Every morning before we begin our work day, my pal Kevin and I chat about our favorite sport. You know, the one that brings people from around the world closer together. The one that more than 200 nations play on a regular basis. The most glorious pasttime, the beautiful game, football. That’s when the arguments begin, because he still calls it soccer.

Inevitably the subject of how high the level of play in American soccer has gotten in this country is where the bickering begins. Kevin thinks that soccer in the U.S. has come a long way. I think they have a long way to go. The more I consider the matter, the more I think that perhaps we are both right. Allow me to explain by using the Men’s National Team as an example…

When I was considerably younger (let’s call this period in history the 1970s and 1980s) the United States was more of a punching bag than a real opponent for the more accomplished national sides of the world. In fact, after their huge upset of England in 1950, the US endured a stretch of 40 long years in which they did not even qualify for the World Cup. That’s right, not even once.

The beginning of respectability for American Soccer came in the form of the 1994 World Cup. Playing at home, the US shocked many by advancing to the round of 16, where Brazil summarily sent them home. Fortunately, they did not have far to travel. But the US had gained confidence. the wheels of change were turning. Youth soccer was growing, coaching was improving, players were beginning to play the game AFTER Elementary School.

17 years or so later, Kevin loves to say that “Now no one wants to play us”. He calls U.S. goalkeepers among the best in the World (I agree on the whole) and says their defense is “expectional” (I agree not at all).

I suppose it would be “cheating” to cherry pick in support of one’s argument like some people do. But we all do it, so what the heck…

I say the recent 4-2 loss (after holding a 2-0 lead) to Mexico is a good example of how far the US has to travel to be a real power. I add that in 2007 the result was 5-0 for “El Tri”. A soccer power? Seriously? I mean, no one beats Italy 5-0 do they?

Kevin argues that the 2-0 result the Nats achieved against powerhouse Spain in 2009 (albeit in a meaningless tournament called the Confederations Cup) was more indicative of how far football in the US has come. I hate to remind him that the Americans lost 3-1 to Italy (a true footaball power) and 3-0 to Brazil (ditto) in the same tournament.

But because I’m a nice guy, and because the US really has made great strides toward becoming a soccer power, I say we call it a 0-0 draw. And that’s why I chose your video. Enjoy the games, Kev!
Jerrito

Euro 2012

Can Italy Win It All?

With news that the rebuilding Italian National Team has worked it’s way back in to the top 10 in the FIFA world rankings, we ask ourselves if it’s too soon to hope that they can win the next big trophy on their radar, the 2012 European Cup. Let’s take a look…

Coaching – Italians are quickly warming up to their new National Team Manager, Cesare Prandelli. Typically, the Italian Federation hires big name coaches, and Prandelli’s most prominent job had been with Fiorentina, not exactly one of Italy’s major club powers. But he is quickly winning the affection of fans by infusing youth in to the side and playing a 4-3-3 that looks to keep the ball in the opponent’s half of the pitch. Under his tutelage, players like Giuseppe Rossi and Ricardo Montolivo are making the most of a rare chance at national team glory for Italy. A side that is notorious for sticking with veterans (perhaps to a fault) is getting younger. And a younger, more aggressive Italy can’t be a pleasant sight for opposing countries. If Prandelli can also continue Italy’s traditional dominance on the defensive side of the ball, he will have to do so with only one proven star, Giorgio Chiellini. But if others emerge and step up to the challenge, this will be a balanced and very difficult opponent for any nation in the world. We think Cesare is on the right track. Now about that defense…

Defense – It wins titles, right? That is what the experts in all sports seem to think, and we agree. In Italy’s case, the strength of the team is usually at the back. Will Prandelli’s defense be up to the level of past Italian backlines? While other nations are grateful if they have one, Italian Managers usually have at least a pair of World Class defenders on the pitch at any given time. To match this level, someone like Gamberini or Maggio will need to make a jump in quality to reach that level. But it has been done before. Otherwise, Italy’s defense is average if measured against it’s usual high standards. However…

Offense – There is a rare wealth of offensive talent on the Italian peninsula, and this is what seems to be getting some Italians in a lather. Unfortunately, there are personality issues that could keep the attack from reaching it’s potential. Balotelli’s immaturity and Cassano’s…what the hell do you call a guy who screams at his club president until his contract is voided??? And what of Sebastian Giovinco, a player of whom expectations were soaring just a couple of years ago, but who just hasn’t quite lived up to them? Again, the potential for a powerful attack is there. But so is the possibility of implosion due to personal conflict. The good news is that Giuseppe Rossi is blossoming in to a mature, proven striker at Villareal. He should be a regular for Italy for years. And by all accounts, he GETS ALONG with everyone.

