Archive for the ‘Uncategorized’ Category

ITALIA: We Came. We saw. We Failed Miserably.

Friday, June 25th, 2010

by Marc Roseblade

The Azzurri of ‘06.

Yesterday, one of the so called “power houses” of world football crashed out of the World Cup.

Italy, ranked 5th in FIFA world rankings before the tournament started, had, on paper, a fairly straightforward group.  No other countries; Paraguay, Slovakia or New Zealand are currently in the FIFA top 20.

The tournament was meant to be a swan song for wily old fox Marcello Lippi, but instead his reputation has been tarnished.  His legendary status of four years ago is now just a distant memory.

From the 1st game, they lacked passion or commitment. His team were not committed and they lacked a cutting edge in the final 3rd. Some people will blame the coach while others will blame quality of the team, and they would maybe be correct. Antonio Cassano was left at home after an excellent season with Sampdoria, Giuseppe Rossi was also left out after impressing in last years Confederation Cup while big players like Daniele De Rossi did not play to the high standards that made him one of the best defensive midfielders in the world. Antonio Di Natale and Vincenzo Iaquinta are not the standard of Italian strikers that we are used to like Zola, Del Piero and Baggio. The squad was nowhere near as strong as four years ago and Lippi appears to have lost his tactical prowess that made him so successful four years ago.

I believe it is a problem that most European leagues are suffering from a lack of quality in youth players coming onto the first team. Money has taken over Italy since the 1990’s in order to buy success. The Inter Milan team that played in the champions league final in May did not have a single Italian in the line up and the team who finished 2nd in Serie ‘A’ only had one (Daniele De Rossi) in their starting line up.

The majority of the Italian players in the 2010 World Cup squad are from mid-table teams like Napoli, Sampdoria and Udinese. You might feel sorry for Lippi for what he has to work with.  It is like asking Fabio Cappello to pick his England team from teams like Bolton and Blackburn Rovers and expect a good tournament in South Africa.

This will be a very dark time in Italy.  Heads will role and players will retire to hide from shame, but where will they go from here?

Before the Italians World Cup campaign began it was announced that Fiorentina Coach Cesare Prandelli would be taking over the national team. One of the best managers in Italian football has taken Fiorentina from mid league team to Champions League contenders.  From the Azzurri’s point of view, he got the best out of his players – most notably Alberto Gilardino, who was tipped for big things when moved to AC Milan from Parma in 2005.  When Gilardino failed to live up to the hype surrounding him at Milan, Prandelli took him to Fiorentina where has 44 goals in all competitions over two seasons.

Prandelli is well celebrated in Italian football and has been linked with top jobs in Serie A, with Juventus most recently linked to making him their new manager. He will need a better quality of player but will most surely call upon Antonio Cassano and Mario Balotelli to give back much needed flair and excitement to the Italian side.

They are down just now, the Italian FA (FIGC) are the root cause of problem by allowing vast amount of foreigners to ply there trade in Serie ‘A’.

A famous name in world football has been brought to it’s knees.  Lippi & Co let Italy down, but the Italian FA have let the standard of Italian football drop in the past 15 years and this dark day punctuates their descent. Italy is crying out for the next generation of players as the current generation has embarrassed Italy.  Let’s hope Prandelli can bring back national pride in the Euro 2012 qualifiers.

Read more from Marc at My Scottish Football!

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USA vs GHANA: Match Preview

Friday, June 25th, 2010

by Philip Cramer

All eyes will be fixed on LD tomorrow – photo cred: Alex V.

This USA team reminds me of the 2002 squad that made it to the quarterfinals only to lose 1-0 to Germany in a match where the Americans outplayed the opposition. The United States should have had a penalty kick, and Germany should have had a red card for a handball on the goal line.

That team came out with fire in its eyes, believing that its could beat anybody. And the Americans did, blowing away a very fancied Portugal side with three goals in the first half-hour of the opening game.

The 2010 team has that same fire and that same self-confidence that didn’t exist on the 1998 or 2006 squads.

