Was Steven Gerrard attempting to cross or was he actually trying to score in the far corner?  Before you answer that, let me remind you this is a man who has done this and given us that little audacity.  Either way it’s a special goal and an excellent omen with games against Fiorentina and Chelsea this week.

***** Elsewhere on Saturday*****

• Robbie Keane scored 4 against Burnley. Now he can take his holiday until Christmas.
• Chelsea make me look daft for waxing about their play, losing to Wigan 1-3.  Cech sent off, should miss Liverpool at the weekend (we’re even).  Ashley Cole carted off.  Boy how quickly things change in a week!
• United go top on goal difference beating Stoke 2-0.  Berba and O’Shea.  Read three sentences back.
• Portsmouth lose AGAIN.  Everton beat them 1-nil and they currently have 0 points in the League.  Paul Hart can’t blame the impending ax on the economy.
• Bobby Zamora DOESN’T score against Arsenal.  You can’t knock his consistency.
• Barca win 2-0 at Malaga, but drop to second in the table as Real better them on goal difference, having beaten Tenerife 3-0 earlier.  Ibra and Pique grab the goals, and how many times will we be hearing that this season?
• Sampdoria beat Inter 1-0 to go top of Serie A.  Ibra is winning the pundit debate between him an Eto’o.

Leo Messi was only 11 when Barca brought him over from Argentina

It’s being reported that Barcelona have agreed to sign a 7 year old Lyon starlet called Kais.  Apparently, Benzema is the only player the French club have seen to possess equal talents at such a young age.  I’m waiting for someone to tell us it’s a joke, but if it’s true it kind of puts the Kakuta incident in perspective.

They say Barca has one of the best youth systems in the world, maybe all it takes is promises of extra dessert and an Xbox…

Barca's Youth Academy

Tags: Barcelona, Kais, Lyon

First blood has been drawn in the Champions League and while Matchday One failed to deliver any upsets we’ve got much to look for in the upcoming group clashes.  Interesting to see some pundits-who-shall-not-be-named already changing their tunes after one day.  Have no fear, FC promises to never admit when it gets it wrong.  But how could we go astray with surefire predictions like these?

1. Chelsea and Porto will give us the match of the Group Stage in November.  Real Madrid’s 5-2 thrashing of Zurich may provide the most highlights, but the Stamford Bridge meeting between Jose Mourinho’s former clubs currently holds the title for most entertaining.  I (okay Setanta) picked this match to watch Tuesday and was certainly glad I did.  Ancelotti’s boys were Drogba-less but no less attack minded.  While The Shed faithful have become accustomed to such aggressiveness from their side, they must’ve been surprised to see a Porto team equally committed to playing their football.  An abundance of slick passing movements and goalscoring opportunities reminded me why the CL is played every year (besides $, I mean €).  A draw probably would’ve been an unfair result to the Londoners, but a loss somehow seemed cruel for the visitors.  Last year Porto put up a great showing against Man United in the knockout stages, and I now expect Porto to be foaming at the mouth for the return leg at the Estadio do Dragao.  All bets are off though if Chelsea have already locked up qualification, which is entirely possible.
2. Don’t let the 0-0 fool you, there will be fireworks when Inter go to the Nou Camp.  So much was hyped about Ibrahimovic and Eto’o versus their old clubs, but it was never going to be a free for all yesterday.  Mourinho knows his side is still behind the quality of Barca and was always going to keep his team defensively organized for this one.  As for the whole Ibra/Eto’o thing, the resentment is really only one sided.  Ibra performed brilliantly during his time in Milan (they would NOT have won those scudettos without him) and neither side appears to harbor any ill will or unfinished business.  He had nothing to prove yesterday.  Eto’o, on the other hand, has revealed his bitterness for his strange and passive-aggressive departure from Barca.  He’ll be dying to make an impression in front of his old fans come November.  Furthermore, both sides will likely be vying for the top spot in the group by then.  If Inter have learned their lesson from seasons passed they’ll do everything in their power to assure they face a runner up in the first knockout stage.  Mourinho will let the shackles off and we might get that Eto’o versus Ibra that’s had our mouths watering since the draw.  At the very least we might see Eto’o lose his head, which is always worth watching.
3. Grafite will finish top scorer.  Before you start calling me a frontrunner and pointing to his Tuesday hat-trick, let me deliver you a statistic.  The CL top scorer in the last three seasons has played for the eventual champion of the competition.  Now let me give you their names: Messi, Ronaldo, and Kaka.  Wow.  You really ought to spot me another 3 goals.  Since there’s no chance Wolfsburg will be lifting Old Big Ears in May, Grafite must maintain his healthy pace of goals.  That’s no small feat, but his group could allow for it.  Scratch out the games against Manchester United (maybe a penalty?) but he’s shown what he can do against CSKA Moscow and will face a similar style of team in Besiktas.  The Bundesliga top scorer is comfortable against teams of this stature and has a decent side reliant upon him alone for their goal supply; as opposed to your favorites who provide goals from all over.  United should crush the other two teams and give Wolfsburg a good shot at progressing, as well as Grafite at least two more games to up his tally.  Two more hat-tricks and I could be saying ‘I told you so.’

