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

2014 Round Of 8 Champions League

        Wednesday March 19 two games would decide the final two teams to the round of 8.  At the beginning of the day Borussia Dortmund led Zenit St. Petersburg 4-2 on aggregate.  Manchester United trailed 2-0 to Greek Champions Olympiakos.  Dortmund was in the drivers seat with a 2 goal lead going into the Signal Iduna Park.
         Zenit opened the game with a long knuckled shot from Hulk which Roman Weidenfeller was unable to coral.  About 15 minutes later Sebastian Kehl would answer with a goal of his own for Dortmund.  At this point the game score was 1-1 but aggregate was 5-3.  In the second half at around the 73rd minute Jose Rondon would strike for Zenit, trying to keep their hopes alive.  At that point of the game I believe it was too late even though the aggregate ended at 5-4.  The Black and Yellows of Dortmund earned their spot in the last 8 and Zenit were eliminated.
        The second game on Wednesday was Manchester United and Olympiakos.  United had a different look in their eyes while walking out to the crowd at Old Trafford.  David Moyes and the boys had an uphill battle being down 2-0 before the whistle even blew.  Plenty of chances were squandered by both teams early.  Manchester United were at a pace that their Greek opponents couldn't keep up with.  At the 24th minute Ryan Giggs sent in a beautiful pass to Robin Van Persie which was defended all wrong.  The only defense for Olympiakos was a penalty in the box.  The referee pointed to the spot and RVP took complete advantage.  Just before halftime Robin Van Persie would be heard again with a great setup by Giggs and Rooney.  Van Persie's second was the easiest of them all.  At half time the aggregate read 2-2.
     The final half was an all out fight.  Both teams with questionable fouls.  On tired legs Olympiakos had begun to show some holes.  While it seemed DeGea of Manchester United got better and better in goal.  The 50th minute would prove to be the big mistake by Olympiakos.  A possible goal saving foul outside the box setup Rooney and Van Persie from about 20 yards out.  Rooney stepped over and RVP buzzed a rope with bend through the wall and into the back of the net.  United were able to score the 3 goals they needed to advance and the round was officially over.
      On Friday the drawing for the Round of 8 in Champions League will take place.  Lets take a look at the 8 squads who will be represented.  The teams will be representing four countries.  From England you have Chelsea who defeated Galatasaray and Manchester United who defeated Olympiakos.  From Spain you have 3 teams.  Atletico Madrid who defeated A.C. Milan.  Real Madrid who blew passed Schalke 04 and Barcelona who defeated Manchester City.  France has one representative in the defending Ligue 1 champions Paris Saint Germain.  PSG defeated Bayer Leverkusen.  The last two teams represent Germany and were both in the 2013 Champions League final.  Borussia Dortmund defeated Zenit St. Petersburg and Bayern Munich defeated Arsenal in a great clash between the Gunners and Bavarian champions.
       Many questions have to be asked with these great squads advancing.  Is Bayern still the favorite and will they repeat?  Will Real Madrid continue to score at will against any side?  Can Manchester United who was written off be a legit contender in this tournament?  The 3 big time players right now in this tournament have to be Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
        Obviously it won't happen but i'd love to see Barcelona vs Real Madrid, Dortmund vs Bayern , Manchester United vs Chelsea, and Paris St Germain vs Atletico Madrid. Any way you look at it there will be plenty of action.  Is there a diamond in the rough that hasn't shown through yet?  Who do you want to see drawn in the round of 8? Let us know here or at our twitter @OTPSoccerblog.  Or on our Facebook On The Pitch Soccer Blog.

