Soccer Saturday 4/19/14

     Saturday is for soccer and I took full advantage of that term today.  Whether it was fussball from Germany,  calcio from Italy, football from England, or soccer from the United States.  My day started off with coffee and the laptop for Bayern Munich versus Eintracht Braunsweig.  This was a game reporters thought would be a runaway score for Bayern even with their second team in.  Braunsweig hung around in the first half and played a good fifteen minutes of the second until the German Champions struck.  First a goal from Claudio Pizarro off of a great assist by Mario Gotze in the 74th minute.  Mario Mandzukic would be added to the score sheet in the 85th minute with a goal of his own which gave Bayern Munich the victory 2-0 over bottom of the table side Eintracht Braunsweig.
      Following Bundesliga action,  I decided to enjoy some English Premier League action.  Chelsea hosted the "Black Cats" of Sunderland at Stamford Bridge.  Jose Mourinho has an amazing streak of 78 unbeaten games for Chelsea as their manager when home in the Premier League.  On the other hand Sunderland were feeding off of a 2-2 draw early in the week with title contender Manchester City.
     Goals  started early in this match with Samuel Eto'o scoring for the Blues in the 11th minute.  In the 17th minute Connor Wickham of Sunderland would equalize.  Both sides had plenty of chances but the big chance came late in the game.  In the 80th minute American striker Jozy Altidore was fouled in the box for Sunderland.  Former Chelsea player Fabio Borini would step up to the spot and deliver the crushing blow to Chelsea and Sunderland earned themselves 3 points.  The Mourinho Era of home dominance was put to rest on this day but with a team that talented they will bounce back.
     My wild soccer journey would lead me to Italia for some Serie A calcio.  Parma hosted Inter and this game was all Inter.  By the end of the first half Parma was down to 10 men.  Gabriel Paletta received his second yellow card in the 45th minute and was sent off.  The second half opened and so did the Inter scoring.  In the 47th minute Rolando tallied a goal for the "Nerazzuri" (the Black and Blues).  Later in the game Fredy Guarin would come on and make his presence felt.  A slashing shot from Guarin in the 88th minute was the icing on the cake for the Milano based outfit.
     As we ventured into the early afternoon the Loons from Minnesota United were going up to Ottawa to take on the Fury.  This game might have been the game of the day in the NASL.  United struck first with a goal from Ibarra.  In the 50th minute Fury striker Vini Dantas would make history scoring Ottawa's first goal in the history of the club which tied the game at 1-1.  This game looked to be destined for a 1-1 draw but Chris Ramirez had something to say about that in the 96th minute.  As it said on the Minnesota United Twitter "loon's never say die" Ramirez came on and knocked the ball into the back of the net just before the final whistle.
    The Indy Eleven had another home game today when they took on the Tampa Bay Rowdies.  A packed crowd settled in for a tight game with many chances for both sides.  The Rowdies Shriver opened up the scoring with a goal that had to be hard to swallow for the Indy Eleven.  One of Indy's players were down injured in the box when Shriver sent the shot through the goalkeeper's legs.  Indy player Norales in the 82nd minute would draw the game even with a nice flick into the goal.  The game would end a draw and the Indy based side have 2 points after opening their first season in the NASL with a pair of 1-1 draws.
   Finally 9 o'clock Eastern time came and my team was going on.  The New York Cosmos took the trip up to Canada to face FC Edmonton with first place on the line after a win from Minnesota.  This wasn't the most attractive offensive game but both teams defensively were on point.  Both teams tried to make it impossible for the other to score a goal.
     In the 37th minute Mads Stokkelein would set up Sebastian Guenzatti with a goal which gave the Cosmos a 1-0 lead.  From that moment on a seesaw battle would ensue with no other goals being scored for either side.  With the win the Cosmos are 2-0 with 6 points and the lead in the NASL.
    As if today wasn't enough, tomorrow looks to be another action packed day of soccer.  Three important games in the English Premier League starting with table topper Liverpool traveling to Norwich City to try and keep the dream of an EPL title alive.  The second game places Hull City and Arsenal head to head as Arsenal tries to lock down the final Champions League spot.  Finally Everton host Manchester United at Goodison Park.  The Toffees look to sneak into the final Champions League spot but it will take a lot of work from Roberto Martinez's players.  Manchester United look to finish the season on a high note.  This was a great weekend for soccer.  All different games with different outcomes.

