Pro Soccer Weekly

The road to South Africa continues....

2009-09-11T21:49:00.006-04:00

More teams qualified this week and more teams realized that they won't be in South Africa next summer as the road to the 2010 World Cup continues. Honestly though were there really any surprises? Was anyone really shocked at how Argentina have struggled with Diego Maradona as coach? Does anyone really think Argentina are not going to be there? Now that would be a shock.

Argentina are far too good of a team and in way too good of a position to not qualify for the World Cup. So what if they finish in 5th place in the South American qualifying group, is Honduras or Costa Rica going to stand in the way of Argentina in a home and away series? No way. If Mexico is in CONCACAF's 4th place then maybe Argentina will have a problem. There is no way though that a team with players as good as Argentina will not beat Honduras or Costa Rica in a 2 game series. Maybe in one game, but no way over the course of two. Even with Maradona as coach, and that is a huge problem.

How many top players have achieved success as a manager? A few, but a very limited number. Maradona is far too much of a mess personally to lead Argentina to success in the World Cup. How can this team possibly struggle so much with so many talented players? It almost seems as if it would be harder to get the team to struggle then to do well. Yet Diego has managed to pull it off. He picks players like Martin Palermo and leaves players like Javier Saviola out of the squad. And that is far from his worst moves. How in the world do you manage to take a player like Lionel Messi and manage to make him ineffective. The team is clearly in crisis and the time has come to replace Maradona. Argentina will qualify regardless, but they will achieve nothing with him as their manager.

The most fascinating match left in the European qualifying definitely has to be the Russia - Germany match in Russia on October 10th. Can Germany hold on and get the draw they need or can Russia win the game and take the group?

Portugal still continue their struggle to climb back into second place past Sweden and into a playoff place. First place in that group looks to be beyond them, but a win by Denmark against Sweden on October 10th would set Portugal up to make the playoffs.

Teams such as Switzerland and Slovakia are in very good positions to make it to the World Cup directly as group winners, which would be a rare experience for both countries. Both nations have performed well and could be poised to provide some entertainment next summer. Bosnia-Herzegovina are in second place and could be a very dangerous team to face in the playoffs. Anyone who has watched the Bundesliga over the past year has seen players like Edin Dzeko and Zvjezdan Misimovic from champions Wolfsburg leading the way.

Closer to home, the United States is leading the CONCACAF group, but still has tough games away to Honduras and home to Costa Rica with everyone 4 points separating top place from fourth and the possible home and away matches with Argentina or whomever finishes 5th in the South American group.

A lot was decided this week, but there is still a lot to play for over the course of the next month and all of it will determine who we will watch and see as the potential stars of World Cup 2010.

England 5 - 1 Croatia highlights

2009-09-11T21:47:00.000-04:00

Merge the EPL and the SPL

2009-08-17T22:49:00.003-04:00

I've been waiting awhile to write this post because I really had to think if it is the best thing for both the English and Scottish leagues, but I honestly believe that the leagues should be merged. Often people talk about just moving the "Old Firm" of Rangers and Celtic to the English Premier League, but where does that leave the rest of the Scottish clubs?

If Rangers and Celtic are going to be moved, I think you have move all of the clubs. This really isn't a matter of preserving the status of Rangers and Celtic as big clubs either. Both leagues will benefit immensely if the leagues were to be combined. To add clubs the size of Rangers and Celtic to the EPL is a huge boost to the newly formed league. Think of the possibilities that exist with getting to see both clubs take on the best the big 4 and even the other really big clubs in England. This allows the league to enhance its as the biggest league in the world and thus tapping into all sorts of revenue from television broadcasting rights, merchandise sales, and so on.

Beyond just the top league, the Championship or whatever the next division would be called would also be enhanced by the addition of clubs with a tradition and history in Europe such as Hearts, Hibernian, Dundee United, Aberdeen, and so on. These clubs would also finally once again have a legitimate chance to take on the best clubs in England and Scotland if they were able to gain promotion to the Premier League. If they could use the extra revenue to hold onto their players and add players to their existing squad their fans could finally seem competitive teams once again.

I could go on and on, but I think I've outlined my thoughts and would really like to hear other people's opinions.

