as we say goodbye to one of the legends of the game, i can’t help but hope the door hits him on the way out.
Ever since the rumors of his imminent retirement in the early portion of the week, I’ve toiled in vain to write the perfect opus for Sir Alex’s career. Yet with all that is being penned on the great Scotsman in the time since, it’s been hard to find not only a unique angle… but also an appropriate way to express my feelings towards Ol’ Red Nose. On one hand, I have mountains of respect for a man that’s won more titles than entire leagues of clubs combined, has managed to adapt his game several times over to match the prevailing playing styles of the time, and has corralled egos larger than your average Walmart Super Center. On the other hand, I hate Fergie for his influence over the FA, the fear he invokes in referees, and the times he’s pried away Tottenham’s best players.
So since I’ve been unable to tap out an appropriate homage to the greatest manager I’ll likely ever see, I’ll do the next best thing and link to the best piece I’ve read about him so far. And that’s how I’m starting off the latest edition of TWOL.
Fair well, Fergie. Here’s hoping you have a long and lovely retirement… and that Moyes drives United to hell in you absence.
So with some bigger things around the corner still needing some attention and final polish, this seems like the perfect time to share some of my favorite links from the last week.
Sometimes it’s awfully hard to make a victim out of one that so many hold in contempt. Take for instance AC Milan’s Kevin-Prince Boateng. Much maligned during an underachieving two-year stint at Spurs, Prince also didn’t make any friends in his native Germany when he decided early on in his career that he should instead play for Ghana. Tattooed from head to toe, outspoken and flashy, Boateng often also rubs the traditionalists out there the wrong way, too.
when kevin-prince boateng is telling you to use your brain…
So when the versatile midfielder angrily punted a ball into the stands and then stormed off the pitch — followed quickly by the rest of his Milan teammates — at a friendly match this past weekend after suffering persistent racial abuse, it was pretty much a given that it was going to stir things up a bit.
Racism, the most frequent of football’s numerous recurring STI’s, has once again flared up to embarrass the sport. The numerous talking heads of the game all scrambled to their podiums to provide red-faced, PR-approved statements condemning the guilty. And, let’s not forget, pointing fingers at anyone but themselves to shift blame. Predictable. However the most confounding of those statements came from none other than WSOTP’s favorite punching bag, Sepp Blatter. Instead of raining down hellfire on Pro Patria’s heinously behaved fans, Blatter instead chose to shout criticisms at Boateng from his ivory tower. In a statement to Abu Dhabi’s The National, the FIFA president was quoted as saying: “Walk off? No. I don’t think that is the solution… I don’t think you can run away, because eventually you can run away if you lose a match.” He may as well have blamed Boateng for agitating the home fans by being black. Silly minion, you should have known better than to walk off the pitch rather than to stay on and take your abuse like a good boy.
Of course, Sepp also wanted to make sure everyone knew that he was still against the idea of racism. This despite his track record of not really rating it as a serious problem. Tacking on a quote about FIFA’s ”zero tolerance of racism in the stadium” and urging local authorities to impose “harsh” sanctions, such as “point deductions” is par for the course. Not a bad solution to the issue, but the problem is that it’s nothing more than a talking point. Racism seems to be less harshly punished than other ills such as hooliganism, which might help to explain why it remains such a mainstay headline within the sport.
sometimes, i wish sepp would just keep his mouth shut.
So knowing all of that, Boateng did the one thing left in his power to help end the abuse he was currently suffering: walk off the pitch and leave it behind. And when he and his Milan teammates exited the pitch, they collectively punished the fans for their sinful behavior.
Blatter — surprise, surprise — disliked this decision. FIFA have warned players against walking off before, with penalty of yellow card hanging over your head as deterrent. But in choosing to do so in a friendly, where nothing was on the line, Boateng and his Milan teammates had a well-timed opportunity to make a statement. And by doing so, they wrestled power away from FIFA… for a brief moment at least. Hence Sepp’s protesting.
