On Transfers: Top Five biggest transfers and what they mean for the clubs involved

1. David Villa- Valencia to Barcelona



















This is kind of a no-brainer. One of four top scorers at the World Cup this year, Villa has established himself as among some of the premier strikers in the world. His abilities are all based around one thing: goal scoring. Everything about Villa is crafted to score goals. He's got power, effective control of both feet, incredible ingeniuty and strength in the final third, and the guts to take the shot. Villa has averaged around 25 goals a season since he became Valencia's golden boy. But when the club went under financially and failed to achieve any kind of success again in the Spanish Primera Division, Barca cashed in and added what could be the hottest player in the world to their roster.

Let's take a look at this move in detail and what it means for Barca.

There are a lot of things about Villa's move that scream success. He'll replace an underwhelming Ibrahimovic, he's yet another Spanish national superstar to add to Barca's already impressive cast, he's got scoring ability, and he's coming from a club that tries very hard to mimick Barca. He's also just been training with a Spanish side that bases most of it's passing game on the Barca strategy.

However, there are some things that worry me about this move. What this move means is that Villa is going to probably start as a central striker with Iniesta out to his left. Villa loves to drift left, so this could cause some uncomfortable rubbing of shoulders of these two superstars. When this formula was in place in the World Cup in the final two games of the tournament for Spain, the offense looked almost idiotic in the final third, and got one goal from a broken play and expert finishing from Iniesta. But luck like that just isn't going to be there in La Liga week in and week out, and they certainly can't rely on goal production like 8 goals in 8 games.

Also, Villa is too goddamn short to play in the middle of the field. I don't care if he has overcome so many odds to be a great striker with his height, he's short. And he really has no aerial game, which is a key for playing in the center. Rooney is about as tall as Villa, but Wayne's got ups and he knows how to time a header, so he's an example of what Villa just doesn't have.

So while everyone is salivating about Villa's move, I'm waiting for some actual evidence that this is actually going to work.

2. David Silva- Valencia to Manchester City
















Valencia's implosion also benefitted Manchester City who will start the new season with the incisive passing, blazing speed, and creative ball skills to David Silva.

The only real concern I have for this move is related to how hesitant Bosque was to play Silva. It seemed as if Silva was out of form, so much so that Bosque made little to no effort to start him.

Other than that, I really don't see how this is just the ultimate win for City. More on them in a moment.

3. Javier Hernandez- Guadalajara to Manchester United



















The first Mexican to ever sign with the Red Devils, Guadalajara's own Javier Hernandez will find himself competing for a starting spot with Park Jin-Sook, Dimitar Berbatov, and Michael Owen. In that little introduction I've outlined my major concern with this move. Can Hernandez establish himself as the replacement for a dwindling Berbatov, and will he be able to win the spot over fan favorite and club stalwart Park?

I think so. When I saw this kid come into the line-up for Mexico, he looked like everyone kept hyping him up to be. He's got a never-ending appetite for the goal, a nose for it, and a natural instinct around the penalty box. This guy could be one of the rising artists of finishing, him and Karim Benzema (if Benzema takes his thumb out of his ass).

I don't think Ferguson will be hesitant to try out his new man, the question is if he can do what he needs to do.

4. Yossi Benayoun- Liverpool to Chelsea


















This has been the Blues' only real move in the offseason this year, but it's a huge one.

This is a crushing blow for Liverpool in my book, because Benayoun was a rare high point in their depressing season.

Benayoun is a little difficult for me to describe because I've only seen him play once, but what I understand about him is that he's got unforgiving pace and a real creative flare on the ball. I think that Chelsea were desperately missing both of those things out wide on the wings this year, so I think that this will be a great opportunity for Benayoun and the Blues.

5. Yaya Toure- Barcelona to Manchester City



























Man City has come out and said many times at the end of the season that they are ready to win the Premiership for the first time this year. So I guess their plan was to buy some people, which should work, you'd think.

But this is the epitomy of the problem with the English Premier League. There is so much pressure to produce produce produce that no one wants to sign some nobody anymore, or raise some great player. There may never be another Ryan Giggs. (Giggs by the way is the classic example of a homegrown English player).

This transfer I think is evidence of that. Toure was a cocky, belligerent ass at Barca and I don't think he'll be any different at Man City. He's going to have a tough time getting a starting spot with Garreth Barry in his spot, and I really don't think his 50 yard speculative shots that never go in are really welcome anywhere.

I kind of just made this number five to crap on Toure a bit.

So these are my picks for the five biggest transfers. Think I missed something? Think Yaya isn't worthless? Let's talk.

