England aren't suited to playing good football, and they shouldn't bother trying
http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2013/9/5/4696672/england-national-team-world-cup-qualifying-uefa

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Article: NBC announces first three weeks of EPL games

NBC announces first three weeks of EPL games
http://www.sbnation.com/2013/8/8/4602632/nbc-epl-schedule-part-one

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Charles M. Hedji

Article: 11 players to watch at the U-20 World Cup

11 players to watch at the U-20 World Cup
http://www.sbnation.com/soccer/2013/6/21/4448990/eleven-players-to-watch-at-the-u-20-world-cup

Charles M. Hedji

Goal.com News

Goal.com News

Mexico must turn to youth if they are to have any hope of impressing at the World Cup
http://www.goal.com/en/news/article?contentId

Andres Iniesta

Everyone likes to talk about the best player in the world.  But very often, people like to look at the one guy who is scoring a lot of goals.  This often leads people to look at players like Messi or Ronaldo, or even Falcao.  But for me Andres Iniesta is undoubtedly the best player on the planet.  Iniesta plays a bigger role for Barcelona than Messi does.  Sure Messi scores the goals, but you’d be hard pressed to find a better playmaker than Iniesta.  The way he moves with the ball is just fantastic.  He is able to dribble like a Brazilian and still has the close control and passing ability that has become synonymous with the Spanish game.  Every time Iniesta is on the field, his team is instantly in a better position to win the game.  It is unfortunate that he has not won the Ballon D’or, which says a lot about how dubious these awards are.  Those who vote for the awards essentially vote for the popular players and the players they like, rather than vote for the players that are at the top of their game.  It is rather tragic that Iniesta has not gotten the accolades that his famous teammate has gotten.  Watching Iniesta play is a true delight.  He makes the game tick like no other, and is a true example to young players all over the world that you do not have to be the strongest or tallest player in the world to be a great player.  How a World Cup and European Cup winner is not viewed as the best player, but a Portuguese diva and an Argentine who can’t replicate club form for country are the ones lauded for their endeavors is beyond me.  But I think true fans of the game will appreciate Iniesta much more than the people with the voting power.



Goal.com News

Goal.com News

Neymar won't be Barcelona's No.10 and he shouldn't be Brazil's
http://www.goal.com/en/news/article?contentId=4035487

Five Players That Can Make The Difference For Arsenal

With the Manchester clubs going through coaching changes, now is the time for the London clubs to step up and claim superiority in the English Premier League.  Arsenal, of all the London clubs, plays the best soccer and should take steps to make sure success is guaranteed for the next couple years.  Here we take a look at five players who can make a difference for the red side of London.

• Stefan Jovetic

There has been a lot of talk about Jovetic and his rumored move to Arsenal.  He is a player who could potentially change the effectiveness of Arsenal's Attack.  He has bags of skills on the ball, and has been able to score goals in a notoriously stingy Serie A.  He is exactly the type of player Arsenal tends to go for,.  And while the gunners missed out on the likes of Juan Mata and Eden Hazard, they should be careful not to miss out on a talented player like Jovetic.  He is the type of player who can help lift the burden placed on Santi Cazorla.  He can play as a striker, and in midfield which is a bonus any way you look at it.  He is also primed to join a big club.  He wants to consistently play in the Champions League which is something he is more likely to get at Arsenal than at Fiorentina.  Juventus is reported to be interested in him, but Fiorentina is not going to want to sell to a rival in Serie A, which should help Arsenal in presenting their case to the team. 

• Gonzalo Higuain

Gonzalo Higuain is a fantastic striker.  He may not always be a hit for Real Madrid, but he is one of the best strikers in the world.  His time in Madrid has been very odd, because he has always performed, but never really got the recognition he deserves.  In a team comprised of the like of Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema, Higuain still manages to score a lot of goals every year.  Now that he has made it clear that he wants to leave Real Madrid, there will be a lot of teams lining up for his services.  For all that has been reported, it looks as if he will be heading to Juventus, but that does not mean Arsenal should not bid for him.  He would be a fantastic addition to the Gunners's roster, and should relegate Giroud to the bench.  Higuain is strong in the air and has excellent technical abilities, something Giroud is missing.  London will also provide Higuain with a more relaxed atmosphere.  Arsenal does not have the historical context of Real Madrid to contend with so there will not be as much pressure on the Argentine to do the impossible.

• Mats Hummels

Mats Hummels is by far the most improbable of possible Arsenal players.  The German center back is a player in high demand.  He is technically sound, and has a knack for perfect tackles.  Arsenal has some good center backs, but none of them can compare with the technically astute German.  He has shown in his games for the national team and for Dortmund that he can contest with the best players out there.  He can also score goals which is always a plus.  With Thomas Vermaelen not at his best recently, a player like Hummels would be fantastic in the heart of the Arsenal defense.  He is good at organizing, and he can be the difference maker when faced one on one with an opponent.  On top of that, he does not appear to be as clumsy as a certain German giant currently plying his trade in London.

• Victor Valdes

Victor Valdes should be number one on Arsenal's list of potential recruits.  The Barcelona goalkeeper is not a young man, but he is very experienced and very good at what he does.  He has stated that he plans on leaving the Catalan club this summer, which would work in Arsenal's favor.  He is looking for a challenge, and the gunners can use an experienced head in the back when the games get tough.  He can be inspirational for Arsenal's youngsters, because he has won a lot of trophies throughout his career with Barcelona and Spain.  While Arsenal can put faith in their young goalkeepers, it is time they take the risk of hiring a player who has won a lot and knows how to close out games.  Valdes will not be an expensive recruit and Arsenal will instantly look like a better team with him in goal.