1st weekend of the Premiership

2009-08-16T23:41:00.005-04:00

Well the 1st weekend of the Premiership has come and gone and while many may think that you can begin to get some insight into how things are going to turn out this season, I'm here to inform you that you are very mistaken. Its only 1 game of 38 and there is still a very long way to go. So Everton fans cheer up, you may be at the bottom of the table for now, but it doesn't mean that it has to last long (especially if David Moyes is allowed to spend some money).

I saw that somebody wrote an article in the London Times about cashing in on Joleon Lescott, and I couldn't agree more. If Manchester City want to toss around a lot of money then by all means accept it because you don't know how long these big money offers will be there. I really feel that the big money days in football will go on to a point, but eventually they will diminish. Manchester United, Liverpool, A.C. Milan, and Lyon were all correct in their decisions to take Real Madrid's money and run. Nobody knows if these clubs will ever get these kinds of offers again. When you think that Liverpool were going to sell Xabi Alonso last summer for HALF the amount they received in order to buy Gareth Barry, it would have been crazy of them not to sell him to Real.

The same thing applies to Manchester City. If they want to buy good players from Arsenal, but players in Adebayor and Toure that lets face it, are players that won't be missed, then you have to take their money. It differs from Arsenal's previous strategy of selling players like Viera and Henry when they are at their peak and getting the most money for them because the players that they have sold in recent years are in their prime and have many good years ahead of them. However, Arsene Wenger has many players in the Arsenal system that are capable of replacing and possibly exceeding the players that are sold. When they need to buy a replacement they will and did with the purchase of Vermaelen from Ajax.

The Premiership has only just begun and the excitement is only beginning to build. Lets wait at least a month and see how things go, especially with the transfer deadline approaching. There are still some moves to be made.

Celtic vs Benfica in Toronto

2009-08-16T23:36:00.002-04:00

For those of you who are fans of either Celtic or Benfica, or if you just want to see 2 big European clubs go at it on North American soil, Celtic are playing Benfica in Toronto on Wednesday September 2nd at BMO Field, home of Toronto F.C. Tickets to the match can be purchased by clicking on this link. It should be a very entertaining match and there will be a Pro Soccer Weekly presence there covering the match.

Spanish League games to now be shown on ESPN in the United States

2009-06-23T00:21:00.004-04:00

As you can gather by reading this article from the New York Times, ESPN has purchased the broadcasting rights to Spain's La Liga starting with the next season. This appears to be an effort on ESPN's behalf to compensate for the loss of the broadcasting rights for the Champions League (I can here that song in my head now) to Fox Sports. It should be interesting to see if they will provide the same level of coverage that Gol TV has provided in recent years and also what Gol TV will do to compensate for the programming loss.

South American All Stars vs Rest of the World All Stars

2009-06-23T00:12:00.001-04:00

For those who are on the west coast or are willing to travel to the west coast, there is an interesting exhibition coming up on July 4th at the Los Angeles Coliseum as a team of South American All Stars will be taking on a team of All Stars from the Rest of the World. You can click on this link for more information, but judging by the list of players that are scheduled to attend it should be a really fun match to go and see.

Real Madrid are coming to the U.S. to play D.C. United

2009-06-22T23:56:00.002-04:00

For those of you who haven't already found out the news, Real Madrid are in fact coming to the United States this summer to play D.C. United and the game will be held at FedEx Field in Washington D.C. on Sunday, August 9th. Its finally an opportunity for American soccer fans to see the new galaticos Kaka and Cristiano Ronaldo along with whomever else Real decide to buy between now and then. You can click on this link for ticket information.

U.S. 3 - 0 Egypt

2009-06-22T00:06:00.004-04:00

What a great game and great result. There is no doubt that the U.S. team showed exactly what its capable of. They came through and got the goals that they needed against a talented Egypt team that was playing for real. They weren't there to make up the numbers or treat this tournament as another end of season friendly match. Egypt came to this tournament to win and the U.S. took all of the momentum that had been built up by the Egyptian team and threw it right back in their faces.

Now comes the hard part, which is for the U.S. team to continue on in this tournament and demonstrate that they are for real. Nobody is expecting that they will beat Spain, but they must play a really good game against them and justify their position in the semi-finals in order for the game against Egypt to count for something. We obviously can't get too carried away, the game against Egypt wouldn't have counted for anything, except that Brazil took apart Italy during a short spell in the first half.

