On Defense: The top three back fours in the world

It's been well established at this point that a great team is built from the back up, and having a great back four that you know you can count on goes a long way in winning the World Cup. These are, in my opinion, the best three defensive teams in the world:

1. Brazil.



Brazil has one of the most offensively potent defenses in the world, and a lot of that has to do with who they have out on the wings taking the ball up field. These wings backs are Daniel Alves and Maicon (pictured above) and they lead the team in assists. They are two of the best defenders on the ball in the world. Alves is a little young, but is still proving himself as a great defender whose only weakness is that he tends to lose the ball when trying to make a play, but that's what gets him in position to get in those crosses. Maicon is every manager's dream defender. He never loses the ball, messes up a pass, or gets carded. But he's also ruthless and is known for having a flawless slide tackle. Brazil couldn't ask for two better wide backs, and that's part of what makes them such a great defensive side.

What makes them one of if not the best is who anchors that defense in the middle. Lucio is an extremely intelligent defender who knows exactly how to hide is not exactly legal tackles in the box and is the last line of defense before Julio Cesar, one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Juan and Thiago Silva are both also quite good and are known for pushing the ball past the center line, giving phenom Kaka a chance to make a run ahead of the ball.

2. Spain.



This is sort of a no brainer, as Spain has the two best central defenders in the world, Carles Puyol (pictured above) and Gerard Pique. Watching the two playing the same position is frankly a little funny, as Pique, 6'3'', dwarfs Puyol, 5'10''. But the two players are remarkably different. Puyol, as one of my friends quoted from an article, "will put his head where most defenders wouldn't dare put their feet." He's basically fearless, and is every Spanish fan's favorite. The problem is that he gets carded quite frequently and that's where Pique comes in. Pique is a monolithic, calculating defender who's as reliable as he is deadly with the ball at his feet. I recently picked him as one of the best young players in the tournament this year.

Out on the wings, Sergio Ramos is one of the most exciting players to watch on the pitch for the Spanish side. He's got quite a few tricks up his sleeve, and attackers never really expect it, which is also a little funny to watch. Ramos plays cool, confident football, the perfect dish out for the mad lion of Puyol. Ramos is the starting point of every Spanish attack, so when he's on the ball, pay attention. The other side is usually Joan Capdevilla, who is always the pick for a free kick that's too far away for Xavi or Villa to try a shot from. He's got a great cross and is an important aspect of the team.

Furthermore, every player on the bench: Albiol, Arbeloa, and Marchena are fully capable of coming in the game without much energy being lost at all. This is the kind of depth that Spain has all over the field, again, making them the favorite to win the Cup this year.

3. Italy.



Italians are world famous for their defending, and in fact it was a big part of why they won the world cup in 2006, along with magnificent goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon. The highlights of this defense are Zambrotta (pictured above), Cannavaro, and Chiellini, but they are all basically the same. They don't push the ball up field too often, relying on retracted midfielder, Camoranesi to get an attack started. The Italian penalty box is the hardest in the world to penetrate, as the Italians are well schooled in keeping attackers out. This is the foundation of Italian football, defend, and then striking quickly with quick-legged midfielders.

On Cesc Fabregas: The war between Wenger and Barcelona

The man pictured above is 23 year old Cesc Fabregas. He was raised in Barcelona's Camp Nou in their youth program. Soon, he was spotted by talented Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger and was signed to the club in 2003 at the age of 16. A year later, following the injuries of key midfielders, Fabregas would become the starting midfielder and one of the principle goal scorers for the Gunners. He would eventually become the captain, and one of the youngest captains in the Premier League at that.

Fabregas is a very special player, known for unforgiving pace, deadly accurate shots, legs that never tire, and with that, some of the longest and most visually impressive runs most in North London had ever seen.

But, after a depressing season that ended with Arsenal well behind league leaders Manchester United and Chelsea, Cesc looked over at where his roots were, Barca. He saw a team that won the La Liga, a cup title, and even witnessed first hand how they could devastate opponents in Messi's 4-1 route of Arsenal in the Champions League.

He also saw world class midfielder Xavi and a gaping hole in the other midfield spot next to him, filled intermittenly by a struggling Toure, and a much-too-young Sergio Busquets. He saw a niche for himself. He could see Xavi's lead passes putting him on his way to goal, ripping and tearing through defenders in La Liga, leading Barca to glory. He saw a vast majority of Spanish national players like Andre Iniesta and Carles Puyol. He wanted in. And Barca has shown their interest in him.

What followed has been a two week long war between Arsene Wenger and the Barca staff. Arsenal came out just two days ago and said that Barca could have Fabregas...for 80 million. Barca are willing to pay 15, or even as much as 30, but Arsenal's assertion has some thinking that this war could last all summer, effectively putting a halt on both club's transfer activities.

Furthermore, Wenger has disclosed privately that he is resigned to Fabregas leaving, and that the player himself is absolutely vehement about going too.

But the Gunners can't just let their captain walk away, or at least it seems the owners are pushing Wenger not to let him. The inevitability of Fabregas leaving at this point is evident, now Cesc will just have to wait it out, knowing that Wenger, the man who effectively brought him where he is today, is extremely sad. Wenger made comments yesterday about how much he loved Cesc, and really hates to see him go.

