Euro 2016

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.

Snake Eye

I have been writing on this little blog for a while now and it just dawned on me that for the five or six years I’ve been your scribe. Seems like the other day I started this thing. In that time many topics were mulled over. Nations, goalkeepers, clubs, tournaments, video previews and even the odd jersey.  I've ran the gamut but as I look back and I'm almost horrified that I didn’t give the full attention to a part of the game that means so much. The shame on my part has sullen me as if I loss a a true love or if I ran out of my revered Frosted Flakes and I do like me some Tony. Dramatics aside and I frankly can’t delay the topic any further because I may not have the writing skills to do so and I have to admit I am a bit rusty so pardon me. In all my time writing on this website, I don’t think I have ever done a solo, detailed piece on a defender. It never tugged at me to do it. Goalkeepers I see as heroes so I had no problem flashing a light on them plus I was a goalie back in the day. Forwards are the glamour boys of the game. The ones the fans come to see. So yet again that was a no brainer. In midfield there is so many ways to play the game as a result I had a wide cast to choose from. Defending is not sexy. Not in any sport. So forgive me for not hoisting the men of the back line in the limelight. I have tons of admiration for what defenders in this sport and what they have to put up with and I think it is high time we start to pay homage to the position.

Name: Layvin Kurzawa

D/O/B: 09/04/1992

Place of Birth: Fréjus, France

Position: Left Back

Height: 5’11ft

National Team: France

National Team Debut: France vs Albania (Nov.14 2014)

Club Team(s): Étoile Fréjus Saint Raphaël 1996-2005, Association Sportive Aixoise 2005-2007, AS Monaco 2007-present*


Layvin Kurzawa is not only the latest addition to the excellent French fullback brigade, he also has a name that I can not pronounce for the life me, so my chances of replacing the likes of Ian Darke on commentary look bleak. Kurzawa’s football career however looks far from dreary. Edgy, speedy, good ball control, a cerebral attacker from fullback and a young man with attitude. All tangibles that his country has benefited from at youth level and will certainly reap when and not if becomes a mainstay in the senior setup. These are bold claims I am making and I say simply that the crux of my argument for Layvin Kurzawa can be seen in his most recent performances in the 2014-15 campaign and prior to that in his youth career.
 Kurzawa was born in  the coastal city Fréjus in the southeast of France and naturally got his first involvement with football within the city’s borders. Etoile Fréjus Saint Raphaël is first port of call. The Frenchman spent his junior years there from 1996 to 2005 before switching to the Association Sportive Aixoise. While there he spent a further two years honing his skills before he made the biggest move of his career to date to the principality joining AS Monaco. Kurzawa landed in Monaco in 2007 and has already been through it all the French club. Successful debuts in Ligue 1 and Coupe de la Ligue. Challenging the elite of France for the Ligue 1 title, going head to head with the likes of Paris Saint Germain, Olympique Lyonnais and Olympique Marseille week in and week out. Let’s not also forget him flying up the flank in the UEFA Champions League every other Tuesday at 3pm on your television. Check your local listings. As glorious as that sound Kurzawa did suffer relegation with the ritzy Fontvieille side back in the 2010-11 season so it’s not all been rosy.  
 The fact of the matter is there isn’t much to write on a Layvin Kurzawa when it comes to the international scene. All I can basically say for now is he has represented France at various youth levels and as recent as 2014 he has become the full French international. France in recent times has had an amazing left fullback situation. Patrice Evra, Benoit Tremoulinas and Lucas Digne all threats to Kurzawa’s left back birth in the French national setup. Especially Digne, who is around the same age as our protagonist and is just as explosive and looks like he is more solid defensively. In the years to come I wanted to bet that these two will be dueling each other for French left back spot for a long time.  
 I think I’ve praised Kurzawa enough it's time to look at the situation that faces him. Colombians James Rodriguez and Radamel Falcao, players who he has played with while they were at Monaco both left the club, well in the latter’s case not completely but he did leave. These are world class players and there is still some good players left at the club but fact remains at least for now footballers of James ilk do not want to commit to place where the stadium is half empty. Which the Stade Louis II often is. They don’t want to play in a second tier European league, which Ligue 1 has become and mostly they want to play on a more grandiose stage. As beautiful as Monaco is she cannot offer fame these players seek. So my questions is how long will Layvin Kurzawa be content with his lot at Fontvieille? How long will it be before the clubs of Italy, Spain, Germany and the cash laden England come calling? It’s funny how Monaco are so heavily bankrolled by millions if not billions but yet there money can’t push them to the immediate success they crave. Kurzawa will go. Just a matter of time.

