And it’s from this never ending desire to “want”, that I’m launching WSOTP’s newest recurring feature: I Want. Anytime something I really, really want — whether it be soccer apparel or gear, art, electronics, shoes or anything else football related — I’m going to tell you about it. I’ll quickly explain why I want it, and if you want it too, you can proceed to the end of the post for a retail link. It’s like uncrate.com, but just for footie obsessed individuals such as ourselves. So without further wait, my very want pictured below is…

Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII FG in Sail/Soar/Challenge Red
Anyone who regularly reads the blog probably knows that I’m a huge fan of Nike boots. I haven’t worn any shoes other than Nikes as my primary boots since probably college, and almost all of those have been predominantly white themselves. So even though I really dig the “electric mango” version, my preference for the new white-flavored Vapor 8 was actually pretty predictable.

Thanks in part to my extremely narrow and tiny little girl feet, the Vapor line has been a mainstay in my shoe repertoire for quite some time. And with the raving reviews of the latest model of the boot pouring in from around the globe saying that Nike significantly improved their marquee boot, I think it’s time I end my two year run with the CTR 360′s.

CLICK HERE IF YOU WANT  |  www.soccer.com

the official picture of all spurs fans, post champions league final.

This season has certainly been a one of extreme highs and lows as a Spurs fan. Yet from the highs of an ultimately farcical early season title challenge, to the lows of minding a gap of our own, I’m still proud of the club for cracking the top four for the second time in three seasons.

The pride, however, doesn’t save me from the sorrow.

So as Didier Drogba netted the fifth and decisive spot kick for the Blues, I got up from my seat, somberly said my goodbyes to my friends at the pub, had my wife drive me home, and then proceeded directly to bed where I stayed until 6 AM Sunday morning. Admittedly, I probably needed the twelve hours of sleep, but I don’t doubt it had as much to do with trying to sleep away the pain as it did with needing to catch up.

However, as much as I’d like to, blaming yesterday’s Champions League Final result for the disaster of not being able to participate in the world’s premier competition next season is nothing more than blame shifting.

Trust me, I’d love to blame Spurs’ fate on Bayern blowing it. I want to rage at UEFA for their stupid rules. I’d like to scream at Bayern’s Arjen Robben and Bastian Schweinsteiger for taking their penalties with about as much confidence as can be found in a thirteen year-old girl with weight issues. And mostly I want to punch Chelsea’s Roman Abramovich right in his stupid billion dollar face, for stealing something that we rightfully earned with the worst Chelsea squad of his iron-fisted reign. But I know that none of those parties really deserve the blame for the position in which Spurs currently find themselves.

Could one hundred thirty minutes of football really be all it takes to ruin an entire season’s worth of work, and make all of that stress and suffering be for nothing? Sadly, no.

Yes, Spurs had earned fourth place over 38 English Premier League matches. And most years, that’s enough to get you to the promised land. But this wasn’t most years. Tottenham had more than enough opportunity to put themselves in a position where even if Chelsea won, so that Saturday’s result wouldn’t have even mattered. Third was ours for the taking on a number of occasions. But instead of seizing a multitude of moments, we repeatedly shot ourselves in the foot for the better part of three months. As a result, our reward has been downgraded to yet another season toiling away in Europe’s land of afterthoughts, the Europa League. Deservedly so.

Spurs put us here, nobody else. Blaming the downturn in fortunes on John Terry getting to place his racist, adulterous fingerprints all over the European Cup is just a cop-out. We can’t go about pointing fingers at Michel Platini, Fabio Capello, Chris Foy or anyone else, unless we happen to be staring at ourselves in the mirror.

levy will have to show even stronger resolve this summer to hang on to — and appease — spurs’ most valued assets.

And whether it was Old Twitchy losing the plot, the team losing focus, a select few maybe even having their heads turned, or Dan Levy not wanting to spend any money to adequately bolster the squad over the past few windows — it’s probably a combination of all those factors — our club is the only one to blame for the mess we currently find ourselves in.

What comes next is anyone’s guess. A million different scenarios are in play, and if Saturday’s unfortunate result means anything at all, it’s that we have an adventurous summer to look forward too. Our squad might look completely different come September 1st. And on many levels, that’s not a bad thing. All I know is that Levy and Redknapp need to act fast, and act decisively. Get rid of fringe players, bring in fresh (younger) talent, and try our damndest to hold on to our best players, giving our manager all the tools he needs to put us in position to get to the promised land again.

In the mean time — as gutted and angry as I am — I’ll still get behind Tottenham Hostpur Football Club like I have so many times before, and support and love the shirt. Another adventure awaits us just around the corner.

president obama received his official galaxy shirt from landon donovan and a spanish conquistador david beckham.

Now that league champions have been crowned, and European places are (almost) finalized, everyone’s attention has briefly  transitioned from on-field matters to off. Transfer speculation is in full swing, managers have been hired and fired, and agents are busy trying to count their chickens before they’ve hatched, Even the American President has gotten in on the action.

And like every other seasons’ end, I’m struggling to finalize post drafts that I’ve been working on for weeks/months. Some will be trashed, while others might yet see the light of day. So as I busy myself with making such important decisions, here are ten of my favorite  links from the last week to satisfy your quench for footie-related goodness.

Maradona suing Italy for trying to collect his back taxes. – kckrs.com

In case you’ve not seen it, here’s The Two Escobars. – youtube.com

A minimalist’s history of the World Cup. - andrefidusi.com

City might be making another Džeko if they sign Llorente. – inbedwithmaradona.com

Fake country Sealand play their first “international” match. – bbc.co.uk

Spurs’ new Under Armour kits are… surprisingly acceptable.
- reddit.com/user/IamHereForYou

How the players reacted when Hodgson was named England manager.
- theoffside.com

What it takes to put on a live MLS broadcast. – philly.com

United’s signing of Bébé always smelled fishy. – theoriginalwinger.com

Canada and Umbro team up for centenary kit sexiness. – blog.umbro.com

all it takes is one moment of stupidity to tarnish an otherwise truly memorable day.

None of the ten matches finished goalless and 32 were scored in all. And thanks to those goals being spread out into a near even distribution throughout the 95+ minute matchday, it made for great drama as the potential final league table rapidly shifted nearly from minute to minute. At a point early on in the running, United were soon-to-be champions instead of City, Spurs had jumped Arsenal into third, and QPR were sitting in the relegation places instead of Bolton. But by the time every final whistle had been blown, none of that held true. It was so hectic, Fabrice Muamba admitted it was probably bad for his heart.

All said and done, round 38 of the Premier League season was almost the perfect day of football.

So why just almost? Yesterday’s ten matches proved to be a rather undisciplined affair. A total of 30 cautions were handed out, and a further two straight red cards were drawn on top of that. And while that should be expected to a certain extent — after all, a lot was riding on yesterday’s results at both ends of the table — and even added to the intrigue at certain points, it certainly calls into question the merits of the FA’s entire “Respect” campaign.

In particular, QPR midfielder and self-prescribed “pacifist” Joey Barton’s sending off is of great concern.

Yes, Barton is an easy target thanks to his lengthy list of past indiscretions, even more so thanks to the fact that he never shuts his trap on Twitter. And yes, his retaliatory elbow to Carlos Tévez’s face was probably deserved by the Argentine, so I can excuse him for losing his head in the heat of the moment. But his actions post red card — including an unprovoked knee to Kun Agüero’s ass and a mis-directed headbutt aimed at Vincent Kompany — were so far beyond unacceptable professional behavior that I can’t really find words for it.

barton’s histrionics against city were inexcusable, even if entertaining.

As Barton’s on-field meltdown played out, my immediate thought was, “Joey’s just gone over the deep end.” He attacked two players for what appeared to be no reason other than unadulterated rage, so it was easy to write him off as the same old nutter that we saw in Newcastle and City colors in years past. No sense in questioning it further.