The United States faces a tricky game tomorrow against a Ghana team that stumbled into the Round of 16 thanks to Australia. Ghana’s two biggest problems are the absence of star midfielder Michael Essien for the entire tournament, and an offense that has only scored two goals thus far—both from penalties. Those two problems are related.

The Americans are coming off the incredible high of Landon Donovan’s extra time goal to save their tournament. That will be a huge asset as confidence is essential in the knockout stage. Ghana will have a huge weight on its shoulders as the last team standing from Africa. That can cut both ways.

The U.S. is stronger at the back because of Tim Howard, and he has been excellent throughout this World Cup. It’s often the little things that make the difference in a game, such as his quick and accurate throw that led to Donovan’s game-winning goal against Algeria.

For Ghana, Richard Kingson is solid in net and has likewise been error-free in the tournament.

The U.S. defense has been solid with Jay Demerit and Carlos Bocanegra both having exceptional tournaments. Oguchi Onyewu should be back for this game as well. His height and size will help keep Ghana’s attack at bay.

Ghana have a solid defense that has given away little including holding Germany to one unstoppable goal. John Pantsil, John Mensah, and the newly promoted Jonathan Mensah have all been solid and disciplined and will force the U.S. attack to work hard.

The midfield matches up fairly evenly despite Essien’s absence. For the U.S. Michael Bradley has been stellar with a controlled level of aggression. Donovan can break open a game and Clint Dempsey is showing the wealth of experience he has garnered playing for Fulham.

Ghana’s midfield has surprised. Anthony Annan has become one of the standout holding midfielders in the tournament, and 20-year-old Andre Ayew is excelling. Kevin Prince Boateng is another player who could cause headaches for the Americans.

Up front Jozy Altidore has played well, proving he can play at this level despite not scoring yet. A goal would surely boost his confidence. Ghana needs Asamoah Gyan to come unstuck for them to have any chance at a victory. He was woeful virtually every time he got the ball in a critical situation against Germany, wasting a number of chances.

Despite struggling through the group stage, Ghana has been consistent with few errors. The ball control skills and short passing of the midfield could give Team USA headaches. The U.S. will need an error-free defense to win.

The intangibles favor the United States. The Americans’ team unity, commitment, and aggression can get under Ghana’s skin, and if that happens the United States will prevail quite comfortably. It could be a game of few clear-cut chances and whoever takes advantage of them will win.

This game could end up hinging on a lucky break, and after the group round the United States seems to have used up their allotment of bad breaks.

Soccer at this level can be a fickle mistress. The odds slightly favor the United States which is an accurate reflection of the game’s prospects. Ghana has more skill but the United States has heart, cohesion, and determination, attributes that have not been as evident for Ghana.

The United States should prevail by the odd goal, but expect a well-played, tight game.

read more from Philip at Irritable Liberal Syndrome!

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USA vs. Algeria: Thoughts and Players Ratings

Friday, June 25th, 2010

By Daniel Kelley

(OFFICIAL ONELOVE U.S. CORESPONDENT)

Group C of the 2010 world cup has been nothing but an emotional rollercoaster for everyone involved.  Underdogs prevailed and shook things up in the beginning.  Slovenia got an unlikely stranglehold on the group’s lead, and England struggled immensely to get anything going.  Algeria started with a loss thanks to a major goalkeeping howler, but shocked everyone by tying England in a game that many thought they would lose.  In the end though team USA prevailed and surprised everyone by winning group C.

After making the most of the gift that Robert Green awarded team USA with his now infamous goalkeeping error and coming back against Slovenia in the most controversial game of the tournament so far, USA had to beat Algeria to have any chance of progressing to the knockout stages.  The game started in typical USA fashion with a miscommunication in the USA backline that resulted in Rafik Djebbour of Algeria letting off a blistering shot that flew past a hapless Tim Howard and smacked the crossbar.  From there USA went on the attack and relentlessly pressed the Algerian backline and went on to score a goal that was controversially disallowed.  One must think that the cries of a conspiracy must be lurking in the background because twice now USA has controversially been denied two legitimate goals.  Surprise starter Herculez Gomez let off a powerful shot that missed the goal, but allowed a waiting Clint Dempsey to pounce on the rebound and score.  Unfortunately Frank De Bleeckere of Belgium, the latest error prone referee to officiate a game, called the goal offside.  Replays would show that Dempsey was most definitely onside, but unfortunately De Bleeckere would only be able to see those replays after the game was over.

