The darker side of Spain

Reports have come out this week claiming that La Liga was on the verge of the biggest change up since its creation. A study published by Sport+Markt, showed that Real Madrid & Barcelona gobble up roughly 19 times more money from the leagues TV deals, than the smaller clubs at the bottom end of the league.

The general system of revenue sharing which is adopted in rival leagues in England, Italy & Germany does not occur in Spain, and the world's richest clubs by income, Real Madrid & Barcelona, get around half the total pot of around 600 million euros from the Spanish Premier League. If this doesn't sound as odd or concerning, bare in mind that the richest clubs in the English Premier League, by contrast, earned around 1.7 times more than their smaller rivals.

In a Footballing world where the sport, and the individual leagues especially, are sold for entertainment purposes more and more every day, La Liga has been trying for some time now, to compare to the excitement and unpredictability of the English Premier League with its free spending clubs, pushing competition and the amount of shock results to the max.

A two horse race leaves alot to be desired, as interesting as Barcelona or Madrid are when they come up against Chelsea or Milan in the Champions League. A league format where the Championship goes either one way or another, with absolutely no chance of a third opponent, is never good for television appeal in foreign lands, or for the domestic game itself.

The last club to win the League besides Madrid or Barcelona were Valencia in 2003, and the league title has gone to a club outside Barcelona or Madrid only four times in the past 20 years(well, not true, Athletico Madrid brought it back to Madrid in 1995).

To add to that grim reading, last season Barca set a new points record in winning La Liga with 99 points, and Real were three points behind in second, with Valencia dragging behind in third with a massive 25 points between themselves and Madrid. As well as that, Valencia who many consider the best of the rest, had to sell David Villa to Barcelona and Silva to Man City just to break even. Showing just how broad a gap is between the rich top two and the other eighteen struggling clubs.

The major problem with this system is that the other eighteen clubs struggle to make enough money to compete by paying high enough wages or paying enough for the right quality of player. Recent studies published as recently as May show that the 20 La Liga clubs had combined debt of 3.526 billion euros in 2008/09, up from 3.49 billion the previous season. A mere fraction of it, from Madrid and Barcelona. With only one club(Numancia) making a profit besides the top two last season, and perhaps the most concerning figure being that Sevilla, Athletico, and Valencia's salary costs where 120% more than their total revenue.

Its good to here news like this, i don't think anyone would argue with a more competitive La Liga, where teams like Valencia, Athletico Madrid or Sevilla that provide us with a huge amount of tremendous youth players, are able to hold on to their best players and increase the competitiveness of the league.In a country that's always been dominated by those two clubs. Its good to here that some are standing up against them before they choke the rest of the league dry.

Premier League Round Up

This weekend may well be remembered as the round of giant killing. In a league that's major criticism is a predictable finishing spot for every team, we witnessed plenty of drama.

Liverpool continued their slow start to the season with new gaffer Hodgson, with 4 goals a piece when Sunderland traveled to Anfield. Kuyt opened the game with an early goal in the 5th minute when Torres took advantage of a poor pass by Micheal Turner and squared it for the Holland striker. Sunderland then responded impressively from a converted penalty by Bent after Poulsen handled the ball in the box, before half time. Only for Sunderland to continue their momentum after the break and score a quick goal in the 48th minute by none other than Bent again. Luckily for the Reds, their captain stepped up to the spot like he has done so often in the past, and scored on the 64th minute to save a point for his club. Daniel Agger almost managed to save Liverpool from embarrassment in the 7th minute when he headered wide merely 4 yards from goal. How long Hodgson will have to get into the pace of things is unsure, but a single point against a team who hadn't won an away game in some time, will not do.

Over in London, things weren't going exactly to plan either. At the Emirates Stadium, Arsenal managed to slip up when the Baggies managed to walk away with a 3-2 victory. The upset started when Chris Brunt failed to convert a first half penalty. Emmanuel Eboue had the first real chance for Arsenal in the 13th minute as well as Andrey Arshavin who should have put the home side in front seconds later when he managed to hit the post twice when he got on the end of a cross leaving Arsenal feeling a little unfortunate when they went into the break with 0-0 on the score board. But Roberto Di Matteo's side came out after the break with a little more passion than the first, and with 2 goals in 2 minutes on the 50th minute mark by Odemwingie and Jara on top of a goal from Jerome Thomas on the 73rd minute, they found themselves three goals to the good, with seventeen minutes to protect it. Samir Nasri then dragged his side back into the game with a brace (on the 75th and 90th minute) to set up a nervy finish. Arsenal pushed forward in numbers but Albion's rearguard held firm despite all the home side's efforts, to grab 3 points and leave Arsenal wondering what had just happened.

Perhaps the biggest upset of the weekend was Manchester citys win over chelsea on Saturday afternoon with a 1-0 victory at the city of Manchester stadium.
In a game touted as a battle of two Italian tactical managers, we saw Mancini set up with a 4-5-1 formation(yes the same one we saw time and time again at inter) to counter the free scoring 4-3-3 Chelsea line up.
The first half was rather dull, with nothing more than an Ivanovic header off the post from a corner, as Chelsea dictated the pace of the game and City looking their usual inept selves up front.
The second half was a different story. Yaya Toure, De Jong, and Barry were asked to close down quicker and we saw a chelsea side who struggled to hold on to possession or the ball (particularly ramires who got caught in possession for the goal),on top of a Didier Drogba having the poorest game of his season, thanks to an inspired Kompany who ended up with the man of the match award for his merited performance. City found the break through on the 59th minute from Carlos Tevez as he scored his 25th league goal in 29 games after an impressive solo run and long range effort that managed to slot into the bottom left corner from just outside the box. The victory saw Manchester City move into fourth spot and more importantly, prove a few people wrong about the cynicism to their title ambitions.

Around the rest of the country, we saw West Ham pick up their first victory against top 4 ambitious side Tottenham after Piquionne put his side in front from a corner on the 29th minute for his side to hold on to the lead. Robert Green looked like his old self pulling off a few spectacular saves, especially Modric's volley just before half time. It doesn't surprise that Green looking like hes back in form seems to be coinciding with West Ham finally picking up important points.

Martin Petrov inspired his Bolton side to a 2-2 draw with Utd on Sunday afternoon at the Reebok stadium. A 6th minute goal from Knight was cancelled out by Nani's superb solo effort hauling the visitors' level, only for Petrov to claim the lead for his side on the 67th minute. A troubling moment followed when Wayne Rooney was substituted on the 60th minute mark by Macheda, speaking loudly about the kind of place the English striker is in at the moment. Micheal Owen managed to grab a vital equaliser in the 74th minute with his third goal in two games for the Manchester side. But with 9 goals conceded in 6 games and Chelsea's slip up against City leaving a squandered opportunity by Fergie's side, Man Utd look some way from a Premier League winning team.