The U.S demonstrated that they can play at a higher level, a level by which they can not only qualify for next year's World Cup, but actually accomplish something when they get there. So we're at the point now of not questioning can they do it, but will they do it?

Adriano scores 3 for Flamengo vs Internacional

2009-06-21T21:59:00.002-04:00

So who exactly had written Adriano off and said that he was finished? Judging by the hat trick that he scored recently for Flamengo against Internacional he still looks like he can score goals with the best strikers in the world. Take a look for yourself.

Who the hell is Ashley Young?

2009-06-19T21:08:00.004-04:00

So now Ashley Young is demanding that Aston Villa add to the team? Just who the hell is Ashley Young anyway? He wins a few caps for the English national team and now is in the position to demand that Villa have to sign players to satisfy him or else he wants to be sold to another club? This is not a team-oriented player and if I were Martin O'Neill I would seriously consider selling him if I could get a good offer. There are plenty of talented players around and he can be replaced.

I just can't believe the nerve that some players have and what they think they can get away with. Maybe Ashley Young should wait until he actually accomplishes something of significance before he starts making demands like that. I actually feel that he is a very talented player and showed a lot of promise. I can also understand how he would be disappointed that Gareth Barry has left, but don't act like a spoiled child. Stand up and support your club, manager, the fans, your teammates. Make Aston Villa a club where players want to go to.

Jose Bosingwa to Bayern Munich

2009-06-19T00:01:00.004-04:00

Well according to the article on World Soccer's website Bayern Munich look to continue adding players and not selling anyone, including Franck Ribery. It appears that the next player Bayern are after is Jose Boswinga, which would be a surprise considering that he did have a relatively successful first season with Chelsea. As the article describes, Bayern are looking for a right back and feel that Boswinga is their man. If they can add him and keep Ribery along with their other additions such as Mario Gomez formerly of Stuttgart, then Bayern are going to be a real force to reckon with in the Champions League. They could very well go deep in the tournament and challenge the big clubs from England, Spain, and Italy.

U.S. team has major problems

2009-06-18T22:34:00.005-04:00

Phew, I just finished watching the U.S. lose to Brazil 3-0 and I feel like I am at a loss. I can only imagine how the team feels. It seems like they are about as lost as a tourist in New York city too because this team has no clue about what they are doing or where they are going. It just seems to be more of the same mediocre soccer that we have been seeing for too many years. That game today could have been 5-0, 8-0, or worse. Brazil looked like they were in a training session with the ease that they were dominating the game and cutting through the U.S. defense. Tim Howard looked like he was in a shooting gallery. And the sad thing is that Brazil didn't even look like the world beaters from the past despite the presence of players like Kaka and Robinho. I still think they have better players then Luis Fabiano at forward and also throughout their midfield and defense.

The problems for the U.S. were demonstrated in the first game at the last World Cup and despite all of the changes since then, they still seem to be there. There are moments and even entire games when the team is able to pull themselves together and play really well. Unfortunately, these rarely occur in circumstances when they are playing a really good opponent or even a key opponent in a crucial situation. More often then not the U.S. team resembles the team that lost to Costa Rica 3-0 and again by the same score today. Shellshocked, unprepared, and overwhelmed by the situation.

Things should have changed by now and the team despite changes in personnel should have moved forward by now. They should be at the point of taking the game to Brazil and Italy and making it a really tough game for them, just like Egypt have been doing. Hopefully and probably, the U.S. will qualify for the World Cup, but the question still remains - what are they going to do when they get there?

I like Bob Bradley and think he is a good coach, but I just don't think he is the right coach for this team right now. If they were more experienced and had more talent perhaps he could do the job. The team needs a foreign coach with more experience. Jurgen Klinsmann was the right choice and this was the right job for him, but we are probably past that stage. Giovanni Trappatoni has done a terrific job with the Republic of Ireland team and perhaps would have done the same with the U.S. Right now, there are other names out there that could be considered, but something should be done and soon if the U.S. are to definitely qualify and accomplish something at the World Cup.