Maybe Wenger isn't so resigned to him leaving. Because although Fabregas has said that he is focused on the World Cup for Spain at this point, one can't help but wonder what he feels when he reads the tabloids, and sees how much Arsenal wants him to stay. Personally I think he'll be a great addition to Barca, mostly because I'm really tired of seeing Toure mucking up every time he gets the ball. But I know that things won't be the same next year in North London with their golden boy gone.

On Jose Mourinho: What his arrival at Real Madrid means for the club and himself

No manager in football today is as hated, loved, feared, acclaimed, or successful as Jose Mourinho. The Portuguese two-time Champions League winner was ushered into Real Madrid yesterday, and he already has high hopes for the club. Mourinho has said publicly that he wants to become the first manager to win three different league titles in three different countries, and to become the first manager to win the Champions League three times with three different clubs.

Most people would think that's pretty damn cocky, but let's look at what it is about Mourinho that makes these claims legitimate, especially in the context of Real Madrid. There are three aspects of Mourinho's coaching style to examine in this respect:

1. Discipline. This is the first and foremost priority of the teams of Jose Mourinho. Everyone on the team knows their place, and everyone works together as a team. This goes double for Real Madrid, who have a star-studded roster.

It's brightest star is, of course, Cristiano Ronaldo. Mourinho is going to be able to "reign in" Ronaldo quite effectively, for a number of reasons. One of them being the reason listed above, that Mourinho is a manager that won't put up with Ronaldo's antics on and off the field. The other reason that this won't be a difficult task for Mourinho is the intense relationship that the two men already have before he has even arrived. Ronaldo made statements three months ago that he would love to be coached by Mourinho, and that was actually when the buzz started about Mourinho's move there. In addition to that, both men are from Portugal, and have seemingly similar personalities.

2. Personality. This is true of both Mourinho and Mourinho's teams. A large part of Mourinho's goal when coming to a club is to establish one distinct identity about that team. When he was at Chelsea, it was blazing pace and unforgiving score lines. At Inter, it was all about defense and then a razor sharp counter attack led by Wesley Sneijder and Diego Milito. It will be important for Mourinho to establish this identity at Real too, as it is a club full of a lot of great players from a lot of different places.

This is also true of the man himself. Mourinho is a different kind of manager because he's always on the sidelines. He can be extremely animated during matches, screaming at players, refs, or anyone who will listen to him. This is sort of a welcomed sight for me, because usually when they show the manager they are just sitting up in a press box, and it really doesn't even look like they are watching the match.

During one match I was watching, Milito was called offsides. Mourinho immediately walked over to one of the assistants on the sidelines and leaned on the table, trying to get a peek at the camera on instant replay to see if the call was legitimate. The assistant slowly turned the monitor away from Mourinho, and Mourinho frowned and walked away. I have to admit, I laughed. He's definitely a character.

3. Merciless signing of new players. Mourinho likes to have the players he wants, particularly those that are in their early 30s so that he can get two or three more great years out of them. This will especially be true at Real, who are known as, as one of my friends told me: "The Yankees of soccer."

Mourinho already has a wish-list, which he announced two days ago. He wants Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, and Ashley Cole. Wow, wow, and wow. I know that when you first read that list, it seems impossible that any of those players would leave, but it's actually just the opposite. Ashley Cole has just undergone an extremely messy divorce from his wife in England, and Mourinho is convinced that he'll want to leave the island. Furthermore, Mourinho was the one who first signed Cole at Chelsea, and they had a great relationship there. As for Lampard, he was basically Mourinho's go-to guy at Chelsea for three years. Even Gerrard almost joined Chelsea in 2004 but at the last moment decided to stay at Liverpool. What this proves is that Mourinho can basically get anyone he wants, especially now that he's at Real. Can you blame any player who joins his side though? It's basically a golden ticket to the Champions League, as history as shown.

Now, this is what we know we can expect from Mourinho. But what does he need to do to get Real Madrid to win the Champions League? Here's what I think:

1. Benzema has to not suck. Karim Benzema last year was the big signing of the year. United, Real, Barca, you name the club, they wanted this young Frenchman to play for them. When Real got him, it was a really big deal. But then Benzema couldn't really deliver, and never got better throughout the season. In fact, his campaign was so disappointing that he wasn't capped for the World Cup this year. Mourinho needs to give this kid some confidence, he needs to devise a game plan that will suit his needs. Benzema could be the best striker of the next decade, and Mourinho has him sitting on his bench right now.

2. He needs to get Casillas on his side. Iker Casillas is Real Madrid. He's been at the club since he was 7 years old, in fact, he's been basically the only constant at Real for the past decade. He's the revered best goalkeeper in the world. He has signed a contract for life with the club, with the buyout clause saying it all: 182 million dollars. He's the captain, he's the fan favorite, and he's Mourinho's key to getting this team to the Champions League. Mourinho needs to have a strong following amongst these star players, and they're going to be looking at Casillas to judge him.

3. Solidify the defense. Real's back four, other than Sergio Ramos, has been a cavalcade of players with no real connection to the fans or to the club itself. Mourinho needs to get a solid back four going, as that is the key to success in any major tournament. He's already making strides there though, as apparently Maicon wants to come with Mourinho from Inter. We've already seen how good Mourinho can make clubs defensively at Inter, but he's got work to do at Real.

