Failed States

Looking Back at the 2007 U20 FIFA World Cup

Vein of Form recently lashed out at the development (or lack thereof) of the youth players in the US Soccer system.  There is a serious cause for concern when you look at the current squad and see very few young, exciting and talented players working their way into the squad.  Juan Agudelo has looked great in a handful of performances.  But beyond the youngster from NYRB, you could imagine if the World Cup were held this summer, Bob Bradley would take a near identical squad to what was fielded in South Africa.

Quite simply, the national team system has failed and I would go so far as to say the domestic league - MLS - has done an equally poor job producing homegrown players.

Where did it all go wrong?

I'd ask that you think back to 2007.  For US Soccer fans this was a very exciting year.  The 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup was something of a showcase for the a promising collection of players that you'll recall topped their group by drawing South Korea (1-1), crushing Poland (6-1) and beating Brazil (2-1).  The topped Uruguay in the Round of 16 before falling to Austria in the quarterfinals.

Allow me to throw some names out at you that were top performers for the US during this competition:  Michael Bradley, Danny Szetela, Freddy Adu, Jozy Altidore, Sal Zizzo, Gabriel Ferrari.

Stick with me here.  Now, take a glance at some of the other players in this competition that you may have heard of:  Alexis Sanchez (Chile), Gerard Pique (Spain), Luis Suarez (Uruguay), Javier Hernandez (Mexico), David Luiz (Brazil), Sergio Aguero (Argentina).

Where Has All The Promise Gone?

See where I am going with this?  The non-USA players I listed were part of squads that have many players that now make the starting lineups of massive clubs all over the world.  None of the players from that promising USA team are even on the radar of top clubs.  Michael Bradley has not featured much since his move to Aston Villa.  And even then he has never been able to capture the magic he displayed for Heerenveen while in Holland which earned him a move to Germany to play for Borussia Monchengladbach.  He is a regular starter for the US - and deservedly so given his performances for the national team - but he has not reclaimed that box-to-box form that made him so impressive in Holland.

I'll talk about Adu and Altidore shortly, but great teams are made up of a collection of very talented players.  Danny Szetela went from Columbus Crew to Racing Santander after that great 2007 World Cup.  Then, he was loaned to Italian side Brescia (then in Serie B) before being sent to DC United in MLS only to be subsequently released.

Sal Zizzo went to Hannover 96 in the German Bundesliga in '07, failed to make a dent and was loaned out to a German second division side called Fortuna Dusseldorf.  Poor performances and injury sent him back to MLS where he is now playing for the expansion team Portland Timbers.

Gabriel Ferrari has had more clubs than a pro golfer has in his bag.  He was on the books for Serie A club Sampdoria before bouncing around with Perugia, Foggia, Temana, Wohlen and now back to MLS trying to build a career with Chicago Fire.

Luis Suarez - Still Scoring

Patience - I will get to Adu and Altidore - but think about the Chilean Sanchez and how he is lighting it up with Udinese right now in Italy.  Pique is a rock for reigning World and European champion Spain while starting for the best club in the world - Barcelona.  Suarez made a huge move this winter to Liverpool, Luiz to Chelsea and Hernandez is possibly the best signing of the year in England scoring huge goals for potential champions Manchester United.  Aguero is admittedly having a down year with Atletico Madrid but has been considered one of the best young strikers in the world for the last 3 seasons.

Adu and Altidore - The Dream is Over

US Soccer has failed to develop a world class player from that 2007 squad and it is simply unacceptable.  It is an embarrassment and unfathomable that our national team's system is so devoid of coaching talent right now.  There is no light at the end of the tunnel.  Just a long dark road ahead - particularly when you focus in on Adu and Altidore.

Adu is without question the biggest fraud in the history of professional soccer.  Not just American soccer - world football.  You can argue he was a media creation that was never going to emerge as a star.  Or you could look at how MLS clubs DC United and Real Salt Lake could not develop his talents nor could US Soccer.  Stints with AS Monaco and Benfica before moving on to Aris in Greece were all fruitless and produced zero moments that made you think Adu was coming good.