The rest of the fixtures saw Birmingham draw with Wigan at home 0-0, Blackburn pick up an important 3 points away to Blackpool in a 2-1 victory, Fulham hold off Everton for a goalless draw ( which saw Everton sink to the bottom of the table), Aston Villa travelled to the Molineux Stadium and managed to pick up 3 points with a late winner from Emile Heskey, and Stoke travelled north to Newcastle and managed to pick up 3 points in a 2-1 victory after going behind from a Kevin Nolan penalty only to win it in the 85th minute by a Perch own goal.

SerieA Roundup: Early Days

This week saw Cesena peak the top of the league for the first time since October 1975 as they remain unbeaten with seven points from three games after a 1-0 win over Lecce, despite having Giuseppe Colucci sent off on 38 minutes, putting the former SerieB club above Inter on goal difference.

The Milan club came from behind to claim the points with a 2-1 win over Palermo in Sicily courtesy of two goals from Samuel Eto. Palermo deserved better, in truth, striking the post once and having a pair of strong penalty appeals turned down. Their president even piped up claiming,

"What do they have against Palermo? Is it bad luck or something else? Are we going back to the old style of refereeing?"

Leaving the night with a very bitter tone.

The old Lady finally got going as they brushed Udinese to one side with a 4-0 win. Despite Vincenzo Iaquinta sparking a small riot with a gesture towards the Udinese fans(which he eventually had to apologise about), Juventus where impressive. With goals from Bonucci, Quagliarella, Iaquinta, and Marchisio and Krasic looking particularly lively, as they finally looked like they have some championship form about them.

Roma on the other hand where 15 minutes from their first league win of the season on Sunday as they hosted Bologna, when 2 goals from Di Vaio(who coincidentally is a life long Lazio fan who came up through the ranks at the Biancocelesti's) to end the game at 2-2. After Ranieri saying the day before;

We won some, we lost some. Sometimes we played well, sometimes we played badly … [But] I will not accept these attacks. This is a team that has balls, and we will prove it.

when asked about his clubs season so far, its the same old, funny and slightly concerning news in Rome.

The rest of the fixtures saw Bari and Cagliari come to a goalless draw, Brescia went to Chievo to pick up their second win of the season. Lazio beat Fiorentina at the Stadio Artemio Franchi 2-1, Milan slipped up and dropped two points at home to Catania and Napoli scored 2 goals in the last 7 minutes to win 2-1 at Sampdoria.

Grim Reading For An Average Club Fan

Earlier on this week, Walter Smith not only found himself having to defend his tactics against Man Utd at Old Trafford , claiming his team have had their hands tied from the Scottish game's poor situation in the past ten years, but was also accused of being a hypocrite after many journalists claimed the difference between Man Utd and Rangers was no different from Rangers and the minnows of the SPL.

I have to show some sympathy for Walter here, he has every right to go and set his team up like he did on Tuesday night,to a great deal of success. The same way any team would come to Parkhead or Ibrox every week in the SPL

The comparison made by some journalists that Walter is bitter about finances for the same reason Jim Jeffries would be towards the Old Firm, is ridiculous. The difference between Utd and Rangers is a team in a league allowed to grow and a team trying their hardest to hold on to some form of foundations for the future, the difference between Rangers and Hearts is simply that Rangers are better at Hearts on a very even playing field. Walter Smith isn't being hypocritical, hes trying to point out that there is an underlying problem in European football that the rich are getting richer, the poor are getting poorer, and teams like Celtic and Rangers are unfortunately part of the later, and their domestic leagues are getting terribly effected by it.

Celtic and Rangers, being the two big fish that they are, find themselves in an ever shrinking pond, receding to the fact that they know have to put their differences aside and deal with the international threat of never being able to compete on the European stage again because of the lack of money reaching the smaller leagues.
Walter had this to say;

Somebody, somewhere has got to do something to allow Scottish clubs, or clubs in smaller countries to gain a level of finance that's going to allow them to compete.

All this news comes off the back of more bad news that Scotland are at risk of loosing one of their two Champions league spots due to the lack of coefficients over the past 5 years. A fall to 16th also means the 2010-11 SPL champions will not qualify automatically for the following season's Champions League group stage. They will instead have to navigate three qualifying rounds, though all matches will be against champions from smaller European nations rather than runners-up or third- and fourth-placed sides from larger countries.

The current set-up puts the smaller leagues head to head with each other, literally fighting for the lives of their leagues as each of them trys to win vital European qualification spots from the other and some form of revenue stream from UEFA. Where Platini may of had a vision of a Champions League where every nation was fairly represented, we now have a situation where the richest clubs in the top 4 nations have too many spots and sit comfortably at the top of the pyramid, while the rest of Europe has to fight with each other for the scraps of the TV & sponsorship deals, at the end of the table.

Nothing will come of this, at least in the foreseeable future, this was nothing more than Walter Smith taking a moment to point out his concerns and plea's for his countries sport when the world was watching.

Maybe one day we'll have someone at the head of UEFA from somewhere besides France or Italy and can see past the shiny Premier League teams, or the romantic Milan sides, to the real places around Europe that need work. Before these leagues and clubs are gone.

Barcelona Bounce Back Big Against Panathinaikos

A solid display from a Barcelona side that looked completely disheartened only three days earlier against Hercules. The team was looking for a good start, what they lacked against Hercules at the weekend, but they wouldn't get their way. A multitude of chances pasted by the blaugrana including a near tap in by Xavi after a nice spin-and-pass from Iniesta, but the chance was squandered. Eventually, a sweet back heel pass from Cisse set Govou on his way to sprint past Abidal and finish clinically past Valdes for an away lead only twenty minutes in.

But the heart that Barcelona had been looking for in the last 110 minutes finally started beating when Messi caressed an amazing pass from Xavi past Tzorvas and into the back of the net, just two minutes after going a goal down. But the show was far from over, a corner kick was headed down from Busquets at the near post and managed to reach an unmarked Villa at the far post to volley in from 6 yards. And before the first half whistle could be blown, Messi charged into the box, passing to Pedro who passed back, then passing to Xavi who laid the ball off for Messi to finish, a wonderful team goal to close the half. The momentum was all Barcelona's.

