Wild American Gooner

When Sports Are More Than Just Sports

Category Archives: Soccer


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My Thoughts on Group D, England and Jack Wilshere

The action in Group D certainly lived up to expectations today, with both Costa Rica-Uruguay and Italy-England being lively, entertaining games. Italy has now put themselves in the best position to qualify top with their win over England. Uruguay will have their work cut out, and will need some help, but the England loss certainly helps the Uruguayans. Costa Rica may have surprised Uruguay on this day, but Italy and England will be entirely different beasts. CONCACAF, however, has made a dream start.

England-Italy was a particularly interesting game, one worthy of all the billing it received. Despite the loss of Riccardo Montolivo before the tournament, the Italian midfield dominated. Andrea Pirlo was his usual self, Danielle De Rossi and Marco Verratti were solid defensively, Claudio Marchisio provided a stunning strike, and Antonio Candreva was the man of the match on the right. One would have expected England to press higher against Pirlo and company, but the Italians were allowed a lot of time on the ball at times. England seemed content to sit back and wait to release their pace on the counter attack.

England to me look four years away from a serious run in the World Cup. At times, they were electric going forward today, with incredible pace from the young guns. However, their relative experience saw them fail to track back at times, or in Wayne Rooney’s case, he seemed to lack the desire, leaving Leighton Baines exposed on the left, where Italy’s second goal came from. They have a ton of young talent, as evidenced by the three young midfielders who came on and added a directness to England’s play. But despite the flare, this probably won’t be their year. However, they have a serious future in international soccer in the next World Cup cycle.

The one area England seems to lack the necessary talent in Brazil is central defense. While Cahill and Jagielka are solid most of the time and very capable defenders, both are susceptible to critical lapses. Tonight, it was Cahill who let them down. Mario Balotelli’s goal was relatively simple, simply drifting off the back of Cahill to head in a simple cross. The Chelsea defender also missed a chance to redeem himself going forward, when he failed to connect on a header at the near post on a corner. For England to get out of the group, they’ll need Cahill to be better in the air.

On a side note, I found myself caught off guard seeing Jack Wilshere come on the pitch in the second half. I know he made a brief cameo against Hull, and had been deemed fit long ago, but it still felt odd watching the Arsenal #10 fit again. Looking at him run freely for once made me realize how limited he was this year, even when he was playing. At times this season, we saw glimpses of the Jack Wilshere everyone fell in love with before his injury. But it was only glimpses. Seeing him back out in the England #7 shirt made me hopeful that one day Jack might be back to his best. I feel for him, because he has had such hard luck, but time is running out unfortunately for him to prove his reliability.

I’ll have my thoughts on Japan-Ivory Coast and my next set of predictions at 7:00 am tomorrow. Thanks for reading and please share your thoughts.


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Give the Kid a Chance

For all the talk about Arsenal needing to buy multiple strikers this summer, Arsene Wenger would do well to give Joel Campbell a chance to prove himself at his parent club. Loaned out to various clubs around Europe since he signed for Arsenal in 2011. The story about the first loan out was that they’d failed to obtain a work permit, but as he is now almost 22 years old, it is now looking like the Costa Rican youngster might never get a chance at Arsenal.

Having only seen him play once with Olympiakos this year, I’ve always given Wenger the benefit of the doubt for not keeping Campbell around. But watching him play against Uruguay today, I firmly believe that he merits a squad number next season. At the very least, he needs to be around the first team during summer preparations, getting a feel for how Arsenal plays. His talents could prove useful in that he offers something different from all of the current Arsenal strikers.

In a strong first half against Uruguay, he was effective dropping deep to receive the ball. He was then able to turn and be direct with his subsequent play on the ball. He also showed once again he is capable of hitting an accurate shot from distance, something I’ve rarely seen Giroud or Sanogo do. His second half was even more impressive, as he showed off his passing and even some strength in the corner at the end of the game in addition to the goal. Tell me Arsenal couldn’t use a few goals like the one he scored to tie the game.

He might be a little small for a Premier League forward, but in certain games that ability to drop back and receive the ball might be a welcome change for the Gunners. Playing next to Walcott or Oxlade-Chamberlain, he’d be able to release their pace by dropping deeper and sending them on diagonal runs towards his vacated space. I noticed that Costa Rica do not even have him in the box on their corners because of his lack of height, but Arsenal do not necessarily need that from him.

I know many people think that if Wenger brings him in, it might be at the expense of buying someone else. But I’m not advocating for that. If Ryo Miyaichi is good enough to train with the first team, I would like Wenger to welcome Campbell to London this summer, giving him the fall to make an impact in the Capital One Cup. Should he fail, then loan him back out in the winter. But at least everyone could find out whether or not he could be useful. It would be unfortunate if this full international never got a chance at Arsenal. I’d rather have Campbell back than waste time on the return of Carlos Vela.

