Champions League Round of 16 Preview

The Champions League begins its Round of 16 this week. For my continuing novice soccer fans, the Champions League is an annual competition between the best teams in Europe. Last year, Barcelona defeated Manchester United to win its fourth title overall and third in the last six years. This year’s Round of 16 features three teams from Italy; two teams each from Spain, England, Germany, France, and Russia; and one team each from Portugal, Switzerland, and Cyprus.  

The Round of 16 has eight “home-and-home” matches, meaning each grouping of two teams will face each other once on each other’s home fields. The team leading aggregate score after the two matches advances to the next round. Should there be a tie, there is a rather complex tie-breaking system that starts with away goals being the deciding factor…so teams scoring a goal on the road feel pretty good about themselves going into the second leg even if they only earn a tie in the first leg. If all things are equal after the tie-breaker, extra time will be played following the second leg.

As we near the date of the first matches during this round, I thought it would be fun to make some predictions on how I see things unfolding. Here we go:

Bayer Leverkusen v. Barcelona
Barcelona is having a bit of an up and down campaign, sitting seven points behind Real Madrid in La Liga. They still have to be considered the team to beat, as they feature the best player in the world, Lionel Messi, and the most dynamic midfield around. Leverkusen currently sits in sixth place in the Bundesliga. Their problem will be that Barcelona will inevitably score, which means Leverkusen will have to play more aggressively – opening themselves up for some big counter-attacking goals from the defending champions.
Prediction: Barcelona 6, Bayer Leverkusen 2

Lyon v. Apoel Nicosia
Lyon is having a decent season in France’s Ligue 1, sitting in a tie for third place. Apoel Nicosia is the surprise of the tournament, becoming the first team from Cyprus to reach this stage. Lyon comes in the overwhelming favorite, and I don’t see the Cinderella story continuing over a two-leg matchup with the French side.
Prediction: Lyon 4, Apoel Nicosia 2

Zenit St. Petersburg v. Benfica
The two most dominant teams of this season from Russia and Portugal face off in what should be a very even matchup. Tough one to call, so this is just a gut feeling.
Prediction: Benfica 3, Zenit St. Petersburg 2
 
AC Milan v. Arsenal
Milan has been solid this year, just one point behind the lead in Serie A. Arsenal has had an inconsistent campaign, but they have the firepower to pull off an upset here. This is my pick for the most exciting matchup of the round.
Prediction: AC Milan 4, Arsenal 3

CSKA Moscow v. Real Madrid
Moscow has been up and down in recent months, while Real Madrid sits atop La Liga. This one could get ugly.
Prediction: Real Madrid 5, CSKA Moscow 2

Napoli v. Chelsea
Napoli has struggled over recent weeks, falling to seventh in Serie A. Chelsea is also struggling to find top form, but they have more scoring options than the Italian side.

Prediction: Chelsea 3, Napoli 2

FC Basel v. Bayern Munich
The Swiss side Basel is a decent club, but seems overmatched by German powerhouse Bayern here. This is another matchup that could become lopsided.
Prediction: Bayern Munich 4, FC Basel 2

Marseille v. Internazionale

Two storied clubs in France and Italy, respectively, will face off here in what should be a very low-scoring, defensive struggle as both teams play that style. Look for Inter to come out on top because they have more scoring punch up front.
Prediction: Internazionale 3, Marseille 2 (extra time)

Dempsey and Donovan Impacting the EPL

Over the past nine years, Tim Howard has been the face of American soccer in the English Premier League. Howard was a solid performer at Manchester United before joining Everton in 2006; since then, he has been considered one of the top goalkeepers in the EPL and his quality has been lauded around the world. However, Howard is no longer the only American turning heads among soccer fans across the pond.