The second half continued on in similar fashion, Kante was judged to have taken down Messi in the box after a darting run, but Messi missed the resulting penalty kick that would have given him his hat trick. The second half followed in chance after chance wasted by Barcelona, often passing when a simple shot was open. Finally a goal came in the second half; Bojan sets Messi through nicely but with a tight angle, Messi takes the shot which comes off both posts before falling right to the feet of Pedro who gets it over the line. And before the final whistle could be blown, Messi chips the ball over the defense to an onrushing Alves who carefully heads the ball over Tzorvas and into the back of the net. An overall great performance from the blaugrana, they lacked a pure finishing touch, but with the multitude of chances they had to score from it was bound to be a rough night for Panathinaikos.

Serie A Season Preview

Today marks the start of the new Italian season, there’s been a lot of changes in the league since last season, some good, some not so good.

Maybe the most notable one from an outsiders point of view, was the departure of Jose Mourinho to Real Madrid after doing what he does best, in waking up a sleeping giant, and get them winning again.
In his absence, the Internazionale board have signed up Rafa Benitez, who many believe needs Inter more than the club need him. He goes to the champions of Italy & Europe with the majority of the squad still intact with the up most of expectation, and a necessity to succeed and get his small militia of doubters, after his time at Liverpool, off his back.

Perhaps Benitez’s greatest task will be defending the Nerazzurri’s European title, not just for the sake of the clubs pride and his own head with the faithful. But because something will have to be done to make sure the Italian Coefficient doesn’t fall behind again after loosing its 4th spot to the German Bundesliga last season. With Sampdoria falling short of qualifying for the Champions League and with Roma & Juventus looking as far short of the rest of Europe’s elte as they do, the responsibility of Italys pride will fall heavily on the Spaniards shoulders.

Juventus have been the most active in revamping there squad, they’ve spent close to £41mil in bringing in Leonardo Bonucci to sit at the back beside Chiellini, back up goalkeeper Marco Storari, Marco Motta to slot in at right back, Aquilani to add a bit of option in the middle, and Milos Krasic and Pepe to add a bit of width to Del Neri’s rigid 4-4-2 formation. Although many have been quick to point out that the most exciting proposition for the old lady, is the thought that Diego and Felipe Melo will finally find their feet in the Italian game and, still, have the potential to be league winners for Juventus.

Roma on the other hand have had a challenging summer. After finishing a modest 2nd after pushing Inter for most the season, the club have found themselves stuck in a financial meltdown , after the bank finally losing patience with the owners, the Sensi family, over debts of more than £300m and team president, Rosella Sensi, agreed to hand over just under 49% of the club.
Positives for Roma are that they’ve managed to retain most of their squad from last season and have managed to sign Burdisso from Inter Milan, one of the keys to their success last season. The notorious Adriano has also been signed up( whether or not with Ranieri’s blessing) who could prove to offer some fire power up front for the capital side. Roma are probably considered favourites to challenge Inter for the top spot although Ranieri’s main aim will be to make sure Juventus don’t pip them to that 2nd spot.

Milan’s pre season seemed to be a similar story to the solemn tone that’s stuck with the club over the past few years. Before signing Zlatan Ibrahimovic on a spectacular loan move, the most i Rossoneri fans had to look forward too, was the arrival of Kevin-Prince Boateng on loan from Genoa( who offered to buy the player for Milan because they couldn’t afford the transfer fee) and 34 year old centre back Mario Yepes from Chievo. Despite the arrival of said players, the club haven’t changed too much with the squad that finished outside the top four, and a similar story can be said of Milan’s dependence on an out of form and unfit Ronaldinho. The clubs season will depend on how well the two signings can perform for the club and if Ronaldinho does in fact show some signs of his former self.

The middle of the table looks like the most likely spot for some entertaining change. The club with probably the best chance of breaking old habits in Italy are Genoa. After the arrivals of the Portugal goalkeeper Eduardo, the Schalke full-back Rafinha, midfield anchor man Miguel Veloso, striker Luca Toni and the centre-back Andrea Ranocchia (on loan from Inter), as well as not having to worry about a European campaign like there rivals, Palermo and Napoli. The club have bolstered there ambitions of fighting amongst the best.
Fiorentina will be looking to enjoy a comfortable season under new coach Sinisa Mihajlovic, while two of the most exciting buys outside of Turin or Milan are Brazilian all round midfielder, Hernanes’ move to Lazio, and Giovinco’s loan move to Parma where he will try to earn back the promise that surrounded him before falling from Juventus’ first team plans.

At the bottom of the table, there’s little surprises expected of the newly promoted sides, all three have been quiet in the transfer market with no real intention of strengthening their already weak squads. Put along side the usual stragglers of Chievo, Catania, and Cagliari all having new managers and you have a 6 team battle to see who can keep there heads above the water the longest.

Along the way we’ll see the introduction of fan ID cards to help minimise fan troubles and hopefully a continued rise in attendances(last seasons was the highest since 1992) from last seasons, could see the SerieA slowly climbing its way back to its past glory.

La Liga Season Preview Part Two : Midtable Madness

Continuing on with the preview of the upcoming La Liga season, are those who aren't expected to deal with too much drama, neither too weary of the drop, nor much European expectations.

Sporting Gijon: Los Gijones didn't have a great season last year, finishing just 4 points above the relegation zone. But this summer they've shored up most of the holes, and look a lot stronger side this year. They've signed Albert Botia on a 4-year deal, and Sebastian Eguren has come back to play in La Liga for Sporting after a short move to AIK to shore up the defense. While Ayoze, Nacho Novo, and Gaston Sangoy have been brought in to help the offense. Sporting have a lot of youth in their side and they'll be hoping they've finally got enough experience to push for a spot closer to 10th rather then just above the relegation zone.

Espanyol: Much of the problem for the Perequitos revolved around Tamudo with the club, and they'll be hoping that with his switch to Real Sociedad that they can concentrate on doing well in La Liga and the Copa del Rey. They, much like Sporting, have a good mix of experienced players like Kameni, De la Peña, and Luis Garcia to go along with a lot of promising talent like Raul Baena, new signing Felipe Mattioni, and Jose Callejon. Fans of Espanyol should be happy with a finish around what they achieved last year, but will have memories of their past European glories in the back of their heads. Will also be looking to do a lot better in the Copa del Rey after they got knocked out in the Round of 32 last year.

