Americans Revel in England's Failure

(this should be on soccerlens today or tomorrow with a better picture/graphic)

Without being one of England’s historic sporting rivals like Scotland or Germany, it’s a bit strange that there were some Americans pleased with England’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008.

No one doubts that the Americans and the English have a somewhat tenuous history, but as far as recent politics go, things have generally been going the American way.

Sporting rivals are fairly non-existent as the mainstream American sports aren’t even played that heavily outside of the good old 50. But that seems to have taken a turn in the last couple of years as soccer gains in popularity, and Americans seek to both gain England’s approval and also become better competitors.

Usually its America’s lack of history and tradition that makes up the bread and butter of England’s arguments as to why American soccer is always “just so bad.” While America clearly doesn’t have the history that England does, that isn’t always an impediment. Much of the England style of play and coaching seems to be in a slump deeply rooted in a history that they can’t shape for the future. Americans really don’t have that problem, (minus the whole NASL debacle and so far so good in terms of the MLS), which provides less of a struggle as nearly everything Americans do in soccer is innovative and worth a chance (at least to Americans). England’s history just doesn’t allow for that novelty which creates scrutiny for whatever they do, and makes the expectations, especially those of American fans, much higher.

Yank fans continually suffer from shots taken because of the MLS (a.k.a the Mickey Mouse league), which can get tiring and cause some resentment. Yes, England birthed the world’s game, but lately the England national team seemed to limp from one major competition to another. While some Americans may take slow pleasure in the suffering that has struck the big brother of American soccer, many yanks began to feel that England was overrated. England may have failed to qualify for Euro 2008, but that failure has also put an end to the moral hazards that were impeding their growth. Now England might be more able to live up to the esteem that American soccer fans hold England to, a certain standard that England have been disappointing.

Maybe Americans just feel satisfied that, for once, they’re not on the spot as the only nation with a troubled soccer program. Maybe they just feel spite that the mighty England giants have fallen. While England might not have to worry about America producing any truly dangerous competition for a few more years, England’s failure has given Americans a strange sense of hope for their own league and national program. Americans are used to being on top, and suffering under England’s superiority in soccer seems to finally given way to some genuine animosity towards the English game. Never mind these are the same people that root for English league teams, because there, it isn’t the country but the club on the pitch. American fans will continue to justify their disdain for the national team, but continue being fans of the league, despite that most of the English players are current figureheads for EPL clubs. But since its pretty well decided that those figurehead players don’t play up to form for the national squad, (a theory that Americans have the English to thank) Americans probably won’t see any problem with that.

Sacked: McClaren

Not a huge surprise but seeing as both Big Sam and Mourinho have turned down the opportunity to take the hugely popular job as the England manager, heads are scratching as to who will be the next one to disappoint England.

Farewell Steve McClaren...and here's a list of reasons as to why you had to go.

PLAYER vs. CLUB: CAN A PLAYER EVER BE BIGGER THAN THE CLUB FOR WHICH HE PLAYS?

Pledging Allegiance to Spurs?

Before Berbatov began to sing Juande Ramos’ praises, the speculation surrounding whether he would stay or go swirled with rumor, one of which was that Manchester United were top of Berbatov’s January transfer window wish list. It’s no contest that this season Manchester United is performing much stronger than Tottenham, and because Berbatov is widely known as their marquee player, a rumor surrounding his eventual transfer is, to some degree, to be expected.

The perception generally is that clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool, and Chelsea are the big clubs in the BPL – and selective big club status necessitates rungs of smaller clubs. Because Berbatov’s form seems to be so strong (stronger than this season’s Spurs, in toto), the natural progression seemed to be well on its way: Berbatov was moving from the Spurs and up into the powerhouse of the North where he belongs. Whether this sets itself out of newsprint and into an actual contract has yet to be determined, but it is just the most recent example of what can look like a proverbial chicken or the egg question for football fans. Can a player ever be(come) bigger than their club? Or does the issue just boil down to dollars and cents?

The MLS instituted the designated player rule (DPR), which at its core creates a loophole in the MLS’s strangling salary caps while separating, to some degree, the wheat from the chaff. The internationally acclaimed players (compared to the standard MLS roster) who qualify for this exception are admittedly much bigger names with much bigger clubs behind them than the typical MLS player has. Without judgment, no one would probably dispute that, at least from the way the LA Galaxy has marketed David Beckham, that Brand Beckham is bigger than (t)his club and league. When the announcement was made that Beckham was coming stateside, it was under the inaugural year for the DPR. No one was surprised that Beckham created a rule that allowed him to be paid nearly ten times more than some of the other MLS players because he is “such a huge player” compared to the MLS as a whole, an assumed starter for the Galaxy who was handed the captaincy, seemingly carte blanche, from Landon Donovan early on. During Beckham’s tenure at his past clubs, he never sparked such an exception to league rules, or garnered the captaincy so quickly. Real Madrid and Manchester United typically are filled with super star rosters, and Beckham is a member of that elite class of “luxury players,” which deems the standard MLS player more akin to utility than luxury.

David Villa has also been offered spots at more prestigious clubs but he continues to pledge his allegiance to Valencia despite numerous rumors that bigger clubs want to lure him away (the most recent being Real Madrid). Because apparently it isn’t the money that does it for Villa, even when the club is underperforming. The same might be said about Steven Gerrard. These players are a little surprising because they showcase loyalty, an intimacy that not every player can claim with their club (i.e. Didier Drogba).

Perhaps players that don’t feel the need to move from club to club believe they have reached the end of their professional climb up the league ladder. Maybe it’s getting paid more money to remain big in a small club than they would be paid at a larger one. Maybe their family plays a part. Or there could be some sort of inarticulate loyalty that continues to pull these players back, season after season (the club’s management, head office, etc.). Or it could be that the level of play at their club is the most competitive to them. The opposite of these reasons could be why players choose to move around. Still, loyalty to a club, the kind that the fans have, is absent in most players. Fans may sort of assume that if a player gets too good for a smaller, stepping stone club, sooner or later they’ll be biding farewell to him. This may not make that player bigger than the club, but rather just disproportionate to the club’s (current) success.

Logically a player can never match the history that these clubs have, even though players are indispensable to the clubs; without them, it’s just an empty crest. It’s the players who create those landmark seasons that contribute to the history that fans recount. Current players Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes exemplify this, collectively treading on approximately 31 years of Manchester’s 129-year existence, but you’d be hard pressed to find any Red Devil that would claim either player is bigger than the club, even if they have been consistent staples of some of the best Man U seasons in history. Because while fans typically support and bleed their clubs, the same isn’t usually true towards the players; in fact a player changing clubs could render him blacklisted for many fans, no matter how much they contributed, because its club first, player second. Indeed, the longer time a player spends at one club could render a move even more insulting – imagine if Gerrard moved to the blue side of Merseyside?

And then there is the West Ham debacle which all started in part because Tevez and Mascherano weren’t getting playing time, despite their talent. So they went elsewhere – but this wasn’t a lateral move: Mascherano and Tevez are fixture players for their bigger, post West Ham clubs. In fact Mascherano admitted that he felt compelled to leave, and while its certainly frustrating to be looked over by the manager, it takes guile to know that you are better than your manager’s decisions. Mascherano’s statements illustrates that player’s play for themselves, above all else, but it doesn’t hurt when other, bigger clubs are sniffing around.