He is playing for Rizespor in the Turkish second division right now.  Second division Turkish football.  I would argue Adu couldn't make the squad of most MLS clubs.  That is how far gone he is and whatever his true age may be he is finished at the international level and possibly at club level come season's end.  Adu has shown zero reason for any club to want to pay him to play football.

Altidore is a very worrisome case.  I honestly felt when he was playing for New York in MLS that he was going to be the first international superstar from the US that was a scoring threat at all times.  It is evident now that he moved way too soon and that his lack of match play and coaching from US Soccer has stunted his development.  Watching him against Argentina on Saturday was depressing.  Watching him in most matches is depressing as his touch is heavy, his finishing non-existent and his inability to beat defenders reason to think he should no longer be first choice up top.

Think about this:  The US National Team's striker has scored 2 goals at top club level since 2008.  He scored early in his brief stint with Villareal in Spain and again with Hull City during a loan spell in England.  Altidore is toiling away in Turkey right now with Bursaspor.  He should swallow his pride and return to MLS. As it stands, his dream to play at a top club in Europe is finished.

Not So Fast, Juan

I stand by what I wrote in the MLS preview - that I want major clubs showing interest in Agudelo come season's end.  I just don't want him to leave yet.  If he continues to rapid ascent it would be thrilling for MLS and for the national side.  But 18 is clearly too young of an age for an American player to move abroad.  Their skills are nowhere near the development of their South American or European counterparts.  The fact is American soccer players do not come into their prime until their mid-20s or late 20s.

Think of Brian McBride and Clint Dempsey at Fulham.  Landon Donovan's brief stint with Everton when he finally impressed in Europe after a failed move to Germany. 

Steve Cherundolo can make a case that he is the best outfield American player of all time given his length at German club Hannover 96 and the fact he has been a long serving captain.  Maurice Edu is 24 and having success with Scottish giant Rangers.  The bulk of Coach Bob Bradley's squad are aging players that are toiling away at clubs near the bottom of their respective leagues or in MLS.

No internationally recognized names featuring for big clubs.  No one that is currently setting American fans' hearts on fire thinking of what may come in 2014 and beyond.

At the risk of sounding like an arrogant American, the USA should be dominating the game.  Because of the vast array of sports our youth can participate in the country produces more natural athletes than any other country on Earth.  Our 13 year olds are better athletes than those in any other country.  They just don't get the proper coaching to combine that athletic prowess with the technical ability found in Spain, Brazil or Germany.

The 2007 U20 squad is the prime example of the failure of the USA's development of the world's game.  Until someone within US Soccer steps up and stops this rot immediately there will continue to be disappointments such as Adu and Altidore.  There will continue to be a mediocre at best US Men's National Team.

We'll Make It I Swear

It is hard to imagine things more soul-sucking than a week that is dedicated to international fixtures.  The domestic leagues are reaching a boiling point and all the excitement is killed by these FIFA dates for friendlies and Euro qualifiers. 

For example, the English media are so devoid of interesting topics they are harping on the fact Gareth Bale may miss the upcoming Wales v. England qualifier.  And that it serves as some kind of boost for the England squad.  Seriously, dudes.

If England cannot easily handle a Welsh side with or without Bale then there are far more glaring problems than previously thought.

One of these is not like the other.

Moving right along, there are some good things to check out this week.  MLS doesn't stop for anything.  Not a World Cup and certainly not some ridiculous FIFA date.  Even though  The Nats are playing Argentina and Paraguay this week, the domestic league just keeps rolling on.  There are some interesting matches this week:  Columbus v. New York, New England v. DC United and Real Salt Lake v. LA Galaxy.

Both USMNT matches are televised.  The Argentina match is on ESPN2 at 7PM EST on Saturday and the Paraguay match is on the shitty Fox Soccer Channel at 8PM EST the following Tuesday.  These are friendlies and I'd rather see them play these teams in say, the Copa America, but remember that won't happen anytime soon because the US sent a C squad to the competition last time and pissed off the confederation.  Thus, probably never getting an invited to the second best regional competition on Earth.  USA!  USA!  USA!

Off the top of my head these things are worse than international breaks:  music by Jack Johnson, any TV show about doctors, women's college basketball and freezing temperatures in March.