Clint Dempsey joined Fulham in 2007 after starring in the MLS. His first four years in the EPL were full of promise and some highlights, but short on consistent production. In 2009, he scored a highlight reel goal against Juventus in the Europa League Round of 16 that helped lead them to an historic victory. Last season, Dempsey scored 12 goals for Fulham and looked like a star in the making going into this season. And oh, what a season it has been. Dempsey has scored 16 goals so far during this campaign - 10 during the EPL season and six more during FA Cup matches. His hat-trick against Newcastle last month was the first ever scored by an American in a top-flight European league. He now holds the all-time record for goals scored by an American in the EPL, and Dempsey shows no signs of slowing down. The only question surrounding Dempsey now is whether or not he will remain with Fulham during the summer off-season transfer window, as he has expressed interest in playing for a Champions League-caliber team and Fulham is not playing near that level.

Landon Donovan is enjoying his loan tour with Everton this season. After helping lead the L.A. Galaxy to the MLS Cup Championship, Donovan joined Everton for the second time in his career on a short-term loan. Since the start of his eight-week tour, Donovan has played every minute of his seven matches with Everton, and has assisted on five goals. This past Tuesday, Donovan fed Darron Gibson for the only goal of their win against Manchester City, which dealt a severe blow to City's chances at an EPL title, while catapulting Everton into the top half of the table. Donovan's pace and passes have helped improve Everton's attack tremendously.

Howard, Dempsey, and Donovan are the players the USMNT will be relying on heavily as World Cup Qualifying begins this summer. It has been a real treat watching them succeed at the highest level possible over these past few weeks, and a continuation of these results will help them not only prepare for an important summer, but serve to continue elevating the reputation of U.S. soccer throughout the world.

What is the EPL?

As soccer is becoming more popular in this country and some of my friends are beginning to follow teams, I have been asked lots of questions about the best league to follow - the English Premier League, which is also known as the Barclay's Premier League. The EPL, as it is most often abbreviated, is made up of the top 20 teams in England. On an annual basis (August-May), these teams compete in a 38-match season where each team plays the 19 other teams once at home and once away. The top four teams in the league advance to the UEFA Champions League, which is a hotly contested annual competition among the top teams in all of Europe. The bottom three teams in the EPL each year drop to the second league in England, while the top three teams in that league move up to the EPL. The Champions League and relegation process mean that even if a team is running away with the title or having a very poor season, there is much to play for among the other teams to either advance to the Champions League or try to avoid relegation.

For those of you who are American soccer fans and wanting to cheer for our guys on EPL teams, here are five teams to consider rooting for:
Everton - My team of choice has Tim Howard as its goalkeeper and recently re-acquired Landon Donovan on a two-month loan from the L.A. Galaxy during the MLS off-season. Marcus Hahnemann, backup keeper to Howard for the U.S., is also his backup for Everton. Everton currently sits in 11th place in the EPL at 25 points. They are perennially in what I call "EPL Purgatory," usually not seriously threatened by relegation, but also not often contenders for a Champions League spot.

Fulham - Clint Dempsey has starred for Fulham over the past couple of seasons. He leads Fulham this season with six goals in the EPL. Last month, Dempsey scored his 37th EPL goal, becoming the all-time American goal scorer in league history. Brian McBride scored 36 EPL goals during his illustrious international career. Fulham often is in the middle of the table like Everton - this season they are currently 14th at 23 points.

Tottenham - This is one of the top teams in the EPL this season, currently sitting in third place at 46 points. Their starting goalkeeper is Brad Friedel, another in a long line of outstanding American netminders.

Aston Villa - Brad Guzan, one of Howard's backups, is fighting for the #1 keeper spot for Villa, and Eric Lichaj is trying to work his way into the Villa backfield just as he is looking for time in the U.S. lineup. Villa is currently tied for 12th at 24 points.

