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.