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I’ve been watching a smattering of footie from the Gold Cup (yawn) to the World Football Challenge (surprisingly good) and the Peace Cup (a bit of both) as well as following all the transfer shenanigans. Observations in no particular order:

* Real Madrid still look pretty disjointed overall and the back line is quite suspect, but when the passes start connecting, look out. I haven’t seen Kaka in the mix yet, but Benzema is the one who has impressed me the most. The guy can shoot a ball at 1000 MPH from any angle, more or less on target. Remarkable. The big question for me this season will be consistency: will Barcelona or Madrid play at top gear for the longest stretches?

I think Barca will pick up where they left off, and it might take a good half dozen games for Real to find their groove. For my money, that lag might be enough when all is said and done but I expect Real to push them most of the way. They could actually be dangerous Champions League this year, as they should have had plenty of time to mesh before the knock-out stages.

* Has the ship been righted at Valencia? None of the big stars have left save Albiol, and I hope that Silva and Villa stay put. I am so excited to watch La Liga. The chasing pack should be fascinating.

* The World Football Challenge didn’t show us the teams firing on all cylinders, but you’d have to say that Inter looks okay but not remarkable but my God, how dire is AC Milan? They’re in serious trouble you’d have to think. They look old and slow—historically a bad combination for professional sports teams. Chelski look pretty damn tidy though. It will be very interesting to see them kick it up a gear, to continue the tired automotive metaphor. (no pun intended with “tired” though)

* I have no idea what this Man City squad will do. They could be quite good or they could be just above average. On paper they’re a better side than any team who finished fifth or lower, but will they click? Can’t wait to find out. I also have to say that Ars*nal had better splash some cash intelligently in the next month or they’re flirting with disaster. For my money, the squad is thin and injury riddled. Yes, guys like Eduardo (who is overrated anyway) and Rosicky and Walcott will be returning from injury, but mended players don’t tend to pick up a pace after being out for extended periods. And I would also point out, along with anyone who has any sense, that Ars*nal has had injury crises several years in a row that always manage to cripple their title bid. And this year will be different why?

* Tottenham actually bore me now. I’m not sure Crouchy is the right buy, I’m glad they’re letting Bent go, and I wish they’d nab Huntelaar. The team was so cut-up last year it’s hard to tell which direction they’ll go in. They could be quite explosive if a regular first-team settles in, but that’s a mighty big if. I’m betting their league placement will have a lot to do with how Everton, Man City, Aston Villa, and Fulham (maybe) wind up. Someone from this group is going to bomb, and I wouldn’t be too surprised if Sunderland or West Ham start threatening those positions either.

* Hull looks like early contenders for relegation, don’t they? Who knows what Phil Brown is saying to potential players but he needs different mouthwash—player after player keep passing on going to Hull. You’d also have to think that Stoke’s strategy can’t work for another season, can it? Then again, it’s worked for Bolton for how many years? But the relegation battle will be interesting from the word ‘go’ since I can’t see Burnley or Wolves doing anything but struggling. Think about that though: you’ve got Birmingham City, Burnley, Hull, Stoke, and Wolverhampton all in the Premier League at the same time, along with a host of traditionally crappy teams like Bolton, Sunderland, and Wigan. And then there’s Pompey and Blackburn, who were only saved last year because there were so many awful teams below them.

* I am one of the few US Soccer fans who doesn’t care about the Gold Cup final loss to Mexico. Not to make excuses but this was Mexico’s B+ (Dos Santos? Vela?) versus the US B-/C+ (Heaps? Pause?). So yes, the Mexican reserves can whup up on the US reserves, but who cares? Of this group of US players, how many even go to the World Cup, much less play? Two? Three? This has almost as much relevance as the World Cup of Beach Soccer. The game August 12th at the Azteca? Now that’s a different story…

Current Mood: Bleh |