After the goal had officially been disallowed, both teams furiously attacked each other.  USA had more chances but they just couldn’t seem to take advantage of them, and with news that England was beating Slovenia desperation was beginning to set in.  There was a moment of hope when Clint Dempsey curled in a perfect shot that beat the keeper but hit the post instead of going in the net.    Just when everyone was ready to throw in the towel and brace themselves for another disappointing world cup campaign the unexpected happened.  In a goalmouth scramble in the 91st minute a loose ball fell to the feet of Landon Donovan.  In a game full of missed chances and blown opportunities Donovan did not hesitate and scored a dramatic game winner that will not only take USA to the next round but allowed them to win group C all together.  Donovan’s goal will be one of the most important ones ever for him.  It keeps USA in the tournament and more importantly it gives the team more support from their country than ever before.  USA is off to arguably one of their best starts ever to a world cup and looks set to use their momentum to progress even farther in what is becoming one of the most wild and unpredictable world cup’s ever.

Player Ratings:

Howard – 7 – In what is becoming a frightening recurring trend, Howard was nearly scored on by a powerful shot in the opening minutes.  Thankfully for Howard and team USA the crossbar prevented the shot from going in.  Solid play from Howard tonight, made some pointblank saves that kept team USA in the game.

Cherundolo – 7 – Dolo has looked pretty great on the right so far in this tournament.  He did his usual thing with relative ease tonight, he held down the right side and came up on the attack with penetrating runs and dangerous crosses.

DeMerit – 8 – It’s pretty amazing that DeMerit only plays in the Championship league in England because he has shone the world that he can compete at the highest level.  His passing game still needs work but his game in the air is unbelievable.  Has a knack of winning just about every aerial ball he goes for, great game for DeMerit.

Bocanegra – 6.5 – Looked a little uncomfortable in the middle at times.  Despite some unfamiliarity in the middle he had a solid yet forgettable game for the captain.

Bornstein – 6.5 – Came in for Gooch to provide more speed out of the back.  Had a solid game, played smart and contributed to the attack on a few occasions.  It was rare error-free performance for the Chivas USA defender today.

Donovan – 8 – Faded in and out of the game and was having trouble getting past the stingy Algerian defense.  Kept his recent goal scoring streak alive with a HUGE goal in stoppage time. Landy Cakes is trying to make everyone forget about his poor performances in 2006, and so far its working.

Bradley – 8 – Bradley is a star in the making, and this world cup is proving to be his showcase.  Endless amounts of energy and great vision on the field, what more could you want from a box to box midfielder?  He looked fearless today, and never seemed like he was resigned to be knocked out of the tournament.

Edu – 6 – Broke up lots of plays and won possession, but kept giving the ball away with poor passes.  Needs his offensive game to be as good as his defensive one.

Dempsey – 7 – Played a hard fought game and was unlucky to have his goal get disallowed, and was also unlucky to hit the post in the second half.  Was getting abused by the Algerian defenders and midfielders throughout the game but he still fought tirelessly.  Had a big hand in Donovan’s goal to win the game.

Gomez – 6 – A shock starter.  Very surprising to see him get the start today in such an important game.  Made the most of his chance and looked dangerous today.  Would have liked to have seen him play a little longer than he did.

Altidore – 7.5 – Jozy Altidore, the forward who does not score.  Did all the dirty work today up top.  Won balls, kept possession, and picked up fouls in all the right areas for team USA.  Will be frustrated not to have scored yet, but should be happy with his play.

Substitutes

Feilhaber – 7 – Came on at the half for Gomez and looked like a different player than from the one in previous games.  Played with intensity and grit, broke up plays and made dangerous passes.  Looked really solid today in the midfield.

Buddle – 5 – Held the ball up well but looked too slow to be playing at this level.  Needs to make better decisions with his passing game.