Take your pick between running the length of the pitch to jeer/incite Arsenal supporters, or maliciously kicking Van Persie dangerously close to his eye.  Emmanuel Adebayor may have continued his recent form of goalscoring, but he looked every bit a jilted lover playing against his old club.  He apologized for his disrespectful actions afterwords, but still no word on whether he made RVP a mixtape.

Portugal kept its WC dream alive, albeit with the faintest pulse, courtesy of a 1-0 victory tonight over Hungary at the Ferenc Puskas.  Any other result would’ve seen them eliminated, and would’ve meant a World Cup without Ronaldo in addition to possibly Messi.  Of course, my television was nervously tuned into the Group One match today to see if The Greasy One would be jetsetting somewhere next June NOT in South Africa. (What, you didn’t think I was going to pay 25 bucks to see a Rooney/Eduardo dive-off at Wembley during a recession, did you?)

Only ten minutes into the match and Pepe puts the visitors ahead with an authoritative header.  It was textbook.  Deco supplied the curling cross from a free kick in the left channel, the Portuguese big boys all came storming towards the six, and the Real Madrid defender buried it past the onrushing goalkeeper.  Carlos Queiroz hasn’t cracked a smile that wide since his days of holding Alex Ferguson’s chewing gum.

But for all the worthy superlatives for the execution of said set piece, it’s a blatant indication of what’s been missing.  A team with Ronaldo and other technical wizards is certain to win numerous free kicks in the attacking half. (I believe Ronaldo was the most fouled player in the Prem two years running, and if not he’s close).  When it’s central, Ronaldo drives it on target and ups his tally of dead ball goals as Liverpool fans scream “they don’t count, they’re only free kicks!”  If it’s from a wide position, Deco or Simao delivers a dangerous cross and who’s there to meet it?  Take your pick from Ronaldo or Pepe (two of the best attacking headers of the ball), Bruno Alves (also an aerial threat), or Carvalho (even he can score if the top man markers are used on the other three).  Today I saw it in action, but where has it been the whole campaign?

[Brief side note: Every time I see Ricardo Carvalho his hair keeps disappearing, yet I still look for his Super Mario bush running across the back line.  Surely I can't be the only one...]

Much Better!

I was left scratching my head, trying to explain why a team this capable failed to break down inferior teams and score goals until today.  Maybe part of it is misfortune, as I watched Babos deny Ronaldo from point blank on several occasions.  But it wasn’t just today.  If I were to tell you Cristiano Ronaldo has scored zero goals in WC Qualifying, would that be something you’d be interested in?  None, nil, zero.  Now would be the perfect chance for me to have a pop at Ronaldo, but I almost feel sorry for him.

