Short Soccer Rambling- Sanchez heads to Barcelona

Before the weekend of debauchery starts, I decided to ramble a little bit about my favorite sport. For those who don't care about football (the real one!!) then you can click the X and I won't begrudge you at all for it.

Shouts out to Alexis Sanchez, who has just signed with the reigning Champions League winners Barcelona.

When I first thought of writing about this topic, I was thinking about saying how much it is a waste for Alexis to come to Spain and Barca not needing a player like Sanchez because they have that forward line covered.

Then I thought about the cons to all my arguments and it seemed better to talk about why Alexis is good for Barca and vise versa.

Barcelona is pretty much set in every position for next year. No one getting too old and they can make another run with the same group. However a group needs some sort of spark to keep them hungry and raring for more titles. That is why Cesc Fabregas will be a good move for Barca also.

Players respond well to competition. Granted they want the security of having a spot on the starting 11 but they also want to compete for their spot against a player who is at the same caliber. Sanchez will keep players like David Villa, Pedro, and even Messi on their toes.

If they want to start over Sanchez, they will have to play better than they did last year. It will make Barcelona an even stronger team before.

That goes the same with Alexis, he will have to prove to a group of players who have been together for four or five years that he can match them. The Chilean has the caliber to play on this squad, he will have to prove his worth to his players and management a like.


This is probably why squads make changes like this. Even when there is no turnover with the squad, things tend to get stale when players see each other season after season. A player or two could boost morale (depending on the player and relationships that they might have with other players on the team). It could make them stronger even without him getting on the field.



I'm going to head out. Everybody enjoy your weekends! I have a long weekend ahead of me. I don't go back into work until Wednesday next week. I need the break time and it is much needed. I might come back on here and write another post in the between time. So peace and love from American's Most Hated....

The link: Barcelona finally agree Alexis Sanchez transfer

I'm trying to cite my sources since my argument with somebody not citing their sources.

Analyzing Manchester City and Barcelona

I am currently taking this course in Soccer Scouting and Operations. One of my assignments was to discussion in detail two clubs from different countries. Compare and Contrast the teams, the leagues, and what would you do to change teams without making any transfers.


"I chose to describe the English Premier League's Manchester City and the Spanish La Liga leaders Barcelona.

Manchester City was founded in 1880. They currently play their football in the English Premier League. City is in third place behind Manchester United and Arsenal respectively. Their manager is Roberto Mancini, an Italian coach who formely managed Inter Milan. Their history is not the greatest. Their last trophy came in the League Cup in 1976.

However with the new ownership of Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan and their influx of money. The Citizens have been able to buy top players like Carlos Tevez, Yaya and Kolo Toure, David Silva, and Mario Balotelli among others. Their aims are to qualify for the Champions League and eventually win the English Premier League.

Their main rival is Manchester United. In recent history, United has gotten on the better end of these derby matches but City has closed the gap competitively against them.

Barcelona is currently leading the Spanish La Liga. They are currently seven points ahead of Real Madrid. They are coached by Barca legend, Pep Guardiola. Barca is lead by some of the best players in the game with Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, and David Villa. They have a high powered offense that could score in the drop of a dime.

Their recenty history has been good. Winning the La Liga several of times and also winning the Champions League twice in the last decade. They also have legendary players like Johan Cruyff, Romario, Ronaldo, Hristo Stoickhov, and Ronaldinho.

Comparing Styles of Play
Manchester City uses a combination of English football and Italian football due to their manager Roberto Mancini. They sometimes boom the ball up field to their tall striker, Edin Dzeko. When they get into big games, they crawl into a defensive shell and pin all their hopes on Carlos Tevez, he is one of the best lone-wolf strikers in the game today.

Barcelona on the other hand, plays free-flowing attacking style of football. They pass and move until they are able to unlock the opposition defence. Barca makes the matches look like practice with their constant movement. They also smother teams when the they have the ball. They pressure all over the field so they can get the ball in a better position so they can score more goals.