We shall see what the future holds. Italy leads their Euro 2012 qualifying group with relative ease. The future could be bright. But without answers to some very important questions, it could also turn out to be like Pompeii in 79 AD…

Enjoy the Games

Jerrito

Euro 2012

Brazil 1970

The hardest thing to watch in football has to be watching your talented side get drubbed. And that is exactly what happened to Italy in the 1970 World Cup final. I am happy that I was only 3 years old at the time, and my passion for the game and the Italian National team were still a few years from sprouting…

To begin with, this team had the world’s best player (ever, mind you) in Pele. Not the 16 year old, supremely talented but wide eyed youth who dropped jaws at the 1962 World Cup. No, this was a supremely confident, more mature artist who had learned to use his mind and take full advantage of the enormous talent Brazil had managed to assemble around him. This man was now so remarkably unstoppable that a strong Italian defense would bow to his greatness. But back to that “talent players surround him” thing…

The names Jairzinho, Rivelino, Gerson, Carlos Alberto and Tostao garner regular mentions in the “best player” or “best player at this position ever” discussions you hear at bars and coffee houses around the world. Along with Pele, they formed the nucleus of what many consider the best national team side in the history of the game. At the very least, they were the best attacking side of all those to have participated in a World Cup.

This team had won all 6 of their qualifiers before the tournament began. They then proceeded to win the first 6 games of the tournament itself. But the next test would be tough, because the team they were to face was like to kryptonite to Superman. It was a solid, talented, DEFENSIVE side. Surely Italy could slow down this squads’ assault on opponent’s goals, no? No.

Reading about that World Cup is like doing research on Brazilian football. Italy’s high points in the match are rarely mentioned. Brazil’s are highlighted. Both are deserved. In a 4-1 final, Pele opened the scoring and assisted on 2 other goals to cement his place as a big game superstar and a player without peer, even 40 years later. But the 1970 World Cup was not about a single player, but of a nation which loved football with a passion and played it beautifully. And efficiently. Ask any Italian (or at least those a few years older than yours truly).

Enjoy the Games!

Jerrito

Brazil 1970

Fabio Cannavaro

As his career winds down, we thought this would be a good time to take a look back at the career of this great Italian footballer.Born in Naples, Italy on September 13, 1973.

As a child, Fabio was a ballboy at Napoli. He watched in awe and in person as players like Diego Maradona and Ciro Ferrara led their club to greatness. He matured as a player quickly enough to spend some time with them on the pitch – Napoli signed him to a contract and he began to learn his craft, making his debut in 1993 against Torino.

In 1995 Cannavaro was purchased by Parma, where he really began to stand out. His first taste of high-level personal and team success came here, as he became an important first team regular and with the club won the Coppa Italia and UEFA Cup. He was already beginning to get called up on a regular basis by Italy’s national team managers. He also won Seria A Defender of the Year for the first time with Parma…

In 2002 Internazionale paid almost $30 million to dollars to steal him away from Parma. While he reached the Champion’s League semi-finals with the club, his career with Inter was short and beset by injury.

In 2004, he joined Italy’s greatest powerhouse to play for a stacked Juventus side. On a team that included defensive superstars like Buffon, Thuram, and Zambrotta he still managed to stand out. With the club he won two Italian scudetti and was voted Defender of the Year by the Italian press in 2005. When the Turin giant they call the “Old Lady” of Italian Football was beset by a betting scandal in 2006, Fabio felt he had no choice but to leave the club.

He joined Spanish giant Real Madrid and won domestic championships with them in 2006 and 2007.

In 2009, he returned to Juventus, now back in the top flight in Italy. It was his last season in Italy, as his form was finally slipping. At the end of the season, he signed a two year deal with Ahl-Ali in Dubai where it is expected that he will end his professional career.

The greatness of this particular player, like many great footballers, was most obvious when he took the pitch for his national team, and positively glaring at the 2006 World Cup, in which Fabio shone like no other player. He played every minute of every match, aggressively and with incredible reserves of discipline and determination, but without picking up a single yellow or red card. He was Captain of Italy, and leader of a defense that gave up only 2 goals in the entire tournament (an own goal and a penalty kick, for the record.) For his efforts, he was voted to the “All Star Team” of the tournament, and was later voted World Player of the Year in large part because of his national team form. He is Italy’s most capped player of all time.

Our assessment: Fabio Cannavaro will join the likes of Giacinto Facchetti and Gaetano Scirea in the pantheon of Italy’s and indeed the World’s greatest defenders ever to play the game.

Enjoy the Games!