This is my profile of what Jose Mourinho means to Real and what it means to him. Like this/have questions/think I'm wrong? Comment!

On Fabio Capello: What makes England's coach a bumbling idiot

I'm not going to get into how odd it is that England's coach is from Italy when every other major country's coach, Brazil (Dunga), Argentina (Diego Maradona), Spain (Vicente Del Bosque), Italy (Marcello Lippi), France (Laurent Blanc), and Germany (Joachim Low), have coaches that are actually from the country they are coaching. I mean, that makes sense right? Every player has to have established citizenship...shouldn't the coach? And here I am saying I wasn't going to get into it and then I did. Anyways, moving on, what makes Capello an idiot:

1. His squad selection. There are a couple of reasons why Capello messed everything up from day one when he picked his provisional squad. First of all, he didn't pick any of the Big Four. This is the name I have given to Michael Owen, Owen Hargreaves, Ryan Giggs, and Paul Scholes. These guys are the last remnants of the first class of the first installment of the Premier League. England would have loved if any of these guys had made it, particularly Hargreaves. But no, Capello decided to go against his word and pick a player who was woefully injured: Gareth Barry.

Barry had an injury at the time Capello picked him that some were saying would take 8 weeks to recover. From the provisional squad selection point, 8 weeks later would be a full week into the tournament itself. So Capello expects Barry to come back at 100 percent and compete? It seems like every time I bring up ESPN's Soccernet, it's some story about how Capello is kissing Barry's ass and telling him that everything is going to be fine and he'll do whatever it takes to get him on the roster. This is not what England's coach should be doing. England's coach should be out there saying that Rooney's ankle is fine, and that he'll win the Golden Boot this year. He should be out there saying that he doesn't care about how bad Gerrard's season was, he's still the most phenomenal blah blah blah. He should be out there saying that we should move on from the John Terry scandal and focus on our new captain, Rio Ferdinand, who's broken leg has healed great thank you, and will be a great asset to this team. But no, it's all about little Barry.

On Tuesday, Barry was scheduled to have a series of tests done to see if he would be ready in time. He failed miserably. Capello came out and said that he would give him more time. The World Cup is closing fast and Barry is wasting away on the bench when Hargreaves could be in there knocking the ball around with these guys. Also, Barry's injury is just not a big deal for one big reason: Michael Carrick exists. Carrick should start anyway, he's got a lethal shot, and he's just as good if not better of a passer than Barry. But no, Capello has to keep saying that Barry is his guy. I honestly don't think he knows anything about any of England's other players. Which brings me to my next point.

2. He's making terrible formation decisions. Ahead of the England's first friendly match against Mexico on Tuesday, Capello said he had been "experimenting" with England. Let's take a look at what he's suggesting and how terrible his suggestions are.

First, Capello said that he has been working with a three man centre back defense. For those who don't know, a traditional defense includes four defenders. Two on the inside, called full backs sometimes, and two on the outside, called wingbacks. What Capello is suggesting is a formation with only three defenders, who would play much more central positions. This is the formation that makes the German Bundesliga the top scoring league in the world, because this formation allows for teams to push more players up field and make more scoring opportunities. But, it's difficult to really tell if the high scoring is because of the extra man up top, or the man missing down below, as pretty much every team in the Bundesliga uses this formation. Ignoring these variables, Capello decided this would a good formation to have England PRACTICE. And I capitalize practice because practice is a big deal leading up to the World Cup. Because every team basically has a month to get a bunch of superstars together and have them work as a team. Let's look at why this strategy is a waste of precious practice time.

Ashley Cole and Glen Johnson. For those who know who these players are, I really don't need to say anything else. But I will, because it's important. Cole and Johnson are quite the dynamic duo, both players are extremely skilled on the ball and love to push the ball up field and deliver crosses into the box for their teammates. Both have accrued quite a few assists over their careers doing this. Of course, with Capello's new three man centre back defense, these two wing backs would be basically worthless. This is why this is a horrible idea. Does Capello understand that having Cole upfield not only gives Gerrard an outlet when he gets in trouble, but would also allow him to get into the box? Apparently not.

Another reason why this is a terrible idea is that centre back John Terry would be extremely limited. He is also known for pushing the ball past the centre line and starting an attack. He wouldn't be able to do that now because if he lost the ball, there would only be two English defenders back. Which would of course, suck.

The second proposal of maistro Capello is to make Wayne Rooney a lone striker and have Gerrard play as a retracted striker behind him. This is also a terrible idea. Here's why: traditionally, England scores on the principle of "pass and move." This is what every English club (sans Arsenal) bases their strategy around. Let me explain. In a REAL English attack, Rooney would have someone like Jermain Defoe with him up top. Here's what happens theoretically: Lampard passes to Rooney. Then Rooney passes to Defoe, who quickly taps it back to Lampard. Now, while Defoe is tapping it back to Lampard, Rooney has made space for himself in the box. Then Lampard passes it right back to Rooney, who scores on the keeper who is like, "WTF? I can't follow ball it move so fast!!" This is called a "triangle" and it is based on the principle of pass and move, as Rooney makes a pass, and then moves into position. You would think that's how every team scores, but this is not so, as every team scores a little differently.

