Not So Fast My Friend

Ah, yes; Derby Day in North London. There's nothing like a game between historic enemies Arsenal and Tottenham to get the juices flowing.

Tottenham striker Robbie Keane's pre-game statement saying that Spurs had closed the talent gap on Arsenal was put to the test Saturday afternoon at the Emirates Stadium. At the start of the match, Spurs sat level with the Gunners in the table, each with 19 points.

After 90 minutes and numerous bungled Spurs chances, Arsenal proved that Spurs still have a way to go.



The 3-0 victory for the Gunners pushes Tottenham's losing streak at Arsenal's home ground to 17 years. The first half was tightly contested and Arsenal didn't break through until a Robin Van Persie goal three minutes before the break. It was the goal from Cesc Fabregas 11 seconds after Van Persie's that made it 2-0 at halftime and saw Spurs' hopes go down the drain.

Tottenham needs to show a lot more composure if the top four is to ever be within their grasp. The verdict on Arsenal is that this young squad has the pieces to win the league, yet there are still worries at the back. Arsene Wenger needs to make sure his squad organizes themselves in a better fashion.

The next derby at White Hart Lane should allow Spurs a chance to display more resolve than they did today.

Beckham, Galaxy In Top Form

In this blog I have focused more on European news and results rather than what has been transpiring stateside. Lost in all this has been the surprisingly good performance of the David Beckham-led Los Angeles Galaxy and their rise to the top of the Western Conference in Major League Soccer.

When Beckham arrived back on U.S. soil in July, the media was buzzing about the reception he would receive from MLS. Certainly fans were rubbed the wrong way after his AC Milan loan fiasco. Beckham handled it all wrong in my opinion, openly stating his desire to stay over in Europe.

With the boos and taunts came an unwinding of Beckham's judgments.

In his first appearance back at Los Angeles' Home Depot Center, Beckham called out a fan for taunting and almost hopped a barricade to get to the instigator.

Another incident occurred where the Englishman openly acknowledged another fan in Kansas City. This one contained less venom but still showed how much the jeers had got to him.

Fast forward three months. The Galaxy have qualified for the playoffs and sit in first place in the Western Conference. After the club's last regular season home game, Beckham was given a standing ovation by his own fans after being substituted in the game's late stages.

First-year manager Bruce Arena has dramatically improved the Galaxy organization and helped to stave off any late-season collapse. Since his return, Beckham has been able to provide support as a central playmaker who feeds superstar Landon Donovan.

It has been an interesting turnaround that has gone relatively unnoticed by U.S. sports media. I guess it just proves that old saying true that winning does solve everything.

While the tensions between Beckham and the fans seem to have scabbed over, it will be interesting to see if he can lead the Galaxy to the MLS Cup. Beckham just may be able to leave the league in peace if he captures the title.

The Galaxy open the MLS Playoffs against Chivas USA on Sunday, Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Madrid Shocked By Third-Tier Club

Alcorcon, a Spanish club from the country's third division, defeated Real Madrid 4-0 in the King's Cup on Tuesday night.

The small Spanish side have a transfer budget more than 400 times smaller than Los Blancos!

Even though Madrid were missing Cristiano Ronaldo and Kaka, this loss is still humiliating. There's no reason why Alcorcon should even be on the same field as Madrid. What a dream game for everyone involved at Alcorcon, as I'm sure this one will go down in history.

Results like this are fun to see, as long as its not your favorite team doing the losing.

Liverpool Make Statement

Sunday at Anfield, Liverpool broke their four-game losing streak by defeating Manchester United 2-0.

Fernando Torres returned from injury and put in 80 solid minutes on the pitch. Before being substituted, he scored a goal that put momentum in the Merseyside club's favor. David Ngog added an insurance goal in injury time.



Despite not having influential midfielder Steven Gerrard, Rafa Benitez was able to defeat his most hated rival and dramatically improve the club's recent from. Liverpool was already reeling from a midweek defeat in the Champions League to Lyon. But Sunday's result versus the Red Devils has given the club a much-needed boost in confidence.

Liverpool now sit fifth in the FA Premier League while Manchester United are in second place, two points adrift of Chelsea.

Which Signing Has Paid Off?

Now that the 2009/10 English Premier League is more than two months old, it's time to see which club got their money's worth over the summer.

With the global economic crisis reaching over to the world of sport, clubs this summer had less money to spend. There were exceptions though: Real Madrid and Manchester City both could have fielded entirely new squads and then some with the extravagant amounts splashed on certain players.

So far, this year's best signing has turned out to be Sunderland striker Darren Bent.

After a disastrous spell at Tottenham Hotspur, in which manager Harry Redknapp once said that Bent missed a chance which his, "grandmother could score," Bent was on the precipice of derailing a once promising career.