Jerrito

Tomorrow (Monday, February 28 at 2:45 EST time or 8:30 PM in Italy, to be exact) Napoli will take the pitch against Milan in one of the world’s great football temples, the San Siro (or Giuseppe Meazza if you prefer) in Milan. With their club only 3 points behind the Rossoneri in the Serie A, and the first title since 1990 in their sights, these are heady times around the bay of Naples.

Ah yes, the good old days. Those were the days of Diego Maradona, Ciro Ferrara, Daniel Fonseca, and Gianfranco Zola. Before Maradona failed a drug test for the first time, before people stopped coming to the stadium, before the club went bankrupt…happier times for sure.

A passionate city since it’s humble beginnings as a vacation spot for Roman Emperors, Naples may well have the best fans in all of Italy. How do I know? I was lucky enough to catch a few matches, and celebrate in person a couple of domestic titles and a UEFA Cup trophy when I was (ahem) a bit younger (that would be the late 1980′s for you younger fans). And let me tell you, the city of Naples celebrates like few others. There were blue fireworks, blue fish sold on the streets (you had to be there) and everyone wore something blue. It was a sea of passion, of dreams realized, of frustration turned to joy spilling in to the hearts of the people, and in to the streets.

Anyway, the match is coming in less than 24 hours and I’m already on the edge of my seat. I hope you’ll be watching and dreaming with me and my Nonno (Riposa in pace Gennaro. E forza Napule!)

Enjoy the game!

The FIFA Ballon d’Or
(The Golden Ball)

This year, the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d’Or award have been merged in to one. The world’s best player will be awarded the FIFA Ballon d’Or each year from now on. Who will win the 2010 award in December? We have it all figured out.

Wayne Rooney 

Why he’s Nominated – He is a scorer, an assist man, and the heart of his Manchester United Club.

Whe he won’t win – First of all, he looks like a club fighter who’s been hit too many times. That alone should disqualify him. Secondly, the English were one of the favorites at the World Cup, but they bombed out early, and Mr. Rooney will likely carry enough of the blame to keep him from winning. Lastly, his antics in first trying to get out of Manchester, then signing a new deal with the club were more annoying than watching our next nominee dive like he’s been shot out of a cannon.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Why he’s Nominated – Possessing as much talent as any player in the world, he dominates games when he wants to. We think he will be considered a favorite to win this award for the next 4 or 5 years.

Why he won’t win – He dives like he’s been, well, shot out of a cannon. And voters don’t like that kind of thing. He is a constant complainer and may be the most annoying athlete since Dennis Rodman. His club play until recently was mediocre, and his play for Portugal in the past World Cup was ineffective and pretty pathetic if you ask us.

Leo Messi

Why he’s Nominated – 34 goals in the past season and spectacular all around play for club and country. He had an even more dominant season than last year when he won the award.

Why he won’t win – Sadly, his performance in the 2010 World Cup seems to have been undervalued, and may be given more weight than his otherworldly performance for Barcelona. His inability to score enough goals for Argentina will likely be his undoing. He probably should win, but won’t.

Wesley Sneijder

Why he’s Nominated – In the past year, he was the driving force for Inter’s Treble and Holland’s trip to the World Cup Final. He was dominant on a team of superstars in both cases.

Why He Will Win – Without him, Inter had never won much. With him they won big in Italy and Europe. For the Dutch he was vital, scoring five goals and injecting life in to a football loving nation who had not made a major final since 1988. He was the most valuable player in the World in the past 12 months.
Enjoy the Games!

Jerrito

Steven Gerrard

Born in 1980 in Whiston, Merseyside England (about 7 miles from the center of Liverpool).

Made his debut with Liverpool in 1998 against Blackburn Rovers.

Chosen to be team Captain at Liverpool in 2003.

Made his international debut for England in 2000. He is currently co-captain of the Three Lions and has represented England in the 2000 and 2004 European Cups, and the 2006 and 2010 World Cups.

His trophy case includes two FA Cups, two League Cups, a UEFA Cup win and the 2005 Champion’s League trophy.

In a fan poll, Gerard was chosen as the second most important player in the history of Liverpool FC… Read the rest of this entry

Mom always said I would one day write about important world events…

Sadly, the greatest football prognosticator in the history of the game has passed. While we mourn the loss of our good friend, Paul the Octopus (who correctly predicted the winner in all seven of Germany’s World Cup matches) we are learning that there may have been something foul about his death, or more appropriately, the timing.

As often happens when an A list celebrity passes, news of this import is never quite black and white, and sometimes comes accompanied by the stench of tartar sauce left out in the sun. Chinese director Jiang Xiao certainly smells something “fishy”. She believes so strongly that chicanery is underfoot (or tentacle) that she is working on a film called “Who Killed Paul the Octopus”. Seriously, we couldn’t make it up.