Now watch this video:

Dream Big

The National Football League is currently in meltdown as the owners have locked out the players, the players are going to take these owners to court and the season starting on time / actually happening is in jeopardy.  This is a situation where billionaires are having an argument with millionaires over how to distribute billions of dollars amongst them.  Oh by the way the MLS season kicked off last weekend and there were some cracking matches. 

One more thing, superstar NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco for the Cincinnati Bengals wants to try out for the franchise Sporting KC.  Manager Peter Vermes has spoken with Ochocinco and claims the player is dead serious.  This has some fans of the sport concerned that it makes a mockery of the league.  That some dude thinks he can just walk onto the pitch of a sport he has zero professional or collegiate experience playing and act like it is no big thing.

I think just the opposite.  I think this is proof that fans of the US Soccer should be pissed off that we are not consistently killing it at the international level and that our development system is losing its best athletes to other sports.  Ochocinco can probably make this squad.  He is too fast, too strong and too great an athlete to embarrass himself out there.  He will probably look off the pace and positioned wrong but I'm not suggesting KC throws him into a starting role against Real Salt Lake. 

Football Players

Maybe they get a favorable draw in the US Open Cup and go for an early lead in the first half to kill the match.  Put Ochocinco on for 30-40 minutes and see what he does against mediocre competition.  Then, go ask the people in charge of development why players of such tremendous athletic ability are escaping them at a young age and it requires a work stoppage to get them interested in playing professionally.

Find out from USMNT development what they are doing to drive prospects away, fail to attract them in the first place and cripple our progress in the game.  Are they showing prospects on the fence matches played by Barcelona, Manchester United, and Real Madrid?  Wait, are they flying them to these matches so they can soak up the atmosphere at major club matches?  Or are they hoping their parents plop down the extra $35 a month for FSC and FSC Plus and suggesting they watch on their own?

Anyway, my hope is that Ochocinco looks terrific and turns out to be a player of value. 

Look, this is what makes American sports great and what makes sports in the country a Land of Opportunity.  We have athletes that can play soccer, football, baseball, basketball or track & field all within the same year and turn pro in any of them.  We've got players that forgo multi-million dollar contracts in the NFL so they can pursue their passion for baseball and toil in the minor leagues for 3 or 4 years. We've got players that turn down pro contracts to represent their country in the Olympic Games.  That is heart, commitment and love for sport that other countries simply cannot provide.

Football Fan

The fact that Ochocinco can even have this option is what our forefathers had in mind from the beginning.  I'd love to go back in time and tell John Adams that it is all worth it because his heroics and love of country will benefit a sport that a majority of his fellow citizens don't care about in 2011.  And when J.A. looks at me all confused I'll tell him 2011 is just the start.  That young kids will tune into MLS because of Ochocinco (and who knows what other NFL players eventually) and thus the league prospers over the next decade and becomes not nearly as good as La Liga or the Premier League but certainly more entertaining than the dire Serie A.

See, Ochocinco even considering the MLS is the perfect representation of The American Dream.  I'm writing a soccer blog that 20 people read - if that - and think I know more than 90% of the soccer commentators in America.  Ochocinco inspires me too! 

This is the furthest thing from a mockery or a stunt.  This is a millionaire athlete saying he would rather play a sport that excites him, that he sees passion in and that is played all over the globe than get in a fracas with a bunch of greedy shits over whether they can even play a game.  I hope more join him.  I hope the league gets an influx of NFL stars in the coming weeks, months or whenever. 

Let the NFL stay locked out forever while MLS benefits.  Just don't bring your labor union hissy fits to our game.

Going Through Changes

It has been announced that the groundbreaking podcast, World Football Daily, will be going through a massive change.  Co-host, show founder and quite frankly one of the biggest influences on the game in North America - Steven Cohen - will be stepping away from the mic in two weeks time.

The show was started nearly a decade ago by Cohen and Nick Geber.  It has easily attracted more Americans to the World's Game than a David Beckham publicity stunt ever could.  Geber resigned from the show several years ago and Kenny Hassan assumed the official co-host role shortly thereafter.  Hassan will continue as a solo host for the time being.  Ensuring that one of the most robust, engaging and thought provoking sport podcasts in the world will go on...daily.

