivia are even to get a point her boys will have exhibit real character.
Key Man- Having a 34 year old center back as your fulcrum going into a major tournament is worrying but currently Ronald Raldes is the best Bolivia has got. Who knows he pay be able to channel is inner Javier Zanetti or Carles Puyol, men who played well into their 30s and made a huge impact for their sides.
Ecuador
Emotion is a powerful thing. For me personally I have yet to harness it properly. It can cripple me and embolden me. Even to write a simple post like this one I have to me beaming with confidence or down in the doldrums. Never in between. When the confidence is there I feel like a Demi god but when it is not, well you know the rest. Dwelling on the dark side...I know how it feels to be thrown away, not given a chance and forgotten. Where others don’t even consider your dreams and if they did they would count for nought in their eyes. So why am I saying all this? Truth of the matter is I see a lot of myself in Ecuador. Here you have a side in Ecuador placed among giants like Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay and time after time has to prove itself and scrap for it’s existence. Ecuador tries and uses what it has to the best of her ability but the cold and nasty reality is that she will come up short and what hurts even more is that this little country knows it will fail again and again but still it gets up and sticks to it’s task. It is given no applause. No credit. Just hurt. Well as long as I’m alive I will stand with Ecuador each time because I take it personally. Anyway, this is a football website and I should start talking about sport so let me dive into it. Unfortunately me plunging into Ecuador’s Copa history leads me down a path of despair, it’s a good thing I lavished them with praise early because what is to come is not pretty. Ecuador’s resume in the Copa America has a bushel of first wrong exits to go along with tons of fifth, sixth and seventh place finishings. Their best performances came in 1959 and 1993 when they finished fourth that is when they hosted the tourney. Which is great but the cup is being held in Chile not Ecuador so they will not have home comforts to rely on. As I said although I applaud Ecuador’s workman like attitude and the ilk of players it has in it's ranks I can’t see any of them dazzling the crowds in Chile or flattening the opposition. What makes their plight even harder is that captain and probably best player Antonio Valencia will not be there after undergoing surgery in the off season. Another notable absentee is striker Felipe Caicedo who too is sidelined through injury. Coach Gustavo Quinteros will have to find the right mix in order to even get Ecuador out of the group because I can see a tussle between themselves and Mexico for that second place spot.
Key Man- No Antonio Valencia means someone has to fill the void and though I hate to say it.That man has to be Enner Valencia. It’s not that I have a problem with him it’s the fact he can be a bit sporadic in front of goal. If he does find a scoring touch it will definitely aid in Ecuador’s chances of success.
Mexico
My dark horse! I’m not going to get all mushy and gushy like I did about Ecuador, with Mexico it will be short and sweet. Before I rattle off stats and other facts and truths let me start off by saying that I have sneaky feeling that the Mexicans could actually win this thing. I mean realistically only Brazil and Argentina are the true contenders with the likes of Colombia and Chile close but not quite there. While a Uruguay without Luis Suarez doesn’t quite have the bite. (That was a really bad joke... I’m sorry) You get what I’m saying though...no doubt. So then you are left with sides like Mexico. Who really can just fly under the radar and pick off it’s targets. The past few games for “El Tri,” have been exciting and there is now more than ever a feel good atmosphere to the Mexican national team. All down to the charismatic Miguel Herrera. The Mexican coach's antics, comical facial expressions and gesticulations on the sidelines make him one of the most watchable figures in the world game. Plus the dude is downright funny. For me he is up there with the NBA and the San Antonio Spurs' Gregg Popovich when it comes down to coaching personalities. All jokes aside Herrera has brought his CONCACAF team south to not just enjoy in festivities but take some bragging rights back to Central America. For me, I have always seen Mexico a tricky ordeal for South American sides and they will be sticky this time around. Join by their CONCACAF counterpart Jamaica as invitees, so no qualification needed. Mexico’s Copa America history is actually a very illustrious one and is certainly better than the likes of Ecuador and Venezuela. Mexico have been worthy runner ups twice, three third place finishes are under their belts and have made the quarterfinals twice. The only time they have failed to reach deep into the belly of the contest was in the last Copa America in Argentina in 2011. What makes it even more impressive is that this is their 9th Copa. This Mexican side Herrera has chosen is very homogenous. I only count four European based players and one of them is the aging Rafael Marquez. There is no Javier "Chicharito," Hernandez, Giovani Dos Santos, Carlos Vela, Hector Moreno, Diego Reyes, Andres Guardado (big shock), Guillermo Ochoa, Miguel Layun or Hector Herrera. These all are really good players but Herrera has proven he knows what he is doing. So I trust him.
Key Man- Tough to nail down a stand out figure due to the side that Miguel Herrera has chosen. He has gone for an older squad probably because he has the Gold Cup coming up and is saving his young European tested stags for that. Call it my Eurocentrism or my obsession with youth but I have gone with Atletico Madrid’s Raúl Jiménez as Herrera’s go to guy. He played recently in a friendly against Peru so maybe coach is posturing to start him but he is a tall goal hound.
Predictions- Host Chile 1st, Mexico 2nd, Ecuador 3rd, Bolivia 4th. Chile are the class act here and their at home so good things are bound to happen. Mexico has a great track record in this tournament and I fully expect them to keep that up. The Ecuadorians will huff and puff like they usually do but they will not by pass the above mentioned. Bolivia...no thanks. A complete write off.