Sure, FIFA/UEFA can dish out fines and force closed-door matches, but none of those things actually hurt the supporters causing the problems directly. After all, they can still watch the match on TV and could care less about a €10,000 fine delivered to the club. Note the effect that’s had on serial abusers such as Lazio and Serbia (See: None). But when the Rosanerri closed up shop early against Pro Patria, it hit those fans right in their pocketbooks. Not the club’s. By walking off, Boateng and company effectively levied the first “fans’ fine”.
Think about it. Pro Patria play in the Italian fourth tier, so their supporters likely put dropped a healthy chunk of change for a chance to watch the big boys play for 90 minutes. But thanks to the shallow actions of a small percent of their support, they were only treated to 25. Not exactly value for money, right? Sure, some will argue that the walk off punishes those that weren’t racists, too. And that’s accurate. But sometimes it takes punishing the majority for the misdeeds of a minority to get any sort of reaction. The power of peer pressure is tremendously underrated, and hopefully by coming down hard on everyone, the well-behaved supporters in their ranks will look to silence the troublemakers in the future.
milan’s stand against racism was well timed.
Now, as mentioned earlier, the timing of this Boateng’s protest was pivotal. Had this been an actual Serie A fixture or — dare I say — a Champions League match, I doubt the Milan hierarchy would have been quite as supportive. Abandoning a match without the referee’s approval normally stipulates a massive fine and/or match forfeiture by most leagues’ rules. That said, it could also be argued that quitting a match of greater significance could amplify the impact.
A thin line to toe, admittedly, but that’s the point we’ve reached in the sport when it comes to racism.
So until FIFA, UEFA and the rest of the governing bodies start appropriately punishing the clubs and their fans too, nothing will ever change. Monkey chants, hissing like the gas chambers and bananas thrown on the pitch will continue pour down from the stands. And until they’re adequately protected, the players are justified in taking matters into their own hands.
Thus far, 2013 has been a whirlwind. As with most years, there’s been the expected absurdity that accompanies the holiday season to keep me busy: the annual cornucopia of fixtures, plus the ensuing avalanche of (faux-)headlines that is the January transfer window.
the only person who’s had a busier start to 2013 than WSOTP is wesley sneijder’s agent.
But, unlike previous years, things have been especially crazy around the imaginary WSOTP office during this already hectic time of year thanks to the eclipsing of a number of major milestones for the blog. First, I had the privilege of having my first ever article published by legendary blog In Bed With Maradona. Next came the announced partnership with the stalwarts at the Free Beer Movement. And then piggybacking off of that, over the last week I’ve seen the WSOTP Soccer Pub Atlas get further attention from at least three major MLS blogs… which has left me buried in pub submissions.
If it sounds like I’m complaining, I’m not. If these were problems, they’re good ones to have. And thanks to the vast increase in exposure for the blog I’ve also seen an influx of new followers and likes from the social media channels. And if you happen to be one of the n00bs, don’t think I’m just a “soccer bar specialist” — as if that kind of specialization actually exists. I also write a bit, too. So make sure to check back regularly to read my musings on the world’s game.
So as I put some finishing touches on my next original treatise, let me kick the new year off in truly lazy fashion by sharing a few of my favorite links from the last week.
what… this isn’t how you celebrate your christmas every year?
No matter what your beliefs, as the oft-played song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year”. But while most might label it as such because of the presents, the family gatherings or the excessive amount of eating and drinking that often accompanies the holiday season, my reasoning is a little different: football, football and more football. Between three full sets of match days in a fortnight and the upcoming January transfer window, there’s enough soccer on tap to feed the needs of even the most ardent footie fanatic.
So to help kick things off, I’ve prepared my latest TWOL posts to help get you in the mood for the insanity.
January: the month where a million writers, bloggers, newspapers and websites get more eyeballs on their works than any other.
the under-utilized sturridge might be gifted a move to liverpool, but the effect of his move will ripple far beyond the premier league.
