US National and Everton GoalKeeper Tim Howard Scores a Goal!

<a href="http://msn.foxsports.com/foxsoccer/video?vid=fac369d7-cda9-4662-a062-1b4b3af67df7" target="_new" title="">GOTD: Howard scores amazing Goal</a>

Chelsea - Tottenham 1-1 Christmas Eve Game 2011

Torres should have come on for Juan Mata. Placed him in the center with Drogba and Sturridge coming up the flanks. Ramires has the pace, with Romeu pulling up the bottom of the diamond. Meireles and Lampard are really like for like in positional functionality. I honestly was considering Lampard to be an exchange for Mata instead of Torres. I believe that it should have Lampard in the game more than #16. John Terry definitely got the Man of the Match for his defensive performance. I believe Petr should be more aggressive in the 6 yard box. A one to one result with the Spurs is not a bad result, but it must be better. Napoli will be challenging Chelsea well in these next two matches of the Champions League. Quicker closing down and better passing from the Blues is needed, 85% possession is unacceptable for the first 20 minutes of play. David Luiz should continue to be the Central Defender if not move into the Mikel/Romeu Role. Perhaps the commentators should be regarded as such, commentators. Opinions are like, YUP!!!

Great Chelsea Marketing, the last game of the season and the next to first game of the after Christmas season.

Clint Dempsey fan, but GO BLUES!

FIFA 12 Ultimate Team - Owens Strikers Dream Team

If I ruled the world... and had all the coins.... yes this would be my team. But alas, it would take a lifetime to accumulate the amount of coins needed to purchase this team, and of course in reality, these players would require more playing time than would be able to be offered in one team. But in FIFA 12 UT terms, anyone knows you really have to have a deep and strong team to complete a tournament, so having good players on the bench definitely is an assist. Robben was a tough one to bench over Ozil, but I like Ozil better, and Robben is only a 1 half player, although a very good 1 half player!

If you haven't upgraded to FIFA 12, from FIFA 11, it really is worth it, especially now, the gameplay and graphics are really worth this one year upgrade.

Ok, and so yeah, i'm biased... but I really couldn't choose any other Manager other than AVB. Come on Roman, throw out some bucks, you could have this team! Haha!

Chelsea FC start to struggle going into the Winter 2011/2012

Could it be that having too many International Stars is hurting Chelsea? Not being able to finish, whether it be scoring goals or securing a draw or win seems to be the crutch of the winter... Blues...

Dropping to Leverkusen right at the end is heartbreaking. Chelsea is conceding at a very bad pace. An Arsenal pounding from someone like Man City at this point would not be surprising. Simple mistakes at the back are becoming very costly. Short of Genk, there is not light competition in the Champions League. Liverpool also showed that there is not a lack of competition in the Premier League.

Being able to defend is just as important as being able to score. Is not having Essien really causing a midfield slump? I really believe Mikel should be moved on, and perhaps even Luiz moved up to that position. Luiz loves running forward and still is a bit careless with his challenges when he is in the 18. I believe we have also not seen enough of Kalou this season. Sturridge has proven his value, and I believe will become a knight of the front line. I feel Kalou needs to be given more opportunities as well. Malouda has made his statements to the press, and seemingly performed on the field being the star player of last year. Does the cold affect the players this much? For the games that have been conceded there has been quite a bit of standing around. With only 3 subs, changes have to be made delicately, but in some regards DO need to be made.

After Wolves, the next set of games are not going to come easy. Valencia is playing very well and then Manchester City. It's time to string up those boots tight boys, closing down on the ball and first touch passing are imperative for a successful run. One must be able to find the back of the net and not pull the ball out of your own as much.

I have faith in Ramires, but when he isn't performing Kalou needs to come on. Meireles needs to start instead of Mikel, and Ivan and Terry holding central with Cole and Bosingwa on the wings. Mata and Sturridge flanking out a rotating Torres and Drogba. Kalou, Drogba, and Luiz/Alex should be used and in every game given an opportunity at the least 60 minute mark. Perhaps sometimes there is a problem with being too deep in the substitution field, with Anelka in the wings who is a proven performer. Perhaps it's time to grab some of that money back Roman.

Villas Boas is exactly right, he can only provide good training agendas and motivation. The players are the ones who must perform on the field. With outstanding performances from Lampard, the team cannot rely on one man with Petr Cech making incredible saves and believe that they will even make the Champions League next year.

December should be an exciting month to say the least.

GO BLUES!

