Thursday, October 9, 2008
Soccer is that sport that many red-blooded American don’t understand.
There are too many clubs, too many leagues and too few statistics for American sports fans accustomed to the a smorgasbord of raw numbers, averages and percentages churned out by the big three — football, baseball and basketball.
But what the world’s game lacks in measurables it makes up for in storylines. Here are three to watch as the 2008-2009 season unfolds and World Cup qualifying progresses.
1) Will Manchester United claim the Barclays Premier League and Champions League double for the second straight season?
The stars aligned for Sir Alex Ferguson and the Red Devils last season.
Arsenal collapsed under the weight of early-season expectations, youth and injury. Chelsea fell two agonizing points short of bringing the trophy back to Stamford Bridge on the final day of the season.
Mix in Chelsea captain John Terry’s penalty kick flub in the Champions League final in Moscow, and it’s hard to believe United will be so fortunate again.
Ferguson may have the most breathtaking array of attacking talent in the world at his disposal, but the lack of depth in the back four could become an issue once United is competing on four fronts.
2) Can the United States find the right roles for its young stars as CONCACAF qualifying heats up?
The talent pool just keeps getting deeper and deeper for the United States.
Jozy Altidore, Freddy Adu, Michael Bradley, Maurice Edu, Danny Szetela and Sasha Kljestan represent the next generation in U.S. soccer. All are 23 or younger. All but Kljestan ply their trade in Europe.
With Bob Bradley’s team pretty much guaranteed to advance from the group stages, now is the time to implement a temporary youth movement against weaker opponents.
All six were called into national team camp in preparation for this weekend’s game with Cuba at RFK Stadium in Washington, D.C.
3) Can anyone knock Cristiano Ronaldo from his perch as the world’s most dynamic player?
Last year the dynamic Portuguese winger proved to everyone watching that he was the best attacking player in the world.
Ronaldo scored 42 goals and divvied out nine assists in 45 starts for Manchester United last season. Each goal seemed to be more sensational than the last.
So far we haven’t seen the 23-year-old’s best this season. Ronaldo has been hampered by an ankle that is still not 100 percent healthy after an offseason surgery.
But with the addition of Dimitar Berbatov to the stable of United thoroughbreds, Ronaldo should be even more effective this season despite the prolonged transfer drama between Real Madrid and Manchester United this summer.
Thurday Youtube Sesh III
Maybe you like soccer. Maybe not.
But both lover and hater alike can appreciate the goal imposing Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimović scored this weekend for Inter Milan against Bologna in Italy. Audacious cannot even begin to describe Ibra’s backheel flick that sailed past a flummoxed goalkeeper.
Type in “Zlatan backheel.” Watch the clip from this weekend, then watch the one from a game against Italy in 2004. You won’t be disappointed.
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