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."


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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.