Soccer

Champs in trouble

Chris McGlynn EPL, Soccer ,

What on Earth has happened to Chelsea? The 2015 Premier League champions have not looked like they will be defending their title much less even qualifying for European football. For a team that was so heavily favored to repeat as league champions, the results that Chelsea has amassed are mind boggling. Forget challenging for a title. Chelsea is only four points clear of relegation.

Jose Mourinho (2)
Mourinho has struggled to repeat last year’s stellar performance at Stamford Bridge.

The issue begins at the top with manager Jose Mourinho. He is very abrasive by nature and tends to make a lot of enemies. Right now Chelsea has a target this size of London on its back and it continues to grow with each week that Mourinho spends criticizing opposing managers, referees and players alike.

Mourinho might not like it, but the best thing to do is to take a step back and lessen the pressure on his team. Chelsea needs to get back on track in the worst way, but as long Mourinho continues to antagonize the rest of the league, they will all continue to gun for them.

That kind of conduct is starting to cost the team as well. Mourinho was suspended today for his most recent outburst against West Ham. Playing a game without your manager makes it increasingly difficult to win.

Chelsea need to find a way to win as well. They have failed to emerge victorious in their last four matches, which included three loses. The Blues were bounced from the League Cup, failed to secure points in two league matches and could not beat a Ukrainian side in European play.

That kind of slide is nothing short of historic for Chelsea. Since the Premier League was created back in 1992, Chelsea has never has as poor a start as the one they are enduring now.

Eden Hazard
Hazard has appeared in 16 matches so far for Chelsea this year and failed to score a goal.

Part of that directly ties back to Mourinho. He has been very successful at alienating his best player in Eden Hazard. Hazard might have gotten a little complacent after receiving the Player of the Year award last year in the Premier League, but the talent is still there.

Now, there are rumors circulating that Hazard is as good as gone in the January transfer window because he just cannot stand it stay. Hazard has gone as far as to say that he will push through a move to Real Madrid in January. It is clear that the Belgian international wants nothing to do with his abrasive boss.

Hazard is far from the only one unsettled by Mourinho’s tactics. The Daily Mail reported that one player in the Chelsea locker room said he would rather lose than win for Mourinho. If that is the response that you are getting from players, then a change must be made.

That change should not be assumed to sack Mourinho. With matches against Stoke, Norwich and Bournemouth on the coming slate for three out of Chelsea next four, the team could get back on track. However, if Chelsea fails to push back into the conversation for at least a top four finish by then, Mourinho must go.

Jose Mourinho
Mourinho is running out of opportunities to turn Chelsea around.

Giving him this little window to make up for his mistakes is crucial for the team going forward. It seems that most players have lost faith in their manager but getting back on track could revive this team heading into the January transfer window. Some of those whom Chelsea decides cannot work with Mourinho can be moved and Mourinho will have the opportunity to bring in some players of his choosing for the first time at Stamford Bridge.

This season is not lost for Chelsea. Making a title challenge is overly ambitious, being 14 points down right now but pushing back into at least a Europa League position is more than manageable. Chelsea fans won’t be satisfied with settling for fourth or fifth but that might be the best the Blues can do after such a disastrous beginning.

Mourinho needs to learn now from what this first quarter of the season has taught him. He cannot do whatever he wants, whenever he wants to. He must play by the rules and realize that there is more to being a manager than just the tactics. Motivating a team to give its best effort is part of the process and it seems like Mourinho is not used to having to do that. That does not mean he should be excused from making it happen.

Chelsea is most certainly in trouble. Mourinho has the ability to save his job and their season or forfeit both in the next month.

One Rule Soccer Must Change

Chris McGlynn Soccer, World Cup , , , ,

The deliberate handball. One of the dirtiest plays in all of sports and probably the dirtiest one in soccer. Yet players get off with a minimal punishment considering how much of a game-changer it can be.

This might seem like odd timing. Nothing happened recently in soccer that sparked this conversation. This is actually as a result of an argument I had with a buddy of mine recently about how one of the most controversial rules of soccer works.