Thanks to its winter transfer window, and the plethora of the rumors of potential player moves that come with it, January is a writer’s best friend. Pick up the scent of a rumor without a credible source, spin it however you like, publish, and then sit back and let it run. It’s no secret that fans, desperate for a turn in fortunes or a continuation of success, will read anything that gives them hope. Knowing that gives publishers the impetus to pump out as much rubbish each January as your average American couch potato produces in a year.
But as the case is with many rumors, there’s often a little truth in each supposition. It might not be anything too concrete. However, that doesn’t mean that a club didn’t make an inquiry, an agent didn’t talk to potential suitors, or a player isn’t slightly unsettled.
So when I read rumors of Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge potentially moving to Liverpool in a few weeks’ time, I knew I should take it with a massive grain of salt. After all, Sturridge represents exactly one half of Chelsea’s strike force. And though the £50 million Fernando Torres’ impotence isn’t as bad as advertised, the club selling of their only other option up front seems an incredibly risky move. Not even trigger-happy Roman Abramovich would pull off that kind of move without some kind of back up plan.
And it’s that backup plan which I find to be the most fascinating aspect of the January transfer window: the domino effect a single transfer can have on the rest of the professional game’s clubs across the world.
Let’s assume for a second that Liverpool do end up buying Sturridge from Chelsea, leaving the Blues short-changed and necessitating the purchase of another forward. Conveniently, Chelsea have been consistently linked to Radamel Falcao, the Colombian scoring machine currently pouring in the goals for Atlético Madrid. But just as Chelsea would be left shorthanded after Sturridge’s departure, Atlético would also need to fill Falcao’s sizable shoes if he’s shipped out. But where would Los Rojiblancos turn?
The rumor mill keeps on churning, hypothesizing that Atlético would look to buy names like Manchester United’s Chicharito, Napoli’s Edison Cavani, or even Liverpool’s Luis Suárez. Whether there’s any truth in any of those rumors is a bit beyond my reach. But at the same time, if any of those moves did come to fruition, the dominoes would begin to fall all over again.
falcao is likely to end up chelsea even without sturridge’s departure, but that mean’s his current side will need to replace him, too.
In the case of Napoli, Cavani has long seemed destined for a move abroad. But the Uruguayan’s departure would mean the Neapolitans‘ would be left with only two recognized strikers in their squad. Manchester United could stomach Chicharito’s departure, but you would have to imagine that Sir Alex wouldn’t be happy to rely on just Danny Wellbeck, an untested Ángelo Henríquez, and an unfancied Federico Macheda to back up his dynamic duo. And Liverpool, where this entire domino effect started, would again be down to two strikers if they let Luis depart for pastures anew. Meaning they would again be fored to dip into the transfer market or be faced with the same issue that’s troubled them in the first half of this season.
And regardless of which guy ends up replacing whatever player eventually leaves any club, the dominos will keep up on falling all the way down the line. A perfect representation of the butterfly effect, if I’ve ever seen one.
Of course, all of this is dependent upon what player moves where. And it’s quite possible that none of the above will hold true. But rest assured, players will move this January, and the media will spin out more rumors than any of us could ever take in. Just don’t go placing your hopes on any of them until you see a new player holding your team’s shirt and smiling wide for the cameras. Otherwise, your sanity will likely be the last domino to fall.
two things i learned today: 1) the USMNT can win in the azteca, 2) jermaine jones likes to celebrate like a boss with his oxygen tank.
Though I’m admittedly still on a bit of an adrenaline high just over two hours after the United States’ “historic” win in the Azteca — I won’t elaborate further on it, as tonight’s win has spawned another full-length post where I’ll delve into the topic in greater detail. But it still feels good to beat Mexico, even if it was just a friendly.
So, as is typically the case, I’ve got a TWOL to bridge the gap. And it’s a good thing, as there’s a load to talk about. I’d be positively giddy for the start of the Premier League season, were it not for Spurs recurring ineptitude with transfer dealings. Ligue 1 is back in action already, where Ibrahimović netted a brace to save PSG’s rich asses in a come from behind draw with Lorient. One of Chris Rolfe’s two goals against the Union at the weekend is an MLS Goal of the Week candidates (vote for him in the first link below, okthx). And in Italy, there’s more match fixing… though I suppose that’s almost to be expected at this point. Anyway, the on with the links…
feeling important these days, thanks to the boys over at the football attic taking a fancy to the subbuteo figure i submitted their “league of blogs” project.