Beasley – 5 – Came on at the end as USA’s last attacking option off the bench.  Wasn’t able to do much except pick up some hard fouls and get a silly yellow card for a handball.

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ONELOVE 2010: And Then What?

Monday, June 21st, 2010

Alex Valhouli/June 20th, 2010.

Heading home after 9 days in Joburg.  What a dream.

When I was a kid, I would brag to my grandfather about my dreams of becoming a professional soccer player, a professional skateboarder, snowboarder, film director, business man, etc etc. Every couple months it was something new. Every time I came to him with a new plan, he would always wait til I was finished and then ask enthusiastically, “Wow, Al, and then what?” As a teenager, I began to understand what he meant. “And then what?” means, will that be your life? Will you be happy then? And even after I began to understand the question, I had no idea how to actually SOLVE the riddle.

I think I get it now. Just live. Work hard. Stay curious. Be good to people and listen. Maintain your health. Give what you can, when you can. Accept responsibility and let others do the same for themselves. Have fun. Dozens of people have told me all of these things in the past, but it all sounded vague and impersonal until I could embrace it all through the context of ONELOVE.

After spending time in Joburg I have more belief than ever in the potential of ONELOVE FC. We are bound together, not simply by a single passion for soccer, but by an openness to embrace the lives and perspectives of different people. This is not about America, or sports, or products, or politics. It’s about people, plain and simple. We love people, and soccer is, for us, the people’s sport.

As we grow, it is our ultimate goal to establish and maintain a global presence, committed to local initiatives in the United States and abroad. Since ‘abroad’ used to be an ambiguous (sometimes terrifying) term, we scrapped it from our initial mission statement. After meeting people, talking about what soccer means in other parts of the world, experiencing new cultures in the context of soccer, we see limitless opportunity to affect positive change on a human level. We are inspired by people. We affect change through the beautiful game.

My brother, Jamie, and I visited with our grandparents before leaving for South Africa. We sat with them and explained our dream for ONELOVE. I was prepared to answer the “And then what?” question. I was finally ready. But it never came. Instead, all we heard was, “go for it.”

1L

- Alex

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USA vs. Slovenia: Thoughts And Player Ratings

Sunday, June 20th, 2010

By Daniel Kelley

(OFFICIAL ONELOVE U.S. CORESPONDENT)

Most people were pretty divided on how this game would be.  Many thought that this would be a complete blowout, a real USA thumping of Slovenia.  After all, Slovenia is a country that is about the same size as say…Houston, Texas.  Others however recognized that although Slovenia is tiny blip on the map in Europe they actually play some pretty decent soccer.  They only had four goals scored against them in world cup qualifying, and knocked out well-regarded Russia in a playoff to make it to the world cup.  Sure enough Slovenia gave team USA a real scare with some solid play and two goals that caught the red, white, and blue completely off guard.

The game got off to quite a start when Clint Dempsey unleashed a vicious looking elbow on Zlatan Ljubijankic of Slovenia, try saying that name fast five times, literally seconds after the kickoff. Dempsey was extremely fortunate to escape without any sort of punishment.  From there the tone was set for an extremely bizarre and physical game, both in terms of officiating and playing.  Valter Birsa of Slovenia went on to score on an incredible shot that left Tim Howard frozen, and then Ljubijankic got his revenge from the elbow and beat the USA offside trap to score.  USA was stunned, and looked like the euphoria from the England game had not yet worn off.  Somehow though team USA woke up and fought hard for one of the most astonishing comebacks in the team’s history.

With embarrassing officiating from Malian ref Koman Coulibaly team USA definitely had the odds against them.  Coulibaly’s performance was so bad that its already being said that he will not officiate any more games in the tournament.  There is much evidence to be seen for why he has no place officiating such high profile games.  Just see the call on Findley for a handball, Marko Suler taking down Altidore, and of course the goal Maurice Edu scored that was called back for a phantom foul.  Coulibaly robbed USA of a deserved victory and should really be ashamed for his amateur hour officiating.