But when Barton (inevitably) returned to Twitter after the match to explain himself, he revealed his true intentions to be far worse than just a fit of rage:

The head was never gone at any stage, once I’d been sent off, one of our players suggested I should try to take 1 of theirs with me… (See tweet here)

By saying “the head was never gone at any stage”, that means that Barton knew fully what he was doing, and was acting with a clear head. And by saying that he “should try to take 1 of theirs” with him, it was clear he was deliberately trying to provoke a Manchester City player to retaliate against him and earn their own red card. Or in short, Barton openly admitted that he attacked a player for no reason other than to get another professional sent off… disgusting.

At bare minimum, this kind of lack of professionalism sullied the beautiful nature of yesterday’s generally positive theatrics. And while I can see the tactical ideas behind Barton’s actions, that doesn’t excuse the methods he attempted to use to help level the playing field. He knew he couldn’t get sent off twice and leave his team with just 9 men, so he went out of his way to hurt people just to better his club’s chances of survival. And to me — and hopefully 99% of the fans out there — I’d rather my side go down swinging in a fair fashion, then see us survive because one man chose to abuse the system.

Today, the FA announced they’re charging Barton with two counts of violent conduct, and that’s a good first step. But with only a potential for a 9-match ban under the current system, I think it’s fair to say that Barton deserve a bit longer suspension. Half the season seems appropriate, given his frankness and unapologetic nature about the matter. His lengthy wrap sheet should only amplify the implications. It seems the appropriate message to send about such poor sportsmanship, if only it’s a message to the kids since Barton clearly won’t learn a damn thing from it. Throwing the book at him will hopefully inspire other, current and future players to stray away from such lewd acts moving forward.

the last time i checked, joseph, pacifists don’t need restraining from two members of their coaching staff.

The ironic part about the incident was how unneeded it actually was for Rangers. For one, the melee following Barton’s actions likely created the extra time in which City were able to find two, game-winning and title-securing goals. And two, QPR were only doomed if Bolton were able to secure three points, which couldn’t manage to do. And now his side — the one he’s so glad to have “helped” stay up — will be without one of their crucial players for a sizable chunk of the next campaign. In his own words, what a helmet.

Look, I know I’ve been ranting on about how horrible Barton’s actions were, and how it seems like I think said actions ruined one of the finest days of football action in a generation. But that’s not true: he didn’t ruin it. Barton’s idiotic behavior, however deplorable, was nothing more than a blemish on an otherwise amazing Premier League finale. And in five years time, I doubt his storyline will be the one that springs to mind first when thinking back about it.

But Barton’s behavior is the type of tarnish that’s hard to rub off, and one that the Premier League would be wise to address before similar behavior permanently ruins the league’s shiny appeal.

could we be on the edge of a new sky blue-tinted era in england’s top flight?

Most things in life are cyclical in nature, where periods of normalcy are interrupted by periods of change. Some periods might be longer or even permanent, while others are short and fleeting. The rise and fall of the stock market, the warming and cooling of the earth, and even Real Madrid’s or Barcelona’s dominance of La Liga are all prime examples of the eras within these cycles that we see come and go. Each has a beginning, and each has its end.

When thinking about the 2011/2012 Premier League Season, it’s easy to wonder if we might be at the beginning of a new era in the English top flight. Looking at the league table with just a week’s worth of fixtures left to play, that could very well be the case.

Manchester City’s lavish spending over the last few years appears on the verge of finally coming good, as they’re in pole position to supplant their neighbors as champions for their first league title since 1968. Manchester United — the most dominant side in the Premier League era — are likely to fall just short thanks to their own transitional period at the club.  Supposing the Citizens secure three points at QPR this weekend, they’ll be the first side outside the traditional “Big Four” clubs to win the title since Blackburn Rovers also bought their way to the title in 1994.

Continue reading “The end of an era for the Premier League?” on KYCK. →

it’s alright fabrice, some dust blew into my eyes just prior kickoff too.

With the European season winding down, high drama is in overtime with all of the various plot lines around the world of football starting to reach their conclusions. The title race, the war for the Champions League places and the relegation scrap are all reaching fever pitch entering the last two weeks of the season in the Premier League. Montpellier, just a few matches away from claiming their first ever Ligue 1 title, spectacularly lost their cool and will now be without captain Younes Belhanda for the rest of campaign through suspension. Real Madrid even bagged their first La Liga title in four years, prompting celebrations in the Spanish capital that thousands of toddlers around Spain had never seen before.

That’s not even including all of the transfer speculation heating up… lucky you, I’m not going to even broach that subject today. Instead, I provide you these ten links in less than 100 words to get your weekend off to a roaring start.

Muamba’s return to the Reebok… tugs at the heart-strings. – news.sky.com

A clever bit of “Barça Iconography”: their own Holy Trinity. – twitter/#/Paul_Morrissey

Why I live on the wrong side of the pond. – deadspin.com

Ironically, a great thread arguing how American soccer actually is.
- reddit.com/user/botron

Someone lock this man in a hotel room, too. – kickette.com

Like the soap opera Dreamteam, except it’s a real team. – dirtytackle.net

Guess which of these gimmicky products I formerly owned. – theclassical.org

The Rust Belt Derby… a non-manufactured, organic rivalry. – soccernews.com

Why Woy is the wight man fow the job. – zonalmarking.net

If WSOTP had an office, this would hang there. – kckrs.com

here we see borg standing next to a woman. she probably has no clue how uncomfortable her presence makes him feel.

Mr. Simon Borg
MLSsoccer.com
420 Fifth Avenue, 7th Floor
New York, NY 10018

Mr. Borg:

I am writing with regards to your comments concerning female soccer fans around the 59′ mark in the May 2, 2012, edition of the ExtraTime Radio podcast on MLSsoccer.com. Since the podcast itself has been edited to remove said comments — and just in case you’ve managed to forget what you said during recording — I’ve provided the quote below:

It’s fine if you’re a female and you want to be a super-fan. Clearly go for it, that’s your choice. But there is something to be said for how appealing that might be to the other sex. Having a woman that’s such a fan, like painting your face, tuning in to every podcast. I don’t know how many males would be into that.

It’s great that in Kansas City there are a lot of women in the stands, it’s great, but for the guy who wants maybe a serious relationship… If you are following just casually, but if you’re such a die-hard, I don’t know, it comes a point that it is a bit of a turn-off. (source)

Where to start, where to start. Oh, I know… that was a pretty sexist statement. Effectively, you’re saying that it’s not really socially acceptable for women to be “super-fans”, or at the very least that it’s not “appealing.” You know what else used to be unappealing for women? Voting, being in the work place, and wearing jeans. Perhaps you’d like it better if we could wind back the clock to the good ol’ days before women’s suffrage was ratified, where ladyfolk wore respectable, floor-length dresses and they knew their role was to let their husbands enjoy an MLS match without being bothered by her cumbersome yapping.

Last time I checked, ExtraTime isn’t a league-sponsored dating advice podcast. It’s an MLS-centric and soccer podcast, so perhaps we can stick to commentary that’s along those subject lines. Even if your show was about dating, your comments could best be described as terrible advice. Isn’t it awfully presumptuous on your part to assume that not that many males would be into a females that are “die-hard” soccer fans? You confirmed that’s not what your into, but I can guarantee that there are plenty of guys who are.

trust me when i say, there's a man out there that finds this young lady enamoring.

In fact, one of the multitude of reasons I decided to marry my wife was due to her being an ardent soccer fan prior to the two of us even meeting. I liked that I didn’t have to take her to her first MLS match (never mind her 20th or 30th), that she played and continues to play soccer, and that I didn’t have to explain to her the difference between club football and international football. She has her own opinions about the sport independent of mine, and we’ve even had heated arguments spawn out of conversations about who should be in Tottenham’s starting eleven on match days. To be honest, I had to marry a girl like her just because she understands my passion for and need to write about the beautiful game.

