Aguero to Chelsea

And so it begins. Last summer's incredibly inflated prices wont be following the world economy as the World Cup is sure to land many multi multi multi million pound transfers for players who show a spark over a three week period.

The first big summer (albeit pre-South Africa) transfer is Sergio "Kun" Aguero to Chelski from cash strapped Europa League finalists Atletico Madrid for £40 million according to Soccernet. Thats a lot of money for a 21-year-old who has only put in 16 goals all season. However, Kun is certainly apt for the Prem; he is fast and physical and should partner up well with Drogba.

Aguero has already stated that him and his fiancée (Maradona's daughter) will love living in London. We'll see how long that dream lasts.

Can't get enough Deuce??

FULHAM FULHAM FULHAM

Too excited to write this piece so we'll just be lazy and throw this link out there. Fulham, once known as "Fulhamerica" for having five (Carlos Bocanegra, Brian McBride, Eddie Johnson, Clint Dempsey, Casey Keller) Americans on their playing squad, have been reduced to just Clint "Deuce" Dempsey. But he was more than enough American firepower, coming on in the 57th minute for the injured Bobby Zamora, to spark a Fulham comeback. Reason # 8674 why you don't mess with the Deuce.

Throwback Thursday

Sorry I missed it last week, but here he is for you, Glenn Hoddle. Hoddle was a tremendously talented young midfielder for Spurs from 1975-1987 before moving to Arsene Wenger's Monaco. He is recognized by the National Football Museum Hall of Fame for his "sublime balance and close control, unrivalled passing and vision and extraordinary shooting ability, both from open play and set pieces." Arguably one of the greatest English midfielders of his time, Hoddle now is running an academy in Spain for young players released by their clubs. This video is a great one, found by one of our own here at Ambitious Effort. Enjoy:

Leonardo to be sacked at Seasons End

After several weeks of rumors the decision to fire Manager Leonardo at seasons end was officially announced today by AC Milan (and Italian) President Silvio Berlusconi. While Berlusconi had previously made his unhappiness known with Leonardo’s decisions, the move is still a bit of a surprise, especially considering that the season has not yet finished and a Champions League place has yet to be finalized.

Overall, Leonardo’s season was quite like a roller coaster ride. In his first ever job as the head man on the bench, the team started very poorly, especially the week two 4-0 destruction by Inter in the Derby Della Madoninna. Yet he managed to turn the squad around by changing the formation from a 4-3-1-2 to a 4-3-3, to better take advantage of Ronaldinho’s strength as a left forward. When Ronnie, Borrielo, and Pato were healthy, Milan’s strike force was quite formidable and Milan looked a real threat to the Scudetto for much of the season. However, the wheels began to fall off, as first Nesta and then Beckham and Pato went out with long term injuries, leaving Milan to exit in the round of 16 in both the Champions League and the Coppa Italia. The final blow to the season has come in recent weeks, as Milan went from being a title contender to a pretender with two consecutive defeats at the hands of Sampdoria and Udinese respectively. Apparently this was too much for Vice President Adriano Galliani and Berlusconi to handle, as Leonardo will end the season as a lame duck Manager, perhaps now looking to his native Brazil for his next job.

As for Milan, the future is a cloudy one. It is no secret the team is old and fragile. In addition, it has a shortage of world class talent at the outside back positions, which will be hard to fix with recent rumors out of Milan that the team cannot afford to spend heavily in the transfer market and will instead look to the youth squad for aid. Essentially, Milan needs an extreme makeover this summer, but that is an article that well be left to a more pertinent time. The focus is now finding a new manager, ideally a more experienced one than Leonardo to better handle all the aging “stars” of the squad. Two prominent names come to find that would be ideal, Fabio Capello and Frank Rijkaard. While both are a bit of a long shot at the moment, remember that managing Milan is still one of the games most prestigious jobs, and is not an opportunity easily passed over.

