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Soccer Banter

Extra Time with Dave Clarke

11/27/2011

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As America celebrates the Thanksgiving holiday it seems appropriate that this week’s Extra Time be devoted to a review of the 16th MLS Cup Final between the Los Angeles Galaxy and the Houston Dynamo.

The game was an entertaining one and the Galaxy deserved to win their third title, their first since 2005, although the 1-0 score line flattered the Dynamo who were comprehensively outplayed.  They were fortunate that the Galaxy and Robbie Keane in particular were profligate in front of the goal.  Landon Donovan’s decisive goal was worthy of winning any cup final and owed much to the collective ability of the Galaxy’s three designated players.  Keane and David Beckham were involved in the buildup before feeding Donovan who adeptly finished the move past a helpless Tally Hall.

There are many things that can be leveled at Landon Donovan, but there can be no disputing the fact that he rises to the big occasion for both club and country.  His winning goal for the USA against Algeria in last summer’s World Cup in South Africa is already the stuff of legend.  His winning goal in the MLS Final adds to his impressive resume and there is still room for more accomplishments.  All the talk in the aftermath of the game was about where his teammate Beckham will ply his trade next season; however, it will be interesting from an American perspective to see what Donovan decides to do.  No one would begrudge him a move to Europe at this stage of his career.   
    


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Despite rumors indicating that Donovan and Beckham were not the best of friends off the field their embrace at the final whistle showed a mutual professional respect.  If Beckham does not return to MLS in 2012 then the embrace with Donovan and his holding aloft the Phillip F. Anschutz trophy will be two of the iconic images of this season and the English superstar’s MLS and LA career.

The regular season was an exciting one with some excellent games, the development of players like Omar Gonzalez, the addition of talent like Robbie Keane and the opening of yet more soccer specific stadiums.  The average game attendance for the league surpassed that of the NBA and NHL to provide much needed credibility with an unsupportive media.  Too bad that then that the two best teams, LA and Seattle Sounders did not get the chance to meet in the final because of the vagaries of the MLS playoff format.  Thankfully the powers that be have tweaked the schedule for next year and the top two teams have the possibility of facing each other in the final, as they should. 

It may have taken him five years, but David Beckham will leave MLS a winner.  His potential final game in a Galaxy shirt was well covered by the British media and was subject to the typical lazy soccer journalism.  They would have you believe that Beckham has built MLS into what it has become today.  Nonsense!  MLS was on the road to being an established league long before Beckham joined the Galaxy.  ESPN, Fox Soccer and the likes of the atmosphere at Seattle’s games to name but a few have helped established the league.  Beckham has elevated the status of the league because he and his oxymoronic named wife are regular features in the tabloids and magazines.  The Beckham brand has helped MLS, but MLS has helped brand Beckham in return.



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The attendance of 30,281 as well as the final itself has come in for some undeserved criticism in the domestic and international media.  The game was a sell out and while the number of spectators attending is nowhere near that of a Champions League Final or FA Cup Final it still represents a huge positive for the game in this country.  By comparison, the 16th English FA Cup Final at Kennington Oval in 1886-87 was played in front of a sparse crowd of 15,500.  Those hardy souls watched Aston Villa beat West Bromwich 2-0. 

There were a few minor negatives in the final.  The referee, Ricardo Salazar tried to let the game flow as much as possible, but he was very lenient to both Beckham and the Dynamo’s Andre Hainault.  Both players were cautioned in the latter stages, but a case could be made that both should have received red for a couple of naughty tackles each.  Whose decision was it to use a silver ball for the final?  I know my eyesight is waning as I get older, but I had a hard time picking the ball out especially from distance.   

I like watching MLS games and I think the league has improved immensely in recent years.  It will never supplant Spurs or Celtic in my emotions, but that is an argument for another day.  Too many ex-pat fans on the blogs, forums, and Sirius phone-ins are critical of MLS and don’t give the league its due credit.  These fans compare MLS to Barcelona, AC Milan, Celtic and Manchester United which is unfair.  They say the games are boring; lack quality and lack intensity; yet, these same fans will then watch Wigan play Aston Villa or Inverness play Aberdeen and find them entertaining.  MLS should be judged on its own merits and not compared to the EPL, La Liga or Serie A. 
       