However, my biggest problem with all of your comments, Mr. Borg, is that you’re not just some small-minded journalist writing for a mid-sized, Midwestern city’s newspaper or blogging at some underexposed blog from the same portion of the country (ahem). No, you write and talk on the league’s official website. Which means you’re technically on the league’s payroll, and therefore represent their interests. And whether you believe it or not, your influential position means you can help to shape the thoughts and ideals of your listeners and readers. That makes statements like these extremely dangerous.

I can guarantee you that MLS wants those female fans just as much as the men, and I’d imagine a short walk up to Don Garber’s office will confirm as much. Their tickets and replica gear cost just as much as their male counterparts, after all.

And if you think about it for a minute, female MLS fans could potentially be even more valuable than male. They’ll bring not just themselves to the game, but could also potentially lure admirers to attend — men have done far worse to earn a woman’s admiration — or bring an army of children to games too. Soccer mom’s are a powerful demographic, or so the story goes.

So next time your on air and the topic of conversation swings in a similar direction where your personal opinion on non-soccer matters could come in to play, stop and think for a moment. Otherwise, you should probably get used to pulling that foot out of your mouth.

Respectfully,

D.J. Switzer
Wrong Side of the Pond

levy has a lot of work to do to right tottenham's ship, regardless of whether we finish third, fourth or fifth.

Labeling Spurs’ close to the season as a disaster — which has involved pissing away a sizable third-place gap and free-falling as low as fifth — would be a massive understatement.

What a difference a few months of bad form can make. Back in January, I was filling this space with ideas on how Spurs should bolster their ranks in the summer to strengthen the squad ahead of our next Champions League campaign. Now, we’re staring headlong into another season in the perpetual wasteland that is the Europa League and facing the prospects of having to sell off our best players. At least that’s what everyone suspects will happen if the boys continue on as they have in the second half of the season. And describing it as a “worst case scenario” seems apt, though I admittedly understand there are those facing an even more horrible fate.

How it’s gone down isn’t worth rehashing in detail since Tottenham’s demise has been well documented, and because I’m trying to spare myself from reliving the nightmares. That said, I will continue to give Harry Redknapp a dirty look from across the room, just in case you need a hint at who I’d like to blame.

So assuming the cookie completely crumbles, where do we go from here? If we take on some optimism — something that’s become increasingly rare at White Hart Lane and in Spurs forums over the last few months — it would leave you to believe that things can only go up from here. But considering this was the season formerly hailed as the “best for Spurs in a generation”, common sense tells me things could potentially get much, much worse. Therefore, if we do end up on the outside looking in of the Champions League, the question becomes, “How do we stop the slide and get things back on track?”

Continue reading “Worst case scenario” on The Fighting Cock →

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.

in all the hullabaloo yesterday', i somehow missed the USMNT/USWNT kit announcement... we were long overdue for making the same kit for both teams, though i'm still not sold on the hoops.

With the dust having settled after yesterday’s epic announcement, I wanted to extend welcome to all of the new readers who were lucky kind enough to stumble across WSOTP over the last 48 hours. The Cult of Rolfe extends far and wide, and I’ve been mightily impressed at the speed and distance by which they’re able to spread information… you lot had Soccer by Ives tweeting and Taylor Twellman re-tweeting my link within an hour of posting. Stellar work.

Hopefully some of you will stick around to see what else the blog has in store… and maybe disseminate my writing a bit further. But just as I warned on Twitter yesterday, if you’re expecting this space to be inundated solely with Rolfe/Fire news… you might end up a bit disappointed.

Anyway, thanks again for stopping by the blog — whatever your reason — and as a reward just for you, enjoy some of my ten favorite links from the last week.

Solid Euro 2012 infographic to help build the excitement. – betting-guru.com

The official song of Sir Alex Ferguson’s mindgames. – fitbathatba.com

Facepalm Level: Infinity. Worst idea ever to fix US soccer. – businessinsider.com

I need the brown ones, but I want the rest. – nikeinc.com

The only way you could get me to play golf. – golfoot.ch (warning: French)

Spurs vs. Norwich… through the lens of a crack pipe. – dearmrlevy.com

The new Houston Dynamo stadium looks drool worthy.
- youtube.com/houstondynamovideos

Puyol gets his face stapled mid match, like a man. – dirtytackle.net

The Predator line just made a major left turn. – soccerbible.com

An honest look at the urgency for goal line technology. – theseventytwo.com

rolfe's contract with aalborg expires at the end of the danish season. a new adventure awaits him, but where?

Flash forward to today, and after two successful years abroad — and WSOTP now receiving moderately higher traffic — we again find Mr. Rolfe at a crossroads. With his AaB contract due to expire in December, the Kettering, Ohio native has a decision to make once more… and this time, I actually do have the exclusive.

On the edge of your seat yet? Good.

Speculation on the interwebs over the last few months has centered around whether or not Rolfe would extend his stay with Aalborg, get snapped up by Danish rivals Brøndby, or wind up with another European side, among other various predictions. In a recent interview with MLS, Rolfe was clearly keeping his options open:

“I don’t really have a plan,” he admitted. “It’s more about the opportunities that come up and evaluating them. I’m up for anything, really. I wouldn’t rule out MLS at all.”

And it’s that last sentence which has had fans of the Chicago Fire in a frenzy ever since. Long a favorite of Fire supporters — dating back to his days playing for the Fire Reserves in the PDL — there’s been a large contingent calling for Rolfe’s return pretty much since the day he departed for pastures anew. A return from Europe to Chicago for their former hero would be akin to the second coming to many of the devoted followers in the Church of the Fire.

Well ready your flares Section 8, and dust off that old #17 kit while you’re at it…

It’s with great pleasure that I can exclusively announce that Chris Rolfe is returning to the Chicago Fire.

the best part? i didn't even have to photoshop rolfe into a fire uniform.

Rolfe informed me by email that he’ll be rejoining his former club effective April 15th, meaning he will be joining up with the team on the last day of the MLS transfer window.

There had been concerns that Chris wouldn’t even be able to rejoin the Fire even if he did return stateside, as it was expected that he’d be subject to the league’s allocation process for returning American internationals. With Chicago currently sitting eight back in the MLS Allocation Rankings, the outcome would likely be that a returning Rolfe would end up in the hands of another club. But taking a closer look at the MLS Roster Rules, there’s a nice loophole that left the Fire in pole position to re-acquire their former star.

Thanks to Rule IV: Right of First Refusal, Chicago maintained first right to add Rolfe to their roster for two reasons:

1. In the event an out-of-contract player signs with MLS, “a team retains the right of first refusal to the player indefinitely only if attempts were made to re-sign the player”. So since the Fire offered a contract extension to Rolfe before he signed with AaB, they still have first dibs on him, but only because…
2. If a team receives allocation money as a result of a player’s transfer outside of MLS, “the team does not retain a right of first refusal.” Luckily, the Fire did not receive any compensation from MLS for Rolfe’s departure.

And thanks to that loophole, Rolfe will be returning to the side where he’s already made a significant mark. He tallied 36 times and registered 18 assists in 123 regular season appearances during his first stint in Chicago. That’s not to mention his knack for contributing when it really counts, such as his 4 goals and 3 assists in 13 playoff matches. With all of that in mind, you can see why the fans have wanted him back for so long.

Chris, it seems, is also looking forward to his homecoming, and had this to say about his time in Denmark coming to a close, and the upcoming return to his old stomping grounds at Toyota Park:

“The past two years have provided a great life experience for me, but I couldn’t be more excited to be coming back to Chicago. My heart is with this club. I want to help this team win and accomplish our goals and give something back to our fans who have continued to support me even while I’ve been away.”

I think it’s fair to say that we’re all glad to have him back too.

meet claudio storelli, one of the founders of storelli sports.

When I was kid, the little knocks and scrapes that I’d pick up over the course of the game didn’t seem like that big of a deal. The next day, I’d be a bit sore and maybe need a band-aid or two, but I could play on mostly unaffected. Though I’m sure my mother would have preferred I not pick up so many so she wasn’t always having to bleach the blood out of my uniforms and practice gear.