The loss of Giuseppe Rossi and Neven Subotić to Italy and Serbia has hurt the national team, and the addition of Jermaine Jones (which I view as a positive one) won't make up for it, but everyone has to get over this and move on. There is talent there for a good coach to work with. Ultimately, the U.S. won't be able to really be a world power until they have players like Rossi and Subotić to call on. Jozy Altidore is a player with immense potential, Freddy Adu still has a lot of ability, Landon Donovan can play at a high level. There is talent there and if the U.S. is truly bold and makes a coaching change they can accomplish something over the next 12 months, but I fear that they will be too reluctant to do something that is risky and daring. Time will only tell if the conservative option was the right one, but when you continue to see games like today's match is doesn't appear to be the case.

Tony Mowbray - new Celtic Manager

2009-06-05T23:10:00.002-04:00

According to the London Times, Tony Mowbray will be installed as the new manager of Glasgow Celtic. He leaves behind a relegated West Bromwich Albion, but this is a good move for both Celtic and Mowbray. Tony did a great job getting WBA promoted in the first place. He also didn't receive a lot of financial support to buy new players once the team were promoted. Yet he was able to keep the team going throughout the season without seeing them pull a Derby County and fold by the middle of the season.

Mowbray has experience in the SPL having managed Hibernian previously while he was there he had a very good run that included memorable victories over both Celtic and Rangers. If he is given the money to spend, Tony should be able to get Celtic back on the right path, which for them is a good run in Europe. Hopefully, he can get the club to look beyond their rivalry with Rangers and focus on the bigger accomplishments such as challenging some of the European heavyweights and claiming some scalps along the way. Gordon Strachan led Celtic to a lot of domestic success, and had some memorable victories in Europe during his run as manager, but he wasn't able to get the team beyond the Old Firm rivalry and to really focus on Europe. Their away record in the Champions League was appalling.

Celtic have a handful of players (Scott Brown, Aidan McGeady, Artur Boruc, Andreas Hinkel, Stephen McManus) that can play for any team in Britain. Who do Rangers have that can make the same claim? Rangers used to have those types of players, but they haven't been able to attract them in some years. Celtic seemed to have surpassed Rangers and should be looking to bigger goals. Losing the Scottish League like they did this season was just unacceptable. It was time for Strachan to go and for Celtic to move onto a new era.

Bayern Munich to sign Pranjic

2009-06-04T23:14:00.002-04:00

There has been a lot of talk about Bayern Munich losing Franck Ribery, but it appears that they are going to be adding to their squad as they look to sign Croatian left back Danijel Pranjic according to this article from ESPN.

Take a MLS Survey and have your say!

2009-06-04T23:05:00.002-04:00

I received this link to a survey that MLS sent to me because of my partial season plan for the New Jersey Red Bulls. I don't claim to be a Red Bulls supporter, but I do want to see MLS games and they are the closest team. Anyway, I though I would share it with everyone who is interested in taking it so that you can voice your opinion about a lot of the issues that are discussed here in Pro Soccer Weekly, and in many other forums. The link will probably identify you as a Red Bulls supporter and ask you questions about the team, but I don't have a generic link to the survey so this is the best that I could do.

Costa Rica 3 -1 United States

2009-06-04T21:32:00.003-04:00

Progress is not measured by scoring your first goal since Earnie Stewart in 2000 whenever... Especially not on a penalty kick at the very end of a game that you are losing 3-0 and trying to qualify for a World Cup. The loss to Costa Rica showed a lot of things, mostly that the U.S. team has not made the progress yet that it needs to make in order to make it far. Hopefully, they do qualify for the World Cup, but they probably won't go too far, even if they get an easier draw this time.

I'm really not trying to overreact to one loss, but the Costa Rica game exposed a lot about the U.S. team. Bob Bradley has some of the same tendencies as his predecessor: selecting players that are past their best such as Pablo Mastroeni, solving the team's problems by playing guys out of position such as DeMarcus Beasley. Bradley is not completely at fault for last night's game, but his team selection does leave you wondering what he is thinking. With players like DeMerit, Spector, Califf, Cherundolo, even Pearce all available and he goes with Beasley and Wynne at the fullback positions.

Beasley hasn't even been playing and is a much better player then he showed last night. Which leads me to another problem, the American players taking a more proactive approach to their careers. Beasley wasn't playing consistently even last season with Rangers. This whole past season he sat on the bench. The American players can't all be sitting on the bench for teams across Europe. If they aren't playing then they need to explore other options whether they be other clubs in Europe or MLS.