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Extra Time with Dave Clarke

11/20/2011

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England beat Spain 1-0 at Wembley and are now the unofficial European and World Champions, or so say the experts in the British media.  It was a good win, but England are still outsiders for next summer’s Euro 2012 tournament.  They will have to repeat the performance and the result in at least three games against the likes of Holland, Germany and Spain in Poland-Ukraine if they are to lift the trophy.  That will not happen.    

St. James’ Park, the home of Newcastle United Football Club has been renamed by owner Mike Ashley.  The official title is now the Sports Direct Arena.  The decision to rename, or to be more exact, rebrand the iconic stadium in the dreary northeast of England is the latest sign that English football has lost its soul.  It is one thing to give a new stadium a corporate name, but not a stadium as historic as St. James’ Park.  Sir Bobby Robson is turning over in his grave. 

Guus Hiddink is out as coach of Turkey.  The 65-year-old Dutchman resigned after he failed to guide Turkey to the Euro finals.  The disastrous 0-3 home defeat to Croatia in the play-offs hastened Hiddink’s exit.  However, the loss will not damage Hiddink’s reputation although it should.  He won’t be unemployed for too long and a number of teams in the major European leagues will be working hard to convince Hiddink to become their next manager.  One man who should be looking over his shoulder is Chelsea 03’s Andre Villas Boas.
  


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Ireland confirmed their place in next year’s finals with an emphatic 5-1 aggregate win over Estonia.  Robbie Keane continued his trend of scoring against football’s weaker teams to help fire Giovanni Trapattoni’s team to Poland-Ukraine.  The Irish were fortunate to draw Estonia in the play-offs, but won't be so lucky in the finals.  They are in Pot 4 with the other three lowest seeds, so will have a tough group.  England would be the dream draw for the team and its fans which would revive memories of June 12, 1988 when Ray Houghton’s sixth minute header sent Ireland on its way to a memorable victory. 

Celtic have been charged by UEFA for 'illicit singing by their fans during the recent Europa Cup clash with Rennes. There is an element of Celtic’s support that continues to sing songs that glorify the Irish Republican Army (IRA).  Some fans will argue these songs are historic in nature and it will now be up to UEFA to determine whether they are or not.  The outcome could have ramifications for other clubs throughout Europe including Barcelona whose history is political or ethnic in nature.  
   


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The LA Galaxy face the Houston Dynamo in Sunday's MLS Cup Final.  One hopes the Galaxy’s chances are not undermined by Robbie Keane’s transatlantic flight combined with his alleged celebrations late into the night after Ireland’s game in Dublin against Estonia.  LA are favorites for the title especially as the game is at their home ground.  Houston showed in the semi-final against Sporting Kansas City that they can defend in numbers, silence a vocal home crowd and steal a goal on the break.  A Beckham inspired Galaxy should emerge victorious, but it is not beyond the realm of possibility for the Dynamo to cause an upset.      

Luis Suarez turned in a clinical performance in scoring four goals for Uruguay against Chile in South American World Cup qualifying.  His team now sit top of a group of nine teams and Uruguay are on their way to qualifying for Brazil 2014.  Their bitter neighbors Argentina are joint top despite a stuttering start to their qualifying campaign.  They trailed away to Colombia for most of their game before goals from Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero gave them victory and the all-important three points.  The win may have saved former Sheffield United star, Alex Sabella his job. 

Jurgen Klinsmann has not had the best of starts to his career as coach of the United States. His experimental line up beat Slovenia 3-2 in Ljubljana on Tuesday to silence his increasing number of critics.  Klinsmann’s team were drawn into a group comprising Jamaica, Guatemala and Antigua & Barbuda (who?) for 2014 World Cup qualifying.  It is inconceivable to think the USA will not qualify for Brazil, so the German coach has time on his side to get things right. 


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Justin Bieber, the teenage Canadian warbler had a recent tour of Chelsea ‘03’s Stamford Bridge.  He is now reputed to be a fan of the West London club.  If his music wasn’t enough to make me dislike him then his support of London’s fourth biggest club certainly is.