So it seems that some players, upon realizing their full (earning) potential, may begin to play like they are bigger than the club, possibly even believing that they are better than where they are. In forming that belief, the player props himself up in the shop window, so to speak, and turns his attentions away from his current club and towards the next.

But like the running theme of most stories commenting on soccer’s turn toward the dark side, soccer is a business – a global, multi million dollar business – and as the tide continues to turn away from history and tradition and “greater good” mentality, the emphasis on the individual player – with his lucrative collateral contracts, his sky high salary, and even a good degree of paparazzi fan fare (if you’re stylish and naughty enough) – will grow. This could be in part because fans no longer recognize their clubs, or at least the club their elders supported (new foreign owners, a lack of homegrown talent, and bloated salaries, to begin with), so perhaps it’s easier to find that sort of purity or ideal in a player, rather than a club.

This growing development could inevitably chip away at the importance of the club as an entity and more as a vehicle for the players. As the tiers between and within the leagues continue to grow, players will always be looking onward and upward. We wouldn’t respect them if they weren’t hungry for wins or success. But that mobility shouldn’t diminish their commitment to the club they play for at present, no matter where they end up or want to be. Players would be wise to keep in mind that while they may be one of the best of their generation, they are no match to the generations of fans that support the club for which they play.

WE SURE MISSED YOU SCHOLESY

So Man U let it all go in stoppage - a Gallas equalizer (and there is going to be no "was it or wasn't it" argument be/c it cannot change anything at this point and this stuff usually works itself out) and some shoddy defending handed Man U a draw rather than what would have been a great win to take them to the tip top of the table.

But in memory of some good Arsenal - Man U tussels, here's the infamous tunnel scuffle between Viera and Keano. Lol. Is this how he manages nowadays? One can only hope... "SEE YOU OUT THERE."


...and the title to this post is because Anderson, despite being a good player, is not premier league fit yet, at least how he needs to be for Man U or at least to be an adequate option when a player like Scholes, despite reaching his twilight, typically performs. Scholes would have been a welcomed face. Three more months of Scholes-less play. Pass the tissue box.

KAKA + CHRISTIANITY = SOLID GOLD

God Bless.

When FIFA unveiled its nominees for its 2007 World Player of the Year award, there were some grunts and groans. It may seem obvious to reiterate that some of the most influential, important, and talented players were left out for others that failed to achieve similar greatness (Cannavaro and not Totti? Lampard but no Ibrahimovic? Ronaldinho over Fabregas?), making the honesty of the award a little less credible.

While there is dissatisfaction over the nominees, the most frustrating aspect of the list seems to be the automatic assumption that one certain Brazilian would claim the title. While Kaka is a great player, if he was the best player of 2007 is asking a different question.

In terms of the regular Scudetto season, Kaka scored 8 goals. In the Champions League, he was the lead scorer with 10 goals. Kaka won three UEFA Awards: Top Scorer, Best Forward, and Club Footballer of the Year and he was named FIFAPro’s 2007 Player of the Year. He helped lead AC Milan last season’s Champions League victory. He was largely absent in international play (he sat out of the Copa America, needing to take a well-deserved break from what is otherwise 3 full seasons of uninterrupted soccer). These stats are all relevant, as the award is FIFA World Player of the Year, not Champions League MVP (he seems to have already won that award).

Another award winning player from 2007 and presumable runner up for this award is Cristiano Ronaldo, who scored 17 goals towards Man U’s Premier League victory, and 3 for the Champions League. He was a multi-award winner: PFA’s Player of the Year, Young Player of the Year, Fan Player of the Year and the Football Writers Player of the Year. He played for Portugal. He was strong for Manchester United through their run in the Champions League that got them as far as the Semi finals.

While it is more than just awards and goals that go into both Kaka and Ronaldo’s performances last year, good arguments can be made that Kaka may not have been the best player of 2007. Even if he ends up receiving the award, there should be more dialogue as to who the better player was, and not this automatic assumption that Kaka will take the silverware. So in determining why Kaka is the clear favorite, other factors between those two players become unfortunately relevant.

Aesthetically everything about Kaka makes him look, play, and act like an agent’s dream of an ideal player. He grew up in an upper middle class family. He is 25 but could easily pass for 21 in terms of looks. In terms of maturity he acts beyond his age. He has a wife (his teenage sweetheart of course) who doesn’t appear to be tabloid fodder, so it’s assumed she is not a distraction or controlling aspect of Kaka’s career (unlike the way the British WAGS tend to be portrayed). He is good looking (modeling contracts with Armani) and Brazilian (thus the automatic Joga Bonito allure). He is humble. He is also an incredible Evangelical Christian, something that intensified after an unfortunate accident from a swimming pool that could have left him paralyzed. He attributes that healing to God and has the words “God is Faithful” stitched onto his boots. He is the youngest UN World Food Program Ambassador and gives 10% of his wages to his church. And that arm raising to the sky after goals scored is a perpetual thanks to God for allowing his recovery from his accident.

Its no secret that Kaka is a Christian – and not just religious, but close to being a zealot. While players can get penalized for stripping off their jerseys, when Kaka does it, he reveals not a bare chest but a shirt reading “I belong to Jesus.” He follows up these statements with actions though. In an interview with Champions League Magazine for the latest issue, he overtly states that he is very radical with his principles, and that if something goes against those principles, he will always refrain. To that end, he refuses to do any advertising for alcohol or cigarettes. While that seems to be logical as he is an athlete and wants to promote a healthy and active lifestyle, it is actually his devote evangelical faith that dictates that decision. He claims to have never cried over football, and he prefers to stay at home with his family in his spare time. He reads the Bible daily. He is not flashy. He is an ideal, although perhaps not realistic, footballer.

Cristiano Ronaldo, however, doesn’t seem to be such a martyr. He is also good looking but vain (sin!) – a recent injury to his face prompted him to state that he wasn’t worried and that he would soon be beautiful again. He is confident on the verge of cocky. He grew up poor. He is clearly not married. He rather hides who he dates which makes him worthy of tabloid speculation (Gemma Atkinson? Were they or weren’t they?). He pays for sex and shares those prostitutes with his roommates. He is known to be a diver. He has that whole World Cup wink mess haunting him. He cries over football (a lot). He doesn’t seem to be affiliated to any organized religion, and even if he is, he doesn’t appear to showcase that religion very openly. When he takes off his shirt, it’s to show off his abs and not his love of Jesus. He doesn’t have an official United Nations ambassadorship. He can be construed as being flashy in dress and in lifestyle. He is a stereotypical footballer.
So for these two players that were both outstanding last year, it seems that one aspect cements the differences between these two: one is an evangelical Christian and the other is not. Without that faith, what would Kaka’s everyday life be? Nothing about Ronaldo’s choices is really all that bad, but when you compare any footballer – or any average person – against Kaka and his lifestyle a la Jesus, Kaka wins. No contest.

