We couldn’t be more proud to announce that The Fussball Project is now an Official Supporter of Common Goal
What we saw yesterday in the champions league , was Paris.
It was beautifully flowing wonderful art. It was lazy it was colorful, it was Neymar. It was fashion week it was the Champs-Élysées, it was Paris.
Neymar is Paris.
Yesterday was a display (at times) of just perfection. Not to say Barcelona wasn’t beautiful and all those things, but Barcelona was too vanilla. It was too unified for such a colorful flower. They wear denim shirts to away games and ride the bus and take their team car to practice. That’s not Neymar. Neymar hangs out with hailey Baldwin at fashion shows and has crazy hair and hoop earrings .
PSG took the lead with such class and then decided to take periodic cigarette breaks throughout the match. The end stats were FC Bayern with 60% possession and 15 corners. Normally a German would equate that with an automatic win and if he found out they lost his head would explode. But they got tossed around, whenever PSG felt like playing. Neymar would show up every once in a while with some flash of beauty, but then would drift off to probably take a cigarette break. PSG won 3-0, but in their own way.
Neymar took his talents to Paris and it couldn't have fit more perfectly. At first everyone thought, 'how could you leave Messi and co' and saw him as a sort of mercenary. I was one of those people.
But now I see the truth.
He's a genius and made the right decision.
PSG has a better midfield and don't you dare argue it. Yes Suarez and Messi are in their own class and I feel bad putting Messi in the same sentence as someone else even and talking class but it was just the easiest way to write it. Other than those 2, the rest of Barcelona is WASHED.....and not in that vintage stone washed way, like the washed where the collar of your hanes shirt turns into bacon because it was washed so many times. PSG is fresh and new and just bought this 18 year old, maybe you've heard of him? Mbappe....yeah he's the real deal. PSG upgraded and found a way to keep World cup winning Julian Draxler and certified baller Angel di maria on the bench, you know, just in case. Not to mention they have the almost amazing Lucas Moura and original mercenary himself Javier Pastore. Barcelona bought Spurs reject Paulinho from some Chinese club...and thats it.
Neymar gets to do his Brazil-number-10-role thing for club and country, what could be better?
There have been lots of moves in the sports world recently with KD going to Golden State, Kyrie going to Boston and Melo going to OKC. None of these moves fit. Melo has no bodega to chill in out in Oklahoma, Kyrie is a Jersey boy in Boston, and KD, who's Mr. Soft Skin twitter hack just went to the social media center of the planet.
Even when he was first being courted by both Spanish giants, I figured Neymar was more Madrid than Barcelona, as far as player and person. It never seemed to fit perfectly for me at Barcelona even though they won a whole lot. He was a flashy young star and all white seemed to make more sense, but he followed in Ronaldinho's footsteps instead and I think he didn't realize, the guy who 'forced' dinho out way too early, is still there, wearing number 10.
Neymar and his hoop earrings just fit in Paris.
We Have Made Moves This Summer...
As the summer transfer window comes to a close, we would like to keep you in the loop
It’s been a great summer of footy in New York City. We have been blessed with so much success and face a crazy final week ahead as the transfer window closes. The project is strong and we are so thankful for the support and even more excited to keep expanding to accommodate more players and more football. We want to keep the dream alive and provide players with opportunities at the next level. Stay tuned for what’s coming, but for now, here’s a short recap of our summer…..
Showcase Success
Our New York show case was a major success. 40 of New York's best kept secrets came out and really proved a point. Our staff couldn't believe the tempo and tenacity of the game. Of the 40 players that played in our New York showcase, 8 are currently in Europe (Germany, Spain, France, Sweden, Israel) as I write this, either signing, signed or on trial. Insane. 20% of the kids that showed up, shipped off with pro opportunities…..and were not done yet. As you many of you may know, we have 3 tiers of players: Guys we ship out right away for trials, Academy level players who are pro ready but just to fit a proper fit, and then our TFP domestic players who will prepare to go out in the next window and will work with us until then. Our 6 academy level players are patiently waiting and training in our US based academy program until the transfer window closes to start their journey. Our 6 TFP Domestic players were selected to stay in our system, train domestically and develop and wait for their chance to meet up with the rest of the boys in Europe. Lastly, 6 more from the combine were signed to an ASL professional contract to play with the Philadelphia Fury, one of our biggest partner clubs.