The Euros are over, thus ending a three-week stretch where I’ve felt like I have been drowning in football. I mean, I’ve been seeing matches when I sleep… far more than normal, at least. I needed a break, which is something I never thought I’d say about the game. But the headlines just keep rolling out, as if I had forgotten that the world of soccer never sleeps, takes breaks, or allows me to catch up with the rest of my life.
I mean just some of the headlines that caught my attention, and probably deserve an article of their own. Thanks to an epic final, Spain have officially entered G.O.A.T. territory. Transfer madness is in full swing: big names already on the move, others look to be doing so soon, and – GHASP!!! — Spurs are even getting in on some early action.
So as I put the finishing touches on about four different articles, I figured I could pacify you readers with another edition of TWOL. And if that sounds like a raw deal to you, I’m sorry… but you’re going to need to deal with it.
Everyone knowsthat players aren’t invincible. Nearly every match you watch will feature at least one player limping/strechered off with some sort of injury, and a quick glance at the weekly physio report from around the Premier League will confirm as much. Some are severe, requiring lengthy rehabilitation spells, while others are simple knocks that only keep them out of action for the rest of the match.
before this season, you didn't often hear of players having major medical issues. this year, they're damn near omnipresent.
Oddly though, these expected injuries seem to enrage us. How can they get hurt so often, when it’s their job to stay fit?
This unrealistic expectation normally boils to the surface whenever a player falls victim to repeated injury blights. Think of all the ridicule leveled at Arsenal’s Robin van Persie during his extended and repetitive injury spells over the last few years. Fans and media members alike skewered the Dutchman for glass-like fragility, even throwing him to the wolves when he sought out alternative – albeit an odd alternative — methods for finally getting healthy.
However, injuries that result from playing or occur during training are expected parts of the modern game, especially considering the congested fixture calendars and pre-season tours that players are subjected to these days. Ultimately, they annoy us, but there’s no possible way we can completely eradicate them from the sport.
What isn’t expected, though, are illnesses that fall outside the realm of football. Yes, we’ve grown accustomed to a player picking up an injury from time to time. But the news of a player being diagnosed with potentially life-threatening disease always seems to catch us by surprise. Which is odd, because the same thing happens to us “commoners” all the time.
Modern professionals are already blessed with speed, strength and athleticism that the average fan could only dream of having. With so many perceived “superhuman” qualities, we can be forgiven for believing our on-pitch heroes should also be immune to the ailments that trouble normal folk.
Unfortunately, this season we’ve seen that isn’t exactly the case..
abidal had to go under the knife a second time to treat his liver cancer. hopefully they at least gave him a matching scar on the right... you know, because aesthetics are important.
Milan’s Antonio Cassano suffered a stroke on a return flight after a match, thanks to a small hole found in his heart. Manchester United’s Darren Fletcher was diagnosed with an inflammatory bowel disease, which has kept him out of action since November. Aston Villa captain Stiliyan Petrov was unexpectedly forced to retire from the game after he was diagnosed with acute leukemia. Barcelona’s Éric Abidal had to have a liver transplant last week after it was determined that an earlier surgery to remove a tumor was unsuccessful. Fabrice Muamba’s heart stopped and didn’t beat on its own for over an hour after he collapsed on the White Hart Lane pitch. And then just last week there was the tragic passing of Livorno’s Piermario Morosini, who also suffered a massive heart attack mid-match.
With such a high number of major medical problems plaguing the game in such a short time span, you can’t help but suddenly feel alarmed for the players. You wonder things like “Is playing soccer make an inherently dangerous to a player’s health?” I mean I still play a significant amount myself, so in the interest in self-preservation, I should also probably ask “Am I at risk?”
Luckily, the players are asking themselves the same questions.
