Arsenal Down Again

            After losing a game they were up in during the midweek and a slow, unproductive start to the season so far, Arsenal’s hopes to compete in the title race this year are looking more and more far-fetched as the season goes by. Today, playing Swansea in the pouring rain, Arsenal looked to get back on their feet and show the league their chances at having a successful season. After one goal in the first half by Sanchez to put Arsenal up, it looked that that may be a possibility. However, the hope didn’t last long, and in the end, Swansea took all three points and again knocked Arsenal over with a 2-1 victory.

            Again, Sanchez and Danny Welbeck proved to be Arsenal’s most valuable combination, connecting to lead up to the goal. If there is anything that is still able to give hope to Arsenal and its fans, it’s the pairing between these two players. Like all other things Arsenal, however, these players aren’t enough to make up for what Arsenal does lack in defense and pretty much all other areas. With the attacking speed that comes with Sanchez, most defensive sides against Arsenal will be troubled, but the same could be said about Arsenal’s own defense. Also, today they were facing a Swansea side that kept and moved the ball well, holding Arsenal to few attacking opportunities and only allowing for Arsenal to have limited fast breaks. This kept Arsenal from creating trouble for Swansea defensively, and kept the game in Swansea’s hands and away from Sanchez and Welbeck.

            Another problem that persists with Arsenal is its manager’s, Arsene Wenger, stubbornness and unwillingness to change the lineup based on previous games and what is proven to work for the team. Again, the decision was made to play Nacho Monreal at center back despite the three goal comeback in the Champions League and repeated defensive breakdowns. This placement is partly due to the fact that Arsenal’s bench is limited because of extended and widespread injuries, leaving only one defender on the bench and ready for play. This also comes back to Wenger, as it was his decision as to who was picked up during the transfer season and anyone can see that it would have been a wise one to sign a few more defenders and give Arsenal an option as to who they play. As to the defenders who did play, they were beaten time after time down the sides and left areas open in the middle. Overall, Arsenal is going to have a very tough time as injuries persist and the defensive side is left unorganized.

La Liga Weekend Review

Barcelona:

            After two losses, Barcelona was looking to avoid a third and get out of the slump of the last few games. However, at the end of the first half, things looked grim, as Almeria were up 1-0. Luis Enrique, in an attempt to regain some momentum, played Luis Suarez, Neymar, and Xavi off of the bench and made some wise substitutions to put the game back into control. Two second half goals came from assists by Suarez, one by Neymar and one by Jordi Alba. Late goals coming from Suarez gave Barcelona a 2-1 win that they very much needed.

Real Madrid:

            Following a winning hot streak, Real Madrid are now at the top of the league table, and it seems no one can hold back their attacking power. Scoring twice but giving up one in the first half, Rayo Vallecano still looked to be in the game and to have a chance to at least lose by a reasonable scoreline. However, the second half was not as welcome to Rayo, and Real Madrid put away the game with three more goals to put them up 5-1 at the end. Also, Real Madrid now has a two point lead at the top of the league, at least until tomorrow when further league games continue.

Malaga:

            Defensive mistakes led to Malaga going one goal down just before half to Eibar, but they scored right away in the second half, showing some signs of perseverance. Then, at the last possible chance, Amrabat put away a penalty in the 90^th minute after handling in the box by Eibar, giving Malaga a 2-1 victory. Malaga has been successful lately, and has climbed up to sixth in the league presently.

Granada and Celta Vigo:

            After a goal by Sergi Gomez was disallowed in the first half, neither side was able to pick up enough speed to overcome the other, and the game remained a 0-0 tie to the end. Despite going undefeated for four games, Celta has now dropped a point and into seventh place in the league. Granada, thanks to their goalkeeper and holding off goals, has moved up into fourteenth place, up two places from their previous standing.

Rooney Still Struggling

            There is no doubt or argument against the fact that Manchester United has been lacking in productivity this season, and the disconnect between players may be a part of the cause for this. There is, however, one area where fans and all spectators disagree about Manchester United, and that is about Wayne Rooney and his role in the team. He is, without question, one of the hardest working players on the team and spends each game across the entire field, and I can’t question his effort. Still, I must point out the fact that he has not produced as expected and needed for this struggling team, and the problem is not that too much is being expected of him.

            Earlier in the season, Wayne Rooney was named captain of Manchester United, and that itself promoted some criticism from many people. Many don’t see Rooney possessing the leadership qualities necessary to be a captain, and that was seen right away as Rooney spent many games yelling at teammates for mistakes that he himself could have fixed, and that is not the way to support and help struggling teammates. Having not scored necessary goals, or not making a proper clearance from the back, Rooney was making the same mistakes as the rest of the team, and he was not playing at the level of a top-class, top-earning player. This lack of leadership was also demonstrated when Rooney got a red card for a poor tackle against a player, hurting United when they needed him most. Also, I might add, his team did fairly well during his three game absence due to the red card, especially while missing their top striker and regular captain.

            Also, Rooney is getting a salary that United is paying him to keep him at United, as he has had his fair share of hints at leaving the club for another. In the past, Rooney has led on that he wants to stay at Manchester United for his career, but has repeatedly attempted to leave the club for others. As a result, Rooney is being paid more than players from other teams that are more productive than him just to keep him to stay with United. The team and fans deserve more than what Rooney is giving them, and after his break Rooney has still been less than satisfactory, coming in with sloppy touches and missed opportunities. Rooney is not earning the salary that he makes, and unless he picks his game up, his position at United should be reconsidered. 

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.