Osasuna: The side from Navarre don't have a side that looks very special, but they've proven that sometimes mentality can be as important as skill. They've sold off their best played in the form of Azpilicueta to Marseille, but you shouldn't count out them out. They carry the same Basque mentality I spoke of in Part One of this preview, and will always give nightmares to the big clubs the night before the game. Whether it be home or away, Osasuna will never let the opposition rest. They might not win every game they have against the big clubs, but being 3-0 down against Real Madrid or Barcelona only gives them more spirit to fight on and do better. They kept Barcelona, Real Madrid, and Villarreal on draws on their visits to the Reino de Navarra, and also took home wins against Atletico and Deportivo. They managed to get three points from Villarreal at El Madrigal, and took the lead twice against Real Madrid before losing out 3-2. If anything they need to work harder on the games against more equal or worse opponents, which is what costs them a real chance for Europe.

Deportivo la Coruna: Deportivo is a team that loves to yo-yo. Right when you think they're set to blossom into a regular European contender, they slip up and fall to midtable. Far from the squad that won the league a decade ago, and were regular players in Europe, Deportivo can't seem to find their footing. Most of last year they were in the Europa League spots for La Liga, occasionally in 4th place which would merit a playoff to get into the Champion's League, then in the final strech they managed to fall down to 10th. Miguel Angel Loina has a lot of very good players including Andres Guardado, Michel, Adrian Lopez, Riki, and Daniel Aranzubia at his disposal, and at some point everyone will be seeing them as Europa League definites, but it's also to be expected that they slip up when it matters most.

Mallorca: Although being forced to sell players due to financial problems, Mallorca have managed to sign Cavenaghi on loan from Bordeux, Jonathan De Guzman from Feyenoord, and two Brazilian unknowns from Bunyodkor named Ratinho and Joao Victor, while managing to keep hold of Aouate, Chori Castro, Alhassane Keita, and Pierre Webo. Although they were in similar circumstances last year when they managed to finish 5th, the ruling from UEFA not allowing Mallorca to play in the Europa Leauge prevents them from getting money that would have helped them pay off debts, and will have a big toll on the spirit behind the team. Knowing that circumstances will likely be the same even if they manage to make it into Europe again, they might not have the same fighting drive that made the Ono Estadi a fortress, a likely drop down to around midtable.

La Liga Season Preview Part One : Bottom Dwellers

With the new La Liga season dawning upon us, a preview of the teams taking part in the new season is in order. First up are those who are expected to be some of the last.

Levante: Although Levante is known for it's sunny beaches, it's likely to be a very gloomy year for the "Granotes". They were promoted as the third-placed team from the Segunda, and while finishing just behind Hercules and Real Sociedad, they haven't take the right steps into making a team that looks to be strong enough to stay in the Primera Division. Though some smart signings like Gustavo Munua and Xavi Torres, Levante is the team most La Liga fans expect to see at the bottom at the pack.

Hercules: Hercules made their way to La Liga much in very similar circumstances as Levante. They looked strong at first, had a major slump at about the half way point, then fought their way back into the top spots. Even though they've strengthened their squad with 7 signings (as of August 24th) including Nelson Valdez and ex-Herculano Abel Aguilar, they remain the bookies second favorite for the bottom spot. Hercules will need the "never give up" spirit that they had in many games last year to stay up.

Malaga: After being bought by a Qatari billionaire this summer, big things were expected to change for Malaga, but in reality all they've done is brought in Jesualdo Ferreira, who failed to make the Champion's League with Porto. With the rest of the teams around them gearing up for the new season, Malaga have lost most of their better players from last year, who had to return from loan to their parent clubs. Promising Venezuelan stiker Jose Rondon has joined from Las Palmas, but he's still largely inexperienced. This will be a tough year for the Anchovies, but they're hoping Jesualdo Ferreira can turn the squad of relative unknowns into a solid La Liga team.

Real Sociedad: Although having a relatively young squad, the players of Sociedad are largely experienced. A large part of the group are players that came from the youth team and started with the first team at a very early age. They've also incorporated a lot of exciting players like Joseba Llorente, Raul Tamudo, Antoine Griezmann (a young winger that was a relavation last season), and Dutch talent Jeffrey Sarpong. They deservedly finished as champions of the Segunda, and are fully expecting an extended stay in La Liga. Much like the other Basque teams, they've got a more physical branch-off of the usually technical style of Spanish teams, and they come with a bite. Osasuna and Athletic Bilbao have been giving the bigger teams of the league a lot to worry about whenever they meet, and Sociedad are hoping to do the same. And they'll try to work on the usual weekness of Basque teams from falling to the smaller teams in the league. This is the team I expect to finish with the most margin of safety as new comers, and will be looking to finish somewhere closer to mid-table then.

Almeria: Did generally good last year finishing in 13th, the core of their starting XI is still there and intact. They depend a lot on their speed and counter attacking, which could also be their downfall. The Almeria players are generally small in stature, which is expected of a more speedy team. They won't expect to get too many points off the bigger teams in the league, which means their survival depends largely on the points they get against the teams in the middle and bottom of the league. It just so happens that more and more teams that aren't in the top 10 or so (bar Athletic Bilbao) are getting more physical with their play. Pablo Piatti and Albert Crusat are the fan favorites, and both are under 5'5". Jose Ortiz and Kalu Uche aren't very big center forwards, and rely a lot on their speed and positional sense rather then physicality. The one true traditional center forward in the ranks is Henrik Goitom (who's 6'5"), but starts on the bench and only scored once last season in 21 league appearances. The Almeria midfield is solid, the defense was suspect at times, but with Diego Alves in goal, and new Danish defender Michael Jacobsen alongside team captain Santiago Acasiete, they're hoping to be more complete. With speedy wingers it doesn't seem as necessary to have your central forwards small and nimble, but I'm no manager. I don't see this season being as bright for Almeria fans, and they'll need Diego Alves at his very best to stop chances then quickly distribute the ball out for the counter attack to have a real sense of safety this year.

Zaragoza: This team doesn't have much going for them. They've signed Leo Franco and Nicolas Bertolo, while selling a few of their better players but their squad remains largely made of players more suited for Segunda play or La Liga players just beyond they're best. They're best talent is probably Ander Herrera, 20 year old Spanish youth international midfielder, but if he isn't picked away by the winter transfer window I'd be amazed. I see them as going down, but they'll give it a fight.

Racing: Very similar situation as Zaragoza, they've got Henrique back for another year along with Tziolis, and will be hoping from good things for them two along with veterans Pedro Munitis, Meme Tchite, and Oscar Serrano if they are to have a chance to stay up.