Xiao’s theory goes like this…Paul has been dead for months, but the Germans tricked us in to thinking he was still alive for the sake of publicity. When asked how this sham could have been perpetrated, she replied ‘Octopuses all look the same. It is impossible to tell the difference.” A fraud? A fake Paul? The honest Germans? Unbelievable!

“For the movie, we had done quite a lot of investigation and I am 60 per cent to 70 percent sure that Paul died on 9 July (two days before the World Cup final) and the Germans have been covering up his death and fooling us for a long time” Xiao said. Not since Oliver Stone’s JFK have we awaited the release of a film with so much anticipation.

On a lighter note, we are thrilled to welcome his successor, Paul. Born in Montepelier, France the new Paul comes from humble beginnings. Here’s hoping he doesn’t end up covered in lemon on someone’s plate.
Enjoy the games!

Jerrito

Rumor has it that Serbia will receive harsh punishment for the behavior of some of their fans in Genoa at the beginning of the month. According to sources it seems that Italy will be awarded a 3-0 victory and the important 3 points that come with it. In addition, Serbia would play at least a couple of their remaining Euro 2012 home qualifier matches in an empty stadium, with no fans in the stadium whatsoever. So far, it sounds like just punishment to us, and should serve to send a message to miscreant football fans all over Europe to stay out of the stadiums (or at least freaking behave like civil human beings) or their favorite teams will suffer the consequences.

We wish that the extent of the punishment ended there. But we’ve gotten word that somehow, Italy will also face punishment for the violence in Genoa. In their never ending wisdom, UEFA seems ready to hand down a fine or worse to Italy because they failed to provide a “secure and safe environment” for the match. Are we missing something here? Did UEFA warlord Michel Platini not get the news that Italian police received a facsimile the day before the match informing the Italian gendarmes that perhaps 100 or 200 Serbian fans were on their way to Italy and that none of them were among known troublemakers? Did he ask himself how people we now know had criminal records were allowed to leave Serbia in the first place? Does the French moron think that Italy wanted trouble in a stadium containing 100 or so children from the local orphanage invited to watch the match by the Italian Football Federation? Think about it for a moment.

Seriously Michel, whatever Italian girl broke your heart when you played your football in Torino in the 1980s, you need to let her go. You were a great player, but please give us more than that to respect you for.
Enjoy the games!

Jerrito

In almost 40 years of watching the Beautiful Game I have seen some shocking things. But the shameful scene created by a few misguided Nationalist Serbian fans at the Italy-Serbia match in Genoa today ranks as one of the worst.

The disgusting display began even before the game, as Serbian fans still angry after their team’s loss to Estonia on Friday ran riot in the streets of the Ligurian capitol. There were fights, vandalism and clashes with police. There was even a report of Serbian fans boarding their team bus when it stopped in Genoa to throw a smoke bomb on it, injuring their team’s goalkeeper who subsequently refused to play in the match.

By the time television coverage began, the scene at the Marassi Stadium was chaotic. As Italian players wore black arm bands in honor of 4 Italian soldiers killed in Afghanistan, the bad guys took control. In the South corner of the stadium, Serbian fans threw smoke bombs by the handful onto the pitch. Outnumbered and clad in ski masks, the small group of malcontents took control over the match and the stadium, going so far as to smash the protective glass barriers between seating sections.

With an opportunity to send a message to hooligans everywhere that this type of behavior would not be tolerated, UEFA failed miserably. As their officials and representatives of the Italian and Serbian football associations assessed the situation from the field, they made the unconscionable decision that the match would go on.

With a 45 minute delay, the match began cloaked in a funeral mood. Italy looked motivated and took control of the match immediately, and after a brutal foul by a Serbian player which clearly should have been accompanied by a red card, they were denied one of the clearest penalty kick decisions I have ever seen. Clearly the English referee had in the back (or front) of his mind the reaction he would face from the Serbian fans for making what was obviously the correct decision. He seemed eager to avoid further trouble, and Italian fans must have feared that the major disciplinary decisions were not going to go their way because of it.

Moments later a smoke bomb landed within a few feet of Italian Goalkeeper Emiliano Viviano. The referee called together the team captains and Italian coach Cesare Prandelli gestured at him that his team would play no further football today. Officials were gathered at midfield and finally, the correct decision was made to suspend the match.

If there is any fairness, UEFA will follow it’s own rule and award a 3-0 victory to Italy as is standard when a game is suspended due to violent fan behavior. In a corner of the stadium, a sign in Italian read “Honor to the Fallen”, a reminder of an already distant memory, and that this day was supposed to mean something altogether different.

(Try and) enjoy the games.

Jerrito