The bigger problem though goes back to the beginning and that is where the team have not made progress. They entered the game hoping for a point, knowing that they haven't gotten results in Costa Rica over the years when its counts. The crowd and field conditions were already in their heads before the game even started. A team doesn't come out like that without already being psyched out of the game. Part of that goes back to Bob Bradley and his preparation of the team, but the biggest part falls on the players.

They have to reach the point of stepping up and taking control of situations. They need players who are not just good complimentary players to their teams, but are real leaders and take charge on the field. So far this group hasn't shown it in the really big spots like last night or in the last World Cup against a very mediocre Czech Republic team. Even in the 2002 World Cup the U.S. was shocked and awed by Poland, which cost them the group lead. In order for the U.S. to move forward they need to show that they have the talent to progress to the next level and I haven't seen it yet.

Gareth Barry to Manchester City

2009-06-02T21:22:00.004-04:00

Well this isn't a shocking development either, but a bit of a mild surprise. Its a good move for both Barry and Man City, a bad move for Aston Villa obviously, but what choice did they really have? Mark Hughes is showing that he is a shrewd manager as adding a player like Gareth Barry, who is so versatile, yet also such a stabilizing force in midfield provides the platform for players like Robinho, Jo (assuming he returns), or anyone else that is added. Matching Barry up with Stephen Ireland gives Man City a midfield that can go up against anyone in the Premier League or Europe. Hughes is also adding another solid player to his squad, which adds to his sales pitch when he does move and try to add more skillful players to the squad. Its going to be an interesting summer and its started out that way already.

Shocking Development, Carlo Ancelotti to Chelsea

2009-06-01T21:34:00.003-04:00

I'm sorry, but this was the worst kept secret in soccer. Everyone knew that Carlo Ancelotti was going to leave A.C. Milan and takeover as the new manager at Chelsea. I've finally found someone in Tony Cascarino who is willing to come out and say that he thinks like me in that this will be yet another failure. Ancelotti is all wrong for Chelsea. He's been managing an aging side at Milan, and with few exceptions has he done anything to rebuild the team and make it a force again within Italy. He has had plenty of success over the years, especially in Europe, but lets also not forget the debacle in Istanbul where he let his team give away the Champions League title to Liverpool.

Already Ancelotti is looking to bring Kaka to Chelsea, which won't happen, and Andrea Pirlo, which might happen, but probably wouldn't work out. Ancelotti has inherited another aging squad that has a lot of talent, but also a lot of holes that need to be filled and not with the likes of aging stars who are past their prime. Perhaps his first signing will be David Beckham...

U.S National Team, current state of squad

2009-06-01T00:22:00.004-04:00

The U.S. are playing Costa Rica in an important World Cup qualifying match this Wednesday night at 10:00 PM EST and it will be broadcast on ESPN. I decided to take a look at the squad that manager Bob Bradley has named and review where they are at in their careers. I think its important to examine this as the U.S. national team beings the stretch run in World Cup qualifying because it is very important to determine who is in form and which players are eventually going to make up the squad should the team qualify for next year's World Cup in South Africa. As we can see from the last tournament, just qualifying is no longer acceptable, which really is a great thing when you think about how far the team has come. The U.S team is at the point where they are expected to get the results that will take them beyond the group stages and deeper into the tournament.

GOALKEEPERS:
Brad Guzan (Aston Villa)- Guzan is in a tough spot because while he is at a big club in the English Premier League, he is also the backup behind Brad Friedal. It doesn't look like he is going to be given the chance to play many meaningful game over the course of the next year and if he is going to be the backup to Tim Howard then that needs to change. Perhaps a loan move to another club in Europe or even MLS would be the best move for now.
Tim Howard (Everton)- in a great spot right now as the starter for a top team in Everton. Howard is first choice in goal for the U.S. although he would be given a lot of competition if Brad Friedal were to unretire.