All controversy aside USA played a poor first half and deserved to be down by two goals.  Bob Bradley must have had some stern and inspiring words at halftime because the team came out to play with fire in their eyes for the second half.  Landon Donovan scored a wonder goal on a tight angle, sort of similar to Maicon’s goal in the Brazil vs. North Korea game, and had a hand in Michael Bradley’s tying goal.  Great comeback from team USA, they needed a win but a tie still keeps them in it.  Also thanks to England’s Abysmal draw with Algeria everyone is still alive in this group.  Crazy game tonight, but the thought that Team USA was cheated by the ref will linger in the minds of USA fans for a long time, especially if they don’t end up advancing out of the group.

Player Ratings:

1

Tim Howard-7- Has a bad habit of coming too far off his line and getting punished for it.  There is no denying that the first goal was a nice shot but Howard misjudged the shot and put himself in a position where all he could do was watch the ball fly in the back of net.  Played a solid game other than the first goal, and did all he could for the second one.

Oguchi Onyewu-5- Gooch looked sluggish.  Thought he might be back to his old self after the England game but he still looks very rusty.

Jay DeMerit-7.5-Completely dominant in the air.  Won just about every ball he went for in the second half.  Still has the occasional miscommunication with his partner in the central defense and needs to work on his passing game.  Played with real conviction and determination, great performance.

Carlos Bocanegra-5.5- Tough game for ‘los, he was getting worked pretty hard on the left side the whole game.

Steve Cherundolo-6-Definitely didn’t have the amazing game he had against England.  Didn’t seem as sharp tonight but still had some nice plays both defensively and offensively.

José Torres-6.5- Had the opportunity to show the world his ability to hold down the middle and didn’t really do much.  Showed some fancy footwork and took a great free kick that nearly turned into a goal.

Michael Bradley-8-Bradley was all over the field, both breaking up plays and making them.  Hard working performance capped off by a clutch goal.

Landon Donovan-9-Landy Cakes stepped it up in a big way in this game.  While a lot of the other players seemed resigned to losing he got fired up.  Had a ridiculously nice goal and was involved with Bradley’s tying goal.

Clint Dempsey-6-Unbelievably fortunate to not get ejected for his elbow thirty seconds into the game.  Drifted in and out the match and had a somewhat anonymous game for Deuce.

Robbie Findley -5.5- Someone needs to remind Findley that forwards are supposed to score, or at least try to score.  Made good runs but was just too passive when it came time to attempt a shot.

Jozy Altidore-7- Huffed and puffed all game long and gave center back Marko Suler a very tough time.

Substitutes

Benny Feilhaber-5.5- A surprising half time substitution.  Took some nice touches and calmed things down in the middle.  His defensive play was pretty terrible though, seemed to forget that his team was losing.

Maurice Edu -6- Had a disallowed goal that would have made him the golden boy of American soccer. Sadly it was disallowed on one of the most shockingly bad calls in soccer history.

Herculez Gomez-6.5- Gomez has this undeniable ability to change a game.  Made immediate impact with his presence in the penalty area and nearly scored a goal himself late on.

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ONELOVE BEANIES!

Friday, June 18th, 2010

It is COLD in Joburg right now. We brought some of our new beanies out here to share with people for feedback and the response has been HUGELY positive.

The frigid air didn’t hurt our cause, either!

The hats are all hand painted and hand stitched with custom colors and designs, specific to flag colors, club crests, and special requests.  Email alex@onelovesoccer.com to inquire about pricing and availability!

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GREECE MAKES HISTORY!

Friday, June 18th, 2010

by Marc Roseblade

Hats off to Greece today as they won their first ever World Cup match against Nigeria.

They were helped by the fact that a Nigeria player kicked out at a Greek player and got sent off, but kudos to the Greeks for scoring the goals they needed. The ‘Pirate Ship’ now looks forward to playing Argentina.  A win would probably take them through to the next round, but Argentina are firing on all cylinders at the moment and will be a tough squad to overcome.

Today, however belongs to Greece and after their recent financial meltdown, this will be a welcome break from that.

Read more from Marc at My Scottish Football!

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SCOTTISH FOOTBALL: SPL Week 1 Draw

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

The SPL fixture list has been drawn randomly by some sort of weird computer thingy.

