Papal Indiscretions – Evaluating Pope Francis’s BsAs Club Selection

Posted on by
2

There are some excellent scribes who write about Argentine Soccer. Sam Kelly. Dan Colasimone. Ed Malyon. Most of them live in Buenos Aires, whereas my own tenure there was an all too brief six months (several years ago). However, there’s just one problem: none of the aforementioned writers are pricks.

Thus, as your resident prick (and soccer hipster in waiting) with a basic knowledge of Argentine soccer, allow me to analyze and ultimately applaud Pope Francis’s local club selection of San Lorenzo. Continue reading “Papal Indiscretions – Evaluating Pope Francis’s BsAs Club Selection” »

Robin Van Persie & the Blessed Act of Creation

Posted on by
2

Destruction is inevitable, creation divine. For most forwards in soccer, we ask little. If you loiter in the 18 yard box for 90 minutes, that’s okay. If you’re occasionally offsides, that’s okay. All we want is the bare minimum: competent finishing. If you get an open header, firmly place the ball on frame, or, even better, towards a low corner. Do not let the ball hit your nose. Do not balloon the ball over the opposing net. And please don’t blow simple tap-ins.

Chicharito Hernandez blew United fans away two years ago with his consistent finishing. Since then, cracks in his game have surfaced. When not served on a platter, he seldom eats. Other forwards, though, do not depend so heavily on service. Rather, their talents go beyond the mundane. They soar in a world where midfielders are accessories and any “service” will do. Zlatan Ibrahimovic comes to mind. However, the lurking Swede is more battering ram than ballerina, more brute force than grace.

I prefer forwards that walk on air. And that’s why Robin Van Persie has blown me away. Continue reading “Robin Van Persie & the Blessed Act of Creation” »

The End of the End of an Era Articles

Posted on by

High school yearbooks. Reunions. Facebook. The universe conspires to nostalgically divide time into “watershed moments” that “forever mark” our lives. When the smoke cleared in Munich, a 4-0 shellacking had folks cuing Green Day’s “Good Riddance”, saying adios to the Iberian era of dominance, and gushing about a new era of Bavarian brilliance.

But isn’t this all a bit too trite, too simple, and premature? Continue reading “The End of the End of an Era Articles” »

Manchester United’s 20th Premiership Title & Banter of the Bile Variety

Posted on by

James: Hello, this is James and John again reporting but this time from Old Trafford, where a mouthwatering match awaits us.

John: James, the story of the day is obviously not United’s potential record 20th Premiership crown or Aston Villa’s fight against relegation, but rather whether, if United win this game and the title, will Sir Alex Ferguson then name Robin Van Persie to play in next week’s game vs. Arsenal at the Emirates and indulge in a ring of honor at Arsene’s expense?
Continue reading “Manchester United’s 20th Premiership Title & Banter of the Bile Variety” »

Champions League Semi-Finals Preview: Real Madrid v. Team and Barcelona v. Other Team

Posted on by

The universe demands, dare I say, cries out for another clasico. However, UEFA is a tease – rather than repeating a Spanish Champions League semi-final from two years ago, a few German speed bumps have emerged. As in, Barcelona and Real Madrid will not face one another. Rather, they will face German teams. Fans of Real Madrid and Barcelona are terrified. Uncertainty plagues the proceedings. Both teams are so used to playing one another that playing a club who is not your bitter and eternal rival feels like a letdown.

What can Real Madrid & Barcelona fans expect in the two semi-finals? Let’s start with the fundamentals. We do know that Real Madrid and Barcelona have played a boatload of clasicos in the last few years. Using this trove of data and negative inferences, we now present a very special preview of the upcoming games. Continue reading “Champions League Semi-Finals Preview: Real Madrid v. Team and Barcelona v. Other Team” »

Bloglines Is Your New RSS Feed Reader

Posted on by

As mentioned a few weeks ago, Google Reader is dead and dying. The interwebs filled with articles about replacements. I lamented the death of a few good blogs and hastily concluded that I didn’t need an RSS reader. However, upon further retrospection, enough great sites still around do make an RSS migration potentially worthwhile. At least if I could find the right reader, that is.

I have. It’s Bloglines. And here’s why. Continue reading “Bloglines Is Your New RSS Feed Reader” »

The Limits of Knowledge – Tactical Expansion or Entropy?

Posted on by

If you missed Borussia Dortmund’s rock star comeback win over Malaga, you should be kicking yourself. Lots of goals. Drama. Suspense. All the emotional components that make sport so compelling were present at the end. Even a neutral could feel his heart bounce around in his chest.

However, the win raised a few interesting questions about how we view, explain, and talk about footy. I myself have a basic question – can tactics truly explain each and every game? Should they even try? Continue reading “The Limits of Knowledge – Tactical Expansion or Entropy?” »

World Cup Stadium Construction Missed Deadline Article #5377

Posted on by

It is with great trepidation and terror that I type this article. My hands tremble. My pulse quickens. Why? Because the sky is falling. A totally unexpected event has entered the radar..A dot. A speck. A point. A hole that threatens to spread and engulf the entire universe.

I speak, of course, of a delay in the construction of a multi-million dollar sporting stadium/facility in an ostensibly “third world” country. Continue reading “World Cup Stadium Construction Missed Deadline Article #5377” »

eBook Preview #7 – Regime Team Who?

Posted on by

Want to bring up a bad taste in the mouth of a Real Madrid fan? All you need to know is a term and a song. The word is “regime team.” The song is “Asi….asi….asi gana el Madrid.” [That's....that's....that's how Madrid wins]. Both bring to mind a very dark chapter in Real Madrid’s history: the rule of General Francisco Franco over Spain. Many have painted the club and the dictator as tied at the hip during the 1950′s and 1960′s.

However, a closer look reveals a much more complex tale. Continue reading “eBook Preview #7 – Regime Team Who?” »

Victor Valdes & A Life Spent Watching Nets Ripple From Not Afar

Posted on by

The shadows that dance in the corner of your eyes. The voices only you can hear. A breath on the back of your neck. The creaking of an old wood floor. Humans are predators. We have two front-facing eyes so that we can focus on our prey. Yet the view behind our back terrifies us.

And this is especially true of goalkeepers. Continue reading “Victor Valdes & A Life Spent Watching Nets Ripple From Not Afar” »