DEFENDERS:
Carlos Bocanegra (Rennes)- Bocanegra seems very settled with a good club in a good league. He always seems to play strong for the U.S., especially in central defense. If he could solve the left back problem he might be even more useful to the national team.
Jonathan Bornstein (Chivas USA)- Bornstein really needs to impress over the next 6 months to a year in order to help the team qualify and make it to the World Cup. He needs to show some of the early promise that has gotten him to this point.
Danny Califf (Midtjylland)- Califf plays for a small club in a small league. He should seriously consider a move back to MLS, which would give him more of a platform to show his talent and make the case for a regular starting role.
Jay DeMerit (Watford)- Watford are going nowhere fast and its time for DeMerit to make the return trip to the U.S, and MLS. He is similar to Califf in that it would provide him with an opportunity to show what he can do. There is only so much that he can show in the English Championship, aka the English Second Division.
Frankie Hejduk (Columbus Crew)- the guy who never quits, he still demonstrates the talent needed to get the U.S. through qualifying, but is he the guy you want in your starting XI against a top team in South Africa?
Oguchi Onyewu (Standard de Liege)- desperately needs to move on from Standard Liege and he really should get an offer from England or Germany. Even one of the big clubs in Holland or France. A top talent that just needs to be given a real chance and should be in the starting XI throughout the World Cup adventures for the U.S.
Heath Pearce (Hansa Rostock)- similar to Bornstein in that he has all of the opportunities in front of him to make the left back position all his own, but isn't able to take advantage. He'll be moving on from Hansa Rostock and shouldn't rule out playing is MLS.
Jonathan Spector (West Ham United)- enough with riding the bench with West Ham, come back to the U.S. and MLS. Don't drop down a division in England unless its to a big club who can realistically look at promotion.
Marvell Wynne (Toronto FC)- a chance to impress and show what he can do on a bigger stage. Wynne has a great opportunity in front of him and possibly could push Hejduk to the bench.

MIDFIELDERS:
Freddy Adu (Monaco)- in a tough spot and has not shown much in Europe. Should think about coming back to MLS and see if he can finally show consistency in his game, which has been sorely lacking. Purely a substitute at this point.
DaMarcus Beasley (Rangers)- rising the bench for Rangers isn't getting it done and he should be looking for another opportunity in Europe. A move back to PSV Eindhoven wouldn't be a bad thing. He needs to go to a club that will play him.
Michael Bradley (Borussia Mönchengladbach)- doing very well in Europe and just needs to further impress next season in Germany. A mainstay in the U.S. squad right now and will be counted on to lead to team throughout the World Cup adventure.
Benny Feilhaber (Aarhus)- desperately needs to move to a bigger club or back to the U.S. Just hasn't shown enough to rate a definite spot in the squad, but has shown his potential at times.
Sacha Kljestan (Chivas USA)- the poster boy for why the Americans who aren't really succeeding in Europe should be back in MLS. Is playing with all of the confidence in the world and earning his spot in the U.S. squad and starting XI.
Pablo Mastroeni (Colorado Rapids)- amazing that he is still around and at this point should have been replaced. Bob Bradley needs to come up with a real alternative and perhaps that will be Maurice Edu. Mastroeni has had his day and should be finishing them out in MLS, not with the U.S.
José Francisco Torres (Pachuca)- not a player that a lot of people are familiar with, but has a great opportunity to show what he can do and why he should be here.

FORWARDS:
Jozy Altidore (Xerez)- a glimpse of his potential with the hat trick against T & T, he will be in the squad for as long as the team goes and hopefully will get to showcase what he can do over the next year both at club and national level.
Brian Ching (Houston Dynamo)- a good club player, but not an international player. He continues to make the squad due to lack of available options, but its Bradley's job to find those options over the course of the next year.
Charlie Davies (Hammarby)- not a player that I'm familiar with. It shows the lack of current options that he is being given a run in the squad with very limited experience. If Kenny Cooper is available he really should be given this spot in the squad.
Clint Dempsey (Fulham)- right now a mainstay in the national team and a key contributor at club level. It will be interesting to see if he retains his place at Fulham next season, but he has to stay in form for the U.S. to achieve anything.
Landon Donovan (Los Angeles Galaxy)- he is still the man as far as the national team is concerned and needs to lead the charge throughout the next year. Maybe then a move to a European club will finally work for him, but for now MLS is the place for him to be.