Capello was originally mentioned to me by an Ambitious Effort colleague, and is an intriguing and exciting possibility. For Capello, the job would potentially be a return to a team where he has enjoyed great success, both as a player and manager. While currently employed as the Coach of the English National team, there is no telling if he will stay with the team after the World Cup, and a return to the team where he managed a squad known as the Invincibles to four titles in five years would make sense. The problem however, is that Capello is no fool, and he no doubt realizes that the current Milan team looks to have more problems than even his considerable talents can quickly fix.

Another possibility to fill Leonardo’s job is Frank Rijkaard, who is currently plies his trade at Galatasaray. Perhaps best known for his stint as Manager of a Champions League winning and Ronaldinho inspired Barcelona squad, Rijkaard makes sense because of his ties to the San Siro. He was a legendary holding midfielder for Milan from 1988-93, including winning the European Cup (a predecessor of the Champions League) twice and adding two Scudettos under Capello of all people. Despite having a long term contract with Galatasaray, it is likely the Dutchman would be willing to burn some bridges in Turkey in return for an upgrade in prestige, as Milan is a bit more of a household name than Galatasaray. Rijkaard would immediately be respected by the players for his success with Barcelona, and loved by the Milan tifosi for his work in the red and black shirt of Milan. While Galliani and Berlusconi have their work cut out for them in revamping a troubled Milan squad, they would do well to make a hard push to either of these two men to replace Leonardo as the man in Milan.

"The Hell that awaits Inter"

Such is the title for an article from the Madrid based paper El Marca. Barcelona players and fans have been doing all they can to rally all of Catalonia up into arms. Getting to the stadium hours early, wearing blue and red, following the Barca team bus for support, and receiving Inter's bus in strong numbers. Even Pique wishes for the Nerazzurri to "hate their profession for 90 minutes." His partner in the back said....oh wait, Puyol is ruled out due to suspension. Nou Camp might be packed with 90,000 inspiring Catalonians, but no matter how loud they yell, all that matters is what happens on the pitch.

First things first, Barca are down 3-1. The easiest way to overturn this is, of course, a 2-0 victory, but all the pressure they pile on will make them susceptible to Inter's counter attacks which worked so well in the first leg. With Pandev injured, Mourinho will probably employ a 4-3-1-2 and drop the defense deeper to absorb pressure. This leave only Eto'o and Milito to pressure the back pass, which may give Barca as much time as they desire to move the ball laterally.

Contrary to early reports, Sneijder is match fit and will once again provide the link from defense to offense. Inter will most likely not field any changes from last leg, with the exception of Pandev's injury. Barca are without Iniesta and Abidal due to injury, which means the inclusion of Pedro and Maxwell. Puyol will watch from the stands as Gabi Milito attempts to shackle up his brother Diego.

When it comes to the tactics, I expect something very similar to last game. Inter did a good job of patiently herding Barcelona to the sidelines and into the corners before they collapsed the pocket around the ball-handler (usually with 3 players). The key was to not let Barca move the ball laterally through Xavi once they corralled one of the wide players.

Barcelona had trouble unlocking Inter's defense; the first goal was thanks to a complete lapse by Maicon when he allowed Maxwell to run down the left to the byline. The key will, once again, be little Messi. The young maestro seems to thrive at home, absorbing the energy of the fans and springing about the turf, delivering goals and smiles. Can Zanetti keep up and mark Messi well again? I don't think so. Messi has been quiet the last four games. This is exactly the type of game to make another statement.

The prediction for this game is a little trickier. As the blaugrana correspondent at Soccernet said, Barca may have had to take a bus to Milan, but Inter will park the bus at Nou Camp. I can see Inter being able to charge forward for a goal, but Barca will lay siege to Julio Cesar's goal. If they are wearing their shooting boots, they may just bust open the flood gates. I say 4-1 Barca, possibly with one of those in extra time.

Germans beat the French (again)

Bayern Munich beat Lyon 3-0 with a convincing performance. All three goals came from the Croation Ivica Olic, whose clinical finishing in Manchester and Lyon earned Bayern a CL final berth for the first time since winning it in 2001.