Chelsea FC drops points to Man U in their First Meeting - 2011

Chelsea has not started off the season poorly this year, although it was a very disappointing results at Old Trafford today. I believe Chelsea played very well, and the score line does not reflect the play the men took to Manchester today. They were very strong in the beginning of the first half, and keep the pressure on. ManU had some very clinical finishes in the first half to go into the half with a 3-0 lead. There were several chances in the first half to keep it closer including an open goal opportunity that was passed up by a bad touch by Ramires. This was really the story of Chelsea's performance today. They had quite many chances, but could not find the back of the net. Torres opened very quickly in the second half, to bring it back to 3-1, but himself missing a wide open goal. This basically has been Chelsea's achilles heel. They cannot find the back of the net. There were over 20 chances in this game, almost more than double Machesters, but they could not find the netting. Overall, it was a well played game, except when they decided to put Mikel on the pitch. For someone who should be fresh, his pace was non-existant, and he very rarely went to the ball. He was a wasted body. I was also disappointed with Lukaku, who seemed to also be trodding around the pitch like he had no energy. Malouda and Kalou would've made better subs. I am disappointed of course with the loss, but the gameplay was very improved. They closed down on the ball, and there was much pressure on the opposing keeper. Take it in stride and look forward to our next match with our cross street rivals.

Go BLUES!

Barcelona tops Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup 2011 : 3-2 (5-4)

The current Best Footballer in the world, Lionel Messi scored two with his fabulous skill:

I believe Real Madrid played a tough game, but they have one of the dirtiest players I have seen so far, and it is the direct malice that should lead to a lengthy ban, in Marcelo Vieira:

The game wrapped up with Barcelona winning 3-2, but the injury time bench clearing event, in which Pinto always gets his in for Barca and Jose shows his pinching skill, overshadows a powerful game which just represents the heavy rivals that these two heavyweights are.

If you missed the game, it is available for replay (In Spanish)on ESPN 3 CLICK HERE.

In which these images were captured from ESPN3, thanks! These games are always fun to watch.

Soccer (World Football) : Appreciate the Skill, Appreciate the Passion - Zinedine Zidane

US Soccer falls to Mexico in Gold Cup 2011 Final

The US Men's National Team took an early 2-0 lead on the Mexican Nationals but could not hold on. They let in 4 consecutive goals with no response. The Mexican Nationals played with more speed and accurate passing and did deserve the win. The US Team continues to show its lack of depth of talent. The defense continued to clear long balls to the opposing side, while the long balls from the Mexican side met the strikers on a consistent basis who continued to challenge the defense and 8 times out of 10, the Mexican strike force beat the US defenders, with another 1 out of 10 being offsides. The US did show some good signs with the players on the field. We can always rely on Clint Dempsy to show some fortitude, but I believe even though Donovan scored he is overrated. I would've started Juan Agudelo over Donovan like had been previously done with the other winning sides. There also seems to be a challenge in communication while on field. One of the last Mexican goals was from a complete lack of communication from the defense. Howard did the best that he could with what he was given, he charged out to get the ball and the defenders ran away. There were definitely some signs of great play from the US Team even with their loss. Freddie Edu showed some great skill on the ball and Michael Bradley showed some great effort. The future does look promising and hopefully there will be some future talent that will increase the ranks of strong players.

On another note...

Tim Howard rips CONCACAF for the awards being in Spanish, which I totally agree, read it here:

CLICK HERE!

US storms its way into the Gold Cup Semi-Finals 2011

Panama, oh Panama, we built a canal through your country!!!!!!

Jermaine and Clint for the win! 2-0

The Roar from Torres' First Goal for Chelsea - Tough Climb Ahead for the Blues

First goal celebration Of Fernando Torres for... by Thestarker01

Oh yes! How sweet it was! Anelka knew what he was doing and the three defenders surely lost focus and Torres took advantage, the roar from the goal was heard from afar. Everyone knew it was coming, it was just a matter of time. Lampard showed his value, and Malouda continued to rack up his tally for his season. Chelsea are 6 points back but has a tough road ahead. The Spurs are next, with Manchester United following. Leaving Newcastle and Everton to close out the season, neither of which The Blues have beaten this season. Included in the equation is Manchester United losing to their next opponent Arsenal. Can the Gunners take out Man United? If they play with an aggressive attack team and stop using Arshavin as a sub and start the guy, they could have a better opportunity. But that's all we can hope because Manchester United has an easy road out. I hope Roman decides to keep Carlo, and it really seems as if there is very little improvement that could be made to the team, perhaps some changing of the midfielders, but the defense is strong, and the attack is strong.

