Landon Donovan International Farewell

            Over the last 14 years there have been many put on the US Mens National Team jersey and play for their country, but one stands out as the most influential. Landon Donovan has had 57 goals and 58 assists for the national team during his run, and many would say that he has shaped American soccer forever. Between his MLS and international careers, Donovan has been fairly successful on American soil to say the least. Announcing his retirement from professional soccer this summer after being left off the World Cup roster, Donovan had one last international debut this Friday.

            In this farewell game against Ecuador, Donovan was given the captain’s band and a starting position. Within the first five minutes, Donovan’s cross into the box eventually led to goal by Diskerud, and the game looked likely to become a happy ending for his international career. With a few missed chances later in the half, Donovan left the field for the last time with a few minutes left in the half, receiving hugs and applause from the fans and teammates. What happened after his exit marks the state that US soccer is left in after his retirement. When Landon left the field, the best his team could do at that point was to settle for a 1-1 draw. The team was left in a sort of awkwardness, riding along the emotion that the farewell brought, but failing to hold on to a win. Like how American soccer feels as a whole, it has to be decided what direction the sport wants to be taken now that Donovan is out.

            Landon Donovan has been the face of American soccer and MLS over the past years, and the growth that he brought to the sport is tremendous. By not taking his talent to European leagues and staying in America, Donovan was able to bring a competition to the league that it desperately needed, and still needs. For a long time, the MLS has been seen as an easy league, where top players go when they are over the hill but still want to play. With Donovan and players like him, MLS has grown in to a competitive league that grows players that are not only skilled, but when put together create a formidable opponent to some of the greatest countries of soccer. The progress that the league has made during Donovan’s years is astounding, and the young players of this last World Cup give promise for more. If players like DeAndre Yedlin can step up like Landon did and stick with the MLS, the continued growth that it could see is beyond needed, and these players could be a part of the growth of the sport of soccer in the US.

Suarez and El Clasico

                For every Barcelona or Real Madrid fan, there is one fixture that trumps all others and is the most popular between these two teams; El Clasico. The rivalry between the two sides is great, and when they meet in the season, the game becomes one of, if not, the most important games in the season for the teams. The fans of the two Spanish giants thrive off of the opposition between the sides, and losing to the other team would be an utter disgrace to either team. Just one piece of the puzzle has been missing from Barcelona this season, and that is Luis Suarez, out on a four month ban from the World Cup this summer. The timing of when that ban runs out could not be more perfect, or wrong, depending on which side you support. The first game that Suarez will be eligible for with Barcelona is for that perfect game, against Real Madrid.

            The main question that most people have about the game is what role Suarez will play, if he even takes the field at all. The concern of whether he should play or not begins with the fact that he hasn’t played any real competitive games since June. While Suarez has played with the Barcelona B team this season and will have played two friendlies with Uruguay by the Clasico, many fear that he may have lost his edge, or at least forgotten it for the time being, and will need to get back into things. I feel that, since he has remained in training and has played some minor matches, Suarez should be in good condition for the Real Madrid matchup. Unlike an injured player, Suarez has been able to work with the ball and his teammates and should be physically and mostly mentally ready. Also, after four months on the sideline, Suarez should have plenty of motivation built up.

            Many also question whether or not he should start or be subbed in later in the game, or if he should be eased into things throughout later games. With his performance at Liverpool last season, Suarez should be able to be an impact player, and should tremendously add to the Barcelona score sheet. Players like Pedro have filled in his gap so far this season, and have done enough, but have not made much of an impact. However, they do have the experience of the season to date, and I believe that Suarez will not start the game, but will rather come in later to cause trouble for Real Madrid in their defense. While Suarez should definitely be ready to play in the game, I feel that he should be used, in this case, as a player to be subbed in partway through the game to create more opportunities going forward.

United Back on the Rise?

           With their captain out for a red card from a previous game and painful start to the season to say the least, Manchester United needed some of their new players to prove their value against Everton, and that is exactly what they did. When Angel Di Maria moved from Real Madrid to United this summer, he became the most expensive player in English football history, and he is proving that further each game he plays. With a second-string player in at right back for the Everton side, it took no time for Di Maria to expose the left side of the field in their attack. After the opening goal in this game against Everton, Di Maria has had 3 goals in 4 games with United and plenty of assists and other opportunities to go along. The pricey but productivity has showed his worth for the team, and he is looking the best out of all of United’s new signings for the season.