World Cup Brazil 2014

As I reach the half way point of my World Cup preview I have to say how much fun I have been having. When I started this blog I wanted to more than anything have fun. I wanted to have my own space so I could put all my thoughts into a tangible place. As time progressed the website became more than a pet project and I actually found that I got a little buzz from a few established media outlets. Although some of my ventures didn’t work out I was still chuffed by the fact that me a guy who just wanted to share his thoughts about a little football got the notice from serious employers. That says something. I guess the theme of this introduction is fun and hard work. It’s no doubt that hard work is reason that all the teams at this World Cup are here but I want to believe that fun was with them along the way.  Now some teams at this tournament will not find it so fun getting picked apart by superior opposition and the knockout rounds won’t be enjoyable for those shown the door but the experience of just being there must be euphoric. In all progression is what I'm eluding to in my little speech and that is what all 32 teams at the World Cup are looking for.

Group E
Ecuador
France
Honduras
Switzerland


Ecuador

  







Probably the weakest of South American nations at the tournament Ecuador will look to surprise a few sides as they look to advance. This will be Ecuador’s third World Cup appearance and the men from Quito will look to better on their Round of 16 finish in Germany eight years ago. Ecuador’s World Cup birth was sealed when they came fourth in CONMEBOL assuring that they would qualify automatically. The South Americans are coached by Colombian Reinaldo Rueda who took the job after he guided interestingly enough Honduras to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Rueda has a bunch of players playing in Mexico’s Liga MX, seven to be exact at his service. The rest are made up of home based players most of which come from local sides Emelec and Barcelona. The two names worth mentioning in Rueda’s squad is the powerhouse striker Felipe Caicedo who played for Manchester City and Sporting Lisboa and Manchester United’s Antonio Valencia. The latter and team captain has really shouldered most of the burden for the Ecuadorians in terms of chances created over the years. A fact that lends to my uncomplimentary opinions on Ecuador.  Watching Ecuador is like watching pigeons eating bread...very boring I think they are very basic. There is nothing special about them and I would rather much prefer to see Paraguay playing this summer. I really do try to watch their games but I just end up leaving around the 60th minute. As for their prospects at the World Cup I certainly don’t rate them very highly. If they get out of Group D that would come as a shock to me.

Key Man- Of course it’s Antonio Valencia. Currently the only Ecuadorian playing in Europe he is vital to Rueda’s squad.

France

A friend of mine had an interesting theory about the French national team that I want to share. He said since 1998 the French either do great at a World Cup or tank. In 1998 France hosted the World Cup and won the World Cup. Four yours on in Asia when Japan and South Korea hosted the tournament the French were embarrassed and failed to make it out of the group stage. At the next World Cup this time in Germany the French bounced back amazingly by reaching the final only to be beaten by eventual winners Italy. Then finally at the last World Cup in South Africa the French crashed out in the group stage yet again. What made matters worse was the well documented mutiny of some of the French players in South Africa.  Interesting theory I think my friend maybe onto something and if his observation is spot on the French should be due a good one. All theories aside, it has to be said that the French have worked extremely hard to rectify the shame they faced in Africa. The mutiny by seniors on the French side will forever be a shame on the national team. Four years on from the debacle, France have retooled and found a new unity under coach Didier Deschamps. Deschamps guided France to her 14th World Cup by navigating through UEFA’s Group I. The French had to do battle with Spain, Finland, Georgia and Belarus. As to be expected had the true tussle  came with Spain for dominance of the group with the Spanish coming out on top in the end. This meant France had to play a two legged play off with the Ukraine and let’s just say the French made it hard for themselves. In Kiev the French were blanked 2-0 by a Ukrainian side who were hot after co-hosting Euro 2012. With all the drama attached France rallied a little late to record a 3-0 win thus booking their passage to Brazil. The French will be looking for their only second World Cup crown and Didier Deschamps has picked strong side to challenge. Deschamps have gone for the likes of Hugo Lloris, Raphaël Varane,  Yohan Cabaye, Franck Ribéry, Antoine Griezmann, Paul Pogba and Karim Benzema in his squad. I fully expect France to run away with this group. Winning the World Cup is another matter. Don’t think the French will win the cup but I do think they will have a good tournament. Where they end up remains to be seen.

Key Man- When I say Paul Pogba is literally everywhere. I mean he is literally everywhere. I did a preview of him in my Generation 90 series and I raved about him. I ask how Manchester United could had ever let him go. Reports from the French camp are saying Franck Ribéry is ailing due to back injuries. If he was fit he would had been the key for France but he isn’t 100%. So I am picking Pogba to drive France forward.