Plastic Problems

Today Harry Redknapp side tracked the inability of his star studded team, to take a minute to blame the surface of the pitch at the Wankdorf Stadium;

I played on Astroturf myself and hated every minute of it. We don't have it in England anymore and I don't think it should be used in a competition like this.

So what shall we do, ban synthetic pitches? Where do you draw a line for what is and what isn’t synthetic? Sure every pitch in the Premier League is Grass, but underneath it all is a working machine making sure it works properly. Just keeping a pitch in top condition requires regular watering, under-pitch heating to prevent freezing in the winter, and even the use of high-power lighting rigs to promote grass growth. Its easy for Redknapp to lambast plastic pitches from his thrown at White Hart Lane, but does he think that perhaps some teams in Europe need these pitches because grass pitches simply don’t survive or are far too expensive to maintain, I don’t imagine so.

Apparently professional footballers can’t cope with a different surface, maybe it’s because they’ve homed their fantastic skills so much, that the slightest tweak can ruin everything. That their passing is so inch perfect and so precise, that a slight change in surface throws everything off course. Surely its not fair to put such stress and hardship on our hero’s from North London, especially after their miraculous achievements from last season?

Nonsense. Last night we saw an over confident Tottenham side blown away by an efficient Young Boys side. For the first half hour, Tottenham’s defence couldn’t stop a thing, and before they knew it, they were 3-0 down.

The question here isn’t whether or not the surface played a part in the result, the question is whether or not Redknapp would of brought it up if the game had gone his way.

If the surface was to blame, how was it that we saw a different Spurs side in the second half, did they go in at half time, all change to Astroturf shoes and suddenly got their magic touch back? No, Redknapp clearly gave them a piece of his mind, got them focused and they managed to salvage something from the game, regardless of the surface.

Spurs now go into the second leg at home, with two invaluable away goals. Back to their fortress where Redknapp is confident his side will perform ten fold and secure a place in the elusive Champions League. And I’m sure they will, because they have better players, a better manager, their a much bigger club, more money to build a squad, they play in a better league and are a much better side than Young boys. Not because they can finally play on grass.

A New Day, A New Season

The Premier League season kicks off today. As a Bolton fan, it's a new era. A Coyle era. Sure, he was in charge for half a season last season, but that's not really a period where he can completely make his mark. A new season, however, is. We've signed some quality players in Petrov and Klasnic, some decent, experienced back up in Blake, and some promising players in Alonso and Eaves. I think with the squad we have, we have a real possibility of reaching the top 10. I should be really excited at the prospect of a new season.

But I'm not.

I can't put my finger on why not. Maybe it's because we kick off against Fulham at the Reebok. A game famous for its lack of entertainment. Maybe it's because last seasons opener, against Sunderland, was so horrendous that I'm scarred for life. Maybe it's because I have a new perspective on football and Bolton Wanderers, that I have been shunted out by missing 7 games last year whilst away at university. I don't know. Interestingly, the record for the 7 games that I missed was 4 wins and 3 draws, gaining 15 points. The 12 games that I attended consisted of only 2 wins, 3 draws and 7 losses, gaining a miserly 9 points. So maybe I feel I'm bad luck.

However, I feel it may be something rather more sinister than that. Maybe it's because I will be viewing the match from a different perspective, that is, seven seats and one row away. For the first time in over eleven years, Seat 229, Row M of the East Stand Lower at the Reebok will be occupied by someone who is not me. Eleven years. If I kept it for a further nine, I'm quite certain I can claim it as my own land according to the Adverse Possession laws.

The fact that my seat (which is mine) has been taken, along with the seat next to it, which has always been empty as far as I can remember, bar a few sell outs, tells me that we might, just might be looking at a packed stadium. I doubt it, but some hope holds out that will happen. An Elmander goal will have me locking my doors when I get back, surely two signs of the apocalypse.


As for the team, I'm expecting a 4-4-2. As per with Coyle. Jussi in net, obviously. Steinsson, Knight, Cahill and Robinson (maybe Alonso, but I'd say Robinson) in defence. Midfield of Lee, Muamba, Holden, Petrov. Up front will be Super Kev and Klasnic.

The more I type, the more I feel the excitement building. In fact, stuff it. I'm ready for the season.


BRING IT ON.

Dani Jarque, Siempre Con Nosotros

It's now been just over a year since the "Black Night" in Italy when while on the phone with his pregnant girlfriend, Daniel Jarque went into cardiac arrest and died in the team hotel. It was the preseason before the 2009/10 season, after Jarque had gotten the news that he'd been made captain of the team he had been a fan of since a kid, this after 14 years with the club. A lot of controversy had been made over Tamudo over his commitment and attitude with the club, which paved the way for Jarque to take the armband he rightfully deserved. He defended the shirt of the Periquitos on and off the pitch with all his honor and ability. It just so happens a few of my friends have met him, and be they Espanyol fans or not, they all had only good words to say about him.

He was pretty much as good as they get, a great defender, a true gentleman, and an able leader. All of those who played with him continue his legacy; Fabregas revealed a shirt with Jarque's name and number after scoring against Everton, and after scoring the World Cup winning goal, Andres Iniesta dedicated the goal to Jarque and conveyed the message: "Dani Jarque, siempre con nosotros" or "Dani Jarque, always with us" on his undershirt. It's a sad reminder that had it not been for the horrible incident just over a year ago, he (and Antonio Puerta who died from a similar problem while playing against Getafe for Sevilla), would have likely been on the field celebrating the Spanish World Cup triumph.

Giving the kids a chance

There is a prevailing attitude that exists at the top level in English football. Many Premier League chairmen, driven by the shirt sales and season ticket renewals, would rather spend large sums of money on a seasoned continental star, than invest time and patience in nurturing young British talent.

But from next season, each club must register a squad of 25 players, no more than 17 of whom can be 21 or older without three years of continuous development in the English game.

This idea has been in the pipe line for a few years now, and has clearly been pushed to the front of the agenda after the FA watched England and its experienced 'Golden Generation' slump out of the World Cup to a young German side. A country that got its act together and sorted out a youth program in the later nineties and is now reaping the rewards of that set up, (16 of the 23 man squad where under 26) . To then watch Holland, a country famous for its youth setup, and Spain, a country that fifteen years ago decided to re-vamp its set up and is now unrivalled in prospects, battle it out to be the best in the world.

Last season, the top 5 teams in the Premier League had on average 35 players in their first team squad. One of the first advantages that comes to mind about this new ruling is that big clubs will have to put a lot more time an effort into sorting out whats happening with their fringe players.