Like at Brazil. On Brazil, here's what happens: someone passes to Kaka who runs past every opposing player and scores some miraculous upper 90 goal. Because he's Kaka. Or, any Brazilian passes to any Brazilian who then does some kind of miracle bicycle kick into the top corner. Then they do the same thing like five more times and win. This is still different from how Argentina scores:

Some nameless Argentine midfielder passes the ball to Lionel Messi/Carlos Tevez/Diego Milito/Gonzalo Higuain/Sergio Aguero who then does Maradonas past everyone and chips the keeper. This is still different from how Ivory Coast scores:

Get the ball to Didier Drogba. Then you just...win. But then you can look at Italy and it's still different:

A constant merry-go-round of good-but-not-great Italian strikers and attacking midfielders repeatedly get into the box and lose the ball until finally one of them scores and it's 1-0 but it doesn't matter because the other team can't score because Buffon is in goal and no one can score on him. Or, Italy can't score at all but it still doesn't matter because Buffon is in goal and no one can score on Buffon so it goes into penalties and the other team still can't score because Buffon is in goal and then Italy wins because at least Andre Pirlo will be able to score a penalty kick for them.

Back to England. Let's look at Capello's vision of how England will score:

Rooney gets the ball. From here, he has two options, and only two. He can juke out FOUR defenders (see what I did there?) and try to score on the keeper, or he can do a back-pass to Lampard or...Hargreaves. Then he can try to get into open space. The problem is, there's no one else to pinch defenders away from him, so while one centre back charges Lampard/Hargreaves, the other locks down on Rooney. That's fundamentally what will happen. Here's what Capello wants to happen:

Rooney gets the ball, he shoots the ball, which the keeper has to parry and can't catch because Rooney shoots so damn hard. Then Gerrard, who was behind Rooney, happens to be in perfect position for the rebound and puts a whole in the net.

That sounds like a miracle goal that may happen once in the whole tournament. That sounds like a coach who has no idea what he's doing and is about to let a country he normally lives 3,000 miles away from down. Why does he care again? Oh yeah, England is paying him. Diego Maradona came out today and claimes he WILL run naked through the streets in joy WHEN Argentina wins this year. Notice the language, his words not mine (I still want England to win). I'm not expecting the English coach to make statements like that, I just wish someone was coaching who I felt comfortable with. Not just the manager of Roma, for God's sake.

On France: What makes them the most balanced team in the world

France is not my favorite team. I'm actually pretty sure I have no feelings about them whatsoever. But, when looking over their roster, it's incredible to realize how much balance this team has, in every aspect of the game. Let's examine this.

1. Power and speed in attack. Franck Ribery (pictured above) is really fast. But, he's not Theo Walcott fast (who runs like a track star who happens to have a ball at his feet), this is controlled speed. This is speed that can stop on a dime, cut in, and deliver a cross. To my knowledge, other than Portugal's Simao, the previously mentioned England's Walcott, and Holland's Arjen Robben, no other player is known for breakneck pace like Ribery is. Ribery sets the pace for this team, and you should watch France if only to (try) and see him on the ball.

But then they've got guys with great power too, like Yoann Gourcuff, whom I discussed yesterday. So France can gash you with their pace, and then break your back with their heartstopping shots.

2. Age. Some teams in the world cup this year, like Germany, Holland, and in my mind Brazil, are getting a little old. Like, all of them. Other teams, like Argentina, are full of a lot of youngsters. France has a lot of both, the perfect mix really. And this shows with their captain, Thierry Henry. Now, Henry didn't play his best football this year, riding the bench at Barca, but he's still a leader on and off the field. Then they have guys like Gourcuff, who are in their first World Cup and are eager to make their debut.

3. Balance at every position. Let's start from the back and work our way forward on this one. Lloris is a great goalkeeper. So great, that many think that a lot of the reason why Lyon made their run in the Champions League this year is because of his outstanding reach and reaction time.

In defense, they have William Gallas, who is arguably the strongest defender in football. He's also a cocky asshole, which is needed on the back line of any great team. Then they have Patrice Evra, who is, in my mind, the best defender on the ball in the world. His crosses are absolutely superb, and his ability to get up the field will allow Ribery to get into the box, where that speed and agility will come in very handy. Also back there is Bacary Sagna, who has been known to get up field and take a whack or two, adding some power into the mix. They round it out with Gael Clichy, a solid, all-around good defender.

Midfield is where the talent really starts to show. In the defensive midfield positions, they have Alou Diarra and Jeremy Toulalan, one of the most reliably impenetrable combinations in Europe. Out on the wings, they have Ribery and Florent Malouda, who is also wickedly fast. Then up top in the middle is the man of the hour, Gourcuff.

Finally, up top, they have Nicolas Anelka who was recently described by The Sun as "the world's most complete striker," Henry whom we have already talked about, and Andre-Pierre Gignac, who's got some great skills.

All in all, I can't think of another team that has this kind of balance in every aspect of football (shut up Spain). France is a darkhorse to win the Cup, in my opinion.

On Youngsters: Which players under 24 to watch for in the World Cup

This is a post dedicated to the best players under 24 that will be in their first World Cup Finals. All of these players will most likely be in the 25 man squad for their country's national team.