Let me break this down for everyone:
Little Falls FC- The Future
TFP Summer of Kinder Footy!
We are proud to announce the Partnership between Little Falls FC and The Fussball Project LLC. Our head of scouting Marin Gjoca, will now be the Director of Coaching at Little Falls FC and it will serve as our feeder club into a new generation of European bound footballers. We are excited to expand our brand of football philosophy into the youth level and slowly bring the European football machine, into New Jersey. We are currently in talks with other youth clubs that we will affiliate with. More to come!
TFP New York/New Jersey
Another massive announcement would be our TFP New Jersey/New York team. Our team will play in the NJSSL in the top Amateur division and will serve as a place for our academy, domestic or even professionals to get games in and stay sharp in order to be ready for the next opportunity abroad. This team will be closely tied with our TFP training sessions that also take place in New jersey as well as our NYC TFP sessions, where there will be at least 1 training session a day, under professional conditions, run by our head of scouting Marin Gjoca. He is responsible for 2 of our signed TFP players playing in Europe that came directly from our TFP training sessions in Nutley, New Jersey.
We also have a new team in the Cosmopolitan League with long time partner Zum Schneider. We are having some of our NY based talent develop there and get games in which we will regularly check in on before we decide who will head over for pro opportunities.
Major Sportswear Brand Partnership/ Agency Partnership
We are very excited to announce partnership deal in it's final stages with a major sportswear brand as well as a partnership with a big time football players agency based out of Munich. Both partnerships will only increase our profile and allow us to grant more players opportunities. While we can’t release the names of either just yet we are extremely excited and will keep you updated!
TFP Training Sessions
Lastly, our TFP training sessions have been the highlight of our summer. Every morning we host a top class professional training session in Nutley, New Jersey and then twice a week we hold a night session under the bright lights of New York City, where friendships have been ended and contracts have been won. Pure footballing class through the summer. All of our professional players take part in these sessions in their off seasons, but at our training sessions, nobody cares whether you went on trial at Man United or St. Peters College, can you do it on a hot summer day at TFP?
We are so pleased to see beautiful football and love welcoming new faces, send us a message on Facebook, Instagram, Email with any questions you may have and as always, if you know of a quality baller, send him our way.
Honestly, I can't even....
This transfer window has absolutely blown my mind many times over and its currently in the midst of its final act with this Neymar Madness. As a Liverpool fan it reminds me of the Torres saga, where I refused to believe he left for Chelsea until I saw him on the field wearing blue. This is how I feel about Neymar currently going to PSG, and I won't believe he left until I see him on instagram out "one night in Paris", oh, maybe a bad choice of phrase...
But here we rank the 12 craziest transfers on a scale from "yeah, it makes sense" to Mugatu on crazy pills, crazy.
Chana-lo-lo to milan-"yeah, that can work". After a half season without football, the Turkish international free- kick wizard will be taking his talents to the San Siro. Very random because he was out of the spotlight for most of the spring, but as Milan raided every team for their mercenaries, it makes a lot of sense for him to head to Milan
Douglas Costa to Juventus- "Yes, but why?" After demoralizing the bundesliga one year prior, Ancelotti decided against Costa as his preferred left sided player and Costa rarely saw consistent minutes. With the imminent arrival of James, it made sense for him to go and Juventus always welcomes South American wingers trying to find their form.
James to Bayern- "oh right, Ancelotti"- Very random. I get it but I don't. Another high profile team that doesn't need his position, but I guess Ancelotti was there when he was bought for jersey sales, so it makes sense, right?
Biglia to Milan- "Forza Lazio"- Was the quote from Biglia a few days before the transfer when he was asked about going to Milan. I love this stuff across all sports, from Nick Saban to Pete Caroll and now its in the Beautiful Game: Mercenaries.
Schwein to MLS- "Wieso?"- This stuff just breaks my heart. My idol and favorite player growing up (along with another idol who fell victim to the LA money) decided to prolong his career with a change from arguably the biggest club in the world, to an average TV show at best. Like he needs the money...
