matchverdict.com

In the previous post we looked at  “The Usual Suspects” when it comes to picking the favourites for a FIFA world cup. But strangely this time around,its “The Underachievers” who will head into the tournament as the front-runners.

Spain are bookmakers’ favourite this time around and we shouldn’t be surprised by that, should we?  At previous world cups they have had teams which were good enough to win the competition. But forget about winning, the fact is that they have not even made it to the final of any world cup. The currnt Spanish team is very different very though. They are on a high after Euro 2008 success and a quite comprehensive qualification campaign. This can attributed to the recent success of FC Barcelona,which have as many as eight players in the national team. Spain’s playing style is based on retaining the possession, much similar to that of Barcelona. This restricts the opponents from having the ball for long periods and they end up creating a very few chances. The players like Cesc Fabregas, “Best Player of Euro 2008″ Xavi Hernandez, Andres Iniesta, Xabi Alonso are extremely accurate with possession and passing. Also they have two of the supreme target men around in Fernando Torres and David Villa.  Expect loads of goals from this team. (Spain vs Argentina is a match-up I would like see, it is possible in the semi-finals, considering the draws )

Whenever England arrive at every world cup, they bring along with them, the expectations of millions of passionate fans not only from home but also from all over the world, who religiously follow the English Premier League and  the burden of such high expectations have made Englishmen crumble more often than not. But everything seems to have changed since Fabio Capello has taken over the role of management. “Three Lions” have become ruthless and enterprising under his management.This current crop of English players is  regarded by many as “The Golden Generation” of English football. They have quality throughout the pitch with the likes of “Red Hot” Wayne Rooney, Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard, John Terry, Ashley Cole in their ranks. Their bench strength is probably the strongest in the tournament.For me, they are the most COMPLETE team in the competition and I expect them to go VERY FAR.

If you ask me, which team will you label as ‘the biggest underachiever’ in world cups? my answer would be plain and simple..Its Holland. Its really amazing to see the number of world class players that this country does produce time and time again.They always have at least have four or five players in their team, who are blessed with supreme talent and mesmerizing skills. This time around also, they have Arjene Robben, Wesley Sniejder, Roben van Persie, Rafael van der Vaart in their team, who are second to very few, when it comes to the skills. But football matches are not won with individual talent but with teamwork and this is my concern with this team. Also they lack that “substance”  in the team, which is so mandatory when it comes down to the business end of the tournament. I think “The Oranges” are a good bet to reach at least quarter finals.(There is a lip-smacking prospect of Brazil vs Holland quarter-final).

France and Portugal , I afraid, will not be able to fulfill the expectations of their fans. French football team is so notorious for their internal rifts and ego clashes that I would be very surprised if they go beyond quarter-finals. Portugal on the other hand are just not good enough. They will rely very heavily on Cristiano Ronaldo, with now Nani out injured.

Denmark and Serbia would be my “Dark Horses” for this edition. Both have had very impressive qualification campaigns and are very organized. We should not get shocked, if we see either of these teams at least in the quarter finals.

As I have mentioned in my previous post, I can’t see African teams posing any real threat to the “Established” ones. Almost all the African teams have been hampered by injuries,which will make their task even harder.Nigeria have a good chance to reach knock out round, considering their group. But believe me, it will be the fans of these teams which will make this world cup VERY SPECIAL.

I really fear for Asian teams. There is a serious possibility that we may not see even a single Asian team in the Round of 16. All the hopes of Asia will resting on Korea republic who have the best record amongst the Asians in the world cups.

VERDICT:  huh!! its prediction time. For me, this is the most open World Cup in recent decades. England and Spain are DEFINITELY going to last long in the tournament. Also Brazilians have everything in them, which is required to win the cup.

LET THE FESTIVAL BEGIN!!!!!!!!!!  Joga Bonito!!!

When South Africa won the bid to host 2010 world cup, many eyebrows were raised. People  (especially the Europeans) were uncertain about the infrastructure and facilities that need to be provided by “The Rainbow Country”.But the South Africans showed the world that how much love the African continent has for “The Beautiful Game” by completing the herculean task of building stadiums and other infrastructure in the stipulated time line.Although everyone in Africa is very optimistic about their Teams’ chances, this tournament could be a harsh “Reality Check” for the African teams.