GO BLUES!

Chelsea FAILS in the Champions League 2011

With much disappointment, Chelsea will not be going through to the next stage of the Champions League. There is this thing called a GOAL, and you must find the back of the net if you think you are going to win games. If Carlo gets sacked, it would not be surprising considering Roman's track record, although I would hope he would think twice, because you need to allow a Coach to grow with a team and winning a double last year should show that he is capable of winning. Chelsea's problem is they cannot find the back of the net. It was a mistake in the lineup selection for this game and there is no doubt about it. You should start your strongest players in their natural positions. Lampard is not a Forward, he is a Central Attacking Midfielder, his strength is having the ability to push forward while maintaining the ability to view the field from a central role. The game needed goals, so all forwards should have been playing the whole game, so Drogba should have been on the field the whole game and Torres the whole game. It's not like you need to hold your cards with some secret weapon, you need to come out with guns blazing! Anelka fills the slot forward back fantastically and I think the 4-3-3 formation variation that Chelsea utilizes has great potential if players are placed adequately. It is really inconceivable to go defensive with Ferreira instead of Zhirkov who is more attack minded, and even if defensive Mikel would have put a big body in the middle to maybe allow more chances to win the ball and attack. This game was win or go home, and to sub a defender made zero, absolutely zero sense. What are you defending? If you lose you go home! In which Chelsea did go home with a very disappointing challenge against a team that is not really that great. For some reason Carlo really likes Ramires, and he definitely is a good investment for future years at Chelsea, but his inexperience caused a 10 player match for a good portion of the 2nd Half when if the lineup had been more strategic as in... going for the win.. Ramires would have at the least been a sub in the second half and would not have been in that situation. Chelsea needs to find the back of the net, and I hope they are practicing this on the training field. And a note about Benayoun, I am yet to be impressed. He had one good pass through the slot to Torres in the Wigan game, but watching him off the ball he was usually grabbing his shorts. Chelsea should definitely wrap up this season in the Top 4, and qualify next year for the Champions League, but the performance can definitely be improved. The only respite that they can get is one more chance against Manchester United, and with Arsenal flailing around there is a slight chance there could be a 2nd place finish in the Premier League. And as the ChelseaFC Website is already selling the 2011/2012 Home Kits, perhaps sights have been set for next year already. At least David Luiz will be eligible to play for in the Champions League!

Chelsea loses First Leg of the Champions League / FIFA 11 Ultimate Team Dream Team

Chelsea drops a goal to Man United in the first leg of the Champions League Semi-Final. This is a great competition between really the best two teams in the Premier League. It's unfortunate not to be able to find the back of the Net. This is a Challenge for us, I can hear Carlo saying. But don't worry, there will be goals. Unfortunately FIFA 11 has not been working on my PS3, so I haven't been able to play such a fabulous game to keep the tide between games, but April seems full of them when I believe there were only 3 or 4 in March. It's interesting how the Team pictured above's cost is also high in the game like the price tag in real life. I hopefully one day when this game works again will be able to earn enough with Drogba in the $350-$400,000 range and Lampard in the $100,000 range, you get the idea. I have like 350 credits. Ever since Patch 1.06 has been applied, it continues to freeze, been like this for over a month. Just have to wait for the next patch.

Carlo, you should pay attention to the lineup I have selected because I believe this is the most stanch formation you can provide your opponent.

Forwards: Torres, Anelka, Drogba
Midfielders: Malouda, Lampard, Kalou
Defenders: Cole, Terry, Luiz, Invanovic
Keeper: Cech
Subs: Essien, Ramires, Bosingwa
Manager: Carlo Ancelotti

I know that Chelsea has been picking 4-4-2, and it is an effective defense, but I believe that a 4-3-3 formation with the above players presents a formidable attack force. Unfortunately Luiz is not eligible for the Champions League, so one would have to move Ivanovic to the middle with Terry and bring Bosingwa on to the Right Back and place Ferreira on Sub since Alex is still injured. Chelsea's pockets are deep because there are still names on the bench like Zhirkov and Benayoun. Even Daniel Sturridge is scoring goals for Bolton. Off to Old Trafford to score some goals. With great subs like Essien and Ramires, if any of the front 6 don't perform in the first half, just bring on a fresh body in the second and hope for an improved performance! This was not the end, next Tuesday decides who goes through!

GO BLUES!

