On the World Cup 2010: Final thoughts and reactions

So the World Cup has drawn to a close. I don't know about you, but it's pretty depressing for me. Anyway, I want to get right down to the broad strokes of this final and what it means for the upcoming season of club play.

1. Spain's victory. In quite possibly the worst game of the tournament, Spain and Holland continually missed the chance to win the biggest sporting event of either of their country's history. I don't know about you, but I felt like I was watching some chippy Scottish Premier League game where all of the players are drunk off their asses going into the game.

This game produced by far the most yellow cards in the history of the Final, the first ever recorded live action Falcon Kick by Nigel De Jong, two of the worst moments in Arjen Robben's life, an extremely climactic goal from Andres Iniesta off a broken play, and some extremely spine-chilling tears from Spanish captain Iker Casillas.

Let's talk for a minute about Torres. I think that this is the most tragic story of the tournament. Torres went into this World Cup having endured two major knee surgeries, one of the most talked about transfer deals in soccer history, and having had to sit out for the large majority of one of the worst seasons in Liverpool's history. When he arrived on the stage, everyone shit on him non-stop, and he was pulled out of the starting line-up. This was a piss poor decision because Bosque had to change the entire formation so that Villa was a lone striker. Villa is not a lone striker. He scored all five of his goals when Torres was in the game because that meant he could start out on the left, when he's a lone striker, he gets lost amongst the central defenders and his pretty below average aerial game. The decision to pull Torres is the cause of Spain's complete lack of potency in the final. If you noticed, Spain was constantly trying to work the ball through the middle of the defense, which is exactly what Holland wanted and they defended valiantly everytime.

Then when he did finally put him in in the final, Torres tweaked his hamstring again. And that just sucks.

Let's move on now.

2. Thomas Mueller wins the Golden Boot. 20 year old Thomas Mueller won the Golden Boot this year because of a tie break with Forlan, Villa, and Sneijder. He had three assists whereas they all only had one. Mueller with this Boot has become the youngest player since Pele in 1954 to score 5 or more in a World Cup Final, is the youngest player ever to win the Boot, and he's only a few months older than me.

Now, let's talk about Mueller's future. Mueller will return to Bayern Munich next season coming off one of the most impressive displays of the entire tournament. There's a problem though, because the man who currently starts out on the right for Bayern is none other than Arjen Robben, who is probably the second best right winger in the world right now after Lionel Messi. I think Mueller needs to leave Bayern, maybe even stay in the Bundesliga. I would just really hate to see talent like that riding the bench.

3. Diego Forlan wins the Golden Ball. Forlan is my favorite player ever. He's got the field vision, the passing skills to go with it, the shot of a Barrett 50 caliber sniper rifle, the technique, and the grace. He also never dives, never gets carded, and never bitches to the refs. He just does his job, straight up.

A story about Forlan for those who don't know: He dedicates every goal he scores to his sister who was paralyzed in a car accident when they were kids. He became a professional footballer so that she'd never have to pay a medical bill in her life.

He's the last great, classy player.

4. Disapppointments. I'm just going to go through these quickly. Wayne Rooney touched the ball like six times total. Torres (sadness). Cristiano Ronaldo scored a goal I could score and other than that rolled around on the pitch like a bitch. Lionel Messi broke the record for the most shots in a single tournament (30) without a goal. France just screwed everything up. England looked like a bunch of tired old men. Italy.

5. Final thoughts. I hope you all enjoyed this World Cup, I know I did. I'll start covering the transfer craziness and the club season soon. Until next time. Thanks for reading.

On the Opening Round of the Group Stage: What I've observed.

So we've seen the first 16 games of the WC, we've had one good look at every team that is playing in the tournament this year. These are my observations from the precedings thus far:

Goalkeepers: Doing fine. I'm really tired of the media circus surrounding goalkeeper "errors." So Rob Green fumbled a ball, Algeria's keeper misplayed a ball, and Paraguay's keeper came out too early on a corner. Who cares? Aren't goals what we want to see anyway?

Also, no one is talking about the keepers who have had great performances. Nigeria's goalie Vincent Enyeama stopped Messi four times when the ball would have surely gone in the top corner. Japan's goalie played like an absolute hero against Cameroon, taking a hard fall on his tailbone and finishing the match. Tim Howard...is just incredible.

If the keepers have made errors, they have more than made up for it in their individual performance, and I say again: since when does an audience mind when goals are scored?

2. Jubulani Ball: Piece of crap. I know that this is kind of a cliche topic, but it has to be said. It seems that the complaints of players about this ball are well warranted. It flies way too far, it nearly impossible to curve (it seems) and takes some very odd bounces. Most of these players are used to just playing with something that looks round, this "technological achievement" of a "perfectly round ball" has them all caught off guard, and no one has quite been able to tame it.

3. The Far East: Surprising everyone. South Korea, for a couple of days, was the only team to get more than one goal in a game. They seemed to just cut swathes through Greece, who was certainly struggling, but the performance was impressive nonetheless. Then Japan destroyed the hopes one of Africa's main teams, Cameroon. But they certainly haven't stolen these games.

Kisuke Honda, for Japan, was perhaps one of the most exciting players to watch on the ball we've seen so far. His goal was one of the coolest I've seen yet.