Whenever we talk of football world cup, one name immediately comes to the mind..well, no prizes for guessing …its Brazil. They always enter any competition as the stark favourites. They have always shown their pedigree at the World cups,no wonder they have won the trophy most number of times. But, this time around their ride won’t be as easy as compared to their previous campaigns. Though they have some of the best players in the world in Kaka,Pato and Robinho, they lack experience which is so crucial at this level.But I won’t be surprised at all, if we see Lucio lifting the cup on July 11th, 2010

Brazil’s South American counterparts, Argentina will also be one of the contenders for this year. Their qualification campaign was extremely sluggish to say the least. Somehow Diego Maradona’s men made it through to the last 32. Yes,there are serious doubts about his coaching abilities, but one thing we should remember that he is a seasoned campaigner of four world cups and we should not underestimate him. Also they have probably the BEST attacking force at this world cup, with the likes of  “Numero Uno” Lionnel Messi, Carlos Tevez, Gonzalo Higuan,Diego Milito,Sergio Aguero in their ranks. But they have some real concerns in  brittle defence and average midfield. Expect very entertaining games and lot of goals from Argentina.

One thing which  really astonishes is how Germans perform so well at the World Cups. No matter whichever team they put up , it has discipline,dedication and organization running in their veins. Though historically their players have not been blessed with as much skills as say Brazilians or Argentinians have, their tremendous team spirit always takes them through. The secret behind this could be the charismatic  leaders that they produce decade after decade, be it Franz Beckenbauer,be it Lothar Matthaeus, be it Jurgen Klismann,be it Oliver Kahn,they always have someone who has the presence similar to that of an Army General. But unfortunately this is exactly that they will be missing this time around with talismanic Michael Ballack out injured. But there wont be any respite for the teams facing  the “Mannschaft”. Under the management of Joachim Loew, they have opted to play a high tempo game,which is difficult to cope with for most of the teams. They have some of the best young talent in the world with Lucas Podolski,Thomas Muller,Mario Gomez. It will take “some” doing to get past this stubborn team.

How Italy managed to win four world cups so far,without being favourites for none of them, is surely beyond most of us.In most of the matches,performance wise they tend to be second best, but result wise they end up being the best.This has much to do with their playing style which is based on the strong defence. But one thing we should note that their “Brand of Football” though very pragmatic, is very effective and designed with only one thing in mind, “We will not lose”. But this makes them probably the “Most Boring team” to watch.Though they do not have many charismatic players in their ranks, the  World Cup holders boast a team of seasoned professionals like Gianluigi Buffon,Andrea Pirlo,Fabio Cannavaro,Gianluca Zambrotta,Gennaro Gattuso who know how to win matches at this highest level. Also they have most of the players from 2006 campaign still in their team with the manager Marcello Lippi still at the helm. “Azzurries” would again be very hard to beat.

My apologies for being unable to write after the first article published in this site. The reasons are plenty but I have no excuse for my tardiness.  I have been meaning and wanting to write on the sport that I love but work committments have me tied up in an endless web.

The reason for coming back here was this article that I read. You can read the same by clicking here.

We all know what state the sport of football is in India. Like the writer in the article clearly mentions, the administration is doing nothing about it either. The point I want to make is that we are not living in the past. The fact is that we are not even thinking about the future. Like a wise man said, “The future is the present”. If the AIFF would just take a step back and see what they have achieved the last ten years would be a great start. Once they assess their shortcomings, they need to concentrate on building Indian Football.

We may never go on to win a FIFA World Cup, but can’t we at least try being at one? Can a nation of a billion not produce a few more Bhutia’s? I don’t want the nation to attract the world’s greatest talents to play on our soil but we should try unearthing or producing some gems that may shine at the world stage and make the nation proud.

I understand the we are a cricket crazy nation but we need to encourage other sports too. So if you have relatives, friends or even friends of friends in places that matter, put in word so that somthing is done.

At times I do feel that football can wait. Hockey needs to be rejuvenated first. At least there we have a past.

REAL MADRID VS FC ZURICH ( CHAMPIONS LEAGUE )

The new season of the premiership has begun and how…  There have been some great results, some great matches over the last few weeks. Its pity that there won’t be any EPL matches in the first week of this month because of international matches but this provides a great opportunity to look back on the start of the new season

The Usual Suspects

Of the famous “Big Four”, Chelsea really looks like “The” team to beat at this moment of time. They have the team which looks settled and above all they have not lost any key player. They managed to keep “Mr. Chelsea” John Terry and Didier Drogba at the club. Their new manager Carlo Ancelotti seems to have found the most effective system to play. Hence, at this moment my money would be on Chelsea.
When Manchester United kicked off the season, everybody knew that they would be light weight in front of goals this season in the absence of Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez. But The Red Devils recovered pretty well especially after the shock defeat from the hands of newly promoted Burnley, to thump Wigan and beat the in form Arsenal. I think Manchester United would be a bit inconsistent this season considering their lack of depth in the strike power.
If Xabi Alonso would have stayed at Anfield, I would have tipped Liverpool to be the strongest contender for the premiership crown. But his departure has disrupted the Rafael Benitez’s entire system. Steven Gerard can not play freely in that midfield because there is no Alonso. It was Alonso’s vision and his ability to see the runs Gerard and Torres that made Liverpool so dangerous. But this season, like Manchester United, Liverpool too would be inconsistent. Also the fact that they have already lost against Tottenham Hotspur and Aston Villa, puts more pressure on them.
Nobody would have expected Arsenal to start the season, the manner in which they have done. They destroyed Everton on the opening day, made the meal of Portsmouth and were too good for Celtic in Champions League play-offs. But their juggernaut came to a halt at Old Trafford. They Lost to Manchester United in a very tight match. They were better than their title rivals for most of the match. But it was that period of ten minutes, for which United were superior, rattled the Gunners. They lost it in the physical battle and not in the footballing battle. Its how Arsenal can handle such physical challenges thrown towards them by the opposition teams, will decide their fate this season.