Honduras

I am trying to figure out who is the worse team at the World Cup. I’ve narrowed it down to three. Australia, Costa Rica and finally Honduras. I am not going to lie here. Honduras are remarkably outclassed. The only thing that saves Costa Rica is their great qualifying campaign and having a legitimate star in Bryan Ruiz. The Aussies are not that good but they have a toughness to them which counts for a lot in tournament situations like this. Honduras basically has nothing. They had an okay qualifying campaign and their best players are not world beaters but they are here and need to prove appoint. The Hondurans got to Brazil by advancing to CONCACAF’s Hexagonal from Group C in the second round. The Hondurans topped the group above Canada, Cuba and Panama to get to the Hexagonal. While there the Central Americans finished third behind Costa Rica and the United States to qualify automatically for the tourney. This will be a third World Cup for Honduras the first of which came in 1982 in Spain. The Hondurans have never moved beyond group play a fact that their coach Colombian Luis Fernando Suárez will look to put to rest. Suárez has a number of foreign based players. Most notable are Maynor Figueroa, Jeremy Bengston, Andy Jara, Roger Espinoza, Marvin Chávez and Wilson Palacios. Whether Suárez can manufacture decent results with this group is another thing. I think Honduras is capitalizing on the vacant spots behind USA and Mexico that other nations in the region can not fill. It is such a huge drop off from those two nations and the rest of CONCACAF it’s really jaw dropping. Even more worrying is the distance between teams like Honduras, Panama and Jamaica and the rest of the federation. All in all Honduras is a team that qualified from a slightly below average region that are fortunate to be there.

Key Man- Roger Espinoza is a my go to guy for Honduras. He is a clever player and although he plays for Wigan he has achieved some success. He never seems pressured on the ball. Honduras will need his cool if they are to pick up a few points in this group.

Switzerland

One of my favorite international sides, Switzerland has to be one of the most exciting teams in Brazil that no is talking about. The Swiss have not altogether moved away from their traditional style of defend first ask questions later but now they have some bite in attack and dare I say flair. Coached by the calculated Ottmar Hitzfeld, the Swiss will look to go deep into tournament and cause some headaches for the opposition. Hitzfeld has guided the Alpine nation to their ninth World Cup. The Swiss got here by dominating UEFA’s Group E. A group that contained Iceland, Norway, Cyprus, Slovenia and Albania. A few names I want to mention in the Swiss squad are as followed. Captain Gökhan Inler, veterans Philippe Senderos, Tranquillo Barnetta,  Valon Behrami, Steve von Bergen, Stephan Licthsteiner and Reto Ziegler make up the core of the Swiss squad. The excellent Diego Benaglio is back in goal for the “Schweizer Nati.” While youngsters Xherdan Shaqiri, Granit Xhaka and Ricardo Rodriguez have come to play. The Swiss have a good coach. Experienced players and promising youngsters. That sounds like a good mix. I don’t think the Swiss have anything to fear from Ecuador or Honduras. France maybe a problem but I do fancy the Swiss to give them a good fight. It would be a great surprise if the Swiss won the World Cup but it wouldn’t be crazy.

Key Man- Xherdan Shaqiri is amazing. The kid is legit. I look forward to seeing him this summer.

Predictions- I will go France, Switzerland, Ecuador and Honduras in that order. I’m sticking with my friend. I do believe the French are due a good run. Switzerland are a close second I like the blend they have going. Although this World Cup is in South America I just am not buying what Ecuador are selling. Too one dimensional for my taste. Honduras are awful!

Switzerland

The Keeper

They are so many cliches about goalkeepers. Some say they are crazy, oddballs and prone to moments of madness but few ever say that the position is easy. Well if you are in the minority good for you and I can't deny the fact that goalkeeping is extremely hard. I take this stance from personal experience and plain old logic. Growing up I wasn't the quickest across the ground so I could be a forward or a fullback. I didn't have the stamina to be a midfield man and the idea of playing center half seemed boring, after all I was a kid only interested in having fun...goals are fun not booting a ball in the air from the back. The only viable option, was for me to be in goal...plus I was only kid in my age group to own a pair of proper goalie mitts so by default or by fate I was chosen to don the "Number. 1," jersey. As for the training, the games and my skills let's just say I had fun despite fetching the ball from behind me most of the time. It was hard. Simple. Which brings me to the logical part, everyone isn't cut out to be a keeper. The mental aspect of it is one thing but the skills one has to acquire just to cover the basics is almost unreal. Also it's a known fact that keepers mature far slowly than outfield players. So while your best friend who plays in midfield is ready to play with the big boys at U-17 level you are stuck with the U-13s at the summer camp. Honestly I have a ton of respect for goalkeepers  having been an average one myself and I think they need to be cut a little more slack.