On the pitch, Ronaldo was beyond expectation last season. Off the pitch, he’s acting like a 22 year old, million-dollar paycheck, footballer. Kaka’s performance on the pitch sets him apart from some of the best footballers, but his actions off the pitch are more like an athlete who attends seminary at nights. To be sure, there is absolutely nothing wrong with being a Christian; Kaka is doing amazing things for people in need and he has a lifestyle that doesn’t hurt anyone. But neither player’s personal time should matter in terms of evaluating who was the better footballer.

As FIFA doesn’t seem to punish players for actions like Ronaldo engages, it would be assumed that they would also not reward Kaka for his choices either. FIFA is, after all, not St. Peter, and this award isn’t a morale competition, but an award being given to the best player of 2007. Lifestyle choices, whether agreed with or not, should have absolutely no bearing on how the player performs on the pitch, or how he is evaluated there from. FIFA seem to want to cloud this award with an unspoken hint at what footballers should be doing in their spare time. Is FIFA punishing players that are not pious? Or are they quietly sending a message to footballers that FIFA will no longer just look at those 90 minutes in terms of what makes a Best Player? While it certainly discredits the award, it also unfairly punishes players for making decisions that are possibly not in accord with FIFA’s unofficial code of conduct. But if it’s unofficial, then it shouldn’t count. Especially not for this award.

FIFA ENSURES WORLD CUP WILL BE PLAYED IN ONE OF THE G-8 COUNTRIES FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY…okay not really but it somewhat feels that way.

South Africa...We Hardly Knew You.

It was probably the panic that is quietly settling in as FIFA continues to keep a watchful eye on South Africa as it prepares to host World Cup 2010.
The next World Cup is still about two and a half years away, but the mutterings of soccer pundits have everyone wondering if South Africa will get their act together to make the necessary preparations for the massive tournament, and if not, what then. The crime, and not so much the infrastructure, seems to be the problem, and FIFA’s hands are rather tied in that respect.

FIFA surely must have anticipated this when they awarded South Africa 2010, but hindsight is 20/20, and these revelations, among others, might have been the triggers that FIFA needed to stop its World Cup continental rotation policy. The downside to this of course is that the ending of the rotation will likely close up the opportunity for smaller, non-European countries to stand much of a chance against the entirety of the European continent.

Outside of Europe, soccer focused Americans are smiling as their odds of being able to host another World Cup have been upped considerably, but the infrastructure would still require the majority of the games to be played in gridiron football stadiums, and the majority of the population probably still won’t give a damn in comparison to the rest of the world.

On the flip side, America’s motherland is celebrating because their desire to host (despite having done nothing for the game, thank you Jack Warner) has been amazingly boosted. FIFA seems to want England to bid and England assumes that it will be awarded to them. This also paves the way for specific regions of Europe to be highlighted: rumors are already circulating of a possible tri-host, like Be-ne-lux (Belgium-Netherlands-Luxembourg).

While the rotational policy was short lived (introduced in 2000) it did some good: Asia hosted their first World Cup in 2002, and in 2010 South Africa will be the first African host country. Sepp Blatter acknowledged these feats in a statement released by FIFA today. “The rotation principle has served its purpose and has enabled us to award our most prestigious competition to Africa for the first time and, depending on tomorrow's decision, to South America for the first time in many years,” said Blatter. “Since several associations from different confederations have already declared their interest in bidding, the FIFA executive came to the conclusion that as from 2018 the bidding procedure should once again be open to all continents, except those parts of the world that have hosted the two previous tournaments.”

So maybe it’s no harm, no foul, as the rotational policy seemed to be a concept begun with an expiration date in hand, to be retired after its primary aims were met. FIFA’s objectives are always exponential, and while its consideration towards exposing the game to smaller countries is needed, it must also ensure that host countries have the proper capabilities to host a safe and successful tournament. On a more socially conscious side, while these tournaments are amazing sources of revenue for the host countries, FIFA may be uneasy about countries launching otherwise “prestige” projects without the ability to fully ensure the necessary safety for both the players and the fans that is needed to have a successful World Cup.

Especially with the corporate persuasion that the World Cup has adopted, FIFA probably wants to ensure that those sponsors are taken care of. The way South Africa’s preparations are going, those dollar signs must be flashing red. Five star hotels, top notch cuisine, and the other amenities that highly industrialized nations offer tend to be the choice for many corporations (and footballers’ wives), and the reality is that many smaller countries simply cannot accommodate those needs, at least not on the time table FIFA requires. With the money that these sponsors pour into the game, FIFA may simply be responding in kind.

Holding a Mirror Up to David Beckham's First MLS Season

A little less of that...
...and a lot more of this.

Last week the LA Galaxy was shut out of a play off berth thanks to similarly situated team, the Chicago Fire. The Fire were also bestowed with a designated player this season, so naturally, the game was penned as the Blanco v. Beckham match-up. In the end though, it was nothing close to that head to head scenario.

Beckham entered near the 60th minute though no one really noticed, besides the screaming girls in belly shirts, screaming his name while madly snapping away with their camera phones. No such fanfare for Blanco, which makes sense since no one would probably claim Blanco to be sexy or celebrity or even on the radar of 15-year old American girls. Blanco did play the entire 90 minutes though, and proved indispensable to the Fire’s late season turn around from bottom of the conference to play off qualifier.

Despite the rumors that the Galaxy and the MLS at large was attempting to fix the last few Galaxy games (presumably to ensure that some more mileage could be gotten out of their cash cow), in the end, the rumors were merit less (or the league was simply incapable of orchestrating successful match fixing). On Sunday, the American public bid farewell to the inaugural season of what has become the Beckham rollercoaster.

Leading up to those final games, it was questionable whether or not Beckham would even play. Questions swirled surrounding his fitness, or lack thereof, as well as the fact that a Beckham-less Galaxy had won five straight games. No one disputes Beckham’s talent surpasses the bulk of the players in the MLS but it seemed like, for the competition that the Galaxy were playing, a Beckham-less starting 11 made a little more sense. And then there was that pesky injury, aggravated no doubt by those 11,000 mile flights back and forth from the UK to LA.

So three days before the Galaxy met the Fire, when LA played the Red Bulls at home, in a game requiring either a draw or a win to see them through to the next level, when Beckham came on in the 60th minute, the response was muted. At home or away, it seems like America is over David Beckham, at least in the primary realm that Beckham was expected to dominate.

There are certainly a good few months of non-stop, non-soccer promotion ahead for Golden Balls. Towards this end, rumor has it that Beckham is going to embark on a Motorola ad campaign across the nation at local universities, pushing wireless devices to co-eds. There is already hype surrounding his arrival on these campuses: one contest, which would allow the winner to get closer to Beckham in some way, required contest entrants to design a new ad with Beckham’s face superimposed, while clutching a mobile phone.

Nothing is wrong with pushing products or using celebrity status to win over fans to convert them to the MLS. It’s just doubtful that all this advertising really does any good for soccer. Most Americans know that David Beckham is a soccer player but that seems to come as an afterthought to his model-esq fashion status, his celebrity wife, and his spokesman status for whatever he’s advertising. Padding the pockets of major corporations, certainly, but this is coming nowhere near the soccer “ambassador” that the MLS touted Beckham to be.