Dark Horses

Manchester City with their star studded squad are looking good.   Though they have just edged past their oppositions in all the games, the important thing is they are having 100 percent record until now and that’s what matters in this tough league. But their big test will be on this weekend when Arsenal will visit blue half of Manchester.
Harry Redknapp has revolutionized the fortunes of Tottenham Hotspur. This season he has really a fantastic squad with two good players available for each position. This change can be seen in the performance of Spurs this season. Aaron Lennon is really looking in menacing form. If they can continue their current form, they can really push “Big Four” all the way.
One would have expected Everton and Aston Villa to really challenge the others for the Champions League place. But both have started slowly and don’t really look the threats to “Big Four”.

Rest of the pack

Burnley have really caught the eye with the upsets against Manchester United and Everton. Stoke will again be a hard team to beat. I think the battle to avoid the relegation would as intense as the battle for the title. I think seven to eight teams would be involved in the Relegation battle. Wolves and Portsmouth really look in danger.

Channel: ESPN
Date: 29th August 2009
Time: 21:40 

It’s the third week of this years Premier League campaign and we are already treated to one of the feistiest encounters in the history of English Football. Match Verdict brings you an in depth preview in to this game between the two giants of the modern game. I’m sure most readers would beg to differ on me calling Arsenal FC a giant but if their record against United and the ‘Big 4’ in the last few years is anything to go by, I’m sure this will culminate in to a thrilling game of football.

Both the teams play a certain type of football that other teams in the planet can just watch in awe or try their hardest to emulate, with the exception of Barcelona, of course. Talking about Barcelona, Arsene Wenger has copied their treble winning formation to the T. Playing a 4-3-3, a formation, which according to the Professor suits the personnel at his disposal and brings out the best in his team, has already worked wonders. Arsenal have had a good pre-season losing out only to Valencia in their last friendly. Their start to competitive football is one of envy. Three wins in just as many games, the team has banged in 12 goals while conceding only two. The two goals conceded will not matter as long as the team scores an average of four goals a game. But the concern for most Arsenal fans is the lack of goals from the strikers. Eduardo is the only attacker on the score sheet with a single goal against his name – a poke in against Everton.

Man U on the other hand, lost to new boys Burnley by a solitary goal but responded brilliantly by decimating Wigan last weekend. Rooney, Berbatov got themselves on the scoresheet, while Nani and new recruit Valencia provided the much needed assists. Sir Alex has yet to decide which his mid field combination will be, having changed the entire playing four that played Burnley at Wigan. But trust the wily old fox to get it right in the big games. Ferguson will not be too pleased that he will not be able to select Ferdinand who will only be able to watch from the sidelines while his teammates take the stage at Old Trafford. Another talking point in most English newspapers in the last week has been the fact that even Evans has joined the injury list leaving Ferguson with little cover in defense. It will be intriguing to watch the formation and the players put out by Sir Alex this weekend. It is an important home game for him and Manchester’s record against the ‘Big 4’ hasn’t been that great according to the standards that the Scotsman has set for himself. His record against the lesser lights has been much better than those of Arsenal and Liverpool combined, which more than tilted the title in their favor.

But this year is a new campaign and they will have to sparkle against the monetary power of their city rivals without the help of their talisman, Cristiano Ronaldo. Much depends on Rooney and he has taken up the mantle from Ronaldo quite well and in is a known fact that Ferguson, Cappello and the most of the Man U’s fans hold Rooney in high regard. And we all know that these big games are the ones that Rooney relishes and comes good in. Arsenal too has lost two experienced players in Toure and Adebayor, but I don’t think any Arsenal fans are complaining about Adebayor’s departure. New boy, Thomas Vermaelen has made the fans quickly forget about Toure with his displays in defense. Arsenal may also have to make do without their captain Fabregas who is 50-50 for the weekend clash.