Cohen is a controversial figure to say the least.  As a Liverpool fan I feel I need to address the fact he has in the past been offensive, insulting and had a completely obnoxious attitude towards the club I support.  His comments regarding tragedies that have involved Liverpool Football Club got Cohen in hot water while a co-host on Fox Soccer Channel's Fox Football Phone-In and more recently incited a global protest against World Football Daily (known at the time as World Soccer Daily).

Essentially, the Liverpool supporters at the heart of the protest forced the show off satellite radio, drove sponsors away in droves and brought unnecessary (and illegal) threats against Cohen and his family.  The abuse that Cohen and his family endured are acts no moral and decent human could ever support or engage in.

Cohen persistently raged against Liverpool and its millions of fans.  Many of whom are paying WFD subscribers.  His rants have rendered Liverpool supporters extinct from participating in the show.  While the actions of many were (and continue to be ) reprehensible, Cohen often seemed to suggest that the entire fanbase were scum and not welcome to participate on his show.

While it is disappointing that supporters of one of the biggest clubs in the English Premier League - the primary focus of the show - are largely kept in the shadows, the show attracts world class journalists, players and managers.  It is without question that Cohen's vision has taken the show to the next level.

Five days a week listeners get insights, tactics and often times segments of sheer comedy that make whatever fee they charge a bargain.  Throughout the years regular callers and emailers have become like close friends to fans of this show.

And I am happy to call myself a fan.

Cohen has stated he has other interests to pursue and after 9 years you cannot blame him.  Yet, I don't for a second believe we will not be seeing him in some capacity contributing to the sport either through radio, television or social media.

I enjoy listening to Steven and thought the early incarnation of Fox Football Friday when he and Gerber sat on a couch in a dingy basement talking for an hour was one of the most entertaining and under appreciated shows in recent memory to air on a sports network.

The man is a pioneer - no question.  The man is controversial and that will never change.  His ego will not allow it.  The show will go on but will never be the same.  The sport will continue to grow in North America and more fans will adopt European clubs to support.

Call me melodramatic or over estimating a guy who started a podcast and his importance on the game in this country.  But I hope years from now when I see fields filled with kids playing soccer matches on the weekend, their parents know Steven Cohen by name, are still listening to World Football Daily and feel in some way his influence helped encourage their children to play the greatest game in the world.

Breaking News: Fernando Torres Sucks

Since departing Anfield at the end of the January transfer window, Fernando Torres has been talking more about Liverpool Football Club than some of the current players seem to.  Torres has spoken of turmoil at the club, his desire to win trophies and play in the Champions League.

Fair enough, this is a player that scored the winning goal for Spain at Euro 2008 and was part of the World Cup winning squad in South Africa.  Part of the squad meaning his poor form and nagging injuries kept him from being a contributor.  In 2008 Torres was a player in the ascent.  Possibly the best striker in the world at the

time, he bagged 33 goals in all competitions and made 46 appearances.  That return proved the money Liverpool spent was well worth it.  Some considered it a steal and the Anfield faithful were in love.

Happy days indeed.  The following season his appearances dropped to 38 and his goal tally to 17.  In 2009-2010 his appearances again declined to 32 while his goals trended upwards - 22 in total - but still well off that magical 2007-2008 run of form.  You know where I am going with this.  2010-2011 the injuries limited Torres to 26 appearances and 9 goals for Liverpool.  This was a player some felt was priceless at one point and now was highly injury prone, clearly not enjoying his football and regularly the focus of leaked reports that a move was imminent.

Where am I going with this?  You still have ask?

Torres was sulking on the pitch during the early part of this season with Liverpool (and some would say he is doing the same at Stamford Bridge).  He was blatantly using the ownership situation at Anfield to cover up his poor form.  Torres knows he is no longer the player from 2008.  We've seen this happen to young players before.  Brazilians seem most prone to flaming out by their late 20s as the matches pile up, the travel for domestic league takes its toll, Champions League matches and international appearances wears on them and next thing you know they are an afterthought.  A "could have been amongst the best" type of story. 