Case in point: The Galaxy players are frequently out in the community, promoting soccer to kids and lower income populations around the LA area, but when Beckham was out of commission be/c of that pesky injury, he wasn’t seen at any of these functions. There were sightings, however, of him in downtown Hollywood, “promoting” soccer at places that frankly have no use for it. Sure he’s entitled to have a good time but the regular season is somewhat like the regular work day and drinking lunches, while enjoyable, are not usually favored. Especially when your company is on the breach of bankruptcy, so to speak.

Certainly the MLS have gotten some of their financial return back from the investment they made in brand Beckham, as bums were in seats when the Galaxy rolled through America, and even if they weren’t actually in attendance, the tickets were already bought and sold.

Beckham’s injury certainly didn’t help him this season, but its more than just his physical injury that disabled the MLS’s hopeful aspirations for how Beckham could revolutionize this league. While it all cannot be done in one season, there are a few major obstacles that seem to have appeared straight away. One that comes to mind immediately is that he chose LA to play for. California is possibly the best state to play and be a soccer fan in America and it did not really need a player of Beckham’s caliber to promote soccer in LA or California generally. Kansas City comes to mind, certainly not glamorous, but middle America could use a little more help in making the sport more popular. Beckham’s residence within LA proper makes him less accessible to the rest of America. His friendships with Hollywood celebrities and scientologists already polarized him to an extent, before he even arrived. Adding to this, it appears that he’s off to tour with his wife on the Spice Girl’s reunion tour. None of these things really make the meat and potatoes Americans want more of Beckham and its unlikely that it makes them want to watch or play soccer. Beckham’s image as an ambassador is thus sequestered to a small window of the American public: celebrity watchers and those already interested in soccer. Both camps would probably say they’re over him at this point. Overexposure anyone?

Beckham’s actual impact on the Galaxy’s season, as minimal as it was, possibly did more harm than good to the Galaxy. Maybe no one could save that sinking ship, let alone one player. Maybe his presence divided and distracted the team, and without them, they were left in peace. Or maybe it was because when he was on the pitch, outside of a couple free kicks, there was a sour feel to the game upon his entry. That could also be due to the fact that the Galaxy was usually losing by the time Beckham came on.

Or it could be that Beckham doesn’t seem to be particularly enjoying MLS play. He looked generally disinterested during last Sunday’s game prompting some to speculate that Beckham probably wishes he had stayed in Europe a wee bit longer. Whether that is true or not at this point means nothing, because his attitude about American soccer is written all over his face during these games. This cannot be good publicity for what the MLS had intended, nor does it help to encourage those other rumored future designated players of the Ronaldo (“the fat one”) and Zidane (puzzling rumor, honestly) persuasion. Overall, though, his attitude on and off the pitch is defeating the primary reason Beckham was supposedly brought over for: to play (the injury, right) but moreover to promote and spread the soccer love.

But he was voted askmen.com’s manliest man…eating your pride probably gets big points in that competition.

Just Rolling In It...£200m High

Nicolas Anelka, Kolo Toure, Cesc Fabregas and Emmanuel Eboue...probably more where these came from.

Let the Russian billionaire extravaganza continue through London! First Chelsea (and we're all seeing how well that worked out) and now Arsenal, top of the league not just in points but also pound sterling.

Wenger's roving eye for talent has probably expanded now that he has an arsenal to buy most of the MLS.

MANCHESTER UNITED: 2 CHELSEA: 0

Tevez Proves He Was Worth All The Fuss

The start of the Avram Grant era leaves much to be desired as Man U take advantage of Chelsea's disposition, with some help from the referee.

Chelsea was forced to play with ten men after a questionable red card was shown to Mikel. Possession was certainly in Manchester's favor, which, although to be expected in a home game, was the problem in Chelsea's strategy - they spent the majority of the game defending. Near the last minute of the first half's stoppage time, Tevez scored an amazing header to give him his first goal of the new season and put Man U up at the half. Later, another questionable call by the ref awarded Louis Saha a penalty which Cech was unable to block.

Manchester United are now second in the league after Arsenal, and Chelsea have dropped to 6th place behind Newcastle.

MOURINHO REPLACED BY FOOTBALL DIRECTOR GRANT: BIG F-ING SURPRISE!

Looking thrilled, Grant administers first Chelsea training.

Grant has yet to show his colors as a managers, as his only experience thus far has been as a liason (aka minion) of the Chelsea board. He's managed teams, sure, but its going to take more to fill The Special One's shoes.

...and Drogba cried.

MOURINHO SEES RED

In the final clash between money and management, Mourinho reportedly texted Lampard first to tell inform him of his departure.

Well.

Its not really a shock but..its an upset, undoubtedly.

Its no surprise that Mourinho was not happy or fitting in with Abramovich's plan for his billion dollar bench investment. The issues with how Mourinho was handling Abramovich's tactics and strategy seemed to be the problem.

Soccer nowadays is moreso a business than a hobby and for many fans, watching their hometown clubs go the way of Chelsea and Man U creates a steady fear that the soul of the club will be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Worst case scenario for any club, though, is the Leeds United debacle. You want a club that can manage its money and budget for but Abramovich has gone so far as to factor in two European Cups in the next ten years to create his Chelsea Dynasty to achieve the return he needs from his costly investment. Deliberate, tactical, and impossible to predict, Abramovich seems to believe that if he places in all the right players, the team will win...in theory, it should work, but soccer is never that formulaic.

A dynasty and a self-sufficient club are two different things, and many coaches from days gone by just are not prepared to deal with the advancing business plans that so many boards and owners have for their clubs...with the managers and the players as pawns to reach those goals. Some players just want nothing to do with it (read: Henry leaving Arsenal) even though they likely acknowledge the realities, they don't want to be pawns, under appreciated, or bothered by it at all. Arsenal's stakes have been divided up and the make up of the board has caused players to leave and fueled endless rumors about Wenger's intent to remain at Arsenal. Even though the Gunners found relief when Wenger recommitted, it was an alert that once again, a manager so a part of a club could be forced out not because of his performance on the pitch or his relations with the players but with how he feels about the men giving orders upstairs.

Certainly the players and managers aren't losing out entirely. Fans want wins, managers need them and players live for them but maybe we're seeing the turning point of what can be tolerated and what cannot.

True, Mourinho has gotten a bad rap and so has Abramovich - held out as examples of this growing clash between money and management. Abramovich came in quick and spent money in a way only a Russian billionaire like himself can afford, and Mourinho has not been secretive about his feelings for Abramovich, or authority in general (remember the dog quarantine affair). Public opinion has largely been that Abramovich was planning some sort of move to get Chelsea, who have only played 6 games thus far, into a position to win the league and the cup this year and it clearly wasn't waiting until the January transfer window to buy more strikers.

Did Abramovich blame Mourinho for issues out of everyone's control? Drogba and Lampard are injured, and nothing but time can do any good for them. They are goal scorers and without them, the goals have been lacking. Shevchenko certainly made an odd return - clearly not fit from being off the Chelsea line up for so long but is that Mourinho's fault? Shevchenko's fitness may be part of his poor form lately but perhaps its also that he may not be cut out for the EPL. It does happen to otherwise quality players (Read: Michael Ballack). Rumor had it that Mourinho was purposefully not playing Shevchenko because he never wanted him and Abramovich did, and paid an EPL record £30 million transfer fee for him. Not only is it unfair for Shevchenko but ridiculous for Mourinho to play games with talented players, putting the team in jeopardy. The driving issue of course is that Mourinho clearly did not like nor take well to being told how to manage his club. Therein lies the problem.