The Supporter First Experience 4/17/14

        This past Sunday morning was an experience like no other.  My local NASL soccer team the New York Cosmos had their opening game of the season and I was joining a group of supporters and going to the game.  Although this sounds like a regular day of spectating, trust me the feeling was completely different than any game I had ever been to before.  The game started at 5 pm at Shuart Stadium on the Hofstra University Campus,  but my journey begins a few hours prior to the opening whistle.
       I left my house excited and unsure how the day would go.  Of course I love soccer and going to the games,  but I wasn't participating with your average fans.  The ladies and gentlemen of the Cross Island Crew,  Borough Boys, and La Banda Del Cosmos are die hard fans that chant, cheer, and sing the full 90 minutes.  This is a tall order for a new guy to become part of a club so electrifying.  I arrived in the parking lot and saw a sea of green shirts.  Fans all over the area were making their way towards the stadium and front gates.  However the supporter group better known as the 5 points readied themselves down the block with great food, drinks, and the beginning of the chants we'd come to hear in the stadium.  Most of the crew hadn't met me yet as it was my first game,  but a lot of the members came up to me introduced themselves and made me feel like part of the family.
      A few minutes after I arrived cheers began as a school bus with banners hanging from the sides pulled into the lot.  The doors open and the first sound you hear is the drums of La Banda Del Cosmos.  The true feel of the event had begun and this was the point where I knew the experience was going to be different.  As game time got very close,  all the members started to make their way down the street and towards the gates to the stadium.  The Five Points had arrived and everyone knew it.  The jubilant chants echoed underneath the bleachers as we made our way to our section which had been covered with banners and signs.
     As the players took the field the TIFO banners were extended across the support group while confetti was thrown,  smoke was engulfing the stands and our loud group of supporters began the great Cosmos' chants.  It wasn't just our job to watch the game.  We are the men and women pumping up our team.  They work the full 90 minutes on the pitch, therefore we work the 90 minutes in the stands jumping, screaming, and waving the flags.  Watching a few of the people holding onto those banners with the wind howling was amazing.  Even with those winds the Five Points didn't skip a beat.
    Of course the Cosmos winning made the journey even better.  I left that stadium after the game proud to be a part of the Cross Island Crew.  My scarf,  Cosmos shirt, and Crew family is all I

needed during that game.  If you love soccer and want to be a part of something great,  join a Supporter Group.  If your in New York join the Five Points.  The Borough Boys,  La Banda Del Cosmos, and of course Cross Island Crew are my new friends and we want you to experience the magic.  Let's Go Cosmos!!!!
 

April 3,2014- April fools, breaking rules, Champions League, and not so Friendly

           We start off the week with a look back at UEFA Champions League matches.  Paris St Germain went out and put on a show against the "Chosen One" and the "Blues" of Chelsea.  Although an injury occurred to Zlatan Ibrahimovic, the French capitol side made the most of the first leg.  The final score 3-1 which showed how deep the PSG roster is.  Chelsea will have some work to do next week when the second leg is played at Stamford Bridge.
           Wednesday also had German side Borussia Dortmund take the trip to the Santiago Bernabeu to take on Real Madrid.  With the handful of injuries and the dominance of Real as of late,  the "Black and Yellows" had no chance.  Cristiano Ronaldo, Gareth Bale, and Isco would score to make the final 3-0.  A huge advantage for Madrid to take to the Signal Iduna Park in Borussia.
          A La Liga based showdown on Tuesday took place at the Camp Nou between Atletico Madrid and Barcelona.  The scoring opened in the 55th minute when Diego Costa scored for Atleti.  Costa wouldn't make it the full 90 minutes.  He picked up an injury which could be costly on the return leg in Madrid.  For the Barcelona side,  their goal came in the 70th minute from the Brazilian Neymar.  An injury will make a difference for Barcelona as well as defensive center back Gerard Pique fractured a bone and will be unable to be part of the second leg as well.  This match would end 1-1.
        The final Champions League game on Tuesday took place on a grand stage in Manchester at Old Trafford.  A game that many said Bayern would stomp on Manchester United and though possession showed 75% to 25% in favor of Bayern,  the game was very close.  The first goal was scored by Manchester United's Center back Nemanja Vidic off of a corner kick.  Vidic's redirection header came in the 58th minute.  A little less than 10 minutes later midfielder Bastian Schweinsteiger would answer with a great goal for Bayern.  The game would be a draw 1-1 with a return match to Munich where Bayern will be without Schweinsteiger, Martinez, and injured midfielder Thiago Alcantara.
        In the newspapers from Europe as well,  is the ban from the transfer market for the defending La Liga champs Barcelona.  Barcelona have repeatedly breached transfer regulations.  The club violated rules on international transfers, as well as registering foreign players.  The sanction if kept will keep Barca out of the summer and winter transfer periods.  Barcelona's administration will appeal the decision.
       The quirky holiday of April Fools day has always been one of pranks and jokes.  The NASL defending champions New York Cosmos decided to take a trip to Buffalo Wild Wings in Westbury, New York.  Competitive eater Kobayashi dressed up as an employee of the Buffalo Wild Wings staff.  The staff found out that the big eater of the Cosmos was Peri Marosevic who was up for the challenge.  Kobayashi walked over to the table and began eating "normal" while Marosevic was power eating.  About a minute or two in Kobayashi went into competition mode and some of the looks from Marosevic were priceless.  At the end after defeating Marosevic 58-18,  Kobayashi would take off the staff uniform and reveal the last name on the back of his Cosmos jersey.  Peri was a great sport and was in awe with the quickness of the former Hot Dog eating champ.
       The final topic took place in Arizona pinning the United States against their rivals Mexico.  Bayern Munich II player and 18 year old Julian Green would be making his debut after his one time international switch from Germany to the US.  The first half America was head and shoulders better than Mexico.  An early goal from Michael Bradley off of a United States corner made it look like a route was coming.  Followed by a great set up header from Bradley to Wondolowski for the outer foot goal.  At halftime the US looked to be in control against El Tri.
      Early in the second half,  veteran Rafael Marquez would bring the deficit back to one with a header off of a corner kick.  Then came the goal that tied the game for Mexico by Alan Pulido.  I believe the refereeing crew missed a few calls including disallowing the goal by Eddie Johnson for offsides.  The other missed call was the foul on first time American player Julian Green just outside the box.  A final score of 2-2 will definitely give US coach Jurgen Klinsmann lots to think about before the clash in Brazil 10 weeks from now against Ghana.  The United States need to put together a 90 minute team if they want to compete with "perennial powerhouses" of the World Cup.
     -Justin Zydor