Van Gaal finally has his team playing the way he wants; getting numbers back for solid defense and quick counter attacks without wasting possession when the opportunities aren't there. They also put on a clinic once Lyon went down to 10 men, showing how to completely control a game against a disadvantaged side.
The game could be characterized by Bayern's dominance in the midfield. Schweinsteiger and Van Bommel forced Lyon to play on the wings, and Mueller dropped in to fill the hole under Olic, constantly finding himself unmarked when the Bavarians won back possession. When Mueller dropped in, it freed up the ever-dangerous Robben to streak up the right flank. While the Dutchman didn't score, he was a constant threat to Lloris in goal and often drew two/three defenders when on the ball.
Robben likes to cut inside, giving Lahm enough open field to keep a California cow happy. Lahm took the opportunity to bombard forward and supply balls for Olic and the bunch.
On the left side was Altintop; I don't rate the Turkish international too highly because although he is versatile, he often tries to do too much. However, today he was fantastic on offense and defense, epitomized when in the first half he won the ball, rouletted one assailant (a la Zidane) and poked the ball through the legs of another. He deserved a goal and nearly had one in the 90th. One-on-one with Lloris, instead of slotting home like an experienced striker would he cut the oncoming defender and then curled over the bar from eight yards.
As for Les Gones, there were few positives. Lloris lacked protection the entire game, being constantly called upon to make saves. To make matters worse, centerback and captain Cris was booked for a tackle that looked hard but clean; he then received a red for sarcastically applauding the referee. Apparently Cris didnt watch the Milan derby and learn from Sneijder.
It was an extremely DUMB move from the one-named Brasilian captain-- it seemed like the move of a man more frustrated with his own team's incompetence than the ref's.
A bright spot for Lyon was Sidney Govou as a constant threat up the right side. Like Robben for Bayern, Govou stretched the defense and unleashed many a powerful shot to test Butt. He made intelligent runs and dribbled at defenders in addition to providing good service to Bastos, Makoun and Lopez, none of whom could capitalize. Govou was the yin to the yang of Delgado, who tried his hardest to give away the ball cheaply every time he got it.
For the last 20 minutes or so, Bayern showed one of their greatest assets: the ability to kill off a game. Knocking the ball around the back four, the sucked Lyon in before dishing it wide and long to their open wingers. If the wide guys found themselves without acres of space, they passed to their supporting fullback and started over again. By the end, Lyon's spirits and legs were run ragged enough that Bayern were practically untroubled.
Bayern Munich can now book their plane tickets to Madrid. While many would not have put money on Bayern a month ago, they now look like they can go toe to toe with the likes of Barcelona or Internazionale. If they run out winners in the Bundesliga and emerge victorious at the Bernabeu, Louis Van Gaal will have put an exclamation point on Bayern's season turnaround.

Roma Roma Roma

While the result for Roma was disappointing Sunday night at the Stadio Olimpico, it forced me to reflect on the amazing run the team has been on. Before facing Sampdoria, Roma was on a six game winning streak and an incredible 24 match unbeaten run that had started all the way back in November. They had started the season so poorly that ex-manager Luciano Spalletti had resigned after just three matches, including a 3-1 smackdown by Juventus at the end of August in a game that I watched online and my sister attended live at the Olimpico. I remember thinking at the time that Juve looked a good bet to take the Scudetto, with their new Brazilians, Deigo and Felipe Melo starring in midfield. In contrast, Roma was a team in shambles, looking like their age had finally caught up with them, which was going to be especially problematic considering there was going to be no money available in the January transfer window. Eight months later, and my how things had changed. Roma was sitting top of the table while Juve have struggled and are out of a Champions League place. Thus, even though the 2-1 loss against Sampdoria left me extremely disappointed, I couldn’t help but take a moment to reflect and appreciate on a tremendous Roma campaign.