Alves to PSG- “So he’s not at Man City?”- For a while he was on the way to Man City to re unite with his former manager Pep Guardiola, but I guess he doesn't like pep as much as we assumed. He already has a trophy, a goal and an assist, playing on the wing….just very Dani Alves.
Rooney to Everton- “Will he start?”- Yes we all know his time at United was over, Sopranos style, but we didn't know where he would go next. The MLS made a lot of sense and so did China. He could disappear off the world football map and chase some lettuce, but he went back home to Everton, which is awesome, except now they have a bunch of young good players who probably play over him….now what..
Walker to Spurs- “Spurs for life”- Another mercenary. Love that video of him saying “Spurs for life”, while taking more money to take a side who finished below his in the table. Wonder why he went?
Lukaku to United- “rendezvous at training”- By now everyone has seen the video of Big Rom and Pogba having a conversation about meeting at training the next day, super suave. But Mourinho previously overlooked this dude for 9 other strikers that came through Stamford Bridge at the time and now he wants to come back? I saw him at Chelsea personally in this transfer but I guess he enjoys 5th place and such.
Chicharito to West Ham- “Saw him NYE at PHD”- The TFP crew saw the then Leverkusen talisman at PHD on New Years and now were basically best friends. I mean West Ham have done well for themselves this transfer window but they have signed just a crazy number of strikers that haven't worked, something like 33, and I just hope our boy realizes theres no winter break in England.
Bonucci to Milan- “Mercenary”- Bonucci is without question one of the best defenders in the world, but do you realize he played for Juventus, Inter and AC Milan? I would do terrible unthinkable things to hear what Burlesconi promised him in order to get his signature at AC Milan. I guess AC Milan means business….
Neymar to PSG-“Fredo, you broke my heart”……the craziest transfer since Figo or since ever…..more to come tomorrow.
Wayne Rooney. The name means so many different things to so many different people: wonderkid, disappointment, captain, legend, punchline — even punching bag.
Fluid and Sleek yet Powerful and Robust. Leon Goretzka is the modern sports car.
I have seen facebook littered with a famous quote by a british broadcaster that runs something along the lines of:
“Football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win."
Thank you Gary Lineker, for your observations. But give us more man, don't just drop bombs.
With Germany bringing home a U21 European Championship and a Confederations Cup Championship in the same week, we can rest assured that the lederhosen will be dusted off and the steins will be clinking. There's reason to celebrate in Deutschland.
While we could go on about analyzing both tournaments and giving you mundane recaps of each, we will leave that to the Bleacher Reports and the Fox Soccer's of this planet. On a side note, Fox Soccer has been gracious enough to offer Alexi Lalas employment so that we can keep him as far away from soccer development as possible.
We would like to focus on a young man named Leon Goretzka and the tiny plot of land in west Germany where he is from. Leon Goretzka was an absolute stud in the confederations cup and his future looks bright as he possesses all the tools to become a stalwart in DIE MANNSCHAFT. Let’s go back a few years though.
look familiar?
Leon Goretzka is from Bochum, Germany. He grew up playing in Bochum, Germany for a club called VFL Bochum which some may know from their glory days in the Bundesliga but most likely know simply as a logo on FIFA, and a team that could be used to play against your idiotic cousin who helplessly presses buttons with an otherwise dominant Barcelona team. What absolutely blows my mind about Bochum is that it is a mere 4 miles away from Dortmund on one side and another 4 miles away from Gelsenkirchen on the other side. For the soccer newb: Gelsenkirchen houses Schalke 04 and Dortmund houses Borussia Dortmund. 4 miles each way? My mother does that on the elliptical machine! How on earth could Leon Goretzka grow up playing for Bochum!? You know who else played for VFL Bochum? A certain Ilkay Gundogan. 4 miles away from two of the biggest clubs in Europe and these guys don't get scouted. Madness. The reason for this is actually quite simple and goes as follows:
Mario Gotze, Marco Reus, Manuel Neuer, Mesut Ozil, Julian Draxler, Leroy Sane are but a few of the names that reason why Goretzka and Gundogan may have not been at the top local clubs from the get-go. This area in Germany, known as the Industrial Ruhr Valley, produces some of the finest quality in th world and remains the hidden hotbed for talent development.