Wayne Rooney has been dealing with these accusations throughout the season but I think it is more obvious with Torres.  He is not just out of form but looks like he does not want to be playing football.  He got the move he supposedly desired most - to Chelsea Football Club where he will have the owner's finances to buy any support he needs, Champions League football and the global city to showcase his skill.

He is off the pace whenever he plays.  Has been that way for some time.  Torres is probably still nowhere near 100% fit but even if he were the attitude he displays proves Liverpool were right in selling when they did.  Bringing in a hungry Luis Suarez and the emerging Andy Carroll to replace a pissy Spaniard for a small cost to them was brilliant business.  Let Chelsea figure out what is wrong with Torres.  Let "role models" like Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka lead him back to his '08 form.

And there he was on the bench against FC Copenhagen midweek being "rested" for Chelsea's fixture against Manchester City this weekend.  The striker made an appearance in the 68th minute, plodded around the pitch for the remainder of the match and once again failed to score.  Should he bag a goal against City this weekend it does not mean he has turned a corner and regained form.

Should he come up with a massive goal against Manchester United in the Champions League quarter finals it would go some way to restoring his confidence.  Perhaps even his reputation.  But I don't see that happening.  Torres may be too far gone to re-emerge as one of the world's best.  David Villa has eclipsed him by a country mile as the best Spanish striker of this generation.

Torres may not be first choice at club or for country any longer.  This is his own doing.  He is not mentally strong enough to rehab from injuries.  He is not mentally strong enough to shake off poor form and put the ball in the back of the net.  2008 was not so long ago in the hearts of Spanish football fans. 

2008 is ancient times when you try to remember the last time Fernando Torres simply could not be defended.

MLS 2011 Preview

Vein of Form will not be negative about our 2011 MLS season forecast. While we fully expect there to be slow build ups from the back, shoddy passing, periods of the match where it looks like no one wants to be out there and a ridiculous playoff format there is plenty to be excited about!

Friday Night Football. MLS will be featuring a Friday night match on Fox Soccer Channel throughout the season. This is fantastic. The matches will probably get shitty ratings but fans are going to tune in for this. What a better way to start off the footballing weekend? A quick glance and these Friday fixtures look like the match-ups of the weekend in MLS. Just look at these:

• March 25 - Seattle at Houston
• April 1 - Columbus at FC Dallas
• April 8 - FC Dallas at Colorado
• April 22 - Colorado at Seattle

Not kidding - I am so looking forward this change in the schedule and plan on tuning in to Fox Soccer Channel with the television on mute.

Red Bull New York need a big season. I want this to happen so bad. The league needs a true beast to emerge from the East and create a super rivalry of sorts with Galaxy or Real Salt Lake. A dream scenario would be for Thierry Henry to lead that charge. Imagine Henry banging in 30 or more goals and terrorizing MLS defenses like back in his days roaming the Highbury pitch. He remains my favorite all time Premier League player and is only 33 years old. A fit Henry approaching his mid-30s should still be unstoppable in this league. And hopefully he forms an explosive partnership with Juan Agudelo.

Agudelo is Vein of Form's MLS Player Whose Name You Should Get on the Back of Your Jersey. In my dream world by season's end Agudelo will have MLS bricking because a handful of European clubs are bidding on his services. The spurts we've seen of him - particularly at the international level with the US - reveal a raw talent that with a mix of coaching and guidance (read: Thierry Henry) could emerge as the new face of United States soccer.

The Henry / Agudelo duo has the potential to lead RBNY to MLS Cup and for the good of the league all fans should want to see this fulfilled.

Jason Kreis is a leader of men. It is crazy that the manager is the star of a franchise featuring Kyle Beckerman, Fabian Espindola and Javier Morales. People like to compare him to Jose Mourinho but Kreis hasn't won near enough...yet. I do like this whole mythology being built around him though. He drills his players hard, makes them believe they can achieve great things and allows them to sort it out on the pitch while he conducts from the sideline. I think he needs to upgrade his wardrobe a bit but that is another discussion.