1. Yoann Gourcuff. Country: France. Age: 23. Position: Center attacking midfielder (CAM)


You can basically think of this guy as a French version of Cristiano Ronaldo. He's got the looks, a Howitzer cannon of a shot, and top of the line field vision. He's becoming known for being an extremely intelligent player who rarely makes mistakes and the French are going crazy over him. This guy is a dark horse for the Golden Boot, and definitely someone to watch for in this and the next three World Cups.

2. Gerard Pique. Country: Spain. Age: 23. Position: Center back (CB)


Pique is the new Puyol. The difference is, he's bigger than Puyol, faster than Puyol, more deadly with the ball at his feet than Puyol, and more reliable than Puyol. Basically, Pique is going to be the foundation of Spain's back four when Puyol gets a red card (which he will), and he can't even rent a car in the United States.

3. Lionel Messi. Country: Argentina. Age: 22. Position: Left winger (LW)



























The heralded "best player in the world." La Liga's top scorer. The man who tied Ronaldo's impossible 43 goals in a season this year. He's five feet two inches and would be asked to show some identification at any night club in the United States. Messi's left foot has become synonymous (as every club in La Liga knows by now) with defeat. "Maradona's successor" is the penultimate striker in the world. He loves chipping keepers, whirling around defenders, and basically making football look like a cake walk. You definitely won't want to miss Argentina playing at the Cup this year, if only to see this kid play.

4. Gonzalo Higuain. Country: Argentina. Age: 22. Position: Striker (ST)


Yes, they have another one. La Liga's second leading scorer, and Real Madrid's newest star, Higuain has a nose for the goal, and an aptitude for finishing. A top pick amongst a lot of analyists to win the Golden Boot, Higuain has been jostling with other Argentine strikers Carlos Tevez, Diego Milito, and Sergio Aguero to be in the starting line-up, and most think he's a shoe-in. Though those other three are also pretty great. More on one of them right now.

5. Sergio Aguero. Country: Argentina. Age: 21. Position: ST


Are you going to watch Argentina now? Aguero is a very special player, and not just because he's married to Argentine manager and former international superstar Diego Maradona's daughter. Aguero is extremely skilled on the ball, and has garnered a lot of attention starting alongside Diego Forlan at Atletico Madrid. He may come in only a few times, he may start for Argentina. Again, with this country, they have so many options up top, it's hard to pick just two or three to play.

So those are my top five young players. Do you have other ones? Comment!

On David Villa: Why he'll win the coveted Golden Boot at the World Cup

Honestly, David Villa is the current front runner to win this thing, so this looks like kind of a band wagon post. But I'm going to tell you why the obvious is what's going to happen this year at the World Cup.

To win the Golden Boot, a couple of basic things have to be in place. First, the team has to go far in the tournament so that goals can be accrued. Second, there has to be a great team element. Third, the player has to have a lot of individual talent and serve a specific niche on the team as a "goal scorer." Here's a breakdown of why all of these things are going to fall into place for Villa this year.

1. Spain is in a crap group. It's no secret that past Golden Boot winners profitted by scoring two to three goals in one match against particularly defensively weak opponents. Spain is in a group with Chile, Honduras, and Switzerland. None are push overs obviously, but all of these teams are characteristically weak defensively. Spain will surely be able to crush at least Switzerland and Honduras, and the man behind it will be Villa.

2. Xavi is passing to him. Xavi is considered by most to be one of the best passers of all time. In the 2006 World Cup, he got four assists in A GAME. He's the orchestrator of the entire offense, and the venom of that offense it Villa. Which brings me to my next point.

3. Villa is a great striker. As a player in his own right, Villa has established himself as one of the best strikers in La Liga and the world. He's famous for his scorching shot, but he's got great pace and ball skills. Really the only thing not going for Villa is his size, but being in a group against undersized South Americans helps that issue. He'll also probably get a crack at a few free kicks, maybe getting a goal or two there too.

4. Spain is a team. In the truest since of the word, Spain's players work together, and quite well. This is because at least seven of the players in the starting lineup have been playing all season for Barcelona, winning the La Liga there. This is a bunch of guys who know how to win together, and they'll be utilizing Villa to the best of his abilities.

5. Torres chokes. It's sad but true, Fernando Torres is infamous for being unable to deliver in big game situations. Coupled with a disappointing season at Liverpool, the weight of goal scoring will fall on Villa in Torres' absence. And Villa is notorious for being a fearless, clutch player.

6. Spain is favorited to win the World Cup. In my mind, anyway. EPI has Brazil ranked over them, but you can't tell me Spain isn't the favorite. This is a team that will at the very least make the final, meaning Villa will have plenty of opportunities in plenty of games to score.

On United States vs. England: What needs to happen for the U.S. to win.

For those who don't know, the United States is playing their opening game of the 2010 Fifa World Cup against England. Some might say, well that sucks. I'm here to tell you what needs to happen for the United States, who aren't as big of underdogs as one might think, to win that game. Before I start though, I want to say that England is my team other than the U.S. I feel the opposite of what Sir Alex Ferguson said, who said that he wishes the United States luck, after they play England. I wish England luck, after they play the U.S.

1. Score early. This is an old addage in all of sports. If you're the underdog, you need to come out with a fire lit under your ass and take it to the house. Whether it's Altidore doing one of his little jukey run things, Donovan getting an open shot at goal, or anyone else, they need to get in a position to have a chance early and they need to take it.