This is a major reason why the majority of players that come through The Pro Project (The Fussball Projects scouting program) are moved to spend time in the Ruhr Valley before we place them at other clubs worldwide. You think Pulisic would be wearing the #10 for the US had he grown up playing for PA Classics or FC Delco? This experience in pro football is absolutely integral in the development of any emerging talent. I believe it was the late great Shawn Carter that said “and since I made it here I can make it anywhere.”
Enjoy the balmy temps folks.
-TFP
Now that all American sports with any urgency are finished, Saturday brings another reason to go to the bar and watch a meaningful game: The beginning of the Confederations Cup.
While you were sleeping, and possibly reading all about Chelsea FC winning the premier league, something spectacular happened: AS Monaco won Ligue Un.....
It took me a few days to realize really what happened but I finally have come to terms with what AS Monaco has accomplished.
From team that was in the second division 4 years ago with Claudio Ranieri, to a team in the Semi Final of the Champions League and winning their domestic league in the same season, AS Monaco has flown under the radar as one of the most incredible stories of the season.
Obviously wondered Mbappe has stolen the show and will inevitably be sold for an absurd amount of money, but AS Monaco has had such an interesting season that reminds me of Real Madrid's underrated and overrated dichotomy. Yes there is the 18 year old wonderkid that is Mbappe as well as a few other future premier league stars, but as I was told by Onefootball's Daniel Issroff, the rollercoaster that is AS Monaco goes deeper than just a miracle run with youth.
As isolated as I am in the mountains of Bavaria, I still hear murmurs about whats going on in the French League. I knew the title was close and that PSG was not in front but it was all sort of blinded by the bright lights of the Champions League matches between PSG and Barcelona where Barcelona overturned a 4-0 1st leg deficit only to be embarrassed by Juventus. All of the drama in the Champions League took away from the fact that PSG were in fact trailing leaders Monaco in their domestic league. By the way PSG dismantled Barcelona, you would have thought that they would have won the league by February per usual, but that simply was not the case.
PSG does in fact have one of the highest wage bills in the world, but because of Monaco's tax policy, the gap isn't as great as you think. AS Monaco does not have to deal with the 70% tax that PSG does, but also, contrary to popular belief, aside from a few star youngsters, AS Monaco was built around maturity and stability. Truth be told they will make north of 100 million euros in transfers this year on maybe 2 players, but since they were recently bought out by a Russian Oligarch, development has been pushed.
I have always wondered personally why AS Monaco hasn't been a powerhouse from the start because of the no tax thing, Monaco's location and again, the no tax thing, but I guess football is more than just wages and location......I guess.
Is Real Madrid Underrated? I know it almost can't be, but I'm fairly sure it is. If they go on and win June 4th, it will be the first time a team has ever went back to back on Champions League wins in the modern era and will also be 3 in 4 years. That is bordering on best team of all time territory and I think they fly under the radar. They also just passed Bayern Munich's record of scoring in 61 consecutive games in all competitions.....bananas. Obviously everyone knows about their number 7 and he is very very very effective but I think what people really don't get, is that his supporting cast, in my opinion, outshines him.
Marcelo would win unanimous MVP of all left backs and there would be no complaints from anyone. Ramos, World cup and 2 time Euro winner Ramos, Is not talked about nearly enough. He is soooo good at football and is just taken for granted. The midfield 3 of Casemeiro, Kroos and Madric rivals any midfield 3 ever in history don't @ me. Its the perfect combination of grit and geil and they are also, overshadowed. We all know Bale is Bale, but he is never consistently in the lineup so there are his replacements : Isco, who has lost interest in his hair, which is a good thing because he has put all of his interests back into football and the Colombian Prince, James. Its already an unbelievable Oceans 15 type cast, but I really think Benzema, is somehow overrated as well. Even though he houdini'd his way past 3 Atleti defenders in the midweek, he really is forgotten about in the shadow number 7 casts with his lats and massive ego.