He has one MLS Cup but need 3 or 4 more. Serious. He needs to lead RLS not out of a CONCACAF Champions League group but to a final. Then, he needs to win the CONCACAF Champions League. RLS are an exciting team that could very well be in contention for a Supporter's Shield and make a run at the cup final. But I will watch them every chance I get because of Kreis. I want to see a genuine managing prodigy grow into someone that eventually takes a job overseas. That experiences success in a more popular league and then takes control of the US National Team.

MLS expansion is working but shouldn't get out of hand. I don't want a league already struggling to prove its quality top to bottom becoming more diluted. The choices of cities have been astute in recent years. Toronto has fabulous fans that will become even more rabid once the product on the pitch improves. Seattle has blown away all expectations. They have the support and a squad that is pushing to be amongst the elite in the league. Philadelphia looked very much like an expansion team last season but the city is soccer mad and will support a winner.

This year we get the Portland Timbers - a city with a rich soccer tradition - and a roster that includes Kenny Cooper, Jack Jewsbury, Troy Perkins and the promising Darlington Nagbe. Essentially, a team of guys that have historically been good MLS players that could not cut it in Europe and are now hoping they gel in time to make some kind of impact in 2011.

Also, Vancouver Whitecaps are added and let's be honest, will not be very good. In fact, they may set a new standard for bad. Jay DeMerit is somehow an impact signing. I liked John Thorington when he was with Chicago Fire but he is not someone that can do it alone. And he is going to be expected to do so at times.

There you have it. Plenty to be optimistic about going into this MLS season. You can't claim this site is down on MLS in 2011.

Headed For A Heartbreak

Morning came and I was on my way, when you reminded me I had too soon forgotten, it was you who set me free -- Kip Winger

Something has gone in us, not in our attitude, but in our confidence -- Arsene Wenger

Another season that began with Arsenal amongst the favorites for a trophy haul in England and another season that looks to end in heartbreak. While the idea that this club - or any club in this footballing era - could think of a quadruple (Barcelona aside) was a creation by the English media that placed a phenomenal amount of pressure on this squad.

Over the past several weeks we've witnessed them lose to Birmingham in the Carling Cup final, suffer a men against boys defeat in the Champions League against Barcelona and now they have been eliminated by Manchester United in the FA Cup quarterfinals.

Their only hope remains catching that same United squad in the Premier league and overtaking them for a first league title since the 2004-2005 campaign. This is not impossible given the apparent shakiness of United. Yet, this could very well be impossible given the injuries that have piled up at Arsenal and there is without question a crisis of confidence.

The players are doubting themselves. They are doubting whether they have the resilience and the fitness. Questions should be asked of the physio room come the end of this campaign as to why there is such fragility up and down this squad every year.

But the physios are not currently under fire the way Arsene Wenger is. This is the man that has made his ethos the guiding force of a rich London club rather than get
sucked into the big spending that the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool and now Manchester City are accustomed to.

That is not how Wenger believes you build a squad. He nutures players from a young age. He teaches them to play expansive football. Attacking football that can at times be so flowing and beautiful it is like they are alone on the pitch. Cesc Fabrega, Samir Nasri, Theo Walcott, Robin Van Persi and their cohorts ghost around the pitch with such grace and elegance that they deserve being dubbed the Barcelona of England.

But then they play the real Barcelona and are exposed. Or they play a team fighting relegation and are exposed. Exposed as being weak at the back, and unable to win ugly. Unable to scratch and claw to pull out the desperation winner like Manchester United have done so well over the past several years. Like Chelsea have done recently under Jose Mourinho and last season under Carlo Ancellotti.

Pundits, fans and journalists are calling for Wenger to be fired. The manager is in danger of going a sixth season without a trophy. What these critics fail to see is that if you remove Wenger the entire House of Gunner falls to the ground. To replace Wenger means bringing in a new manager that will require new players to fit his philosophy. It will mean mixing these players that have known only Wenger with someone that is not Wenger.

It means taking what he has been building and admitting defeat - admitting the system and players failed and telling them they need to start over. Make no mistake that is exactly what this would be. A relegation of sorts.