Bolton - Stuart Holden, one of the rising stars in the U.S. midfield, was selected as Bolton's most valuable player last season and soccer fans were looking forward to another big campaign from him in 2011-12. Unfortunately, Holden has not been able to suit up yet this season due to injury. Should Bolton be relegated, which looks quite possible given their current 19th place standing, look for Holden to be sold to another EPL team.
This year's EPL action has been outstanding so far. Manchester City and Manchester United are tied with 48 points (teams get three points for wins and one point for a tie). United has played one more match than City to this point, so City technically is in the lead. Tottenham and Chelsea currently hold the all-important third and fourth spots to lay claim to the Champions League spots at 46 and 40 points, respectively. Arsenal and Newcastle United are desperately trying to move up the table and into those spots - they both have 36 points. On the other side of the things, Wigan Athletic (15 points), Bolton (16) and Queens Park Rangers (17) are in the last three spots, which is called the "Relegation Zone" because those would be the relegated squads if the season were to end today. In danger of fallling into that zone are Blackburn Rovers (17 points), Wolverhampton (18) and West Bromwich Albion (22).

For those of you who want to get a taste of EPL action, I encourage you to watch two outstanding matches next Saturday morning featuring four of the best teams in the world. Manchester City takes on Tottenham at 8:25 am et on Fox Soccer, while at 10:30 am et Arsenal will face Manchester United on Fox Sports as Fox continues to jump on the soccer bandwagon.

Quick Thoughts on the Latest FIFA World Soccer Rankings

FIFA's monthly world soccer rankings were released earlier today. Here are some highlights:

• The top ten spots remained unchanged (Spain at the top, followed by Netherlands, Germany, Uruguay, England, Brazil, Portugal, Croatia, Italy, and Argentina to round out the top ten).
• The USMNT remained ranked 34th, just behind the Czech Republic.
• The other teams in the US's semifinal qualifying group for the World Cup are ranked as follows: Jamaica 54th, Antigua and Barbuda 87th, and Guatemala 90th.
• Mexico dropped one spot to 21st, still the top ranked team in CONCACAF.

These rankings are not likely to change much over the next few months, but the Euro 2012 Tournament and heating up of World Cup Qualifying will start making an impact in June.

2012 USMNT Schedule

For those USMNT fans like me who try to schedule their personal and professional lives around match schedules, today's blog entry is for you!

The USMNT's 2012 campaign will be highlighted by the semifinal round of 2014 FIFA World Cup Qualification. The US is in Group A along with Antigua & Barbuda, Guatemala, and Jamaica. Group B consists of Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guyana, and Mexico, while Group C includes Canada, Cuba, Honduras, and Panama. The winner and runner-up from each group advance to the Final Round of qualifying in 2013. The top three teams from that Final Round earn spots in the 2014 FIFA World Cup, while the team that finishes fourth enters a two-team playoff to try and make it into the world's most popular tournament.

Here is the 2012 USMNT schedule as of today (more friendlies will likely be scheduled between January and June, but those have yet to be announced):

January 21 - Friendly vs Venezuela (venue tba, but likely in the US according to Venezuela's soccer federation)
January 25 - Friendly at Panama
June 8 - World Cup Qualifier vs Antigua & Barbuda
June 12 - World Cup Qualifier at Guatemala
September 7 - World Cup Qualifier at Jamaica
September 11 - World Cup Qualifier vs Jamaica
October 12 - World Cup Qualifier at Antigua & Barbuda
October 16 - World Cup Qualifier vs Guatemala

*NOTE: The Under-23 US team will attempt to qualify for the 2012 Summer Olympics as well. Qualification for that takes place in March and April, with the Olympic Soccer Tournament hosted by London this summer. USMNT regulars such as Brek Shea, Timmy Chandler, Freddy Adu, Juan Agudelo and Jozy Altidore are eligible. It will be interesting to see which of these young talents make it on the final Olympic roster.

USMNT Beats Slovenia!