The Rise and Fall of the Arsenal FC

          Tomorrow Arsenal play their neighbors Tottenham in the North London Derby.  As of late the Gunners have been up and down.  At the start of the season Arsenal jumped out to a commanding lead in the Barclays Premier League.  Players like Olivier Giroud and Aaron Ramsey were on fire scoring most of the teams goals.  The addition of German Midfielder Mesut Ozil opened up plenty of opportunities for his teammates.  For the first time in a while Arsenal's higher ups decided to open their purse and make the team better instead of letting their top players get away like Robin Van Persie and Samir Nasri.
          Looking at the what seemed to be a dominant roster, I noticed the striker position was a weakness.  In England with all the tournaments whether it be the FA Cup, Capital One Cup, or the BPL,  lots of minutes have to be covered.  I felt relying on Nicholaus Bendtner and Yaya Sanogo didn't quite add up to back Giroud.  Even the best goal scores would tire out with the demanding schedule.
          When the winter transfer window opened I thought for sure Arsene Wenger would bring in a talented Striker to the Emirates.  Two deals that were on the table that fell through was acquiring Lazio's German Striker Miroslav Klose and Schalke's Julian Draxler.  Maybe the numbers didn't add up or the other teams didn't want to part ways with their players.  This definitely hurt the Gunners squad.
           Another weakness was the Centerback position.  Per Mertesacker while being a solid defender would have to endure the rough schedule and i believe his fatigue has slowed him down as of late.  Laurant Koscielny is a great defender and if Arsenal would have went out and picked up another Centerback to rotate with Mertesacker and Vermaelen the defense would stay fresh.
           The biggest downfall of the Arsenal Gunners has been health. Ar the start of the season Podolski and Oxelade-Chaimberlain went down early.  Then a big knock on their goal scorer Aaron Ramsey who to this day is still out.  More recent injuries occurred during an England friendly where Jack Wilshere fractured a bone and during a Champions League battle with Bayern Munich,  Mesut Ozil pulled his quad.  Placing him on the long list of injuries for a few weeks.
            If Arsenal win tomorrow they can keep pace with the other top of the table teams.  That in itself is a positive outlook for a team with such bad luck this season.  It is time for the secondary players like Lukas Podolski and Matthieu Flamini to rise to the occasion and keep the London based club in the race. Only time will tell when the game begins from White Hart Lane.

New York City FC and the Supporters 3/14/14

          Last night on Facebook I found a group of people with the same passion as mine.  Being a resident of  New York,  people think we have an MLS team.  Yes the Red Bulls are called the New York Red Bulls, but their location is in Harrison, New Jersey.  The North American Soccer League brought back the fan favorite New York Cosmos which is definitely appreciated. As you all know they won the league last season.  Living on Long Island our Cosmos are great but we want a team in the big league.  We want Major League Soccer to have a team in New York.
         We then received the announcement that made a dream begin to come true.  The merger of Manchester City FC in England and the New York Yankees put their funds together to start the expansion team New York City Football Club which will debut in the 2015 MLS season.  On May 22,2013, New York City FC signed Claudio Reyna as the DFO.  Reyna a New Yorker and former Captain of the United States Men's National Team was a great choice.  We feel he's one of our own and understands what we have missed in New York.
        On December 11,2013 our Head Coach was named.  The selection was former Real Salt Lake coach Jason Kreis.  In 2009, Kreis Led Real Salt Lake to its first MLS championship.  I believe with the right formula of players Coach Kreis will be the answer to positive results for City.  Then comes the question,  who will be the players chosen for the 2015 season?
        Looking at some of the rumor sites,  a few veteran names come to mind.  A strong defender from Barcelona Carlos Puyol gave his team the notice that he wouldn't be returning next season.  Sticking with the defensive side of the pitch another name which doesn't seem too popular with the NYCFC fans is John Terry.  Although a solid defender, Terry has baggage off the pitch that turns people away from him.  Along with top players,  we want class as well.  Midfielder Frank Lampard is nearing the end of his career at Stamford Bridge and has been linked with a move to the MLS.  Could Lamps be the answer to the squad representing the city?
          Myself and a few other of the NYCFC Supporters believe Garreth Barry is the strong answer because of his affiliation with Manchester City FC.  Barry is still young enough to put in some positive years in the 5 boroughs.  In my opinion the Manchester City FC coaches should loan New York City FC some of their younger upstarts to get them playing time.  Only time will tell what direction the City squad will go.
          The excitement is unbearable when it comes to the supporters wanting their football.  Get the scarves ready.  Put together the lyrics to the chants and songs.  Band together like a family and lets carry the boys into 2015 and our ultimate goal of raising the MLS trophy.  Let's go City!!!! Let's go City!!!!