Asamoah Gyan
Gyan finished the tournament with three goals but could not find a fourth to put Ghana through to the semi final.

For anyone looking for an example of what I mean, here is a perfect one. At the 2010 World Cup in South Africa, Uruguay met Ghana in the quarterfinal round. The game was tied and it was late into the second half. Ghana put together an attacking move that led to a shot that rebounded off the keeper. Another shot was blocked by an outfield defender and the ball careened into the air. One of Ghana’s players got their head to it and directed it towards goal. Luis Suarez, who was standing on the goal line, blatantly blocked the ball using his forearm preventing a sure goal for the African side.

Suarez was given an immediate red card and was suspended for the ensuing match. Ghana was awarded a penalty, which Asamoah Gyan banged off the crossbar and over. Uruguay would go on to win the game on penalties and advance to the semi final round.

But there never should have been extra time or penalties. The game should have ended with Ghana in front 2-1. Ghana had essentially slotted home the winner until Suarez illegally prevented it from going in. The referee did what he was supposed to do, which is eject the player and award a penalty. Sure Ghana had more chances to score in extra time and during penalties but it should never have come to that.

However, that hardly seems fair. Ghana had a shot heading into the net that would have counted for a goal. They should have just been awarded the goal. Earning the penalty is nice, but then they still have to take a shot on goal again with the keeper prepared to defend it. Going from a goal scored to another shot on goal isn’t exactly an equal pay off.

I’m sure most people will say, “Well that’s just how it is.” I’m saying it shouldn’t be. Think about it from the standpoint of a basketball play. If a player is fouled in the act of shooting or before he even takes the shot but there was a clear path to the basket, they are awarded free throws. Their scoring opportunity was taken away and as a result, they have a chance to earn those points in a different way. They don’t just award the player the points though because there is still a possibility that he could have missed the ensuing shot even without the foul.

This is similar to in soccer when a player is taken down inside the penalty area. They are awarded a penalty. Logically, that makes sense, the defender committed a foul that prevented a goal-scoring opportunity for the offense and now they are given a chance to take another shot on goal from the penalty spot. Once again, it was not guaranteed to go in though, so the goal is not just given.

Going back to basketball, there is an instance in which a team is awarded a basket even if the ball does not make it through the netting. Goaltending is called when the ball is knocked out of the basket illegally. Rather than award free throws, the referee simple awards the points the shot was worth because it was already going into the basket when someone wrongfully interfered.

Luis Suarez
Suarez missed the semifinal loss against Netherlands.

Soccer does not have that. In the case of Suarez’s handball, Ghana was not awarded a goal despite the ball heading into the net. It is the exact same concept as goaltending in basketball, but it is called very differently.

That is just how the rules of the game work for soccer. It shouldn’t be though because it promotes cheating. Uruguay won that game because Suarez broke the rules. That should not be allowed. It tears down the very integrity of sports. It allows the cheaters to win because of the way the rules are written. They might be penalized, but in that instance, the cheating paid off. That should never be the case. A team that deliberately breaks the rules should be not be given a second chance to make up for the situation.

I think soccer should introduce a goaltending rule, similar to what happens in basketball. If an outfield player illegally prevents a ball with a clear path to the net if he is the only player in between the ball and the net, as it was in Suarez’s case, then a goal should be awarded. The ball was going into the net. There is no question about. It would have been a goal had it not been for an illegal play.

That rule would boost the integrity of the game of soccer. There would be no reason for players to deliberately block the ball with their hands to save a game because it would not save the game any more. The goal would still count and the player would still be ejected. It would not benefit his team in any way to make that play so players would stop making it. It is a logically change for FIFA to make.

Age is but a number

Chris McGlynn MLS, Soccer ,

Several new players to MLS by storm in 2015. Sebastian Giovinco lead the charge, Giovani dos Santos left his mark from the start and Andrea Pirlo dazzled wit his close control. Then there were other big names who drew thousands of fans like Frank Lampard, Stephen Gerrard and Kaka. However, none of them have experienced the type of success we’ve seen from the ageless wonder Didier Drogba.