When the summer window opened for business, Bent was deemed surplus to requirements at White Hart Lane. New Sunderland manager Steve Bruce opted to sign the English international for a modest $16.3 million.

So far, Bent has proven to be worth every penny.

Not only does Bent lead the Premier League with eight goals, but he has Sunderland sitting seventh in the league after eight games played. In recent years, Sunderland has spent much time on the bottom half of the table.

Bent was also involved in what was arguably the most controversial goal of the year last week against Liverpool. Check it out:

The Hilarious Balloon Goal - Sunderland Vs Liverpool - More amazing videos are a click away

Capitalizing on his time at Sunderland, Bent has parlayed his new form into a possible spot on the England national team for the 2010 World Cup. England manager Fabio Capello certainly has the striker on his radar.

Rubin Kazan Make History

Russian club Rubin Kazan pulled off one of the biggest upsets in European history last night, defeating Barcelona 2-1 in the Champions League group stage.

Here are the highlights:



Despite holding the ball for only 25 percent of the time, the Russian minnows produced the shock result of first round play.

"These things happen," said Barcelona manager Pep Guardiola. "It's not the first time and I doubt it will be the last," he said at his news conference. "I didn't feel like we played a bad match. They had a very well-structured defense and all the teams (in the group) are very good. They are all professionals."

Still, nothing can take the sting out of this one for the Blaugrana. What an absolutely disappointing display. A lot of credit should also goe to the Kazan keeper who made many a miraculous save, including one second half point-blank stop of Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

The defending champions of the Champions League learned a valuable lesson in overconfidence last night, while Rubin Kazan continue their incredible form in the tournament.

Reader Comments

I have been doing this thing for over a month now, and I know that there is a small readership that follows my blog.

I just want to know: what would you like to see more of? Should I focus on more feature pieces? Or should I continue with more personal perspective on soccer news?

And most importantly: do you like my blog? Don't be afraid to leave comments.

Thanks.

Charlie Davies Out Of Intensive Care

Last week I blogged about the car accident involving U.S. striker Charlie Davies that left one person dead. After nearly six days in intensive care, today Davies was moved out of the ICU.

This is great news for the promising young player who made a name for himself this past summer. While his injuries are serious, they do not seem to be career threatening. He should be extremely thankful for that. But his future regarding the 2010 World Cup was thrown in jeopardy in the early morning hours of Oct. 13.

Why was he out so late before a World Cup qualifier? What was he doing? The answers to these questions and more almost certainly will be revealed in the coming weeks.

In case you missed it, here's a full AP news report from last week about the crash:

European World Cup Playoff Set

Over the weekend, the Union of European Football Associations finalized the playoff for the remaining World Cup spots. European countries that qualified for this now need to focus and produce two good results.

The home-and-home series will begin on Nov. 14 and conclude on Nov. 18.

Of all the matchups, Portugal vs. Bosnia-Herzegovina and France vs. Ireland stand out. Both have the most world-class players that could possibly will miss out on the tournament next summer. Can you imagine not seeing Cristiano Ronaldo or Thierry Henry in South Africa?

Zlatan To Be Missed

Now that most of the spots at the 2010 World Cup have been booked, it's time to look at one of the best talents in the world that has been left out of the competition.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic, a striker for Sweden, possesses a rare combination of size and tremendous agility. He is one of the most electrifying players in the game today. He currently plies his trade at Barcelona with the likes of Lionel Messi after being transferred from Inter Milan.

It's a shame that a player of Ibrahimovic's quality will be missing next summer. Unfortunately for him, it looks as though he came along at the wrong time in the history of the Sweden national team.

Here's what I mean when I say that he is one of the game's most feared players:

Robinho To Barca?

Manchester City striker Robinho has made it known that he would like to join Barcelona in the near future. The injured Brazilian has stated his desire to join up with the likes of Argentina playmaker Lionel Messi.

"Of course I'd enjoy playing for Barca." he told Spanish newspaper El Mundo Deportivo. "Who wouldn't? We could have so much fun. It would be a pleasure to play alongside Messi, my compadre Dani Alves, Xavi, (Andres) Iniesta, (Zlatan) Ibrahimovic, with them all."

It is possible that Robinho could leave City in the January transfer window. City is looking to land a player-plus-cash for the Brazilian if he does leave.

This ultimately comes down to the fact that Manchester City are hell-bent on putting their money to good use. What else are they going to do with the millions they possess? I believe this deal is very likely to happen when the transfer window opens up this winter.

Davies' Accident Video

Here's a clip from the Oct. 13 SportsCenter on Davies' accident:



A Fox affiliate in the Washington D.C. area has this video showing the wreckage from the crash. After watching this, I feel that he is certainly lucky to be alive.