Wenger cannot go another season without winning something and yet Arsenal cannot function without him. This is quite the conundrum a giant club is staring at. Their current campaign looks destined to be headed for a heartbreak. If this turns out to be their fate it may be time to surrender.

Arsene Wenger has been a revelation for English football. He is an icon. But at some point the Gunner fans may be singing "I won't play your game and I won't play your fool."

The FA Cup is So Over

The FA Cup has ruined my weekend. Rather than have a full slate of Premiership matches that mean something we are stuck with Saturday fixtures of Birmingham v. Bolton and Manchester United v. Arsenal.

Sunday's lineup has the raging fixtures of Stoke City v. West Ham United and Manchester City v. Reading.

Go Reading go! The magic of the Cup! Feel it...

Feel it suck the life out of me. So, I'm actually going to watch the West Ham match because Avram Grant needs all the support he can get and I'm pulling for them to fight off relegation and for Grant to get another Premier League club to a final. Plus, Scott Parker is my Player of the Year and is having a special season that is worth tuning in for alone.

Think about that for a moment: I'm going to watch the FA Cup this weekend - the most famous cup competition in the world - because I've become an Avram Grant Super Fan. I don't care about Arsenal's quest to bomb out of another competition and I don't care about watching Manchester United anymore than I absolutely have to.

As a quick aside, does anyone want to have a competition where we predict whether total attendance for the US Open Cup will equal or exceed the attendance at this weekend's English League One fixture between Yeovil Town v. Walsall? Consider that for a second and get back to me. I'm talking every match during the US Open Cup.

I'm not suggesting to do away completely with the FA Cup. That would be ridiculous as I know every major football league in the world has a cup competition in conjunction with it's league competition. What I would suggest is to contest these fixtures during the week and only play the final on a weekend. Maybe even the semi-finals if the FA are worried about viewing or attendance being down at Wembley.

But the ebb and flow of the Premier League reaches a climax at this point in the season. The matches really matter now.

For one thing, I doubt whether Arsenal or United even care if they get knocked out at this point with injuries piling up and bigger prizes to worry about. But there are places in Europe being contested and the relegation fight is fantastic once again. And rather than carry the momentum that football fans got midweek during the Champions League we're given a kick in the nuts with ho-hum FA Cup ties. Not much fun if you ask me.

Let me put it this way: The only thing less enticing than watching the FA Cup on a weekend would be watching a full slate of Serie A matches. Watching Stoke is probably more gripping than watching a Milan Derby.

Throw some love Avram Grant's way this weekend. The man deserves credit for what he has done with Chelsea, Portsmouth and now West Ham. He'll never get that credit of course but he would have been a better appointment at the start of the season than Roy Hodgson was - I will tell you that much!

Wait, I think VoF just endorsed the West Ham manager and midfielder as the best of the year at their respective jobs. Please return for our next post!

Oh, Braga

What we learned by watching Liverpool fail to extend their 14-match unbeaten run in Europe is that Kenny Dalglish still has a long way to go in rebuilding this squad. Liverpool have played so much better under Dalglish that our expectations are such that losing to a ragtag side like Portugal's Braga does not seem conceivable.

And yet, not even Dalglish can motivate Joe Cole or Christian Poulsen to put in a shift - not even in Europe! Jay Spearing is a good local kid, but he is not going to be playing in the Premiership in a couple seasons. He is a Championship player. Luis Suarez is the Liverpool attack right now and Dirk Kuyt was lost without the cup-tied Uruguayan. Andy Carroll is not match fit, but shows glimpses of why in a few years Liverpool will be proven right for spending such a ludicrous amount on him.

Steven Gerrard may be seriously injured and did not play. Which is a concern because it seems Dalglish is the first manager he will listen to and the side has benefited greatly from his new found discipline.

I reckon that Liverpool will score the required amount to advance when the return leg is played at Anfield and I don't expect Braga to score again in the tie unless another penalty is gifted them by a lumbering Greek.