Do you want Campbell to get a chance next season? Is he good enough to play for Arsenal? Please comment below.


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I Wish Sagna Well, Unlike Cesc (And Today’s Predictions)

I didn’t catch much of Chile game last night, but I was impressed with Australia’s resiliency. They will need more of the same if they hope to take a point off the Netherlands or Spain. The Chileans looked pretty dangerous from what I saw, but they may rue only having a plus-two goal differential against the Socceroos.

Before I get to my predictions for today’s matches, I want to say a few words about Bacary Sagna and his now confirmed departure to Manchester City. Maybe it’s that we’ve all known he would be leaving this summer for a long time, with City the likely destination. Or maybe it’s that he was very professional this season with reliable play amid the contract distractions. Maybe it’s that he fulfilled his contract to Arsenal, sticking to his word. Or maybe it’s that he left a winner, not a quitter. For all these reasons, I am not bitter about Sagna’s departure. In fact, I have a tremendous amount of respect for the man.

For years, he has been a steady presence at right back. But he has grown to be more than that in recent years, filling in at center back in times of need (think back to his heroic performance in the Sunderland game two seasons ago), sending in steadily accurate crosses that won’t be fully appreciated until Jenkinson starts misfiring his, and even scoring crucially important goals. At his age, he was never going to get the long term deal he so craved at Arsenal. So he did the best thing for his future by securing his services elsewhere. I don’t blame him for wanting the insurance a longer deal provides after all the injury scares he has had recently.

Bacary Sagna’s recent Instagram post has confirmed all the positive characteristics I had seen in him as an Arsenal player. If you haven’t seen the post, check it out. It is a very simple, yet incredibly classy gesture. Sagna’s head and heart have always been in the right place. He has been professional to the end. It’s a shame he is leaving for Manchester City of all places, but he has served his duty with Arsenal. Goodbye, Bacary. I wish you well.

Now to my predictions. Yesterday’s weren’t so good, so hopefully these go better.

Colombia 1 Greece 1

The first game of the day won’t be the most beautiful. Greece will be Greece, defending with a lot of men behind the ball. And Colombia will try to attack through James Rodriguez, a player many around the world haven’t been able to watch much of at Monaco. I see Greece scoring first, on a corner, with one of the center backs, Sokratis Papastathopoulos, heading it in, if only because it will make all the commentators in the world stumble over his name. The Greeks won’t do much after that, and the steady pressure Colombia will present will lead to a goal from Jackson Martinez. Colombia might romp, but I think Greece will hold firm for a draw.

Uruguay 2 Costa Rica 0

Assuming Luis Suarez sits this one out, Uruguay will face a stiffer test than they want from Costa Rica. Had Alvaro Saborio not gotten injured, the Ticos might have had a chance. But without him, Costa Rica isn’t a huge threat going forward, as young players like Joel Campbell are relatively inexperienced against top opposition. If they score, it will come on an error by Fernando Muslera in goal. Uruguay will be boosted by a brace from Edinson Cavani, who will aptly fill Suarez’s role as the main man. Last World Cup’s Golden Ball winner Diego Forlan will be one to watch at Costa Rica, as most of his skills have declined since 2010. Many will want to see whether the magic he provided in South Africa could be rekindled in Brazil. Ultimately, Uruguay will leave with the necessary three points, but it may not be pretty.

England 2 Italy 2

This highly anticipated game will be a good one. With both teams afraid to lose, it will start slowly.  But a surprise goal from Jordan Henderson against the run of play will open things up. Mario Balotelli will strike next, because the world hasn’t seen enough of him in the news lately. He will be out to change that. In-form Daniel Sturridge will then find the net in the second half to give England a 2-1 lead, but that will not be the end of the scoring. Andrea Pirlo will find the net with a free kick to tie the game in spectacular fashion. Both teams will feel like they should have won the game, but they will each leave with a singular point. Look for England to impress on the flanks.

Japan 3 Ivory Coast 2

These will be the game of the day, with chances abound. The battle will be in the midfield, with each team possessing an abundance of talent going forward. Shinji Okazaki, Keisuke Honda, and Shinji Kagawa will be the stars of the show, each scoring a goal apiece. Japan will go ahead 2-0, with Gervinho getting one back before half. Japan will score next, before Didier Drogba makes it 3-2 soon after. Japan will see out the one goal lead, but it won’t be entirely convincing. Yaya Toure will be largely invisible, hampered by a thigh injury that could be the deciding factor in this group. If he is effective, the Ivorians will win, but I don’t believe he will be anywhere near his best. A tie in the Colombia-Greece game could lead to an incredibly open game in the nightcap, as both teams will be looking to take control of the Group C, knowing the parity that exists among the four teams.

