Thoughts on U.S. men, the Premiership, continental League races and Champions League action

Boy, today's post title is a mouthful, but not nearly as much as this-->
I wanted to gloss over some of the weekend action from the leagues in Europe, touch base on some domestic league issues here in the States and wrap up with my thoughts on the midweek Champions League action which culminated in Man U's advancement and Madrid's departure from the competition.  A lot to get to, but I suppose we can do it.  Sorry again for the absence the past few days.  The weather here in Connecticut has been spring-like and coming out of the winter my legs felt a bit sprightly.  So, I took some days to enjoy the balmy temps for this time of year.  I was even able to dust off my cleats and get 'em stuck in the mud.  Which reminds me, just cause the grass is clear of snow doesn't mean a few slips and slides aren't waiting to happen (with injuries to follow).
For full training make sure you wait for the ground to harden up a bit before a full on 5-a-side game with your friends...That bit of advice was on the house, because my hamstrings have paid in the past for lack of patience with New England ground.


Okay, away we go.  I'll start with league action in the Premiership.

In the Prem, Man U reigns supreme.  The titleholders clipped Wolves at Molineaux 1-0.  Paul Scholes, the ginger one, scored his 100th goal for United.  United were without the services of Rooney, but the 30 million pound Berbatov stepped into his customary role to make others around him better.  I know Berba has a lot of detractors at the club, because of his goal scoring form, but the man is sublime and generally helps in United being a better offensive threat with him on the pitch.  United; two points clear of Chelsea and Arsenal in a three horse race.  Chelsea has a game in hand.

The fight for the fourth place spot and the coveted final Champions League birth is a toss-up.  Manchester City, Liverpool, and Leo the late bloomer Tottenham are definitely in the mix.  Aston Villa and BIRMINGHAM CITY? are currently just off pace for the fourth place spot.  Cheers to Alex McLeish with what he's done with Birmingham.  Everton and Fulham still remain strong in the top half despite some injury concerns to both sides, but who doesn't this time of year.  

The other game I want to focus on concerns three of the most important Americans playing abroad.  These three are arguably the key to American success in South Africa.  Relegation zone Hull City (featuring Jozy Altidore) at Everton (featuring Tim Howard and Landon Donovan) was a match-up Donovan will never forget, but left City manager Phil Brown wondering how he can rescue his troops from the grasps of tier 2 football next season.  Everton gave a virtuoso performance at home to rout a defenseless Hull 5-1. 
Howard was Howard, veteran, solid, and commanding.  This is just what the national team backline needs when they face England, Algeria and Slovenia. 
Donovan, a man whose underwhelming stints in the German Bundesliga had left Europe laughing at the best player we've ever produced and other Yanks in their ranks.  Well, he came on as a sub and did alright.  By "alright" I mean Donovan told the ne-sayers to LOCK IT UP.  The only people left yelling and screaming at Everton's Goodison Park were the thousands of Blues supporters singing for LD to stay.  Donovan came on around the 60th minute in what looks to be his last home game during this stirringly successful loan spell from LA Galaxy.  What LD did from there was add to a 3-1 scoreline in favor of the Blues.  A technical show of brilliance made a difficult shot look simple, and simultaneously untouchable by the Hull keeper; goal for Donovan.  Minutes later, LD showed his pace, which he's still in abundance of at age 28, to race down the right flank and pick out Everton starlet (and rumored Manchester United transfer target) Jack Rodwell for a classy finish. 
30 minutes, 1 goal, 1 assist in your last home game, perfect ending to a loan spell in the world's toughest league (playing against Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea and winning 2 of the 3), and being voted player of the month at a top ten Premiere league club....priceless.
Also of note, Steven Pienaar, South Africa's best player, contributed his usual high paced performance on the left flank for Everton.  Unfortunately, his week included being found guilty in British court for drunk driving after the Blues' win over Man United.  The mistake will cost him the ire of Everton boss Moyes, disappointment from a nation back home, and a suspended license for 6 months as he was found to be twice the legal limit.  Pienaar must clean up his act if he is to be the star of the host nation this summer.
The last thing I want to include about this fixture is the pain I feel for Altidore.  The boy is still young and is learning to create his own shot in top flight football where finding a bit of space can be difficult for the best of forwards on any given day.  Hull manager Phil Brown has worked well with him and given him the necessary opportunity to come along, but in-game Altidore is left with service that amounts to nothing more than 50/50s.  At a top flight club Altidore could be learning the tactics, honing his technical side of the game, but for Hull he must be a workhorse which I don't think suits the physically gifted youngster. 
As a fellow striker, I sympathize with his predicament.  It is one of the most difficult things in soccer to be a good/great striker on a poor team, because you are pushing against a mountain in the form of having to win balls on your own, dribble at 2, 3, or 4 defenders AND finish all by your onesies.  Easier said than done in top flight football against disciplined defenses...Anyways, Match Highlights for you loyal readers... ;)   (LD goal and assist from 10 minutes on) 

To Spain we go as Real Madrid and Barca continue to battle for supremacy.  No other teams will challenge and although the Spanish Primera is chalk-full of classy talent, the defenses are often porous leaving offensive juggernauts like Madrid and Barcelona free with their fat bank accounts and incredible squad depth to grasp for the title as they please.  Barcelona is not as dominant as they were last year.  This, coupled with Madrid's early exit from the Champions League will leave their domestic duties as top priority to salvage a season for the "reciente"-Galacticos.  Barcelona has a dogfight.

In Germany, Bayern Munich and Bayern Leverkusen are stuck in a three horse lead with Schalke 04.  In a league with all parts bruising, technical and tactically demanding, I think the bookies would throw their money on Munich with their experience and depth.  Louis Van Gaal brings his Dutch approach to light up both wings with pace thanks to Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben.  Simply put, these two, if injury free will make the difference in this title race. 
Elsewhere in Rhineland, Americans Michael Bradley, Jermaine Jones, and Ricardo Clark find it difficult to make impact beyond squad players for their respective Bundesliga sides while gaining valuable experience for this summer.