Big international players will still be coming through the doors at Old Trafford and Stamford Bridge, but with these new rules in place, we may begin to see a much heavier loan market open up between the Premier League sides and the lower division teams. Cash strapped sides in the football league will be rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of Tottenham, Man City and Arsenal almost forcing their young prodigies on to them. There also is the fact that these young players who the coach deems good enough will be put in the squad, where in the past, the club may of bought an experienced international who was coming to the end of his career and was happy sitting on the bench with his retirement fund until needed.

But does that specifically mean English players are going to benefit from this? Sure eight of the twenty five players in the squad have to of trained at the club for a number of years before their 21^st birthday, but that’s doesn’t mean they have to be English.

This new rule seems to fit players like Cesc Fabregas or Gael Kakuta like a hand in glove and there is the negative approach that most clubs might(will) take, and simply spend more money and effort finding young foreign players faster and younger. We might find Joe English punted out the Academy before he's reached his 17th birthday, because he doesn't compare to Jose Brazil, who can balance the ball on his middle toe & already has a sponsorship deal with Nike. Never given a fair shot at it and doesnt get to take advantage of this ruling because Jose Brazil is also illegible for it.

Thats an extreme case, and im not entirely convinced that the introduction of foreign players exactly spoils our youth system, im merely saying it for arguments sake. Perhaps the problem isn't anything to do with our youngsters having a shot on the big stage, you could argue that plenty do, and maybe its a problem that's a little deeper rooted.

There is no denying that youth football in this country, is light years behind the rest of the continent, and it could be put down to plenty of things; kids can't play on the street any more, the diminish of the working class, the gap between the average punter and his club in the modern game, or perhaps that were just not doing it right.

Where is our Clairefontaine? France has 12 elite regional academy's, the Dutch have 14. How many do we have in Britain? Why don't all our youth teams play the same tactics and formations as the first team so they can easily integrate between the squads from the age of 16 like they do in Spain? Why are we the only country in the entire continent that play young players on full sized pitches, what is the British obsession with physicality over technical ability? In England, there are 2,770 UEFA qualified coaches, Spain has over 24,000 UEFA qualified coaches, and Germany has over 35,000. An average U-18 player in Holland receives up to 6500 hours of dedicated coach training, in Scotland and England its just under 2000. All these things I feel, need addressed if we really want things changed.

Its hard to look at these problems and come up with a reason to why these things aren't simply replicated in England, theirs plenty of money flying around and i think most people would have little sympathy for the FA if they were to say that they couldn't afford to fund these new schemes. Im sure Capello's £6mil annual salary could build an elite academy like the ones in France and Holland, im sure the £500 million Wembley could of funded a great deal more.

England are at a point in their footballing history where the tools and means are sitting in front of them and need someone to put them into action, footballs a game where trends go in and out of style, and the Premier League isn't going to always be the trendy, billionaire play thing that is today. Sure, they've made a little progress this year by implementing this rule, but its still a long road to go.

Conflict of Interests

Earlier today it had been said by Guardiola that Messi would not partake in Barcelona's preseason friendly against a select K League team, as he has only had one practice after a month of vacation. He felt it was unfair to put the player in a game situation so soon, and unsafe as he is more susceptible to injury without proper practice. When arranging the friendly it had been agreed that a "fine" of 200,000 euros would be paid by Barcelona if Messi did not feature for at least 30 minutes in the game. At first this was a price willing to be paid by Barcelona, but to make matters worse the Korean television station in charge of broadcasting the game said they weren't interested in going through with their assignment if Messi would not feature in the game.

As you all know Messi is a worldwide superstar. He causes as much excitement in Asia as he would in Argentina or Barcelona, and it's fair to say he is the most important player of Barcelona in the eyes of the countless fans girls and football fanatics. Broadcasting a game in which Messi plays means more viewers, and more money. An agreement was reached that meant Messi would indeed take part in the match, although it is still unknown if he will take part in at least 30 minutes. As Guardiola has said before, the needs of the club out way the needs of the players and even the great "Míster" himself. Guardiola had to give in to the needs of the club to sell Chygrynskiy (a player who even after a shaky season, had full confidence of the coach) to cover some of the surmounting debt, and now he must do again with risking the health of his prized possession so that this mini-Asian tour will take in as much money as possible.

So not only does this show a conflict of interests between the Korean organizers and the club, but also between the club and its coach. Needless to say, these are never situations you want even before the season has started.

Technology in the Game

It seems like a lifetime ago that Jerome Valcke, the general secretary of FIFA, admitted that Goal line technology was back on the agenda.

Remember that big fancy tournament that they put on for us - with the vuvuzelas and that crazy fan with the pot on his head, remember boring old conservative Spain pacing themselves to the final only to walk even slower to victory, remember the commotion of England going out in almost clichéd fashion to the German's with the help of a disallowed goal, only to be out sung by the fight talk afterwards from FIFA's corridor's of power that this type of injustice would last no longer and something would be done.Yeh?

Well FIFA probably wont, which im not sure is exactly a bad thing.

''Consistency'' is the golden word in this sport and unfortunately its exactly what FIFA aren’t. Their constant wavering between decisions, seems to depend on how much coverage a cheeky lob from Lampard gets in the media, or how much Platini's recent manifesto on 'saving the game' has alienated the general punter from the beautiful games officiating body.

This sport cries out for a governing body that’s not only fair across the entire board, but has the sports best interests at heart, an institution – a religion to some. Not a corporation that’s single goal is to create wealth from the very events its supposed to be governing.

Im not arguing that changes don’t have to be made, theirs obviously something that has to be done to accommodate errors in the game. We live in an age where the men on the field cant hide from the camera so its imperative that any mistakes on the field are dealt with.

But why goal line technology, why does it have to be something that passes the blame? Maybe an extra referee who watches the game on a screen who's whispering into the referee's ear would be an interesting inclusion, but the day Eagle Eye is used to solve 4 or 5 decisions in a game, is the day the sport changes forever. Im of the old impression that half the enjoyment of football is the drama of it all, that titles are still won, not on how much you spend, but your luck on the day.

Most people would just be happy with FIFA being a little more genuine and honest about things, i'd much rather if the referee was allowed to be interviewed after the game and could just say ' i thought it was a penalty when i saw it, i've seen it again and its not, I did my best.'