North Korea, even though they didn't win, did extremely well against Brazil, and were even able to get a goal out of the contest. The two goals scored on them were hardly contestable as well, as the first was some kind of miracle, and the second was such an impressive display of skill that I can't think of a team that would have been able to stop it. It certainly seems as though the Far East are capable of surprising someone in this tournament, perhaps we'll see that tomorrow when South Korea takes on Argentina.

4. Big name teams: Unable to deliver. Italy ties Paraguay. Spain loses to Switzerland. France ties Uruguay. England ties the United States. Brazil wins by a goal over North Korea. Portugal ties Ivory Coast. It seems as if none of the big teams that have qualified in this tournament, other than Germany and Holland, who we'll get to later, have been able to really get a handle on their game. The majority of them just look like another team. Even Spain, despite an extremely impressive passing display, were unable to get that finishing stroke working.

5. Germany, Holland, and Argentina: The front runners. If not for an extremely impressive performance by Nigeria's goalkeeper, Argentina would have won their opening game 4-0 just as Germany did so impresssivly against Australia.

Holland have played their most difficult game in their group, so you have to believe that they will be able to rack up the goals.

Germany looked...immaculate in their game. They were even able to get a struggling Miroslav Klose to score. These seem to be the teams in the driver's seat at this point. Two are expected (Argentina and Holland) and one was perhaps underestimated by me, but should have been expected (Germany).

6. Cristiano Ronaldo: A douche. ...That's really it for that one.

7. Fabio Capello: Still an idiot. Capello decided to play Ledley King at centre back to replace injured Rio Ferdinand. The more than capable Upson was on the bench, sitting there. King is quite injury prone, and was barely cleared to even play in the tournament. King got horribly injured in the match against the U.S. and is now out of the WC. So Capello has managed to oust two centre backs thus far. 2 down, 21 players to go, right Fabio!

8. Diego Forlan: The Big Bad Wolf is howling. The only player to accrue more than one goal thus far, Forlan was the orchestrator of Uruguay's route of South Africa today. He's my favorite player, he didn't let me down today, and it's looking great for his team to advance into the next round (perhaps farther).

These are my findings from this opening round. Have some of your own? Comment!

On Cristiano Ronaldo: Profiling the biggest football celebrity since Beckham

^That is Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2003, when his first club Sporting FC of Portugal played Manchester United in a friendly match, United manager Sir Alex Ferguson had a revelation. By halftime, he decided: "I have to sign this boy. He is sensational." Two years later, Ronaldo would be recognized consistently as one of the three best players in the world and was absolutely tearing apart the competition alongside Wayne Rooney. He set a record that was tied this year by Lionel Messi of 43 goals across all competitions when he was at United. His performance inspired this video, and quite a few like it, that became a youtube phenomenon and sky rocketted his international celebrity.

United won three Premier League titles in a row, due in most part in most minds to Ronaldo's efforts.

However, Ronaldo's antics on and off the field soon won him a "love 'em or hate 'em" following. Those who hate him, think he is the scourge of football and represents all that is wrong with the sport. Those who love him, think he is the greatest player to ever walk the field. Much of your clout as a football enthusiast depends on what you think of Ronaldo, and that's saying a lot for any player.

He became one of the most recognizable faces in the world and was highly exposed in the media. This would only intensify the hatred of those who hate him, and would lead to massive increases in the sales of whatever sports drink or atheletic company he was representing for those who loved him.

Ronaldo was also quite vocal about his desire to go play for his childhood favorite team, Real Madrid. Soon enough, in 2009, because of the crippling debt saddled on the United Red Devils by new owners the Glazer family, Ronaldo was sold off to play for Real.

This is where my opinion of Ronaldo comes in, because this has been my first experience with him. Frankly, he's still a goal scorer, but other than a windmill of step-overs every once in a while, he doesn't flaunt all of the "wrap around crosses" and other patented moves that made him such a stupendous phenom to watch at United. Some people say that this is because he has matured as a player, and that may be so, but I have a different theory. I think he's achieved every thing he wants. It's almost like his stint as United was just him showing off to Real, which in itself is pretty impressive. Also, from watching him play, I don't detect his attitude anymore. He puts in a cross, and if his teammate can't convert it, he puts his hand in the air and says he'll do better next time, even if the cross was perfect.

I'm not sure I like the new Ronaldo though. I think I prefer him when he was screaming at refs for not calling fouls after he did 80 stepovers in a row and was cut low by a defender. I prefer when he nails a free kick from 43 yards away at an extreme angle and just puts his hands up in the air and smirks like it's not big deal. He had fire back then, attitude, personality. That was what ignited him on the field.

Now, he barely celebrates when he scores, doesn't say a word to refs, and does underwear modelling on his days off. He seems...well...bored. But this is where the World Cup comes in.

Quieroz, the Portuguese coach, has been laying the pressure on his team from day one, and continually tells his players that he expects them to win it all. Ronaldo has been the most vocal about how much pressure this puts on the players. And being in a brutal group with Brazil, Ivory Coast (now weakened with the absence of Drogba), and North Korea (who prove to be more of a fearless force week in and week out) Ronaldo and the rest of the squad are going to have to be in top form.

But Ronaldo is capable of anything, and he can take his country all the way. All he has to do is ignore all of the hype about him, ignore all of the Nike ads, ignore all of the bloodthirsty defenders who will be hacking away at him, and just shrug it off, smirk, and realize it's no big deal.

And maybe a few of those incredible juggling runs, knock-on nutmegs, spins, and fearless shots from 33 feet out will help, please.

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 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.