The Leagues.
The EPL is a rough and tough league. It is very rapid fire. Most of the better teams are able to get the ball on the ground and start passing around. The worse off teams often try to boom the ball forward and hope for the best. They often bully teams rather than play football.

The La Liga is a bit more calm and relaxed. Most if not all of the teams like playing the ball short and keep it on the ground. That is why Barca and Real Madrid are so good because they have better players that play that high quality football.

Weather.
In England, the weather is often cold in the winter and mild in the late summer and early spring months. That is why brute force is used because playing short in sometmies icy pitches aren't helpful for the leading clubs.

Spain is a much more Mediterranean climate which is much more warmer than in England. So they can play their brand of passing football and individual players can shine in that style.

What I would change:
What I would do for Manchester City is play with a 4-3-3 formation that would have two defensive midfielders and David Silva has the playmaker who is a part of that three man midfielder. I would like my chances with a Tevez, Dzeko, Balotelli three man attack, when healthy. Balotelli is experienced at playing on the wing and him and Tevez would be comfortable cutting the ball inside and getting their own shots.

What can you really change from this Barcelona lineup? They are almost perfect. The only thing I would change is shelf the 3-5-2 lineup for good. They played this lineup against Valencia on Wednesday and almost got punished for it in the first 25 minutes of that game. The three back was never comfortable, so if I could change anything on that team is that I'd never play that lineup ever again."

Masch, Barca too much for ya?

It makes me smile to see someone who quits on their team get on another team and prove to be a liability with that club. I am talking about Javier Mascherano who forced himself out of Liverpool where he was one of their better players now he is in Barcelona and is struggling to adapt to their style of play.

Newspapers in Spain are already calling for Pep Guardiola to recall Sergio Busquets in the place of Masch. It might take some time to adapt to a new League and a team who is known for their passing skills. However I won't give Mascherano a pass this time. The way he left Liverpool even had me feeling dirty and I am not even a Liverpool fan.

Barca should have known what they were getting with this player. He is in term a holding midfielder but he isn't the greatest in holding the ball up. He tackles, bull-rushes, and hardly strays forward. The way Barca apply pressure on teams he isn't needed to begin with. They are usually able to win the ball early and begin their attack through Messi and David Villa. Masch usually wins possession away from his opponents (it isn't a bad thing) Barcelona have 11 magicians on the pitch and Mascherano is no magician. Busquets was quite adequate in his play. He can pass, tackle, and if needs to get forward he can do that too

Maybe Mascherano will get his act together and show what he is worth or maybe he will get dumped at the end of this season. Then he could have his reunion with Rafa Benitez in Inter Milan that he wanted for a while. In my opinion, I hope he continues to ride pine for Barca and watch them play the beautiful game on the sidelines.

Sounds Familiar? The Mourinho Talk

Jose Mourinho has gone through all this speculation before.

You know the whole 'is he going to leave after the Champions League finals' speculation. It happened six years ago when he was with Porto and Chelsea were after him. Now he is with Inter Milan and Real Madrid are said to be after the Portuguese Tactician. The Special One is said that he does not want to discuss his decision until after the Champions League Final is over.

All signs says that he'll be at the Bernabeau next season. It is speculated that Rafa Benitez could potentially be a successor to Mourinho at Inter. And with Mourinho's disdain for those in and around Italian Football, the Summer skies of Spain is probably an offer he simply cannot refuse.

I understand where Real is coming from. You would want a manager who is closing in on a second Champions League trophy. The CL prize is the only award that those in the capital will accept. Mourinho also beat Los Galácticos rivals, Barcelona, over a two-leg Semifinal affair with two masterful performances to hold off the current Champions League holders. I am sure the feeling around the Bernabeau is that Mourinho would be the kryponite that would get rid of Barcelona's stranglehold on the Spanish Game.

Mourinho would be the most high profile managerial appointment since Fabio Capello in 2006. The ego of Jose would help in a lockerroom that has many superstars in it especially with the likelihood that more players will come in. Mourinho's ability to deflect attention from players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka would be effective. He could get the best out of Kaka who had a terrible season due to his lofty standards. Also with the main "politicians' in the club finally leaving (Raul and Guti), the Portuguese manager can have free reign to instill his tactics in the club.