The purse strings hold alot of control over a club and its facial identity but its the manager that gives the players the heart, strategy, confidence, and control that all teams need to succeed, and managers cannot do their jobs with a constant bottom line mentality. No one likes to lose but having numbers pushed in your faces cheapens the game. Sure, winning and losing has always involved sums of cash but its clear that Chelsea is a club who has sacrificed its history for a well funded glory hunt that will last as long as it takes - but hopefully not more than 10 years - until they are a dynasty. They will need to be able to find a manager who is willing to work with that plan and put it in the forefront alongside the health of the team he's managing. Its a difficult coupling that clearly did not work favorably for Mourinho.

If there is anything to learn about this unfortunate turn of events is that Abramovich is going to have problems getting a coach to do just as he wants and Mourinho is never going to find a club that gives him carte blanch; soccer just doesn't work that way anymore and for the good or the bad, the times have changed and Mourinho seems to have paid the price.

Ultimately it may be Abramovich who will lose the most - he swept in and Chelsea began winning after he dolled out the cash. It was certainly due to the talent of the players but it was also due to timing - soccer is unpredictable, teams of allstars don't always necessarily win games, and Abramovich saw the tide turn last season - reminder, it was only the year before last that Chelsea won the League. Abramovich seems impatient to get back the glory but doesn't seem to want to factor in the other elements: aging/new talent, adjustments to the EPL, and the actions of other teams...there are simply things that Abramovich cannot buy himself out of.

There are probably some burnt bridges and irreparable resentment that has grown between Mourinho and Abramovich and maybe even Mourinho and the players (i.e. locker room showdown with John Terry) - Abramovich may have just wanted to cut his losses and get in a new coach that didn't have that much baggage, no matter if much of it was Abramovich induced. Logically speaking, if you put enough pressure on a coach to win for the sake of winning - and there is certainly an argument for it - he will create a line up that may not play beautiful football but effective football and what happens when a part of that line up is injured, or more than one part? The line up falls apart and the points stop to roll in as easily...and if you shape a team whose history is for big name players and one of those players is injured, the fans stop coming for the team and only go for the players (read: this weeks Champions league game, which Chelsea played at home, against Rosenborg - a small, Norwegian club...they drew 1-1 (thanks to Shevchenko) but the crowd - at Stamford Bridge - was unusual...in that there wasn't much of one. Abramovich was probably not happy and maybe that was the tipping point - not so much the draw but the lack of support).

Abramovich needs team support right now and if he continues to focus on pursuing his dynasty and strong brand power, he needs to be reminded that behind both is a team that plays quality football. No one will doubt that clubs like Liverpool or Arsenal or Manchester City have fans that follow them no matter how many wins or losses (not like they wouldn't make known their frustration) but Chelsea seems to have been on a hunt for glory that lends itself to a fan base that is used to wins and big name players and when both are lacking, don't bother to show up. That is the biggest hole in Abramovich's dynasty plan and its one that won't be mended with a new coach - as much as Abramovich may want wins and points, he needs supporters that will be with the coach on cold Wednesday afternoon games, at home, against no-name teams - but he first needs to be that fan. There are some things that money simply cannot buy and Abramovich would do well to learn that lesson, and quick.

MAN U CATCHES UP WITH THE REST OF THE TOP FOUR

Vidic Saves The Day

After Chelsea draw 0-0 with Blackburn and Manchester United's Vidic heads in a crucial goal, Man U and Chelsea are even at 11 points each but Arsenal remains top of the league at 13 points after beating Tottenham 3-1.

And it shouldn't go unmentioned that Sven's new and improved Man City has broken up the stranglehold on the top spots, landing second with 12 points.

LETS CALL IT A COMEBACK

Its been awhile...Owen reminds us what the fuss is all about.

McClaren keeps the peace with a 3-0 win over Israel as England move from 4th to 3rd place in their Euro 2008 qualifying group.

ENGLAND'S FINAL HOPE

Looking Back in Longing: McClaren would probably wet his pants to get Becks on the squad this weekend but sadly, like the majority of the English team...Injured!

No 6 points this weekend? Buh Bye McClaren.

Three More Years...Worth £4m/year

The only difference in another three years? Probably just the same: less hair .

WENGER REIGNS SUPREME AT THE EMIRATES FOR THREE MORE YEARS

We'll continue to follow Wenger's eye for fresh young talent and see how he turns Arsenal, post Henry.

STEVIE G - TORN BETWEEN CLUB AND COUNTRY

Back during the healthy days of yore

BBC reports that Steven Gerrard, evidently England's last hope (what with their string of injuries to otherwise first team players) may take a jab to play the qualifier v. Israel - but Liverpool has already stated they are opposed to it.

England seems like a lost cause for this year's Euro 2008 so to waste a player that makes up part of Liverpool's spine may not be worth it. The question is though, what does Mr. Gerrard have to say about it?

Time will tell.


-----from BBC Sport------
England v Israel
Wembley Stadium
Saturday, 8 September
Kick-off: 1700 BST
Live coverage on BBC One, BBC Radio 5live & the BBC Sport website

England have not ruled out the possibility of giving Steven Gerrard an injection so he can play in Saturday's Euro 2008 qualifier against Israel.

Gerrard has a broken toe and Reds boss Rafa Benitez says he does not want the influential midfielder to have a jab.

But England coach Steve McClaren says Gerrard is keen to play on Saturday and will have an injection if necessary.

"We're leaving it as late as possible but we want Steven on the field and we want him ready to play," said McClaren.

"We will liaise with Liverpool and we will do nothing to put the player at risk, but we will also go a lot on how Steven feels and what he wants."

McClaren is desperate for the midfield talisman to play, with England currently fourth in the Group E qualifying table and targeting victories over Israel and Russia to boost their hopes of winning the group.

Gerrard had an injection to enable him to play for Liverpool against Chelsea on 19 August and Benitez said it took him "four or five" days to get over it.

McClaren insisted he would not do anything that would have a long-term negative effect on Gerrard, but his main concern at the moment is beating Israel.

That means he is prepared to risk losing Gerrard for the game against Russia on Wednesday by playing him on Saturday.

And the England boss said there were plenty of precedents for giving him a jab.

"You look and in some cases, if there's no great risk, then fine," said the England coach.

Frank Lampard is having intensive treatment with Chelsea and we have said he might have a chance of playing in the second game

England boss Steve McClaren

"John Terry and Frank Lampard had broken toes in pre-season and were taking injections.

"I have known it at club level where it would be just too painful to play (without the injection) but there's no risk of further injury if you have one."

McClaren's midfield options are limited because England regular Lampard is definitely out of the Israel game because of a thigh injury.

It was expected he would definitely miss the Russia game as well but it now appears his injury is not as serious as first thought.