2. Get physical. England are a bunch of big boys. A lot of them are established bullies. But the U.S. has got big boys of their own, and they need to get out there and take it to them. They've done it before, Clint Dempsey once broke John Terry's jaw in a friendly match. I want to see Dempsey and Bradley going after English key players Garreth Barry and Aaron Lennon. Jermaine Defoe is a tiny little guy, give him a whack or two whenever he tries to get in the box. Even Rooney, who is an absolute hell-hound on the ball, needs to be reigned in. If this game is going to the United States, they need to take the fight to England hard. I want to see the American Revolution, Part Two, with the same victor. Hoo-ah.

3. Take advantage of injured English roster. Don't get me wrong, the United States has injury problems of their own, but those are all old news. The injuries that England are dealing with happened VERY recently, and those players need to be taken advantage of. In defense, Rio Ferdinand is just coming back from a broken leg. In midfield, Garreth Barry messed up his ankle and could have been out for SIX WEEKS, and that happened two weeks ago. Up top, Rooney messed up his ankle, came into a game too early and exasperated it last week. These are players that are surely not one hundred percent, and we need to capitalize on that.

On the same note, England has players all over the pitch that are just out of form. John Terry, following the scandal of him SLEEPING WITH TEAMMATE WAYNE BRIDGE'S WIFE was stripped of his captainship, and caused Bridge to bow out of the team. And then he started playing like crap, and he really hasn't gotten better since. Steven Gerrard (whom I love) is just not playing his best football right now, and his wicked shot was one of the biggest fears of the U.S. going into the tournament. Don't even get me started in England's forwards, who I've already mentioned in this blog have basically been absent except Rooney. And finally, Frank Lampard. I know, he had a great season, an exceptional one (22 goals in league play). But, Lampard's last shot he took was a penalty in the FA Cup final against Portsmouth which he MISSED. This is Frank Lampard, who, despite Cristiano Ronaldo and Didier Drogba, is supposed to be the best penalty taker in the world. That will not sit well with him, and I think he'll come out spooked.

4. Play as a team. One of the biggest advantages that the United States has is that they are a team of friends. Whereas on teams like Spain or Argentina, most of the guys from the U.S. have known each other for years. On those other big teams, a bunch of superstars are coming together, most of which play on seperate land masses, and trying to put together a team. England is no different. This is a team who is, quite literally, sleeping around on each other. They've been bitter rivals for their entire career, and the United States needs to frustrate them enough to let that come out. The United States doesn't have these problems. When they have the ball, they need to play relaxed, clean football. Knock the ball around a little to start off the game, just get a nice flow going. And then take it to the house before the tenth minute.

These are my keys for the U.S. winning against England. Have your own/think these are wrong? Comment!

On Manchester City: How Peter Crouch's forehead ruined the hopes and dreams of a franchise

Late in the second half of the Manchester City vs. Tottenham game, Peter Crouch bumbled into a cross and headed it into the net of City, 1-0. City was unable to respond, and secured their fifth place spot in the Premier League. Tottenham's three points from the victory secured fourth place for them and a berth into the Champions League next season. But there are two big implications for City losing this game other than not making the Champions League. Let's take a look:

1. Keeping foreign players here. Coming into this season, City were criticized as a team of stars with no real team element. Their front three clearly shows this. Carlos Tevez (pictured above), Robinho, and Emmanuel Adebayour. These guys all came to City with promises of a couple of things: a Premiership within two years, a Champions League berth this season, and a lot of playing time. It seems that those first two are going to be a little out of reach. That has made these guys pretty antsy. Particularly Robinho. The Brazilian on loan came out yesterday pleading to return to Brazil to play for a club like Sao Paulo, so he's probably gone. Manchester United and even Real Madrid have also shown a vested interest in Tevez, and he knows if he goes there he'll get what he wants. But Tevez is a great guy, he scored 23 goals in League play this year and by all accounts is extremely happy at City. But will he be able to resist the temptation? Only time will tell. But as the World Cup gets closer and closer, it seems that a lot of clubs are waiting to see how the Argentinian will perform. Adebayour is talent that will be particularly hard to hold on to. His ball skills are already turning heads, despite an underwhelming goal tally. The loss of these players, particularly Tevez, is a major threat to City's chances next season.

2. Getting new players. City is among Chelsea as one of the first clubs to make an offer to Fernando Torres. They are offering the same amount (perhaps even more) and another laundry list of players for Liverpool to choose from. But Torres probably won't go there. The Spanish phenom wants to go to the Champions League, and Crouch's forehead ruled that out for City. They also made a big offer to Aston Villa attacking midfielder Milner yesterday, but he hasn't made a statement about that yet. One can't help but wonder if Milner would want to leave a club where he is the established star to go to a team with no chemistry and have to prove himself all over again, without even having a crack at the Champions League. Oh how the dominoes fall.

But things aren't all bad for City. They've got some experience under their belt, and this means that they'll only work harder next season. They also made the Europa League with fifth place, which isn't bad at all. At least they have something to take how to their fans, and they'll certainly be one of the strongest clubs in the tournament next year.

So perhaps my title was a little harsh, there maybe hope yet for City.