But these days — now that my youthful adrenaline and testosterone has apparently been drained from my body — those same little knocks and scrapes are anything but a little deal. Bruises ache for days, if not weeks. Scrapes seem to take forever to heal, and my work pants always get stuck to them. I’m still limping about from a slide tackle I took last week. And now it’s my wife that’s stuck having to get the stains out of my clothes.

Wouldn’t it be great if there was a way for me to minimize those annoying little injuries? Something that would be low profile or look like I’ve wrapped myself in foam like the kid from “The Little Giants”.

Luckily, there is… and I actually know the guy who makes it. In fact, I grew up playing with him. And I recently sat down with Claudio Storelli, the founder of Storelli Sports, so he could tell us about his up and coming brand of protective gear for soccer players of all ages and abilities.

D.J. @ WSOTP: Claudio, thanks for catching up with me my old friend! It’s been quite a few years since I’ve heard “Claudio’s Coming to America” story, and I’m sure quite a few reading have never heard it. Would you mind giving us a quick 2-minute biography on your life, and how a guy born in Milan ended up in New York and launching a soccer brand?

Claudio Storelli: Well my friend, after my days playing soccer with you in Ohio I went to college at Santa Clara University, where I played Division I soccer. It was a really awesome experience, especially considering I was only 16 my freshman year and we made it to the National Championship. Great memories! After two years there I transferred to Stanford University, graduating with a dual degree in Econ and Philosophy.

I then moved on to Columbia Law School in the Big Apple, which is funny because when I started there I couldn’t even drink! And though I graduated by 23, I decided that law wasn’t for me… so I went into business. First as a top management consultant at McKinsey & Co., then by starting a few businesses. My latest creation is Storelli Sports, and it is also the one that makes me the proudest. It is truly a beautiful idea being executed in a beautiful way, and we are having a ton of fun with our customers in the process.

D.J. @ WSOTP: So you ended up in New York City working the life of a big city business man… how did you end up launching a new sportswear brand?

Claudio Storelli: In September 2009, Jing Liang (co-founder and Head of Technology & Product Development) and I were playing indoor soccer at a prestigious indoor facility in downtown Manhattan. The league was frequented primarily by investment bankers who — at least at the time — had no shortage of money. We noticed that though our fellow players were wearing the most expensive gear available, from $400 boots to premium shirts, you’d still see players with big, bloody “strawberries” on their thighs, others with gashes on theirs knees, and someone was always limping along thanks to a kick to the side of his calf. Something was clearly wrong with that picture.

Those players had the money to buy any product they wanted, yet they were coming out of the field injured as if they had been to battle. Anyone who’s played in a youth tournament — or watched their kids play in one — could certainly relate. At that moment, Jing and I realized that there wasn’t a soccer brand out there that focused on protection beyond the classic shin guards. This was true even though there was a very “painful” need for that protection, to prevent from having the fun sucked out of the game and making parents worry more than they should. At that moment, the idea of Storelli Sports was born.

D.J. @ WSOTP: With how fast and physical the kids are these days in my own indoor leagues, I could definitely see how some extra protection from the late tackles would be a great idea. But taking a great idea from the drawing board to reality can be a tricky task. How did you get the Storelli Sports off the ground?

Claudio Storelli: Before we could even have a product made, we had to research why the “big brands” hadn’t addressed the issue themselves. Our findings were two-fold:

1. Soccer is not recognized as a high impact sport, and since the big money is in shoes, branded kits, and cheaply made/expensively sold soccer apparel, those brands kept focusing on all the traditional “money-making” aspects of the sport. But in the process, they’ve ignored some of the most impactful issues that players around the world face, such as the injuries that players pick up by hitting other players and/or the ground.
2. Traditional protective materials — like EVA foam or neoprene found inside football pads/helmets — aren’t well suited to protect soccer players, and need to be bulky to afford real protection, thus limiting flexibility, comfort and range of movement. Think about it this way… you could wrap your thigh in shinguards, but you would end up looking and moving like Robocop!

the low-profile appearance of the BodyShield GK 3/4 shirt conceals strategically placed protective padding.

The end conclusion from those two points: Storelli needed to find a technological solution outside of soccer. After several months experimenting with materials used originally by NASA, we settled on a special type of polyurethane foam that expresses remarkable impact absorption properties, while being lightweight, breathable, flexible and even anti-bacterial. But figuring out how to get this new foam into soccer gear was another problem altogether. For that Storelli again turned outside the world of soccer to Tom Marchesi, who was recruited to be the creative soul of Storelli Sports. Tom had spent the last few years designing “cool” products for skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding brand Dakine. Working with construction techniques never adopted in soccer, Tom had the unique ability to draw from his “outside” experience with designs and materials to find creative, very different solutions. We also thought it was important to include players in our design process from the get-go, and polled a large test group on every dimension of the gear. In this way, the resulting products would be something that players liked, not just something that the Storelli team liked.

D.J. @ WSOTP: So with all of this outside influence in Storelli’s gear, I’d imagine your designs aren’t exactly run of the mill?

Claudio Storelli: Your right… Storelli gear looks NOTHING like normal soccer gear! It looks more like something a speedracer would wear to protect him/herself from accidents. Or as a recent customer eloquently put it, “Storelli gear feels like something Batman would wear….it looks cool….when I wear it, I feel protected, I feel stronger!”

D.J. @ WSOTP: So what are these Batman-esque products that Storelli is integrating these new technologies into? Please don’t tell me you’re making a utility belt.

Claudio Storelli: Hahaha… no, we’re not making Batman utility belts! But so far, Storelli has produced three patent-pending inventions: our signature ChesTrap™ chest-pad that makes it easy to trap the ball by absorbing impact and shots; the aXorb™ goalkeeper glove foam technology that affords unparalleled shot absorption, and the LegGuard™, a groundbreaking new piece of lower leg protective equipment that stands to revolutionize standard soccer gear. All three technologies can be found in our Storelli BodyShield line, which we feel is the most innovative line of technical soccer apparel to come out in decades.

D.J. @ WSOTP: So you keep mentioning about the technical aspects and benefits of your technology. While it’s one thing for you to tell me how great Storelli’s products are, I’m a man who likes some hard evidence to back things up. Do you have any science to wow us with?

Claudio Storelli: We do. But rather than explain it to you, why don’t I show it to you? First up is our protective foam technology:

Next up is a short clip demonstrating the technological benefits of our aXorb™ goalkeeper gloves.

D.J. @ WSOTP: Now seeing how you’re a goalkeeper yourself, it seems like these products are specifically geared towards your fellow netminders.

Claudio Storelli: At the moment, Storelli gear does seem skewed towards goalies. But the brand is NOT just a goalkeeper brand. In fact, we’ve actually just introduced our first gear for outfield players in the BodyShield Sliders, and we will soon be debuting ChesTrap™ undershirts and LegGuard™ for field players too. The last two are currently being tested and worn by professionals around the world and is getting a LOT of players excited…

D.J. @ WSOTP: Wait… you’ve got sponsored pros already? Care to namedrop at all?

i spy with my little eye... a shamrock rover wearing storelli.

Claudio Storelli: I am literally biting my lips right now. But my PR agent is staring at me with the look of an old angry teacher who knows you are about to do something bad… Okay, I will behave! What I can tell you is that Storelli has decided to focus and invest first and foremost on new technologies and materials, and so we’ve passed up on the opportunity to associate — and pay — “big name” players to our logo. In fact, the opposite has happened. Because of the value our products offer and their lack of substitutes, professional players have come from all over to ask to wear our gear! Right now, we have players rocking Storelli that play for Philadelphia Union and Chivas USA in MLS, Shamrock Rovers and several other top European clubs that we can’t mention due to their contractual relationships with other brands. So if you’re particularly eagle-eyed, you might just see it yourself!

D.J. @ WSOTP: Fair enough. So if I were a player wanting to snag some Storelli gear of my own, where should I look?