The day after Muamba’s cardiac arrest, the entire Tottenham playing staff demanded to have heart evaluations. A natural response given the circumstances, though it was alarming to learn that such exams aren’t regular requirements for professional players. Considering how much is invested in them, you would’ve thought that the clubs would want to protect those investments a little more proactively. But in most cases — outside of the medical conducted upon a player’s initial signing — they’re rarely ever put through any cardiac testing or check-ups. Which is even more odd, because this isn’t a new battle that players have just recently begun to fight.
Former Manchester City and Lyon midfielder Marc-Vivien Foe died on pitch during the Confederations Cup in 2003. Sevilla winger Antonio Puerta died three days after a series of on field heart attacks in 2007, and was followed several months later by Motherwell skipper Phil O’Donnell. Espanyol captain Daniel Jarque was also lost to a heart attack, though his occurred after hours during preseason in 2009. There have been some near misses, too. Rubén de la Red, a promising Real Madrid prospect, was forced to retire two years ago thanks to a heart condition that saw him collapse during a 2008 Copa del Rey match. Or how about young Belgian Anthony Van Loo being shocked back to life by his implanted defibrillator in this shocking 2009 video:
Look, we all know that playing the beautiful game is a physically taxing activity, and that it puts increased strain on our hearts and lungs. For most of us it’s a good thing, and we could probably all stand to get more of that kind of activity. But for the professionals that are out there each day in training and match days, that can be a lot of cumulative stress. Darren Fletcher’s bowel issues are also thought to be the partially cause of stress — both physical and emotional — and could necessitate surgery to remove his colon. I’m no doctor, but I would have to think that the prevalence of such traumatic health problems should at least be cause for looking into the how stress is affecting players’ bodies.
The general assumption is that players are stretched too thin due to the number of games the modern game demands. Ideally, we would roll back the number of games they’re expected play. But in a world where the thirst for top flight football is growing exponentially — meaning there’s money to be made if matches are played — that’s not remotely possible.
Even if we’re not going to be rolling back the playing time expectations, I think an important Plan B would be for clubs to at least take a greater interest in the health of their players. If regular exams and physicals aren’t the norm, they should be. You would expect that regular heart screenings, stress tests, and general physical exams would be the bare essentials for a sport where fitness is so pivotal. And while it’s highly unlikely that Abidal’s or Petrov’s ailments are the result of football-induced stress, perhaps if the players were subjected to more frequent medical screenings, earlier diagnoses could have been made.
i promise that i'm not abdicating more medical presence in football just so i can see more of eva carneiro.
And if all of these are things that do happen on the regular, could someone tell us about it? Otherwise we fans feel like we’re being left in the dark, thinking that the players have to resort to visiting Serbian witch doctors for crackpot placental treatments.
Regardless of the treatment they’re receiving, it’s not all gloom and doom when it comes to player health these days. Muamba was just released from hospital following his extended stay. Post heart surgery, Cassano recently returned to action for Milan and has been given a clean bill of health by his doctors. And even Salvador Cabañas, a player who was shot in the head nearly two years ago, has defied the odds and returned to playing in his native Paraguay.
If nothing else, these small miracles are enough to give courage and strength to those other players currently suffering with such issues. But we also can’t forget that these players are far more fragile than they appear, and major medical procedures are far from an exact science. Quick fixes will do nothing but conceal the problem that lies underneath. Player health needs more attention — plain and simple — and we’ll only have ourselves to blame if another youngster is lost because everyone simply assumes that professional athletes are in prefect health.
for a ball with such an awesome name, couldn't have adidas gone with a slightly less faded 80's design for the official ball of london 2012?
With less than 30 minutes until kickoff between Spurs and United, I’m a literal train wreck. I’m stressing over Tottenham’s extremely weakened line-up squaring off against a solid looking starting XI for the Red Devils, and the potential repercussions of fielding such a weak squad in such an important match.
The only thing that could keep my mind from going into complete meltdown mode was to finish up this week’s TWOL post… though admittedly, it’s just a temporary reprieve for my fingers from the endless nail-biting that awaits over the next two hours.