But enough reminiscing about the past, the match Sunday night against Sampdoria had the attention of all of Italy focused on the calcio in the capital, as the Giallorossi needed all three points to go two past Inter with three remaining. Behind the support of a packed crowd, Roma started the match brightly. They looked nothing like the lazy team that was exceptionally fortunate to escape from Udinese with a 2-1 aggregate victory in the Coppa Italia semi-finals in midweek. I suspect this was mostly because of the changes that manager Claudio Ranieri made to the squad, with Totti and Jeremy Menez replacing Luca Toni and the artist formerly known as the Beast, Julio Baptista. The change really affects the team, as Totti and Menez prefer the typical Roma style that uses quick clever ground passes, as opposed to the aerial power style preferred by Toni and Baptista that inevitably takes Roma out of their game.

The first half saw many Roma chances go astray that they would later rue, especially an unmarked bicycle attempt by Juan that went well wide. While it would have been a sick goal, there was really no reason for a Brazilian such as himself him to miss the target so badly from only eight yards out. The goal finally came in the 14^th minute from a series of give and go’s between Vucinic and Totti. The end result was a low cross into Totti who made a slightly awkward one touch finish with his left foot that nonetheless easily slid by the ex-Milan goalie, Marco Storari. The half also contained two legit penalty shouts, according to my fading Italian skills while listening to the always animated halftime show. The first came when a defender dragged down Menez in the area off a long ball, and the second came when a Vucinic cross hit the hand of a Samp defender who was admittedly trying to pull his hand away at the last second. But the score remained 1-0 at the half, one of those times where one knows the team will later regret their misfortune in not expanding the lead.

Unfortunately, the Roma defense soon conceded in the second half despite having not given up any legit chances up to that point. The danger came as always from Sampdoria star Antonio Cassano, who blew by Burdisso to get off a hanging cross that was met at the back post by a powerful header from Giampaolo Pazzini that went low and hard through the legs of Roma keeper Julio Sergio. While the header was an impressive one, I couldn’t help but get the feeling that Sergio could’ve saved it. However the goal made sense, as I knew his luck was due to run out after making the game winning save in midweek when a shot smashed off the post then against his diving face and out of bounds. After the goal, Roma tried to counter, but had trouble until Ranieri subbed on Toni for Perotta in the 67^th. Within a minute of coming on, Toni managed to free himself for a similar header to the one Pazzini had, with the difference being that Toni didn’t hit his as cleanly, and that the athletic Storari somehow managed to keep the effort out of the net. Roma finally managed to put the ball away in the 75^th through another Toni effort, but it was not to be, as replays confirmed that he had been clearly offsides.

Knowing that a lone point was not enough to maintain the Scudetto lead, Ranieri went for broke in the 75^th, when he subbed in Rodrigo Taddei, a midfielder, for right back Marco Cassetti. It almost paid off when a Taddei cross ended up outside the box at the feet of the capable ex-Liverpool man John Arne Risse, who unleashed a trademark Risse thunderbolt towards the top corner, only for Storari to once again make an incredible reaction save. I’ll never understand why Milan wanted to loan him out once again, especially when they put the error prone Dida in goal game after game, but I digress. With Roma pushing so hard forward to find the winner, they were always going to be vulnerable at the back. Their gamble failed in the 85^th, as substitute Daniele Mannini led a counter attack up the flank of the departed Cassetti, and found Pazzini, this time with a low cross that he finished with a left footed toe poke, leaving Julio Sergio no chance. The goal was no doubt a result of Roma’s attacking intentions, as Burdisso tried to cover the extra space only to see Mannini’s cross somehow go through his legs to Pazzini, who an exhausted Risse had allowed to get goal side. The final minutes played out without Roma ever really threatening, leaving Sampdoria holding the leagues coveted fourth and final Champions League place and Roma looking up to title holders Inter, who now sit on top with 73 points over Roma’s 71.

While the loss did make me appreciate the incredible run that Roma have been on, it will be all for naught if they don’t find a way to snatch the Scudetto away from Inter in the remaining few games. The stage is set for a wild finish, so stay tuned next weekend, as Saturday sees Inter take on Atalanta at the San Siro after their midweek showdown with Barcelona, while Roma travel to Parma on Sunday morning.