Claudio Storelli: There are loads of places to get your own Storelli products, the first and most obvious of which is our website, www.storelli.com. But just six months on from our initial launch, the uptake and demand for Storelli exceeded even our expectations! All of the most important soccer outlets are considering carrying us — despite it being a really new brand — and we can now be found in hundreds of brick and mortar soccer stores across Europe and the US. You can even order Storelli gear from online retail giants like Europsort, World Soccer Shop and The Goalkeeper Co.

D.J. @ WSOTP: With that many outlets already offering Storelli gear, it’s understandable why you and your team are so excited about the prospects for the brand. Are there any exciting developments around the corner that you’d like to let us know about?

Claudio Storelli: There is really ton of exciting stuff happening. First off, we are coming out with some products that will really change the way people dress when playing soccer. And I’m not talking about launching a bright pink shoe hoping to start a temporary fashion trend with little substance behind it! I am talking technical products with real science behind them, and a functional purpose that no other product provides. For example: our LegGuard™… you’ve never seen anything like it. And after wearing it and seeing that you can run through defenders and not care if you get kicked left and right, you’ll probably wonder “Why did it take this long for someone to come up with this brilliant idea?!”.

debuting soon for storelli is their innovative LegGuard, which offers 360-degree protection.

We also have three-quarter pants for goalies and field players on the horizon too. You know how we all come out of practices and games with bloody knees? Nobody right mind would play soccer wearing silly knee pads. So we’ve designed two really aggressive pair of pants with embedded protection that is completely hidden, but still super effective. So you can dive or slide around like crazy, and come out unscathed. No more bloody knees or thighs that stick to your sheets at night. No more wounds that re-open at every practice. All that is left is the love for the game, and your desire to play as hard as you can.

D.J. @ WSOTP: That’s all really exciting stuff! I’m curious to see where you see Storelli Sports five years down the road. Are you hoping to continue expanding your offerings, or instead focusing on improving the existing set of products?

Claudio Storelli: In five years a lot will happen, and on three axes. First, we will broaden our line to cover players from head to toe. Second, we are investing heavily in researching new technologies that are at the cutting edge of any industry, not just the soccer industry — which is traditionally pretty slow to adopt innovation. And third, we have new patent-pending innovations to come and have no intention of stopping.

Other brands have the luxury of placing a logo on a $1 shirt and sell it at $100 because of their expensive ads. Storelli Sports doesn’t have that luxury. We survive only if our products are the best, most technical products out there. So we intend to stay at the forefront of innovation and change the lives of soccer players around the world.

D.J. @ WSOTP: Well Claudio, thanks so much for sharing so much about your exciting new Storelli Sports brand. But I do have one last thing for you, and it will force you to dive back in to your memory banks to answer. Around the time when you first came to US, you traveled with my family and I to take in your very first MLS game. Do you remember what you were most excited about from that game?

Claudio Storelli: Oh man, I can’t believe you remember that! You just put a huge smile on my face. And it’s all coming back to me… Columbus Crew game against Miami Fusion and Valderrama was playing, right? I can think of several things that would have got me super excited at that age… tell me if any are correct.

1. Hot dogs. For some reason, I have a thing for hot dogs at sporting events. It’s strange.
2. The cheerleaders… to admire their technical dancing skills, obviously. But, give me a break, I was 15 and there are no cheerleaders in Italy!
3. Valderrama. That guy was amazing. He didn’t run at all, but his passing was great…. and his fantastic hair of course!

D.J. @ WSOTP: Now that’s the Claudio I remember! And while I certainly remember your “fondness” for the cheerleaders, the thing I remember you wanting to see the most was the old MLS-style shoot out. If I recall correctly, you were probably the only person to celebrate at Columbus Crew Stadium when the visiting Fusion scored a late equalizer… just because you would get to see our thankfully now-retired tie-breaker! If we only knew that the young shouting Italian kid in the stands would one day be dressing the pros we were watching on the field! Best of luck to you, Claudio.

Many thanks again to Claudio Storelli for sharing with us today about his exciting new Storelli Sports Brand. Not to mention, it was great to catch up with an old friend!

And to reward those readers who’ve read through the entire interview, Claudio would like to reward you with a discount when you shop next at www.storelli.com… all you have to do is enter the coupon code “WSOTP” at checkout, and you’ll receive 25% off your purchase!

there's been no word yet on whether cristiano will have to cover up his oily thighs when visiting madrid's new island resort in the UAE.

We’ve finally made it to the half century mark for my TWOL series. And to be honest, I’m not entirely sure if I should be celebrating that milestone, seeing as how the series exists simply because I’m a blogger who is too lazy to write his own original content all the time.

Admittedly, I’ve been a bit stretched lately due to an increased workload in my real world job, and moonlighting as a guest blogger on some other sites. But that’s no reason to ignore this space, so my deepest apologies if you’re feeling neglected. I do have some pretty interesting original content in the pipeline for you… though the ten links below will have to suffice as I continue to fine tune the new posts for the limelight.

See WSOTP (#11) on The Football Attic’s “League of Blogs”. – thefootballattic.com

Liverpool has Pinterest: not shocking considering how soft they’ve played. – pinterest.com

We need this in the U.S. far more than the UK. - soccerlens.com

Have you ever wanted to control Arsene’s Swedish dance moves? - fuldans.se

Why MLS should avoid foreigners with a long wrap sheet. – soccerbyives.com

Real builds $1b resort, removes logo’s cross to appease locals. – dirtytackle.net

Your side can’t score? Remind them where the goal is. – 101greatgoals.com

For nerds only: Kit Supplier statistics from around Europe. –  sportundmarkt.com
(warning: PDF download link)

Ronaldo vs Nadal: part of me wishes this was real. - youtube.com/NikeFootball

Pardew likens Ben Arfa to Messi… a.k.a “a stretch”. – bbc.co.uk

www.thefightingcock.co.uk

So since my last post was focused on the Lillywhites, that means this post shouldn’t be, right? Well actually, I’m going to quasi-break my own rule. You see this newest Spurs article I’ve written isn’t on this site; it’s actually on another site.

BOOM… loophole.

While I know that many of you rely solely on my blog to stay up to date on the latest happenings in the world’s game (I kid), there are actually other blogs out there, too. Shocking, eh? As it turns out, many of them are actually quite good too. One of my favorites happens to be The Fighting Cock, a podcast/blog run by eight Spurs fans based in the UK. And to my bewilderment, the lot have been kind enough to allow me to pen a guest post on their blog.

So if you’d wouldn’t mind hearing me rant on again about Tottenham for another 1500 words or so, click here to read “Clearing the hurdles” on TheFightingCock.co.uk. →

Dig within. Within is the wellspring of Good; and it is always ready to bubble up, if you just dig. – Marcus Aurelius

bale and company have the ability.

Perpetual gloom and doom hangs over White Hart Lane these days, at least that’s how it has felt the last few weeks. Spurs’ terrible run of form would normally be enough to drag squad and fan spirits down on its own, but Muamba’s near-tragedy on pitch last weekend was another blow to the collective despair that currently surrounds the club. The feeling is pervasive, and seems to have reached every corner of the Tottenham’s being.

Our manager has had his head turned, and predictably lost the plot because of it. Though injuries have forced his hand at times, Harry’s willingness to mess with a winning formula has been confounding. Gareth Bale is one of the world’s finest left wingers: let’s let him wander the middle of the pitch or switch him temporarily permanently to the right. Luka Modrić is one of the most sought-after center midfielders in the game: it will be best to play him wide left where he won’t see enough touches to impact the match. We’ve been one of the best sides this season at stretching the pitch and playing direct: maybe we should play narrow and through the middle now… you know, just for shits and giggles.

Speaking of injuries, they’ve finally hit us hard enough to hurt. Though not a world-class player in the same sense as Modders, Bale or Rafa, Aaron Lennon’s absence has been very influential. His pace, when paired with Bale’s on the opposite side, is crucial to Spurs’ ability to stretch opposing defenses and make room for the more creative players to orchestrate opportunities. Without Adebayor up top, we’ve lost the target man and hold-up play a direct offense requires. That’s not to mention that we’re only another Gallas hamstring away from having a legitimate crisis at center half. And with Scott Parker looking rusty the last few matches, perhaps we can again find fault in the manager. Undoubtedly, Redknapp’s reluctance to rotate the squad earlier this season looks to have come back to haunt him.