There was uproar in England this past week when FIFA correctly refused the Football Association’s request to allow the England shirt to be embroidered with a red poppy for the game against Spain.  The poppy, a symbol of Armistice Day, November 11, 1918 is worn in the build -up to Remembrance Sunday in the United Kingdom and signifies support for British troops who have fought and died in numerous wars.  FIFA rules are quite clear that no emblem can be added to a national team shirt and the furor caused by the poppy debate was blown out of all proportion in the English media.  Had FIFA succumbed to English political pressure then there would be nothing to stop other countries requesting permission to embroider their shirts with similar emblems of political or religious sentiment.  For example, what would the outcry be if the Republic of Ireland shirt was embroidered with an Easter Lily in remembrance of IRA dead for a game against England, Northern Ireland, or Scotland?          

It was once said of FIFA president Sepp Blatter that he comes up with 50 new ideas each week and 51 of them are bad.  This gives some insight into the personality that is Blatter.  Yes, he and FIFA have done a lot to promote the game around the world and most of that work has been positive.  But there are times when Blatter cannot help himself and his latest honest interview about racism in football may have finally undermined his authority and made his position untenable.  In a perfect world Blatter would be fired or forced to resign, but in the politically complicated structure of FIFA that will never happen.  



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Extra Time with Dave Clarke

11/9/2011

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The EPL season is 11 games in and it is still awaiting its first managerial casualty.  Sunderland’s Steve Bruce and Blackburn’s Steve Kean, the two favorites for the sack have somehow managed to remain in their jobs.  Pressure is mounting on Wolves’ Mick McCarthy and Wigan’s Roberto Martinez whose sides languish in or close to the three relegation positions.  Wolves beat Wigan in this weekend’s proverbial six pointer to confine Martinez’s side to their eight consecutive loss.  That losing streak cannot continue or he will be the first manager to lose his job. 

Liverpool won at West Brom last weekend in a very methodical display and were outplayed at times by promoted Swansea City at Anfield this one.  The Kenny Dalglish acolytes in the media would have you believe that he has transformed the stodgy Liverpool of the Roy Hodgson reign into the free flowing Liverpool of the John Barnes era.  Rubbish.  There is no flair to the side and the reds are an injury to Luis Suarez from being average.  Andy Carroll is a lumbering waste of money while Stuart Downing and Jordan Henderson have offered precious little to justify their transfer fees.  Liverpool have improved but are a long way from being a top four side let alone title contenders. 

The game of the week may have been at Stanford Bridge between Chelsea ‘03 and Arsenal, but the result of the week belongs to Man United.  They went to Goodison Park, a ground where they usually struggle, on the back of their humiliating loss to Man City ‘08, to play Everton a team that has always caused them problems and ground out a 1-0 win.  Arsenal’s win may have gleaned all the headlines, but United’s win and clean sheet is of the type that wins titles.   As is their 1-0 win at home to Sunderland.  Don’t crown City as champions just yet.
 


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Speaking of Arsenal and that win. Arsene Wenger has in the recent past admonished Spurs and their fans for celebrating meaningless wins (as if there is such a thing) against Arsenal.  How ironic then to see the Wenger’s players celebrate their win at Stamford Bridge as if they had won the title.   And why was there not more made of the challenge by Wojciech Szczesny on Ashley Cole?  Had that challenge occurred anywhere else on the field and by an outfield player it would have earned a straight red card.  I am pretty sure Wenger didn’t see the incident.

Chelsea ‘03 are in trouble on the evidence of their losses to QPR and Arsenal, their poor draw at Genk in the Champions League and their underwhelming performance in winning at Blackburn. The misfiring Fernando Torres has been a waste of money, John Terry is a major distraction, Peter Cech has been poor and despite a hat trick against Bolton, Frank Lampard is a shadow of his former self.  They have missed Michael Essien, but perhaps they miss Ricardo Carvalho more.  He made the back four tick and the blues have not looked the same since he left for Real Madrid.  Judging by their recent performances never mind their results Chelsea ‘03 are as far away from winning their owner his Holy Grail, the Champions League as they have ever been.  