            On the other side of the scoring done by United this season, there is Radamel Falcao. Unlike the productive start of Di Maria, Falcao can seemingly not get started at United, and by the fourth game had still yet to score. Attempt after attempt, Falcao remained goalless and has been looking less and less valuable to the team. Not only in goals has Falcao been unproductive, but he has lacked attack and skill throughout the field during his time at United so far. Then, after a shot gone wide by Di Maria, Falcao was able to reach the ball and put it into the back of the Everton net, opening what is hoped to be a high-scoring season for him this year. With relief, Falcao was not only able to score the goal that would lead Manchester United to a victory over Everton but was also able to save another from going into his own goal, making for a fairly productive game for a striker. After the start to the season that United has had, a win like this is necessary to the confidence and success of the team. To have this win without their captain is even more of a victory, and it raises questions to the viability of Wayne Rooney as the captain of the Manchester United team, and it will be interesting to see how the team does in further games without their captain and how these results will impact his role when he returns.

Manchester City vs Aston Villa Recap

            With Chelsea sitting comfortably at the top of the table, and an uninspiring start to the season for these champions of last season, a win and three points were crucial to City against Aston Villa today. Sluggish and under-performing players have been just one of things hindering the start of the team. Looking to reign English champions yet again this season, Manchester City needed a win and for certain players to “wake up” and reach top form.

            With 68% of the possession throughout the game and 7 shots on goal for a total of 27 shots, Manchester City seemed to be the likely winners. Keeping composed and continuously attacking, City held control of the game for the most part. However, as City kept sending men forward to get involved in the attack, Aston Villa gained more chances on the counter attack and appeared to still be in the fight, with the score remaining 0-0 at half.

            Yet again, players including Yaya Toure were not playing at their best, and it was showing as the game could still go either way. Toure seemed to be only barely enduring another uneventful game for him, and critics still had a point. Attempt after attempt City attacked, but the score still held even at 0, but City kept at it. Finally, at 8 minutes before full time, Yaya Toure hits a long-range strike past the keeper, putting his team up and his critics to rest. From there, City could only grow stronger, with another goal by Sergio Aguero 6 minutes later, seemingly placing Manchester City far enough ahead to last the remaining 2 minutes to a victory. After 90 minutes of possession dominated by City and little attacking power, but defensive composure, from Aston Villa, Manchester City were finally able to reach a much-needed victory over their opponents. This may have been a critical awakening for a large group of City players, and it will be further proven after the next few games, showing whether or not City has a chance at reaching the top of the Premier League once again. Also, the game proves the defensive composure and endurance of the Aston Villa side, holding City to no goals up until the final 10 minutes. If one or more of Villa’s counter attacks would have resulted in a goal, the game could have had a completely different outcome and City may not have been in a position to succeed in the league this season.

Nike Elastico Superfly IV Release

             With all the hype and success that has surrounded Nike’s release of the Mercurial Superfly IV early this spring, it is no surprise that they have chosen to expand on it. This highly anticipated release came with no shortage of technical improvements, and with the mid-cut design with a knitted upper, the boot looked to revolutionize the modern soccer footwear. From the World Cup this summer to the start of club seasons, the top professional players have been promoting and sporting these cleats, drawing the attention of many fans and other players. Now that summer has ended and indoor training is approaching, Nike has released its new line of indoor-specific boots, including a new Elastico-Superfly hybrid.