This is his team, no doubt about it.  No Luis Figo lurking in and out of the starting lineup or headlines of a “Golden Generation.”  The Hungarian fans appeared to know only one song today and it was about Ronaldo (don’t ask me any other words).  So the armband around his sleeve is undoubted by everyone.  Then it hits me.  That’s the problem.  Everytime he got the ball he was looking to beat one or more defenders.  When he lost the ball his hands immediately went up as if the game of football was suffering effrontery.  Even if Ronaldo thinks he can win Portugal’s games by himself, it’s becoming clear that he cannot.

I’m tempted to look for a similar trend in Messi’s Argentina, but that’s another story for another day.  What’s evident here is the over reliance on Ronaldo, and to my own amazement I’m again sympathizing with the Player of the Year.  At Man United Ferguson built a team around him, but now Queiroz merely expects the supporting cast to admire Ronaldo pulling rabbits out of the hat.  Watching Liedson childishly (he’s actually 31 in human years but nowhere close in football years) head the attack, I realized Ronaldo would do well to send Rooney a belated thank you card for all the tireless decoy runs and one-twos.  With Portugal he goes it alone because that’s all he can do in the starting XI.

Today the narrow width of the pitch suited the Hungarians’ stifling of Ronaldo.  Indeed it was his opposite number Balazs Dzsudzsak that looked the most creative, and it reflected in the match.  So while Portugal got the result, Hungary will feel the more inspired by their performance.  The two teams are tied for third place in the group on 13 points, with two games to play.  Denmark leads the group with 18, and Sweden are second on 15.  Second place in the group should be enough to qualify for a playoff, but the next two qualifying dates are essentially must wins for everyone.

I flipped over to check some other scores and saw the usual suspects.  Riise scores for Norway, Baros scores a bunch for the Czechs, and Lampard scores a penalty.  England and Spain book their tickets to the South Africa, and all seems right in the cosmos.  Just one little Portuguese star yet to guarantee his place in World Cup 2010.

Only fair if I'm going to call Carvalho 'Super Mario'

Watching England take a bumbling victory against Slovenia at a Wembley friendly today, my mind immediately filed the match away with countless hours of other trial-and-error exhibition games.  Needless to say, my thoughts began to wander in a manner as predictable as Slovenia’s threats on goal.  (If they could head spot kicks, I’m sure you’d see Slovenian penalty takers on all fours).  I took a greater interest in Capello’s angry body language, the unfairness of benching Peter Crouch if only to his teammate sitting behind him, and David Beckham’s love affair with Wembley.  He should honestly just move in a là Quasimodo, and emerge from the rafters miraculously fit enough to play for Ingurland.

However, between my wanderings I did manage to spot just enough points of interest from the match being played.  Six of them, to be precise.  Rather than rant for pages, I’ll do my best Linda Richman from Coffee Talk (apologies if you’re unfamiliar with the classic SNL sketch).  So excuse me while I’m a little faklempt, talk amongst yourselves.  Here, I’ll even give you topics.  Discuss.

Read the rest of this entry »

FIFA today have announced a ban on new signings for Chelsea until January 2011.  The club allegedly induced French teen Gael Kakuta to break his contract with Lens in 2007.  Chelsea have of course appealed the decision.

Most are speculating this will be overturned or considerably shortened.  It’s no secret FIFA could use the money from the accompanying €780,000 fine, nor would they wish to cross one of the biggest clubs in the world.  But Chelsea were warned over Ashley Cole, maybe FIFA will maintain a hard stance?

Although they’re already looking excellent this season, how well will an aging Chelsea squad cope after months of strenuous games?  And what implications could this ban have- surely they aren’t the only club to facilitate breaches of contract?  And does this explain Abramovich’s backing of a UEFA proposal to limit club spending?  So many questions…

Because nothing screams football like Gossip Girl.  Even us Yanks love to pop off at the Prima donna.  Maybe we can get a Didier Drogba reference in the next Twilight installment?  Only 10 more days until league play resumes, I promise.  Oh, and Argentina v Brazil this Saturday.