Sunday, July 15, 2012

World Football Challenge Kicks Off on Wednesday

Recent weeks have been slow in international soccer ever since Spain closed out Euro 2012 with a thorough dismantling of Italy in the final. As the major European leagues begin training for the coming season, a number of outstanding exhibition matches are coming up on North American soil as part of the Herbalife World Football Challenge. This exhibition tournament features some of the best clubs in Europe and a few MLS squads. All nine matches in the tournament will be televised in English in the US, and all but one will be shown live. Here is the schedule:

July 18 - Seattle Sounders FC v Chelsea FC (9:30 pm ET on ESPN2) in Seattle, Washington
One of the most popular teams in the US, the Sounders and their passionate fan base will host Chelsea, winners of this past year's Champions League.

July 21 - Toronto FC v Liverpool FC (4 pm ET on Fox Soccer) in Toronto, Canada
One of the newer teams in the MLS will host Liverpool, which is coming off a disappointing season but remains a popular team throughout the world.

July 22 - Chelsea FC v Paris Saint-Germain (7 pm ET on Fox Soccer) in New York City, New York
The first of two matches in Yankee Stadium, Chelsea will take on PSG, which is a perennial contender in France's top league and is making significant roster upgrades to contend in the upcoming season's Champions League.

July 28 - Chelsea FC v AC Milan (6 pm ET on ESPN2) in Miami, Florida
Chelsea continues its trek across the US by taking on one of Italy's best clubs.

July 28 - D.C. United v Paris Saint-Germain (7:30 pm ET - tape delay on Fox Soccer at 10 pm) in Washington, DC
DC United has been one of the top teams in the MLS this season, so they will likely not be an easy draw for PSG in its second and final WFC match.

Aug. 2 - LA Galaxy v Real Madrid (10:30 pm ET on ESPN2) in Carson, California near Los Angeles
Last year's MLS champions have struggled a bit this season, but they had better be in top form as they host Cristiano Ronaldo's Real squad, semifinalists in last season's Champions League.
 
Aug. 5 - Real Madrid v Santos Laguna (11 pm ET on Fox Soccer) in Las Vegas, Nevada
Real will take on the defending champions of Mexico in what should be a spirited Sin City environment.

Aug. 8 - Real Madrid v AC Milan (8 pm ET on ESPN2) in New York City, New York
Real and Milan have been two of Europe's best clubs in recent years, so this is a classic waiting to happen in Yankee Stadium.

Aug. 11 - Real Madrid v Celtic FC (1:30 pm ET on ESPN2) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The final match in this tournament pits Real against the defending champions of the Scottish Premier League.

*Also of note, the MLS All-Star Team will once again take on a top-flight European club in its All-Star Game, facing Chelsea on July 25 at 8:30 pm in Chester, Pennsylvania near Philadelphia (televised on ESPN2).

Sunday, July 1, 2012

Euro 2012 Final Preview: Spain vs. Italy

Three weeks ago, Spain and Italy battled to a 1-1 draw to begin the 2012 European Championships. Spain entered the tournament as defending champion and favorite, while Italy came in under a cloud of controversy and uncertainty. The match was as entertaining as it was close, and gave many fans hope for a spirited tournament...which has certainly been the case. Later this afternoon the two storied soccer clubs will meet in a rematch, this time for the title (2:30 et, ESPN).

Spain has seemed a bit flat in this tournament, relying more on possesssion and stingy defense in its run to repeat as champions. In fact, the only goal Spain has conceded in this tournament was to Italy in the aforementioned tournament opener. Spain has played most of this tournament without a true striker, choosing to deploy Cesc Fabregas up front while keeping Fernando Torres out of the starting 11. This strategy nearly backfired in the semifinals against Portugal, as the rivals battled to a scoreless draw that Spain won in penalty kicks.

Italy comes off what has to be considered the most impressive victory for any club in this year's tournament, a 2-1 defeat of Germany in the semifinals that featured two world-class goals from ultra-talented, but often enigmatic, forward Mario Balotelli. The Azzurri feature two of the world's best players over the past decade in goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon and midfielder Andrea Pirlo. Some critics were saying Buffon and Pirlo were well past their prime, going so far as suggesting this tournament could be the final major international tournament for both. Instead, Buffon has been stellar and Pirlo has been the key to Italy's superior possession game all tournament long.

I look for this matchup to start slowly, with both teams trying to dictate possession with their strong midfields. Italy will likely try to get the ball to Balotelli early to see if they can get a quick strike and force Spain to play a more aggressive style to open up for the counterattack. Look for Spain to once again bring Torres in as a substitute in the second half for a change of pace, especially if they are down.

Prediction: Balotelli scores an early goal, Spain ties it up in the second half, and this one goes to penalty kicks with Spain successfully defending its title.