More Problems for Dortmund

                With Borussia Dortmund having as poor of a start as they come and I having already discussed this slump, another game has been played, and another loss recorded, and I want to expand on the numerous causes to their troubles. After being up 1-0 against top Bundesliga Bayern Munich, they succumbed to a 2-1 loss that pushes them deeper into trouble. The first, and possibly most important, problem begins with how Dortmund spent their transfer time and money, and what they did to replace lost players. Giving up players like Gotze and Lewandowski, Dortmund had a challenge on their hands, but they also had plenty of time to figure out how to replace them and fill the gap they left. To replace Lewandowski, for example, Dortmund decided that instead of replacing him with one player, they would use two, and they spent plenty of money in the process for players that will take time to adapt. Also, rather than looking on home soil for growing Bundesliga players, they looked abroad to places like France and Ukraine for selecting new players. Again, these players require time to fit in to the system already present at Dortmund, causing a slow start to the season.

                At the beginning of the season, coach Jurgen Klopp knew the journey would be tough, and with plenty of injuries and not enough replacements, he was right. Due to injuries, Klopp has had to do his best to create a working lineup, and this starting squad has changed almost every game. This continuous shuffle of players doesn’t allow for a team to settle in and grow in a successful direction. The team may be better off if a lineup was chosen and stuck with, giving the players a chance to figure out the system and connect with each other in the long run. Another thing Dortmund players are missing along with a solid position is a real self-confidence. Looking to the very beginning of this win drought, Dortmund has been losing confidence after every game, each time hoping to come back in the next for a win but being repeatedly shut down. Match after match, Dortmund have lost with a glimpse of hope, with most losses being by just one goal, but they have failed to come back to get at least one league point from the game, taking away from their confidence piece by piece. 

Barca Losing Style?

                This Friday, Suarez had his big chance at a home debut for Barcelona, and many hoped it would provide a bounce back from the disappointing loss to Real Madrid previously. With Messi posed to set a La Liga goal record with one more goal and Suarez yet to show his true attacking linkup with the team, the home game against Celta Vigo was hoped to provide some reassurance. Throughout the first half, Barcelona held the majority of possession and had no shortage of opportunities; however, their defense still looked shaky. This pattern continued until the 55^th minute when Celta finally put one away and themselves ahead away against Barcelona. After some substitutions for Barcelona, the attack grew again, but nothing came of it and the game ended as another disappointing defeat for Barcelona.

                This loss creates further trouble for Luis Enrique and his plan for the team, as bringing in Suarez hoped to make more opportunities and, in turn, goals. So far, in his first two games, Suarez has yet to score and begin what is hoped to be a successful career with Barcelona. However, Suarez has created opportunities and has one assist, but he is still lacking a goal. Also, talk of Messi breaking the La Liga career goal record started before the Real Madrid game, but he has yet to score the record-breaking goal. Thus, Barcelona has not been the most effective attacking-wise in the last few games, and despite such big name strikers, a real attacking force is yet to be seen.

                However, offense is not the only part of the game that Barcelona is struggling with, and their defense is not as strong as it needs to be in order to do well in the league. Like Celta, Barcelona was able to create chances offensively, and, with a sound defensive side, could have held on to at least sustain a draw. Unluckily, this was not the case, and working backwards Barcelona looked shaky as ever, and lacked any real defensive presence from any one player. In the buildup to the goal by Celta, Barcelona’s defense was outmuscled multiple times and, in the end, were scored on due to a lack of strong defensive presence. In order for Barcelona to compete with very attacking teams such as Real Madrid, they need to connect going forward and grow as an offensive force. Also, the defensive side needs to get stronger and someone needs to step up as a leader in the back. 

Adidas Crazylight Pack

                Just recently, Adidas released Crazylight versions of their four major soccer cleat silos: F50, Predator, Nitrocharge, and 11pro. Featuring stunning colors and unique designs, these shoes are sure to make you stand out on the pitch. The Crazylight versions of these cleats are only for the firm ground stud patterns and there is only one color and model for each branch. With each boot being under 8 ounces and the F50 being under 5, these are all very lightweight cleats especially considering the fact that some of them utilize leather or leather-like synthetics. At first impressions, I was very excited to see these new cleats, and each colorway is distinctive and intriguing. Even though these are basically just slimmed-down versions of Adidas’s top model cleats, I think they did a good job of bringing down the weight, maintaining stability and structure, and creating a color and feel unique to the Crazylight models.

                To me, the feel of the cleats that I am wearing is an important part of deciding which ones to buy, and weight contributes greatly to the feel of a boot. Nothing is worse than the feeling of heavy, weighed down cleats. Although anything under 9 or so ounces is fairly light on the feet and the difference between 9 or 6 ounces is hardly noticeable, there is a freshness about not being able to tell that you are wearing shoes. Because of this, it is nice that Adidas is able to create the support of their regular cleats while taking off some of the excess weight. While not everyone will be able to afford these cleats, as premium cleats come with a premium price, I appreciate how Adidas still makes them as there are people who want this extra lightweight feel. Along with the high-end feel, there are no lower-end models that share the same colorway as the Crazylight models, guaranteeing the wearer to stand out on the field. Unlike the Crazylight shoes, normal models of cleats at any level share the same colors, so a high-end shoe looks very similar to a lower-end shoe on the field, creating a lack of a premium feel to some people. Overall, Adidas did a lot of things right for this release, improving on all of their regular top models by dropping weight while keeping the positives of the regular shoes.

United Shows Strength

            Despite a slow start to the season, and a loss to Rooney to suspension and Falcao to injury, Manchester United put on their most convincing show against Chelsea today. Both teams were likely saying the same things about the game; that they were both unhappy to not win. Chelsea feels this way because they are currently seen as the greatest contender for the title and have started the season as such while United feels that they played a game deserving of a win. United seemed to be winning the game, ending up with over twice the shots and greater possession time than Chelsea, but ended up down by one after a goal by Drogba. At this point, Chelsea looked to dominate and kill the game like they do so well, and it looked as if they would succeed and turn out with the win. However, in the 94^th minute, a free kick by Di Maria ended up at the feet of Van Persie who put the ball in the back of the net and gave United a much needed, and deserved, 1-1 tie to league leaders Chelsea.

            For Manchester United and its fans, today’s game against Chelsea was going to show a lot about the team and where they stand going forward. For one, Rooney, their captain and long-time starting forward, was out due to suspension after a red card in a previous game. There has been dispute to Rooney’s position as captain and if he deserves the title, and how the team plays without him could change that status. After losing to much less competitive teams than Chelsea, United was not expected to do extremely well against them, but this improvement does show that United may be better off without Rooney as their captain. In the absence of Rooney, Robin Van Persie took on the role as captain against Chelsea, and he played a game deserving of the captain’s band, scoring the late goal to equalize and give the team a point in the league. Going forward, I wonder if this may be a permanent change in statuses, with Van Persie remaining as captain and Rooney losing the title. Depending on how United does in the next games without Rooney, this may become a more likely outcome. Either way, the game was a very disappointing one for Chelsea and gives hope to what Manchester United can do in the future.

Borussia Dortmund Crisis

            Borussia Dortmund has seen three wins in three games in the Champions League group stage while losing three consecutive games in the regular season as of now. It’s this reason why Dortmund tried to use their Champions League “luck” in their season game against Hannover today. After receiving permission from league authorities, Dortmund chose to wear their Champions League jerseys in the game, but the luck did not seem to carry over across leagues. After a tie at halftime, Hannover snuck by with the win due to a free kick that gave them the 1-0 victory against hopeful Dortmund.

            Now with four losses in a row, it is only getting harder for Dortmund and fans to provide excuses or reasons for the lack of form. Many, including coach Jurgen Klopp, have stated that “We have made little from a lot, the others a lot from little,” (ESPN). While Dortmund does have plenty of opportunities and many of them turn to nothing, this does not really look at the root of the problem. Hummels states the frustration of losing despite being the better team, and he describes it as “inexplicable”. Even media in Germany and elsewhere can’t come up with a sound theory as to why the team lacks, and typical questions float around regarding the coach or the system, but still no answer. With no real lack in talent or opportunities going forward, I believe the problem must lie somewhere in the team aspect of the players. As there are no other real solutions, I wonder if there isn’t a disconnect between players or something wrong with the unification of the team. No matter how strong a team may look on paper, if they can’t be put together as a working team, the end result won’t ever be a success. While there is no evidence or rumors supporting the idea of a lack of team bonding, there just doesn’t seem to be any other explanation for a strong team to be losing games that they should easily win.

To fix this, Klopp’s strategy is to just persevere and play the way they have been while trying to improve on what they can. He feels that eventually the problem will resolve itself and the team will fall into form. With games coming up against strong opponents such as Bayern Munich, Dortmund needs to fix this problem if it wants to have any success in the future.

Balotelli Shirt Swap

              For Liverpool’s transfers this summer, many believe that they were not successful, and this is shown by their start to the season. One part of these transfers was the decision to bring in striker Mario Balotelli. Balotelli is known for his talent and ability to score and create when he puts in the effort and keeps his attitude in check, but he is equally known for his behavior issues. This trade-off is the reason that many feel that it was a bad idea to take on Balotelli regardless of the price. So far this season, behavior hasn’t been a real issue for Balotelli, but attitude and effort have overshadowed any good he has done for Liverpool to date.

            Having scored just one goal so far in a Liverpool jersey, he has not been successful by the standards of a striker. Missing wide-open nets and looking all around sluggish and uninspiring, Balotelli is making some of his critics correct. The major headline regarding Liverpool these days also includes Balotelli, yet again on the wrong side of the news. At halftime when down 3-0 to Real Madrid, Balotelli and Real Madrid’s Pepe swapped shirts, angering fans and managers. Many feel that Balotelli should have been focused on how to come back into the game ready to make a difference rather than getting a souvenir from an opponent, especially an opponent beating his team by three points. While I feel that there was nothing inherently wrong with Balotelli swapping shirts with the opposition, it was neither the time nor the place to do it. I agree that it should not have been done going into halftime and that Balotelli’s mind should have been elsewhere. If he truly wanted to swap shirts with Pepe, it should’ve been done after the game and outside of the demanding nature of the game.

             Also, I think that the entire event should not have been made a big deal by the media and especially by coaches. After the game, the Liverpool manager stated that he would deal with Balotelli and discipline him as needed, which I feel is very extreme and just adds to the pressure of the situation. Although Balotelli was in the wrong, this should not have become a big deal, and the coaches should have reinforced that idea by playing it all off and not furthering the problem by disciplining him. 

Liverpool Turn Out Lucky

            With a largely unsuccessful season so far, Liverpool were looking for a crucial victory over Queens Park Rangers this Sunday. However, by the end of the first half, it was a wonder how QPR was not up by at least 2 goals to Liverpool. The same problems remained; Liverpool’s defense isn’t adequate against set pieces and going forward the team still does not create enough opportunities. After going 1 up after an own goal in the second half by QPR, Liverpool seemed like they would scrape by with a win up to the last three minutes. At that point, Vargas scored his first English goal and equalized, instilling some fear into Liverpool fans. The lead for Liverpool was restored, but yet another goal by Vargas again put them under pressure. Finally, at the fifth minute of stoppage time, a cross by Sterling was directed into the net for another own goal, giving Liverpool a 3-2 win over QPR.

            The statement made by Liverpool player Gerrard sums up the thoughts of all; "We're still in shock to be honest. We're very lucky today,"(from Sky Sports). The performance by Liverpool was undeserving of a win, to say the least, but the three points are still welcomed and bring the team into fifth place in the league. In the end, the consistent pressure by Liverpool and the defensive breakdown by QPR won them the game, and that is the most positive thing that they can take out of the game. On the other hand, Liverpool’s defense lacked quality and was ineffective against set pieces, and this problem almost cost the team the game. Also, their attacking side only finished on one of the three goals scored, and if the team can’t defend, then the least they can do to win is outscore their opponents, but that seems very unlikely after this performance.

            Another talking point of the game is the fact that Raheem Sterling was back after not playing for his national team due to feeling tired. Sterling played a major role in Liverpool’s attack today, and he is glad to be back to playing the game, according to Sky Sports. He was glad to play again and, like the rest of the team, to get the three points. Sterling is important the attacking side of Liverpool, and hopefully is still able to handle his international duties while staying fit and rested.