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The Old Lady is stirring and may just be heading back to her rightful place as the Queen of Serie A.  Juventus deservedly beat Internazionale 2-1 at the Giuseppe Meazza recently to establish them as legitimate title contenders.  They did so with a blend of attacking talent in Claudio Marchisio and Alessandro Matri and experience in Gianluigi Buffon and Andrea Pirlo.  The postponed game at Napoli this weekend has slowed their progress for now.  They are still a long way from the Juventus of the late 1990’s, but the club is on its way back.   

It passed off unnoticed that FOX was awarded the English language rights to the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups.  The contract is worth a staggering $400 million which again destroys the myth that the US is not a soccer nation. The viewing figures for EPL games on FOX Soccer Channel and ESPN also show healthy support for the game here.  Throw in the fact the MLS’s average attendance of 17,780 is now better than that of the NBA and NHL and in the top 10 internationally and there is real cause for optimism for the future of the game in America. 

Third party ownership has been assailed in the UK as against the integrity of the game.  The banning of such ownership by the football authorities there will not stand the test of scrutiny if a case is brought before the European Community, or the Court of Arbitration for Sport.  It will be another loss for football similar to the Bosman and the Charleroi cases.  Changes are coming to English and European football and the game in five years’ time will be unrecognizable from the one in place today.  Can you say Super League?  



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The two best teams in European football right now are Real Madrid and Barcelona while their respective players, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are the two best players.  Messi put on a clinic in the Champions League at Plzen and Ronaldo followed it up with a similar performance against Osasuna in La Liga.  The two players are raising their games to new heights and bringing out the best in each other.  The first Classico on December 11 cannot come soon enough and here’s hoping that the two teams avoid each other in the knock out stages and instead meet in the Champions League Final in Munich next May.

John Terry is an angel.  He would never stoop so low as to make the comment he is alleged to have shouted at Anton Ferdinand.  He never made alleged comments to Ledley King when being sent off at Spurs in 2008.  His mom was never arrested for alleged shop lifting.  His dad was never arrested for alleged drug dealing.  Terry was never charged with an alleged assault when his close friend was charged with rape.  He never got drunk the day after the September 11 attacks and verbally abused American tourists.  He never slept with his team mate’s ex-girlfriend.  And he never asked for money to lay on a behind the scenes tour of Chelsea 03’s training ground.   
 


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In a week when John Terry was the face of all that is wrong with football Billy Sharp and Darren Deadman reminded us of all that is right with the game.  Sharp scored the first goal in Doncaster’s 1-3 loss at home to Middlesbrough.  He played three days after the death of his two day old son, Luey Jacob and unveiled a personal message on his undershirt – “That’s for you, son.” - when he scored.  His goal was worthy of winning the game, but alas it was not to be.  By the letter of the law Sharp should have received a yellow card for his celebration from match official, Deadman.  But for once a referee used common sense and did not caution the grieving Sharp.  Credit to Deadman for great officiating and to Sharp for the character he showed.

It was a great week for MLS with two excellent conference finals that showed all that is good about the game in America.  Houston Dynamo went to Sporting Kansas and won 2-0 in front of a sold out and partisan crowd of 20,839.  Kansas had their chances, but Carlo Costly’s late strike added to Andre Hainault’s opener to send the Dynamo to the final.  There they will meet the LA Galaxy who finally overcame Real Salt Lake 3-1 in a scoreline that flattered LA.  The Galaxy’s star players Landon Donovan, David Beckham and Robbie Keane were instrumental in the win and it will take a great display from Houston to stop them winning their first MLS title since 2005.  
 


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Alex Ferguson celebrated 25 years in charge of Manchester United in Saturday’s game at home to Sunderland.  He is the greatest manager in United’s history, arguably the greatest in the history of English football and one of the best ever in world football.  He has managed some great players in that his time at Old Trafford, but this would be my greatest XI:

Peter Schmichael

Gary Neville, Paul McGrath, Jaap Stam, Denis Irwin,

Cristiano Ronaldo, Roy Keane, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs

Eric Cantona, Ruud Van Nistelrooy.

Subs: Edwin Van der Saar, David Beckham, Mark Hughes, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Bryan Robson, Jasper Olsen and Wayne Rooney.



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    Dave Clarke

    Head Women's Soccer Coach at Quinnipiac University and US National Staff Coach who received a Masters in Journalism from QU.  A Spurs and Celtic supporter.


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