Bayern pulled a Barca, and No one cares. I love that all FCB fans are just spoiled and arrogant to the point where they pull off a historic comeback against the second place team, at their home, and no one cares. I was speaking with a friend of mine down in the mountains of Bavaria. A very casual football game watcher but full time FCB fan. We spoke in brief about the game and she said the game was "sad". I thought for a second that i was not understanding the phrase well but I went on to understand that it was sad FCB gave up 4 goals. She described it as "schwach" or weak. I couldn't believe that was said to me in such an amazing feat but it just makes perfect sense with FCB fans where they just come to expect greatness.
I knew about the spoiled fans in Bavaria, but what I learned from this game, is that Real Madrid is just that good. In the last round of the CL they completely dismantled this FCB team that at times, looks unstoppable.
Coutinho Is peaking at the right time......to be sold. This Brazilian wizard put. on. a. show. He had 2 goals and an assist in maybe the most important game of Liverpool's season. It guaranteed that with a win next weekend, third place is theirs and Liverpool will be in the Champions League again. I'm glad that Coutinho is peaking now as a Liverpool fan but I just know he's going to be sold to Barcelona at this rate. It sucks you can't have one without the other meaning if Coutinho was not in such good form maybe Top 4 wouldn't be possible and he wouldn't be sold. If I had to choose between CL next season and maybe Coutinho for another 4? I honestly don't know what i answer.
In the last few games for Real Madrid, Isco Alcarón has reminded everyone that he was indeed worth the 30 Million Euro Pricetag.
Scoring the key goal in this semi final second leg against Atletico Madrid, Isco has proven himself to be worthy of the all white kit and probably some more starts. Featuring in 28/35 league games so far, he has had plenty of games, but has never been a first option for Zizou.
Isco's goal tonight made history by matching a record held by Bayern Munich of scoring in 61 consecutive matches in all competitions. It was a bit Ironic Isco is being featured and scored the goal when Benzema made the world move basically in order for Isco to stab the ball home, but we all know Benzema can ball. Sometimes we forget the magic of the former Malaga and Euro U-21 winner and I'm glad his ability has been on display, unfortunately, he may have his worst haircut of his career.
It's also unfortunate he's trying to find his place in a team of immovable world-calss players, but a lot of times, to his benefit (and our viewing pleasure), these immovable world-class players find themselves in the treatment room and he is able to make brief cameos in the first XI.
This bow legged magician has been a pleasure to watch in the last 2 rounds of the champions league and I hope he is able to find his place.....or I would be happy to see Liverpool FC really overpay for him. Either way...
The Fussballl project is delighted to announce yet another player moving into the pro ranks: Jesse Bradley will sign with Oberliga Westfalen club Erkenschwick for the 2017/2018 season.
Jesse landed in Germany last week and bounced around a few clubs before having his heart set on Spvgg Erkenschwick. By the third session, contracts were being drawn up.
In June, this historic club played host to Borussia Dortmund in a friendly match and lost 5-2. Next season, Jesse and his team will take on Schalke 04 in July in another high profile preseason game.
Head Coach Zouhair Allali
"We are delighted to have Jesse on board. He is an ambitious young goalkeeper with an incredible work ethic. The sky is the limit for him and we look forward to working with The Fussball Project in the future!"
Zouhair A. (Head Coach)
"Jesse got the job done in two weeks and now prepares for his first season in Europe. We are extremely happy for him but understand that this is simply the culmination of hard work and preparation. Now we just need to get his German on the same level as his shot stopping"
-German Representative Maximillian Mansfeld
Jesse is the epitome of a professional and wowed everyone at the club with his confidence, athletic ability and his leadership attitude. We are excited for what's in store down the road with him, he has so much raw ability and hunger that we can't wait to see in action. We uncovered Jesse at one of our regional trial sessions. Our next round of regional trial dates have been confirmed for this July. Sign ups are posted.
We are excited to announce that TFP player Martin Williams has signed for Motala AIF in Sweden's Division 2.