The week of November 18-24

      This week in November had a lot of action.  The International Friendlies to the World Cup playoffs.  From Der Klassiker in Germany to the Merseyside derby in England.  During this week of greatness two headliners of football would face off on the pitch in their country's final chances at the World Cup.
      At the start of the week the International break left us with some delicious tie ups.  To start with the friendlies in Europe Germany and England competed.  In my opinion, lots of action but also lots of missed chances for both squads.  Germany by far had the upper hand but couldn't capitalize on more of the chances.  Until a corner kick set piece came along.  After the first cross was deflected a second was sent in where the big man and captain Per Mertesacker rose above the rest to send a header passed English Goalkeeper Joe Hart.  That one goal would be the only score in the game as Germany defeated England 1-0.
     Another fixture in the week of friendlies was Japan taking on Belgium.  On paper you would think Belgium would take control and win the match.  Japan came through with a 3-2 victory.  The other interesting match up placed Austria against the United States.  The U.S. has been on a roll as of late as Jurgen Klinsmann's guy are believing in the German coach's system.  Austria is another qualifier with young talent like Marko Arnautovic and David Alaba that come Cup time can turn some heads in Brasil.  This games final would be 1-0 in favor of Austria after Marc Janko scored off of a David Alaba gem of a pass.  Both teams showed some brilliance though the U.S. lacked a finisher.
    Although Tuesday hosted many friendlies,  there were also two games in particular that held some meaning.  The first game placed Ukraine against France in their second leg with The Ukraine leading 2-0 on aggregate.  Les Bleu's would take advantage of the home field and score 3 goals.  Two goals from Mamadou Sakho and one from Karim Benzema.  This victory keeps France's World Cup hopes alive.
    The "Main Stage" battle was the second leg between Cristiano Ronaldo and Portugal versus Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Sweden.  Portugal came into the battle with a one goal aggregate.  In the forty ninth minute Ronaldo struck again for a 2-0 aggregate.  The sixty seventh minute had a different tune when Zlatan decided to add a goal of his own.  But Ibrahimovic wasn't done.  Around the seventy first minute Ibra struck again which made it look like the Swedes were going to the World Cup.  But the Portuguese goalscorer would have something to say about that.  Ronaldo would score two goals before the end of the game which meant Sweden were out and Portugal were in.
    This past weekend there were two games that intrigued me.  Starting with the Merseyside derby Liverpool and Everton.  Everton hosted the event and early in the game the hosts were silenced by a goal from Phillippe Coutinho. Three minutes after that Belgian Kevin Mirallas had an answer to tie the score at 1-1.  In the 18th minute Luis Suarez would add a goal for the reds to make it 2-1.  Going into halftime the Reds were in the driver's seat and looked to be taking the derby win.  In the 71st minute Romelu Lukaku made the score all square at 2-2.  But the Chelsea striker on loan at Everton still had a taste for goal as he'd score another in the 81st minute which looked to lock the game at 3-2 for the royal blues.  In the 88th minute Daniel Sturridge would take the stage and score the equalizer.  The final score at Goodison Park 3-3.
    The final game took place at the Signal Iduna Park and placed first place Bayern Munich against Borrussia Dortmund.  This game now known as the Der Klassiker or the German Classico held more water than usual.  As if the two teams didn't have enough heat between each other.  A former Dortmund fan favorite was now playing for the enemy.  Though Mario Gotze didn't start, the crowd were waiting for him.
    The first half was really just the two teams feeling each other out.  A few chances for both teams but no answers.  After halftime Manuel Neuer goalkeeper for Bayern was welcomed by the Dortmund fans with garbage being thrown onto the field.  The time had come early in the second half for Mario Gotze to take the field where he was a hero a year before.  The crowd in Dortmund was already loud cheering for their team but the volume when Gotze came on was deafening.  Every touch Gotze had made the fans scream louder.       Then came the 65th minute where a deflection came back to Gotze and he kicked the ball into the back of the net.  The crowd had loads of emotion while the Bayern players surrounded the goalscorer.  Gotze showed his old team respect by not celebrating the goal but it did make the game 1-0 Bayern and Dortmund wouldn't catch up.  Arjen Robben would add to the Bayern lead with a cheeky flick over Weidenfeller. Followed by another Bayern goal scored by Thomas Muller.  This loss put Dortmund 7 points behind Bayern and also let Bayer Leverkusen pull ahead of them.  Great football week and Champions League coming this week.
-Justin