Week 1 is as followsspl

by Marc Roseblade

2010/11 Clydesdale Bank Premier League fixtures

Kick-off 3pm unless stated. TV selections will be announced in due course.

Saturday August 14
Aberdeen v Hamilton Accies
Hearts v St Johnstone
Inverness CT v Celtic
Motherwell v Hibernian
Rangers v Kilmarnock
St Mirren v Dundee United

I am not going to list all the fixtures as there are way too many, visit the SPL website.

read more from Marc at My Scottish Football!

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BAFANA, BAFANA: What Happened?

Thursday, June 17th, 2010

by Philip Cramer

Bafana, Bafana, you broke my heart.

Where was the team that came alive against Mexico and almost beat them? Yesterday, that team was nowhere to be seen.  Yesterday, you looked like the team that is ranked 83rd by FIFA.  Yesterday, you proved why all the critics wrote you off before the World Cup even started.

It isn’t that you lost.  Uruguay showed us they are a very good team that played with discipline and commitment.  There is no shame in losing to a team that plays well.  The difference is that they played with passion and commitment, and you did not.

You were beaten to the ball too many times.  They ran you down from behind.  They fought harder and they showed heart.  I did not sense that from you, Bafana.

Siphiwe Tshablala, when you said before the game that Uruguay was in plenty of trouble, you stirred up a hornet’s nest.  It only inspires your opponent.

Perhaps the team was too confident. I confess that we were all confident.  The team played well in the games before the Cup, especially the last one, when you outplayed and beat a good Denmark side.  We all believed the low FIFA ranking was a reflection of the past, not of the present.

Coach Parreira, you blamed the referee after the game.  It was not the referee’s fault.  It was a penalty, even if Itumeleng Khune did not intend to foul.  It was unlucky because the tip of his foot accidentally caught Luis Suarez’s foot.  That is still a penalty, even though the red card was harsh.  What I cannot understand is why you made no changes in the lineup or the tactics when it was clear nothing was working.

South Africa is still proud of Bafana.  It is not over yet, and the team brought joy to a nation that has welcomed the rest of the world.  The country is sad but they are not upset.  We know you did your best on an emotional day for us—National Youth Day, when we remember those school children who stood tall and defiant in the face of police bullets to oppose an evil system.

South Africa is still new to international soccer and the team still has a lot to learn, but this will make Bafana stronger.  It isn’t over yet and we still have one game left.  It will be difficult to make it to the next round.  We have nothing to lose, so all I ask is that you find the heart and the ability that the team has. Even if we don’t advance, Bafana and the country will hold their heads high.

check out more from Philip Cramer at Irritable Liberal Syndrome.

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Argentina vs Nigeria: Game Recap

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010

By Rick Minars

(OFFICIAL ONELOVE ARGENTINA CORESPONDENT)

Last Saturday’s most anticipated match in Group B was played between Argentina and Nigeria. These two national sides have high expectation to qualify out  the group as the top two teams. The Albiceleste and the Super Eagles have a rich history between each other in major competitions, such as the  Olympics and especially the World Cup. The national sides have met in crucial stages of major tournaments numerous times and Argentina has  basically always prevailed.

This past Saturday the victory went to the Albiceleste. A 1-0 victory to Maradona’s side to overcome Nigeria. Argentina in the first half played an excellent first 25 minutes. All the lines from defense to the midfield and to the three forwards were extremely concentrated. Even though Argentina dominated for  most of the game, they did have spurts of lows, especially towards the closure of the game.  During these lows, Nigeria’s began to push forward and create chances by testing Argentina’s keeper Sergio Romero. Even with the few chances that Nigeria posed as a threat, it looked like that most of the game Nigeria respected Argentina to much and let Argentina control possession of the ball and conceded too space. When Argentina possessed ball the the Nigerian side would just stand and watch without putting much pressure. The only way that Nigeria would recover possession of the ball was merely when the Albiceleste would get cute and make a mistake.

Overall the Argentinian goal was a set piece scored off a corner kick by diving header by Gabriel Heinze  in minute sixth of the first half.

More to come this week on pre-game analysis on Argentina vs. South Korea.

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