Didier_DrogbaIt seems like a no-brainer that Giovinco will win MVP this year and probably the Newcomer of the Year award as well. Kei Kamara will probably take home the Golden Boot for the most goals scored. If you gave Drogba a chance to play the full MLS season, he might just challenge for all of those awards.

Through just nine career appearances in MLS, Drogba has scored nine goals and set up another one. He has been the talisman for Montreal since he showed up and almost single-handedly won Montreal the first match he played in.

Montreal has been on the cusp of making the playoffs for some time now and still cling to the final seed in the East. Realistically though, I do not think Montreal would have made the playoffs without the addition of Drogba. Montreal has scored fifteen goals as a team since adding Cote d’Ivoire international and he has been responsible for two thirds of them. That kind of offensive output is exactly what the Impact needed to stay in that sixth spot.

Some of the goals Drogba has been scoring have been absolutely spectacular as well. The first goal he put in against Chicago was impressive with his control and poise in the box. About four weeks later, he upped that initial goal with this beauty.

Drogba still possesses in excess many of the key assets needed to be a striker. His speed is still apparent despite nearing 40. His on the ball ability is incredible and his understanding of how to set up both the defender and the keeper to give himself the easiest goal is second to none.

Many of Drogba’s goals have come as a result of his physique. In other words, he smashes the ball in or out races a guy to the spot. However, he still has that deft touch to bend the ball into the net from a ways out as well. This might be the best one he has scored yet.

He sent that over the wall and curled it down under the bar with ease. Despite being a massive human being, Drogba still has plenty of finesse if he can do something like that.

In those three videos, Drogba scored five goals, all of them of varying levels of excellence. That could be spliced together as a highlight reel of the best of some players’ seasons. For the former Chelsea man, that is what he did in three games.

Obviously, this kind of production is just about unsustainable, especially for a 37-year old, but if Drogba can be a consistent scoring option, then this Montreal squad could make a run in the playoffs. For all of his success and honors throughout his career, you have to assume that Drogba would love to get his hands on an MLS Cup.

Didier DrogbaDrogba’s season has been short, but it has been nothing short of spectacular. He is already tied for 19th in the league in terms of goals. He is also the only player to have started at least one game and averages more than a goal per 90 minutes played. Unrealistic over the course of a season of course but impressive nonetheless.

With just two games left and Montreal clinging to that final playoff berth, look for Drogba to dazzle some more. He is quickly becoming the player to watch in MLS.

Is Klinsmann’s time up?

Chris McGlynn Soccer, USMNT ,

It wasn’t pretty. Actually it was pretty ugly. But now we have had two days to let the dust settle and dicuss what should happen next. If you missed USA vs. Mexico, here is a brief recap:

The US losing to Mexico obviously stings but the ramifications definitely run deeper than just disappointment. This was a big test for Jurgen Klinsmann, which he failed.

Jurgen KlinsmannKlinsmann has been under fire since last week when US soccer legend Landon Donovan expressed that he believed the German manager should be canned if the US lost to El Tri. That has to be taken with a grain of salt, because it is no secret that Donovan and Klinsmann have never been on the same page.

Donovan’s provocations are probably a bit premature but the path for Klinsmann to leave is clear. He has burned a lot of bridges in his time as the US national team manager.

However, Klinsmann has thick skin and made it clear that he doesn’t care what the critics say. In a New York Times article, he is quoted, “Everybody can express his opinion, and not everybody likes you, and that’s totally fine. I’m not here to be liked. I’m trying to do a good job.”

That should let you know that Klinsmann hasn’t lost his focus. As much as he is abrasive with his words and often times questionable in his decision making, he is the right man for the job. At least until 2018. He is clearly dedicated to improving this American squad and he is trying to make do with the best of what he has.

Jurgen_KlinsmannPeople questioned his decision to play Brad Guzan over Tim Howard on Saturday but the reality is that the situation was a lose-lose for him. Had he played Howard and he had struggled, then everyone would have wondered why Guzan, who has played for the last several months in Howard’s place, did not get the nod. Choosing Guzan made sense though. He had been playing consistently for the last few months for the US. Howard would probably be a little rusty coming off an extended absence with the national team and that was not a chance that Klinsmann could afford to take in such a pivotal game.