“I’m very thankful for the opportunity The Fussball Project has given me. They have opened a huge door for me to showcase what I can do, in a professional football environment. I’ve worked my whole life for this and I’m beyond excited to get going”
Martin impressed these last weeks on trial and has been rewarded with a 1 year contract. Our Swedish Rep Adam Kelemet was on hand for the entirety of his trial and was very impressed with his growth in confidence as the training sessions added up. We love Martin's professionalism and enormous upside and look forward to seeing his progress throughout the season.
ML
“Martin is a player who is really raw with a very high ceiling and we are pleased to sign him. We had a full roster but Martin proved throughout the week that he was a player we could not pass up. He is a player we hope to have for many years to come. We are grateful to The Fussball Project for bringing him to us, they have a great program and we look forward to working with them in the future
”
AK
“I am extremely happy for Martin. This is the kind of story that we strive for. A very talented, dedicated player who got his chance and did not let it slip away. I have monitored his progress here in Sweden as he hit the ground running from day one. He adapted quickly to life on and off the pitch and I knew that his unique qualities would not go unnoticed here in the Swedish game. This is only the beginning for Martin and I wish him all the success in the world - he deserves it.””
We scouted Martin at one of our trial sessions and knew within minutes this guy could play in Europe. Our head scout Marin Gjoca alerted us of this player and within a week we had trials set up in Sweden and Spain. We are very happy for Martin and look forward to discovering more hidden talent through our proven system.
Our sign up portal for trial sessions is posted as we gear up to search for our next crop of players for the pro ranks!
The Fussball Project will be sending Jesse Corke over to Germany for trials at our partner clubs!
Jesse will be in West Germany from April 11th until the 22nd and will be training with TSV Marl Hüls and SpVgg Erkenschwick with the hopes of signing his first professional contract.
We found Jesse at one of our pre placement training sessions and quickly saw his potential to break into the professional game. Jesse played at division II Molloy college and was overlooked in the US pro system but is definitely a guy suited to the European game.
He is one of the hardest workers we've seen and we are excited to get him showcased in Europe
We will keep you updated periodically on his progress
Auf Geht's Jesse!
Currently starring at former Bundesliga giants Borussia Neunkirchen, TFP player Cordt Flaetgen began his game from humble beginnings at Manhattan Kickers in NYC.
After being overlooked by the US professional system, Cordt signed with SV Elversberg before moving on to his current club, Borussia Neunkirchen. Fortuntely, the goals followed!
TFP looks forward to his continued progress as we gear up for a busy summers transfer window.
Germany faced off against England in the marquee game last night, that also happened to be the farewell game for Lukas Podolski. Somehow he managed to collect 130 caps for Die Mannschaft over the years but we all know toward the end of his career, he was the social glue to an otherwise stoic German side.
This is taking nothing away from how amazing he was in major tournaments starting in 06, and his final appearance last night rolled back the years to the FC Koln Podolski we all came to love.
Gary Liniker once said "football is a simple game. Twenty-two men chase a ball for 90 minutes and at the end, the Germans always win". He inevitably tweeted something similar last night, but this couldn't have been more of the case last night. It was a tale of two completely different mindsets about a game. Germany was sending off their social warrior while surrounding him with a young crop of scruffy faced ballers. England on the other hand put their strongest foot forward in an attempt to impress their new boss.
England had much of the better play out of the gates. Lallana managed to hit the post and turn Kimmich into a traffic cone more times than not. Just as i started to ramble to my friend about the immense pressing, Kimmich came in from right back with some Guardiola wizardry to break the entire whole press and 2 passes later, Poldi fired a laser into the top corner.
Football is cruel and at times unfair, but it seems as though Germany does this all too often, where they don't look necessarily the better side, but find a way to win and more importantly, its expected. It could not be more of the opposite with England; you just come to expect failure and collapse. There is so much unneeded pressure that I can't imagine its the best environment to really perform at your best. This game was just a microcosm of what really goes on with England's national team. Germany played with a freedom that allowed them to convert when they had to and England were playing to win a friendly as if the world really depended on it and maybe in turn, missed some crucial chances. Yes England usually do well in qualifying but its the external pressure and expectations that I think really thwart the potential of pretty decent side.