It brings the referee back into the position that he used to be as the unbiased punter who did his best to keep the game flowing and call a decision if he had to. Instead of having the decision watched from 20 different angles and Howard Webb or Mike Reilly having to lock all their doors & windows in fear every Saturday night before they sit down to Dancing On Ice.

Football is a sport that is dictated by money, more and more, by the day. These new plans are nothing but fail safes, to make sure the money invested, definitely gets the results. FIFA are supposed to be a governing body that fight that transformation . Unfortunately, it doesnt, and with this recent outburst by Valcke it seems that they've gone for the old motto 'if you can't beat them, join them.'

England’s Sweetheart

We Liverpool fans back our managers to the hilt; we support them through the good times and through the bad. We defend them as fiercely as possible whenever their tactics, signings or credentials are questioned - it’s how we’ve been for generations now. My dad drilled these beliefs into me and his dad drilled them into him. Over the past six years we’ve had to do this week in week out. We’ve had to listen to the media, pundits and fans up and down the country tell us that Rafa is no good in the transfer market, that zonal marking doesn’t work, that he is cracking up. Now that Rafa has gone, could defending our manager could be a thing of the past?

In stark contrast to Rafa, his replacement is England’s current sweetheart, Roy Hodgson. After securing Fulham’s safety in his first season, he then guided them to a 7th place finish in the Premier League the following season, their best ever finish. But the best was still to come, with a 7th place finish came European football at Craven Cottage for only the second time in history, and boy was it worth the wait. Craven Cottage played witness to some great European nights on their way to the final, beating the likes of Juventus, Shakhtar and Hamburg before finally succumbing to Atletico Madrid in extra time. Roy was hailed a hero and was rightfully awarded with the LMA manager of the year award with the biggest winning margin in its history.

Roy’s arrival at Anfield was met by widespread approval, from both the media and from Roy’s fans. It was something Liverpool fans are not used to - well wishes from rival fans. There were messages coming in wishing Roy all the best, saying what a great appointment it was and hoping that he does well at Liverpool. Surely not? Everton fans, Utd fans, Tottenham fans all confused with their love of Roy Hodgson and hatred of Liverpool Football Club. Over the past 12 months, Roy has won the hearts of many, turning his Fulham side into everyone’s second team – never has England as a collective nation wanted an English team to win a European trophy so badly.

Unfortunately this will never last. We live in a fickle world and as a nation we love nothing more than to knock those down that we have previously built up. If Roy doesn’t get off to the best of starts there is no doubt many of those who have so readily praised him will ignorantly label him a one season wonder and suggest that he isn’t good enough to manager a club like Liverpool. So let’s just sit and wait, and see just how long it takes for Roy to go from hero to zero in the eyes of many. I’m sure it won’t be long. But don’t worry Roy, we’ll still be here.

Madrid's Continued Galactic Spending Shows Blinded Ambition

Off the back of news that Barcelona find themselves in deeper and deeper debt, and that Mallorca will not be allowed to partake in the Europa League due to their financial strains, Madrid continue on splashing cash.

Maicon and Khedira have both been heavily linked with Madrid this past week. According to reports, the only thing to be decided before signing Maicon is his salary. Khedira's contract has been agreed upon but now just needs the decision of the Stuttgart board for a transfer fee. Only thing is, the positions which these players play in are already well covered. Sergio Ramos was arguably the best right back in the World Cup, and Xabi Alonso was one of Spain's most consistent performers throughout the competition. Madrid do in fact play with a double-pivot system, more often then not in a 4-2-2-2, but that still means leaving out three of M. Diarra, L. Diarra, Gago, Alonso, or Khedira. It's not bad to have ample cover to come off the bench or to take over incase of an injury, but having some of the world's best players in the same position at the same club makes little sense. In Madrid's case it's not a matter of over-spending, as with the touch of a button Madrid could have a new loan in place to fund a new transfer.

By sporting logic, this means leaving one of the most talented, best paid players on the bench. Some say that Ramos could slot in as a central defender alongside Albiol giving Maicon a spot in the starting XI, but Ramos is so used to his adventurous runs along the right wing, that I'd find it hard to trust him to stay in the very conservative role of center defender. Now you've got your whole right side of the defense open to a quick counter attack, and that means you're leaving an often shaky Albiol and a left back in the form of Marcelo who is also likely to be found pushing up into an attacking midfielder role with the task of defending against a counter attack with some of the world's most technically gifted players. This is something Madrid can't afford to risk. Likewise if you play Khedira alongside Alonso in the holding role, you've got two deep-lying playmakers without a midfield rock like the Diarras.

Madrid's continued galactic spending is showing a lack of thought, but with the money they have access to, and their debt wiped off the board whenever any questions are asked, you could just call it thinking adventurous.

It's Lonely in the Middle

The English Premier League is dubbed by many as “the greatest league in the world”. It’s highly publicised all over the world. There won’t be many places in the world that haven’t heard of the likes of Manchester United and Liverpool. One of the main headlines of last summer was Cristiano Ronaldo’s £80m move from Manchester United to Real Madrid. Similarly, Ancelotti’s move to Chelsea grabbed headlines. On the other end of the table, the unexpected relegation of Newcastle United was big news as well.

Every season is almost the same. Week after week, there are pictures of Sir Alex Ferguson or Rafa Benitez splashed across the back pages of every newspaper. Last season, Hull City’s great start saw them enjoying a few months in the headlines, as a slight change in tradition. The bizarre way how the bottom 12 clubs were separated by a few wins over halfway through the season meant that the other headline grabbers – the underachieving clubs – didn’t challenge for the back page.

If the Premier League was a family, Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool would be the overachieving older brothers, admired by outsiders and their parents. Arsenal would be the older sister, whose overachieving ways are halted by maternity leave. The bottom four clubs would be the underachieving younger brothers, collecting the dole every week. Last season’s surprise package, Fulham, would be the slightly dopey one, who defied the odds and managed some decent exam results. The rest of the top 10 would be the loudmouth siblings, who weren’t particularly spectacular, but you always know that they’re there.

The remaining clubs: Wigan, Blackburn, Wolves, Stoke, Sunderland and Bolton; are the middle children of the Premier League family. They’re the kids that get the average grades and don’t get into trouble. Sometimes you even forget that they’re there. I support Bolton Wanderers. Had it not been for my season ticket, I’d be excused to think that we played 2 or 3 minute matches. Or at least, that’s the impression we’d get off the match coverage and highlights. Match of the Day joked about how many Wigan fans had written in, questioning why they were constantly on last, and averaged about one and a half minutes’ coverage.