"Frank is having intensive treatment with Chelsea and we have said he might have a chance of playing in the second game," said McClaren.

"It is still a far-out possibility at this moment but he is doing everything he can to be available."

Manchester United midfield man Owen Hargreaves is confident he can play in both internationals, despite having to sit out a training session to nurse his troublesome knee injury.

He said: "I have not done played two games in a week yet this season but it has never been a problem before, so hopefully it won't be a problem now. "Sometimes you do need an injection but any time you can try and avoid it, you should.

"The medical staff have worked very hard and I have invested a lot of time to trying to get fit as well, so, so far, I have not needed it.

"At one stage I did feel as though I wouldn't be ready for the start of the season but I have completed three games now and feel good.

"I know I missed training on Tuesday but sometimes you can do too much."

United Have 2 Points - That's Life.

No United fan can be happy right now. Ferguson seems to be blind to the fact that they need to get another striker, and quick, before the transfer window closes. Ronaldo just will not keep quiet about how "unfair" his red card was, and although no one can claim that the EPL refs have been on the top of their game in the last couple weeks (hello Ref. Styles), there is literally nothing that can be done to reverse it and Ronaldo has two more games to whine through before he can come back. Rooney's injury is no one's fault (but true fans will begrudge Reading for Rooney's fracture) but no one is happy when Rooney is not being fielded.

Tevez and Nani tried to score those goals that the Rooney-Ronaldo team scored last season during the Manchester derby, but they just couldn't net the ball and Man City gets bragging rights for the next year, which they rightfully deserve - United just couldn't close the deal. Nevermind that Nani probably wasn't bought with the anticipation that he'd be played so soon, but Tevez was a bit of a disappointment - this player is familiar with the Premier league and had a good summer, but probably not a burn out amount, during the Copa America and yet...nothing netted.

Its aggravating that United is flailing. They have bought heavily over the transfer period and lets not forget they won the Premier league last year.

But something is off with the team, outside of just the lack of goals and points - a certain amount of...whining and blame shifting which is not classy. Now its to be expected that when teams win, why would they complain? United, however, is a team that typically has more...breadth than to whine and moan about whose fault it is that they're losing - the fault is no one else's but their own and its high time they start taking responsibility for how foolish they are (under) performing.

This week, SAF came out and admitted that United has certainly created an "uphill" battle for themselves, but its not over yet. All of the Big Four are under performing, and except for some standout individual performances (Torres' premier EPL goal, Gerrard's "Beckham-esq" free kick (awarded after...diving but still a great shot), Martin's bicycle kick goal), the smaller teams are really playing the better football...while many don't mind that the domination of the Big Four, at least this early on, is being diminished, one can't help but wonder just what has happened over the last two months that the club's usual remedy of big bucks and new, bigtime ballers can't cure. Maybe its a sense of entitlement (SAF did ask for a "zone of protection" around CR7, which to everyone but SAF sounds ludicrous), or just fatigue, or maybe they don't want it as much (sans Liverpool whose drive to take the Premier title is quite clear)...but is the old guard making way for a new generation? Its still early and anything can happen...but when Man City is #1 and Man U is 16, you just can't help but wonder...and if so, what that type of Premier league would look like.

Rooney Injured. Ronaldo Out for Three. There is Nothing to Worry About.

Its the Manchester derby this weekend, and the unlikely scenario of Manchester City ahead of Manchester United has some people panicked.

The seasoned fans have analyzed the points difference logically, and not just in terms of Sunday's derby. At this time last year, Manchester United - who went on to win their 9th title last season - were close to where they stand today: 3 points. Man U's draw with Reading and Portsmouth have garnered them 2 points and Manchester City's victories over West Ham and Derby have them top of the league at 6 points with Everton and Chelsea.

Maybe its not the point difference or the goal difference that have some fans panicked but the state of Man U right now: Rooney's injury is problematic. That fracture has the morale of the fans down but also has put a hole in where many of Man U's goals came from last season, and it tears apart the successful pairing of Rooney-Ronaldo, a force, last season, that proved to be the source of many game wins. Rooney will likely get better but its the EPL, and every game counts - every loss, every draw, every win, contributes and already, Man U is behind.

Ronaldo's hot headed attitude, regardless of the responsibility of the ref's, is doing no one any good and has put him out for three games which leaves yet another gaping hole where Man U's goals used to be found. The Rooney-Ronaldo team is now completely absent...and Ronaldo just looked foolish.

What is left? Strikers are like endangered species right now, and it would take just one bad foul against newby Tevez to put Man U in real trouble. What happens this weekend won't mean as much as many people think in terms of who ends up on top and who ends up on bottom at the end of the season, but it doesn't mean that a loss to cross town rivals City won't feel like a devastating blow to every Man U fan across the globe. The stars of the team have been ticked off quite handily, and the new signings have more pressure than is usually expected. Frankly, its hard to be a positive Red Devil at this point.

Finally, it can't be good that SAF has come out and demanded a level of protection for his precious Ronaldo - certainly the conduct during the Portsmouth draw was below a certain level of decorum, but if it was illegal is another question. Maybe Man U is suffering from a prima donna sort of syndrome (where they are generally the prettiest girl at the party, and dare anyone conduct themselves to the contrary, be damned), but SAF must surely realize in hindsight that he is fundamentally asking the opposition to just give Man U what they want - lots of place to trick and outpace. Parking the bus like Reading did may be cause for disdain, but it is not entirely illegal. Playing more physical can put strain on Man U's more stylized form of play, but its up to the refs - and its Man U's job to leave it at that - to make the calls. Coming out to whine about games gone past is not only petty but beneath the history and the glory that Man U has invested and to pander to the public with reasons why the loss or the red card wasn't their fault is a disservice to the fans and the team alike.

To help both themselves and the fans, Man U needs to put up and shut up and play like the warriors they were last season - barking about controversial calls will not garner them any more points - please, simply focus on the next game, as opposed to whining about the last one.

MAN U CAN'T GET PAST READING'S DEFENSE -- Start Season Behind Liverpool, Chelsea, and Arsenal

Reading: 0 Manchester United: 0
--Reading's ten men still an effective blue wall against the Red Devils


Arsenal: 2 Fulham: 1
--Two goals in the dying minutes of the second half give Arsenal their first three

Chelsea: 3 Birmingham: 2
--Chelsea sets new record at 64 winning home games

BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS MORNING - "BPL" Takes Off Without Hesitation

Aston Villa: 1 Liverpool: 2
--Villa's Laursen's own goal in the first half, coupled with Gerrard's surreal free kick sealed Liverpool's first three points.



West Ham: 0 Manchester City: 2
--Sven's newly minted Premier League players prove that transferring international leagues isn't always a two season endeavor.



Bolton: 1 Newcastle: 3
--Big Sam celebrates first Newcastle win at former club's loss.


Derby: 2 Portsmouth: 2
--Predictors may be wrong - Derby may not be so easily relegated.



Everton: 2 Wigan: 1
--Moyes celebrates 200th Premier league as gaffer


Middlesbrough:1 Blackburn: 2
--Despite star player McCarthy's injury, Blackburn wins, showing depth and skill.