Thanks for the lesson on shooting technique Poldi, class act! Also, i'm almost sick of hearing about this young generation of uber German ballers but my god, this is a nifty bunch. That's it for now.
Tscho Poldi!
Motala AIF FK took on Skiljebo SK last saturday and coasted to a 3-1 win. After a successful week of training, Martin was able to contribute to the win. Coming on in the second half, Martin looked every bit the part of a pro player. With his trademark fluid passing and clean technique bailing his side out of trouble more than once.
Our Swedish rep, Adam Kelemet seemed pleased with his progress and looks forward to "continued progress as we approach the deadline of the transfer window"
Next Saturday, Motola face off against Kumla. Be sure to check back on Martin's progress!
To start off, this is the first time Pep Guardiola hasn't made the semi- finals with a team in the last 8 years....
I have nothing but respect for the gutsy ways of Pep here. With a 2 goal lead heading to Monaco for the return leg, he puts out the attacking lineup, knowing he is going to have to score because his Swiss cheese defense would concede, more than once. A similar approach PSG took, which seem to fail miserably in a similar fashion. Though we are talking about Barca and Monaco here, two very different opponents…
AS Monaco jumped out to an early lead and the first 45 minutes were squandered for Manchester City. I am not the biggest fan of a marginal Left Back playing center back in a crucial game like this, but then again I don't have all the facts.
Not to discredit Monaco in any way, this one of the most exciting young teams in Europe at the moment. With that said, I have always been disappointed in Pep Guardiola's in game coaching. Believe me, you can't say enough for what he's done tactically and his brand of football has been nothing short of a renaissance, but when he comes up against an opponent that has seemingly thwarted his initial set up, he's either too stubborn or foolish to change it.
His former Bayern team looks like a favorite to win the Champions League this season and that has to be good for something. His Bayern teams were, after all, quite dominant. But the theme remains the same, Pep couldn't lead them to Champions League glory. It sounds very elitist to say that, but the manager right before him walked off with the Champions League and the one right after looks likely to win as well.This takes nothing away from the historic League titles he won in the Bundesliga, where he clinched around February, but its Bayern, they collect Bundesliga titles like my grandfather collects parking tickets.
Yes he won the Champions League 3 times with Messi and co. but he was the new kid on the block, nobody had the time to iron out his system and find the underlying kinks. Adapt or become extinct no?
The underlying theme is that unless Guardiola's men really blow the team out or can absolutely dominate, they don’t really seem to have the tools to win, the way Ferguson, Mourinho and even Klopp do so masterfully.
Man City really hired him because they want the European glory no? Is this the guy for the job? Would love some feedback, slowly losing our minds over here….
I don't think I could be more over Leicester city.
It's not even because they came out of hiding to beat Liverpool last week. They fired a manager who literally did the impossible. Where is the loyalty? Where is the grace period? I'm literally getting angry as I write this. Coaches in American sports have a grace period of close to 4 years after they accomplished anything in the vicinity of that Claudio Ranieri did with Leicester. Tom Coughlin won a Super Bowl with the Giants in 2007 with a bunch of rocks and a good defensive line which bought him 4 years of slump time before another playoff berth. Ranieri kicked to the curb just a mere few months after bringing Leicester fans fairy tales they could share with their grandchildren. Unreal.
I really was rooting against them in this Sevilla tie, which I found hard because last year Sevilla ripped my heart out in the Europa League final, but if any team is going to beat Liverpool Football club, let it be Sevilla.
Leicester City turned from the darlings of the world to the Villans in a few month span. Reminding me of how the Golden State Warriors turned into a bunch of losers overnight as well. I am impressed they are still in the Champions League, and they seem to be revitalized and will be safe for next season, but its in times like these (like when Mourinho decided to toss Eden Hazard's life away to gain another headline) where I wonder how there is addition by subtraction.
Gutless thing regardless, Ranieri was an absolute peoples champ at Leicester. Now, I'm no certainly math wizard, but I would love to see a spread of much they would lose getting relegated in comparison to what he (Ranieri) brought in winning the league, champions league qualification, ticket sales, shirt sales..... In my head it wouldn't matter if he got them relegated twice over forcing them to start from league 1, the name will forever be on the trophy.