Then, of course, there’s that pesky drop in form I mentioned earlier. A quick glance at the League Form Table over the last 8 games sees us sitting a paltry 13th, just ahead of relegation candidate QPR and just behind potential top four foe and weekend opponent Chelsea. Had it not been for van der Vaart’s last gasp header against Stoke on Wednesday night, we’d be sitting in at least 16th. If you’re at all worried about Saturday’s visit to Stanford Bridge, I would strongly recommend not having a look at Tottenham’s form over their last five away fixtures… unless you’re feeling up for a/n panic attack/aneurysm.

Some of our fellow supporters have even started turning on the players, which is equal parts predictable and deplorable. How telling the boys that they’re worth “less than poo” will benefit them or spur them on to victory is beyond me, but who am I to judge how other’s cope with such a drop in fortunes?

To make use of an overused Austin Powers phrase, it’s clear that Tottenham as a whole have “lost their mojo”. The swagger and confidence that oozed from the side and fanbased in the first two-thirds has been suppressed. But despite all of that, I’m relatively calm heading into the clash with Chelsea.

So what if the injury bug persists, likewise if Redknapp continues to experiment. Who cares if the Scum have erased the gap. Those are all worrying and troublesome, but all hope is not lost.

chelsea and torres have struggled for form themselves.

Firstly, of all the “Big Four” sides that we could be facing this weekend, Chelsea are ones I most prefer. As mentioned earlier, the Blues aren’t exactly in the best run of form themselves, and they’re arguably the only club in the Premier League that have had more internal drama than Spurs this season. John Terry should be missing through injury — hardly a good omen for a team who’s been defensively fragile this year — and will instead do his best to play managerial puppeteer to interim boss Roberto di Matteo. And even though Torres finally ended his 25+ hour goalless streak, his mental stability is anything but proven at this point.

Secondly, it’s not like we’ve been playing absolutely horrible football of late. There have been flashes of the old Spurs throughout this barren run. Against Stoke, Bale had a beautiful blast against the bar, not to mention we bossed possession. In fact Spurs have done surprisingly well in possession during this stretch, having only narrowly lost the statistical battle in three of the last eight matches (@Arsenal – 43%, @Liverpool – 48%, @City – 47%). They’ve also created nearly 50 more goal scoring opportunities than their opposition during the same run, which suggests that if their finishing improves marginally then they could start taking more points. The City match could have turned out differently had Balotelli been correctly sent off. Maybe we could have taken the spoils against United too, had Adebayor’s early goal not been incorrectly disallowed.

This is essentially the same squad that we’ve had all season, barring some minor personnel changes. We know they’re capable of turning in some breathtaking performances, ones that are more than enough to knock down a side in turmoil such as Chelsea. All we need is for the manager to place the players in the right formation, a little more belief, and a sprinkling of the luck we’ve missed out on the last few weeks, to help lift the gloom that’s hung over the club, the players and the supporters alike.

The ability that’s needed already exists in this Tottenham Hotspur side, they just need to dig deep within themselves to find it again.

spring's warmer temperatures mean soccer in the states will finally ends its long winter hibernation.

On one hand, I’m thoroughly looking forward to my Sunday outdoor league starting in the next few weeks. On the other hand, I’m not in nearly good enough shape to make the move to the larger pitch and the additional running it requires. Just the same, while I’m really looking forward to writing about the increased amounts of footie we get to see with the arrival of warmer temperatures in the US and congested fixture lists in Europe, the warmer weather also means that a sizable chunk of my normal writing time will now be consumed by lawn and garden maintenance. The joys of being a full-fledged grown up, right?

So to keep you distracted from your own Spring time obligations, I figured I could pump out a quick TWOL with ten of my favorite links from the last week or so.

Okay, maybe Orlando isn’t so bad a pick for MLS. – inbedwithmaradona.com

Turkey’s Eskisehirspor: the spiritual home of 4chan/Reddit trolls. – dirtytackle.net

Worried that you’re a football fan hipster? Diagnose yourself here. – thefcf.co.uk

Barcelona’s purported ulterior motive: aiding Syrian rebels with arms smuggling.
- theoffside.com

Ganso’s got the vision. – ojogobonito.net

Tottenham and Arsenal have a lot in common this summer. – soccernet.com

My Spurs match-day routine, as seen on The Fighting Cock. – thefightingcock.co.uk

Where oh where will Rolfey end up? – mlssoccer.com

England’s National Training Ground… bloody brilliant. – youtube.com

Digging the “mango” colorway on the new Vapor 8′s. – soccerbible.com

sometimes it takes extraordinary events to really put things in perspective.

And thanks in large part to the sports’ association with Ireland stateside, soccer suddenly becomes everyone’s second favorite sport on St. Patrick’s. Ireland and Celtic kits are just as much of staples as shamrocks and kilts. As a football fan in America, it’s great because, for once, you won’t get (as many) angry stares for having the bartender change one of the TV’s behind the bar to a match on a Saturday afternoon.

This year’s St. Patty’s celebrations were particularly large due to the holiday being celebrated on a weekend for the first time since 2007, unseasonably warm temperatures, and because of the early tip-offs for NCAA March Madness basketball games. Since the wife and I regularly watch Tottenham matches at one of the only Irish pubs in Northern Cincinnati, we figured we would need to get there extra-early to make sure we got a seat at the bar to watch Spurs’ winnable FA Cup quarterfinal against Bolton. After the match, we had plans to meet up with some of my old high school buddies to continue paying tribute to the 5th century Irish priest.

All said, it seemed the recipe for a great little Saturday.

A full-parking lot awaited us when we arrived an hour and half before the 1:30 pm kickoff, the festivities already in full swing. As you might predict, most weren’t there for the football… but the more the merrier, right? However to our dismay, all of the bar stools that normally lined the bar had been removed to allow for the larger crowds they expected later in the day. Not only did this mean we would have to stand for the next hour and a half to keep our spot at the bar, but we’d also be standing another two hours for the duration of the match too. “At least it’s like a traditional match day pub experience in the UK,” I told my wife, trying to look on the bright side of the development.

But once we settled into our spot, the friendly staff of bartenders we’d gotten to know over the last few years let us know that most of their normal taps had been removed in favor of more “Irish” brews in honor of the holiday. Grrrrrrr… well okay, I probably needed to have a few Guinness on St. Patty’s anyway. Though they did manage to make it up to us a bit, as they made an exception to their limited beverage list rules for the day to get my wife her favored Snakebites… it pays to be regulars.

And while I appreciated that the pub brought in performers to give us some traditional Irish music to get everyone in the Irish spirit, it also meant that we didn’t get hear the match commentary or crowds like we normally would when watching at the Claddagh. Again, another minor annoyance, but we would survive.

Then just four minutes before the expected half-time whistle, Bolton’s Fabrice Muamba collapsed face down on the pitch.

I didn’t see any contact between the England U-23 international and anyone on Spurs. He’s just milking the clock, mock injury… get on with it kid. But when the first physio sprinted out and tried to flip a convulsing, limp Muamba on to his back, and then the  cameras permanently cut away… we knew something far more serious was unfolding on the White Hart Lane pitch.

even without context, you could tell something bad had happened here.

As I mentioned earlier, the match volume was muted due to the St. Patty’s celebrations, so those of us watching the match had no clue what was happening. However, the images coming through the TV were enough to let us know the gravity of the situation, even without the commentators to clue us in.

A distraught Assou-Ekotto, standing on the periphery of the now large group of physio’s treating Muamba, stood motionless with his gloved hands covering his face. Nigel Reo-Coker crouched close to his downed teammate, a face in shock. Rafa van der Vaart paced anxiously away, his hands locked in prayer. Wanderers’ boss Owen Coyle could be seen wiping tears from his eyes, an action emulated by multitudes of fans on both sides of the divide. Even referee Howard Webb, normally a bastion of calm, was visibly shaken.