For Real, Mourinho would be a thumbs up.


On Mourinho's side of things, He tells of his love for Inter Milan and their supporters but he has found it troublesome being in Italy with all the conservative thinkers in the game often being upset with him. If Inter were in England, there would not be much of the problems that he is dealing with now but he has slowly grown tired of the Serie A and feels as if the new challenge would be great for him.

He still has an love affair with the English media and the Premiership. Unfortunately for him there aren't any desirable jobs at the moment. The top four (this year's top four) managers are established in their clubs. Liverpool are probably going to lose many of their top players and Manchester City have maintained that Roberto Mancini is the man for the job in the Eastlands. So England looks as if it is a far memory for him unless he wants to risk dealing with life without Champions League football for a season. That would be uncharacteristic for him to do.

For Mourinho, this would be his only option unless he wants to honor his contract with Inter. Who honors contracts anymore???


When I begin to think about the possible marriage between Mourinho and Los Blancos I wonder how it would work. A team that is strictly built on offense having a manager who is known for his counter-attacking style. Would this work especially with figureheads in Madrid loving attractive football? I think they would make the sacrifice if it would guarantee them a couple of Champions League trophies because even though besting Barcelona for the La Liga title is a great accomplish. They only eye Champions League silver. With Mourinho's pedigree and ability of making Champions League finals, it would be a mistake for Real to not consider Mourinho right for the job.

This will come to a head within the next couple of weeks. The speculations will come fast and furious. Knowing Mourinho, he loves it when people talk about him...

Real Madrid > Barcelona?? Nah not right now...

The start of this La Liga sees Real Madrid and Barcelona ahead of the pack. And contrary to what people are saying, it seems like it's going to be a two horse race for the La Liga crown and possibly the Champions League. After watching Real Madrid the other day, I still feel that they have a long way to go before they can mount any sort of challenge for Barcelona. Barcelona is the complete package at the moment. Plus the fact that Ibrahimovic doesn't have to shoulder the load that he had to for Inter, they are even more potent. There are still faults for Real Madrid and their chase for multiple trophies.

Seeing multiple games of Madrid, they just don't control games the same way that Barcelona does. There instances in each of the games that I watched when the opposition had the majority of possession and were getting quality looks on goal. Even during the Villareal game, the Galaticos were a man up and they could not control the match and step of the opposing team's throat. Obviously the midfield is the major factor in controlling games. I just don't see that bite in their midfield. Even with Lass Diarra, Xabi Alonoso, Guti, and company. They should impose fear on teams but they just don't and they don't hold onto possession as much as they should. Another reason why they probably don't hold more possession is that for the most part C. Ronaldo dominates the ball with his constant dribbling and shooting. Don't get me wrong, he does a good job with it. However he seems to be trying a bit too hard to impress that other players don't get much of the ball. It took Kaka about four or five games to finally get his first goal, many because CR9 is scoring the majority of the goals and taking all the headlines.

I believe Kaka is the key in this side. C. Ronaldo can easily be frustrated if things do not go his way. And he can play himself out of games. Kaka is the more stable force who does the work that no one knows about. No one knows that he has four assists already. Everyone wants to talk about the spectacular goals of Ronaldo.

Madrid cannot keep on relying on magical moments from CR9 or Kaka to lead them to trophies. It has to be a total team effort, especially against teams who are able to defend them. They will struggle at times. Barcelona seems to be more stable in the way they are approaching the season. Their defenders are much better and they possess the ball at a higher rate than Real Madrid. Plus having Messi and Ibrahimovic at their disposal doesn't hurt either. It will be an interesting season that will probably be filled with ups and downs. The true champions will come when things are going their way.

Me? As of now I'm still picking Barcelona. They are just on another planet at the moment and Ibrahimovic has been a great signing for them. Real Madrid aren't too far behind. They still need some work.