I might be back later today with thoughts on a game or two like I did yesterday. Links to new posts will be posted to Twitter (@MrMcGinnis94). Or just check back periodically. Thanks for reading, please comment below, and have a great day.

 


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Loyalty Gone Too Far

With the flip of a switch, the greatest international side ever has become old. Rarely does such an ugly undressing happen in public. I, along with everyone else, believed Spain had a little bit more in them. If they were going to fall off the international stage, it would be slowly. But that was all proven wrong today. Spain was truly terrible today. It is not often that you can say that about Iker Casilllas, Xavi and Gerard Pique, but today, they were not among the world’s best, losing 5-1 to Netherlands.

Arjen Robben and Robin Van Persie were magnificent for Netherlands. They looked young again. And alongside them, the real youngsters looked like seasoned veterans, especially Daley Blind. The defense held well, even in the midfield, and Louis Van Gaal’s formation looked ingenious. It is always dangerous to discount a side who were unbeaten in qualifying, but somehow the Dutch have been overlooked. Using that as motivation, they silenced all their critics today and enacted sweet revenge on the Spaniards.

But the story won’t be so much about the Dutch as it will be about the Spaniards. The age old dilemma about how much loyalty should be shown to older players who have proven themselves is now again at the forefront. Vicente Del Bosque will be forced to answer many questions about why he continues to utilize Iker Casillas and Xavi, even as their clubs have begun to faze them out. Yes, they may be the two best Spanish players ever, but they aren’t among this current squad’s best 11. Loyalty is admirable. But eventually in sports, too much loyalty will lead to a result like this. And where does Spain go from here?

There have to be changes in the side for their next match against Chile. I would like to see David De Gea come in for Casillas – that choice would seem the most obvious change to make. But I think players like Javi Martinez and Koke could provide much needed life to this side. Whether Martinez plays in central defense or in the midfield doesn’t matter as much as simply getting his young talent into the side. I would also imagine Cesc Fabregas will start as a false 9, coming in for the likely to be suspended Diego Costa. And lastly, Santi Cazorla and Juan Mata should get a run out at some point. It might seem harsh to leave out the long-serving players after just one loss, but if this isn’t a sign that changes are necessary, I don’t know what is.

There is still a way back for Spain, but they will only improve if they are wiling to let go of their past success and make the tough decisions to leave veterans out. The usual 11 have played more games over the last few years than any other players in the world for club and country. Between that fact and the aging roster, it is clear that they must involve fresh legs and fresh minds. A departure from the Spain we have come to know might be the only way to save this campaign.

What were your thoughts on the match? How can Spain come back from this? Please comment.


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The Enigmatic Alex Song

Despite the best efforts of the assistant referee, Mexico was able to earn all three points in their opener today against Cameroon. But while Mexico looked to be creating the chances and dominating the game, Cameroon’s negative tactics allowed this to happen. It was unfortunate really that they held back so much, allowing Mexico time and space on the ball, and only sending one or two men forward to the box when attacking.

Alex Song’s performance in this match needs to be looked a closely. A former favorite of mine at Arsenal, capable both of breaking up attacks with cracking tackles and of sending the perfect pass, was noticeably tentative going forward against Mexico. Song is neither a true holding midfielder,  nor a #10. And he doesn’t make enough runs into the box to be considered a box-to-box type. He is a player that needs to do a little bit of both to be at his best. Cast as Cameroon’s lone holding midfielder, he seemed lost, afraid to venture forward without cover. Devoid of his creativity on the ball, Cameroon struggled to create chances for Samuel Eto’o.

It was particularly notable that when Cameroon went a goal down, and needed to bring on an extra attacker, Song was withdrawn to make way for Webo. Not unexpectedly, they failed to create many more opportunities. For a team that lacks playmakers, Cameroon needs Song further forward if they hope to win any games.

Song is now at an important part of his career, both internationally and at the club level. He can either change his game to become a complete defensive midfielder, or he can remain an enigma on the pitch, a player so tantalizing talented that Barcelona had to take a chance on him, but one whose lack of a true position keeps him off the field there. A Move away from Barca might be necessary for Song to discover who he really is on the field. Cameroon’s World Cup dream might be a lost cause, but at only 26 years old, Alex Song and his slowly vanishing career are not.

On the Mexican side, Miguel Herrera’s decision to leave out Javier Hernandez looks the smart one, with Giovanni dos Santos impressing all game. The sprite attacker looked comfortable with all the space given to him, and was extremely unlucky not to get on the scoresheet. I’m not ready to anoint Mexico ready to take down Brazil, but Cameroon played right into their hands in the rain. The confidence taken from this match cannot be underestimated though, as Mexico now look more of a threat to take the second spot in Group A.

Now to the match we’ve been waiting for.