On the FINAL: Who will win.

For those who have been under a rock, On Sunday afternoon Holland will play Spain in the 2010 Fifa World Cup Final in South Africa. This marks the first time the final will be played in Africa and the first time that Spain have gotten beyond the quarter final (yes, it's true).

So what we all want to know is, who's going to win? It's an important question. Spain have been waiting 70 years to even have a chance like this, and Holland has been to three finals and never won. The question, who wants it more?

I think I've worked out who's going to win, and I don't think many of you are going to like it. But here goes: Spain 1-0 Holland.

Here's the thing, the Final is characteristically low scoring. And that makes sense. Everyone's nervous out of their damn minds, it's no wonder that chances are so rare. But I think Spain will be able to pull this out for a couple of reasons.

1. Midfield. The war is going to be won and lost in this game in the midfield. You've got Dutch enforcers Mark Van Bommel and Nigel De Jong trying to get the ball up field to Sneijder. On the other side, you've got Sergio Busquets, Xavi, Xabi Alonso, Andres Iniesta, and Pedro passing like demons and trying to snipe Villa on a diagonal run. The key man here is De Jong. He's got to avoid a yellow card while still kicking the crap out of Xavi, which isn't easy.

I'd say Holland's best chance is Sneijder's passing ability from the midfield out to Robben and Kuyt. Their best chance is to get Robben cutting in from the left or Kuyt laying a ball in to Robin Van Persie. But I think Spain's central defense got a pretty stern talking to, as they were playing like maniacs in the game today. I honestly think Puyol is going to die before he lets a ball get by him.

2. Psychological battle. Spain come into this final with absolutely no expectations. They've never been here before. And they could be the favorite, but Holland beat Brazil for God's sake. It's not like I'm calling a 3-0 route here, which will not happen I assure you.

But I think the key here is the mental state of Holland's players. They come into this game knowing the mournful history of their side in the final. They've got aging stars like Robben, Kuyt, Van Brockhorst, and Van Bommel who know that this is probably their last shot. They've got guys like Van Persie who are frustrated out of their minds with their inability to find a scoring chance. They've got one of the largest travelling fan bases in South Africa. I think all of the weight of expectation is on Holland, and I'm not sure they're ready to cope with that.

Not only that, but there has been simmering discord amongst the Dutch side. Like when Van Persie was whining after being taken out and saying that Sneijder should have been taken out, if anyone. Or when Van der Vaart came over and told Robben that he was going to take the corner, and Robben sort of grimaced and walked away. Seconds later, Van der Vaart missed absolutely everyone. I think that if this team gets down early (which they more than likely won't) the tensions may rise considerably.

3. Set pieces. Xavi. That's really all I have to say, but I'll elaborate. As today's game has shown us, as well as this entire tournament has shown us, set pieces are key in these massive games. And I think Spain have the best chance of converting one. Xavi is immaculate, and he never flinches in big game situations. Don't go get a beer when Spain has a corner, that's all I'm saying.

4. Substitutions. Substitutes are going to be key in this game. Particularly for Holland. Eljero Elia, if he comes in, could be capable of unlocking the Spanish defense. Klaas Jan Huntelaar, despite his young age, is a fearless striker and I think may deserve the start over a frankly pathetic Van Persie. Rafael Van der Vaart, as much as I hate him, is very capable at pushing the tempo and catching defenses off guard.

On the other side, Fernando Torres can come in and perhaps redeem himself. Maybe he scores the only goal in the Final as he did in the Euro 2008 victory over Germany. Jesus Navas can come in and do his little whirling durvish thing all over everybody's face. Cesc Fabregas, if he's not too hurt, can come in and just be better than Busquets in every facet of the game.

The question is, which coach will take more chances? Bert Van Marwuyk, the passionate, eloquent fan boy? Or Vicente Del Bosque, the stern, unforgiving Champions League stalwart. Frankly, I think both men are equally ballsy in their selections.

5. Wildcard. Weird shit happens in the World Cup Finals. The Hand of God, Lampard's "Goal that Wasn't" (As I've coined it), and Zidane's infamous headbutt. I think in this final we need to watch out for stuff like that. Maybe Xabi Alonso upper 90s one from half field, as he has been threatening to do all tournament. Maybe Villa scores a goal with his ass off a deflected shot, who knows.

I also think, as the projected scoreline shows, that Villa will hold on my prediction and go on to win the Golden Boot, making him the hottest player in the world just as he enters Barcelona.

These are my keys to Spain's first World Cup win. Want to defend the Oranje? Let's discuss. (Sidenote I'm for Holland).

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.