Lastly, in Italy, the Scudetto is Internazionale's to lose.  The Blue and Black of San Siro has bested its rivals A.C. Milan head to head, but has stalled in the league since.  Will the "Special One" Mourinho manage his team to a Scudetto and a defeat of his former club, Chelsea, in Champions League play?  The thought makes white haired Milanese men cry tears of joy at the thought.  Scudettos have been easy to come by for Inter the past few years (they are 4 pts ahead of A.C. at the moment), but the continent's cup has been another story.



I want to take a moment to write a disclaimer to MLS.  

 SORT OUT YOUR CONTRACT DISPUTE!

The fact that we are mere months away from the World Cup with the start date for this year's domestic campaign in doubt is comical.  Owners, pony up!  Franchises are building their own soccer specific stadiums for those teams that already haven't.  The league is over a decade old and is here to stay.  It is time that all soccer professionals in this country can make a living playing the game year round while progressing the national team forward on the global stage.  
On another note, the Galaxy's handling of Donovan's loan deal is wrong.  The MLS has too much power over player personnel, contracts, and transfer negotiations.  We saw this a few years back when Taylor Twellman was unable to secure an agreed fee with a side across the pond in Britain, because of MLS asking ridiculous prices for Twellman's services.   Disclaimer number 2 to the league and its front offices:
If MLS players are sought overseas or abroad, negotiate a fair asking price and let the players go! 
It is in the league's best interest to allow their top players to advance their careers when they have moved past the confines of domestic soccer and are wanted elsewhere.  It happens everywhere in the world and it makes leagues in South America and smaller leagues in Europe, Asia, and Africa thrive.  It is okay for the MLS to become a stepping stone to Europe.  European club football is the holy grail and the MLS being a stepping stone is a desirable trait.  It's a trait for successful smaller leagues worldwide.  Join the world Major League Soccer.  Don't let your name fool you, you're not that Major.

For Donovan, he has said that he'd like to stay in England.  Everton's boss, Moyes, and the club's fans want him.  Why not allow LD to play another month and then bring him back?  The MLS regular season will not be won or lost in the first month and a player that has done everything back home  should not be forced back if he does not want to be.  
Unfortunately, this is the business side of soccer nobody wants to see.  It happens almost everywhere.  The Galaxy has marketed Donovan and Becks and if they don't have their stars they apparently don't have a soccer team.  Nice message to the rest of the locker room and the league as a whole.  Donovan can't play forever.  Let America's best player continue to shine against the world's best competition...again, it's a testament to MLS when this happens.  (ME BANGING HEAD AGAINST WALL)


FINALLY, we are at the end.  Thanks to those that have stuck through it with me, I'd like to thank my butt-pad for allowing me to sit comfortably this past hour, Mrs. Malario, my PM Kindergarten teacher and my...wait, wait, this isn't the Oscars?  Okay, I'll just finish my epically long post and call it a night.

Champions League football.  The zenith of European club football saw Arsenal, Manchester United, Lyon, and Bayern Munich advance to the quarters this week.  
Arsenal thrashed Porto as Nicklas Bendtner showed his boss what having an out and out striker can do for a side's scoring threat.  Bendtner delivered a hat-trick as Arsenal won the second leg at home at the Emirates 5-0.  Final tally was 6-2 on aggregate, erasing a 2-1 disadvantage entering Tuesday's encounter.  Arsenal stepped up to the plate for the first time all season in a big game (they were foiled in their league encounters with Chelsea and Manchester United).  Arsene Wenger's elation got the best of him post-game as he hinted at wanting to draw an English side in the next round to seek revenge.  Be careful what you wish for Wenger.

Manchester United similarly drubbed A.C. Milan at home at Old Trafford 4-0 in their second leg, winning 7-2 on total aggregate.  Rooney took his season tally to 30 after scoring two goals and  missing the Premiership weekend game at Wolves.  He's in the world's best form.  There is no arguing, I'm telling you.

Munich bested Fiorentina in a back and forth tilt that saw Munich through on away goals.  Munich won the first leg at home 2-1, but was able to catch a second goal in Italy after going down 3-1.  At the end of both legs the score was 4-4 on aggregate.  Fiorentina could not sure up it's defense to stop the high flying Arjen Robben's long range blast to secure Bayern's second goal in the 3-2 defeat.  Smashing game, surprisingly, from an Italian and German encounter.  I must remember these aren't the national teams where defense and caution would have ruled the day, but Munich Manager Van Gaal did promise a "spectacle."

Sadly, to Madrid supporters, but glee to the rest of the world's Madrid detractors, Ronaldo, Kaka and the rest of the 340 million dollar transfer teammates were upended by Lyon.  A late goal snatched a 1-1 draw for Lyon in Spain for Madrid's return leg.  Cristiano Ronaldo popped up in the 6th minute to put Real even on aggregate  (then promptly disappeared for the rest of the game) and the fixture was destined for extra time (1-1 on aggregate until late in the second half).  Miralem Pjanic's late strike stole the show and the tie.  Santiago Bernabeu Stadium faithful were stunned as Madrid stayed 6 years running without a Champions League quarterfinal appearance.  Perhaps it is time for Real Madrid President (yea, when you are the world's biggest club you have your own El Presidente) Florentino Perez to splash some serious cash in the next transfer market, OUCH!

And so, I'm out of information and zingers.  Good chance I haven't written that much even for my Masters program this past year.  Ah, the things we do for love!   Until next time, keep your eyes on the prize and feet on the ground.