On Liverpool vs Arsenal: Thoughts on a classic Premier League match.

Red cards, own goals, drama, injuries, physical confrontations, this match had it all. It's a little absurd that a match could get this good this early in the season, but I suppose that's just what happens when the Gunners roll into Anfield.

What I thought I'd do since this match ended level at 1-1 was unfold the positives and the negatives for both sides. So without further ado, let's begin:

Liverpool.

Positives: David Ngog looks to be a decent option up top while Torres gets his form back. While Ngog is prone to making ridiculous mental errors, and occassionally seems to completely zone out on the pitch, it's obvious that he's a very gifted player. His finish to add Liverpools only goal on the scorline was absolutely montrous. The angle was so tight, and the ball was driven in with such power that Almunia was no match. Ngog also showed his abilities in the air, which I always liked about him. He times headers suprisingly well, and has a knack for flicking on headers into the nylon.

Jovanovic is well liked, and playing hard. Milan Jovanovic made his Premier League debut for the Reds today, and quickly gained a following in the sixth minute. You see, Milan was driving down the center of the pitch and youngster Jack Wilshere was bugging him, so Milan put one of his brawny Eastern European arms out and threw the Englishmen to the ground. The crowd roared in approval. Jova seemed to take a cue from Anfield hero Gerrard, hurrying to every ball and giving his best effort throughout the match. His exit in the 78th minute to make way for Maxi Rodriguez was met with a standing ovation. There may be a new Serbian in the Premier League, other than United's Nemanja Vidic.

Gerrard: still the best player on the pitch. The Red faithful were a little disenfranchised with their golden boy last season, but "Stevie G" (pictured above) will always lace up and give it his all, you can bet the house on that. Gerrard, the captain of the Reds, simply has to be one of your favorite players. Completely selfless, chases down every ball with a never-say-die attitude, a rare combo of grace and power that only comes around once every couple of generations. Gerrard proved today that he will always wear the Reds kit with pride and that he isn't going away until they drag him off the pitch.

Glen Johnson proves his worth. Glen Johnson, coming off a dismal performance for England at the World Cup, proved just how valuable he is to his club side today with great service and great skill on the ball. His sallying forth from the right back position has proved to be invaluable to Liverpool's game, and is what earned them their goal. Any doubts about his value to the club were put to the sword today.

Kuyt is still a workhorse. Dirk Kuyt is another reason to respect Liverpool. The man's work rate is absolutely incredible, and his service is always spot on. The Dutch sage showed that he is no pushover, and won't be replaced by Maxi Rodriguez anytime soon out on the wing for the Reds.

Carragher and Skrtel. Both of these men, long time Red Jamie Carragher and Slovakian maniac Martin Skrtel, defended like mad men today. They were a nightmare for Chamakh on his debut, and rendered Van Persie's substitution into the game absolutely worthless. Liverpool will get a big boost from having a solid center two in these two men.

Mascherano got a good exit. So all of the signs point to a move to Real Madrid for defensive midfielder Mascherano. He went out in style today with a great, physical performance that is his trademark. His substitution late on was also met with a standing o, which he appreciated.

Negatives: Torres still seems out of form. It was all Fernando Torres could do to make it down the pitch with the ball, it seemed. His explosive pace, his lightning quick feet, still just don't seem to be there. It was good to see the Spaniard out on the pitch, and a clever cross toward the death of the match proved that he is still one of the most creative players around, I just still have doubts about his fitness.

Cole's red card. Joe Cole made his Premier League debut today for the Reds. He seemed to be absolutely worthless, despite one incredibly impressive back heel flick. His job was to link the midfield play and the attackers, but he was absolutely dismal in that respect. He really just crowded Gerrard and went down the pitch too early most of the time. And then, the kicker. In the 44th minute, Cole made a dangerous challenge on Laurent Koscielny, taking out one of his legs with both of his own, got a red card, and was sent off. Not exactly the best way to make your debut, especially when people have been talking about how you could be better than Messi all week.

Reina's own goal. I feel genuinely bad for this one. Jose Reina played an absolutely flawless game, he dealt with every corner, stopped a venomous strike from Rosicky, and just looked to be in top form. Until the last minutes of play. A cross came in, and Reina came out to deal with it. Chamakh got it away, and the ball bounced, quite unfortunately, into Reina's own goal off his hands. A tragic end to a hard fought game.

Arsenal.

Postives: Jack Wilshere looked good. English youngster Wilshere made his debut for the Gunners today, and seemed to do a great job. He took every opportunity he could and was really impressive in defense.

Subsitutions were vital. Theo Walcott and Rosicky provided the only real chance the Gunners had at coming back. Rosicky had perhaps the best chance in the game, a lethal strike that was tipped over by Reina in the 86th minute. Walcott looked daft occasionally, but for the most part got good service and looked more sound on the ball than last season.

Diaby and Nasri. These two men, who may not have started were it not for an Arsenal injury crisis, looked well in form and were important parts of the match for Arsenal. Diaby was untouchable on the ball and did well to hold play back while other players got in postion around the goal. Nasri did basically everything, shooting, passing, defending, set pieces, and performed pretty well, I thought.

Negatives: Laurent Koscielny. The most recent transfer in for the Gunners, Laurent's contribution to this game was two yellow cards (equals red) and going to sleep to allow Ngog's goal. Furthermore, his suspension puts more pressure on Arsenal's wounded defense. Wenger's looking pretty thin back there.

Ashravin out of form. I love Andrei Ashravin, but he looked pitifully out of shape and out of sorts in this game. His passes never seemed to be weighted correctly and he wasn't getting any pace at all out of his legs. Hopefully the Russian will be able to snap out of it for the Gunners' next match.

Chamakh was less than impressive. Marouane Chamakh, perhaps Arsene Wenger's most promising addition to the Arsenal side, was pretty absent in his debut today. He lost the ball in the box on a number of occassions and didn't seem to be in sync with the other players. Perhaps more time is needed for Chamakh to get used to Premier League game speed, so I suppose we'll have to see.

Van Persie did nothing. He was only on for a half an hour, but Robin Van Persie did effectively nothing for the Gunners with his brief time on the pitch, touching the ball maybe twice.

These are my thoughts on today's match. Have some of your own?

ALSO: Manchester United premieres tomorrow in their match against Newcastle United on ESPN 2 at 2:55 PM.

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 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 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.