On Fernando Torres: Why Liverpool will be better off without him

It's been a rough year at Anfield. The Red faithful have seen their golden boy Steven Gerrard's form dipping dramatically, an extremely disappointing seventh place finish putting them out of the Champions League for next season, and, finally, the debilitation of their star Fernando Torres. Torres scored 18 goals in League play this year. Which isn't bad at all. But it wasn't enough to keep the Reds, who had trouble defending most matches, in their usual top 3 spot. And it's a total with a big asterisk, *injuries. Torres was on and off the pitch this season, whether it was for mere exhaustion or ligament problems. Injuries are never fun, and it's probable that had Torres been able to stay healthy, Liverpool may have had more of a shot in the Premier League and probably would have won the Europa Cup too.

Don't get me wrong, Torres is a marvelous player. You are looking at basically the best player on the ball since Maradona. He's got the perfect balance of finesse, work ethic, ball control, passing ability, and raw talent that is currently making every major club drool.

So what's with the title? What would ever make Liverpool want to lose this guy? The answer lies in exactly who is looking at him. Right now, Manchester City and Chelsea are both offering record breaking (mind boggling) transfer fees for Torres. Chelsea looks to be the more likely to acquire Torres at this point, as the Spanish striker wants a shot at the Champions League, and City just missed the qualifier this year. More on that later.

So let's look at two big reasons why Liverpool benefits from losing Torres to Chelsea.

1. A laundry list of great players. Chelsea has offered the following players to smooth things over for Liverpool's transition without Torres: Jose Bosingwa, Nicolas Anelka, Ricardo Carvalho, Deco, Salomon Kalou and Paulo Ferreira.

Liverpool has their pick of any three of those. They don't really need Bosingwa because they have Glen Johnson, but obviously the skilled French striker Anelka would help fill Torres' shoes. The Portuguese Deco is an established legend and would be a welcomed sight at center field, where he would likely replace Italian teenager Aquillani. Kalou would be a great attacking midfielder to sub in for Gerrard, because god knows that kid gets tired sprinting his ass off to every ball that comes his way. He would also come in across from newly acquisitioned Maxi Rodriguez and fan favorite Dirk Kuyt, creating possibly a perfect storm of crosses raining in on the 18 yard box. But probably the best bet for Liverpool would be either of the center defenders offered, Carvalho and Ferreira. The full-back position at Liverpool this year has been a merry-go-round of players, none of which seemed to be able to keep the pressure off of goalkeeper Pepe Reina, which ended up not being so bad for him, as he was able to prove his worth to the Spanish national team.

2. Transfer fee. What do you do with 80 million pounds? A better question: what don't you do with 80 million pounds? This is an earth-shattering amount, and easily eclipses last year's record 42 million Man U was paid for Ronaldo to move to Real. The possibilities are endless. Maybe make a move for a high profile guy like Robin Van Persie, or, if Bayern loses the Champions League final on Saturday, a guy like Arjen Robben. Maybe go for a better defender, like Squillici, who's riding the bench at Real Madrid. Maybe try to sneak David Silva away from Real Madrid (though they'd have to move fast for that). Maybe you go for a really great midfielder, like Sneijder if Inter loses the Champions League final. The point is, you can do pretty much anything with kind of money.

If Torres goes to the Bridge next year, all hope will definitely not be lost for the Reds.

On Manchester United: Why they are my favorite club and why they are great.

Explaining the title: I just said "great" because personally, it really pisses me off when people always say "THE GREATEST TEAM/BAND/PLAY/MOVIE/POTATO CHIP EVER." Even if it is true, it's obnoxious and dumb. Except for football, as it actually is the best sport. As I will explain later. Anyway, I think it would be pretty hard to argue that Manchester United (who have won 18 Premierships, 11 FA Cups, 3 UEFA Championships, one Super Cup, and a Fifa World Cup) or really any club in the Barclays Premier League, isn't great. This is the top level of football (followed closely by Spain's La Liga, in my book)

Explaining why they are my favorite: We'll just get this out of the way, as I'm sure most of you aren't interested in my personal stake in this team.

I've only been a fan of this club for about 8 months, but you can't really blame me because I'm from the US. I started being a fan of the club after I bought Fifa 10. A video game. But, in my defense, it's considered to be quite great (Metacritic). I liked using them because I could score with them quite a lot, and I liked all of their players. Easy enough. Looking into my history, I found that a major part of my heritage actually comes from Manchester. So, that makes me legit. I guess. Alright, moving on.

Why they are great:

Reason 1: Wayne Rooney.

Rooney is Manchester United right now, straight up. He's the player everyone associates with them, and they very well should. With 26 goals in 32 appearences in League play in 34 goals across all competitions, Rooney is the top scorer for Man U and probably would have been in the Premier League if not for an injury that kept him out of four games at the end of the season, letting Chelsea's goal eater Didier Drogba (29 goals in League play) pass him.

But Rooney means more than just Man U. Going into South Africa, Rooney is really the only solid forward England has got. With Jermaine Defoe woefully out of form, and an aging Peter Crouch, there's really nobody left up top at England. Gerrard plays like a forward, so that will help, but they still need Rooney up there. Rooney is also simply the most fun English forward to watch right now, for the following reasons.