Manchester United Clinches Community Shield, Van Der Sar Denies Chelsea Any Penalties

Rooney and Ben-Haim Clashed Throughout the 90 Minutes

Man U: 1, Chelsea: 1 (3-0 Penalties)

Ugh, Chelsea!

Who does this? Its easy to rag on them for their billion dollar bench (despite that many other clubs are the same) but the...sheer glory hunting that is so obvious with Chelsea is what really rubs.

That people get on Beckham's case for being such a brand and not as much of a baller is aggravating but what Chelsea is doing/has done (who goes to LA two years in a row in the pre-season?) is worse. Its DISNEY! Gross. Soccer and Disney belong no where near one another outside of animated movies.

Sure, there is only so much players can do but when you sign with Chelsea (be/c of, largely, the massive amount of money the Club has recently come into - there is not alot of history in this club), its like you sign over your soul...to the highest bidder no less and allowing this type of blatant marketing plan to be run upon the backs of players like Ballack, Drogba, and Terry just makes me feel like they are all tools for the Abramovich money machine. But hey, thanks for that new UC training facility! Since you know, the UC system is so hurting for money...

Yes, money is a huge aspect or driving force of the EPL and of football around the world but a deal with Disney just makes me scowl with disgust. No class! None!

If Abramovich suddenly is willing to pour money into the "youth" and "community" of America, perhaps he should head back to Russia and return some of the billions he manipulated from the Russian working class during the post-soviet privatization time period, a la "Loans for Shares."


------
From Espnsoccernet.
Chelsea have agreed a youth football partnership with the Walt Disney Company.

The Premier League club, currently on a pre-season tour of the United States, confirmed an initial four-year deal immediately prior to this morning's Disney Friendship Cup match with Club America.

Under the terms of the agreement, Chelsea become the official professional soccer club of Disney's Wide World of Sports and presenting sponsor of the Disney Soccer Showcase Series.

The Blues' business affairs director Paul Smith said on the club's official website: 'This partnership is groundbreaking for both sides.

'Chelsea is delighted to be partnering with Disney on this second project, following the sponsorship of today's game.

'Chelsea is committed to assisting and promoting all levels of soccer in the United States and youth soccer is a massive part of that. Disney is at the forefront of that movement in the US on various levels.'

Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex is a top youth football event destination, while Disney's Soccer Showcase is the number one youth football event in the United States.

Chelsea will also have significant presence at other Disney-created football events through coaching and player clinics.

These will be run under the guidance of Chelsea's Football in the Community scheme.

An annual educational exchange program will also be created where at least one Chelsea academy team will visit and compete at Disney's Wide World of Sports Complex.

In exchange, the club will bring a winning team from a selected Disney soccer tournament to be their guests at a Chelsea match and train at their academy.

The announcement is the first stage in a possible broader partnership between the two companies.

Further talks are planned to see how Chelsea can work with the various entertainment and media brands within Disney.

OWEN.INJURED.AGAIN.

Head in hands this morning after reading about Owen's latest injury.

Because Its David Beckham

It would be a vast understatement to say that there is a frenzy surrounding David Beckham's arrival to Los Angeles and, to the soccer minded, the MLS, specifically the LA Galaxy.

No one has been hesitant, even at home, to hate on Beckham's arrival. The foreign press, specifically the English, have been relentless with Beckham's decision, and after the walloping that the Galaxy took the other night against the Mexican Tigres, losing 3-0.

Although, not to be too cynical, the English National squad has faced many defeats similar to what the Galaxy experienced (the English squad failed to even qualify in the 1994 World Cup), but no one would accuse - at least as steadily - the English national team of being a "pub team" which the English media have dubbed the Galaxy.

Its a puzzle as to why people are such haters on Beckham, just generally. Certainly Stateside, no one seems to understand what a major athlete David Beckham truly is - and what he has overcome (again, lets be reminded of the always understanding British after the 1998 World Cup) and bounced back from, to become the power athlete that he is.

The press has had a field day with Beckham in America - if its not his wife, its his hair, if its not soccer's lack of persuasion in America, its soccer's low caliber play, if its not how bad the MLS is a a league, its how dismal the Galaxy is as a team. Its always something and its getting old.

Everyone knows Beckham cannot walk on water and that he isn't even going to try for the Galaxy. Certainly he wants to promote the beautiful game in America so that more people a) know about it and b) watch it but he is also just here to play football, like he's done a million times before. He cannot save the LA Galaxy from drowning themselves and in reality, no one player can carry an entire team for an entire season and David Beckham is probably not going to try - because he knows its impossible.

But because its David Beckham, everyone wants to take a shot and America's triumph and incredible coup in getting David Beckham to the states is beginning to become its biggest obstacle. But don't put it past Beckham to prove everyone wrong, just like he did when Capello benched him from the Real Madrid squad, and months later, Capello ate his words (and probably got fired for it) when he reluctantly put Beckham back on the pitch, and Beckham helped lead Real to the La Liga Championship title. If the Galaxy can get its own problems worked out, David Beckham will have his work cut out for him but he cannot do it alone and without improvement in team play, strategy, and coaching, Beckham's hands are essentially tied.

NEWS OF THE DAY

Underdog Brazil, Copa America Champions! (BBC Sport)

Cannavaro No Longer Needed at Real Madrid; Chelsea, Newcastle, and Juventus Possible New Clubs. (Fox Sports - Soccer)

Liverpool's Kuyt Wants Strong Start to Ensure Strong Season (Times London)

Mourinho and Abramovich Mend Broken Bridges (Fox Sports - Soccer)

Wenger Has Three to Replace Henry (Times London)

U-21 World Cup: US Knocked Out During Overtime Against Austria (Fox Sports - Soccer)

Chelsea In America, beat Mexico's Club America (Sports Illustrated)

NEWS OF THE DAY

Left - Right: Mourinho, Grant, Abramovich

"The Special One's" Authority Being Slightly Usurped with Appointment of Grant (Times London)

Getafe Apologizes, But Still Probably Not Getting Into Heaven (Reuters UK)

Man City Close to Signing Italian Striker Bianchi (BBC Sport)

Ajax Winger Babel Will Never Walk Alone, Cost only £11.5 million (Times London)

Man U's Heinze Linked to Liverpool But Excited About Tevez Prospect (Fox Sports-Soccer)

Owen Confirms Magpie Status, No Exit in Sight (BBC Sport)

Wenger Welcomes Fellow Frenchman Sagna for Undisclosed Fee (Times London)

Baird Likes Fulham More Than You, Southhampton (BBC Sport)

Blanco, Like Beckham, To Make MLS Debut Against Foreign Club Celtic (Fox Sports - Soccer)

Messi At Full Form, Argentina Moves Onto Copa America Final Over Mexico (Times London)

Let Bobby McMahon Update You on the U-21 World Cup (Fox Sports - Soccer)

NEWS OF THE DAY

No One Likes Penalties! Brazil Outscores Uruguay, Makes it to the Copa America Final (Reuters UK)

Mourinho Sees Silver Lining to Abromovich's Tightening of the Purse Strings (Times London)

Beckham's Arrival As Exciting as Y2K, Even Comes with Countdown Clock (LA Galaxy Home)

Just Too Pretty for Arsenal: Ljunberg Transfer Talks Indicate Move to Serie A (BBC Sport)

After Earlier Debacle, FA To Supervise Tevez's Man U Transfer (Times London)

Ferguson: Man U's Has All Bases Covered (Fox Sports - Soccer)

Not Quite an Offer, Yet: Real to Formally Inquire About Fabregas (Times London)

Chelsea At Last Finalize Malouda Deal (BBC Sport)

Quaranta Confirms What We Already Knew: Galaxy is Chaotic with Beckham Arrival (FanNation)

US to Bring In Latin Technical Director to Supplement Bradley's Management (Reuters UK)

Porto's Pepe Has a New Home: Welcome to the Bernabeu (Fox Sports - Soccer)

MLS Announces All-Star Roster, Is it Enough to Beat Celtic? (Fox Sports - Soccer)

FourFourTwo Decides Race is the Reason Soccer Sucks in America.