MatchVerdict Prediction: Scintillating draw. Arsenal will be hoping for some revenge after the footballing lesson that was dished out to them at last year’s Champions League semi-final. Manchester, I feel, are light in their midfield area. So, expect both the sides to score goals but cancel each other out.  

Pick up your beers, put on your scarves and favorite player’s jerseys and sacrifice that little animal that helps your team win every weekend. Oopps! Those are my pre-match rituals; you may have your superstitions and do just as you like to make your team win. Do not follow mine, I have a special license to do the things I do. You never know when it’s Manchester United vs Arsenal. Gone are the days of pre and post match brawls but the football played will still be just as entertaining. The atmosphere at the Theatre of Dreams will be just as electrifying. Here’s to a good game! May the best team win!

Cheers!

*Update: The latest news is that Cesc Fabregas will not feature at Old Trafford because of his hamstring.

The start of the English Premiership is still couple of weeks away. But a mad EPL fan which I am, just couldn’t resist him self from writing about it. In these coming weeks we would look at the teams involved in the EPL. We will see how they set up this season. So, Lets begin the journey.

Whenever, you talk about any game most of the times you talk about the best in the business and Manchester United have been simply the best for the past three seasons. But I think their title defense this season would not be easy at all. The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid has left a void which is almost impossible to fill. Also United fans’ beloved Carlos Tevez has now joined arch rivals Manchester City.

One would have expected United to make some major signings after the departures of two of the world’s best players. But strangely they have bought Antonio Valencia from Wigan Athletic, a player who has never played for a big club and also they have signed a player who has played for many big clubs like Liverpool and Real Madrid but just fails to play even 80 percent of the games of the season .Yes you are right, we are talking about once one of Europe’s most feared strikers, Michael Owen.

I, in fact almost all of us would have no doubts over the abilities of Michael Owen. But over the past five- six years he has lost his sharpness. So how he lives up to the demands of playing for such a big club remains to be seen. Also being an injury prone, very rarely he would last full 90 minutes. So, manager sir Alex Ferguson would have to use him very carefully, if he wants get most out of him.

This season in the absence of Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney will be their key player. Past records have shown whenever Rooney doesn’t play United find it very difficult to win a football match. He along with Dimitar Berbatov would be lead the attack for the Red Devils and United will rely heavily on both of  them for goals .They haven’t lost any other players, so rest of the departments don’t need any change .Especially their defense which for me is the best in Europe if not in the world. Really it is this rare guard which has been their secret of success over the last few seasons.  Though, they still have enough talent up their sleeves to go all the way, it will be very interesting to see how Sir Alex uses his options and how they will shape up this season especially up front.

 Season’s predictions: This might just be the season when United’s winning streak might come to an end. If you ask me where they would finish this season, I would say 2^nd. ( I know United fans will have different opinion, comments are welcome).

The “Galactiocs” era is back at Santiago Barnabeau Stadium. Newly elected president Florentino Perez has carried forward  his policy of signing high profile players during his second stint at the club.During his first stint, Real splashed the money on signing the likes of Ronaldo, Luis Figo ,Zinedine Zidane,David Beckham.

Major Arrivals:

This time around they have already spent over 300 million dollars for the signing of  superstars like Cristiano Ronaldo ,Kaka  and  Karim Benzema.

The signing of  Cristiano Ronaldo  finally  put the fullstop on probably the most dramatic transfer saga in football history. Ronaldo had his eyes set on the move right from the day the offer came. It was the success that he achieved at Manchester United that was stopping him from expressing his desire publicly  to leave Old Trafford. But finally Real made an offer that was hard to resist for United. Though , United lost their most influential player they made very good business. The arrival of  Ronaldo will provide Real the natural width on the right wing ,which was their major area of concern.

The transfer of Kaka from AC Milan on the other hand was not so dramatic.AC Milan off late has not attracting the superstars once it used to,but it has more to do with Italian Serie A. Milan team need the complete squad revamp and the money earned by selling Kaka will only help the cause. Kaka is a terrific addition to that central midfield of Real which lost creativity in the middle of the park after the retirement of Zinedine Zidane.

More to Come?

Though Real have spent so much money , I do expect some more players to arrive in White part of Madrid. Frank Ribery has reiterated his desire to join “Real Revolution” by leaving Bayern Munich. Also with Raul and Ruud Van Nistelrooy aging, it wont surprise me at all if see the prolific David Villa staring the first game for them. Also Real are linked with the likes of Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano.

What all this means?

The arrivals of all this superstars signals the exit of other players, mainly Dutch the likes of  Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Wesley Sneijder, Rafael Van der Vaart ,Arjene Robben and Klass Jan Huntelaar.

Well if you ask me about the Real Madrid’s chances this season of silverware, I would say if all these “Galacticos” can gel well they would be a major major force on both domestic and European front. But if they fail to do so, you know better than me what can happen.