• Clement Grenier

Clement Grenier is not the finished article.  But only a fool would doubt just how good this kid is.  In his young career, he has already shown that he can perform under pressure.  He is one of the best players in a Lyon squad that includes former prodigy Yoann Gourcuff.  He has a tremendous shot and is strong on the ball.  With the likes of Diaby unable to cut it anymore, and Rocicky coming closer to the end of his career, Grenier can be groomed to be one of the leaders of the gunners squad next to Wilshere and Ramsey.  Arsene Wenger has already shown interest in the youngster, and Grenier is more than ready to step up to the Premier League.  He is used to having competition, and is strong willed so he is not going to crash like so many foreign players who move to the English Premier League.

Neymar's New Chapter

Neymar's eminent move to Barcelona is undoubtedly the story of the summer. The long drawn out saga of the Brazilian's move to Europe has come to an end despite the fact that Neymar said he would remain with Santos until after the 2014 World Cup.  Now that the move has been confirmed, it is time for Neymar to prove to the world that he can stand on his own on the same stage as the likes of Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. It is time for him to show the world that Brazil still produces the best players around.

But while fans of the Catalan side can be excited by the prospect of having Neymar in their side, they must also wonder about how he is going to gel with Lionel Messi.  The oft lauded Argentine is without doubt the star of the Barcelona side.  Neymar must learn to coexist with a player of Messi's stature. He is about to join a team of established players who have been playing together for years.  He is traveling on a road taken by other Brazilian stars before him. The difference between them being that those who came before him were the definite stars of the teams they played in. Ronaldinho, Rivaldo, Ronaldo, and Romario were all the main players in the Barcelona teams they played in.

I'm convinced that Neymar is going to be a success for Barcelona. He will add an extra dimension to their play, but he has to learn to deal with the fact that every play is not going to go through him.  He has to deal with the fact that he will not always get the ball.  If Neymar can accept being second fiddle to Messi, then he just might last at Barcelona unlike Ibrahimovic.

Goal.com News

Goal.com News

Pires backs Zidane for Real Madrid role
http://www.goal.com/en/news/article?contentId=4005899

This would be a smart move on Madrid's part to bring Zizou back into the fold. I don't know what happened between him and Mourinho but he would be a good figure to have around.

Wayne Rooney On The Move?

There's been quite a lot of talk about Wayne Rooney and what he is going to do with his future lately.  It seems Mr. Rooney is unsettled at Manchester United, which is absurd.  He is one of the most well paid footballers on the planet.  He plays for the most popular team and one of the most successful teams on the entire planet.  Rooney is acting like a petulant child.  If money is what he is after, he will find plenty of it in places like Paris Saint Germain or Monaco, or even Manchester City.  But what Manchester United has in history and accolade, none of those teams will be able to offer him.  And it does not look like Real Madrid or Barcelona will be lining up anytime soon to get him out of Manchester.  Rooney might feel it is time for him to try his hand in a new league, but he should aim for big clubs, like Milan, or Inter, Roma, Madrid, Barcelona.  These new teams have a lot of money, but it should take much more than the promise of millions to draw a big player like Rooney away from Manchester United.

Post Ferguson

I have to admit Arsenal happens to be one of my favorite soccer teams. There are of course several other teams that I like, including Juventus, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. But at the end of the day Arsenal is where my heart is. And because of this, I find it disheartening that year after year, the people who run the club are perfectly fine with aiming for fourth place. There is nothing wrong with playing in the Champions League every year, but it is quite apparent that there is a real dearth of ambition at Arsenal.

It is difficult to blame Arsene Wenger for Arsenal's woes, but I would like to blame him for signing players who have zero heart.  When you watch Arsenal play, you often wonder if some of these players even care about the club they're playing for or if they're there just to collect a fat paycheck.

As the summer approaches, it is my hope and the hope of all Arsenal fans everywhere that Arsene is given money to improve the team.  And it is my hope that the oft lauded manager become a bit more ruthless and gut the team, removing all non essential players and removing players who just don't have the heart to play for a team like Arsenal.

In the post Ferguson era, there is a real opportunity for another team to usurp Manchester United, and Arsenal needs to take advantage of that.

Sir Alex Ferguson

Since Sir Alex Ferguson has announced his retirement, there has been no shortage of praise for the Manchester United manager.  But it goes without saying that the United manager does not need all the praise he has been receiving   Alex Ferguson has built an incredible reputation for himself.  It is unbelievably clear that Ferguson is the best manager working right now.  He has been among the best for decades now.  What people have to focus on right now is the man who will replace Fergie. Sterling Silver Soccer Ball Charm (Google Affiliate Ad)

Following in the footsteps of a manager as venerable as Ferguson is not going to be easy at all.  A manager will have to be half crazy to go ahead and claim his desire to replace the lauded manager.  A lot of talk has been bandied about David Moyes replacing Ferguson.  It would not be a terrible appointment to be honest.  Moyes has done a great deal with little money.  It would be great to see what Moyes can do with a team like United.  I for one I'm not too sure Moyes will be able to live up to Fergie's reputation, and with the elder-man still hanging around Old Trafford, it would be difficult for any manager to be a success.  Next season is going to be an interesting one without a doubt.