By the time the Fabrice was being stretchered off the pitch, the medical staff still performing CPR, we had pieced the evidence together. At the very least he wasn’t breathing, and possibly had suffered a heart attack. The club captains and managers, along with Webb, rightly decided to abandon the match.

hang in there big guy.

Suddenly, all of the petty little things that I thought might ruin my special “holiday” in the lead up to such a tragic event — no places to sit, a lack of match commentary, the bar not having my preferred beer on tap, Tottenham conceding another soft goal — seemed properly insignificant.

It’s a bit embarrassing to admit that it took a player almost dying on pitch yesterday to make me realize how — in the big scheme of things — this is just a game and that there are more important things in life (sometimes) than which team of eleven men can kick a ball between the other’s sticks.

If one positive thing is to be taken out of all of this, it’s better perspective. Watch this wrenching video of the entire experience and see how the fans of both teams joined together to chant the fallen player’s name. FAAA-BREEEEECE MUUU-AMMMBAAA… like they were willing him back to life. The physios were also showered with the cheers normally reserved for star players, finally proving just how invaluable they actually are in Muamba’s time of need. And Webb was even applauded for calling the match; an honorable reaction to a respectful decision.

As others have said better than I, maybe it takes tragedy to help us, the footballing world, see the light. Here’s hoping that on St. Patty’s Day, Fabrice Muamba picked up a bit of that fabled Luck o’ the Irish I was so concerned with earlier… the boy’s going to need it much more than I.

after the performance against bayer leverkusen, leo's practically been anointed by many as the next messiah.

But thanks to Lionel Messi’s recent five-goal performance against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League Round of 16, the subject has been thrust back to the forefront. And yet as monumental as Leo’s achievement was, I still hesitate to venture down that path.

Part of my reasoning for wanting to avoid the matter is personal. Though I harbor no emotional connections to the two players in the current era that most often get dragged into the discussion (Cristiano Ronaldo being the other) I realize that my fondness for Real Madrid likely skews my objectivity. Despite both players putting up numbers so insane that it actually justifies a subscription fee to Opta stats to properly comprehend them, my inherent desire — as a fan, mind you — is to dislike Barcelona players and favor Real’s. Throw in the insecurities caused by a decade of second-fiddle status in the rivalry between Madrid and Barça, and you can see why I fear the discussion from a supporter’s perspective.

But the other, more important reason I’ve avoided entering the “world’s greatest ever player” debate is because I think it’s a pretty pointless discussion to begin with.

Firstly, it’s just not possible to accurately compare players from different eras. The game changes so much from one to the next, both through rules changes and tactical evolution, that it’s hard to say whether a player player was truly great, or just played in a generally weaker generation. Nevermind that there’s not really enough footage of some of the older players in consideration (Pelé and Alfredo di Stefano) to adequately compare them on video evidence alone.

Secondly, the wide adoption and rise of professionalism across globe has also raised the bar for greatness in recent times. In the past, being a dedicated professional or being exceptionally fast or strong could give you a leg up on a competition which included players regularly boozing it up the night before matches and/or partaking in a halftime smoke. But in modern football, the playing field has leveled because everyone is fit… with only a few of the partiers straggling along into modern times. So until someone figures out that whole time travel thing, there’s just no way we would know until we had them playing on the same pitch.

the only way we'd be able to figure out who was the best ever is if doc diego and johan mcfly pick up pelé and come back to the future.

Pretending for a second that Doc Brown’s manipulated DeLorean wasn’t just a figment of a plotline from a drawn out 80′s movie series, let’s imagine we would be able to fetch those other players and bring them back in their primes to face up against today’s best defenses.

Even then, I just don’t know that’s entirely possible to consider all of the variables to accurately assess what makes one player greater than the next at that level. Highlight reels, goal tallies and trophy cabinets only tell us a portion of the story about a player’s greatness. Numerous other intangibles need to be considered to differentiate them from one another. What kind of teammate was/is he? How good were/are his teammates? Was/is he a leader? What kind of impact did/will he have on the game? Et cetera, et cetera.

To put it simply, I think labeling a player as the G.O.A.T. is a pretty subjective conversation. There’s too much to consider, and even if you could, the rose-tinting from observing the game through the lenses of a fan might still taint the decision.

Naming just one player is too precise of a task for the human mind to undertake. It’s not as if each player that’s ever been discussed as a potential best ever candidate has played the exact same way. Diego Maradona, Pelé, or Johan Cruyff all played at that level, but each had their own style and unique gifts which we used to categorize them as “the best”. Just the same, each had his own shortcomings. It’s part of the beauty of the game that there’s no defined template or mold in which a player has to fit to be considered special.

And the thing we all seem to take for granted in the (somewhat) ongoing debate as to who’s the best player in the world — or ever for that matter — is that some generations come and go without producing a player that can even enter the discussion. So as we squabble with one another over who’s the best, we miss the out on the fact that not only do we have a player that’s capable of joining the penultimate pantheon playing at this time… we actually have two.

There’s really no question anymore as to whether or not Messi will join the top pantheon of players. The pint-sized Argentine has given us plenty of reason to contemplate using his name alongside the best ever, and his five goal performance last week underlines that fact.

But if we’re using numbers alone to make that call, at the rate Ronaldo is putting up goals himself, he’s has to at least be in line for consideration too, right? And even if he’s doesn’t end up sitting with the exclusive group at the top, at bare minimum you’d have to place him in the rung just below along with greats such as Ferenc Puskás, Eusébio, Zinedine Zidane, Michel Platini, Franz Beckenbauer and Garrincha.

both of these men are amazing players. shouldn't that be enough?

It’s almost as if they’re two sides to the same coin, each the antithesis of the other. One is pale, the other is tan. Leo is small and stocky, while Cristiano is tall and athletic. Ronaldo is known for his tricks, flash and power, while Messi is known for his vision, touch and poise. Even when looking at their personalities, they’re polar opposites: Leo’s calm, quiet and reserved, while Ronaldo is emotional, egotistical and flamboyant.

Depending on how you look at the discussion, you could even say that Messi’s greatness has been partially driven by Ronaldo’s own ambition to be the best. Though neither would probably ever admit it, the pair undoubtedly push themselves to improve upon the other’s amazing performances — though Ronnie normally proves as much by shooting 800 shots-per-game the day after Leo drops a hat-trick. The best comparison of such a phenomenon is the way that Larry Bird and Magic Johnson pushed one another in the NBA during the 80′s… two fantastically talented rivals repeatedly shoving one another towards greatness.

Would we be able to truly admire and appreciate each of these great players without having the other to compare him against? I’d venture to say yes, but I doubt our understanding of their greatness wouldn’t be as deep without the contrast between the two. I just feel privileged enough to have been here to witness such a rare, dual occurrence of such talented players.

Bottom line and regardless of which player you want to crown as the best, remember that in 20 years we’ll most likely have another player — one unlike we’ve ever seen — who will capture our imaginations and cause us to ponder the great debate all over again. And if we’re really lucky, we’ll get two.

turns out having this guy pop up back in london will cause quite a stir. and just in case, i'm NOT talking about the dude on the right.

In order to get paid to play, I’d have to be good (I’m not). In order to manage, I should probably have first been a player (Ditto). I could be an agent or an administrator, but only if I knew the right people (I don’t know enough of them). Or I could always referee, if only I was a bit mental (I’m not that mental). And there’s a million writers out there, so I’m currently a dime a dozen (Sigh). So that narrows my options to just sports betting and organized crime… which are more or less the same industry, anyway.