US Soccer takes over Cary, NC

Chelsea FC drops another home loss to Liverpool

With a chance to make the table closer with Manchester United losing to the Wolves and Arsenal drawing in a spectacular 4-4 match, The Blues failed to accommodate with a loss at home to Liverpool. Obviously spending money on Torres was not the answer that Chelsea needed to achieve more wins. I felt Luiz played very well with the lack of team training due to the need of going back home to tie up some lose ends, but Torres practiced with the team several days. Sure it does take time to meld, but the new players were not the reason that Chelsea lost. They lost because of the lack of effort and the standing around instead of the continuous attacking that was seen in the Sunderland game. This is why they have lost most of their games. I believe Malouda is a considerably better player than Mikel, and it is a shame that he could only come on at the anterior of the match. You cannot take back a loss that has already happened, but analyzing the mistakes, such as the lack of communication between Cech and Ivanovic, which really led to the goal, will improve results in the future. The conflict earlier where Cech and Ivanovic fought over the ball was an indicator of this. Ivanovic was standing in front of Cech when the ball went past him for the Liverpool goal, which is another example of lack of communication, if its inside the 6 yard box the keeper should own that ball. This was an important game and the lack of effort on Chelsea's part included with the lack of communication on the defensive side contributed to the loss. The team must move forward and look to their cross street rivals of Fulham to regain their composure.

GO BLUES!

Chelsea FC finds deep pockets for the Champions League Trophy in 2011

Over the Christmas and New Years Holiday's it was definitely a trying time for Chelsea Fans, but true fans can stick with a team through the good and the bad. But most recently Chelsea has shown its true BLUE colors. With their impressive performance at Bolton, and their recent win at Sunderland after their recent meeting being a souring defeat at Home, Chelsea are looking like a Championship caliber team. Sunderland looked extremely tired at the 65 minute mark. Not overlooking the Everton draw, in which luck does have some affect on the outcomes of games, but sometimes Chelsea does not look like they are playing throughout the game like they did at Sunderland. Coming to terms with faults and identifying them, then correcting them is a sign of greatness. Buying players like Fernando Torres and David Luiz for over 70 million dollars is a sign of, I got a crap load of money! Adding these two players to an already skilled and talented lineup ought to be having Manchester United doubting their ability to remain undefeated this season. Having Luiz in the back strengthens the already strong defense of Ivanovic, Terry, Cole and Boswinga with Alex not far away from being healthy it's going to be tough for Ancelotti to pick the lineup. The same problem lies with the addition of Torres in the front. Drogba is finding his form and Anelka is everywhere needed, while Kalou is finding the back of the net and giving remarkable roll around the goalpost misses. Throwing Torres into the mix with these players will make it hard to choose WHO to play. The job of Carlo Ancelotti is not enviable, but I see that Torres will probably take Kalou's spot, who will probably drop back and Mikel will drop from the starting lineup, while Boswinga will most likely also take a seat to see the capabilities Luiz. Chelsea is now formidable for sure and I believe they will give Barcelona a run for the Champions League title. Business is picking up! Torres will probably get some playing time against his previous club Liverpool immediately. This is going to be some game to watch on Sunday for sure! GO BLUES!

Chelsea FC turns a corner in 2011

Chelsea took on Blackburn and won 2 - 0. After an exceptional 7 - 0 performance against Ipswich, it might be time to think about making the push towards the cup. Chelsea sit in 4th place in the standings 7 points back from a tied Manchester duo. Once the execution of goal scoring improves, Chelsea will once again be a formidable opponent. Perhaps the addition of a stout defender would strengthen up the back line, while pushing the front to do more of what they do best which is score. With Malouda, Anelka, Drogba, the front lines are looking strong statistic wise, but there has been a serious drought up front. Lampard being back has spiced things up, but the score lines are still close. Bolton is fighting for position in the top 10 with Stoke City, and Chelsea needs to give them a good hammering to finally set the stage for the upcoming challenges of Sunderland and Liverpool. Next week is an important points game because Manchester United has the opportunity to gain 6 points if they win against they bottom of the table opponents. With the Champions League right around the corner, Chelsea need to tighten their defense and heighten their offense if they are to be successful and raise the silverware because Barcelona is playing silky football, all eyes are definitely going to be on Arsenal when they finally play in the Round of 16.