Name: Stephane Ruffier

D/O/B: 09/27/1986

Place of Birth: Bayonne, France

Position: Goalkeeper

Height: 6'2ft

National Team: France

National Team Debut: France vs Norway (2010)

Club Team(s): A.S. Monaco 2005-2011, Aviron Bayonnais F.C 2005-06,  A.S. Saint Etienne 2011-present

The back drop to Stephane Ruffier's career is as textbook as it gets. Like a number players Ruffier started playing the game at his hometown club suiting up for the local outfit. Aviron Bayonnais began to school the Frenchman from early, at the age of six to be exact. Initially, Ruffier entered the academy as a forward but due to necessity or by fate he was chosen to play in goal due to academy's lack of players in that position. Ruffier's name started to be waved about even as a kid having had stellar performances at Bayonnais' academy even guiding the U-13 side to glory in the Coupe de Pyrenees, a local tournament.  His showing in the tourney grabbed the attention of fellow French outfit Montpellier who gave Ruffier a trial albeit an unsuccessful one.
  The next club to come in for the keeper was Monaco in 2002 where Ruffier signed a youth contract with the side. In the principality, under the tutelage of goalkeeping coaches Jean-Luc Ettori, Andre Amitrano and Andre Biancarelli, Ruffier flourished and soon there after he was promoted to the club's Campionnat de France amateur in the country's fourth division. While there he notched ten appearances in the 2003-04 season and in the following campaign was named the first choice keeper where he made 17 appearances. Monaco was determined to see Ruffier play regularly and so sent him on loan to a familiar Bayonnais in the 2005-06 season. Ruffier's homecoming saw him take hold of the side's No.1 jersey. That season he played all 38 league games for his hometown club but despite his resilience between the sticks Ruffier could not keep relegation at bay, Bayonne finished 17th and were relegated and he returned to Monaco. His outing at Bayonne was enough to merit him his first professional contract and in May 2006, he inked a three year deal with Monaco thus making him the understudy to Flavio Roma in goal for the 2006-07 season. Roma's injury free campaign meant Ruffier didn't see a minute of action that season.  However his chance came in the following the year. Three games into the 2007-08 season Roma suffered injury while playing against Metz paving the way to make his top flight debut in the same game. Adding to the occasion was the fact Monaco had won and a Ruffier earned a coveted clean sheet for his side. That same season Ruffier managed 12 appearances for the Ligue 1 outfit and the following campaign, then coach Ricardo Gomes named him his "No.1." A successful season ensued as Ruffier managed 11 shutouts in his 36 starts and even helped his team to a semi final birth in the Coupe de France. Now a star performer for Monaco, Ruffier set his sights on glory and in the 2009-10 the custodian amassed 15 clean sheets in 32 Ligue 1 games and his super form trickled over to the Coupe de France where he steered Monaco to the final only to be bested by a very good Paris St. Germain side. The 2010-11 season brought promise former coach Guy Lacombe handed the captain's armband to the Frenchman but Ruffier's elation ended prematurely as he picked a season ending groin injury against Saint Etienne. Ruffier could only watch from the sidelines as the Monte Carlo based club went into free fall and with out him ultimately crashed out of Ligue 1 into the second tier of French football.
 Ironically following Monaco's retreat into Ligue 2 it was Saint Etienne that offered Ruffier a route back into the first division where he has been to date. At the moment Ruffier is a stalwart at "Les Verts," having taken over from club legend Jeremie Janot. 
 Internationally Ruffier has immense competition from the likes of Hugo Lloris, Cedric Carrasso, Steve Mandana, Mickael Landreau and Sebastien Frey. Ruffier earned his first and only cap so far for his country when he played against Norway in a friendly on August 11th 2010. After France's tumultuous time in the World Cup in South Africa in 2010 where player unrest marred the country's play that subsequently led to "Les Bleus," failure in the tourney. New coach  Laurent Blanc shook up the French squad and a benefactor was Ruffier who was apart of Blanc's plans through his reign with the national team. 
 In my opinion Stephane Ruffier is one of the premier goalkeepers in the world. When Jeremie Janot left Saint Etienne after 16 years of excellent service many at the Stade Geoffroy-Guichard may have been concerned but Ruffier has laid to rest fears. Ruffier may not be as charismatic as his predecessor, very players are but he his a character and that is very rare nowadays in a team oriented football world. Personality and antics aside the man from Bayonne possesses wonderful tactical awareness to go along with a stiff hand, he isn't a flapper when he comes for crosses he does so with bravery and isn't afraid to pip the ball of attackers feet if they are in range. What I like about this guy is that yes, he hams it up for the camera when he flings himself through the air but he is a tough guy. He gets kicked every which way and is good for a shoulder barge or jump kick from an opponent or two a game. Stephane Ruffier is a battler and turns into the hulk when he concedes...my type of keeper.