For instance, take a look at the current betting odds on who will be the permanent manager at Chelsea Football Club at the start of next season, when Roberto “The Players Hate Me More Than AVB” Di Mateo’s stint as caretaker is currently scheduled to end. At the time of writing, the favorites are as follows:

So what about those numbers has me contemplating a career switch? Oh I don’t know… probably because there’s not a chance in hell that the man currently sporting the best odds will actually end up taking the Chelsea job. I think anyone putting their hard-earned money on Mourinho is simply giving it away to someone… why shouldn’t they be giving that money to me?!?!

Now after reading such a bold claim, I can understand if you’re questioning my confidence about the matter, what with so much time before the position will be filled and so many possible indicators already seeming to hint as much. I mean, he made no secret of his recent house hunting trip to London. Many fans will be quick to place a quid or two on Mourinho taking the job for just that reason, like they’ve forgotten that there will potentially be two other high-profile job openings in the same city this summer.

Either way, trust me when I say it’s not gonna happen. And it won’t happen for two very important reasons: what’s happened in the past, and what has to happen in the future.

Study the past, if you would divine the future.
Before we can even truly consider the Special One returning to Stamford Bridge, we have to look at why he left to begin with. It’s very important to remember that prior to leaving, José was literally a Messiah at Chelsea. He led the Blues to Premier League titles in each of his first two seasons with the club — their first in 50 years — and a club-first FA and League Cup double the following season. And while his departure seemed sudden and abrupt in September 2007, the seeds of discontent for the Portuguese manager were actually being sowed as early as 2006.

mourinho was never a fan of shevchenko, and yet roman insisted that he stay in the squad.

The first major sign of any trouble brewing between the Russian and Portuguese came with the 2006 summer signings of Andriy Shevchenko and Michael Ballack. Neither fit the mold of a typical Mourinho signing — both were proven/veteran superstars instead of up-and-coming youngsters or relative unknowns — and many rightly wondered whether they were more of Roman’s signings than José’s. Shevchenko in particular had long been admired by Abramovich, and when his €30m signing effectively ate up all of Mourinho’s transfer budget for the summer, he was bound to be displeased.

Of course, the media were quick to jump all over the emerging rift, labeling these so-called “Abrambovich signings” as the proof that the Chelsea manager was being undermined by his owner. And while neither player ever lived up to their star billings, Shevchenko’s inability to adjust to life in West London was particularly glaring. Yet despite the Ukrainian’s obviously poor form, Roman continued to pressure his manager to play his pricey signing… something that did not sit well at all with Mourinho.

But even as these troubles were brewing in the background, José was able to rally his troops and produce successes. Disciplined counterattacking and a vice-like defense were the key tenets of the Mourinho’s ability to produce trophies, but by late 2006 it became quietly known that Roman was not pleased with such “unattractive” methods. The Russian oligarch desired free-flowing, attacking football out of his side. He wanted Chelsea to be the Barcelona of London, yet the complete opposite was on display week in and week out with Mourinho at the helm.

So when Roman appointed Avram Grant as a Director of Football — a position normally responsible for overseeing player transfers – at the beginning of the 2007/2008 campaign, the not-so-private lack of backing was finally enough to push the Special One to the breaking point. After a string of disappointing results and a series of crisis meetings between Mourinho, Abramovich and the rest of the board, it was clear that there was no reconciling and the Special One walked away.

Saying that “bridges were burned” between Mourinho and Abramovich would be a gross understatement. It was more like the bridge had been bombed by Allied troops in World War II: if you hadn’t known there was a bridge there before, you would never know one had been there at all.

And though there’s been talk that some reconciling has taken place since, you have to wonder how much José trust his former employer anymore. If he were to come back to Chelsea, would the boss man be able to guarantee Mourinho the total (and I mean total) autonomy to run the club as he sees fit? Judging by the latest rumors indicating that Mou would be willing to return only if that autonomy is promised — along with absurd wages and that the guarantee that Ronaldo would be purchased too — shows that the Russian will have to put his money where his mouth is if he wants to convince him to go against his gut instinct.

To be honest, aside from the ridiculous wage demands, I don’t think Roman can promise Mourinho any of those things.

The future ain’t what it used to be.
Let us imagine for a minute a strange world where Roman Abramovich would actually be willing to give Mourinho all of the control his heart desires, and that Mourinho accepts said offer and returns to Chelsea. What tasks await him before he can right the ship? To answer that question, you have to first look at the current state of affairs at Stamford Bridge.

would mourinho even want to break up the "old boys club" that he help put together?

The anchor that’s been dragging the Blues down this season hasn’t necessarily been the manager — though AVB’s tactical and personnel choices weren’t always the wisest for the squad that he’s had — but rather an aging core of players that have an unusually large amount of influence at the club. Terry, Cole, Drogba and most notably Lampard were all reportedly at fault for undermining Villas-Boas both in the locker room and the board room. Yet aside from perhaps Lampard, none have performed well enough this season to justify such importance and sway.

When André Villas-Boas was brought in this summer, his first action should have been to break up the veteran-core. One thing that would allow him to do is implement his new playing system without the friction of the older players who are used to the old style of play. Secondly, breaking up that group would also lessen the odds of anyone challenging his authority.

Lampard and Drogba could have easily been shipped out for decent money, despite their lofty ages. Ashley Cole could have been put on a tighter, don’t-shoot-the-staff leash. And don’t get me started on how John Terry’s toxic ego is poisoning the drinking well. But due to drawn out nature of his appointment, AVB didn’t have enough time to flip them for new players before the start of the season… so he was stuck with them.

Unfortunately, this core group of influential players still remain very close to Mourinho. After all, he was the one that assembled and guided them to prominence. That they all admitted to regularly communicating with their old boss this season underlines how close they are to the guy still.

How is Mourinho possibly supposed to come back and tell them — the guys he’s still friends with — that he’s going to have to give them the boot?

Sure, he’s got a steely personality and doesn’t take smack from anyone. But would you have the cojones to tell a friend, who you’ve been propping up and reassuring all season through text messages, “Sorry guy, you actually do suck and need to move on”? I don’t think I could.

Even if Mourinho could push some of the old guard out, he still won’t be out of the woods. The Chelsea Mourinho would inherit now is not the up and coming squad that he took over in 2004, but rather a fading one with its best years behind it. There’s still a good deal of rebuilding left to do at the club, and he’ll need not only financial backing to bring in fresh faces, but he’ll also need time adjust them to the Mourinho code.

And time, if you recall, is exactly what Villas-Boas was reportedly assured of when he was charged with the project of overhauling the squad. We saw how well that worked out for the young manager. There’s no way a man as smart as the Special One could have overlooked that as anything but the same type of broken promises he’s seen before, right?

————————————————————-

Think about it like this: to José Mourinho, this Chelsea job is like a hot ex-girlfriend. Despite all of the feelings of nostalgia, the familiarity, and the everyone will totally understand why you hooked back up with her… because she’s hot. But everyone also knows that you really shouldn’t be hooking up with her either, since she’s got a crazy dad that says he likes you one day, but the next day he’s got a shotgun to you pushing you out the front door.

Long story short, I just don’t think there’s anyway that an ambitious Mourinho will take this Chelsea job. There’s too much history there, and deep down he knows he won’t get the control that he wants. Unless Abramovich promises he’ll stay far away in Russia and not pay attention to team affairs, a Mourinho-Chelsea reunion feels very unlikely.

Besides, there are potentially other jobs in London that he would be a much better fit for…

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.

This is how you know footballers make too much money. – theoriginalwinger.com

Every Euro 2012 Kit… who’s your favorite? – football-shirts.co.uk

Sadly, this might be the best pitch in Cuba. – kckrs.com

Chelsea are sunk because of… Napoli’s three in the back? – guardian.co.uk

MLS eyeing Florida for expansion; apparently doesn’t learn lessons. – soccerbyives.com

French kiss… quite literally. – kickette.com

I will actually watch more Crew games because of this. - thecrew.com

Suprisingly relevant Will Ferrell link: he apparently loves Chicharito. – dirtytackle.net

If this happened to me, I’d literally shit my pants. – youtube.com

How can one properly celebrate while sitting? Answer: you can’t. – soccernet.com