Barcelona schools Real Madrid with "Silky Football" in "EL CLASICO" 2010

Yes! Silky football! These words came right out of Adrian Healy's mouth, and they are truly accurate of the soccer that was played by Barcelona. A tremendous game that was excellently refereed. The game started out with a lot of play ons for silly touch fouls which is a great way to play the game. Barcelona showed their strength immediately scoring quickly with a followup goal not too long after. This obviously frustrated the Madrid players. Cristiano Ronaldo from Real Madrid showed his class, or lack thereof, when he pushed the Barcelona Coach who was holding the ball for him. This set off a storm of Barcelona players resulting in a yellow for Ronaldo and the Barcelona goalie. The referee took immediate charge of the game, with 11 more yellow cards to be given out. Real Madrid continued to show their lack of class and composure after being taken to clinic throughout the game being beat by short passes and two more goals, Ramos from Real Madrid places a faceplant on Barcelona's Puyol pushing him to the ground earning him a Red Card. Barcelona would not be outdone scoring one more goal to cap the score at (5-0) to give Barcelona's Victor Valdes a clean sheet, and putting them atop the standings of La Liga's table. Barcelona is a real threat this year for the Champions League title, and Lionel Messi certainly is one of the best soccer players out there.

"El Clasico" or The Classic has been going on since 1929, and even though Barcelona has won 5 in a row recently, they are still 5 back from drawing even in the 80+ year history. There were almost 100,000 fans in the stands, and who knows how many watching on TV and the Internet. This is truly a Global Sport. Excellent Fixture!

You can catch a replay of this game on ESPN3

And Adrian, silky football indeed!

MLS Who? The Globe continues to play while Major League Soccer takes a breather.

Chance after chance I give MLS Soccer, and time after time it's a complete letdown. You would think that the Championship of a Major League Soccer event in the US would at least bring the best competition and the best players together. But alas, after 120 minutes of excruciating watching of a pitifully officiated soccer game, MLS still fails to prove their role in this global sport of "Football" and are really a "Reserve League" for the retired European League stars, as well as a springboard for the really good players in the US to the European Leagues. The Colorado team was disgusting in sportsmanship, obviously led by the dubious MVP Casey, who deserves nothing more than a punch in the face for his bullying on the field. This was nothing more than a result from the absolutely poor officiating of the game. The piss poor actions of Mastreoni standing in front of free kicks, who obviously does not understand math and what 10 yards is shows the class, more like the lack of, this player. Its a shame that that Colorado won, because obviously Dallas was the better and more respectable team who just couldn't get it into the back of the opposing side's net. It was torture to watch the skills of many of the players with bad traps and bad passes, and the "occasional" good play. For a referee who had a record for handing out the most cards over the prior two years, obviously MLS told him to hold them tight. There were many fouls and tackles that should've been called throughout the game. The "Penalty Debacle" should have never happened because Casey should've been called for throwing the other player down, before the obvious trip. Regardless of the wrestling match that Colorado presented, if this game had appropriately been called, there might've been a different outcome. However poor MLS is now with its few blockbuster and bankbuster stars, at least USA Soccer is still making strides forward with players in the European Leagues like Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard and with Team USA doing well, without the International Stars playing. 2014 is too far away!

Bottom line is, if you want to watch a good Soccer Game, go over to ESPN3 and watch some Premier League games, or some La Liga, or Series A games, even the German League presents some great soccer to watch.

And if you don't know about the Champions League; This is where the cream of the crop goto play. So if you did pay attention to the World Cup, don't stick around watching MLS, these guys can't even play an entire season! The rest of the world is still playing Soccer, while a "Cup" is being hoisted and a season is over in the USA... coincidence that the rest of the World is pretty much better than the US when it comes to global competition in this sport? I think not.

Juan Agudelo Wins it for USA Soccer!

USA beats South Africa, who has been undefeated since the World Cup with a goal from Juan Agudelo, a 17 year old from New Jersey who plays for the Red Bulls. The youngest scorer in USA History. The win definitely was not representative of the game, although happy with the result of course. South Africa had many a chance to score, and the USA played bunched up, and only came out in the second half. With a bunch of new faces it is still 4 years until the next World Cup, but good showing for the USA! Thanks to ESPN 3 for playing these games online!

Spain takes home World Cup 2010

Congratulations to the Spanish National Soccer Team for winning the World Cup! With a goal by the Spanish's Iniesta late in Extra Time putting them up 1 nil. It's a shame this tournament only comes around every 4 years, but hopefully in 4 more years the US team should be 4 years better. I think replacing the coach every 4 years is a bad policy of the US Soccer Team. Hopefully more talent will become available because a soccer team cannot rely on solely 2 or 3 players to get the job done. There need to be 2 or 3 superstars and a great support squad.