            This summer, Nike had a limited-release Superfly indoor that was assumed by many to be a sort of test to if customers were willing to pay a premium price for an indoor version of their top-end outdoor shoe. The stock at all places to purchase these boots sold out almost instantly, and the market for premium indoor shoes was proven to be present. Now, towards the beginning of this fall, new colorways of the Elastico Superfly were released alongside the updated Elastico Finale indoor line. With the success of the outdoor version of this shoe being so great, it seemed inevitable that the top-end shoes would end up on the indoor courts. This indoor version of the Superfly keeps the vital technology of the outdoor version, such as the mid-cut design, the Flyknit upper, and the Flywire integrated into the upper. Also, this model adds things more necessary to indoor playing surfaces, such as a viable traction pattern, and gets rid of technology unimportant indoors, such as Nike’s All Conditions Control, an application to the upper that is supposed to help maintain control when playing in all weather conditions. As indoor courts should be free of rain and mud, this feature shouldn’t be necessary and it’s good to see it leave the indoor model as it should help to keep the price down. With this release by Nike of a successful, top-end outdoor model of boot being integrated into an indoor model, with alterations of course, it will be interesting to see if other brands take to similar tactics. Also, we may see further integration by Nike, bringing some of their other top boot lines to indoor courts.

Barcelona Phenomenal Season Kickoff

           When it comes to starts to La Liga this season, it could be argued that Barcelona has one of if not the best. With contenders to the title like Real and Atletico Madrid, it is a tough league to do so well in, especially while keeping the other teams from scoring. Despite the less than satisfactory draw against Malaga, Barcelona has had a great start to the season and has yet to concede a goal. Fans have seen a new side to the Spanish giants, one that attacks as a team, but continues to hold the opponents from scoring.

            On the offensive side, Barcelona have been making plays and combinations that have never been seen by this team before, with Messi having more assists than goals by feeding other strong attackers such as Neymar. This ability of Messi to distribute the ball from the midfield stems from the fact that new signing Ivan Rakitic is placed ahead of Xavi, allowing for Messi to start deeper and even begin to play defense. With the skill of Messi now focused on all-around playmaking, the attack is more consistent and widespread, allowing for goals to originate from all areas of the field. Also, with Luiz Suarez coming soon off of his four month ban and Messi moving further away from the central striker role, there is only more to come for the attacking side of this Barcelona team.

            As Suarez is reaching the end of his ban period, there is some concern as to how he will fit in with the already successful team and if he will even draw away from the success of the other strikers. As his debut with the top Barcelona team approaches, coach Luis Enrique appears to be making arrangements to build the team around his arrival. With Messi playing less of a central striking role, room for Suarez to come in is being created, and the system already is being proven to work as shown by their stunning start to the season. Regardless of Suarez’s form coming to his debut at Barcelona, the team has already proven their effectiveness as a team, and it is continually proving to be a great year for Barcelona fans.

Ronaldo to Wear Red Again?

            With the summer transfer window closed, it has taken no time for new speculations to come up for the next big moves, and one in particular is seeing a lot of headlines lately. Anything to do with Real Madrid star Cristiano Ronaldo is big news, and talk of Ronaldo moving back to Manchester United seems to be at the top of the list now. While many United fans would love to see the star come back and many Real Madrid supporters wouldn’t want to see him go, there are many problems that go along with all of this talk.

            First, with the way that Manchester United is playing this season, the last thing they need is another big attacker. United has had no trouble scoring goals this season, but rather with giving them up. This last transfer season, the major players picked up by United all fit into the attacking role of the team, which is not necessarily bad. However, when the team can score three goals on a team but conceives five, another attacking player should not be the top priority of the team. While it would be interesting and make a good story if Ronaldo were to go back to United, it wouldn’t fit the needs that the team currently has.

            Another problem that United would have by picking up Ronaldo would be the price of the move. Estimated by numerous British newspapers, the move would eventually cost United upwards of 140 million pounds, or 228 million dollars. While the club could potentially afford that price point, it seems hardly reasonable to spend such a large sum of money to improve an attacking side that is already successful and to neglect such a void in the defensive side of United.

            While the move seems hardly likely, and even unworthy of mentioning, it has not failed to spark and excite the energy of United fans. There has been no shortage of signs, posts, and, lately, planes flying banners asking Ronaldo to “come home” to United during his games with Real Madrid. Even as Ronaldo has recently stated that his future lies in Madrid, fans continue to support the idea of a move and will most likely continue until the final decision is made, whether or not the player even gives hint of a move, and even whether or not it would be back to Manchester United.