You’d think that on one of those weekends where the top 4 conveniently play each other on the same day, that these clubs would get more coverage. However, the attention is directed on the mind games that the managers of the top 4 teams play. We have the Sky Sports adverts hyping up the Super Duper Ultra Sundays, advertising the absolute must-see games. Other than the supporters of the top 4 clubs, these matches won’t affect themselves much. I’m just as excited about watching Portsmouth vs Everton, as I am about Manchester United vs Chelsea.

Last season, Bolton had one game televised by Sky, and none by ESPN in the first half of the season. It’s lonely at the middle.

European Football Kicks Off With Celtic Against Braga

Tonight Celtic kick off the new season for British big clubs in the Champions League, against Portuguese opponents Braga. Both clubs finished last season as runners up in their respective league which although may prove as failure to either end of the Old Firm, was considered by many as a huge achievement for Braga as it was the first time they've managed such a feat.

Tonight is Lennon's first game as fully appointed manager of the Bhoys, and should prove a sturdy test, Celtic are rather infamous with their away form in the Champions League, but Lennon was careful not to dwell on it;

"Our home record at Celtic Park is very, very good. So we know that if we can take some sort of result back to Scotland, we'll be pleased with that."

The qualifying round for the illustrious Champions League has proved in recent years a rather nail bighting experience for Celtic fans. Last year saw them battle bravely past Dynamo Moscow only to come undone by the might of the Premier League's Arsenal.

Celtic can take some heart from Braga's play-off round exit from the Europa League last year, when the Portuguese went out to Swedish side Elfsborg.But most fans will be looking back to Strachan's first game on that bitter night, in Artmedia, where they lost the tie before they had a chance to show their stuff in Glasgow, and be nervously comparing Lennon's first game as rather similar.

Some good news is that where Braga have lost their star goalkeeper, Celtic have an almost perfectly healthy squad with only Darren O'Dea unable to fly with the squad.

Celtic will be relying on the regular faces of McGeady, Brown, Hinkel and Loovens to keep the ship steady, as Lennon's new signings - Juarez, Ledley & Mulgrew look to impress with certain first team slots tonight.

Celtic's main weakness is their defence, it seems like an old tail that anybody but the coaching staff at Celtic Park are aware of, but with Loovens and Hinkel being the only regular starters from last year still in the squad, it could be a case of make or break time for Mulgrew, Hoovield or Rogne tonight.

Celtic need a defensive leader, theirs no denying that- its simple to see from last season, and Lennon has mixed and matched his centre backs while flying around North America for their pre-season friendlies, aware that the gap left by the pairing of Gary Caldwell and Stephen McManus has not been filled.Not to mention a goalkeeper in Zaluska, who although many consider to be a worthy replacement for Boruc, has only played a hand full of competitive games for the club after joining last year.

It seems a quick fix will have to do tonight if Celtic are to get anything out of this game. After defensive target, Kevin Wilsons, supposed move from Nottingham Forrest hasn't materialised yet, following Sol Campbell's decision to join Newcastle.

But where the defensive reconstruction in the middle has failed, Celtic have managed to add some interesting players to their attacking line up. Mexican internationalist Efrain Juarez looks to offer a very attractive option on the opposite wing from Aiden McGeady, the purchase of Joe Ledley offers some protection in the middle of the field, while Daryl Murphy and Gary Hooper offer some alternatives up front.

Tonights game should do well to offer us a little insight into the squad that Neil Lennon is trying to construct, theirs no denying that its still a work in progress - it always still is at this stage in the season. But lets see what happens and hope that after this tie, were not using that as an excuse.

Henry Scores Against Spurs As MLS Thinks Big (again)

Last night, Thierry Henry scored on his debut for New York Red Bull's against old foes, Tottenham Hotspur in a 2-1 defeat. The recently retired French International scored on the 32nd minute only for Robbie Keane and Gareth Bale to pull two back and claim the game.
Perhaps more importantly though was the potential Henrys influence could have on the league.
Its footballs worst kept secret that Americans are waking up to football, but is it only apparent to us football mad Europeans and not so obvious state side? Im not too sure. There are certainly corners of the country that are doing their best to promote the sport but whether its working or not is another matter.
Looking at certain figures it paints a bleak picture, the MLS figures on the two major TV providers, ESPN2 and Fox Soccer Channel saw average figure's for match day's last season at merely 251,000 and 53,000 respectively - only just 0.2 percent of the market.
But there is good news.
Landon Donovan's appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman last month was a milestone moment for football, the sport's leading US player on the nation's biggest show, illustrating that Americans are willing to sit and listen to a soccer player talk about the sport, and not just because hes married to a Spice Girl.
And its not just talk shows that Americans are getting their daily dosage of soccer. A total of 19.4m people watched the USA's loss to Ghana in the second round of the tournament and 24.3m people watched the final between Spain and the Netherlands, which might mean next to nothing until you compare it to the 22.3m people that watched the Baseball World Series and the mere 8.3mil that watched Ice Hockeys Stanley cup.
Attendances are also on the rise, with an average attendance of 16,000 across the league and Seattle Sounders now at an average Attendance of 36,000 and Philadelphia Union's close to 22,000, it shows that in certain parts of the country, the sport is really beginning to take off.
One of the most important factors though, is which kind of signing Thierry Henry is. Many will compare him to Beckhams move to LA Galaxy from Real Madrid a few years ago and think its merely another media stunt to get more people in Manchester, Paris or Hong Kong wearing Red Bull t-shirts.I disagree, i think that stage of the MLS is nearing its end, and this signing was specifically for the sake of the teams progress in the league.
Last year Beckham, the biggest sporting good in the world, was peeked by local boy Landon Donovan for the MVP award. Kevin Baxter puts it perfectly in the Los Angeles Times saying:

''Clearly the league still believes it needs foreign stars to legitimise itself, but I'm not sure I agree. When I was in Durban during the World Cup, I was wearing a Galaxy T-shirt and two employees in the hotel said, 'Oh, LA Galaxy. David Beckham'. That's exactly what the MLS wanted. But Landon Donovan is definitely the face of the league now. He was the MVP [most valuable player] last season and had a good World Cup, so he's the flavour of the month."

The impressive form of Donovan for Everton in the Premier League, the National squad at The World Cup and additionally, the arrival of Thierry Henry, says that foreign stars can move to the MLS for competitive football, and that the league is reaching a level where it simply isnt a retirement home.His move signals a new type of player coming to the league looking for somewhere to apply his trade, rather than a villa in Hollywood and a spot at the MTV awards.