The USMNT defeated Slovenia, 3-2, in an international friendly earlier today. The US came out in a more aggressive formation and scored all three of its goals in the first half. In the 9th minute, Edson Buddle capitalized on a Slovenia turnover deep in its own end, forced by Clint Dempsey. Buddle crushed the loose ball into the corner of the net. Dempsey scored a beautiful header off a Michael Bradley corner in the 41st minute. Fabian Johnson was rewarded for his stellar play in the first half by drawing a penalty in the 42nd minute, and the subsequent penalty kick was put away emphatically by Jozy Altidore for his first goal in the Klinsmann era. Unfortunately, the defense did not play its best, but it was enough to secure the victory.
Here are my five thoughts on the match:

• Jurgen Klinsmann changed his formation for the US, coming out in a 4-4-2 with a midfield diamond as Jozy Altidore and Edson Buddle teamed up front, Clint Dempsey at the point, Fabian Johnson and Michael Bradley were wing midfielders, and Kyle Beckerman lined up as a defensive midfielder. The defensive line was (left to right) Timmy Chandler, Carlos Bocanegra, Clarence Goodson, and Steve Cherundolo. Once again, Tim Howard was in goal. You had to like this formation, as the US had nine scoring chances today. They had been averaging only five per match in Klinsmann's first five matches.
• Johnson and Bradley were both outstanding, especially in the first half. Johnson provides the US with an athletic, offensive-minded midfielder that could cause matchup problems in World Cup qualifying. Bradley was impressive in joining the attack moving forward and had some nice feeds off set pieces. There could be a logjam in the US midfield when Landon Donovan rejoins the team in 2012 and if/when Stuart Holden recovers from his latest knee surgery. Johnson and Bradley made cases for themselves to be in the conversation for the starting 11 in 2012.
• Altidore once again worked hard and played well, but he has to learn to put away easy scoring opportunities. Again in this match, he had an easy put away in the 11th minute, with Slovenia reeling off Buddle's rocket goal just a couple minutes before. Johnson delivered a beautiful cross right in front of the goal mouth, but Altidore blocked the ball well over the crossbar instead of tapping it into the net. Altidore scored on a well taken penalty later in the first half, but that should have been his second goal of the match.
• There are concerns over the US defense, especially in the central midfield. Bocanegra made some uncharacteristic errors, including a horrible over the back foul at the top of the box in the final minute that gave Slovenia a chance to tie the match. Thankfully, the free kick was high and the match ended with the US on top. Goodson and Bocanegra did not have their finest performances today and will need to get better to keep their starting positions.
• Congratulations to The Captain, Carlos Bocanegra, on his 100th cap for the USMNT (for you novices out there, a "cap" is an appearance in an international friendly or competitive match). Klinsmann mentioned in his postmatch comments that the team was very happy to celebrate with a win. Bocanegra is just the 12th American player to reach this milestone.

Now it's your turn...what did you think of the match?

Introduction of Stars and Stripes Soccer Blog

Soccer in the United States has arguably never been more popular. Just one year ago, the U.S. Men's National Team (USMNT) captivated us with a run for the ages, winning its group for the first time in history after a Landon Donovan goal that I still have to relive on YouTube just to remember how I felt running around screaming and hugging fellow fans at a local watering hole when I should have been at work.

This past summer's USA vs Japan Women's World Cup Final drew the second largest television ratings for a women's soccer match in history and brought Americans of all ages to the edge of their seats in a classic championship match.

This blog will be dedicated to my thoughts on the USMNT and USWNT as they compete around the world in both tournament and friendly action. Qualifying for the World Cup on the men's side begins for the USA in June, and new coach Jurgen Klinsmann has infused enthusiasm for, and brought higher expectations to, the red, white, and blue. On the women's side, this is a bit of a down time in the wake of their World Cup success, but things will heat up leading into the Summer Olympics in 2012.

I look forward to sharing my opinions and reading yours! Please feel free to comment as often as you would like. I plan to organize some gatherings to cheer on the USA in person. You can also follow me on Twitter (adifranco77) for quick thoughts on soccer and other issues in sports and life.