Many want Klinsmann gone because they feel he is out of touch with the fans and he just isn’t a very likable guy. America is in the midst of a rough stretch right now with the loss to Jamaica in the Gold Cup and now missing out on the Confederations Cup with the loss to Mexico.

That shouldn’t erase everything that Klinsmann has done up to this point. Klinsmann is still the most successful national team manager in the US to date. He is only one win behind Bob Bradley all time and his winning percentage is the best ever by any one to coach more than five games. He could easily surpass Bradley by the end of this year with games remaining against Costa Rica, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Trinidad and Tobago left on the schedule.

Bobby Wood
Wood scored the winners in friendlies against Germany and Holland this year.

It might not be the popular decision but it is the right one. The US needs to let Jurgen Klinsmann run this team through the 2018 World Cup and then they can reevaluate. Firing Klinsmann now just would not accomplish what US fans want.

Klinsmann actually has found a couple of youngsters that could be crucial players in the near future. Bobby Wood once again showed he was ready to play in his most recent appearance. He scored the equalizer in extra time against Mexico on Saturday and he is starting to become a reliable source of goals. In 2015, Wood has five caps and has scored in three of them.

Ventura Alvarado
Alvarado made the decision to play for the US over Mexico. He was initially eligible to play for either team.

Ventura Alvarado is another of those young players that brought into the fold. He deserves even more credit here. Alvarado was not a part of the US youth system but Klinsmann managed to flesh him out and in 2015, Alvarado has 12 caps. He had none prior to 2015. Neither of them have been transcendent but they are players that Klinsmann has been found of that seem to be paying off so far.

There is some potential here for the US to get better but in order for that to happen there must be some consistency. I don’t always agree with Klinsmann’s selections or philosophy as a manager, but until further notice, he should be the man running the show for America.

The Lesser of Two Evils

Chris McGlynn EPL, FIFA, Football, MLS, NFL, Soccer , ,

Don’t you just hate when people lie to you? Or when people just don’t understand when they have done something wrong? Or when it seems like everything someone does has an ulterior motive that seems to somehow benefit them?

Any of those descriptions could apply to Sepp Blatter or Roger Goodell. Both men run probably the two most powerful sporting organizations in the world. Honestly, two of the most powerful organizations of any kind. According to bloomberg.com, the NFL generates an estimated $9.5 billion per season with a market value of roughly $46 billion between the 32 teams. FIFA generated about $5.7 billion in 2014, according its end-of-year financial report. $4.8 billion came from the World Cup in Brazil, and only about $2.2 billion in expenses. Clearly, both of these organizations are very lucrative.

Then you realize that both of them are registered as non-profit organizations. Yup, that’s right. No taxes for either the NFL or FIFA league offices. Well, the NFL actually recently changed its stance on that. It decided to give up its tax-free ways so it could now hide Goodell’s salary. Go figure they want to be as opaque as possible.

That is definitely frustrating, as a tax-paying citizen, to hear. If that proves to be too much anger for you, stop reading this now, because it gets a whole lot worse.

Debating who is worse of these two clowns is sort of like debating which is worse, Comcast or Time Warner Cable. They both are awful, money-sucking entities with an inability to apply reason to situations that need to be fixed, but somehow, one has to be worse than the other right?

Roger_Goodell
Goodell has been commissioner of the NFL since 2009.

So, we’ve talked about the organizations completely dodging taxes, which is beyond ridiculous. The amount these two men make though is even more absurd. Goodell makes way more than any of his top players make in a given year. His salary was $45 million in 2012 and it took a drop to $34 million in 2013. However, he does not have to worry about his pay for a while. The New York Daily News reports that Goodell received a package that will pay him roughly $300 million over a seven year span starting in 2012. That average of close to $43 million a year is about double what the league’s top players make every year and they risk their bodies for our entertainment. Goodell sits in a cushy chair and just suspends whoever he likes (more on that later).