Unfortunately, I'm a purist of the beautiful game, and therefore still unable to grasp that it is simply a business. Forgive my rant, and get back to your numbers.
Martin Williams touched down in Scandinavia!
Squeaking out just before this blizzard wiped nearly 8000 flights out of New York, Martin made it into Stockholm safely and now looks forward to getting on the field.
Martin is a player we were confident about from the get go. He totally flew under the radar during his time in the US and now seems poised for his break into the professional game. Our Scandinavian representative picked him up from the airport last night and got him settled at the club house.
We will keep you in the loop as Martin begins settling into life in Sweden. For now, its off to get him a serious winter hat!
Welcome back to the Champions League review
It’s safe to say Manchester City vs. AS Monaco was a very, very good game. It felt like some sort of short story of old following the plot structure of: Exposition , rising action, climax, and a denouement. Each of these parts of a plot are represented by a moment in the game that shaped and turned this game into a spectacle. It became more than just a game because you felt the gravity of expectations and story lines surrounding the changes that happened minute to minute. Whether or not the “quality” of the game was exceptional throughout was up for discussion, but usually more open and dysfunctional games make for the best viewing and even more so, best headlines....
- Exposition “oh wait...theres the real Pep Guardiola”... In the exposition, its just an introduction of the characters and it sets the stage for what is to come. In this case I saw a huge mismatch of straight up talent and worried if I chose the wrong game to watch. After 10 minutes I already started to text my friends about the tactics implemented and how City were going to cruise to victory. I think I actually used the phrase “like a hot knife through some butter” to describe how well the attack from city looked that came to a head with a goal in the 26th minute from Raheem Sterling. Pep seemed to have everything under control.
- Rising Action- “You filthy dog #falcao”- Alex Morgan. I guess she forgot that tigers are cats though.......In this part of a plot there are a series of events leading that allow for an interesting Climax. In this instance, it was the resurgence of a certain, Radamal Falcao. He first tied the game up with a great back post header, but then absolutely rolled back the clock (and kept it current with an awful penalty miss) with a vintage El Tigre finish. He then remembered he was in Manchester while he stepped up for the spot kick and mid strike had a flashback and passed the ball into caballeros bread basket. Im assuming this much because i have no other explanation for such an awful Pen. Either way, Falco’s second goal put Monaco up 3-2 and everyone was reminded that Jon Stones can't really defend so well. It was at this point I basically feared for Guardiola’s job. They were out of the champions league and barely in the top 4 domestically....
- Climax- “Aguerooooooooo”- Martin Tyler. Honestly one of the best moments in sports history, the greatest moment in Manchester City’s average history and Aguero is on his way out? In recent weeks he had been half heartedly pledging his future/next few months to Manchester City after being more or less benched for the second coming himself and had it not been for a foot injury, I would imagine Jesus would have led the lines last night as well. Having already scored, Aguero scored a sweet volley from a corner to level the game and breathe life back into a City team that didn't show many signs of coming back. In the Climax, there is an event that changes the protagonists fate for the good, and it was this one and given the history and situation, it had to be Aguero.
- Falling action-conflict unravels - “Stones makes amends”. After being absolutely torched and left for dead on Falcao second goal, Stones puts away another set piece goal to put City in the drivers seat. Even though it could have been a hat trick for Aguero, Stones was there to tap it in and lifted the roof off the stadium. At this point I felt myself rooting for City in a way I would root for batman, or Peter Quinn: it was irrational hero stuff but felt as though it was more than the game, I was hoping they got out of this game “alive” and with something to show.
- Dénouement - “Pep is back”. There was 35 minutes of that game, not including half time that the guardian reporters were licking their chops to write that Guardiola was overrated and couldn't cut it and blah blah....Well guys, as cool as Bane was as a villain, Batman came out on top. Bane gave us some great one liners, but retrospectively, we all knew who was going to win....right? City fans will tell you they weren't nervous at all, but I imagine most City fans are as spoiled as New England Patriot fans who also weren't nervous in this recent Super Bowl....Regardless of what happened the first 81 minutes, it seems Sané’s goal really just relieved tension and made the return leg a lot more realistic.