In the July issue of FourFourTwo magazine, there is a good sized article focusing on whether or not David Beckham will have a positive impact on exposing soccer to otherwise less-inclined audiences. Read: "Inner city black kids." No, it actually says that.

The writer of the article is an English ex pat and although he plugs in a few quotes from sociology professors who have academia-eonized the hell out of how race plays into Americans general ignorance and disinterest of the world's game, it isn't the substance on the issue that is of importance, but that it is included in an article about why America doesn't like soccer.

Why did this writer have to turn to the issue of race to determine why soccer isn't succeeding in a bigger way in America? While its encouraging to know that he realizes that "inner city black kids" are an important part of our American culture, it shows on a larger scale that you can't look at America without seeing or noting "racism" as a reason why something isn't succeeding.

Frankly, racism is a massive problem for America, but its also a huge problem for soccer abroad: its no secret that Germany (will they ever learn?) has shouted and showcased some of the most abrasive and abhorrent racial slurs during games against teams that have players that are not of Anglican descent, even displaying swastikas. You don't see that in the US and you never will. Cameroonian Samuel Eto'o has not been shy that the Spanish fans were not kind to him and Spanish fans have been known to make "monkey noises" at players of African descent. Yet this doesn't seem to be stopping black players from countries in Africa and beyond to play and succeed at soccer. It doesn't seem to stop European clubs from welcoming African players into their clubs and cities. It doesn't seem to stop soccer from being a massive sport in Africa, Asia, and Central and South America. Racism exists in soccer but its not a barrier to exposure to the game abroad and it is not a barrier Stateside, either. Is soccer being marketed to "inner city" kids? Is it being marketed as a sport that kids can actually make a living from? Is it a sport that American kids, black OR white continue after the age of 10? No, No, No.

Race is not and should not ever be a focus on why American's don't like soccer. There are not many black hockey players that easily come to mind, but hockey is a sport that seems to do just fine here in America. American's who dislike or like soccer should not be categorized by their racial makeup, nor should answers be looked for in sociological ethnography's. There are African and Asian and Latin and Anglican players on the US national squad, and there are plenty of fans who are not white and middle class that resent any indication that a certain racial segment of our society is holding back an entire sport. To suggest anything to the contrary is an indication of the hypersensitivity that we have towards including race as a factor in absolutely everything happening in America.

The MLS needs to focus on exposing the sport as a viable professional athletic career. Soccer needs to be thought of in the popular culture as a "real" sport. The MLS needs to encourage more competition among the teams and abandon this all fair, all equal, sort of "family" that encircles the entire league so that individual owners (right now there are about 3 owners, 2 of which are huge sports conglomerates and not individuals or boards) can dump as much money in the team as they want, to buy, advertise, and promote their teams. As much as this would be nice, no amount of "inner city black kids" will help those goals along. That label encompasses a thinking, breathing, choice making populace that probably well knows soccer exists but that they don't care has nothing to do with their racial make up.

What Does Frank Lampard Want?

Frank Lampard is a great player. At Chelsea, he is the leading goal scorer, and whether or not those goals come from deflections or not, there is no arguing that he is one of the best midfielders playing in the EPL today.

Chelsea has benefited greatly from Lampard, and it was rumored that after Mourinho bought and paid Michael Ballack for a sum greater than the #8, that Frank was clearly less than thrilled. Naturally when contract re-negotiations began this year (despite that Lampard has 2 years left on his existing contract), Lampard made it no secret that he wanted to be paid more than Ballack, who was far from impressive this season for Chelsea.

But wait. In the wake of Henry's departure from Emirates stadium to the Nou Camp, suddenly more and more fans were realizing that players, as much as they may be fixtures at a club (Henry is an 8 year Gunner legend, while Lampard is close, having signed to Chelsea in 2001), they are also employees of that clubs management, ownership, and all the other ins and outs of the business side of managing and owning a football club brings with it. Henry made it obvious that the departure of David Dein (who some say may return in a year or so) was disruptive to both the club and his place in it, and Barcelona opened up an opportunity for him to work with management he thinks he'll like better, and to play in La Liga for his last "great" years.

Is this what is going on with Frank Lampard? It would only be blind speculation to say that he does or does not get along with Abramovich and Mourinho and the rest of the management end, but he has been repeatedly linked with moving to Barcelona, denying those rumors as steadily as they keep resurfacing. Today, he made his boldest statement yet: Lampard rejected Chelsea's latest and most generous offer of that eclipses more than Ballack and Shevchenko's £121 million a week salary.

His explanation? There wasn't any. The BBC reports that Lampard acknowledges this is a less than perfect situation, and that in a perfect world, a new deal would have been signed weeks ago but alas, it is far from perfect so we must all deal. It makes no mention that the money is not enough (although its sheer speculation, one must presume that it is not for Lampard), and that he is, perhaps a la Henry, wanting to make his final professional transfer - the one that will "mean" something. As much as the press have harped on about David Beckham's MLS move, Beckham, at the time of the MLS deal, reportedly had no offers from any clubs comparable to Real Madrid or Man United...and so he made do with the MLS. Lampard clearly doesn't have the metrosexual star power that Beckham does, and like Henry, he may be feeling the pressure of knowing that, at 29 years old, these might just be his last "great" years to make high priced demands and get what he wants.

If he waits out the rest of his two years at Chelsea (which looks likely as Lampard has claimed he is not interested in buying out his contract), he will be over 30 and depending on how these next two seasons go for him, he will have to try his luck with the Beckham Theorem (flailing for an extended, if not career threatening, amount of time, and then coming back times ten to make you more sought after than previously imagined), or he will have to just do with the other legendary players, a la Luis Figo most recently, have done: sign for a sub par club in, say, Saudi Arabia, and wait out the time in the Middle East after making a few more million and until they feel ready for retirement...and then break that contract, sign for just one more year with the last big club played for, and then negotiate a spot in the head office...etc. Lampard, with his career goals and stats and reputation, is definitely not without bargaining power in the negotiation room. He may just need to decide what he is bargaining for, and with who.

The press is relentless, as are the English/Chelsea fans, so its understandable why Lampard is taking his time in making a proper announcement but eventually, he will have to take the money and run or make a bolder move - like taking a cue from maybe future teammate Henry, and leave Chelsea a legend and move onto the final great stage of his career elsewhere.