Defoe: Defoe is simply out of form. He's also basically just a speed forward. He doesn't have too much of a shot, and he's got some solid skill, but nothing terribly special.

Crouch: Crouch is just an ugly player in my opinion. He's pretty good at taking chances, but his goals are never really like, "Wow! That guy is special!" He just sort of has a knack for being in the right place at the right time, and he's maybe good for a goal every two games.

Heskey: Heskey is a pretty solid player, but that's it. He's just good. He's definitely not great. And in the World Cup, you have to be nothing short of miraculous. Or at least good at kicking penalties.

In short, Rooney is the life blood of Man U, and of England in a lot of ways.

Reason 2: A history of greatness.

I already mentioned this up top, but Man U has got a lot of established precedent of being great. They are one of only four teams to ever win the Premiership, and they've won it the most of anyone. This is reason enough for a band wagon, which Man U definitely has, but there's still more.

(Pictured above is George Best, considered by most to be the best player in Man U's history.

Reason 3: They get them first.

Throughout their history, Man U has had a knack for getting the world's best players right in their prime. It's true that they usually end up losing them, but they still get them while they're hot. We have seen a good amount of this in recent years. Before David Beckham was famous for "bending it," before Cristiano Ronaldo was just "Ronaldo," they were Red Devils. You can see it happening even now. Rooney is now a star (I know, he was at Everton first, but he wasn't a star yet), and they've got 18 year old Italian phenom Federico Macheda waiting in the laurels. A note on Macheda: that kid has come into a game twice now for a total of only about 30 minutes and scored two goals. That's exciting talent right there, and it's budding, as it always has, in Man U.

Reason 4: Diversity.

This is true of most clubs in the big five leagues in Europe (Ligue 1, La Liga, Seria A, Bundesliga, Premier League), but it's especially true of the starters at Man U. Nemanja Vidic (Serbia, pictured above), Patrica Evra (France), Nani (Cape Verde), Dimitar Berbatov (Bulgaria), Edwin Van Der Sar (Holland), Rafael (Brazil), are all not only starters, but some of them (particularly Vidic and Evra) are considered the best in the world at their position. The list goes on as you look at their roster for those that don't start but are still on the active roster: Senegal, Norway, Italy, Belgium, Canada, Poland, South Korea, Yugoslavia. This is a club of the world, and when you realize that it's really incredible when you think about how all of these different people work together so effectively

They also cast a wide net, obviously, as there are players in that list from every continent except Antarctica. And it's only getting wider, as they just signed Javier Hernandez, the club's first ever Mexican player.

Reason 5: Important English national players.

In addition to reason 4, Man U has a great amount of players from England that are key players. We've already talked about Rooney, but they've also got Rio Ferdinand. Ferdinand is important not only because he's a really great center defender, but also because people like him. That goes a long way when you're starting next to John Terry, who's faced a whole slew of scandals throughout his career and is known as a pretty dirty player. Ferdinand is also a really loyal Red Devil. He made a point to come out after there was buzz in the air about Man U not winning the Premiership this year to say he wanted to be one of those guys who "got to Man U and stayed there."

By the way, the "those guys" are also an important part of Man U. These are the extremely experienced (aging, slightly) players that are established legends in England. These are the guys who have been to the World Cup, have been on the teams that have won the Premiership. This is where the leadership aspect of the club comes in. You've got guys like Michael Owen, Ryan Giggs, Owen Hargreaves, and Paul Scholes. Scholes, Giggs and Owen hold countless Premier League records, and Hargreaves was supposed to get a tap for the World Cup this year, but then Capello decided to be an ass and pick Garreth Barry, who will be recovering from an injury and useless.

Reason 6: The Red Army.

Whether England likes it or not, hooliganism is a major part of the Premier League image. It's a pretty big draw. Whenever you mention English football, the first reaction is "Whew, those guys are crazy!" It's what everyone wants to talk about when they go to a match, how crazy the fans are. It's what the media projects as the lifestyle of English football. It's a way of life for these guys.

And if you are interested in hooliganism, you need look no further than Man U's Red Army. Despite having probably the most intimidating name of any other hooligan group, the Red Army is one of the largest and have an established precedent as being insane. While the term has been used to describe Man U fans in general, the memory of all of the vandalism and violence still lives on. They are a large part of why fans are segregated at matches now, with two seperate entrances. They have pet players, like the ever-pugnacious Gary Neville and the stoic impassable mountain that is Nemanja Vidic.

Reason 7: Old Trafford.

This should have been higher up on the list, because it's probably one of the best parts of Man U. Built in 1910, the Theater of Dreams is the premier stadium of the Premier League. After Wembley Stadium, it is has the largest capacity of any stadium in England, seating 75,957. It is the 11th largest in all of Europe. It is also the only stadium along with the Wembley to be given a five star rating by UEFA. It's where dreams are made, it's majestic, and I really want to go.

Reason 8: Sir Alex Ferguson.

Whether you like him or not, the man almost won an unprecedented four Premierships in a row. If he didn't have idiotic owners like the American Glazer family pulling the strings, he'd have a lot more money to throw around and may even still have Ronaldo. He's an old guy with a lot of power and he knows how to use it, plain and simple.

I'm out of reasons. Comment if you like this/have other ideas/think I'm an asshole.