Reds fans will be disappointed to have a nice unbeaten run come to an end, but pleased at what Carroll showed upon entering the match. His goals will come and there will be plenty of them. And hopefully this helps push Cole even further out the door during the summer. I remember really liking Cole when he played at West Ham and first arrived at Chelsea. But injuries and ego have rendered him a shell of the promising player that England thought they were going to have as a mainstay in the national squad.

The Europa League is still there for Liverpool's taking. Dalglish will figure it out and deploy a much more inspired starting IX at Anfield.

We All Live in a Leo Messi World

Four teams have booked their spot in the UEFA Champions League quarterfinals. Below I break down of those four, who is the most appealing and least appealing to match up against.

Schalke 04
Assuming that FC Copenhagen does not get past Chelsea, I think Schalke are the side most clubs would hope to draw. They are struggling in the German Bundesliga, and have a manager in Felix Magath that is on the hot seat. While topping their group - that included Lyon - and having a mighty home crowd that would intimidate any visiting club I cannot see how they get past any club likely to progress.

I have always been a fan of Raul and think it is terrific that he has found form in Gelsenkirchen. And Jefferson Farfan is an exciting player. Both would need to have phenomenal performances over two legs and hope to find a goal because their defense is not going to shut out any of the remaining clubs.

Shakhtar Donetsk
There are dozens of world famous, very rich professional athletes hoping their company hands them an all expenses paid trip to the Ukrainian city of Donetsk - the deepest outpost in UEFA - to take on FC Shakhtar Donetsk. So they topped a group that included Arsenal and thrashed AS Roma in the Round of 16. Arsenal treat the Group Stages of the Champions League with the same level of urgency they show the early rounds of the Carling Cup. And Roma are in shambles - which is pretty much par for the course lately at the Italian club.

Shakhtar have a collection of exciting players - Douglas Costa, Luiz Adriano, Eduardo - and are steady at the back. Their only loss in the Group Stages a 5-1 defeat against Arsenal. Managed by Mircea Lucescu they have as quality of a leader as any team left in the competition. He did lead this relative unknown, yet very wealthy club to the then UEFA Cup title in 2009.

And yet, I don't see them worrying the giants of European football that could draw them in the quarters. Make no mistake, this is a club that will regularly be making knock-out stage appearances moving forward. My opinion is that a lack of experience in 2011 will keep them from moving on.

Tottenham Hotspur
I love that this English club knocked out the Italian giants AC Milan. And not just because I think Italian football is boring and a quick way to put me to sleep on a Sunday afternoon. I love that some new English blood is moving on, that their North London rival Arsenal will be watching on TV and because it means seeing Rafael van der Vaart, Gareth Bale and the maturing before our eyes Sandro play deeper into the greatest competition known to man. van der Vaart has been one of the best signings in the Premier League in the past 5 or 6 seasons. He has done wonders for the Spurs' attack and it is a shame he was wasted in Madrid when he could have been knocking them in for a club that knows how to use strikers of immense talent.


No club in Europe will want Spurs right now. The prospect of going to White Hart Lane and hearing how those supporters get behind the players on the pitch is why I love football. The rousing "COME ON YOU SPURS" that rang out all night against Milan had the hairs on my neck standing up. While they've not been anywhere near consistent at the back in domestic play, the club defended like true brave hearts in the home leg to shut out a Milan side that was deploying Ibrahimovic, Pato and Robinho in all out attack for 90+ minutes.

I have zero clue if this run can go on. But Spurs topped a group that included Inter Milan - reigning European champions - and are the prototype of the "can match up with anyone in the world on any given night" side. They may not even qualify for the competition next year so expect Spurs to go all out in the quarters. If they stay fit and get a good draw (meaning not Barcelona) this is a side that I would bet on booking a semi-final spot.

Barcelona

LOL - Best team I've ever seen in my life. Messi is God.

A Return To Form

Warning: This post is not about Fernando Torres. VoF believes that boy is a lost cause and his best days are well behind him. This blog on the other hand is making a dramatic comeback in 2011.

Yes! Nearly two years after our last post we've emerged from the shadows in Kenny Dalglish style to right this ship and deliver unrivaled footballing content.

Well, we don't exactly get player/manager interviews or asked to appear on podcasts...yet.

But these are exciting times to be a football fan and writer.