Sepp_Blatter
Blatter has been the president of FIFA since 1998.

Blatter is not quite as bad as Goodell in terms of his greed for his salary. Different sources conflict on how much Blatter makes. One thinks Blatter makes roughly $1 million annually. Another pegs it somewhere between $5 and $18 million. FIFA does not have to release it’s executives salaries each year. However, the likelihood is that Blatter makes more than just his salary, it just isn’t listed.

FIFA also has a track record for ripping off host countries. Blatter and his organization are exempt from all taxes, local, state and national, when operating in the country for the World Cup. In fact, Brazil estimated $248.7 million in lost revenue following the World Cup just for letting FIFA evade taxes. More often than not, FIFA causes countries to shell out an inordinate amount of money and then actually walk away worse off financially than when FIFA arrived. The funny thing is, that isn’t even close to the worst part about FIFA.

Over the past year or so, FIFA has been rocked by allegations of bribery and corruption. 2015 saw the story break regarding a scheme that FIFA officials organized to generate more than $150 million in kickbacks for themselves. Now Blatter was not one of the officials named in this situation but this is not the first time FIFA has been accused of corruption or accepting bribes. Dating back to 2010, FIFA executives have served bans for violations of ethics codes. With all of this going on in FIFA it is hard to believe that Blatter has not been a part of some of the activity, taking his fair share of bribes.

Sepp BlatterWhile he wasn’t named then, things finally seem to have caught up to Blatter. The Swiss Attorney General’s office announced it was launching an investigation “on suspicion of criminal mismanagement…and – alternatively – misappropriation.” The report also mentions that Blatter’s office was searched and data was seized.

Goodell has never been accused of criminal activity, which would definitely go in the win column for him. However, he has grossly mishandled several legal cases with serious repercussions.

For starters, there was Goodell handing Ray Rice only a two-game suspension after he had weeks to review the situation and give an appropriate punishment. Rice punched his then fiancee in the face, knocking her out, then dragged her onto an elevator. The NFL received word of this and then rather than rationally seek outside counsel for a case they were not equipped to handle, brought Rice and his fiancee into the same room together to rehash the situation. That is a principle violation of how to handle assault cases mainly because the accuser is in the same room as the assaulter. More often than not, the accuser will stand down out of fear that if he or she tells the truth, the assaulter will hurt them again.

So there was that. Then there was Goodell mishandling Ray McDonald’s, Adrian Peterson’s and Greg Hardy’s cases as well.

Roger GoodellNeedless to say, Goodell had a rough 2014 offseason. But then his popularity rating dropped even lower when he picked a fight with Tom Brady and slandered his name despite having no hard evidence. Many people agreed with Goodell’s thinking that Brady was innocent but Goodell once again displayed his dictator-like powers, handing down a four-game suspension (keep in mind he suspended Rice for only two for punching his wife) to Brady on the account that Brady might have been generally aware that someone had tampered with the footballs in the AFC Championship game. Even now after a federal judge ruled the suspension unfair, the NFL continues to drag out the fight, looking to appeal the ruling on the appeal (which is also just stupid that it is allowed).

Right now, these two men are at an all-time low in terms of popularity. However, Goodell might have the slight edge. No NFL sponsors have publicly demanded for Goodell to step down from his post, (although, they probably should have). Meanwhile, Coca-cola just released a statement that Blatter must step down amidst the corruption scandal. It is a long time coming but Coke finally pulled the trigger. No word has come yet from Blatter on what he will do now that this is out in the open.

So while Goodell is an inconsiderate, greedy, sexist and overall incompetent man, he managed to make the NFL lucrative with having to break dozens of laws and fund himself with illegal hidden payments. Blatter has corruption written all over his organization during his tenure, from accepting bribes for World Cup allocations to illegal contracts.

Thankfully, it seems like Blatter is on his way soon between he “resignation” that should hopefully take place in December and a major sponsor turning up the heat. Now if only Nike could finally tell Goodell that he really just needs to take a hike, the world be a much better place.

Oh and just for sheer entertainment value because he fully deserves it: