National Team Improvements

            Although the World Cup is long gone and with it have gone the teams, the games, and the hype that surrounded the tournament, it has still left a legacy, and some teams are trying to use that as motivation to improve. With friendlies approaching and World Cup results lingering, the England national team is making major improvements. Leaving the tournament at just the group stage last summer, England was definitely at a low point when it came to the national team. However, more recently, the team have been looking to do better by playing aggressively and making other teams struggle to beat them. Winning what could be eight straight games after playing Italy next week, England has obviously stepped their game up. Captain Wayne Rooney believes that this is because of the work of the players and their ability to keep the ball and win it back. "You want teams to look at England and think, 'we know we have a tough game, it is going to physically hard against them, we are going to have to defend and we are going to have to be good on the ball to keep the ball'.” Rooney said when discussing the work the team has put in (ESPN). The team is trying, and succeeding, to make a move towards becoming a feared team.

            England is not the only team trying to improve post-World Cup, and if any team has a lot to prove following the tournament, it’s Brazil. After losing 7-1 against Germany in the semi-finals last summer, Brazil was probably at the lowest point in their national team history. Now, with Dunga at the reigns, the team seems to be swinging back into shape. Just following the World Cup, Brazil has beaten teams such as Argentina and France, and the new system seems to be working. For one, team captain Neymar has been fulfilling that role much better, formulating an attack that seems to score goals to no end. Also, Dunga has arranged a strong back as well, one that has only conceded two goals since he took charge. Obviously, despite being controversial at first, the idea to bring in Dunga has proven to be successful. This shows that although the World Cup has long since ended, many national teams are still using it as a reason to improve and grow.

Change of Luck for the Foxes

            Ever since Leicester City beat Manchester United at the beginning of the season, I have sort of been in support of them. Moving up to the Premier League just this season, they were a fun underdog team to support, despite what has been a rather unlucky season. In many games, the Foxes have lost by just a point, and they continue to sit at the bottom of the table. In an FA cup game against Tottenham, Leicester seemed to finally have the break that they deserved. City player Jeff Schlupp, who is known to sail the ball over the bar, stole the show in Leicester’s favor. In response to an early goal down in the first half, Schlupp sent one across the box to be finished by Ulloa and later scored the winning goal by sneaking one by the Spurs’ goalkeeper.

            While Tottenham may have played sloppily due to fatigue and it was just an FA cup game in the first place, it could prove to be a confidence boost that could turn around Leicester City’s luck in the league. This also brings up another point; that the FA cup shouldn’t be taken seriously and no effort should be put into it. Wigan was relegated after winning the cup in 2013, and plenty of other teams that went far in the tournament have been relegated. So as to whether or not Leicester should put any focus on the cup or not, I would suggest that they don’t lose any of their focus on the league. For finances and overall club affairs, its most important that they are successful in the Premier League.

Real Madrid Needs Changes

            Today Real Madrid faced off against Cordoba, and with Carlo Ancelotti insisting that his team doesn’t require rotation, nearly came up short. Cordoba played against a disconnected Real Madrid, staying composed in their attacks and being the first to every ball. Going into halftime, Cordoba had plenty of momentum and it seemed almost certain that they would come away with at least one point from the match. Of all things to give Cordoba hope and ruin Real Madrid, Ronaldo getting sent off for violent conduct would be at the top of the list, and Cordoba was sitting pretty well. Then finally, a late penalty for Real Madrid gave Bale his chance at goal which he put away, giving Real Madrid a close 2-1 victory. With a slow start to 2015 for Madrid, Ancelotti may want to reconsider changing the team up more often, especially with greater opponents coming in the future. With games against Sevilla and Atletico ahead and Ronaldo facing suspension time, Madrid needs to regroup and look at what they can change.

            First, a look at the good for Real Madrid in the game. To start, Iker Casillas continued to prove why he remains their top goalkeeper despite some of his poorer performances. While his defense failed him repeatedly, Casillas was able to shut down clear opportunities by Cordoba on goal. Madrid really have their keeper to thank for the three points they earned from the game. While some of Real Madrid’s attacking side was active and lively, they were ineffective a lot of the time. The effort was there, but they were lacking a connection needed to be an effective attacking force. Bale was able to step up and take the winning penalty kick, showing responsibility while the rest of his team lacked.

            As shown by Real Madrid, a team can have some of the best players around on paper but still struggle against a team like Cordoba. This year’s recent Ballon d’Or winner Christiano Ronaldo got so frustrated in the game that he took it out on an opponent, getting a straight red card. Obviously there was a disjointed team playing today, and the world’s best player made a poor choice when dealing with it. Instead of taking responsibility for his team, Ronaldo let it get to him and he hurt his team even further. Maybe the starting team needs some rest, or the players need some rotation, but either way, something needs to be changed for Real Madrid. Ancelotti needs to be more open to changes in lineups and play styles if he wants the team to be successful going forward. Otherwise, in their current state and progression, stronger teams will beat them and they could move down in the league standings. All is not lost by any means, and I have no doubt that Real Madrid will continue to win games, but not without any changes.

2015 Adizero F50

            As both a fan and player of the game, I always enjoy looking into new gear released by all brands, cleats especially. One that I have experienced in the past and still like to look at is the Adidas Adizero F50. Just recently, Adidas has revealed the 2015 model of the shoe along with their “There will be haters” campaign. The boot is set to release in February with leather and take down versions that are typical to the cleat.

Like always, the adizero will be compared to Nike’s Mercurial Vapor, with both being speed boots. Throughout the years, the Mercurial has had a few things that put it somewhat above the F50. First, it featured a bladed stud pattern that gave sharper cuts and turns, and while this may not seem very important, it does give that speed element that previous adizeros lacked with their conical studs. Mercurials also have always had a narrow shape that fit well on smaller feet but somewhat excluded larger ones. This is more of a personal preference, as people with smaller feet will want cleats to be narrower, but this doesn’t apply to all people. Previously, F50s have been known for a wider fit which left many users having a loose fit. Now, they have improved their fit, giving a sort of medium size that should be able to stretch and fit well on most.

To address these issues and beat Nike at its own game, Adidas has changed the boot dramatically to improve it over the past couple of years. For its outsole, last year’s F50 gave a completely new pattern for Adidas, keeping triangle studs in the back but opting for skinnier, almost bladed, triangles in the forefoot. The 2015 model keeps this idea but adds in notches in the outsole between studs giving added traction. Also, it uses only three studs in the heel of the cleat. The cleat features Adidas’ Dribbletex around the entire surface of the shoe, offering performance and control in wet conditions. Surprisingly, the new F50 changes in the opposite direction that it has been over the past few years in the weight area. If the listing is the correct weight that the boot will release at, it will come in at 7.0 ounces compared to a smaller 5.3 ounces on the last model. To some, this may be a disappointment as they like the minimal feel of the adizero. However, for me, this could be a great improvement on previous shoes. Some of the weight is in the added traction in the outsole, but I have to assume that the rest is going into the upper. This could add comfort and protection that the line has lacked in the past, which I think would help with the feel on the ball. While this could be a controversial release, I think that all of the changes are for the better.

Big Win for Arsenal

            The season has not been the most sensational for Arsenal to date, but the game today against Manchester City is sure to bring their hopes up and could drive a turnaround. With their previous trip to Manchester City holding a 6-3 defeat, the Arsenal team that played today had shown no signs of continued scars and instead looked to have learned from their past mistakes. They played a much more disciplined and collected game, not staying as open during their attacking like they were. Despite most of their defensive players of the game having few league starts, they were able to shut down an attacking Manchester City side and remain collected. Cazorla played what was probably the most important role for Arsenal, scoring the first goal and creating the second. This leads to wondering as to whether or not Ozil will make it back into the regular team with Cazorla playing so well. Such a talented, and expensive, player as Ozil will most likely end up somewhere on the field, and if that means Cazorla loses his spot, then that may be the case. While this may not happen so long as Cazorla keeps this up, I think that Ozil will get his chance again at the least, as Arsene Wenger has too much put into him to sit him on the bench.

            As to Manchester City, one thing is not looking the brightest for sure, and that is the return of Sergio Aguero. He has come off the bench during the last few games, and I guess Pellegrini felt that it was his time to have another start for his team. While Aguero was involved in attacks and had a few chances at goal, he failed to convert what seemed to be a few good chances and played at the same level as the rest of his team. Manchester City as a whole seemed disconnected and failed to be successful. If this is a true testament to Aguero’s current state, then there will be much more work for him and his team to put in if he should reach the form he was in before injury.

            Finally, the game proved to be a win for a team not even involved in the actual playing: Chelsea. After crushing Swansea by 5 goals on Saturday, Chelsea is given even more luck during this game. Arsenal’s victory brings an end to Manchester City’s 14 game undefeated streak, helping Chelsea’s lead in the title run. This game puts Chelsea 5 points ahead at the top of the league, all due to their old rivals at Arsenal. This game was truly a big influence on all teams in the league and put the odds in Chelsea’s favor in the long run. 

The Future of Ronaldo

            Christiano Ronaldo is definitely one of the best soccer players in the world right now, with his recent winning of the Ballon d’Or being current proof of that. The Ballon d’Or could also be called the player of the year, and the top player is chosen to receive the award based on the last year’s performance. Playing for Real Madrid, Ronaldo is a key player for the team, playing an important role in almost any attack by the team. Quite often he will score multiple goals per game, and the number of hat tricks that he has is astounding. Unlike his club performance, Ronaldo was not able to have the same success with the Portuguese national team in the world cup this summer, and many, myself included, felt like that had an effect on the success of the year. The other two candidates in the top three shortlist included Messi and Neuer, two players on opposing sides of the World Cup final. Still, I felt that Ronaldo was as deserving as any player to win the award this year, and I would’ve had trouble setting a winner apart from the three.

            However, all doesn't seem to be well in the world of Ronaldo, as many will recall that he had a knee issue going into the World Cup this summer. I would say around a week before the World Cup that Ronaldo was showing signs of injury and it was even questioned as to whether he would play or not. He played, but the tournament was unsuccessful for him, and 6 months later, the problem seems to persist. While he can play through it and still be successful, I don’t think that he will ever fully recover from the issue and he will remain to have a bad knee. While little information is released to keep his full condition confidential, it looks like the problem will ensue. However, Ronaldo is obviously able to play better than most, and I don’t see his standing as a top player to go down any time soon.

Transfers: Behind the Scenes

            When most people see or hear about transfers, they think about who was traded, where they were traded to, and for how much. Most of the time, people don’t realize the time and effort that has gone into making the switch from all parties. First of all, the team that is looking to take in the player has most likely been researching the move for over a year in many cases. The club sends scouts that will watch practices and games of the player for a long time before even the player knows of their intentions. An individual club will often have a set list of target players based on their needs in certain positions or areas. These players are then watched and the list gets modified.

            Once a club has decided to pursue a certain player, they often will hire a middleman, or an agent that will approach the player and let them know that the club is interested. This isn’t really the negotiation stage, just a point where the player will tell if he has any real interest in the move or not, as clubs don’t want to negotiate and bid for a player that will just turn them down. Next, the clubs (agents) will negotiate along with the player to fit the needs of all three parties. What the player wants out of the move, what the selling club wants for him, and what the pursuing club is able to do to fulfill both of those needs is discussed. Once the negotiation stage is reached, the transfer will most likely continue through all the way and few end beyond here. So really, if a player shows enough of an interest and has reasonable needs, clubs will often do what they need to in order to get the player if they have pursued him this far.

Most of what happens from there is just finalization, and the only real reason for the process to end before the trade would be an avoidance of fees or medical issues. First, the receiving club will have the player have a medical to check on his physical condition and hopefully weed out any problems that could be worse in the future. Unfortunately, the medical aspect is not in the control of the buying club which could be a problem should there be any medical issues. Finally, if everything checks out, the player will sign onto the new team for the negotiated price. Typically, this entire process could have taken a few years to complete, and only a couple players will be transferred out of one hundred that were initially scouted. There is obviously a lot of work and planning that goes into a transfer, which makes sense considering that these deals are potentially for millions of dollars.