Davies Update

From the Twitter feed of Steve Goff from the Washington Post:

"Awaiting more details on Charlie Davies. Early indication is broken leg and internal injuries. Team has left hotel for practice at RFK."

Stay tuned.

Charlie Davies Involved In Major Car Crash; One Fatality Reported

U.S. national team forward Charlie Davies was involved in a one-car accident around 3 a.m. this morning on the George Washington Memorial Parkway in Washington D.C. Three people were in the car when it crashed into a metal guardrail.

Two passengers were transported to a local hospital with serious injuries. The other was pronounced dead.

Ashley J. Roberta, 22, of Phoenix, Md was identified as the only passenger who died.

It is unknown whether or not Davies was the one driving. What is known is that he was expected to be in surgery for more than 5 hours this afternoon.

My thoughts and prayers go out to the three passengers and their respective families.

Later this evening more information should start to become available. What cannot be ignored is that this is a HUGE loss to the USMNT if Davies' injuries are serious enough to keep him out of next summer's World Cup. But right now he should feel lucky to be alive and just focus on recovering.

Welcome To South Africa. Population: 32

On Saturday night, the United States qualified for the 2010 World Cup by beating Honduras 3-2.

In a tightly played game, Conor Casey scored twice to propel the U.S. to its sixth straight World Cup finals.



Even with all the criticism, it has been a job well-done for manager Bob Bradley. Here is an interesting article by Ives Galarcep about his time as caretaker for the Americans.

So what does this mean for the U.S. national team?

After inconsistent play during the qualifying stages, it brings a sense of relief. Ever since the Confederations Cup in June, the United States has failed to play to type of soccer that beat Spain. Bradley will need to get the most out of people like Jozy Altidore, Clint Dempsey and Ricardo Clark next summer.

It also provides the U.S. with motivation. After leading Brazil 2-0 at the half in the Confederations Cup Final, anything is within reach of this squad. South Africa 2010 should be a chance for the Americans to make an even bigger splash on the international stage.

Cannavaro Fails Doping Test

Fabio Cannavaro, a starting defender for Juventus and captain of Italy, has failed a doping test. Cannavaro claims that the test result was due to a cortisone shot being used to treat a bee sting.

On Friday, Cannavaro, 36, will meet the Italian Olympic Committee's anti-doping prosecutor Ettorre Torri for questioning.

More details can be found here and here.

This isn't Cannavaro's first controversy with injections. Before the 1999 UEFA Cup Final, a video tape was released which showed Cannavaro being injected with a substance. The substance was found to be neoton, which is a drug and a creatine phosphate used in cardiac surgery, and is not on the banned substance list. No action was ever taken.

World Cup Update: David Beckham

David Beckham will likely be in South Africa next summer, even if it means just being a tournament representative.

But if Beckham does keep making appearances for England, he could be set to break the national record for caps while in South Africa. The record is currently held by Peter Shilton with 125 appearances.

Although the 34-year-old midfielder is 11 caps short, I think it is a safe bet that he will eclipse that mark next summer. What Beckham lacks in technical ability he makes up for in passing and his work ethic. Having a veteran of three World Cups on your side will be valuable come crunch time and England manager Fabio Capello would be a fool not to include him.

Plus, South Africa 2010 would be his last tournament and the goodwill that would follow could give the lads a much-needed boost in the papers. God knows the English national team has fallen victim of the press more than enough in recent tournaments.

Scoring, Scoring Arsenal

My apologies for not updating my blog with the European results from this weekend. It was the big Michigan vs. Michigan State game on Saturday and I was busy celebrating the Spartan victory.

But what did catch my eye was the 6-2 Arsenal thrashing over Blackburn. While I will admit that I am a Gunners fan, any soccer enthusiast should have noticed the performance of Spanish midfielder Cesc Fabregas. He put the team on his back and propelled Arsenal to their lopsided win. The midfield maestro had a hand in five of the six goals, scoring one himself.




So far this year, Fabregas has been a shadow of the player that helped lead Spain to the Euro 2008 title last summer. Many times he has just gone through the motions on the pitch, providing no real spark. His free kicks have been shoddy, his passes lacking their pinpoint precision. On Saturday that all changed.

After the match, Fabregas recommitted himself to the Arsenal cause. Amidst the rampant speculation of an impending transfer to Barcelona, Cesc proved to us against Blackburn how much more he has to offer at the Emirates Stadium.

Amazing Bit Of Brilliance

I came across this highlight by accident on YouTube today. It is a couple of days old, but it comes from a French Ligue 1 game this week between Bordeaux and Rennes.

In the clip, Bordeaux's Marouane Chamakh and Yoann Gourcuff put on a clinic for the Rennes defense. This is the way the beautiful game of soccer should be played. It is just a shame Chamakh did not score on the play!