ESPN EPL Transfers Website

2009-05-30T10:42:00.002-04:00

If you are looking to keep up with the latest in terms of gossip and reality in terms of the EPL transfers, ESPN has a new section of their website that is used to monitor all of this activity. Its actually a very good source for information and as a way of keeping up on what is really happening.

Inter Milan to sign Cassano and Deco

2009-05-30T01:06:00.004-04:00

Now according to ESPN, the not so "Great One" Jose Mourinho is looking to add both Antonio Cassano and Deco to Diego Milito and Thiago Motta as Inter Milan continue to add to their collection of talented, but miscast players. Exactly how many players does this team need? Are they trying to build a third team in Milan? I'm sorry, but these moves just don't make any sense to me. Inter Milan are a team with a lot of talented players, but the closest thing they have to a true star is of course Zlatan Ibrahimovic and perhaps Julio Cesar. So instead of making moves to bring in a couple of really talented players like Diego or Sergio Aguero for example, they go and add more to their collection. This team will be able to put out a solid starting XI at anytime, but will they win the Champions League with this group?

Deco is a fine player who has had many great seasons, but haven't we seen the best of him? Even at his best, was he ever as good as Diego is going to be? Then there is Antonio Cassano, a talented, but also a true enigma wherever he has gone. Why in the world would Inter Milan bother even taking a chance on him after his grand failures at Roma and Real Madrid?

The point that I'm trying to make is that Mourinho just doesn't seem to get it in my opinion. Its not all about quantity, its also about quality. If Inter are going to move forward as one of the dominant forces in Europe they need to add some truly talented players who are in their prime. They also could use some help on defense, which has been a weak point for them for a long time now. Of course who am I or anyone for that matter to question the "Great One"?

Chelsea to sign Zhirkov

2009-05-29T22:43:00.007-04:00

According to World Soccer.com Chelsea look set to sign CSKA Moscow and Russia left sided player Yuri Zhirkov. Zhirkov typically plays in a left midfield or left wing position for CSKA, but is used as a left sided defender for the Russian national team when managed by soon to be departing Chelsea manager Guus Hiddink. With Ashley Cole entrenched at left back for Chelsea it appears that Zhirkov would be a replacement for Florent Malouda who has failed to live up to the expectations when he was signed from Lyon.

Personally, I think Malouda has done a terrific job of living up to expectations because I never expected anything from him to begin with. I admit to not having seen him with Lyon, but in the games that I have seen him play with the French national team and now with Chelsea I have yet to see why he is so highly rated.

Malouda aside, it should be interesting to see how Zhirkov fits in at Chelsea. To me he seems like the type of player the club were buying a few years ago, young and with a lot of potential. Chelsea went of course a bit with the Shevchenko and Ballack purchases, but now seem to be back on track and a lot of it is due to Guus Hiddink. Roman Abramovich seems to listen to Hiddink and its a shame that he won't be allowed to continue his work with the club. I think Chelsea were on a good path that even "the Great One" Jose Mourinho couldn't have taken them on and now with Carlo Ancelotti on his way in from A.C. Milan its quite possible that things will start to regress. At least the World Cup is only 1 year away and after that Hiddink should be free to return to Chelsea if things don't go well next season.

Philadelphia Union taking shape

2009-05-29T00:31:00.004-04:00

Things seem to be coming together for the Philadelphia Union according to this article in the New York Times, which describes how Peter Nowak will be the team's first coach and Bouna Coundoul, a goalkeeper from Senegal who played for the Colorado Rapids in MLS last season will be the first player signed by the team.

Diego signs for Juventus

2009-05-26T22:43:00.003-04:00

Well there still are a couple of big matches left in the European Leagues before the season ends, but the transfer season has already started as players are moving from club to club as teams try and put themselves in various positions for next season. To win the league, avoid relegation, or in the case of Juventus to win the Champions League next season. They definitely took a big step closer to that by signing Diego from Werder Bremen.

Diego started at Santos with a ton of potential and then upon moving to Porto things seem to come to a halt as it took him awhile to adjust to the European game. However, the move to Werder Bremen did him a lot of good as they allowed him to play more to his style and he also grew tremendously as a player to the point where he is now a true game changing player just entering the prime of his career. Surrounded by some top class talent at Juventus, Diego could very well be leading his team onto the field next season at the Champions League Final.